There’s just over one more week to complete the 2023 Faith, People and Connection Survey! The information collected in the 10-minute survey will provide valuable insights about our Faith Pathways, Connecting Points to Faith Communities and how our Faith Communities have been engaging in Mission at national and divisional levels. Corps officers and ministry leaders are encouraged to participate by inviting their faith communities to complete the survey. The survey closes on 30 July. Complete the survey here >>

At Noosa/Coolum Salvos, the new Salivating Cooking program couldn't have come at a better time. As the cost of living continues to rise, the program helps participants make the most of their grocery shop, learn new culinary skills and create tasty dishes too. Tony, an accomplished chef, generously donates his time to teach and has found that he loves being part of this community as much as his students.

Three players and a coach from The Salvation Army Street Football team in Larvik, Norway, recently joined the rest of The Salvation Army national team for the Homeless World Cup. The tournament took place in Sacramento, California, from 8-15 July. The Homeless World Cup is an annual, world-class, international football tournament. Every year, teams of men and women who are homeless represent their country during the week-long street football competition. This year, more than 40 teams from all corners of the world met for the event. The Salvation Army Norwegian women’s team was honoured with the Fairplay Award at the conclusion of the tournament. “This means that we got the most votes in total from the judges during the entire tournament,” shared the team leaders. “This was well deserved for nice play, many smiles and infectious good humour – both on and off the pitch. “Both the men’s and ladies team fought hard all week and played matches in temperatures up to 42 degrees. Impressive!” By taking part in the tournament, players are given the opportunity to travel, often leaving their countries for the first time. They also become part of a global community of players who have faced similar challenges. The tournament is designed to be competitive, but its special structure and emphasis on fair play mean that everyone plays until the last day. There are several levels of competition and trophies to win, providing a sense of achievement for teams of all skill levels. The Homeless World Cup was co-founded by Mel Young and Harald Schmied, who came up with the idea following a conference about homelessness in 2001. They wanted to change the lives of homeless people all over the world, and they believed football could help them do it. The first Homeless World Cup took place in Graz, Austria, in 2003 with 18 teams, and the event and network has been growing steadily ever since, occupying a pioneering role in the field of sport and development.

Commissioner Miriam Gluyas says a heartfelt thank-you to all Salvos for your hard work, your contribution and for keeping the main thing the ‘main thing’. She encourages us all to continue on our journey to becoming a Jesus-centred, Spirit-led movement where hope will be revealed.

By KIRRALEE NICOLLE Women in the Glenorchy region of Tasmania over the age of 55 who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness have a new chance at finding housing, thanks to The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army Tasmania officially opened 21 new community housing units on the former Moonah Corps site on 30 June. Tasmanian Divisional Commander Major Tracy Briggs attended the opening and said the experience of homelessness was becoming increasingly widespread among older women. “Australia's homeless population has aged rapidly, and it is no different in Tasmania,” she said. Women over 55 are identified as a cohort increasingly at risk of homelessness. Older single women are particularly vulnerable due to having lower levels of income and assets among other variables. COTA [Council on the Ageing] and Shelter Tas recognise that many older Tasmanians are experiencing housing insecurity and hardship.” Tracy said she had been blessed to come in on the project close to its completion and meet some of the new tenants. Tenants Sara and Josephine were also at the opening. Tracy quoted former divisional commander Captain Kim Haworth who stated that “this initiative will transform the lives of 21 women in Tasmania. I pray that what we have built here will provide not only lovely and safe homes for 21 people and their families but also create a beautiful community where people can lie their best lives and flourish”. Chief Secretary Colonel Winsome Merrett officially opened the building, and the event was also attended by The Select Foundation chairman Bruce Neill, Minister for Housing Guy Barnett, Glenorchy mayor Bec Thomas, federal members of Parliament and Salvation Army staff, members and supporters. The project was made possible with support from both The Select Foundation and the Tasmanian State Government, as well as the work of Vos Construction and Joinery, Matrix Management Group, architects from X-Squared and JMG Engineers.

By ANTHONY CASTLE Revolution Worship has released a new single titled ‘We Walk With Hope’. The track reflects the spiritual framework for the National Youth & Young Adults team and debuted at Equip Sunshine Coast (Queensland) youth camp earlier this month. “We wrote the song out of a discussion with Adam Purcell (Youth and Young Adults Secretary), capturing the message of the youth framework for the year,” explains Dan Casey, Worship Arts Coordinator. “It’s more a pop/dance song for youth audiences, more a song for Friday nights than Sunday mornings. The purpose of the song is to have fun and declare the Good News.” ‘We Walk With Hope’ was written by Dan Casey and Luke O’Dea in Revolution Worship, and is designed as a resource for youth events and programs. Revolution Worship is a platform for new music within The Salvation Army, overseen by the Worship Arts Team. “Having Jesus in our lives means we have something bigger than whatever we face in the world,” Dan explains.“There can be mental health challenges, whatever young people are facing, and this song declares that there is hope in our lives when we walk with Jesus.” The track was received well by campers at Equip Queensland, and an acoustic arrangement is currently set for release. “We have an acoustic video coming out to show people how it can work with a simple band,” Dan explains. “It’s the same track, same words, but can be used with just one or two musicians as a more reflective song for different environments.” More on Revolution Worship and ‘We Walk With Hope’ can be found at the website, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

By KIRRALEE NICOLLE When Keira McDougall first encountered a ConnectiviTEA group during her husband’s posting to Edinburgh Army Base in South Australia, she was in a season of change and loss of connection. She had just ended her role in the Australian Army. She no longer had all her close Army colleagues or family nearby. She says once she had a child and her spouse needed to relocate to Simpson Barracks in Victoria, her needs changed again. “Being a defence spouse can be isolating, and not having the usual support networks such as long-time friends and family around means you don’t often have the support you require, especially at short notice,” Keira said. “[I was] looking for another support network for those last-minute babysitting needs or if you need someone to feed your pet so you can go away for the weekend. We don't have those luxuries without our family [around].” This experience, as well as her friendship with Major Gai Cathcart from Red Shield Defence Services in South Australia who runs the ConnectiviTEA program at RAAF Base Edinburgh, prompted her to begin a similar group at Greensborough Corps near Simpson Barracks. The group now meets fortnightly, with the support Captains Alison and Gareth MacDonald, Greensborough Corps Officers. Keira said the involvement of The Salvation Army was valuable as it offered a broader sense of community outside the defence force. She also said Salvation Army officers faced similar struggles to defence personnel with regular moves and distance from family. Keira said that, while the military offered its own community centre programs, it was nice to be provided with an alternative away from base where the attendees had no responsibilities and could simply show up and have a cuppa and chat while playing a game or doing some craft. She said the saying ‘one size fits all’ did not apply when talking about people’s needs, and if someone feels they are not having their needs met in one environment they shouldn’t feel they have nowhere to go. Many military spouses at the Greensborough ConnectiviTEA group had been part of the groups on base and found the chance to build community connections away from base refreshing, Keira shared. She added that ConnectiviTEA felt very relaxed and like a place where people could feel safe. The group alternated between games nights and craft, and there were no expectations that attendees would join a committee or need to fulfil obligations. Keira also shared that she and some recent members had alternated having dinner at each other’s houses to lessen the work of cooking meals every night while their spouse was away. “For me, being able to provide this opportunity here in Melbourne with the support of Greensborough Salvation Army and Major Gai is a privilege, and I hope the spirit of ConnectiviTEA can continue here and we can be that second family for defence families.”

To read the tribute, click here

By KIRRALEE NICOLLE Sixty-five children from Grade 3 to Year 8 and 20 leaders and junior leaders gathered from 3-6 July in Blampied, Victoria’s Central Highlands, to develop creative skills and social connections at the Junior Creative Arts Camp. What leaders didn’t expect was that so many would also experience the wonder of Jesus. The yearly camp, held over mid-year school holidays, offers a chance to develop skills in brass and other musical instruments such as ukulele, dance, drama and visual arts. This year, students also had the opportunity to learn audio-visual and media skills. Victorian worship arts coordinator Julia Roper said the camp focused on beginner-level training so that children could develop an interest without pressure. “It’s just giving the kids a chance to try something,” she said. “To see what they like, what they can do. This is something where I think they come out feeling like they’ve achieved something [because] they can see the fruits of their week.” Another new feature of this year’s camp was a Jesus Theatre project performed by leaders. Julia said some children at the camp hadn’t heard the Gospel message before the production, and one child told leaders they were no longer an atheist. “It was really quite powerful,” she said. “The kids really responded well to it, to the point where we had children coming together with leaders wanting to pray to [accept] Jesus as their Lord and Saviour for the first time. “We were really thankful for that experience and hope that will have a long-lasting impact on those kids and that they'll have gone home thinking a little bit more about who Jesus is and what that means for them.” To find out more about the camp or other worship arts programs, click here.

Three Melbourne Salvation Army corps are coming together at the Brunswick Corps for an evening of worship and prayer ahead of the inaugural National Creative Arts Conference. The event is an all-ages initiative organised by members of the Box Hill, Merri-Bek and Brunswick corps, and event directors say it comes as a response to a growing need for new directions. Worship arts coordinator for community engagement Jason Simmonds said the organisers believed God was opening their eyes to new possibilities and that collaboration and unity were key to that space. “We’ve been through a season of liminality where we’re in this post-COVID, post-church, postmodern era, and God is doing a new thing,” he said. “We can’t go back to church the way it was. “If we don’t adjust our approach, we could miss what God is trying to do in this.” Jason and the administration assistant from Box Hill Corps, Emma George, said the night would feature cutting-edge new songs from Revolution Worship, as well as quiet prayer spaces. They said the event’s timing was critical for focusing on Jesus and listening to the Holy Spirit, as it is set to occur the day before the first National Creative Arts Conference. “We’re unapologetically going to be using current music that will appeal to hopefully a broad audience,” Jason said. “We just really want to create an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can move.We really want to come to God in total adoration of who he is.” The event is open to all and will also feature an age-appropriate worship program for children. “We gotta get them worshipping early,” Emma said. “But certainly anybody, any age, we’d love to have. The more the merrier!” – Kirralee Nicolle

The Salvation Army in Kropvinitsky, Ukraine, is working hard to give children in the area a (northern) summer of fun and relaxation – some time out from the trauma of the war they live with every day. Officers, staff and volunteers led day camps where the children played games, worked on crafts and all things outer space, learned about the Bible and the love of Jesus, practised the tambourine and enjoyed time outside in the fresh air and sunshine. One of the officers commented that it was lovely to see the children having fun, laughing, and not having time to be fearful or sad. Other corps throughout Ukraine are running similar activities to give local and displaced children as many opportunities as possible for fun, friendship and as ‘normal’ a summer break as possible.

“Serving Jesus in community, watching people grow, participating in God’s work and seeing transformation is like a glimpse of heaven.” These are just some of the thoughts from Territorial Leader Commissioner Miriam Gluyas and Chief Secretary Colonel Winsome Merrett as they reflect on the most exciting times they’ve both witnessed whilst serving the Lord in officership.