New Frontier Vol 30 No 01

Welcome 2012 CELEBRATING OUR 30th YEAR

The Western Territory’s news source

for 30 years

January 13, 2012 Vol. 30, No. 01

Salvationists share their hopes for a bright new year Hope for Action

BY JAMES KNAGGS, COMMISSIONER The beginning of the year gives us an appropriate opportunity to reconsider our hopes and expectations going forward.

In a sentence, I’m hoping to see God at work among us in extraordinary ways. He is, you know, always amazing us with his grace even if we are not as cognizant of his involvement.

This hope for evidence of his work is a vote for miracleproducing results filled with action on his part and ours.

When his hand is apparent around us, we will see people’s lives transformed, energetically moving forward to what God wants—to glorify him and complete his hope in us.

Is it possible that we could all share this hope and act upon it in faith? The Bible reminds us that faith without works is pointless. So is hope without faith. Faith and hope are inextricably linked, working in tandem to realize all that God has for us.

Let this year, then, be marked by a wide hope, a deep faith and active life application. Let the world see and know that God is alive among us, thrilling us with his provision, power and presence. Then let us actively welcome those

who are so impressed to join us with their faith in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!

—Commissioner James Knaggs is the Western territorial commander.

Looking down the road, what’s next?

BY DIANE O’BRIEN, LT. COLONEL The request came just before Christmas. Would I write something about my hopes for 2012?

I have so many hopes!

One suggestion was that these hopes be related to society or the Army world. I say, “too big.”

As I sit at my desk I look down the road on a peaceful seascape—actually I have been fortunate to be able to say that about all my desks for decades! It looks lovely: soft sand beach, palm trees, blue sea, just a few clouds.

But I’m told it’s not like that when you actually walk on the beach. A friend of mine said that picnickers in the area at which I now gaze often forget to remove their garbage. I’m told that political demonstrations sometimes take place in the streets around here and that

violent movies use this area for filming.

I, however, prefer my ivory tower!

My hope is that the world will be more like the vision from my window. For that to happen I guess I should be the one to go down to the beach and pick up some trash, at least figuratively speaking. This, then, is my prayer for 2012: Let it begin with me, Let me your servant be; I’ll share your love with one, just one at time.

Helping your kingdom build And so your will fulfill.

Let it begin with one, just one at a time.

(Leonard Ballantine) —Lt. Colonel Diane O’Brien is the Western Territory’s secretary for community care, older adult ministries and women’s auxiliaries.

Be strong

BY TIM FOLEY, MAJOR Lately, the idea of being strong and courageous has occupied my mind since I spent some time studying the Old Testament book of Joshua.

HOPES FOR 2012, page 9

New Krocs opening in 2012 n Western Territory will welcome three more Kroc Centers this year.

Happy Birthday, New Frontier n Western Territory’s newspaper celebrates its 30th year in 2012.

BY KAREN GLEASON “Never trust anyone over 30!”

Baby boomers will recall this warning, prevalent in the 1960s and 70s. Youth believed that after age 30, people were no longer relevant; they lost touch with the modern world and its challenges.

In 2012, New Frontier moves into its 30th year of publication—and it’s looking to maintain its relevance, telling the stories of The Salvation Army in the U.S. Western Territory NEW FRONTIER, page 3

A young girl picks out a coat for herself.

Photo by Sydney Fong

COATS FOR KIDS

Keeping Sacramento warm

n The Salvation Army partners with local news station to distribute coats to those who need them.

The Salvation Army in Sacramento, Calif., and News 10 partnered again to host the 21st annual News 10 Coats for Kids Distribution day on Dec. 30, 2011, from the main distribution center at Cal Expo and at eight other sites. Volunteers handed out over 15,000 coats across Northern California. Participating corps included Fairfield, Grass Valley, Lodi, Modesto, Roseville, Sacramento, Stockton, Woodland and Yuba-Sutter.

Although the program’s name indicates

coats only for children, plenty of adult coats were available and every person who needed a coat received one.

The Roseville Corps included a free giveaway table for the kids. Maya, 3, who was already excited about her new coat, was thrilled when she also got to choose a Tinkerbell costume.

The alliance between The Salvation Army and News 10 operates smoothly. News 10 handles the publicity and marketing of the event, while the collecting, storing and distribution falls on the corps. The Army supplies collection containers, trucks and volunteers, and also announces the event to families who receive Christmas food boxes and toys.

Each year there is a designated company sponsor. This year it was Tri-Counties COATS FOR KIDS, page 8

BY STEVE BIRELEY Citizens of Kapolei, Hawaii; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Suisun City, Calif., will soon be blessed with Kroc Centers.

The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Hawaii will be dedicated Jan. 27.

At nearly 200,000-square feet, Hawaii rivals the San Diego Center in size.

Corps activities have been ongoing even prior to dedication but the congregation is understandably anxious to move into their new home.

The Valley of the Sun will shine a

KROCS, page 8

Inside: Frontlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Recent Retirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Promoted to Glory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 In Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sharper Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 From the Desk of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Life Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 On the Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

On the web: www.newfrontierpublications.org Facebook: tsanewfrontier

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Doing the Most Good

January 13, 2012 New Frontier

NEWS BRIEFS OF THE WEST

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Cor. 5:17 NIV) SANTA MARIA, CALIF.—At its first Karen meeting in 2012, the Gleason Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Editor honored Lt. Matthew Jensen, assistant corps officer in Santa Maria, for his efforts in the 2011 National Bell Ringing Contest. Jensen rang a bell for 41 straight hours, breaking the previous record of 36 hours set

by Captain Kyle Smith in 2010. The county supervisors presented him with a resolution recognizing his endeavor, which helped raise money and awareness for the ministry of The Salvation Army.

McMINNVILLE, ORE.—McMinnville Corps members were surprised to find a $20 gold piece in one of their red kettles this past holiday season.

“I had never seen one before,” said Corps Officer Major Diana Trimmer, “so I took several minutes to turn it every which way.”

Divisional headquarters advised her to get as much money for it as she could, so she took it to a coin dealer and sold it for $1,508.

To see a photo of the coin, go to newfrontierpublications.org/nf/?p=2441.

VANCOUVER, WASH.—More than 400 bikers attended the “True Apostles” motorcycle club’s 26th annual toy run.

Corps Officers Majors Ron and Ronalee Fenrich read Scripture and shared Christ’s message of love to everyone in attendance.

SUISUN CITY, CALIF.— One Sunday, each member of the Suisun City (soon to be Kroc Center) congregation highlighted verses with special meaning for them in Bibles purchased for the corps and signed their names to them. At the service’s conclusion, everyone traveled to the Kroc Center site where they placed the Bibles in the foundation of the future corps.

They also stood in what will become the sanctuary and sang and prayed, before taking their first corps photo.

Captains Jonathan and Vickie Harvey are the corps officers.

BULLHEAD CITY, ARIZ./LAUGHLIN, NEV.—The Bullhead City Corps is now the proud owner of two new mercy seats, handmade by Soldier Richard Steven.

Corps members used them right away, coming forward to pray following the dedication by Envoy Bruce Rogers.

COEUR d’ALENE, IDAHO—Dale Eller, a fitness coach at the Kroc Center, rang the bell at Walmart for 41 hours during one weekend over the holidays, sharing his testimony with hundreds of people who stopped at his kettle. Eller also appeared on TV and was featured in an article in the Coeur d’Alene Press.

Majors John and Lani Chamness are center administrators and Majors Benton and JoAnn Markham are associate officers.

MANOA, HAWAII—In 2011, The Salvation Army presented its 25th annual live nativity at Wai’oli Gardens. The free event is a re-enactment of the first Christmas with costumes, live animals and an outdoor setting. The program is performed to a taped narration of the first Christmas by Sidney Poitier and Brooke Shields.

Check out the event’s Facebook page; look for “The Live Nativity at The Salvation Army Manoa.”

Sparking the flame that keeps the red kettle alive n Katie Wilkinson and her Red Kettle Club mobilize students and staff at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Ariz.

BY MARLENE KLOTZ-COLLINS When 16-year-old Katie Wilkinson decided to start a Red Kettle Club at her high school in Tempe, Ariz., she couldn’t have imagined the way her peers would embrace the concept. Under her leadership and with the support of her classmates and administration at Corona del Sol High School (CDS), the club has already proven an inspiring entity in serving The Salvation Army.

More than 20 students joined the club and, on Dec. 3, 2011, multiple clubs on campus supported its bell-ringing effort.

On that cold and rainy Saturday, school Principal Brent Brown and Assistant Principal Dan Nero also stood kettles with their students. Tempe School District Superintendent Dr. Ken Baca came by with a jar filled with coins. Wilkinson and several other soloists from the premiere choir at CDS drew groups of passers-by as they caroled around the kettle. And a group of band members entertained as well for shoppers and supporters. The students raised a total of $1,386!

“Katie, with her example and influence, has made service the ‘thing to do,’” said Tempe Corps Officer Captain Robyn Bridgeo. “Their kettle total averaged what we typically might see from up to five volunteer groups combined.”

“I love how this club has brought the school and community together to help such a wonderful organization,” Wilkinson said. “Not only is the amount of money we raised in 10 hours awesome, but also just making the students aware of the many programs that their bell ringing

Katie’s family supported her at the luncheon. (l-r): brother Zach, mom Cherie, grandfather Bill Miller, Katie, grandmother Sandy Miller, dad David.

will benefit was tremendous. Most had no idea of the many meaningful ways The Salvation Army reaches out to help those in need.”

Wilkinson was invited to attend the Phoenix Advisory Board’s Christmas appreciation luncheon for donors and supporters. Though she arrived with her mother and grandmother, she was surprised to be joined by the rest of her family as well as her school principal.

The efforts of the Red Kettle Club were recognized and Wilkinson was presented her own red kettle as founder of the first high school Red Kettle Club in America.

Brown also was surprised when he was called forward to receive a red kettle for display at school.

“It has been very special to watch Katie develop the concept of a Red Kettle Club from an idea into such a successful program within our campus and community,” Brown said. “She has given

and will continue to give all of us new opportunities to experience the goodness of helping others.”

Club members also sorted and bagged toys at the Tempe Corps. And they are already looking forward to a spring collection day at school to benefit the Adult Rehabilitation Center.

Wilkinson has been invited to participate in a meeting of the Young Adult Task Force preceding the National Advisory Board meeting in San Diego in mid-January.

“Never in my 20 years with the Army have I found such a dynamic young lady,” Bridgeo said of Wilkinson.

Brown concluded, “She and her fellow officers and club members are a great source of pride to our school and district.

This club will, indeed, be one of Katie’s legacies at Corona del Sol High School.”

Just one wish—to bring a family together n The Salvation Army turns the dream of a reunion into a reality.

Rosalynn Lasley had one wish for Christmas—to bring her sister, Angela Polsky, and Polksy’s two boys home to Alaska.

As a U.S. Marine stationed near San Diego, Polsky has been away from her family, except for a couple of visits, since joining the Marines seven years ago. She spent last Christmas overseas, away from her children and extended family, and is scheduled to return to Afghanistan again this summer.

Initially, Lasley hoped to win a trip for them through a radio contest, but as the holiday season progressed, she realized that hope was futile. With one last determined effort—believing her prayers would be answered—she turned to her friends and posted on Facebook, asking if anyone might be able to help.

That’s how The Salvation Army learned about the situation.

Debbie Comiskey, director of The Salvation Army Older Alaskans Program in Anchorage and a longtime friend of the family, knew The Salvation Army had an air mileage program to assist families with special needs, so she submitted a request for Lasley. After that, with the approval of Divisional Commander Major George

Angela Polsky (l) surrounded by family and friends.

To her right is Major Nila Fankhauser, Alaska’s divisional director of social services.

Photo by Jenny Ragland

Baker, Jenni Ragland, the division’s associate community relations director, worked with territorial and national headquarters to process the request. The arrangements came together—the family would come home to Anchorage for Christmas.

Polsky and her sons arrived early Christmas Eve morning. She spent the day anxiously waiting to surprise her mother and grandparents, who had no idea that she was home. The reunion was a joyous time for all.

“This expression of support to service members and their families,” said Polsky, “will be something I will never forget, and I hope to teach my children one day about helping others.”

Romance novelist gives $500,000 to The Salvation Army

BY SCOTT SUNDE, SEATTLEPI.COM Best-selling romance author Debbie Macomber is giving quite a Christmas present to the Bremerton Salvation Army: $500,000.

The author, a Washington native who spends part of the year in Port Orchard, Author Debbie Macomber wanted the gift to be anonymous. But her spokeswoman confirmed to the Kitsap Sun that Macomber had made the donation.

Macomber’s spokeswoman told seattlepi.com that the author didn’t want any notice.

“It’s almost like a religious thing for her,” said spokeswoman Nancy Berland.

Macomber released this statement: “I have a personal connection with a distant relative who is a minister with The Salvation Army, now retired, and Wayne (her husband) and I have always admired their work with the homeless in the Bremerton area. We are honored to contribute to their mission in honor and NOVELIST, page 9

Doing the Most Good

January 13, 2012 New Frontier

“I’ll Fight Day”—2011 n Youth from the Phoenix South Mountain Corps participate in The Salvation Army’s national day of service.

BY BRITTANY DOWNS “What’s the catch?” asked a man waiting for the bus when I offered him a free cup of coffee one Saturday morning.

Can you blame him? Sales pitches bombard the public: coupons that read “Free Sandwich” in bold letters, only to continue in fine print, “With the purchase of any sandwich of greater or equal value”; a window advertising a free smart phone, if you sign a two-year contract. There always seems to be a catch.

But on Dec. 3, 2011 there was no catch. I stood on the corner handing out coffee, water and cookies to anyone interested— totally free!

As part of The Salvation Army’s national “I’ll Fight Day,” 30 young people from the Phoenix South Mountain Corps joined other youth across the U.S. who surprised people with God’s love through practical acts of kindness in their own community.

Participants randomly selected one of four activities, and then split into groups. One group rang bells at a kettle and returned carts at a local grocery store. Another delivered baked cookies and thank-you notes to community police and fire stations, while another painted over graffiti at a nearby property. The final group handed out Starbucks coffee and cookies at a bus stop. All of this was done in the name of Jesus Christ—to show God’s love.

The response was amazing! Although we didn’t take any money, people were persistent in trying to give donations. Many asked what the service project was about. Some drivers pulled over to engage in conversations. One family even attended our church the following morning.

As Christians, we often spend time trying to come up with new answers to the same questions: How can we present the gospel

Salvation Army youth hit the South Phoenix streets on “I’ll Fight Day” to reach out to the community with the love of Christ.

Photo by Chris Mitchell

effectively? How can we market ourselves? How do we get people interested in Jesus? Yet the simplest answer to these questions is the same as it has always been—love. In John 13:35, Jesus says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (NRS).

‘Just Imagine…’ over 90 years of marching n The Salvation Army marks its 92nd year of marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Tuba player Jonathan Bagshaw Photo courtesy of The Salvation Army Canada

The Salvation Army has marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., every year since 1920, making 2012 its 92nd consecutive year—the longest of any participating band. This year’s parade, themed “Just Imagine…,” took place Jan. 2 instead of Jan. 1, the tradition when the 1st falls on a Sunday.

Joining Salvationists from Southern California along the 5.5-mile parade route were 48 young people from across North America, including Canada. Every U.S. territory was represented. This year’s special guest was the Household Troops Band from

the U.K., directed by Bandmaster Carl Saunders from the Cardiff Canton Corps in Wales.

“The Salvation Army’s participation in the Rose Parade is a way to witness to the world through our music,” said tuba player Jonathan Bagshaw (Heritage Park Temple, Winnipeg, Canada), “making a stand for Jesus in the midst of everything else happening along the parade route.”

In fact, the band played the march, “Stand Up For Jesus,” which won the Southern California Division’s international march competition held last year.

Leading the band for the 11th year was Bandmaster Kevin Larsson, Southern California divisional music director.

Something for every child n God delivers a “loaves and fishes” miracle when supplies fall short in Reno.

“It seemed like a lot of toys when we saw the pile at the beginning of the first day of a planned four days of distribution,” said Major Janene Zielinski, Reno (Nev.) corps officer.

“But at the end of that day, after serving about 750 families with multiple members, we realized we weren’t going to make it through even the next day for kids older than age 5.”

So it seemed. God, however, had a Christmas miracle planned for Reno. As leaders made plans to solicit large toy purchases, donors started streaming through the doors of the Christmas warehouse bringing toys—not just a few toys, but hundreds, and in one case over 1,000 in one load!

Zielinski and others began to call it the “loaves and fishes” Christmas. At the end of day two they declared a Christmas miracle that every child was well taken care of. At the end of day they remained amazed at the “just enough” aspect of the toys for older children. By the end of day four the toy sorters were proud to still have a nice selection on the older kids’ tables, with several dozen boxes of toys left over for next year.

In all, 2,880 families with about 9,000 children ages unborn to 17 received Christmas gifts, provided and multiplied by God’s plan.

After its Christmas dinner, the Reno Salvation Army

The line of people waiting for Christmas assistance extends outside the Reno Salvation Army.

Photo by Janene Zielinski

distributed more toys to the kids who came with their families, along with hundreds of coats, gloves and mittens—everything the corps had stored for the winter because the need was so great.

Later, the corps received an unexpected call to come pick up several hundred coats from a local coat drive.

“The closet is full again,” said Zielinski. “Our faith is full again.

We were faithful to share, God provided for the need and we all received the blessing!”

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NEW FRONTIER from page 1

and beyond.

The look of the paper may have changed from its early days, but the driving force behind it remains a love of The Salvation Robert Docter, O.F., editorin-chief and founder of Army and New Frontier a desire to share its mission with others.

New Frontier founder, Robert Docter, Ph.D., O.F., and editor-in-chief, possesses an uncanny ability to spot significant stories and highlight important issues.

In New Frontier’s 25th anniversary issue (Vol. 25, No. 13), he wrote about how his love of the Army inspired him to create the paper, and revealed his commitment to moral and social issues: “I love the foundation principles of the organization—Booth’s interpretations of Wesleyan holiness—about his cab horse charter that implies you must feed a hungry person food before trying to feed the soul—about how we trust people to grow, about our willingness to forgive and provide second chances, about the way we fly to humanity’s ‘fires’ and quench them with a cup of cold water. Most of all, I love that which motivates us—the expression of love in the cause of Christ.”

In the 10th anniversary issue of New Frontier, Commissioner Will Pratt, Western territorial commander in 1983, commented on the birth of the paper: “I was so excited at the prospect of having our own bimonthly newspaper…that I overlooked the requirement plainly spelled out in ‘Orders and Regulations for Territorial Commanders’: you must seek permission for a new paper and its name from the chief of the staff.” And so the Western Territory published its newspaper before the South came out with Southern Spirit—then Southern Territorial Commander Commissioner Andrew Miller was following the rules.

As a department, New Frontier Publications has grown significantly in its 30 years, expanding its family of publications with the quarterly Caring, a magazine featuring the holistic ministries of The Salvation Army, and the monthly Nuevas, its Spanish-language newspaper.

All three publications have Facebook pages, Caring keeps an active presence on Twitter, and New Frontier maintains a web page (newfrontierpublications.org).

During 2012, New Frontier will take an occasional look back at 1983, reprinting articles from that first year. Did you know that Commissioner John Needham, then national commander, appeared on “60 Minutes” with Morley Safer? Look for a reprint of the story in our next issue.

On its 30th birthday, New Frontier thanks you, its readers, for your support through the years, and for not only reading about the news but also for making the news and sharing it in the pages of the West’s territorial newspaper.

Read

TCSPEAK with Territorial Commander Commissioner James Knaggs

online at tcspeak.com

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Doing the Most Good

January 13, 2012 New Frontier

Bell Ringing World Record contest sets new record: 60 hours n Three contestants outlasted competitors to set world record.

War Cry launches project to promote subscriptions In an effort to enhance promotional efforts for the War Cry, the National Publications Department launched a trial project designed to encourage individuals to subscribe to the magazine. It represents a starting point for future discussions and plans to better use electronic tools for communicating the mission of The Salvation Army through the War Cry. Beginning with the Jan. 7 issue of War Cry, readers will see a personalized web address (PURL) printed on the front cover. By visiting the website, a reader can choose to sign up for a free 3-month subscription to War Cry, either in print or online.

Current subscribers can also visit their PURL to view the magazine online.

For more on the War Cry, visit http:// bit.ly/yQ7KK2.

Businesses in downtown Detroit honored The Salvation Army’s last day of the Red Kettle Campaign by “going red.” On Dec. 22, 2011, Motors Renaissance Center boasted a gigantic Salvation Army shield, while surrounding skyscrapers were also adorned with the iconic red.

Kare Kitchen receives 35,000 The Walmart Foundation awarded The Salvation Army Omaha North Corps with a $35,000 grant. The funding, received in December 2011, will help support the Army’s Kare Kitchen—a free noon meal program provided at the North Corps in Nebraska. The kitchen will now be able to purchase needed supplies for its kids café meal programs and fund healthy cooking classes for families.

Darrell Tureskis, 49, from Springfield, Ill., rang until a few minutes past midnight Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, in his bid to set the new world record for the longest continuous hand bell ringing at a Salvation Army Red Kettle. Two volunteers from Indianapolis, Caleb Stokes and Leilan McNally, also rang for 60 hours until midnight, far surpassing the previous record of 36 hours set in 2010.

Tureskis, a small business owner, outlasted the field of Salvation Army volunteer bell ringers who stood at kettle stands in cities across America to raise awareness for The Salvation Army’s 120th Red Kettle Campaign to support people in need. The volunteer bell ringers in the contest endured fatigue, hunger, and cold weather, while continuously ringing the bell.

The contestants—including nine Salvation Army officers, staff members, former residents and community members—rang from coast to coast and even in Alaska. Many stood in front of Walmart Stores or in areas with high foot traffic in their cities.

Participants were bound by several rules that tested their endurance during their attempt: participants must stand the entire time; participants may not eat; participants may drink hydration products only such as water, Gatorade or juice; participants must ring a bell at all times; participants only may use a bathroom once every four hours, during a 10-minute break.

Behind the three-way tie for the record, Jason Perkins, from the Western Territory, tied for second longest ringing time at 57 hours. Perkins, a former U.S. Army Ranger, is the newly appointed

center director of the Suisun City Kroc Center in Suisun City, Calif. He outlasted many competitors, despite over 20 surgeries on his knees and legs due to injury from a parachute accident while enlisted.

The ringers were inspired by acts of kindness including small children who donated the contents of their piggy bank, onlookers who provided soft mats to stand on and calf massages as the contest wore on. Many people followed the contest online through social media including on Twitter (#RingItOn).

The top five contestants included: Darrell Tureskis (Springfield, Ill.) at 60 hours, Leilan McNally (Indianapolis, Ind.) at 60 hours, Caleb Stokes (Indianapolis, Ind.) at 60 hours, Jason Perkins (Suisun City, Calif.) at 57 hours, and Saundra Shearon (Cleburne, Texas) at 57 hours.

From blog.salvationarmy.org

Top: Record bell ringers from Indianapolis Leilan McNally (c) and Caleb Stokes (r) with well wishers. Above: Second place finisher from the Suisun City Kroc Center in the Western Territory, Jason Perkins

Triennial social services conference slated for March n First-ever combined National Social Services and Disaster Management Conference The Salvation Army’s triennial National Social Services Conference is approaching and for the first time it will be combined with the Disaster Management Conference, slated for March 23-27, in Phoenix, Ariz.

“We are living through a time of both social and environmental challenge. Whether the result of economic crisis or natural disaster, the human needs that are a consequence of these events bring about increasing and ongoing demands to Salvation Army ministries,” said Major Betty Israel, national social services director. “The National Social Services and Disaster Management Conference will be the place to share experiences and ideas, learn new skills and broaden the scope and quality of Salvation Army service.”

Army providers from across the United States and Canada will join in a combined conference—themed “Ready for Mission-Equipped Service”—representing the many disciplines of delivery of social programs and the wide array of emergency and disaster management services. Over 90 workshops and preconference seminars will be available on such topics as social service professionals and self-care, homelessness and housing, addictions, general social service program resources, human trafficking, administration and a wide array of disaster management issues.

Plenary sessions will feature the Ahwatukee Foothills Baptist Church choir and orchestra; Commissioners James and Carolyn Knaggs, Western territorial leaders; Commissioner William Roberts, national commander; Commissioner Nancy Roberts, national president of women’s organizations; and Dr. Ronald Sider, Canadian-born American theologian, founder of Evangelicals for Social Action and professor of “Theology, Holistic Ministry and Public Policy” at Palmer Theological Seminary.

“As a result of their conference experience, participants will be

even better equipped to fulfill the vision of The Salvation Army,” Israel said.

To learn more or to register for the event, to be held at the Glendale Renaissance Hotel, visit nssdmc2012.org.

January 13, 2012 • NEW FRONTIER—PAGE 5

24/7 PRAYER

Staying on the wall

Pursuing social justice through 24/7 prayer

pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fundraising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy egomusic…Do you know what I want? I want justice— oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want” (Amos 5:21-24 MSG).

Throughout church history, social justice has been at the root of our mission. This includes not only social action in the world, but when we pray for justice we pray for healing as God’s judgment on sickness; for revival as God’s judgment on a compromised church; for evangelism as God’s

BY LINDA MADSEN, MAJOR Kingdom driven, marked with love for God through service to the poor, vulnerable and dispossessed.

This has always been The Salvation Army’s mission, coupled with a ready invitation to believe in and follow Jesus Christ.

It’s easy to see the natural tie to pursuing justice in and through “doing the most good.”

In November 2010, General Shaw Clifton (Ret.) issued a Global Call to 24/7 Prayer for Social Justice, initiated and supported by the International Center for Spiritual Life Development. The center, working in partnership with the International Social Justice Commission, challenged Salvationists worldwide to harmonize our historic roots in mission with God’s call to pursue justice in today’s world.

In response, on Jan. 1, 2011, the USA Western Territory launched a prayer initiative calling The USA Western for people to “Stay on the Territory is re-launching wall” in prayer for social the 24/7 Prayer for Social justice. Every division Justice initiative “Stay on was asked to cover one month in focused the Wall…to Set the prayer. Throughout Captives Free.” the territory, corps and adult rehabilitation centers established prayer rooms and held Bible studies on “Jesus and Justice.” Some corps invited other churches to join this 24/7 call to prayer, seeking a united stand against the corrosiveness of corruption throughout the global community.

At prayer breakfasts, larger than life “Stay on the Wall” banners outside divisional headquarters’ buildings encouraged passers-by to pray for social justice. The Sierra del Mar Division held a concert at Pine Summit Camp to bring awareness to these issues—150 attended, three Christian bands participated, and field missionaries on furlough spoke about their work with teenage trafficking victims in Israel.

Realizing the ongoing need for intercession on the part of those “held captive to injustice,” the International Center

WHO CARES?, page 7

24/7 PRAYER, page 7

SOCIAL JUSTICE—WHO CARES?

BY LT. COLONEL JANET MUNN What does social justice have to do with God— Father, Son and Spirit?

The psalmist and the prophets answer this question by describing the Lord as one who loves justice (Psalm 11:7, Isaiah 61:8) and whose throne is founded upon justice (Psalm 97:2). And God is holy.

Jesus’ life was marked by justice. His heart was filled with compassion for the vulnerable and oppressed of society. He cleansed the lepers (Mark 1:40-44), and brought dignity to women (John 4:142). Jesus released those bound by demons (Mark 1:21-34), spoke up for the weak (Luke 14:12-14) and confronted the spiritually proud (Luke 6:1-11).

Hear Jesus’ mission: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). The anointing of the Spirit was Jesus’ source.

Our holy God—Father, Son and Spirit—devoted to justice.

What does social justice have to do with Christianity and The Salvation Army?

The prophet Amos clarifies the Lord’s heart on the issue of justice. He confronts the hypocrisy of socially irrelevant spirituality and the “superspiritual” whose prayer lives are detached from the immediate issues of justice for the poor: “I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your

PAGE 6—New Frontier • January 13, 2012

Youth for Social Justice

TAPIOCA—Craving ‘Sweet Justice’ Youth for Social Justice

TAPIOCA—Craving ‘Sweet Justice’

By Megan McQuade

Justice is sweet, the saying goes.

To meet that desire for sweet justice, a group of Western Territory young adults formed TAPIOCA—Territorial Action Planning Initiative On Creating Awareness—in Jan. 2011 after attending “A Time To Be Holy” conference in Canada.

The group is committed to raising awareness of and taking action on causes related to social justice, communicating and sharing resources on its Facebook page (search for TAPIOCA).

TAPIOCA’s strategy team meets each month via conference call to discuss social justice initiatives in their local corps and division, and how to get more people involved. The group is working toward connecting efforts of the territory’s Spiritual Life and Social Services departments with those of youth and young adults. To help make this happen, TAPIOCA chooses one topic each month for its focus, seeking creative ways to raise awareness on the topic through social media and by hosting corps activities, with the goal of getting people to take action.

In Sept. 2011, in conjunction with the Call to Prayer for Sex Trafficking Victims, TAPIOCA participated in an online “I Am Traffic Jam” campaign with the Canadian, New Zealand, and Australian territories. Young adults from the Southern California, Del Oro, and Golden State

divisions hosted prayer rooms and fasted within their corps. One member, Stephanie Freeman from Alaska, created a presentation on trafficking that was shown at her college, corps and even at Alaska’s officers’ councils. Many of the youth attended documentary screenings on the global sex trade, including the documentary Nefarious sponsored by Newsong Church in Irvine. The young adult retreat hosted by Southern California Division focused heavily on social justice.

To coincide with the International Social Justice Commission’s October Call to Prayer for Corruption, TAPIOCA addressed the issue of poverty, posting new statistics every day on Facebook relating to poverty and encouraging others to join them on October 17 in living on no more than $1.50, the average daily wage for much of the world.

TAPIOCA ended 2011 with an invitation for people to join them on December 17 for “I’ll Fight Day,” a time to make a difference in their corps and community in practical ways. Young adults around the territory literally took to the streets—cleaning up parks, returning shopping carts, providing free gift wrapping at local malls and finding other ways to help local businesses and people on the streets. Others delivered gifts to nursing homes and coordinated crews to clean up local corps buildings, making them “program ready” for the New Year.

To get involved, visit TAPIOCA’s Facebook page: facebook.com/#!/pages/ TAPIOCA/147184825376145 Megan McQuade is the children and youth

set the captives free

January 13, 2012 • NEW FRONTIER—PAGE 7

With the emergence of the working poor in America and increasing homeless masses of women and children as a result of the U.S. economic downturn, The Salvation Army continues to serve the marginalized, developing new strategies and fostering hope to meet people’s needs in the 21st century.

Social Justice or Social Service?

BY LAWRENCE SHIROMA, MAJOR The numbers tell part of the story—The Salvation Army is the largest non-profit provider of social services in the Western United States.

In 2010, the territory provided safe lodgings for 1,646,254 persons; distributed clean, fresh clothing to 1,065,116 individuals; provided medical assistance for 170,488; life-saving transportation for 288,877; and much needed energy assistance for 61,750 persons. For Christmas 2010, The Salvation Army distributed 732,421 gifts to needy families, 924,205 toys to children and 77,707 gift cards to the impoverished.

How, though, are the 10 Western Territory divisions dealing with social justice? Is this form of “New Evangelism” separate from social services? Or is the provision of services integrated and seamless in seeking to meet General Linda Bond’s vision of “One Army”?

The Cascade Division’s Lighthouse Lodge Transitional Shelter in Salem, Ore., is an example of a residential program that implements both social services and social justice—two sides of the same coin. This 83-bed transitional living facility helps homeless, single adults and families achieve self-sufficiency with a goal of obtaining employment. A number of the residents were victims of human exploitation. With funding from a HUD grant, the program emphasizes life skills.

WHO CARES?

—Major Lawrence Shiroma is social services secretary in the Western Territory.

from page 5

judgment on the kingdom of darkness; for reconciliation as God’s judgment on division; for holiness as God’s judgment on sin.

The Salvation Army historically has had “a deep compassion for the plight of society’s outcasts.” This “was not just a distinctive of The Salvation Army—it was its very essence” (Insane: The Stories of Crazy Salvos Who Changed the World, Munn and Collinson).

What does social justice have to do with me?

It is no coincidence that before he started his ministry Jesus spent 40 days alone, praying and fasting, preparing for his mission. Similarly, as

24/7 PRAYER

To keep up with the demand for services, the Lighthouse Lodge developed clientoutcome based services using the logic model, a measurement tool that compiles services provided to persons and families. The United Way in Salem uses The Salvation Army’s logic model to measure how individuals are assisted by case management services in other community agencies.

The Salem Lighthouse Lodge is one of over 100 social service residential programs in the Western Territory that provide assistance to the down and out so that they may achieve independence and rise from the oppression of past addictions and memories of past abuses and failures.

With the emergence of the working poor in America and increasing homeless masses of women and children as a result of the U.S. economic downturn, The Salvation Army continues to serve the marginalized, developing new strategies and fostering hope to meet people’s needs in the 21st century.

Is this social justice or social service? Only the skeptical and the uninformed about The Salvation Army’s mission and passion would say that they are not one and the same.

we spend time in prayer before a holy God, his concerns become ours.

Jesus’ lifestyle was a marriage of prayer, mission and justice. He desires the same for us.

Learn to do good.

Work for justice.

Help the down-and-out.

Stand up for the homeless.

Go to bat for the defenseless.

(Isaiah 1:17) —Lt. Colonel Janet Munn is the international secretary for Spiritual Life Development.

from page 5

for Spiritual Life Development has called for a continuation of the 24/7 Global Call to Prayer through 2012. Therefore, the USA Western Territory is re-launching the 24/7 Prayer for Social Justice initiative “Stay on the Wall…to Set the Captives Free,” with a focus on victims of human trafficking, poverty and addiction—three areas of injustice that currently impact every community in which The Salvation Army serves today.

To better equip the soldiers and friends of the territory to participate, the territory’s Spiritual Life Development department created the pamphlet “In Pursuit of Justice”—to inform,

inspire and invite you to actively pursue justice and usher in the kingdom of God. This booklet will be available through your local corps office by mid-February or contact Linda.

Madsen@usw. salvationarmy .org.

24/7 PRAYER

Staying on the wall

SOCIAL JUSTICE—THE PEOPLE

Staying on the Wall—Testimony

BY JESSYCA ELGART, MAJOR The first time I was approached to participate in prostitution I was 14.

A “friend” told me it was an easy way to make $50 and would give me something to do while I hung out until the place where I was staying re-opened. This wasn’t the first time I had run away from home, but it was the first time I didn’t run to my grandparents’ house. This time, the cops picked me up and took me to a “safe place”—a group home. When you show up at a group home with the cops, other kids automatically “respect” you. But the reality was that I was very innocent on the inside. I just looked and acted tough.

Looking back now I don’t think I turned down the offer because I knew it was wrong and would lead to a life of destruction. I think I said no because I was scared that I wouldn’t know how or that I wouldn’t be good at it. Praise God for my insecurity!

The second time I was 17 and I flat out refused. In fact, I told the youth services hotline lady that if they didn’t take me in I would have to be a prostitute and it would be her fault. I got into another group home that day. Praise God for manipulative guilt trips!

More social challenges followed. I found myself once again at the prey of some people who meant to “turn me out.” That same week I met The Salvation Army. By this time I was 18 and living in a city-run women’s homeless shelter. I was living with adults. I was very much the young new fish in the pond and I was terrified inside. I just wanted to be wanted; I wanted to belong. I wanted to be loved.

Had I not met The Salvation Army that week, I could have ended up in the hands of someone who forced me into prostitution. I could have been a victim of human trafficking. But instead it was the wonderful people of the Sacramento Citadel Corps who loved me in Christ. I was welcomed when I walked through the doors into a Home League meeting that just happened to be a potluck, and I was hungry. I was invited to Bible study, which also involved food. (Remember, I was homeless and food was expensive.)

I was treated like I belonged. I was prayed for. I was encouraged. I was loved. I was saved. No one from the corps offered me a job or a place to live—nor did I ask, but they prayed for me and with me as I worked to end my homelessness.

In my current appointment as assistant territorial social service secretary, I find myself researching and sharing many social justice challenges and resources.

It occurs to me that had it not been for the prayerful intercession and outward expression of Christlikeness from the people in that Bible study, I may have ended up a victim.

Praise God for people of prayer!

And thank you.

8

Doing the Most Good

January 13, 2012

recentRetirements

Majors Jerry and Donna Ames

Retiring couple bids farewell to Salem Kroc Center

Advisory Board member and past chairman Mike Morgan remarked, “The Ames are two of the best officers I have ever worked with. They are very dedicated and very kind. All the board members agree that they are wonderful leaders, committed to the mission of The Salvation Army.”

“It has been an amazing five and a half years,” Donna Ames said. “We have counted it a privilege to have served in Salem, to see the Kroc Center up and serving so many people, to see the corps grow, and to see the Army continue to serve the homeless and underserved of this community in a spirit of Christian love.”

In retirement, the Ames, who have two adult children, will spend time traveling and being with family. They will reside in Keizer, Ore.

n Majors Jerry and Donna Ames retire—again.

Majors Jerry and Donna Ames retired from the Salem, (Ore.) Kroc Center on Dec. 1—again.

Technically, the Ames retired in October 2009, one month after the grand opening of the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in northeast Salem.

They stayed on, however, to guide the center’s development. Donna Ames has been the Kroc Center’s executive director, and Jerry Ames the Marion/Polk county coordinator.

“We’ve been on post-retirement contract with The Salvation Army,” Jerry Ames said. “We were asked to continue to help the Kroc Center get established and going. So, this seems like a good time to take the retirement plans that were on hold, move on to some other things, and let some new leadership come in and keep the Kroc Center moving forward.”

Former Salem City Manager Bob Wells said the Ames fought for Salem to get a Kroc Center. “Both of them were incredibly instrumental for bringing that center to Salem,” he stated.

COATS FOR KIDS Bank. Typically, the sponsor collects coats in their own bins and The Salvation Army corps collect and store them until the day of the event.

“I continue to be amazed by the gratitude we see in the eyes of the people we help,” said Stefanie Vrapi, Del Oro divisional public relations director. “News 10 Coats for Kids is another platform that allows The Salvation Army to reach out and provide communities with basic needs. There is nothing more basic than a warm coat to help families get through the cold winter months comfortably.

News 10 is a wonderful partner and we are happy to be part of this much-needed campaign.”

KROCS

Major Doug Tollerud and John Magnenat Photo by Major Dave Harmon

Faithful musician John Magnenat retires after 70 years of service n Former Seattle Temple Corps bandmaster hangs up his horn.

BY JOYCE M. JOHNSTON Bandsman John Magnenat, 85, officially retired from the Seattle Temple Corps band—after serving as a musician for 70 years—during its Thanksgiving concert on Nov. 20.

He was bandmaster there for 34 years,

and most recently played baritone.

Northwest Divisional Commander Major Doug Tollerud read a citation and presented Magnenat with a certificate of appreciation. Tollerud also gave him a binder of letters from soldiers, family and friends from around the world thanking him for his service—his music and his mentoring.

One of the letters was from retired General John Larsson, who reminisced about a time in Santiago, Chili, when Magnenat was an important motivation to a very young John Larsson. Magnenat encouraged Larsson to play the alto horn and as Larsson grew proficient on the instrument, Magnenat invited him to play in the corps band.

After receiving his accolades, Mangenat thanked everyone and left the platform saying, “The glory goes to Jesus!”

Magnenat was born Sept. 17, 1926, to Brigadiers Ruth and Elie Magnenat in Callao, Peru. He married Rafaela Meldendo in January 1956 and they had four children. One of his children, Philip, was promoted to Glory in 1987.

Mangenat served as Santiago Corps’ bandmaster for 11 years. The family then immigrated to St. James, Canada, where he served as bandmaster for five years.

In 1962, the couple moved their growing family to Seattle and joined the then Seattle Citadel Corps, where he served as bandmaster for the next 34 years. When he retired from that position, he took his place as a player in the band.

When asked what advice he would give to aspiring Salvation Army musicians, he replied, “Do it because you like it, not because you have to.”

Magnenat continues to serve his corps as director of senior ministries and leads the Home League Bible study every Thursday morning.

Major Charleen Bradley

vice at the College for Officer Training, and Commissioners Kurt and Alicia Burger conducted the service of retirement.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Calif., Charleen Major Charleen Bradley Lansing and her family were soldiers for many years at the San Francisco Citadel Corps. She received her BS degree in nursing from San Francisco State University in 1967, and an MA degree in Christian Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminar in 2002.

Charleen Lansing married Jim Bradley in 1969. They entered the Training College as part of the Companions of Christ—the first session to complete two years of training at Crestmont—and were commissioned in 1977.

After eight years of corps appointments, they spent another eight years as staff at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont, followed by a divisional appointment in the Southwest Division and then three years as youth leaders for the Western Territory.

Following Major Jim Bradley’s promotion to Glory in 1996, Charleen Bradley returned to the College for Officer Training where she served for 11 years, helping to mold and form men and women to be officers and servants of God. She retired from active officership as assistant secretary for personnel for officer development at territorial headquarters.

Bradley has two sons: Eric and his wife, Adriana, along with grandchildren Grace, Samuel, Benjamin, Joshua and Harmony, live in Murrieta, Calif. Ethan and his wife, Vivian, along with grandson Ezekiel, live in San Pedro, Calif.

Bradley’s retirement home will be in Glendale, Ariz. She gives praise to God for a wonderful journey of faith and his presence along the way.

Major Charleen Bradley entered retirement on Sept. 17, 2011, after 34 years of active duty as a Salvation Army officer.

Major Ralph Hood presided at a chapel ser-

(See Colonel Dave Hudson’s column on page 10 for more on Major Bradley.)

from page 1

Alaskan kids receive outerwear n The Salvation Army partners with Fred Meyer and Lynden Transport to provide snow jackets and pants to children in Alaska.

BY JENNI RAGLAND Freddy’s Coats for Kids made its debut in December 2011 as The Salvation Army, Fred Meyer and Lynden Transport joined forces to announce their new partnership, which will provide coats and snow pants for thousands of Alaskan kids in 16 communities across the state. Governor Sean Parnell and

Mayor Dan Sullivan joined the kickoff.

Major George Baker, divisional commander, helped deliver about 60 coats to children in the small town of Wales.

“It was just like Christmas, seeing the kids so excited to try on their new coats,” Baker said. “We are thankful to be the recipients of such generosity that will benefit children throughout Alaska!”

Fred Meyer Stores teamed with iApparel, manufacturers of iExtreme and Pink Platinum clothing lines, to purchase the clothing for $10,000. Lynden Transport carried 10,000 coats and 4,000 pairs of snow pants to the villages, which translates

to a more than $10,000 transportation donation.

“Alaska has been such an amazing place to do business,” Norm Mills, vice president and regional director of sales for Fred Meyer Stores in Alaska, said. “We polled our employees about a year ago and asked

what we could do to give back, and the resounding answer was to put coats on kids.”

Fred Meyer, Lynden Transport and The Salvation Army plan to make their clothing distribution an annual event, with plans to include more communities as the program grows.

from page 1

bit brighter on May 18 with the dedication of the 160,000-square foot Salvation Army Kroc Center in Phoenix. Long renowned for its groundbreaking and character-building boxing program, the corps will be housed in a true ring of honor in the Kroc Center. The congregation is also looking forward to its new location.

On the heels of the Phoenix opening will be the

Suisun City Kroc Center dedication on May 26.

At 67,000-square feet, it will be among the smaller centers, but the impact on the community will be immeasurable.

Indeed, The Salvation Army family is expanding significantly in 2012 with three brand new Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers, spreading far and wide the mission of The Salvation Army.

VISIT US ON THE WEB AT: newfrontierpublications.org

SO. CAL. CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

More than $180,000 was raised in three minutes at the Los Angeles Area Command’s Christmas Luncheon held in December at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Commanders Majors Mike and Cindy Dickinson planned the event and KNBC weatherman Fritz Coleman was master of ceremonies. Coleman celebrated his 20th anniversary as a contributor and supporter of The Salvation Army. Advisory Board member Kathy Turner’s table won honors for the most donations in their table’s Red Kettle. (Pictured l-r are Fritz Coleman, Major Cindy Dickinson, Kathy Turner and Major Mike Dickinson.)

Photo by Robert Brennan

Doing the Most Good

January 13, 2012

HOPES FOR 2012

from page 1

On the verge of entering the Promised Land and about to assume the mantle of leadership, Joshua receives encouragement from God: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land” (Joshua 1:5-6a NIV).

For extra good measure, God offers further encouragement in verse 7: “Be strong and very courageous.” Joshua would need all the strength and courage he could muster to lead 2 million people into a new and very strange land The word “strong” here calls forth an image of being mighty, irresistible, impregnable, constant. For Joshua, this message from God includes the idea of being resolute in everything he is about to do—to act with great spirit and undaunted courage.

Every New Year brings the hope of new opportunities. Doors to new adventures are unlocked. Sometimes when we begin to walk through those doors we see monumental challenges that can knock us down after taking only one step.

Success comes to you in your life when you realize that while indeed life’s challenges are difficult, you can draw on the presence of God to give you strength.

That comes as you develop a life of deep communion through prayer and a com-

mitment to not only reading God’s Word, but also obeying it.

My hope is that you will be strong in the tasks ahead of you. Call upon the name of the Lord who is indeed mighty to save and who will give you all the strength and courage you need at the right time.

Major Tim Foley is training principal at the West’s College for Officer Training at Crestmont.

Major Harold B. Wells was promoted to Glory on Dec. 13, 2011, from Wenatchee, Wash.

He was born Oct. 19, 1926, in Stroudsburg, Pa., to Joseph and Ada Wells. As a young man he enlisted with the U.S. Army Infantry and served in the Asiatic Pacific arena and Korea during WWII. Following his military time, he joined The Salvation Army.

Wells was commissioned with the Servants of Christ Session in 1963. During his career as an officer, he and his wife Dorothy accepted appointments in The Salvation Army Men’s Rehabilitation Program in San Francisco, Santa Monica

and Bakersfield, Calif.; Denver; and Spokane, Wash. They also served as corps officers in Redding, Calif.; Missoula, Mont.; and Wenatchee, Pasco and Renton, Wash.

Although he retired in 1993 in Cashmere, Wash., Wells continued to serve in Alaska and Washington as needed. He was known for his kind heart and great sense of humor.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; sons Kenneth, Keith and Kevin; and grandsons, Bryant and Stephen Wells.

The Wenatchee Corps held a memorial service on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, with Major Tom Morrow officiating. A service took place on Jan. 6 at the Military Cemetery in Federal Way, Wash. The Renton Corps also held a memorial service on Jan. 6. Major Maynard Sargent officiated.

Hope for the future— new beginnings

BY MAN-HEE CHANG, MAJOR A shy teenager takes his or her first drink or drug and suddenly becomes the life of the party. Another, who has trouble controlling his or her emotions, finds that a joint, pill or drink brings a feeling of omnipotence. People turn to alcohol and substance abuse to fix whatever is wrong—if only momentarily—and it works quickly.

When life is unmanageable, drugs and alcohol are two of the great illusion builders that fool people into thinking that for a time they are in control, temporarily suppressing the real life issues lying dormant, all the time further losing control.

With the continuing abuse of alcohol and drugs in our society, the demand for adult rehabilitation center (ARC) services

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will increase.

Every year over 10,000 men and women reach a point of despair, falling prey to powerlessness that even alcohol and drugs cannot fix, and come to ARCs seeking help.

Ironically, addiction is basically a medical problem for which the only effective, long-term cure is spiritual. The opportunity for the ARC to work together with local corps and other Salvation Army institutions to provide spiritual care has never been greater.

As rehabilitation is the process of restoring persons to their best possible functioning, the first business of the ARC is to awaken hope in the minds and souls of these individuals. Everyone encounters bumps along the way of life. We get discouraged, hurt, sometimes even bitter, but we don’t give up for we believe in God and that he is leading us.

My hope is that all ARC and corps officers, staff and congregations will take the responsibility to provide opportunities to all beneficiaries and their families so that they will see God as loving, merciful, forgiving, and the creator of new beginnings.

NOVELIST

I hope that we would see God’s ultimate plans for his chosen people.

Major Man-Hee Chang is the West’s adult rehabilitation centers commander.

My hope for 2012

BY ROBERT DOCTER Hope is absent if that which we hope for has already been attained. We hope for the unattained.

We actualize that attainment as we persevere through, first, a wish for that which we have not yet attained; second, we begin to want that which we have not attained; and third, we exercise our will to attain that which had previously been unattainable.

This perseverance, Scripture (Rom. 5:4) tells us, creates character, and character brings us hope.

I have great hope for 2012 and I will persevere through to the actualization of that hope.

Things to stop 1. Labeling—I hope that we will resist

NEW YEAR, page 11

from page 2

memory of our son, Dale.”

She made it in memory of her son Dale Macomber who committed suicide in August after suffering from depression. Dale Macomber, 36, who had been reported missing earlier, was found in the woods near his Port Orchard home.

He was a teacher and coach with a passion for running, teaching and helping kids with disabilities, friends said.

The Salvation Army intends to use the money for its $3 million campaign to remodel its headquarters and build another structure next door.

Macomber has written more than 150 books, including romance novels, cookbooks, literature for children and works of

nonfiction . Four of her books have been made into TV movies.

Read more at the Kitsap Sun http://tiny. cc/qbee1. ­

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10

Doing the Most Good

January 13, 2012 New Frontier

The missing piece

The 50-year-old man was sobbing. Wiping his face with a Kleenex he had pulled from a box on my desk, he blurted: “My life’s a mess!

I’ve run out of options. Nobody in my family Glen will have anything to do with me anymore. And now I’m homeless. Can you help me get my life Doss back?”

Major Men and women, nearly hopeless, are arriving at our social services programs in droves, finally admitting—after many a brush with hell—that they are helpless over their faulty ways of thinking—the product of lies they had long taken for truths.

Based on these lies, they made major life decisions which ultimately led them to disaster. The journey they begin with us can ultimately lead them to the Truth.

Their persistent problem: powerlessness. The solution: power.

These anxious people look to us—corps officers, chaplains, social workers, and counselors—for a way out of their dilemma.

We point these desperate men and women to the solution: There is a personal God, whose name is Jesus Christ, who can provide them with the power to live their lives effectively—even provide them with a full and meaningful life (John 10:10). They need no longer be powerless—they can receive power!

Once they’ve come to believe God can help them, these worried people find the hope they are seeking. Next they look to us for help in fulfilling their new expectations. If a person comes to believe God can help him, the next logical step is to let God do so. But how do you instruct someone on how to “let go and let God”?

Here is where the rubber meets the road. What happens next is crucial. How many times have I seen a man in my office asking why—after he has made a decision for Christ at the altar—his feelings are still running amok, pulling him in a thousand different directions, luring him back into old precarious, addictive ways of thinking?

This was the experience of Dr. Bob Smith, the alcoholic surgeon who cofounded Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) with Bill Wilson. Bob had repeatedly responded to the altar call at his Congregational Church, only to fall off the wagon days later. Bible study groups were praying for him. When Bill visited Dr. Bob in 1935, Bob listened carefully as Bill outlined the evangelical Oxford Group’s tenets which had helped him get sober. As Bill described the principles of self-examination, confession, restitution, and carrying the message to others (all of which were based on a careful analysis of the Bible), Bob’s eyes grew wider and wider until finally he blurted out: “That’s the missing piece!”

Bob had long known the problem: He was powerless. He had long known the solution: God had the power to restore him.

What he did not know were the practical steps he must take to rid himself of the largely subliminal barriers of resentment and selfishness and fear that obstructed him from making a full surrender to God. Over the weeks following Bill’s visit, Bob applied the steps to his life and finally laid the bottle down, never to drink again.

This word-of-mouth exposition of the Oxford Group’s program was what Bill would later expand “for the sake of greater clarity and thoroughness,” he explained, into AA’s Twelve Steps. These steps in their final form would become the concrete directions an addict of any kind could follow to bring about the psychic change essential to full surrender to God. “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps...” is how it is presented in Step 12.

After offering ourselves as “living sacrifices” to God, the apostle Paul urges us to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:1-2). The roadmap by which this biblical injunction is carried out is outlined in a practical way in the AA’s Twelve Steps.

The steps’ study worksheets, which sponsors provide, simplify the process even further. The renewing of our mind occurs as we trust and obey God daily by following such commands as Step 4: “Examine yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5); Step 5: “Confess your sins to each other” (James 5:16); Step 9: “Be reconciled to your brother” (Matt. 5:23-24).

Through working the steps, practicing prayer and contemplation (Step 11), we are increasingly relieved of the bondage of self from which we had long sought escape through alcohol, drugs, or other addictions. We emerge finally into a new consciousness of being, devoid of ego, seeking daily to improve our conscious contact with God. Corps officers, chaplains, counselors and social workers provide a wonderful service when they offer the tool of the AA Twelve Step Program and stress the importance of working it.

They place in the hands of desperate people a practical, proven model for affecting a full surrender to God. Those who come to us for help—they are the winners!

The 21st century social service The Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

The creation of new social service corps is one of the visions of our territorial commander: It would be ideal to see every social program spin off Lawrence a corps of some description.

Can you imagine every hosShiroma tel, every rehabilitation cenMajor ter, every thrift store, every job training program, every emergency relief system, every single social program starting, sponsoring and hosting corps? (Knaggs, p. 232) A social service corps looks, feels and even smells different from your traditional corps center of worship. Christy Lipscomb writes, “It has the smell of raw humanity, the smell of a homeless man who goes many days without showering. On some Sundays there’s the smell of cigarette smoke wafting in the back door as smokers satisfy their nicotine habits before morning worship” (Knaggs, p. 113).

Are we not all a broken, dirty, messed up group of people (Isaiah 64:6), gathering to find Jesus on any given Sunday? But as Lipscomb continues, “The smell of redemption is always beautiful to those whom God has made holy” (1 John 1:7).

Recently my wife, Vickie, and I attended the official opening of the Bell Lighthouse Corps, the first of a new generation of 21st century social service corps, different from traditional corps, but with the same purpose—that of winning the lost for Jesus

Christ. Luke 19:10 tells us that “the Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost.” Can we do any less?

As we sat in the spacious facility of the Bell Shelter listening to the music of the Southern California Division’s brass ensemble, and seeing the happy faces of the new corps members, my thoughts raced back 20 years when my wife and I celebrated the official opening of another Lighthouse Corps, the first of its kind in the West. It, too, was a joyous occasion, with new soldiers proud and tall, dressed in blue, faces flushed with anticipation. At The Gathering this June, we will witness the first lieutenant to be commissioned from the San Francisco Lighthouse Corps.

The newly formed Western Territory Social Service Response Team has been tasked, among other things, with “helping to shape the future of The Salvation Army Social Services in the Western Territory with the intent of further defining the contemporary signature of the Army’s practical theology” (Threefold Purpose of the Social Service Response Team).

What better way to define the contemporary signature of our practical theology than the intentional development and prayerful creation of 21st century social service corps. May the strong arm of Jesus Christ carry us forward to this brave new world (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Work Cited: Knaggs, James and Court, Stephen. ONE for All. Frontier Press. Long Beach. 2011.

Finishing I attended Major Charleen Bradley’s retirement ceremony a couple of months ago. It was a good time of friends and family sharing stories. There were several humorous moments, which anyone who knows Charleen would expect. However, when thoughts turned to Jim, there was some sadness, and wondering “what if.” The Dave most moving part of the service Hudson to me was, as it usually is, the pre- Colonel sentation of the retirement certificate, which gives, down to the day, the length of the officer’s service; for Charleen it came to 34 years 3 months and 11 days. While simply a certificate, it represents so much more. It says Charleen has remained faithful in the promises made at her commissioning until retirement.

I thank God for Charleen. While she has always been positive, life has not always gone her way.

I think back about 20 years when I met Jim and Charleen. They were successful in any imagination of the word—two great sons, effective ministry, and a future as bright as any. However, along the way, as I call it, life happened. Jim was diagnosed with a serious illness and subsequently passed away.

Life immediately changed for Charleen. Over the succeeding years, in spite of hardships, she has remained faithful to her call, her family and her covenant.

Recently, while at the College for Officer Training, the second-year cadets responded with rousing applause when I asked if they were excited about this coming June, when they will be commissioned and walk across the stage to receive their first appointment. On that day, there will be cheers and jubilation throughout the territory.

As days turn into months, and months into years, the elation fades. There are many circumstances along the way that bring cause for joy and satisfaction. Conversely, things happen that bring sadness and questioning of God’s purposes. During such times thoughts of giving up are rampant, and many quit.

This is not only true for officers and pastors,

but for everyone who commits to serving God. We start out with great enthusiasm and sense of determination. However, as life moves on, discouraging and disheartening circumstances of life come. These challenges leave many with a sense of hopelessness or despair. Quitting becomes an easy way out.

This is certainly not a new thing. Habakkuk said (1:2), How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you will not listen? This is a crisis moment, one where quitting is easy and convenient. However, if we read just a few more verses (vs. 5), Look to the heavens and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. In turbulent times of life, God’s answers are often on the other side of the storm. In essence, he is saying, “Trust me, keep going, don’t quit, and be faithful.”

I ran the Honolulu Marathon a couple years ago. I remember mile marker 22, it was not a good time. I was tired, wet, and my feet hurt with every step. I was tempted to stop, telling myself that no one would know or care if I quit. I hated mile 22! However, four miles later, at the finish line, emotions overwhelmed me. I had tears of joy and fulfillment. I had a sense of accomplishment that I would have never had if I had quit at mile 22. In the same way, quitting during difficult times robs the person of seeing God’s provision and ultimate deliverance.

General John Gowans (Ret.) perhaps said it best: If tears should fall, if I am called to suffer, If all I love men should deface, defame, I’ll not deny the One that I have followed, Not be ashamed to bear my Master’s name.

I’ll not turn back, whatever it may cost, I’m called to live, to love and save the lost.

Thanks, Charleen, for your example.

(Read more of Major Bradley’s career on page 8)

Doing the Most Good

January 13, 2012 New Frontier

11

Social networking What did we do before Facebook?

Did we have any social life at all?

Or did we just shut ourselves in our homes and ignore our friends Ian and neighbors? Of Robinson course we didn’t, Major but it’s hard to imagine life without Facebook and all the other social networking sites some of us use so frequently today.

My wife, as all good wives do, reminded me the other day that my addiction to social networking was actually antisocial. She said this across the table at a coffee shop while I sat with my face buried in my smart phone checking the status updates of my 978 closest friends. I spluttered some embarrassed reply as she challenged me to explain how ignoring her could remotely be considered “social.” It makes you think.

So how did this social networking phenomenon get such a grip on us?

No one really understands the psychology behind it, but when 1.2 billion people worldwide join a social network—82 percent of the world’s Internet population over the age of 15—you know that something really big is going on. I find it somewhat strange that the most socially engaged nation is Israel, where they spend an average of 11.1 hours every month on Facebook, while the U.S. didn’t even make the top ten!

NEW YEAR

lifeLines When asked, most users say they like it because it unites them with like-minded people and gives them a sense of connection because of something they have in common.

Surveying my own list of friends I found that most were Salvationists, brass band fanatics, family, or people I have met in my travels. Of course, somewhere along the line I have picked up friends who I have never met and know nothing about.

Not a bit like real life.

So I am learning how to be a good social networker while not neglecting my face-to-face relationships. Facebook is a wonderful tool for encouraging others, sharing our faith, and keeping in touch with people who might otherwise slip through the cracks of life. Being in development I find it is also a great way to get our message across to the public, not to mention a bit of fundraising at the same time. But we must be very careful not to allow it to displace those most important and intimate personal contacts.

After all, the Bible says, Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Heb. 10:25 NIV). I doubt that God had Facebook in mind when he inspired that Word and sent his only Son into the world for a face-to-face encounter with humanity.

from page 9

the temptation to label people with pejorative words intended to diminish them and that when we hear such words used we will explain nicely the negative consequences that action brings to relationships.

2. Judgmentalism—I hope that we, as a people, will reduce our judgmentalism and leave negative behavior up to God to judge rather than engaging in the highly dangerous act of self-deification and playing God ourselves.

3. Insularity—I hope that the Army will become much less insular, that we confront efforts to stereotype

us, by becoming more open in sharing our spiritual/social/whole person ethic—what we truly are, and that we will relate more creatively to local and national media.

Things to start Meeting deadlines Practicing Avoiding procrastination Rescuing public education Finishing two books Hope without the will to actualize is an empty dream.

ONE FOR ALL

by Commissioner James Knaggs and Major Stephen Court Contains three books: the global version of ONE DAY, the second edition of ONE THING, and the brand new final component of the Knaggs and Court trilogy ONE ARMY.

Get your copy today at amazon.com Paperback: $14.99 •Kindle edition: $9.99 Published by Frontier Press 2011 • ISBN: 978-0-976865-2-9 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.

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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 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 Member - Evangelical Press Association

Bearing Fruit Jesus loved metaphor. Much of his teaching drew upon this form. As we begin a new year, his metaphor of the vine and the branches, that contains aspects of strength and perseverance, of hope for the harvest, of commitment to growth, and of cautions in regard to sloth seems a good choice as we contemplate our goals for the future.

The test of all of us relates to our fruitfulness—do we bear fruit?

Jesus said: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15: 1-2 NIV).

“Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing... This is how my Father shows who he is­—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples” (John 15:4–5, 8 MSG).

And so …

We live in a vineyard.

The vines, row on row, have gratefully received their water and warmth from the skies and now their fruit bend low on their branches, ready for a gracious harvest.

These sumptuous fruit, now heavy and mature, hold a promise of moist succulence as tender bundles burden branches and dangle from thin stems. The weakest among them, unable to complete the process of their destiny, now decorate the soil as fodder for ground animals whose whole world consists of these vines.

In our efforts in the vineyard to be fruitful, we both nurture and are nurtured. Each of us has individual responsibility. Some sow, some reap and some gather. None coerce any more than we can order the vine to bring forth the fruit. Fruit comes with harvest. It is the product of rich soil, of a caring commitment by the farmer, and the willful production of love by the harvester. We do not bring the harvest. It simply arrives in its time as a gift of God and our caring ministry. We determine its dimensions.

Fruitfulness is not achieved in isolation. It is not the product of action. Spiritual fruitfulness requires a relationship with the Vine. He offers us sustenance as we harvest the fruit of our own branch—the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

These are the characteristic of God. They can become criteria for self-examination.

I ask myself, what does my harvest look

like? I shudder as, too often, I deny myself God’s joy by impatience that becomes unkindness and removes from me any aspect of peaceful serenity.

My emotions have overpowered my rational Robert action. I am out of balance Docter in those moments— Editor-In-Chief unfruitful.

How fruitful are you?

Do you wish, like me, to be more fruitful?

Here’s how.

What God truly wants from us is a connection. We need to stay connected—to remain in him, for God wants us to bear fruit and to do so abundantly. This is how we reveal God’s glory.

Next, we must obey his other primary command—that we love one another the way he loves us.

“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. ...

This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:14-17 NIV).

So, God only asks for essential and far reaching acts from us—to love him fully, and to love one another. The first bolsters us internally and the second allows us to use that newfound strength to exercise otherness —a commitment to others that is deep and genuine and ongoing.

You say with me: “Yeah, but that’s hard.

It’s scary, and I’m hesitant about imposing myself on other people.”

Dwell on this. “Love casts out fear.”

Accepting this point makes it necessary for you to act on the empathic feelings that drive you. Feeling “with” someone—feeling their pain, sensing their confusion, understanding their desire—makes it possible for you to act.

The nature of that action may vary. Maybe you’re not a “gatherer” in the vineyard of life.

Maybe you’re not the initial communicator.

Maybe you’ve tilled the soil or watered the seeds. Maybe you’re a sower—where you communicate love by the manner in which you conduct yourself—sharing a caring, uncritical and nonjudgmental word with someone—that communicates a genuine spirit. Maybe you’re a “harvester” showing acceptance and a friendly spirit. Maybe you help process the fruit as a teacher or as someone with a full personal prayer ministry.

Remember, however, the communication of love is revealed in the nature of the interpersonal relationship. You are a friend.

The autumn has passed, winter has arrived —can spring be far behind?

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