Thanks for Supporting the Red Shield

Appeal 4–10 May

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FAITH IN ACTION | 02 May 2015 | Issue 6616 | $1.50

FEATURE: I DIED TWICE IN ONE DAY GET ON BOARD WITH THE BOUNDLESS BIBLE READING CHALLENGE

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WAR CRY The Salvation Army Te Ope WhakaoraNew Zealand, Fiji & Tonga Territory

FOUNDER William Booth

GENERAL André Cox

TERRITORIAL COMMANDERRobert Donaldson

The Salvation Army’s message is based on the Bible. Our ministry is motivated by love for God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in his name without discrimination. War Cry exists to support and advance The Salvation Army’s message, ministry and mission.

EDITOR Major Christina Tyson

GRAPHIC DESIGNLauren Millington, Amber Wilkinson

STAFF WRITERS Ingrid Barratt, Robin Raymond, Vanessa Singh

CONTRIBUTORS Martin Barratt (movie reviewer), Kris Singh (music reviewer)

PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford

OFFICETerritorial 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

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

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ISSN 0043-0242, Issue 6616Please pass on or recycle this magazine

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14BIBLE VERSE

Luke 6:38 The Message ‘Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.’

Ruka 6:38‘Hoatu, ā ka hōmai ki a koutou; he mēhua pai, pēhi rawa, oioi rawa, purena tonu tā rātou e hōmai ai ki te kokoru o ō koutou kākahu. Ko te mēhua hoki e mēhua ai koutou, hei mēhua ano tēnā ki a koutou.’

WISE WORDS

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.

Charles Dickens

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Best wishes to the Holst familyOur War Cry team was saddened to read that Dame Alison Holst has been diagnosed with dementia and is hanging up her apron. War Cry has been sharing Alison and her son Simon’s wonderful recipes with our readers for a number of years; recipes provided at no charge to signal the couple’s support for the Army’s work.

For most of my life, many of the recipes I’ve used have been Alison’s. They’ve always proved trustworthy, wholesome and popular with the family.

There will be War Cry readers confronting the challenges of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Dr Benjamin Mast, a US professor in Geriatric Medicine, says that offering spiritual comfort to people with dementia involves ‘approaching them in empathy, love and gentleness’. To help people stay connected to their faith tradition, he recommends the following:• Listening to or retelling parts of the person’s story, including

their story of faith.• Using multisensory input (sights, sounds, touch, smell) to

prompt spiritual remembering. • Incorporating music, especially well-known songs and

hymns the person sang and heard many times earlier in life. • Recounting familiar Bible passages—these words of hope

and encouragement are a vital connection to people’s faith journeys, even into advanced dementia. Use the translation the person most used during their life.Most importantly, Dr Mast says, ‘Do whatever you do in love.’

He adds, ‘Recent research on emotional memory suggests that even when people with dementia cannot remember what we said, they can remember how we made them feel.’

I’m sure you’ll join me in praying that the Holst family will know God’s peace and continue to enjoy good times together. We thank Alison for a legacy that will continue as we keep passing on our favourite Alison Holst recipes to our own children.

Christina TysonEditor

BY CHRISTINA TYSON

Every year, Salvation Army personnel and volunteers hit the streets of New Zealand to raise funds for the Red Shield

Appeal. This appeal funds our work to help some of the country’s most disadvantaged households and runs over one week—from 4 to 10 May.

When I was growing up in the 1970s, the Red Shield Appeal was held on just one evening. Right across the country, collectors would try to visit as many households as possible, knocking on doors late into the evening to ask if people would be willing to donate to The Salvation Army.

But then, along came the largely cashless society and it made more sense for our collectors to be closer to where people were shopping. The hope is that seeing a friendly collector outside the supermarket prompts people to get some extra cash out while paying for their groceries or head to an ATM for money. And now, people can also text RED to 4411 and someone will phone them back to help them make a donation by credit card over the phone.

Despite the challenges of trudging the streets in the old-style Red Shield Appeal, I still feel quite nostalgic when I remember collecting in those days. Most people were generous enough to drop something in my red cardboard box (no plastic buckets in those days), and I’d give them a thank-you sticker in return.

My husband got attacked by a dog once while collecting. Afterwards, he was issued with a replacement pair of trousers.

A friend knocked on a door just as someone was about to take his life. Needless to say, my friend’s agenda rapidly switched from fundraising to life saving, grateful for God’s perfect timing.

This year’s Red Shield Appeal encourages the public to ‘help catch Kiwis falling into desperate need’. The advertising campaign tells the stories of three people whose circumstances

have become so hard their fragile household budgets and psyche can withstand no more stress and strain. Something has to give.

The campaign is deliberately emotive and has a sense of urgency to it. That’s because we genuinely need the public’s support to fund our work. Last year, The Salvation Army’s 58 Community Ministries centres—front line response centres for those needing welfare support—provided help to 35,299 clients with 68,320 dependent children. Since the global financial crisis of 2008, this demand has risen 80 per cent.

Most of these people come to us as a last resort after all the usual strategies of balancing the books have been exhausted. They come because they have a not unreasonable desire to provide their families with the essentials of life: a roof over their heads, food in hungry tummies, healthcare when there’s illness.

Plenty of people look back on the 1970s with nostalgia. The cost of living didn’t seem so extreme, there was free tertiary education, houses were easier to come by, and rents and mortgages were more affordable. At the start of the 1970s, unemployment was almost zero. A global recession and crippling oil prices gave us an unemployment rate of 2.6 per cent at the end of that decade. At the end of 2014, the unemployment rate was 5.7 per cent.

In New Zealand in 2015, it’s not an exaggeration to say that people really are falling into desperate need. For a few, this is a matter of life of death. For others, their situation still represents the death of hope. And The Salvation Army is doing its utmost to change this—bringing back hope to people overwhelmed by desperate need.

Give generously to this year’s Red Shield Appeal from 4 to 10 May. If you don’t see one of our collectors, you can donate online at www salvationarmy.org.nz. Your donation will help thousands of people get back on their feet.

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DevotionalThe Freedom DiariesMark HollowayWhen NZer Mark Holloway reached a crisis point in his life, he cried out to God—as he had at other times of desperation. This time was different, though. As Mark puts it: ‘God talked back’—not just during the crisis, but through years of conversations (not audible, but through an exchange that Mark experienced spiritually). This is a collection of those conversations. The book’s message is that God is continually speaking lovingly to us and wants to be an intimate part of our lives. This has resonated with many wanting to deepen their relationship with God, as it is a bestseller in NZ Christian bookstores. (Freedom Assignment Limited)

FamilyPaddingtonPaul King / GPaddington, the eccentric bear in the blue duffle coat and red hat, has been a British institution since author Michael Bond introduced him to the world in 1958. Now, he finally reaches the big-screen (and, more recently, our local DVD stores) with Paddington, a charming offering that will delight all ages.

An opening segment shot in shaky black-and-white shows Paddington’s origins in a small community of bears in the Peruvian forest. A British explorer befriends the affable bears and paints a glowing picture of life in London. So, when an earthquake destroys the little family’s jungle home, Paddington sets off to London in search of a new family and home. Sitting forlornly on the platform of the famous station, Paddington is taken in by the Brown family. Save for Mrs Brown (Sally Hawkins), who welcomes Paddington with open arms, the family seem put out at first, but they grow to adore him.

Paddington moves along at a good pace, showing our small hero in all kinds of hilarious misadventures. Along the way, London is seen as full of adventure—a city that still welcomes outsiders of all kinds, whether they’re from darkest Peru or any other part of the world.

Paddington even tangles with a villain: a diabolical museum curator with an eye toward catching and stuffing a prize specimen. This villain is deliciously played by Nicole Kidman with an icy cruelty.

Overall, the cast is excellent, with Hugh Bonneville especially wonderful as the uptight, safety conscious Mr Brown. Julie Walters, Peter Capaldi and Jim Broadbent are all terrific too. Paddington is unbear-ably cute and will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling long after you have watched it.

WorshipIn Jesus’ NameDarlene ZschechIn Jesus’ Name is a compilation album from iconic song writer Darlene Zschech that explores her vast catalogue of praise and worship songs. The record’s 14 tracks are varied in style, but all share in common Zschech’s soaring and powerful vocals. Opening with her latest single ‘God Is Here’, the record includes many of her major hits, including ‘Shout to the Lord’, ‘Worthy is the Lamb’, and even ‘Jesus Lover of My Soul’. Unfortunately, there’s no new content, but Darlene fans will enjoy the journey through time this record offers, especially hearing iconic songs the way the composer intended. Recommended for fans and for a bit of nostalgia.

Classic Rock/PopPostcards from ParadiseRingo StarrRingo Starr is one of music’s most enduring characters, and Postcards from Paradise marks his 18th solo effort and another fine addition to his post-Beatles work. There’s plenty to like about Postcards, but the most impressive aspect is that this album oozes charm and character. Starr has worked hard to legitimise his song-writing credentials, and tracks like ‘Rory and the Hurricanes’ and ‘Let Love Lead’ prove his capability to channel his pop, rock and shuffle influences into cohesive songs. Starr also shows experimentation in the Eastern influenced ‘You Bring the Party Down’ and gospel tinted ‘Right Side of the Road’. A great, fun record!

Bookshelf

Playlist Reel News

PsychologyPresence and EncounterDavid G. BrennerComing from a clinical psychology perspective, Brenner ponders the meaning of life. Brenner unpacks how our most meaningful moments are encounters—with others, ourselves, and the Wholly Other. Encounter only occurs where there is presence, and Brenner calls this ‘presence’ God. Presence is what we experience as a baby, when our gaze is met by the nurturing gaze of a caregiver. Conversely, ‘absence’ is those moments when our needs for presence aren’t met—like being alone in the dark. At its heart, this is a philosophical book, and if you are inclined that way, it is a mind-broadening, meaning-creating encounter. (Brazos Press)

FaithThe Bad Christian’s ManifestoDave TomlinsonWith the subtitle ‘reinventing God —and other modest proposals’, it’s apparent that Tomlinson’s approach is irreverent. For some, it may go too far in reconstructing Christianity. But for those who have secret, deep-seated questions about our perceptions of God, Heaven, how God feels about religion and where we find Jesus, this is a deep well to drink from. It is purposefully un-academic—instead Tomlinson underpins his theology with personal stories and encounters with a loving God. The first point in his manifesto hints at the book’s spirit: ‘to follow the way of Jesus rather than rules and conventions.’ (Hodder and Stoughton)

To win a copy of In Jesus’ Name, tell us how you experience God in your everyday life.

War Cry Giveaway, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org. Entries close 18 May.

GIVEAWAY

Go to salvationarmy.org.nz/saresources

I Died Twice in One Day

I Died Twice in One Day

Stephen Blakey lay dead after suffering a massive heart attack. While doctors tried to revive him, he experienced the tangible presence of God. It left Steve a completely changed man. This is his story, told in his words.

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The moment my life changed was Saturday, 29 September 2014, at precisely 9:06 am. It was the first time that day that I died.

I was doing what I loved most in the world: sailing. I was never happier than when I was out at sea. But on this day, I realised that I had been ‘lost at sea’ all my adult life, and had never known it. I had been out on the water with my son-in-law Ben, and we had got back into the harbour. I told Ben that he could go, because I wanted some time to myself. I was busy cleaning up my boat, Salty Dog, and trying to get the hose and the brush before anyone else.

I only remember fragments of what happened next. I collapsed with a massive heart attack, and my heart stopped. The pain was so agonising I would rather have cut my hand off. People pounded on my chest, trying to revive me while they waited for the paramedics to arrive.

I went into a deep, dark abyss and experienced a fear I have never known before. I knew I was somewhere I shouldn’t be, and in that moment I cried out to God, ‘Please don’t leave me!’

Lost at seaLike many people, I have lived my life my own way. Alison and I met when we were young; we fell in love and got married. I would have described myself as a Christian, but I didn’t live a Christian life. In 1979, we moved from our home in the UK to New Zealand, with two young daughters under three years of age.

I was a selfish person—sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll do not come close to describing the things I did. I am the New Zealand manager for an international security coding company. I was very self-absorbed and lived a hedonistic lifestyle. I drank heavily and stayed out late, entertaining business people. God and family were not my priority.

Yet, in times of crisis, I still cried out to God. When my wife was pregnant with our oldest daughter Sarah, she had complications that meant she had to stay at the hospital and rest. I wasn’t there when Alison went into labour at seven months pregnant and had to give birth by emergency C-section. When I arrived at the hospital, I met my beautiful daughter, who was in the incubator weighing under five pounds. But my wife lay dying.

I went home that night, and in the early hours of the morning the hospital called telling me to come and say my goodbyes to Ali. I cried out to God, promising him I would change my life if only he would save Ali and my daughter. When I got to the hospital, Ali was sat up in bed drinking a cup of tea. It was a miracle.

But I moved on, and didn’t keep my promise to God. It was only 18 months later that my second daughter Amy was born. Amy’s little heart was failing, and she was struggling to breath. Again, Alison lay in hospital extremely sick.

Outside the theatre in the delivery suite, I collapsed on the floor, and again I cried out to God. In that moment, everything seemed to stop and I had a vision. Christ, the Spirit of holiness, pulled up in a car. The passenger door opened and a voice called me, saying, ‘It’s time to get in with me.’ I remember saying to him, ‘If you save my wife and daughter, I’ll do anything for you.’ Again, a miracle happened. A nurse came along and said, ‘Get up, your wife and daughter want to see you.’

But again, I moved on and continued in my selfish ways. And so this has been my constant relationship pattern with Christ and God. In times of hardship, I would call on God with promises, but the rest of the time I lived my own way.

When we came to New Zealand, my wife Alison became a Christian. I just thought she had become a bit eccentric, but I went along to church because she wanted me to. But I knew that I was a hypocrite, so I didn’t want to get close to anyone. I hated emotion and would shut it down if I felt anything. I sat in the corner, hoping not to meet anyone’s eye.

We’ve been married for 42 years, and for 30 years Alison prayed that I would come to know Christ the way that she knows him.

Into the darknessSo, here I was, after a lifetime of abusing my body, finally paying the price. The experience of peering down the dark abyss only lasted a moment, but it was frightening, cold and dark, and I felt very alone.

As soon as I cried out to God, I snapped back into conscious-ness. The paramedics had arrived and had already used their defibrillators on me two or three times. I knew that as soon as I had asked, God had come to rescue me. He had come into the ‘abyss’ and pulled me back. It was only the first miracle that day.

Once we arrived at the hospital, an ECG and my bloods confirmed I’d had a massive heart attack. They continued to try and stabilise me, but things got worse. I saw a figure dressed in black, looking very serious, coming towards me. Yes, I got the fright of my life—but it was a doctor! He told me that they had discovered several blood clots forming in my heart.

They needed to transfer me to Auckland Hospital as I needed angioplasty to open up the arteries and treat the clots. I had to sign a transfer form, with the words ‘death is imminent’ highlighted. They only do this ‘dash’ in the most critical cases, and many patients die in transit.

I was rushed to hospital, all the while praying to God. Also praying, I discovered later, were Ali in the ambulance, my daughters following by car, and The Salvation Army East City Corps (church) prayer chain.

Into the lightWe crossed Auckland in 12 minutes, and I was rushed into the lab. To my surprise, I was greeted by a young woman who had been a family friend since she was eight. She was a doctor at the hospital, and asked if I would like to be treated by her. I was delighted, and she was able hold my hand during this lonely, frightening time. God, I felt, had put somebody in the right place to comfort me.

While I was on the operating table, I was aware of things getting noisy and very busy. The room was full of people, working frantically. In an instant, I was no longer lying on the table watching them; I was above them, looking down at their desperate efforts, wondering what the fuss was about.

The room became very bright and had a soft warm glow. I felt extremely comforted, light and warm. As I watched them, the room got brighter and brighter, and I got further away so all I could see was me, a doctor and a nurse. I felt a real gentleness, and I kept saying ‘Thank you Lord, thank you Lord.’ I knew I was in the presence of God.

The joy I felt doesn’t compare with anything else I have ever experienced. The birth of my daughters was the most wonderful moment of my life, but this was an overwhelming,

The doctors told me I was dead for six and a half minutes.

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did you save me?’ I felt him reply, ‘How much do you love your children, your grandchildren and your wife? Is there anything you would not do to save them and keep them safe?’ Then God said, ‘That is how I love you—but even more.’

Me being me, I also did some less-than-wise things. One night, the nurses rushed to my bedside, saying, ‘Your heart rate is dangerously high, what are you doing?’ I was watching a video on my laptop of open heart surgery. Needless to say, they forbade me from doing that again.

By the end of that week, I knew God had forgiven me of my sins, I was no longer condemned by my own hypocrisy, and I knew God loved me. My family gathered around me, and I said my goodbyes as I went into surgery.

Life is beautifulThe surgery went well and my physical heart was repaired. After surgery, when Alison and my daughters Sarah and Amy saw me, I was on life support. At midnight, I began to awaken. Due to the medication, I woke up scared and anxious. My vital signs were extremely elevated.

Next to the bed in ICU, a young nurse called James was holding my hand and mopping my brow. He offered me an alphabet board, as I couldn’t talk. I typed, ‘Get Ali’—and he gathered my family around the bedside.

Later, James told me that it had been hard to get my vital signs under control. But within moments of my family arriving, they all returned to normal. The greatest gift from God is love.

Today, if you ask me to describe how I feel, I have one word: Alive! Every day is beautiful. On a rainy day, I find myself sitting on the deck looking out, thinking, ‘What a gorgeous day.’

God has honoured Alison for her many years of faithfulness in praying for me and staying by my side. I have been humbled and am walking in God’s grace. Instead of shutting down my emotions, my heart is open to God and the people at our church. I just want to serve God in any way I can, and I love telling people about him.

You don’t have to go through the pain I went through. I can tell you God is real, and he loves you! Regardless of the baggage you bring, he will welcome you. God lives in eternity—I spent six and a half minutes in his pure presence, and it has changed my life forever.

all-encompassing joy. It was not only the pleasure of being in the presence of God; it was a feeling of significance, wonder and holiness. In an instant, I felt like I had understanding: of life, of God, of it all. I was aware of an assurance that this was real, that I was part of it. It was the greatest gift I’ve ever had.

I told the Lord, ‘I’m ready.’ I knew that as long as I was in God’s presence, my family would be fine. Then, in a moment, I found myself back on the operating table, with the nurse saying, ‘Come on Stephen, wake up, come on.’

Later, I learned that my heart had stopped and they had started the clock, trying to resuscitate me. They were almost ready to call time, but jabbed a shot of atropine straight into my heart as a last resort. I felt that I had been gone for about 30 seconds, but the doctors told me I was dead for six and a half minutes.

Sorting things outWith blocked arteries and blood clots, I was told that I would need open heart surgery. I had to spend five days in hospital, preparing for surgery and having complete rest. My son-in-law made an innocent, passing comment that it would be a good time for me to sort myself out.

How right he was. That week, I spent a lot of time with God. I was thankful, and yet disappointed in myself for all those wasted opportunities. I struggled with my sin and hypocrisy.

I asked God why I had missed so many opportunities. And God spoke into my spirit, leading me to the story of the disciple Peter in the Bible. I felt God was saying to me, ‘Peter loved and worshipped Jesus. And yet he denounced Jesus three times. He rejected the very son of God. Yet Christ forgave Peter and he went on to do wonderful things.’

I felt God say, ‘So, what hypocrisy of yours is so bad that I can’t forgive it? Why do you diminish the sacrifice that Jesus made for you?’ In that moment, I accepted his forgiveness and stepped into God’s grace.

While I lay in hospital, talking to God in the early hours of the morning, he made many things clear. I asked God, ‘Why me? Why

Instead of shutting down my emotions, my heart is open to God.

Stephen with wife Alison

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HEALTH

What is ‘Clean Eating’?Is it just the latest buzzword in health, or is clean eating worth getting serious about?

In itself, clean eating is a simple concept: Fitness magazine described it as ‘being mindful of the food’s pathway between its origin and your plate. At its simplest, clean eating is about eating whole foods, or “real” foods —those that are un-or-minimally processed, refined, and handled, making them as close to their natural form as possible.’

The good: This is an inclusive approach, where no food group is off limits. ‘It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation,’ says Clean Eating magazine. The focus is on organic, pesticide-free food. We don’t yet know the full extent that pesticides play in our health. And if you minimise processed foods, you can’t help but have a more nutritious diet. Eating fruit and vegies from your garden is clean eating in its purest form.

The bad: Eating organically is a great goal, but it can be hard on the pocket. In addition, clean eating can become very restrictive if you cut out all processed food. Some devotees only eat raw food, which cuts out almost all dairy, grains and meat. Such a restrictive diet takes a lot of mental and emotional space, and is nutritionally unbalanced.

As always, a moderate approach wins the day. Decide what your organic priorities are, according to your budget. Clean Eating suggests focusing on organic meat, eggs and dairy. Eat whole grains, and try to make as much as you can at home.

The dirty dozen: Organic NZ has published a list of fruit and vegies that tested with the most pesticide residue, called the ‘dirty

dozen’: celery, peaches, apricots, butter/cream/cheese, wheat (bread, all products), apples, plums, mandarins,

oranges, strawberries, grapes/raisins/sultanas. When possible, buy these organically—or even better, grow your own!

Some foods recommended by the US-based Environmental Working Group were: avocado,

sweetcorn, pineapple, cabbage, frozen peas, onion, asparagus, mango, and kiwifruit.

Self-crusting Corn QuicheThis quiche forms its own crust as it cooks, eliminating the need for pastry. Leftovers go well in packed lunches | 6 servings

1 large onion, chopped1 Tbsp butter2 cooked potatoes, cubed½ cup milk3 eggs½ tsp salt¼ cup self-raising flour440g can creamed corn1 cup grated tasty cheese1 tomato, thinly sliced (optional)

Cook onion in butter until tender but not brown. Add cubed potato and heat through.

Mix milk, eggs, salt and flour until blended. Combine with onion mixture. Add creamed corn and cheese, and pour into a buttered 23 cm metal pie plate or solid-bottomed flan dish. Place thin slices of tomato in a circle on top.

Bake at 210˚C for 20–30 mins or until filling is set in the centre. Serve warm, in wedges.

Variation: Replace corn with other cooked, drained vegetables.

From Dollars and Sense Cookbook by Alison Holst. Go to www.holst.co.nz

The more you eat, the less flavour; the less you eat, the more flavour. Chinese Proverb

LIFESTYLE

Don’t Make Me Unfriend YouEmbarrassing our kids or grandies on Facebook is a right of passage —for both parties. But here are some etiquette tips to help you stay ‘friends’ online.

Cindy is friends with her kids on Facebook, but it comes with conditions: she is not allowed to be the first to ‘like’ a post. And she is only sometimes allowed to ‘like’ or comment on a post (it’s important to feign indifference). She can’t post anything too gushy. She’s can’t be too proud. And she definitely must not ‘friend’ her kids’ friends …

The point behind this complex set of rules is that we take an interest, but we don’t intrude on our kids’ growing independence. Or as Ehren K says in ‘The Older Generations Guide to Facebook Etiquette’: ‘Our parents, they do some stifling stuff on Facebook … Don’t make me unfriend you, Dad. I’ll do it.’

Watch, but don’t comment: Of course you can comment sometimes. But when they post a pic of themselves at a party, under no circumstances say anything like, ‘I hope you are getting time to study.’ Or anything that vaguely resembles parenting.

Don’t add their friends as friends: Let them have their own friends—and let them come to you in person with any real relationship issues.

Don’t ask what LOL means: It does not mean ‘lots of love’. Don’t ask about or use acronyms unless you are sure of the meaning. If in doubt, go to urbandictionary.com.

Don’t be ‘creepy’: According to Ehren, creepy behaviour includes looking at and ‘liking’ old photos (it’s stalker behaviour), checking out ‘friends’ of the opposite sex for girl/boyfriend material, and sending friends game invites.

Do stay interested: It’s important that we are part of our kids’ online lives—we can support them to build good boundaries, relationships and behaviours. But our kids have trusted us enough to allow us to ‘friend’ them, and we should trust them in return. If you see concerning behaviour—such as bullying—talk to them about it in person. You can still be their parent, just not online.

TestifyShane Chisholm is telling the story of The Salvation Army in his role as Territorial Public Relations Director.

The Salvation Army is known for being God’s love in action, and that’s a precious thing to hold on to. It’s also a challenge to live up to—we ride on the reputation of being an Army with its sleeves rolled up, but we need to work out what that means for us in today’s busy world. Do we still have our sleeves rolled up, or are they ironed and only worn on Sundays?

I see my job in the Public Relations Department as helping to tell The Salvation Army story: to communicate who we are, what we do and why we do what we do—for the sake of those in need, and also for those who want to contribute.

Along with increasing public awareness, the Public Relations team is tasked with raising money to keep the frontline work resourced. Flagship campaigns like the Red Shield Appeal—which begins on 4 May—help us fulfil the mission. I come from an investment banking background, where you’re just looking to make a dollar, so it’s totally fulfilling to know you are contributing to something far greater through The Salvation Army.

We do a lot of work with corporate partners and I’m always amazed at the respect and confidence they have in us. We are New Zealand’s most trusted and reputable NGO, and that’s a real honour.

I grew up in the ranks, as they say. My parents became Salvation

Army officers when I was eight years old. For the most part I loved it—whether that was the way my parents approached it, or my own makeup—it was always seen as an adventure.

In my late teens I had the typical rebellion, I stopped going to church, left the brass band and stood down from soldiership. But the guys in the band kept in contact, and it was this group of caring friends that had the most impact on me coming back to Christ.

It was at an Aggressive Christianity conference that I made a recommitment to Christ that was truly my own. It was also then that I felt a prompting to offer my services to The Salvation Army. But I thought, ‘what can I offer?’ I approached the Chief Secretary, and as a 22-year-old, I was asked if I would be willing to go to Lagos, Nigeria, to assist in a financial role.

Everything was tipped on its head in Nigeria, I felt ill prepared and homesick. But that’s where I learnt to totally rely on God. It really came home to me that God not only has a plan for me, but that he chooses to use me.

I also did a stint

as a youth worker at Christchurch City Corps, where I met and married my wife Megan. We now have two wonderful children—my desire is that they, too, will know and follow God’s plan for their lives.

Hebrews 12:1 says ‘… and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us’. My testimony is simple: God has a plan for me and he has one for you, too. Always be open to his leading. And never underestimate his ability and desire to use you in ways that you would never imagine!

Q&A

How Can I Cook Like a Legend?

In honour of Dame Alison Holst, we recall some of her best-loved recipes.

The brave announcement from her family that Dame Alison is suffering dementia has saddened the hearts of New Zealanders. Known as ‘the mother of the nation’ she was arguably the most influential figure in gently guiding us away from ‘meat and three vege’, and into other culinary cultures.

Foods once foreign and strange became accessible and part of ordinary kitchens, thanks to Alison’s influence. Taking complex recipes and making them simple has always been her trademark. Alison introduced New Zealanders to delights such as eggplant dip when most of us would not have been able to pronounce ‘babaganoush’, to hummus as ‘chickpea dip’, and to guacamole as ‘avocado dip’.

In 1965, Alison hit the small screen with her TV show Here’s How. After an episode featuring a fish recipe, the entire country sold out of fish!

One of her most enduring recipes is ‘lazy lasagne’, which makes a complex Italian dish extremely simple. It only requires putting together ingredients and layering them: mix mince, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 tsp each of dried basil and oregano, a can of tinned tomatoes, a can of condensed tomato soup, and 2 tsp of instant beef stock. Then layer with uncooked lasagne. Put in the oven and cook for 50 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and put back in for 10 minutes. An easy and impressive dish!

But it is Alison’s ‘little pineapple Christmas cake’ that is undoubtedly her most popular recipe, recalls her son Simon Holst. She has received countless letters saying how this recipe has been used in family occasions from weddings to christenings. With 12 ingredients, it’s a beautifully simple version of the traditional fruit cake.

In her seminal book The Best of Alison Holst—known as ‘the big red book’—Alison writes: ‘I hope [my cookbooks] will get dirty and spotted from years of constant use, that you will share your own variations of my recipes with your family and friends, and, most importantly, that you will encourage and teach your children and grandchildren to cook.’ Whereever Kiwis are cooking with their families, Alison’s legacy lives on.

For full recipes go to www.holst.co.nz

Lifestyle | 09

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information about Salvation Army worship and activities

prayer for the following needs:

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

I learnt to totally rely on God.

AdviceOvercoming FOMO

If you’ve come across the internet acronym, but have been too scared to use it, FOMO means ‘Fear Of Missing Out’. It’s a cultural phenomenon that can cripple relationships.

Amelie recently got rid of her cellphone and gave up Facebook. It was a brave, counter-cultural decision in a culture of FOMO—or ‘fear of missing out’. Amelie found herself in the habit of saying ‘yes’ to invitations, and then texting with excuses as to why she couldn’t make it. She either wanted to keep her options open, or to be able to stay home if she was feeling social anxiety—and technology made it easy. Amelie says that without hiding behind texts, she has overcome her anxiety about commitment, and the results have been really fulfilling.

Relationship experts Linda and Charlie Bloom describe FOMOers as people who ‘either overcommit and fail to fulfil many of their commitments, or choose to avoid agreements and commitments as much as possible. In most cases the basis for their actions (or inactions) is motivated by a fear that in making an agreement they are losing the chance to engage in other experiences that could potentially result in greater personal gratification or satisfaction. A commonly-felt sentiment of many people who have FOMO is, “I like to keep my options open.” ’

FOMOers will often excuse their non-commitment as beyond their control. But the Blooms argue that they are, in fact, very discerning about which commitments they keep—and are much less likely to break a commitment with someone in authority. ‘They often attempt to justify or excuse their

behaviour by explaining it as being driven by forces beyond their control, when it is often the case that they actually had priorities that they held as being more import than the commitment that they failed to keep.’

Underlying FOMO behaviour is anxiety, ‘often generated by competitive thoughts that others are experiencing more pleasure, success, or fulfilment in their lives than they are’. The key to changing FOMO behaviour is to address the anxieties underlying it. Do you feel that others are having more fun than you? Are you fearing that you might miss an opportunity to meet ‘the one’? Do you subconsciously fear aging? All these anxieties stem from a belief that you are not enough as you are. But our value is not in who we hang out with, how exciting life is, or how many friends we have. Our value is in who God, our creator, tells us we are: his children, his beloved and the apple of his eye.

Jesus said something intriguing: ‘All you need to say is simply “Yes” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one’ (Matthew 5:37). To be a person of integrity, our word needs to be reliable and honest. Let your yes be yes.

The flipside of this is that is also okay to say no. As much as being a good friend means sticking to a commitment, a true friend will also understand the times when the answer is ‘no’. An honest ‘no’ is far more respectful than a flakey ‘yes’.

10 | WarCry 02 May 2015

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

CROSSWORD

Across1 Place of produce7 Where the buoys are9 Coming up10 Functioning11 Policy12 Spin doctor’s concern13 Easily agitated15 Washing cycle18 Battery contents20 Lighted signal23 Delete24 Cricket World Cup winners26 Protected from danger27 Supernatural messenger28 007, for one29 Evoking an emotional quality

Down1 Stopping places2 Compelling force3 Speeder’s bane4 Teems5 Goalies6 Custom7 Coil8 Contended14 Instrumentalist group16 Looter17 Has a shiny lustre19 Detailed drawing20 In addition21 Wild things22 Not often25 Get through to

1 2 3 4 5 6 8

9 10

11 12

13 14 15 1

16 1

19 18 19 20

21 22

23 24 25

26 2

28 29

QUICK QUIZ

1 Pewter is an alloy made from which two metals?2 The Samoyed breed of dog originated in which country?3 What gift would you give someone for their 25th wedding anniversary?4 Where will the next summer Olympics be held?5 Who said, ‘Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst.’

The oldest, shortest words— ‘yes’ and ‘no’—are those which require the most thought. Pythagoras

BY HEATHER RODWELL

Let the Bible Come Alive For You TodayThe Salvation Army’s international Bible reading challenge is into its fifth month—it’s not too late to get on board.

Some of us are systematically reading through the New Testament at the rate of a chapter a day for five days week. Put like that it sounds rather like the pharmacist’s instructions on the label of a medicine bottle. If the bottle contains antibiotics, the additional instruction will inevitably state: ‘Keep taking until finished.’

I’m a shocking pill taker. I struggle to keep taking them once the discomfort of the original symptoms subsides. I am blessed that a regular regime of pill taking is not part of my daily routine.

But there are some things that over years of practice have become established as regular for me for the health of my spiritual life. Bible reading is one of these. I debated whether to pick up the Bible Challenge or not because I was reluctant to lay aside my regular reading plan that has nourished me for the past few years. But the invitation to be part of a worldwide movement of Bible reading appealed, and so I have been systematically reading through the gospels since early January.

The gospels provide us with four vivid accounts of the life and teaching of Jesus. Some of them are familiar stories from childhood days if we were blessed with going to Sunday school or had a godly parent or grandparent who read them to us. These stories of Jesus in action—doing and saying wonderful things—actively fired our imaginations and provided us with hope.

Moving into adulthood, these same gospel accounts invite us to engage with them at a deeper level. Rather than simply being accounts of something that happened 2000 years ago, we need to discover Jesus active in our today. Otherwise, these stories inspire and perhaps give hope, but fail to penetrate our lives and demand a response from us.

Contemplative reading of the Bible is one way to refresh our knowledge and experience of God’s Word, even if we’re reading the most familiar of passages. In fact, especially when we’re reading the most familiar of stories. Spiritual practices from the Ignatian tradition that dates back to 16th century provide us a prescription for using our imagination as we seek to go beyond reading the verses and actually become part of the scene as it unfolds.

Simple steps to contemplative Bible reading1. Make yourself comfortable, and relax. 2. Pray and ask God to lead you in this time3. Read your chosen passage4. Re-read the passage—aloud is good—and imagine the setting as

vividly as you can:

• What do you hear?• What do you see?• What are smells? Tastes?• Who are the people and what are they doing?

5. Insert yourself into the scene:• What are you doing there? • What are you feeling?

6. Take time to notice things that you might not have noticed before.• Notice what Jesus is doing. Is there something that you want

to ask him? • Is there something he wants to ask you? Listen.

7. Spend time in prayer—being still—or writing in your journal or maybe drawing.

8. When you are ready, give thanks and close with a prayer in which you offer yourself to God. As with any new way of doing things, you may feel awkward or

anxious at first. But by making the effort to regularly set time aside to engage with God’s Word—and sometimes using this Ignatian way when engaging with Jesus in the gospels—God will be able to show us something new. The key is to draw aside and devote time to engaging with the Bible, so that it becomes the Living Word to us.

Over the past few weeks, our readings from John’s gospel in the Bible Challenge have covered such stories as the woman caught in adultery (chapter 8) and the healing of a man born blind (chapter 9). These are examples that lend themselves to contemplative reading of the Bible in the way I’ve described. Why not give it a try? It will take more time than simply reading the chapter and taking it like a prescribed pill for our daily dose. It will be more like taking on a slow-release medication that works over time to bring its benefits, as you enter into the story and allow God to speak to you.

Major Heather Rodwell is Territorial Secretary for Corps Growth and Spiritual Life Development

Close Up | 11

In the final of his series, Chick Yuill explains that being a disciple is about who we are, not just what we do.

Just over 46 years ago I became a husband! Of course, when I say that I ‘became a husband’, that’s only partly true. Much as I loved my wife, I really had very little idea of what being a good husband would mean. So over the years, I’ve had to educate myself by reading some helpful books and even attending some useful seminars. They’ve all played a part in equipping me to deal with the demands of married life.

But the real work of ‘becoming a husband’—of growing in maturity and building a lasting and loving marriage—hasn’t been done by learning from the experts. Instead, it has happened as Margaret and I have travelled through life together, sharing its blessings and its challenges, learning from our mistakes, and deepening in our love for each other.

Becoming disciplesGrowing as a disciple of Jesus is not all that different. The moment you accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, you ‘become a disciple’. But that’s just the start of the journey. Following Jesus—modelling your life on his and growing like him—is a process that takes a lifetime.

Of course, there are excellent discipleship courses that can help us along the way with different aspects of Christian living: sharing our faith, reading the Bible, praying, and hearing God’s voice. But living for Jesus and growing like Jesus—just like becoming a good husband or wife—is something that’s only truly learned in meaningful and loving relationships.

It’s significant that the phrase ‘one another’ occurs again and again in the New Testament. To choose just a few examples, almost at random: we’re encouraged to ‘live in harmony with one another’ (Romans 12:16); to ‘serve one another’ (Galatians 5:13); to ‘submit to one another’ (Ephesians 5:21); to ‘teach and admonish one another’ (Colossians 3:16); and to ‘encourage one another’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Indeed, Jesus goes so far as to say that it’s only by our ‘love for one another’ that ‘the world will know that you are my disciples’ (John 13:35). The inescapable conclusion is that, when it comes to discipleship, the most important resource we have is one another.

One another-nessHere’s one very effective way of discipling one another: three or four people commit to meet together at a mutually convenient time once every week or, if that’s impossible, every couple of weeks. (It’s often helpful to get together in a public space such as a coffee shop so that the practice of growing as disciples is firmly planted in the middle of everyday life. And it’s best to do this for an initial period of three months, after which each person is free to decide whether they want to continue meeting.) Each time, before they meet, everyone will have read and reflected on a brief passage they’ve agreed on from one of the gospels.

The point of reading the passage is not so much to ‘do Bible study’, as to seek to discover what God might be saying to them through

those verses. So, when the group gets together, the starting point for conversation is the simple but direct question: ‘What do you think God’s been saying to you this week through what we’ve been reading?’

What usually happens is that, after a few weeks of practise, the conversation begins to flow naturally. It becomes easier to talk about being a disciple of Jesus in every area of life: at home, at work, at church. Inevitably, questions about how the week has gone are asked and answered.

Members of the group feel increasingly willing to share stories of opportunities they’ve been able to grasp, of challenges they’re facing, and even of failures they need to confess.

As shared trust grows and as total confidentiality is assured, the group will move beyond simply accepting and affirming each other, to holding one another mutually accountable. And the time together is wound up with prayer for the week ahead.

It’s not rocket science, but if you’re serious about really becoming a disciple, it might just be the hour in your week that makes all the difference.

The heart of the discipleIt’s important to acknowledge, though, that these times spent with other disciples, and even time spent in service to God, is not the heart of discipleship.

John is a committed Christian. When his new job meant that he had to relocate to a new town, he sought out a church and began attending regularly on Sundays. After a month, the minister invited him for a meal, and over dinner he assured John that he was delighted to have him as part of the congregation. Then he asked him two questions: ‘Now what can we get you to do?’ and ‘Do you sing tenor?’

John told me that story with just a touch of sadness in his voice. It wasn’t that he thought the church leader was entirely wrong to ask him those questions. He recognised the importance of accepting a role in the life of the church, and he appreciated the part that the choir played in engendering an atmosphere of worship and drawing the congregation into the presence of God on a Sunday morning. What troubled him was the fact that these were the first questions he was asked.

John knew the maths referred to in the previous articles in this series: of our approximately 120 waking hours, we spend only about 10 in church-based activities and the remainder of our time in getting on with the business of life. That being the case, he reasoned, surely the first questions should have been, ‘What are the opportunities and challenges of your everyday life?’ and ‘How can we resource you to face them well as a disciple of Jesus?’

Following Jesus—modelling your life on his and growing like him—is a process that takes a lifetime.

PART FOUR of a four-part seriesLiving the Story

12 | WarCry 02 May 2015

Asking the right questionsI’m convinced that John is right. If we don’t constantly ask those questions of all we are doing, we might manage to develop good Salvationists who work faithfully in their corps (church). We might develop some very effective programmes that serve our communities well. We might even succeed in building larger congregations. But we will not be making whole-life, mature disciples who show the life and love of Jesus to their family and friends, their neighbours, their work-mates and their fellow-students. And if we fail to do that, we will be failing to reach our towns and cities with the good news about Jesus expressed in our everyday living.

In fact, you can boil all this down to one very blunt question and two short words that should be asked of everything we do: so what?

Whoever has the responsibility for preaching should be asking, ‘So what difference will this make to this congregation on Monday morning?’ They will recognise that their task is not just to ‘share some reflections’ on a text or even to ‘expound the Word’ and stop at that, but to explore a Bible passage in such a way that their hearers are inspired and equipped to live well for God in the coming week.

The leaders of musical sections will ask the same question, seeing their responsibilities as going beyond developing an effective group of musicians and providing a contribution to worship on a Sunday morning. They, too, will be asking how they can model the kind of leadership and relationships that will offer their members a pattern for discipleship beyond the activities of the corps.

The people with responsibility for the various outreach programmes will remember that the volunteer helpers who give up their time also have a wider and equally valid ministry in their daily lives and occupations.

So what?And, if we’re really serious about making whole-life disciples, it will mean that ultimately everyone in the congregation will be asking the ‘so what’ question: ‘So what can we do to help each other grow as disciples?’

Of course, our corps officers (pastors) have a significant role as the appointed leaders in creating a culture in which disciple-making can take place. But it isn’t possible for one or two people—however gifted they are—to disciple 50 or 100 people. Even Jesus confined his ministry of disciple-making to 12 close followers. No, the work of disciple-making belongs to all of us!

Chick Yuill served as a Salvation Army officer for 35 years until 2006. He currently works as a speaker, writer and church consultant in the UK and abroad. His latest book, focused on discipleship, is entitled Moving in the Right Circles (IVP).

If we fail to ask the right questions, we will fail to reach our towns and cities with the good news about Jesus …

DISCIPLESHIP VOICES

It’s hard to remember that Jesus did not come to make us safe, but rather to make us disciples, citizens of God’s new age, a kingdom of surprise. What does it profit you to give God one thing if he asks of you another? Consider what it is God wants, and then do it. You will as a result better satisfy your heart than with that toward which you yourself are inclined. St. John of the Cross

It is clear that Christianity does not exclude any of the ordinary human activities. St. Paul tells people to get on with their jobs. He even assumes that Christians may go to dinner parties, and, what is more, dinner parties given by pagans … Christianity does not simply replace our natural life and substitute a new one: it is rather a new organisation which exploits, to its own supernatural ends, these natural materials … There is no essential quarrel between the spiritual life and the human activities. C.S. Lewis

Many Christians have what we might call a ‘cultural holiness’. They adapt to the character and behaviour pattern of Christians around them. As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like himself. Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God. Jerry Bridges

Ask Yourself: So What?

God has placed ministries around you in your everyday life.

What ministries are you involved in at church? Ask yourself, ‘so what?’ Write down one sentence per ministry that sums up their true purpose.

Outside the church, what ministries are you involved in? (For example, friendships, community groups, schools). What is your spiritual purpose in these ministries?

What makes you, you? Write down words that describe what makes you uniquely you. How can God use these qualities?

Pray through your unique role as a disciple of Jesus, and commit your ministries to God.

Soul Food | 13

Calls to embrace and revisit Salvation Army officer covenants began a weekend of significant worship for the Fiji Division.

Officers came together from all over Fiji to be present at the first Officers Councils of the year on Saturday 21 March and for the installation of new divisional leaders Majors David and Vyvyenne Noakes on the following Sunday. Leading the installation were the Chief Secretary, Colonel Willis Howell, and the Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries, Colonel Barbara Howell.

In his message on Saturday evening to officers, Colonel Willis Howell highlighted the struggle for every Christian toward a life of integrity and holiness. Titling his message ‘Drifting’, each person present was encouraged to run a personal gauge on their own lives and identify things that had the potential to cause them to ‘drift’ away from their calling, purpose and officership.

We also heard a testimony from Major Merewalesi Qoriniyasi, who with her husband, Major Kesoni Qoriniyasi, recently returned from serving as corps officers at Ōtāhuhu Corps in New Zealand, to Lautoka Corps. Major Merewalesi’s testimony had God’s faithfulness and righteousness interweaved through it. ‘I stand here as a testament that the God I serve is forever faithful and true,’ she said. ‘God has proved to me time again that when we as his children remain faithful to the things God has entrusted to us, he will lead us to places and things we never thought or dreamt of.’

Staff from the School for Officer Training provided a lovely supper to end the evening together.

Loud hallelujahs rang out over Suva Central Corps as worship

signified the beginning of the meeting on Sunday 22 March. All Eastern corps except Lomaivuna attended. Crowds of people jammed into the building to witness, amongst a number of things, the installation of Majors David and Vyvyenne Noakes.

Speaking at the installation, Colonel Willis Howell called on Salvationists to love and work together, to support their new national leaders, and most of all to love and honour God. ‘God calls us to love and accept each other. He calls us to be faithful, because he is faithful. You have as your new leaders, faithful and hardworking servants of God,’ he said.

After their installation, Major Vyvyenne shared her life story. This was warmly received and a blessing to hear.

Also at the meeting, a gold star was awarded to Mere Yalewarogo, the mother of the late Major Maraia Dravikula. Captain Sevanaia Wawa supported his mother during the presentation. A gold star is awarded to the parents of officers who are promoted to Glory while on active service. This was a moving time, and Mrs Yalewarogo shed tears as she received the plaque.

Formal presentations of promotions to the rank of captain were given to Captains Pati and Lusi Leqa, who completed their first five years of officership in December 2014. Session mate Captain Amanda Kennedy was away in Auckland visiting her sick grandmother and so was unable to receive her certificate.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the rousing song ‘Storm the Forts of Darkness’ was played by the divisional brass band. With flags waving in the air, Fiji Salvationists clapped, shouted and heralded in their new divisional leaders.

On Monday, the final two sessions of Officers Councils took place. Getting down to business, Divisional Commander Major David Noakes centred on Salvation Army officer covenants. Officers had the opportunity to review these, and at the end of the session were given the opportunity to recommit to their covenants. The response was humbling and moving. This was a solemn time of prayer, accompanied by singing from the cadets of the Messengers of Light session.

Also in this session, two more testimonies were heard from Major Maika Raico, Corps Officer at Tavua, and Major Arone Cheer, who talked about his recent time at the International College of Officers in London.

The officers’ time together concluded with a scrumptious meal prepared by the ladies at the Suva Family Care Centre, which is managed by Lieutenant Varea Rika.

Captain Lusi Leqa

Significant Weekend in Fiji as New Leaders Are Installed

Fiji officers and cadets with Cols Barbara and Willis Howell Divisonal leaders Mjrs Vyvyenne and David Noakes

14 | WarCry 02 May 2015

Dunedin Tackles Unsustainable Debt

On Tuesday March 24, a consortium under the banner of ‘Lending Matters’ consisting of problem gambling practitioners, budget advisors, no-interest loan trusts and food bank managers, met with members of the Dunedin lending industry.

The aim was to create a shared agenda between social services and organisations offering finance, loans and hire purchase so that Dunedin residents do not become enslaved to unsustainable debt, which leads to increased poverty and social hardship.

Of 37 invited lenders, BNZ, NZCU, Chesmont Finance and Home Direct attended, which organisers said reflected the commitment of these companies to responsible lending practices.

Andrew Henderson of the Dunedin Budget Advice Service said, ‘Most New Zealand households have some level of debt, but social service agencies in Dunedin are seeing increasing numbers of waged people—as well as beneficiaries—with large debts to multiple lenders at interest rates where repayment is virtually impossible.’

Chris Watkins, of The Salvation Army’s gambling service in Dunedin, said the complexities of debt-related social problems in the city meant a collaborative response was urgently required. ‘In the past, the Dunedin social service sector has focused on isolated intervention by individual organisations. But in the face of people drowning in unsustainable debt, we now recognise that large-scale social change requires broad cross-sector coordination.’

Karen Heine from the Otago Community Law Centre addressed the meeting, speaking about the Ministry of Consumer Affair’s new Responsible Lending Code. Tighter scrutiny by Government into responsible lending was timely, she said, and it was good that the Lending Matters group was willing to help loan companies get into step with the Code.

Mike Holley of Chesmont Finance said he was aware of a number of loan companies selling unsustainable loans that were getting people into trouble. He welcomed a community approach to educate people about the cost of borrowing. He also supported legislation to protect customers from irresponsible lending. Last Christmas, Mike had identified customers who needed social support, not more debt. He referred these people to budget advice and problem gambling services, because he didn’t want to create more misery at Christmas, he said.

Michael Wright, Executive Chairman of Home Direct, said his organisation endeavoured to support people to afford the necessities in life. Although responsible lending might affect the profits of some organisations, in the long run it would be better for business to refer vulnerable people to social services rather than giving them finance they could not afford, he said.

Chris said responsible lending ideas such as offering budget services and problem gambling screening to all people wanting to access finance were well received by lenders. He hoped a closer working relationship between lenders and social services would lead to better protection of vulnerable people. Chris noted that if a responsible lender denied someone a loan, they might go to a more disreputable lender instead, which could cause serious long-term problems.

All those attending the Lending Matters meeting committed themselves to responsible lending practices. They will continue to meet to create a Dunedin-wide memorandum of understanding between the city’s lenders and social services.

Jerry Banse from Te Roopu Tautoko Ki Te Tonga said he was impressed by the willingness of everyone to work together to protect Dunedin’s most vulnerable residents.

Education and Employment News

A group of former Wellington beneficiaries are heading to a new life, training as nurses after being helped into work by The Salvation Army’s Education and Employment service. The students were part of a group of about 65 students a year who go through the Education and Employment Care for the Elderly course in Petone and into work.

Course tutor Keryn Armes said all the students on the course are beneficiaries referred by WINZ. Over the 13-week course, classes of up to about 28 students complete the NCEA Level 2 National Certificate in Health Disability and Aged Care. Along with completing 12 Unit Standards in the classroom, the course includes a two or three-week work placement in a rest home, hospital or dementia care unit, after which most students get a contract and go into work, Keryn said.

Not all students continue their employment in rest home care. Some have gone on to work in highly specialised settings, including high-level dementia wards, caring for people with brain injuries and disabilities and with sufferers of Huntington’s disease.

Others go on to train as nurses. Six students from past courses have returned to study this year at Whitireia Polytechnic, commencing three years of nursing training. ‘Of those six, half said they always wanted to do their nursing but didn’t think they were good enough or had what it takes. The other half, when they went out and did the work, realised it was what they wanted to do,’ Keryn said.

The group was typical of many students who struggle with confidence and feel they aren’t smart or able enough to do the work. It usually took about a month before the person’s true personality started to shine through. ‘Generally, they’re people who have left school for one reason or another; they haven’t got any qualifications,’ said Keryn. ‘They say to me, “We didn’t think we’d be able to do this; we’re not good enough.” They have got themselves thinking, “We can’t do anything”, so it’s really great to see them grow.’

For students wanting to become nurses, Keryn recommended they do at least six months to a year working first to make sure it is what they want to do. Many of her students are Māori or Pacific Islanders, but Keryn said about a quarter of the students were refugees.

Keryn has been working as the course tutor for almost five years and said the job still gives her a big buzz. ‘It’s brilliant, absolutely brilliant! They have been pushed back and now they have found something to offer to people and not just be someone on the benefit. I can see them through the class just growing and growing. They end up in work and they absolutely love it.’

Education and Employment (E&E) is a fees-free Private Training Establishment (PTE) providing foundation learning and job placement around New Zealand for 15 to 19-year-olds for whom school wasn’t a good fit, and for anyone over 18 who qualifies for the unemployment benefit. It has been running since 1978.

We’d love to hear your newsSend 400–600 words with one or two clear and captioned photos. Promotion to Glory tributes are usually around 300 words.Please send large, high-quality digital images in .jpg format.Email news reports to warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org

Education and Employment has expanded its web presence with a dedicated website at www.EducationandEmployment.org.nz

Our Community | 15

GAZETTE

Promoted to GloryMjr Jean Lower on 15 April from Wellington Hospital, aged 86. Jean Lorraine Lower was born in Wellington on 16 May 1928. She entered officer training from Miramar Corps in The Ambassadors Session, was commissioned on 28 Jan 1952 and appointed to The Nest Child Care Centre, Hamilton. Appointments followed at Taumaranui, Sandringham, Papakura, Opotiki, Inglewood and Wanganui East Corps. After a short time as Assistant at Temuka Boys Home, Jean was appointed to St. Albans and Balclutha Corps. In 1960, Jean became Matron of the People’s Palace, Christchurch, followed by appointments to Hawera, Kaiapoi, Riverton and Mosgiel Corps. In 1967, Jean was appointed a Divisional Secretary in Wellington (1967-68) and then Dunedin (1968-77). In 1977, Jean returned to Wellington as Divisional Secretary, and then in the THQ Finance Dept. In 1980, she was appointed Matron of the Resthaven Eventide Home, Dunedin, with her final appointment as Training College Home Officer. Jean retired on 1 June 1988 to Paraparaumu. Her funeral was held at Kapiti Corps on 21 April, conducted by Lts Andrew and Sarah Green.

First-time GrandparentsCongratulations to Mjrs Neil and Gill Waugh on the arrival of their first grandchild, Josias Neil John Waugh. Josias was born to Ethan and Nive on Tuesday 14 April in Christchurch.

Global Call to End Extreme Poverty

The Salvation Army’s international leader, General André Cox, has joined more than 30 leaders from major world religions and heads of global faith-based organisations to launch a clarion call to action to end extreme poverty by 2030—a goal shared by the World Bank Group. The General added his signature to a statement released on 9 April 2015.

The joint statement, ‘Ending Extreme Poverty: A Moral and Spiritual Imperative’, notes that remarkable recent progress has been made in reducing extreme poverty. Over the past 25 years, the world has gone from nearly two billion people living in extreme poverty to fewer than one billion. Now, the statement explains, for the first time in human history there exists both the capacity and moral responsibility to ensure that no one has to live in extreme poverty’s grip.

‘We have ample evidence from the World Bank Group and others showing that we can now end extreme poverty within 15 years,’ the Moral Imperative statement notes. ‘In 2015, our governments will be deciding upon a new global sustainable development agenda that has the potential to build on our shared values to finish the urgent task of ending extreme poverty.

‘We in the faith community embrace this moral imperative because we share the belief that the moral test of our society is how the weakest and most vulnerable are faring. Our sacred texts also call us to combat injustice and uplift the poorest in our midst.’

The Moral Imperative statement seeks to generate the necessary social and political will by inspiring greater commitments from others to join in this cause, tapping into many of the shared convictions and beliefs that unify the world’s major religions around the call and responsibility to combat poverty.

Endorsers are committed to galvanising greater commitment and action from within the faith community globally and across every sector to end extreme poverty. For The Salvation Army, this is an opportunity to join forces with people of faith from around the world as it continues a battle against poverty that has been a vital aspect of its mission throughout its 150-year history. General André Cox says, ‘The Salvation Army will continue to engage with policy makers and will seek to work in strategic partnerships with like-minded people in order to make this dream a reality. Much of what we do now and many of our development programmes around the world are actively supporting these ideals and goals.’

The announcement from global faith leaders arose from the World Bank’s ‘Faith-Based and Religious Leaders Round Table’ held on 18 February—the first high-level meeting between World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and faith leaders. Commissioner Charles Swansbury, International Secretary for Programme Resources at International Headquarters, London, UK, represented The Salvation Army.

In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington in advance of the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim spoke about the almost a billion people who live in what is classed as ‘extreme poverty’—surviving on less than US$1.25 a day. ‘Few of us,’ he said, ‘can even imagine what this must be like. Let’s remember what poverty is. Poverty is 2.5 billion people not having access to financial accounts. Poverty is 1.4 billion people without access to electricity. Poverty is also putting your children to bed without food. And poverty is not going to school because everyone in the family needs to earn a few cents each day.’

Responding to the launch of the moral imperative, he said, ‘Faith leaders and the World Bank Group share a common goal: to realise a world free of extreme poverty in just 15 years. The Moral Imperative can help drive the movement to end poverty by 2030 by inspiring large communities to act now and to advocate for governments to do the same. These commitments from religious leaders come at just the right time—their actions can help hundreds of millions of people lift themselves out of poverty.’

The statement closes by framing the imperative in stark terms: ‘Poverty’s imprisonment of more than a billion men, women and children must end. Now is the time to boldly act to free the next generation from extreme poverty’s grip.’

TRIBUTE

Rex David Fairbairn

Rex David Fairburn was born in Vailima, Western Samoa, on 31 May 1940. He was promoted to Glory from Adelaide, South Australia, on 18 December 2014.

Rex was three years old when the Fairbairn family moved to Kilbirnie, New Zealand, where his family joined The Salvation Army, soldiering at Kilbirnie Corps. With his siblings, he attended Miramar South School, and then Wellington Technical College, where he studied engineering. He excelled academically and as a champion athlete.

Rex passed his Medical Intermediate exams at Victoria University and then attended Otago Medical School, where he met his future wife, Lesley Buttar, whom he married in 1964. In that same year, Rex graduated as a doctor, one of the first Samoan-born students to do so, and specialised in orthopaedics.

After completing a year as Rotating House Surgeon at Wellington Hospital (1965-66), Rex returned briefly to Dunedin Medical School as a Demonstrator in Anatomy, before taking up the position of Rotating Surgical Registrar, Wellington (1968-69). He passed his final Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) exams in 1969.

April 1970 saw a move to East Anglian Regional Hospital Board, Norwich, England, as Senior Commonwealth Surgical Registrar in General Surgery and Urology, then on to Midlothian Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland, as Rotating Surgical Registrar and Tutor in Anatomy. This move was motivated by a desire to qualify as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS), which he did in 1973, being the first surgeon from Wellington to obtain both the FRACS and FRCS. At the time, he was the youngest doctor to pass both these exams.

Upon returning to Wellington in 1973, Rex was Tutor and Specialist in Surgery at Wellington Clinical Medical School and Hutt Hospital. In 1977, he moved to Australia and was Specialist Surgeon to Broken Hill and District Hospital, New South Wales, an affiliation he maintained for 24 years, even after setting up a private surgical practice in Adelaide in 1979.

After retiring, Rex was able to devote more time to his other passions: his family, which included his recently acquired status as ‘Poppa’ to two granddaughters, and his much loved garden in suburban Adelaide.

Rex was held in high esteem by patients, colleagues and students. He lived by his Christian upbringing and beliefs, valuing the motto of his extended Samoan family: ‘ia outou Fealofani’ (‘love God and your neighbour’). His siblings, who include three brothers and three sisters, hope that Rex's life inspires young Pacific Islanders, in particular, as to the value of a good education, achieving personal goals and having positive life values.

16 | WarCry 02 May 2015

Noticeboard | 17

CALENDAR

MAY

4–10: Red Shield Appeal9: Mother’s Day9–11: Women’s Rally & Training (West) / Fiji Division11–15: Disaster Risk Management Training (East) / Fiji Division12-15: Foundations for Chaplaincy / Booth College of Mission14: Positive Lifestyle Training / Central Division15–17: Delve Weekend / Totara Springs15–17: Family Weekend / Blue Mountain Adventure Centre17: Father’s Day / Tonga Region18: Personnel Section Roadshow / Dunedin19: Personnel Section Roadshow / Invercargill20: Personnel Section Roadshow / Queenstown22–24: 40-Hour Famine23: Women’s Rally & Training (North) / Fiji Division25–28: Five-year Officer Review / Booth College of Mission29: Kneedrill Youth Event / Northern Division29–31: Women’s Camp / Tonga Region29–31: Divisional Māori Hui / Northern Division30: Moral and Social Issues Council / Wellington

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS

Commissioners Robert (Territorial Commander) and Janine Donaldson (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries)

3 May: Invercargill Corps 10 May: Levin Corps23–24 May: Glen Eden Corps

Colonels Willis Howell (Chief Secretary) and Barbara Howell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries)

4 May: Retired Officers Meeting / Northern Division11–15 May: International Headquarters22 May: Jeff Farm Board Meeting24 May: Northern Division and Addiction Reviews27 May: Spiritual Day / Booth College of Mission

PRAYER FOCUS

Please pray for: Pukekohe, Queenstown, Raiwai, Rangiora and Rotorua Corps, Rolleston Corps Plant, Moral and Social Issues Council members, The Salvation Army in Zimbabwe.

International Bible Reading ChallengeWEEK 18 John 18–Acts 1 | WEEK 19 Acts 2–6Go to www.salvationarmy.org/biblechallenge for daily reading guides and more.

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

Crossword Answers: Across: 1 Supermarket, 7 Sea, 9 Ahead, 10 Operating, 11 Insurance, 12 Image, 13 Nervous, 15 Spin, 18 Acid, 20 Bonfire, 23 Erase, 24 Australia, 26 Sheltered, 27 Angel, 28 Spy, 29 Atmospheric. Down: 1 Stations, 2 Pressure, 3 Radar, 4 Abounds, 5 Keepers, 6 Tradition, 7 Spiral, 8 Argued, 14 Orchestra, 16 Pillager, 17 Metallic, 19 Diagram, 20 Besides, 21 Beasts, 22 Rarely, 25 Reach. Quiz Answers: 1 Tin and lead, 2 Russia, 3 Silver, 4 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016, 5 The Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:15).

Congress is Coming to Wellington in 2016 Wednesday 28 September to Sunday 2 October 2016Mark your calendar for the 2016 Territorial Congress! Join Salvationists from around New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga for worship and prayer, great teaching, excellent musical performances, and plenty of opportunities to be inspired for leadership and front-line mission.

The 2016 Territorial Congress will be held at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington, with some activities at other Wellington venues as well.

A Salvation Army congress is a time to catch up with friends, celebrate God’s work, and hear and respond to God’s voice. Plan now to be part of this God-glorifying event.

Which God? Understanding IslamNational Tour by Dr Mark Durie: 15–19 June Auckland | Hamilton | Tauranga | Wgton | Nelson | DunedinMark Durie is a theologian, human rights activist, Anglican pastor, a Shillman-Ginsburg Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and Adjunct Research Fellow of the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at Melbourne School of Theology.

Mark will be running two-hour mini-seminars for leaders: $37.50 (early bird rate to 15 May) and $45.00 (regular rate). Public meetings (1.5 hours) are open to all, no pre-registration required. Gold coin entry plus an offering will be taken.

For event details and to register for mini-seminars, go to willowcreek.org.nz/events/which-god-understanding-islam

Uniform SalesUniform as new, made by Salvation Army tailor, size 16-18, $300. Blouses as new: one size 14, the other size 18. Both do up at the neck—$40 each. Lady Collins jacket, as new, size XL $100. e: bev_clark@xtra.co.nz, or p: (06) 326 9250, 027 480 6757.

The most important part of a leader’s life is the part nobody sees. What lies beneath the surface really counts. Tim Hawkins

LIKE USfacebook.com/salvationarmyNZFijiTonga

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER@salvationarmynz

Watch your small beginnings grow into something great for God.

Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer enjoyed surfing at Torquay near the famous Bell’s Beach in Victoria, Australia. They started making surfboards in their garage and came up with what they thought was a great brand name: Rip Curl. Today, Rip Curl is estimated to be worth half a billion dollars. In the same town, Alan Green and John Law were tired of wearing the uncomfortable surfing shorts sold in shops and decided to make their own. Quicksilver is now the world’s biggest surf-wear brand, estimated to be worth over $1.5 billion!

I love stories of nobodies becoming somebodies, of garage industries growing into corporate giants, of young Davids crushing fearsome Goliaths. I think Jesus understood the inherent potential for small things to punch above their weight. He said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants and becomes a tree, so that birds of the air come and perch in its branches’ (Matthew 13:31-32). Let me suggest three things we can learn about what a ‘mustard seed’ looks like today:

1. Every great work for God has a small beginning. As a young man, Salvation Army founder William Booth got down on his knees and dedicated his life to the Lord, saying: ‘God shall have all there is of William Booth.’ From that small beginning, 150 years ago, The Salvation Army has grown to 1.5 million members and is now ministering in 126 countries.

2. Every great work of God continues through small but significant acts of service. Think what life at your corps or community centre would be like if someone didn’t vacuum the carpet, pack the food parcels, shake your hand at the door, visit the sick and lonely, attend the prayer meeting, teach in Sunday school, or email that simple note of encouragement.

3. Every Great work of God requires just a small amount of faith. ‘I tell you the truth that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move,’ said Jesus (Matthew 17:20-21). George Buttrick writes, ‘Jesus’ parable of the seed rebuts our cult of bigness, of huge cities and mighty explosions; actually our human life is a series of breaths a sequence of steps and a frail chain of words. But the Kingdom of God has grown by faith from its small beginnings to spread God’s love and grace around the globe and see billions of people saved.’

How small was that seed? A baby born in a harsh world, a teacher on a hillside, a condemned man slain on a shameful cross, an empty grave, 11 men heading into a vast mission field. How could such a seed ever come to harvest? I encourage you to exercise faith in a mighty God and watch your small beginnings grow into something great for God!

Lieut-Colonel Rod CareyTerritorial Secretary for Programme

LEADERSHIP LINKS Building Healthy CorpsTips from the latest newsletter of the Corps Growth and Development Department at Territorial Headquarters

SPECIAL SUNDAYS

In his book Pull: Making Your Church Magnetic, Bob Franquiz suggests that one mistake many church leaders make is to try to hype up every Sunday. Instead, he suggests churches create momentum by focusing on a few special Sundays that the congregation invites friends to. Mother’s Day is such a service, especially because few husbands or children will say no when asked by Mum to come with her to church on Mother’s Day.

There are lots of potential special Sundays: Easter, Christmas, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, Volunteers Day, or even a Once in a Blue Moon Sunday. Just remember to make sure that you also have in place your ‘next step’, like the start of a relevant sermon series, a social event, or an Alpha or parenting course.

KEEP YOUR LEADERS

How do you ensure you have a great pool of leaders? The answer is pretty simple: keep and develop the ones you’ve got, and recruit and develop new ones. In practice, it’s more difficult! Here are three ideas to help:

1. Set standards high. Encourage your leaders to develop a plan for the year. Use this to clarify expectations and standards, but then let them get on with it.

2. Meet with them one-on-one at least monthly. Communication in leadership is critical, so each of your key leaders needs uninterrupted time with you. As a rough guide, plan for them to do 75% of the talking in these meetings.

3. Help them learn. One of the best ways to encourage growth is to model it. Discuss what you’re learning at the moment, recommend books, take them with you to training seminars, tell them about your favourite podcasts, read a chapter of a book and then talk about it together, meet as a team and have a designated leader share something they’ve learnt … do anything to show that ongoing growth is important.

For more info and great resources, e: tsmp@nzf.salvationarmy.org

No matter how brilliant Sunday’s message was … Monday we start with a blank page again. I used to hate that feeling. Now I love it. The work of writing sermons is part art, part science, all joy. To be able to speak into the lives of people who trust us to feed them God’s Word is an honour. Never take it lightly.

Bob Franquiz

18 | WarCry 02 May 2015

BY ROBIN RAYMOND

Rebuild Work Extends to Driver MentoringA Salvation Army course training people to work in the Canterbury rebuild has led to a programme mentoring young drivers.

The Salvation Army Education and Employment programme ‘U Build 4 the Rebuild’ has been running since June 2012, funded by money set aside from The Salvation Army Canterbury Earthquake Appeal to support the Canterbury Rebuild.

UBuild has trained more than 200 people to work in civil infrastructure such as water, roading and sewer repairs, and building and painting.

Project manager Robyn Laurenson said UBuild was also invited to host the NZTA-approved Community Drive and Mentoring programme—training and providing mentors who spend 12 weeks with a young person aged 16-24, helping them get their restricted driver licence.

U Build was invited to host the course while helping civil infrastructure course trainees get their full driver licence. A full licence is a requirement for the ‘wheels, tracks and rollers’ licence, enabling workers to legally drive construction equipment.

When they began offering the course, they also approached the Public Defence Service about offering the course to young people who were before the court with repeated driving fines.

A classic case was Paul*, who lost his learner licence last year and was then caught driving while disqualified. Course coordinator Keran Tsering attended court to support Paul, and the Police agreed to defer the charges if he completed the mentoring course.

The hope is that the course would keep other young people like Paul from further criminal convictions, helping them break old habits and setting them up for a better future.

Karen first visited U Build to support her Tibetan husband and another Tibetan man complete one of its courses despite their limited English. When it came to finding someone to run the Community Driver Mentoring programme, Keran was top of the list and had been ‘an awesome fit’, Robyn says. ‘She’s been brilliant. She is achieving a 98 per cent pass rate first time. The national average is 55 per cent.’

Spending 12 weeks with a young person is a great opportunity to support them with more than just driving, Robyn explains. ‘The young girl I mentor lives with her mother, who suffers from mental illness. I have been able to support her to get in touch with the mental health foundation. After years of feeling like she has been dealing with this on her own she has a family support person who listens and supports her.’

The transformations seen from Community Driver Mentoring matched changes seen in trainees on other U Build courses, and working with them was a privilege, Robyn said.

U Build courses are intensive six-week courses, with tutors covering a ‘ready-to-work’ component, technical skills and qualifications, site safe and first aid. Courses have seven or eight trainees on average. From the 140 graduates on the civil infrastructure course, U Build has seen about 80 per cent success in trainees gaining employment.

Its tutors work with trainees on interview skills, CV writing and job searching. Robyn also aims to include a weekly one-on-one session with each trainee, talking about their challenges and barriers into work, along with any issues they might be having in their personal lives. Trainees also develop life skills through weekly group lunches, where teams cook lunch for everyone (making something they can cook the night before and take to work) and working out how much it costs per head.

Robyn reminds trainees that their course is paid for by generous donations to The Salvation Army Canterbury Earthquake Fund, emphasising the hope that they would find jobs within Christchurch. She says their trainees have made a real difference to the rebuild.

Initially, Robyn thought U Build courses would attract younger people. In fact, most of their trainees have been over 35, with many hoping to gain their first qualifications and a fresh start and a new career.

One trainee ended up homeless, but with the support of the course and other agencies she was able to get back into a home and work, Robyn said.

‘We’ve had people with criminal histories—a big part of this is coaching them how to talk to employers about their histories. We had an ex-gang member with a full face moko who was very well spoken on the phone, but when employers saw him they wouldn’t employ him. On Christmas Day I got a text from him saying, “Thank you for believing in me.” It’s this transformational stuff that the Sallies do so well.’ * not his real name

It’s this transformational stuff that the Sallies do so well.

Khinayer McElwain and Keran Tsering

Mission Matters | 19

EASTER CAMPS 2015

Once again, the Midland and Northern Salvation Army youth teams had the privilege of getting together with over 4500 others at Mystery Creek for Easter Camp. Combined with great weather, music festival type atmosphere, and a large number of people wanting to have fun, everyone had a great time!

The theme of the camp this year was ‘Kingdom’—exploring how we can bring God’s influence into our own lives, and how that can positively affect the world around us. Talking with some of our youth over the weekend, I got the impression they really loved the event and wished that they could have stayed there forever.

The biggest highlights for people seemed to be making new friends, hearing the awesome things that the guest speakers had to say about God, and worshipping in a big group. The best speaker would have to have been a local Pacific Island girl from Auckland named Esther Elliott. She did an exceptional job of connecting with everyone, and her catch cry of ‘Shameless Persistence’ could be heard quoted for the rest of the weekend. Esther recalled a time when she was at a similar camp as a teenager, but had become disillusioned with the ineffective version of Jesus she had only ever known or heard about. Things weren’t going so well in her life and she wanted to connect with the ‘real’ Jesus so that her life might change for the better.

Esther related a sentence from the Bible that indicated if we were really serious about doing this, we should seek out Jesus with

everything we have, not worrying about what others might think—we should seek Jesus with ‘shameless persistence’. That really connected with a lot of our people, and some great connections with Jesus followed out of this.

Other highlights over the weekend were Sally teams doing well in the sporting events (touch rugby and netball), and two of our young guys making it as finalists in the Talent Quest. They named their act ‘Two Single

Guys’, but made such an impression on some of the female members of the crowd, that by the end of the weekend they had to change their act’s name.

I’d have to say that we (the Divisional Youth

Secretaries) were very impressed by

the level of leadership and behaviour shown

by our people at camp. That included our ‘camp

parents’ who did such a great job, showing servant

leadership at its best, and the Easter Camp workers who

ran the camp so well. One of our Auckland groups was the only one to

get praise from the camp organisers for doing their duties so well.

We were blessed to have Territorial Youth Secretary Major Jo Wardle from Wellington and Captain Lachlan Marshall from Northern DHQ support us over the entire weekend. Many corps and DHQ officers also visited on the Saturday. Thanks team for doing this—it showed a real valuing and connection to the rest of the Salvation Army church family!

Well done to everyone who made Easter Camp a success for Midland and Northern this year. We’re praying that the connections and experiences made over camp are built upon for the rest of the year.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NORTHERN AND MIDLAND EASTER CAMPby Captain Ralph Hargest

We should seek out Jesus with everything we

have, not worrying about what others

might think—we should seek Jesus

with ‘shameless persistence’

02 MAY 2015 | 21FIREZONE.CO.NZ

A mechanical bull, human foosball, ride-on lawnmowers, airsoft shooting, and a bouncy slide—all these things kick-started Central Easter Camp on a carnival-styled Friday afternoon, providing a platform for an awesome weekend!

The first session opened with great music, terrible ’80s outfits, and a couple of challenges. With a few hundred raw eggs to use over the weekend, it seemed the most appropriate way to introduce our speakers, Andrew and Kim McKerrow, was a classic game of egg roulette. After a noble defeat, and with raw egg still in his hair, Andrew delivered a powerful message, encouraging us to give God more space to move in our lives.

Mornings started with an optional prayer meeting that gave us an opportunity to spend time praying and seeking Jesus together. A massive thank you to Rosy Keane, who created an incredible space for us to come and encounter God!

Saturday morning began with my fellow MC, Niven Patel, demonstrating his ‘interesting’ ability to boil eggs without them being removed from the carton. This resulted in only one raw egg, and a failed attempt at round two of egg roulette. One would imagine that from this point things could only go ‘up’; however, we then had to witness what has gotta be classed as the most awkward (and yet strangely impressive) ‘moo off’ in history.

Thankfully, the morning improved. With a recap of the night before and another message from Andrew, we were challenged to think about where we stood on the ‘bridge’

that Christ’s sacrifice made to restore humankind to God. We then spent time in our corps (church) groups, discussing where we see ourselves in our spiritual journey and how we would like to move forwards—using the bridge as our analogy. This was an honest time of sharing that was really valued.

Throughout Easter Camp we had heaps of games and challenges. Thanks to the creative mind of Karl Millington, Saturday was a mess of creamy corn, water balloons and, of course, more eggs, as we saw ‘chunky

monkeys’ attempting to retrieve a cone from the opposing team’s fortress to claim victory!

Saturday and Sunday night sessions both started with awesome music that set an atmosphere of praise and

worship—big ups to Kris Singh and his

team for their efforts in creating this space!

These sessions hit us all in a powerful way as

Kim McKerrow shared her testimony with us over both

nights.

Kim’s message of her journey with God was raw and honest,

moving many of us to consider the place we give God in our lives. The Holy

Spirit was present at our camp, changing lives as people continued responding and giving God room to move.

Monday morning closed the camp with space for testimonies from campers to share how God had moved in their lives or spoken to them over the weekend. The testimony time was a confirmation of how powerful our God is and the amazing ways in which he works.

Central Easter Camp was a great weekend full of eggs, mess, games and laughs. But above all else, it was a weekend of celebrating Jesus: his sacrifice and his presence in our lives. What a weekend!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The testimony time was a confirmation

of how powerful our God is and

the amazing ways in which

he works.

CENTRAL DIVISION EASTER CAMPBy Jesse Foreman

EASTER CAMPS 2015 | 22

Easter weekend is always a time of reflection and thanksgiving for what our Saviour did for us by dying on the cross.

In Christchurch, just over 2500 young people (and others who were young at heart) spent the weekend without rain (thank you, Jesus!) socialising, eating toasties, sleeping in tents, listening to the Word of God, and worshipping and raving in the groove tent, just to name a few activities. But most of all, we spent five days in the presence of God with other Christians and people who were open to what God wanted to do in their lives!

We heard from a range of speakers, some local and some from further abroad. They challenged us with the fact that God can and will use all people no matter how low or useless we feel. They helped us to identify things in our lives that we didn’t want and told us how we could deal with those scars—whether they were scars that were just on the surface, or scars that went much deeper.

We were then challenged to dig deeper into the Word of God and to read through Matthew this month. As I read through

Matthew I am excited by the amazing things Jesus did in his time here on Earth, and I’m reminded that God has called us to be his

ambassadors to the people around us.

Are we willing to take up this challenge?

Throughout the weekend there were

several opportunities to respond to what God was

saying to us, with young people giving their lives to

Christ for the very first time and others wanting to recommit. This is

an exciting time! God is calling us to raise up an army that is on fire for God.

The challenge now is to transfer the Easter Camp hype and excitement into our everyday lives

and into our different churches.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SOUTHERN DIVISION EASTER CAMPby Megan Pattinson

We spent five days in the presence of

God with other Christians and

people who were open to

what God wanted to do in their lives!

firezone.co.nz Coming events Cool articles and blogsTraining opportunities Heaps of resources

Win stuff!

Fun4Kids | 23

read itEvery day, blind Bartimaeus sat by the side of the road begging for money. One day Bartimaeus heard the sound of lots of feet and many people talking. He called out,

‘What is happening? Why are there many people around?’ ‘Jesus is here,’ someone told him. Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus and knew that Jesus could do miracles. He leapt up and shouted, ‘Jesus! Jesus! Please help me!’

The people tried to get him to be quiet, but Bartimaeus just yelled even louder.

‘What do you want me to do?’ Jesus asked Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus answered, ‘I want to be able to see.’ Jesus answered, ‘Bartimaeus, because you trust me, you will see.’

Bartimaeus looked around and he could see people, the sky and the trees. He was no longer blind—he could see! He followed Jesus, saying thank you and praising God.

When we need help, we can ask: we can ask our parents, our teachers at school, our friends. We can ask people at church. And, like Bartimaeus in the Bible, we can ask Jesus for help too.

Let’s PrayJesus, thank you that when I need your help I can pray to you and you will hear my prayer. Help me to see you at work in the world every day. Amen.

hi, i’m junior. can you find which

animal doesn’t have a pair?

Match the halves

The world’s most common eye

colour is brown.

Owls are the only bird that see the

colour blue.

You blink more when you talk

It’s impossible to sneeze with your

eyes open.

Most hamsters only blink one eye at a time.

Our eyes are made up of over 200 million

working parts.

Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

Dogs can’t distinguish between

red and green.

A worm has no eyes at all.

crack the code

Isaiah 55:6, CEV

a=a b=b c=c d=d e=e f=f g=g h=h i=i j=j k=k l=l m=m n=n o=o p=p q=q r=r s=s t=t u=u v=v w=w x=x y=y z=z

turn to the lord! he

can still be found. call

out to god! he is near.

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Txt RED to 4411 and we’ll call you back (standard charges apply)

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