FAITH IN ACTION 24 AUGUST 2019 | Issue 6724 | $1.50
Celebrating Father’s Day!
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WAR CRY The Salvation Army
New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Andy & Yvonne Westrupp | GENERAL Brian Peddle | FOUNDERS William
& Catherine Booth
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. MANAGING EDITOR Ingrid Barratt | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Matt Gillon | STAFF WRITERS Captain Jules Badger, Major Shar Davis, Louise Parry | PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford, Vivienne Hill | COVER ART Haydn Rive OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box
6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Fax (04) 382 0716, Email warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz, www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone
(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@salvationarmy.org.nz, $75 per year within NZ PRINT MANAGEMENT www.makeready.nz | PAPER Sumo Offset
is an environmentally responsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) FSC® certified Mixed Source pulp from responsible sources and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System. 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.
You Can’t Outrun God Welcome to the Father’s Day edition of War Cry—a day that has featured in my life mostly in a ‘professional’ capacity as an officer, rather than because I am someone’s daughter. I didn’t meet my father until I was 10 years old, seeing him for the first time at the back of Christchurch City Corps on a Sunday night—a rather surreal moment. In our feature, former All Black Nev MacEwan alludes to the rocky relationship he had with his alcoholic father. He also walked this path when his All Black career ended, eventually leading him to attempt to take his own life. He ended up in a detox ward, the place where his transformation began. Many of us know the story Jesus tells of the Prodigal Son—a story less about the sons (because let’s be honest, both sons drop the ball in their own way) and more about the extravagant, shocking love of a father for his wayward son. In Jewish tradition, if a son loses his inheritance, the community would perform a ceremony called the kezazah. They would smash a big pot in front of him and yell, ‘You are now cut off from your people’—separating him forever from his family, his community and his faith. This adds richness to the image of the father running towards the son before he entered the village, as I imagine him wanting to outrun the kezazah ceremony. He wants to restore his son before the pot is smashed! God outruns our shame, our failures and our brokenness and embraces us in a way that restores and transforms our lives. Our worst days do not have to define us. So, as Father’s Day rolls around for 2019, take a moment to reflect on a Father running to save his son ... and you! Shar Davis Assistant Territorial Secretary for Communications
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Fatherhood requires love, not DNA. Unknown
Psalm 103:13 (NLT) The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. Ngā Waiata 103:13 E aroha ana te matua ki āna tamariki, pērā tonu tō Ihowā aroha ki te hunga e wehi ana ki a ia.
A
recent news article caught my eye, mostly because it contained the word Netflix and I thought there may be some exciting new series coming that I should know about. It turned out to be about the history of Netflix and its disruption, then dominance, of the entertainment industry. To be honest, it sounded pretty yawn-inducing, but I found myself fascinated by the David and Goliath story—how a small company with no experience downed an industry giant. Marc Randolph (Netflix’s co-founder) often recounts the story of how his fledgling start-up approached the reigning king of entertainment with a proposal—buy us, we are the future. History tells the story of how Blockbuster—then, a 60 billion dollar global company with 60,000 employees— laughed them out the door once they discovered the start-up was already 50 million dollars in debt. Now, 20 years later, Blockbuster is … well … bust. Netflix, on the other hand, can stream video almost anywhere there is internet on planet earth. It would be tempting to laugh at Blockbuster for their missed opportunity, but they had a good thing going, the cost was considered risky and ‘too high’, and besides, Netflix’s style was new and uncomfortable. No—it cost too much, it looked too odd, and it required too much change. Innovation can be disruptive, and sometimes the opportunities it presents are costly. Not all start-ups succeed. Not all ideas Netflix tried succeeded. Sometimes the solutions look downright daft and run at a 50 million dollar loss before they begin to change the world. Randolph’s wife called his ideas that would become Netflix ‘ … the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard’. Even those close to
us can occasionally be wrong. But the team working at the heart of Netflix’s vision could see change on the horizon, and, despite the losses, they were building for the future. For me, it mimics stories of the early church in the biblical book of Acts. It records the dramatic changes in faith, once the reality of who Jesus was took hold. How despite setbacks, persecution and the threat of death, they too, forged ahead. There was no clear road map. It was new territory. And much of it seemed very at odds with the customs they grew up with. Perhaps I’m challenged by that more, as I doubt I would have been able to withstand that amount or that kind of change. Certainly there’s no denying that technological change has increased rapidly over the last few decades—it can be hard to keep up. But changes to our faith? The way we ‘do things’ in The Army? The language we use? The songs we praise holy God with? Those things can feel sacred, even when they really aren’t. In all the musing, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a quote by Catherine Booth: ‘If we are to better the future we must disturb the present’. It’s not a pleasant sentiment for those of us who find security in familiarity and routine. But just like the early church, we are asked to grow people’s faith in all corners of the world and I’m sure that looks quite different in New Zealand 2019 than it did back in Palestine AD 20. God’s amazing grace doesn’t run out, it covers our failures completely. So the questions remain, who—and when—are we building for? BY MATT GILLON
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WARCRYINHISTORY
QUIKQUIZ
1 Who is actor Emilio Estevez’s famous The 1 September 1917 edition of War Cry featured a tribute to Envoy Kareti Karioi Taharangi who father? died suddenly, a few hours after becoming ill. 2 What is ‘pogonophobia’ He was the first convert on Rangiwaea Island and the fear of? was an ‘out-and-out’ Salvationist for 14 years. He was the only son of the late Chief Hone Taharangi. Known for his servantheart and 3 What was Disney’s first hospitality, he animated film to feature took great joy a completely original in ministering storyline? to others. Over 300 people 4 What common attended his berry is also known funeral. as ‘star fruit’?
a i b o h p o n pogo
Gooey Campfire Chocolate and Marshmallow Bananas 4 ripe bananas 12–15 marshmallows, cut into quarters (check label if eating gluten-free) Milk chocolate, 100g, roughly chopped (use dairy-free if required) Chopped nuts or thread coconut (optional) Yoghurt or coconut yoghurt (optional, use coconut yoghurt for dairy-free)
Use a sharp knife to cut a long split along the inner curve of each banana, cutting through the skin (and some of the flesh), but not right through to the other side. Gently push banana from each end to open up the middle so you end up with a long, wide split to place your filling into. Repeat with all bananas. Stuff pieces of marshmallow and chocolate into the splits until full. Place each banana on a piece of baking paper laid on top of foil and wrap well in both paper and foil, folding the edges firmly together. Place on hot coals or on the barbecue for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the bananas are really soft. Unwrap the bananas—careful, they’ll be hot. Sprinkle over chopped nuts or coconut if desired, and serve with a spoon to scoop out the gooey insides. These are nice served with a little yoghurt on the side, if you like.
Source: nadialim.com
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Source: Booth College of Mission Heritage and Archives Centre
5 What was the name of King Saul’s hometown? Answers on page 22
Father’s Day here’s TOP Toourcelebrate list of songs celebrating FIVE Fathers and their children a)’ ohn Legend, ‘Right By You (For Lun 5 J [201 a Lun r ghte dau his to r 6] a reminde that he’ll always be there for her.
S tevie Wonder, ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ (197 4 cele 6) written to brate the birth of his daughte r Aisha Morris.
Lennon, ‘Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)’ [1980] 3 a John lullaby in honour of his son Sean Lennon. newborn son Duncan
id Bow ie, ‘Kooks’ (1971) a plea to his 2 Dav how kook y they get. Jones to love his parents no matter
1 an YudsuSof/Cn’at(1St97ev0)ens, ‘Father a reminder to us all that as ch ildren grow there comes a time when they must fo rge a life for themselves.
SALLIEOF THEWEEK Sheryl Hall
(Flaxmere Corps) Sheryl Hall has been a faithful volunteer at Flaxmere Corps, Family Store and Community Ministries for fifteen years. There is no task that is too big or too small for Sheryl. She loves working behind the scenes and can be found sorting clothes at the Family Store or packing food items in the foodbank. Sheryl is also an avid quilter and skilled sewer, who uses her amazing skills to make items to gift to our Community Ministries clients. So, Sheryl, if this little story was a bunch of flowers, you’d be getting a huge bouquet! Congratulations on being this week’s ‘Sallie of the Week!’
Soap and Salvation
While many Salvationists might watch Coronation Street, a partnership between the long-running soap opera and The Salvation Army might come as a surprise to many. Coronation Street script editors have been secretly working with Salvation Army specialists who provide support to victims from slavery in the UK, for a new storyline.
Drama, True Story & Biography, Romance The Keeper (M, Violence & offensive language) Directed by Marcus H. Rosenmüller
Set at the closing of World War II this movie portrays the true story of Bernhard ‘Bert’ Trautmann, a German prisoner of war who went on to become a very successful goalkeeper for Manchester City football team. Unsurprisingly, a decorated soldier of the ‘enemy’, in a prominent public position, while wounds were still fresh from the war, creates a great deal of tension—and the chance to grapple with the muddy ball of forgiveness. It is a big ask, and ultimately the narrative opts for a delicate balance of themes, when set alongside the romance with his English sweetheart and his love of the beautiful game. Weird of the Week: An enjoyable watch Despite having a heart of the complexity of human experience and valve big enough relationships, with for a child to crawl redemptive motifs through, the largest throughout. The goal posts stay fixed and the thing a Blue whale retelling doesn’t dive can swallow is a too deep, but it doesn’t grapefruit. Its throat is fumble under pressure either. (Reviewed by actually the size of a Matt Gillon)
small salad plate.
It centres around Alina—a new character and love interest to Seb—who works in a nail bar on the cobbles. Seb grows increasingly suspicious of Alina’s situation as she becomes more anxious and scared around her boss. The Salvation Army’s social media campaign uses adverts to show that human tragedy is often behind cheap products and services. The demand for a deal keeps victims within the grips of slave masters. The adverts trick people into thinking they are going to get a cheap deal on goods commonly funded by modern slavery, such as nail bars and car washes. Once the audience clicks through to the advert they are taken to a landing page featuring stories of real victims of modern slavery who have been supported by The Salvation Army and information on how to be more mindful of the risks. Major Kathy Betteridge, Director of Anti Trafficking and Modern Slavery at The Salvation Army said, ‘We are also grateful to ITV for the responsible way in which they have worked with us to ensure that the story told is authentic and sensitive to the reality of the experiences of the thousands of people supported by The Salvation Army. Coronation Street has given us the opportunity to reach out and save more real life “Alinas”.’ You can find more information at www.salvationarmy.org.uk/modern-slavery
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Neven MacEwan found fame as an All Black, until alcoholism and depression stripped him of the jersey. But God has changed Nev’s life—even returning to him the ‘prodigal jersey’. BY HUGH COLLINS
F
ormer All Black Neven MacEwan has had no shortage of mainstream media attention in recent days. Since the release of his memoir When the Crowd Stops Roaring, every major New Zealand news outlet has wanted to hear the story of Nev. ‘It’s been a bit of a surprise to me,’ Nev says down the phone from his home in Palmerston North. ‘I’ve managed to hide away and put the credit in the right direction.’ And by ‘right direction’ it has nothing to do with book sales. From the start of our conversation, it’s clear Nev is vocal and animated about his Christian faith—something which profoundly turned his life around 40 years ago.
Born for the lineout Born in Auckland and raised in the Tasman region, Nev played 20 tests for the All Blacks between 1956 and 1962. Playing at lock and Number 8, he was—for a time—an integral part of the national forward pack. Yet, for many years, he says football (soccer) was his sport of choice. Ironically, this was due to being ‘too heavy’ for the junior rugby grades. It wasn’t until after his 17th birthday that he gave into pressure from his older brothers to ‘take up the mantel’ as the next MacEwan to play rugby. ‘Very reluctantly I took on the game, to live up to the expectations my brothers had,’ he says. Nev quickly found he was a natural in the lineout and immediately spent two years with the Nelson College first XV. ‘Nev, you’ve got an ability to jump for the ball,’ he was told. ‘Concentrate on that and everything else will fall into place.’ Nev spent hundreds of hours running and kicking balls with older brother Pat—the pair’s intensive training regime included runs on country roads around the family farm near the town of Wakefield. ‘All up we were running 32 miles (56km) a day, and while we thought nothing of it then, just the thought of it now makes my feet ache,’ he says. In 1953, Nev shifted to the capital to begin teacher training. Sure enough, in the following year he found himself playing rugby for Wellington at provincial level. This soon led him to being picked for the All Blacks in 1956. He claims his greatest performance with the ‘men in black’ didn’t come until 1961, against France on a ‘shocking Wellington day in atrocious conditions’. ‘I dominated the lineouts and that would be by far the best game I played for the All Blacks.’ 24 AUGUST 2019 WarCry 7
‘WHEN I PLAYED RUGBY I WAS TOLD TO BE A MAN, BE MORE PHYSICAL, AND YET IT WASN’T ME.’ Nev married high school sweetheart Jeanette Moulder in 1958, and the couple had four children—the last born in 1968. It was around this time a few challenges began to emerge.
Troubles in post-All Black life Nev’s failure to make All Black selection in 1963 was a combination of drinking, injury and a run-in with selectors. However, he continued to play for Wellington and didn’t retire from the game completely until 1967. Yet it was this transition that came with a period of depression. ‘I was very insecure’, he says. ‘What I needed was something to give me confidence, and I found initially, that alcohol— when I was introduced to it in South Africa in 1960—started to give me the highs that got me through my lows.’ In his book, he describes alcoholism as being like a ‘prison’ that removed him from the normal range of emotional responses and responsibilities. ‘I was always trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be,’ he writes. ‘When I played rugby I was told to be a man, be more physical, and yet it wasn’t me. My real character was gentleness and that wasn’t to be realised until the process of recovery was well established.’ He says many of his insecurities stemmed from growing up in an unstable family environment in which his father, too, was an alcoholic.
The end of the road It was in 1979 when the MacEwan family were living in Palmerston North, that Nev’s life abruptly hit rock bottom. While battling alcoholism, Nev worked for an organisation that promoted travel and tours to the Manawatū area. It was here he ‘borrowed’ some money and was later charged by the New Zealand Police for theft. Ashamed, frightened and helpless, the situation became too much for Nev. He felt the only way out was to take his own life. ‘The shame and the guilt was crippling,’ he says. ‘And the shame and the guilt was what drove me to the point of 8 WarCry 24 AUGUST 2019
thinking that the best thing is to eliminate the problem— which is me.’ Nev’s suicide attempt was unsuccessful. He was then taken to a detox ward for drug and alcohol patients in Palmerston North Hospital. But little did he know God was only just beginning to move.
‘Born again’ For 40-plus years, Nev says he’d never once given Christian faith a thought. While church was compulsory on Sundays for boarders at Nelson College, the idea of God and church bore zero significance to him. ‘I was indestructible, I was the man in control of my life … I thought. But it was rapidly getting out of control,’ he says. ‘It’s the arrogance and the stupidity of any addiction. We think it’s good but it’s a life journey that is very, very destructive.’ But something radical was about to happen on Ward 5 of Palmerston North Hospital. After a hospital visit from a local church community, Nev was given the book Born Again by Charles Colson. The memoir follows Colson’s journey into Christian faith, after he was briefly imprisoned for his involvement in the American Watergate scandal in the 1970s. ‘That book changed my thinking about God, and the process then of going to AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] and coming to the point of accepting the God of my understanding,’ he says. The following morning Nev decided to open a Bible—he just so happened to land ‘accidentally’ on John 14:6: ‘I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except by me’. ‘I then had to consider Jesus as my Lord and saviour. That step was rather easy because of that verse I stumbled upon that morning in my quiet time.’ Suddenly, Nev felt the kind of liberation he’d never experienced before—the shame and guilt he’d felt in the buildup to his suicide attempt was gone. ‘It was a freedom that was amazing. I also saw the Christian people who came into that ward in Palmerston North Hospital; they had something I didn’t have and I wanted it, no matter what the cost. ‘When I was hiding away in Ward 5 and that book Born Again was given to me, that was the light that came into my life.’ Nev attended AA and soon became sober. ‘Around me I had incredible support from people who believed that change was possible. And those people brought hope and amazing new beginnings.’
However, Nev’s spiritual transformation didn’t mean his theft charge would go away: he appeared in court in July 1979 and openly admitted to his offending. But instead of a prison sentence, he was given a ‘reprieve’ for his guilt and ordered to pay a $500 fine. There was now nowhere else to go except up. Now sober and out of Ward 5, the Palmerston North All Saints’ vicar, David Penman, found Nev a job as a farmhand. He continued to go to AA and church meetings—he recalls attending as many as 11 ‘spiritually-themed’ meetings per week. ‘Some may think that was too many. Yet, when drinking, I had regularly attended a variety of spiritual houses of a different nature, more than 11 times a week!’ It was around this time the MacEwan family debts were rising high. But Nev asked God that his family would not have to sell their Palmerston North home. Miraculously, God came through and the family spent many more years in the home he and Jeanette had made.
‘I THEN HAD TO CONSIDER JESUS AS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR … IT WAS A FREEDOM THAT WAS AMAZING.’ New life begins It was in 1984 that Nev was invited by the Anglican Church in Kawerau to attend a mission outreach. Here, he received a clear word that God was calling him into ministry. Sure enough, within six months he found himself working for Prison Fellowship New Zealand. Later, when a job for a prison chaplain came up, Nev was adamant they would refuse to appoint anyone with a criminal record. He applied anyway, and funnily enough, God did the seemingly impossible—Nev was appointed chaplain at Manawātu Prison. This was a title he held for 16 years until his retirement in 2005. Nev says it would have appeared the chaplain role was made for him, as he understood the spiritual place many of the inmates were in. ‘It was amazing how they would come to me and say: “Do you believe in this religious stuff?” And I would say, ‘No’ to them,
and they would look perplexed and puzzled. I said I don’t believe in religious stuff at all, because that’s very dangerous, what I believe in is a living relationship with the living God. And that will always change you and challenge you about where you want to be and where you’re heading.’ In this role, Nev saw God work in a variety of ways. When three men turned up to his first chapel service, the inmates agreed it would be good to incorporate some music. But Nev was no musician. So he got on his knees and asked God to provide. As it happened, a top musician from the Palmerston North area was sentenced for a few years. Shortly after, another new inmate—a lead guitarist—found himself transferred to Manawatū from another prison. To top it off, an official in the prison gave permission for a local musician to bring his keyboard, mixers and sound equipment to the services. Within weeks, Nev found himself with a fully functioning worship band. They called themselves ‘Just Released’ and were even given guitars from local churches. ‘God used all of my life to reach those that were in prison.’
The principle of the gospel When Nev’s family was struggling in the 1980s, he was forced to sell his All Black jerseys to survive. Nev recalls in his book how son Angus burst into tears when the last one was given away. However, many years later, Angus was able to track the jersey down to a rugby club in Wales— he subsequently wrote to the club and asked for it back so that Nev’s grandchildren would have a piece of his history. Sure enough, the club was delighted for the jersey to be returned to its original owner, and in 2005 Nev and Angus headed to Wales to retrieve it. Nev says the return of the jersey is one of the highlights of his book, in that it demonstrates that no sacrifice is wasted in the work of God. ‘What you give away comes back—you may not see it in your lifetime, but that’s a principle of the gospel message—what you give you will receive.’ When asked about what he wants to achieve with his book, Nev says he hopes it will get people thinking about what they’re here for, what life is all about. ‘There is a purpose for everybody and everybody has gifts and talents. They just need to find what it is.’ Nev wraps our yarn by quoting a verse from one of his favourite songs—Something Beautiful by Bill Gaither. ‘All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but he made something beautiful of my life.’ 24 AUGUST 2019 WarCry 9
We’re Siblings—But Do We Have to be Friends for Life? Siblings are the peers we don’t choose but must live with anyway. A sibling may be a beloved friend, while for others a better description would be arch-nemesis. Either way, constant and daily proximity to one another has the potential to be explosive at times. The phrase ‘sibling rivalry’ aptly describes the unique but complex nature of these relationships, or ‘sibships’, as Doctor Suzanne Degges-White calls them. ‘While we often joke that “you can’t choose your family”, it remains true that we can choose how we handle our inherited relationships,’ she says. In fact, she continues, ‘the energy and intensity of some children’s sibling interactions are surprising in their ferocity. But a great deal of learning about power, compassion, tolerance and loyalty in relationships can occur as children grow into adults.’ Studies show that having strong sibling relationships in older adulthood can provide protection and support, in terms of emotional and physical well being. Degges-White suggests that if our adult sibships are less satisfying than we might like, developing a friendship with a sibling may prove to be mutually beneficial. ‘We cut our friends a lot of slack in life, and perhaps taking an attitude of also accepting our siblings, “faults and all”, might be an excellent long-term investment.’
‘ … A GREAT DEAL OF LEARNING ABOUT POWER, COMPASSION, TOLERANCE, AND LOYALTY IN RELATIONSHIPS CAN OCCUR AS CHILDREN GROW INTO ADULTS.’
As we mature into adulthood, sibships have real potential to improve with a bit of grace and intentionality. Doctor Degges-White explains that adulthood brings equality to sibships, so consideration for the following tips is well worth a try. 1. As an adult, the childhood pecking order needn’t control your entry into (or exit) from sibling discussions or bickering. You can choose not to be drawn into the same old games or predictable arguments. 2. When we were children, rivalry may have been fuelled by the reactions irritating your sibling could provoke. As adults, we can anticipate this tendency and choose to disengage from attempts by a sibling to get us riled up over nothing. 3. Many parents need to be gently reminded that childhood comparisons are no longer appropriate or appreciated. If you know your parents love you as a unique individual, then you
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can choose to not bring up your dissatisfaction or resentments about such labels. Choose your battles, because parents generally mean well, but sometimes keep returning to the old playbook out of lifelong habit. 4. You may not be able to choose your family, but you can decide how much time you spend with them as an adult. Don’t let guilt be a factor if being together for special events feels more like a cage fight than quality time. Take a walk, put on a favourite movie or focus on children who are present. Or you can leave. You’re an adult now, and you can make decisions accordingly. 5. Apply grace lavishly. No family is perfect, and all are works in progress. Acceptance is a particularly precious gift adults can choose to give one another, and goes a long way towards preserving and enriching relationships. Source: Suzanne Degges-White, PhD—Psychology Today
TESTIFY! Retired officer Captain Kelvin Turner has packed a lot into his 77 years! A real Kiwi cowboy, inventor of the long cream donut, and pioneer of The Salvation Army’s hospital release work—Kelvin insists he’s always just used what God’s given him. My father was killed at work when I was six years old, but I was raised by a loving Christian mum. I was 15 when I joined the small corps of Avondale in Auckland, where I met my wife Pauleen. I worked as a cowboy in Port Waikato, running wild stock on a massive farm on the mountainside. These were huge beasts, but I loved it. One day a bull charged me, and it was only my accuracy with the stock whip that saved me. I managed to catch the tip of his nose with my whip and turn him away just in time. God had given Mum the gift of prophetic dreams. It was not always a gift she appreciated, as she dreamt of my Dad’s death and an uncle’s accident. So, when she phoned and said, ‘Honey I want you to come home because I dreamt you were trampled to death by a bull,’ I didn’t doubt her. But that was not the end of my whipcracking days. God took this skill and used it to attract large crowds for open-air meetings and the sharing of the gospel. One of my specialties was using my whip to snuff out the flame of candles—without touching the candle itself. Often volunteers held the candles—I never snuffed any volunteer out either! Avondale Corps was full of bakers in those days. The local corps sergeant major hired me as his baker’s apprentice. In time, I became a masterbaker pastry cook. Sometimes our customers would complain about getting icing sugar on their clothes when eating our round creamed donuts.
… WE WERE JUST MEETING THE NEED OF THE MOMENT, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HALLMARK OF SALVATIONISM. So, one day I rolled one lengthways, added cream and a slice of banana flanked by two dobs of raspberry jam. And that was the birth of the long donut—still loved by Kiwi today! After we became officers in the late 70s, Pauleen and I founded ‘Hospital Release Centre’ work. Long-term patients in psychiatric and psychopaedic hospitals throughout the country were being placed back into society. Some had been in care for periods exceeding 45 years. We began by taking in two men—one with Down syndrome—who had been institutionalised for nearly 40 years and simply had nowhere to go. It was a very harsh time in our nation’s history, and this mass release of people who’d been so used to the routine of institutionalisation, developed into a
rapid increase in suicide. So, before long we had a scheme with a waiting list. One day we were interviewed at officer’s councils and the boss of the day said, ‘I would like you to meet Kelvin and Pauleen Turner, who are piloting a brand-new Salvation Army scheme’. We pricked up our ears because we didn’t know we were piloting anything—we were just meeting the need of the moment, which has always been a hallmark of Salvationism. All these people found a new family within the Army and came to the Lord. I always just offered up to the Lord the skills he’d given me, and he used them accordingly. I was a champion with my whip, and I’m still a champion for my Lord!
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Around 160 leaders from across the territory gathered at Silverstream for the annual youth and children’s ministries leadership conference. The planning team were in a bit of a pickle when ALL of the speakers they invited said, ‘Yes, we can come!’ This ‘problem’ actually meant that they had a superb lineup—practitioners experienced across a range of ministry areas. It did, however, make choosing which workshops to attend a challenge for some delegates. MORE conference’s purpose is four-fold: to inspire delegates in their ministry; to give them
BY SHAR DAVIS
More is MORE
spiritual refreshment; to create an opportunity for networking; and give them quality training in children’s and youth ministry leadership. With three keynote speakers, three testimonies, two lectures, sung worship, 17 workshops, a café, marketplace, zorb soccer and mini donuts, there was something for everyone, said organiser Claire Gardner. ‘It’s really a credit to the fantastic team I am part of, to the amazing speakers and facilitators and to all the delegates who were there, that although there’s a lot to take in over the weekend, it still felt friendly and relaxed.’
KEY POINTS FROM THE KEYNOTES GARY GRUT:
SENIOR PASTOR, GLEN EDEN BAPTIST Friday night happened to be the 50th anniversary of man landing on the moon (or did they?) and God spoke to Gary during the worship, saying: ‘If 50 years ago man can put a man on the moon, I can change the church’. When Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who do you say I am?’, Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah’. Jesus responds and says, ‘ … upon this rock I will build my church … ’ Gary suggested that it’s not Peter, but Peter’s words that form the foundation for the church—that Jesus is the Messiah, son of the living God. ‘If we proclaim the name of Jesus and that he is the Messiah, nothing will stop the church from growing,’ said Gary. More than 90 years ago The Salvation Army picked Gary’s alcoholic grandmother up off the streets in Auckland, and she came to faith. It was his grandmother who prayed for him, who gave him a Bible at his christening, that became foundational in his faith. He spoke of the legacy that exists within his family today, because of The Salvation Army’s work nearly 100 years ago. Gary has been involved in youth ministry for 32 years and he knows that it’s not easy work. Fifty percent of youth workers last for less than two years and it’s harder than ever, he said. ‘Twenty years ago young people just turned up … you could play bullrush—it was legal then. We can’t make youth ministry happen externally anymore. It has to be an internal change,’ said Gary.
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He spoke of what it takes to go the distance in ministry: a personal relationship with Jesus, and knowing God called you, so staying true to that call. ‘Commit to pursuing Jesus with everything you have … and I’m calling you to commit to the calling he’s placed on your life, to journey with young people—and not give up, not throw in the towel and say “it’s too tough”,’ said Gary. ‘Anyone who gives their lives unselfishly to working with young people gets a black belt in the Kingdom of God. You are amazing! You and God are an unbreakable force.’
MEREDITH AKUHATABROWN: GISBORNE COUNCILLOR AND MAYORAL CANDIDATE
From the moment she took the stage in her bright orange power jacket and bleach-blonde hair, Meredith held the attention of everyone in the room. Born and raised in Gisborne, she was eight years old when the local Salvation Army officer drove up in his red station wagon and offered her a ride to Sunday school. ‘I became part of a family … and at the age of 12, I said, “God this is all I want … I want to marry my first boyfriend”. I don’t even know why that was important at that time … The last thing I said to God [that night] was, “Can I have a family, can I know what a family is?”’ Meredith had no concept of what a family really was.
God said to her, ‘If you honour me, I’ll give you the desires of your heart.’ Meredith replied, ‘Well you saved my life, I will honour you’. She did marry her first boyfriend, Jason, and they have been married for 27 years. With the perfect blend of humour, truth-telling and vulnerability, Meredith invited everyone to see how their life can be changed when they encounter the love of God. Working through her pain and abuse, with God’s help, Meredith lives a life of freedom, pursuing God’s best for her, her family and her community. ‘Knowing who you are gives you a stronger stance of where you are going, as it did for me. ‘God has positioned you in some of the most amazing spaces … you don’t know who you are impacting, in a moment, the young person who you get to add to their life story—build them up to greatness.’
NEIHANA REIHANA:
OATI TRUST AND MĀORI LANGUAGE TEACHER Neihana was reflecting on Gary’s word to press into your relationship with Christ, ‘As I was listening to that, I saw the word “solid”.’ As he asked God about that, Neihana believed God was saying that we are to ‘feast on meat and not on milk’. He hoped any vegetarians in the room would understand the picture. ‘It’s okay because God created that metaphor, not me,’ he laughed. Using the lessons he’s learned as a new dad, he unpacked the imagery with clarity and humour. His hard-hitting, perfectly-timed word challenged everyone to consider how their life is a temple of the Holy Spirit. What work needs to be done for our lives and faith to be strong? ‘What does the transformation of Te Ope Whakaora look like in Aotearoa? And I’m praying that [God would] reveal words, scriptures, dreams, prophetic words … ’ Recounting Commissioner Andy Westrupp’s call on Friday of The Salvation Army’s need to move forward, Neihana asked, ‘Whose version of moving forward? I hope our version of moving forward is not our bias of our Pākehā way, or our bias of our Māori way, but it would be in unison with what Christ is doing here in Aotearoa, for the tomorrow that is about to happen. ‘If transformation is led by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is a river, I would see you as the dam … a dam has the power to control the speed and flow of the river. What ruins a dam is logs of wood that get jammed … What are the logs in your life, stopping the power of the Holy Spirit moving in your life? ‘Transformation comes at the speed of your obedience.’
HIGHLIGHTS
IN THEIR OWN WORDS ALISON MOODY
DYS, Southern Division Lloyd Martin, hearing his experience and heart for young people still after so many years.
ALANAH MOODY
Youth Worker, Palmerston North Corps All the speakers. I didn’t know any of them and they gave me a new perspective.
PETER HENARE
Youth leader, Manukau Central Corps The worship and being able to connect with other young leaders from around the country.
SENIMILI TUKAIRANADI
Baa Corps, Children and Youth I found it really interesting, especially the first workshop with children.
BELINDA BOLAMATU
Youth leader Lautoka It was all so good. Back at home, I’m always focused on work, work, work; but this was about being able to dig into God’s word and focus on what he’s saying to me.
HANNAH KENDREW
Youth worker, Christchurch City Corps The speakers have been great—really connected with what I was needing to hear right now. Meredith was really good and I loved the mental health and grief workshops.
JORDON MALCOLM
Youth leader, Christchurch City Corps I loved the atmosphere—it was super relaxed and there was time to breathe between sessions. The speakers and workshops were awesome.
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‘Can These Bones Live?’ New Zeal Christchurch
Over 300 Salvationists gathered at Christchurch City Corps, with hundreds more gathering across New Zealand, to livestream the powerful message by Chief of the Staff, Commissioner Lyndon Buckingham. BY SHAR DAVIS
The backdrop for Lyndon’s sermon was Ezekiel 37, which asks: ‘Can these bones live?’ With his usual enthusasium, passion and humour, Lyndon launched into his sermon, acknowledging what it means to minister on home soil. ‘I feel so honoured and privileged and blessed to be able to speak with you this morning—I have to tell you it is so good to be home, to touch my own land.’ Lyndon began with Colossians 1:6, All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit ... ‘Lives are being transformed, people are coming to salvation, people are being given new hope, people are being lifted up, barriers are being broken and new life is emerging all over the world,’ said Lyndon. Yet some people question if it’s really happening, if we have lost ground and our best days are behind us. ‘The truth is, even today, as a result of faithful salvationists around the world and others who call on the name of the Lord ... people are coming to understand God’s love for them in the person of Jesus Christ.’
Can these bones live? Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of the dry bones appears to be at odds with the positivity of Colossians 1:6. Lyndon acknowleged some might ask, ‘Why would you make reference to a people who are saying, “Hope is gone, it’s finished, it’s over”?’ The Israelites felt their best days were behind them, they felt abandoned by God. Some people are ‘paralysed by a lack of hope, by some myth that we are no longer able to be a powerful force 14 WarCry 24 AUGUST 2019
in the hand of God—it’s simply not true.’ The point of the story is not the dry bones, but the question: Can these bones live? This vision is about God himself: ‘God is asking, “Do you believe that I have the power, Ezekiel, to make these bones live? Do I have the capacity to step into something that might seem hopeless, over, dead, forgotten—do you have faith to believe I can step into that?”’ When God breathes life into someone, he has reason and purpose for it—what might that be? Lyndon asked. ‘God brings life, wholeness and freedom. ‘Maybe there’s a dry patch, a dry bone, a skeleton in our closet—stuff that wears us down. Maybe when the Spirit comes, he wants to do some work in us so that we would be men and women who will live and breathe the values of the Kingdom.’
Four directions Lyndon called us to consider four directions we might focus on as we look for God to move in our lives. ‘We look up—so as to give you praise. We look in—that you might do a work in me. We look around—and recognise that what we want in our communities of faith is the Holy Spirit. God might do some work on us as a community of faith, addressing areas of conflict and challenge. We Look out—and think about the world in which we live. We might be overwhelmed by all the stuff that goes on in the world and the darkness around us. But isn’t it amazing to us that God the Holy Spirit is at work in our world—he’s pushing back darkness.’
‘THE SALVATION ARMY IS IN GOD’S HANDS AND HEART. WE WERE—AND ARE—BEING RAISED UP FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS IN GOD’S POWER.’ A time of encounter There was an immediate response in Christchurch with the Mercy Seat lined with people saying ‘Yes’ to more of God. Across the country, reports are coming in of people responding and experiencing an encounter with God. Christchurch City Corps band and songsters, along with the music team from Sydenham Corps led by Tracy Boon, laid the foundation for the sermon. Tracy used snow as an illustration of what can happen when the body of Christ comes together to seek God. Snow starts with a single snow flake, and then another and another, and before you know it, you have a snow storm. The children from Linwood Corps presented a thoughtprovoking video and scripture presentation about the power of words and the importance of doing something when we see injustice occur. Corps in Fiji played the message the following Sunday— watch out for our report in an upcoming issue of War Cry.
Christchurch City City Corps songsters laid the foundation for the sermon.
Children from Linwood Corps presenting a Bible verse.
New Zeal from Around New Zealand Johnsonville: We had a great time at Johnsonville with a good number of people of varying ages responding to allow the ‘breath’ of God’s Spirit to come and bring life. There is a stirring and a recognition that if The Salvation Army’s best days are still before us in God, we desperately need a fresh, powerful, tangible outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us now. People came out of Sunday asking, ‘What can we do as a church, to make room for God to have greater impact in the world around us?’ We are excited about what is ahead—the best is yet to come! Waihi: It was so good for our people to see how we are part of a much bigger national and international movement. Commissioner Buckingham’s Scripture was one we had used only weeks earlier. What we see is not all there is to the picture. God is present and at work reconnecting and re-enlivening even seemingly dead bones. The Salvation Army is in God’s hands and heart. We were—and are—being raised up for such a time as this in God’s power. East City: Powerful preaching! Young and young-atheart alike were gripped by the intensity of this timely message with the sprinkling of humour, disarming us at times, while keeping us drawn in. The message was
very useful for our small group, as the week leading up to the message we had been talking about the work of the Holy Spirit and practising responding to the Spirit’s voice. It was compelling to have this teaching reinforced. Can these bones live? A resounding ‘Yes!’ echoed in our hearts as the Holy Spirit encouraged and challenged us on this special Sunday. Napier: Children in Napier also engaged in the New Zeal service by watching Commissioner Lyndon’s message in children’s church after a time of singing and dancing. At the end of the message, children shared what they thought the most important part of the message was. Some of their insights included: ‘Dry bones coming alive’; ‘Who asked the question can these dry bones live? God was asking the question’; ‘God can make dry bones come to life again’. Following the discussion, children prayed in pairs for the Holy Spirit to breathe life into their lives. Then, in a time of reflection, children were encouraged to find a space on their own and listen to what the Spirit wanted to say to them, through a word, a picture or a Bible verse. They then shared what they received. The word ‘love’ was a common revelation. One of the leaders shared a picture of the children marching out this week a part of a mighty army, to share Jesus in their schools.
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Four New Soldiers at Whanganui Corps As Whanganui Corps (Majors Paul and Susan Jarvis) observed Covenant Renewal Day on 4 August, four Salvationists joined their ranks as senior soldiers. The meeting brought a reminder that The Salvation Army—a different kind of army—exists for others, with a spiritual and social mission of hope and change. Suzie Matthews, Barbara Sherridan, and Paul and Vicki Teal promised to live in obedience to God and to support The Army’s mission. Barbara paused before she signed her Soldier’s Covenant, saying, ‘Sometimes when you’re signing something, it’s like signing your life away. And that’s what I’m doing today— I’m signing my life over to God!’ Paul met The Salvation Army a year ago when he entered the Bridge programme in Wellington to overcome a 27-year alcohol addiction. On his first day there, the counsellors told him he’d be a success story, and their positivity helped him believe in himself. While at the Bridge—where he became a Christian—Paul attended Recovery Church and was also warmly embraced by people from Wellington South Corps, which is co-located on the same Newtown site. ‘It’s been a big life change,’ he reflects. Wife Vicki agrees. ‘It was a long wait for that change to happen,’ she says. ‘I’d been waiting for years and I’d given up. I gave myself to God when I was 14, but I was waiting for Paul to catch up. I didn’t want to do this alone.’ There had been lots of changes at home since Paul returned from his time at the Bridge. ‘Now there’s more peace in our family,’ Vicki says. Four of their children have been coming to church with Mum and Dad, and love being part of The Salvation Army too. Last October, Paul attended a ‘New Zeal’ meeting at Wellington City Corps. ‘That’s when I got my calling,’ he says. ‘God told me to change my ways and live his way, and that The Salvation Army is the best way to do that. And I haven’t looked back! God’s given me a call to help others. I’ve always wanted to do that, but my addiction wouldn’t let me.’ Next year he plans to begin studies to become a social worker.
Gisborne Winners! Ben Briant and Lopeti Koka—pupils at Campion College and volunteers at the Gisborne Family Store—were recent winners at the 2019 Gisborne Volunteer Centre Youth Volunteer Awards. The young men have volunteered at the store for more than a year, coming through the ‘Gateway’ programme, which The Salvation Army works with, to provide life skills outside the school environment. They both work two days a week at the store, doing a range of tasks. Ben works on the truck, being the extra muscles needed for pickups and deliveries. Manager Heidi Parks says, ‘He always works safely, follows all the requests or directions given to him and is polite to customers’. He
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From left: Major Paul Jarvis, Barbara Sherridan, Paul and Vicki Teal (with son Max), Suzie Matthews, and Flag Sergeant Arthur Russell.
It was a special day for the corps’ junior soldiers too as Chantelle Pedley, and Kevan and Seth Hart received their bronze awards, pinned on by their adult ‘prayer pals’. The three junior soldiers also took part by reading the Bible and performing a presentation based on the Lord’s Prayer, with encouragement from Junior Soldier Sergeant Dianne Kerr. Most of the congregation signed this year’s Covenant Renewal bookmark, promising that ‘their story would be lived for God’s glory’. ‘It’s important for us to remember the covenants we make with God and to live these out daily,’ said Major Paul Jarvis. ‘Let our stories tell people about God’s love.’ He said another six people want to become senior soldiers at Whanganui Corps, with four young people looking forward to being Barbara Sheridan (left) enrolled as junior soldiers. BY MAJOR CHRISTINA TYSON
‘signing [her] life over to God!’
also clears the donation bin in the morning and replaces the bales. ‘We have seen a huge upturn in this young man’s confidence in the workplace, as well as an increase in his decision making,’ says Heidi. Lopeti has amazed everyone with his growth since he began at the store. His tasks include emptying the donation bin, stocking shelves, testing battery toys, lifting things and he has recently started working on the till. ‘He is quiet, but is blooming into a very happy young man, who is extremely well liked by all the staff,’ says Heidi. ‘The school commented on how well the boys are doing and they can see the differences coming through in the school environment,’ says Heidi. Both boys have given extra time over the holidays, with the agreement of their parents, who also enjoy hearing their sons speak about the adult level of responsibility they are given. They also acknowledge
Tribute: Wendy Faye Smith
Wendy Faye Smith was promoted to Glory suddenly, on Wednesday 26 June. She was the most precious and loved wife of Ben (Dingo), and loved mum of Amanda. She was a treasured daughter of Judy Rogers, and loved stepmum of Daniel and Sarah, Racheal and Darrin, Amanda, Jonathan and Mel, and adored Grandma of her 12 grandchildren. Wendy was an active Solider of the New Plymouth Corps and leaves behind a big hole in the corps’ ministry. Every Friday night, Wendy would be out with Ben, giving out War Cry and talking with people at the various clubs and bars in Waitara and New Plymouth. Wendy was also part of the Pastoral Care Council, and had recently taken over Women’s Fellowship. She had an incredible gift of hospitality and her famous ‘Cream Horns’ has to be mentioned. On Wednesday 3 July, over 300 hundred people from the community came to pay their respects and celebrate Wendy’s life. The place was packed, and the service was a wonderful testimony to the strong faith Wendy and Ben have in the Lord Jesus. Their passionate love for each other and their open and passionate love for Jesus was expressed throughout the service, and Jesus was glorified. We honour Wendy as a Soldier of The Salvation Army and thank God for her life of influence. Well done good and faithful servant.
the support given to their sons by the Family Store staff. ‘The boys respond well to the gentle teasing handed out to them, give it back, and choose to be here outside school hours,’ says Heidi. At the awards ceremony, Ben was supported by his parents and three grandparents—taking countless photos capturing his huge grin. Heidi says Lopeti chose to wear a suit as it was a formal occasion. ‘He totally shone, and smiled all night. His mum, cousin, two siblings and an aunty were all thrilled with his certificate. ‘For me, to see these young men hold their heads up as equals amongst some impressive other youth achievements was worth the time spent in reminding them, training, retraining, showing, learning how they think, laughing with them at our shared mistakes and applauding them at work when they get it right,’ says Heidi.
As Seen on Facebook
The free English Conversation classes are a popular community initative at Flatbush Corps Plant. Blenheim Salvation Army runs the local toy library and coordinator Mailene Vercoe was recently featured in the local paper. She will be stepping down at the end of the year, after nearly 40 years as its longtime volunteer. Hope you find some cool new toys to play with Mailene!
Youth from Napier attending Midland Youth Councils. ‘We spent our time worshipping, listening to speakers and diving deep into what it means for God to bring hope into our lives today. We had a very fun, inspiring time,’ said the Napier youth squad. Divisional leaders recently visited Lautoka Corps in Fiji, where two new soldiers were enrolled, and they were treated to colourful items from men’s and women’s groups, and junior soldiers.
‘Both young men contribute significantly to the store and are a real asset to their community. They are faithful, honest, hardworking and highly valued.’
Ben Briant (left) and Lopeti Koka (right) with Gisborne Family Store manager Heidi Parks.
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Children make a ‘Joyful Noise’ to the Lord Children between the ages of 6 and 14 had a blast at the ‘Joyful Noise’ music camp at Nuku’alofa Corps, Tonga, in June. One of the main purposes of this camp was to encourage children to be confident in worship and to develop their potential skills and talents. A total of 27 children attended the camp, consisting of YP children (corps kids), their friends, and sponsored children. It was the first time ever for Nuku’alofa Corps to host their own YP music camp. Previous music camps in Tonga have been a regional event and not specifically for children. The camp allowed children to learn and understand that making music is one way to worship God—singing and playing instruments in his name is one way to worship God. Sessions during the camp were led by members of the corps’ worship team. There were sessions for keyboard, bass guitar, drums, vocals and timbrels. Highlights of the camp included Saturday evening featuring various session group performances, plus individual items in a concert/entertainment night. On Sunday the camp participants contributed in the morning meeting, that was a combined service with Kolovai Corps Plant and was Candidates Sunday for the region. We praise God for these children and their talent dedicated to his service. We plan to develop a YP worship team that can lead YP programmes at our corps, and to have a YP music camp again next year—that will be a step up from this one (watch this space!). ‘Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs ... For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.’ (Psalm 100:1, 2, 5, NIV) BY MS SESILINA PALU, YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERGEANT MAJOR GAZETTE Retirement: Lieutenants Patricia (Trish) and Tauhuia (Tau) Mataki, on 31 July 2019. Lieutenants Tau and Trish have completed 4 years, 7 months and 19 days of active officer service. Tau and Trish entered Booth College of Mission from Papakura Corps in 2013 as cadets of the Heralds of Grace—He Tukunga Tomairangi session. Following their commissioning on 13 December 2014, Tau and Trish were appointed Hēkeretari O Te Ao Māori Te Manatū Māori (Territorial Secretaries for Māori Ministry). Trish was also appointed Hēkeretari a Rohe, Manatū Māori (Divisional Secretary for Māori Ministry), Central Division, until January 2017. In June 2019, Tau and Trish were granted a Leave of Absence, and it is from this that they enter into retirement. We honour Lieutenants Tau and Trish Mataki for their faithful service to God through The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory. We pray God’s blessing on their retirement. Appointments Rescinded: Effective 29 July 2019: Majors Anne and Peter Lewis, Corps Officers, Auckland City Corps. Interim Appointments: Effective 12 August 2019: Major Anne Lewis, Health Support Officer, ASARS; Major Peter Lewis, Support Project Officer, Northern Divisional Headquarters. We pray God’s blessing on Majors Anne and Peter Lewis in the days ahead. Additional Appointment: Effective immediately: Major Christina Tyson, Royal Commission Response Officer, Territorial Headquarters. We pray that God will continue to bless Major Christina Tyson as she takes up this additional appointment. Promotion to Glory: Major Raymond (Ray) Allott, from Palmerston North, on Wednesday 31 July 2019, aged 84 years. Ray Allott was born on 23 July 1935 in Hokitika and married Coral Manning on 19 October 1957. Ray and Coral entered The Salvation Army Training
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College from Levin Corps as Cadets in the Courageous Session in 1958. On their commissioning on 17 January 1959, they were appointed to Port Chalmers Corps, followed by Hornby Corps in 1962 and Miramar Corps in 1964. Following their heart and call to missionary service, Ray and Coral were appointed to the South America Territory in June 1964. For the next 10 years, Ray served as the Assistant District Officer for THQ Property; Corps Officer, Chile Calama Corps; and District Leader, North Chile District; followed by Property Secretary, THQ South America Territory. Returning home to New Zealand in January 1979, Ray and Coral were appointed to Dunedin North Corps, and Linwood Corps in 1982. A change in ministry focus for Ray and Coral in 1984 saw Ray appointed as the Manager of Addington Men’s Social Service Centre, Christchurch, followed by Manager of Omaio Village, Nelson, in 1988. In January 1994, Ray and Coral entered their final active officer appointment where Ray was Manager of Omahanui Village, Napier, and Referral Officer ILU’s Napier. Together, they retired on 17 January 1996. In their retirement, Ray and Coral gave oversight to Woodville Corps from 2000–2005, along with 22 years of faithful support before their move to Palmerston North in recent years. Please remember Ray’s wife, Major Coral Allott, daughters Lt-Col Margaret Bateman and Major Evadne Wright (USA Western Territory), son John Allott, and Ray’s brothers, Lt-Col William (Bill) Allott and Major Ivan Allott, and their extended families in prayer during this time of grief and loss. Well done, courageous and faithful servant of Jesus! Accepted for Service and Appointment: Effective 2 September 2019: Envoy Ros Vercoe, Assistant Corps Leader, Nelson Tasman Bays Corps; Director, Nelson Tasman Bays Community Ministries. May God bless Ros as she prepares for her new ministry role.
Youth Programme Given a Boost Warehouse Stationery’s Add a Dollar Aspire Campaign has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars over four years towards helping young people. The simple act of customers adding $1 or more to Warehouse Stationery purchases during its annual appeals has meant more young people have been able to participate in the Aspire Youth Programme—The Salvation Army’s solution for at-risk 11- to-16-year-olds. The Army has partnered with schools to nominate young people with leadership qualities who, due to economic, social and behavioural issues, cannot participate fully in school life. Aspire is a year-long programme of self-development with weekly group sessions and the highlight—a three-day adventure course. It aims to aid the development of young people, who gain in confidence, skills and knowledge for the journey into adulthood. Introduced in 2015, thanks to seed funding from The Warehouse Group, the programme includes modules on belonging, mastery, independence and generosity. A key component of Aspire is teaching young people to give back. All participants identify, plan and implement a community project, and at the end of the year whānau are invited to a graduation ceremony. One of The Salvation Army’s partner schools, Waikowhai Intermediate, has seen real, positive change in students on the programme. ‘The programme builds up resilience in our students so they can cope with every-day challenges,’ says Waikowhai Intermediate assistant principal Cathy Loelu. ‘The activities help them to build up their confidence, be generous with the community and succeed at activities. We see that once that success has started, they want to keep being successful.’ More than 1000 young people have completed the Aspire programme, and thanks to the generosity of Warehouse Stationery customers, many more will get the chance to do the course in the future.
‘ … DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPACT YOU CAN MAKE.’ Father’s Day is an opportunity to show appreciation to our fathers, step-fathers, fathers-in-law, guardians, foster parents, family friends and whānau. In New Zealand we celebrate by making or buying a card and gift. It’s about recognising someone special, appreciating their positive influence, the happy memories and formative role modelling. Sadly, not everyone’s experience has been good, and Father’s Day can stir up painful memories we’d rather not re-live. My father died shortly after retiring at 65. He was a carpenter by trade—skilled with the ability to create beautiful pieces of work. I remember being allowed to watch, but never allowed to touch or help—somehow I was allowed to clear up the mess afterwards! Sadly, I didn’t inherit my father’s abilities or any other DIY skills. However, I know I was loved and valued by a father who was proud of me as a man of God. I’m pleased to say my son and son-in-law have those creative skills. It warms my heart to see them teaching our grandchildren, allowing the kids to help when the tools are out. Whatever our experience in life of our fathers, we are reminded by Jesus’ words in the gospels of John and Luke that: I and my Father are one (John 10:30) The Word became flesh and moved into our neighbourhood (John 1:14 TM) For God so loved the world that He gave … (John 3:16) I must be about my Father’s business (Luke 2:49). God, our heavenly Father, calls us to be his disciples, working for him by experiencing his love and promised presence. He encourages us to be about his business as disciples of Jesus—being mobilised in the mission of sharing the gospel, and living it out daily. He takes our ordinary, everyday lives and makes them extra-ordinary for his mission. Our mission is to love everyone equally, to demonstrate the love of Christ by how we live as passionate disciples. As Francis of Assisi once said: ‘Use words only when necessary!’ God’s presence fills, renews and refreshes us for his mission—of being Christ to everyone. I believe our Mission is captured in the words of the former General John Gowans: There are people hurting in the world out there … there are children crying with no one to care and they’ll go on hurting in the world out there ... and they’ll go on dying drowning in despair, and they’ll go on crying that’s unless we care! They need you, they need you, they need Christ. God invites us to join the ‘family business’ of caring for others and introducing them to Jesus—who came that we might have life in all its fullness. DIY skills not necessary … whew! Colonel Melvin Fincham Territorial Secretary for Programme and Communications 24 AUGUST 2019 WarCry 19
HUIA COME HOME Jay Ruka, author of the stunning book Huia Come Home, will be speaking at Just Action on 1–2 October. In this extract, he invites us to reconnect with the story of the gospel, offered through a uniquely Māori lens. Like the huia, much has been lost—but can it be brought to life again?
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Huia e huia, tangata Kotahi! Huia, your destiny is to bring everyone together! –Māori Proverb Once the sacred guardian of New Zealand’s native forests, the huia was a symbol of the land’s unique beauty and spirituality. The rare bird’s tragic extinction in the early 1900s represents a shot to the heart of Aotearoa and is a potent metaphor for a country’s conflicted history. Huia Come Home revisits the early missionaries, the transformative message of the gospel and the cultural missteps of the Treaty of Waitangi. In relearning the history that lies in the soil of Aotearoa, we might just find a shared hope for the future recovery of national treasures once thought to be extinct.
Toiroa: a prophet outside the box As Christians we are familiar with the prophetic nature of reality, we acknowledge the fact that God speaks encouraging, confirming, and sometimes foretelling things. Yet we fail to notice how God freely speaks outside the box we call Christianity. Oracles, as the ancient world called them, are common outside of a Western framework and at times have known to be overcome with powerful truth. Throughout Māori history there has been a continuum of prophetic voices, both male and female, helping guide the people forward. Toiroa was one of them. A true matakite (visionary or seer), he could see the coming of Europeans before they reached the shores of Aotearoa—but he didn’t just speak what he saw, he tried to replicate the curious clothing the new visitors wore and the goods they could bring. In her book Redemption Songs, historian Judith Binney writes of Toiroa: He drew images of them (Europeans) in the sand, with their ships and carts and horses, although he did not know these names … He made a little basket and when it was finished he put it on his head and called it a taupopoki (hat). He slit a cloak and turned it into trousers (pukoro) which he wore. He made a strange article of stone, its stem a branch of the kokomuka shrub, and puffed smoke from a dried
pohata leaf through it. He named it ‘he ngongo’ (a pipe). He made a wooden sailing boat, with a rudder. Then he took a small mussel shell (hanea) and set a fire burning within it. It was the funnel for a steamer, which he called … ‘ngatoroiranga’ (‘the fires of heaven’) … All these tokens of a changing world Toiroa transported to nearby villages, including those of Turanganui-a-Kiwa – where James Cook would soon make his first landfall … Toiroa saw an entirely new civilisation about to arrive. He worked hard to prepare his people for what was to come, visiting the villages that would first encounter Europeans, showing them the hat, trousers, pipe and little model ship. But what is perhaps even more profound is that Toiroa caught a glimpse of a new special message that these strange clothwearers would be carrying. In 1866, three years before Captain Cook arrived on our shores, Toiroa declared: Te ingoa o to tatou Atua, ki Tama-irokokutia, he Atua pai, otira, ka ngaro ano te tangata. The name of their God will be Tamai-rokokutia (Son-who-was-killed), a good God, however the people will be oppressed. Did you get that? Toiroa announced that they would discover a good God with a new name: the ‘Son-who-was-killed’. This utterance was a premonition revealing Jesus Christ, the son who was killed on Calvary’s cross. More news of this goodGod came 48 years later on Christmas Day 1814, via a civilisation that dressed differently and travelled differently. The good news was received by an indigenous civilisation, steeped in a spirituality animated and deeply prophetic world.
A grand narrative ‘The Bible is a grounding narrative by which we can measure all worldviews … It is the story of God and his relationship with humanity and creation,’ (Dr Rod Thompson). The idea that there is a unilateral biblical worldview is profoundly misleading. There is not just one biblical worldview, but rather there are as many worldviews as there are cultures in the world. There is no one super-culture that all others must assimilate into. The Bible does not demand that our Polynesian, European
and Asian cultures become Jewish or Greek or Western. To be a ‘Biblebelieving-Christian’ does not mean you need to act more English or American. It doesn’t mean Māori need to be more European, or that Pākehā must become more Māori. We are not meant to be imitators of the cultures of first-century customs of the Bible, but imitators of the central character of the Bible—Jesus Christ. He not only fulfilled the prophetic nuances of Jewish culture, but in doing so, utterly upended the Jewish religious worldview of the time.
Huia come home One final thought from our beloved birds: the huia mate for life. There is an indigenous treasure of relational commitment in our land. For richer, for poorer; in sickness and health. No matter what trials may befall us as a people, with all our flurry of opinions, the whenua holds us together. We are a multi-cultural nation nestled in the grace of our bicultural partnership. We need to celebrate our mutually exclusive cultural partnership, a full and open union that supports and releases our unique distinctions, expressed in a loving relationship. The genius of God, I believe, is that at the ends of the earth, at the bottom of the planet, God is creating a people who instinctively know how to live in and out of a Māori and Western mind and then offer creative solutions to the world. Jay (Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Koata, Ngā Puhi) has worked in fulltime Christian ministry since his early twenties, as a youth mentor, mission director and church minister. He is currently employed as a story-teller, producing resources and speaking itinerantly. He is married to Erin and they live with their three children in Whāingaroa (Raglan), New Zealand. His book, Huia Come Home is a spectacular, challenging and very moving book. This is an abridged series of extracts. 24 AUGUST 2019 WarCry 21
OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Andy (Territorial Commander) and Yvonne Westrupp (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 25 August: Hutt City Corps Visit, Lower Hutt 28 Aug–2 Sept: Samoa Review Visit, Samoa 3 September: South Pacific Retired Officers Conference, Auckland 7–10 September: Southern Division Visit Colonels Suzanne (Chief Secretary) and Melvin Fincham (Territorial Secretary for Programme & Communications) 27–29 August: School for Officer Training, Fiji 31 Aug–1 Sep: Labasa Corps Visit, Fiji Colonel Heather Rodwell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries and Spiritual Life Development) 23–24 August: Upper Hutt Women’s Retreat
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information about The Salvation Army The Salvation Army to contact me prayer for the following needs:
1–2 October 2019
Wellington City Corps • 92 Vivian St Wellington Register now at salvationarmy.org.nz/just-action-2019
Name Email Address Phone Send to: warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz or War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141
PRAY Waitakere Central Corps, Wellington City Corps, Wellington District Court chaplaincy, Wellington South Corps and Westgate Corps, The Salvation Army in Mexico.
Quiz Answers: 1 Michael Sheen, 2 Beards, 3 The Lion King, 4 Blueberries (because of the shape at the blossom end of the berry), 5 Gibeah (1 Samuel 10:26).
22 WarCry 24 AUGUST 2019
Spot the difference!
Can you find 10 differences between the two pictures?
How many apples grow on a tree? All of them
Do you love watching movies? What’s your favourite? Movies can make us laugh, feel scared, sad or brave—all in the same movie. It’s almost Father’s Day and it got me thinking about the different dads we see in movies. What’s your dad like? Is he a stay-at-home dad, looking after you like Mr Incredible did? Did your dad adopt you like Gru adopted the girls in Despicable Me? Maybe your dad died like Simba’s dad, or like Po in Kung Fu Panda, you don’t know who your dad is. Did you know that God is known as our heavenly Father? And so, that makes us God’s sons and daughters? That’s pretty cool aye.
How does a penguin build its house?
Jesus told a story about a dad who loved his son, even though his son said some pretty mean things, and then ran away to do his own thing. Later he came back to see if he could work as a servant at his dad’s house. The son thought his dad didn’t love him anymore—but the dad did! The dad’s love for his son was stronger than anything the son did.
Igloos it together
That’s like God. He loves us SO much, even when we ignore him and do our own thing. If Father’s Day isn’t an easy day for you, perhaps you could celebrate having God as your heavenly Father.
Match the pairs! Can you match which item goes with which?
Dear God, Thank you for loving me and choosing me as your son/daughter. Please help me to remember that, especially on days I feel sad or angry. I WONDER …
Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up by itself? It was two-tired
What might God like as a Father’s Day present from you? Does thinking of God as your heavenly father change how to think about yourself? How could you say ‘thank you’ to the men who are important in your life? (dad, uncle, teacher, corps officer) 24 AUGUST 2019 WarCry 23
A Son’s
Anguish