New frontier 3119

Together we mourn the great loss of life and pray for those that are suffering.

The Western Territory’s news source

~

—Colonel Wayne Maxwell

for 31 years

November 15, 2013 Vol. 31, No. 19

HELPING A HURTING WORLD

DRC refugees gather at a transit camp.

A Filipino Salvation Army officer surveys the wreckage in Antique province.

Photo courtesy of International Headquarters

Philippines determining damage n Salvation Army responds to country’s worst natural disaster.

Survivors of the typhoon-ravaged Philippine islands are in need of food, water and medicine after the tropical cyclone washed through the country Nov. 8, and The Salvation Army is responding.

“We have placed an order for $100,000 of food supplies to assist the people of Tacloban...

The reality for us here is that the need is great and we want to provide a significant response,” said Philippines Territorial Commander Colonel

Wayne Maxwell. “The task for us is immense and our cash is extremely limited.”

Philippines Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said “we pray” that the death toll is less than 10,000, according to the Associated Press. Authorities said 9.7 million people in 41 provinces were affected by the typhoon, which is said to be one of the most powerful recorded typhoons ever to hit land with wind gusts up to 170 miles per hour and the deadliest natural disaster for the Philippines.

“Together we mourn the great loss of life and THE PHILIPPINES, page 5

Continued support for DRC refugees in Rwanda n Amid ongoing conflict, The Salvation Army meets a specific need in transit camps

BY CHRISTIN DAVIS As the ongoing Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) conflict recently saw progress in the end of the M23 rebellion, The Salvation Army in Rwanda continues serving refugees fleeing the violence.

Despite a peace deal and the formation of a transitional government in 2003, people in the DRC remain

n Event launches new program to promote and develop women leaders in the Army.

WOMEN’S FORUM, page 8

Inside: Frontlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Sharper Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 From the Board Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 From the Desk of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Lifelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 On the Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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in fear of militias and the army. In what is called the worst emergency to unfold in Africa in recent decades, an estimated 3 million people have died as a result of the war, according to BBC, leaving the country in humanitarian crisis.

“The Salvation Army has been involved in several rapid response efforts since the situation escalated in the spring of 2012,” said Major Robert Tuftström, project officer in the Rwanda and Burundi Command.

RWANDA, page 9

Salvation Army braces for effect of federal food stamp cuts

Women in Leadership Forum held in Sydney Australia Eastern Territory leaders Commissioners James and Jan Condon initiated a new Women in Leadership Program to “advocate for leadership equality at every level,” and launched it with an inaugural Women in Leadership Forum Oct. 28 in Sydney.

“If we are to move to greater leadership equality for The Salvation Army, we must actively engage and purposefully address this issue that affects not only us, but is a challenge in organizations and countries around the world,” said Colonel Janet

Photo courtesy of Rwanda Burundi Command

n Social services coordinators are on alert throughout the West

ity, the “Jail Alternatives” component resulted from the state’s realignment bill that places the care and responsibility of lowlevel inmates into the hands of individual California counties. It was ordered by the Three-Judge Court and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in June.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff ’s Department began the Jail Alternatives program with the Berberian Shelter in August, paying for five beds for low-level (non-violent, low risk) inmates who have been sentenced to house arrest, but have no home.

BY CHRISTOPHER DOUGHTY A $5 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) enacted Nov. 1 has affected 47 million people—nearly one in six Americans. The proposed Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013 would cut an additional $40 billion from this program over 10 years.

In the past year, The Salvation Army provided grocery assistance to 1.5 million people in the 13 states The Salvation Army Western Territory covers. New cuts are expected to increase this need.

Individual recipients will see an estimated $11 reduction in monthly food stamp assistance, while households of four will experience a more acute $36 decrease. The U.S. Deptartment of Agriculture interprets this monetary reduction as about 16 fewer meals a month for a three-person household.

“The cuts will make it more difficult for families who are already struggling,” said Elsa Cisar, social service coordinator for The Salvation Army Del Oro Division.

A survey of Salvation Army social service coordinators across the West shows mixed results as these cuts take effect and social services coordinators on alert.

Linda Rich, executive director of Family Treatment Services in Honolulu, said, “We are watching closely for changes. Most of our clients are not yet in the workforce

MODESTO, page 8

FOOD STAMPS, page 9

One of the living areas at the Berberian shelter Photo by Carole Stuart

Providing jail alternatives in Modesto n The Berberian shelter works with local law enforcement to reduce jail overcrowding.

Captain Lisa Smith, director at The Salvation Army Berberian Homeless and Transitional Living Center in Modesto, Calif., spends a portion of her time networking with the Stanislaus County Sheriff ’s Department in an initiative created as an alternative solution to overcrowded jails in the area.

To reduce the number of inmates in California’s 33 prisons to 137.5 percent of design capac-

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Doing the Most Good

November 15, 2013 New Frontier

NEWS BRIEFS OF THE WEST

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

GRAND JUNCTION, Karen COLO.—Two exploGleason sive devices placed in Editor a downspout at The Salvation Army building exploded Halloween night. The downspout was secured and the Army resumed its normal activities the next morning, with people lining up for food assistance.

Although the damage was not great, police are investigating.

Majors Dan and Terrie Wilson are the corps officers; Lt. Darrell Williamson is the corps assistant.

KAKE, ALASKA—Corps Officers Lts. Michael and Noel Evans report that the community is increasingly reaching out to The Salvation Army’s ministry. Recently, they were called to bless a new fishing boat and then to bless the new home of one of the corps’ young families. They thank God for the opportunity to minister to the community and witness to his love and grace.

BELL, CALIF.—In addition to its usual services, the Bell Lighthouse Corps distributed blankets, socks and meals from El Pollo Loco to 50 homeless people at Skid Row. Corps members handed out 80 Christian books that provided a plan of salvation, and afterward conducted a short open-air meeting where four people made professions of faith.

Envoy Roy Snapp-Kolas also reports that the corps is using The Salvation Army’s Bible correspondence course in its adult Sunday school class, hoping to attract Bell Shelter residents who may wish to receive a course completion certificate as part of their treatment plan.

DENVER—Lt. David McDaniel, Denver Adult Rehabilitation Center administrator, began a three-part series on the 10 Commandments. The response was great to his initial challenge: “Which of the first four Commandments to you need to work on: God as your priority, abstaining from idolatry, using the Lord’s name in vain, and/or keeping the Sabbath?”

The altar call brought forth nine first-time seekers.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Albuquerque Temple Corps Officers Lts. Juan and Nancy Argumedo prayed and worked for a long time to organize discipleship groups for corps members.

They trained leaders and equipped them with the necessary materials.

The corps now has nine groups comprised of six to seven people who will grow in Christ as they strengthen their relationships with each other.

WENATCHEE, WASH.—Captains Frank and Beth Desplancke, corps officers, are excited to witness the corps’ young people responding to God’s Word. Each week at Kids Club, the children learn a memory verse. At the most recent meeting, every kid there remembered the verse from two weeks ago.

On decision Sunday in the younger Sunday school class, all seven children made a prayer of recommitment to the Lord.

The Salvation Army reclaims management of Wai’oli Tea Room n The restaurant will now run under and support the Honolulu ARC.

BY VIVIAN GATICA After leasing the Wai’oli Tea Room for the last 20 years, The Salvation Army will now operate the restaurant through the Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in Honolulu. The renovated facility reopened Nov. 11.

“The [tea room] will be a community and program-based center to help support men in recovery,” said Rafael Escalera, business administrator for the ARC. Under its new management, profits from the Wai’oli Tea Room will go to the ARC. Its current employees will continue working at the restaurant as Salvation Army employees; they received training during the renovation period.

The Salvation Army will also enhance the tea room’s menu so that it appeals to more demographics. It will open earlier for breakfast, and Escalera said the ARC hopes to open the restaurant for three meals a day in the future.

The restaurant—now operating as

The Wai’oli Tea Room

the Wai’oli Tea Room and Bakery—was built in 1922 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Within the property is a replica of the grass guest house that Robert Louis Stevenson occupied in 1889 when he visited Princess Ka’iulani and her father, Archibald Scott Cleghorn, who had married into the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

According to Major John Chamness, divisional commander for the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands division, the tea room originally supported and was a classroom for The Salvation Army Girls’ Home in Manoa, which provided young women with vocational training.

Chamness recently supported a Pathway

TEA ROOM, page 8

Leaving behind the waters n The Salvation Army looks to recovery following the Colorado floods.

BY COURTNEY CULPEPPER As The Salvation Army’s response to recent Colorado flooding moves from immediate relief to long-term recovery, community members are contributing to the work and finding ways to express thanks.

The Army helped more than 250,000 people in the floods with physical and spiritual needs, and will now focus on recovery efforts that include home restorations and relocations.

The recovery team is looking to rent a storefront in Boulder County to maintain a physical presence in the area, and hopes to provide services such as rental deposits, insurance deductibles, furniture, clothing, utilities, food, medical reimbursements, as well as unmet

needs by case management.

Intermountain Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Dan Starrett said, “Our goal in recovery is to do what we can to help survivors get back to where they were the day before the floods hit.” The division estimates disaster recovery will take up to three years.

In Monument, Pedal owner Andy Christman organized the Pedal 50 gravel ride, raising $820 for the Army’s flood relief efforts with more than 50 riders.

Inspired by the gravel ride, American Cyclesport owner Marko Salmon collected more than $3,000 in cycling gear to be raffled off at the next ridinggravel.com event.

In Lyons, residents of the flood-ravaged town voiced their emotions through a “found objects” art exhibit erected from items scattered by the flood waters. The exhibit,

Pictured left to right are Ben Welnak, creator of ridinggravel.com, Andy Christman, owner of Pedal of Littleton, and Divisional Secretary Major Warren Dabis.

Photo by Courtney Culpepper

created by Lyons artist Donnie Mortimar, sits in the middle of town and invites residents to share experiences.

Many of the objects featured are personal mementos pulled from the rubble. Much of the exhibit pays tribute to The Salvation Army volunteers and staff who stayed in Lyons pro-

viding immediate relief until early November.

“The work is incredibly profound,” said Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services Director Sherry Manson. “It’s a new way to be thanked for the work that our disaster services teams did here. And I am overwhelmingly touched.”

Christmas assistance comes with a tree n California Backyard runs fourth campaign in Sacramento.

Lt. John Morrow at the Christmas distribution for South Placer County Photo by Sydney Fong

California Backyard, an outdoor product warehouse based in Sacramento, Calif., kicked off its fourth annual “Give-A-Tree” artificial Christmas tree collection, which runs from now until Dec. 16.

Customers can donate used artificial trees, which will be distributed to families receiving Christmas assistance from The Salvation Army of Sacramento County and South Placer County. Last year, more than 500 trees were distributed.

“California Backyard is proud to team with The Salvation Army in the fourth annual Give-A-Tree donation campaign,” said Buzz Homsy, owner of California Backyard. “We are happy

to help provide some Christmas cheer to the families of Sacramento and to extend the life of these trees. The program has grown each year and we look forward to the best year ever!”

For each donation, California Backyard offers the customer a 10 percent discount on the purchase of a new life-like tree.

Clear Channel Radio initiated the partnership four years ago when it connected California Backyard with The Salvation Army.

“We love this campaign from California Backyard,” said Lt. John Morrow, corps officer in South Placer County.

“The trees are added bonus for the families receiving assistance from us.

To see their faces light up when they get the trees, it just really warms my heart.”

Doing the Most Good

November 15, 2013 New Frontier

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Army present amid chaos at LAX My first year

n Inglewood Corps assists those affected after airport shooting.

In the aftermath of the Nov. 1 shooting at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), The Salvation Army Inglewood Citadel Corps assisted evacuees with refreshments and information as they waited for news on the status of the airport and their flights.

As a result of its efforts, the corps later received a request from LAX to be part of its emergency disaster program.

Major Chuck Gillies, Southern California divisional emergency disaster services director, requested action and Inglewood Corps Officer Lt. Christopher Golden, along with six volunteers, responded. The team went to Century Blvd. and Sepulveda Blvd. to assist stranded passengers near the

Radisson LAX. Lt. Joanne Golden, Inglewood corps officer, and Lt. Jenny Davidson, Compton corps officer, provided resupplying and logistics support, working with a local Costco Business Center and Vons Grocery.

“The biggest complaint aside from not having any information, was that the airport did not provide them with refreshments throughout the waiting period,” Christopher Golden said.

Volunteers provided more than 1,200 drinks, 1,180 snacks, and airline communication updates to those affected by the tragedy.

“People were just relieved that The Salvation Army was there, and [was] taking care of what they needed without any questions,” Golden said. “They were reassured that things were being processed accordingly,

BY ROBERT DOCTER Territorial Commander Commissioner James Knaggs, along with distinguished international guests, aided the Pasadena Tabernacle Band in its celebration of 120 years of service at the Nov. 9 Thanksgiving festival of music, which was also broadcast via the Army’s Online Corps.

Dr. Stephen Cobb, international staff bandmaster, and euphonium soloist Derick Kane, deputy international staff bandmaster, joined Knaggs and Tabernacle Bandmaster William Flinn in communicating the band’s festival theme of relevant inclusivity in today’s world.

The Tab’s 70-voice songster choir, led by Martin Hunt, participated throughout the festival weekend.

Former Tab bandmasters Ron Smart, Bill

BY ANTHONY L. POE, LT. It was an awesome feeling to walk across the stage at Commissioning and be appointed to Hemet, Calif. My wife Tammy and I had driven through Hemet the summer before but really knew nothing about it.

The excitement in that building in Pasadena was amazing.

Little did I know how special those moments would be in the months to come—special because my mom came 2,200 miles with my sister to be there, even after a severe fall months earlier. At 80 and now in a wheelchair after the fall, she felt she had to be there. We are so glad she came because three months later I would go to her in Kentucky and say goodbye for the last time.

Four days later I spoke about her Christian influence in my life at her funeral.

Arriving in Hemet, we found a brand new building and a retired officer, Lt. Colonel Evelyn J. Hunter, who greeted us and showed us the business side of our appointment. That was truly a blessing.

Our second day in the office included a visit to city hall where we participated in a Community Action Council meeting. We met with a city councilwoman and met two women who would, within months, become the newest members of our advisory board. We attended Kiwanis the next week and Lt. Tammy fit right in. The Kiwanis club has been a great asset to our corps programs. Later I would join the Sunrise Rotary.

One of our first requests to help our city was a call from the fire department to feed 200 families at a mobile home park that had lost power two days earlier. We fed them for two days until power was restored.

To let the city know we are serious about being involved in the community, we planned a Harvest Hoedown with the assistance of local businesses and the Kiwanis club. We had over 500 people from our community attend and we gained a new church family. We also held a Rock and Roll Easter event in April that brought in over 1,200 from the community, and we gained two new families.

One of our major accomplishments this year has been the SAM (Salvation Army Meals) backpack program. We found out many children in our community go home on the weekend and have no food until they return to school on Monday. We asked to meet with one of our local school superintendents and he agreed there was a great need. My wife investigated similar programs in other communities and began the process to seek approval from both divisional and

PASADENA, page 8

FIRST YEAR, page 8

A team from the Inglewood Corps assists stranded passengers near the Radisson LAX. Photo courtesy of The Salvation Army Inglewood Corps

and the airport would have the situation back in order shortly.”

The team connected a woman who spoke only Arabic to her family in San Bernardino (Calif.) after she got lost amid the evacuation chaos on her way to Chicago. She only had a piece of paper with three phone

numbers, and through that volunteers located her family, and drove her to the corps to meet family.

Golden said, “Our volunteers went above and beyond to make sure that just one person got her needs met, and I think that’s just awesome.”

Bret Michaels headlines Grapes of Rock n Concert raises money for the Santa Rosa Corps and San Francisco Command.

BY LAINE HENDRICKS AND SYDNEY FONG “Every rose has its thorn…”

More than 4,000 fans sang along with rocker Bret Michaels at a concert at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion in San Francisco on Nov. 3. The former Poison frontman used that song to close out Grapes of Rock, a concert benefitting the Santa Rosa Corps and San Francisco Command.

Wayne Rowlands, vice chairman of the Santa Rosa Salvation Army Advisory Board, spearheaded the idea for an “out-of-thebox” fundraiser for The Salvation Army, which was originally slated to take place in Sonoma County in early June.

“We felt the need to find different and fun ways to raise money,” Rowlands said. “Knowing our area, we thought, ‘Hey, why not do a half-marathon and a concert?’”

Rowlands hired Project Sport, a sports and event management company, to organize the race, concert and marketing. Soon, they finalized a deal to have Michaels as the headlining act.

“Everything was going well, and then we ran into some speed bumps,” Rowlands said. “There were issues getting the proper permits to hold the Grapes of Rock in the area.”

Project Sport then suggested an alternative plan.

“They’re well connected in San Francisco and quickly said we have something for you,” Rowlands said.

Project Sport combined the U.S. Half Marathon in San Francisco with Grapes of Rock and found a venue for the concert. With the new location and date set, Michaels still agreed to headline.

L-r: MajorsJoseph and Florence Murray (Santa Rosa corps officers), Bret Michaels, Wayne Rowlands (Santa Rosa Advisory Board member) and Major Robert Birks (Golden State program secretary) Photo by Laine Hendricks

“A lot of people were happy and had fun,” said Major Joseph Murray, Santa Rosa corps officer. “We’ve tapped into a group of people that we were not able to reach before. Now they know a little bit about The Salvation Army, and that’s a good thing.”

Rowlands hopes to reestablish Grapes of Rock in Santa Rosa next year, but at a different venue.

“It’s a private area, so we won’t have those same problems,” he said. “We hope Grapes of Rock can grow and maybe establish itself in other cities where there is a Salvation Army. It’s all about supporting the Army.”

Pasadena Tabernacle Band celebrates 120 years n Annual Thanksgiving Festival Weekend brings international guests.

Pasadena Tabernacle Band and special guests from the International Staff Band Dr. Stephen Cobb, bandmaster (r), and Derick Kane euphonium soloist (l)

Photo by Jody Davis

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Doing the Most Good

November 15, 2013 New Frontier

Holiday films spotlight Salvation Army n “The Christmas Candle” and “Silver Bells” premiere eight days apart.

Selena Gomez with Salvation Army National Advisory Board Chairperson, Charlotte Jones Anderson and National Community Relations and Development Secretary for The Salvation Army, Major Ron Busroe.

Selena Gomez to kick off 2013 Red Kettle Campaign Actress and multi-platinum recording artist Selena Gomez will perform live at AT&T Stadium during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys game against the Oakland Raiders on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, which kicks off The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign.

The halftime performance marks the 17th year the Dallas Cowboys have partnered with The Salvation Army to launch the campaign, which raises money to provide meals and shelter for families in need, Christmas toys for children, and numerous other social services. Last year, the Red Kettle Campaign collected $148.7 million.

“Dallas is my hometown, and to be invited to perform on behalf of The Salvation Army is such a great honor,” Gomez said. “Giving back is so important, and I am looking forward to kicking off the iconic Red Kettle Campaign and getting those bells ringing across the nation to help families and children in need.”

Read more at newfrontierpublications.org/nf/selenakickoff.

The Salvation Army will be featured in two full-length holiday films this year–– one to premiere in theaters and one slated for a TV debut.

Impact Productions’ “The Christmas Candle,” based on Christian pastor and bestselling author Max Lucado’s novel of the same name, hits theaters nationwide on Nov. 22. Eric Newman, son of Impact Productions Owner Tom Newman, and New York University film product Candace Lee wrote the screenplay, which Lucado later approved.

“My prayer is that audiences of all ages will leave ‘The Christmas Candle’ with their hope restored and faith renewed by the message that God has—and always will—work miracles,” Lucado said. “Especially, at Christmastime.”

The Salvation Army is a recurring motif in “The Christmas Candle,” as its steady presence aligns with the film’s central theme.

“One of the major themes that came was ‘being the miracle,’” said Jared Newman, assistant to the producer for “The Christmas Candle.” “The Salvation Army represents that theme. God is still interacting with us and that we’re supposed to be the hands and feet of Jesus. From the onset of the film, The Salvation Army is a significant piece and thread that we

wanted to weave through this movie.”

Set in the fictitious English village of Gladbury at the dawn of the electric age, “The Christmas Candle” chronicles young minister David Richmond, played by Hans Matheson, who comes to modernize Gladbury. This sets him at odds with the old world candlemaker who wants to preserve the legend of the titular Christmas candle––which grants a miracle to someone on Christmas Eve. One week after “The Christmas Candle” opens, The Salvation Army premieres on the small screen in “Silver Bells,” produced

by PureFlix Entertainment, the largest producer and distributor of faith-based and family films.

“Silver Bells” follows an ambitious businessman who gets in a scuffle with a referee at his son’s basketball game and

is sentenced to community service— manning a red kettle and ringing bells for The Salvation Army for the rest of the Christmas season. At first he finds this humiliating, but as he encounters the people behind the kettle, his life is changed.

“For Pure Flix to partner with The Salvation Army has been a tremendous blessing,” said Randy Maricle, vice president of marketing for Pure Flix Entertainment. “We have all seen the red kettles and thrown change in them since we were kids, but now as an adult, we’re able to positively impact lives through films like ‘Silver Bells.’”

The movie is scheduled for nationwide broadcast on UPTV on Nov. 30 and will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Delegates to the Pan American Conference of Leaders

General installs Jeffreys as new national leaders

Salvation Army volunteers pass out food to Hurricane Sandy victims.

Hurricane Sandy: one year later n Salvation Army continues to provide assistance Hurricane Sandy pummeled the East Coast for four days in 2012, affecting 24 states, destroying homes and businesses, shutting down power for millions and claiming more than 100 lives. Now one year later, signs of recovery remain as residents along the coast work to rebuild their lives.

“The goal of our disaster case management process is to provide support, advocacy and connect residents with as many possible resources available to them without adding additional work and confusion to their already challenging process,” said Brenda Downing, director of social services at The Salvation Army’s Southern New England Division.

The Salvation Army received $36,106,457 in cash and in-kind contributions from the public and corporate partners to assist storm victims. Affected individuals continue to receive assistance with rebuilding and repair costs and in-depth case management to address outstanding needs.

Homeowner Ellen Levitsky received help to clean up her storm-ravaged home in Freeport, N.Y.

“I never thought anyone would come to help,” Levitsky said. “I feel like I should be pinched. I’m so thankful for the help that The Salvation Army has provided, and how quickly.”

Survivors continue to find comfort in the emotional and spiritual care offered through recovery centers and emotional support groups of The Salvation Army in New York and New Jersey.

“A lot of people have been hurting,” said Bram Applin, community relations director for the New Jersey Division. “They are asking, ‘why did this happen?’ Being able to simply pray with someone, hug someone, to be able to show the love of Christ in the little things—it’s a privilege.”

John Berglund, EDS director for The Salvation Army in New York, said the Army isn’t going anywhere soon.

“Most of the impacted areas are communities where The Salvation Army has been providing programs and services for over a century,” Berglund said. “We live in these communities. We have no exit plan. The Salvation Army was there for response, recovery, and now long term recovery, filling in the gaps and restoring dignity to affected individuals, families and communities for as long as we are able.”

n Commissioners Jeffrey return to NHQ after two years in the Southern Territory.

In his first public meeting in the U.S., General André Cox installed Commissioner David Jeffrey as national commander and Commissioner Barbara Jeffrey as national president of women’s ministries of The Salvation Army in late October.

The pair took office at National Headquarters (NHQ) Nov. 1.

The installation occurred on the second-to-last day of The Salvation Army Pan American Conference of Leaders at Camp Hoblitzelle in Midlothian, Texas. Each territorial leadership team from North and South America was in attendance.

“Commissioner Barbara and I both agree that returning to NHQ has been exciting because having served here just two years ago we know so many of the officers and employees on the team,” said David

Jeffrey. “They are an excellent group of Salvationists and Christians. Also, the continued opportunity to work with the leaders from each of the U.S. territories is exciting.”

The Jeffreys replaced Commissioners William and Nancy Roberts, who were appointed to International Headquarters as chief of the staff and world secretary of women’s ministries, respectively. In 2011, Jeffrey was appointed as the territorial commander for The Salvation Army Southern Territory; he has also served as the national chief secretary.

“The biggest challenge we face is wanting to represent this wonderful army of salvation to the nation,” he said. “We want to be at the forefront of proclaiming the wonderful gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Salvationists and to serve suffering humanity in his name. To tell the story of Jesus and the story of service is our challenge.”

Hallmark donates $10,000 for wishes As part of the Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” campaign, a geo-targeted Wish Map app encourages consumers to express the meaning of Christmas with just a first name, zip code and message for someone.

Hallmark will donate $1 to The Salvation Army for each of the first 10,000 wishes.

View the map via facebook.com/hallmarkchannel.

The World

Doing the Most Good

International leaders visit Chile n The Coxes participate in South America West Territorial Congress.

BY EDUARDO ALMENDIAS, MAJOR International leaders General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox joined Chilean Salvationists at an important time for the Army’s development in that country.

Their visit started with a ceremony for the country’s first annual “Others” awards. During the event, The Salvation Army announced that the Chilean government granted the Army “foundation” status, allowing it to access public funding to finance social service projects and programs.

“Through this new status we will be able to provide better quality resources and attention to those benefitting from the social work of The Salvation Army,” said Fernando Velasco Villegas, development director for the Chile Central Division.

More than 1,600 Salvationists joined in the three-day South America West Territorial Congress in Arica, Chile’s northernmost city. Attendees gathered from all over Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia and Chile.

South America West Territorial Commander Commissioner Jorge Ferreira reaffirmed his challenge for Salvationists to read the Bible in one year.

On the second day of the congress, del-

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Elsewhere in the world MEXICO—The Salvation Army in Mexico City is assisting in a city-wide campaign to help protect homeless individuals from the cold by providing blankets, pallets and laminated cardboard material to keep people from sleeping directly on the ground and to shelter them from the rain. They are also distributing packages of food and water to help people through the winter. The campaign lasts through February 2014.

From El Universal

Commissioner Silvia Cox, General André Cox and Chile’s Social Development Minister Bruno Baranda Photo courtesy of Salvation Army Chile

egates participated in the Salvationist Fair with exhibitions of handicrafts created by women’s ministries members. Folklore dancers performed, attracting people to the festivities. The youth also took part in a “batacuda” street ministry involving a parade of percussion, juggling, dance and music.

The evening “Celebration of Mission” focused on the beginnings of The Salvation Army in the countries that make up the ter-

ritory.

“It is good to be together and celebrate, but let’s not forget that out there, there is a world that needs us,” Cox said.

At the end of the celebration, the General called all those present to be “fulltime servants.”

“The Salvation Army must continue on,” he said. “It needs servant soldiers and officers to continue the proclamation of the Word.”

The Salvation Army in Pakistan focuses on life skills n Training program infused in six divisions to advance sustainability.

In early 2013, The Salvation Army Pakistan implemented a plan to change the poverty levels in six of its divisions—Building Advanced Strong Sustainable Independent Communities (BASSIC).

Riaz Masih lives in one of the program’s target communities. He was a student, but had to leave school because of the cost. He entered The Salvation Army’s training center for boys and within a year became a men’s tailor. He soon became a teacher, training nine other boys in tailoring. He had more work than he could handle and trained two nephews to help him— allowing all three to provide for their families.

“Without The Salvation Army, I would never have attained this success,” Masih said.

His achievement is a product of BASSIC’s six goals from alleviating extreme poverty through skills development, to improving community development, linking to government health ser-

THE PHILIPPINES

November 15, 2013 New Frontier

n Worldwide Prayer Meeting recognized for creative use of social media.

Riaz Masih (left) and coworker Photo courtesy of The Salvation Army Pakistan

vices and promoting behavioral change.

Its other training programs include such skills as rickshaw maintenance, raising livestock, reed curtain making, and buying and delivering fruit from the markets.

from page 1

pray for those who are suffering. We take hope in a God who is faithful in times of trouble,” General Andre Cox wrote in response to the typhoon. “We thank God for the resilience of his people in The Philippines...International Headquarters stands at the ready to support the recovery efforts through the International Emergency Services office.”

The Philippines Territory includes 79 corps and 94 other facilities with 177 active officers and 50 employees, along with over 11,000 Salvationists.

Early reports suggest the island of Leyte, roughly 360 miles southeast of Manila, was worst affected. A team from territorial headquarters made arrangements with the Philippine Airforce to transport food parcels, water and medical supplies there. A Salvationist doctor will be part of the initial response team.

Images show communities in twisted piles of debris, what one writer said resembled a “garbage dump from the air, punctuated only by a

Salvation Army wins Christian New Media award

few concrete buildings that remained standing.”

Lt. Colonel Bob Lee, territorial chief secretary, said it will take more than a week to determine the full extent of the damage to people, infrastructure, livestock and crops. “What the government and non-governmental agencies are now struggling with is the accessibility of roads so that relief goods can reach the survivors and the medical attention to the wounded and sick,” he said. “There is also a possibility of an outbreak of disease.” Officials said the shortage of food and water can easily lead to diarrhea and dehydration.

Lee said a number of officers from the four corps on Leyte were on the nearby island of Cebu when the typhoon hit. “After the storm, two officers were able to hire a motorcycle and braved the road to go back to their families in Leyte, where they began to coordinate the relief work with local officials,” he said.

Donate to The Salvation Army’s response in the Philippines via salvationarmy.org.

The Salvation Army International Headquarters’ website won the Christian New Media Accessibility Award for its commitment to clear design, navigation and language.

Among hundreds of entries, salvationarmy.org was also shortlisted in the final six websites in the prestigious People’s Choice category, and The Salvation Army was nominated for Most Creative Use of Social Media.

Although the Worldwide Prayer Meeting invites people to pray between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. each Thursday, the online activity covers a full 24 hours to ensure that each time zone is covered.

Individuals may share prayers, prayer requests, Bible verses and encouragement online at the website (sar.my/wwpm), or on Facebook (sar.my/facebook) or Twitter using the hashtag #WWPM. Prayers are pinned onto a virtual map, demonstrating the global nature of this weekly endeavor. The 3,000 individuals who registered their commitment to pray represent 135 countries—more than have an official Salvation Army presence.

A delegation from The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters communications team attended the Christian New Media Conference in London, which featured a host of expert speakers, including Rev. Richard Chartres, Dr. Bex Lewis and Katharine Welby.

AUSTRALIA—The Moonee Valley Corps, Victoria, began English classes for asylum seekers and others who want to improve their language skills.

Eleven students from Iran, Greece and Japan attend regularly. Some asylum seekers now attend the corps’ Sunday meetings.

Six people from the corps have been trained and are acting as qualified tutors.

From onFire KENYA—More than 8,000 Salvationists gathered from across the Kenya East Territory to greet General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox, the Army’s international leaders, and view performances by Youth Gospel Dance, timbrels and vocal groups, Nairobi Central Band and the territorial songsters.

In his Bible message, the General spoke about the Christian’s “heavenly citizenship,” and advised all to seek first the kingdom of Heaven. A large number of seekers responded to the altar call, committing themselves to a life of following Christ, with many answering the call to become Salvation Army officers.

From Salvation Army International U.K.—Christians across the Hadleigh area attended a prayer breakfast at The Salvation Army Hadleigh Employment Training Centre tea rooms in conjunction with Lighthouse prayer groups. Speaker Jonathan Oloyede, convenor of the 2012 National Day of Prayer, called upon them to ignore denominational boundaries and work together to bring people to Christ.

From SALVATIONIST CANADA—WWII veteran Frank Owen served in the 28th Canadian Armoured Regiment from 1939 to 1946. A current resident of the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre in Ottawa, he remembers the impact The Salvation Army had on him as a soldier.

“At any station in town, The salvation Army was there with coffee or directions on where to go,” Owen said.

“The Salvation Army was always there if the soldiers needed them.”

When asked what Nov. 11 means to him, he responds, “Remembering fallen friends and also remembering The Salvation Army.”

From Salvationist SOUTH AFRICA—The Salvation Army in South Africa celebrated its 130th anniversary on Nov. 7 with a music festival, featuring the South African Navy Band. Today, The Salvation Army operates nearly 250 corps and outposts throughout South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, the Island of St. Helena and Swaziland, as the Christian message is preached in 10 languages.

From www.salvationarmy.org.za

PAGE 6—NEW FRONTIER • NOVEMBER 15, 2013

NOVEMBER 15, 2013 • NEW FRONTIER—PAGE 7

The people and process that bring The Salvation Army’s most extensive fundraiser to life

P

Behind the kettle

BY JARED McKIERNAN

ATRICIA EYMANN, 66, stands at the kettle every year.

“I had noticed the bell ringers out when I went to the store. I thought, ‘Hey, why don’t I do that?’” she said. “I thought it would be a good thing to do. I called up in sort of a nothing-ventured, nothinggained mood. The worst they can tell me is no. They told me yes.”

Eymann works at a kettle outside a Vons in Long Beach, Calif. She said she likes to sing and spread holiday cheer. In six years, she has helped to raise more than $13,000.

“When the little kids come, that’s really fun,” she said. “I always say, ‘You don’t have to be a ding-a-ling to be a bell ringer but it helps.’”

Eymann is one of 15,089 individuals who stood at one of 6,776 kettle locations in the Western Territory in 2012, helping The Salvation Army raise money. All of the change—and even the occasional diamond ring or gold tooth—collected stays in the community where it is given. In the following year the money goes toward services from food boxes for families to local inmate care packages.

The concept started in 1891 when Captain Joseph McFee was distraught over the number of people going hungry in San Francisco during the holidays. He resolved to provide 1,000 free Christmas dinners for the poorest individuals, but he needed the funds.

McFee remembered seeing “Simpson’s Pot” as a sailor in Liverpool, England. As the boats came in, passerby tossed in coins to help the poor. So he placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street with a sign: “Keep the Pot Boiling.” McFee served that Christmas dinner, and the kettle became a mainstay of the holiday season.

In 2012, the 122nd Red Kettle Campaign raised $148.7 million in the U.S. Cash donations (rather than coins) accounted for 75 percent of the donations, up from 50 percent 15 years ago.

This November will mark the 17th year the campaign is launched in a Red Kettle Kickoff halftime show at the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game, but for each community, kettle season preparation begins in July.

First, kettle coordinators work to secure locations in the community. The business and property owner must agree to the kettle being onsite in a memorandum of agreement.

Jennifer Freitas, volunteer service coordinator for the Santa Rosa, Calif., Corps Community Center, will be running the corps’ Red Kettle Campaign for the third year. Freitas said she was scared the first year she was asked to organize the campaign, but she now looks forward to planning it.

“I love the kettle season,” Freitas said. “Everyone thinks I’m nuts. I probably am.” Freitas utilizes a kettle worker base comprised entirely of volunteers. The corps’ advisory board made the decision to use only volunteers three years ago to maximize its net earnings. It has increased its kettle earnings each of the past two years, netting more than $189,000 in 2012. The corps enlisted 400 volunteers in its online database and set a goal of $200,000 for this kettle season. “[The volunteer model] is working well,” she said.

Data from 2012 shows that volunteer kettle workers netted nearly three times as much income ($47 per hour) as paid workers ($17 per hour), according to Tim Schaal, Western Territory director of software development. In 2012, one out of every six kettles was manned by a volunteer, who collectively brought in 37 percent of the West’s kettle income.

This year, a new volunteer management software simplifies registration for volunteers and oversight for coordinators.

“We’re building a whole volunteer army, and the new software system is helping me by capturing everyone’s data and preferences on

$50.00 $45.00

GET VOLUNTEERS

Net: $47.37

$40.00 $35.00 $30.00 $25.00

Cost: $8.91

$20.00

Net: $16.79

$15.00 $10.00 $5.00

Paid Volunteer 40.0%

36.9

35.0%

30.3

30.0% 25.0%

26.8

28.2

24.2

20.0%

14.4 15.0%

14.6

16.2

16.7

11.8

10.0% 5.0%

VOLUNTEERS ON THE RISE

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

n Volunteers at kettles (% of total kettle workers) n Volunteer income (% of total kettle income per hour) Source: 2012 Western Territorial kettle data

things like where they want to serve,” said Leslie Baltzell, volunteer coordinator at the Coeur d’Alene Kroc Corps Community Center. The corps has committed to nearly 7,500 hours of bell ringing with a goal to raise $185,000. “The software sends an automatic email thanking the volunteer for signing up, confirming the time and location and providing a video with the basics of how to be a bell ringer.”

To date, Coeur d’Alene volunteers have committed to 51 shifts using the software. Baltzell said she expects many more ahead of Nov. 22, the first day of bell ringing.

“We used to have to call volunteers with a reminder, but now it’s all automatic, which frees my time to continue to recruit volunteers,” she said.

In addition to volunteer bell ringers, The Salvation Army hires seasonal employees to stand at the kettle.

“We find with our kettle workers, a majority of them are actually recipients of our services,” said Lt. Jared Arnold, Tualatin Valley Citadel corps officer. “Commonly, most of our kettle workers hear about us not through our promotions in the newspaper or through Craigslist, but because they receive our services and they want to make a little extra money at the end of the year.”

Jonathan Ludwig, kettle coordinator in Glendale, Calif., said he seeks out individuals in the community looking for seasonal work through The Salvation Army’s community partnerships. “We try to refer out to different organizations we know that have clients who

need jobs,” he said. “Word of mouth is probably the biggest thing. And we’re right up the street from an employment agency. We’ve gotten volunteers and paid workers from there.”

On Nov. 6, the Del Oro Division held its 13th kettle preparation day, a mandatory event for each corps officer and anyone involved in the administration of the kettle season.

“This is the ‘rah rah’ before the big battle,” said Major Jeanne Stromberg, Del Oro divisional finance secretary. “It gets people thinking about what it’s all about and one of the messages we give is that it’s not about the money, it’s about the service that can be provided in the name of Christ. The money enables us to reach more people with the gospel and to meet their unique needs.”

The one-day seminar covers everything from how to complete a deposit, to California law in relation to seasonal workers, to best practices and expectations of a bell ringer.

“It helps us behind the scenes and in the public eye,” Stromberg said. “It ensures that everybody is representing The Salvation Army appropriately and everybody is on the same page.”

From late November to Christmas Eve, kettle coordinators and volunteer corps members drive around the community picking up kettles as shifts end.

Back at the corps, a team of kettle counters tallies each collection before it is deposited while the coin machine swallows and sorts the change.

In January, the corps evaluates the amount raised and determines the funds available for social service programs.

“We try to as much as possible direct it toward programs that are directly community affected, whether that be our back-to-school project, buying school supplies and backpacks, or food and distribution,” Arnold said. “Sometimes that money goes into paying a social service worker, but it’s still going back into the community.”

Bill Miller, administrator of the Minneapolis Harbor Light, organized the most successful Red Kettle Campaign in the country last year, generating $1.4 million in part of downtown Minneapolis. Miller credits the success of the campaign to growing up in a family of Salvationists.

“I’m blessed to have a heritage that taught me how to do this,” said Miller, son of former U.S. national commander, Commissioner Andrew Miller. “But I do my own thing. I’m kind of a maverick in this area.”

Miller has sparked friendships with several Minnesota professional athletes including Adrian Peterson and Kevin Love, which has significantly increased awareness of the campaign. He has also gotten members of every Minnesota professional sports team to join the Minneapolis Harbor Light Advisory Council.

“The [athletes] bring me with them a lot of times to their public speaking

I had noticed the bell ringers out when I went to the store. I thought ‘Hey, why don’t I do that?’ I thought it would be a good thing to do.

—PATRICIA EYMANN

SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGER FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS

[events],” he said. “They get their teammates involved. They get a lot of other people involved.”

Miller stressed the importance of offering paid kettle worker jobs to the community, even if it comes at a financial cost.

“What we’re doing for people by giving them these jobs is just as important as the money we’re raising for our other social service programs,” he said.

“It is not just about money. It’s about giving dignity to those who are on the fringes.”

Chaz Watson, executive director of development for the Western Territory, said that serving in communities where no one else will for those who would otherwise go unserved is what makes The Salvation Army unique.

“The Salvation Army treads where others don’t want to,” Watson said. “The kettle campaign reminds the public that people are still hurting and need help and that we’re still serving. It allows us to be visible in the public and rally for a worthy cause, which is the mission of The Salvation Army.”

Back in Long Beach, Eymann can’t see the smiles she creates at the kettle— she is blind—but she takes the laughter as reassurance that she’s making a difference in her community.

“I like it when the people come by,” she said. “I call them visitors. Sometimes, you’re lucky, and they remember you from before.”

8

Doing the Most Good

November 15, 2013

Stand Down event renews veterans n Comprehensive services provided in one Oregon location.

Trimmer and his wife, Diana, serve as chaplains at The Salvation Army Veterans and Family Center near Portland, and transported program participants to the event while Cascade Divisional Headquarters supplied 10 staff members for it.

With an estimated 107,000 homeless veterans in the United States, events like this work to reduce the amount of homelessness among them, improving the lives of those who need assistance by providing comprehensive access to services within a single location.

“This event allows homeless vets who are otherwise forgotten to feel like what [they] fought for matters,” said HFWR director Kimberley Pettina.

“My goal for next year’s Stand Down is to be totally self-supporting, meaning that we will not be applying for the Department of Labor Grant. With all the support through community partners I have no doubt this will happen.”

BY TERESA STEINMETZ AND MICHAEL SMITH For the third year, the Cascade Division’s Home Front War Relief (HFWR) Program co-led the “Veteran’s Stand Down” event Oct. 19 in Troutdale, Ore., near Portland. More than 185 veterans from all over the area received free meals, haircuts, flu shots, dental and eye exams, information from service providers and spiritual counseling.

In the military, “stand down” affords battle weary soldiers an opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being. This one-day event did the same for local veterans.

“We were able to spend the entire day with veterans at the event,” said Major Dennis Trimmer. “I know many who were very grateful about the services and goods that they were able to receive during the day.”

Veterans recieve exams during the Stand Down event.

MODESTO

The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary in Anchorage, Alaska, held its 14th annual Teddy Bear Tea Oct. 20, featuring dozens of bears fashionably dressed and ready for auction. The popular event raises money to help fund specific program needs and scholarships to The Salvation Army King’s Lake Camp.

Photo courtesy of The Alaska Division

Photo by Jim Boland

from page 1

“Basically, it is a place for the inmates to stay until they finish their sentence or find a home,” Smith said.

The $74,000 initiative is completely underwritten by the Sheriff ’s Department with the possibility of adding five more beds in the center. This new endeavor is also made possible by the recent remodel of the shelter.

The inmates are treated as transitional living clients and provided with case management and life skills services.

They “own” and maintain their own areas—men and women reside in separate areas—and are required to wear ankle bracelets.

“Many of these non-violent, low-level offenders have addiction issues. The clean and sober living environment is good for them and they do have accountability.

This is a chance for them to rehabilitate

and also prevent them from going back to prison,” Smith said. “To date, we’ve not had any trouble. In fact, the inmates are very helpful and they’re part of the life of the building. They socialize with others, volunteer and help out. They want to stay busy.”

The program has produced two success stories to date: a man found an apartment and is now living independently, and a woman finished her sentence and will be going into the Berberian transitional living program as soon as a bed is available.

She starts a nursing program in January 2014.

According to participant Antoinette, “Coming to The Salvation Army has given me the opportunity to have a healthier self-image and a blessing in serving other people.”

WOMEN’S FORUM

from page 1

Munn, a member of the Women in Leadership Committee, during the forum.

In her introductory remarks, Munn read a section of The Salvation Army’s Orders and Regulations for officers from 1895: “One of the leading principles upon which the Army is based is the right of women to have the right to an equal share with men in the work of publishing salvation to the world...She may hold any position of authority or power in the Army from that of a Local Officer to that of the General...Women must be treated as equal with men in all the intellectual and social relationships in life.”

Yet today, she said, while more than half of all Salvation Army officers are female (53 percent), only 7.9 percent of them are in decision-making roles and 1.7 percent are married women. In response, the committee aims to promote and develop the skills and self-awareness required of leadership positions while identifying and addressing systemic issues of gender equality in leadership positions.

“There are many women in our corps and centers with amazing gifts and abilities who need to be empowered for disciple making and mission,” Jan Condon said. “We need to be providing even more opportunities for women, employees and officers, to utilize their gifts to the optimum rather than just being slotted into an assumed role.”

The event featured Major Danielle Strickland, Canadian officer and author of “The Liberating Truth: How

TEA ROOM

Jesus Empowers Women,” along with Sharon Callister, CEO of Aged Care Plus, and Dawn O’Neil, former CEO of beyondblue and Lifesline.

Strickland provided a framework for a global empowerment strategy to change the current statistics on women in leadership. First, she said, think big—the gospel is a big plan to redeem the entire Earth.

“Gender and equality, like sin, has a gravitational force to it. It’s just the way the world is going to go because it’s so broken,” she said. “If we’re not intentional and don’t keep the big picture in mind, if we don’t see what God wants to do on the earth...we’ll naturally become just like everybody else. That brokenness, that sin, that inequality will be where we land.”

Strickland said The Salvation Army, as part of its created being, aimed to liberate women and ensure no woman would be discriminated against based on gender.

“We read that from 1895,” she said, “but literally, systemically there’s no answer to the statistics other than that’s what is happening.”

In order to think big, Strickland said, we have to start small. This is a hard way to start, she said, because it’s intimate, but every world changer started small—even Jesus.

Finally, Strickland said the secret to true freedom is inside of us.

“You’re the monster; so am I...This very thing that we

FIRST YEAR

from page 2

of Hope initiative to help ARC beneficiaries through three pillars: housing, jobs and faithbased connections. The Wai’oli Tea Room will become an integral part of the job pillar.

“I think it’s a very positive move for the Army to take back ownership [of the tea room],” Chamness said. “It provides us with a great opportunity to provide on-the-job training for people in recovery and gives them the chance to gain new skills.”

The Salvation Army will allow beneficiaries to work at the tea room after they graduate from the program, and it will provide opportunity for entrepreneurship.

“We plan to add coffee shops and carts around

want to fight, this prejudicial treatment, I do it all the time, even with my own kids,” Strickland said. “If we’re going to think big about God’s plan for the world and we’re going to start small with the individual decisions of how we live our lives...none of it’s going to matter if we don’t go into the very deepest places of who we are and change there.”

She referenced the two conditions Founder William Booth said came with salvation.

“One, it had to change the character of a person. That’s this depth thing...Not just their behavior, the fruit of their character, but their character themselves,” Strickland said.

“This brokenness inside of them has to be fixed. And then, the conditions a person lives in. That’s what separated, I believe, The Salvation Army from other churches of those days. We understood that salvation was not just personal...Our hearts those deep places have to change.

But those systems, those statistics, those have to change, too.”

A series of workshops are scheduled across New South Wales and Queensland with a goal for the forums to become a hub for personal leadership development and networking, where attendees representing a wide variety of Salvation Army programs will be able to tap into a wealth of new ideas and valuable resources.

See more about the program at salvos.org.au/wil.

the island owned by alumni,” Escalera said. “The men are excited for the opportunity for jobs that have a future.”

Eventually, the Wai’oli Tea Room will function as a center for community programs and events.

“We [want to] provide good services to the community, so that they learn about what The Salvation Army does,” Chamness said.

Over 2,000 people participate in Hawaii’s Salvation Army substance abuse programs, which include the ARC, Addiction Treatment Service and Family Treatment Services. Chamness said that in the future he hopes to expand the Wai’oli Tea Room’s services to include all three programs.

from page 3

territorial headquarters.

In April we handed out the first meals. We targeted one school and 50 students. As a result of faith in us from our advisory board, local residents and our divisional headquarters, we received three major donations totaling over $40,000. We asked individuals in our community to sponsor students for one year—an estimated cost of $240 each—and many have, including leaders from the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs and the fire chief. Many corps members also sponsor students—a total of 200 students in four schools.

Finally, we saw God pour out his blessings on our 2012 Red Kettle Drive with an increase of $11,665.78 over 2011. What he will do through us tomorrow only he knows; what we need to do is be available today.

Doing the Most Good

November 15, 2013

Clippers join in on South L.A. food distribution

The Los Angeles Clippers partnered with Feed the Children and The Salvation Army’s Siemon Youth Community Center to lead a huge food distribution day for individuals in need in one of the most poverty-stricken areas of Los Angeles.

In total, 2,400 boxes of food were distributed—containing enough non-perishable food to feed a family of four for a week—along with 2,400 boxes of personal care items, including soaps, deodorants, and toothpaste.

Above, Southern California Divisional Commander Colonel Doug Riley poses with Clipper center DeAndre Jordan.

Photo courtesy of Salvation Army Southern California Division

RWANDA

from page 1

“The Army has provided food supplements, medical care, medication, clothing, mattresses and blankets in cooperation with [other agencies].”

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 35,000 Congolese refugees entered into Rwanda since April 2012. It operates six refugee camps in Rwanda— some that have existed for 17 years—and recently opened a seventh in Mugombwa.

In the camps, people receive health and nutrition attention—from polio vaccines, to de-worming treatments and antiretroviral therapy, along with recreational activities for children and other hygiene considerations.

“We operate from the idea to fill in the gaps where other nongovernmental organizations and the UNHCR are not already involved,” Tuftström said. “Because of this we initially assisted with transport support for the most vulnerable to the new camp site, emergency medication and staff for the camp health center, and later gave support with a supplementary feeding program for newborn babies, pregnant women and vulnerable children, as well as with clothing, mattresses and blankets.”

The UNHCR asked The Salvation Army to provide refugees arriving at the new Mugombwa site with mattresses and kikoys, cloths used both as clothing and blankets. It is the fifth rapid response project of The Salvation Army, totaling roughly $110,000 in aid. It led to a request for a sixth project—to provide another 6,500 refugees with a mattress and blanket at a cost of roughly $140,000.

Salvation Army response teams include up to eight personnel and 11 volunteers, who have to date distributed over 4,300 mattresses and 4,000 kikoys. Tuftström said while working in the camps the team has encountered Salvationists among the DRC refugees.

The Army is also part of a high-level council created by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs (MIDMAR) and UNHCR to coordinate efforts in the camps and respond to new situations.

“Being part of the network and coordination platform set up by the Rwandan Government and UNHCR is a real achievement considering how small The Salvation Army is in Rwanda,” said Damaris Frick, IES emergency field operations

officer. The command includes 19 officers, 19 employees, 30 centers and other facilities, and roughly 4,300 Salvationists.

The Salvation Army began work in Rwanda in 1994, following the 100 days genocide that resulted in more than 1 million deaths.

“The whole infrastructure of the country collapsed and during the ensuing humanitarian crisis many nongovernmental and emergency organizations responded together with the UN agencies,” Tuftström said. “For many organizations the experience from Rwanda became a turning point in how we respond to emergencies and disasters and it started a international reform that lead to how we work and cooperate today to have a larger impact than before. You could say that this is also the birthplace of the modern Salvation Army emergency work.”

The government recognized the Army as a registered national church/organization in 1996. The Rwanda Command expanded to include Burundi in 2007.

Today the Army provides services in the four official languages of the two countries: Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, English and French. In addition to its corps services, the Army is running preschools, water sanitation and health projects, micro finance projects, and vocational training.

From the start of The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services (IES) it has supported displaced people, both refugees and internally displaced people, after conflict and natural disaster situations—from Kosovo, to Pakistan to Haiti.

Its work is based on the principles of the Humanitarian Charter: the right to life with dignity, the right to humanitarian assistance, and the right to protection and security. IES is able to respond quickly as The Salvation Army often already has a presence in countries where response is needed.

“While other humanitarian organizations often specialize in specific sectors— food, wash, shelter—IES, in fulfilling its purpose of providing assistance and support to territories, and at times countries where there is no Salvation Army, is more generalist in outlook during disaster,” Frick said. “IES continues to focus attention on the assessment of need, using and building local Salvation Army capacities and filling gaps, thereby often responding to needs not covered by other groups.”

PASADENA

9

from page 1

Gordon, Ivor Bosanko and Lambert Bittinger were on hand for the weekend, and praised both the band’s performance and vitality with so many young instrumentalists.

Both Cobb and Kane worked with the band for five consecutive nights prior to the concert. Cobb led roughly 90 percent of the band’s presentation at Flinn’s request.

The music, selected by Flinn, sought to communicate the evening’s theme. It began with Steven Ponsford’s “Servants of God” and after prayer led by Corps Officer Major Darren Norton, moved into James Curnow’s “Never Give Up.” As a tribute to the West, Kane played Eric Ball’s euphonium solo “Home on the Range.”

Two of the former Tabernacle bandmasters wrote a special piece for the evening. Gordon conducted the band in his composition, “Tabernacle 120 Celebration,” which climaxed with the

FOOD STAMPS

theme “Ever is the War Cry—VICTORY!” Kane then presented Paul LovattCooper’s “Donegal Bay.” Kevin Larsson’s rendition of his father’s music, “They Shall Come from the East, They Shall Come from the West” closed out part one. His piece, written for the celebration, “On We March,” opened the second part of the program.

Euphonium soloist Kane performed Stephen Bulla’s “Scottish Folk Variants.”

The Tabernacle Songsters then presented two numbers: a praise song by the Wesleys arranged by Bradley Knight titled “Psalm 24” and “Give Me Jesus,” arranged

by Jay Rouse.

Prior to Commissioner Knaggs’ devotional, the band featured the trombone section with Olaf Ritman’s “When I Survey.”

The band’s final note of praise was Peter Graham’s “Seize the Day.” Lt. Colonel Don McDougald ended the evening with the benediction.

from page 1

Major Sherry McWhorter, social services secretary in the Southern California Division, said, “We expect somewhere around 330,000 people will lose 9 percent or so of their food stamp income, and are estimating that 60 percent of our clients receive food stamps, but we don’t actually know—it could be higher.”

McWhorter said the greatest direct impact in the division will be in residential programs that use food stamps to buy groceries for the central kitchens.

Major Nila Fankhauser, social service consultant in the Alaska Division, projects that 150 people (40 percent of their clientele) will be affected. “We are yet to see the full impact. The main thing, however,

is new families that have never used our food pantry before are signing up,” she said. “In Anchorage, there were 47 new in September and 52 in October. It has strained our resources as we try to meet greater needs with the same resources.”

Fankhauser said the Alaska Division aims to make the need known to the public to increase both in-kind donations and monetary donations. “We are looking for new sources of revenue and [seeking] some support from our advisory organizations,” she said.

The Northwest Division signed on to a multi-agency letter to members of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Read the letter via http://tinyurl.com/mu9d4ly.

10

Doing the Most Good

November 15, 2013 New Frontier

Presenting an effective civic meeting a view from the Board Side

Salvation Army protocol calls for each community to have at least one “civic meeting” per year. This meeting will be your best opportunity to show the community who you are, how you serve, what Dick your accomplishments are, and how the Hagerty audience can assist with your programs.

For many years we presented an Advisory board annual civic dinner, which featured a member speaker, volunteer awards and program accomplishments. Each year we saw attendance drop as people made it clear to us that evening events were no longer popular. Many corps and Army units still have these events staged as a large dinner event, and if it works for you then by all means keep it up.

However, in our quest to discover a time for better attendance, we hit upon the annual Thanksgiving week Kettle Kickoff. This is staged at noon, and has grown in 20 years to be a great success in terms of attendance and also as a new way of fundraising.

Our annual dinner attendance had dropped below 200, but our Kickoff sells out at 1,100 and we have seen it grow into an event with a waiting list.

These are the key elements that need to be presented:

• Brief professional video showcasing local services and local faces • Printed program giving statistical data for your unit, including: – Mission statement – Brief narrative highlights of the past year – Annual budget – Major programs with statistics of services provided – List of members of advisory organizations within the community • Keynote speaker—emphasis on interesting and informative • Presentation of awards to volunteers: “Others” award, etc.

• Brief presentation of financial needs and opportunities to give and serve Having an interesting and effective speaker is critical.

The Army has some wonderful communicators. Ask around as to whom they may be and get them booked early. Good speakers fill in their schedules far in advance. Another suggestion: try to find non-Army speakers on alternate years, who can still give vision and challenge to the ways we serve.

I know one corps that has had a number of military veteran heroes speak to great effect.

If you can promise a large crowd then shoot for a really major speaker. In previous years we have had National Commander Commissioner Andy Miller, our own Western Territory Commissioners Knaggs, Swyers and Rader, and we are actively seeking to book Commissioner Israel Gaither, one of the great communicators of our time. This year our speaker was Jeff Taylor from Phoenix, whose story of sinking to the depths and finding recovery through our Army programs is one of the most compelling messages you can hope to hear.

Timeliness of keeping on schedule is second only to righteousness. Make a minute-by-minute plan ahead of time and stick with it. Make certain that the food servers will be right on schedule, both in bringing the food out and also in clearing the remains. And, above all, make certain that you dismiss precisely at the time you promised.

Years ago, I was asked to give an annual dinner speech in a university town. The setting was on campus; it was elegant; the turnout was exceptional...and the food was served exactly one hour behind planned schedule! They had announced an 8:30 dismissal time, and they put me on at 9:15. Needless to say my remarks were extremely brief.

The crowd began slipping away long before the awards were complete, and I suspect that the next year there was little community interest in attending that event.

Properly done, this event will not only shine the best light possible on The Salvation Army and the local work, but also will excite community leaders to come alongside, to want to serve on our boards and councils and to be willing to support us financially. This is your great annual opportunity. Don’t waste it.

Contact Dick at rghagerty@aol.com

Let him be the God of your heart I sat down to an out-of-tune piano to offer a song following the Sunday message. My heart was somewhat heavy as I’d had a hard few days connecting with the Lord. My week was spent struggling to drown out the voices of my world in exchange for the voice of the one who created the world.

Have you been there before? As I began Erin to play, I was relieved by the sensation Wikle of an almost immediate connectedness Soldier with God. As though in my worship— small as it seemed—he was infusing me with an ability to keep giving, though my flesh cried, “Retreat!”

So I sang: And I will call upon your name And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in your embrace For I am yours and you are mine As I began to enter into a section of the song that is sparse of sound, something happened.

Suddenly, the front door of our coffee shop corps flung open and I heard the small voices of antsy children returning from outside play. Attempting to sing through the interruption, “... and my faith will be made stronger, in the presence of my Savior,” a little boy came running toward the stage at full speed. “Mommmmmy!” I knew that little voice and the thundering footsteps that followed. My heart filled with joy as my red-headed, wild 4 year old embraced me all while still attempting to play and sing. In this welcomed, yet unusual, moment something supernatural happened.

My son, small and unassuming, was completely unaware that, were we in any other church setting, he would have been immediately extracted from the platform by some old lady and told to quiet down so as not to offend or cause mayhem mid-worship. Yet, no one stopped him. In fact, my own husband, who had been leading the kids’ class that day, made no attempt to discipline our son for his outburst.

So as I leaned into my son’s embrace, he held up a weed of a flower and said, “It’s for you, mom. Because you’re beautiful.”

Everything stopped.

The piano stopped. The singing stopped. Time itself felt like it stopped. And in a split second, my spirit was completely overwhelmed by this otherworldly love that came rushing in, unstoppable, and thrust upon me. And I could do nothing but weep. (I urge you to come against the

spirit of disbelief likely stirring within you, causing you to wonder why this moment, trite as it seems, was so significant for me.)

I believe, without question or doubt, that the flower my son gave was actually a gift, an encounter, with the Lord.

You cannot tell, persuade, or convince me otherwise. As I wept, my sweet boy whispered, “You don’t have to cry anymore.”

Pressing through the awkward yet unashamedly beautiful moment of experiencing God’s great love for me through this small child, I sang: Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever you would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior... (“Oceans [Where My Feet May Fail]” Hillsong United, 2013) Jackson sat there next to me until I was finished singing.

Following days of missed moments with my King, of struggling to hear his voice and feel him near, he came rushing in like unstoppable wind to simply say, “It’s for you, Erin.

Because you’re beautiful.”

Hear this. I know little of God’s great love for me. I fight daily against the spirit of religion that begs I feed it with empty time in the Word, forced prayers when I don’t “feel” like pressing in, and a façade of fullness that comes from years of observing what it looks like to be full of the Holy Spirit instead of being transformed by the Holy Spirit. I could sit and talk for hours about matters of theology and social justice and still miss meeting with my creator. I could serve others until nearly every need is met, but completely fail to experience God in the process. Don’t be fooled! God’s desire is to be in a love relationship with us. Get before him and wait on his presence. Refuse to do anything else before you spend time with him. Let him be God of your heart, not your head.

Oh, to have another encounter with God like the one I share with you today. To weep before my King and just let him love me. To have my faith made stronger in the presence of my Savior. To trust him without borders or reservation. To walk upon the water without fear that my foot will slip. This is the transformation of an otherworldly love I speak of. Oh, let him in, friends. God’s love awaits.

Silver Bells Not long ago, I came across an article by Ben Yagoda in The Pennsylvania Gazette, the University of Pennsylvania alumni magazine, that shed some light on the origin of the carol, “Silver Bells.”

In 1951, Ray Evans and Jay Livingston had the task of writing a Christmas song for a Bob Hope picture Victor called “The Lemon Drop Kid.” Doughty According to the Gazette, Evans and Livingston tell the story like this: Lt. Colonel Jay: We knew we couldn’t write a Christmas song because they sing the same ones every year. We went up front to the suits and ties, and we said, “Let us write something that could be popular.” They were very adamant that they wanted a Christmas song. So we went back to the office very unhappy about the whole idea, and we wrote “Tinkle Bell” about the tinkle bells you hear at Christmas from the Santa Clauses and The Salvation Army.

Ray: There was a little bell on our desk and that gave us the idea.

Jay: So we went with “Tinkle Bell.” I went home that night and my wife said, “What’d you do at school?” as she usually said, and I said, “I wrote a song called ‘Tinkle Bell.’”

She said, “Do you know what tinkle means to most people?

You can’t have a song called ‘Tinkle Bell.’”

And so, “Silver Bells” was born.

Despite its rather humorous beginnings, “Silver Bells” has become one of the most popular modern carols. It is certainly one of my favorites. And not just because of the

close connection between its famous Silver Bells and The Salvation Army’s nationwide Red Kettle Appeal. My fondness for this seemingly secular Christmas song goes much deeper than its obvious association with our fundraising efforts during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Written by two gentlemen who would acknowledge having only the most superficial understanding of this sacred holiday, Evans and Livingston succeed in capturing something of the essential meaning of Christmas in this iconic carol.

For me, “Silver Bells” paints a compelling picture of urban life touched by the miracle of Christmas. A place where everything you see, even the air you breathe is charged with wonder and magic; the very feeling of Christmas. Ordinary traffic signals are transformed into red and green decorative symbols of celebration. Strangers become neighbors smiling and laughing as they pass each other on the street. Selfless shoppers search for treasures to bestow upon friends and loved ones. It is a community alive with the sights and sounds, the intensity and activity of people, young and old alike, living out the message of good news, which will be of great joy for all people.

And best of all, most notable in describing this city caught up in the spirit of the coming Christmas, is an undeniable call to action as above the hubbub of the holidays, on every street corner you hear the undeniable sound of “Silver Bells,” bells that seem to envelope the entire city, persistently ringing as mercy and kindness flow from

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Doing the Most Good

November 15, 2013 New Frontier

The way it is It was God’s plan from the beginning: the coming of Christ was to be a blessing to all people. Whether or not all believe in Christ is not the issue: Jesus came to make Sharon salvation available to all.

Even those who do not Robertson Lt. Colonel believe in him, those who have consciously, vocally and publicly (sometimes at the top of their lungs in the most public forum available) rejected him have been blessed through his coming.

The Spirit of God working in the hearts of his servants has spread the message of Christ throughout the world, and concurrent with the dissemination of that message faithful Christian disciples—through their practical living out of the tenets of the gospel— have taught that life can be better. They have demonstrated that better education, better training, a better understanding of nutrition and health habits, greater availability of medical aid, and a growing mutual respect among its members can lead to a healthy, productive community. The “fallout” of blessing pending from the coming of Jesus is incalculable, and undeniable.

That is not to say that mistakes have not been made. With the best intentions in the world, there have been times when the clear, pure message of the gospel has been obscured, pushed into the shadows by religious tradition and ritual, or by what is or is not socially acceptable among our own contemporaries.

History reminds us that even the best of us have tried to impose our own societal mores on those we have considered less “enlightened” than ourselves, as though those societal mores have the same spiritual value as the teachings of Christ himself. Jesus repeatedly pointed out the error of the Pharisees, good men who too often allowed their own traditions and practices to hinder their personal effectiveness in living out the principles of kingdom citizenship.

Time after time, he tried to teach them that it was not enough to be good men who lived by the law, that it was more important to live a life that demonstrated the love and grace of God than to abide meticulously by their religious traditions. The same remains true for you and me.

The fact is, we who claim Christ as Lord and Savior are not called to turn the socially unacceptable into socially acceptable men and women; we are called to extend to all the saving message of the gospel of Christ. We are called to be living examples of what it means to be called

“Christian”—not that we might win others to be good citizens, but that we might win others to Jesus, their only hope for salvation.

As Salvationists, we do not offer “soup and soap” as a means of salvation: we minister to human need in all its forms in the name of Jesus, with the hope of bringing the lost to an understanding that their greatest need is for salvation through Jesus Christ. We want them to know that he is ready to accept them now, at the moment of need; they don’t have to wait until after they get “clean and sober,” or resolve other issues in their lives, to be introduced to him. It is meeting Jesus that makes the difference. After a man receives Christ, good things can happen, and lives are changed—but it is Christ who brings about the change. Our first priority must be to present Christ to them—living out our faith—our lives so transparent that the Spirit of God will be seen in our day-to-day contacts, clear evidence of his power and his love.

For as long as God allows this present world to continue, there will be those who scoff at the idea of his existence, those who do recognize the hand of God in history. That is not just sad; it is an eternal tragedy, and we need to be faithful in praying that God will find a way to overcome that obstinacy of spirit that blinds them to the fact of his existence. However, the fact that there are those who do not believe does not alter the even greater fact that God is God: eternal, loving, full of grace and mercy. They may not be interested in meeting him, but he is ready, even eager, to welcome even the one who has denounced him. Nor should their scorn or unbelief be allowed to persuade even one of God’s servants to temper or withhold the message of Christ, or to falter in his or her responsibility to pray for each and every lost soul, even the one who is a self-proclaimed enemy of Christ.

As soldiers of Jesus Christ we have been entrusted with the task of taking the battle to the enemy. We are God’s assault force, not satisfied to hide behind the safe walls of tradition, not confined to doing what has been done before, not hindered by the need to spread our culture or customs. Under his orders, armed by his love, we infiltrate even the enemy’s own territory for the purpose of saving souls, seeing them set free from slavery to sin, and enlisted into service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

As we fight against seemingly invincible odds, we know this beyond doubting: facts are facts. God is God! For those who trust in him, even today’s battle is the Lord’s. That was his plan; that’s the way it is.

CELEBRATING OUR 30th YEAR

ISSN 2164-5930 New Frontier is published twice a month by The Salvation Army USA Western Territory

Commissioner James Knaggs,

Territorial Commander

Colonel Dave Hudson, Chief Secretary We welcome submissions of news stories of interest to the Western Territory. If you have something you’d like to share, submissions can be sent electronically to:

new.frontier@usw.salvationarmy.org or by postal service to:

New Frontier,

P.O. Box 22646,

180 E. Ocean Blvd.

Long Beach, CA 90802 The editor reserves the right to edit material submitted. Articles should be roughly 300 words in length.

www.newfrontierpublications.org Facebook: tsanewfrontier Member - Evangelical Press Association

EDITORIAL STAFF Robert L. Docter, Editor-In-Chief • 562/491-8330 email: bob.docter@usw.salvationarmy.org Christin Davis, Managing Editor • 562/491-8723 email: christin.davis@usw.salvationarmy.org Karen Gleason, New Frontier Editor •562/491-8332 email: karen.gleason@usw.salvationarmy.org Buffy Lincoln, Associate Editor • 562/491-8329 email: buffy.lincoln@usw.salvationarmy.org Erica Andrews, Assistant Editor • 562/491-8334 email: erica.andrews@usw.salvationarmy.org Edie Jenkins, Editorial Assistant • 562/491-8785 email: edie.jenkins@usw.salvationarmy.org Jared McKiernan, Editorial Assistant • 562/491-8345 email: jared.mckiernan@usw.salvationarmy.org Vivian Gatica, Editorial Assistant • 562/491-8782 email: vivian.gatica@usw.salvationarmy.org LAYOUT & DESIGN/ADVERTISING Kevin Dobruck, Art Director • 562/491-8328 email: kevin.dobruck@usw.salvationarmy.org Adriana Rivera, Graphic Designer/Web coordinator • 562/491-8331 email: adriana.rivera@usw.salvationarmy.org CIRCULATION Arlene De Jesus, Circulation • 562/491-8343 email: arlene.dejesus@usw.salvationarmy.org new.frontier@usw.salvationarmy.org

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Humility Humility exists on a continuum half-way between self-centeredness and self-abnegation—between selfishness and self-denial. It’s the opposite of arrogance, more than meekness, nothing like shyness, never the loudest voice in the room, always unpretentious and always listens empathically.

It’s the “fruit of the spirit”: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There’s nothing superficial about those characteristics. You can’t fake them and you look ridiculous when you try.

There’s nothing weak about being humble.

Sometimes humble, in a very natural way, plays the role of the strongest person in the room. For instance: he has said nothing thus far in a discussion that has turned into a debate—and then, suddenly, a voice not yet heard speaks with knowledgeable humility.

Immediate silence fills the room. Everyone listens to a reasoned review of the matter and then a thoroughly thought-out compromise.

That’s strength.

There’s a lot of discipline in the word.

Humble supervises a boatload of virtues. It is genuine, kind, natural, unassuming, plain, down-to-earth. It is not a foundational personality characteristic; yet, Confucius said that “humility is the foundation of all virtues.”

Its voice speaks of its owner’s modest nature. It seems without ambition, yet moves upward easily in a system. If it is strong enough in you, it controls your inflated ego.

The ego—that’s humility’s principal adversary. Egoism labels the tendency to walk through life believing that you are the center of the world and everything happens because of you. The egoist is so full of himself that God gets squeezed out. That’s the big problem with egoism.

Fear always connects with anger. After that, egoism shines in the increased decibels of shouting voices. Sometime it’s immediate; sometimes it’s slow. For instance, a co-worker’s unfortunate comments—words that you read as personally demeaning—may bring you a sudden burst of anger. Immediately, you fear that official work supervisors may read your efforts the same way and place your job in jeopardy. You wonder: “How do I look? What am I doing to cause him to say those things to me? This is awful! What’s he got against me?

I’m going to be fired!” Then, you act from your anger and escalate it into rage.

Notice, these worries, now internalized, leap to a conclusion that may relate to the worker’s

BELLS

feelings of guilt concerning his own work ethic, or they may simply be expressions from a fellow worker to achieve problems for you.

If so, as your first blow lands, your colleague is the victor and he smiles.

Robert There is no humility in this little vignette. Both Docter Editor-In-Chief workers were so full of “self” that they could not break free and think of the other. The colleague demonstrated arrogant manipulation, and you have revealed your own self-centered, immature and violent response.

How would the humble man have replied?

Not defensively, for sure. He might have inquired concerning the specific point of the criticism and thanked the colleague for his advice. He might have simply smiled with an appreciative, knowing expression, or he might have ignored the criticism altogether.

Neither of these participants had any selfawareness of the consequences of their action.

Each focused on self. Neither participant had any room in them for the voice of God. Ego won.

Humility is a broken spirit—a recognition that going it alone without God is counterproductive to a satisfying life. Also, the humble person has a contrite heart—a remorseful and regretful heart concerning hauntingly bad choices from the past.

Humility is also thankful, and during this time of a four-day weekend to concentrate on thanking God for his availability, for his beneficence, for his willing openness, for his patience, his presence, his peace, his love and his never-ending grace, we can empty ourselves of everything that prevents humility from entering into the core of our being. Additionally, we have the opportunity to express love and thankfulness to those around us. If we are alone we value others who have contributed their love and blessings to us in the past.

Let’s face it! None of us is perfect. No one!

If God wanted us perfect, he would have made us that way. He didn’t. Therefore, let us recognize that he continues to urge us to be as close to perfect as is humanly possible. Perhaps we could start with an increase in our “humility quotient.” It subsumes the great values of a positive, giving, sharing life. It speaks to us with warmth and affection, and when we are humble we are fully whole.

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grateful, generous hearts.

The bell ringers themselves go undescribed in this carol. But we can see them in our mind’s eye both today and down through the years standing beside bright red kettles, bells in hand, appealing to the public with messages like “Keep the Pot Boiling,” “Need Knows No Season,” “Heart to God and Hand to Man” and “Doing the Most Good.”

And so, we thank Evans and Livingston for helping to perpetuate this great American Christmas charitable tradition, with special gratitude to Mrs. Livingston for making sure they are, in fact, silver bells.

Silver Bells, Silver Bells, It’s Christmastime in the city.

Ring-a-ling, hear them ring, Soon it will be Christmas Day.

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