Caring Vol. 15 No. 1 (Spring 2009)

VOL. 15, NO. 1 • SPRING 2009

National Social Services Conference edition

The holistic ministries of The Salvation Army

Helpful conference information inside

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Must reading for every Salvationist.

—PAUL A. RADER, GENERAL (RET.)

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A VIEW FROM THE CORNER

FOR OVER 25 YEARS, New Frontier Editor-in-Chief Bob Docter has stimulated—and encouraged—the Army to fulfill its mission. In A View From the Corner, readers will enjoy a selection of his most compelling columns pertaining to the ministry of The Salvation Army.

A lifelong Salvationist—and sergeant-major at the Pasadena Tabernacle Corps for 40 years—Docter brings a wealth of insight to the Army’s inner workings.

COLUMNS INCLUDE:

• Bill Booth Got Something Started • How Would Catherine Booth Feel About You? • Things I Still Don’t Understand About the Army • Who Speaks for the Poor?

• A Passion for Social Justice • Whatever Happened to Self Denial?

• Do We Really Want to Grow?

• Advisory Boards: Rubber Stamps or Venture Capitalists?

• A Soldier’s Prayer • The Biggest Open Air Meeting in the World • Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Working With People I Learned as a Corps Sergeant-Major • I’m Glad I Stood at Kettles • Day Dreams: Joan Kroc

e visit th Caring t booth a NSSC

• An Open Letter to Our New General: Commissioner Shaw Clifton

“Bob Docter’s A View from the Corner offers a highly stimulating perspective on

Available now at: amazon.com saresourceconnection.org and shop.salvationarmy.org ISBN: 978-0-9768465-1-2 • $14.95 The Salvation Army Frontier Press

many issues touching modern Salvationism in North America. I commend it to readers and express warm thanks to the author for sharing so effectively from a lifetime of dedicated Salvation Army service.”

—SHAW CLIFTON, GENERAL

caring The holistic ministries of The Salvation Army Our world needs the church

by Ted Horwood

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Coming in from the cold

by Carol Seiler

Finding a life of purpose

by Tom Walker

8 16

New provision for disengaged youth

by Hannah Jeffery

Prophetic response

by Danielle Strickland and Campbell Roberts Transforming Relationships

by Paul Hebblethwaite Art—a social services healing agent

by Christin Davis Priming seniors to reenter the workforce

by Frank Severs let no one be forgotten

by Kathryn Jacob

6 8 14 16 31

35 38 40 42

SPECIAL SECTION The Salvation Army National Social Services Conference Winds of change in Chicago

by Gordon Bingham.................... 19 A center of liberation

by Julian J. Champion................ 22 2009 National Social Services Award nominees...................... 25 Chicago 509

by Mark Anderson...................... 29 Plenary session speakers

M. Christine MacMillan

The Army’s voice on social justice ............................................. 20

Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil

A credible Christian lifestyle..... 27 ON THE COVER

The Army’s social work beginnings

by Henry Gariepy

11

MY CORNER 2 • PERSPECTIVE 3 • IN THE NEWS 4 • AND FINALLY... 44 SPRING 2009•VOL. 15, NO. 1

DOING THE MOST GOOD

SPRING 2009 CARING PAGE 1

MY CORNER

How did we get to be the way we are?

True Christianity is a “relationship” religion. It demands BY a relationship with God and a relationship with our ROBERT DOCTER “neighbors”—especially those who have foundered on life’s

rocks without social and spiritual survival. True Christianity requires both spiritual and social salvation. The evidence is clear— spread throughout the Gospels. We must love God by emulating his son’s caring ministry for those who experience spiritual separation and those with social stressors—economic, physical, and social. This is why we are an Army of “soup, soap and salvation.”

Early commitment to the poor From the very beginning, both William and Catherine Booth, co-founders of The Salvation Army, expressed strong compassion and commitment to the poor, the hungry, the marginalized and disenfranchised of society—the least, the last and the lost. They helped them physically and socially, while primarily focusing on what they determined was the best and most long-range treatment—the individual’s personal salvation.

The London of the 1880s faced a severe depression—increased poverty, homelessness, and unemployment with thousands living in squalor, jammed tightly together and thus spreading disease. Poverty and despair (faithlessness) travel together.

Catherine’s approach The problem was genuine. A great number of charities had sprung up in the city as a kind of sentimental effort to remedy the problem. Roy Hattersley in his book, Blood and Fire: William and Catherine Booth and Their Salvation Army, reports on a speech Catherine gave in 1887 titled “Sham Compassion and the Dying Love of Christ” that articulated her position. Hattersley notes that it began with a sharp comment: “Benevolence has come somewhat into fashion of late.” She then goes on to reject “one by one every radical prescription for reducing poverty—education, slum clearance, even total abstinence. If you want to elevate the masses, go and ask HIM how to do it, and if the answer comes: ‘Take up thy cross and follow Me’—OBEY.” She railed against “schemes without a Savior” and “religions of bodily compassion” that ignore the soul.

William publishes In Darkest England By 1890, the work of William and Catherine Booth was 25 years old.

Catherine was promoted to Glory in early October following a lengthy illness. Later that same month, William published his monumental plan for personal social renewal: In Darkest England and the Way Out. The plan linked personal and social salvation—spiritual and social redemption— marking a transition in Booth’s vision for The Salvation Army.

MY CORNER page 3

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Caring is published quarterly by The Salvation Army and seeks to: • •

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Reclaim ‘acts of mercy’ as imperatives to holiness.

Bring the Army’s ministries of evangelistic and social outreach into one holistic ministry.

Describe exemplary programs seeking to integrate the goals of the Army’s holistic ministries.

Foster innovation and the development of creative approaches to ministry.

Edify, enlighten, enrich and stimulate discussion among Salvationists involved in caring ministries.

Provide a forum for examination of critical social issues within the Army.

Report on important and relevant research in areas of holistic ministry.

Review critical contributions of scholars and writers within relevant fields of ministry.

Examine The Salvation Army as an organization in respect to its history, purpose, mission and future.

STAFF Robert Docter, Ph.D. Christin Davis Karen Gleason Edie Jenkins

Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor Supervising Editor Editorial Assistant

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Betty Israel, Major Geoffrey Allan, Major John Cheydleur, Major Kevin Tomson-Hooper Allie Niles, Major

National Headquarters Central Territory Eastern Territory Southern Territory Western Territory

LAYOUT & DESIGN Kevin Dobruck Stephen Martinez

Art Director Graphic Designer

CIRCULATION Christin Davis

562-491-8723

USA WESTERN TERRITORIAL HEADQUARTERS Commissioner Philip Swyers, Territorial Commander Colonel William Harfoot, Chief Secretary P.O. Box 22646 180 East Ocean Blvd.

Long Beach, CA 90802 562/491-8723 • Fax 562/491-8791 e-mail: caring@usw.salvationarmy.org www.caringsa.org Unless otherwise indicated, all contents copyright© 2009 by New Frontier Publications, The Salvation Army, USA Western Territory, 180 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802 USA. If requested, permission to reproduce is usually freely granted. Please contact the publisher before reproducing.

PERSPECTIVE

Worthy of redemption I recently came across a unique webBY based project—wefeelfine.org—started CHRISTIN in 2005 to explore human emotion on DAVIS

a global scale by tracking the feelings that are posted to blogs. Every few minutes, the system searches the world’s newly posted blog entries for the phrases, “I feel” and “I am feeling.” It records the full sentence and identifies the “feeling” expressed while also saving the age, gender, geographical location and local weather conditions at the time of writing.

The result is a database of over 11.5 million human feelings, increasing by up to 20,000 new feelings per day, which can be searched and sorted.

The “metrics” movement displays the most representative feelings of a random sample population.

Specific feelings are listed along the left edge of the screen and ranked by the number of times its frequency in the sample population exceeds the global average.

The most represented feeling in the few hours before I opened the page was worthy, which surprised me because this feeling does not strike me as one that is common among most people. This group, however, felt worthy 32.6 times the normal level.

I wish this were an indicator of the feelings of the general population, rather than just a sample. Because we all have insecurities and imperfections, I would have expected to see unworthy as the top emotion. The world would look much different if humanity decided that every individual is worthy—of life, love, safety, warmth, prosperity—because feelings often determine the way we live and actions are frequently the result of a feeling.

MY CORNER

Take justice for example. The need for retribution or equity would not exist if not for the feeling of unfair action against us.

Faith-based organizations talk a lot about working towards social justice, and rightfully so. Society is marked with injustice on a daily basis. Is justice what we actually strive for though, or do we want something more?

God is viewed as just, but Christ’s life was focused on redemption, not justice.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24).

Jesus bought our emancipation from the slavery of sin. He replaced the law with grace.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7).

Maybe it is not really social justice that we seek, but redemption of people and their circumstances.

Redemption is our business in The Salvation Army.

Stories here tell of the Army’s efforts on behalf of all people—from the lost individual in a hidden corner of the world, to a senior needing training in order to work, to a teenager who doesn’t fit into the structure of education.

We are working and will continue working to redeem society because everyone is worthy of redemption. n Christin Davis is the managing editor of Caring magazine.

from page 2

“No one gets a blessing if they have cold feet, and nobody ever got saved while they had a toothache,” Booth said (as quoted in Satterlee: Notable Quotables).

Catherine had read the work prior to publication, and William dedicated the book to her. Unfortunately, we have no specific information relative to her thoughts about this new plan.

A significant transition in the Army’s ministry Roger Green, in his 2005 biography of The Life and Ministry of William Booth, asks a fundamental question:

“Why did the transition take place, and why was Booth ready to focus his enlarged vision of salvation as a double mission?” Here, Green quotes W. T. Stead who used his “journalistic skills to assist Booth in the writing of In Darkest England and the Way Out.” Stead stated in the January 2, 1891, issue of The Star, a newspaper he edited: “Everyone knows perfectly well that two years ago, nay, even one year ago, General Booth did not see his way to the utilization of The Salvation Army as an instrument of social reform.”

SOCIAL REFORM page 5

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In the news Compiled by Karen Gleason

Salvation Army launches ARC media campaign The U.S.’s four Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) Commands (Central, East, South and West) and The Richards Group (the advertising agency that developed The Salvation Army’s “Doing the Most Good” slogan and national branding effort) have collaborated on a national advertising campaign to promote the giving of in-kind donations to the ARCs by creating awareness of the ARC ministry to potential donors and directing them to a national phone number (1-800-SA Truck) and website (SATruck.com) to obtain localized information about ARC programs and services in their area.

This effort included the debut of a new, national 30-second ARC TV spot, “Amazing Grace,” which features real life ARC beneficiaries and graduates and emphasizes the ARC ministry’s purpose of helping to transform lives.

The ARC media campaign will continue through August 2009 with national broadcasts of the “Amazing Grace” spot on MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, Fox news, the Weather Channel, the Gospel Music Channel and the cable series, Intervention (A & E Network).

From an article by Dawn Marks for the U.S. Western Territory’s New Frontier

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Charles Colson honored Charles Colson, co-author of The Faith (Zondervan), received the Presidential Citizens Medal from then President George W. Bush during a December 2008 ceremony at the White House. He was among 24 recipients of this year’s award, which is the second highest honor for a civilian, recognizing Americans “who have performed exemplary deeds of service for the nation.”

Founder of Prison Fellowship, Colson joins a distinguished list of nearly 100 people who have received the medal since the program was created in 1969.

Past recipients include baseball great Henry “Hank” Aaron, boxer Mohammad Ali, civil rights icon Dorothy Height, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Colson, the first member of the Nixon administration to serve prison time for Watergate-related offenses, was Nixon’s counsel from 1969-1973; in 1974 he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.

Colson became an evangelical prison reformer, running Prison Fellowship, which advocates “privately run prisons and the delivery of all social services by faith-based groups.”

In an interview with Christianity Today, he responded to the question “What does the medal mean to you?”

He answered, “First…it stands for redemption—it’s possible for anybody…every prisoner can

DOING THE MOST GOOD

know that there’s hope, which is what I’ve given my life to.”

Christianity Today, February 2009 North Korea top persecutor North Korea continues, for the seventh year in a row, to be the worst persecutor of Christians in the world, according to the Open Doors’ 2008 World Watch List.

Christians there are persecuted constantly under the communist government, which denies human rights to its citizens.

The remaining top ten on the list, in order, are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, the Maldives, Yemen, Laos, Eritrea and Uzbekistan.

North Korea’s ranking was no surprise. Carl Moeller, president/ CEO of Open Doors USA, said, “There is no other country in the world where Christians are persecuted in such a horrible and systematic manner.

“I encourage you to join our ongoing prayer campaign for North Korea and to plug in to the many opportunities Open Doors offers to advocate for the oppressed believers there during North Korea Freedom Week, April 25 to May 2.”

From christiannewswire.com

SOCIAL REFORM

from page 3

Booth changed and he changed his Army as well.

Green hypothesizes possible reasons First, Green suggests that Booth’s own early poverty gave him increased sensitivity and empathy for those in desperate situations due to poverty. Additionally, many new members of the Army shared this heightened sensitivity. The Christian Mission and the Army had a lengthy history in dealing with poverty.

Second, Booth’s “authoritarian” personality traits and his strong desire not to be led by other decision makers relative to affairs of his own life caused him to want to “go it alone.” An organization called the Charity Organization Society had been working in this field for several years and was not receptive to the Army’s efforts on behalf of the poor, primarily because Booth had demonstrated an inclination toward independence throughout his ministry.

Sound familiar? (The insularity of the Army in too many communities today is tragic.)

Additionally, the stark, blunt, honest poverty surveys of Charles Booth (no relation) in providing genuine annual data on the conditions of life affecting the poor,

had to impact Booth’s decisions.

Third, Booth saw that “much of the Church was unwilling to enter into this second mission.” Moreover, he was convinced that his position was theologically correct.

Fourth, Booth saw that the military, authoritarian nature of the Army made it “best suited” for this dual redemptive mission.

Fifth, with the death of Catherine, Booth was forced to rely on others. This group included Bramwell, his son and long-time advocate of social ministry. Also influential were W. T. Stead, who edited the book as a significant London journalist, and finally, probably the most important influence came from Commissioner Frank Smith, the leader of the Army’s newly created “social wing.”

Both spiritual and social redemption needed Booth was convinced that social salvation is “not worth discussing” without putting forth the essentials of spiritual salvation as set forth in the gospel. We provide social work in order to assure readiness to receive a relationship with Christ.

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The Salvation Army’s work in developing countries BY TED HORWOOD

One of London’s major newspapers recently ran a column with the leading line: “As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God.” The columnist went on to describe his experience reporting on development charities. He wrote, Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa, Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

He described the essence of Christianity—change, transformation, and redemption. These are the fundamental consequences of people who are both motivated by and practicing a life committed to Jesus.

Therefore, it is no wonder that these are also the essential tenets of The Salvation Army’s work. But they occur only when moved beyond the classroom and the pulpit, beyond intellectual assent and a warm feeling of spiritual resonance. They require action. If people are going to choose pathways that reflect kingdom values, they will need to be shown the way and accompanied on the journey.

This is the role of the church, which is not a place but a people. And this is a principle not lost among many congregations around the world. I was recently in one country that is predominantly a mixture of native religions and Islam. It is also desperately poor. Since jobs are difficult to find and education is difficult to attain, young people are utterly, and often hopelessly, dependant on their fathers. So how does change occur?

In this case, when Christians began offering refuge to young people—allowing them to eat at their tables and explore life in Christ—there was an inextricable transfer of hope and faith as they saw and heard kingdom values.

people in developing countries living on less than one dollar a day declined from 27.9 to 19.4 percent between 1990 and 2002, Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, has achieved little or no progress. Of the 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, The Salvation Army is operating in 18. These are countries where there are no social safety nets. As in most of the developing world, these are countries where there is little recourse for injustice, oppression or exploitation, and few alternatives to lives beyond the subsistence levels families can earn. So for the church to be effective in ministry, they must be active in service.

This is where The Salvation Army excels.

Although our financial contribution to development work is modest (we maintain a project portfolio of approximately $80 million), our strength is that we value and participate with people. Value is not based on material possessions, influence or status. Rather all people are created in God’s image. Therefore, we celebrate diversity, are informed by cultural distinctives, and participate with one another in life’s most complex matters. We believe the local church is at the front line of human need and where possible should be resourced and equipped to facilitate social change that includes economic empowerment, justice, equity and peace.

With nearly 15,000 local churches—in addition to institutions and partnerships with other organizations around the world—the opportunity to effect change is potentially staggering.

What we need is a belief in ourselves. Not just as Christians, but as Christians functioning through The Salvation Army—a formidable force in the struggle against global poverty. With three-quarters of Christians worldwide living in the developing countries and nearly all of the resources to address poverty coming from the developed countries, there has never been such a strategic conflation of people and resources in history.

If the world needs God, then the world needs to see Christians living a life that resembles his son. Change comes when people care, and change is good.

Active in service Today, The Salvation Army is operating in 117 countries. More than three quarters of these are in the developing world. Although the proportion of poor

n Major Ted Horwood is the international projects officer at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London, England.

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s o c i a l

r e d e m p t i o n

coming in FROM THE COLD PAGE 8 CARING SPRING 2009

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The thawing process

We’re in the grip of a brutal winter in Chicago and I have a new appreciation for what it means to “come in from the cold.” During this time of sub-zero temperatures, the thawing process also seems applicable to our efforts in social services.

I understand social redemption to be the presence of the “church,” the presence of the hands and feet of Christ, the presence of people of faith living lives that mirror the Scripture and offer a means of change from oppression to a community and hope. Every day God uses The Salvation Army engaged in various activities as we help people and communities move from isolated existences focused on survival to a place of community and joyful celebration of life.

I understand that there is no ultimate redemption apart from Christ. Our faith compels us to see redemption of circumstances, not merely to “capture the soul.” The words of Christian singer and songwriter Keith Green keep buzzing in my head: “There is a redeemer, Jesus, God’s own son, precious lamb of God, Messiah, holy one…Thank you, oh my father, for giving us your son, and leaving your spirit ’til the work on earth is done.’”

What characteristics of being out in the cold parallel social redemption?

BY CAROL SEILER

In the cold: Layers rule In order to survive the extremes of temperature, layers rule. Just to walk around the block I have to bundle up with three layers on my lower body and five on my upper body before putting on the hat, scarf and gloves. This is no fashion statement.

By the time I have worked to cover exposed skin and build the layers to trap air, I am unable to be flexible—my body is stuffed. For longer periods of time in the cold, layers could also include plastic bags, newspapers, discarded and shredded cloths—maybe you’ve seen that combination...someone bundled like this waddles and shuffles, literally unable to bend.

It’s hard to hear what’s coming other than what’s

right in front of you and even that can be tough if the snow is thick. It’s hard to look up, as you move carefully not wanting to slip on the treacherous ice hidden underneath. Layers protect, but they also isolate and restrict.

In the cold: More energy for small actions Because of the bundling and the difficulty catching a breath in frigid air, it takes more energy for smaller actions, which paradoxically means breaking out in a sweat just walking a block. If you keep moving, you keep warm. When you stop, the sweat quickly freezes, and icicles can literally form at a hairline.

Somehow in the dampness formed through the exertion, condensation, and freezing of your breath, there comes a damp fabric smell that is unmistakable.

If there is wool in the fabric, you smell like a sheep at best. Plastic in your boots can provide a layer of air barrier and moisture protection from the outside, but socks and sweat from the inside…well, you get the picture.

In the cold: Thawing is slow and messy The first impression of “coming in from the cold” is a sense of unreality to move from fighting the elements for survival, to a brightly lit and warm building where all the layers are now an unnecessary hindrance. Sometimes I just stand inside a store’s threshold a few minutes, watching the snow turn into puddles on a floor and trying to contain that on a mat.

Then the heat generated by my activity overtakes me, and the layers start to be loosened. But if I know I’m going back out again, I won’t let go of any of the warm items. They offer survival and are precious. If fingers, toes or cheeks were very cold, I am careful not to rub hard when the tingling and redness starts.

Fragile skin and tissue thaw gradually. At home I’m fortunate to have a garage that is slightly warm but not heated like the house. After shoveling or walking there is an intermediate space for this slower, messy process of thawing.

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Let’s not approach a frostbitten soul with the fire of Penetcost, but rather with the light of the world.

If there are people in the warmth who haven’t been outside in the blizzard, they seem too casual, almost unaware of the danger that could face them outside of this store. What if they go out unprepared? I worry.

A family member reading the paper might ask how it was, and then—“there is some hot tea.” But it’s too hot yet for my chapped lips and I don’t want to rush. I have to catch my breath.

Parallels This visceral experience makes me ask if I am looking at social redemption from the side of the person in the warmth or the cold. What is the difference?

Social redemption: Layers rule Layers can be physical, social or emotional—the outcome is the same. The “core” is protected, but the individual or family or community may be isolated.

They may have difficulty sorting out stimuli around them. There may be an inability to be flexible, and a protective nature to the layers. What if the layers are needed again?

If the process of social redemption is seen as similar to coming in from the cold, there has to be skill and understanding about identifying and addressing the layers. What can stay? Do any requirements for “dropping the layers” prevent the possibility of redemption, pushing too hard and fast to let go of what has been essential to stay alive?

The love of Jesus penetrates through all our hard layers to the heart, and often we use imagery of being open and exposed to Christ. Would our approach change if the imagery allowed Christ’s love and peace to permeate and integrate with the layers, gradually transforming the layers, offering another protection rather than stripping away precious warmth?

Social redemption: More energy for small actions At the most basic level, are our expectations taking into account the energy resources of someone who has been primarily focused on survival? Do “warm” perspectives understand “cold” realities? This is not a

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question to suggest lack of capacity, this is a question about energy expenditure. The margin of energy for people who are not walking in the cold is much greater as the body is warm and unencumbered.

How long does it take to stop shivering? Can we see the parallels in the redemptive process? Can we tolerate the wet socks smell of energy expended in ways that “warmth” doesn’t require? Can we build margins of energy as safety is restored? Do we reduce the energy required for survival before addressing budgeting and parenting and discipleship?

Social redemption: Thawing is slow and messy The most vivid picture comes to me of the passionate fire of the Holy Spirit that is part of our holiness movement. Sometimes this needs to be a candle rather than a blowtorch as we interact with those who are “thawing.”

Picture the stark contrast of coming into a bigbox warehouse store from the harshness of below zero temperatures. You would work to accommodate the needs of fragile and injured skin. You wouldn’t scald a frostbitten finger under the hot tap. Let’s not approach a frostbitten soul with the fire of Pentecost, but rather with the light of the world. The Holy Spirit becomes a lamp for my feet to a warmer reality (Psalm 119:105). Psalm 119 is full of imagery that shows a tenuous soul asking for guidance. But thawing is slow; be gentle.

Chicago has “warming centers” and “warming buses” where people can come in from the cold just to stay alive. The cold winter means we all are more aware of neighbors and strangers because of the reality of freezing to death. Can this basic understanding be applied to social redemption, to spiritual redemption, and let people “come in from the cold” in a gentle way, praying that winter will soon be over? How is The Salvation Army warming center working in your community? n Colonel Carol Seiler is the territorial secretary for women’s ministries and territorial coordinator for strategic mission planning in the U.S. Central Territory.

The Army’s social work beginnings A manifesto and scheme that led to ‘doing the most good.’

BY HENRY GARIEPY

William Booth had become increasingly concerned about the social evils that ruined the lives of the people among whom he worked. In the 1870s he had launched a chain of London soup kitchens, that became known as “Food for Millions,” serving meals to the poor at token cost.

“As time wore on,” recounted William Booth in 1887, “the earthly miseries connected with the condition of the people began to force themselves more on my notice. I saw men walking about wan and worn with hunger. I saw others wallowing in drunkenness, vice and abominations that reduced them below the level of the beasts. I saw poor men and women and children compelled to live in hovels of the most wretched squalor and filth. I saw the people dying prematurely of disease for want of food and attention. Thousands of young women were being sacrificed to the gratification of the lusts of men who bought and sold them; and most agonizing of all I saw the indifference of those who had the means to help.”

The Army’s social outreach in London already included hostels for the homeless and rescued prostitutes, and Salvationist women in the front lines as “slum sisters.” William Booth’s sighting of men under London Bridge on a winter’s night triggered his sympathies and set his mind working on a plan to launch more social services. What were the problems? How could they be solved? Gradually his ideas came together. By 1890 William Booth would launch his most ambitious scheme—In Darkest England—arguably the most grandiose vision and monumental scheme for social reform ever devised up to that time.

Booth’s manifesto In 1890, William Booth published his epoch-

making book, In Darkest England and the Way Out. It became Booth’s manifesto for his salvation war now on two fronts. Its publication became a major turning point, giving birth to the social wing of the Army.

Theologically, he believed that a man’s character, more than his environment, was the cause of his destitution. On one occasion he remarked, “It’s not enough to take the man out of the slums, you need to take the slums out of the man.”

In response to his critics, Booth said, “If a man is drowning, you throw him a rope. Argue how he came to be in such a precarious position and it will be too late to save him.”

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“They believe in the survival of the fit. The Salvation Army believes in the salvation of the unfit.”

The Darkest England scheme targeted the “submerged tenth”—those afflicted by poverty, vice, prostitution, homelessness, unemployment and lack of safety. He reminded his readers that every cabhorse in London has three things allotted to it by which it can earn its corn. When he is down, he is helped up. While he lives he has food, shelter, and work to earn his keep. It was the law to help and care for the horse. Men, who have fallen, he argued, should be treated with no less compassion. How many people in England, he asked, lived worse than the London cab-horse?

Ambitious scheme Booth put forth seven foundations that were essential to his Darkest England scheme. First, it must change the man when his character and conduct are the reasons for his failure. Second, the remedy must change the circumstances when they are the cause of his condition, and lie beyond his control. Third, any remedy must be commensurate with the evil with which it proposes to deal. Fourth, the scheme must be permanent. Fifth, it must be practicable. Sixth, it must not produce injury to the persons whom we seek to benefit. Seventh, it must not interfere with the interests of another.

Proposed solutions were in the form of a social triage divided among a city colony, a farm colony, and an overseas colony. The city colony would provide food and shelter for the poor, employment for the unemployed, a safety match factory and other shortterm social services.

The farm colony concept was the summit of Booth’s dramatic social scheme. It would provide employment opportunity and wholesome conditions

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for families outside the congested cities. People transferred from the city were to be established on farms to learn agricultural trades that would benefit them for the remainder of their lives. His idea was to occupy an estate from 500 to 1,000 acres suitable for market gardening, to teach agricultural skills. The residents and program were to be self-supporting.

Food depots, shelters, rescue homes and labor bureaus were set up; farms were purchased, all under the new social wing of the Army. The support given the Darkest England scheme and the programs established, tipped the scales into turning Booth’s Army into a major social service movement. By 1890, The Salvation Army alone, with its 10,000 officers and over 4,000 stations, had the resources to launch and oversee such a scheme.

The overseas colony enabled the poor of the cities through the Army’s emigration bureau to find work overseas, primarily in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Though the farm colonies did not succeed, and the overseas colonies were short-lived, a number of the

most needed and viable programs became upgraded as permanent expressions of the Army’s social work, transforming the Army as a major social as well as evangelical movement.

In his scheme Booth disclosed, “Perhaps nothing more vividly suggests the varied forms of brokenhearted misery in the great city than the statement that 18,000 people are lost in it every year, of whom 9,000 people are never heard of any more in this world.” In response, a Missing Persons Bureau was initiated to help find those who dropped from sight.

His army of soldiers and officers would serve as sleuths and with this program expanding worldwide, would ultimately find over a quarter million missing persons with many heartwarming results and stories.

“We have commodities,” said Booth, “which provide a means of immediately employing a large number of men. I propose to establish in every large town what I call ‘A Household Salvage Brigade,’ a force of collectors, who will patrol the whole town as regularly as the policemen, with the task of collecting the discards of the houses. Our uniformed collectors would call twice a week with the handbarrow or pony cart to collect for utilization the waste of London. In return the men would receive food and shelter and advancement in employment. Goods collected would be repaired as needed and sold to those unable to buy them new.” This modest beginning of pushcarts and horse-drawn wagons became the precursor of today’s fleets of trucks, picking up valuable discards and providing employment and recovery for men and women. Known today as Adult Rehabilitation Centers, with thrift store outlets, it is one of the Army’s most successful programs.

Booth incorporated a strong work ethic in his social programs. “Mere charity demoralizes the recipient,” Booth said. His principle was to never give something for nothing. To do so is to rob man of his dignity. He knew that giving could pauperize and not truly remove poverty. Men in his programs were put to work to earn their keep and progress toward becoming self-sustaining. It put into practice the old adage, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Another offspring of the Darkest England scheme was the opening in 1891of an Emigration Bureau in London. In the wake of its success, the Army encouraged general emigration on a large scale. The General laid down three principles for the program: (1) that it be helpful to the individual; (2) acceptable to the old land; and (3) advantageous to the new country. In 1905, the Army secured its own emigrant ship, which sailed from Liverpool with 1,000 new citizens for Canada, with frequent sailings thereafter.

By 1938, a total of 250,000 men, women and children had settled overseas, in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Canada alone welcomed over 200,000 people chosen and assisted

by The Salvation Army at a time when the country actively sought immigrants. The bureau also provided further assistance for those who wanted to make a new life in their adopted countries.

Unique dynamic To a source of criticism, Booth replied, “They believe in the survival of the fit. The Salvation Army believes in the salvation of the unfit.”

The linking of the social and the spiritual thrusts distinguished the Army from other philanthropies.

The holistic approach for addressing social problems became a forerunner to today’s faith-based initiatives in partnership with government aid programs.

Booth had described his Darkest England scheme as “better to build a fence at the top of the precipice” instead of attempting to rescue a man once he had fallen off. As time went on, his scheme and its many offshoots pushed the “fence” of his parable further and further back from the edge of the precipice. n Colonel Henry Gariepy is the author of a number of books on The Salvation Army and has been admitted to the Order of the Founder. This article is adapted from his 28th book, Christianity in Action, History of The Salvation Army. It is due for release in September 2009, Eerdmans Publishing Company.

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Finding a life of purpose IT’S OUR MISSION TO ACCOMPANY THOSE ON THE PATH TO RESTORATION

The holistic ministries of The Salvation Army have as their goal nothing less than the spiritual and social salvation of the world.

The evidence of our success will not simply be that the gospel is preached and human needs are met in Jesus’ name. The evidence will be transformed lives in a transformed society.

Please allow me to introduce an artificial distinction in “context” to illustrate my point.

In the Army’s Christian context, “transformed lives” mean saved souls, new disciples of Jesus Christ, and growing/maturing disciples of Jesus Christ.

In the Army’s social work context, “transformed lives” mean stable, successful clients, transformed from despairing to hopeful; from dependent to self-sufficient; from addicted to sober and recovering; from consuming to contributing; from isolated to engaged; from traumatized to purposeful.

A “transformed society” would mean we want to participate in ending destitution, degrading poverty, homelessness, abuse, hunger, addiction, isolating loneliness, family violence, exploitation, self-destruction and despair.

BY TOM WALKER

Most effective service If we are serious about being agents of such sweeping change, we will need to shift our focus from serving as many as possible, to serving as effectively as possible, and becoming more effective at:

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• Crisis intervention • Recovery and restoration • Purposeful living Restoring life Effective crisis intervention is more than meeting needs. The presenting need is the place to start, but at some point the focus must shift from alleviation of the suffering to intervening in such a way as to end the crisis causing the suffering. This typically will require a larger investment of time and expertise than many of our social service programs currently provide. We need to grow our services and allocate our resources toward ending crises rather than simply addressing needs.

Recovery from crisis and restoration of a person’s life to wholeness requires, at a minimum: faith in the person, a skills-based or assets-based approach, a stable living situation, an individualized plan, relationships and a support system. Volunteers from corps and community can play a major role here, accompanying and guiding on the road to recovery and restoration.

Achieving purpose Then there is a further stage of life that The Salvation Army treasures as a goal for all people.

It is the achievement of a “purposeful life.” Part of the cruelty of crisis, abuse, addiction, homelessness, hunger, and even isolation (seniors, for example) is that those conditions can obscure the reasons for living. This is not the case for everyone, but for some, life can become mainly about survival, coping, getting, begging, manipulating, and “making it” or

“barely making it” rather than living for something.

The waste of human potential is surely an offense to God. For Salvationists, the “something” they live for is Jesus, and that faith and call to discipleship give meaning and purpose to life. Regardless of one’s faith, it cannot be argued that a life without purpose is a life fallen short of its potential.

For individuals recovering from crisis, a purposeful life requires three steps: identify a reason for living, leave dependency and make the transition from living with a needs-basis to living with a skills-basis.

People in crisis tend to be needs oriented by necessity, but “getting my needs met” is never a satisfying reason for living. The emptiness of those whose needs are met and yet who wrestle with purpose may be witnessed all around us in society. To leave crisis effectively, one’s skills must be identified and mobilized. When one operates out of a skill-set, a purposeful life becomes possible.

Effective intervention The role of the Army is to intervene effectively in crises, set people on the path to recovery and restoration, accompany them on that path, and celebrate with them as their lives find purpose. If we could do that effectively and holistically, we would not only preach the gospel, but live it; and not only meet needs, but transform lives. n Tom Walker is the social services secretary for the Northwest Division in the U.S. Western Territory.

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ALOVE UK expands into business-based mentoring BY HANNAH JEFFERY

Social inclusion was a clear and important element at the heart of ALOVE, launched by The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom in 2004. At the outset, the aim for “ALOVE” was to represent to young people that “The Salvation Army is committed to living out and representing ‘a love’ that is unconditional, gracious, serving, compassionate, radical and audacious; a love motivated by the Christian faith, lived out in humility and service to others.” In its first five years, ALOVE has grown to be The Salvation Army of a new generation of youth in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

All of ALOVE’s work is flavored by the words “hope, transformation and opportunity.” The movement claims four essentials: “Worship—giving our lives and world back to God; Discipleship— getting into Jesus and his community; Mission— going into the world to find and point out Jesus; and Social Action—giving a voice to the voiceless.”

ALOVE’s programs include: Rockschool, a musicbased mentoring project for young people; Starfish, which links a young person with one mentor for an hour every week; and New Expressions, where staff

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and volunteers move into some of the poorest areas of the UK to live and work alongside residents to bring transformation and hope to the area.

The latest effort—Change—is a business-based mentoring program run in association with Young Enterprise, the UK’s leading business and enterprise education charity.

Running a business Change is an alternative education program designed for 15- to 17-year-olds who are not in school, employment or training. The hope is to reach this group of young people who are disengaged from other forms of provision, whether that be because they have been permanently excluded from school, are a young offender or are in a situation (such as teen

Photos by Shae Pepper

“This program has definitely changed me and I hope that this will help me focus on the future and continue this change of attitude in my everyday life.” pregnancy) where they have found it difficult to stay in full-time education. Young people who fall into these categories are often forgotten and lose hope for their future.

The goal is for these young adults to learn skills and gain experience in an environment to which they are more suited, rather than a formal school setting.

Through the time, money and support invested in them, we hope this program will give them the confidence to re-enter education or take a step into the working world.

Change invites these young people to set up, run and conclude their own small business, based on their own ideas. They learn skills in math, marketing, English, presentation and basic business management. Team building activities, such as a speed boat trip down the River Thames, paintballing and go-carting also provide experience working with other individuals.

Participants leave the course with an accredited Certificate in Enterprise (given by Young Enterprise), any profits made during their business venture, enhanced personal skills and better employment prospects.

At the end of the first course, each participant presented their business before a gathering of

friends, family and supporters. They spoke about their experiences, what they learned and will be able to take away from their time spent in the Change program.

One young man said, “This program has definitely changed me and I hope that this will help me focus on the future and continue this change of attitude in my everyday life.”

He left the project not only with the qualification and profits that he was hoping for, but with a special award presented by the ALOVE UK staff for outstanding excellence.

His positive response to the experience has encouraged the ALOVE team, helping us realize that this is a course and opportunity for young people that we aimed for. We are now in the process of reviewing the program and developing materials and leaders’ guides in the hope that the Change project will be developed in other territories. n Hannah Jeffery is the information and resources coordinator for the ALOVE UK team. If you are interested in finding out more about the Change program, visit salvationarmy.org.uk/change or e-mail the Change team at change@salvationarmy.org.uk.

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IN CHICAGO BY GORDON BINGHAM

As Chicago, Illinois, welcomes The Salvation Army for the triennial National Social Services Conference (NSSC) from March 14-18, the theme, “Winds of Change: Steadfast in our Mission,” is especially appropriate at this time of national uncertainty.

“Those who created the conference slogan, ‘Winds of Change: Steadfast in our Mission’ three years ago had no idea what ‘change’ would mean to us at this moment in time,” said Major Betty Israel, national social services secretary. “We face challenges as a result of negative changes in the economy, but the possibility of positive change exists if we are, indeed, steadfast in our mission.”

Salvation Army officers and social services staff from throughout the U.S., Canada and Latin America will participate in celebrating, dissecting and discussing the Army’s social services programs in an effort to improve the Army’s services and skills.

The goal of the conference is to “celebrate, promote, shape and advance The Salvation Army’s expression of practical Christian response to human need.”

The Saturday welcome banquet and Sunday morning worship service feature Commissioners Israel and Eva Gaither and the Chicago Staff Band.

Innovative social services programs will be honored at the awards banquet. Hear Commissioner M.

Christine MacMillan, the Army’s international social justice director, and the Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, a well-known speaker and author, at the plenary sessions.

Roughly 70 workshops are available in nine different track topics, promising discussion and learning in areas such as cultural competency, grant writing, service to special populations and pastoral care. A series of seminars mark the opening day and ministry tours of select programs in the Chicago Metropolitan Division highlight day three.

This conference provides an incomparable opportunity to connect with colleagues, build a network, share ideas, broaden understanding of the scope and quality of Army services, learn new skills and expand a vision.

“The Salvation Army was born into a world of such challenge, and once again God challenges us to stand with the ‘least of these,’” Israel said. “I believe that this National Social Services Conference will serve not only to help us improve our skills as we continue the work that God has set before us, but also to encourage one another to believe that the winds of change can carry us into a future of promise.” n Gordon Bingham retired in 2008 as social services secretary for the U.S. Western Territory and is currently a consultant for the Southern California Division.

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WINDS OF CHANGE

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The Army’s voice on social justice Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan’s perspective The United Nations Millennium Development Goals to eradicate poverty: 1. End hunger and extreme poverty 2. Universal education 3. Gender equality 4. Child health 5. Maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases 7. Environmental sustainability 8. Global partnership

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In July 2007, Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan began service at a unique appointment—the first director of The Salvation Army’s new global initiative, the International Social Justice Commission (ISJC). Although administratively connected to International Headquarters (IHQ), MacMillan’s office is located in New York City. With an expanded office at the nearby United Nations (UN) Headquarters, the commission represents the Army’s voice in global deliberations on social justice matters.

This commission of full-time specialists—all committed Salvationists— liaises with other international agencies and organizations. The director and staff are the Army’s principal international advocates and advisers on social, economic and political issues and events giving rise to the perpetuation of social injustice in the world. They aim to assist the Army in addressing social injustice in a systematic, measured, proactive and Christian manner, consistent with the purposes for which God raised up The Salvation Army.

MacMillan has a long history of specific training on social issues and a number of significant appointments in this field.

Prior to entering the Army’s training college in 1973, MacMillan served as a social service worker in Toronto, Canada, community services and later as director of social services with The Salvation Army in North York, Ontario.

In 1975, following her ordination as a Salvation Army officer, she was appointed to Homestead, a treatment center for women with addictions in Vancouver, British Columbia. During the 15 years spent there, she earned professional qualifications as an addictions counselor.

In 1976, she founded Cross Walk, a drop-in center and base for street work in Vancouver’s downtown eastside. In 1985, at the request of the British Columbia government, she founded the Kate Booth House, a haven for battered women and children.

In 1990, she was transferred to London, England, where she spent her orientation period living and working in Hopetown, a Salvation Army hostel for women in London’s East End—the same district in which William Booth founded The Salvation Army in 1865.

In 1991, she was appointed to The Salvation Army’s social services headquarters in the United Kingdom Territory as the associate director of the London Homelessness Project, which focused on addressing the challenges cited in a major study of homelessness and poverty undertaken by The Salvation Army through more than 20 capital and program projects.

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What are the most pressing social justice issues of today?

An encapsulated focus on pressing issues can be found in the proactive commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)—renewed in September 2008 by world leaders in a high-level event convened by the UN Secretary-General and the President of the UN General Assembly—to be achieved by 2015.

These eight goals (endpoverty2015.org) name both issue and inferred response. They are both practical and attitudinal. Broadly, the goal is to eradicate poverty. The UN has developed concrete plans and practical steps for action with these world leaders.

What is the ISJC doing to address these issues?

Global hunger has escalated considerably in the last six months. The Army is creating both policy and response, creating infrastructure to feed in times of crisis as well as implementing local agricultural systems for regional solutions in the long run.

Our response to the atrocity of human trafficking is investing in raising voices from the darkness through global tables of intervention. As we reach into the lives of victims we simultaneously are building informed networks through the UN. I was named spokesperson on the issue of human trafficking for the World Evangelical Alliance, opening doors to millions around the world to mobilize the local church in shining a light on the injustice of trafficking.

The ISJC—in developing Principles of Advocacy—is equipping the Army to raise both its strategic voice of experience along with the voice of those who experience marginalization and injustice. This looks at numbers of issues through a framework of collaborative efforts. It identifies "issues"

Photo by Nikole Lim

Hear Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan speak about social justice at the National Social Services Conference plenary session on March 17.

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From July 1995 to 2007, MacMillan served in a number of leadership appointments including director of social services and assistant social services secretary in the Canada and Bermuda Territory, Ontario East divisional secretary for program, and Australia East territorial secretary for program.

She was also appointed territorial commander for the Papua New Guinea Territory and later the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Here, MacMillan shared some of her thoughts on social redemption with Caring:

The Salvation Army National Social Services Conference

as inter-related, requiring an approach that looks at all predisposing factors leading to the symptomatic outcome. A goal such as gender equality could open the door to maternal health care, anti-trafficking and peaceful respect.

What is the Army’s role in social redemption?

The Army’s role in social redemption is to provide an authentic atmosphere that is invitational and persuasive at the same time. Issues are named in the hope of reconciliation and transformational development. With God in the creation story we “hover over a formless mass” and enter, having taken in the chaos with a hopeful intent to see with others “darkness separated from light.” We live in the “separation” zone of being in

touch with light and darkness in the hope of redemptive possibilities.

The Army holds within and without an open secret that Christ is the transformational bridge. The dominating power of injustice is met with a cautious redemption allowing silent voices to speak their pain in a safe place. This pain is informing and sets a social context in understanding the nature of life-giving possibilities before we take action.

The Army carries two passports. It lives in the nations, neighborhoods, communities, and darkness of the world. Its second passport identifies with the redemptive values of a Christ-center—a kingdom of God dynamic in everyday life.

A center of liberation Developing talent at the Englewood Red Shield Center

Visit the Englewood Red Shield Center during the National Social Services Conference ministry tours on March 16.

BY JULIAN J. CHAMPION

The young people of Englewood—one of the oldest communities in the Chicago Southside—are not suffering from talent shortage; they are suffering from an opportunity shortage.

Through its Opportunity School of Music, Arts and Recreation (OSMAR), the Robert and Adele Stern Red Shield Corps Community Center is committed to changing this variable.

In recent years, the Englewood community has experienced a significant decline in population, viable housing and opportunity.

It is into this milieu that The Salvation Army sought to find a role that would make a difference.

Eight years ago, in an attempt to better tailor services to need, The Salvation Army surveyed leaders and residents of the Englewood neighborhood to determine how best to serve the community. As might be expected, suggestions included alternative recreation for youth, childcare, after-school programs, teen programs, employment training and social services.

With a generous seed donation by the Stern family, The Salvation Army built a 60,000 square foot facility capable of meeting the community’s expressed needs.

Remedying an opportunity shortage Serving hundreds of families daily, the center provides play and education

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Photos by Bradley Baker

Impacting young lives When Tramaine entered OSMAR, he was an angry and volatile young man. He had problems in school and had no outlet to express himself. Now Tramaine is a student of OSMAR and has found his outlet through RSCtv (media class). He has also found a mentor in Program Director Bradley Baker.

Ashanti is a bright and gifted young lady, who did not like to express herself.

Although previously exposed to musical programs, she never showed an interest in

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The Salvation Army National Social Services Conference

space for infants and pre-schoolers, organized sports programs, cultural activities, recreation for seniors and a fully equipped gym and exercise room. The Red Shield Center is The Salvation Army’s 21st century answer to the plague of poverty and lack of opportunity afflicting the nation’s urban centers. An answer to our founder’s call to “do something,” it represents a fresh model of caring and empowerment as we attempt to serve in the inner city.

Nestled in the heart of the Englewood community, the Red Shield Center has insight into the lives of urban youth. We are convinced that the scores of young people we observe wandering around both outside and inside our facility have the same capacity and capability as their suburban counterparts. But a casual glance throughout the neighborhood reveals the glaring problem—a lack of positive activities.

OSMAR—the Army’s full service music school, fine arts education and sporting program—offers every participant instruction in music theory and the choice of percussion, piano, or concert band classes.

Through a partnership with Wentworth Elementary School, we also provide fine arts and physical education for their students in grades 4 through 8. While Wentworth benefits from the instruction given to their students, we benefit by being able to promote OSMAR to the parents of the students.

The Salvation Army National Social Services Conference

playing an instrument until she enrolled in OSMAR. Through the patience of our program staff, she has learned to read music and has become a dedicated clarinet player.

Manasseh is a talented trumpet player. But, in the midst of attending the OSMAR program, he found himself drawn to the hiphop dance class. Manasseh had a secret passion for dance. He is now one of the star pupils of the class and helps teach younger children the latest dance moves.

Brice has spent most of his young life in a shell, living in a world of his own. He enrolled in OSMAR to “just look” and took an interest in the piano class. He now has individual sessions, has made friends and is determined to play the piano at our next OSMAR function.

Darnell lacked focus and direction but had a lot of energy. With discipline, attention and some tough love, Darnell has regained his focus. He loves to spend time in our computer lab and volunteers to help the younger children with their homework.

Keeping fit We not only address the recreational and artistic needs of our youth, but also the health issues plaguing the Englewood community.

The Red Shield Center and Rush University Medical Center developed a new and stimulating program—Keep it Fit Chicago, a unique health and fitness program for families. Rush University Medical Center has sponsored all-inclusive health fairs on the Army’s behalf for four years, available to all Chicago residents.

Because our driving mission is to “meet human needs,” we felt compelled to do something to thwart obesity and other health issues putting our community at risk. Keep it Fit Chicago addresses the psychological and physical issues by working with families and structuring fitness plans specific to their needs. Each family is assigned a team of Rush University Medical Center staff who are available for questions, encouragement and instruction. Families also have access to state of the art gym services at the Red Shield Center.

The Red Shield Center believes its programs are not just positive in nature but essential to transforming lives. n Captain Julian J. Champion is the corps officer of the Red Shield Center in Englewood, Illinois.

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Recognizing excellence in Salvation Army social services programs 2009 marks the 19th year of The Salvation Army National Social Services Award for program excellence and achievement. It will be presented at the National Social Services Conference (NSSC), held March 14-18 in Chicago, Illinois.

Each territory and National Headquarters (NHQ) review the caliber and characteristics of the Army’s finest operations to identify and recognize programs that have proved effective, achieved excellence, and model a ministry that is worthy of replication.

Territorial program winners receive a $5,000 grant for program development and are featured in the War Cry. Representatives of each program will be recognized for their dedication and hard work at the NSSC awards banquet—the official gathering of peers—on March 15 to announce the one program selected for the National Social Services Award for program excellence and achievement.

As in previous years, the review panel consists of members of NHQ staff who graded the four nominees using a numbering system designed to help ensure objectivity. The panel verified that the nominees had met all the criteria and decided which proposal presented the best evidence of superiority. At the banquet, the territories sponsor video presentations that are designed for use in the community and are not part of the selection process.

THE NOMINEES Central Territory:

The Rochester Corps, Minnesota, Caring Partners Adult Day Center, Northern Division

For 27 years, the Caring Partners Adult Day Center has succeeded in serving frail elderly and other adults with disabilities.

The mission of the program is to increase the quality of life for physically and mentally challenged adults through a supportive day program that promotes independence and empowers each person to remain in a community environment.

The staff develops an individual care plan to address each participant’s unique medical, nutritional, and social needs in collaboration with specialists including a medical doctor and a registered nurse. The program director is a licensed social worker who has carefully led the program according to the highest standards of service and care. Other staff includes program aides, medical assistants, student interns, and committed volunteers.

“The staff is very compassionate, supportive, caring, and always friendly,” said the family of a participant in the program.

The Caring Partners Adult Day Center is regularly filled to its maximum capacity of 30 participants. The program is diverse in its activities and utilizes a solid volunteer base. It is supported by and identified in the community as a Salvation Army program that upholds the high standards of care and compassion.

Eastern Territory:

Delaware Regional “Keep A Job” Program, Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Division

In 1997, The Salvation Army was one of eight Delaware Department of Labor contractors for a new program—“Keep a Job.” Over time, as the state defunded other Keep A Job providers, it has gradually handed over the contracts to The Salvation Army. Due to the excellent quality of the program and its successes with clients, The

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2009 National Social Services Award nominees

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Salvation Army now has the only contract for the Keep A Job program for all of New Castle County.

Keep A Job is a performance-based program dependent upon referrals from the Division of Social Services. The staff works with families who are currently or have recently received Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and who have minimal work experience or job histories. Clients set goals, make plans for crises and obtain higher education, marketable training, higher paying jobs and financial literacy. The goal is for each person to be self-sufficient, creating a stronger and more vital community. Strong relationships are also built with other community agencies, employers, and organizations, providing access to beneficial services to the clients. The Salvation Army works to meet the needs of the whole individual, including their spiritual needs.

Southern Territory:

F.A.I.T.H. Program, Florida Division

For The Salvation Army Families in Transitional Housing (F.A.I.T.H.) program, the word “faith� has taken on a whole new meaning for homeless families in Sarasota, Florida, struggling to overcome debt and achieve self-sufficiency. Established in 1996, the F.A.I.T.H. program exists to provide an effective and Individual recipients of the National Award for Excellence in Social Work Central Territory: Joyce Schau, assistant divisional social services director in the Kansas and Western Missouri Division Eastern Territory: Kay Meitrott, social services director in the Reading Corps (Pennsylvania), Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Division Southern Territory: Kim Ogilvie, divisional director of social services in the Texas Division Western Territory: Jerry Morris, social services employee in the Golden State Division

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comprehensive approach to prevent families from sliding back into the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

A dozen fully-furnished multi-bedroom apartments are available to families willing to commit to a 12-month program to lead them from merely surviving to thriving. The program addresses the economic crisis that causes the slide to homelessness. Families are encouraged to develop their spiritual lives by attending and participating at the corps or a church of their choice. In addition, collaborations with outside groups are numerous as each group brings its strengths to assist the participant make a seamless transition from homelessness to housing and stability for both the parents and the children.

Since 2005, five families qualified and moved into Habitat for Humanity homes. The F.A.I.T.H. program has become an expert in connecting the dots to success by bridging the gap from homelessness to housing to home ownership. In addition, the residents build support systems to ensure continued success upon leaving the program.

The goals of the program are five-fold, (1) develop financial stability, (2) enhance life skills, (3) promote well being, (4) keep the family unit together, and (5) link with permanent housing. The program is a catalyst for change and a ray of hope for families striving to become self-sufficient and successful in society. Life changes are made in the F.A.I.T.H. program, changes that result in healthy, productive lives, answered prayers and awakened dreams.

Western Territory:

The Salvation Army Family Intervention Services, Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division

The Salvation Army Family Intervention Services began on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1970. The program provides prevention, residential, outreach and transitional living services to children and adolescents.

Its mission is to provide youth with skills for a healthy lifestyle, and instill purpose, hope and vision to them and their families. The program was established in response to a request by the local United Way Planning

program is recognized as a credit course for high school students.

During a visit in its first year of operation—within 60 seconds of arriving—a representative from the Department of Health and Human Services verbalized the impressiveness of the quality of the program.

The Salvation Army Family Intervention Services program is changing young lives, families and communities. n Information provided by the national social services office at National Headquarters.

A credible Christian lifestyle Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil says today’s social conditions demand one Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil—a well-known speaker, author and leader in the field of racial, ethnic and gender reconciliation—expresses a vision that unites, transforms and brings healing to people from every tribe and nation in an effort to advance the kingdom of God. With over 25 years of ministry experience, McNeil is the president and founder of Salter McNeil & Associates, a Christian company that partners with organizations to transform them into reconciling communities by producing inter-cultural competent leaders on college campuses, in churches and in organizations around the world.

McNeil earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, a Doctorate of Ministry from formerly named Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Theological Seminary) and a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from North Park University.

She is the author of A Credible Witness: Reflections on Power, Evangelism and Race (InterVarsity Press, 2008) and coauthored The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change (InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Here McNeil shares her vision with Caring: Why is reconciliation—and specifically racial reconciliation— so crucial to advancing the kingdom of God? Our world is becoming increasingly global, and our evangelism will need to

Hear Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil speak about “The Winds of Change” at the National Social Services Conference closing plenary session on March 18.

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Committee to provide a youth services program. Since that time, a variety of approaches to solving the needs of children in difficult circumstances enabled the Family Intervention Services program to grow in scope and to other parts of the island.

The program has expanded to include an emergency shelter, a girls’ safe house, two soon-to-open boys’ safe houses, an independent living/transitional services skills program, youth service centers, the LEAD (Learning— Experience—Assisting—Directing) program, and outreach services to homeless youth. The Salvation Army’s independent living/transitional services skills

The Salvation Army National Social Services Conference

take the diversity around us more seriously. When we approach evangelism from a place of power without trying to understand and collaborate with others it limits our ability to build bridges and to have an effective witness. Therefore, since evangelism is rooted in the ability to give a believable message, our witness suffers when we come into relationships wielding power because our behavior demonstrates a posture inconsistent with the gospel message calling us into a community that is interdependent.

You have said that the gospel must be both proclaimed and demonstrated by the way we live. Why is this so important?

There are three indicators that point to our loss of credibility: one is the decline in church attendance, especially among young people. We know that fewer and fewer people are attracted to mainline churches, at least in the Western world. Second is the portrayal of Christians in the media. A lot of times we’re the brunt of jokes, and our beliefs are seen as irrelevant to what’s happening in the world. Third is the global perception of American Christianity. Around the world we’re thought of as a Christian nation, which used to be a positive thing, a source of pride. But global events have caused people to mistrust us. We’re now seen as greedy and domineering, and those qualities are unfortunately associated with Christianity. The lifestyle of Christianity in America has had a negative impact globally, and therefore the gospel message we bring has been compromised.

It is so important for us to reclaim our credibility! It is critical that we begin to think of Christianity in kingdom terms, and build our trust level with those who do not know Christ through our lifestyle.

One of our slogans in The Salvation Army is “soup, soap and salvation,” indicating that we must meet a person’s physical needs before caring for their spiritual ones. In your opinion, what do today’s social conditions demand?

Basically, the notion of being credible is being believable. As Christians we’re supposed to be witnesses to the reality of the kingdom of God. The gospel of the kingdom is that Jesus has brought us into right relationship with God and each other. The reality is that in order for people to believe our testimony they must know that our lifestyle is consistent with the message we preach.

Unfortunately, this is far too often not the case and many people around the world don’t believe Christians anymore. We are facing a credibility problem.

However, the “soup, soap, and salvation” slogan of The Salvation Army builds credibility. It shows an acknowledgment of the humanity of each person served, that each one has dignity and worth. It is recognition that basic needs must be met in order to survive in this world. All of us need to be fed, cleaned and clothed, both physically and spiritually. The social conditions surrounding us today demand that we, as a Christian body, become that credible witness again. n Information provided by Salter McNeil & Associates, LLC.

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Chicago 509 Wrigley’s donation has impacted lives since 1932 Visit the Chicago Central Adult Rehabilitation Center during the National Social Services Conference ministry tours on March 16.

BY MARK ANDERSON

Chicago 509—The Salvation Army’s adult rehabilitation center in Chicago, Illinois—has long been a fighter in the great salvation war.

Chewing gum industrialist William Wrigley Jr. and his wife Ada donated the building on June 16, 1931. A letter from Wrigley dated July 2, 1931, states “…my past experience proved to me that my donation of the building at 50919 North Union Street to The Salvation Army would be of benefit to humanity under well management.”

He was correct. Immediately, The Salvation Army began housing, feeding and helping suffering people in the community at their point of need.

Wrigley later forwarded a letter from a woman named Harriett Baenisch that thanked him for his gift to the Army and said, “I want you to know they do do their work.” In closing, she wrote, “Whenever I see your name I shall recall you always as ‘William Wrigley—the man with an understanding heart’ for remembering your fellow man in his distress.”

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The Salvation Army National Social Services Conference

Photos by John McLachlan

The Salvation Army National Social Services Conference Wrigley Lodge deed signing in 1931.

A view forward on the Chicago River A grand view of Chicago 509—with its trademark water tower and a larger than life Salvation Army shield—can be seen along the north branch of the Chicago River.

Known as a beacon of hope for Chicago’s distressed people, this 200-bed residence with a chapel and warehouse provides services to over 400 men a year, focusing on the physical, emotional, and spiritual components of the recovery process.

Nutritious food and a safe, tranquil, clean and comfortable residence enhance the recovery process.

Through casual interaction the men learn they are not alone in their struggle for sobriety.

Regular day and evening sessions and frequent interaction with staff help beneficiaries work through their life issues.

Major Israel Velazquez meets with each new beneficiary to welcome and pray with him in his first week at Chicago 509.

We stress the spiritual component because we believe long-term recovery is impossible without a spiritual conversion. Beneficiaries can experience God through two weekly chapel celebrations, interactive journaling content, Bible studies, living sober video series content, Alcoholics/ Narcotics/Cocaine Anonymous meetings, support groups, daily morning devotions and regular reflection guided by staff.

The Chicago 509 program works to return each person to society as a productive and healthy member of the community. Resources include job-search and housingsearch assistance, computer literacy classes, and job readiness classes.

The work of Chicago 509 and the influence it has on men’s lives is made possible by a network of family thrift stores across the Chicago area, which in turn are supported by the beneficiaries’ work therapy on the trucks and in the warehouse.

Our ultimate goal is a complete rehabilitation of the individual; Chicago 509 will continue to fight on behalf of these men. n Major Mark Anderson is the administrator of the Chicago Central Adult Rehabilitation Center in Chicago, Illinois.

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Prophetic response A process for biblical social action BY DANIELLE STRICKLAND AND CAMPBELL ROBERTS

Prophetic voices like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela have asked big questions and were involved in real change. But the prophetic work of the church in our generation cannot be left to the “big prophetic voices”; it needs the prophetic involvement of every Christian. Looking at the biblical prophets, four principles emerge:

1. Prophets comprehend context. They always hear and understand the plight of people.

2. Prophets analyze the situation. Biblical prophets are analyzers; they continually ask why.

3. Prophets bring a God perspective. They are God-led people, seeking God’s perspective on every circumstance.

4. Prophets identify action. Their understanding and analysis always lead to a call for action.

To understand our prophetic role in a biblical prophetic ministry within the contemporary world we need to undertake these four steps.

Looking at context: See Biblical prophets start by sitting among the people, feeling their pain and understanding the nature of their lives. Their model is the God of the Exodus.

Living among the people, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Amos all knew what the people were feeling and the injustice that impacted them. Most effective prophetic work is done when we live in areas where our neighbors and street friends are people suffering injustice. As we see their tears, feel their anger or witness their depression when they are treated unjustly, our sense of justice needing to be done is fired up.

For the prophets, God was not a distant, remote or presidential God, but a God who lived among his people. When we are in this context, we start hearing

and experiencing the heart of God. It is only when we empathize with the pain of others that a passion for action starts to arise in us. God’s tears become our tears, God’s love for people becomes our love for people, and the outrage God feels against those things that crush his children kindles our anger to subvert and change those systems.

When God confronted Moses he told him that he had heard the cry of his people in Egypt and asked him do something. Moses, overwhelmed, tries to get out of the responsibility. He does what we often do; he gave excuses for not being involved. “I can’t speak and the Israelites won’t listen…Who am I to go and represent you the almighty God, Yahweh?” Eventually, Moses’s response causes God’s anger to flair, because God cannot stand inaction and abdication. He isn’t fond of excuses when it comes to tackling injustice.

Like Moses, we may be inclined to offer the Lord and the oppressed a similar argument, “Who am I to do something? I’m not a person of influence or authority. I can’t change things, I don’t have the skill set necessary.”

We can try all these arguments; God usually finds them deficient.

In the end, Moses relents and obeys God—not just out of duty, but because he remembered the oppression of people and the tears in their eyes. He remembers what he had seen as a young man growing up in Egypt­—the oppression, the unfairness and the exploitation of his family, tribe and nation. So Moses relents and takes up

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God’s invitation to take the journey into justice.

Understanding context: Ask When we start to really see and experience the injustice around us, we begin to ask deeper questions.

In many Western countries, indigenous peoples have high rates of imprisonment, addiction, poverty, child abuse and unemployment. We can see this and be tempted to immediately blame the victim rather than ask more fundamental and searching questions.

History clearly shows when a group of people are deprived of their land and culture, the effect on their social and economic wellbeing is dramatic.

Analysis is needed because the obvious can be misleading. Analysis means we ask questions when we see that people are experiencing injustice and deprivation. In the ocean, a disturbance on the surface of the water is usually caused by an object or an occurrence under the surface. Where there are disturbances in our community, often the causes are under the surface. Analysis tries to understand what that underlying cause or problem is.

Engaging God: Biblical story Prophets bring a divine perspective; they hear the voice of God. Any social reformer would consider the context and analyze what is going on, but engaging the sacred story is a point of difference for the prophets (people) of God—those who would act with social justice from within the Christian tradition. Christian social justice cannot stop with simply understanding the context and analyzing the political, economic and social systems that underlie it. Christians are required to engage the God perspective, primarily obtained from understanding and studying the Bible. That biblical consideration is further enhanced by prayer and its consideration within a context of worship, which has proper regard for keeping our imagination alive as God would want it to be.

Christian social reformers hear the voice of God, and not until this is done properly do the required actions become clear.

One of the criticisms of social justice response is that people rush straight into action without analysis

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or a proper regard of the divine perspective.

When Moses tried to deal with the injustice in a rush, it ended badly. He murdered the oppressor, and became the oppressed, in one swift, rash moment.

When Moses started listening to God, a whole new approach to overcoming oppression emerged. He was able to lead a defeat of oppression and his people to freedom in ways he could not have imagined. We are led and guided by God’s word. When we consider social and economic injustices alongside the promise and reality of a biblical view, we have the ability to deliver permanent damage to injustice.

Social action Prophets inspire, lead and take action. They do something about it. They don’t just see, they’re not just moved, they don’t just weep, they don’t just analyze and work out what is wrong, they don’t just hear the voice of God in Scripture and prayer; they do something. They challenge wrong with just action.

Bramwell Booth, son of the founders Catherine and William Booth, was concerned about the age of young girls involved in prostitution. He experienced the tragedy of what was happening to young girls (understood the context), researched what was going on (analyzed the context), prayed and preached (engaged the divine perspective), and then took action (social action). He stirred up a national debate about young girls being taken as sex slaves and was eventually arrested for procurement, along with William Stead, to prove what was happening. When these actions created a movement for change, Booth commenced a national petition that eventually amended the law.

As Christians we need to know culture and context, analyze it using the best of tools, introduce to it the sacred story and then involve ourselves in changing the world.

A second method The Catholic Young Christian Workers movement developed a second tool for theological analysis: See, Judge and Act. Using this model, its members could examine the underlying causes and consequences of social injustice, challenge existing structures on

“Prophets inspire, lead and take action. They do something about it.

They don’t just see, they’re not just moved, they don’t just weep, they don’t just analyze and work out what is wrong, they don’t just hear the voice of God in Scripture and prayer; they do something.

They challenge wrong with just action.” those issues, achieve change in the individual and the environment, and activate others to take action. They developed the See, Judge and Act tool as a way of living out the gospel.

It represents the simple application of biblical truth to life events in a way that can be hugely impacting: 1. See—Recognize what is happening in a particular situation.

2. Judge—Analyze what is going on from a theological, economic and social framework.

3. Act—Undertake some action to bring about change.

See The first step in any Christian social justice approach requires that we understand, see and feel the situation. We must know the reality at street level.

It can’t be from a distance, from an office somewhere else, removed from the situation. Far too many decisions on social action made by the church today are from offices, boardrooms and places removed from where the real pain is occurring—a risk when you are distant from the people whose lives are impacted by the injustice.

We dare not proceed into action without understanding, feeling, and experiencing the lives of people impacted by social evil, without sitting where they sit.

Jesus says to Zaccheus, “I am coming to your house for tea.” Why? Because he knew that this identification, this close encounter and personal knowledge, was going to build the base for repentance and change. And so it proved to be.

This is an approach to adopt as individuals and in our communities. The church needs to become a learning organization, linking local action and response with organizational change. The partnership

between those in the field and those in policy is crucial if we are going to remain relevant in our everchanging communities. In other words, policy needs to be consistently informed by field experience.

The Booth-Tucker Institute in Vancouver was designed for leaders. Part of its design is to place leaders into the thick of the poorest people in the city. Instead of a retreat center for escape, the leadership school is created to give an immersion experience to leaders who by the nature of their job, have been distanced from the people they have been called to serve. Experience has shown their ministry takes on a new vibrancy and their passion is reignited for the kingdom.

The five principles of seeing When we are with people in their context, we need to be suspicious and question what we are experiencing because our own inculturation and personal history can send us down the wrong track. In Theology in a New Key, Responding to Liberation Themes, Robert McCaffery Brown suggests what he calls “the five principles of hermeneutic suspicion when we are doing and ‘seeing’ the context.”

1) What we see is not necessarily what is there.

Brown suggests that seeing contexts as a Christian or with the eyes of God is a particular way of looking at the world. This is reflected through the Old Testament prophets. As you read, it becomes clear that they saw the world in a different way than most.

Their view was often a minority one, not shared by those in leading positions.

We should look with a realization that what we see is not necessarily what is there.

2) What we see depends on where we are standing.

What we see depends on our own experience,

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beliefs, friends, social standing, upbringing, etc.

We are not unbiased in our experiences. Our own position and history impact our worldview and affect how we interpret different events.

If you asked how a particular country is doing, we can predict that an unemployed person, a successful businessman, an indigenous person or the minister of finance would each give a valid but different view.

Their view would be impacted by their position, history, training and experience.

3) When others tell us what they see, we need to know where they are standing as well as where we are standing.

The Christian church needs to consistently ask whose voices have the most effect on what we do. Is it the poor we work with, those who are addicted, the indigenous or immigrant women who are numerous in our community services, or our donors, politicians, those who offer us public relations or marketing services or the advisory board? The way Jesus lived suggests we should be most influenced by the voice of the poor. Questioning who we listen to enables some sifting and evaluation of opinions, which are invariably biased according to their viewpoint.

4) No matter how much anybody sees, nobody sees it all.

One must listen to a variety of observations, information sources and data in order to arrive at the truth. In some ways this has become easier with the Internet; in other ways, it is more difficult.

Information and access to differing views on an issue are more available than ever before, but with so many different voices, it is hard to discern which ones we should listen to.

We need to have contestable advice, a variety of sources that we explore. It is not sensible to rely on just one source for our view of what is going on. We also need to be constantly testing past sources of information to see if they are still reliable.

5) What we see is always subject to correction.

If our viewpoint is always going to be biased, we can never make claims to fully possess absolute truth.

This does not deny the concept of absolute truth. It

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simply negates any individual’s possession of it. We always need to be ready to correct our view.

Judge Judging is analyzing and asking ourselves key questions from our Christian tradition. Judging does not involve the application of a few proof texts to situations of injustice. It requires understanding the treatment of injustice in the historical context of Scripture and then the meaning of those truths where contemporary injustice impacts people’s lives.

After this application of biblical truth has occurred, it is time to act.

Act Having decided on what we want to do, it is then necessary to decide what methods will be most effective. Once the method is identified, it is important to recognize the spiritual resources necessary to undertake this action. Prophetic action can be an uphill struggle. You can be misunderstood and you can often be working against the status quo wisdom. The result can be fatigue, hurt feelings, some confrontation and a sense of isolation in the struggle for justice. If a Christian is to survive these pressures, it is vital they develop spiritual resources.

It is then important to decide who can be involved in this action. Who are the allies, what skills are needed, how will the team be formed to ensure success?

Finally, do not forget to include the injustice you are acting upon in the context of worship. Worship is the place where our imagination of God’s world is fired up; it should be a place of social justice empowerment and a place where we celebrate the triumph of justice over evil. n Adapted from just:imagine by Captain Danielle Strickland, social justice director in the Australia Southern Territory, and Major Campbell Roberts, social justice secretary in the New Zealand and Tonga Territory, and published in 2008 by The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory. Printed here with permission.

Transforming relationships withothers Life Together explores faith and community Every night, 150 people go to bed at The Salvation Army’s Alegria—a living facility for homeless families with HIV/AIDS in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. Each day, our staff is constantly faced with the challenge of equipping households for independent living and the need to actively form community.

I have discovered that the progress of our residents is significantly tied to the human relationships that are formed.

BY PAUL HEBBLETHWAITE

I often point out that a family could leave Alegria to live independently without friends, family, or a community of support and they would be categorized as a success on the majority of our reports. A more integrated mission, however—and one that we strive for—would call that a failure.

Since becoming executive director, I have found Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, to be a great resource with valuable insight into the concept of integrated mission.

Written during his time teaching at

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a clandestine seminary in Nazi Germany, the book is a wide-reaching exploration of faith in community.

Though articulated within the context of intentional Christian community, Life Together offers rich insight into the formation of community in faith-based affordable housing. It is a resource for both the spiritual health of staff and a guide to the practical forms of ministry.

A community built on grace In Life Together, Bonhoeffer expresses Christianity as community through Jesus Christ. The incarnation establishes not just individuals’ relationship to their creator, but binds them to their brothers and sisters.

The strong affirmation of grace as the operative core of our relationships can help along the journey from brokenness towards wholeness.

Bonhoeffer challenges assumptions concerning program delivery. “The Christian no longer lives by himself, by his own claims and his own justification, but by God’s claims and God’s justification,” he wrote.

The challenge of integrated mission is to question our assumptions or canned solutions and seek and embrace local wisdom and insight into a family or community problem. This same insight can be applied to supportive services provided in affordable housing.

Why do some people succeed and others fail?

The complex mixture of personal irresponsibility, circumstance, and accumulated baggage has never offered a reasonable answer to this question. One strong recurring theme is the emphasis on a family’s or individuals’ ability to live independently and the full responsibility of success is wrongly placed on their tired shoulders.

Grace is a restorative bond that heals broken lives and relationships, and it is within that ever-expanding network of support that the answer lies. At Alegria, grace is the only solution to the shame, anger, guilt, and fear that HIV/AIDS stirs in the hearts of our residents. Without grace, the isolation of stigma cannot be overcome.

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The day with others Knowing that wholeness (success) is dependent on relationships, we must consider the formation of community in affordable housing. In Life Together, the “day with others” follows the natural rhythms of the day. From the break of dawn, group prayer, and breaking bread, Bonhoeffer offers a vision of the day with others that intentionally weaves spiritual and physical practices into a daily cycle.

I recently entered the 21st century with a new BlackBerry cell phone. One unexpected change was the ability to stay connected to my leadership responsibilities without being chained to my desk. As a result, I can be part of the wide range of experiences and moments that take place at Alegria daily. In a world where technology has become a substitute for human interaction, the “day together” is not only shortened, but at times derided as lacking value. We receive funding for a case manager who ensures that a parent attends a budgeting workshop, but not for the person who can carve out a couple hours to just listen to the sorrows and hopes of a resident. Seeking out a meaningful day with others creates the bonds of trust and mutual respect social services requires.

The day alone In Life Together, the day with others is complemented by the day alone. Bonhoffer cautions, “One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair.”

Often we are confronted with people who are quick to blame their circumstance on the world and easily criticize others. We also encounter the resident isolated in his or her own despair. In both cases, we must look for practices that engage the whole self of a person. Lest we judge too quickly, we ourselves must also find the right balance between time with others and time alone. It is difficult to make time for the meditation required to be effective servants of our mission.

Over the last couple of months, a space currently not being used in our child development center has

become an impromptu break room for our childcare teachers, who brought in couches to create a quiet space for breaks. Their desire to carve out this space alone is an appropriate balance to the rich interaction with Alegria’s children. I am sure that 15 minutes in an empty room refreshes them for the silly song and water play in the afternoon.

Ministry of bearing The chapter on ministry in Life Together grounds active service in the act of listening with a loving heart.

Recently, a young teen in our housing program threatened another resident with a pocket knife.

I spent the whole weekend after the incident considering the situation and the responsibility of setting boundaries within our community, but deeply troubled by the potential lifelong tragedy present in that aggressive action.

Early after arriving at Alegria, I interviewed a mother who had transmitted HIV to her infant child.

She clearly had guilt and shame, and needed the forgiveness and wholeness that Jesus can offer.

As executive director, I find ministry as defined in Life Together a template for my daily work, which oddly enough starts with the practice of holding one’s tongue. One of the greatest challenges the book offers is in the ministry of bearing. In bearing we must embrace the freedom of the other person.

“We could get rid of this burden by refusing the other person his freedom, by constraining him and thus doing violence to his personality, by stamping (our) own image upon him.” Often we are faced with the awkward or disturbing personality and actions of the people we work with. Differences in taste and culture create countless moments of differentiation.

It becomes easy to speak of us and them, staff and client, officer and staff, soldier and officer.

“To bear the burden of the other person means involvement with the created reality of the other, to accept and affirm it, and, in bearing with it, to break through to the point where we take joy in it.”

This breaking through to joy is a point of reference for sustainable ministry, reflecting God’s love for

mankind. In our work, we assume that a person’s present condition is not a reflection of God’s vision for the individual’s life. God wants his children to be free of addiction, the hardships of poverty, or the debilitation of disease. Yet, there is no clear path from addiction and poverty to freedom and stability. The journey for each person will be different, and will call us as social servants to walk unfamiliar roads.

Confession and communion Life Together ends with confession and communion.

Our journey together as workers and members of housing communities is based on a transformative principle, that the place we find ourselves in can be improved. Our housing, the decisions we make, performance at work, and relationships with family and friend, all can be better. Much of this

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transformation occurs through a three steps forward two steps back process full of mistakes and grief.

Learning from our mistakes and the wisdom of the people around us, we have to embrace the practical value of grace.

For many of our residents, confession and the extension of grace is critical to their restoration. Guilt and shame are debilitating and can squeeze souls of all joy and appreciation. A relationship with God is only fully realized when a person can fully accept God’s love, a love for “the created reality” of the person.

At the heart of community is the experience of communion, of the last supper.

At the dinning room table, Jesus asked his disciples to face the difficult truth of his pending imprisonment and death; he called on them to share in his suffering. Meals hold a special place in the ministry of The Salvation Army. From shared meals in the slums of East London, Thanksgiving meals in the hollow cores of American cities, to the common table shared by families in our housing facilities, communion—the shared companionship at the table of life’s hardships—prepares us for late nights in the garden of Gethsemane.

Bonheoffer’s Life Together extends the relationship with God and man into the nitty-gritty reality of community and dares to believe that the community can reflect God’s grace. I sometimes wonder if we embrace the details of program and compliance because that is easier than the messy accompaniment of discipleship. The future of The Salvation Army will never be found in buildings or programs, but in the transformative relationships it fosters between “others.” n Paul Hebblethwaite is the executive director of Alegria in the Southern California Division.

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Art — a social “Art and Shelter” exhibits paintings and photographs at Alegria In the Silver Lake community of Los Angeles, The Salvation Army’s Alegria—a transitional housing program for homeless families affected by HIV and AIDS—is also home to a unique “Art and Shelter” series, displaying high end art on the walls of this social service facility.

“Original art is a simple enhancement of what we do here,” said Paul Hebblethwaite, executive director at Alegria. “It says to someone that you’re special enough to have something rich. A high design environment pampers the consumer— we’ve translated that same experience to homeless services.”

The mission of this innovative program is to expand contemporary art awareness while enriching the social services environment.

“The harsh reality of the art market is that it validates a small number of artists and relegates the rest to the hallway closet—where does the unsold art end up?” Hebblethwaite wrote in his blog on conversantlife.com. “My only conclusion is that this system results in a tragic absence of art in contemporary life, with art divided between walls of the art establishment and the darkness of an artist’s closet (or worse, a landfill).”

Hebblethwaite said he believes that environment should reflect perspective.

“People live up to their environments,” he said. “If they live in a nice place, that carries expectations and they’re less willing to compromise.”

BY CHRISTIN DAVIS

A visual language When Hebblethwaite assumed responsibility as executive director at Alegria in September 2007, he instituted changes in the facility’s aesthetics—toned down wall colors, painted visible pipes white instead of bright colors, and installed accentuating lighting in the hallways—to give the space a more home-like feel. He also filled the bare walls.

Hebblethwaite began Art and Shelter to display professional art at Alegria in January 2008.

services healing agent “Art is a visual language—an ever-changing and expanding form of communication,” Hebblethwaite said. “With art you can explore divergent issues and ideas; art addresses the issues in society that we want to ignore.”

He said the displays have allowed the staff at Alegria opportunities for conversation—object lessons with residents that relate to their life situations.

A role in the healing process The fourth exhibit, “Remembrances” by Jonathan Puls, concluded in January 2009. Puls’s portraits and paintings focused on small moments of his family memories, which are his “most intimate and restorative works.”

“I was excited to have my work in this space because it is an unconventional and experimental idea to combine the language and culture of ‘high art’ with a facility that is dedicated to meeting immediate needs in its community,” Puls said. “On a more fundamental level, it makes a statement that art can play an integral role in the healing process within individuals and communities. These are beliefs I hold very deeply, that both in the process of making and seeing, art can be a healing and restorative agent.”

The first exhibit at Alegria, “Universal Terrains,” featured abstract art by Raymond Berrellez with a multitude of color and texture. The second showcase contained abstract and urban graffiti paintings from a group of 17 artists. The third display featured photography by Tatiana Cardeal of a 22-story abandoned clothing factory in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where 468 homeless families live. A preview of each exhibition can be viewed online at artandshelter.org.

Enriching social services The opening reception for the fifth exhibit, “The Stillness Within,” is scheduled for March 28, 2009. In an effort to connect the local community and Alegria, it will feature photographs by John Marshall High School’s photojournalism students, who aimed to

Photos by Christin Davis, paintings by Jonathan Puls

capture the stillness within a person in a photograph.

The images are raw art—no artificial lighting, retouching, or digital reworking were used.

This exhibit will be on display from March 28 to April 30, 2009.

Dan Callis, a professor of art at Biola, a local Christian university, will display his own artwork in May, followed by a white elephant art auction in September.

Hebblethwaite has encouraged other executive directors to exhibit art in their facilities. One painting is on display at Southern California’s Bell Shelter and another at the nearby Zahn emergency shelter. He hopes to keep collecting artwork to further enrich the environment of social services in The Salvation Army.

“Art is about finding places where the stories you are concerned about resonate with others,” Puls said. “I hope a bit of that happens here.” n Christin Davis is the managing editor of Caring magazine.

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Priming seniors to reenter the workforce Red Bluff Corps and Experience Works train seniors BY FRANK SEVERS

Gayle Juul had not worked for five years. After shoulder and knee replacement surgeries, workers’ compensation checks provided her only income. When the minimal checks ended, she had no money for rent, food or transportation and began to fear a likely reality—homelessness. The same week, both her car and refrigerator broke down, and what little food she had spoiled.

Feeling that the end of her life had come, she set a number of pills out in front of her. But in the midst of her despair and hopelessness, Juul felt the Lord speaking to her: “Be still and know that I am God.” She resolved to try to retrieve her car from the auto shop—and discovered that her nephew had paid the bill. At that moment, she knew God was working.

From there, Juul went to several churches in her town to ask for help. When she called The Salvation Army, she discovered a rent assistance program that helped her make that month’s rent payment.

The Salvation Army caseworker, Corps Soldier Teddy White, told Juul about another program— “Experience Works”—and its benefit to low-income senior citizens.

Training seniors The Red Bluff Corps in Northern California

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recognized a need to help seniors like Juul find work in their rural community and began a partnership in 2006 with Experience Works, a non-profit national organization that has been helping seniors for over 40 years get the training they need to find good jobs in their communities. Seniors 55 and older who earn $13,000 a year or less (or $17,500 for a couple) can qualify for employment training through Experience Works. An official worksite, the corps receives referrals for seniors that need training.

As the corps officer in Red Bluff and previously in Lodi, California, I have trained around 15 seniors and hired five. Currently, the Red Bluff Corps is training two seniors through Experience Works in computer, Internet and reception skills.

Landing a job Juul spent six months at the Red Bluff Corps training to work with the corps’ social services. She was especially encouraged by weekly Christ-centered staff devotions. Feeling safe at the Army, Juul decided to join and asked my wife and me to accept her as an adherent.

After her six months at the corps, Juul worked for the probation department and then at North Valley Catholic Social Services, before finding a full-time job with AmeriCorps. At her new job, Juul works

Left to right: Crystal Birks, corps assistant; Fran Fazio, Experience Works/AmeriCorps Vista; Una Jordan, advisory board vice chairwoman; Gayle Juul, Experience Works/AmeriCorps Vista; Major Frank Severs, corps officer.

with people in poverty and finds volunteers for various organizations. She is building a website to help connect volunteers and organizations.

Juul said that God is her hope: “It’s God working in my life always—if we don’t have hope, we haven’t got anything. The Lord is my hope.”

Working for the Army Another beneficiary of Experience Works, Fran Fazio is now working full-time at the Red Bluff Corps as the community volunteer coordinator. When she began the program, she worked 20 hours a week in the front office as a receptionist. She then received training in the social services office as a caseworker and helped clients with food assistance, clothing and disaster assistance. Fazio is in her second year now at our social services office and coordinates the receiving of all community donations in Tehama County.

Fazio coordinates volunteers for large events including the Share Your Harvest Food Drive in

Tehama County and National Salvation Army Week.

She said she did not even know what The Salvation Army did until she worked here. Now she loves coming to work at the Army and helping the people in her community. On a daily basis she works with clients who are a lot worse off then she is. Although Fazio has had hand surgery and is a disabled worker, that does not stop her from helping those in her community who are vulnerable.

Helping to reenter the workforce The collaboration between The Salvation Army and Experience Works is helping senior citizens reenter the workforce. We continue working for that goal in Red Bluff and desire to see this program expand throughout the Army. n Major Frank Severs is the corps officer in Red Bluff, California.

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Let no one be forgotten It is our job to liberate all captives.

Social redemption. Social justice.

Social responsibility. We know what Jesus instructed based on these concepts—­love our neighbors as ourselves, visit prisoners, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, preach the word to the unloved. I am constantly reminded of Luke 4:18: The spirit of the Lord is upon me…he has sent me to proclaim release of the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

Preaching good news to the poor and providing a helping hand to the addict, the homeless, the victim of domestic violence and the veteran are daunting tasks. Sometimes it seems as if society allows certain injustices; however, there is also an effort to address them. Every city in America offers a gamut of social services including domestic violence shelters, plans to end chronic homelessness, and free detoxification and rehabilitation services.

But what about the prostitute…the sex slave…the

BY KATHRYN JACOB

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adulterer…the whore…the hooker?

Prostitution is oppression and captivity. It’s not the “oldest profession”—it’s rape, slavery, and imprisonment. Are we doing our part to set our sisters and brothers at liberty? Are we helping to release them from the tortures of this world— accepting them as a vital part of our Christian family? Is their experience somehow more corrupt or immoral than our own, wherein serving them would mean committing some kind of societal faux pas?

Rahab’s example The book of Joshua recounts the Lord commanding Joshua to lead a large group of people, and he reminded Joshua, “…so will I be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people…do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua and his officers prepared to cross the Jordan and go to war. The Lord had a plan for them, and the officers

responded positively to Joshua, saying, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go!”

Part of this grand-scale effort included spying on Jericho—scoping it out for Joshua and the soldiers.

The story tells us that the spies were greeted warmly and safely, protected in the name of the Lord by a woman named Rahab—a prostitute. She saved the spies’ lives because of her faithful devotion. Rahab believed in the God of Israel, even though she lived among those who did not. She was brave and put her own life at risk, but she had faith. The spies found faith in Rahab too, and promised to spare her life and the lives of her family in the upcoming war.

Can you imagine relying on a prostitute to save your life—having faith that God will protect you by using one of the “least of these”? The entire war effort—remember “Joshua fit the battle of Jericho… and the walls came a tumblin’ down”—was based on faith in God, displayed by a prostitute.

Offering protection In Dallas, Texas, there are 800 documented cases of prostitution every night.

It’s easy to see. Drive to Interstate 20 and Lancaster in “south D” and you cannot ignore the women—dirty, strung-out, and talking to the voices in their heads, trying to find the next dollar, the next act of pseudo-intimacy, the next living minute.

The Dallas Police Department (DPD) recently

AND FINALLY...

began a DNA program, collecting samples from prostituting men and women on a volunteer basis.

These individuals understand their own mortality; they know that the DPD often finds bodies on the side of the highway, in ditches and drainage beds, which no one can ever identify. They know that could soon be them.

The new DNA database will help match these unclaimed bodies with names. Hundreds of men and women have voluntarily supplied the DPD with their blood—their DNA—because they don’t want to be forgotten by the world.

The Salvation Army in Dallas operates a confidential 16-bed domestic violence shelter and hopes to soon begin a transitional housing and prostitution recovery program at this location to address the trauma these victims experience.

It is our calling to free the oppressed. The Salvation Army offers protection for all those who need it—the exploited and humiliated, the scared and deserted. The spirit of the Lord is upon us, and we must use it to uplift those who are outcast. Let us redeem these individuals in the eyes of the world, show them dignity, respect, and acceptance—it is our job to do. n Kathryn Jacob, LMSW, is the associate director of programs at The Salvation Army’s Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Command.

from page 44

employee or volunteer. God, who has called saints to the challenge, will equip and bless their response to his bidding. Our responsibility then is to: • Be faithful in prayer for God’s equipping, directing and wisdom in leadership; • Be in open communion to his call on our own lives; • Be a conduit through which God can incubate the fever of passion for our part in holistic ministry.

It’s our Army! Hope is ours! Never before has the Christian church been so mandated to match deed with creed. We are experienced at it. Let us lead. n Lt. Colonel Paul E. Bollwahn, MSW, ACSW, served as the national social services secretary for The Salvation Army in the U.S. from 1995 to 2006. He retired in 2008 as the divisional commander of the Southern California Division.

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AND FINALLY...

Holistic: Axiomatic to our ministry Our responsibility to maintain and advance the concept Our early Army leaders adopted and adapted holistic ministry, as promulgated a century before by John Wesley, an incomparable agent of God in the 18th century Evangelical Revival. His life and ministry produced a distinctive interpretation of the Christian faith, rooted in commitment to the ecumenical creed of the first few centuries of the Christian era.

We find, therefore, the inclusive expressions of the gospel in: worship, education, fellowship of the saints, evangelistic outreach and social caring. This five-fold biblical imperative is not for ordinal ranking (most important to least), but for co-equal application.

Holistic ministry is the emphasis on the whole of individual and corporate life as opposed to segmenting life elements and prioritizing our focus as we wish. The Army’s adoption of holistic ministry was not only recognition of God’s calling to unique creativity in ministry, but boldly stepping forward in the societal niche that would incubate the Army into a worldwide movement.

Unmet needs, and the answer for those needs, are the success quotient for any vision and venture. The Army had it. In this new century, how do we maintain and advance the concept and application of holistic ministry, so axiomatic to our ministry?

BY PAUL BOLLWAHN

Be responsible for the gift The Salvation Army is a gift universally given to the world and to Salvationists (I use the word in its broadest connotation—soldiers, adherents, employees, volunteers, donors, officers, advisory organization members and those served). Our responsibility is one of interactive stewardship—to keep us on track, above reproach and integrally involved—to: • Be responsible for preserving the uniqueness of our mission;

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• Be responsible for telling the story of sacrifice and God’s abundance in our near century-anda-half of service; • Be responsible for ministry with gifts God has given us; • Be responsible as an owner.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded: and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12:48).

Help maintain our identity The Salvation Army is culturally diverse, currently operating in 117 countries, in over 175 languages.

Our service interests and application are about as broad as human need. Our organizational passions are many. The temptation always exists to redefine away from the original vision—called mission shift.

It’s like Volkswagen envisioning limousines.

Temptation also urges our organization to come to rest, focusing primarily on the administrative structure that once was only a buttress to the mission—called organizational retrogression. It's like the cruise ship that now stays in the harbor as a hotel.

To help maintain our identity, our responsibility is to: • Be available for interactive planning with local, regional and national leaders; • Be critical to keep us on focus; • Be active, faithful, invested and find a voice; • Be part of creative action and response.

Pray for God’s equipping The Salvation Army is a group of saints blessed by the direction, wisdom and strength of God. Leaders—most of whom are feeble in their own talents—are appointed as biblical stewards of administration. Theirs is an awesome responsibility.

The officer is no "better" than the soldier, AND FINALLY..., page 43

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