29 October 2016 NZFT War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION 29 OCTOBER 2016 | Issue 6654 | $1.50

NOW IS THE TIME: Congress memories & photos On the Spot with Jesse Mulligan

Join the Salvation Army coffee movement

What’s next for NZ’s unemployed young people?

Find your prayer voice How to say sorry New youth EP launched

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WAR CRY The Salvation Army

Te Ope Whakaora New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Robert & Janine Donaldson | GENERAL André Cox | 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.

EDITOR Major Christina Tyson | GRAPHIC DESIGN Tanesha Dahya, Lauren Millington, Amber Wilkinson | STAFF WRITERS Ingrid Barratt, Major Shar Davis, Robin Raymond | PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford | COVER Jacob Parsons of Hamodava Coffee, Photography: Bruce Millar 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 www.makeready.co.nz | 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.

Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.

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What’s the return on our congress investment?

Just a few weeks ago, The Salvation Army in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga converged on Wellington’ for a congress held under the banner ‘Now is the Time’.

As the first congress gathering kicked off on Thursday morning, Territorial Commander Commissioner Robert Donaldson thanked people for being ‘the grace of God, the hands of God and the feet of God’ in their respective communities. He also thanked them for investing in a day set aside for Salvation Army leaders—officers, church members, staff and volunteers.

The Commissioner’s use of the word ‘investing’ is significant. Just as those of us who attended congress were investing in an opportunity aimed to inform and inspire, so too The Salvation Army was investing in us. No large-scale event comes cheap, but if there’s sufficient impact, any expense is eventually counted a wise investment.

What is the hoped-for return on this investment? It would be a Salvation Army that lives out its purpose: to be an Army that brings life. It would be a Salvation Army that lives out the two practices of our new mission plan: to live like Jesus and to do mission together. The former is a commitment to stay close to God and bring others close too, rather than living in such a way that our attitudes and actions repel people from God. The latter is a commitment to refuse to let the patch protection that can afflict any large organisation be a hindrance to what God would have us achieve. Whether there is such a return is up to you and me.

Christina Tyson Editor

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.

Publishing for 133 years | ISSN 0043-0242, Issue 6654 Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online www.issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry

www.salvationarmy.org.nz salvationarmynzftwarcry @salvationarmynz salvationarmynzft

2 WarCry 29 OCTOBER 2016

The Christian faith is meant to be lived moment by moment. It isn’t some broad, general outline—it’s a long walk with a real Person.

Joni Eareckson Tada

Psalm 139:23–24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Ngā Waiata 139:24 Kia kite mehemea kei ahau tētahi ara o te kino, ka ārahi ai i ahau i te ara pūmau.

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he Salvation Army has issued a challenge to Government, educators and industries to offer more meaningful training and employment opportunities to New Zealand young people—especially those from poorer communities.

In a report titled What Next?, launched on 19 October and focused on the employment needs of 15- to 24-year-olds, The Salvation Army says persistent unemployment in this age group suggests Government and some industries see immigration as an easy-fix to skill shortages, rather than upskilling young New Zealanders.

And while applauding interventions to meet the needs of at-risk school leavers, this shift in priority comes at a cost. ‘The government’s approach, aimed at reducing long-term benefit dependency, regrettably means virtually no second-chance training opportunities for over 20s,’ says report author Alan Johnson. ‘Catch-up training is always necessary. Without it, we’re likely to see long-term scarring that stretches for more than 20 years beyond any initial period of youth unemployment.’

With 75,000 under-25s unemployed and often with few marketable skills—alongside a looming labour shortage caused by an aging population—What Next? makes five recommendations: 1. Addressing educational inequality: Addressing both the underlying sources of educational inequality and its effects within the compulsory school system should be the first priority of education policy.

2. Connecting school to work: It should be the expectation of school leavers and of all New Zealanders that no school leaver leaves school to nothing—all should leave to a job, or to further training or education.

3. More apprenticeships and younger apprentices: An emphasis should be given to placing more school leavers straight into apprenticeships.

4. Explicit and public immigration policy settings: Immigration will be an important part of New Zealand’s social and economic future, but needs broad public debate, rather than allowing policy to be driven by the short-term interests of some employers.

5. Industry-specific workforce plans: Industries and sectors calling loudest for more liberal immigration policies should be required to have workforce plans that include tangible and credible efforts to recruit and train young New Zealanders as part of their response to future labour and skills needs.

‘What next for young people left behind by a future that sees immigrant labour as the obvious solution to widespread labour shortages?’ Alan asks.

‘What next for young people who do not want to become dependent on government handouts? What next for young people who every day experience the impact of educational inequality? Young people doing nothing is a future New Zealanders surely cannot casually accept.’

READ THE REPORT | www.salvationarmy.org.nz/ WhatNext 29 OCTOBER 2016 WarCry 3

GOODSTUFF Spending 20 minutes outside in good weather makes our mood more positive, helps us think more clearly and improves our working memory. The American Meteorological Society says our happiness is maximised at 13.9°C—just under NZ’s average spring temperature.

When life gives you an earthquake …

When Jonny and Emily Graham ‘flipped’ an earthquake damaged home in Christchurch, they gave all their profits to anti-trafficking work.

Earlier this month, the Grahams sold their property for a profit of $70,000, with every penny going to Nvader—a charity that rescues women forced into the sex trade and prosecutes traffickers.

Jonny is a builder who works for the Earthquake Commission in Christchurch—so he knows the devastating effects of earthquakes on local homes. Many are still standing empty, uninsured and damaged.

Some have turned a profit by buying these ‘as-is-where-is’ properties, renovating them and selling them on.

But not Jonny and Emily.

After hearing about the work of Nvader, Jonny met its CEO and chairman. ‘They impressed me because they don’t just do the rescues, they are preventative as well. By building a case and prosecuting traffickers, they are giving perpetrators the strong message that it’s not worth it.’

True Story, War, Romance Hacksaw Ridge (M15) Mel Gibson Mel Gibson does a stunning job at retelling the true story of WWII American Army medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa. Doss refused to pick up a gun, let alone kill people.

After a battle to be allowed to serve his country, Doss finds himself in a warzone— dead bodies everywhere and soldiers needing his medical attention. As the Japanese overpower the troops, all retreat except for Doss who cannot bring himself to leave any wounded soldier behind if he can save them.

Over the course of one night, Doss is credited with single-handedly saving over 75 of his fellow soldiers as the Japanese closed in.

For anyone who loves a good war movie, this is a must see. It is a powerful account of how a man driven by his faith in God and holding firm to his principles put his own life on the line to save others, including his enemies. The nature of this film is that there is some violence and bloodshed.

The film received a 10-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival—it’s that good! (Reviewed by Shar Davis)

Real estate agency Ray White provided their services commission-free. Local engineers also gave their time pro bono.

A team of volunteers, suppliers and contractors also stepped up. ‘People can use whatever skills they have, whether you’re a plumber in New Zealand or a detective in Thailand, to make the world better,’ sums up Jonny.

Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God. Leo Buscaglia

4 WarCry 29 OCTOBER 2016

ONTHESPOT Jesse Mulligan has found his sweet spot as host of Radio New Zealand’s afternoon show from 1–4 pm, weekdays on 101 FM.

QUIKQUIZ

1 What is the capital of the Seychelles?

Secret indulgence: Watching Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton perform ‘Islands in the Stream’ on YouTube.

Celebrity crush: Sloane Sabbath from the TV show The Newsroom—not the actor who plays her, but the fictional character!

2 Which came first: Bebo, Myspace or Facebook?

Thanks Jesse, we did Google your recipe. And we take back everything we’ve said about you, Gwyneth Paltrow—this recipe is healthy and delicious.

3 What does a

400 g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried in a kitchen towel

helminthologist study?

1 head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed and discarded (or slice and saute them with garlic – they’re surprisingly delicious!), cut into bite-sized florets

4 Who wrote the children’s book Just Me and My Dad?

extra virgin olive oil

5 What long barren

woman in the Bible gave birth to twins?

Answers on page 26

In 2008, Norway knighted a penguin.

Brigadier Sir Nils Olav III—yes, that is the penguin’s name—is the third generation of penguin mascots and Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian King’s Guard. He’s pictured inspecting the troops.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas, with Mustard and Parsley

coarse sea salt 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp seeded mustard What I’m watching: The People vs OJ Simpson. We get through one hour of TV a night so are often lagging behind what everybody else is watching.

One thing I love: The New Zealand anti-predator movement—trapping rats in my own back yard and following the progress of so many incredible people to restore our native eco-system.

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup chopped Italian Parsley

Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss chickpeas and cauliflower together in a large roasting pan with three tablespoons of olive oil and a big pinch of salt.

Roast, stirring now and then, until everything is dark and cauliflower is quite soft, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the mustards, vinegar, and ¼ cup of olive oil with a big pinch of salt and a few healthy grinds of black pepper.

While chickpeas and cauliflower are still warm, toss with mustard dressing and parsley.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

From It’s All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen

One thing I hate: Politicians who fail to act on the big stuff because of inertia, lack of vision or, worse, political expediency.

Fave Friday night takeaway: We don’t do takeaways but my go to easy, tasty dish is Gwyneth Paltrow’s (!) roast cauliflower and chickpeas with mustard and parsley. Google it!

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e h T

l a i c o S Cup Visionary partners Jordan Westrupp and Jacob Parsons Photography: Bruce Millar

The fascinating story of what may well have been the world’s first fair trade beverage, Hamodava tea and coffee, started by Herbert Booth in 1897. And how a unique Salvation Army partnership in New Zealand is bringing it back to life.

BY INGRID BARRATT

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amodava coffee has re-launched after 70 years off our shelves. In a truly creative partnership, The Salvation Army has joined with Jacob Parsons—the man behind Mt Atkinson Coffee—to bring us premium, organic, Fairtrade coffee. A portion of the profits from Hamodava will go directly back into The Salvation Army’s frontline social work, right here in the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory.

As a Wellingtonian, being a coffee snob is in my blood, so my first surprise is just how good this coffee is—a strong and heady cup of black gold. But the real gold is the story behind Hamodava.

When Salvation Army officer Lieutenant Jordan Westrupp first came across the story of Hamodava, he was dumbfounded. ‘It deserves to be told, along with the famous stories we tell,’ says Jordan. ‘And it happened right here!’

In 1897, Herbert Booth was commandant of the New Zealand and Australian Territory. He had the brilliant idea of capitalising on tea drinking culture. ‘We’re talking about the Victorian era when tea drinking culture was in its zenith,’ explains Jordan. ‘There was a whole process of sitting down and sharing tea together. Herbert Booth recognised there was money to be made, and a way for officers to be engaged in pop culture.’

Herbert set up a warehouse in Australia and imported the highest quality tea from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He called the venture ‘Hamodava’ after the Sinhalese word for ‘Army’. It proved a huge success. Profits went directly back into Salvation Army work, locally and overseas. Within its first nine months, the Army made enough money to fund its work in Indonesia for a whole year.

By 1900, coffee and hot chocolate were added to the Hamodava range.

The first fair traders But what is perhaps most remarkable is that The Salvation Army became arguably the first producers of fair trade beverages. ‘One of the really compelling things about the historical story is that because of The Salvation Army’s ethical culture, and wanting to restore the world, they unintentionally stumbled into a very early model of fair trade,’ explains Jordan.

In Indonesia, the Army developed a business model that allowed farmers to buy back their own farms. To put this in context, slavery was still legal in more than 20 countries, and had only been abolished in the USA 15 years earlier.

Hamodava was an example of some phenomenal counter-cultural thinking, and an immensely creative way to bring salvation-thinking to an everyday commodity.

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A CREATIVE WAY TO BRING SALVATION-THINKING TO AN EVERYDAY COMMODITY.

‘This is in the midst of Victorian culture where Mother England used colonies for their resources,’ adds Jordan. ‘It would be outside of normal thinking—you don’t give your farmers independence, because you want to extract as much as you can out of them.’

The Salvation Army served its beverages at weddings and had partnerships with organisations like the YMCA. They adopted the catchphrase ‘the social cup’, because they saw Hamodava as another way to be ‘present where community and life was happening’.

But times changed. Industrialisation meant mass-produced goods overtook the market, and World War One took its toll.

The tea-drinking culture gave way to gumboot tea-on-the-go.

So, in 1920, Hamodava stopped operation. The pioneering tea company was all but forgotten.

After Jordan stumbled upon this inspiring story almost a century later, it kept playing in the back of his mind. And he started having big thoughts.

which cares for orphans and ex-child soldiers. In this part of Uganda, water is turned off for three months of the year, profoundly affecting the hygiene of the Watoto communities.

Emily and Jacob have funded the building of 16 concrete water tanks, with a 400,000 litre capacity—meaning villagers now have water all year around.

‘That’s what we got into business for—we’re passionate about running businesses for the purpose of transforming lives and making the world a better place,’ reflects Jacob.

So when Jordan told Jacob the story of Hamodava, it got Jacob thinking. He began having his own big thoughts.

When Jordan met Jacob

A unique partnership

It was a chance meeting—or divine intervention—that gave wings to Jordan’s idea. He asked coffee company Mt Atkinson to bring its coffee van to an event he was organising. Little did he know that its owner, Jacob, already had his own story of using a coffee business in subversive ways for God’s Kingdom.

‘I’ve always wanted to run a business,’ explains Jacob. ‘I love how business interacts with charity. Because you can’t have a profitable business if you have a bad product. You give people something they really want, and they’ll keep coming back for it, and you can use that to make an impact.’

Jacob began his business 10 years ago, when he bought a half-finished coffee van to honour friend Andrew Atkinson who tragically drowned in 2007 after back-flipping off a bridge while at the Parachute music festival. Andrew had been a great entrepeneur and was in the process of fitting out the coffee van when he died. Jacob bought the van from Andrew’s parents, and named his business Mt Atkinson Coffee.

‘I didn’t know how to make coffee, but I had developed a business model,’ says Jacob. ‘I asked coffee roasters if I could learn from them. I would get up at 5 am and park-up wherever I could get a spot on the side of the road.’ He still has his van —now on Atkinson Road—but also roasts his own coffee. His flagship café, The Tannery, is in Auckland’s New Lynn.

Jacob and his wife Emily use profits from their businesses to support Watoto Child Care Ministries in Northern Uganda,

What followed was a lot of ‘brainstorming and dreaming’. ‘We asked, What would partnership look like? How do we honour the story, so we’re not just plundering the brand?’ explains Jordan.

‘Hamodava was doing something back then that we can honour today: the ethical trading, addressing the farmer’s needs, and addressing issues in the community where the coffee is consumed.’

They were walking into unchartered territory for the modern-day Salvation Army. ‘I like to joke that we don’t have a Secretary for Caffeinated Beverages, so no one knew where to put the idea,’ laughs Jordan.

But, with goodwill from both the Army and Mt Atkinson coffee, several key people worked to turn the big idea into a new reality—they developed a solid business plan, and worked though complex legal issues. A unique partnership was born.

Jacob describes it in layman’s terms: ‘The Salvation Army is cutting edge in frontline social work, so you stick to what you’re good at. I’ve been making, roasting, distributing and marketing coffee for 10 years, so I’m sticking to what I’m good at.’ A portion of the sale of all Hamodava products will go directly to Salvation Army frontline social work. A governance board will ensure profits are directed back to where it’s most needed.

Sitting down over a coffee is the perfect metaphor for their partnership: ‘We’re sticking to what we’re good at—but it’s an open conversation,’ says Jacob.

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Hamodava 2.0 At the recent Now is the Time congress in Wellington, Hamodava coffee was available to purchase for the first time, and was literally going out the door by the bag full. Granulated instant coffee and hot chocolate are also available.

There has already been interest from large organisations and even supermarkets—but Jacob knows that it’s important to start well, and stage the business’s growth. Currently, they’re product testing and promoting the product within the Army. ‘But I anticipate Hamodava will take over Mt Atkinson coffee in terms of output,’ he says. ‘The real income generation will be outside the Army.’

Jordan is excited to bring back to life the orginal ‘social cup’ that gives the Army a presence in culture’s social spaces.

‘As an officer who believes in the God-breathed mission of The Salvation Army, I really like the idea of using Hamodava as a vehicle for telling our stories. If we want to tap into what makes Salvationism unique, it’s about cultural subversion. We’re people who plunder from the world, flip it, and give it back to the world in a way that makes the world better. Every good story that we would claim for God has cultural subversion in it.’

He adds what should probably become the mantra for every Salvation Army project: ‘We actually used to be crazy, and sometimes we just need to be reminded of that. We do this kind of crazy stuff.’

JOIN THE COFFEE REVOLUTION! A portion of all sales goes to Salvation Army frontline social work.

Granulated Instant Coffee

~ ~ Belgian Drinking Chocolate Fresh Roasted Coffee

HIGH QUALITY | 100% FAIRTRADE | ORGANIC | WWW.HAMODAVA.COM

29 OCTOBER 2016 WarCry 9

How to Say Sorry We’re great at saying sorry when we bump into someone on a crowded street, so why is it so hard to say sorry for our real mistakes?

If someone runs into you on the street, you’re very likely to say ‘sorry’ (for their mistake). As a culture we say sorry a lot—even when it’s not our fault. It’s a politeness strategy that has its place in calming what could be a confrontational situation.

But what we’re not so good at is saying sorry when we are actually at fault. Despite the fact that we repeatedly tell our children to say sorry for their mistakes, we often find it difficult to translate that into our adult relationships.

Apologising is difficult because it takes large doses of vulnerability—when we ask someone else to show us forgiveness, we are facing the possibility of rejection. Saying sorry may bring up feelings of humiliation.

Or we may equate saying sorry with losing power or status—saying sorry makes us the ‘loser’, and the other person the ‘winner’.

WE SO OFTEN WATER DOWN OUR APOLOGIES

BY SAYING, ‘SORRY, BUT ...’

Apologising also means coming out of denial and admitting responsibility. Which is why we so often water down our apologies by saying, ‘Sorry you feel that way’, or ‘Sorry, but ...’. These aren’t real apologies, because we’re still deflecting responsibility and failing to admit fault.

‘Apologies aren’t supposed to be easy. They are supposed to be soul-baring. That’s why, when done right, they are so powerful and rehabilitative,’ says psychotherapist Dr Rubi Ludwig. ‘It’s hard to admit that we’ve hurt someone’s feelings or caused someone pain, whether it’s intentional or not. It’s also hard to see ourselves in a less-than-positive light. It requires taking off the blinders we wear and facing our flaws.’

A recent study by Ohio State University found that the key to an effective apology is fully accepting our fault and offering to repair the damage. Researchers found six key elements important to an apology: 1. Express your regret.

2. Explain of what went wrong.

3. Acknowledge your responsibility.

4. Make a declaration of repentance.

5. Make an offer of repair.

6. Request forgiveness.

For an apology to have real meaning, words must be followed by action. We’ve heard the phrase ‘talk is cheap’—learning from your mistakes and changing the behaviour that hurt someone is what will make your apology the best thing you ever did.

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OVERCOME YOUR FEAR

Separate your actions from your character: If you believe doing something bad makes you a bad person, it will be hard to admit your mistakes. You are still worthy of love and acceptance, and saying sorry opens the door to receive that.

Accept guilt, not shame: Guilt is your brain’s way of saying something needs to be repaired. Toxic shame makes you feel bad about yourself and is harmful.

See it as an opportunity: Many of us fear the confrontation apologising can bring. But saying sorry is an opportunity to resolve interpersonal conflict.

Take responsibility for your actions, not theirs: You are not excusing the other person of wrongdoing.

You are simply taking responsibility for your side.

Let down your guard: Refusing to apologise is a way of keeping up your emotional walls. In breaking down those walls, you will feel sadness, but you will also experience deeper, more fulfilling relationships.

Friday night’s service opened with the entry of the Salvation Army flags and national flags of New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.

Captains Hana Seddon, Sera Toloi and Frederick Vaea led singing of the New Zealand, Fiji and Tongan national anthems.

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CONGRESS WAS AN AMAZINGLY GOD-GLORIFYING TIME. Our Now is the Time congress was a celebration of life in Jesus.

Over four days, our Army was enlivened with energy, enthusiasm, excitement, engagement and encounters with the living God. There was celebration and singing … plenty of it, from the heart … hands clapping, feet tapping, and arms outstretched, praising the Lord. There was rich fellowship … handshakes, hugs and kisses, stories exchanged from the front line of battles fought and won for Jesus. There was inspirational teaching from God’s Word … a variety of speakers challenging us, imparting hope and revelation and calling us forward to greater Kingdom exploits.

There was celebration and recognition of our growing Māori and Pasifika cultural partnerships. There was personal testimony … authentic, honest sharing of transformation through the saving and keeping grace of Jesus. There was uplifting music: brass, choral, praise band, barbershop quartet, Pasifika, soul, classic, even a release of a new CD of songs … all lifting the name of Jesus higher.

There was prayer … powerful and passionate, calling on God to pour out his Spirit. There was awesome children’s ministry with The Lads ... fun and games based around Bible stories with kids encountering Jesus. There was Hamodava Coffee … coffee with a message and a mission. There was youth … energetic and excited about engaging in radical acts of mission.

There was the launch of our new Mission Plan … one purpose: to be an Army that brings life, two practices: living like Jesus and doing mission together, and for three years.

Above all else, there was the palpable presence of the Spirit of God … hovering, breathing, revealing, healing, forgiving, calling, igniting and releasing an Army of blood and fire soldiers to take New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga for Jesus. From Genesis, where God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, to Revelation, where there is the river and tree of life, God is a life-giving, life-sustaining, lifeenabling being. He is life itself! Jesus said, ‘I am the way the truth and the life’ and ‘I have come that you might have life and have it to the full’.

So here’s the punch line: the life and spiritual energy that we experienced and displayed at congress needs to translate into action, engagement and transformation in our corps and centres, where real people, struggling with real needs, discover new life and hope in Christ. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is our calling, and to this we must rise and take our place as Te Ope Whakaora ... the Army that brings Life!

Lieut-Colonel Rod Carey Territorial Secretary for Programme 12 WarCry 29 OCTOBER 2016

Straight Talk for Leaders Generosity, reflection and a challenge to walk the talk.

Congress opened with an opportunity for officers—active and retired—along with invited staff and leaders to hear from territorial leaders Commissioners Robert and Janine Donaldson.

Two leaders councils sessions were held on Thursday, focused on the two key practices of the territory's new Mission Plan: living like Jesus and doing mission together.

The congress worship team made their debut, with Captain Brenton Millar as the day’s worship leader. The morning session also included a mihi whakatau in which Māori Ministry members welcomed those who had travelled to Aotearoa New Zealand from Fiji and Tonga.

Wi Pirihi of Whangarei said meeting Jesus had recreated his life. ‘There I got my hope,’ he said. Many parts of the Army had come together in Wi’s conversion and discipleship story.

In the afternoon, Lieutenant Susan Adams gave her testimony. She encouraged people not to judge others, but to nurture friendships that challenged them to see the world, God and people differently.

As they did throughout congress, Robert and Janine modelled ‘doing mission together’ by sharing the stage as they brought their Bible messages.

In the first session, the pair spoke about ‘bringing life’ as the key purpose of The Salvation Army, which had always meant integrating the Army’s social and spiritual dimensions.

The Donaldsons offered some straight talking as they raised significant concerns, including that Sunday worship attendances

were at a 10-year low across the territory and a 15-year low in New Zealand, and that kids church attendance was at an alltime low—just two years after an all-time high.

And with 120,000 people coming through the Army’s doors each year for social service assistance, stories of people coming to faith were still few and far between. ‘If we are going to be true to being “the Army that brings life” then we’ve got to get better at inviting the people who come to us for help along on their spiritual journey,’ said Robert. ‘This must not be about making the services we give conditional on people moving to faith, but it is about being welcoming and open.’

The couple emphasised that ‘doing mission together’ meant serving a person’s whole being, and said this required corps and social services to work together. ‘The best thing we can do is sit down and talk to each other in our local setting,’ said Robert.

‘We’ll have to be open and honest, not patch protective—it’s about working together and being responsive.’

Janine said it grieved her to sense that while Salvationists were loving and caring for others, they were not always doing the same for one another. ‘If we’re going to bring life to other people, it is absolutely essential that we bring life to each other!’ she said.

Those at Leaders Councils gave $11,393 to the International Officers Support Endowment Fund, which helps fund medical and schooling assistance and other basic needs for officers in poorer countries.

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Rhythm & Culture One of the standout highlights of congress was Rhythm & Culture on Thursday evening.

Right from the beginning it was clear that the 1800-strong Michael Fowler Centre audience was in for a visual and audible smorgasbord of culture and creativity. Rhythm and culture, laughter and love, welcome and Jesus—these were the themes that kept coming through throughout the evening.

A dramatic depiction of The Salvation Army’s arrival to New Zealand felt like a fitting way to begin the journey of celebrating cultures within our territory. The New Zealand kapa haka group performed ‘Te Haka A Te Pōti’, the haka inspired by William Booth’s famous ‘I’ll Fight’ speech.

MC for the evening, Tofiga Fepulea (one half of the Laughing Samoans), began by saying, ‘We’re going to bring a little church to you tonight.’ And bring it they did.

Fiji took the stage for ‘Come and Declare that Jesus Christ is King’ and ‘We Shall Overcome by the Blood of the Lamb’.

This was followed by a musical tribute to the people of Fiji after Cyclone Winston.

Tonga brought both joy and colour with their performance.

But it didn’t end there, with cultural performances from Samoa and the Cook Islands.

The worship leaders and choir created such rich harmonies as they sang throughout the evening, ably accompanied by a collection of very talented musicians from around New Zealand.

Before handing over to Chief Secretary Colonel Willis

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Howell, Tofiga said, ‘I know The Salvation Army started because people wanted to make a change, so thank you for the awesome love you give our communities.’

Willis challenged his hearers to think about how they would spend eternity, saying, ‘It’s not good people who go to heaven, but forgiven people’ and asking the audience, ‘Are you forgiven?

All you have to do is ask. And it’s all made possible by Jesus.’

Captain David Daly (Divisional Commander, Central) said, ‘The Pacific flavour of the evening attracted many from the local Wellington area, many of them attending a Salvation Army activity for the first time in their lives. I pray ongoing connections to the local community will be strengthened, and we will continue to celebrate the diversity that makes us “The Army that brings life,” ’ he said.

Livi Ah Hoi from Kilbirnie Corps put the evening together and was really pleased with how the concert went. ‘I thought it far exceeded everyone’s expectations—we celebrated and honoured Pacific island cultures and journeyed through our Salvation Army history.

‘It was great to incorporate creative arts, worship, humour, cultural performances and outreach all in one evening, knowing there were many non-Christians and non-Salvationists in the audience. God showed up in many ways—there was a strong “buzz” in the air and a proud sense of belonging to the Army.’

Something for All Mission, justice, leadership and creativity at Mission Now. Both Friday and Saturday started with a keynote address to all the conference attendees, before a series of seminars. During Friday, people were given a choice to attend up to three of 12 one-hour talks, while Saturday saw three shorter talks delivered to all conference-goers in the main auditorium.

On Friday, Pastor Paul De Jong and Major Ivan Bezzant spoke on leadership. ‘You can have all the goals in the world, but unless your mindset changes, nothing is going to change,’ Paul said.

Education and Employment director Gregory Fortuin and Unlimited Children’s Trust Director Rachel Sangster spoke about integrated, innovative mission and passing on a faith to children that sticks. Captain Nesan Kistan spoke about cross-cultural mission and justice in two seminars, sharing lessons from his time as corps officer in Auburn, Sydney—a community with more than 160 different cultures and a huge variety of faiths. Fulton Hawk from Revolution Hawaii and The Street Church worship leader Josh Isaac spoke about inspiring worship and encouraging creativity in the church.

Saturday saw World Vision Chief Executive Chris Clarke deliver the main message, about living out a faith that impacts your world.

Māori Ministry advisor Graham Bidois-Cameron received a stirring haka for his passionate challenge to the Army on sharing the gospel in a bicultural way. The major barrier to biculturalism was fear, he said, encouraging people to be open to a gospel that was for all people, in their culture.

Sue Ellis, from Royal Oak Community Ministries, spoke about providing church in a family-friendly way and measuring success. The final talk was given by Hope Project coordinator Dave Mann, who spoke about ways to hold meaningful conversations where the gospel could be shared, without putting people off.

Captain Sevanaia Wawa from Raiwai Corps said he found the seminars inspiring. ‘I have been encouraged to go to another level in the area of working together as a team and delegating to those who have capabilities for helping in the corps.’

Davina Plummer from Tauranga Corps said she found the leadership seminars particularly encouraging. ‘For me, it was all around leading yourself and then others. I found the idea of allowing yourself grace and allowing God to work through you really helpful.’

What Women Want If the way to a woman’s heart is through her shopping bag, then the Marketplace definitely knew their women! Run by Women’s Ministries (WM), the Marketplace was a bazaar-type setting teaming with stalls and shoppers. But this was retail therapy with a difference—every product had a deeper meaning.

Many stands were giving away gifts as love offerings. Others were using their creativity to make a positive impact to the world around us. In one corner a ‘knitting revolution’ was taking place: Katie Roche is collecting knitters together to make care packages for Wellington’s homeless.

In another, Major Suzanne Stevenson was displaying recyclable sanitary products (yes, even these can be beautiful!). She is looking for women to make these and donate them to school girls in Africa—where access to such products greatly increases girls’ attendance at school.

Our Fijian sisters were showing their clay crafts, with funds going to their women’s safe houses.

Love-heart lavender pouches were made to symbolise love and beauty, while a colourful paper flower wall celebrated the individuality of each woman.

‘I’m really loving it, I really didn’t expect this,’ said Roxette, from Waitakere, summing up the atmosphere. ‘I thought I was coming to a seminar, and as soon as I walked in, I just thought, “I love this!” ’

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The Lads Smash ’Em ‘God, come and smash us, crash us, mi-mash us, in a good way!’ prayed Mark Millard—one half of The Lads, along with Steve King. And God definitely crashed the party for the 150 kids at congress. In fact, God was the star of the show, which was based on the theme ‘Jesus is My Superhero’.

The Lads brought their quirky brand of humour, exuberance, music and mayhem to Kids at Congress, along with great Bible teaching told in a way that the kids loved. (When Mary is pregnant, an angel tells Joseph, ‘Oi—it’s God’s baby!’)

The Lads taught that Jesus was ‘a real guy, but also really God’, that Jesus could overcome death, and that we can all know him. ‘I think about the theology a lot,’ reflects Mark, when The Lads sit down with War Cry during some rare downtime. ‘I like to think about what the message is behind squirting water pistols at each other.’

The Lads have evolved from an enthusiastic bunch of teens in the 1990s, to a worldwide ministry. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, their kids’ television show Lads TV is aired in 180 countries, and they have almost wrapped the second series of a pre-school show called Tune Time.

From lads to The Lads But they will always be Army boys at heart. The much-loved band started as a bunch of five teenage guys from The Salvation Army’s Wellington South Corps—affectionately known at church as the ‘lads’.

‘The people who ran our youth group had the foresight to get us together for Bible study, so in our friendships it became quite natural to talk about God, pray together and ask each other what was really going on,’ reflects Steve.

When I joke that then young people’s sergeant major Fay Clarke ‘discovered’ them, Mark enthusiastically replies, ‘She did!

It was her who told us we could form a group!’

‘Being back [in New Zealand], we’ve just realised how many people loved us growing up,’ recalls Steve. ‘When I was a teen I could have gone either way, but God placed people around us, so instead of having rocky teenage years, we were encouraged, supported and told we could do anything. There are so many unsung heroes who will never be up on stage, but through spending time and investing in our lives, they had an enormous impact on us.’

Mark laughingly recalls that when they decided to start a band, none of the boys could even play instruments. But they didn’t let that didn’t stop them. Paul Cotton, a founding member of the band—and perhaps more importantly, a Canadian happy to ignore our understated Kiwi culture—believed in them. ‘He would look at us and say, “Guys, we can do anything! We could even play at Hawaii’s youth councils!” That was the ultimate dream.’

The Lads could never have predicted they would soon become a favourite headline act at Parachute, then New Zealand’s biggest music festival. Their songs were regularly number one in the Christian charts. And they won the gospel category at The New Zealand Music Awards not once, but twice.

If The Lads are willing to take any credit, it is only for listening to God’s prompting. ‘It’s about being obedient, and God

16 WarCry 29 OCTOBER 2016

makes up the rest. And when God makes up the rest, that’s not a little, that’s a lot,’ sums up Mark. ‘He loves to use the foolish things to confound the wise.’

USA or bust Never did this feel more true than when The Lads relocated to the United States 11 years ago, to bring their music to a larger audience.

‘When we arrived in the States, there were musicians that would wipe us off the face of the earth in terms of talent, and they were working at Starbucks cos they couldn’t get a gig,’ recalls Steve. ‘But I was touring around and playing, and feeling completely inadequate, yet so loved by the Creator of the Universe who put me there, because I know [this success] wasn’t my doing.’

Then God started speaking into their lives—through the voices of others—to lead them towards a younger audience.

Steve jokes, ‘We got tricked into it.’

‘It was a thousand per cent God,’ adds Mark. ‘In the space of a few weeks a whole bunch of people from all over the world, including Mark de Jong [who signed The Lads to his Parachute record label], said, “Have you ever thought of working with kids?”

‘Our first reaction was “No!”, and “No thank you!” But after one of the first kids’ events we did, we knew we wanted to do this for the rest of our lives.’

Looking back, it makes total sense, interjects Steve. ‘We were always larger than life, animated and a bit silly. Now, instead of

Hear from the Experts These young fellas on the left all met each other at Booth College of Mission while their parents were training to be officers.

Pictured (l-r): Jonty, Joel, Trinity, Ihaia and Levi. And those old guys are Steve and Mark from The Lads!

Who is God? Jonty: He doesn’t care what you did, he’ll forgive you and if you need someone to talk to, you can just look to him.

Joel: He’s a peacekeeper.

Trinity: Our saviour.

Ihaia: He’s our father.

Levi: He is three-in-one.

trying to chip away at the junk teens build up, we’re trying to build foundations.’

Mark agrees. ‘We want kids to get some fundamental messages, so they don’t need to be rescued when they’re 13.

I honestly believe that if they understand a smidgen of the goodness of God, they won’t walk away from him.’

Pioneers Surprisingly, when The Lads started working in children’s ministries, they discovered there was almost nothing in the way of a genuine kids’ worship experience. So they’ve found themselves pioneering in their field.

Today, they see themselves as not so much a band, but as a ministry. Their aim is to provide excellent theology, wrapped up in a package that looks fun, lively and colourful.

As well as their very successful TV show, live concerts and music, The Lads produce comics and other materials—all with the aim of sharing the gospel with children, in the language kids love best. The Lads are even producing other bands, and mentoring them to minister to children.

Mark and Steve have now spent a quarter of their lives in the States, and they laugh that their own children have American accents. But they are grateful to be back where it all began.

‘Aunty Fay said the Army brings in people from overseas to speak to adults, so the fact that they have brought us over from the States to speak to the children at congress shows their heart—and that the Army is investing in the kids and the future,’ sums up Mark.

What was the best thing about Kids at Congress?

Jonty: Getting to be part of the quiz.

Joel: When The Lads prayed for us. Also the cupcake challenge, where a leader had to answer five questions and if they got it right you got to eat the cupcake. But if they got it wrong you had the cupcake squashed on your head!

Ihaia: Getting up on the stage and getting involved, yelling lyrics to a song.

Levi: Being able to perform and being surrounded by people like you, so you relate to them.

Thanks!

Who is God? Cholae (left): Our holy father.

Lexi (right): He’s my protection.

Best thing about Kids at Congress?

Cholae: Getting together in our groups and telling everybody about our lives.

Lexi: Getting to know everybody.

Who is God? Sophie: A being that is there to help—and that created everything.

Best thing about Kids at Congress?

Sophie: The dancing and singing, the quiz time and games.

Behind the scenes, a team of volunteers made Kids at Congress the best party in town. ‘We had an amazing team of passionate, creative volunteers who made Kids at Congress the place to be,’ says Major Joanne Wardle (Territorial Youth Secretary). ‘They gave up their time and energy to serve the children. I feel so blessed that as much as they gave out, they also received from watching the children’s reactions and being part of The Lads programme.’

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Talent to Spare A warm sense of Salvation Army whānau was evident from the outset in Saturday afternoon’s Talent Now concert, with jovial MC Ross McMillan doing a fine job introducing a diverse line-up.

The NYB took to the stage again for the moving piece ‘On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss’, before they got toes tapping in ‘Jubilo Jublio’, a piece punctuated by shouts and clapping—doubtless harder to play than to hear!

The 90-minute concert opened with The Salvation Army’s National Youth Band (NYB). Solo trumpeter Josh Crump took the lead for the upbeat swing piece ‘Are You Washed?’

SpiritSong, The Salvation Army’s national choir, presented a number of pieces. ‘I Surrender’ featured a powerful solo from Nick Vemoa, with solos from Rebecca Howan, Nick Allwright and Raewyn Christensen in the bright ‘He Made a Difference’. SpiritSong remains true to its roots—still intent on presenting the gospel through contemporary and thoroughly enjoyable choral music.

There was enthusiasm as The Musical Island Boys combined barbershop flair with Kiwi humour—the audience was invited to ‘sing along … in your minds!’

Introducing ‘When I Lift Up My Head’, Lusa Washburn, who grew up in The Salvation Army in Porirua and now attends the Army in Melbourne, Australia, said the quartet’s most requested song was great for a Salvation Army audience—‘a reminder that when we lift up our heads to God, he will lift up our hearts, and our troubles will roll away.’

Classically trained opera singer Olivia Sheat’s rich and pure notes filled the auditorium, seemingly effortlessly.

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The debut of youth band Bearers was a fitting conclusion to an afternoon reflecting some of the Army’s rich and broad musicality. Their original songs ‘More of You’ and ‘Bearers’ captured the passion of deep faith and the desire to know God more, with the pounding rhythms of ‘Bearers’ accenting the timeless message that ‘nothing can keep us from God’s awesome love’.

Colonel Barbara Howell rightly summed up the concert, saying, ‘What talent has been outpoured today!’

New EP Brings Fresh Sound to the Army A new CD is showcasing young talent and a fresh sound within The Salvation Army. The five-track EP This is Who We Are was written by six young Salvationists under the name ‘Bearers’. It was launched at congress, with tracks also performed during the weekend.

The project was conceived and produced by Kris Singh from The Salvation Army’s Creative Ministries Department, who was inspired after seeing the talent among young song writers at the Army’s Amplify creative arts camps.

The EP, and its upbeat pop rock sound, was a chance to help those writers express themselves, with a message and music relevant to them and others. ‘It was untapped potential that needed a platform. For me, personally, the need to start putting out new music again has always been important. I also thought it was important for youth to be writing and releasing songs relating to them,’ Kris said.

Identity is a main theme of the songs, inspired by the struggle many young people face finding their identity —and it focuses on finding identity in Christ.

Kris is hopeful the message and music will connect with young people outside the Army, but also that it will provide fresh encouragement for musicians to write more songs for Bearers and encourage new expressions of worship.

‘I’m excited to add to the heritage of music making in The Salvation Army. Bearers not only represents a chance for us to recapture the culture-changing legacy of the Army, it represents just a small slice of the massive potential lying dormant in our Army right now.’

Vocalists are Logan Anderson, Daniel Buttar and Sarah-Joy McIntosh, with song writing by Logan Anderson, Daniel Buttar, Charlene Duxfield, Scott Keane, Kimberly Poole and Kris Singh.

HEAR MORE | www.bearersonline.com

A musical expression of worship by the youth of The Salvation Army

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“Don’t Settle For Plan B”

There was plenty on offer for young people at congress.

A bunch of stuff happened over congress for youth, with the Youth and Children’s department display aptly nicknamed ‘Party Time’. It was here that you could buy Tee-HQ clothing and the new

Now is the Time!

Anna Natera, Tauranga Passionate about? Seeing children come into a relationship with God and find their potential.

Why do you do what you do? I feel called by God to do this and it’s where he wants me at this time.

Now is the time to … be passionate!

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Gabi Gardner, Central DHQ & Johnsonville Why do you do what you do? I love working with youth and children, seeing them develop.

I hate it when people underestimate them because of their age.

Now is the time to … worship!

Elizabeth Walker-Ratu, Queenstown Passionate about? Having fun with children and getting them to relate to each other and God through exciting things.

Why do you do what you do? Because I get to learn a lot from children as well.

Now is the time to … dance!

Bearers EP, This is Who We Are. If you were brave enough you could also get a free lollipop on a stick, although its exact ingredients remain a mystery.

Friday night after the main session was ‘Café Hang’ time, when close to 80 youth took over the food court at Readings Cinemas in Courtenay Place. A great chance to catch up with friends and make new ones.

Saturday began early with a leadership breakfast where Commissioners Robert and Janine Donaldson expressed immense gratitude for the work done each day to improve the lives of young people within the Army’s influence.

The weather obviously didn’t get the party invite, as it decided to rain, so an outdoor event planned for Civic Square had to shift to undercover at the entrance to the Michael Fowler Centre.

But donuts and ice cream can be eaten in any weather conditions—with over 2000

Brian Salisbury, Sydenham Passionate about? My big passion is mental health nursing. I’m also involved with youth work.

Why do you do what you do? I started out as a youth member and that turned into a bit of a passion.

Now is the time to … accept God’s challenge in your life!

donuts and 130 ice creams downed in under 90 minutes.

Saturday’s late-night youth event was so packed with almost 200 people there.

There were shenanigans involving golf putting and sardines, all in the hope of winning chocolate.

Bearers led worship before Fulton Hawk spoke. He shared a quote by Les Brown: ‘The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with

the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.’

Fulton challenged his audience not to settle for Plan B, but trust God had an incredible plan for their lives.

Territorial Youth Programme Coordinator Ben Maxwell was stoked with how well things went. ‘It was great to see so many young people gathering together to be part of the greater Army celebration and vision-casting for this next season. God is calling our young people to play a crucial role in ensuring that, as a Salvation Army, we bring life to our generation.

The new youth EP really captures the essence of this.

Momentum is building and I’m excited to see where God leads us!’

Stallholders Delight Congress included exciting stalls from across the territory. Among them an impressive Heritage Centre and Archives display of significant people in the territory’s history, new child sponsorship material, and information from Blue Mountain Adventure Centre.

Booth College of Mission deserved an award for crowd participation with their invitation to have photos taken in a giant ‘I’m Saying Yes!’ photoframe. This helped draw attention to the territory’s new officer recruitment campaign, ‘I’m Saying Yes’.

The Salvationist Resources pop-up shop did a roaring trade, as did Hamodava Coffee. An Information Services Group (ISG) area also proved popular, with people able to put faces to the names of friendly ISG helpdesk staff.

Shieldy even made an appearance on Saturday night, delighting young fans and handing out copies of the new-look War Cry.

Sarah Walker, Nelson Tasman Bays Passionate about?

Providing a space for kids where they are safe in the knowledge they are loved.

Why do you do what you do? A lot of kids out there never get to experience what love can look like, and I’d love to think I can make up for that and show them God’s love.

Now is the time to … be brave and take risks!

Abby McFarlane, Sydenham Passionate about? Kids having a loving place to go—to create a space for them.

Why do you do what you do? I love kids, it’s fun teaching them things.

Now is the time to … make disciples!

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Put Jesus First Not even a Sunday morning power cut could shut out the voice of God.

2017 Leaders Enjoy Congress Experience Colonels Andy and Yvonne Westrupp—who return to New Zealand as territorial leaders in January after Commissioners Robert and Janine Donaldson take up new appointments at International Headquarters—were visiting from Papua New Guinea for congress.

Yvonne shared her sense of excitement that God was bringing life to people through the Army’s work, but emphasised this also required a personal commitment. Every day God was challenging her to ask, ‘How can I bring life in the words I use and in my actions?’ she said.

Andy said he had been infused with renewed passion for God’s life since he and Yvonne had led the Army’s work in Papua New Guinea.

Looking ahead, he said, ‘I want to join with the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory—all of us— being passionate together and playing our part in sharing the life God has given us with Kiwis, Tongans and Fijians!’

22 WarCry 29 OCTOBER 2016

Congress’s three worship services were packed with inspiring stories, heartfelt worship, a good measure of hope and—above all else—a call to exclusively put Jesus first, experiencing his life in all its fullness and then sharing that life with others.

The overall challenge from territorial leaders Commissioners Robert and Janine Donaldson was to keep Christ at the heart of the Army’s mission. ‘We will never bring life to others if the life of Christ is not the centre of our being!’ they said.

On Friday night, Pastor Paul de Jong, senior pastor of Auckland’s Life Church, had strong words for Salvationists: ‘You represent a heritage the enemy hates … [but] if you’re in the Army and you don’t believe in its mission and purpose, then get out!’ He loved hearing The Salvation Army was one of the foremost social agencies in New Zealand, ‘but more than that, I want to hear that you have a relationship with the living God.’ On Saturday night, Commissioners Robert and Janine Donaldson took to the stage to promote the territory’s new Mission Plan. ‘If we could just work together to present the whole gospel, we are absolutely convinced we are going to see greater results for the Kingdom of God,’ they said. ‘So get talking to each other and start nutting this out on your knees—how do we do this one thing: bringing life?’

Sunday morning’s attendance swelled to around 1600.

Worship leader Lieutenant Jess Bishop described congress as like ‘a good meal’. Even though people may have been feeling full

by Sunday morning, ‘like any great meal, if someone brings our something yummy, you make room for more!’

A highlight was a visit from The Lads with children from the congress kids programme. The Lads were part-way through the story of Jesus stilling the storm—with Jesus commanding the chaos to ‘Stop!’—when a localised power cut struck Wellington’s CDB, cutting all power to the auditorium and to the live stream

Highlights Online RELIVE THE MEMORIES |

salvationarmynzft

for those watching at home. If there’s anyone you want on a stage in a power cut, it’s surely The Lads! The pair continued their act, with people shining cell phone lights to ensure the children weren’t upset by the dark.

After power was restored, Major Vyvyenne Noakes shared stories of women who had sought refuge at The Salvation Army’s three Family Care Centres in Fiji, before an opportunity for people to give in a love offering to support these centres.

When Robert and Janine returned to the stage, they asked Salvationists to live out the seven values included in the new Mission Plan. The value ‘Offer a Place to Belong’ reminded Robert as a young man he felt awkward and broken, but found a place of welcome at his corps. ‘The test of belonging is that you’re not just welcomed, but you’re encouraged to participate,’ he said.

The value ‘Put Jesus First’ was the ‘first step’ for The Salvation Army, he said. ‘If we are going to be the Army that brings life, we must first experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus … [Then] we must daily pursue becoming more and more like him.’ The territory’s commitment to 24/7 Prayer was part of that decision to put Jesus first.

In the closing moments of the Now is the Time congress, hundreds signed a commitment card with a promise from Joshua 3:5, Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.

Photography: Shar Davis, AJ Johnston, Bruce Millar, Robin Raymond & Christina Tyson 29 OCTOBER 2016 WarCry 23

FIND YOUR

PRAYER VOICE As the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory kicks off a year of non-stop prayer, it's time to rediscover our prayer voices.

BY HEATHER RODWELL

Perhaps you’ve noticed, as I have, the hubbub of conversation that commonly happens prior to the start of a Sunday morning church service. People are enjoying catching up with each other —maybe sharing the news of the week, or taking the opportunity to ask something they needing to ask. Then, as the music team or meeting leader gets up to welcome everyone, the hubbub 24 WarCry 29 OCTOBER 2016

subsides because the signal has been given that ‘we’re starting’.

It strikes me as somewhat peculiar that the informal conversation prior to the formal meeting is somehow implied as ‘lesser than’ the planned elements prepared for our corporate worship.

And where does that leave the cup of tea that follows, as we’re invited to ‘stay for fellowship’ following the meeting?

Another funny thing I’ve observed is that people who with relative ease engaged in lively and dynamic conversation before the meeting are suddenly reticent when the invitation is given for someone to pray. The silence that ensues is not necessarily uncomfortable if the worship that led to

… THEY PRAY LIKE THEY DO BECAUSE THEY TOOK THE RISK, DEVELOPED THEIR VOCABULARY AND HAVE A DEEP AND TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. this point has laid a foundation for silent prayer and stillness, but there’s a definite awkwardness when the invitation for prayer is obviously for someone to say something … and nobody does!

What is it about praying aloud in front of others that seems so difficult? If prayer is conversation with God, why do so many of us find that conversation more difficult

Each time, before you intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in his glory. Think of what he can do, and how he delights to hear the prayers of his redeemed people. Think about your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!

Andrew Murray

than our animated and pleasurable conversations with each other?

Find your voice Finding our voice in prayer does take practice. It can seem that ‘others can pray much better than we can’, so it’s daunting to take the risk and try. A voice in our heads puts a compelling case to leave it for someone else; suggesting to us that we’ll muddle the words and it will all come out wrong. Memories of situations where we’ve found ourselves lost for adequate words provide us with sufficient reason for not praying in the moment that’s given. And so it comes as a relief when someone else does.

If this scenario sounds familiar to you, let me encourage you with some other observations.

The person whose praying ability stuns us into silence is able to pray like they do because they took the risk. They found their voice in prayer and continued to develop that voice. It’s likely their early steps of praying in front of others included writing their prayer, and simply reading it. It’s likely that the prayer you hear in the public place has been practised in the private space. Not only praying silently, but also praying out loud when they speak with God. Our own voice can sound strange to our own ears. Do you remember the dreaded time in the school year when you had to prepare and deliver a speech? It was one thing to have the words on paper, and quite another to deliver those words in a confident voice. Those who succeeded in the annual speech competition did so because they practised.

Develop your vocabulary They not only developed their voice, they developed their vocabulary. God’s Word is a wonderful source for our prayers. The book of Psalms is one source filled with declarations of praise and expressions of sorrowful lament.

RELAXED FAMILIARITY IS A RESULT OF SPENDING EXTENDED TIME IN GOD’S PRESENCE. Far from pretty at times, the Psalms often express heartfelt anguish, anger or bitterness of the one praying.

The Apostle Paul regularly included prayers in his letters to the New Testament churches. These are prayers we can adopt and adapt when we want to pray for others. Prayers are woven throughout the Bible, as are promises.

All of these can help us develop our own prayer vocabulary by providing us with

phrases richer in meaning than those we might construct ourselves. When we pray Scripture, we can be confident we’re praying according to God’s will.

Something else I’ve observed about people who pray powerfully in the public arena, is they have a connection with God that’s evidence of a deep and trusting understanding. There’s a tangible fluency and confidence to their words that suggests they have an intimate relationship with the One to whom they pray. God is not distant but very near. Relaxed familiarity is a result of spending extended time in God’s presence.

A call to prayer has gone out across our territory. 24-7 Prayer is a wonderful opportunity to develop our prayer life, but particularly to grow our relationship with God through extended time consciously spent in his presence.

So many people have experienced breakthrough in their prayer life by taking part in 24-7 prayer in their local corps. Now is the time for us to be an Army marching on our knees!

CALL TO PRAYER | salvationarmy.org. nz/Prayer | Major Heather Rodwell is Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development

1 Oct 2016 to 30 Sep 2017 24/7 Prayer is an idea as ancient as the Church that has found new life and fresh voice. Will we let our voice be heard?

24/7 Prayer: • Is challenging, creative and mission-focused • unites age groups and people at all stages of faith—anyone can take part!

• calls us to set aside the familiar and

safe ways, and open ourselves to new ways of being in God’s presence.

• imagine what will change within us and in our world as we dedicate quality time to prayer As we STOP // as we WAIT // as we PRAY

29 OCTOBER 2016 WarCry 25

The Salvation Army International Staff Songsters

CONCERT DATES Save the Date – Further details to follow

AUSTRALASIAN TOUR

SUDOKU

Brisbane

Friday 7 April

Auckland, NZ

Saturday 8 April

Wellington, NZ

Monday 10 April

Sydney

Tuesday 11 April

Canberra

Wednesday 12 April

Hobart

Saturday 15 April

Melbourne

Commissioners Robert (Territorial Commander) and Janine Donaldson (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 29 Oct: Northern Division Women’s Brunch (TPWM) 2 Nov: AOD Tri-Territorial Conference Dinner, Auckland (TC) Colonels Willis Howell (Chief Secretary) and Barbara Howell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries) 29-31 Oct: Hamilton City Corps 5–7 Nov: Women’s Camp, Fiji (TSWM)

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Quiz Answers: 1 Victoria, 2 Myspace (2003), Facebook (2004), Bebo (2005), 3 Worms, 4 Mercer Mayer, 5 Rebekah (Genesis 25:21-26).

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

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Want to Know More?

I would like:

Napier, Nasinu, Nelson Tasman Bays, New Lynn and New Plymouth Corps, Fiji DHQ, and The Salvation Army in Rwanda and Burundi.

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PRAY

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to learn about who Jesus is information about The Salvation Army The Salvation Army to contact me prayer for the following needs:

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Perth

Wednesday 5 April

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS

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

5

Monday 3 April

Name Email Address Phone Send to: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org or War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141

‘Each generation will announce to the next your wonderful and powerful deeds.’

Dear God,

Think about how creative God is in making our world and how much God loves you. Now turn these thoughts into a letter or a poem to God.

word search Art Celebrate

Colourful Create Dance Drums Feelings

Funny God Guitar Happy Hip hop

Ideas Joy Keyboard Music Painting

Poetry Praise Prayer Rap Singing

Smile Song Stories Thanksgiving

No matter how old or young we are, we all can enjoy praising God! Some of us enjoy drawing pictures that show God how we feel, or listening to music and making a dance of praise. Some of us enjoy singing songs to God—and some of us are clever enough to write them for others to sing, too!

The book of Psalms is full of songs people have written to God. Some are happy, celebrating God’s awesome power and strength. Some are sad, telling God how hard life is sometimes and asking for God’s help.

All of these songs remind us God wants to listen to our deepest thoughts and that there are lots of ways we can express our love for God.

draw a picture of something or someone that makes you happy—and thank God for them.

Maybe something from nature, or a picture of your family or a best friend.

Dear God, thank you for making me creative enough to express my thoughts to you in word, in art and in song. Help me to share my praise with people of all ages.

Amen.

29 OCTOBER 2016 WarCry 27

Joyful Intercessors

He Kaiwhakawhiti O Te Hari Commissioning & Ordination, 2015–2016

Booth College of Mission Graduation Friday 9 December | 7.00 pm Hutt City Corps, Cnr Cornwall St & Kings Cres, Lower Hutt Commissioning & Ordination Service Saturday 10 December | 2.30 pm Wellington City Corps, 92 Vivian St

Celebration Service Sunday 11 December | 10.00 am Wellington City Corps, 92 Vivian St “Always be joyful and never stop praying” 1 Thessalonians 5:16–17 (CEV)

Territorial Farewell for Commissioners Robert & Janine Donaldson Saturday 10 December | 7.00 pm, Wellington City Corps