8 March 2014 NZFT War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION |  March  | Issue 6587 | $1.50

Don’t Make

Hospitality a Chore

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02 WarCry©08 March 2014

Kia ora Not my gift?

WAR CRY

The Salvation Army Te Ope Whakaora New Zealand, Fiji & Tonga Territory FOUNDER William Booth GENERAL André Cox TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Robert Donaldson The Salvation Army’s message is based on the Bible. Our ministry is motivated by love for God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in his name without discrimination.

War Cry exists to support and advance The Salvation Army’s message, ministry and mission.

EDITOR

Major Christina Tyson GRAPHIC DESIGN

Lauren Millington, Amber Wilkinson STAFF WRITERS

Ingrid Barratt, Martin Barratt, Jon Hoyle, Vanessa Singh PROOF READING

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I confess that the subject matter of this edition’s feature had me somewhat flummoxed. Hospitality. It’s something my motherin-law excels at, but to which I am not similarly gifted.

I often feel for my husband in this domestic scenario. He grew up in an open-door family home to which people were easily greeted and accommodated, but for me the prospect of feeding and watering more people than our nuclear family fills me with anxiety.

Some of it is practical. I know how to cook for five; I am more stressed when I have to cook for, say, 10. The prospect of feeding more than that truly does keep me awake at night. ‘It’s simple,’ says my husband, ‘let’s just have a barbecue.’ Ah yes, the male answer to everything. He’s right, of course, catering doesn’t have to be such a mission.

But then there’s the whole ‘this-house-is-a-mess’ thing. How can I have people around when they might realise that I haven’t dusted for … cough … weeks? What if they’re sitting on my couch and see the cobweb hanging off one of the lights? What if they judge me and realise I’m no domestic goddess?

I suppose, like the spiritual gifts of celibacy and martyrdom, I could excuse myself by saying we simply can’t excel in every gift within the Church—and that this one just isn’t for me. But then I turn to passages like 1 Peter 4:9 and read: ‘Welcome people into your home and don’t grumble about it.’ There doesn’t seem to be a lot of wriggle room in that one. And, of course, the reality is that whenever we do have people over, it’s great!

So, if you’re like me and hospitality is a somewhat fear-laden concept, I hope this week’s feature is an encouragement to you.

It certainly was to me. Maybe those of us who would like to become more hospitable could take some baby steps together, setting aside any fear of not being the perfect host, and starting to see hospitality as far less about ‘performance’ and far more about ‘come as you are’ friendship.

Christina Tyson Editor

Publishing for 130 years

Rōma 12:12–13

Please pass on or recycle this magazine

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Romans 12:11-13 The Message

Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission.

ISSN 0043-0242, Issue 6587

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BIBLE VERSE

‘Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fuelled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.’

All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated.

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‘Kia hari i runga i te tūmanako; kia manawanui ki te whakapāwera; kia ū ki te īnoi; Whakawhiwhia te hunga tapu ina rawakore; kia mau ki te atawhai manuhiri.’

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WISE WORDS salvationarmyNZFijiTonga @salvationarmynz salvationarmynzft

salvationarmy.org.nz

Hospitality … seeks to minister. It says, ‘This home is not mine. It is truly a gift from my master. I am his servant and I use it as he desires.’ Hospitality does not try to impress, but to serve.

Karen Burton Mains Open Heart, Open Home

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Let’s Talk | 03

E

very year on 8 March, people around the world celebrate International Women’s Day by recognising the advances of women’s rights socially, economically and politically. This year’s theme is ‘Inspiring Change’.

As we look back, we see many advances made by women.

We remember with gratitude women of influence that inspired change and dared risk their reputations, their ambitions and, at times, their lives for the betterment of others. Women like Rosa Parks, Kate Shepherd, Florence Nightingale, Amelia Earhart, Mother Theresa and Catherine Booth. International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate progress made in the past—and to look forward with hope and anticipation for progress to come.

We could be fooled into thinking that gender inequality is no longer an issue. That there is no longer a cause to fight for.

That women have attained equality and the battle is won. But there is still a great need for radical change.

Politically, women hold less than one-fifth of positions in national governments. They are often excluded from the negotiating table, something evident recently when no women were invited to participate in the Syrian peace talks.

Economically, women still earn less than men, own less property and hold less positions of power in corporate settings than men. The United Nations says its focus for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘equality for women is progress for all’.

Studies show that when women earn income and hold assets, finances are more likely to be used on nutrition, housing, educating children and accessing healthcare. Aid agencies report that when they educate and empower women, entire communities are transformed and future generations are positively impacted.

Socially, gender-based violence is said to be the greatest public health crisis for women in the world today. Thirty per cent of women worldwide experience intimate partner violence, rape is often used as a tactic of war, female genital mutilation is on the rise in some countries, acid attacks, honour killings, breast ironing, bride burnings, and domestic violence are all of increasing concern. Forced prostitution, trafficking of girls and women, child brides and sexual objectification are further signs that we are a long way from an equal world.

The women suffering around our world are not mere numbers or statistics. Each one has a name, a voice, and the right to experience freedom and equality. They are somebody’s daughter, somebody’s loved one. They are precious people, with feelings, dreams, aspirations and emotions.

They feel pain. They know the heaviness of sitting under oppression and experiencing injustice. And they deserve better than this.

These women are valuable. They have great worth, and they have every right to be fought for. Our ignorance may be our

bliss as it allows us to avoid the discomfort that comes with acknowledging what some women experience, but for the many women sitting under the umbrella of inequality, our ignorance is not their bliss.

There is still much progress to come, and we each—men and women—have a part to play. For some of us, this involves challenging our own mind-sets, attitudes and theology when we consider women. For others, it means being proactive to become better informed about the issues women face. And for others, it’s about taking action, raising awareness, lobbying government, and supporting the advancement of women financially through aid organisations.

This International Women’s Day, let’s choose to inspire change. Let’s recognise the brave women who have inspired change in the past. Let’s celebrate the progress made. And— regardless of our own gender—let’s determine to strive for more, so that all women can experience the freedom they deserve. SAMMY MILLAR

Malala Yousafzai attends Glamour’s 23rd annual Women of the Year awards. Malala was shot on a bus in Pakistan by members of the Taliban for defending the rights of girls to be educated.

Photography: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

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Bookshelf NZ History/Architecture New Zealand’s Lost Heritage Richard Wolfe New Zealand has a disappointing record of preserving its oldest and proudest buildings. Historian Richard Wolfe features 20 notable structures that, for various reasons, no longer exist. Most have been demolished in the name of urban development. Each is illustrated and discussed, including the circumstances of its demise.

Buildings include Ruapekpeka Pa in Northland (arson), Auckland’s Admiralty House (demolished for new roads), Wellington’s Parliament Buildings (accidental fire) and the TJ Edmonds factory (bulldozed). A fascinating appeal for the preservation of important landmarks. (New Holland)

Playlist

Memoir Well-Come Grace Suzanne Tocher Wellingtonian Suzanne Tocher tells the moving story of her journey to wholeness, drawing on art and poetry from her therapeutic journalling. Many Baby Boomers experienced the stress disorders of parents surviving war. Some may also have developed ‘Body Dysmorphic Disorder’. Suzanne shares from these life-threatening experiences and her intensive and successful psychotherapy. The story has much sadness and distress, but also wonderful surprises.

For therapists, there are good insights and learnings. For those experiencing similar disorders, there is hope. For pastors, there is a role model. (Purchase from www. amazon.co.uk)

Science and Religion Big Bang Big God Rodney Holder Does a scientific explanation for the existence of the universe mean we can do without God? And why are the laws of nature so fine-tuned as to produce a universe with creatures like us in it, in the first place? This book argues that only God provides an explanation for the universe to exist at all, and that design by God provides the best and most rational explanation for a universe that can give rise to life.

Dr Rodney Holder is Course Director for the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. He writes on cosmology, natural theology, creation, evolution and quantum theory. Dr Holder’s expertise in science and theology makes this a very helpful text. (LionHudson)

Reel News

Alternative Rock Morning Phase Beck Following a lengthy hiatus, Beck is back with his 12th studio album, Morning Phase. Intended as a companion album to 2002’s Sea Change, Morning Phase reflects a wiser, more mature sound.

As a musical chameleon, Beck is hard to put into any one category, and Morning Phase traverses many different categories. From the shimmering, dissonance of ‘Wave’ to the warmth and optimism of ‘Waking Light’ and ‘Blackbird Chain’, Beck strings together and intertwines these elements masterfully. This is an immersive album, tinged with the perfect amount of acoustic melancholy and optimism that only comes with this many years of song writing experience.

Pop Rock/Worship Thrive Casting Crowns Thrive will certainly challenge listeners. Casting Crowns have crafted this album with the intention of helping listeners understand themselves and God more. It’s an ambitious goal, helped immensely by the musical and theological maturity in the album’s 12 tracks. Thrive doesn’t take risks musically; it follows the guitar/ piano driven formula tightly, but also integrates current trends of folk instrumentation. Banjos, slide guitar and pounding bass drums feature. To gain the most from this album, listeners need to approach it with an open heart. The songs and music of Thrive function as a vehicle for a far greater purpose, and require vulnerability and context to reach their full impact.

GIVEAWAY To win a copy of New Zealand’s Lost Heritage tell us your favourite building.

War Cry Giveaway, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org. Entries close 24 March.

Drama The Railway Man Jonathan Teplitzky / M (contains violence) Based on the autobiography by Eric Lomax, The Railway Man is the story of the former Royal Signals officer forced to work on Burma’s infamous ‘death railway’ following his capture in the fall of Singapore in 1942. Lomax was subjected to horrific abuse and torture after owning up to having built a radio at his camp. Decades later, he travelled back to the Far East to track down his former torturer, Takashi Nagase, with whom he was reconciled. The friendship of these two became a moving emblem of peace and forgiveness.

Teplitzky’s drama starts in the 1980s with Lomax (Colin Firth) meeting the newly-divorced Patti (Nicole Kidman). The pair fall in love, but soon after their honeymoon, Lomax’s post-traumatic stress becomes unbearable and the marriage is endangered by his temper and worsening depression.

Patti learns most of the story from Lomax’s friend, former comradein-arms Finlay (Stellan Skarsgård), but it’s down to Lomax to banish his demons, especially once he learns his chief torturer escaped justice and is still living, apparently happily, giving tours of the camp where he meted out his punishment. Lomax returns to the scene of his incarceration and abuse, seeking out Nagase in an attempt to let go of a lifetime of bitterness and hate.

Firth as the older Lomax and Jeremy Irvine as his wartime self are both excellent in their roles, the latter especially so in the difficult scenes of torture and interrogation. Hiroyuki Sanada brings dignity and restraint to the role of Nagase, but both Kidman and Skarsgård are poor and bafflingly miscast. The film lags as it jumps between wartime scenes and modern day, but that aside, it’s a well-played and thoughtful film, albeit with some difficult scenes.

The last stanza, where Lomax comes face to face with his captor, is compelling and moving, showing the real power of forgiveness, evidenced by Lomax’s realisation that, ‘sometimes, the hating has to stop’.

Photography: Ingrid Barratt

Feature | 05

John and Andrea Lopdell with son Josh

The idea of ‘hospitality’ makes many of us stare shame-faced at the floor. Hands up if you aren’t a clean-freak and don’t simply adore three-tiered plates of cupcakes. The good news is that being a domestic goddess (or god) has nothing to do with the real, radical act of hospitality ... oh, but it does have something to do with our gothy-sweetheart Lorde.

BY INGRID BARRATT

06 | WarCry©08 March 2014

here’s a quiet little petition circulating right now, born from the media frenzy that has surrounded New Zealand’s current pop-feminist-princess Lorde. The petition is to ‘Keep New Zealand Liveable for Lorde’, and the idea hints at something about us Kiwis: we see ourselves as friendly, laid-back and welcoming.

‘Less staring—more caring’ is the quirky slogan of the youth artsbased group that began the petition. ‘As young creatives, we’re super proud of how Lorde is repping little ol’ New Zealand. And we’d like to think that despite being a known face, she could still enjoy things like fish ‘n’ chips at the beach with her family without everyone, everywhere knowing about it and snapping shots,’ says the petition.

This is a small, under-the-radar movement. You won’t hear about it in the mainstream media (mainly because they are the ones at fault here), and it may not get much of an edge with the many other issues of injustice banging down our doors. But there is something deeply subversive about this; something deeply compassionate, and something truly, deeply Christian. It is the radical act of hospitality.

Radical cake baking The very idea of ‘hospitality’ makes many of us stare shame-faced at the floor. I’m not a domestic goddess; I don’t want to rush around tidying and making cupcakes. I need ‘me’ time so I can stare meaningfully at the walls. Hospitality is definitely not my gift.

But Andrea Lopdell, who recently tutored ‘hospitality’ sessions at the Salvation Army’s creative arts camp Amplify, says this is the societal view of hospitality, but has nothing at all to do with ‘Christian hospitality’—which, as it turns out, is an outrageous, world-changing act of friendship.

‘That “Martha Stewart”-type of hospitality is all about showing off your possessions and your house and skills, and is essentially a selfish thing,’ reflects Andrea, ‘Whereas Christian hospitality is the complete opposite. It’s about welcoming God and other strangers.

It’s about living your life in a way that makes room for others—and sometimes it might involve food.’

Or, as author Racheal Grabb says, ‘Keep your sense of humour and lose your sense of pride.’

Andrea echoes this concept. ‘Christian hospitality is about sharing rather than showing off,’ she says. ‘It’s an awareness that everyone has a story and everyone needs to be seen and noticed.

‘It might not be inviting someone to your house, but it might be things we usually see as interruptions in our day: listening to others, encouraging them, being able to pray for them, so they go away feeling more loved and special.’

Major Rebecca Gane, who co-organised Amplify, says hospitality was included as part of the arts programme ‘to recognise that, just as more “typical” art forms can help build the Kingdom and spread the gospel message, hospitality is also a very important part of living as a follower of Christ and being part of a Christian community’. She says, ‘The New Testament is full of examples and instruction about welcoming strangers and sharing with those in need, and there is an inclusiveness about the Gospel that ensures no one is left out—this is hospitality!’

The gift that no one has As the daughter of Salvation Army officers Malcolm and Laurel Herring, Andrea recalls growing up surrounded by friends and strangers who were welcomed into their home. She and husband John have tried to honour that heritage as they’ve raised their own family of four children. But Andrea says she has never seen herself as having the ‘gift’ of hospitality.

When she examined the Bible, Andrea was shocked to realise that hospitality is never mentioned as a ‘gift’, but rather as a way of living for all who believe in Christ.

Christian hospitality is about sharing rather than showing off. It’s an awareness that everyone has a story and needs to be seen and noticed.

‘Hospitality is often on those “gift inventories” we do in church, and that gets us off the hook because we can just say, “Well, it’s not my gift”. But, in fact, it’s not listed as a gift in Scripture, it’s given as an instruction to all the Church,’ she says. (See Romans 12:13.)

When you look into it, Andrea is right. Hospitality is woven into every page of the Bible. Right at the beginning, when God made male and female so he could share himself with others. And then, when his hospitality was rejected by Adam and Eve (see Genesis 2), God spent the rest of Scripture trying to restore that relationship.

‘Jesus coming to earth [God becoming man so that he could be with us] was the culmination of his hospitality towards us,’ Andrea points out, adding that ‘the way Jesus lived his life was the epitome of hospitality.’

One of the moments in the life of Jesus that Andrea especially loves, is when Jesus spots a social outcast called Zacchaeus among the crowds. Jesus stops, and says, ‘Zaccheaus, I’m coming to your house today!’ (Luke 19:1-9), even though Zaccheaus was known for his wealth, gained by extortion. But Jesus noticed a lonely man. He allowed himself to be interrupted from his schedule to act hospitably.

‘And it was a complete game changer, it changed Zaccheaus’ life,’ reflects Andrea. As a result of Jesus’ visit, Zaccheaus gave away half of all he had, and paid back those he had cheated four times over. ‘The act of hospitality can turn people’s lives’ around, because it’s about the grace that God has offered us, which we then offer to others.’

The richest of meals I once went to a theology conference where I heard the former principle of Laidlaw Bible College, Mark Strom, speak about the rapid growth of the early Christian church. Strom recounted that the early church had a policy of giving a meal and a bed for the night to any stranger that asked. They also encouraged women to learn to read, and these early Christian women became known as trustworthy translators for those who couldn’t read for themselves—whereas translators were known to swindle money from the illiterate classes.

Feature | 07

These two acts of radical hospitality helped rapidly spread the good news that God longs for a personal relationship with us, and that we can know him through Jesus.

Indeed, almost every genuinely Christian movement in history has been a movement of hospitality. The Salvation Army was founded to welcome those on the edge of society, who weren’t accepted in the established church. While the mainstream church may have upheld the values of the day, Booth upheld the words of Jesus: ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,’ (Matthew 25:40). And so began a movement offering hospitality to anyone in need, in the name of Jesus. Even today, The Salvation Army’s mission statement in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga is ‘caring for people, transforming lives, reforming society’.

Freedom to welcome ‘Secular entertaining is a terrible bondage,’ says Karen Burton Mains, author of Open Heart, Open Home. ‘Its source is human pride.

Demanding perfection, fostering the urge to impress, it is a rigorous taskmaster which enslaves. In contrast, scriptural hospitality is a freedom which liberates.’

Since embracing ‘Christian hospitality’ Andrea says she now worries less about having a tidy house and can laugh it off when a meal flops ‘because it’s not about me, so that’s really freeing’.

In recent months, Andrea and her husband John have welcomed two young foster children into their home.

People often ask Andrea why they are doing it. ‘Why would you not do it?’ is her simple reply. ‘We initially looked at adopting overseas, and along the way we discovered what a huge need there is here in New Zealand. We felt like we would have to have a really good reason not to foster, with everything we have been blessed with,’ says Andrea.

The children have been with the Lopdell family for six months —the longest they have lived in one place. In the act of caring for the boys, Andrea says she has grown to love them, and to understand and feel compassion for their parents as well. She has seen the older child go from needing to be in charge and taking an almost adult role, to relaxing and settling into the role of being a child in the family.

For Andrea, the biggest challenge has been learning to welcome strangers into their home—they have built a good relationship with the boys’ grandparents, and their wider family. ‘When you welcome strangers, there’s perhaps not so much of a return, and they challenge your boundaries. For example, one person was visiting the boys and she just walked into my bedroom, and I couldn’t believe I felt so violated,’ she remembers.

‘Welcoming friends and family is really comfortable and you can stay who you are, but when you welcome in strangers you get challenged. I have to examine my own attitudes and allow my relationship with God to grow so that I can become more like him.’

The heart of God ‘Christian hospitality involves surrender, coming to a place of gratitude where you recognise that everything you have is from God. It’s not ours to hang on to; it’s ours to be shared,’ sums up Andrea.

Following the call of Christ means following the call to hospitality. And that strikes at our very heart. We have been born and bred into a selfish (otherwise known as individualistic) society, but hospitality asks us to live in a profoundly unselfish way. It means allowing ourselves to be interrupted from our task lists. It means that we stop to listen. It means that we take an interest in the blank faces on the street. And when the Spirit moves us, we may even reach out to them.

That’s why a small petition asking that we all treat Lorde like a real human being, hints at a deeper truth. It’s about caring for another’s needs, over and above our own entertainment. It’s about treating a vulnerable person as precious for who they truly are, and not as just a commodity.

Hospitality seems deeply difficult and sometimes just too tiring, for the very fact that it requires us to surrender our own desires. But that is also its beauty. We lose our lives to gain it. In hospitality, we discover the radical heart of God.

Here’s what the creators of the petition ‘Keep New Zealand liveable for Lorde’ have to say …

‘None of us like all that invasive-upin-your-grill-paparazzi-tabloid mess you see overseas. We don’t see much of that here, and we’d like to keep it that way. Let’s tell the New Zealand media (and the wider population) to continue to respect Lorde and her right to privacy, so she can continue to live the good life in our beautiful land.

P.S. We don’t presume to speak on behalf of Lorde. This is speaking on behalf of people who think celebrity commodification is dumb. change.org for more information

If there is any concept worth restoring to its original depth and evocative potential, it is the concept of hospitality. It is one of the richest biblical terms that can deepen and broaden our insight in our relationships with fellow human beings.

Henri Nouwen

08 | WarCry©08 March 2014

BUDGETING

LIFESTYLE

Say Cheese

Protect Your Memories It’s easy and inexpensive to protect your treasured photos or videos.

Nowadays, most of our precious memories are captured and stored digitally. It is not uncommon to hear stories of people who have lost years of irreplaceable photos and video due to computer failure or theft.

Fortunately, this is easy and inexpensive to prevent.

Your precious data is precarious. A hard drive disk (HDD) is a magnetic platter spinning at thousands of revolutions per minute, it’s no surprise this is the most failure-prone component in your computer. Unfortunately, it is also where all your data is stored.

You can make your own cheese with just three ingredients.

This recipe is used around the world to make a white, subtly flavoured cheese. In India it’s called ‘paneer’, and in Nigeria it’s ‘wara’. You’ll need: two cups of milk, four teaspoons of vinegar or lemon, and a pinch of salt.

1

Pour two cups of milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil slowly, stirring constantly so as not to burn the milk. Once it has come to the boil, turn off the heat but keep it on the element.

2 Add four teaspoons of either lemon or vinegar. This will separate the curds (the solid part) from the whey (the liquid part).

3 Stir well and leave on the element for 5-10 minutes.

4 Pass the curds and whey through a cheesecloth, muslin or large handkerchief into a bowl. This separates the curds from the whey—the curds become the cheese.

5 Wrap the curds in the cloth and squeeze out all the moisture.

6 Add a pinch of salt if desired, stir well, then rewrap the curds and squeeze out any remaining moisture. If you want to use the cheese as paneer, you can keep it crumbly for adding to naan or curries.

7 Otherwise, quickly press into a mould or make it into a ball and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

8 Voila, artisan cheese made by you! This will produce about half a cup of cheese, but as you get more confident, you can make bigger quantities.

Protecting your data from HDD failure is easy. Buy a portable USB HDD from any technology store. At $100 they are inexpensive relative to the importance of your data. Many include backup software that you can use, and if you have a Mac, you can use its excellent built-in ‘Time Machine’ software. You can also simply copy/paste the files onto a USB HDD. Leave it plugged into your computer, or if you use a laptop keep it in the same place you keep the laptop charger.

But it is still not safe. Be aware that if your computer is stolen, a burglar is also likely to take any HDDs plugged into your computer. Hiding it helps, but it’s still not safe from fire or any other unexpected loss.

To be totally safe, what you need is a second offsite backup. Buy a second USB HDD, backup to it, and keep it at a location you visit regularly. This could be a neighbour or relative’s house, or your workplace. Swap them regularly by simply bringing your current HDD with you and taking the other one home.

In the event of a major disaster, like an earthquake, all your backups may be lost. You can use an online backup service (you may need to increase your broadband data cap). Or you can team up with a friend or relative in another city and every change-of-season swap your offsite backups via courier. Even having lost the past three months of data is better than having lost it all.

9 For something with more flavour, try adding fennel or cumin seed to the milk. Or sprinkle with salt and fry the cheese like halloumi.

Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them.

Top tip: the leftover whey is called buttermilk—it’s excellent in baking.

Bob Dylan

Kiwi Curried Sausages These are the curried sausages most New Zealanders of a certain age will remember fondly from childhood | Serves 4 8 sausages 1 onion, chopped 1 apple, diced 2–3 tsp curry powder 1 cup sultanas 1 cup water 1 tsp instant chicken stock powder 2 Tbsp apricot or plum jam 1 Tbsp wine vinegar 1 tsp cornflour

Brown sausages gently in large frypan or pot. Add onion and cook until lightly browned. Add apple and curry powder. Cook for 3–4 mins, stirring to coat sausages, onion and apple.

Add remaining ingredients, including any of your own special additions, except cornflour, and stir well to combine. Cover and cook over low heat for 20–30 mins.

Mix the cornflour with a little water to make a thin paste. Stir into sausage mixture and reheat, stirring, until mixture thickens slightly.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a variety of fresh vegetables.

Variations: Add 1 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce. If you have no jam, use 1 Tbsp of brown sugar instead.

From Marvellous Mince and Sensational Sausages by Simon & Alison Holst. www.holst.co.nz

Lifestyle | 09

Q&A Is office chit-chat ok?

A new study finds small talk in the office brings people together, but can leave migrants confused.

When Arielle did her OE in London, she spent the first few days of her temp job thinking she must be doing something wrong. People kept asking, ‘Are you alright?’ Arielle gave long answers, until it dawned on her that this was simply a friendly greeting—no one expected a genuine response.

A study from Victoria University has found that small talk is even more important in New Zealand’s work culture. But our ‘how’s it going?’ or ‘how was your weekend?’ can be confusing for new migrants not used to the Kiwi brand of chit-chat.

The good news, though, is that small talk has many more positives than negatives. ‘Our research shows that small talk is a vital part of workplace interaction, helping to oil the wheels of workplace communication,’ writes the Victoria University School of Linguistics, who conducted the study. Small talk interacts seamlessly with business talk, softening difficult conversations. It means that friendly conversations often lead to productive topics, and vice versa.

Testify!

A shy teen found her destiny when she entered a Salvation Army Employment Plus centre Two years ago, a very quiet teen walked into Employment Plus. She had just come from a school for at-risk youth. ‘She had a difficult background,’ reflects tutor Julie Harwood, ‘She would go into very dark moods.’ The young woman was Destiny Toopi.

Julie worked closely with Destiny, teaching literacy and numeracy, as well as life skills. ‘I talked to Destiny and said, ‘You’re actually a very bright girl, but you choose not to show it.’ Once we had that conversation, she really started to grow. There were no more black moods. Today she is kind, considerate and quite an amazing person.’

At the end of last year, Destiny graduated with NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3. She says this will always be her biggest achievement because she overcame so many barriers to discover that she could succeed. ‘I have never felt so proud of myself.’

Destiny says the thing she most appreciated learning was social skills. ‘Before, I never really learnt to talk to people and get to know them, but with the new skills I learnt I began to make friends, and I’m leaving Employment Plus with good, solid friendships.’

As part of her course, Destiny undertook work experience at her local Family Store. She was so exceptional that the store manager asked her to come back and volunteer. She also took part in a leadership programme and helped organise a carnival during

the school holidays. ‘She’s reliable, she’s trustworthy, she’s a credit to herself and I’m really proud of her,’ says Julie.

Today, Destiny’s dream is to write—she is already a poet and says ‘there is nothing more important to me than my words’.

With Julie’s help, Destiny applied for and was accepted to study journalism at Unitec, where she will continue to chase her dreams this year.

‘Employment Plus has changed my life in so many ways. I’ve made friends that mean the world to me. I have found confidence and courage, and because of Employment Plus I have options for my future.’

At her class graduation for 2013, Destiny gave the keynote speech, with an eloquent description of her Employment Plus journey: ‘We became independent and self-motivated students. What I believe our tutors taught us the most was to think creatively, have confidence in ourselves, be responsible individuals, have goals and have fortitude to achieve those goals. When our teachers were teaching us about the past, they were opening our eyes to what our future could hold. When our teachers were teaching us about other people’s writing, they were teaching us how to open our minds and write creatively and effectively. When our teachers were teaching us maths, they weren’t

Perhaps most important, small talk is essential for building a sense of rapport. This includes goodnatured humour, which is often used to soften hierarchies.

If you want to create a sense of teamwork, encourage moments of small talk at the office. Our self-esteem is more balanced if we measure our worth by our relationships, rather than our productivity alone. But make the effort to include people who may be shy or new to our culture, so team members don’t become excluded.

Finally, while humour can be a valuable part of workplace relationships, be aware that not all people will find ribbing fun or know how to respond. Be considerate and make sure that humour is uplifting.

Don’t accept humour that puts anyone down.

When it’s kept positive, chit-chat can become some of the most productive moments of the day.

teaching us the number of times something could fail—they were teaching us that regardless of the circumstances there is always the chance to succeed.’

‘Everybody leaves Employment Plus with the possibility of a better future,’ says regional manager Stephanie Wales. ‘People begin to believe in themselves because they have people believing in them.’ She adds, ‘It’s a tremendous privilege to see lives transformed.’

I have found confidence and courage

Let’s Talk WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO BUILD A GREAT EMPLOYEE Employment Plus specialises in developing workers with the skills employers need A trusted service provider with a track record of over 30 years Registered with the NZ Qualifications Authority

salvationarmy.org.nz/eplus | 0800 4 EPLUS

I would like: to explore what it means to follow Jesus information about Salvation Army worship and activities prayer for the following needs:

NAME: ADDRESS:

Please post to: War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org

10 | WarCry©08 March 2014

SUDOKU

Difficulty Medium

4 3

6

8

Six tips to recharge and renew your relationship, from human behaviour expert Beverly D. Flaxington —helping your relationship last the distance.

5 9 4 2 7

1 7

2 3

Get out of your relationship rut

3

1 8 5 8 3 6 8 2 1 6 7

Each Sudoku number puzzle has a unique solution that can be worked out logically (not mathematically). The numbers 1 to 9 appear once in every row, column and 3x3 square.

ANSWERS BELOW 9 7 4 5 2 8 6 1 3

5 3 1 4 7 6 2 9 8

4 1 8 2 6 7 5 3 9

3 6 5 1 8 9 4 7 2

7 2 9 3 5 4 8 6 1

6 9 2 7 1 5 3 8 4

1 5 7 8 4 3 9 2 6

8 4 3 6 9 2 1 5 7

1 Which cricketer scored NZ’s triple 100?

2 In which present-day country is the site of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

3 What part of the body is treated by a chiropodist?

4 Portobellos are a variety of what?

5 Who did Jesus refer to as a brood of vipers?

2 8 6 9 3 1 7 4 5

LET’S GET QUIZZICAL

Answers: 1 Brendon McCullum, 2 Iraq, 3 The feet, 4 Mushroom, 5 The scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:33)

New book available The Salvation Army brought to New Zealand a powerful message that the most enslaved drunkard could be set free.

Majors Don and (the late) Joan Hutson tell the story of The Salvation Army’s care for people with addictions in New Zealand.

This 165-page book includes a thorough history of the Rotoroa Island treatment centre and the evolution of The Salvation Army’s addictions work.

flagPUBLICAT ONS Order from Salvationist Resources p: (04) 382 0768, e: mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org

When you’ve been together for a while, it’s refreshing to take time to remember why you married your partner, and who they really are. Try out one of these six things and see if it unlocks a newness in your relationship: 1 Focus on what’s right. It can be so easy to find fault with the other person, or with the relationship. Make it a point each day to create a list of five things your spouse or significant other does right, or five things that are good about your relationship. Keep this in a journal, so you can collect these things to refer to when you start to feel frustrated or annoyed with your mate.

2 Give a compliment—externally and internally. We beat up on

ourselves too often. Instead of being our own best friend, the way we talk to ourselves is often defeating and demeaning—and we may voice these same negative thoughts to our mate. Find ways to compliment yourself, with your internal self-talk, and compliment your mate.

Even if it is a small thing, find something about which you can say, ‘I like this about you.’

3 Practice the Golden Rule, with a twist. It’s always important to

treat others the way we would want to be treated. But with a romantic partner it’s even more important to treat them the way they want to be treated. If you know your partner loves moonlight walks, plan one. If you know your partner loves

white chocolate, bring some home on the way from work.

4 Plan together time. Life is busy.

There are often more demands than there are hours in the day, particularly if you have children. Romance and time together won’t ‘just happen’.

You have to look at calendars, decide when and where you will be together or go together, and then organise it. No money for a sitter? Exchange babysitting with a friend who also needs a break.

5 Say ‘thank you’. We can too

often take our spouse for granted. We assume they will make the dinner, take out the garbage, feed the dog, and run the kids to sports practice.

It’s just part of what has to happen to make a family work.

Unfortunately, after a time, these things become expected and overlooked. Stop, look the other person in the eye, and say a sincere, ‘Thank you for doing that’ every single day.

6 Be kind and compassionate.

Whenever possible, choose kindness over criticism.

Choose compassion over blame. Choose positive over negative. You may have to practise this, as we often take out our negativity on those we love the most, but the more you practise it, the more natural it will become.

Source: Abridged from the article ‘Is Your Committed Relationship in a Rut?’ by Beverly D. Flaxington.

Close Up | 11

You Can Make a Difference Every year, the Territorial Women’s Ministries Department sponsors a project in a developing country to assist women and children—and this year is no different.

BY WYNNE REDDISH When selecting our annual Territorial Women’s Ministries projects, we look for projects that will make a sustainable difference in the lives of the people involved. This year, our project is in Pakistan, a country that presents many challenges to women, not the least of which are being able to provide for their families and being free to work without suffering abuse.

The New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory has a close affinity with Pakistan. New Zealand Salvation Army officers Commissioners Alistair and Astrid Herring lead the work there, other Kiwis have served in Pakistan in the past, and we currently have officers from Pakistan serving alongside us in New Zealand. Lieutenant-Colonels Rebecca Yousaf and Yousaf Ghulam have identified two workshopbased projects for us to assist with—projects that will empower women to overcome abusive situations and give them the tools to provide for themselves and their families.

With funding from this territory, The Salvation Army in Pakistan will run two sets of workshops for two different but often overlapping groups of women.

The first of these is aimed at supporting freedom for domestic maids. These women often face difficult and abusive ‘employment’ in situations more akin to enslavement. This is especially so in rural areas, where young girls work as domestic maids for Mulan lords or landlords. In these locations, abuse is rife.

The Salvation Army will help these young women learn how to deal with harassment and abuse, and will also teach new skills that, in some cases, will provide opportunities for these women to move to safer forms of work. The workshops will also allow the Army to begin to gently work with younger girls, establishing a relationship, gaining their trust, and then giving them the information and tools to realise the possibilities for change in their circumstances.

The second workshop project is focused on the economic empowerment of women. These workshops will be held in communities, where The Salvation Army will explore incomegeneration opportunities with local women, such as gardening, sewing skills and running home-based poultry farms. This income will allow women to better provide for their families and give them an extra measure of independence. Linked to these workshops, The Salvation Army will provide micro-credit loans so women can get a start in establishing their own income.

Commissioner Alistair Herring writes from Lahore, ‘In povertystricken city slums as well as in many towns and villages, The

Salvation Army is giving individuals and families a hand-up into new, sustainable livelihoods through the loan of a sewing machine, cow, goat, or donkey and cart. Over a year or two, the cost of the original loan is repaid so it can be made available again to another woman.

Our corps (churches) work closely with the local community councils.

This is a true partnership—not only between corps and community, but also between Christian and Muslim peoples.’ The Salvation Army also aims to link people to literacy programmes run in its corps.

Empowering women to overcome abuse, and helping women provide for themselves and their families.

Each year, women’s groups in Salvation Army churches across New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga find creative ways to raise funds for the Territorial Women’s Ministries Project—anything from sale-of-work tables, to fashion parades and high-tea events.

Please do your utmost to support your local fundraising initiatives. You’ll be making a difference not only for the women who take part in the workshops and receive micro-credit loans, but also for their families. You’ll be helping to give women skills that will enable them to feed themselves with the things they grow and to provide for their families as they put their income-generation skills to work.

Fundraising for the Territorial Women’s Ministries Project runs from January to June. In the second half of the year, our women’s ministries groups support Divisional Women’s Ministries Projects. Lieut-Colonel Wynne Reddish is Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries.

Support our Pakistan Project Donate at your local corps.

Tell others about this project.

Pray for those who will deliver the workshops.

Pray for those who will attend the workshops.

12 | WarCry 08 March 2014

PART TWO OF TWO

Blessing in the Shadow As many faith traditions embark on a time of Lent, Joy Cowley takes us on a meditative journey, beginning with gratitude for our imperfections.

Almost as soon as we’re born, we are socialised and taught the difference between right and wrong. As small children, we are made to understand that some actions are good and some actions are bad.

This teaching usually comes from parental awareness of what is good for society. There are rules that apply to all peoples, and there are rules that are cultural, applying to particular groups of people.

But usually there is in the child’s thinking, a distinct division between good and evil. Adults reinforce this: ‘If you’re good you can watch a movie.’ ‘Have you been good at school today?’ The child quickly learns that it is socially desirable to be good. Evil belongs elsewhere.

Good vs evil At an early stage of faith, we know that God is ‘good’, so there must be a second power responsible for evil: the devil. This isn’t just in Christian thinking. It’s a part of this stage of development in all religions. And for people who don’t have any religion, the tendency is to see evil out there in other people—nations or political groups or even religions.

Meanwhile, there is something else going on in us. There is a voice of wisdom in us. It is a gentle voice and it has a gentle touch, healing division and bringing us to the truth of wholeness. We become aware that our perception of good and evil is changing slightly. They are not as clear cut as they once were. Bright sunlight is never without shadows. The dark gives way to light. There are times when it seems that darkness exists to serve the light. These thoughts may make us Christians feel uncomfortable, especially when we see them in Scripture.

In the Old Testament, we look at the Genesis story of the fall.

The knowledge of good and the knowledge of evil are contained not in separate trees or separate fruits but in the one fruit. That is a powerful image. Then, in the book of Job, we read about God making a pact with the devil. In the gospels, we are told that the Holy Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert to be tempted by the Devil. Again, we have darkness serving the light.

At this stage of faith, I journey into deeper understanding of the word ‘repentance’, which means ‘re-thinking’. I take a deep breath and try to look clear-sightedly at my shadow. Jung was right. I need to own my shadow, for it serves the light. In my shadow is blessing. It contains the energy of transformation. It holds the seed of new growth.

Light in the shadows People of faith sometimes ask the question, ‘Why does God allow evil in the world?’ It is a big question, but for me the mystery is held in love. We can probably understand it a little better if we try to imagine the opposite.

Picture a world that is perfect: no evil, no violence, no pain.

Superficially, the image is a delight—until we realise that in

perfection, there is no room for growth. Perfection means to make complete. Growth comes out of the tension of opposites. Life comes out of this tension. It is how cells divide. It is how we are made, how we are born, how we mature. I know that if I had never experienced pain, I would be in a shallow place, without the gifts that come from pain—like empathy, wisdom and compassion.

I also know that anyone who is serious about their journey to a larger place will have to embrace what Christians call ‘the cross’.

There comes a time for all of us when it seems that God grabs us by the ankles, turns us upside down and shakes us empty. Then, when we are empty, God fills us. Jeremiah knew this when he referred to God as ‘the potter’. We get reshaped. And the vessel that is emptied is then filled.

What about our shadow? I refer to the messy part of our life, the part we don’t want to own. Do we see it as an area of blessing?

Sometimes it is hard to let go of the expectations of childhood. ‘Have you been a good boy? Have you been a good girl?’ But the shadow is our growing space. It is the place where we meet our newness.

The beauty of Lent This recognition brings us back to the beauty of Lent, a time of repentance, or ‘rethinking’ what we carry from childhood, and moving with it to a deeper place. As part of this celebration, it would be appropriate to spend some time in gratitude for imperfection.

If we reflect on something in ourselves that we consider to be a weakness, we will discover that it is also connected to strength. Or, to go back to those old Genesis images, the good and the bad are contained in the same fruit. They are on the same continuum.

I can see my judgmental attitudes as evil. They cause me pain and frustration. But they are attached to a gift for discernment. I have strong maternal instincts. I think I’m naturally that way, and it is also part of my conditioning. But it means that I can be bossy and try to organise people. I have to live with these faults. If I could get rid of the shadow, I would also be rid of the light.

Look at your shadow. Do you have a quick temper? Congratulations.

You are probably a high energy person with gifts of leadership. Do you consider yourself lazy? Then no doubt you are a very peaceful person with healing gifts. People like to be near you. You may wish to make a note of the strengths that are rooted in your shadow.

The blessing of the shadow is well expressed in the words of poet Leonard Cohen: Ring the bells that still can ring / Forget your perfect offering / There is a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in.

Listening to yourself and others When we take time out for awareness, that is, when we use our senses to rest in the present moment, we notice the language of the heart. There is something in us that opens up like a flower when we are in a situation that nurtures us. The same body movement happens in reverse when something is not right for us. Something inside us closes. It is a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and it is very finely tuned.

This inner movement doesn’t pay too much heed to social

Soul Food | 13

notions of what is desirable or undesirable. Nor does it necessarily move the same way in every like situation. It will be true for you at the moment, and you will know its truth because it comes not from fear but from the gentleness of love.

In the Jewish tradition, it has been said that we see and hear what we are meant to see and hear. In this age of noise, I’d prefer to put it this way: we notice what we are meant to notice. The hungry heart will reach out and grab some truth that it was meant to see and hear, and will be grateful.

I would be in a shallow place, without the gifts that come from pain—like empathy, wisdom and compassion.

Often, some new realisation comes from someone else. At the very moment we hear it, we have the inner response, ‘Yes! That’s it!’

Or sometimes, when we have self-doubt, we get affirmation—not just once but several times. Eventually, we get the feeling that we are indeed in Life School and we are being given everything we need for spiritual growth as long as we are able to receive it.

You, too, will have had experiences like this. And the more you are aware of them, the more they will happen. But we do need to be in that receptive state.

At any stage of our journey we have fellow pilgrims who share the path. We value these people. We share meaningful conversations with them. We feel at home in their company. Some have been fellow pilgrims for many years; others are with us for just a short time.

There is a mutual giving that makes us aware that life is made up of connections. The more we appreciate this, the more we realise that we experience God in each other.

The journey of prayer Prayer is a long and beautiful road where the scenery changes at every turn, as does the means of travel. Remember when praying was all about our effort? It was largely concerned with personal discipline.

We held requests out toward God in some distant place called Heaven. Was that really prayer? Yes, of course it was. Often we felt a response that we could not name, a sense of peace, the touch of some goodness that came to fill us and bring reassurance.

Yet there was more. As we travelled on the prayer journey, our awareness increased. God seemed much closer. Our Father in Heaven was also the loving companion on the road, with whom we could chat and share our innermost thoughts without concerning ourselves too much with formal language. This was quite a breakthrough for us, although, paradoxically, now that God was much closer, we were less able to describe God. But we did try, using a variety of images, and prayer rose spontaneously out of moments in the day.

Yet there was more. God the companion and guide came even closer, so that the boundary between us was lost. We realised that the Loving Presence was within us, and the Voice of Guidance spoke

from the depth of our being. The discovery of God within oneself may appear to contradict everything we’ve been taught. We may see it as worse than blasphemy. With that discovery comes the knowledge that we belong totally to God, and the responsibility involved is overwhelming.

The truth is that God is in everyone and everything and that all creation is a manifestation of the Creator. The Love that made us for Itself has always been a part of us. The great Light of the Universe has placed in each of us a small spark of its brightness. That core of Love and Light within us gets buried in the wrappings of incarnation but it so longs for its Source that is creates a hunger and thirst within us, and our response is this pilgrimage of prayer.

It seems to us now, at this stage of the journey, that the experience of prayer is all around us, wherever we have eyes to see or ears to hear.

Prayer is not so much about our giving, as our receiving. It’s found in listening into silence and stillness and being open to the abundance that is being poured into us. It is about sharing that abundance freely with others. It’s about seeing past human error to the beauty of God in every soul. Prayer is something that is constantly happening within us, as the Apostle Paul discovered. It is our birthright.

The sweetness Along with the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), there is a ninth gift that comes in prayer, a gift that comes unearned and unbidden, that floods our being with delight and awe. and sometimes brings tears of wonder. There is no name for this gift, but in attempt to describe it, I call it ‘sweetness’. It is as though the hungry soul has taste buds made for this gift and this alone. You will know it. It comes in unguarded moments when we encounter God in beauty, music, prayer, liturgy, the miracles of birth and death. Our open hearts are filled to overflowing with something a psalmist described as ‘sweeter than the honey from the honey-comb’ (Psalm 19:10), and we know the truth of our relationship with the Divine.

The mechanics of day-to-day existence may not get easier. We are still faced with challenge, hardship, pain, difficult decisions, all the exams we expect of Life School—but the way we view them changes. We also have a different understanding of the structural prayers of our early journey. Now worship is not something we ‘do’.

We experience prayer as an open door through which flows food and drink for our journey.

All we need do on the path of prayer is to enlarge our capacity to receive. The rest is done for us.

Generations of New Zealanders have grown up with Joy Cowley’s much-loved children’s books.

She also writes on spiritual reflection and is a retreat facilitator. joycowley.com

14 WarCry©08 March 2014

Wellington Citadel Band Tours Japan and Hong Kong

In November 2013, the Wellington Citadel Band under Bandmaster Glenn Richards, together with Corps Officer Major Milton Collins, travelled via Hong Kong for its fourth tour of Japan, after visits in 1979, 1985 and 2007.

The primary aim of these tours has always been to spread the good news of the gospel to as many people and as effectively as possible. The band happily makes itself available for pretty much anything the Japan Territory asks of it and a visit to Japan in this context is an utterly unique experience. The Salvationists of Japan are wholehearted in their Christian devotion. They are also humble people whose hospitality is second to none.

The band had two very busy days in Hong Kong, visiting four schools, playing in the open air outside the Tin Hau Temple in Kowloon, presenting a public concert, and holding a brass clinic with local Salvationists. Then it was on to Japan.

Arriving early morning on a beautiful day, the band was greeted by retired Japan Staff Bandmaster Hajime Suzuki, who had made all the arrangements for the Japanese leg of the tour. Along with other Salvationists, Suzuki accompanied the band for the duration of its tour, ensuring everything went according to plan.

On their first morning in Japan, the band visited The Salvation Army’s Kiyose complex, which includes a corps, a hospital and a retirement home. As the bus drove up the driveway, the Japan Staff Band with timbrellists was playing a march, a tremendous greeting.

For the next 11 days the band moved around central Japan, travelling as far south as Hamamatsu and Minamisanriku in the north. The itinerary took in a number of schools and several public concerts, one of which was a joint effort with the Hamamatsu Brass Band. The two bands have established a strong relationship over the years and were also able to spend some time together socially.

On their first Sunday in Japan, band members participated in a divisional meeting at a school in Takasaki. It was wonderful to see the Lord moving in people’s lives, with decisions made to follow him.

The meeting was followed by a meal with Salvationists and then a public concert with more cameras operating than you’d find at an All Black test. The band was then treated to a 20-minute performance in the gymnasium by the school’s marching band, together with dancers and other performers that had been rehearsing three hours a day for a year. The standard of the production was first class in every respect and it was difficult at times to credit that the performers were high school students. This was a treat, as was spending time with the young people afterward.

The travel schedule for the tour was hectic, with long distances covered most days and a pattern of sleeping, eating, travelling, setting up and playing followed pretty much throughout. But there was no complaint from band members, as all could clearly see the

value in the activities of each day, with an obvious spiritual impact being made. There were countless meaningful moments for every member of the band.

A visit to Minamisanriku, a town devastated by the tsunami of 2011 was one such occasion. The band was taken to what was once the town centre, but which is now a barren wasteland, with the remains of just a couple of structures still standing. One of these has become a shrine to the disaster and subsequent loss of life, and the band—together with local Salvationists—offered prayers in front of this. On that morning the band visited a school where many of the students had lost one or both parents. There was also an opportunity to play in a temporary shopping precinct that had once been the site of a mall. These were moving events and a reminder of how fragile life is, especially when the forces of nature take a hand.

There was little time for sightseeing during the tour, although on a number of occasions tremendous views of Mt. Fuji were afforded.

It was late autumn and with the wide variety of trees in Japan, this is a colourful time of year to visit. A trip to a musical instrument museum with some very strange exhibits was well worthwhile.

There were also a couple of opportunities to take to the waters of traditional Japanese bathhouses—not everyone’s cup of tea, but great for those feeling the cold or with aches and pains from long hours in the bus.

The band’s final day involved a bus trip across Tokyo to a school with spectacular grounds for lunch with students. This was followed by a concert and a train ride back for the launch of the Salvation Army’s Christmas kettle appeal in a large shopping mall. A final meal with Commissioners Jiro and Keiko Katsuchi and other members of the Army’s senior leadership was very enjoyable and included the presentation of gifts.

The band reached a very acceptable level musically while on tour, a testament to many hours of rehearsal both as a group and individually during 2013. The music presented was a wide variety from many genres, including traditional brass, classical, swing, jazz and film music, with a couple of traditional Japanese folk tunes included. The band’s repertoire was greatly appreciated, as was its male voice items which clearly made an impression, especially a verse sung in Japanese.

Lasting impressions were made on the tour party of a high-tech country with super-efficient transport systems, interesting food that saw no-one go hungry, highly organised people who are very wellpresented, of Salvationists who share an almost tangible bond built upon our common faith, and of near-perfect weather in the Land of the Rising Sun. Greg Young Band Secretary

Our Community | 15

Child Sponsorship Handover

This year, Major Glenys Heese (pictured right) has passed on the job of overseeing The Salvation Army’s child sponsorship programme ‘Cherish a Child’ to Major Helen Knowles (pictured left).

Glenys carried out this important work for 13 years and was thanked for her valued service during a Territorial Headquarters staff meeting on 18 February.

Go to salvationarmy.org.nz/childsponsorship to learn how you can invest in a child’s future for as little as $25 per month

New Soldiers for Rotorua

(l-r) Mjr Rex Rees (with flag) Arthur Abbott, Roy Burrows and Capt Brian Martin Rotorua Corps is celebrating two new senior soldiers: Arthur Abbott and Roy Burrows. They were enrolled on Sunday 8 December 2014.

Both men have attended the corps with their wives and families for many years and are very involved in its ministry.

Corps officers Captain Amanda and Brian Martin say it is a real privilege to have seen Arthur and Roy grow and develop in their Christian discipleship and to witness them willingly befriend and mentor other people in the corps.

16 WarCry©08 March 2014

One Hundred and Twenty-Five Years Celebrated at Linwood 16 | WarCry©08 March 2014

(clockwise from top left) Kingdom Kids enthusiastically leading worship; Mjr Bruce Tremain opens the Container Family Store; celebratory cake; Iris Derham assists ‘the old codger’ with a reading from the corps history book; Mjr Marilyn Tremain enrols Amy Gibbs and Roselee Johnson as senior soldiers; Mjr Julie Cope presents Stella Derham with her junior soldier badge.

On Saturday 1 September 1888 at 4:10am, a magnitude 7.0 to 7.3 earthquake struck Canterbury, causing damage to buildings, including the loss of the top 7.8 metres of the Christchurch Cathedral spire. On the corresponding weekend 125 years later, there was again movement and activity in Christchurch—but not of the seismic variety. The noises were not rumbles but music, prayer and celebration. This marked the 125th anniversary of the Linwood Salvation Army Corps (Majors Bruce and Marilyn Tremain).

Linwood Corps was opened on Wednesday 5 September 1888 in the Oddfellows Hall in East Belt (Fitzgerald Avenue). In a stirring meeting of 350 people, Colonel Josiah Taylor installed two young lassie officers, Lieutenants Noble and Paul, as pioneer officers of the 51st Salvation Army corps in New Zealand.

Prior to the 125th anniversary, an ‘old codger’ from those pioneer days visited the Sunday services and regaled the congregation with touching and humorous tales of the early Linwood Corps. He was invited to attend the celebrations and read a poem by Brother John Perkins published in the War Cry on 22 August 1891.

The anniversary celebrations had a community focus, with a family day on Saturday, featuring a sausage sizzle, soft drinks, face painting, bouncy castle, pavement art, community caravan, Family Store fashion parade, brass band, Jolt Integrated Dance Group, open buildings, family movie, and the opening of the brand new Container

Family Store. This innovative building was officially opened by Major Bruce Tremain with over 200 people in attendance.

Approximately 500 members of the local community attended the events during the day, almost 100 staying on for a family movie in the evening.

The Sunday morning meeting attracted a large congregation, including visitors from the previous day’s activities. It was an action-packed service, with Fathers’ Day recognition by the children, the enrolment of Stella Derham as a junior soldier by Major Julie Cope, and of Amy Gibbs and Roselee Johnson as senior soldiers by Major Marilyn Tremain. Lieut-Colonel Lynette Hutson preached a sermon on ‘Get in the car!’. The service concluded with a prayerful covenant renewal ceremony, rousing singing of the Founder’s Song, ‘O Boundless Salvation’, and the march ‘Montreal Citadel’ by the Linwood Corps Band (Bandmaster Wayne Derham).

Following the meeting, there was a delicious ‘light lunch’ that provided further opportunity for reminiscing among family and friends. A special anniversary cake, decorated beautifully by Bob Brookland, was cut by the newest junior soldier, Stella Derham, and the longest-serving senior soldier, Daphne Pringle.

This concluded a God-glorifying weekend, setting the corps on the right path for the next 125 years.

Rodney Derham

Name Change for Employment Plus Employment Plus is changing its name to more accurately reflect its current service, as it continues to evolve to deliver education and employment that helps young people achieve qualifications and matches people of any age to jobs.

A recent marketing strategy workshop identified that the name ‘Employment Plus’ was out of date and not reflective of the services on offer in the markets in which it operates. It did not signal the education component that is a key aspect of its mission. The new name—‘Education and Employment’—which will be in effect from Easter, better reflects the service’s dual focus.

Employment Plus has helped over 60,000 people over the past 34 years and is one of The Salvation Army’s three nationally-managed social service programmes with 21 locations nationwide.

Employment Plus is one of the largest and longest running NZQA-accredited education and employment private training

providers in the country. It provides quality teaching excellence, with The Salvation Army’s widely respected pastoral care to help even the most intricate learners earn credits and qualifications and get and retain jobs.

‘With help from the wider Salvation Army by referring learners or providing temporary or permanent employment for our learners, we can achieve even more,’ says Gregory Fortuin (National Director).

‘Together we can create brighter futures for New Zealanders in need and continue to transform lives.’

Visit salvationarmy.org.nz/eplus for more information on fees-free courses ranging from engineering and auto trades, to business administration and the service sector, and information on Training for Work programmes.

Noticeboard | 17

Territorial Strategic Mission Plan Champion

CALENDAR MARCH 8: Youth and Children’s Leaders Training (East) / Fiji Division 8: Paddy Bash Event / Southern Division 9: Welcome to Cadets / Wellington City Corps 10: Taranaki Anniversary 10: Territorial Executive Leaders Conference / Wellington 11: Executive Women Leaders Commission / Wellington 11–12: Youth Quality Improvement Working Party / El Rancho Camp 12: Children’s Quality Improvement Working Party / El Rancho Cam 12–14: Finance Training / Booth College of Mission 13: HR Conference / Northern Division 14: Hawera Book Fair / Midland Division 14–16: Te Whare Io Workshop / Midland Division 15: Youth and Children’s Leaders Training (West) / Fiji Division 15: Local Leaders Training / Tonga Region 16: Child Sponsorship Sunday / Fiji Division 18–20: Officer Pre-Retirement Seminar / Booth College of Mission 26–28: Speaker 3.0 / Booth College of Mission 20: Jeff Farm Board 21: Women’s Night of Prayer / Fiji Division 21: Regional Lunch (Whangarei and Far North) / Northern Division 22: Moral and Social Issues Council / Wellington 22: Youth and Children’s Leaders Training (North) / Fiji Division 24: Otago Anniversary 26: Spiritual Day / Booth College of Mission 29: Raft Race / Southern Division 30: Blaze Event (Upper Hutt) / Central Division

PRAYER FOCUS Please pray for: Flaxmere, Foxton, Fua’amotu, Gisborne, Glen Eden and Glenfield Corps, Youth Mission Department, The Salvation Army in Liberia.

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Robert (Territorial Commander) and Janine Donaldson (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 9 March: Territorial Welcome to Cadets (New Zealand) 10 March: Territorial Executive Council 11 March: Women’s Commission Meeting (TPWM) 14–16 March: Grandview Corps Colonels Graeme (Chief Secretary) and Wynne Reddish (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries) 9 March: Territorial Welcome to Cadets (New Zealand) 10 March: Territorial Executive Council 11 March: Women’s Commission Meeting (TSWM)

Lieut-Colonel Rod Carey has replaced Major Clive Nicholson as the ‘Territorial Strategic Mission Plan (TSMP) Champion’. Lieut-Colonel TERRITORIAL STRATEGIC MISSION PLAN Carey is also Territorial Secretary for Programme. In his TSMP role, Lieut-Colonel Carey is supported by Mission Resource Consultant Alastair Kendrew, who has helped advance TSMP over a number of years, and Mission Resource Officer Captain Ross Wardle, who joined the team in January.

Just Action: In Our Backyard The Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit’s Just Action conference will be at (or near) your place this year, as Just Action goes ‘on the road’.

Our 2014 speakers are Russell Rook and Baroness Maeve Sherlock from the UK. Russell is an active Salvationist and envoy with The Salvation Army who once led the UK territory’s ‘ALOVE’ territorial youth programme. He is now CEO of Chapel St, which works with churches to fill gaps in basic services like education and health. Baroness Sherlock is a member of the House of Lords and her party’s spoksperson on social welfare. She has worked in a wide range of social justice areas, including supporting refugees and asylum seekers, and advising on child poverty and welfare reform.

Registrations in April, early-bird rates until 30 June. Dunedin: Thursday 21 August / Christchurch: Saturday 23 August / Wellington: Tuesday 26 August / Auckland: Thursday 28 August www.salvationarmy.org.nz/justaction and www.facebook.com/justactionnz

Honour God with Your Body: A Christian View of Human Sexuality 29–31 August 2014 / Auckland New Zealand is hosting the two Australian Salvation Army territories this year in Auckland (venue to be confirmed).

Christian theology and spirituality has implications for every aspect of human existence, including sexuality. While sexuality is given inordinate attention in popular culture, it is seldom discussed in a deliberately theological way within The Salvation Army. There will be a call for contributing papers.

For more information or to be added to the Thought Matters email database, e: thought_matters@nzf.salvationarmy.org.nz

Counsellor/Ministry Positions (for a Couple) FreedomLife @ Te Nikau is a Christian residential programme for people with addictions and compulsive behaviours, based in Paraparaumu. The centre seeks a Christian couple able to express their faith in the workplace—one with general or addiction counselling qualifications, and the other with caring, ministry, administration or support skills. More information on www.freedomlife.org.nz.

Contact the director, p: (04) 902 5828 or e: xroads@xtra.co.nz

To advertise your event, email: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org

“The Old Salvation Army Training College”

Saturday 5th April 2014 | 33 Aro St, Aro Valley, Wellington Centenary Celebrations at 3.00 pm | Open Day from 3.45 pm | Free entry

18 WarCry©08 March 2014

LEADERSHIP LINKS

The Salvation Army needs more dreamers!

In 1989, 1200 young people descended on the town of Otaki.

They came from far and wide to listen to the latest gospel grooves and hang out with their friends. Fast forward 25 years to January this year and over 20,000 music lovers flooded into Mystery Creek Hamilton for the Parachute Music festival.

Headline acts like Dave Dobbyn and Stan Walker thrilled the crowds. People danced and prayed the weekend away.

Life-changing decisions were made and everyone returned home tired and inspired. This was certainly the case for nearly 200 young Salvationists who attended.

Mark and Christine de Jong’s vision of a contemporary Christian music festival has been a monumental success.

Hundreds of thousands of people have attended and numerous artists assisted into creative ministry. Countless lives have been transformed, the face of Christianity in Aotearoa has gained credibility and God has been glorified.

Clearly the Church needs more dreamers. The Salvation Army needs more dreamers. Your corps and centre needs more dreamers. We need people with God-given visions—the ability to see what’s invisible to others, to dream and believe for a brighter future. We need people who can see what’s not working, identify what needs to be done to get it working, articulate the vision to others, and then work and pray to make it a reality!

In 1880, Catherine Booth wrote in her ‘Aggressive Christianity’ lectures, ‘There is no improving the future without disturbing the present’. More recently, Joel Baker said, ‘Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.’

In 2010, the Youth and Creative Ministries departments had a dream of holding a joint creative arts event to encourage and inspire youth in developing their talents and using them for the Lord. Fast forward to January this year, when 225 passionate youth descended on the Silverstream Retreat Centre to fine tune their creative skills and consecrate themselves to God. I had the privilege of attending the ‘exhibition night’ and was amazed at the array of talent among our youth. I was also thrilled that over 600 people heard the gospel during the camp’s outdoor concert.

These young people returned home fired up with faith. Please take the time to encourage them and find opportunities for them to serve.

So, what vision has God given you? Have you shared it with your leaders? When do you plan to put your vision into action? And how can you encourage others with their God given dream?

The prophet writes in Joel 2:27–29 (NLT): ‘Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.’ May the Spirit be poured out on our Army, and dreams and visions released!

Lieut-Colonel Rod Carey Territorial Secretary for Programme

Rebuilding Lives A creative initiative from Employment Plus is helping rebuild infrastructure in Christchurch, while assisting people to rebuild their lives.

BY INGRID BARRATT After the Christchurch earthquakes, it was estimated the city needed 1000 extra workers to rebuild its infrastructure in the next five to seven years—a job that would normally take 20 years. The Salvation Army Employment Plus has joined the rebuild effort with its ‘U Build 4 the Rebuild’ initiative—helping provide jobs for those who need it, while creating workers that contribute to the city.

The six-week course was developed in partnership with InfraTrain, the leading infrastructure industry training organisation, and SCIRT (The Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team). It was identified that the first need for the rebuild was for ‘horizontal infrastructure’, which is everything ‘on and below the ground’, including roading, waste and stormwater.

The first-ever course, based at Aranui Corps (church) in Christchurch East (which was hit hard by the quakes), began in June 2012 with five trainees—affectionately dubbed the ‘famous five’. All these graduates are still working, and most are still in the infrastructure industry.

‘U Build’ has just embarked on its 13th course, and the results so far have been stunning. There is a 98 per cent attendance rate, and 83 per cent of trainees have secured employment as a result of the course.

The average age of the trainees is 40-plus. Many lost their jobs after the earthquakes, are retraining, or have been on minimum wage their whole life.

A man named Joe* was on the first course. He was a contract milkman in Christchurch East, and lost his job when the earthquakes struck. On the day Joe arrived for the course, his car was repossessed. ‘We just picked him up and supported him, and we were able to get him a bicycle,’ recalls project manager Robyn Laurenson. With all the turmoil he was facing, Joe suffered from anger issues. But he started biking 45 minutes to

Mission Matters 19

the course and attended the gym as part of his training, which helped him manage his anger. He started to sleep better and get fit. Joe got work in a Christchurch infrastructure company and has been there ever since—and he still bikes to work every day.

Fred* came to the course from Dunedin. He had spent his working life doing minimum wage, hard labour. He had been through a marriage break up and had a three-year-old daughter. As a result of his situation, Fred had suffered anxiety and depression. He had been out of work for two years.

Fred was helped with accommodation and surrounded with support. After the course, Fred got a job at $15 an hour, and after a few months was taken on permanently and given a raise to $19.50.

He is soon expected to get another raise. ‘I’m not on the minimum wage now, I’ve got a career,’ Fred says. And best of all, his employer has worked with him to schedule time off each month so that Joe can visit his daughter. ‘I’m not just paying child support, I can do things with her and spoil her a bit,’ he says.

I’m not on the minimum wage now, I’ve got a career.

The secret of the course’s success has been ‘quality over quantity’, says Robyn, with an average of seven trainees each intake: ‘We deal with every individual on a case-by-case basis, and we’re connected to other Salvation Army services for things like budget advice and food parcels,’ she explains. ‘Often, our trainees haven’t had a very good relationship with schooling, so the short course suits them, and they get a lot of TLC.’ Trainees have been supported to manage fines, get vehicles registered and warranted, and simply get a second chance in life. One man was even able to get his teeth fixed because he finally had work and was earning money.

Trainees have to be highly motivated and are interviewed by Robyn, a tutor and a SCIRT assessor.

SCIRT is an alliance of major contractors in the infrastructure industry. After the earthquakes, instead of competing for work, well-known names like Fulton Hogan and Fletcher—along with many others—agreed to work together to harness their shared expertise.

CEO Duncan Gibbs regularly attends the graduation ceremonies.

‘He loves U Build and he loves what The Salvation Army is doing,’ says Robyn.

The free course begins with two weeks of ‘work readiness’, where trainees attend the gym twice a week to get fit. Their tutor—a trained chef—provides training in nutrition, and the trainees put on a lunch every Thursday. This requires managing a budget, working as a team,

putting together a menu and other life skills. The course starts at 7 am every day to reflect industry hours.

Trainees are expected to have their driver’s licence, and are put through their ‘wheels, tracks and rollers’ licence (WTR), which allows them to operate diggers and other machinery. During the course, trainees gain 20 credits towards a National Certificate of Infrastructure to give them a step-up into the industry—including training in traffic management and site safety.

Twice a week, SCIRT representatives visit the course, to advise the trainees. These representatives have a strong relationship with key agencies in the industry.

This personal contact is invaluable. A 54-year-old man attended the course, even though he already had his WTR licence. He had a full face moko, and when he met potential employers they didn’t seem interested in hiring him. Coupled with a criminal record, it was proving extremely difficult for him to find a job. But with SCIRT assessors visiting regularly, he found personal contacts that were there to support him. They sat down and the SCIRT assessor said, ‘Look, as long as you’re upfront about your criminal record, you can still have a future in this industry.’ He got a permanent job with a Christchurch concreting firm. ‘I got a text from him at Christmas saying, “Thank you for believing in me,” ’ recalls Robyn.

U Build 4 the Rebuild recently had 11 of its graduates back for a further certificate in traffic management, which allows them to be supervisors at road works, and there are further plans for expansion as the rebuild efforts continue. ‘It’s a privilege to walk with people while they are going through these life transitions. It really is very humbling,’ reflects Robyn. ‘And that’s a sentiment shared by the tutors as well.’ *Names of trainees have been changed.

For more on U Build for the Rebuild, go to salvationarmy.org.nz/ eplus, or phone 0800 YOU BUILD (0800 968 28453)

GOD & FAITH

Get Amongst It! Which classic Salvation Army corps’ ministry should you be in? Take our quiz to find out which ministry you might be best suited for.

1. At a birthday party, you would usually be found: A

B

Heading around with the rubbish bag and briefly chatting with people.

Popping party poppers, jumping in the pool and having fun.

C

Checking on who’s hosting, making sure it’s going well.

D

Chatting with different people.

E

Choosing the next song on the iPod or jamming with mates.

F

Hanging near the snacks table or handing around the chips bowl.

2. From the list below, which movie would you prefer to watch?

C

Trip mum or dad—making sure everyone is feeling happy and having a good time.

D

Money holder—looking after the group’s money and making sure it’s used well.

E

Dreamer—coming up with the crazy ideas and making everyone do them.

F

Music maker—organising the playlist or bringing along a guitar for late-night jams.

A

Monica

B

Phoebe

C

Rachel

Toy Story

D

Chandler

B

School of Rock

E

Joey

C

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

F

Ross

D

Saving Private Ryan

E

The Blind Side

5. Which Bible verse stands out most to you?

F

Pay it Forward

A

1 Corinthians 10:31—So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

B

Malachi 3:10—‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.

Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be

A

Overall trip planner—organising the details, making sure everything is on track.

B

Meal planner—thinking about all the different food to try and deciding where to go for lunch each day.

D

E

4. Which Friends character do you associate most with?

A

3. On a group holiday, you would usually take the following role:

C

F

room enough to store it.’

7. People often describe you as:

Proverbs 22:6—Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

A

Down-to-earth, welcoming, warm.

B

Servant-hearted, hard-working, a ‘behind-the-scenes’ kind of person.

C

Fun loving, energetic, friendly.

D

Creative, musical, gifted.

E

Detailed, organised, a leader.

F

Reliable, approachable, non-judgemental.

Acts 20:28—Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Ephesians 5:19—Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.

Romans 15:7—Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

6. Often you find yourself thinking about: A

Being in a band, or the next guitar you’re gonna buy.

B

All the little details of a bigger picture.

C

Budgets and saving goals.

D

Some crazy activity involving water balloons, paint and live animals.

E

Snacks and drinks. Tea, coffee, muffins, slices, crackers, biscuits.

F

Texting your friends or snapchatting your friends to catch up.

How did you score? Circle the letter you answered for each question: 1. a = blue, b = red, c = green, d = purple, e = orange, f = yellow 2. a = red, b = orange, c = yellow, d = green, e = purple, f = blue 3. a = green, b = yellow, c = purple, d = blue, e = red, f = orange 4. a = green, b = orange, c = purple, d = red, e = yellow, f = blue 5. a = yellow, b = blue, c = red, d = green, e = orange, f = purple 6. a = orange, b = green, c = blue, d = red, e = yellow, f = purple 7. a = purple, b= yellow, c = red, d = orange, e = green, f = blue Which colour is your most common answer? This indicates your most likely ministry:

08 MARCH 2014 | 21

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Mostly Green: CSM Congratulations, you could be a great corps sergeant major!

You’re an organised and detailed person who cares for people.

Nice! You’ll be overseeing what your corps does alongside your corps officers, so start practising reading out ‘the announcements’ now.

You get to help make some big decisions. (‘I think a corps’ swimming pool is a great idea!’)

Mostly Orange: Music Team Congratulations, you totally need to put your hand up to join the music team! You either play an instrument or sing—maybe even both—and the music team is the perfect place to rock out (while creating an atmosphere of worship, of course).

You get access to the order of service and know everything that’s gonna happen (which doesn’t mean you can go to sleep in the sermon just because you’re not on duty).

Mostly Blue: Offering Collector and/or Corps Treasurer Congratulations, you’d be a real help taking up the Sunday offering or serving as the corps treasurer! You see the importance of giving back to God, and you probably also like small cloth bags or polished wooden plates. Of course, you also need to be a reliable and trustworthy person who can oversee money and budgets.

You get to be the person who sets people at ease when they’re not sure how to juggle those offering bags/plates!

Mostly Red: Kids or Youth Leader Congratulations, you’d probably be an epic kids or youth leader!

You are a little crazy, very friendly and just generally love life.

Perfect. Sign up to kids church or youth group now and let all of those crazy game ideas loose.

This is a ministry that often involves lots of candy!

Mostly Yellow: Kitchen Duty Congratulations, you’d be great to have on the kitchen team!

Let’s be honest, you love food, and you also love bringing people together with food. Of course, you’ll need to be a whiz at heating things up quickly and plating up fruit loaf.

Sneaking an early snack for yourself before the plates head out to the morning tea tables.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord …

Mostly Purple: Welcome Team Congratulations, you’d be a terrific addition to the corps welcome team! You probably love chatting with people, making them feel welcome and helping them know that they belong.

Keep working on that smile and start moisturising those hands now.

Finishing up your ministry responsibility before church even starts!

Always remember that there’s no right or wrong ministry. God calls us all to be active followers (that’s faith and works combined) and there is a huge need for all of us to get involved in building up and serving our local church. Christian ministry isn’t limited to the few ideas listed here —there are a whole heap of different ways to serve God and his church.

When you are putting your faith into action in whatever ministry you are in, always remember: ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.’ Colossians 3:23-24

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EVENTS | 22

Mixing it Up at Parachute 2014 The 2014 Parachute Music Festival was another awesome weekend. From 24–27 January, around 200 young Salvationists from all over New Zealand joined 17,000 others to hang out together at Mystery Creek in Hamilton.

This year’s festival was another four days of dancing, dust and expensive food. Parachute brought us some of the best Christian bands from all over the world, God brought us pretty decent weather (besides those four drenched hours on Sunday night), and the punters brought the best dance moves, some of the wackiest fashion and all those typical Parachute crazy antics.

punk rockers MXPX to classic Dave Dobbyn, funky NewWorldSon to hardcore Devil Wears Prada—we were spoiled for choice. Some of our top picks would be Stan Walker’s high-energy Saturday night set with pyrotechnics and dancers, Halfnoise’s mainstage set that was full of rythymic experiment and passion, and Strahan’s Spirit-filled folk set at the White Elephant Stage.

As usual, the Sally Supergroup was the best place to camp at Parachute.

We had the massive Sally marquee again, with a heap of hay bales (which slowly some late-night bandits destroyed) and couches that meant plenty of good times hanging out and meeting new people.

Top worship moment

We totally managed to fit into our smallest Supergroup spot yet and enjoyed a huge feed of free sausages and bread on Saturday night just for us Sally supergroupers.

At the end of four jam-packed days, here are our top moments from Parachute 2014 …

Top shows There were so many awesome bands at this year’s festival—from

Vanessa Singh

This year’s top worship moment has to go to Gungor, an experimental rock worship band from Denver, USA. The band didn’t bring us a typical set of some classic worship songs; they built a really creative and emotive atmosphere in which to worship in.

Flawless vocals, great musicians and some beautiful lyrics and music styles made for a super-cool worship set.

Top new artist At a festival that has over 100 artists performing, there are plenty of great new acts each year. This year’s top new artist has to go to Listener, who played Parachute for the first time.

After pulling out last year, Listener made sure they brought their best:

mashing music, spokenword poetry and dry humour.

Awesome!

Top food stall It’s tradition to turn up to Parachute and know you’lll eat terrible food all weekend (those weird hotdogs, bad burgers and crispy potato skewers …).

But the best Parachute tradition ever created is devouring as many mini hot doughnuts as you can all weekend. How can such tiny, doughy hoops taste soooo good?

An honourable shout-out to the woodfire pizza place, too—always worth the wait and the price.

Top Sally Supergroup moment There are always plenty of awesome moments hanging in the Sally Supergroup for four days. But hands down, this year’s top moment would have to be the free barbecue.

There’s nothing better than a free stack of 500 sausages and bottles and bottles of fizzy drink served up by various Salvation Army leaders from around New Zealand.

There are always plenty of awesome moments hanging in the Sally Supergroup for four days.

Photography: Jared Smith

Fun4Kids | 23

BUILD A BODY Cut out the different parts and stick them together on a piece of paper to match the picture.

USE YOUR BRAIN Can you figure out which number goes in the middle?

12

1

10 16

8 2

4

9

Doctor, Doctor, I’ve go t Can you give me some wind! thing?

Yes—here’s a kite!

Doctor, Doctor …I’ve lost my memory.

When did this happen?

When did what happen?

Doctor, Doctor I feel like a sheep.

That’s baaaaaaaaaad!

Doctor, Doctor, I keep thinking I’m a caterpillar.

Don’t worry, you’ll so on change.

Doctor, Doctor … everyone keeps ignoring me.

Next please.

Answer: 8

READ IT Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 —perhaps with an adult to help you understand any tricky bits.

Verse 12 is very important:

All of you are Christ’s body, and each one is a part of it.

Matthew 12:12 CEV

TALK IT This bit of the Bible tells us that Jesus wants his church to work together like all the parts of our body work together.

Imagine if one of your feet wanted to go one way, and the other foot wanted to go the other way! Or imagine if your legs wanted to run downstairs, but your eyes refused to open so it was impossible to see where you were going!

Will says, ‘When we’re part of Jesus’ team, we need to work together to get God’s work done!’

PRAY IT Jesus, thanks for having me on your team—the Church. Help me to work well with others. I’m really excited about all the good things we can do together. Amen.

The pages of yesterday cannot be revised, but the pages of tomorrow are blank and you hold the pen.

Make it an inspiring story. melchor lim