Is it OK for guys to cry?

MORE — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:18:00 +1100

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Is it OK for guys to cry?

I recently had the opportunity to speak to an older gentleman at Central Station in Sydney and the conversation steered towards the man sharing how he grew up being told that boys and men should not cry as it is a sign of weakness.

I too can remember such statements being made and am probably guilty of uttering it on more than one occasion. I didn't think much of these statements until recently when I saw a Youtube clip being played on Channel Seven's 'Sunrise' television show. The clip depicted a life story of a young man named Jonah Mowry. I witnessed the tears in his eyes as he shed his emotions of being buillied as a child. Tears flowed down my cheek after watching this.

Does this expose a weakness in me? I would be correct in saying that many boys (and men) do actually cry in private and there should be no shame in that.

However, I would like to challenge society and say that crying should be exposed into the open. In John 11, we read that Jesus himself cried when news came to him that his friend Lazarus had died. In verse 35, is says that "Jesus wept" and this is attributed to being the shortest verse in the Bible and one that carries a powerful message. Jesus was truly properly God AND truly properly Man. This means that although he was God, he also shared in the emotions and feelings that people do because he was sent to earth in human form.

Did this act of weeping (or crying) expose a weakness in Jesus? I will state categorically that this is simply not the case. Jesus, like many of us today, allowed himself to react to his emotions and for him, it was the action of weeping that expressed them. At no point are we told in Scripture that he removed himself from the group to grieve, therefore we can say that this action of expressing his emotions was witnessed by those who were in his company at that time.

Boys, guys, teens, blokes, men ... whatever you regard yourself to be, I encourage you to express your emotions in a healthy manner. If that means crying then so be it.

This article was written by Cadet Steve Spencer.

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Following God's calling

Esther Pinn — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:49:00 +1100

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Following God's calling

If you don’t already know him, his name is Matt Gluyas, he’s 22-years-old, single, likes a band called The Script, was known as a bit of a “church punk” when he was a teenager but is now following God’s call for his life.

Growing up in the Salvos and having officers as parents, Matt was definitely familiar with the Christian life. While Matt says he was a “church punk” when he was younger, he now understands the privilege of growing up in a Christian family.

“Growing up in the Salvos gave me opportunities that I never would have had anywhere else and I just love the whole journey and where God has taken me.

“My parents have been great models as leaders themselves. They have inspired me in the way in ministry and leadership. They have been great role models and they have always been consistent.”

Called by God

Matt has a passion for young people. This passion stems from the love he was shown by youth leaders when he was a teenager. Known as the “church punk”, Matt explains that without the committed leaders who kept pursuing him, he wouldn’t be where he is today.

“As a young person I guess I wasn’t the greatest person really. My journey, my story stands as the 'church punk'.

“I guess for me it was the people who showed unconditional love throughout who invested in me when everyone else thought I was going to end up as some wild child who wouldn’t make anything of himself.

“But seeing the way people invested into me, I thought I would like to do that. That’s what God has got on my heart and I’m passionate about.”

Now he is working as the Youth Secretary for The Salvation Army Central and North Queensland Division. However, Matt was completely unaware that God had different plans for his life.

While working at Auburn Corps as the Youth and Young Adults pastor for three and a half years, Matt began to feel that God was preparing him for something new.

“It’s crazy. The whole journey was all about God,” shares Matt. “At the start of this year God was making me feel unsettled and he was preparing me for something different and during that time he placed North Queenslandon on my heart.

“I didn’t know what it looked like and he was really starting to make me more passionate about investing into leaders on a broader scale. But it all just fell into place.”

Every Sunday, Matt visits a different church to teach and empower young people and kids around the division.

“Basically my role in a nutshell is to equip, empower and resource youth and kids in Central North Queensland, resourcing current leaders and also investing into raising up new leaders," he explains.

“I just enjoy doing the journey with people who are passionate about youth ministry.”

Finishing the race

Matt is enjoying his current season. And while he is not sure of what God has next for his life, Matt is excited for what God will do through him in this role.

“I guess when my season is over I’d love to look back and see strong leaders that we’ve built here. I’d love to look back and see young people just living the faith, loving God and loving people. That would be the sort of impact I would love to leave.”

Matt also has some advice young people who interested in serving God, whether at their local youth ministry, at their school or are looking to become an officer.

"Don't wait for an opportunity to come your way. Just make the most of where God's planted you right now, whether that's in your school, your home or work place, within your church or local community. Be the salt and light in that and watch what God does. Start investing and loving people. Don't wait for a title or role. Start being like Jesus."

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Catherine Booth

MORE — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +1100

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Catherine Booth

"If we are to better the future we must disturb the present."

- Catherine Booth

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save - noah rzeminski

MORE — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +1100

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save - noah rzeminski

My story starts at the age of 11. My father was never big on God and when I reached the age “that I should be smart enough to know the difference between dreams and reality” he came down hard.

I was no longer allowed to speak my mind or even mention Christ. In my OWN HOME reading the BIBLE was as bad as a SIN.

The Lord was in my life. I had grown in the church and had faith beyond many of my peers at Woonona.

The Lord was good and I could not count the blessings due to the number of them.

But with each passing week that we attended church, my dad became angrier and angrier.

Soon he became verbally abusive and told me that “he was not there for me or my mother “, and continued to say he was only there for my brother and sister.

Soon he and my mum were rowing every night and I locked myself in my room and read the word. But at some point I think I just gave up and went my own way.

Soon I took over for my mum and my dad and I were in a pit of anger.

Soon depression and suicidal thoughts began to creep to the surface of my mind. I became snappy and angry. Soon I found myself in trouble often at school and at home.

After my dad left I got back into the word and read “you should forgive your enemies 7x 7”.

I thought about it and decided to offer the hand of friendship to my dad once more and this time he accepted.

I believe the Lord worked through me to return to my old happy self and hopefully the Lord will help my dad become one in the march of the unqualified … a Christian.

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Youth Ministry Conference

MORE — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:50:00 +1100

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Youth Ministry Conference

They say good things come in threes, so there's no way you should miss our third ever Youth Ministry Conference!

Join us and a whole mob of other sold out youth leaders for a huge weekend of incredible training, teaching, worship and inspiration, with just the right amount of chillax time to make sure you leave refreshed rather than ruined!

You may be employed, volunteer, committed, interested, curious or terrified - but what you definitely are is welcome!

See you in August!

Download event brochure (PDF, 2mb)
Download registration form (PDF, 2mb)

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Happy UnAustralian Day?

MORE — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:19:00 +1100

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Happy UnAustralian Day?

Last week I was shopping in Cairns and I came across this sticker on the rear window of someone's car. I stopped and must have just stared at it for at least a minute. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

The sticker said: “F*** Off! We’re full”, pasted in the shape of the map of Australia.

Perhaps you’re as shocked as I am that someone could have something that is so blatantly racist and screaming of ignorance on the back of their car.

Then I was at a park on Australia Day and came across a girl who had this written across her shirt:

“We speak f*****g English in Australia”.

I have recently met a group of men who are seeking asylum in Australia. They are currently part of a new community residential program run by The Salvation Army. All of them have spent time, many years in detention centres in various places before being assessed and found eligible to be able to live in the community. They have all come from war torn countries where their lives were threatened. They have all left behind family hoping to find somewhere safe and then bring their families over. They’re not “illegal citizens”, but they are “unlawful citizens”. A tag no one should ever have to wear.

I met a man who had come from Afghanistan. He had fled because of the Taliban. His wife and children are now in Pakistan which isn’t free from danger either. He was a normal guy who grew fruit and veggies. He told the story of how the Taliban were going around raiding people’s homes and killing people that got in their path. He had to get out or he knew that he too would die.

He is now here in Australia trying to get a visa and establish a life here. He dreams of bringing over his wife and family. He is extremely friendly and is trying very hard to get a grasp on what it is like to live in a country like Australia. He appears to love learning Australian slang. With a smile on his face he shakes everyone’s hand and says “G’day mate”.

He says G’day…

Some say “f*** off, we’re full”

Welcome to Australia mate.

Now I am not by any means saying that every Australian is racist or ignorant. I am just expressing my sheer disbelief that this attitude exists. I haven’t been confronted with this until only recently. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but … I don’t know. I just can’t rationalise it. I can’t see how this is OK.

I pray that we will be a country that embraces all of the nations. I pray that we will really understand how desperate people are to do what they do to break free from oppression and violence.

This article was originally published by Lieutenant Vanessa Kohler on her blog on Sunday 29 January.

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Robert F. Kennedy

MORE — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:15:00 +1100

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Robert F. Kennedy

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”

― Robert F. Kennedy

(November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968). He was an American politican and a civial rights activist. He was a member of the Kennedy family and was the young brother of President John F. Kennedy.

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grow - evan barnes

MORE — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:15:00 +1100

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grow - evan barnes

I’m on Fire! This HUGE burning for God started at the 2011 youth Gospel Arts Camp (GAC) … but now I need to back track to where I was before. I was born into a Christian family and this helped me get my foot in the door. But I struggled to commit fully to my faith. I would go to camps get a renewed passion and then it would die. This was an ever present cycle in my life, the up and down movement of my faith. I was always going to church and youth services and I struggled to connect with them.

I would hear these amazing testimonies of other people of how they were saved from drugs, alcohol and lives of hating God. I was so frustrated with my faith that I couldn’t get to where these people were in their faith and so jealous, that for a long period of time I considered those things. I considered starting to drink, smoke, take drugs and walk away from God. This was one of the lowest points in my faith journey, thankfully Jesus didn’t let me fall into these worldly things, even though I fell no further, I didn’t rise to Jesus. I didn’t pray, or read my Bible. I walked along faking my faith to everyone. I thought I could get by.

At our first Bible study at GAC we were asked to share what we wanted out of this camp. I said I wanted to stop the extreme ups and downs of my faith. A few hours later I was in the sermon that changed my life. Claire Hill, Territorial Youth Secretary was preaching about the paraplegic man who was carried by his friends on a mat and was healed by Jesus. She encouraged us to stand if we wanted to get off the mat, to stand so we could have friends pray over us. I looked around the room, no one was standing, and then I did. I felt a release at having the courage to stand ... but wait there’s more! I was prayed over (by amazing faithful friends) and I fully opened my heart to the Holy Spirit. He is living in me now and I can feel him! It is truly amazing. I’ve started praying and I'm being whole heartedly blessed by the Spirit through his words and I've been opening my Bible to find things that apply to me. I know this is not one of those highs I had before. Satan is trying to tell me it is, but in my heart I know God is there and he is going to stay forever. Thank you GOD!

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Discovery Camp 2012 - iWill

MORE — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:09:00 +1100

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Discovery Camp 2012 - iWill

Discovery Camp is an awesome week of discovering who you are and all you can be. If you are aged between 8 and 18 this is a week that you won't want to miss!

Application Forms will be out soon... Keep checking back on this page or Facebook and we'll post the links. Or keep checking with your Officer or Youth Leader.

This year, if you are in primary school, there will be something completely new and awesome for you guys to experience which will also give the older guys some space to explore on thier own.

Cost will be $220 for early registrations (by the 12th of March) otherwise it goes up to $240! Registrations definitely, finally, absolutely close by 26 march.

Get fundraising, Get Excited, Get Ready for the greatest Discovery Camp ever!

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Steve Jobs

MORE — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:57:00 +1100

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Steve Jobs

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

- Steve Jobs

(February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) Creator of Apple, Inc.

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There's always a place for The Muppets

MORE — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:15:00 +1100

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There's always a place for The Muppets

The Muppets

Rated G

Four stars

If you’re eagerly reading this review, I can almost guarantee two things about you:

1) You either grew up watching The Muppet Show on television, or the re-runs or you just know about them because they are so well-known and well-loved (even if you’re too young to have ever watched the show on television).

2) The foremost thought on your mind right now is, ‘Please, please, please tell me they got it right and stayed faithful to the spirit and legacy of the TV show…’

Cue gregarious smile now. The Muppets is a one of the most joyous, nostalgic, family-friendly films you’ll see this year; a musical comedy that not only retains the heart and humour of the original TV series, but uses it to provide social commentary on a world that’s either ‘moved on’ from the Muppets or never known them.

And for those who have never even seen the show, the film provides something for that audience with guest stars Selena Gomez (who plays the character of Alex Russo on Wizards at Waverly Place) and Rico Rodriguez (who pays Manny Delgado on Modern Family) who both readily admit they’ve never seen an episode of The Muppet Show.

Set in fictional Smalltown USA, the film focuses on Walter, the ‘world’s biggest Muppet fan’. Always seen as ‘different’ (he’s a puppet, born into a human family!) and treated meanly by those around him, Walter’s only real friend in the world is his brother Gary (Jason Segel), who will do anything for him. So, when Gary and his girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), plan a romantic trip toHollywood, the home of the old Muppet Studios, Walter is invited to join them.

Shortly after arriving, the trio go on a shonky guided tour of the decrepit Muppet Studios, only to overhear the nefarious intentions of oil magnate Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) who plans to tear down the studios and drill for oil.

Walter insists on warning Kermit the frog – once a household name and the host of The Muppet Show, now living a quiet, almost regret-filled existence – and convinces him to reunite the Muppets and stage a benefit show to raise the $10 million needed to buy back the studio.

But it’s all easier said than done. Not only have all the characters gone their separate ways, but there are doubts as to whether the world still wants a family-friendly variety show like The Muppets. Then there are the growing tensions between Walter, Gary and Mary –each forced to search deep within themselves to see what’s really there.

The resultant journeys and feel-good finale is testament to the cute and kooky cast of The Muppets, and the special brand of entertainment the show represents. Able to carry themes of belonging, friendship and maturity, and question the anti-social content that appears on today’s television, all while pouring a sparkly shower of puppet-powered joyfulness into the hearts of all who see it, The Muppets is a triumph of family-friendly fare.

Highlight: seeing the Muppets back together; a cameo by Big Bang Theory actor Jim Parsons (Sheldon)

Red flag: one very minor risqué comment

This article was written by Drew Talor and first published in The Wary Cry on 14 January.

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Youth Mission Teams - Update

MORE — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:29:00 +1100

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Youth Mission Teams - Update

On 5 January, 3 youth mission teams flew out to Kenya and Fiji to minister to the local communities of Ndula (Kenya) and Nadi and Saweni (Fiji). Here you can find weekly updates on how the teams are going, what they've been up to and stories of lives they have touched. The two Fiji teams arrive back on 24 January and the Kenya team on 23 January.

Kenya team update

Last Updated 20 January

The Kenya team are doing really well and are getting ready to leave here tomorrow night.

It's been a pretty rough week health-wise for the team with about 8 people getting quite sick for 48 hours each. Bu, God is the best healer of all and we're giving praise to Jesus for his full restoration in our team. Everyone is now well again!

We finished up at Ndula yesterday after another week of work. We spent most of the week painting and clearing ground for the new fence that has been installed. The church looks fantastic and we're looking forward to the photos doing a better job of explaining what the team have been up to. Due to the availability of resources this week we were unable to finish the job completely but I really believe that this is a blessing. For the last 2 weeks both local tradesman and the corps family have been all pitching in to get the job done so it's great that even after we leave that they're able to continue the great work.

Lasy Wednesday night we slept at Ndula (instead of travelling back to the hotel) on the floor of the church without mattresses or heating. It was a great chance for our team to try to understand what many Kenyans experience everyday. This is something we'll remember for a long time.

The team was really gutted to leave the corps yesterday as we've built such great relationships with the corps family and particularly the Corps Officers (Captain Patrick and Lieutenant Pauline). They showered us with blessing and we leave knowing that we've received far more than we've given.

Today we travelled toNairobivia Territorial Headquarters where we got the full tour before arriving at our hotel this afternoon. We're going to enjoy some debriefing time this evening before we spend tomorrow visiting theNairobiNational Park(trying to find some lions and giraffes) and also some shopping in theNairobimarket, then flying out tomorrow night.

We're immensely grateful for the prayer support that we've received from our family, corps, and friends back home. God has been doing an amazing work in our lives and none of us are returning home unchanged by the way God has worked throughKenyaand its people.

Please pray for travelling mercies on the journey home and that each of the team members will be open to hearing from God. I believe God is stirring amongst our team and that God is radically challenging people in regards to their lives back home.

Last updated 16 January

Work

We've seen great progress with work on the corps building. Everyone is working hard and learning heaps of new skills. We're painting the inside of the church, cement rendering some of the external walls, levelling the raised boundary line, constructing a new fence around the property and building a shower room behind the church.

Ministry

Our team are getting heaps of opportunities to minister with the Ndula community. Open airs are popular here. Each time we do one, another team member shares their testimony and preaches the word. It's awesome to see how God is equipping and empowering our young people to effectively bring God's truth on the other side of the world. Tomorrow we're at Thika Corps: firstly helping to run the open air before ministering in the main service. We're being blessed with heaps of opportunities to grow and be stretched in our faith. Last Thursday, our team went to the local slum area and went door to door, praying with families. It was such a powerful and confronting experience. We're thanking God that he's allowing us to see some parts of the world that really break his heart.

Other

We had the chance to go to a local tourist area called 14 Falls yesterday. It was an awesome team building time as we conquered some fears crossing the river. We're being super well fed by our hosts: heaps of rice, chicken and chapati.

Prayer points

*Continued health for the team, especially for those feeling the effects of the heat, work, and the change of diet.

*Strength to finish all the work by the end of next week.

*More opportunities to have our worldview challenged, stretched and developed.

*For God to continue revealing his plan for everyone. There are a few team members who are really seeking God's guidance for the future so please be praying that God will use this time in Kenya to reveal the next step.

*For many seeds to be planted through the evangelical ministry that we're engaging in. We believe that God is really using this team to accomplish great things and that he can use us to help build his kingdom in Kenya.

Last updated 8 January

It's 30 degrees everyday in Kenya and the team are really experiencing the rural parts of Kenya in Ndula, a village 30 minutes out of the nearest town, Thika. It's located up a long, dusty road with 25 buidlings and hundreds of people hanging out around the main market place.

There's a nearby slum and all the children have been coming up to meet the team and play games. The team brought some soccer balls with them and have been wearing the kids out!

There are hundreds of kids at the village who are really excited to have the team there.

So far the team have led 2 open air meetings (with a Salvation decision!), have helped run Sunday school and a worship service. They have preached, shared their testimonies and led songs.

Alongside their ministry work, the team have painted inside the church building and cement rendered the outside of the church. It was a big job as the building is 21m x 10m!

The team reports back that everybody is well and that they are loving it!

Nadi team update

Last Updated 20 January

So the end of another working week is done and we worked hard as! We smashed through painting the walls and then delicately took a few days to get the window details just right. We painted a mural on the wall of the alphabet, numbers and shapes and it looks great – all ready for the kids to start kindergarten next week. We've got the local council park mowed, painted and looking fantastic! We also spent an energetic afternoon playing sport, singing songs and hanging out with the kids during “joyhour” (or joy-two hour).

But this week hasn't been all work, we've had plenty of time to chillax, taking a day trip to Notadol – the most gorgeous beach. The Saweni team joined us for the day and we had a blast. Most of us came out a little redder than expected – not quite used to Fijian sun!

We've had a great week building relationships with some of the youth at the corps there. They’ve been working alongside us and just getting to know them more has been fantastic. They have taught us heaps of stuff, a few of the team are getting quite good at Fijian sayings, but we are still getting hammered in volleyball.

Last Thursday night we had a social night at the corps, it was a great night of worship, and a whole bunch of fun! Each family from the corps did an item, as well as our team. It was a blessing to be part of and also to realise how much we have grown to love our Fijian family.

Tomorrow we head out to Suva for a day trip. We have tickets to see the Rugby7's. We're looking forward to it!

Sunday we have a combined meeting with Saweni Corps and then at Lovu.

Monday and Tuesday we have debriefs, and then we are flying home ... if we can persuade all the team to board the flight. I think some of them might want to stay!

Last updated 15 January

Things are still running swimmingly for us in Nandi!

The painting project is almost complete and should be done by tomorrow. We'll also be starting work on the council park. The young guys attitude towards work is phenomenal!

We took Saturday off and visited a traditional Fijian village, which was good to see – a humbling experience for our group to see the chief and go through the welcoming ceremony. It was sweet too when Captain Villie negotiated with the chief that instead of paying $25 to visit the village, we only had to pay $10. It was a good day but a long day.

Today we lead the service at the corps and all the team were involved with testimonies, worship team and kid's time. Shout out to Conner the preacher man who preached up a storm with a great response to Jesus plus Nothing.

We've had some great moments of discipleship with these guys and they are really grasping kingdom concepts and finding freedom. It is good.

Last updated 12 January

The team in Nadi have been working very hard, scrubbing and water-blasting the hall and painting ... everything! Skirting boards, gaps between the bricks, the ceiling … they’ve painted places that haven’t been done in over 20 years. The team have given the kitchen a makeover too.

They’re working long hours every day but last Wednesday was the longest! On Wednesday the team worked from 8:45am-9:15pm! They remained positive throughout. It was an incredible day where Jesus was spectacular!

They’ve eaten many amazing curries prepared by their amazing hosts who also showed them how to crack open juice and make milk from the coconuts they bought from the markets.

The weather is hot, humid and steamy! They’ve enjoyed fellowship time together at the pool. They have also led the kids in sports ministry and games.

The Nadi & Saweni teams also combined together last Saturday to visit a local village and the Nadi team also led church the next day.

The team want their family and friends to know they are having a loads of fun and that Jesus is continuing to provide and disciple them in an incredible way.

Saweni team update

Last updated 19 January

Work

Recent work has included:

* Helping clear a large section of their corps' 'farm': pulling a huge number of weeds, turning the soil and planting Cassava: a local plant much like a sweet potato.
* Mowing, painting and visiting a Hindu settlement.
* Assisting with a 'Bathroom repair' which involved turning an outside 'shanty' with skewwed walls, a door and no roof into one with straight walls, no door and still no roof.
* Helping one corps member move house and another corps family move into that same house.
* Concrete repair on the verandah

Ministry

*We have run a youth program
*Two of the team attended an evening of Bible study with the corps officer and were challenged, inspired and encouraged by it.
*The team did a wonderful job leading the Sunday morning service. The corps officer was pleased by their efforts and believed it would encourage some of his youth to step up and be involved in leadership. People came streaming forward in the appeal time. The team were strongly encouraged and impacted by the day. It has been wonderful watching the team step up and take on challenging tasks that they haven't done before, as well as to see them making personal discoveries about themselves. Some have even experienced significant changes in their behaviour with no prompting other than that of the Spirit in their own lives.

Other

*We have enjoyed lots of time laughing at how bad we are at volleyball compared to our Fijian brothers & sisters.
*We are beginning to get a few minor illnesses, cuts, scratches & grazes, swollen feet, head lice, etc - but nothing serious.
*In the days ahead we will be joining with the team from Nadi, and some youth from both corps' for a beach picnic at what is apparently the 8th most beautiful beach in the world. On Friday we will be cleaning up our local beach and helping dig and cook a Lovo (hungie) for lunch, and in the evening we will be having a bonfire there with the young people.

Prayer Points

If you are sharing prayer points here's a few for us:
- Continuing good health (and quick recovery from the minor ailments some are experiencing)
- Wisdom the team leaders
- Strength to keep going
- Good, worthwhile sleep and rest for all
- Continued safety
- Thanks and praise for the wonderful people of this corps and especially their officer Geoffry who is a massive inspiration to everybody
- Praise for good weather all week this week

Last updated 10 January

Apart from some rain to start with, the weather has been typical Fiji, bright blue sunny skies, hot and humid.

They’ve spent quality time with the corps youth: mowing (with brush cutters and rakes) the grass for corps members in the village, enjoying the traditional New Year’s water fight and playing sport together. So far one the highlights is the significant relationships that have been forged with the people of the corps, especially the youth.

They led "Joy Hour" (3 hours long) for the children of the corps and the area, running games, craft, and songs.

In the days ahead the team are excited to prepare the ground for fresh crop at the corps "Youth Farm". They grow local produce to sell at the local markets to raise funds for youth activities. The team is very excited that they can contribute to such a worthwhile project and will be able to see a significant result for their efforts at the end of the job.

Team morale is high. They has been warmly embraced by the corps people and are thoroughly loving being here and sharing with these wonderful people.

Prayer would be appreciated for protection from the sun, good hydration, and the energy and strength to keep going on.

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serve - nick horvatic

MORE — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:18:00 +1100

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serve - nick horvatic

Over the past few years I've had an amazing journey that has seen quite a few highs and lows. In 2008 I had the opportunity to let go of the world as I knew it and devote an entire year over to God at The Salvation Army’s School for Youth Leadership (SFYL). I have made many decisions in my life, but choosing to go to SFYL was the best decision I have ever made. It completely changed me; from the person I was to the person I am today. It challenged me, broke me and built me into who I am.

After SFYL, coming back into the world I had left behind was something you don’t often hear people talk about. When you think about it, it's a whole year with a strong loving family who continually build you up and then you return to your normal life where you don’t necessarily have that same kind of support you were receiving on a day to day basis at SYFL. Jobless, change of environment, being out of “the loop”, the general getting back into the life you once knew – with the mindset of where you have just come from and the plans you would like to implement in your life, and your local community/church. All in all it was quite a confusing time for me, and sometimes lead me to feel frustrated, upset and alone.

The transition stage from leaving SFYL to returning home, finding work and finding my life again was not as I hoped it would be. Although my church family was always there to support me and accept me, the work side was continually letting me down. Living in such a small community as Bundaberg, with an unemployment rate that is unspeakable, it is really hard to find any sort of work that is related to children and young people. And the work that is available your either not qualified enough, too young or need more experience. Even the local Salvo community centre was not interested in hiring an 18-year-old who had just finished studying their Certificate IV in Youth Work.

Slowly but surely work came up. And I had the opportunity to be a disability support worker for almost two years. I eventually regained a life again. I continued my relationship with God and my church family and got involved in my community/church.

In 2009/10 the youth at our church decided to get involved in mission. We planned a trip to a small indigenous community called Urandangie, which is about two and half hours southwest of Mount Isa,Queensland. And every September school holidays, we twould ravel 22 hours to Urandangie to get involved with their community, run kids’ holiday programs, take part in acts of random kindness and build relationships within the community. It was such an honour to be able to be part of something as awesome as that. It made me see more clearly God's plans for my life and it challenged me to step out in faith more and more.

After returning from the Urandangie mission trip in September 2010, I was getting back into work when I received an email from the principal at Urandangie State School (where we had been staying over those school holidays) asking if I was interested in becoming a teacher aide and returning to Urandangie as soon as possible.

I know God gives us challenges sometimes and to me at that specific time, I felt as though God was leading me to do this. Without really considering the risks I felt as though this was the next step in my journey, and within a week of receiving her email I was packed and on my way to begin my new life in Urandangie.

Living in Urandangie on permanent basis was such a great chapter in my life. I enjoyed my life in the outback, I enjoyed the community and best of all I loved being able to be part of the children’s lives.

At the start of this year Queenslandc opped some pretty severe and devastating weather. Floods had taken over the state, and then Cyclone Yasi in the far North Queensland region. After all this had taken place, Queensland Education put out there new budgets for the year, and it was not looking good for small schools in far north Queensland. Urandangie had lost about a third of its budget due to all trouble they had over the region with the floods/cyclone. This of course meant that they did not have enough money to be able to keep me employed as a teacher aide any longer.

Once again I returned to Bundaberg jobless. And once again there were no jobs that enabled me to work with children and young people. I struggled for a few months hoping that things could only get better. I was involved in the youth group as a leader once again, and was desperately looking for work. One Friday night I asked one of the kids that attended our youth group if there was any jobs available at the residential care facility that he lived at. He said that he would talk to the guy in charge to find out for me. The following Friday night I had forgotten all about it. And the kid that I had talked to last week, returned with a phone number. I gave the number a call, and it was the service manager to this care facility. I asked him if there was any jobs available, and kind of explained my story. He told me to flick him my resume and he would see what he could do.

A few weeks later he got me started with my first shift, and it has just progressed from there. As a direct care worker I have the opportunity to work with kids aged 12 to 17 years that have come from many different backgrounds, and many different lives. Seeing these kids grow is such an awesome experience and to be able to be apart of that I just thank God.

The other day I received an email from the Board of Directors that oversee our workplace, saying that we have not been approved as a renewed licensed facility. This means the residential facility will be shutting down shortly.

So over the next few weeks my work as a direct care worker will be coming to an end. I’m not quite sure where I will go from here, and to be honest I am pretty scared about the next month or two ahead. I can only ask that God will intervene in my life and that I let him take complete control of my life.

My passion is to build relationships with children and young people, and help them come into a relationship with God. My goal is to someday work for The Salvation Army in a position that I can live out my passion and bring glory to God.

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Emma Stone

MORE — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:19:00 +1100

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Emma Stone

"I think the number one thing that I find important is the importance of honesty with your friends and your parents, if you can be. But I think that telling people how you really feel, being who you truly are, being safe and taking care of yourself is the most important thing."

- Emma Stone

Born November 6 1988, Emma Stone is an American actress who has appeared in a number of films including Superbad, Easy A, Crazy Stupid Love, and The Help.

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save - jessica thornton

MORE — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +1100

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save - jessica thornton

These few years have been a huge roller-coaster with God and my life. As a 13-year-old teenager, I wasn’t acting as though I had a relationship with Christ because of the people I hung out with and the way I’ve acted around them. I wanted to be a part of them and have everything they had but little did I know that wasn’t what God wanted.

As I finished my primary school days, my life with Christ was fading away each day, particularly when I started thinking swearing was a cool thing to do. It wasn’t until the beginning of year 7 that I went to a Christian camp and began to realise that the plan I wanted to go with wasn’t God’s plan. I continued going to church and youth group and living a life with Christ. Then halfway through year 7 my life started falling apart again, but this time it was even worse – even thoughts of suicide and I dropped out of the worship team at my church. So I started swearing again and continued to live a life that God had never planned for me.

Year 7 finished and my life was not as bad as it was but it still wasn’t a Christ-like life. From time to time I swore and had a few thoughts of, “Yeah whatever. God’s not there”. As year 8 began I wanted to refresh my mind and go back to the life God had intended for me, which I did for a while, and I even felt God saying to me, “See. This is the life I want for you”. So I continued to live the life that I knew God wanted for me!

Life was going well for a while. I started going to church, I joined the worship team and had best friends! Until halfway through year 8 there was drama going on with school and I fell apart again, lost a lot of friends and probably one of the best people in my life. I felt that it was over for me and there was no way I could get through this until I went to another Christian camp called GAC (Gospel Arts Camp). I worshipped and I heard God say to me, “What are you doing? I’ve unlocked the chains for you but you’re still sitting there with a burden over you. Get up and live the life I have for you”. This made me wake up and I realised a lot about myself and what God wants for me!

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans for you, plans to prosper you not to harm you.” This Bible verse made me realise a lot about myself and what God wants for me!

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Everyday Mission

Esther Pinn — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:03:00 +1100

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Everyday Mission

Have you recently gone on an overseas mission trip? Or have you raised money during the Red Shield Appeal Doorknock? Or have you given to the Self-Denial Appeal?

Maybe you look at this list and say, “I’ve done all three”. Or maybe you’ve just done one or two. Either way these are great ways to get behind The Salvation Army and reach out to the wider community.

But these are all one off things. You can’t do them every day and they usually occur once a year or every couple of years. They are definitely classified in the “bigger” mission category.

Did you know there are everyday needs in your local community, family, friends and church groups? Have you found yourself asking, “What can I do on a everyday basis?”

Here are just a few everyday mission ideas you can use to reach out to your local community.

Church Ministry

Is there a ministry or a church-run community project that you can get involved with? You don’t have to look far to find mission opportunities. If there is something in particular you are passionate about, and there is nothing happening at your church, then volunteer to run it.

Use your pen

Are you passionate about seeing the removal of trafficked women or eradicating poverty? Write a letter to the government and ask them to take theses issues more seriously and ask them to make a difference in these areas.

Use your voice

You can create awareness about an issue right in your local community. Education is an important part in contributing towards removing poverty or other issues from society. Host an awareness meeting a school during lunch or at youth group on a Friday night. Do your research, present your case and then ask for donations at the end of the meeting.

One-off donations

If you can’t afford to sponsor a child living in poverty every month, then how about giving a one-off gift? You could buy a goat, a chicken, a school desk or a mosquito net. Visit the SAID website to view their gift catalogue.

Random acts of kindness

Your community is filled with people – family, friends, acquaintances, neighbours and strangers. Nearly everyday we come across people who are in need. Did you know simple acts of kindness can go a long way?

Give your mum a hug. Pray for your dad. Bake some cookies for your neighbour. Help the elderly lady walk across the road. Keep your eyes peeled for people in need.

Social Media witness

Your words on Facebook and Twitter do count. What you say, what images and videos you post say a lot about who you are and what you believe. If you’re up for the challenge, how about writing some posts that reflect God?

Know your Bible

While this may seem obvious, it’s actually really important. If you are not armed with the knowledge of God, it is much more difficult to witness. Put aside some time each day to read the Bible and become equipped for every evangelical situation you encounter.

The Samaritan analogy

If you don’t know the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, then here is a basic rundown. A Jewish man was attacked while travelling to Jericho – he was half dead beside the road. Both a Jewish Priest and Temple Assistant walked straight past the man and offered no compassion. A Samaritan also passed by but stopped for the Jewish man and offered him help (Jews and Samaritans didn’t really get along back then).

If you see someone in need of help, will you lend a hand?

Use your testimony

Did you know your testimony is powerful? When you come across a situation where you have the opportunity to share about Jesus, don’t underestimate the power of your testimony.

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Hudson Taylor

MORE — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +1100

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Hudson Taylor

"I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realise the Lord is able to carry out his will, and his will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions he must give me his grace, and in the most difficult, his grace is sufficient."

- Hudson Taylor

(21 May 1832 – 3 June 1905) He was a British Protestant Christian who became a missionary in China and founded the China Inland Mission (CIM), which is now OMF International. The society that he began was responsible for bringing over 800 missionaries to the country who began 125 schools and directly resulted in 18,000 Christian conversions, as well as the establishment of more than 300 stations of work with more than 500 local helpers in all eighteen provinces.

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grow - erin thornton

MORE — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +1100

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grow - erin thornton

Just recently I got back from GAC (Gospel Arts Camp), this was my first year at GAC and it was so amazing. The major I chose was drama, and Rachel and Erin were amazing leaders. The elective I chose was preaching bootcamp. In preaching bootcamp I had to get up and talk in front of people – something I get really nervous about doing. So there I was trying to prepare my five minute thing on a Bible verse that stood out to me. The verses I chose were Jeremiah 29:12-14 and Romans 8:28.

Anyway while I was preparing out on the oval it got really windy when I was trying to write some stuff down. I thought to myself, “this is weird”. So I prayed for a little bit and asked God which verse he wanted me to use but he wanted me to improvise, go with the flow let the words come from me. So that’s what I did and boy was I nervous!

Every time I've had to speak in front of people, I've had stuff written down but this time all I had was a few verses and some notes I put down. So God has now helped me to overcome my nerves when talking in front of people. Through him I am free and this week amazing has filled me with so much love from God that I am forever changed. I hope that everyone else who went to GAC has had as amazing a time as I did.

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Too many resolutions

Esther Pinn — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:51:00 +1100

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Too many resolutions

New Years Eve can be an unsettling time for some. There are often many expectations in place. Expectations to fulfil your New Year’s resolutions. Expectations to have the best year of your life. Expectations that all the bad things from last year will suddenly disappear.

But is all the hype worth it?

Take the pressure off

A new year is definitely a great chance to start afresh. Whether your resolution is going to the gym regularly or to start reading your Bible every day, it’s easy to write a list of 10 resolutions and then never do any of them.

How you approach the New Year is completely up to you, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

You don’t have to complete all your resolutions straight away. Sometimes it’s good to take your time. And sometimes resolutions can take a while to come into being.

Is laziness the key?

Now the pressure is off, it’s also important not to get lazy. I’m sure you don’t want to go an entire year without changing or starting something new.

It’s easy to get complacent. But New Years is a great time to examine yourself, your flaws and talents. Ask yourself: What can I change for the better? How can I glorify God better?

Leave the past behind and press onto the new

We all have things we regret. And it's common to look forward to the New Year as a way to forget the horrible things of last year, be someone new and try different things.

If that’s you, then remember God is with you every step of the way. And now is a great time to pack away those regrets are start forming some positive, happy memories.

Phillipians 3:13 says:

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Devoted to God

Esther Pinn — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:06:00 +1100

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Devoted to God

God is everywhere. He is in our sleeping, our eating, our socialising, our work or study and when we’re alone. While God is always there, do you have a special place where you meet with God face to face?

For Narelle Unicomb, walking amongst nature is the place where she connects with God.

“For me nature is a great way to connect with God. So I love going to a national park and just sitting there in silence – it’s a beautiful way to connect with God. And also art for me. Painting with some worship on – helps me really connect with God,” she explains in a shy voice.

“It’s kind of one of those things I do for myself and nobody else really knows about.”

Home grown

Narelle is an officer’s kid. She has been a Salvo her whole life and has lived in many places including Sydney, Brisbane and even Papua New Guinea.

Growing up in the Salvos has been a positive experience says Narelle – one that has set her up for life both personally and in ministry.

“I loved it. I think from my parents I learnt that the Salvos were really hands on and they actually did what they said they would do so that really helped me out. They always included us in their ministry. So I learnt from a really young age what ministry was – it was to be part of a community.”

Following in her parent’s footsteps, Narelle entered the School for Officer Training in 2007 to become an officer when she was just 22-years-old.

Narelle spent her first two or so years as an officer at Streetlevel before she moved out of her comfort zone and set up her new life in Armidale to be the Children and Youth Secretary for the North NSW Division.

So far work and life has been easy. Having never lived in the country before, Narelle says she was concerned that she might be lonely, but God has not left her side once.

“I thought that the distance would be a big thing. I’ve always lived in the city. I though, ‘I wonder what it’s going to be like?’ but there hasn’t been a moment of loneliness. It’s actually been quite amazing and I’m loving the pace of life. Armidale is a great place to live. Lots of culture.”

A life dedicated to God

“I love people. So coffee shops are a big part of my laugh,” laughs Narelle.

As the Divisional Youth Secretary a big part of Narelle’s job is to resource all the youth and children’s work and run divisional events. But it’s the people part that Narelle enjoys most.

“I love that I get to work with young people who are really passionate and want to live for more than themselves. I get to help small corps’ discover what youth communities look like in their communities because it looks differently in the country that it does in other places," she explains.

“It’s just opening up people’s eyes to what they can have and do with their ministries.”

For someone who loves ministry, Narelle would like to encourage young people to get involved with their local corps and community and serve God wholeheartedly.

“Just start with what’s on offer. Take leadership opportunities that come your way. Take them. Run with them and just show them you’re willing to serve no matter what and keep listening to God and see what he has for you."

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