The Salvation Army in Port Augusta (SA) shared a slice of love on a prominent mental health day, giving community members the opportunity to have a chat and get anything off their chest. National R U OK? Day is an annual event held to raise awareness of suicide prevention through conversations and connectedness. On Thursday 14 September, The Salvation Army in Port Augusta hosted a morning tea and pizza lunch and gave participants the opportunity to air out their problems that may be weighing heavy on their minds. Jake Collins, the Homelessness Program Manager for Port Augusta, said it was a wonderful day for all involved. “Services came together to host community events to raise awareness for R U OK? Day,” he said. “The Salvation Army hosted a morning tea and pizza lunch donated by Dominoes Port Augusta. During the morning tea, participants were able to yarn about their experiences and strengthen their connection to the community. “Centacare also arranged an event at the yacht club and were supported by The Salvation Army, Headspace and Ignite Cheer and Dance. “There was badge-making, games, food and affirmation creation followed by a mindfulness activity led by Maddie from Centacare and overlooking the water. “Thanks to everyone who supported the events, and we hope to make it bigger and better next year as it is a really important issue.” If you are having suicidal thoughts, please seek assistance by contacting your trusted healthcare professional or calling Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you are concerned for your safety or the safety of others, seek immediate assistance by calling Triple Zero (000). An edited version of an article courtesy of The Transcontinental Port Augusta (author Matt Welch) Slideshow of photos:

I’m incredibly grateful for the many volunteers who help us do what we do – both in my own corps and, more widely, across Australia. Much of Salvation Army ministry in this territory is done by officers and paid staff, but a great deal – perhaps more – is done by volunteers. One of our young volunteers recently came to me after a shift and said he greatly enjoyed working here at the corps and with his colleagues. He said, “It feels like family.” I commended him for his work, thanked him for his comments and told him how much we appreciated having him working with us. After he left, his comment about us being ‘like family’ played in my head for a moment because some families are pretty weird! As I thought across our corps/officer/employee/volunteer team, I wondered which one is the uncle who tells the old jokes over and over (probably me). Who is the competitive younger brother? Who is the grandparent always falling asleep? Who is the aunt giving out dusty lollies that have been in her purse for a year? Who is the cousin that snorts when she laughs? And does being ‘like family’ actually mean we argue a lot? Does it mean we prefer to spend time alone in our rooms looking at screens rather than being together without screens? Does being ‘like family’ mean we can or can’t agree on things? I guess it depends on what your experience of ‘family’ is. I grew up in a loving family, but I also spent a childhood watching The Addams Family (a loving family … but odd!), The Brady Bunch (a merged family of eight with a maid), The Partridge Family (who kept breaking into song), and Happy Days (where the oldest Cunningham child, Chuck, disappeared without explanation after two seasons and was never mentioned again!). If I said your church or workplace colleagues are like a family, what sort of family are you? Do you laugh together a lot … or just at one family member? Who do you need to keep ‘sending to their room’ for some indiscretion? Who is the parent that thinks you can do no wrong, and who is the disciplinarian? Who is the favourite child? Are you a family that talks issues through or prefers to storm out and slam doors? Do you bond over something (sport, hobbies, food, music, etc.), or are you all totally different? Being ‘like family’ sounds like a wonderful thing to say about a group of people, but it might mean the opposite! “You people are weird, inappropriate, argumentative, boring, petty, stupid and unusual … just like my family!” So, enjoy your other ‘family’ this week. And don’t accept furry lollies from whoever is the forgetful aunt. – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

In Philippians 1, Paul expresses his deep gratitude and thankfulness for the gospel partnership. Colonel Winsome Merrett echoes this by thanking God for our partnership in sharing the love of Jesus to transform Australia one life at a time.

It was a memorable day for Commissioner Ian Cutmore at Port Macquarie Corps yesterday – not only did he witness the launch of a book close to his heart, but he also celebrated his 90th birthday. Ironically, 90 people gathered (66 in person and 24 online) as Salvos Publishing launched Not Weary Yet: Inspiring Snippets of The Salvation Army Papua New Guinea Story, which tells the history of The Salvation Army’s work in Papua New Guinea. Commissioner Cutmore, who attends Port Macquarie Corps with his wife Commissioner Nancy, was one of the main contributing authors of the book, writing about a third of the narrative focusing on the 11 years he and Nancy spent pioneering the work in PNG from 1956. “It was a wonderful day, a day to remember ... wonderful memories and a wonderful service to launch this publication,” Commissioner Ian Cutmore said. Several of the 22 Salvationists who served in PNG and contributed snippets to the photo-laden book were in attendance, including Commissioners James and Jan Condon (online) and Commissioner Miriam Gluyas and Colonel Kelvin Alley (in person), who were all given an opportunity to speak. Commissioner Cutmore also spoke powerfully for 20 minutes on his time in PNG and the inspiration behind the book “for God’s glory”. “It was a great privilege to be part of this very special day,” said Colonel Kelvin Alley. “Congratulations to Ian and Nancy on a wonderful book.” “I was incredibly blessed to be part of this,” said Commissioner Miriam Gluyas. “Commissioners Ian and Nancy Cutmore are heroes of the faith!” The launch was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Laurie Robertson, the book’s coordinating editor. A poignant moment came when Captain Peter Gott, Port Macquarie Corps Officer, sang the chorus Not Weary Yet, which was the chorus that came to Commissioner Cutmore’s mind when searching for a title for the book. During the launch, Commissioner Cutmore was presented with a 90th birthday cake by Salvation Army Publications Manager Cheryl Tinker. The Commissioner spent time before and after the service signing books and greeting well-wishers, who were treated to an afternoon tea served by members of the Port Macquarie Corps. In a tribute to the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory, 200 books have been provided for every retired officer, active officer and cadet of that territory. How to purchase a copy Not Weary Yet: Inspiring Snippets of The Salvation Army Papua New Guinea Story is available from Salvationist Supplies by emailing trade.sydney@salvationarmy.org.au or trade.melbourne@salvationarmy.org.au or by calling Sydney Salvationist Supplies (1800 634 209) and Melbourne Salvation Army Supplies (1800 100 018). If any one person, corps, division or territory wants to buy 10 copies or more they can email Cheryl.tinker@salvationarmy.org.au and they will get them at the wholesale price of $25 each plus postage. Slideshow of photos from the PNG book launch:

BY PETER MCGUIGAN There’s an old saying that goes, “What you see is what you get.” The world of computing acronymised it to WYSIWYG, pronounced wiz-ee-wig, to easily talk about software that allows people to see and edit content in a way that appears on screen as if printed or published on a webpage. The adage itself, though, predates computer software writing by a long shot. When talking about people, it can be used negatively. But in its positive form, it simply means that someone is authentic. And after spending time recently with Captain Kim Haworth, The Salvation Army’s new Divisional Commander for NSW/ACT, I’ve made the call that she is a wiz-ee-wig Salvo – the real deal. Kim is passionate about all the good things the Salvos stand for, particularly faith in Jesus Christ to transform people’s lives and in the power of the Holy Spirit to see them flourish. And why shouldn’t she be? In 2000, she experienced this transformation and this power herself and has since nurtured it with great intentionality. “Growing up, I believed God existed,” Kim says, “but had no concept of relationship with God. Now, when I look back over my life, it would be true to say that the Lord was always gently drawing me to him. It just took me until I was 31 to really get it.” By the time God caught up with her, Kim was living and raising a family in Mooroolbark, an outer-eastern suburb of Melbourne. She met the Mooroolbark Salvation Army officers, then Captains Bram and Jean Cassidy, at the local preschool, and they became friends. Bram and Kim served on the preschool committee as Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer. Little did she know what was coming. “God was really working in my life, but I just wasn’t fully aware of it,” Kim recalls. “It became important for me that our kids had a Christian education. We looked at local Christian schools and they were really expensive. I was lamenting this to Bram one day, and he said they had a Sunday school at Mooroolbark Salvos; why don’t you bring Jayden (our eldest) to us?” But at that point, it was really the morals Kim was after for her family, not so much the going to church part. The Cassidys and a prayer group at the corps (church) started praying for them, and over the next seven months, they would gently invite the Haworths fairly regularly, even though they would say no, or yes at times but then not go. That was until one weekend in February 2000. Jean had invited Kim again. Kim said yes again and secretly thought, “I can’t face her in the schoolyard on Monday if I don’t go.” She told Steven, her husband, she was going to church, and he assured her it was fine, but he wouldn’t. Jayden was five, and they had a two-year-old and a baby as well. Kim’s account of what happened that day is compelling. “When I arrived, people were lovely; they were very kind and welcoming. But that wasn’t what did it for me. That morning, I had an encounter with God in the first two songs sung in the meeting – ‘Church On Fire’ and ‘God is in the House’. I still remember them. I’ve had lots of encounters with God since that I can articulate, but that first one I still can’t adequately explain, except to tell you that I had a real sense of coming home. “This changed everything. I just had this overwhelming sense that everything was right, like I had landed in the right place, and everything just made sense about who I was meant to be. Steven will tell you that the woman who went to church was not the woman who came home. I said I wanted to go back that night for another service they were having. But my parents were coming for dinner, and Steve said, ‘You can’t, they won’t be happy!’, referring to me not being home, not about going to church.” Kim’s experience at the Salvos that day unleashed a spiritual craving she still finds difficult to describe. “To say that I became obsessed with Jesus would probably be close. I demanded to be discipled; I was so hungry for the Lord. I wanted to be all in. Within six months, I was studying externally through The Salvation Army, and the following year I enrolled in a Bachelor of Theology. I went from zero to 100 in three seconds. Within 10 months, I was leading a small group in my home, was on the leadership team and co-leading Alpha. It was full throttle!” An adventurous spirit For someone like Kim, it’s not unusual that an encounter with God should turn into a passion for the mission of God so quickly. To say she was born and raised in a working-class family with an adventurous spirit is really understating the facts. Her father, who had done well in business, owned a Cessna plane and would fly his family on their holidays from Essendon Airport to all kinds of destinations and activities, including fossicking for opals in Andamooka, South Australia. The family home was in Macleod, a northern suburb of Melbourne, but they also had a place on Lake Eildon north of the city where they would spend time swimming and water-skiing behind their father’s speed boat. “Life was all about doing what you love and having a go,” says Kim, with an understanding about herself that sheds light on who she really is and how she was formed. “In a way, some of the activities we were doing were not working-class activities. But Dad was Dad. He showed us that he never lost his working-class roots, and I never really felt that I fitted in the upper echelon, so to speak. Even though I went to a private school and mixed it with people with very different lives, we remained very true to our roots. The values my parents instilled in us were about working hard, playing hard, and doing what you wanted in life. My parents worked really hard and went after the things they wanted to do.” “By the time I left school, I had decided not to pursue academia. I did year 11 in business college (Holmes Commercial College), majoring in accounting and administration. Administration was a natural fit for me, and I was dux of the class that year. My first job was working for an accounting firm in Ivanhoe, not far from where we lived.” Peace for five seconds At 18, Kim spent 12 months travelling around Europe. Two years after returning to Australia, in 1990, she married Steven, and they set up house in Mooroolbark. In the months following her encounter with God at the Salvos in 2000, Steve also came to faith and in time they were enrolled as Salvation Army soldiers, Kim first and then Steve. In 2007 and 2008, they trained to be Salvation Army officers in the Witnesses for Christ session. About her calling to be an officer, Kim says it was something unexpected. “I was all in for Jesus and just knew I would serve God for the whole of my life. I had never envisaged that it would be outside of Mooroolbark Corps. “When the Lord called me to be an officer, it happened in the context of a Self-Denial (Appeal) reflection, would you believe? I can remember saying to God, ‘I know I’ll serve you; I know I will.’ I felt God clearly say to me, ‘Well, you know you’ll be an officer, don’t you?’ I said, ‘Yes, Lord, I know that.’ I had peace for about five seconds before I realized what I’d said. After that, there was a two-year journey of yielding to God’s call on our lives before selling up and heading for the Training College.” Following their commissioning as officers in 2008, Kim and Steve served as corps officers at The Salvation Army’s Bairnsdale Corps (church) in Eastern Victoria for seven years, followed by a three-year stint at Wyndham City, south-west of Melbourne. Then came appointments in Tasmania, Kim as Divisional Commander and Steve as Area Officer, and from 1 March this year in the New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory Division. God’s agenda Against the backdrop of her life experience, who she has become in Christ, and as Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army’s largest division in Australia, Kim reflects deeply and soberly on the future – both for herself and The Salvation Army*: “Kim Haworth can be very task-oriented, which is interesting when it comes to God. I think going to Tasmania and being so often on my knees before the Lord taught me that if I really want to see God move, I have to always be out of my own comfort zone. “Everything I go after has to be beyond me because it has to be God that makes it happen, not me. I’m getting more comfortable with the idea that I’m going to have to be uncomfortable. If we want to be the people of God just as God intends, then we have to not be comfortable, not be content. We have to be going after the things of God and always seeking the alignment of our mission with God’s agenda – what God wants. Which means never settling … “People say I’m a strong leader. Well, I think I’m a strong leader when I’m in my place of passion and when I feel that conviction from the Lord. My heart is to empower others. I’m not about control. I want to see people do everything they’re meant to do in God. I’m not protective or precious. I never had a career plan or pathway that I pursued. I don’t covet any form or place of leadership. I just want to do what God wants me to do. “Very regularly I think to myself, ‘How on earth did I get here?’ I just literally wanted to tell people about Jesus. I just wanted to devote my life to him, to be the best version of me I can be in that space. It’s been a long journey and not always an easy one. Have I made mistakes? Absolutely. But to be that person God intends me to be, and to go after the things of God, is still just as big for me as it was on that day I first met Jesus.” * Kim’s thoughts on the future of The Salvation Army’s mission in Australia have been published in an article titled, ‘A Season of Going Through’, excerpted from her interview with Peter. Read here * A video of Kim giving her testimony three years ago while she was Divisional Commander in Tasmania can be viewed here Major Peter McGuigan is Head of Government Relations for The Salvation Army Australia and a writer for Salvos Online and Salvos Magazine.

Australian officers Commissioners Wayne and Robyn Maxwell, leaders of the South Pacific and East Asia Zone, officially opened and dedicated the work of The Salvation Army in Chang Mai, Thailand, on Sunday 24 September. This nation in Southeast Asia is part of the Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand Territory, and is now the 134th country in which The Salvation Army works. Although the process for registration of The Salvation Army as a legal entity began in 2016, it was only on 28 April 2023 that the government of Chiang Province approved the establishment of The Salvation Army. Pioneering work in Chiang Mai was undertaken in August 2014 when International Headquarters appointed Majors Ken and Neva Phiouthong to initiate research and development – work that continued to advance under subsequent officers and lay personnel. The activities of The Salvation Army in Thailand have included an ongoing and growing worshipping community since 2015, a vibrant children’s ministry, prison ministry, support to the homeless and those living in poverty and assisting flood victims. Other work to share the good news has included camps for underprivileged children, sports ministry, team and women’s group Bible studies, fundraising, fellowship events, men’s fellowship gatherings and home visits. During their time in the territory, Commissioners Maxwell also dedicated a new children’s care centre and community complex in Kuching, Malaysia, enrolled new senior soldiers and dedicated local officers.

In an excerpt from an interview with Major Peter McGuigan, Captain Kim Haworth speaks about her vision for spiritual renewal in The Salvation Army BY CAPTAIN KIM HAWORTH One of the high priorities of The Salvation Army in Australia today is becoming missionally sustainable. We are building our mission plan around this concept of sustainability. First, it’s about ensuring everything we’re doing is on God’s agenda and that we’re doing what the Lord asks. Second, it’s about how we reinvigorate our mission. The idea of having gathered worshipping communities, communities of hope and community tables is how we are structuring ourselves. We are also developing faith expression collectives. It’s about maximising the mission outcomes from all we are doing. But what really excites me is the reinvigoration of the five-fold ministry of the Church – that we are becoming again an apostolic, prophetic, evangelical, pastoral and learning community. We are experiencing a reinvigoration of being people of the Holy Spirit and listening to what God is asking us to do, even if it means moving on from old and no longer effective ways of being the Church. When I served in Tasmania as Divisional Commander, I envisioned this kind of spiritual renewal happening, like a wave of water rolling across the island – a tsunami of the Spirit washing over us. A second vision I received – I only had two – was for developing organic faith expressions. I know that God is moving out in the periphery of communities, and we’ve got to find those people and do life with them, inviting them to be part of our family of faith. God is doing new things, and we have to discover what those new things are and enter into them. We’re in a significant time for the Church. We’re not what we were, and we’re not yet what we’re becoming, but we’re in a season of going through. It’s our time to be the people of God, a time ordained for us. It truly is a new day for us, and I think we have to steward that really well. It’s about what God is asking of us in these days and being really attuned to the Holy Spirit. It’s about understanding who we really are as a Salvation Army and what made The Salvation Army so dynamic in its early days. “It’s about what God is asking of us in these days and being really attuned to the Holy Spirit.” It’s about seeing that we were born in the fire of Pentecostal force. That’s how Mrs General Minnie Carpenter wrote about The Salvation Army’s experience. It’s about being in and led by the Spirit and acting from that place without discrimination. The early Army was bold, brave and not risk-averse. We’ve now got this big movement with a big reputation and a big legacy. There’s a lot to risk. But we have to trust the Lord, go for it and move on the things God is moving on. We’ve followed a natural progression that many churches and organisations follow. We have kind of fallen into that. When we started, we were really dynamic, adaptable and forward-thinking. We were doing practical things that made sense at the time and adopting practical methods that made sense at the time. These brought success to our mission. But methods tend to become enshrined. We can have strong emotional attachments to them and adopt them as though they’re permanent. We were a fully mobile mission movement to begin with, but we kind of became a settled-down church with a social arm. So it’s about re-finding and reclaiming the spirit of that missional, brave rescue movement within our current organisation, which is amazing and still has the capacity to do incredible things. I think we fell in love with ourselves a little bit too much and began celebrating ourselves a little bit too much. And we felt we had a lot to protect, whereas in the beginning, there was nothing to protect, and we just went after the mission of God. We shifted from an abandonment or at-all-costs mindset to a protective mindset. As a result, a whole new Salvation Army sub-culture sprung up that became too inward-focused. It’s a natural progression, but we need to seek the renewal of our spiritual heart and adapt ourselves and our methodology to the context of the 21st century. On that note, sometimes when we’re changing methodology, we take the view that what we’re changing is bad or not good anymore or not right. We need to not think of it like that. I think we need to be like William and Catherine Booth and say, ‘What’s going to get us where we need to go?’ Obviously, we need to consider our Wesleyan theology and take into account the non-negotiables of The Salvation Army. “God’s calling people all the time. He’s placing things on their heart all the time.” But we must not think that what we are changing and moving and adapting is bad. We are simply, but urgently, recognising that the world has moved, people have moved, culture has moved, and we need to reinvent ourselves for a new way in a new day. This new way needs to be aligned to the Spirit and to the vision, the purpose and the theology of The Salvation Army. God’s calling people all the time. He’s placing things on their heart all the time. Things they can do within their own community to further the mission. So, for us to be open to people doing that from a voluntary point of view or in a specific way with a specific group of people, I think, is vital today. The vision I had about organic spaces for ministry, although for Tasmania, could have been anywhere. I could see there were strategically placed places of strength for The Salvation Army. Places where we excelled in fulfilling our local mission delivery model – Caring for People, Creating Faith Pathways, Building Healthy Communities and Working for Justice. Salvation Army corps and all our social programs were working together along with our mission enterprises. In the vision, I saw a million twinkling stars all around these co-located places of strength for The Salvation Army, and the twinkling stars were all different sizes and shapes of twinkling and brightness. I just knew in my spirit that these were the product of vibrant organic ministry and that across the land, God’s people called The Salvation Army were inviting others to be part of what they had a passion to do – in being the people of God in their community. I love the idea of spiritual renewal. I love us being the people of God and doing whatever God asks, even when it’s really out there. I love it when we know we’re in sync with what God’s asking of us and advancing the Kingdom of God by doing it. I know I have to be across a whole lot of things as a Divisional Commander. I work really hard to ensure that I’m diligent about fulfilling the different aspects of my role. And that includes the complexity of being The Salvation Army in the current age. But I know that I am only in these roles because I want to be a woman after God’s heart who does what God says and who carries a passion for spiritual vibrancy in the people of God. I believe that’s the reason I’m in leadership right now. * Captain Kim Haworth is Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. To read Peter McGuigan’s article about her life, titled ‘A Holy Discontent – Kim Haworth's journey to fulfilling God’s agenda’, click here

“In the heart of Zimbabwe, where communities wrestle with the relentless challenges of disasters and poverty, hope is blossoming like a wildflower.” So starts the Zimbabwean report on the joint SAWSO (Salvation Army World Service Office) and Salvation Army Switzerland project that aims to diversify income streams for farmers in Zimbabwe and build resilience against disasters. Among the various innovative business initiatives introduced by this project is the Trek Mukwenya Beekeeping Association, nestled in the northern part of Zimbabwe, in the Guruve District. Half of the 10 members of the group of farmers selected for the project already possessed traditional beekeeping knowledge. The project presented a chance for them to embrace modern methods and a more sustainable approach. With one wooden hive per individual and essential resources such as beekeeping suits, smokers, propolis (resin-like material made by bees) and wax, they were equipped to embark on their beekeeping adventure. The project also acknowledges the delicate balance of nature, providing saplings to be planted around the hives to encourage pollination, showing a commitment to the environment as well as to the livelihoods of these budding beekeepers. Guided by comprehensive training on safe and effective beekeeping, the Trek Mukwenya Beekeeping Association soon turned their dreams into reality. Unity is their strength, and they pooled not only the resources they received from the project but also their own. Grouping their hives together in one location, they developed a constitution that outlines how they will support each other in honey production, marketing, and sales in the future. Their determination bore sweet fruits, quite literally. Bottling and selling their honey in local communities marked the beginning of a newfound sense of pride and empowerment. As their honey found eager buyers, the members felt the power of community-driven change. They were no longer just individual beekeepers; they are now a force that champions growth, progress and resilience. With each harvest, their aspirations grow bolder. The Trek Mukwenya Beekeeping Association now dreams of expanding its reach beyond local markets to regional supermarkets and possibly national outlets. They hope to pool their resources again in the future to purchase additional hives, envisioning a professional and thriving beekeeping association. As the honey flows and the income increases, the impact on the members’ lives is immeasurable. It is not just about the financial gains, but the sense of purpose and camaraderie that reverberates through the group. The association serves as a platform where individuals support and uplift each other, advocating for change together. They marvel at the new skills they have acquired, blending them seamlessly with the work they had done in the past. It is a dance between tradition and modernity, each step leading to greater prosperity. With every drop of honey sold, the members find renewed hope, knowing that their hard work creates a ripple effect of positivity in their communities. The income earned from the honey also brings stability and opportunities. Families that had once grappled with uncertainty now have brighter prospects for their children's education, better healthcare, and improved living conditions. The beekeeping journey has become a gateway to resilience and transformation, painting a brighter future for all those involved. This report originally appeared on sawso.org

The Salvation Army will host a special event on Thursday night (28 September) in Kingaroy (Qld) for families kitting out students for their upcoming high school formals. The evening will run from 4pm to 7pm at the Salvos Family Store on the corner of Kingaroy and Markwell streets. Store manager Matt Wallace said this was the first time the Salvos had run an event like this in Kingaroy. He said there would be formal dresses and suits for sale for just $20. Matt was working hard on Wednesday afternoon setting up a special display of all the garments that will be on offer. “There are a variety of different styles as well as men’s and women’s shoes,” he said. There is also jewellery, including necklaces, and other accessories. Article courtesy of southburnett.com.au

BY JAMES BURNS* Watching some of the games of the Rugby World Cup in France over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been particularly interested in the sea of colour in the stands from the various replica team shirts worn by fans to show their support. Some shirts have even had the name and team number of their favourite player. There have also been plenty of banners, but there has been one missing. But more of that later. Among the national flags, there have also been some that show the name of the rugby club that they support locally or even their favourite bar. At club level, certainly in football, fans have been used to getting their message across by making bespoke banners. Some to show their dissatisfaction with the club owners and some to suggest that the manager should get the sack. So, banners can be a powerful medium to get a message across, and not just in sport. Time was that if you were watching a sporting event on television, be it football, rugby or even Formula 1 and you were eagle-eyed, you would spot someone holding a banner that simply said ‘John 3:16’. Many must have wondered what it meant. Imagine their surprise if they Googled it to find that it refers to one of the most famous verses in the Bible, namely, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV). This is arguably a very clever way for the person to show not just their allegiance to their team but also to their Christian faith and their belief that Jesus was the Son of God. Now few of us might be brave enough to have Jesus and the No.1 on our shirts to show whom we support, but if sports fans are not ashamed to tell everybody which team they follow, perhaps we should too. Now there’s a thought! * JAMES BURNS IS A SALVATIONIST FREELANCE WRITER FROM DUNSTABLE CORPS IN THE UK

Kristen Harnett, National Moneycare Manager, recently appeared on the Channel 7 Morning Show to talk about Moneycare’s new digital book, Planning for the Unplanned: Are you financially ready for a natural disaster? Morning Show hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies asked Kristen about the book, how it can help people financially prepare for a natural disaster, and the role of The Salvation Army in disaster response and relief. “I am grateful to Channel 7 for helping us share the things that you can do to financially navigate natural disasters,” Kristen said. “In Planning for the Unplanned, we learn from people who have actually done this. They are equally courageous, resourceful and generous. These people navigated significant loss in many ways, yet they were still willing to share their story to help others.” Natural disasters of any kind, from devastating bushfires to flash-flooding to years of drought, are destructive, debilitating and can have life-long consequences. For people impacted by them, the heartache, disruption, trauma and financial loss can be overwhelming. “There are some things that you can do to protect yourself,” Kristen explained. “These include creating a ‘go bag’ with the essential items outlined in the book, checking your insurance policies and understanding what they cover, and having an asset register. “What isn’t always obvious is the protective factor that relationships provide: good connections with family, friends and neighbours. The local community also makes a big difference, as does mindset.” Planning for the Unplanned aims to help people develop their own plan for being prepared for such an event. As Kristen explained, it also shares the personal stories of several people who experienced recent bushfires and floods; the impact it had on them financially and emotionally, and how The Salvation Army assisted them to get back on their feet. This publication is more of a guidebook, supporting people as they develop their own plans for getting prepared. It includes tips from some of the Moneycare financial counsellors who are part of a team that has helped thousands of people gain control of their finances for over three decades. To download the book, and for more information on Moneycare, click here.

A combined Sydney and Melbourne Staff Songster concert at Parramatta Corps in western Sydney on the weekend was a huge success, with both the audience and choral groups combining in worship. Sydney Staff Songsters Manager Ryan Howes said it was the first time the choral groups had performed together since before the COVID-19 lockdowns, and there was a palpable sense of joy throughout the event. “The audience was feeding energy to the choir as much as the choir was throwing it back at them!” he said. On the Sunday after the Saturday combined concert, each choral group visited a different Sydney corps. The Melbourne Staff Songsters participated in worship at Hurstville, and the Sydney Staff Songsters sang at Rockdale. “We don't get to visit our own backyard a lot,” said Ryan. “Rockdale holds a lot of memories for some in our group, so the Sunday was very special.” For more on the weekend, go to the Sydney Staff Songsters Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sydneystaffsongsters