Search Results

Each week throughout 2025, Salvationists worldwide are uniting in prayer for a specific territory or region of The Salvation Army.   The focus territory/region shares prayer requests to help us pray with precision and power for one another.   This week (23-29 June) we are praying for the Sweden and Latvia Territory.   Australia’s Captain Kathleen Johansson at the recent Academy on the Integration of Migrants and Refugees in the Baltic Countries 2025-26. Australian officer (now part of the Sweden and Latvia Territory), Captain Kathleen Johansson, currently serves in Riga, Latvia’s capital .   The Sweden and Latvia Territory has 278 officers (135 active, 143 retired); cadets 2; employees 1140; corps 78; outposts and societies 7; senior soldiers 2759; adherents 2385; junior soldiers 167.   Colonels Bo and Christina Jeppsson lead the territory.   Praise and prayers for the Sweden and Latvia Territory.   Sweden Praise: ·       Praise God that we have seen a reversal of the trend and an increase of newly saved people, as well as increasing numbers of members and Salvation Army soldiers. We see that this positive trend is continuing. ·       Praise God for well-attended camps for children and young people. ·       Praise God for our training college for officers where we will welcome a new session of seven cadets in August. Pray for the school, which is fully occupied, and staff. Pray: ·       Pray for our conference week at Torp (a conference we have together with another church community in June). ·       Pray for the politicians' week Almedalen (Gotland, in June), where we participate with many seminars and lectures. ·       Pray for our National Scout Camp in July. ·       Pray for this summer's transfers of officers. ·       Pray for the governance board in their important strategy work for the territory. Latvia Praise: ·       Praise God for new commitments. Three senior soldiers and 13 junior soldiers enrolled so far this year with more to come! Eight new sergeants (local officers) recognised so far this year. Pray: ·       Pray for people to be saved and become disciples of Jesus. ·       Pray for young people to step up and become soldiers. ·       Pray for more officers. ·       Pray for the leaders and volunteers of our corps and centres as they provide a safe space for the vulnerable in their communities. ·       Pray for our young people who will attend the European Youth Event (EYE) in The Netherlands in August – that they will grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus and experience The Salvation Army outside of Latvia. To find out more about the Sweden and Latvia Territory, click here . To download the 2025 International Prayer Focus schedule, click here .

Photo courtesy Niu Niu on Unsplash BY ANTHONY CASTLE   I thought about my wrists recently. I had been asleep while travelling and was woken suddenly as the bus I was on came to a stop. Cars were parked alongside. Two figures boarded and walked a teenager from the bus. The vehicles outside were police. A parent began crying behind me, the boy under arrest. I watched him step off and noticed his wrists behind his back. They had put him in handcuffs.   I was travelling interstate to visit a friend last year. The teenager was repeatedly caught vaping during the long journey. After several warnings from the driver, the bus was met by police and the teenager was arrested. I had never seen a boy wearing handcuffs. I put my fingers to my wrist out of instinct, realising how it might feel. It felt vulnerable.   The criminalisation of young people has increasingly been a topic of late. Inquiries have considered the age at which it is appropriate to hold children and young people criminally responsible, to arrest them, to incarcerate them. States and territories have seen ‘law and order’ election campaigns, which promised to target “young offenders” in harsher ways. Australia finds itself again asking the question ‘ When does the justice system treat a child who offends like an adult?”   While the minimum age of criminal responsibility differs across the world and across different Australian jurisdictions, the standard set by the United Nations is 14. This is based on the rationale that children under 14 years do not have the cognitive capacity to commit an offence that arises to a criminal level. The minimum age of criminal responsibility is currently 12 in the Australian Capital Territory, but most states and territories retain 10 years of age, with 845 young people aged 10 and over incarcerated last year.   Locking up young people risks future offending, says Mieke Waters. “Young people who encounter the justice system are, more often than not, those who experience disadvantage,” explains Mieke Waters, Policy and Advocacy Advisor with The Salvation Army. “Locking up children and young people does not free communities from crime, and it does not make communities safer. In fact, our experience and evidence show that locking up young people risks future offending.”   The United Nations states that the incarceration of children increases the risk of crime and disadvantage, particularly for those who are most at risk. The Salvation Army supports a model where the minimum age of criminal responsibility is increased to a minimum of 14 years, without exception. Despite the evidence, children have been targeted in recent elections and ‘tough on crime’ campaigns in Australia, with leaders using slogans such as ‘adult crime, adult time’ .   “The current debates and increasingly punishment-oriented legislative amendments are both counterproductive and traumatic for young people,” Mieke says . “When young people are incarcerated, it drives them into further disadvantage. Our frontline services report that young people lose important elements of their life during and post-incarceration, which promote stability, leaving them with no money, no food, no stable accommodation and no supportive adult.”   A shift in governments across Australia is seeing increasingly hardline approaches to young people in the name of community safety, such as reintroducing spit hoods, or removing the use of detention as a last resort. Of the young people incarcerated in Australia, most are male, aged between 14 and 17 and are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. In treating children like criminals, these laws target those most at-risk, subjecting them to greater disadvantage, and increasing the likelihood of offending in adulthood.   I think again about that boy, the handcuffs on his wrists. That part of the joint is sometimes known as the ‘handcuff groove’, the indentation where the steel binders come together. Handcuffs are designed to target this joint, restricting reach and applying pressure to the nerves and bones. The wrist can move in almost any direction, but it is one of the most vulnerable joints in the body. What does it mean to target that vulnerable part of a child’s hands? What does it say about the law if we restrict their reach, if society locks them into place?   “Society often views young people as victims in need of protection, or villains that must be controlled,” says John Marion, Youth Specialist with The Salvation Army. “Which category you fall into often depends on your race and class to a large degree, and we treat them as either dangerous or vulnerable. They are the only class of people who have little choice or control over so many aspects of their lives.”   Growing up and experiencing disadvantage can present a range of risks. With the Government recently passing a social media ban for young people , it seems society is more comfortable with young people in prisons than on Facebook. We remain unsure of whether young people should be protected or punished. We want to see greater focus on supporting young people and families, says John Marion.  “People’s views on what to do with young people can be contradictory, but what do Christians believe is the transforming factor for young people?” says John. “We don’t think it’s punishment. We think it’s love. We’re not saying crime is ok, but if you want to see these lives transformed, then we need to offer loving community, not isolate and reject them as punishment.”   The Salvation Army’s Policy and Advocacy Team has engaged in consistent advocacy with governments across Australia to raise the age of criminal responsibility. The Salvation Army recommends implementing prevention, early intervention, and diversionary models to address the drivers of offending, with safeguarding children being a central component.   “We want to see greater focus on supporting young people and families with wraparound and collaborative responses,” says Mieke. “Engage them early and address the root causes of offending, rather than opting for invasive punishment-oriented responses. Diversionary models offer opportunities for flexible responses for those who engage in harmful behaviour from a younger age, whilst upholding the rights, dignity and acknowledging the unique experiences and cognitive capabilities of children and young people.   As United Nations representatives urge state parliaments to abandon ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws , these debates look set to continue, to continue targeting the most at-risk, locking them in place, in our own systems of disadvantage and detention.   The challenge remains not to protect young people as victims or punish them as criminals, but to drop the handcuffs altogether, support and love them as people in their own right.

Captain Paul Farthing is the Corps Officer at Shellharbour in NSW. An avid reader, Salvos Online asked Paul three book-related questions:   Besides the gospels and Psalms, which is your favourite book in the Bible and why? The book of Jude is not a comfortable read. Jude is brutal. Jude takes you by the shoulders and screams in your face. Jude is furious. Jude is out to get false teachers, those who try to sell us ideas that drag us away from the good news of Jesus Christ. He believes their teaching is empty; they are clouds with no rain; they are like the autumn tree; they bear no fruit. At this point, Jude gets really worked up; he says that not only do they not bear fruit, they have been pulled up by the root and are therefore “twice dead”. This is perhaps the sickest burn in the Bible.   It is likely that you have never read the book of Jude, you have probably never heard a sermon on the book of Jude, and this is understandable. Nobody wants to be told they are twice dead. But Jude is worthwhile. The trick is to accept the offence. Jude is kind of like Gordon Ramsay when he storms into a kitchen and criticises the soufflé, he is not gentle, but he knows what he is on about. A wise chef listens to Gordon even as he blusters at them – a wise Christian listens to Jude. I try to listen to Jude, he is brutal but helpful, and I really don’t want to end up twice dead.   Besides the Bible, what is a Christian book that has strongly influenced your faith? The Booth family wrote a lot of books on a lot of topics. I have read a bunch of them, and my favourite is Evangeline Booth’s Toward a Better World . I think it is a collection of sermons, but they don’t read like sermons. These are lyrical things. Evangeline doesn’t just preach on a topic; she makes poetry of it. Take this opening sentence to her sermon on the nativity (read it slow): “Out of the deepening darkness of the firmament, over a chill Eastern night, brilliant stars of diamond-like sparkling shot their lustre as the two weary travellers waited at the door of a village khan for an answer to their humble request for a night's shelter.” Wonderful.   One does learn things when reading Evangeline’s sermons, but most of all you behold things. Her long and loping ponderings lull you into prayerful meditation, and within that meditation you meet Jesus. She puts him in front of you, 10,000 feet high, glorious and glittering.   She says that Christ “has forged an inseverable link between man and God”, she calls heaven “the bright land without a hearse”, she says that Jesus’ love will “banish from our faces the gloom that sin has cast”, and when Evangeline says something is so, you cannot help but believe her.   What is a secular book that has revealed to you a Christian message or theme? Sally Rooney is a celebrated Irish novelist. At first, she wrote about love, but more recently, she has written about love and Jesus. My favourite was 2021’s Beautiful World Where Are? where two young women exchange letters on the two aforementioned topics. Neither identifies as Christian, but when Alice goes to mass – purely so she can spend time with her handsome love interest – she is struck by the depth and beauty of it all. She sees ordinary people lifting their hearts to the divine, she notices how Jesus is so unusually eager to forgive and wonders if she, too, could be forgiven. Later on, her friend Eileen says of Jesus, “I do love him, and I can’t even pretend that it’s only the same love I feel for Prince Myshkin, or for Charles Swann, or for Isabel ­Archer, (characters in her favourite novels). It is actually something different, a different feeling.” Rooney is often called “the voice of the millennials”, and here she depicts a generation who were raised outside the church but holds a yearning for what goes on within it. An article in The Critic notes that almost all reviewers ignored this part of Rooney’s writing, and the author wonders if the critics would rather pretend that the religious aspect of Rooney’s writing doesn’t exist.   We live in a world that tries to tell us nobody is interested in God anymore. But rest assured, dear Salvationist, people are more than interested in God. Beautiful World Where Are? tells us that we have a soul, and for him our soul yearns.   Some bonus Evangeline Booth ... Evangeline Booth, daughter of Catherine and William Booth, and the fourth General of The Salvation Army. “My calendar tells me that Spring is now already well on the way, and although heavy snow still covers the ground, as I look through my window I catch something of a cunningness in the sunshine that does not belong to Winter, and observe a fascinating, gauzelike sheen veiling the nakedness of tree branches, great tears falling from suspended icicles as though Jack Frost himself were crying over his departure being delayed. And, if you will believe me, on the crest of a bank of snow there is a little robin carrying an infinitesimal wisp of straw, while from the eaves his mate chirps soft murmurings, looking down upon him with mysterious and wistful glance.”

1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it? I am currently serving as the Corps Officer at Bega Valley Salvation Army, alongside my husband, Henry. We live and minister here with our two children, Kaspar and Barbara-Jean. We are based on the stunning South Coast of NSW, where we wake up to the sound of the ocean, kangaroos in the yard, and, much to my dismay, some very large lizards! What I find most satisfying about this appointment is the variety. No two days look the same. We cover a wide area across the valley, and each place has its own unique needs. It’s a real privilege to meet people where they are and be present with them in those different spaces. 2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind? I love getting out in nature. We are surrounded by beautiful walks, views and natural wonders here, and it’s a great way to unwind. As a family, we also enjoy lawn bowls together, and at home, we have built up a pretty big board-game collection. There is always something to keep us entertained. 3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it?  One of my favourite Christian songs is ‘I Speak Jesus’. There is something powerful about declaring the name of Jesus over the things we face, our families, communities and struggles. One line that really stands out to me is ‘Your name is power, Your name is healing, Your name is life’ . It is a reminder of the hope and authority we have in Christ, and I often find myself coming back to it in both ministry and personal prayer. 4. If you could have a good talk with a biblical character apart from Jesus, who would it be and what would you talk about? I think I would choose Thomas – often remembered as ‘Doubting Thomas’. I really appreciate how honest he is in his questions. He didn’t just go along with what everyone else was saying; he wanted to see and understand for himself. That feels very human to me. I’d love to talk with him about how it felt to be in that space between doubt and faith, and what it was like when Jesus met him right in the middle of it. I think so many of us have moments like that where we want to believe but still have questions. Thomas reminds me that faith and doubt can sometimes sit side by side, and that Jesus doesn’t shame us for that. He shows up anyway.   5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say? I would probably say that it’s less about recommending officership itself and more about encouraging people to walk closely with God and follow where he leads. For some, that will be officership, and that is great. For others, it won’t be, and that’s great too. There is no one path to serving or living out your calling; God works through all kinds of roles and people in powerful ways.   Officership can open doors and place you in spaces where you get to walk closely with people in their hardest and most hope-filled moments. It’s a privilege, but it’s also not easy. You are working with people whose lives are constantly shifting, who are searching for hope and just want to be heard. That can be heavy at times, but it’s also deeply meaningful. It is not a decision to take lightly. But if God’s calling you there, he’ll walk with you through it.

A photo taken in 1894 of a group of ‘young larrikins’, known as the Bayswater Boys. It was groups of boys like this that often disrupted early Salvation Army meetings. BY BARRY GITTINS The Salvation Army was born out of a love for the poor, the marginalised and the brutalised people of the nations; that ‘preferential option for the poor’ lasted well into the 1960s. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus Christ taught that heaven belonged to the poor in spirit, that those who mourn would be comforted, and that the meek would inherit the earth. Those qualities are often found in crisis-ridden tenements and villages on the brink of socio-economic collapse. Some 107 years ago, in The Salvation Army’s Orders and Regulations for Field Officers , our officers were urged to reach out to “roughs, larrikins and hoodlums or toughs”, in “low public-houses or saloons and brothels and gambling dens”. An early Orders and Regulations book. These targets of the early Salvos’ evangelical efforts “have grown up largely ignorant of religion, and if not actually antagonistic to it, they are perfectly indifferent”. In passionate, surprisingly satirical tones, the book sets out ‘how not to’ reach larrikins: “Keep away from them ... leave them to harden in sin, sink lower in vice and crime, and go to Hell without being disturbed. Have doorkeepers who will keep them out of the Hall, because they do not act like ladies and gentlemen ... “Talk to them in language they do not understand ... look down upon them as an inferior class of people ... Scold them [and] treat them like people who are never likely to become religious ...“Be impatient [and] threaten them a great deal ... always be running for the police getting out summonses, making them pay fines, or sending them to prison ...” Thankfully, the Regulations followed up with positive instructions on ‘how to’ appeal to the rowdy, rough and ready. These included going to them. Being friendly and making events interesting to them. Talking to them in the meetings, and while out and about on the streets. Visiting them when they are ill and feeding them. Officers were instructed “not to be too particular” about how they acted, or get in a stink if they wanted to clap their hands or shuffle their feet. If the ringleaders mucked up and interfered with the meetings, they were to be banned for a week and then re-admitted “on the promise of their good behaviour”. Salvationists used to be told to “run risks, and suffer any reasonable amount of inconvenience, rather than lose them … They are a difficult class to deal with [but] make all possible sacrifices [as] numbers of them have been converted and have become soldiers in the Army, some of whom are now highly valued and useful officers. “Once saved, they [are] full of spirit and daring, ready to face any danger, and endure any hardship.” The chapter outlining orders and regulations in dealing with ‘roughs, toughs and larrikins’.

This Refugee Week, Sara shares her powerful story of leaving Iran in search of religious freedom in Australia. She encountered Christianity for the first time at The Salvation Army Farsi Corps in Brunswick. She was amazed at what she heard and wanted to know more about Jesus. Today, Sara serves as the children's ministry leader. She has found belonging, purpose and new life in Christ. Sara says that "The Salvation Army is God's hands working in the community and nothing can change that."

The Salvation Army is preparing to celebrate its 160th anniversary! In recognition of this upcoming significant anniversary on 2 July, The Salvation Army International Headquarters has created eight short videos chronicling the vast and varied mission of the global Salvation Army over the past 160 years, with one video being released each week, beginning 5 June.   The first video  looked at The Salvation Army as both a church and a charity.   The second video highlighted The Salvation Army’s emergency relief work. This week’s video explores the Army’s response to modern slavery and human trafficking, an issue “ woven into The Salvation Army’s DNA.”   What began as a local response to the sexual exploitation of women and girls 140 years ago has since evolved into a global strategy committed to dismantling modern slavery and human trafficking.   READ MORE: The Salvation Army Australia on the frontline of support To learn more about The Salvation Army’s response to modern slavery and human trafficking, click here . To watch this week’s video, click on the arrow below.

Salvation Army prison chaplains (from left) Major Belinda Davis, Major David Simpkin and Major Stacey Cotton. (Background image: John Cameron) The Salvation Army has prison chaplains serving in correctional centres across Australia. Salvos Online asked three of our chaplains to share their experiences of this challenging yet rewarding ministry. Click on these links below to read the chaplains’ stories: The most important thing is listening – by Major Belinda Davis A privilege and a great honour – by Major David Simpkin Understanding someone else’s story – by Major Stacey Cotton READ MORE: Prison chaplaincy a rewarding labour of love for Alison More information on prison chaplaincy Salvation Army prison chaplains are available at correctional centres throughout Australia and are part of a multi-faith chaplaincy team. Where a Salvation Army Chaplain is not operating in a particular prison, a referral will be passed on to another member of the chaplaincy team. Chaplains provide a range of support to people in prison, such as:  ·       One-on-one support – emotional, spiritual and pastoral   ·       Regular visits  ·       Chapel services  ·       Bible studies (not available in every prison) ·       Referrals to other agencies in preparation for release   For more information, click here Salvation Army prison chaplain Major Andrew Schofield.

Major Stacey Cotton is a chaplain in two prisons in Adelaide. BY MAJOR STACEY COTTON – PRISON CHAPLAIN IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA I was rather uncertain about commencing my new role as a prison chaplain, but it became an exciting prospect for me, as I was once again partnering with God, albeit in a very different type of ministry from anything I had been involved in before. As I moved into my new role, I was reminded that Jesus never turned away from anyone who came to him in need, and I trusted his Spirit. Prison chaplaincy, like any form of ministry, has its own uniqueness, challenges, learning curves and expectations. However, prison chaplaincy puts you face-to-face with issues you would probably prefer not to have to deal with. Every day that I go to work as a chaplain, I am aware of the government’s expectations and the dos and don’ts of my role. The expectations of The Salvation Army and my ministry role, the expectations of the prisoners who think I can perform miracles every time they see me, and then my own expectations – what do I want to bring to these men I deal with today? How can I encourage them when, at times, things seem so against them? How can I listen better? How can I find what they are really asking behind the words they are speaking to me? I am grateful that three days a week, I travel for over an hour from home. As I drive, I have time to contemplate these thoughts and reflect on God’s desires for my day. Breaking down barriers I work in two prisons in Adelaide: one is high-security, and the other is medium-security. Between these two prisons, my fellow chaplains and I work with nearly 1500 men. My work involves attending to the requests for Bibles and other religious materials. If the men request a visit from the chaplain, we make time to catch up with them. When you spot a man who appears to be nervous, alone, or uncertain about what is happening, a quiet “G’day, how are you doing?” is all you need to break the barrier down. They commence talking to you about the things that concern them about being imprisoned for the first time, or the 10th time, and I believe this helps to take some of their anxieties away from them. This is where I can spend time talking to them and helping them navigate their way around the prison system. I help them understand both the rules and the opportunities the prison may present to them, as well as the activities they can get involved with. We hold chapel services for those who wish to attend, and it is a delight to lead them in worship while I encourage the men to grow in and strengthen their faith experience by speaking one-on-one with them. Chaplains have an amazing opportunity to discuss faith issues with inmates when they ask questions, share their experiences with lapsed faith, or express a desire for faith to be restored. “I just pray that I will be Jesus to them, even if they don’t know it ...” We may be asked by the prison staff to catch up with someone who needs a listening ear and a compassionate heart, especially if a loved one or mate has died. Like all of us, this is a very raw and often difficult time to tread, especially when you cannot be with those you love and need at this time. What does chaplaincy mean for me? At times, it means I wrestle with people’s situations, stories, and injustices, stepping away from my own opinions, beliefs, and morals while trying to understand someone else’s story by looking at the world through their experiences and eyes. I just pray that I will be Jesus to them, even if they don’t know it, and they are helped and comforted because they spoke to someone who cared.   More information on prison chaplaincy Salvation Army prison chaplains are available at correctional centres throughout Australia and are part of a multi-faith chaplaincy team. Where a Salvation Army Chaplain is not operating in a particular prison, a referral will be passed on to another member of the chaplaincy team. Chaplains provide a range of support to people in prison, such as:  ·       One-on-one support – emotional, spiritual and pastoral   ·       Regular visits  ·       Chapel services  ·       Bible studies (not available in every prison) ·       Referrals to other agencies in preparation for release   For more information, click here

Major David Simpkin says being a chaplain is a rewarding journey. BY MAJOR DAVID SIMPKIN – PRISON CHAPLAIN AT JUNEE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY   After working in various churches for 24 years, I was asked if I would be interested in becoming a prison chaplain. I had never really considered working full-time in prisons, although I had been a part-time prison chaplain in a previous role. At first, it was frustrating because I had to wait four to six weeks for my prison pass to arrive, which seemed to take forever. Then once my pass was approved, things moved very quickly. I went to four different prisons in one week with the Prison Chaplain Coordinator. I remember going to one of these prisons and the manager saying, “Thank you for coming. Prisoner X has his wife in hospital dying and is not sure what is happening to the children. He is driving other inmates crazy. Would you talk with him?” I said to the coordinator that he could take this one, and I would watch him. He bluntly said, “No, you’re taking this one.”  What do you say? What do you do? In the church, I would take the man in my car to see his wife, but I couldn’t do this. I soon realised that chaplaincy is about listening, walking with people, and being a support to them. As someone has said, being trusted to hold somebody else’s story. A rewarding journey Within a few weeks, I discovered that I enjoyed going into prisons. It was almost like my calling to the grassroots of society was being fulfilled. It wasn’t a chore; it was a privilege to sit and journey with these men. One thing I discovered was that these guys loved and valued their chaplain. There is such a thing as a prison persona, which inmates have for their own protection, but when they sit in front of a chaplain, they pour their hearts out and become very open and vulnerable. The other thing I discovered was that many people were at rock bottom and were searching for a different way of life. They were receptive to the Christian message, embracing forgiveness and a new beginning. “Chaplaincy is about listening, walking with people, and being a support to them.” I held this role for seven years, and most of it was personally rewarding. I moved into a community chaplaincy role for about 18 months and then was asked if my wife and I would be interested in chaplaincy at Junee Correctional Centre, near Wagga Wagga, NSW. A private prison had approached The Salvation Army requesting three full-time chaplains to assist in the prison. In many ways, this experience differed from the first, as we were based at a single prison, allowing us to build relationships with the staff and journey more closely with the inmates, and sometimes their families. This involved more intimate relationships and an opportunity to show the love of Jesus. The difficulty is that with more intimate relationships comes greater accountability. More eyes are on you, watching to make sure you are genuine and sincere – the real thing. Growing personal relationships One of the programs I love is The Salvation Army’s Positive Lifestyle Program. This is an eight-session program designed to help individuals re-evaluate their lives. Those eight sessions give the opportunity for mentoring. The facilitator gets to know a person’s background and life, and the sad thing is that many times, the inmate has never had someone who has taken a personal interest in them. I have seen lives transformed by this simple program. It is a privilege to be a part of this. As a chaplain, I lead worship services, run Bible studies, and facilitate other groups like Kairos, Prison Fellowship and Crossroads Bible Studies. I help people with clothing on release and offer pastoral care. It’s an honour to be part of The Salvation Army Christmas Cheer program. Every prisoner in the country gets a Christmas pack. Some of the prisoners don’t get any recognition from their families at Christmas time. Just seeing the gratitude and appreciation on their faces is worth the effort, as someone has taken the time to think about them. One of the greatest joys in this ministry is when we can link inmates to Salvation Army services on the outside. For various reasons, this does not happen often, but when it does, it is exciting to see the possibilities. We had one person who was concerned about his father. We contacted the corps officer, and he visited this gentleman, assisted him with the original issue, and then referred him to a community lunch and seniors program within the corps (church) and community. I have found great satisfaction in the work I do and the people I meet. The challenge is always presenting the love of Jesus in a way that is relevant and understandable. It is a ministry where we interact with people we wouldn’t normally associate with, and present Jesus to them. What a privilege and great honour. More information on prison chaplaincy Salvation Army prison chaplains are available at correctional centres throughout Australia and are part of a multi-faith chaplaincy team. Where a Salvation Army Chaplain is not operating in a particular prison, a referral will be passed on to another member of the chaplaincy team. Chaplains provide a range of support to people in prison, such as:  ·       One-on-one support – emotional, spiritual and pastoral   ·       Regular visits  ·       Chapel services  ·       Bible studies (not available in every prison) ·       Referrals to other agencies in preparation for release   For more information, click here

Major Belinda Davis says building relationship with the inmates is key. BY MAJOR BELINDA DAVIS – PRISON CHAPLAIN IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA I wonder what you picture when you hear the word ‘prison’? I would imagine high walls, barbed wire and security systems with people in drab uniforms. Most of my images came from television shows or movies, which showed incredibly harsh conditions being inflicted on well-deserving criminal types or, alternately, super mean officers bullying innocent victims of an aggressive justice system. What I did know is that this is a place where chaplaincy occurs, and if ever there was a place where the light of God needs to shine, it would be in a prison. I was asked if I could see myself taking up a chaplaincy role for the prisons in South Australia as my next appointment. Almost immediately, my response was, “Absolutely!”. Then the reality set in. I had been a congregational church leader for 95 per cent of my ministry years, so what on earth did I know about being a chaplain … in a prison? In response to that thought, this one part of a verse kept running through my mind: “… I was in prison, and you came to visit me” (Matthew 25:36). While I am available to be sent to any of the prisons in the South Australian network, I am currently based at Yatala Labour Prison, which is our maximum-security prison, housing up to 860 men. Most people assume I would be at the Women’s Prison, which is literally 1km down the road, but the demand is greater at Yatala now, so that is where I serve … and I love it. The prison where I am based as a chaplain. As a rule, the men need to request a visit from the chaplain, and they don’t need to specify a reason. Often, it is in their first few weeks of incarceration or because of a crisis that has occurred either inside or outside the prison walls. Getting in to see and speak with the men can be tricky due to numerous obstacles I must navigate, such as their availability, whether a secure space is free, and factors like a court date, a medical or legal appointment, staff shortages, or a security incident in their unit, which can all lead to my planned visit being rescheduled. When I do get to sit down with them, we are left one-on-one in a secure room, always on camera, and I need to be seated closest to the door. I wear a duress alarm that I can press in an emergency, but despite this setting and these constraints, I am quickly able to focus on the man in front of me and just have a conversation with them. Emotional support I do have a habit of making the men I meet with cry! It was shared with me early on to always have a packet of tissues with me and always allow time at the end of a visit for the men to compose themselves before heading back to their unit. It is often the result of demonstrating a combination of curiosity about how they are going ... and compassion, but I count it a real privilege to be invited into their world. We can provide a range of religious resources, including Bibles and Christian books, as well as Qur’ans, prayer mats, and books on Buddhism and Hinduism, upon request. One of my favourite activities to do is the Sunday chapel service. I am part of a roster that allows for up to 12 men in the room, where we freely discuss Scripture passages and how they may apply to our lives. Sharing the Easter message with them this year was especially poignant when I discussed Jesus accepting the punishment for our wrongdoings, essentially serving the sentence we deserve. It was a special moment for me. “The main thing I have learned is that no matter where I am in ministry, it comes down to the same thing: relationship.” The Positive Lifestyle Program is something I have recently been trained to facilitate, and I have the opportunity to guide individuals through an eight-week program, examining areas of their lives such as self-esteem, anger, grief and loss, and loneliness. Again, it is a real privilege to be afforded, and I already have multiple participants lined up to work with. I also realise that I am not only a chaplain for the residents but also for the staff, and I have made it a habit to introduce myself to the officers who bring the men to meet with me or whom I pass in my wanderings. Recently, one of the staff asked if I could ask God for something on his behalf the next time I talk to Him. He believed that God was more likely to listen to me than him! One of the other staff members saw me at Parkrun, but I didn’t see him. He approached me the following Monday, and now we have regular running conversations that draw other staff members to join in with. I have been asked many times if I am scared in the prison. At this stage, I can honestly say I have never felt fear of the men. A chaplain is not a symbol of authority, and we have zero impact on things like accommodation, sentences, privileges, etc. We are there to listen, primarily. We hold their stories and provide as much comfort and compassion as we can. What I have felt, primarily, is the respect of those I encounter, and that is thanks to the chaplains who have gone before me and the others who are currently part of our multi-denominational, multi-faith team. I am the newbie on the block as I only started in January, and while the learning curve has been steep and fast, it has also been a joy. The main thing I have learned is that no matter where I am in ministry, it comes down to the same thing: relationship. Being willing to build relationships with those that God places in my path. I try to do this without judgment, which is even more important in my current location. The men I deal with are facing very real, very severe consequences for choices that have been made, and if I can offer the love and hope of God to them for however long they are residing in prison, then I am more than happy to do so. More information on prison chaplaincy Salvation Army prison chaplains are available at correctional centres throughout Australia and are part of a multi-faith chaplaincy team. Where a Salvation Army Chaplain is not operating in a particular prison, a referral will be passed on to another member of the chaplaincy team. Chaplains provide a range of support to people in prison, such as:  ·       One-on-one support – emotional, spiritual and pastoral   ·       Regular visits  ·       Chapel services  ·       Bible studies (not available in every prison) ·       Referrals to other agencies in preparation for release   For more information, click here

“The sky over my Kyiv 17 June. Thank God we are alive! But, unfortunately, not all Ukrainians met the dawn today. ”  These are the words of Major Irina Shvab, Ukraine divisional leader with Major Konstantyn Shvab. As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to rage in its fourth year, cities across the country, particularly the capital, Kyiv, have been subjected to increasingly sustained and intense missile and drone strikes, killing dozens of people, injuring hundreds, and destroying apartment blocks, schools, playgrounds and other civilian infrastructure.   Despite this onslaught and the impacts of more than three years of full-scale war, The Salvation Army continues to serve local communities through regular Sunday services, Bible studies, youth and children’s activities and, as summer begins, scouting. Teams also provide vouchers, clothing and other essentials; psychological and emotional support; and a caring, hope-filled and actively compassionate, faith-filled presence.   Please continue to pray for Ukraine . For more images, click on the arrow below.