THE SALVATION ARMY10 W. Algonquin RoadDes Plaines, Illinois 60016

Moving? Send the attached label with your correction to:Circulation Manager, 10 W. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, Illinois 60016

Volume 41, Number 12 December 2011

Continued on page 6

The Salvation Army / USA Central Territory

News and Views from the Midwest

“We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.” Eph. 4:3,4 (NLT)

by Karen Young

Informative.” “Formative.”“Transformational.” This is howdelegates described ONE, theTerritorial Multicultural

Ministries Conference this fall ledby Major Mary Hammerly.It started Friday evening with the

praise and worship team from St.Charles, Ill., and the TSA MadisonSt. Mark DeYmaz, founding pastorof the Mosaic Church in CentralArkansas, walked us through a bib-lical model of the multiethnicchurch in contrast to the homoge-neous unit principle. CitingRevelation 2:4-5,Mark main-tained thatthe warningto return tothe love of thefirst church was notprimarily about lovefor Christ but love foreach other—a diversecommunity of individuals living,working and worshiping together.Through teaching, preaching, and

humor, the Rev. Efrem Smith builtupon the need for a new vision in

order to advance theKingdom of God. Hesaid each person haschallenges to workthrough and baggage to

be liberated fromto become effec-tive in this multi-cultural, multieth-nic ministry.

“God is killing me softly withHis love,” said Efrem. “Wemust die daily in order to livefully for Christ.”Conversations between dele-gates and guest presenterswere frequent during meals,book signings, and workshops.

Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang,co-authors ofWelcoming theStranger, led a workshop on a bibli-cal response to immigration. Dana

Abundantly, immeasurablymore through ONE

the points of connection? Theanswer becomes clear when welook at two groups that played acentral role in the first Christmas—the wise men and the shepherds.The two groups have often beencontrasted, emphasizing the differ-ences of occupation, religious back-ground and learning. However,what they have in common may bewhat relates to us now.Both groups were men of reflec-

tion, the wise men studying theheavens, looking for signs; theshepherds with their long eveninghours thinking of their occupiedhomeland and wondering when thepromised Messiah would come.Surely there was an expectationthat something would happen, musthappen, to bring peace to the

world. Wouldsuch reflectiongive birth tohope? I think so.Both groups

experienced adivine interven-tion—a revela-tion. The shep-herds were visit-ed by an angelichost announcingthe birth of the Savior of the world.The wise men saw a star whichbecame their guiding light to leadthem to the Christ child. These twogroups of very different menresponded to the supernaturalevents and moved out of their com-fort zones. Both shepherds and wisemen took the divine signs seriously.

For Such a Time as ThisAn action of faithwas needed andthey took it.God never dis-

appoints. Forboth groups, therealization wasall that God hadpromised. TheSavior King wasborn. And

by General Linda Bond

How relevant is theChristmas story for the21st century? It is cele-brated every year with

carols, trees, glitter, lights and gifts,but is the coming of Jesus into theworld of any significance for such atime as this? More than two thou-sand years separate us. Where are

Continued on page 8

Photosby

RickVogeney

“

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by Lt. Colonel Jeffrey SmithTerritorial Secretary for Personnel

Somewhere there must be acompetition for the best jobin the world. If so, I wouldlike to submit Salvation

Army corps officer for considera-tion. I think it would win easily,especially if the judging happensaround Christmastime. (I am proba-bly about to lose officer readers atthis point. They are thinking, “He’sbeen out of the corps so long hecan’t remember how busyDecember is.” Relax and read on!)Officers are blessed to stand at

the critical junction between gener-ous donors and people with real

What could be better than beingthe object of so much public good-will? Good thoughts and gratitudefor the service of others directedtoward me always made me moreproud than usual to wear the uni-form.Besides all of the donors’ good-

will, we also hear the voices andsee the faces of people in need whoare grateful to be remembered andhelped. Giving out toys and foodbaskets, visiting the elderly in nurs-ing homes, holding parties for chil-dren, working with volunteers onThanksgiving or Christmas Day

dinners for the homeless or lonely.Each would be enough to keep aperson encouraged and blessed, andcorps officers tend to be there forall of them.If that weren’t enough, corps offi-

cers get to stand in the pulpit eachSunday and proclaim the best possi-ble news during a season whenpeople are more apt to listen: ASavior has been born. He is JesusChrist, our Lord!Add in children’s musicals, live

manger scenes, and Christmas car-oling and consider corps officers doit all not only because they want tobut because it’s their job, surely thebest job in the world!“As for the rest of you, dear

brothers and sisters, never gettired of doing good.”(2 Thessalonians 3:13, NLT)

The best job in the world

needs. This intersection is nevermore apparent than duringDecember. Literally every day dur-ing the month we come face-to-facewith people who like our work anddemonstrate their trust in us by giv-ing us money. Many times I havebeen handed cash, usually with astory of some Salvation Army work-er who reached out to them or afamily member at a crucial momentin their lives. The fact that theyhave repaid the cost of that servicehundreds of times is simply notimportant to them. They just wantto help.

by A/Captain Dana Cook

Every Christmas TheSalvation Army in St.Joseph, Mo., receives avisit from a very special

guest: Mrs. Claus.Marjory (Cox) Smith was brought

to The Salvation Army by her par-ents, Lloyd and Mabel Cox, at thetender age of six-weeks-old.Marjory became involved in thecorps as a child, and more so as ayoung adult and young mother. Sheproved a natural leader, and eventu-ally she began working for theKansas City Westport Temple, Mo.,Corps planning and implementingsenior programs twice a week thatincluded a hot meal.In 1975 Marjory borrowed a Mrs.

Claus costume from her goodfriend, Betty House, and Mrs. Clauscame to be a regular guest forChristmas parties and a vital part ofbringing cheer to residents in com-munity care visits for the corps.Since relocating to a senior living

community in the St. Joseph, Mo.,area in 2004, she’s been a faithfulwitness and prays for those in herbuilding. As Mrs. Claus she contin-ues to bring Christmas joy to othersthrough community care visits forthe corps and is a regular guest atthe annual community Christmasdinner for 300 seniors and special

needs adults.I asked Marjory why she contin-

ues to bring Mrs. Claus alive everyyear. She responded, “’Cause I lovethe Lord, and I want to do whatpleases Him.”

Editor’s note: Marjory is MajorCharles Smith’s mother.

Applause for Mrs. Claus

CentralConnectionTHE SALVATION ARMY10 W. Algonquin Road • Des Plaines, Illinois 60016847-294-2000WILLIAM BOOTHFounder

LINDA BONDGeneral

COMMISSIONER PAUL R. SEILERTerritorial CommanderMAJOR JOHN WILKINSCommunity Relations and Development SecretaryELIZABETH KINZIEEditorial DirectorANNE URBANEditor/WriterJACQUELYN BENTSONCommunications SpecialistFERN CALDWELLCirculation ManagerKENNETH ROMINGraphic Design and Production

VISIT OUR WEBSITE—www.usc.salvationarmy.org1-800-SALARMY

Re:Generation 2012Territorial

Young AdultConference

(ages 18-29)

February 17-19, 2012Camp Wonderlandwww.saregeneration.com

Marjory Smith, aka Mrs. Claus, with herformer corps officer Major Ron Lemirand.

During the Christmas sea-son an elderly gentlemantoils day and night mak-ing toys for children who

might not otherwise receive any-thing under the tree on Christmasmorning. If you’re thinking he’sSanta Claus, well, guess again.Ninety-one-year-old Sidney

Johnson of the Fremont, Neb.,Corps makes about 200 woodentoys each year to donate to thecorps’ toy shop. His record yearwas 300 toys!

“When he was at home we limit-ed him to one a day otherwise hewould stay up until all hours of thenight getting each toy done,” saidhis son, Randy. “He feels badly tothink any child has to go withouttoys for Christmas.”Growing up on a dairy farm near

Grantsburg, Wis., in the 1930s,Sidney received few presents onChristmas morning.“Many years he was lucky to

receive an orange and a pair ofgloves,” shared another son, Bruce.

When Sidneybecame a parent,he saw to it thatall five of his boys,and his wife, neverexperienced thehardships ofpoverty.Of course, his

generosity didn’tend with his ownchildren. As theygrew older, and hehad more time,making and donat-ing toys became awonderful way togive even morechildren a happyChristmas.

Carving out Christmas

This winter TheSalvation Army inIndianapolis, Ind.,is celebrating 25

years of local WTHR-13NBC meteorologist BobGregory’s Coats for Kids,the broadcast affiliate’slongest running communityservice campaign. With theIndiana poverty rate over16 percent, this program ismore crucial than ever inkeeping kids in the Hoosierstate safe from the ele-ments. This year nearly 10,000coats were distributed.Each fall Channel 13, Tuchman

Cleaners and The Salvation Armycollect new or gently-used coats from LaborDay throughOctober. Communitymembers donate wintercoats of all sizes—fromcoats for babies toteens—at the 24Tuchman Cleaners loca-tions throughout theGreater Indianapolisarea. In addition, newcoats could be pur-chased online at thedivision’s website.

This year the Indianapolis Coltsheld a special Coats for Kids collec-tion at the main gates of the LucasOil Stadium before they took on thePittsburgh Steelers. Despite intrepid

weather, WTHRpersonalities andvolunteers fromTuchman Cleanersand The SalvationArmy were on handto accept coats andcash donations fromColts fans.The distribution

took place the lastSaturday in Octoberat the MarshAgriculturalBuilding at theIndiana StateFairgrounds.Leftover coats were

distributed to area schoolsand other agencies.Indianapolis’ Coats for Kids

is a great example of how oneperson can make a difference.Jim Dunn, retired CEO ofTuchman Cleaners, came upwith the concept and askedWTHR to help promote it,with Bob Gregory as the faceof the program, and TheSalvation Army to handle thelogistics. Over the last 25years about 150,000 coatshave been given to childrenin need.

Christmas cheer delivered Elvis lives (and rings)!

25 years of warmth!

Inspired through song

Clad in a sparkling-whitejumpsuit with slicked-back hair and trademarksunglasses perched over a

half-snarled lip, it looked like “Elvishad left the building” to ring bellsfor The Salvation Army! Moving toElvis Presley classics at the kettlestand, Jeff Johnson enjoys “tak-ing care of business”(Presley’s motto) for theArmy in Detroit.A member of

the EasternMichiganDivision’splannedgivingboard, Jeffbegan bell-ringing threeyears ago. Afterbrainstorming ideasfor how to raise moremoney, Jeff decided toring on Christmas Eve asElvis from his “later years” ina costume complete with pillow!“The Elvis-look draws people in,

and they have fun with the interac-tion. People weren’t just donatingchange in their pockets; they gave$5, $10 and $20 bills,” said Jeff.“The amount of giving was amaz-ing.”People brought him hot choco-late, candy and even glovesto keep warm. But whatimpacted Jeff the mostwas the giving spiritof young people.“It’s incredibleseeing thewillingnessyoung peo-ple have to

give. It’s a dif-ferent perspective

when you’re ringingthe bell. I even found

teenagers didn’t hesitate togive, even though their

resources might have been limit-ed,” he added.This year Jeff hopes to shake up

even more donations for TheSalvation Army as “The King!”

Anew tradition has takenroot at the Omaha, Neb.,Adult RehabilitationCenter (ARC) for the

Christmas season, reported MajorsLarry and Judy McPherson, ARCadministrators.Omaha’s historic Christ

Community Church has partneredwith the ARC in spearheading anannual donation drive at the large,prominent church and presentinga gala Christmas concert forARC beneficiaries.The church’s 60-voice

strong choir presentsChristmas favoritesand timeless songsof faith, whichinspire rever-ence andawe in theaudi-ence,

reported Larry. And, the donationdrive for the ARC completely fills alarge Salvation Army truck.“The choir’s performance was

unparalleled in talent and richness,”Larry continued. “We look forwardto partnering again with this talent-ed and entrepreneurial church.”Christ Community Church was

founded in 1921 by Dr. R.R. Brownof the Christian and MissionaryAlliance. In 1923 he began broad-casting the renowned “RadioChapel Service,” which amasseda weekly national audience ofmillions and became theworld’s longest, contin-uous radio programon any one stationfor almost 75years.

by Amanda Waters

While most of us cele-brate the joyous sea-son of Christmaswith parties, family,

food and fun, many of our elderlyfriends and neighbors spend theseason alone, lonely and depressed.The first Sunday of each

December, The Salvation Army inKansas City reaches out to spreadthe love of God and holiday cheerto nearly 1,000 homebound, elderlyand disabled people in an annualevent known as “Shut-in Sunday.”“We are trying to reach people

who are unable to leave theirhomes, for whatever reason,” saidMajor Phyllis Blinks, Kansas andWestern Missouri divisional com-

munity care secretary. “Our volun-teers bring each person a Christmasgift, check on their welfare and letthem know someone cares aboutthem. For many of them, it’s theonly visit they’ll receive during theentire holiday season.”Each volunteer makes several

stops during the day, spending timeto pray and talk with each person.Every recipient receives a smallgift, such as a pair of comfortableslippers or a warm blanket and cansign up to have Christmas dinnerdelivered to them.Many volunteers have come back

year after year to assist with thisproject. “I look forward to thisevery year,” said Martin Vargas. “Ibring my grandchildren with meand make it a family volunteer day.It’s so heartwarming to see thefaces of those we visit, how happyit makes them. And it’s a great les-son for my grandkids, to help peo-ple less fortunate than them.”

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“May I pray with you today?”That’s when the miracles startedto happen.

The first was a woman who’dbeen in the hospital the daybefore having surgery on herspine. Though she really shouldnot have been out of bed, letalone driving, there she stoodsmiling through the pain andasking for prayer. She’d beeninjured at work and had neededa fusion of two vertebrae in herneck. When the volunteersasked what she was doing at ToyTown, she said, “My kids needto know the joy of Christmasthis year.” She’d always workedand provided a blessedChristmas for her children, butthe accident had changed every-thing.

“I want to thank God for asuccessful surgery, a great fami-ly and continued blessings,” shesaid. “I want to pray for you,

too.” She continued, “I wantto pray that God will helpyou. I know that you are inpain. I see it in your eyes.”

She was right, the volun-teer was struggling to staypositive due to her own back

pain. She tookthe volunteer’shands andprayed earnestlyfor God’s healing.She prayed for theblessing of a pain-freeChristmas Day andthen finished by askingfor a blessing on thevolunteer’s family.

Toys were piled high ontables. Stuffed animalswaited anxiously to beadopted. Ornaments,tinsel and garland

twinkled, expressing the excite-ment of the season. It was thesetting for miracles.

Volunteers, adorned inChristmas sweaters andsparkling Santa hats, smiled andlaughed as they escorted shop-pers from table to table to pickout toys for their children. Thelast table was labeled “PrayerChapel.” It sat in front of a roomcreated from broken down card-board boxes covered in festivewrapping paper.

Its purpose was simple: offer aprayer with and for visitors toToy Town. No one was askedtheir denominational back-ground, religious preference, oreven if they believed in a lovingGod. A simple offer was made,

“I was here to pray for you,”whispered the volunteer, wipingtears from her eyes.

“But I was here to pray foryou,” said the woman, endingtheir time together with a warmhug and a friendly, “MerryChristmas!”

Miracles at ToyTownEach holiday season The Salvation Army in St. Louis transforms an empty store into a wonderlandcalled Toy Town and helps families in need celebrate Christmas. In addition to toys and food, they’re offeredthe gift of prayer. Here Major Kris Wood shares his observations last year from the prayer chapel.

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ed, “I don’t know whatto say, but God knows.He cares. He lovesyou.” She held thewoman in a warmembrace and prayedfor comfort andpeace….

“You don’t know howmuch you’ve helped,just letting me cry. Ihave to be so strong foreveryone,” said thewoman. They spentanother 20 minutespraying and talkingtogether.

Next was a manwho’d just endured histhird surgery after anaccident. He was walk-ing with a cane, a limpholding back his rightleg and a sling on his arm. He wastall with a strong face and proudeyes. “Before you say anything,” he

declared, “I’m here topray a prayer of thanksfor my girls.”

“Your girls? What’shappening with yourgirls?” asked a volun-teer.

A huge smile spreadacross his face. “Theyare good! They havebeen through so muchwith my surgeries and

have been my caretakers, mynurses and friends, and mostof all they have prayed meback to health.”

“You sound blessed,” thevolunteer responded. “I amblessed,” he boomed back.“My girls are my wife and mytwins. Did I tell you theybelieve in the power of prayer?”“Yes, you did. That is so won-derful,” encouraged the volun-teer. “I got me two teenagedgirls who go to church, readtheir Bibles and pray with somekinda power!” he said evenlouder.

On and on the stories andprayers went from sorrow topraise, from pain to joy. Godtransformed that empty storeand pieces of old refrigeratorboxes taped together intoholy ground. Lives werechanged; miracles tookplace.

One of the greatest wasnear the end of the secondday. A woman arrivedwithout an appointment,not quite sure why she’dcome. She wandered overto the prayer chapel andasked for help. After pick-ing out toys for her chil-dren with a volunteer, shesaid, “If anyone needsprayer, it’s me!” She sharedher story.

She and her four chil-dren were living in a housewithout heat, gas or elec-

tricity and with only one work-ing toilet. All the rest of thepipes in the house had frozen.Though she worked fulltime,this mother had to choosebetween heat and medicine forher two-year-old.

The volunteer stopped hermid-sentence, “We can help youget your heat turned back on!”she exclaimed. “How?” thewoman asked. “We’re TheSalvation Army. That’s what wedo!”

Soon a social service casework-er began making telephone calls.Fifteen minutes later the womanran across Toy Town. “You didit! You got my heat back on. Mybabies won’t have to sleep withme in my bed tonight. Mybabies won’t freeze!” she said.

The mother had walked intoToy Town not knowing why shewas there, wondering if some-one could possibly help her. Sheleft with food, toys, heat andmuch more. She left with the joyof Christmas in her heart.

Editor's note: Representative toy shopphotos courtesy of the NorthernDivision (by Craig Dirkes) and theMidland Division.

Almost immediately, anotherwoman sat down dejectedly. “Idon’t think I can do this any-more,” she said. A volunteerasked, “What can’t you do any-more?”

“I can’t keep pretending,” shespurted out as tears cascadeddown her face. “Pray that I canhandle the funeral, the family,Christmas.”

“I’m so sorry,” the volunteersaid. “Did you have a death inyour family?”

The woman sobbed. After sev-eral minutes she said, “Theykilled my brother in my car twodays ago. He was a simple boy,just going to the store to get mesome things for supper. Theyrobbed him, and all he had wasthe $5 I gave him. They killedhim for my $5.”

The volunteer, her own tearsfalling uncontrollably, respond-

Continued from page 1

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Multicultural Conference

Baker, multicultural ministriesdirector of Grace Chapel in Boston,spoke on ways to “listen” and toinclude diverse voices in thechurch’s ministries. Brothers,Marcos and Sergio Gomez led a dis-cussion on multicultural worship.Robyn Afrik talked about ministrywith this multicultural generationof youth. And Pastor Naeem Fazalspoke about ways to effectivelyengage Muslims with the gospel.Saturday evening featured dinner,

worship and celebration around thetheme “EveryOne has a Story” withpresentations through art, dance,music and story-telling. Naeem,born andraised as aMuslim inKuwait, told ofa supernaturalexperiencewith Christthat changedhis life. Robyn

shared througha beautifulpatchwork ofstory and poetryher journeyfrom being aKorean adopteeto discovering afuller identity ofherself andhelping her chil-dren to formhealthy multi-ethnic identities.The confer-ence culminated

Sundaywith

music by the MayfairPraise Team, cadets fromthe College for OfficerTraining, and a presenta-tion by Captain StephenNa, corps officer of theHouston InternationalCorps, affirming the min-istry of many different eth-nic groups serving and wor-shiping together.Territorial Secretary for Personnel

Lt. Colonel Jeff Smith’s messageboth challenged and encourageddelegates to dedicate themselveswholeheartedly to God and trust

by Kirsten Gorton

More than 160 peoplefrom the territory gath-ered at the GrandRapids, Mich., Ray and

Joan Kroc Corps CommunityCenter for the Mission and PurposeConference.Speakers, primarily featuring sol-

diers, gave a variety of perspectiveson the Army. They included JohnKim (Chicago Mayfair CommunityChurch), Jason and Kelly Pope(Eastern Territory), ShawnOkpebholo (Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.,Corps) and Commissioner CarolSeiler, territorial president ofwomen’s ministries. Each meetingalso included worship led by theterritorial praise band, The SingingCompany.In the keynote session, John Kim

gave a moving message fromHebrews 12:1-3 about persever-ance. “Whether you’re an officer,

local officer or soldier, the wordthat you need to hear is this: ‘perse-vere,’” said John. “We must perse-vere in the calling placed on ourlives.”Saturday morning featured Jason

and Kelly Pope, who shared theirArmy leadership experience andchallenged delegates with thought-provoking ideas on what it meansto engage in creative Kingdom-building. The morning also includ-ed a handful of workshops explor-

ing topics fromyouth develop-ment to worldmissions.Delegates

spent the after-noon partici-pating in an I’llFight Dayevent. Withthe purpose of

sharing God’s love, they split upinto groups and infiltrated the sur-rounding neighborhood to rakeleaves, give away donuts and hotchocolate, provide quarters at laun-dromats, and visit children from theKroc afterschool program at theirhomes. That evening, delegates tes-tified how God had worked throughthem, and Shawn Okpebholoshared his story of how God ledhim as a child to The SalvationArmy, where he received musiclessons that changed the course ofhis life.

Commissioner Seiler closed theweekend on Sunday morning with aword from Exodus 13:17-14:22.Relating the Israelites’ detour in thewilderness, she encouraged dele-gates to consider how God might berecalculating their plans.“Keep going and you will find

how God is leading you out of thedesert,” the commissioner said,bringing the weekend full circle.

the power ofthe Holy Spiritto accomplishGod’s work inthem.After a rendi-tion of “Jesusis the BestThing” by theARC GospelChoir, oneguest

exclaimed“Awesome!” Many who attendedthe conference agreed. We serve anawesome God, the ONE, who isable to do immeasurably and abun-dantly more than we could ever askor think.

Mission-and-purpose-driven lives

January Prayer Calendar

My Prayer List

Go to www.prayercentralusa.org for prayer updates.

If you follow the prayer calendar in the next year, you will haveread through the Bible!

Day

1 Sunday

2 Monday

3 Tuesday

4Wednesday

5 Thursday

6 Friday

7 Saturday

8 Sunday

9 Monday

10 Tuesday

11Wednesday

12 Thursday

13 Friday

14 Saturday

15 Sunday

16 Monday

17 Tuesday

18Wednesday

19 Thursday

20 Friday

21 Saturday

22 Sunday

23 Monday

24 Tuesday

25Wednesday

26 Thursday

27 Friday

28 Saturday

29 Sunday

30 Monday

31 Tuesday

Bible Reading

Genesis 1-3

Joshua 1-5

Psalms 1-2

Job 1-2

Isaiah 1-6

Matthew 1-2

Romans 1-2

Genesis 4-7

Joshua 6-10

Psalms 3-5

Job 3-4

Isaiah 7-11

Matthew 3-4

Romans 3-4

Genesis 8-11

Joshua 11-15

Psalms 6-8

Job 5-6

Isaiah 12-17

Matthew 5-7

Romans 5-6

Genesis 12-15

Joshua 16-20

Psalms 9-11

Job 7-8

Isaiah 18-22

Matthew 8-10

Romans 7-8

Genesis 16-19

Joshua 21-24

Psalms 12-14

Pray for The Salvation Army

Soldiers in 2012

Mankato, Minn., Corps

Mitchell, S.D., Corps

LaPorte, Ind., Corps

Menasha (Fox Cities), Wis., Corps

Captains Sergey &Tanya Katchanov (Canada)

Romulus, Mich., ARC*

Stewardship Sunday

Mt. Clemens, Mich., Corps

Moline(HeritageTemple),Ill.,Corps

Logansport, Ind., Corps

Northern DHQ**

Manhattan, Kan., Corps

Elgin, Ill., Corps

Cultural Awareness &Reconciliation Sunday

Mattoon, Ill., Corps

Minneapolis (Central),Minn.,Corps

Newton, Iowa, Corps

Ludington, Mich., Corps

Milwaukee (Citadel), Wis., Corps

Grand Rapids (Kroc Center), Mich.

Zimbabwe Territory PIM

St. Louis, Mo., ARC

Owosso (Citadel), Mich., Corps

Muscatine, Iowa, Corps

Madison, Ind., Corps

Olathe, Kan., Corps

Evanston, Ill., Corps

Majors Robert &RaeDoliber (Haiti)

O’Fallon, Mo., Corps

Minneapolis (Parkview),Minn., Corps

* = Adult Rehabilitation Center** = Divisional HeadquartersPIM = Partners in Mission

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Divisional Music Director and Multi-media Specialist—Intermountain DivisionalHeadquarters, Denver, Colo. (USA WesternTerritory). Reporting to the divisional secretary,the divisional music director plans, implementsand coordinates the music and worship artsdepartment and prepares materials for multi-media projects. Fulltime, salaried position withattractive benefit package. Must be active, uni-formed Salvationist. Send letter of introduc-tion, salary requirements and resume tocannon.bundy@usw.salvationarmy.org

Employment Opportunity

NewCommitmentsJuly - September 2011

133 Senior Soldiers

84 Adherents

79 Junior Soldiers

Anew book, Paper Angels,about The SalvationArmy’s Angel Tree pro-gram is being released

just in time for the holidays bypopular country music singer andsongwriter Jimmy Wayne. It’s aprogram near to Wayne’s heartsince he received gifts through itwhen he was a child.Through this compelling novel,

written with Travis Thrasherwho’s been labeled as the“Nicolas Sparks of Christian liter-ature” by Christian Retailingmagazine, Wayne hopes to raiseawareness of the Angel Tree andhow it makes a difference.The plot revolves around Kevin

Morrell, a 43-year-old husband andfather who runs a design and mar-keting firm that’s crashed in thesuffering economy. Attempting tonavigate the busyness of the mall atChristmas, Kevin is humbled whenhe stumbles across The SalvationArmy’s Angel Tree program. Hiswife insists that he take a paperornament. The name on the orna-ment is Thomas Brandt, a 15-year-old still reeling from the implosionof his family. After years of verbalabuse from an alcoholic husband,Thomas’ mother finally leaves, onlyto find herself and her childrenpenniless and struggling. The onlything that allowed her to survive isher faith. Thomas shares that faith,but he also wonders why God hasseemingly abandoned them. It’s astory about a man and a boy oneDecember: a man whose life is

changed by a simple expression ofkindness, and a boy who takes thatexpression of kindness and showsthe true meaning of Christmas.Paper Angels features the Army’s

logo and branding. It can be pur-chased through ResourceConnection (1-800-937-8896 orshop.salvationarmy.org) or yourlocal bookstore or online.You can watch a video of the

song, “Paper Angels.” Just go toGet Connected and we’ll link you!

Paper Angels

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Continued from page 1

Hockey scores at Christmas

Trusting all the way

Major MarieEllsworth is almostas well known forher artistry in yarn

as for the many years of faith-ful service she’s given in theterritorial commander’s officefor nine different commission-ers over 26 of her almost 47years of officership!*Central Territorial

Headquarters was the site ofher retirement service this fallwith Colonels Thomas C. andMary Lewis conducting theceremony. Marie’s sister and broth-er-in-law, Majors Joseph and LoisWheeler, performed vocal duetsand nephews Stephen and AndrewWheeler played a horn duet. NieceSarah DiMaso gave a tribute, as didfriend and co-worker Linda FayeJones, and Norridge Citadel, Ill.,Corps Officer Major Morag Yoder.(Norridge has been Marie’s corpsfor the last decade.)“This is just retirement from

active duty,” said Colonel MaryLewis upon presenting Marie herframed certificate of retirementknowing that she would continueher life of selfless service to others.A native of North Dakota, Marie

was commissioned as a lieutenantin 1966 with the “Defenders of theFaith” session. She served in corpsin Omaha, Neb., and Fargo, N.D.,then spent eight years at the Booth

Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., followedby eight years at the Chicago, Ill.,Booth Hospital. She came to territo-rial headquarters in 1984. For thelast eight years, she’s served in thewomen’s ministries department aswell as in the territorial comman-der’s office.Over the years Marie has cro-

cheted or knitted countless blan-kets, lap robes and scarves for oth-ers. Her fingers fly as she works,rarely needing to look down atwhat she’s doing! Her grandmothertaught her the basics; the rest wasself-taught, which is how Mariealso learned to play the accordionfor open airs and Sunday morningBooth chapels when they didn’thave a pianist!

* The territorial commanders were Nelting,Ditmer, Rightmire, Shoults, Hinson,Moretz, Baillie, Swanson and Seiler.

A life of service

For Such a Time as This

Rich Draegerconducts theceremonialpregame puckdrop.

whether it was kneeling at amanger or giving gifts to the child,shepherds and wise men all sawthe face of God, the face of love inJesus, Savior of the world!This past year has been a time of

unparalleled natural disasters, eco-nomic troubles and politicalupheavals. For such a time as this,reflecting on this world and per-haps even our own needs, therecould be cause for despair. YetChristmas is about hope, as it wastwo thousand years ago. Jesus notonly came, He lived and died forthe world. And he lives today! Thatgives us hope.We may not see a host of angels

this Christmas or a guiding star, but

God will come to each one of us ina discernible way, as He did to theshepherds and the wise men. Wemay choose to conclude that it isjust the annual spirit of Christmasbut it is God making Himselfknown to us. How we react to itwill be a matter of faith, a case ofrising from our watch in the fieldsor following the star, so to speak.And if we do leave our comfortzone to seek the God who seeks us,we will discover that He is real, justas the shepherds and the wise mendid.He is love. We are loved. The

Savior of the world came to earthmany years ago but He also comestoday to us, to you, to me.

A rich heritage celebratedHundreds of Salvationists ofScandinavian descent fromacross the country gathered atthe Rockford Temple, Ill.,Corps for the biennialScandinavian Jubilee. This yearmarked the 125th anniversaryof the beginning of SalvationArmy work by Scandinaviansin the U.S. Special guests forthe weekend were retiredCommissioners Hasse andChristina Kjellgren fromStockholm, Sweden. God’sfaithfulness echoed throughoutthe weekend as participantscelebrated their rich heritagethrough music, testimony,fellowship and God’s Word.Pictured are Eden and RachaelSjogren from the Cedar Rapids,Iowa, Corps.

Connected in 1991 by then-team owner Bruce Saurs,the AAA Peoria Rivermenhockey team supports The

Salvation Army’s Christmas toyshop and coat ministry every yearthrough Peoria’s Tree of LightsCampaign. Bruce, who spearheadedthe first year’s Rivermen and Armycombined activities, was also anhonorary Salvation Army chairmanfor the campaign at the time.“Now, it’s built into their mindset

to help,” reported Rich Draeger,Heartland divisional communityrelations director. “Every year theycall and ask what we need fromthem to help make another success-ful Christmas campaign.”The Rivermen support the Army

in many traditional, and someunique, ways. For the last four

years they’ve encouraged kettlebellringing at the ice arena beforegames, and from the start, they’vehosted an annual Coats for Kidsdonation night where fans are giventhe opportunity to donate a coat inexchange for free tickets. Over theyears they’ve helped the Army col-lect more than 4,500 coats!They also host a Salvation Army

hockey game each Christmas sea-son, including a “Teddy Bear Toss”where fans throw teddy bears onthe ice after the Rivermen scoretheir first goal. “It took us five min-utes to clear the ice of the generousamount of toys last year,” said Rich.The Rivermen also promote

Salvation Army Christmas events.Starting in the middle of November,they encourage contributing toCoats for Kids, red kettles and toyshops in the area. They host a

“puckdrop,” anon-ice thankyou, wherean officer oremployeethankseveryonepubliclywho con-tributed tothe cam-paign.

Major ShirleyEspersenretired inOctober

after 43 years of ser-vice as an officer.Shirley met The

Salvation Army afterhigh school graduationwhen her familymoved from their horseranch/truck farm out-side of Hayward, Wis.,in order for her andher siblings to attendWisconsin StateUniversity at Superior.Ordained and commissioned as

an officer in June 1969 as a mem-ber of “The Evangelists” session,Shirley served 21 years at corps, theCollege for Officer Training andTerritorial Headquarters (THQ) inthe Central Territory; eight years atthe training college and THQ in theCaribbean Territory; and the last 14years in the national chief secre-tary’s office at NationalHeadquarters (NHQ). Fittingly,Commissioner William A. Roberts,national commander, conducted herretirement ceremony at a luncheonat NHQ attended by fellow officers,coworkers and friends.The 30 years she was stationed at

THQs and NHQ allowed her to beinvolved in various ministries at theChicago Belmont/Lakeview, Ill.,Corps, the Kingston Allman Town,Jamaica, Corps and the AlexandriaCitadel, Va., Corps.

Among the privileges she’s espe-cially grateful to have had as anofficer were attending theInternational College for Officers in1983, visiting several islands in theCaribbean while sponsorship direc-tor, and serving as recording secre-tary for the International DoctrineCouncil.Her home in retirement will be

in Waukesha, Wis., where she looksforward to doing short-term missiontrips to the Caribbean Territory, vol-unteering at the local humane soci-ety, and, of course, being involvedin the Waukesha Corps.She says that Proverbs 3:5-6 has

proven to be true throughout herlife, that if you “trust in the Lordwith all your heart and lean not onyour own understanding; [and] inall your ways acknowledge Him,He will make your paths straight.”