11 July 2015 NZFT War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION | 11 July 2015 | Issue 6621 | $1.50

Celebrating 150 YEARS Internationally

HELPING CHILDREN AND TEENS COPE WITH LOSS SHOPPING WITH A DIFFERENCE IN NELSON IS DROPPING CHURCH ATTENDANCE ACTUALLY BAD NEWS? CO-HEROES IN CHRIST

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Kia ora The other side of the world 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, Robin Raymond, Vanessa Singh CONTRIBUTORS

Martin Barratt (movie reviewer), Kris Singh (music reviewer) PROOF READING

Major Jill Gainsford OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141 Phone (04) 384 5649 Fax (04) 382 0716 Email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department Phone (04) 382 0768 Email mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org $75 per year within NZ PRINT MANAGEMENT MakeReady | www.makeready.co.nz

Over the next few weeks, Salvation Army churches around New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga turn their attention to raising funds for overseas mission. The annual Salvation Army Self Denial Appeal is an internal fundraising campaign, vital for the Army’s ongoing work around the world.

The Salvation Army is 150 years old this year, an achievement celebrated by 15,000 Salvationists in our birthplace of London just one week ago. We now serve in 126 countries, with one of the most recent additions being the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland.

There’s an old saying, ‘When you’ve seen the world, there’s always Greenland.’ Major Levi Giversen (editor-in-chief for The Salvation Army in Denmark) has provided our readers with an excellent account of the Army’s fledgling ministry in Greenland.

The late Rich Mullins is still one of my favourite songwriters.

One of his songs captures the spirit of fellowship that binds all Christians, no matter where in the world we live: Well, the other side of the world / Is not so far away as I thought that it was / As I thought that it was so far away / But the other side of the world is not so far away / And the distance just dissolves into the love.

Every year, we watch the Self Denial videos that show the impact of our work in people’s lives. This year, we’ll be watching clips from Rwanda, Cambodia, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea (you can watch these at www.salvationarmy.org.nz/selfdenial).

Salvation Army founder William Booth wrote in 1894 urging Salvationists to get behind this appeal by denying themselves ‘of some pleasant or necessary things’ to ‘devote the money saved to the extension of the kingdom of God and the benefit of the suffering’. Booth signs off with the phrase: ‘Relying upon your sympathy’—a reminder that our best motivation for giving is the sympathetic consideration of the difficulties of others.

Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.

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

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

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Christina Tyson Editor

BIBLE VERSE PAPER Novatech is an environmentally responsible paper manufactured under environmental management system ISO14001 using FSC® Certified, Mixed Source, ECF pulp from responsible sources and legally harvested forests.

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Romans 15:13 New Living Translation

‘I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.

Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.’

Rōma 15:13

‘Nā, mā te Atua, nāna nei te tūmanako, e whakakī koutou ki te hari katoa, ki te rangimārie, i runga i te whakapono, kia hua ai tō koutou tūmanako, i runga i te kaha o te Wairua Tapu.’

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Publishing for 132 years

ISSN 0043-0242, Issue 6621 Please pass on or recycle this magazine

salvationarmyNZFijiTonga @salvationarmynz salvationarmynzft

salvationarmy.org.nz

WISE WORDS

Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.

Corrie Ten Boom

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Let’s Talk | 03

BY INGRID BARRATT

L

ast year, Salvationists raised one million dollars during the Self Denial Appeal. This was the first time that The Salvation Army, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory has achieved this milestone. Congratulations to us all!

Generous giving really is an achievement—it takes determination and sacrifice for the greater good. When you think about it, it is a heroic act.

Perhaps that sounds a bit over-the-top. Heroes are guys like Captain America. And our Christian heroes are the ones on the front line, meeting needs in distant countries. But you have more in common with Captain America than you think: when you give your money, you are living sacrificially for a cause that is greater than you. You are giving up your own comfort, in order to be part of saving humanity.

This is very much the way the great missionaries of the early church thought about missions. ‘Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth,’ says 3 John 1:8 (ESV).

Echoing this idea, Paul—perhaps the most well-known early Christian missionary—rejoices with the Philippian church, who he describes as ‘partners in the gospel’. ‘I thank my God every time I remember you,’ exclaims Paul. ‘Since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me’ (Philippians 1:3,7).

The biblical model of missions is not that we are bystanders, giving money so others can do the real work.

We are ‘fellow workers’ who ‘share in God’s grace’. We are partners in the great work of proclaiming Jesus’ name throughout the world.

‘God considers those who contribute financially to ministry to have a share in that ministry,’ writes missionary and blogger Glen Davis. ‘Think of it this way: your money is a representation of your life—it is what you get in exchange for time at work. By giving of that, it is as though you were taking time and serving on the mission field.’

A common misconception is that Paul primarily worked (making tents) to support his missionary work. In fact, Paul only did this until it was financially viable for him to be funded by the church. His expectation was that the fledgling local churches were vital financial partners with him in his work.

It’s a very practical way in which God calls his people to practice servant leadership. Jesus is the ultimate role model, says Davis. He was funded by supporters (Luke 8:1–3) and actually taught his disciples to rely on others during their ministry (Matthew 10:5–15).

In our wider culture, positions of leadership are synonymous with power, and the individualism that comes with wealth. In stark contrast, Christian leaders are called to rely on us. They are never independent of us, and indeed, need us to do our part in order to get the job done.

Yes, our Christian workers in developing countries are heroes. But we are co-heroes with them. So here’s to another million dollars towards our great mission this year!

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Bookshelf Travelogue Blue Creek Bride Leanne J. Minton Leanne Minton grew up in rural New Zealand. While living in London, she had a trip to Canada where she met husband-to-be Phil. Phil worked as a backcountry park warden in the Rocky Mountain and Minton tells the story of her adventures while accompanying her husband on horseback wilderness patrols. A well-written and witty account that opens a window to a unique place.

Minton credits God with arranging for her to meet her husband Phil, for creating the beauty of the Canadian Rockies, and for giving her the ability to write about it. The couple now lives in Rangiora. (Selfpublished—buy from Amazon.com)

Playlist

Philosophy Origin of the Centred Self?

Glenda M. Jackson Glenda Jackson has a PhD from Monash University, Australia. She opens her book by retelling her encounter with a secondary school student who was grieving the sudden death of his sister, while Jackson had recently lost a friend to suicide. Both were reflecting on the seeming meaninglessness of life and death. Out of her reflections, Jackson has produced a brief (154 page) and reasonably digestable exploration of the concepts of freedom, autonomy, social engagement and community. The journey starts in Genesis, tracing the saga of humanity’s spiral toward corruption and then on to God’s restorative intervention. (XLibris)

Ethics Freedom Unleashed Troy Pittaway A surprising gem of a book that really packs a punch! Australian officer Captain Troy Pittaway gives a Christian perspective on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Pittaway introduces the UDHR and the topic of human rights, and examines the 30 UDHR articles, giving a plain language definition and highlighting the spiritual aspects of each. A Bible study discussion with confronting and helpful questions concludes each chapter. Pittaway holds postgraduate qualifications in Christian ministry, international health and human rights law—and this surely informs his work. An excellent book. (Salvo Publishing)

Reel News

Indie/Worship II The Singing Company The Singing Company is a worship project from The Salvation Army USA Central Territory, and II is their latest release in a series of EPs exploring concepts of forgiveness, doubt, life and death. The EP has an indie acoustic vibe, padded with large synth soundscapes and rich acoustic guitars (the only exception is the organised chaos and fun of the punk rock ‘Overwhelming Victory’). Highlights are definitely the duo of ‘Lament’ and ‘Requiem’, nailing the mood and feel of both their titles, articulated with solid vocal performances. An excellent collection of songs and a positive, progressive step forward for The Salvation Army’s musical output.

Available for free/name your price on www.thesingingcompany. bandcamp.com/album/ii

Worship Unbroken Praise Matt Redman Following up 2014’s Your Grace Finds Me, Unbroken Praise explores a more pop/synth influenced vibe as Matt Redman veers from the folk pop territory of his previous efforts.

Recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, this is a solid and cohesive album. Redman proves again that his talent for writing a catchy and memorable hook is almost unparalleled—there are plenty of songs on Unbroken Praise destined to become part of the church vocabulary of praise, including ‘No Longer I’ and ‘No One Like Our God’. This is a great addition to Matt Redman’s catalogue—it should be on the radar for worship leaders and fans alike.

GIVEAWAY To win a copy of Blue Creek Bride, tell us how you met your husband or wife.

War Cry Giveaway, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org. Entries close 27 July.

The Five Love Languages winner is A Faulker.

Action Inside Out (2D & 3D) Pete Docter / G Pixar’s latest offering Inside Out follows the difficult adjustment suffered by tomboyish 11-year-old hockey player Riley, when she’s uprooted by her parents from an idyllic Minnesota life to an unfriendly San Francisco.

However, the real setting is inside Riley’s head; a control room staffed by the buoyant, blue-haired Joy; red, top-blowing Anger; purplish, equivocating Fear; green, eye-rolling Disgust and squat, all-blue Sadness.

One day Joy and Sadness are both jettisoned from the control room during an emotional crisis on Riley’s first day at a new school. This leads to them trekking through her mind’s darkest corners (Imagination, Long-Term Memory, Abstract Thought, Dream Production and Subconscious) in order to get back to base, and restore happiness to Riley’s life.

Meanwhile, externally Riley is withdrawing from her solicitous and caring parents, rebelling against her new surroundings, becoming sullen and is genuinely depressed, all of which leads her to plot running away from home…

When the film descends into Riley’s subconscious, you realise Inside Out is heading towards a very different ending than the one Joy has in mind.

It shows that unless Sadness is acknowledged and is permitted to take the wheel, there can be no happiness and no growing up. The bliss of childhood can’t last forever, after all, and as adults our happiest memories of it come ringed with sadness.

Inside Out is probably Pixar’s greatest idea. It’s a highly original concept that will not only delight and entertain a worldwide audience, but also promises to forever change the way we think—about the way we think.

Its slick, smart, funny and a real treat for the whole family.

Go to

salvationarmy.org.nz/saresources

Feature | 05

PIONEERS FOR GOD IN THE ‘LAND OF MAN’

The first premises quickly became too small for The Salvation Army in Nuuk, Greenland, so its activities now take place in a new house that is twice the size. However, for Lieutenants Petura and Magnus Haraldsen, the church is much more than a building. Returning to new appointments in Denmark this summer, it is the people in Greenland that they will miss most.

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rom the Danish town of Nakskov to the Greenlandic capital Nuuk is a long way, but for Lieutenants Petura and Magnus Haraldsen this was simply a continuation of their call to be Salvation Army pioneers. And when they take their leave of the Greenlandic capital to take up new appointments in Denmark this summer, a historic chapter comes to an end.

Until three years ago, The Salvation Army was a blank page in Greenland. Despite massive spiritual and social needs, the Army’s flag was not yet planted in the biggest island in the world—located in the polar belt of the North Atlantic Ocean.

The lack of arctic Salvation Army representation had long called for a breakthrough. Fortunately, this call did not go unheeded.

Almost in competition with the region’s melting ice caps, the last resistance to the Army’s move into Greenland thawed three years ago. Fruitful meetings between Salvation Army leadership in Denmark and Greenlandic authorities at the beginning of 2012 were decisive, and in August of the same year, the Army was ready to ‘invade’.

Without hesitation or doubts At the Salvation Army training college in Norway, Cadets Petura and Magnus Haraldsen were in the final stage of their studies. As officers-to-be, they expected in the coming summer to continue their 15 years of pioneer work in the southerly Danish town of Nakskov, where they had been in charge of a corps, a shelter and a centre for second-hand clothing.

That is until they received an unexpected phone call from the then Territorial Commander in Denmark, Colonel Birgitte Brekke, which turned their minds more than 3000 kilometres further north.

‘We need to think and pray about that’, was the couple’s immediate reaction when asked about pioneering the Army’s work in Greenland. But despite the astounding phone call, the challenge caused neither hesitation nor doubts in their minds. Both say they experienced a clear ‘yes and amen’ in their inner self.

Even concerns on behalf of their teenage sons, Dánial and Andrias, were set aside in a surprising way when the oldest of them, unaware about the prospect of his parents’ new responsibilities, one day exclaimed, ‘I don’t understand why The Salvation Army is not present in Greenland!’

A knowing look between Petura and Magnus signalled yet another of many affirmations that they were in God’s will. And so, at a Danish Salvation Army congress a few months later, the pair received their formal marching orders from General Linda Bond.

Many miles of prayer The fact that it is already three years ago since this small family set out on their new life in Nuuk is still hard for them to grasp.

This little capital city with houses in all the colours of the rainbow, fringed with snow-covered mountains and a view of the sea as far as the eye can see, has become a cherished home.

‘We can’t understand where the time has gone,’ they both say together, as they start to recall their first impressions and initiatives in what is the 125th country The Salvation Army chose to enter.

Petura and Magnus’s first year in Greenland was marked by one persistent activity: they deliberately used their feet as transportation across the city’s wintry and wind-swept streets. This commitment to walking was partly to make their presence visible, but also to prepare for their work in the best way they knew how: by praying.

‘Two days a week, we went prayer-walking,’ they explain. ‘We walked where God led our steps, often passing through locations

such as the self-government’s head office, local authorities and educational institutions.’ The couple is convinced that the progress and growth of the Army in Greenland can be directly attributed to this spiritual preparatory work.

‘It was also during these walks that we received inspiration for concrete initiatives about our further work,’ says Petura, explaining that the many miles of prayer on foot also heightened their awareness that the project was God’s, not theirs. ‘It helped us shift the focus from ourselves to God,’ she says. ‘It is God, and not us who has built up a work in Greenland.’

Magnus adds, ‘If we had advanced differently, we would surely have ended up somewhere else.’

Signs of growth The Army’s corps (church) premises in the heart of Nuuk was opened in February 2013, but soon proved too small for the Army’s growing work. A new house, twice the size of the first, was acquired in May this year.

This new house is a definite answer to prayer, fulfilled by a much appreciated donation from The Salvation Army’s USA Western Territory, which is a ‘partner in mission’ with The Salvation Army in Denmark. Its territorial leaders, Commissioners James and Carolyn Knaggs, presented this generous donation during a visit to Greenland earlier in the year.

One of the Haraldsens’ final tasks before returning to Denmark is to get the new house ready for the officers who will shortly replace them.

But the couple still remember the early days when their tiny house first began filling with people. ‘We opened our doors for the first time in February 2013,’ Magnus says, ‘and already in May, we had a full house.

They didn’t have any particular target groups in mind when they started, Petura says. ‘We just distributed our simple flyers on the streets and welcomed everybody.’ Their early work included a programme for new mothers in borrowed facilities in a block of flats, but their primary mission concept consisted of coffee and listening ears.

Two days a week, we went prayerwalking. We walked where God led our steps.

‘We opened a café and decided to call it ‘William’s Café [after Salvation Army founder William Booth],’ Magnus says. This was followed by other initiatives, such as a night church, Bible study, teaching, a prison service—and later a soup kitchen, in partnership with the Red Cross and a local relief organisation.

Their target group turned out to primarily consist of homeless and other marginalised people.

For the Haraldsens, their congregation—which some might describe as ‘motley’—reminds them that the church is never just a building made of dead stones, but a congregation built of living stones. Individuals whose lives have been transformed and restored, as people have placed their faith in God. ‘It’s quite astounding,’ says Magnus. ‘In the beginning there were only four people at the café meetings, and we are now close to 40.’ And while he says the ‘eating part of the meeting’ was a major attraction in the beginning, it is primarily ‘spiritual food’ that is the most sought after today. ‘We experience a large influx whenever

Feature | 07

So far, we only have a few members of the Army in Greenland, but we have many ambassadors.

we meet for bible study and prayer. And we can clearly see people’s spiritual growth,’ he says.

Much of their congregation live in shelters or even on the streets, and Petura says the fellowship they enjoy at the Army is a direct contrast to the lives they would otherwise be living. ‘It brings smiles back on their faces and life in their eyes, in contrast to the sad and blank looks one can meet in settings like the shelter. At the Army, they are met with a loving atmosphere and are uplifted in their spirit.’

Few members—many ambassadors At the official opening of the work in Greenland, The Salvation Army’s then Secretary for Europe, Commissioner Robert Street, emphasised that the Army’s intention was not to bring Christianity to Greenland, given that Jesus has been proclaimed for centuries from many churches in the country, but to join in spreading the gospel in word and deed.

This approach has led to strong ecumenical partnerships.

One example of this is the Army’s relationship with the local Pentecostal church, which recently sent some visiting Bible school students to serve in William’s Café. The Haraldsens were told, ‘Among you, they will get away from the safe church milieu and a bit closer to the world.’

One of the characteristics of Salvation Army church life in Nuuk is that, so far, only a few in the congregation have become Salvation Army members. Petura expresses what that means this way: ‘So far, we only have a few members of the Army in Greenland, but we have many ambassadors. We don’t need to advertise much because the invitation to come is passed by word of mouth.’ Currently, their corps has four adherent members, all of whom have been enrolled during the past year.

When the possibility of a Greenland adventure was first presented to the Haraldsens, The Salvation Army’s leadership in Denmark didn’t know that Petura had spent 10 years in Greenland as a child, while her father was working at the American Thule Air Base.

During a short visit, before they started work in 2012, Petura was stopped in the street by a woman who thought she recognised her. The woman’s name was Lotte Snebang Christensen, and it turned out that she and Petura had been childhood friends. Lotte and her husband, Michael Wagner Pedersen, later attended the opening reception for the Army in Nuuk and quickly became active in the corps. In May 2014, they became the first adherent members of The Salvation Army in Greenland.

Walking companions in the ‘Land of Man’ Petura and Magnus Haraldsen have certainly left imprints on this beautiful country known by its Inuit citizens as ‘Kalaallit Nunaat’—‘the Land of Man’. But Greenland and its inhabitants have also left deep imprints on the Haraldsen family.

‘We will remember their mentality, their mind-set, their deep

respect for the spiritual dimension, and their humbleness,’ says Magnus Haraldsen. Petura continues, ‘These are people who live close to nature and the force of nature. They are conscious that they are not masters of life and death. I think that makes them less self-centred and more humble. They dare to acknowledge their limitations.’

The couple humbly give God all the honour that their service has been fruitful in the Greenlandic community. ‘One feels very small here,’ Petura says, ‘But we have found help in our faith and always put our trust in the Lord that he would prepare the way for us. And we must say that he has been faithful!’

Magnus agrees, adding, ‘Most of all, I feel that I have been a companion who has had the privilege of walking alongside these people—I have seen how God has worked in their hearts and transformed their lives.’

The couple make no secret of the fact that three years far away from home has been challenging on a personal level. Partly because of their distance from family and friends, but also because they have had additional responsibilities in Denmark over the past year. ‘Everything has gone well, but in the long run this kind of life would have become a challenge,’ Magnus says.

Yet, they feel it will be hard to take their leave from this chilly country with its warm-hearted people. ‘It is not going to be easy to say goodbye,’ Petura admits. ‘It seems like leaving a child that you have watched grow up. But we must hold on to the essential truth: this is God’s project, not ours.’

‘We must hold on to what our task in Greenland was,’ Magnus concludes, ‘to be pioneers who came here to start a new work for God.’

Changing Leadership in Greenland After 15 years’ pioneer work for The Salvation Army in Nakskov, a town in a poor area of Denmark, Petura and Magnus Haraldsen were accepted as officers-in-training at the Salvation Army training college in Norway.

After their commissioning and ordination, they were appointed to establish The Salvation Army in Nuuk, Greenland, in 2012. Over the past year, the Haraldsens have been assisted by Lieutenant Martin Mader Jensen.

Petura and Magnus conclude their time in Greenland in August, appointed to new responsibilities in Odense, the third largest town in Denmark. Martin will also return home to Denmark, taking up an appointment in a corps in Aalborg.

The new leaders in Greenland are Majors Kurt and Helle Pedersen.

Please pray for continued growth of The Salvation Army’s social and spiritual mission in Greenland.

Photos: Over leaf, clockwise from top: Lieuts Petura and Magnus Haraldsen; Williams Cafe; Baby song; Block of flats where many socially marginalised people live in Nuuk; Lotte Snebang Christensen and Michael Wagner Pedersen—the first members of the Army in Greenland. This page: Magnus, Andrias, Petura and Dánial Haraldsen in Nuuk.

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HEALTH

LIFESTYLE

Winter Health Hacks

Vote Simon!

Here are some great DIY ideas for beating the winter’s blues and flus.

DIY peppermint lip scrub: Our lips don’t have any oil glands, so they are susceptible to becoming dehydrated. This easy homemade scrub will deal to chapped lips: mix together 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 tsp honey, 1½ tsp sugar, and a few drops of peppermint (or your favourite) essential oil.

Plan a party: In the Northern hemisphere, Christmas happens in winter.

This provides a sense of fun and festivity that breaks up the long winter season. So, why not lift your winter spirits by planning a celebration or a holiday? Instead of keeping all your holidays for summer, take a week off to curl up with a book in front of an open fire.

Vaporising shower cubes: You can make your own shower cubes with Vicks Vaporub that will create a wonderful decongesting aroma while you have a shower. Mix together ½ cup of baking soda and ¼ cup of cornflour.

Add 4 Tbsp of Vicks. Mix together thoroughly. Add 1–3 Tbsp of water— adding slowly to get a thick paste consistency. Put mixture into ice cubes. If you want to add a little glamour, sprinkle with fine glitter. Leave to harden overnight. Place your shower cubes next to the shower in an open-top container.

Make a heat pack out of socks: You can make your own microwave heat pack in about five minutes, using just socks. Simply grab a clean, colourful cotton sock. Fill it with about 2½ cups of uncooked long grain rice, dried lentils, rolled oats or dried beans. Sew up the opening. If you feel like a bit of sewing, fold together 100 per cent cotton fabric and cut out a shape of your choice—it could be a rectangle, square, heart, cute animal or shoulder pillow. Sew wrong sides together, leaving an opening.

Turn out, add the filling and sew together the opening. If you want to make a traditional rectangle heat pack, move the filling aside so you can sew down the middle, and then into quarters. Heat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes.

In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. Albert Camus

Simon Barnett has won over audiences on Dancing with the Stars, but we especially love him because he has chosen to support The Salvation Army. We’re blatant fans of Si, and here’s why: Simon Barnett is currently best known for his long-standing More FM radio show with co-host Gary McCormack. The duo standout for their positive, uplifting and laugh-out-loud sense of humour. Simon has become known as radio’s nice guy, going out of his way to be encouraging to guests on the show.

His motivation is simple: ‘I feel like my calling is as a broadcaster, and I take the responsibility to be an ambassador for Christ seriously,’ says Simon, who is open about his Christian faith. ‘I pray that I will be loving. I hope people feel they can trust me.’

Most recently, Si has been heel-toeing his way around the dancefloor on New Zealand’s most glittertastic hour of telly, Dancing with the Stars. Simon has gone from flop in the first week, to fabulous—a fave with both judges and the New Zealand public.

Proceeds from votes for Simon go to The Salvation Army. Si says he chose the Sallies because ‘they do such an incredible amount of work and have a real compassion for those that are hurting in the community.’

‘The only difference between Christians and others is that we know the Father’s love and they don’t. His love for them is equal to his love for us,’ continues Simon.

As for donning those dancing shoes, Simon told War Cry he ‘has never been so nervous about anything’ in his whole life. ‘I’m the guy at the party standing around not dancing. My wife has said to me that we should do some dancing for about 10 years and I’ve always been too busy or nervous.’ The rhythm has finally got Simon, so vote for him and support The Salvation Army! … In the unfortunate event that Simon has, in fact, been voted off since going to press, we will allow you to stop voting for him. Thanks so much for your support Si, you’re a winner in our eyes!

Fragrant Lamb Curry

Curries are suited to long, slow cooking—allowing flavours time to combine and develop, and resulting in tender meat | Serves 4–6 2 Tbsp canola or other oil 1–1.2 kg boneless lamb shoulder, cubed 1 medium onion, quartered and sliced 2 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp grated ginger 1 Tbsp curry powder 5 cm cinnamon stick 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes in juice 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1 Tbsp honey 1–1½ tsp salt

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large heavy pot with a close-fitting lid. Add lamb and cook until lightly browned on all sides, then lift the lamb from the pan and set aside.

Heat remaining oil in same pot, then add onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft and turning clear. Stir in curry powder and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring frequently, for a minute longer.

Transfer meat back to pot and add remaining ingredients, except salt.

Bring mixture to the boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover tightly and simmer for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt shortly before serving.

Cook’s Tip: Proceed with first two steps above, but then transfer to a slow cooker. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours.

From Qucik Meals by Simon Holst. Go to www.holst.co.nz

Lifestyle | 09

Q&A My dance personality?

Dancing with the Stars has inspired us to look within ourselves for our true dance personalities.

A scientific study into 60 volunteer dancers in Finland has shown that the way you hit the dance floor gives away the secrets of your personality.

Using personality tests, researchers assessed five personality ‘types’ and observed how each danced to different genres of music. They found: ΕΕ Extroverts moved around most on the dance floor, often with energetic and exaggerated movements of head and arms.

They are most likely to be seen doing ‘the robot’. ΕΕ Neurotic individuals danced with sharp, jerky movements of their hands and feet—a style otherwise known as the ‘shuffle’. ΕΕ Agreeable personalities tended to have smoother dancing styles, making use of the floor while swinging their hands. ΕΕ Open-minded people tended to make rhythmic up-and-down movement and were more stationary. ΕΕ Dutiful or conscientious people moved around the dance floor a lot, and moved their hands over larger distances than other dancers—watch out neurotics.

Volunteers were asked to dance spontaneously to 30 different tracks from rock, techno, Latin, jazz, funk and pop music. Rock tended to bring out the inner headbanger among extroverts, and appeared to be the only music genre that brought neurotic personalities out of their shells. Open-minded personalities suited techno music. Agreeable individuals were most confident during Latin music.

Dr Luck, who led the research, said: ‘Music is known to evoke strong emotions in people and emotions can be expressed through bodily movement.’

So don’t be scared to bust out your best Gangnam Style next time you’re on a dance floor.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Testify A mistake responding to a cryptic job ad eventually led Andrew McKerrow to become New Zealand’s first horse racing chaplain.

When I was 15, I saw a job ad in the paper. It said: ‘Are you short?

Do you weigh under 48kg? Do you like the outdoors? I thought ‘Yeah!’

My parents had told me that I couldn’t leave school without a job, so I answered the ad not realising I’d signed myself up to become a jockey.

As it turns out, I have one arm shorter than the other, I’m allergic to horse food and I’m slightly scared of horses. Needless to say, I never made it as a jockey or even to a race day, but I’d pigeon-holed myself and had no other options. I spent three years around the stables.

During these years, I wasn’t a Christian and I had addictions to gambling, alcohol and drugs.

I stopped working in stables at about 18 years old, but I still had friends there and was using my cartooning skills for trackside TV. What struck me after I became a Christian was that when I was in racing I never met a Christian within those circles.

When I was 20, I encountered God most unexpectedly—on the toilet floor of a pub.

From there, my life began to change radically. I got help for my gambling addiction, but I thought, ‘There must be something bigger that I’ve been set free to do.’ I turned up to a Christian friend’s house and said, ‘Would you take me to church? I know I have met

God, but I don’t know how to walk with him.’ She was coming to Belfast Salvation Army.

Not long after becoming a Christian, I met my wife Kim, and after some time, we trained to be Salvation Army officers and served for about eight years in Foxton and Whanganui. Even as an officer, I naturally gravitated to the racing fraternity and found opportunities to reach out to people at the race tracks. When our officership ended four years ago, it didn’t sit well in my heart that there wasn’t any formal chaplaincy body or deliberate outreach to that massive industry.

I’m the most privileged guy in the world!

future in the racing industry. The racing body itself has been good to me. They’ve opened their arms to what we’d like to do, and for this I’m grateful.

What we’d like to do is get a really robust, effective model of race track chaplaincy in place that shows the way to establish chaplaincy services at other race tracks around the country. There are also some other Christians in racing starting to pop up, so I’d like to get a proper group set up for Christians in racing.

There are not words to say how excited I am about this new venture. I was on the track the other day thinking, ‘I’m the most privileged guy in the world to be able to do this!’

Recently, after a lot of talks with the industry, I have started officially as New Zealand’s first racetrack chaplain. Whenever there’s a race meeting at Riccarton, I hang out at the course and the stables for a couple of hours. It’s about connecting with people, and race days are a good place to do that.

Another big part of race track chaplaincy is involvement with the apprentice jockey school—this gives me opportunities to do lots of listening and eventually speak into their lives as they navigate a

the twelve steps workshop

Gain skills for living in recovery from hurts and habits, and help others on this journey.

Booth College of Mission’s two-part Twelve Steps Workshop will be held on 12-15 October and 17-19 November, facilitated by therapist Ferrell Irvine.

Register your interest today.

Contact Lee-Ann Nero, p: (04) 528 8628, e: bcm@nzf.salvationarmy.org www.salvationarmy.org.nz/boothcollege

Let’s Talk 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 11 July 2015

Advice

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When faced with loss, children and teenagers grieve as deeply as we do, but show it in different ways.

And just like us, they can get through it with some love and support.

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Will the kids get through it?

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A county in southern England Bear in mind Wordless communicators Setup Toothpaste holder Always Must-haves Dirtier Biblical preposition Metered vehicle Shipping hazard Matter of debate Bad to the bone It has its ups and downs Possessed by an eminent person Neighbour of Pakistan

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Estwhile Big shot ‘ on Down the Road’ Chances Fortify Like some lines Withstand Public promotion Bad for your health Tubular wind instrument Unknowing Overate Out for the night Citrus fruit

QUICK QUIZ 1 2 3 4 5

What is the name of the new National War Memorial Park in Wellington Which cartoon character owns a dog called Snowy?

In a baseball game, how many innings does each team have?

What is entomophobia the morbid fear of?

Which peak was the final resting place of Noah’s Ark?

We often say, ‘children are resilient—they bounce right back’. We may think that children are unaffected by loss because they don’t show it in the same way as adults. Or perhaps it’s easier for us to believe they are not as deeply affected as we are. Yet when we acknowledge their loss, we can help them get through it.

Children experience loss in all the ways we do—through the death of a loved one or pet, divorce, moving, a physical or emotional trauma, bullying, disappointment … and the list goes on.

The grief our children experience is not something we need to be afraid of; it is the healthy, healing process we’re all wired for when we have a significant loss. It helps us to gradually adjust to the reality of what’s happened.

Everyone grieves differently, and there are no ‘rules’ or timelines. Often grief comes in waves—children may seem happy and playful one moment, and agitated, fearful or upset the next.

Children and teens don’t have the life experience we do as adults, and don’t have the language to express how they are feeling.

They are experiencing things with young eyes, often for the first time, and trying to make sense of them. It’s likely they’ll show their feelings through their behaviour—and although we can correct destructive behaviour, it’s important to keep away from criticising their feelings.

There are no great secrets to helping children through loss. We simply need to be as understanding and supportive as we can be. They will look to us for security, and our loving presence will help them feel safe. When they feel safe, they can more constructively work through their grief.

Find more Cartoons by McKerrow on www.facebook.com/cartoonsbymckerrow

You may be going through the same grief yourself, and it’s natural to try and protect your children from the loss you are experiencing. But grieving together will actually be better

for the whole whānau. Being ‘not okay’ for a while is normal for all ages. You don’t need to try and ‘fix’ your children’s pain or rush them through the process. Just as you can’t rush yourself through it.

Instead, the best thing you can do is be a patient, caring, stable support in an ongoing way.

Acknowledge their losses—don’t make it a no-go topic—and talk honestly about what’s happened.

Don’t criticise the way they are experiencing their grief. Teach them about what they are feeling and help them find ways to cope with it as they walk their own unique grief path. They may ask some really honest questions, which might make you feel uncomfortable, but be honest in an age-appropriate way. Let them know it’s not their fault, and they couldn’t have done anything to change things.

Often, what makes the most difference isn’t what we say to children, but how we make them feel. That’s what they will remember the most, even when they look back on this time as adults.

Go to www skylight.org.nz for more info and for copies of a helpful boooklet called ‘Understanding the Losses Children and Teenagers Can Face’.

Close Up | 11

BY CAMPBELL ROBERTS

Forgotten New Zealand A new report looks at how provincial New Zealand is being left behind while our wealth is focused on the cities.

The Salvation Army was really never a church in the traditional sense, defined by its buildings, liturgy and ecclesiastical structures. It was a mission set up to proclaim the gospel, anyplace, anyway and anyhow.

Abandoning traditional church methods for an unrestrained audacious mission approach, the young Salvation Army was involved in some peculiar activities: church services held in the street, members going to prison to show the evil of child prostitution and officers producing and directing some of the earliest movies. This wasn’t a church as anyone had known it. When the manufacturer of matches caused workers disability and illness, the Army’s response was to make matches safely.

These methods were not a new marketing ploy or an attempt to do church in a new way. The driver was a theology that emphasised God’s love for all people, the possibility of personal redemption from sin and the chance to create the Kingdom of God in everyday life. Early Salvationists believed strongly in God’s call to ‘act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly [in relationship] with their God’ (Micah 6:8).

This unconventional mission approach has remained the Army’s hallmark through to present day. It is reflected in the mission approach of the Army in New Zealand ‘to transform lives, care for people and reform society’.

Within this context of faith earthed in real life situations, The Salvation Army in New Zealand has recently released a report, Mixed Fortunes, looking at the social and economic health and wellbeing of people in provincial New Zealand. The Salvation Army has always had a strong presence in the provinces. Invercargill, Timaru, Blenheim, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Hamilton, Gisborne, Napier and Whangerei are some of the provincial areas of New Zealand where the Army has worked to bring its understanding of the Christian gospel to the lives and activities of people.

Often we hear stories about the wellbeing of people in New Zealand’s cities, but not of people in the rural and provincial parts of New Zealand. Army leaders felt it was important to draw attention to the situation of some of the people The Salvation Army provincial corps and centres work with, and so released Mixed Fortunes for public discussion. Regional corps in New Zealand are hosting community discussions in conjunction with the Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit.

The demographic dominance of the baby boomer generation and their retirement features in the report. New Zealand researchers have given little consideration in the past to the implications of the uneven geographical aging of New Zealand. Auckland is younger and aging much slower than the rest of New Zealand, while provincial regions in both islands are already much older and aging more quickly than the

national average. This process is expected on account of migration— the loss of young people from smaller communities, towns and cities to Auckland and beyond, matched by the migration of older people from the larger cities to warmer regions where housing is less expensive.

What makes these trends compelling are the numbers: recent population projections by Statistics New Zealand suggest that by 2040, almost one half of the population of some districts will be aged over 65 years. It is a challenge for how New Zealand supports the regions, as well as something The Salvation Army’s mission strategy needs to factor in.

It is apparent that New Zealand is on a divergent growth path that risks the creation of two New Zealands—Auckland and the rest. Recently released population forecasts suggest that over the next 25–30 years, Auckland may account for over 60 per cent of New Zealand’s population growth. Aucklanders, in time, will make up about 40 per cent of the population.

For most of New Zealand’s human history resources and economic opportunities weren’t evenly distributed. The income and employment shocks caused by the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), have thrown these differences into sharper contrast. Most North Island regions have been slow in recovering from the GFC, both in employment and incomes. In comparison, South Island regions have done relatively well.

The wellbeing of people in the regions is reflected in a similar way.

The number of people in high social distress and poor wellbeing among people seems to follow the economic fortunes of the region they live in.

Outcomes for children and youth in regions such as Otago, Canterbury and Wellington are consistently good—at least in relative terms—with high rates of participation in early childhood education and low rates of reported harm or neglect to children. These have led to greater levels of educational success, lower youth unemployment and lower youth offending. The exact opposite applies to Northland, Gisborne, Waikato and Manawatu-Whanganui.

The same spread of fortunes is evident in the areas of safety and social hazards. Once again Wellington, Canterbury and Otago are consistently the safest places to be, and have the lowest social hazards.

Northland, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu-Whanganui have consistently done poorly here.

The choices we face are either to react to crises once they have happened or become apparent, or to plan for changes through investment in capacity and resilience.

The report identifies challenges not only for the nation, but for The Salvation Army if it is to continue following its historical mission and apply the gospel to the real challenges of New Zealand life and its people.

12 | WarCry 11 July 2015

Part 1 of 3

In a society that seems increasingly fearful, how does the concept of showing hospitality to strangers sit with the Christian church? asks Coralie Bridle.

Growing up, my siblings and I usually walked to school. Being dropped off or taking the bus were rare occurrences. As a result, I became well acquainted with the importance of quality shoe leather. But 40 years later, I fear for the producers of quality school shoes, as it seems that fewer and fewer New Zealand children walk to school.

The reasons for this phenomenon will be wide-ranging, but one reason carries more weight than is appropriate: the notion of ‘Stranger Danger’, which is firmly embedded in the New Zealand subconscious.

Driving past my local primary school attests to this phenomenon. I seldom encounter children arriving at the gate unaccompanied by an adult. Most children arrive and depart in the protective bubble of a car.

This perception of ‘danger’ attached to the term ‘stranger’ carries wider ramifications than just the traffic jams around our local schools.

As Henri Nouwen observed, ‘Our society seems to be increasingly full of fearful, defensive, aggressive people anxiously clinging to their property and inclined to look at their surrounding world with suspicion, always expecting an enemy to appear, intrude and do harm.’

This nuanced perception of danger as something associated with strangers sits in uncomfortable tension with the broadly Christian imperative to extend a welcome to the stranger (see Genesis 18:1-22, Leviticus 19:33-34 and Matthew 25:31-46, for examples).

Is it possible that the underlying assumption of ‘stranger danger’ formed in the school car park can flow into the church, and in turn marginalise, belittle, demonise or ostracise the strangers in our midst? Churches employ numerous strategies to project a sense of welcome toward the strangers who come amongst them, but are some ‘protective bubbles,’ in effect, still operational?

In my own church setting, it is my observation that we do the initial tasks of welcome in a gracious and inclusive manner. But then we appear to retreat and wait for the stranger to show his or her hand.

So, what does it mean to welcome the stranger?

To examine this question, let’s engage with three voices. The first is that of philosopher Richard Kearney. As a post-modern, continental philosopher, Kearney provides a critique of the way in which the West has traditionally dealt with strangers, foreigners and notions of alterity (‘otherness’), and suggests philosophy as a helpful voice.

Secondly, to understand the biblical foundations for welcoming the stranger, I will draw primarily on the work of Christian ethicist Christine Pohl in her seminal book, Making Room: Recovering Hospitality in the Christian Tradition.

The third voice is that of my eldest son, Samuel Bridle. To me, Samuel expands our understanding of the terms ‘welcome’ and ‘stranger.’ As a young adult with spastic quadriplegia, cortical blindness, epilepsy and global developmental delay, Samuel also provides a unique window into the notion of ‘stranger danger’.

‘Where do you speak from?’

When he was a student of French philosopher Paul Ricouer, Richard Kearney notes Ricoeur would commence his seminars with the

question: ‘Where do you speak from?’ This is a useful question because no encounter is neutral.

In light of this question, then, I speak from three places. The first is as a novice—I am not au fait with the discipline of philosophy. I am a nurse by profession and have been raised in The Salvation Army, a fairly conservative evangelical church. And so philosophy has appeared to me as a journey into the abstract dark in which nothing appears certain, safely defined or neatly categorised. As such, philosophy has previously appeared to me as an inhospitable place. Yet, Richard Kearney has made the space more hospitable.

Secondly, I speak from a place of unease. The path of welcome into the church is sometimes defined more narrowly than I think the community of the Trinity intends. At times, I suspect we hold the stranger hostage to our welcome. The unspoken narrative belies a preference for those who think as we do.

Thirdly, I speak from a path of personal experience. ‘Stranger Danger’ is not an abstract entity for me. As I have said, my eldest son remains a stranger to much of the world. He deconstructs ‘cosy’ understandings of welcoming the stranger. And so, as I pursue the path of reflection, it is in the full understanding that my head and my heart hold each other in a sometimes gentle, and at other times tempestuous, embrace.

At times, I suspect we hold the stranger hostage to our welcome.

Who is the stranger?

In seeking to express a more comprehensive understanding of what it means to welcome the stranger, the work of Richard Kearney adds useful perspectives, because it reflects a spirit of dialogue and conversation, which calls for the gift of a hospitable mind.

Kearney describes himself as a seeker of love and justice. He talks of a sense of ‘double belonging’ as part of his own story. With Protestant and Irish Catholic heritage, his exposure to the literature of both these traditions birthed an awareness of how Catholic and Protestant poets were seeking to ‘reimagine the stories of the “other side”.’ In swapping stories, he notes it was possible to feel what the enemy felt. This understanding, tethered to his education with Benedictine monks at Glenstal, Protestant mentors such as Paul Ricouer, and a widening reception to Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist and Hindu confessional circles, positions him as a concrete example of openness to inter-religious discourse.

Kearney contends that ‘narrative imagination’ functions as an opportunity to welcome the stranger. The ‘story of the other’ potentially provides a setting in which the stranger is welcomed and and not demonised or destroyed.

Kearney’s work calls attention to the notion of the ‘self’ in relation to the ‘other’. He speaks to the deep recesses of the human psyche where we build our identity by situating our own ‘strangeness’ well outside of ourselves. Our penchant for stories about aliens, monsters and gods attests to people’s propensity to place things we don’t understand, like or accept about ourselves ‘out there’ onto the stranger.

Soul Food | 13

The implication is that in trying to distinguish ourselves this way we delegitimise ourselves and perpetuate a crisis of identity. As Kearney states, ‘In an age crippled by crises of identity and legitimisation, it would seem particularly urgent to challenge the polarisation between Us and Them.’

Such reflection provides and prompts a helpful reorientation toward self-examination and existential honesty. In the beginning, we are enigmas to ourselves. And so the ‘other’—the ‘stranger’ to whom we might offer hospitality—will prove too. If we cannot recognise ourselves, we will not recognise the stranger, and we will close ourselves off to what is not ourselves. Which leaves the stranger forever outside our frame of reference.

we see the exposure of the sacrificial lie. The victim is innocent.

Cultivation of desire, and fear of strangers, binds us to a never-ending spiral of scapegoating that denies the dawn of real peace, creates innocent victims and denies the opportunity for genuine relationship between stranger and host. Kearney says one of the best ways to dealienate the other is, ‘… to recognise (a) oneself as another and (b) the other as (in part) another self’.

Scapegoating and purity

Paying attention to the stranger

One of Kearney’s observations is that the prospect of welcoming or refusing the stranger is often a matter of war and peace. History is full of testimonies to this pitiful truth. From stories of conquest, crusades and ethnic cleansing, through to atrocities such as the Holocaust, the human propensity for violence toward the other and the implementation of ‘scapegoating’ is fearfully catalogued. Most cultures hold to notions of isolating, eliminating and scapegoating the stranger who is perceived to threaten the tribe. As Kearney comments, ‘[So] the price to be paid for the construction of the happy tribe is often the ostracizing of some outsider: the immolation of the “other” on the altar of the “alien”.’

Kearney argues—convincingly, I think—that the notion of scapegoating and sacrifice in Judaeo-Christian thinking has taken on problematic manifestations in the history of the church. The notion of ‘purity’ sits at the heart of this issue. For instance, a formative Old Testament reference in Leviticus 16:20-22 describes this notion of the people being made clean by the sending of the scapegoat out of the community, taking with it all expressions of impurity. The scapegoat is relegated to a place of desolation. Although Kearney acknowledges that this Leviticus passage can be construed as a movement away from human sacrifice to animal sacrifice, the role of the scapegoat remains: ‘… it is invested with the internal malice of the community and then expelled into the wilderness, eradicating all peril of contagion’.

Kearney’s critical contention is that although the biblical tradition transferred the mechanism of scapegoating to an atonement offered in the sacrifice of the animal, rather than the human, the history of humankind in general (and the church in particular) has seen repeated reversals of this pattern. Many people groups, be they Jews, heretic, infidel, witches or savages have been turned into human scapegoats.

Coupled with this history of reversal is the impact of an apocalyptic fear of retribution if the holiness and purity of the church was not jealously and systematically guarded from enemies within and without. As Kearney says, ‘In sum, for saints to remain saintly, strangers had to be scapegoated.’

Kearney notes that myths of alienation are not confined to ancient times. Rivalry for resources is only one arena in which the identity of a common enemy might be espoused to the advantage of the one who names the scapegoat.

He concludes that in Christ, ‘the sacrifice to end all sacrifice’,

In his latest book, Anatheism: Returning to God After God, Kearney broadly seeks to navigate a space for a return to God after ‘the death of God’, articulated by Nietzsche, Marx and Freud, and in the face of current critical secularists such as Dennett, Dawkins and Hitchens.

These critics see monotheism as synonymous with intolerance and war. Kearney argues that it is possible to retrieve a liberating message from the scriptures of the Abrahamic tradition. This message ‘… fosters a radical attentiveness to the stranger as a portal to the sacred’.

The Annunciation in Luke 1:26-38, is one such portal. When the stranger appears, Mary is initially frightened. Note also that she ‘… tried to discern …’ (verse 29) As she pauses in her consideration, Mary responds to the whisper that says, ‘Do not be afraid…’(verse 30).

Kearney highlights that Mary opens herself to the stranger, choosing grace over fear, and dares to imagine the impossible as possible.

Although I think that Kearney may push the boundaries of the narrative, his sentiment regarding the ‘foreign’ and the ‘familiar’ helps our understanding of what it means to welcome the stranger. The same occurs when Jesus walks as a stranger on the road to Emmaus and is then recognised in the breaking of bread (Luke 24:13-32)—here again, the stranger becomes a ‘portal to the sacred’.

Finally, Kearney debunks theorising or abstract ideas when he pursues a reconnection between the sacred and secular. A welcome is afforded when a cup of water is given to the thirsty stranger. Kearney presents John Vanier, Dorothy Day and Mahatma Gandhi, as examples of such sacramental action. Vanier’s L’Arche communities open their doors to the vulnerable and estranged. In such a setting, Vanier claims that host and guest grow by accepting the wounds of both the other and the self. Notions of sovereignty give way to acts of service. The desire for power gives way to a desire to dwell in community where there is a life-giving space for everyone.

For Kearney, such sacred spaces ‘epitomise the transfiguring of fear into care’.

[Scripture] fosters a radical attentiveness to the stranger as a portal to the sacred.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2 (NRSV)

14 | WarCry 11 July 2015

Shopping with a Difference in Nelson

Nelson residents now have the opportunity to enjoy a coffee and support the community while shopping at the newly expanded Nelson Family Store. About 130 supporters and staff attended the opening of the expanded store on 28 May, with the Booth Café opening a few days later.

The café is a joint venture with the Nelson Training Centre, which works mainly with at-risk youth, training them in hospitality. Family Store manager Margaret Earney said the venture is part of a vision to turn the store into a community centre, which she wrote up when she started as store manager three years ago.

When the Nelson Tasman Bay Corps decided to expand its Family Store by leasing the next-door building, it turned out to be perfect timing for that next step, she said. ‘My assistant manager and I approached Dave Agnew at the [Nelson Training] Centre to see if he would be interested in opening a café here, and he was, at that time, looking to find somewhere to run another café.’

The students, the store and the community will all benefit, Margaret said. The training centre has employed a Family Store staff member to manage the café and oversee the students training there.

The store also takes many volunteers from youth justice, Work and Income New Zealand, and other social agencies, and they offer a retail training course for staff. They work hard to make all their volunteers part of a ‘Family Store family’—and the students would be welcomed into that family, providing them extra support, she said.

For customers, the store has been set up with little rooms with couches, chairs and tables they can use while enjoying their drink and then buy. ‘It’s like a living gallery. Everything’s changing. It’s there to be used, but also to be sold,’ Margaret said.

Customers had been overwhelmingly positive, and each purchase supports both the Army’s work in the region and the young people’s training, she said. She is also hoping social agencies will use the space for meetings, or as a place to bring clients.

Corps Officer Captain Kenneth Walker said the new store was mostly built by volunteers, and all the work was done while the original store was still running. Most of the volunteers came from the community—a testament to the community space that had been created at the store, he said. ‘They have given many, many hours of their time and expertise, from constructing walls and internal partitions, to installing clothes racking or painting. It was challenging, but I think we only closed the shop three times in the process.’

By the end, some volunteers were working 12-hour days, Margaret said. ‘We were cooking for 12 with a frying pan and a microwave. We had some people building, some people running the shop—it was an amazing experience of bringing people together.’

While Kenneth said they were breathing a sigh of relief to have the work over, both he and Margaret were already looking at the next project. The corps is planning on relocating its Richmond Family Store, and Margaret is looking at the next steps of her vision, including a dream to work with women from Nelson’s refugee community, helping them with employment and learning English.

GAZETTE Accepted for Training Chantelle and Mike Bryan (Kaitaia Corps) have been accepted for training in the Messengers of the Gospel— Ngā Kārere o te Rongopai—Session (2016–2017).

Appointment Effective 1 July: Lt Fiona Stuart, Mission Director, New Plymouth Addiction Services.

Appointments in Retirement Effective 1 July: Mjr Lindsay Chisholm, Budgeting Consultant, Midland and Northern Divisions; Mjr Paul Clifford, Service Development and Project Officer, Addictions, Supportive Accommodation and Reintegration Services (part time), and Mission Director, Waikato Addiction Services (part time).

Effective 1 Oct: Mjr Brent Diack, Chaplain, Addiction Services, Manukau

(part time); Mjr Marlene Diack, Chaplain, Addiction Services, Manukau (part time).

Officers concluding appointments in retirement, effective 30 June: Mjr Valerie Clifford, who has been serving as Assistant Service and Development Project Officer, Addictions, Supportive Accommodation and Reintegration Services; Mjr Roger Herring, who has been serving as Community Ministries Coordinator, Whanganui. We pray God’s blessing on these officers and thank them all for their service in retirement.

Retirements Mjrs Brent and Marlene Diack entered retirement on 30 June, after 34 years, six months of active service.

Brent and Marlene entered training from Bishopdale Corps in 1979 in the Proclaimers of Salvation Session.

Following their commissioning in January 1981, they were appointed to

Riverton Corps and Balclutha Corps.

The next 10 years saw the Diacks serve as managers at Bramwell Booth House, Temuka, and then Omahu House, Wellington.

In 1995, Brent and Marlene relocated to South Auckland, where they have spent the past 20 years, with appointments as Directors, Community and Family Services, Manukau; Corps Officers, Manukau; Directors, Epsom Lodge; Mission Director with responsibility for Oasis (Brent) and Assistant Officer (Marlene), The Bridge, Auckland.

Brent and Marlene entered retirement from Addictions Services, Manukau, where they have been Assistant Officers since 2013. It is with sincere thanks and appreciation that The Salvation Army honours Mjrs Brent and Marlene Diack for their loyal and faithful service to God.

Bereaved Lt Sekaia Rabuli of her mother, Mrs Vasemaea Yalira, on 6 June. The funeral was held on 11 June at Natua Village, Vanua Levu, Fiji, at Natua Methodist Church. Please support Lts Sekaia and Karalaini Rabuli (Sigatoka Corps) and their family in prayer in this time of loss.

Cadet Mere Gina Gataurua of her mother, Lusiana Bola Sokovagone, from Suva on 13 June, after a short illness.

The funeral was held at the Centenary Methodist Church in Suva. Please remember Cadets Mere and Saimoni Gataurua, their children and extended family in prayer in this time of loss.

First-time Grandparents Congratulations to Capts Catherine and Kenneth Walker on the safe arrival of Ifereimi John Walker Ratuniyauravu, son of Elizabeth and Semi, on 9 June in Queenstown.

Our Community | 15

Something for Everyone at Pukekohe Corps

Home leaguers with local MP Andrew Bayly and Capts Nigel and Christine De Maine; Junior Soldiers enjoy their ‘Big Day Out’: (back) Capt Christine De Maine and Norah-Kate Gray, (front) Justin Bremner and Joseph De Maine; Mother’s Day service, with children reading about their mums’ super powers Pukekohe Corps is celebrating many signs of God’s work in people’s lives this year.

Home League continues to be a strong ministry of the corps. It is also a doorstep to meeting Jesus for most of those who attend. We recently shared in the funeral of a lovely woman who came to the corps through the Home League, connected with Sunday services and made her home at our corps for the past 10 years. In her funeral service, we celebrated that she loved Jesus and was now spending eternity with him in Heaven. Several months ago, another home leaguer received the difficult news that she had just weeks to live. She began bringing her adult children to church, and they met Jesus through our weekly home league meetings. It has been a privilege to pray with and for the family during visits to the mother’s home.

Home League Secretary Elaine Dawson provides excellent leadership for this group, assisted by Captain Christine de Maine. The group has enjoyed many guest speakers this year, including local MP Andrew Bayley. We’ve also enjoyed visits from local corps members willing to share their skills and experiences with the group.

Kids’ church is also having a great year. During the April school holidays, they visited the Amazing Maze in Maize, which was lots of fun. Young People’s Sergeant Major Briar Gray and her able assistant, Norah-Kate Gray, run a terrific programme for at least six to 10 children each week. We know that if our own children don’t enjoy coming to church, they won’t want invite their friends. Because these children are having such a wonderful time, we’re sure their friends will soon be joining them soon.

One of the challenges at Pukekohe Corps is the busyness of people’s lives. Because of this, it can be hard to create opportunities for people to come to non-threatening church social events. Just recently, though, our men’s fellowship hosted a 10 pin bowling game at the local

Cossie Club, with nine guys attending. There was lots of ‘manly food’ (fish and chips, pizza, spring rolls and samosas), and everyone enjoyed a lot of laughs together. A highlight of this event was that one of the men from the corps had invited four of his mates. Three more men’s events are planned for the rest of the year.

Community Ministries continues to be a strong focus in the corps, impacting the local community in a positive way. Those involved in this ministry love serving in this way. Our Community Ministries provides food, counselling and budgeting assistance, along with Positive Lifestyle Programme courses. There continues to be strong demand for all of these services, with new people coming in for support each week.

Please pray for those who serve in this ministry.

Last year, we started a drop-in centre, which continues to be well supported. The centre is aimed at anyone looking for a safe and friendly environment where they can feel loved and accepted. Between 20 and 40 people attend each week, with almost 10 of these now also worshipping with us on Sundays.

Those at Pukekohe Corps face the same type of challenges that people all around New Zealand are facing, but we also have much to thank God for. And we have learnt that when we bring our requests to God in prayer, he hears and answers.

Captains Nigel and Christine de Maine (Corps Officers)

Kiwi Officer Heads for Nepal Territorial head of Emergency Services Major David Bennett has been deployed to Nepal to support The Salvation Army’s earthquake recovery work there.

David flew out to Kathmandu on 16 June for a two-month stint working with the Army’s international team in Nepal.

When the earthquake happened in May, the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory contacted International Headquarters (IHQ) offering to make staff available if needed. In

June, IHQ responded, asking for David to join the team in Nepal.

Work already being done by the international team includes distributing food, hygiene kits, shelters and supplies to help schools re-open. Prior to leaving, David said he had received some basic information about the work, but was waiting for a full briefing when he arrived.

‘I’m not sure exactly what I’m walking into, but there is excitement to be involved in something like this. We’re based in Kathmandu, but we were

asked to take backpacks because there are likely to be some village visits. We’re all sharing together in a house. We have hot water, but we have to take our own sleeping mats and sleeping bags.’

It is David’s second time serving on an international emergency deployment. In 2009, following the Samoan tsunami, David served with a team working with Habitat for Humanity. He was also heavily involved in The Salvation Army’s response to the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.

16 | WarCry 11 July 2015

Three New Salvation Army Books Released Salvation Books, the publishing imprint of International Headquarters (IHQ), launched three new books by former international leaders of The Salvation Army at the 150th anniversary international congress, Boundless—The Whole World Redeeming.

To Seize This Day of Salvation To Seize This Day of Salvation is by Retired General Paul A. Rader with Commissioner Kay F. Rader (edited by Major Stephen Court). As The Salvation Army’s international leaders, the Raders travelled widely, inspiring Salvationists and others to preach the gospel of Jesus and meet human needs in his name. Their book contains presentations that will inform and inspire action, exploring vital themes at the heart of The Salvation Army’s vision and mission. The authors make it clear that the issues are not only long lasting; they are urgently relevant to this day of salvation.

The Raders urge the Army to immediate action with their carpe diem call to seize this day of salvation, writes reviewer Dr Robert Docter (USA Western Territory). Together, they have never played a waiting game. Their message means ‘now’, ‘today’, and pushes us to do it at this point. Then, they make clear the rationale of this goal of seizing this day of salvation.

Upon assuming command of the USA Western Territory in 1992, Paul Rader felt it necessary to write the framework of faith within which he was called to work and that defined his mission. Under the title ‘This I Believe’ he articulated the belief system that guided his life and, thus, laid out criteria for individuals to use in examining their own belief system. This framework of faith is included in To Seize This Day of Salvation. The book also contains information related to the Army’s Wesleyan heritage and a chapter titled ‘Lest We Lose Our Legacy—the Place of Women in Salvation Army Ministry’.

This book is a valuable read for all people interested in the development of this Army of salvation. It spells out the Army’s history, and articulates clearly its goals of a world for God, the roles of women in ministry, the rationale of our commitment to the poor, the dissolute, ignored and forgotten.

Those Incredible Booths Those Incredible Booths is by Retired General John Larsson. ‘The Booths astounded the world,’ writes General Larsson. ‘William and Catherine not only created a new dynamic force called The Salvation Army, but as parents brought into the world a boisterous crew of eight individuals—as gifted and headstrong as their parents. Those Incredible Booths explores William and Catherine’s approach to parenting and follows the children as their influence spreads around the world. Good times and bad are treated with the same light but authoritative touch, including when three of the children rebelled against their father and left the Army, sending ‘a shudder through its ranks’.

In reviewing this title, Commissioner Keith Banks notes Larsson’s ‘hard to put the book down’ style of writing is legendary. He does not disappoint with this work. With art and skill, and some wellchosen archive photographs, [Larsson reveals] the light and shade of the family that God used to birth, shape, nurture and energise The Salvation Army.

After describing William and Catherine as parents, Larsson devotes a chapter to each of their eight children: Bramwell, the born organiser; the talented and attractive Ballington; the charismatic Kate, who had the face of an angel; Emma, the more shy and reserved daughter; Herbert, the gifted lyricist and musician; Marian, so sadly handicapped; the flamboyant, strong-willed Eva, who figured prominently in the crises of 1929 and became the Army’s fourth General; and Lucy, who faced the loss of so many loves throughout her life.

The life stories of the children have a worldwide dimension, and we see them pioneering or leading the Army in places as diverse as continental Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South America.

Many books about the Booths focus on one individual member of the family, but this one presents a finely crafted image of the whole family in one place, says Banks. Like any family, the Booths had their ups and downs, their tension and trauma. But what Larsson does in such a compelling and readable way is to reveal the truly outstanding qualities of mind and heart of every member of the family, leaving us to reflect in wonderment and amazement at their collective genius.

Crown of Glory, Crown of Thorns —The Salvation Army in Wartime The third new release is Crown of Glory, Crown of Thorns—The Salvation Army in Wartime by Retired General Shaw Clifton. Based on General Clifton’s 1988 doctoral thesis, Crown of Glory, Crown of Thorns provides a detailed account of Salvation Army work and attitudes in wartime, with a particular focus on the Boer War and the two World Wars.

The book considers the difficulty of maintaining the principle of Christian internationalism at times of particularly strong patriotism, which General Clifton says placed ‘the movement and its leaders under perpetual strain’.

Crown of Glory, Crown of Thorns is the only comprehensive analysis of The Salvation Army in wartime. As the author discovered, it was not possible to ‘simply read off Salvationist attitudes to war from official Army statements in wartime’, as records such as these do not exist.

Instead, and thanks to the writer and his painstaking and meticulous research, we are now able to analyse the three main principles which governed Salvationist war reactions between 1899 and 1945: the spiritual priority of Christian evangelism and soul-saving, the practical priority of compassionate good works, and the upholding of Christian internationalism.

Any sense that a PhD thesis is not material for the ordinary reader is quickly dispelled,’ notes reviewer Commissioner William Cochrane.

In a literate and engaging manner General Clifton takes us on a journey through the dark days of three wars. With leaders (Generals William and Bramwell Booth and General George Carpenter) seeking to ensure that the Army served humanity and spoke with a voice showing favour to no one side, the tension between political neutrality and the demands of patriotism placed them and the movement under great strain. So acute is the writer’s sense of the burden carried by the three Generals, it is easy to forget that this body of work was written some 18 years before he was elected to the highest office in The Salvation Army.

Not only is this an invaluable addition to the annals of Salvation Army history and a work of substantial scholarship, but it is thoroughly readable, stimulating and challenging. History, biography and theology combine to explore periods in the life of the Army until now barely explored beyond stories of the ‘doughnut girls’ and Red Shield clubs. Instead, we discover directives from International Headquarters for prayers that ‘a revulsion against war’ would be created in the hearts of all. Also revealed are serious tensions arising from disparate views among the senior leadership of the Army around the world: tensions not surprising when pacifist principles and the concept of ‘just war’ collide.

When the world is at war and narrow nationalism and xenophobia are rampant, the gift of internationalism is hard to embrace. This book is the story of the survival of this gift and reveals the care with which it must be handled.

Order from Salvationist Resources, e: mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy. org or p: (04) 382 0768. Ebook versions available for Kindle from Amazon and for other e-readers through www kobobooks.com

Noticeboard | 17

CALENDAR JULY 6–12: Winter Peak Adventure/ Blue Mountain Adventure Centre 10–12: Kids Camp / Southern Division 17–19: Territorial Youth and Children’s Ministries Conference / Christchurch 19: Self Denial Appeal Launch 31: Divisional Headquarters Team Day / Northern Division 31–2 August: Junior Miss Camp / Tonga Region 31–2 August: National Youth Band Mission Weekend / Timaru Corps AUGUST 1: Moral and Social Issues Council / Wellington 1–2: Top of the South Regional Weekend / Southern Division 3–7: ‘Sounds of Silence’ Officers Retreat / Wairarapa 7–9: Youth Councils / Northern Division 14: Regional Lunch (Auckland City and South) / Northern Division 15–16: Canterbury Regional Weekend / Southern Division 21: Kneedrill Youth Event / Northern Division 21–23: Kids Camp / Midland Division 23: Self Denial Sunday 24–27: North Island Officers Fellowship / Rotorua 28–30: Women’s Camp / Fiji Division 28–30: Kids Camp / Central Division 31: Business Coaching (HR) / Northern Division 31–4 Sept: Corps Administrators Roadshow / Midland Division

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Robert (Territorial Commander) and Janine Donaldson (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 20 July: Retired Officers Fellowship, Central Division (TPWM) 26 July: Wanganui Corps Colonels Willis Howell (Chief Secretary) and Barbara Howell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries) 26 July: Wellington South Corps Crossword Answers: Across: 1 Sussex, 4 Consider, 9 Mimes, 10 Apparatus, 11 Tube, 12 Ever, 13 Needs, 15 Muddier, 16 Unto, 19 Taxi, 20 Iceberg, 23 Issue, 24 Evil, 25 Yo-yo, 27 Greatness, 28 India, 29 Deposits, 30 Learnt, Down: 1 Sometime, 2 Somebody, 3 Ease, 5 Opportunities, 6 Strengthen, 7 Dotted, 8 Resist, 10 Advertisement, 14 Cigarettes, 17 Recorder, 18 Ignorant, 21 Binged, 22 Asleep, 26 Lime. Quiz Answers: 1 Pukeahu, 2 Tintin, 3 Nine, 4 Insects, 5 Mount Ararat (Genesis 8:4).

PRAYER FOCUS Please pray for: Vaini, Waihi and Waitakere Central Corps, Valeni Outpost, Vava’u Corps Plant, Northern Divisional Headquarters, The Salvation Army in Brazil.

International Bible Reading Challenge WEEK 28 1 Corinthians 3–7 | WEEK 29 1 Corinthians 8–12 Go to www.salvationarmy.org/biblechallenge for daily reading guides and more.

Porirua Corps 50th Anniversary You’re invited to celebrate with us on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. Guest leaders: Colonels Barbara and Willis Howell. 89 Warspite Ave, Cannons Creek, Porirua.

For an information pack, e: ebony_sushames@nzf.salvationarmy. org, p: (04) 235 6266

Focus on Brass Come and enjoy an afternoon of brass music with the bands of the Central Division. Featuring vocal soloist Rebecca Howan. Sunday 9 August, 3 pm. Wellington Citadel Corps, 92 Vivian Street, Wellington.

Thank you from Major Muriel Gooder Heartfelt thanks to all the officers, soldiers and friends who have contacted me with wonderful expressions of love following the sudden promotion to Glory of my daughter Robyn. The cards, telephone calls and prayers have given such sustaining grace and blessing to me and the whole family as we have walked this road again.

Subscribe today!

War Cry … DIRECT to your door Annual subscription (including p&p) $75 (within NZ). To subscribe, contact Salvationist Resources, p: (04) 382 0740, e: mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org

INTERESTED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE? For reports, regular newsletters, challenging articles and Salvation Army government submissions.

www salvationarmy.org.nz/socialpolicy

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

HELP SHAPE THE NEXT

GENERATION

FOR FREE RESOURCES AND HELP IN PASSING THE BIBLE ON TO T HE NEXT GENER ATION, VISIT WWW. BIBL E MON T H. NZ

THE BIBLE: PASS IT ON

18 | WarCry 11 July 2015

LEADERSHIP LINKS

The Self Denial Appeal is a tremendous tool of mission.

It’s true; I have (mostly) always loved being a Kiwi! I appreciate the Kiwi ‘can do’ approach to life, our courage, candour and great sense of humour. Among many other national qualities are our kindness and generosity, which are genuine, sincere and quickly offered. Robert and I have often been the recipients of many of these qualities in times of need. We, along with many other Kiwis, have not hesitated to ask for help and received it.

Each year, The Salvation Army holds its Self Denial Appeal to support our work in developing countries. Since 1969, Salvationists have been challenged to give one week’s salary to support our overseas mission work through this appeal.

Salvationists of the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory have a strong heritage of giving to God’s work overseas. Some have given by serving on various mission fields, and others by regular giving to various appeals for funds. And so, as we enter this year’s Self Denial Appeal season, I do not hesitate to ask for your help.

The Self Denial Appeal is a tremendous tool of mission.

It is also a valuable spiritual discipline that, like the spiritual discipline of fasting, invites us to focus more on God and less on ourselves. But perhaps, like fasting, it’s a discipline that can cause anxiety. Over the next few weeks, as we consider the needs of The Salvation Army overseas, I encourage you to rely on God. Embrace this opportunity to give sacrificially so that God’s work elsewhere in the world can grow stronger.

Luke 6:38 (NLT) reads: ‘Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back’. The simplicity of these words offers me assurance and hope. I have been the beneficiary of this scripture. I believe it!

Giving involves more than money; it is an attitude that allows us to give all that we are, have and possess to provide greater glory to God. Once we have given, we can trust God to receive, and God also promises that he will give back to us. You can trust him to be true to his word. My response is: ‘Thank you, God, that whatever I give—whether money, forgiveness or mercy—you give back even more. Help me to be generous with more than just my finances.’

I want to personally thank you in advance for your response to this important appeal. Your support and generosity is truly valued.

Commissioner Janine Donaldson Territorial President of Women’s Ministries

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE WORD OF GOD 2 Corinthians 8:7

‘But since you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you[a] – see that you also excel in this grace of giving.’

Taking it to the Streets Campaign One of the hallmarks of the early Salvation Army was taking the gospel message to where the people were. William Booth is quoted as saying, ‘No sort of defence is needed for preaching outdoors, but it would take a very strong argument to prove that a man who has never preached beyond the walls of his meetinghouse has done his duty.’

We want to build on this early DNA by promoting a territorial campaign called ‘Taking it to the Streets’ later in the year. Similar to the Central Division’s ‘Capturing the Heart’ campaign of 2012, the idea is to encourage all centres to go into their community and before the end of the year hold a special service or event.

For example, a corps or Community Ministries centre might try a ‘Messy Church’ service or church in the park. They might introduce a Light Party Halloween alternative or run a school holiday programme, hold a community meal or host a community concert.

It is hoped that all corps and centres will see this as an opportunity to work out our Territorial Strategic Mission Plan (TSMP) goals with a shared mission focus, a chance to develop leaders and to mobilise their congregation in a special effort to make disciples. The main ‘rules’ are that there should be an element of outreach, not just service; and that ideally the venture would be held outside of your building.

Corps and centres will be receiving supporting material in July.

In the meantime, why not form a planning team and start praying for this campaign?

Mission Matters | 19

BY ALASTAIR KENDREW

Change in attendance offers new opportunity Church attendance patterns are changing, with more people attending less often. So, how are we to respond?

For many years, the church has used average congregational worship attendance as a quick and easy measure for congregational health. The theory is that if your average attendance at worship services is going up, more people are joining you to worship God each week, so things are going well. Conversely, if your average attendance is going down, less people are coming and so something must be wrong. But there’s a second variable at play: how often people are attending.

There’s a growing realisation that even in the most vibrant and healthy churches, an increasing number of regular churchgoers are attending less often. Many people who used to attend every week are attending three times a month. People who were around twice a month often now show up once a month. And attenders who used to come once a month are showing up half a dozen times a year.

Why is this, and what should we do about it?

According to Carey Nieuwhof, Pastor of Connexus Church in Canada, there are at least 10 reasons why even committed church attenders attend church less often. Carey lists a few obvious ones, like more Sunday sports, blended families and people having to work on Sundays, but also identifies some additional reasons that are less obvious but more insightful.

Is your goal to develop church attenders, or fully devoted followers of Jesus?

For example, the impact of affluence means that now people have more opportunity to travel, to head away for weekends and to be involved with activities for their children. Or how 20 years ago, if you wanted to hear great preaching, you had to go to church, whereas now you can listen to podcasts of arguably better preaching whenever and wherever you like.

However, Nieuwhof suggests that perhaps the biggest factor in less frequent church attending is that few people today actually feel guilty for missing church.

Do we fight or embrace this obvious trend? Can I suggest it depends whether your ultimate goal is to develop church attenders, or fully devoted followers of Jesus?

If you want church attenders, you’ll probably want to try to make the church experience so good that people won’t want to miss it (or you could work on actually trying to make them feel guilty about not coming, but who wants to go to a church with a culture like that?!).

However, if your goal is to develop fully devoted followers of Jesus, can we look at this whole issue differently?

Nieuwhof suggests seven ways to respond as people attend church less often. As his church has a lot more resources than a typical Salvation Army corps (church), I’ve simplified these to be relevant in our context: 1. Make sure that people can stay in touch with you when they’re not there. Don’t judge your people for not being there, help them stay connected instead. Use Facebook, Twitter, podcasts, your website, or a blog—anything to help people stay connected during the week. Even a simple thing like emailing or posting your newsletter will keep people informed and let them know they were missed.

2. Elevate personal relationships. Facilitating a personal relationship is easier and more effective in person, so encourage connections in groups. Share meals together. And offer a nice morning tea—it’s a great way to help people connect, so it’s well worth the investment.

3. Love people. Can you truly express care and interest without being fully present, face to face sometimes? Love can be expressed online, but its fulfilment happens deepest through personal contact.

4. Create an irresistible experience. Something happens when you are in the room that doesn’t happen ‘watching church’ online. A song on YouTube is never quite the same as a live concert. Church is more than the sum of its parts. If your church is boring, Nieuwhof would say you’ve already lost the battle, so you should start there.

5. Offer offline surprises. The idea is to do things in church that when people hear about later, they will be disappointed they missed— like a fun surprise in the car park as people arrive, letting off helium balloons as a church family, or someone sharing their personal story.

6. Create a culture of serving. Online church doesn’t allow many serving opportunities. When you help set up for a morning tea, teach in kids church or a small group, greet people with a smile, serve on the production team, or serve meals to the homeless, you find a place in service of a goal that is greater than yourself. Make serving guests and others outside your community part of your culture.

7. Prioritise kids and teens. Parents can catch a podcast or watch online, but kids really miss out when parents miss church. Being at church allows kids to be with friends who are running in the same direction, and to have a small group leader who cares and speaks into their lives. The more you prioritise families, the more families will prioritise Sundays.

The shift in our culture is probably irreversible, at least to some extent. But we still have something unique to offer—online and offline. We may just need to change our approach a little.

GOD & FAITH

BEst OF thE BloGGErs

“Travelling with someone is a good plan. For me, God makes an awesome The Firezone Blog has been off to an awesome first innings for 2015. Because Guide and I love it when we’re into the second half of the year now, we thought it would be cool to it gets exciting … and reflect on some of the wit, wisdom and Word knowledge some of our bloggers have shared with us this year. when I stuff up nobody does a better rescue job “In the midst of anger, “maybe it’s time for you to than He does.” fear, confusion, doubt find out what you actually and grief, there is hope.” mean when you say that “Are you really making you believe in God.” the most of the time you have been given?”

11 JULY 2015 | 21

FIREZONE.CO.NZ

REbEcca HowaN

Stephen Ward

Samantha Ward

Life is a little less than perfect at the moment.

And you know what? That is a perfectly reasonable, legitimate and okay thing to say.

Kayaking is like living life. You have options. Do nothing and you are not in control. You can have a lot of fun or get in to a lot of trouble—it’s up to us. Travelling with someone is a good plan.

For me, God makes an awesome Guide and I love it when it gets exciting … and when I stuff up nobody does a better rescue job than he does.

Maybe the reality of being a Christian is that we can’t do it alone. While having supportive Christians around you is great, what I’m talking about is that it’s impossible to be a Christian without God’s help. Prayer would be pretty useless if we never got a response, the Bible is a book that I doubt anyone would fully understand without God making things stand out for them, and living a life clean in thought, word and deed is impossible without God. Sure, we might be able to give the appearance of all of this by ourselves, but none of it means anything without God guiding us.

A number of things that I deeply care about are struggling. Where I once saw joy and excitement, there is now confusion, bitterness, and disbelief.

It honestly breaks my heart. Not only that, but caring so much when things are going wrong can be a heavy burden to bear, and it constantly weighs on your mind.

So, what do we do in these times? The times when it’s so hard, but you care too much to leave, when it’s a constant struggle, but you don’t want to give up.

You pray, and you cling to hope.

Hope.

In the midst of anger, fear, confusion, doubt and grief, there is hope.

I really do believe that. In my current situations, I am convinced that one day every single one of those things will come out the other side. Sure, I don’t know how we will get there, or what it will look like, but it will be for the better. A brighter day will come.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ (Jeremiah 29:11).

In the passage surrounding this verse, the people of Jerusalem had been exiled from their home and were being told by God to make a life for themselves in enemy territory of Babylon.

But they were told not to freak out about this seemingly awful circumstance, because God had a plan for the future to prosper them and give them hope. Yes, they would have to live in captivity for 70 years, but it was all part of the plan and they just needed to ride it out and trust God. And so it is in my circumstances. It’s possible that some things will get worse before they get better, and that scares me a little to be honest.

BUT I have hope for the future. I have hope because I know that even through the mess and chaos and hurt of the present, God has a plan to see us come out of the darkness and into the light.

There is hope.

Check out our bloggers and loads more on www.firezone.co.nz

Stuart Duxfield Maybe try working on a single relationship this week (although, I guess you can work on more than one). Spend time with someone just for the sake of getting to know them. Buy them a hot drink and a pastry. Listen to some ridiculous music. Get involved in their hobbies. It’s so important to share life with each other. If we don’t know and trust each other, will we listen when it’s really important?

Daniel Buttar I think that instead of ‘never giving up’, we might actually have to do the opposite and ‘give up’.

Give up ourselves. Give up our situations. Give up our church. Give up EVERYTHING so that God can do his complete and perfect will in our lives to the full. Then maybe we will truly realise that, ‘By myself, I can’t do this, but with CHRIST, I can keep moving forward.’

Jacob Stevenson I would encourage you to see where you’re at with your faith. Do you believe God is real because others tell you so, or because you have encountered him for yourself?

Your faith has to be your own. It has to be something you believe in wholeheartedly and are able to tell others why you do. If you can’t do that, then maybe it’s time for you to find out what you actually mean when you say that you believe in God.

Lieut Sarah Healey Sharing what God has said or done not only brings joy to the teller, but hope and encouragement to the listeners. Who knows, your little God-instance could be the answer that someone else has been praying for you for decades! Lives are still transformed, prayers are still answered, God still speaks and moves every day. Tell someone about it: the good as well as the bad. Struggling but still trusting God in the middle of heartbreak and tragedy is just as important as praising him once you get through.

Alana Goldsack As ridiculous as it sounds, I think it’s great that my computer broke because it has helped me realise how I need to be more careful with what I spend my time on. I am pretty sure at the end of my life I am going to be more satisfied and content if I can reflect on a life full of experiences, doing work for God and going out having crazy adventures, than if all I have to remember is watching Christian Tingle videos.

Perhaps it is time for you, too, to stop for a moment and evaluate how you spend your time.

Are you really making the most of the time you have been given?

Charlie Robinson There is always going to be negativity, not just on the internet, but everywhere. But it’s not about hiding from it or avoiding it; it’s about turning that negativity around and fighting against it with positive thoughts and actions.

Sometimes it’s easier to go along with the negativity, or ignore it, or pretend it’s not there.

But if we want change then we have to be that change, as cliché as that sounds, it’s true. And I like to believe that everyone is capable of doing it.

Capt Shaun Baker So, what does God have in store for us for the rest of the year? I’m not sure exactly, but one thing I do know, God wants to draw us into such close communion with him that our desire is to worship him with all we have. He has a plan for us and wants to use us to point others to him in a way that his name will be glorified. May we be reminded that no matter what the rest of this year throws at us, that we will do our best to see it from God’s perspective first and that we will grow from the experiences that lie ahead.

EVENTS | 22

sO YoU want tobE a BloGGEr?

Blogging sounds like a daunting thing. If you’ve never done it, it can seem a bit confusing and overwhelming to give it a go. But it’s really not!

A blog is simply a discussion or informationbased collection of writing that is published on the internet. A blog is made up of a bunch of posts or mini-articles that sit under the one blog site. The idea of blogging has been around since the late 1990s and has been growing in popularity since. These days, blogs aren’t always run by one person but may have a bunch of contributors—like The Blog on Firezone!

Blogs can range from opinion pieces, tutorial and information-based pieces, to online ‘diaries’ or even a way of marketing. There are so many ways to blog!

We love the idea that blogging gives people the space to explore their own ideas, share information and connect with others so we thought we’d share some tips and encourage you to have a go …

TOP BLOG TIPS Write what you love: The best inspiration comes from things you’re passionate about.

If you’re already interested in a certain topic, you’ll hopefully know a bit about it and will find the words flow out a lot easier! Start by blogging on topics you’re already interested in.

Understand your audience: There’s no point writing about how to groom a cat if you’re writing for a cooking website, right? It’s always good to know your audience and write to what they’ll like. If you’re just starting out, you’ll have the luxury of shaping your own audience based on what you’re writing. If you’re writing for a specific website then understand their audience and make sure you fit with that.

Encourage interaction: Because blogs are online and people have the opportunity to respond immediately, blogs are supposed to be more like a conversation starter than a closed lecture. It’s always good to encourage interaction by asking questions or encouraging people to leave their thoughts.

BENEATH THE SKIN

Indie/Folk

Of Monsters and Men

Icelandic folk band Of Monsters and Men’s latest record Beneath The Skin is a great record, full of thick guitar tones, massive and driving drums and velvety smooth vocals.

Though it’s less dynamic than previous efforts, the strength of the songwriting makes it a solid record. The dual male/ female vocal trade-offs, as well as their harmonies, is the record’s biggest strength. ‘Wolves Without Teeth’ shows this especially well, while the symphonic elements in ‘Organs’ and the horns that punctuate ‘Hunger’ all work really well. Beneath The Skin doesn’t reinvent the folk rock wheel, but turns it like someone who’s driven for a long time. Worth checking out.

MUSIC

LYRICS

GOD CONTENT

Don’t write too much or too little: Blogs are generally succinct and straight to the point. A lot of blogs will include bullet points or images to help ‘say more’ with less words. It’s always good to keep your writing shorter, but not so short that you’re not really saying anything.

Somewhere between 300 –800 words is a great length for keeping the interest of short online attention spans—but it’s always more about the content than the length!

Believe in yourself/don’t get stage fright: The whole ‘online’ thing can be daunting—what you’re writing is going online and can be seen by anyone who wants to take a look. This can be scary! But it’s all about confidence and knowing why you’re doing it. Always remember that writing is for you and that you don’t need to impress anyone. There are plenty of keyboard warriors online who love to write negative comments, but don’t take it to heart—it says more about them than it says about you! Just give it a go and have fun!

We’re always looking for new writers for Firezone. If you like writing movie reviews, event recaps, articles, blogs or other bits and pieces, we’d love to hear from you!

Email firezone@nzf.salvationarmy.org and let us know you’re keen to have your voice heard.

DRONES

Alternative Rock

Muse

Drones continues to expand on Muse’s mashup of over the top pop, heavy electronic and symphonic elements. There are flashes of Absolution era Muse in tracks like ‘Mercy’ and ‘The Handler’, but they’re still heavily outweighed by 2009’s Resistance and it’s influence on the band’s sound. As a concept album, the theme of dehumanization is addressed with the subtly of a brick, though this works well with the huge production of the record. The musical performances are great though, and Matt Bellamy is vocally at the top of his game. Drones is more for die-hard fans, though old school Muse lovers will find moments to like here too.

MUSIC

LYRICS

GOD CONTENT

Fun4Kids | 23

Tell me why …

The main reason for this is light pollution. Street lights crowd out the light from stars.

When we’re away from the bright lights of the city, it’s much easier to see the stars in the sky.

See for yourself … Turn on a torch in a dark room at night, then go outside and look in through the window. Now turn on the light in the room and go outside and look again. The torch is still shining just as brightly, but you don’t notice

stars are brighter in the country than the city

it so much with bright room light on.

Other sorts of pollution also make a difference—but not such a big one. Smoke and fumes from cars, trucks and factories make the air less transparent, which means less light from the stars can get through.

See for yourself … Shine a torch through a fish tank filled ONLY with water. Then repeat, but this time add some milk into the tank. The second time the torch will be noticeably dimmer.

Source: Answers.com

How do you get a baby astronaut to sleep?

You rocket!

Where do astronauts keep their sandwiches?

In a launch box!

Spot ten differences

find your way back to earth

What did Mars say to Saturn?

Give me a ring some time!

Have you heard about the cow astronaut?

He landed on the mooooooon!

How do you organise a space party?

You planet!

‘God decided how many stars there would be in the sky and gave each one a name.’

Psalm 147:4 (CEV)

hi, i’m will.

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‘When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?’

Psalm 8:3–4 (NLT)

Earth is in the Milky Way galaxy, which measures approximately 100,000 light years across and is 1000 light years thick. Our Sun is a star within this huge galaxy.

What is an astronaut’s favourite key on the keyboard?

The space bar!

Before we had telescopes, people couldn’t see stars clearly. They sort of blurred together in a white streak across the sky. The ancient Greeks said this white streak was a ‘river of milk’. The ancient Romans called it the

Let’s Pray ‘Via Galactica’, or ‘road made of milk’. This is how our galaxy became known as the Milky Way. There are over 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

If you tried to count them one by one, it would take you over 3000 years!

It’s amazing and wonderful that even though God made the entire universe, he knows and cares about YOU!

Dear God, thank you that even in such a huge galaxy as ours, you still know all about me! When I look up at the stars in space, help me to remember how much you love me. Amen.

Push your creative boundaries, sharpen your creative skills.

Learn to lead, learn to follow. Find your creative place and purpose.

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