Salvation Army personnel bring relief to communities impacted by the recent earthquake in Cebu Province, Philippines. Following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu Province on 30 September, The Salvation Army in the Philippines has provided emergency aid to 978 families in Bogo City, distributing rice, water, canned goods, soap and detergent. “We saw the joy on their faces as they received this blessing,” shared Captain James-Mark Casidsid. This compassionate response was made possible through the leadership of Captain Casidsid, with support from Metro Cebu Cluster corps officers, DHQ staff, volunteers and Barangay personnel. The earthquake has claimed  69 lives, injured more than 200 and displaced thousands. More than 3.36 million people have been affected.

Salvos Online  continues a new weekly column – Three Books. Today’s guest bookworm is Captain Duane Albino, who is the Corps Officer at Albany in Western Australia. Besides the gospels and Psalms, which is your favourite book in the Bible and why? Alright ... let’s talk Jonah . The book of Jonah is one of the shortest in the Bible, but it’s like reading a divine sitcom with eternal stakes. You’ve got a prophet who literally gets an assignment from God – “Go to Nineveh, tell them to repent.” Jonah’s response? “Yeah, nah.” He buys a ticket on a ship heading in the opposite direction. That’s like being told to go to Sydney and booking a flight to Iceland. It’s hilarious, it’s tragic, and somehow, it’s us. Every time we ghost God’s call because it’s inconvenient, we’re just Jonah without the seaweed. Then the storm hits. The sailors are panicking, throwing cargo overboard, praying to any god who’ll pick up the phone, and there’s Jonah, snoring below deck. They wake him up, he admits it’s his fault, and tells them to toss him into the ocean. He’s not even trying to fix it; he’d rather drown than obey. The drama! The passive-aggressiveness! If Netflix turned Jonah into a mini-series, I’d binge it twice. And then, just when it can’t get weirder, a giant fish shows up like Uber Eats with bad timing. Jonah gets swallowed whole, spends three days in the stomach of grace, and finally decides to pray. But the punchline is what happens next. He finally preaches to Nineveh – probably the most half-hearted sermon in history – and the whole city repents. Like, everyone. Even the cows wear sackcloth. And Jonah? He’s furious. He literally sulks under a plant because God was too merciful. It’s divine comedy wrapped in human stubbornness. You can’t make it up. Jonah’s honestly one of the most underrated gems in Scripture; it’s like divine comedy meets deep theology. What gets me is that Jonah isn’t really about a man and a fish; it’s about a God who refuses to give up on people who don’t deserve a second chance, including the prophet himself. It’s a story of grace so wide it makes you uncomfortable, and that’s what I love. Because if God can use a runaway prophet, a storm, and a sea creature to change hearts – then maybe, just maybe there’s hope for the rest of us, too. Besides the Bible, what is a Christian book that has strongly influenced your faith? One book that has deeply shaped my perspective is Try Softer by Aundi Kolber. Kolber blends her experience as a licensed therapist with a Christian worldview, creating a book that is both practical and deeply spiritual. She doesn’t offer platitudes or quick fixes; instead, she gently guides readers to approach life, faith, and themselves with compassion. Her writing reminded me that walking with God doesn’t mean we must always be strong or perfect – it means we can bring our brokenness honestly before Him. What struck me most was her emphasis on being present in our struggles. Kolber shows that faith isn’t a shield against pain, anxiety, or grief, but a lens through which we can experience God’s love even in the hardest seasons. Reading this book felt like sitting with someone who sees both the mess and the beauty of life – someone who refuses to rush over the hard parts and instead invites you to rest, reflect, and trust God’s timing. Passages on surrender and self-compassion echoed deeply, reminding me of Psalm 34:18, that “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I found myself returning to its pages whenever life felt overwhelming. Try Softer doesn’t just teach principles – it models a way of living faithfully, gently, and honestly. It challenged me to let my faith be real, raw, and human, and showed me that God’s grace meets us not just in our successes but in our vulnerability. It’s a book that leaves you both comforted and strengthened, reminding you that God’s love is patient, persistent, and always present. What is a secular book that has revealed to you a Christian message or theme? Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove is a secular book that left me floored with its Christian undertones. On the surface, it’s about a grumpy old man and the eccentric neighbours who slowly, and often unintentionally, break through his crusty exterior. But beneath the humour and dry wit lies something sacred – a story about redemption, patience, and the quiet, relentless power of love. Ove isn’t particularly likeable at first; he’s bitter, stubborn, and absurdly set in his ways. Yet through the gentle persistence of others, he begins to rediscover purpose and belonging. It’s proof that sometimes grace comes disguised as nosy neighbours and unwanted interruptions. What captivated me most was how Backman mirrors the Gospel without ever mentioning it. Ove isn’t ‘fixed’ because he earns it; he’s redeemed because others refuse to give up on him. It’s Ephesians 2:8-9 in motion – salvation and transformation as pure gifts of grace. The story reminded me that love’s greatest miracles often happen not in church pews, but in driveways, shared meals, and moments of inconvenient kindness. Through laughter, awkward conversations, and heartbreak, you see that redemption can bloom quietly, right in the middle of ordinary life. By the end, I laughed, almost cried, and found myself reflecting on the people God has placed in my own life – the ones who refused to walk away even when I didn’t make it easy. A Man Called Ove reminded me that grace doesn’t always roar; sometimes it just knocks on your door, holding a casserole and refusing to leave. It’s a story that will leave you smiling through tears, whispering , “That’s exactly what love does.”

In our current climate – economic pressures, political divisions, ecological anxieties – joy can feel like a luxury, writes Anthony Hunt. BY CAPTAIN ANTHONY HUNT A few weeks ago, I was doomscrolling – a word we use for that late-night habit of endlessly swiping through social media or news feeds, consuming story after story of bad news, crises and outrage. It’s a strangely addictive cycle, but not often a joyful one.   In the middle of that spiral, I stumbled across a clip of stand-up comedian Sammy Obeid. He’s an American comic with Palestinian roots, carrying a razor-sharp wit and able to find humour even in life’s tensions. Midway through a set, someone in the audience shouted, “Joy is resistance.”   Obeid paused, let the words hang, then grinned: “Yeah. I’ve even got merch that says, ‘Jokes are resistance’.”    That exchange hit me hard. Here was someone whose identity is tied to a people often associated in the headlines with conflict and suffering, still laughing – still finding joy. And an audience member reframed it as something much bigger – a deliberate act of defiance against despair.   Paradoxes Most of us know this paradox. We live surrounded by beauty – the beaches, the bush, the easy warmth of an Australian summer’s evening – and yet, open the news and you’re quickly reminded that the world is hurting. War, injustice, cost-of-living pressures, fractured families, ecological strain.   The ancient writers of the Bible knew this same tension. One letter famously declares: “All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs” (Romans chapter 8, verse 22, The Message  translation).   The world is both stunningly good and deeply broken. And we feel caught in the middle. Do we give in to the brokenness, or pretend everything is fine? Or is there another way?  A different way One of the most striking voices on this question is Paul, an early Christian leader whose life was anything but easy. Paul wrote many of his letters while imprisoned or persecuted, yet one of his recurring themes is joy.    “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!” he urged the church in Philippi (Philippians chapter 4, verse 4, New King James Version ). Coming from a man writing in chains, those words sound almost absurd. Yet for Paul, joy wasn’t shallow cheerfulness. It was rooted in a deep trust that love and goodness ultimately have the last word.    He went further: “We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance,   endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans chapter 5, verse 3–4, Contemporary English Version).    This is why many Christians today can describe joy as resistance. It resists the pull of cynicism. It resists despair. It insists that even in the darkest times, light remains. In the life of Jesus, we also see that joy and sorrow are not enemies, but more like dance partners. Jesus was known for attending parties and feasts, telling stories about wedding banquets as glimpses of what God intends life to be like. Even his first miracle was at a wedding, turning water into wine (John chapter 2, verses 1–11), suggesting that even celebration itself is a sacred act.    Yet, Jesus also wept. He cried over the death of a close friend (John chapter 11, verse 35). He mourned over the city of Jerusalem, lamenting its brokenness (Luke chapter 19, verse 41). He even told his followers: “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you” (Matthew chapter 5, verse 4, The Message ).    This paradox is central. Life is both celebration and mourning. To deny either is to deny reality. To embrace both is to live more fully human.    Defying despair  In our current climate – economic pressures, political divisions, ecological anxieties – joy can feel like a luxury. But maybe, as that audience member shouted, joy is resistance.    Choosing joy doesn’t mean ignoring injustice or glossing over pain. It means refusing to let despair have the final word. It’s resistance to the pull of hopelessness.   And it doesn’t always look grand. Sometimes it’s the small acts that keep us human: sharing a meal with neighbours, volunteering at a local op shop, cheering your team at the footy, or laughing at a comedian’s joke. Sometimes joy is as simple as sitting with someone who is grieving, refusing to let them face sorrow alone.     As the writer and activist Cornel West once put it: “Our job is not to solve every problem in the world, but to do our part with grace, integrity and courage.” We may not be able to heal all wounds or end all wars. But we can resist despair by choosing to practice joy, hope and love where we are.    Joy and sadness  So perhaps the question is not, “How can we be joyful when the world is broken?” but rather, “Can we dare to be fully human by holding both joy and sorrow together?”    Joy can be real, even when brokenness is all around us. And brokenness can still be real, even in the middle of celebration. To live with both is not contradiction – it’s truth. It’s resisting the temptation to numb oneself with denial or drown in despair, to doomscroll the night away.    This paradox is at the heart of the story of Jesus – the cross and resurrection side by side, grief and joy inseparably linked. But even outside faith, the invitation is the same. To laugh without ignoring pain. To mourn without surrendering to hopelessness. To embrace life, not as an either/or, but as an and/both.   That’s not naïve. It’s profoundly human. And maybe, that’s the kind of resistance our world needs most.  Captain Anthony Hunt is the Corps Officer at Centenary Corps in Queensland.

1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it?   Currently, I am part of the team at Frankston North Salvos. I began the appointment at the beginning of 2011, so it’s been 14 years! Many things have changed since then! When I first arrived, the appointment was to a traditional congregation worshipping in Frankston North, one of Victoria’s most disadvantaged suburbs.   In my time and with my encouragement, the appointment has evolved into a ministry that specifically works alongside young people in the local community who face unique challenges such as generational unemployment, family violence, drug use, early disengagement from education, and other barriers associated with low socio-economic communities.   What I love most is that I am invited into the lives of individuals and families to come alongside and support, love and encourage people to find hope, love and purpose. My ‘family’ is broad, long and deep, and I love it!   2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind?   I love learning new creative skills from YouTube! So far, I’ve fixed our washing machine, built garden steps, built a retaining wall, learnt crazy paving, and I’m working on my photography skills.   I also love running down to the beach and working out. I have four birth children who keep me very busy along with many non-birth children, who I support and love also!   3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it?   This is a hard question to answer, as so many Christian songs have spoken to me at different times in my life. But I guess when I was first working out what kind of ‘Christian’ I would be, and reading books about the origins of The Salvation Army, Keith Green’s Asleep in Light was such a powerful voice in my formation, I can’t go past it!   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?   Definitely Bathsheba. Growing up in an era where everything was seen and interpreted through the lens of privileged white men, I’d love to ask Bathsheba how she felt about being summoned into David’s harem during the execution of her husband. Bathsheba has been interpreted as a seductress, but I have a feeling she has a different story to tell!   5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say?   What an interesting question in 2025, when choices and opportunities abound! I have a degree in Social Work (1999) and Nursing (2009). Friends often say to me, “You could easily get another job that pays a lot better!”   But do you know the Officer’s Covenant? “To love and serve him supremely all my days, to live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life, to care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unloved, and befriend those who have no friends …”   That is my job description! What?!! Is there anything better than that? It still brings me to tears. There is no higher calling. The Salvation Army has supported and released me to do exactly that, and there is nothing better I could devote my life to! To watch a video of Major Cate Shanks’ involvement with Frankston North Salvos, click here

An illustration from a 1975 edition of the War Cry depicting a protester positing his views on protesting. BY BARRY GITTINS Fifty years ago, The Salvation Army in Australia was casting a dubious eye at the growing culture of protest marches against social issues. In a 1975 War Cry article credited to a Brigadier Bramwell Derbyshire, the protests – “part of the ’70s scene” – were described as being held by “sincere crusaders” and “selfish bigots”. Across the world, citizens were protesting against wars, against government corruption, against racism, homophobia, unsafe and unfair working conditions, poverty, abuse of women, cruelty to animals, and many more causes. Be it a “sit-down, a public meeting, a kidnapping, hijacking, a lock-out, a procession … [or] writing on walls”, the writer saw protesting as a “conditional” part of the democratic process, and duly thought his opinion was surely shared by “all sensible people”.   The brigadier declared that he loved animals so much he would have been a veterinary surgeon if he had not been “called to become a Salvation Army officer”. Yet he could not “understand people who will rave and rant about cruelty to animals and leave generous bequests to animal charities, and yet remain oblivious and unmoved by the suffering of children and the sorrows of the old”. “It needs to be said,” the brigadier conceded, “that there is nothing wrong with a good protest march, providing it is legal and proper and does not include senseless physical violence.” That said, he added, “every man who joins in a protest march against others’ self-interest has only the right to do so if he himself is unselfish”. What confuses readers today (denying people the right to protest in their own interest) doubtless also confused readers 50 years ago. The brigadier said Salvos wearing their uniform do not “need to wear badges [opposing] cruelty to animals and children”, signifying membership “of the anti-smoking league” or railing against “gambling and over-indulgence”. “I am against evil of every shape, sort and size, not only in theory but in practice,” he declared. When The Salvation Army marched, he suggested, it was in protest against “exploitation, falsehood, laziness and self-indulgence”, and that Jesus spent his life protesting poverty, “ostentatious pride”, prejudice, cowardice, sin and expediency. Jesus’ death, he added, turned him into the kind of protestor “this old world is needing”. Roo shoot Mission can be eventful, life is exceedingly unusual, and human beings experience genuinely weird stuff. Take, for example, the respected Salvationist who wrote about the only recorded time that Australia’s best-known animal, the ’roo, shot a fella up in the Top End. That’s right, (apparently), in 1971, a kangaroo shot a bloke at the Elizabeth Downs cattle station, up near the Daly River police station, NT. ‘Plenty of kangaroos have been shot by men,’ wrote the late Vic Pedersen, The Salvation Army’s pioneering flying padre (for the War Cry paper’s 10 January 1976 issue), but Vic reckoned a man named Archie Crosby was probably ‘the only man who has been shot by a kangaroo!’ An excerpt of the ‘roo shoot’ article. In the course of his duties as manager of Elizabeth Down, Archie had shot and wounded a big ’roo and had wandered over to administer the coup de grace, leaning his rifle butt momentarily on the ground. “The kangaroo reached up,” narrated Vic, “and caught the trigger, in an effort to scramble to its feet. The bullet passed through Crosby’s right arm. Fortunately, it missed the bone and main artery but tore a nasty hole. Crosby plugged the wound with flour and his mate, Tom Scott, then drove him 200 miles to hospital.” When Vic later conducted a triple wedding at the Daly River cop shop, with Archie and Tom standing proudly as two of the bridegrooms, Vic said the scars on Archie’s ‘arm were all the evidence of the incident’ that he could bear witness to. We could jump to conclusions about this yarn, but that’s probably best left to the ’roos. God knows they’re more inclined to bounce back from such wild stories.     Rolling along Love, hope, faith and peace. Cheer, joy, music and song. Sincerity, cooperation, comradeship and loyalty. Prayer, works and ‘push’. Emotions, spiritual qualities, actions all combined in people that embraced God above and the human beings all around us. The illustration in The Local officer and Bandsman magazine. These are presented as the ‘spokes’ that combine to make salvation’s wheel, and Salvationists were calling for hands to turn that wheel. Coming up to 91 years ago, in the 1 November 1934 issue of The Local Officer and Bandsman , the artist visualised the Army’s mission as a spiritual yet holistic one; salvation’s wheel proceeded to traverse the path of duty while meeting the pain of ‘the needy passer-by’ with deep compassion, reflecting the beauty of the God they worshipped. The issue before, 1 October 1934, the magazine promoted General Edward Higgins’ promotion of Christlike leadership: a leader coaches, solves problems, encourages and inspires, showing the way forward and setting the pace by example. Those two principles, servant leadership and holistic mission, can inspire us again, helping The Salvation Army serve both God and humanity. General Edward Higgins‘ promotion of Christlike leadership in a 1934 edition of The Local Officer and Bandsman magazine.

Each week throughout 2025, Salvationists around the world are uniting in prayer for a particular 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 (20-26 October), we pray for the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (PNGSI) Territory. Australian officers Majors Hector and Melba Cristostomo are currently serving at the Lae Primary School in Papua New Guinea – Hector as School Administrator, and Melba as Associate Administrator and Chaplaincy Team Leader. The territory also recently welcomed Australian officers Majors Deon and Michelle Oliver, with Deon to serve as Secretary for Program and Michelle as Development Officer. Majors Robert and Vanessa Evans have recently been repatriated after eight years as district officers in the Solomon Islands. READ MORE: We have been living the extraordinary life for eight years Majors Brad and Joycelyn McIver will begin serving in the Solomon Islands on 1 December 2025 (pending visa approvals) – Brad as District Officer, and Joycelyn as District Director of Women’s Ministries.   READ MORE: Aussie officers prepare for service in the Solomon Islands Colonels Colonels Chris and Tilitah Goa lead the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory.    The Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory has 415 officers (340 active and 75 retired); 29 Aux-Captains; 10 envoys; 26 cadets; 66 corps; 107 outposts; 6640 senior soldiers; 5569 adherents; 1304 junior soldiers; 380 employees. The PNGSI work includes: ·      Community health services ·      Education and schools ·      Modern slavery and human trafficking response   Thanking God For the territorial theme ‘Rebuild, Restore, Renew – A Year of Revival’ and the many lives turning to Christ through evangelism, camps and youth prayer weekends.   For the theme ‘revival’. God’s spirit is moving powerfully across the territory, and we give him all glory!   Praise God for the growth of prayer cells among officers and soldiers, and for answered prayers.   Thank God for mission support funds for the Solomon Islands, enabling essential quarters repairs and maintenance.   Prayer requests Please pray for the visit of the General and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham in November 2026. During the visit, they will be visiting the Solomon Islands for the 15th year Anniversary Congress and Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby) for the 70th Anniversary Congress. This will include the ordination and commissioning of the Proclaimers of Transformation session. Please pray for smooth preparations for our world leaders and within the territory, as there will be much travelling for our soldiers and officers into Port Moresby for these events. Pray that God’s presence and blessing be over this sacred occasion.   Pray for the territorial theme ‘Rebuild, Restore, Renew’, which has guided us from 2021-2025. In 2026, the territory will continue focusing on the themes of regeneration, reclamation and revival. The theme for 2027 will be ‘Redeemed’ and this will be launched by the General and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham during the congress and commissioning events in November 2026. Please stand with us in praying that all divisions, districts, and centres be engaged fully, embracing the theme in all areas of mission and ministry across the territory for revival to be experienced in the lives of all Salvationists, soldiers, officers and friends of The Salvation Army.   Pray for the ongoing review and redevelopment of the Territorial Strategic Plan (2025-2027) to align with the Compass framework of people, mission and legacy. Pray for wisdom and clarity for the steering committee as they lead this process.   Pray for the spiritual growth of soldiers and officers. With many social and ethical challenges, including ongoing tribal conflicts in our nation, ask God to strengthen his people to live holy lives, remain deeply rooted in their faith, reflect Christ in their daily walk, and grow in love for God.   Please pray for the health and wellbeing of our officers and that they seek advice. Many faces ongoing health challenges – may God sustain them with strength, healing and resilience.   Pray for territorial funding and stewardship. Ask God to provide for our needs, guide us in developing local income-generating initiatives, and help us remain faithful stewards of all resources.   Pray for The Salvation Army in the Solomon Islands:   That suitable corps officer quarters will be identified in Honiara, and for the construction of officers’ quarters in the provinces.   For wisdom in managing the ongoing Making It Happen project, particularly with district officers now working remotely. For the Team in Honiara as they travel to the provinces to support churches and explore new ministry opportunities, as well as the sustainability projects.   Pray for the ordination and commissioning of the Keepers of the Covenant session of cadets at the end of November 2025. May God grant each cadet strength and courage. To find out more about the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory, click here To find out more about The Salvation Army’s prayer focus, click here .   To download the 2025 International Prayer Focus schedule, click here .

To view the Appointment Bulletin, click here

1. What is your current appointment and what do you find most satisfying about it?  My current appointment is Corps Officer at the Noarlunga Salvos, in the outer southern suburbs of Adelaide. There are many things I love about my corps. Firstly, it was the corps where I came to faith almost 23 years ago, and, as such, it has always held a very special place in my heart. I love the people within our faith community; they are so loving and embrace everyone, making them feel so valued and welcome. I love the community that surrounds us because they are messy and real! What a beautiful opportunity God gives us daily to show the love of Jesus to them all.    One of my greatest passions is the Christ-centred 12-step program that we run every Wednesday night. It is one of the most authentic places that I have ever had the privilege of serving in. This is an amazing space where the most vulnerable and broken can come and find acceptance, love, and, most importantly, healing as they journey through the 12 steps.   2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind?   I have a large family that includes four married children and 13 grandchildren. I love to connect with them all! On a quieter note, however, I find much joy and peace in taking my two dogs, a mini Schnauzer (Jasper) and a Schnoodle (Pebbles), on long walks, usually to the beach, where I find solace and peace.   3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it?   I have many favourite songs, including the ‘Goodness of God’. This was released around the time I was suffering from excruciating chronic back pain. The mornings were the hardest for me as I tried to manoeuvre myself out of bed and take the weight of my body onto my feet. I would open up Spotify and play the song. The lyrics gave me such hope ... All my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able I will sing of the goodness of God. I chose to worship and believe that God would bring healing to me and continued to put my faith and hope in His goodness and faithfulness. Every time I hear this song, I think of that difficult season and praise Him for the physical healing he has brought to me.   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?   This is a difficult question because I find great inspiration in so many of the Biblical characters. They were an ordinary bunch of people who put their hope in an extraordinary God. I guess Jeremiah would be a key one for me. Known as the weeping prophet, I, too, connected with His heart and have always felt a burden for the wayward children of God. Many years ago, God spoke to me through Jeremiah chapter one: “ I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations .” Then Jeremiah cried out to the Lord, “ I can’t speak, I am too young!” But the Lord’s reply is what I have held on to over and over again: “Look, I have put words in your mouth.” I connect very much with Jeremiah’s feeling of inadequacy. I am sure if we got together, we would have an awesome conversation about trusting the Lord to work through us and our journey to that place of complete trust and faith in the Lord.   5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say? I believe that if you are called to officership, then it is a calling that you can never shake, and you won’t settle until you answer the call of God on your life. I love it!! With a passion! It’s hard, tiring, but always rewarding. It brings diversity, it stretches you, challenges you, but there is absolutely no other place I would rather be than serving the Lord through The Salvation Army and fulfilling His purposes and plans for my life. It is rewarding and life-giving!! I feel honoured and blessed that He called me to serve Him in this way!

BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE  The Salvation Army is offering five full scholarships to study a Diploma of Financial Counselling through Transurban and Eva Burrows College Vocational Training.   Transurban, who operates Linkt tolling in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, has been partnering with The Salvation Army since 2019 to provide funding for Army officers, staff and volunteers to train and eventually work within the financial counselling sector. Transurban donates the entire cost of five Financial Counselling Scholarships to eligible applicants who are accepted to study the course and receive funding. The training involves acquiring specialist knowledge, paralegal skills, and competencies which focus on credit and debit issues affecting those who are facing significant debt and financial issues.  Corporate Partnerships Relationship Manager Amanda Travers said that debt and other financial difficulties were a huge weight on many Australians, and that the role of a financial counsellor was vital in assisting those who may have never had the opportunity to discuss budgeting or how to manage their debts before.   Applications close 30 November. To find out more about the scholarships and how to apply, click here .

Serving milk and oatmeal to mothers and children has made some startling differences in peoples' lives. BY SIMONE WORTHING   The Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO) works globally with local corps and centres to help change the lives of some of the world’s poorest, most vulnerable, and suffering individuals.   Over the past months, Global Focus has featured some of the projects SAWSO is driving and the impact these are having in local communities.   This week, we look at projects in Paraguay and the Philippines.   PARAGUAY Milk and oatmeal In San Lorenzo’s Villa Laurelty neighbourhood, the Tekokatu clinic’s Milk & Oatmeal program combats child malnutrition by empowering mothers with education on hygiene, child development, and wellbeing. The program’s Canto al Bebé classes help mothers strengthen emotional bonds with their babies through singing, fostering early development and maternal confidence.   “Participating in the activities on Wednesdays has been a way of recharging my strength to continue with the week’s struggle,” said Romina, a mother of four. Mirta, a young mother, sought support for severe depression and the effects of a violent past. Through therapy and group sessions, she has built a healthier bond with her daughters, breaking cycles of trauma. Gabriela, another beneficiary, found the strength to leave an abusive relationship, find stable employment and create a safer future for her child. In 2023 and 2024 alone, with SAWSO’s support, the clinic has provided more than 7000 medical consultations and reached 1300 people through free community health programs. By equipping young mothers and families with vital resources, the clinic offers hope for a healthier, brighter future.     PHILIPPINES   Strengthening the ability to serve SAWSO is strengthening The Salvation Army Philippines’ ability to serve communities through the Integrated Community Development Program. The program equips local officers and staff with the skills to identify community needs, develop solutions and implement impactful projects.   Corps officers undergo training in faith-based facilitation, community engagement and project management, enabling them to work alongside residents to assess challenges and develop tailored solutions. So far, across 32 communities, 6440 individuals have participated in training on economic resilience, violence prevention and youth development. Through livelihood grants, financial literacy training and job programs, 3387 people have gained financial knowledge, while 1344 have acquired skills for income-generating activities. Additionally, 1010 individuals have received violence prevention training, strengthening the community’s resilience and self-sufficiency.

Registrations are now open for this exciting annual event on The Salvation Army calendar. National Creative Arts Camp (NCAC) is an opportunity for youth and young adults from around the country to learn, grow and share together.   Hosted by the Worship Arts Team at Blampied in Victoria, the national event is a camp specifically designed to encourage, train, and develop young creatives within The Salvation Army.   The annual camp offers creative streams such as visual arts, music, theatre, brass band, dance and worship.   The experience provides unique and important opportunities for up-and-coming creatives to build faith, skills and community.   WHEN: 12-17 January 2026   WHERE: Rutherford Park Country Retreat, VIC   WHO: 15-30 (including anyone starting year 9)   COST: $425 [registration] $260 [flight fee - interstate delegates only]$30 [optional linen]   Registrations close Monday 1 December. For more information, click here

Lily Webb with her parents, Andrew (Corps Officer) and Lc (Ministry Assistant), at Ulverstone Corps.  BY LAUREN MARTIN   Lily Webb may be the youngest Salvation Army youth group leader in the whole of Australia. At 13, she plans, runs and prays for the Ulverstone Corps’ fortnightly youth group, which she founded this year in obedience to God’s calling.   “I just want to teach people about God and the Gospel,” said Lily, on a video call along with her father, Captain Andrew Webb, Corps Officer at Ulverstone, a town on Tasmania’s north coast.   “I’m still young, I have a lot of life ahead of me, and I wanted to do something while I’m still in my youth.”   The Year 8 student approached her parents earlier this year with the concept for a corps youth group. But she worried that she might get knocked back because of the cost of starting a new ministry, or that the corps leadership might already be too busy.   She said that while her parents were very supportive of the plan, they told her that she would need to write a proposal to go before the Corps Leadership Team. Her mum and dad also said they could not be part of the decision due to their obvious conflict of interest.   Undeterred, Lily whipped up a comprehensive proposal for the ministry, complete with 14 weeks’ worth of detailed planning about activities and themes.   “He [pointing to her father] came back home after the meeting and [said] they were so excited that I wanted to do this, and they were 100 per cent supportive of it. I really appreciated their support,” said Lily. Lily Webb has a passion to reach her generation with the Gospel. With the help of the Corps Leadership Team, the necessary Salvation Army paperwork was filled out. Lily then made some posters and put them up around town to advertise the first youth group evening.   Lily’s vision was simple: “I wanted a lot of different types of people to come,” she explained, “[to just be] having fun and learning about God and learning about what He can do in your life.”   The first night was trivia and attracted teens of different ages, schools and backgrounds. This was an answer to Lily’s prayer when she had asked God for a range of people to attend. She has enjoyed making new friends and seeing others do the same.   “We all just learn a lot of things about each other,” she said. (Left) A youth group laser-tag activity. (Right) Youth group Lego League night. Despite sometimes being the youngest person at youth group, Lily doesn’t think that age is a barrier to being used by God.   “I want to be a leader who helps people know more about God,” she said. “There are a few people at youth group that want to know more, and I’m glad that I have the opportunity to share with them and help them to know more. “I just want people to know God is with them throughout their journey in life, and right beside them.”   It’s that deep awareness of ‘Christ with us’ that Lily experiences for herself that makes her so passionate about journeying with others and helping them to know Jesus for themselves. As the youngest of four siblings, Lily has had no problems encouraging her older siblings to help out at youth group, and stresses that she’s not running the group on her own but with the support of her parents and others in the corps.   As an officer’s kid (an ‘OK’ in Salvos world), Lily is aware that Ulverstone won’t be her home forever, and she would like to identify future leaders from among those who are coming along, to disciple and train up.   “I hope that when I get older or I move, like move states or move house, that the youth group will stay running and I hope that someone takes over the job of me … I have asked God about it.”   Lily is keen to explore full-time ministry but is waiting until she is “old enough”. In the meantime, she has stepped out in faith to serve and lead where she can in her community.   What an encouragement and inspiration for us all not to let barriers get in the way of where Jesus wants us to love and serve others!