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At Lithgow Salvos, making disciples in Jesus’ name begins with intentional relationships. Steve Medved (Corps Mission Team Leader) has seen firsthand that genuine connections, shaped by love and mentoring, have created real spiritual growth and change within his congregation.

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To read Aileen’s Promoted to Glory notice and appointment history, click here

Each week through 2026, Salvationists around the world are uniting in prayer for the same territory or region of The Salvation Army. Prayer requests are shared by the territory/region to help us pray with precision and power for one another. This week (20-26 April),   we pray for the USA Eastern Territory. Commissioners Ralph and Susan Bukiewicz lead the territory.  The USA Eastern Territory has 1557 officers (865 active, 692 retired); 22 cadets; 335 corps; 3 outposts; 24,255 senior soldiers; 9466 adherents; 8656 junior soldiers; 7912 employees. Prayer requests ·       Pray for the upcoming General’s Congress. That our Territory would experience an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that would reignite a passion for the Gospel.   ·       Pray for Godly discernment for our Territorial Leaders as they seek him to navigate through these unparalleled and complicated times. Give them the mind of Christ.   ·       Pray for our officers and local leaders, that they would lead with joy in the places they have been called.   ·       Pray for our cadets who will soon become leaders within our territory. That they would be compassionate, effective leaders who consistently display the love of God.   ·       Pray for those who God is currently calling to step into ministry as future Salvation Army officers.   ·       Pray that we would see growth in our local Bible studies, that we would be rooted in God’s word in everything we do.   ·       Pray for the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11. Pray that those who were affected would feel a sense of peace, and that we can provide places of peace for those who are still processing all that happened on that day.     To find out more about the Zambia Territory,  click here . To find out more about The Salvation Army’s prayer focus,  click here .   To download the 2026 prayer schedule,  click here .

Celebrating the official naming of The Salvation Army West Brisbane over Easter was West Brisbane Teaching Ministry Leader Aux-Lieut Catherine Philpot (left), Voluntary Team Leader Stephen Cardiff and Area Officer Major Brad Whittle.   BY LERISSE SMITH   Same heart. Same mission. New season.   At Easter, that vision came to life for Salvos in West Brisbane as they stepped into an exciting new chapter – one shaped by renewal, growth and opportunity – and marked by a new name.    The Centenary Corps officially became The Salvation Army West Brisbane, signalling renewed energy and an expanding reach for its long-standing faith community.   “It’s an exciting dawn of a new era,” says Stephen Cardiff, West Brisbane Voluntary Team Leader. The official cake-cutting ceremony – Catherine, Stephen and Brad do the honours. “We are thrilled to celebrate The Salvation Army West Brisbane Corps and the future ahead. A vibrant, embracing community sharing Jesus’ love by caring for people, creating faith pathways, building healthy communities and working for justice.   “Our prayer is that this would be a place of hope, belonging and love where people encounter Jesus, community is strengthened, and lives are changed. We are on the move, exploring new ways to bring God’s goodness to the western suburbs of Brisbane.” Celebrations were in full swing as more than 80 locals gathered over the Easter weekend at the Centenary Shopping Centre’s Community Hub to mark the official opening of the new season. Good Friday marked the final Centenary meeting, bringing a symbolic close to one chapter.  The new corps complex at Centenary Shopping Centre’s Community Hub. “Today is a new day,” Auxiliary-Lieutenant Catherine Philpot, Volunteer Preaching and Teaching Team member, told the attendees. “It’s Easter Sunday – a day of hope, new life and resurrection. And today, we also celebrate the birth of The Salvation Army West Brisbane. What a beautiful day to begin a new chapter.”   Early days The Salvation Army first came to the western suburbs of Brisbane 140 years ago, in a little hall on Sherwood Road in Toowong. It began with a community of faith, and its work in the region expanded to include care for children, people with disabilities, and the elderly.    As the community grew, the Salvos relocated 36 years ago to the suburb of Centenary, supporting new housing developments and young families moving into the area, becoming Centenary Salvation Army and housed at a Macfarlane St building.   Then came a major turning point.   The building was put up for sale last year. After a special gathering of church members, the community chose to remain united and continue serving locally, with members spread across the north and south sides of the Brisbane River. Worshipping both sides of the river was part of the plan, too.  Corps members as well as past members and friends were invited to commemorate the ministry of Centenary Salvos over 36 years at Riverhills Hall held on Palm Sunday.  “We met as a whole church,” says Catherine, who is a former Centenary Corps Officer.   “Through a workshop process, the outcome was that we felt we had a calling to be The Salvation Army. To be this church that meets the needs of people outside the church – the lost, the last and the least. But we also felt a calling to our area.”   With the sale of the building came the opportunity for the church to reposition itself to connect with and meet the needs of the people of the greater western areas of Brisbane.    “Because we’ve lived in our community for such a long time, we recognise there’s a lot of lost and a lot of last and a lot of least that impacts us all, irrespective of economic status,” she says.    “And so, things like addiction, domestic violence and mental health problems occur with just as great prevalence in middle-income suburbs. So, we wanted to hold the ground for God and The Salvation Army in this area, so there’s still a voice and a community that can help people who might not feel as comfortable in a traditional church setting. We want to be a church that continues to find pathways for those who are hurting to find healing with God in this region.”   Stephen echoed this sentiment. As a Salvation Army member for nearly 50 years and a leader for over 45 years, Stephen is passionate about being part of a close-knit leadership team committed to sharing God’s love and strengthening communities across Brisbane’s west.    Exciting future And with flexibility and innovation now shaping its direction, the community is embracing a new way forward.   Services are held on the first and second Sunday at The Community Hub in Mount Ommaney – an ideal shopping centre location with constant foot and vehicle traffic. On the third and fourth Sunday, gatherings move to The Cairns Aged Care Centre in Chapel Hill, focusing on increasing community connection and care where loneliness can be an issue.    A corps youth program held at the centre also fosters all-age engagement in faith and care. Occasional fifth Sundays are planned for park settings, allowing outdoor community engagement. Musical presentations by worship team members formed part of the special commemoration of the Centenary Salvos ministry. “It’s exciting that we have flexibility,” reflects Stephen. “We don’t need to be anywhere, but we can be everywhere. There are many qualities of the community. Even though we’re individuals, we all work really well together and appreciate each other’s talents. We are really good together.”   A defining expression of this mission is seen in ‘Prison Gate’, one of the most impactful ministries in West Brisbane, with plans to extend its reach.   With five prisons in the area, a team of 10 volunteers consisting of the Salvos and local community members meet families of prisoners at the gate each weekend morning for an hour, particularly at the remand centre for those awaiting trial. The ministry has been operating for about seven years.    Greeting people new to the prison system through support and care is a top priority.   “We meet the families and carry some clothes with us,” Stephen explains. “So, if they don’t have the right clothes to visit their loved ones (due to strict prison regulations), we can help them with some clothes … It’s not a ministry for everybody. Sometimes it’s quite confronting.”   Prison staff have welcomed the ministry’s presence, thanking the Salvos for making their jobs easier and for connecting people with support services through the Salvos team.  At the Easter community fun event, a generous hamper was gifted by local MP, Milton Dick, to local mum and grandma Coralie – a special blessing that formed part of the celebrations for the West Brisbane corps community. Behind the concept is a desire to continue spreading the love of Jesus at a time when people can really feel like they're in the dark and alone, Catherine added.   And the impact has been deeply personal.   Catherine recalls: “I had a woman come up to me in tears just saying, ‘I’m so grateful that you’re here. I was feeling so lost. Just scared. I did not want to be here. I didn’t know what to do. And it’s just so nice to see a friendly face, like the Salvos. I can trust you. You can help me.”   West Brisbane is also looking at forging strong partnerships in the community, including local Salvos Stores and the continuation of its annual Christmas carols event, which draws thousands each year.   “We still want to find spaces for people to belong who aren’t of a faith,” Catherine says.   “We want to find ways to meet community needs … It’s about saving souls, growing Saints and serving suffering humanity. Trying to find ways we can make a difference, trying to grow ourselves up to be more like Christ, and trying to find ways to invite people on that journey with us.”

Mieke Waters (right) with TSA National Youth Services Specialist Stephanie Jandl at the NSW Youth Justice Inquiry hearing on 15 April. Image: Supplied BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE The Salvation Army has been advocating for governments across Australia to amend their approaches to youth justice matters, most urgently to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years. Mieke Waters, an Advisor with The Salvation Army’s Policy and Advocacy team, said the matter of youth justice was a crucial one. She said there was a lot of stigma and misunderstanding about why and how young people became entangled in the justice system, what caused young people to offend and how best to respond to young people who offend. “[It] requires The Salvation Army’s ongoing involvement to challenge the public narrative and to challenge some of the reforms proposed by governments at the moment, which are often hardline and punishment-oriented,” Mieke said. “We know [that] punishment isn’t the most effective response for the majority of young people who encounter justice systems. It does not address the root cause of the behaviour.” The Salvation Army’s recent submission into the NSW Youth Justice Inquiry includes 35 recommendations developed through wide consultation, including with the Youth stream, adult services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ministry, Research, and Safeguarding teams. The submission is informed by both relevant research and the frontline experience of The Salvation Army in working with young people and families. Four of these recommendations are specifically focused on the effects of current youth justice measures on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and families. The Salvation Army’s Youth Services National Model of Care is informed by multiple evidence-based frameworks, including the Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) framework, and Trauma Informed Care (TIC). TSA’s method of service delivery to young people is also informed by the four core frameworks of Attachment Theory, Developmental Theory, Social Learning Theory and Systems Theory. READ MORE: Working for justice at the heart of The Salvation Army’s mission Mieke said the cause of offending behaviour can be linked with developmental maturity and an understanding of cause and effect. Offending behaviours can also result from experiences of poverty and financial hardship, homelessness and housing instability, family violence, lack of positive connections and an intergenerational history of offending. “What we’re seeing is when a young person is incarcerated or entangled in the justice system in a way which is focused on punishment, we’re not seeing that create positive behaviour change,” Mieke said. “We’re not seeing it as necessarily a deterrent for the young person. [In detention,] they’re not able to get the supports that they need to address the issues which are driving the offending. Instead [incarceration is] just severing their positive connections [and] severing their access to education, connection with caseworkers or services that they’re engaging with at the moment. “There’s this sentiment that diversion responses are the soft approach. Diversion and restorative responses like youth justice conferencing and those kinds of collaborative care approaches are not intended to be hard or soft on crime. There is a public misconception that they are the softer option, and people want to see penalty and justice when there has been a crime. This public narrative makes it quite tricky sometimes to get traction when we are talking about diversion. What diversion really offers is a pathway for a young person to learn about their behaviour, make amends and move forward in a pro-social way.” Mieke said the team wanted to see early-intervention programs that worked alongside children, young people and families experiencing disadvantage, and ensuring that where possible, they could remain strong and together. She said The Salvation Army also wanted to see intervention in schools, and a positive, proactive approach after a young person had committed an offence, which sought to keep them outside of the justice system infrastructure and remain within a supportive network. She also said that the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in the justice system was a function of the system, not a feature of that demographic. “[Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People] are over-represented in out-of-home care systems [and] child protection responses, [and] we see over-policing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Mieke said. “They are overrepresented in our custodial settings as well, due to system failures.” A critical reform The Salvation Army and sector partners had been calling for was to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility across Australia to 14 years. Mieke said young people were “the future”, and ensuring they are supported to thrive and transition into adulthood was crucial. Raising the minimum age, which currently stands at 10 in NSW, would acknowledge cognitive development and give young people a chance to thrive, she said. “A young person isn’t the same as an adult. They don’t have the same cognitive skills, reasoning or understanding necessarily of repercussions. Every person deserves to feel safe in their community. But all justice, particularly youth justice, must be compassionate, holistic and evidence-based.” Read the full submission here .

(From left): Bob Hawes (CEO, Business Hunter), Tim Crackenthorp (State MP for Newcastle), Major Leanne Bennett, Major Peter Bennett (Newcastle Corps Officers), Major Peter White (Area Officer - Hunter/Central Coast), Captain Lydia Spencer (Norwest Lake Macquarie Corps Officer), Nic Brown (Street Side Medics CEO), Kirsten Welch (Hunter New England Local Health District), and Katherine Stanton (Clinic Nurse). Photos: Greg Donovan BY LAUREN MARTIN   Street Side Medics, a service dedicated to providing excellent healthcare to people experiencing homelessness, has launched its first service in the NSW Hunter region, working alongside the Newcastle Corps.   In March, Street Side Medics began operating on Fridays from the carpark at Newcastle Corps during the lunchtime hot-meal service, which The Salvation Army provides to around 80 people experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, loneliness, isolation, financial stress and other needs.   Also on-site on Fridays is Orange Sky Australia, which provides free laundry facilities.   Street Side Medics Clinic Coordinator Anna Finter said ever since meeting Corps Officer Major Leanne Bennett and the team last year, The Salvation Army has been incredible to work alongside. Cutting the ribbon on Street Side Medics’ first service in the NSW Hunter region, where it partners with Newcastle Salvation Army. “They have a wonderful reputation in the community … and we are really happy to be partnering with them, and it’s just a wonderful way for us to kick off and integrate into the community in Newcastle.”   Street Side Medics always chooses a site where it can park its mobile medical van alongside a community meal and where there is also preferably another partner organisation offering a service at the same time. Those criteria made Newcastle Salvation Army’s busy Friday ministry day a perfect location.   “They put on a massive service and also create a great community vibe,” said Anna. The Salvos’ Holy Grounds mobile coffee van and the Orange Sky Australia mobile laundry van were on duty throughout the day.   The official launch of the new service took place in early April with community partners, Street Side Medics volunteers, supporters, local elected members and community members who attend Newcastle Corps. The Salvos’ Holy Grounds Coffee Van offered free coffee to those gathered, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.   “It really highlighted the strength of the model and the way the service is designed to succeed,” said Anna. “Through community, collaboration and local support.” According to Leanne, the collaboration with Street Side Medics is just one of a number of significant changes that have occurred over the past year, showing how God is moving to bring holistic ministry to the city’s most marginalised community members. Major Leanne Bennett speaks at the launch of the Street Side Medics clinic at Newcastle Corps. “We believe we can’t effectively tell people about Jesus if we don’t know them, and so [collaboration with other services] is a perfect way to build relationships with the community by offering so many things which they can access as a ‘one-stop-shop’.”   And, in the midst of it all, she said, the love of Jesus is being seen and felt, and the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit is being heard: “We are sharing the love of Jesus, transforming one life at a time.” Many people turned out for the official launch in the Newcastle Corps carpark. READ MORE: Street Side Medics reaching out to Melbourne’s ‘invisible people’

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The Salvation Army International Headquarters in the UK, where Captain Dr John Clifton serves as Divisional Commander of the North East Division. Image: Getty CAPTAIN DR JOHN CLIFTON* I want to invite us to do something that leaders do not always find easy. To become attentive to the present moment. And to look honestly at where we are. Moments come in the life of a movement when it becomes clear that we cannot simply continue what has always been, but that we are standing at a threshold. I believe we are at such a threshold now. The Salvation Army in the North East (of England) carries a remarkable inheritance. Generations of Salvationists have proclaimed Christ here, served sacrificially, and built communities in which faith took visible, embodied form across cities, towns, and villages. That inheritance deserves deep honour. But honouring the past does not mean avoiding the truth about the present; rather, it means looking at reality. Telling the Truth About Where We Are Over many years, we have experienced sustained numerical decline. This is not a sudden collapse, nor a short-term fluctuation. It is a long arc. Looking at the data from 2010 to 2024, the North East saw total Senior Soldiers decrease by 29.2 per cent, Adherent membership decrease by 19.6 per cent, and Junior Soldiers reduce by 56.5 per cent. These changes have not happened all at once; they have often appeared in steps—moments when records were finally brought up to date, or when reality caught up with assumption. But however we explain the pattern, the direction is clear. We see it in our statistics. We feel it in our congregations. And we carry it in the strain placed upon leaders and communities alike. Naming this reality is not pessimism. It is faithfulness. Because renewal begins when God’s people learn to see clearly. One of the dangers facing churches in seasons like this is the temptation either to obsess over numbers – or to avoid them altogether. Both are forms of denial. Numbers do not tell us everything. But they do tell us something. Our attention to them communicates that people matter enough to be noticed and counted. That is one reason we have been pressing for better, more live information about our people. Attention requires truthfulness. If we are all to care well, lead well, and discern well, we need a more accurate account of who we actually are – not a periodically corrected impression, but something closer to reality as it is now. This is not bureaucracy for its own sake. It is part of taking people seriously. From Inheritance to Rediscovery And so I want to say something plainly – perhaps even provocatively: The era of generational Salvationism is long over. The era of discovering Salvationism for ourselves has begun. Whether someone is a fifth-, sixth-, seventh-, or eighth-generation Salvationist, or newly joined, none of us is exempt from rediscovery, renewal, and refounding. What is dying among us is not Salvationism itself, but the illusion that Salvationism can be carried forward by inheritance alone. The future of Salvationism will not depend on what we have received, but on our obedience to its original charism, lived faithfully under radically altered contemporary conditions. The Spirit is no longer permitting us to live from inherited forms or inherited reputation; nor from inherited experience. We should be deeply grateful for those who carried this movement before us – for their prayer, sacrifice, endurance, and faithfulness. Their inheritance remains a gift – but one that has to be received. What can no longer be assumed is that Salvationism will carry itself forward by familiarity, memory, or lineage alone. This, then, is not a rejection of our inheritance or our tradition. It is, however, a rejection of traditionalism: the worship of tradition for its own sake. What lies before us is an invitation to inhabit again those things that make the Army the Army: consciously, courageously, and afresh. Salvationism as a Way of Following Jesus Salvationism – and The Salvation Army as an attempt to embody this idea collectively – is not simply an institution to maintain. It is a way of following Jesus. It is a charism shaped by holiness, evangelistic urgency, compassion, and practical mission in the world. I am convinced that when Salvationism is lived authentically, people encounter Christ. Lives are transformed. Communities are renewed. And the reverse is also true: when it is not lived authentically, those things do not happen. Our calling, therefore, has not diminished. But every generation must rediscover how to live that calling in its own moment. Renewal cannot be inherited. It must be participated in. Naming the Crossroads We are standing at a genuine crossroads. One path leads towards managing decline. If there is decline, it is better to manage it than not. But that path tends increasingly towards preservation, maintenance, and clinging on for survival. The other path leads toward renewal: rediscovering God’s mission for us as the organising principle of everything we do. The difference between those paths is not primarily structural. Structures can help. But the difference is, first of all, spiritual. General Lyndon Buckingham has recently called the Army to pray for a renewed sense of divine urgency in our missional and spiritual life – a breakthrough that moves us beyond the language of decline into growth and flourishing. That call is not abstract. It is addressed to us, here and now. Renewal never happens in abstraction. It always takes place some where . Which means we must understand our context. The North East as a Prophetic Frontier The North East of England carries a particular story. Our communities have been shaped by deindustrialisation and economic transition – by industries that no longer exist and by the long shadows those losses have cast. There is resilience here, but also deep memory: inequality, health challenges, fractured opportunity, and a lingering sense – grounded in reality – of being overlooked. Indeed, people here have been marginalised as the result of political, economic and social choices by others distant from this place. In some places this is written into the physical landscape itself: rows of empty homes, streets where buildings remain but community has thinned, spaces that once held life now waiting to be rediscovered. These empty homes are not merely a housing statistic . They are signs of disconnection between people, place, and possibility. They remind us that decline is never only numerical; it is relational, social, and spiritual. Perhaps these empty spaces also remind us of something else: that renewal begins wherever presence returns – where people choose again to dwell, to belong, and to make life visible where absence has taken hold. Hope With Substance At the same time, we are living through profound cultural change. Traditional institutions, including churches, no longer carry assumed authority. Trust must be earned relationally rather than inherited structurally. Belonging is more fluid. Identity is negotiated rather than assumed. And beneath these shifts, something else is visible. A hunger for meaning. A search for authentic community. A recognition that economic or technological solutions alone cannot answer deeper questions of identity, purpose, and hope. Some look at this context and see only decline or marginality. I want to suggest something different: What if the Northeast of England is not a peripheral space, but a prophetic frontier? A place where the illusions of cultural Christianity have largely faded and where the gospel can be encountered again with clarity and urgency. A place where Salvationism becomes intelligible again – not because it is dominant, but because it was never designed for dominance in the first place. It was designed for faithful, transformative, embodied presence among communities navigating change, struggle, and renewal. In other words, the conditions that feel most challenging may be the ones most aligned with our original calling. We are not stepping into unfamiliar territory. We are stepping back into our native terrain – under radically altered conditions. That is precisely why a rediscovery of Salvationism for the contemporary moment is necessary. What We Long to See Let me name the future we are reaching toward: A division where faith is vibrant and visible. Where new people encounter Jesus – and stay to join our ranks. Where children and young people find their place and grow into leadership. Where long‑standing Salvationists rediscover purpose and joy. Where our corps are known not primarily for what they once were, but for what God is doing now. A Simple but Radical Measure Our central way of attending to this hope is intentionally simple: a net gain of one senior soldier, one adherent, and one junior soldier. That may sound modest. It is not. It is deceptively difficult. But when the graph and the trajectory has been downwards for generations, the slightest uptick would represent a profound change in mentality. It represents a shift in imagination – from assuming loss to expecting growth. This is not about statistics for their own sake. It is about lives changed, faith awakened, and disciples formed. We will not be publishing this goal on posters or blasting it out on social media, but we will be carefully attentive to this as a desired outcome of our work. We count people because people count. Five Commitments for Renewal As we move forward, we are shaping our work around five simple commitments: People – because discipleship and evangelism must once again become central. Prayer – because renewal begins not with strategy but with dependence on God. Place – because mission is always local and embodied, and we need to be intentional about where we are, and where we go. Power – because leadership must be relational, courageous, and capable of action. Pounds – because our resources exist to serve mission, not to preserve comfort. These are not slogans but simply an attempt to help us think simply and clearly about how we live faithfully as a movement again. The Cultural Shift Required It is increasingly clear that strategy alone will not change our future. Changes in our culture are needed. Specifically, we must become: - Christ‑centred before program‑centred - Missional before managerial - Relational before bureaucratic - Agile rather than defensive This will require courage, because renewal always involves letting go: of assumptions, of habits that no longer serve mission, and of the quiet belief that decline is inevitable. Taking Practical Form This cultural shift must also take practical form. If we say that people, prayer, place, power, and pounds matter, then divisional structures must increasingly serve those priorities rather than obscure them. One of the realities we must name is that the administrative and compliance burden placed upon corps and leaders has grown significantly. Some of it is unavoidable. Some of it reflects responsibilities that must be taken seriously. But it has now grown to the point that it distorts our common life. Someone once said that the devil will not have to bother with The Salvation Army because it will slowly strangle itself with red tape. There is real truth in that warning. A movement like ours can slowly become governed by process, caution, and administrative drag rather than by mission, courage, and spiritual purpose. We must resist that, and push back hard. That is one reason we are strengthening administrative support across the division. This is not about outsourcing officership. It is not about employing others to do the spiritual and missional work to which officers and soldiers are called. It is about ensuring that compliance, finance, and administration do not consume the energy that should be given to people, prayer, preaching, visitation, evangelism, and community presence. My ministry has always been at its most vibrant when I have been able to be with peopl e: visiting, listening, speaking the gospel, forming disciples, and leading communities in mission. That is where our energy as leaders should be directed. But, from my experience and observation, it is also the thing that gets squeezed out the most quickly by other pressures. Administrative support should help to make it easier to have time with people. So, our accountability must increasingly reflect that reality. I would rather we speak more about visitation than purchase card returns, more about mission than process, more about spiritual and missional leadership than the endless management of low-level administrative drag. Administration matters. Compliance matters. They must be done well. But they must no longer be the organising principle of our common life. That is part of what it means to take renewal and refounding seriously. If we are calling for a movement that is more Christ-centred, more missional, more relational, and more agile, then we must also build structures that release that kind of life rather than suffocate it. On Divisional Leadership I am not sharing this as a finished vision, but as an attempt to help us seek alignment through shared attentiveness, tested assumptions, and collective discernment. 2026 is a year of transition: a year to lay foundations, build shared culture, and clarify direction together. The future will be shaped by what we discern and what we commit to together. Our task as Divisional Leaders is neither to impose vision from above nor to leave each corps isolated. It is to steward clarity, to hold us accountable to what matters most, and to create the conditions in which God may once again add daily to our number those who are being saved. That will mean setting direction where direction is needed. It will mean listening deeply where wisdom resides locally. And it will mean ensuring that our shared commitments become more than aspirations – that they become lived realities across the division. And this brings us finally to pace. If we are serious about renewal, we must also become serious about how we make decisions. By this I do not mean busyness. Busyness is not a mark of health, maturity, or success. We must not be busy for the sake of it, but busy for the gospel : in visitation, in evangelism, in preaching, in prayer, and in forming people well. The context around us is changing quickly. Opportunities appear – and disappear – faster than they once did. Cultural conditions shift. Communities change shape. Needs emerge and mutate. If we respond only slowly, cautiously, or reactively, we will find ourselves constantly arriving too late. This does not mean abandoning discernment. But it does mean re-learning what discernment actually is. Discernment is not endless delay. It is not the pursuit of perfect certainty. It is faithful attentiveness that leads to timely action. In Scripture, discernment rarely produces exhaustive clarity before movement. More often, it produces enough light for the next faithful step. God leads people as they go, not once they have eliminated all risk. One of the quiet dangers facing churches in seasons of change is the belief that waiting preserves faithfulness. In reality, waiting often preserves comfort, habit, or reputation. It can become another way of managing decline while telling ourselves we are being wise. In this season, we will test things. We will intervene. We will challenge where challenge is needed. We will make decisions more swiftly – not recklessly, but courageously – because time is precious. When we know the direction is right, we should act. Some corps have already felt the impact of that. We will not always get every judgment right. Some decisions will be provisional, partial, or imperfect. But it is better to move faithfully, learn honestly, and adjust than to remain stuck while telling ourselves we are being wise. We must be moving. We must be in motion. Faithfulness in this moment requires clarity, courage, and motion. Not busyness for its own sake, but responsiveness. Not action without prayer, but prayer that releases action. Part of our responsibility is to create the conditions where wise decisions can be made – and made in time. That means holding direction, listening deeply to local wisdom, and resisting both panic and paralysis. We are being asked to step into God’s future for us faithfully – prayerfully, courageously, and in complete dependence upon God. I believe we must all adopt the same posture. A Final Word The challenges before us are real. But the opportunity before us is greater. We are not caretakers of a legacy. We are stewards of a living movement. The North East does not need a nostalgic Salvation Army, preoccupied with preserving what remains. It needs a faithful Salvation Army: clear-eyed, prayerful, courageous, and present. It needs a people willing to rediscover their calling and live it faithfully under the conditions of this moment. And so we begin – with honesty; with confidence in who God is; with courage about where God is leading us. Let us begin. *Captain Dr John Clifton is Divisional Commander for the North East Division of The Salvation Army UK. He writes on Substack about Salvationism  and faith . This article first appeared here  and has been reprinted with permission.

1. What is your current appointment and what do you find most satisfying about it? My current role is Corps Officer - Team Leader in Cairns (Qld), where I have lived with my wife, Major Emma, and daughters, Tahlia and Phoebe, for the last eight years. I am also operating as an Area Coordinator for Far North Queensland as of this year. Being a regional corps, we operate over an area bigger than Victoria and with Cairns and Atherton Tablelands Corps together, we have seven Family Stores, three Community Services Offices, and five separate congregations. We partner with organisations throughout the Cape (York Peninsula), including our little store on Mornington Island; a 20-minute flight off the western coast of Queensland.   I love the diversity of my role, both in corps ministry and particularly our community development focus. This holistic integrated mission brings both fulfilment in ministry, while also generating income streams to support our reach into the community. Every day brings a new challenge and adventure, and I am learning a lot.   2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind? After 25 years, everything I love in life has become part of ministry and vice versa. My family brings me great joy, all of us involved in the ministry of the corps and more broadly in The Salvation Army. I have always loved music ... playing my acoustic guitar with a set of crisp new strings and singing is still one of my favourite things. Singing, with my family (they are pretty amazing, just quietly) or playing any brass instrument or a keyboard and making beautiful harmonies really makes my heart soar. Sport and being healthy are also very important to me. I am quite competitive despite being an ordinary sportsperson! I play basketball and cricket still. I love the team dynamic and helping each member find their role and skill that they bring to the team.   3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it? I think I must be getting old because I love the old hymns. I enjoy the new worship genres as well, but the hymns tend to express the deeper groanings of my soul. They have also been a touchpoint for the Intercultural ministry we are involved in. Hymns like ‘How Great Thou Art’ and ‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms’ have been sung in multiple languages in our corps. At times, when language and cultural nuances are misinterpreted or not understood, these melodies have been a constant, bringing connection through that shared experience of God's comfort, grace and mercy. My favourite, I would say, is ‘At the Moment of My Weakness’, authored by General John Gowans (also one of my heroes). 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 Joseph’s journey in Genesis through privilege, betrayal, hardship and prosperity is one of marked resilience. To be sold out by his own brothers, suffer the humiliation of being falsely accused, proven wise and righteous and able to demonstrate forgiveness and mercy when he had every right to bring vengeance. He continued through his life to rise to the next challenge while shaking off the resentment that could have shaped his behaviours and responses. I feel like the sort of privilege I have enjoyed demands that kind of determination, and I hope to one day demonstrate this brand of faithfulness. 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 say being called to officership is essential, but also that your calling is not about you. It is a calling to sacrifice, and to the lost, the last and the least. Officers’ conditions in Australia are amazing compared to those who have served the decades before us, and still better than what most in other countries endure. My commitment has been to resist as much as possible, placing any parameters on where I would serve or what I would do. This involves an utter dependence on God and a trust in His plan, which I am convinced is part of the great adventure. I have had opportunity to travel into the unknown, study to develop myself, to learn from the example of incredible people and given opportunity to minister in the most intimate, desperate and privileged of spaces. I could never have chosen a path so full of mystery, miracles and blessing. It has been tough too, but God has always shown up when I haven’t felt I was ‘enough’.   More information on Salvation Army officership can be found  here .

Divisional leaders from Ukraine, Majors Yrina and Kostantyn Shvab, and their 18-year-old son Timothy, were in Norway to visit their daughter and sister Anna (right). Photo: Mette Randem Majors Kostantyn and Yrina Shvab are the divisional leaders for the Kyiv region in Ukraine. For four years, they have lived with Russian attacks, fear and uncertainty. Now they are also fighting the cold. Yet not a single Salvation Army officer has left the war-torn country. They stay – to keep the doors open, support their people, and bring hope.   BY RANDI BJELLAND*   At last, they are getting a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. No sirens. No explosions shaking the house. No rushing to bomb shelters in the middle of the night. No freezing rooms. For the first time in a long while, the divisional leaders for the Kyiv region, Yrina and Kostantyn Shvab, along with their 18-year-old son Timothy, are safe and warm.   They are on a short visit to Norway, where they are spending time with their daughter and sister, Anna, who lives there. It is a long-awaited break from the relentless strain of war.   At The Salvation Army’s headquarters in Oslo, they express deep gratitude for the support they have received, including funding for after-school programs and portable diesel generators purchased before power outages severely affected the country.   These have now become vital, as large areas are often without electricity, and temperatures have dropped below minus 20 degrees Celsius for weeks.   “Generators are the reason The Salvation Army in Kyiv can still stay open,” says Kostantyn. “We gather people for services. We can offer tea, some food, and a place to charge their phones. We try to keep our doors open as often as we can.”   Warming up in the car Power outages mean people have no water, no heating, and no electricity for cooking. This is especially difficult for elderly people living alone. Many apartment blocks in Kyiv have between 16 and 24 floors. Without electricity, older residents cannot leave because they cannot manage all the stairs. Even when there is electricity, elevators often only go up to the 10th floor. Timothy, a Scout leader, explains that before Christmas, the Scouts received funds from The Salvation Army’s Christmas fundraising campaign. They used the money to buy food and gifts, which they distributed to elderly people who were unable to get to the store.   “We drank tea and talked with them. For the Scouts, it was a powerful experience. They need to help others during the war – and so many people need help.”   Every time we gather, we pray for them. We see how difficult it is for the children. Two of the Scouts have lost their fathers. We do what we can to help, says Timothy Shvab. Photos: Mette Randem Now the cold has become another major enemy.   “In our home, we haven’t had heating for a month,” says Kostantyn. “At home it’s cold. Outside it’s cold. At The Salvation Army, it’s cold. The only place I can warm up is in the car.” Hosting a puma It has been four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During this time, The Salvation Army across the country has done everything it can to help others – often at great personal risk.   Kostantyn and Yrina were leading a local corps when, in 2022, they were asked to become divisional leaders responsible for all regions in Ukraine.   In the early phase of the war, people fled to the capital from across the country. There was chaos, and shops were nearly empty of food. For a long time, the divisional leaders received desperate refugees. All Salvation Army premises – and many private homes – were used for accommodation.   “Every day I woke up to new people and animals in our home,” says Anna.   Despite the serious situation, the family smiles as they talk about their dog, which was completely shocked by all the overnight guests – especially when someone arrived with a puma rescued from a local zoo.   ‘It feels unreal’ Kostantyn and Yrina had the opportunity to leave the country before the war began. But after praying, the family felt strongly that they should stay. Timothy had the same conviction.   Still, they hope their daughter will remain safe in Norway, where she contributes to children’s and youth work in The Salvation Army.   “God has different plans for different people. We just have to trust that,” says Yrina. “When we are there, it feels okay,” adds Kostantyn. “We fall into a routine and think this is just how life is now. But when we stop and reflect on the situation, it’s hard. It feels unreal.”   They say several Salvation Army officers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and panic attacks. The leaders try to provide extra care for both the physical and mental health of their officers. Majors Kostantyn and Yrina Shvab wish to stay as long as there are people living in the area who need help. Photo: Mette Randem Important youth work The family meets many people with deep trauma, especially young people. One initiative to help them is the Scout program established in 2023. It is growing rapidly.   “I’m so proud of my Scout scarf that I wear it all the time,” Timothy smiles.   “I see teenagers who were very afraid and quiet when they came, but who gradually change and become stronger.”   Many of the Scouts have lost their homes. Some have fathers fighting in the war.   “When I wake up at night because of an attack, I think about how in a few hours I’ll be at The Salvation Army telling the children that everything will be okay.” The Shvab family speaking with Bo Christoffer Brekke, Head of International Development at Territorial Headquarters in Oslo, Norway. Peace in the midst of war Many children have become so used to air-raid sirens that they no longer wake up. Adults don’t always go to shelters either.   “If we did that every time, we wouldn’t be able to do anything else. Sometimes we just have to prioritise sleep,” says Yrina.   “There is constant shooting in the city. We could be killed at any time – at home, on the way somewhere, or at The Salvation Army.”   Still, Kostantyn and other officers experience a special kind of peace.   “Even if we were to die in the war, we are saved. We know where we are going. My only prayer is: ‘Dear God, don’t let me be injured.’ Not being able to help others would be worse than anything.”   Helping is possible The Salvation Army in Kyiv rents its building, and the rent is high. “We spend most of our money on rent,” says Kostantyn.   The organisation has grown since the war began and has opened new social centres, but needs far exceed resources. One centre in Kyiv recently had to close due to a lack of funding. “People cried and were devastated – not just because of the food distribution, but because they lost their community,” says Kostantyn, adding that The Salvation Army also needs vehicles and fuel to distribute aid across Ukraine.   “Thanks to support, we’ve received more cars. That’s made it possible to deliver humanitarian aid across the country. I’ve driven more in these years than in my entire life.” (Left) For many Ukrainians, the Salvation Army becomes a place for food, warmth, and hope, like here in Dnipro. (Right) The Salvation Army serves food to the homeless in freezing conditions in the city of Kropyvnytskyi. Photo: The Salvation Army Ukraine   Faith strengthened Yrina says the situation has tested her faith.   “I have to ask myself: ‘If I die today, what happens then?’ I choose to believe in eternity with God. Maybe my faith has become stronger – it has to, because the challenges are greater.”   The family has moved their beds into hallways without windows for safety.   “When the war began, I felt God say: ‘You must do something. There are many people who don’t know me,’” Timothy says.   Many people have had their faith strengthened, though some initially became angry at God.   “For us as Christians, it’s more important than ever to tell people about God – so they know who protects them.” The Salvation Army has been present in many local communities in and around Ukraine since 1993. Today Ukraine has eight corps in the country, in addition to social centres and other work.   Holding on to hope “For us, faith is what keeps us going,” says Kostantyn. “If we lost our faith, everything would collapse. It’s what gives us strength to bring hope.”   In four days, the family will return to Ukraine. Anna will remain in Norway.   “I’m grateful to be here, but it’s difficult. It feels wrong to be safe while my family is facing such hardship,” she says.   Her mother smiles warmly: “You worry about us and often ask how we’re doing. Every time I answer: ‘Anna, we are still alive. Pray for us. God knows everything.’”   This article by Norwegian Salvation Army journalist Randi Bjelland was first published in The War Cry in Norway and has been reproduced with permission Day and night, the residents of Kyiv are attacked by Russian missiles and drones. The goal is, among other things, to disable the city’s electricity and water supply. Photo: The Salvation Army in Ukraine

Sean Nolan (front left) with the Shire Salvos leadership team during a planning meeting for The Way He Walked series, in which congregation members will read the book together for three weeks. BY LAUREN MARTIN   In 2024, Salvationist Sean Nolan had a heart-wrenching realisation: he was “educated beyond his level of repentance”.   The pastor, theologian and director of the Great Commission Institute in southern Sydney responded by getting on his knees and asking Jesus to show him how to get the basics of his walk with the Lord right. The devotional is available to purchase now. The result was a change in his relationship with God, and the birth of a new book, The Way He Walked , a 21-day-devotional that invites people to move beyond just knowing about Jesus, to “truly walking with him”.   Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas has endorsed the new publication, saying it is a “heartfelt and practical guide for believers seeking deeper intimacy with God”.   The book takes people on a journey shaped by Jesus’ invitation to Peter to “follow me”. It outlines four key steps for walking with Jesus: hearing his invitation, leaving the past behind, learning his way, and leading others to him.   “We must grasp that  the Holy Spirit comes to lead us to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which changes everything,” said Sean, who attends Shire Salvos Menai with his wife, Jenna, and their childen. “Understanding this simple truth is the key driver of change in the Christian life and local church. That’s why I’ve written The Way He Walks  – a 21-day journey to deeply experience the change Jesus offers.”  Author Sean Nolan and the book’s editor, Julia Hosking, with the first copies of the 21-day devotional series, The Way He Walked . Shire Salvos purchased a bulk order of the book for its congregation to go through as a church series. Other corps are also planning to do the same.   “The book can be engaged with in three ways, as a church-wide series, a life-group series, or for people to individually read the book,” said Sean.   “I’ve never seen pastors respond so favourably. I just gave some church leaders I know a book each and had a coffee with them, and a bunch of them have come back to me and put in significant orders to go through the three-week series with their church.”   Sean has been a pastor, church planter and denominational leader in Sydney for the past 25 years. He has also been on the executive of several evangelistic outreaches for the Billy Graham Crusade and Nicky Cruz. Sean and his wife, Jenna. He holds a doctorate in Theology and currently directs the Great Commission Institute, a Sydney College of Divinity-linked learning institution that offers a part-time online Diploma of Ministry and a part-time on-campus Diploma of Ministry in southern Sydney.   You can purchase Sean’s book at his website by clicking here .   If corps or churches wish to purchase in bulk, they can do so at a significant discount compared with buying the book individually. Individual purchases can be made on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Koorong.