FAITH IN ACTION | 10 January 2015 | Issue 6608 | $1.50

Crazy Busy … and what to do about it

Turn Holidays into Holy Days

THE BIBLE, THE CHURCH & CULTURE JUST BRASS HELPS CHRISTCHURCH KIDS BOUNDLESS CONGRESS

FIREZONE: THE GOSPEL OF MILEY CYRUS JOIN THE WHOLE WORLD BIBLE READING CHALLENGE

Celebrating 150 YEARSInternationally

02  WarCry 10 January 2015

Say yes to JesusEach new year offers so much potential and promise, but for some of us there may already be anxiety and worry about the days to come. If that’s the case for you, I encourage you to look to God. Remember that God will never leave you to face your fears alone. One of the most frequent commands in the Bible is ‘Do not be afraid’. Do not be afraid because God is with you!

A disconcerting thing about working on a fortnightly magazine is that we focus on particular seasons well in advance of the actual dates. So, here at War Cry, staff think about Christmas in November, and Mother’s and Father’s Day weeks before celebrating with our own families. The downside to this is it’s easy to overlook the actual day—sometimes we have to remind ourselves to recapture the spirit of joy it offers.

And so I’m writing this ‘Happy New Year’ greeting to readers on the 11th of December. Having sorted my Christmas shopping (except for stocking stuffers and the sheepskin seat belt protector I promised to get Mum), I’m time-travelling to 2015 to imagine what it’s like to have Christmas Day and New Year’s Day behind me. I’m sure it will be great. By the time you read this, I’ll be feeling well rested and excited about returning to work.

Another thing I’m really looking forward to about 2015 is The Salvation Army’s international Bible reading challenge (see page nine for more on this). I’ve already downloaded an app to my mobile phone, so I’m definitely ready to go.

In fact, if you’re looking for a New Year makeover that truly lasts, something that will make the deepest impact on your life, get into the Bible! Psalm 119:105 describes the Bible as ‘a lamp for my feet, a light on my path’. None of us see what lies ahead, so all of us need God's light on our respective paths.

I hope we’re able to make our way slowly through 2015. That we cherish every moment—particularly our connections with the special people in our lives. If busyness is a challenge for you, get hold of the book Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung (you can read our excerpt on pages 12 and 13). ‘We won’t say “no” to more craziness until we can say “yes” to more Jesus,’ says Kevin. And that’s great advice for any time of the year!

Christina TysonEditor

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BIBLE VERSE

Lamentations 3:22–23 ‘Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’

Ngā Tangi 3:22–23‘He mahi tohu nā Ihowā tē poto ai tātou, he kore nō āna mahi aroha e mutu. E hou tonu ana rātou i tēnei ata, i tēnei ata; he nui tōu pono.’

WISE WORDS

Let God’s promises shine on your problems.

Corrie Ten Boom

Kia ora

salvationarmyNZFijiTonga

@salvationarmynz

salvationarmynzft

salvationarmy.org.nz

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 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

SUBSCRIPTIONSSalvationist Resources Department Phone (04) 382 0768 Email mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org$75 per year within NZ

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PAPERNovatech is an environmentally responsible paper manufactured under environmental management system ISO14001 using FSC Certified, Mixed Source, ECF pulp from well managed and legally harvested forests.

Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.

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

Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission.

Publishing for 131 years

ISSN 0043-0242, Issue 6608Please pass on or recycle this magazine

BY WENDY SANSON

Holidays are an invitation toward holy days. This year, we did a typical Kiwi thing and borrowed a crib (a bach to

you North Islanders!) at a beach.Beaches are my favourite places on the planet.

We walked, soaked in the scenery, sat in the stillness, photographed flora and fauna, enjoyed our surroundings and appreciated the power of the pounding surf. We had rest and recreation in abundance.

What is your favourite place—your ‘happy place’? God has wired and inspired you through your personality and makeup. Some of us need company, noise, interaction, movement, action. Others seek solitude and peace. Both of those choices, and right through the personality spectrum, are exactly right for each different person.

So, what lifts and inspires you? What slows you down? What helps you to be re-created by your Creator?

When we discover the rest and recreation God created us for, holidays can become holy days. Rest is a God-given gift, ordained by him from creation. Rest allows us to connect—and re-connect—with God.

We can be as active or as restful, as alone or as social, as we choose. We can contemplate creation or music or poetry. We can close our eyes, or open them wide. We can fill our intellect, or roll up our sleeves to help others.

New Zealanders are immensely blessed to be able to sit in solitude on a beach, or paddle powerfully down a level-four river. And yet, this is nothing compared to resting in the amazing glory of God the Creator.

Look outside your window. Go out of your door. Find —perhaps make—time to appreciate and be re-created by your Creator. Any time that connects you with God is holy time, because God’s presence is richly with you.

The writer of Psalm 139 speaks to God, saying:

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. (vs 1–3)

He then goes on to say:

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (vs 14–16)

God, the creator of the entire universe and of you, knows you far better than you know yourself. God knows how you are wired. Because he wired you. Most of all, God wants the very best for you.

God knows that for our optimum performance we all need time and space—with ourselves, with each other and, most importantly, with God. So take a holy day holiday, and be re-created by God.

Let’s Talk | 03

04  WarCry 10 January 2015

OutdoorsExtreme FoodBear GryllsIn his latest publication, Bear Grylls unearths one of the most gruesome aspects of being an official hard man: wild food. Some of the goodies Bear has ingested include tarantulas, raw goat testicles and elephant dung (he really couldn’t find anything else to eat?). But, here, Bear gives practical advice on how to purify water while camping, fun campfire meals, and a guide to identifying edible and poisonous plants (although more relevant to the northern hemisphere). If you love the outdoors, it’s a fascinating read. If you’re planning a trip to the Amazon and need to get your lips around some tarantula, this is essential reading. (Transworld)

ActionThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2D & 3D)Peter Jackson / M (Violence) The final part of an epic chapter in New Zealand and Middle Earth history arrives with a fiery bang. Our hobbit hero Bilbo and his dwarf companions have reclaimed the dwarf’s mountain home and its hoard of gold from the dragon Smaug. But their actions have terrible consequences as Smaug takes vengeance on the people of nearby Lake Town. The effects of owning a huge pile of gold take their toll on the dwarves, while armies from across Middle Earth arrive, seeking to claim the mountain. All leading to a final, huge, decisive battle.

The usual flaws of previous Middle Earth films are present in the long battle, full of computer-game set pieces and the desire to cram one more ugly monster on the screen. However, this is a much darker film than previous Middle Earth films. The CGI dragon is stunning—one of Weta Workshop’s finest creations. And the ending lifts The Battle of the Five Armies to perhaps the best of the Middle Earth films.

Turning a 300-page book into eight hours of movie has previously seen the book’s magic moments stretched and sometimes lost. Here though, it finally pays off, with extra time for the book’s heavy ending to be addressed. The Battle of Five Armies tackles the realities of coming through tragedy well, and some of the deep, touching, human interactions at the heart of the story are restored. It’s a fitting, final love note from Peter Jackson to New Zealand and back. At the story’s heart is Tolkein’s invented word ‘eucatastrophe’, meaning a sudden, unlikely event turning bad to good. The idea, he said, came from the ultimate eucatastrophe: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, who (despite not being a hobbit) unexpectedly transformed history to save the world.

RockSonic HighwaysFoo FightersSonic Highways serves to illustrate the Foo Fighters’ journey through some of America’s most influential musical cities. This translates to an album chock full of different styles and genres, and though the ambition is admirable, the album lacks the punch needed to significantly sell the idea. The biggest issue with Sonic Highways is that its strength is not as a traditional album, but as a companion to the TV show of the same name. The record simply fills in the edges of the show, and in the process, deconstructs the entire writing process into something predictable. While still a great record, it’s best enjoyed next to its TV counterpart.

WorshipWake Up the WonderElevation WorshipWake Up the Wonder is based on Genesis 28—the story of Jacob waking up in God’s presence. Though the record excels in its production and musicality, it ultimately fails to deliver a cohesive link between its songs and its scriptural inspiration. Running in at 16 tracks, this is a dense album. There are plenty of interesting elements and catchy music (‘The King is Among Us’, ‘Already Won’), but many of the songs are simply loose collections of contemporary worship tropes that don’t expand or illustrate the Bible story with any great depth. This is still a great album, but with proper focus and execution, it could have been a lot more.

To win a copy of Extreme Food, tell us the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten.

War Cry Giveaway, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org. Entries close 26 Jan.

GIVEAWAY

Bookshelf

Playlist Reel News

Health & FitnessThe Fitness AttitudeBevan James EylesIf you’re not a fitness junkie, world-leading fitness professional Bevan Eyles might appear to be an A-type, power personality complete with muscles. But Bevan begins his book by describing a time in his life when he abused drugs, and had an out-of-body experience that changed his life. Since then, his mantra has been: how do I become the best version of myself? This book focuses on the behaviours and attitudes that can help you maintain fitness. Bevan doesn’t address the emotional and personal barriers to exercise, so this book is best for an intermediate, rather than beginner level. (Craig Potton Publishing)

Christian LifeSimplifyBill HybelsThe tide seems to be turning from a ‘doing’ Christianity, to a greater focus on the spirituality of ‘being’. Many of us who have lived within Christian culture for a while are being called to re-think our busy, productive lives and learn to prioritise values such as rest and relationship. Hybels, a high profile pastor, has lived within the whirl of Christian culture, so it’s interesting he chose the topic of ‘simplicity’ for his latest book. In his usual practical style, Hybels gives advice on organising schedules, mastering finances, refining your working world, and deepening relationships. Of value to busy people—and isn’t that all of us? (Tyndale Momentum)

Hidden Treasue winner is: G. Kitto

Whether you know it or not, you have style, says image

consultant Sheryn Adamson. The clothes we wear are a

mirror to our soul, and Sheryn’s role is to bring out the beauty

within and without. ‘It’s a spiritual experience,’ she says.

BY INGRID BARRATT

Feature | 05

Not everyone loves fashion, but everyone has style. ‘You have a style personality because you wear clothes,’ says style consultant Sheryn Adamson, simply. ‘Your style is why you wear what you do.’

Clothing may be the outerwear of our lives, but it reflects something deeper about ourselves. If your style personality is ‘natural’, you’re likely to wear what is comfortable and practical. A ‘classic’ style, on the other hand, chooses clothes that won’t date quickly. While ‘creative’ and ‘dramatic’ styles will choose statement pieces or put colours together creatively.

The original stylistSheryn’s role is to help people celebrate their true identity by bringing out the best of what is within. Her inspiration came from a perhaps surprising source: ‘It says in the Bible that God was the first designer —he made clothes from animal skins and dressed Adam and Eve. “Well,” I thought, “If God is a stylist, I will be a stylist too.” ’

As a style and image consultant, Sheryn’s services include a face and body assessment, colour consultancy and a wardrobe audit—or as she calls it, ‘shopping in your own wardrobe’—where she finds the hidden gems, the mistakes and the missing pieces. With their new-found knowledge, Sheryn then takes clients on the shopping trip of a lifetime.

Sheryn attends The Salvation Army and says her Christian faith definitely influences the service she provides. It’s a deeply spiritual exercise, she says. ‘Every time I’m driving to a job, I pray for the client. When you’re talking about someone’s body, that’s a very intimate thing. People are often nervous and vulnerable, so it’s all about speaking encouragement into their lives.’

As the outer layers come off, clients often open up the inner layers of their lives, too. One woman was on the verge of divorce, and Sheryn was able to pray with her about the situation. That night, the woman said she had the best conversation in years with her husband.

Seeing the sunset‘Women, in particular, are very good at finding faults in themselves,’ says Sheryn. Time and time again, she sees women looking in mirrors, pointing out what they hate. ‘But when I show them what is beautiful about them, it is a real privilege. Quite often women will stand in the changing room with tears in their eyes, because they’re seeing for the first time that they are beautiful.’

We often use clothes to conceal, but clothes should be a celebration of who we are. Sheryn recalls doing a wardrobe audit for a woman who wore almost all black. ‘The woman said she liked black because it made her feel skinny. ‘So I asked, “Why do you want to feel skinny?” And she just looked at me, and she said, “I don’t know.’ Sheryn pulled out some colour in her wardrobe, and compared it to the black outfits she usually wore. ‘As we compared outfits, she could see for herself that she had a beautiful, womanly figure that was lost in the shapeless, black outfits

she’d been hiding in. ‘Women want to disappear, but they need permission to love

themselves. It’s teaching people to focus on the beautiful sunset, not on the little mosquito that’s buzzing around.’

Fashion policeSheryn’s passion for fashion blossomed in the most unlikely of places, the police force. Since the age of 12, Sheryn had dreamed of being a police officer, and on her 19th birthday she went to the police station to sign up. Petite, with the big hair and shoulder pads of the early ’90s, the officer actually laughed, saying, ‘You can’t be a police officer, look at you!’ But defying expectations, Sheryn joined up and found a true vocation in her work.

It was in this role that Sheryn first noticed how clothing acts as a mirror to the soul. ‘When people have been abused—physically or emotionally—they will dress to cover themselves and try to repel their abuser by not brushing their teeth or their hair, and hiding in their clothing.

‘The opposite is also true, especially in domestic violence, where women will look immaculate, trying to cover up and disguise what is going on inside.’

Her first, unofficial clients, were mainly guys in the police force. ‘The guys would come to me and say, “I’m going out with my wife”, or “I’ve got a date” and they didn’t know what to wear. Even then, I could see that when you put them in the right clothes, their eyes would light up and they felt good about themselves.’

A different journeyThen, life began to take a very different turn for Sheryn and her husband, Brad—a fellow police officer who she met on the first day of her first police job. They were told that they would probably never have children, and so began a heart-breaking journey over seven years.

Doctors told Sheryn that if she was to have any chance of having children, she needed to leave the shift work and stress of the police—it took her a year to make the difficult decision to leave the vocation she loved.

Sheryn and Brad decided against IVF when they expressed concern over the unused embryos, and the doctor responded, ‘Well, sometimes you have to get over your morals to get what you want.’

After a few years, Sheryn says her grief became more consuming and there were monthly tears. ‘There was anger and disappointment, and there was “why?” But I would come back to the knowledge that

Quite often women will stand in the changing room with tears in their eyes, because they’re seeing for the first time that they are beautiful.

SHOP YOUR WARDROBE

Sheryn’s tips for getting the most out of what’s already in your wardrobe.

The saying goes that we wear 20 per cent of our clothes 80 per cent of the time. Find some space for yourself and pull everything out of your wardrobe, lay it on your bed and then put each item through the ‘Five Rs’.

Return: The item fits well; you wear it and love it. This stays, return it to your wardrobe.

Renovate: If you’re holding onto a skirt that’s too long, hem it and wear it! Sew new buttons on an old cardie or top to change its

look. Voila, you have a new outfit!

Recycle: If a piece is just not right for you and you know you won’t wear it, donate it to a Family Store near you.

Remarkables: That school

ball gown or a jacket from your great-nana … keep them, they are special. But take them out of your everyday wardrobe and find another space for them.

Remove: That top with the stains and wee holes, it really is time to

06 | WarCry 10 January 2014

God is my Heavenly Father and I know he loves me.’Sheryn received prayer for healing whenever she could. One time,

after six long years, an older couple prayed for her and Brad, saying that they would have two beautiful children. Despite the wall she had put around her heart, Sheryn felt a flicker of hope.

She prayed, asking God to show her one way or the other, so that they could move forward with their lives. In response, she felt led to Isaiah 54:1-4,

Sing and shout,even though you have never had children!

The Lord has promised that you will have more childrenthan someone married for a long time.

… Don’t be afraid or ashamedand don’t be discouraged.

Then, out of the blue and six years after their visit, Sheryn and Brad got a letter from Fertility Associates about changes to the IVF programme. They were now able to make a smaller number of embryos. The couple were only given a 10 per cent chance of success, but they decided to give it a go.

Six embryos were created, and of these, two failed to develop. But the first embryo implanted became their daughter, Tayla. A year and a half later, they faced heartbreak again when two attempts to replace embryos failed. They had one more chance. The last embryo became their youngest daughter, Rylee.

‘God knows just what you need—and he does provide,’ says Sheryn. It seems fitting that she quotes Matthew 6: Why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (vs 28-34).

Full circleSheryn turns the conversation back to style, recalling a very practical example of how God provides from when a client came to her for advice. The woman didn’t have much money and needed an outfit for a job interview. Sheryn did a wardrobe audit with her, and she needed a jacket and pants. ‘I told her that God is practical and knows what we need, and said I’d pray that he would provide.’ Sheryn then suggested her client try the local Salvation Army Family Store. ‘When she went, she found the exact jacket she wanted for $5 and the exact pants for $2. She was truly stunned.’  

Sheryn continues, ‘I often hear, “I wish I could look like her,” but each of us is unique. God has designed nature in all shapes, sizes and colours—all different, yet all beautiful together. The Father is not swayed by magazines or culture, and he knows what is best for us. We are his children and he is on the journey with us.’

Sheryn’s Style File

WHAT STYLE PERSONALITY ARE YOU?

Most people are a mixture of a dominant and a minor style personality.

Dramatic: You make a statement with what you wear. Clean lines and no fuss, but still drama. You like fitted pants or dresses, shoes high, bold colours, bling and oversized jewellery. You put fashion over comfort.

Natural: The opposite of drama. Clothing and shoes must feel comfortable or serve a purpose, otherwise what’s the point? Nothing too tight, too fitted, too short, or scratchy to wear. You shake your head at the dramatic.

Creative: You are a fashion statement unto yourself! Stripes, florals, pink and orange, all worn all together —yet somehow you creatives make it all work. You are walking art works.

Feminine: Nothing hard or masculine in what you wear. You will pick dresses and skirts over pants. Often soft, floating fabrics will draw you in. You take care in the details of your outfit.

Classic: Often seen as elegant, you will wear clothing that fits well and styles that won’t date quickly. Your accessories will often be silver or gold, studs or hoops, classic watches and small neat chains.

LOVE YOUR BODY

We are all unique, but there are five common body shapes.

Hourglass: Your shoulders and hips measure the same, and your waist is about 20 cm smaller. Show off your waist with structured jackets and tops.

Triangle: Your shoulders are smaller than your hips. Show off your top half, using colour, prints, pleats and details that draw the eye to your top half. Keep the bottom half simple—a-line skirts are your friend.

Rectangle: Shoulders and hips are equal with no obvious waist. For a more feminine shape, create a waist by using different colours on the top and bottom.

Inverted triangle: Broad shoulder with narrow hips. Accentuate your torso, rather than shoulders. Skinny jeans look great on you.

Oval: Your tummy area is your fullest part, while you often have slim legs. Wear flowing tops or dresses that follow your shape, then team with a boxy or crop jacket to create a waist.

COLOUR CRAFT

The colours you wear near your face should harmonise with your skin tone—too bright and the colour will wear you; too pale and you’ll look washed out. Wearing black close to your face is not flattering for most people, so accessorise with a scarf, jewellery or lippy. Think of navy or charcoal as the new black, as these colours are far more flattering.

Get your colour inspiration from the environment—look to nature to see what colours go well together.

move it on to the rag bag.

You will be surprised to see what you actually have! You could also gather up your unwanted clothes, organise an evening with some

friends (who have done the same) and have a ‘swap, not shop’ night. Great for the budget, and coming home with free treasures is always fun.

For more information go to www sherynadamson.com

Feature | 07

08 | WarCry 10 January 2015

ENVIRONMENT

Mess ExpressIf the thought of decluttering seems like a mountain (of junk) to climb, then start with our express ideas to get rid of your mess:

Set aside five minutes a day: Don’t make it a big task—start by setting aside five minutes a day. Take everything out of a drawer and throw away what you don’t need. Clear a bench top. Put away clothes that you’re not wearing from your wardrobe.

Win the paper war: One of the big clutterers is daily paperwork and mail, which usually ends up in a no-man’s-land pile. Create a space for it—in a box or drawer—and make sure it doesn’t escape!

File the pile: The only answer to keeping paper clutter away is to create an easy filing system. Make one and use it every time your paperwork space is getting crammed.

Pick five: Choose five things that are lying around because they don’t have a home, and find a place to keep them.

Imagine your dream room: Look at a room in your house and imagine how you would like it to look. What pieces of furniture are important, and which don’t need to be there? What artwork do you love, and which ornaments would you like to stand out? By getting rid of everything else, you can create your dream room out of what you already have.

Make a ‘maybe’ box: If some items are hard to let go, put them in a box and store them away. Mark a date in your diary for six months’ time, to check the items again and think about whether you really need them.

Make it a game: Creating challenges will get the whole family involved in

decluttering. One is the ‘12-12-12 challenge’—be the first to find 12 items to throw away, 12 to give away,

and 12 to put back where they belong. One woman set herself the challenge of

giving away something every day for a whole year—not only was her home

transformed, but she found that she was too.

LIFESTYLE

BBQ Dos and Don’tsThere’s nothing wrong with a kransky, tomato sauce and white bread (mmmm). But if you want to make your barbeque a little bit spesh, here are tips for holding a great summer party:

DO:

Ε If you’re holding a bigger party, get your planning done early. This will mean a lot let stress for you, and make it feel effortless for your guests. Get food and drink prepared well in advance. Offer a variety of dishes, including gluten free, that cater for different dietary needs.

Ε If it’s potluck, have a table prepared with empty bowls, where people can transfer their own food without cramming into the kitchen. For something special, offer mini blackboard stickers and chalk, so people can get creative labelling their food (you can buy these at most homeware stores)

Ε Get a few friends to act as ‘waiters’ and offer around nibbles and drinks—this will help people relax and start mingling.

Ε Create a great atmosphere by using cosy lighting, such as outdoor lamps or lanterns.

Ε Hospitality guru and Masterchef judge Simon Gault says that when holding a party you can create that ‘five per cent magic’ by thinking outside the box and having little surprises throughout the evening.

DON’T:

Ε The obvious one is, don’t poison your guests! You can do some cheats, like pre-boiling good quality sausages, which will not only save your stomachs, but save you time on the barbeque. Use a meat thermometer for chicken; and for red meats, aim for medium-rare. Unless there’s just a few of you, don’t cook to order—it’s just too much stress!

Ε A barbeque should feel relaxed, so keep things casual and fluid. Don’t try to do too much—people will have more fun if you are relaxed and enjoying yourself.

Ε Don’t try to be perfect. Remember that your friends have come to enjoy your company, more than your food. So if you end up burning your sausies and getting fish ‘n’ chips’, that might just be the ‘five per cent magic’ that will make your night extra memorable!

Elizabeth’s Favourite SaladGood with almost any main course, or for lunch | Serves 4

1 Tbsp lemon juice1 tsp sugar¼ tsp salt1 large avocado2–3 firm, red tomatoes10cm length telegraph cucumberabout 2 cups of chopped crisp-leaf lettuce1–2 spring onions1 Tbsp olive or canola oilfreshly ground pepper to taste

A short time before serving, mix the lemon juice, sugar and salt in the bottom of a fairly large salad bowl. Cut the stoned, peeled avocado into 1cm cubes and turn gently in the lemon juice. Add the tomatoes and unpeeled cucumber, cut in similar cubes.

Cut part of a firm hearty (iceberg) lettuce into 1–2cm squares and add with the chopped spring onions to salad bowl.

Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for up to an hour if not serving immediately. When serving, sprinkle with the oil and freshly ground pepper. Add a little extra salt if necessary, and toss gently to coat ingredients without bruising or breaking them.

From Very Easy Vegetarian Cookbook by Simon and Alison Holst. Go to www.holst.co.nz

We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it. Donald Horban

Q&A

How can I get stuck into the Bible this year?

How often do you start the year promising yourself to read the Bible more? You know it helps make for a better day, a better attitude toward the stuff of life, and that regular Bible reading helps you grow in your relationship with God. We’ve all made those promises, yet often our good intentions seem to fade away as the year goes on.

Well, this year, the whole Salvation Army is getting behind you, helping you read through the entire New Testament by the 31st of January.

To coincide with The Salvation Army’s 150th year, the ‘Boundless: The Whole World Reading’ challenge kicked off on 5 January, giving all of us the chance to reflect on God’s timeless message to the Church through the writings of the New Testament.

Each week, people right around the world will be reading five chapters from the New Testament.

It’s not too late to get in on the act! Head online to www.salvationarmy.org/biblechallenge. You’ll find all the readings from the Whole World Reading booklet (available in some corps), along with ‘Going Deeper’ material from ‘Words of Life’ devotional writer Major Beverly Ivany. Some days also feature video material.

If you’re more comfortable doing your Bible reading on a mobile device, download the ‘Boundless: The Whole World Reading’ app from Google Play. Each day’s readings link through to the Bible passage for that day, so it’s easy to follow along while on public transport or at some quiet place where you find it easy to connect with God.

Those taking part in the Whole World Reading challenge can add their own comments after each day’s reading, sharing what God is showing you through particular passages. This is a great way to join with an international community of focused Bible readers and prayers. What a great opportunity to share in a global Bible study!

To keep yourself accountable, sign up for an email reminder or follow @boundlessbible on Twitter.

Lifestyle | 09

TestifyWhen Robert Buckland began training for Ironman triathlons, he had no idea that he would begin a journey to faith and The Salvation Army.

I was brought up in the Anglican church in the UK, but drifted away as a young person. I discovered a talent for cycling and became heavily involved in triathlons. Sport became the centre of my life: I had real drive and represented Great Britain at the World Age Group Championships.

When my wife and I moved to London in 2000, I was looking to do my first Ironman race and put out a request on a forum for someone to train with. A reply came from Andy Tong, we became great friends and training partners. I knew Andy and his wife were involved with The Salvation Army, but it really meant nothing to me.

In 2008, my wife Nicola and I decided to move to New Zealand. I came three months ahead of Nicola, who was finalising the sale of our home and looking after our daughter and nearly one-year-old son. Although I had a job to come to and accommodation, the initial few months were an immense challenge. I rented a room in a house, but at 9 pm one night had to gather my things and was forced to leave by the landlady. I ended up living at a Top 10 holiday park.

I started praying intensely for the first time since I was young. Prayer became essential to get me though the day. Communicating with God and sharing the load helped me move forward. Sometimes you have to get low

before you look up.Nicola and the kids joined

me, and God began to answer our prayers. I got a new job in Levin, where we moved, buying a house we loved. It felt like the fresh start we needed. Nicola had been taking our children to a Salvation Army children’s programme during the week, so we went to a meeting one Sunday. The only seats left were on the front row, so we couldn’t hide! We were immediately welcomed and were like instant family.

That’s when we discovered the link back to my good friend Andy Tong: his uncle Selwyn had good friends at our corps.

God clearly had plans for me and it wasn’t long before I was playing cornet in the band after a 20-year break. Suddenly, my

musical ability had purpose—to contribute to worship.

After 18 months, I become a Salvation Army soldier and Andy was one of the first people I told. It was a real honour to have him stay with us when he returned to New Zealand for the funeral of his cousin, our corps officer Lisa Collings. After seven years, Andy and I went for a run together and chatted. It was wonderful to have this new, mutual understanding.

I am now trying ultra-marathons for a change. Endurance sports create some fantastic highs but also very low lows. Our Christian race is just like an endurance race, and we need to rely on God to get us through. I’m looking up now, and I won’t stop looking up.

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CROSSWORD

Across1 Profoundly4 Strolled10 Head11 Punches12 Has to have13 Hotel freebie14 Begged off16 Big game19 Public relations effort21 A little of this, a little of that24 Obviously25 Upright, e.g.26 Prepare for surgery27 As a rule28 Nasal openings29 Marks

Down1 Relied upon2 Grounds for belief3 Fasteners5 Legal6 Go away7 Formula8 It’s often burning9 Began15 Spring begins17 Make good18 Almost the same words20 Musical mark21 Expedition22 Justification23 An Asian river25 Kind of cap

QUIK QUIZ

1 What gas freezes to form dry ice?2 From which animal is cashmere obtained?3 In what game do you ‘bulley off’?4 What Greenpeace vessel was sunk by French spies in NZ in 1985.5 What is the fifth book of the Bible?

BY ROSS WARDLE

DIFFICULT ISSUES

The Bible, the Church and cultureAn occasional article from The Salvation Army’s Moral and Social Issues Council.

He called me ‘four-eyes!’ … And I could see the passion in his. Eyes that is. I could also see that an appeal to his wisdom and humility was unlikely to be successful on account of his having none.

Passion may or may not be a good thing. Christians believing something passionately about an issue may or may not be a good thing. There are two things we can to do to make sure that it is a good thing. The first is to understand what is actually fuelling the way we react to certain issues. The second is to make sure this fuel is consistent with following Jesus. That is not as easy as it sounds.

In my first year at Oamaru Intermediate School I failed an eye test and was sent to ‘The Optometrist’. Yes, ‘the’ optometrist! At that time, Oamaru just had the one. (The town has developed significantly since then. Now it has two.) Anyway, the upshot was that I found myself wearing glasses. Initially, I regarded my myopia as catastrophic, but after a while, I got used to the glasses and didn’t notice them, except when someone accused me of having four eyes rather than the standard two.

Glasses are a good example of something that helps us see and make sense of the world, but most of the time we don’t even notice them. And culture is similar. Culture is central to the way we view our life. It shapes the way we respond to the world, but we aren’t usually conscious of it having that effect.

It is important for those following Jesus to understand this because it is not primarily human culture that we look to for direction, but to the Bible and the will of God. All cultures have features that align with the Bible and God’s will, and all cultures have features that don’t. We need to discern which is which so that we can make sure our passion is helpful to God’s mission of restoring people to himself.

Aotearoa New Zealand continues to develop a rich diversity of cultures. Māori culture is indigenous, Pacific Island cultures are well established, and Asian and African cultures are making an increasing contribution to life in this country. However, western culture remains the dominant culture. That is okay. There is usually a dominant culture, and western culture, as with any other culture, has features that are helpful to society. But, like other cultures, it also has features that aren’t helpful. cartoonsbymckerrow

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It is not possible to give a full account of the features of Western Culture here, but I’ll highlight three of them:1. Individualism: Every human has an identity that is God given

and important to maintain. The biblical view of individual identity is that we are both responsible individuals and community members. When these two realities get out of balance, our culture begins to affect us negatively. Western culture suffers from an overemphasis on the individual. How often have you heard, ‘I’m not hurting anybody’, or ‘You do your thing and I’ll do mine’. There is a strong sense that what one individual does has no effect on the community. There is also a strong sense that ‘I am only responsible for myself’. Both of these are wrong and come from an unbalanced view of the individual. Other cultures are vulnerable to an overemphasis on family and community. Examples of this are where there are expectations that people contribute financially to family and community even when they are in difficult financial circumstances themselves.

2. Secularism: The relationship between the State and the Church is an important one to get right. Humanity has experienced both extremes in its history. At one time the Church was the State. Church officials were also political leaders and had a great deal of power over citizens. These officials had an obligation to use their power in a godly way. Unfortunately, few did and the result was a great deal of religious oppression, corruption and violence. It is not surprising that as society developed it wanted to distance itself from this awful legacy. Unfortunately, we have moved from one extreme to the other. Rather than maintain respect for both institutions while keeping them separate, secularism has contributed to the Church being pushed to the margins of society and politics. Even some within the Church believe that it should not have a voice when it comes to social and political issues. Certainly, it is true that the Church should not be involved in partisan politics. A message to vote for a particular party would be entirely inappropriate. However, the Church still has an important role to play in holding the State accountable. The Church has a responsibility to comment on social policy from a Christian perspective. More than that, the Church is intended to be the place where Kingdom of God solutions to broken world issues are offered and are seen to work.

3. Economic Materialism: Few would criticise those people who manage money carefully, or begrudge them their resulting purchasing power. Wise stewardship is good. However, when purchasing power becomes the reason for life, society has a serious problem. Economic materialism is basically the drive to buy and consume more and better stuff. Social status then becomes dependent on purchasing power; indeed, a person’s inherent value

depends on how much they can earn and how much they can spend. People can become reluctant to share their resources. They get possessive and protective and start to envy what others have. It is ironic that this way of thinking—which equates happiness with having more stuff—actually makes it harder for people to be happy, because there is always someone with more stuff than they have. In a society rife with economic materialism, those with few financial resources or who are seen as a drain on the financial resources of others are quickly marginalised. That is, they have fewer choices, less of a voice in decision making, and less protection from the consequences of those decisions.

If Christians are not aware that we are being influenced by these sorts of cultural features, we can easily misinterpret the direction given by the Bible through God’s Holy Spirit. That is important for Salvationists because we believe that the Bible is definitive of Christian faith and practice. One note of caution, however; a person could quite easily (and many have) take one part of the Bible out of context and make it support any point of view they may wish to take. Proof texting (quoting one piece of the Bible to support a particular point of view) should be used with caution. When we think about what the Bible has to say about one issue, we would be far better to think about what it says as a whole.

We also need to remember—as our Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine points out—that the Bible teaches there are three pillars which provide a secure foundation for Christian faith and practice: the teaching of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16, 17), the direction of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:29; 9:10-19; 13:1-3; 16:6-8), and the consensus of the Christian community (Acts 15:1-29; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22). The Bible is not safely read without reference to the general understanding of the Christian community throughout history, any more than it is understood without the help of the Holy Spirit. Each of these three foundational sources requires the authentication of the other two to ensure that gospel truth is maintained.

So, being passionate about something can be a good thing. But for the person following Jesus, there is still some work to do to make sure that what we’re passionate about is a good thing. Passion about difficult issues comes easily, wisdom and humility don’t. Captain Ross Wardle is chair of The Salvation Army’s Moral and Social Issues (Ethics) Council.

Go to www salvationarmy.org.nz/masic for more articles.

Glasses help us see and make sense of the world, but most of the time we don’t even notice them.

Close Up | 11

We hate being busy, but do we hate it enough to change? asks Kevin DeYoung in his award-winning book, Crazy Busy. In this abridged excerpt, he explores how Jesus stayed on mission among the busyness, and how we can learn from the Master.

For years, this passage from Mark has boggled my mind:And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you’. And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next town, that I may preach there also. That is why I have come.’ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1:35-39)We think of this passage as a call to prayer. And it is. But just as

much it’s a remarkable statement of how resolutely the Son of Man stayed on mission. Jesus amazes me. His incarnation, his resurrection, his ascension, his exaltation—these defy description. But I’m also amazed by the more mundane things about his life, like the fact that he never uttered a thoughtless word, never spent a wasted day, never strayed from his Father’s plan. I have often marvelled to think that Jesus was so terrifically busy, but only with the things he was supposed to be doing.

One of Mark’s favourite words is ‘immediately’. For three years, Jesus and his band of disciples are a whirlwind of activity. One event immediately follows another. In Mark 1, Jesus begins his public ministry by teaching in the synagogue, rebuking an unclean spirit, caring for Simon’s mother-in-law, and then staying up late into the night, healing many who were sick with various diseases and casting out many demons (1:34). At one point, Jesus was too busy to even eat, and his family thought he was going nuts (3:20–21). Jesus had crowds coming to him all the time. He had people looking for him, demanding his time and attention.

Jesus did not float above the fray, untouched by the pressures of normal human existence. Our Lord did not sit around listening to harp music all day while the angels brought him holy bananas. Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are tempted (Hebrews 4:15). And that includes the temptation to be sinfully busy.

But he wasn’t. Sinful, that is. He was busy, but never in a way that made him frantic, anxious, irritable, proud, envious or distracted by lesser things. When all Capernaum waited for his healing touch, Jesus left for a desolate place to pray. And when the disciples told him to get back to work, he left for another town to preach. Jesus knew the difference between urgent and important. He understood that all the good things he could do were not necessarily the things he ought to do.

Jesus’ mission and oursJesus had every reason to be run over by a hundred expectations and a thousand great opportunities. And yet, he stayed on mission. Jesus knew his priorities and stuck with them. Isn’t that astounding? He was not driven by the needs of others, though he often stopped to help hurting people. He was not driven by the approval of others, though he

cared deeply for the lost and the broken. Ultimately, Jesus was driven by the Spirit. He was driven by his

God-given mission. He knew his priorities and did not let the many temptations of a busy life deter him from his task. For Jesus, that meant itinerant preaching, with devoted times of prayer, on his way to the cross.

What’s your mission?What are your priorities? What’s your mission? More than 10 years ago I scrawled down on a yellow legal pad three priorities for my life:

1. To faithfully preach the Word of God.2. To love and lead my family.3. To be happy and holy in Jesus Christ.Obviously, just writing these down has not solved my problem

with busyness, but knowing what my life is about has helped me recalibrate my schedule whenever I come to my senses. It’s not terribly important that you write out your priorities in a few pithy statements. Some of our priorities may change over time. I’m not giving you one more thing to do. What’s important, however, is to think about what really ought to matter compared to what really is mattering.

For many of us, our de facto mission is:1. Take care of the house.2. Meet the next deadline.3. Keep the people in my life relatively happy.We would never say those are our priorities, but when it comes to

making decisions and managing our time, these become our operative principles. Without forethought of purpose and follow-through of plan, we will keep pushing aside the priorities we say are our actual priorities, the important things like God, church, family and friends.

If Jesus had to be deliberate with his priorities, so will we. We will have to work hard to rest. We will have to be dedicated to being disciplined. We will have to make it our mission to stay on mission.

And that means coming to grips with three unassailable truths:

Truth 1: I must set priorities because I can’t do it allWe don’t expect to buy anything we want, because we know there is a limit to our money. But somehow we live as if time knew no bounds, when in fact time is much more limited than money. Wealth can be created, but no one has the ability to grow more time.

Setting priorities can be difficult. Sticking to them can seem impossible.

But Jesus understands the challenge. He lived with unrelenting demands and unbelievable pressure. He also knew that if he was to accomplish the purposes God had for him, he would have to pass up ten thousand good purposes other people had for his life. He had to get

Jesus knew the difference between urgent and important. He understood that all the good things he could do were not necessarily the things he ought to do.

12 | WarCry 10 January 2015

away to pray. He had to eat. He had to sleep. He had to say no. If Jesus had to live with human limitations, we’d be foolish to think we don’t.

Truth 2: I have to set priorities if I am to serve others most effectivelyIt’s taken me a while to see this, but now I do. And I absolutely believe it; I can’t serve others effectively without setting priorities.

Several years ago, my [church] elders set a rule that I can’t do anymore pre-marital counselling. They didn’t fear my own marriage. They weren’t trying to ‘protect’ me from interacting with people. I am still very involved with day-to-day pastoral ministry. They had simply concluded, with my input, that this was not the best use of my time.

One reason we never tame the busyness beast is because we are unwilling to kill anything. We rearrange our schedule and tighten up our breaks, but nothing improves because we haven’t pruned anything. We haven’t established what we won’t do any longer.

Setting priorities is an expression of love for others and for God. ‘Unseized’ time tends to flow toward our weakness, get swallowed up by dominant people, and surrender to the demands of emergencies. So unless God intends for us to serve only the loudest, neediest, most intimidating people, we need to plan ahead, set priorities, and serve more wisely so that we might serve more effectively.

And notice, the word is ‘effective’, not ‘efficient’. Caring for people is often wildly inefficient. People are messy, and if we are going to help them we will wade into a lot of time consuming messes. Efficiency is not the goal. But if Jesus is any example, God does expect us to say no to a whole lot of good things so that we can be freed up to say yes to the most important things he has for us.

Truth 3: I must allow others to set their own prioritiesLike most other problems in the Christian life, battling busyness is a community project. It’s not enough to set priorities ourselves, if we don’t respect that others must set them too.

Here’s where we can help each other immensely. Don’t always expect the lunch request to work. Don’t get upset when your ‘what do you think?’ email doesn’t get answered. Don’t be offended if your need doesn’t go to the top of the pile. Understand that people often say ‘I’m busy’ because saying, ‘I have many priorities in my life and right now you aren’t one of them’ would be too painful. Don’t think it rude if some people have less availability for you than you do for them. And don’t begrudge people the time you are so desperately fighting for.

The one thing you must doI can’t fix your broken, busy life. I’m having enough trouble dealing with my own. But what I can give you is the thing you absolutely must do. Think of it as a one-point plan with no guaranteed results —except that it will bring you closer to Jesus. Which, come to think of it, is absolutely the best way to deal with your busyness.

At the end of Luke 10 we find the closest thing Jesus gave to a

sermon on busyness. It is the story of Mary and Martha: Martha is busy in the kitchen, while Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet. ‘Lord, tell her to help me,’ says Martha. ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’ (Luke 10: 38–42)No matter how many times I read this story, I always sympathise

with Martha. I can’t help feeling Jesus is not being very realistic. Somebody has to get this stuff done. We hate being busy. But we may never hate it enough to change. The bane of busyness must be fought with stronger stuff.

The only thing more important than ministry is being ministered to. Making consistent time for the Word of God and prayer is the place to start, because being with Jesus is the only thing strong enough to pull us away from busyness. We won’t say ‘no’ to more craziness until we can say ‘yes’ to more Jesus. We will keep choosing dinner rolls over the bread of life. We will choose the fanfare of the world over the feet of Jesus. We will choose busyness over blessing.

It’s not wrong to be tired. It’s not wrong to feel overwhelmed. It’s not wrong to go through seasons of complete chaos. What is wrong —and heartbreakingly foolish and wonderfully avoidable—is to live a life with more craziness than we want because we have less Jesus than we need.Taken from Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung, © 2013, pp. 53–64 and 117–118. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL, USA, www.crossway.org.

We won’t say ‘no’ to more craziness until we can say ‘yes’ to more Jesus.

Dangers to AvoidKevin DeYoung says we mustn’t ignore the physical danger of busyness, but the most serious threats are spiritual. ‘When we are crazy busy, we put our souls at risk,’ he says. ‘The challenge is not merely to make a few bad habits go away. The challenge is to not let our spiritual lives slip away.’

He lists three dangers of busyness:1. Busyness can ruin our joy.2. Busyness can rob our hearts.3. Busyness can cover up the rot in our souls.

‘Busyness does not mean you are a faithful or fruitful Christian. It only means you are busy, just like everyone else,’ writes DeYoung. ‘And like everyone else, your joy, your heart and your soul are in danger. … What we need is the Great Physician to heal our overscheduled souls.

‘If only we could make time for an appointment.’

Soul Food | 13

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Joining God’s Family at Kapiti Corps

On 16 November 2014, five senior soldiers and one adherent were enrolled at Kapiti Corps. Sophia Latief and Margeretha Manuhutu are from Indonesia, Jackie Handyside, Mahhie Joll and adherent Chris Pollett are New Zealanders, and Litia Thompson is Samoan.

Each of the new soldiers shared their testimonies, witnessing to God’s love, their experience of Jesus Christ as their saviour, and their commitment to the corps. ‘It was awesome to hear that they feel very much at home at the corps,’ said Lieutenant Gabrielle Choi.

Jackie became involved with The Salvation Army at Kapiti through its playgroup, which she attended with her son Jamie. After a visit from Gabrielle, Jackie made the decision to accept Jesus into her life. Since then, she had formed some lovely friendships at the corps. As well as playgroup, Jackie was now involved in home league, prayer meetings and a care group.

After becoming a solo parent when Jamie was just 18 months old, Jackie found life very hard. Her mum and family members had helped her through this time, she said, ‘but now that I have the Lord in my life, there is definitely no looking back. Life is good and knowing that I have the Lord in my and Jamie’s lives means that I am more confident in what lies ahead.’

Shortly before her enrolment as a soldier, Jackie and Jamie were talking about families one evening. Jamie told his mother that he had two families: ‘our family—and my family at church’. ‘It really was lovely to hear him say that, about having his church family,’ said Jackie.

Working Together for New Arrivals

Some of New Zealand’s newest and most vulnerable residents are getting a helping hand, as The Salvation Army in Wellington bands together with other agencies to support them.

Wellington Community Ministries has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Wellington-based Refugee Family Reunification Trust and Catholic Social Services to support newly-arrived family members of refugees.

The family members arrive under the Family Reunification process, where refugees that have arrived on their own can apply to sponsor family members to follow them to New Zealand. Up to 300 people are allowed to enter the country each year under the process, Wellington Community Ministries Director Tim O’Donovan said.

The New Zealand Red Cross is funded by the government to assist quota refugees with accommodation and a support person, who helps with everything from providing furniture to getting children into school and finding employment. But it is not funded to help people

arriving under the Family Reunification programme. So, the burden of support falls on the sponsor, a former refugee who is also facing the challenge of settling in to a new country, Tim said.

‘The sponsors often have limited resources and are themselves reasonably new to living in New Zealand. They’re having to learn a new language, getting children into the education system, setting people up with WINZ, GPs, transport and, once they have managed to get a base, looking for employment.’

The Refugee Family Reunification Trust helps with airfares for the family members to travel to New Zealand and helps where it can once they arrive, but it has limited funds and relies on volunteers.

So, earlier this year, Tim approached the Trust to see how Community Ministries could help, and after a series of meetings, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in September.

The agreement ensures each group is using their expertise in the best way, Tim said, and he was keen to see similar agreements signed between Wellington Community Ministries and other agencies to ensure they worked together in the best way possible.

Under the agreement, The Salvation Army provides clothing, furniture and food parcels for the first few weeks after the family arrives. Where possible, the Army will also help with emergency accommodation. One family has already been provided emergency accommodation, Tim said.

Community Ministries and Catholic Social Services will refer clients to each other, such as when one agency is unable to provide a client with social worker support or counselling. The Family Reunification Trust will also ask people wanting to donate clothes or furniture to take them to Salvation Army Family Stores.

Between 30 and 50 people a year usually come to Wellington under the Family Reunification programme, Tim said. Not all were refugees, but their needs were complex.

A good example was the Colombian refugees who moved to New Zealand in the past few years to escape the country’s long-running internal conflict. Family members that follow might not be classed as refugees, but have still been heavily affected by the conflict, he said.

‘They might have been separated by the conflict. If they haven’t had to flee because of persecution, they may have had to leave their home area because of the conflict. They will have experienced a lot of challenges before they come here, so social service support is really important for these people to be able to find a new life and begin to make a contribution to their community and their new home.’

(l-r) Community Ministries Service Manager Ollie Seumanufagai with Director Tim O’Donovan

(l-r) Mjr Barry Keane, Chris Pollett, Sophia Latief, Margeretha Manuhutu, Jackie Handyside, Maggie Joll and Litia Thompson, Lt Gabrielle Choi, Lt Daniel In

Our Community | 15

Just Brass Helps Christchurch Kids

A Christmas brass band concert with a difference took place in December as 45 Christchurch primary school children took to the stage, just six months after the first one picked up their instrument.

The band was from the new Christchurch Just Brass programme, run by The Salvation Army Christchurch City Corps (church) through funds donated to help kids affected by the Canterbury earthquakes.

Just Brass teaches up to 25 children each from Mairehau and Shirley Primary Schools to play in a brass band, providing them with free instruments, sheet music, weekly one-on-one lessons, a music stand and a t-shirt.

Each Tuesday, they are also bussed to the Christchurch City Corps for a full band practice.

Christchurch City Corps Family Worker Lynley Robertson, who oversees the programme, said they approached the decile three and four schools about the course last year after hearing from John Collinson, who founded the programme in Australia.

Brass banding is strong at the corps, which had the expertise to help, while evidence suggests learning music helps children learn better at school and increases self-discipline and confidence, she said.

Both schools were delighted to take part, building on a good relationship with the corps.

A children’s worker from the corps already works in both schools, and every Friday night the church picks up three van loads of children for its popular 7UP Youth Group. Corps members also provided extra funds to buy six baby trombones for the band.

The area is a poorer neighbourhood, hard-hit by the Canterbury earthquakes. In a place where parents are still struggling with the constant stress of living in damaged homes, around damaged and closed roads, and dealing with insurers, many could not afford music lessons or have the time to take their children, Lynley said.

The programme was a great outreach to families who had little contact with church, and at the group’s first concert they played to a crowd of 170 including family members of every child.

‘Some of [the children] come from some interesting backgrounds. Even the fact that they’re getting undivided attention, praise and encouragement; for some, that’s a pretty foreign concept.’

The children had picked up the music quickly and seemed to have a great time, but the impact went far beyond having fun and getting a new skill, Lynley said.

‘We have one child who has a condition that makes it difficult for him to talk. He came for three or four months before he uttered his first word, but his parents say he’s talking more than he’s ever talked before. We’ve had parents very emotional about how good it’s been for their children.’

Before the Christmas concert the band went 10 pin bowling and had pizza with their families, and the concert included music from the corps senior and junior brass bands and a few carols.

Just Brass and 7UP, where more than 60 youth aged five to 18 gather at the corps every Friday, were a way to keep providing a stable,

positive Christian outreach for all children and support for their families, Lynley said.

However, they were also a big commitment from a corps still dealing with its own earthquake struggles, losing its building in the quakes and facing a two-year wait for a new one.

‘We’re in a one-room place with holes and the ceiling doesn’t fit properly. For Christchurch City to come up with a programme and run it has been pretty amazing.’

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Faith Community Nurses

Toward the end of 2014, Salvationists Janet Hogan (Sydenham) and Ros Vercoe (Nelson Tasman Bays) had the privilege of attending the New Zealand Faith Community Nursing Association (NZFCNA) conference in Wellington.

NZFCNA is a national Christian organisation that equips nurses to serve in their local community. Although Faith Community Nursing (also known as Parish Nursing) is not common in The Salvation Army in New Zealand, it is in some overseas countries. It is about the nurse working with those referred to her with the ‘eyes, ears and caring heart’ of a Christian, seeing spiritual health as an important part of people’s overall wellness.

Major Heather Rodwell, Territorial Spiritual Life Development Secretary for The Salvation Army, opened the weekend with a half-day ‘spiritual retreat’ at St Paul’s Cathedral. New skills about stopping and resting in God were learnt. This laid a foundation for the very full conference that followed.

The conference theme was ‘Sustainability of Practice’. Delegates were reminded that to ‘keep on keeping on’, it was essential to maintain a healthy relationship with God. They were also given the chance to upskill by considering how their nursing knowledge related to work with faith congregations and the wider community.

Janet, who presented a paper on spiritual supervision at the conference, has been elected to the national board of this group of dedicated Christian nurses. She sees Faith Community Nursing as an effective branch of chaplaincy.

Go to www faithnursing.co.nz for more information.

We’d love to hear your news400–600 words with clear and well-captioned photos. Promotion to Glory tributes are around 300 words. Please send large, high-quality digital images in .jpg format.Email to warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org

16 | WarCry 10 January 2015

GAZETTE

Promoted to GloryMjr Joan Beale on 5 Dec 2014 from Mary Potter Hospice, Wellington, aged 90.

Joan Elizabeth Howan was born in Foxton on 21 May 1924. She entered officer training from Upper Hutt Corps in 1945 in the Fearless session. Following her commissioning on 9 July 1945, Joan was appointed to Feilding Corps as Assistant Corps Officer. This was followed by appointments at Wanganui East, Dannevirke and Milton Corps.

On 4 May 1949, she married Lt Gilbert Beale and they served at Mosgiel, St Albans, Spreydon, Greymouth, Kilbirnie, Dunedin North, Levin, Sydenham and Lower Hutt Corps. A change of ministry came in 1969, with their appointment to the Addington Men’s Social Service Centre. Joan was then appointed Social Services Officer, Christchurch; Matron, Rotoroa Island; Court Officer, Christchurch, and Regional Coordinator, South Island; and Manager, Bethany Eventide Home, Christchurch. Joan and Gilbert’s final appointment was Court and Prison Services, Christchurch.

In recognition of her service to the community through the courts and prisons, Joan was recognised in the 1992 New Year’s Honours as a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order (QSO) for Community Service.

The Beales retired from active service on 1 Feb 1990. Major Gilbert Beale was promoted to Glory on 26 Aug 2013. We honour Major Joan Beale for over 44 years of active officer service and her continued ministry in retirement. Please uphold Joan and Gilbert’s children, Stanley, Kevin and Mjr Joanne Jellyman, Joan’s brother David Howan, and other family members in prayer.

A celebration of Joan’s life was held at Wellington South Corps on 8 Dec, led by son-in-law Mjr Wayne Jellyman. Well done, good and faithful servant of Jesus!

BereavedCapt ’Ana Vaea of her father, Mr Viliami Feleti Uhi, from Australia on 19 Nov 2014. The funeral was held on 28 Nov at Longolongo Village, Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Please support Capts ’Ana and Frederick Vaea and their family in prayer at this time.

It is with sadness that we advise the tragic death of Josiah Malton, a much loved son of Capts Tim and Zelma Malton, and brother to Dylan, on 11 Dec 2014. A celebration of Josiah’s life was held at the home of his grandparents in Palmerston North, a place Josiah loved. Please surround Tim, Zelma and Dylan with your love and prayers at this time.

RetirementsIt is with sincere thanks and appreciation that The Salvation Army honours the following officers for their loyal and faithful service to God through The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory. We pray God’s blessing on these officers in their retirement.

Mjr Annette Garrett entered retirement on 16 Dec 2014, having

served for over 25 years. She was warranted as an auxiliary captain on 31 Aug 1989, having served three years prior to this as a territorial envoy at her home corps, Porirua. In 1989, Annette was appointed Manager at Auckland Family Care Centre (Salem House). For the next 14 years, Annette’s appointments allowed her to use her qualification in Social Studies and Drug and Alcohol Counselling. She was appointed Director, Community and Family Services Dunedin in 1994. In 1995, Annette was commissioned with the rank of captain, and in 1996 was instrumental in opening a Bridge Programme in Dunedin, where she was also appointed Director. In 2001, Annette moved to Wellington as Assistant Director, Community and Family Services. She returned to addictions work in the South Island in 2004, this time as Director of the Bridge Programme, Christchurch. Jan 2008 saw a change of ministry when Annette was appointed Corps Officer at Flaxmere, and it is from this appointment that she retires.

Auxiliary-Captain Teao Kauirangi (Nan) Patea officially retired on 6 April 2014, having served over six years as an auxiliary captain. She continued in an appointment in retirement until 8 Jan. In June 2006, Nan and her husband Joe Patea were commissioned as Rangatira of Māori work in The Salvation Army in a voluntary capacity. In July 2007, they became employees responsible for the continuation of the leadership of Māori Ministry. The couple was subsequently warranted as auxiliary captains in 2008. Joe was promoted to Glory on 4 April 2011. Nan continued to serve the Army and has proved a valuable resource and ambassador for Māori Ministry.

Mjr Bruce Vyle officially retired on 6 June 2014, having served for over 19 years, and Mjr Elaine Vyle entered retirement on 8 Jan 2015, having served for 20 years. Bruce and Elaine were warranted as auxiliary captains in 1995 from Hamilton City Corps and appointed to Territorial Headquarters (THQ), Bruce as Corps Growth Resources Officer and Special Events, and Elaine as Assistant to Corps Growth Resources Officer and Territorial Secretary for Senior Adult Ministries. In 1998, Bruce and Elaine became Corps Officers, first at Newton Corps in Auckland and in 1999 at Christchurch City Corps. In 2003, the Vyles moved to Central Divisional Headquarters. Bruce was appointed Divisional Secretary for Programme and Elaine, Assistant Secretary for Programme. Later, Elaine became Divisional Secretary for Personnel and Silver Star Secretary. In 2004, Bruce became Divisional Commander of the Central Division and Elaine, Divisional Director of Women’s Ministries. In 2005, Bruce was appointed Secretary for Business Administration, THQ. During that time, Elaine held a number of THQ appointments, including Assistant Secretary for Personnel, Overseas Services; Associate Director Centre for Leadership Development; Territorial Secretary for Silver Star; and Assistant Territorial Secretary for

Women Ministries. In 2013, Bruce and Elaine were appointed to Northern Divisional Headquarters; Bruce as Divisional Secretary for Programme, and Elaine as Divisional Secretary for Personnel. Elaine had additional appointment responsibilities for the Silver Star Fellowship and Missionary Fellowship in 2014. It is from this appointment that Elaine retires. Bruce continues in an appointment in retirement as Divisional Secretary for Business Administration, Northern Division.

Mjrs Charles and Susanne Prattley entered retirement on 4 Jan, having served for almost 16 years. Charles and Susanne were warranted as auxiliary captains in 1999 from Motueka Corps and appointed as Assistants to Rotoroa Island. The following year they became Assistant Managers. In 2001, Charles and Susanne were appointed Corps Officers, Greymouth Corps, with Charles also serving as Chaplain to Employment Plus (EPlus). They were commissioned as captains in 2002. In 2011, Charles and Susanne were appointed Corps Officers, Aranui Corps, with Charles also Director, Community Ministries and later also Chaplain to EPlus in Aranui. It is from these appointments that Majors Charles and Susanne Prattley retire.

Major Jill Knight enters retirement on 23 Jan, having served for 31 years. Jill entered with her husband, Ian, from Whangarei Corps in 1982 in the Heralds of Hope session. Following their commissioning on 21 Jan 1984, Jill and Ian were appointed Corps Officers, Richmond Corps. For the next 10 years, the couple served in a number of corps, including Eltham, Foxton and Levin. In 1992, Jill was given an additional appointment as Divisional Guide Organiser, Central Division. In 1994, the Knights were appointed Corps Officers, Queenstown Corps. In 1996, Jill was appointed Divisional Assistant, Southern Division, and in 1999 she became Divisional Community Care Ministries Secretary, Southern Division. This was the start of many years of service in Community Ministry work. In 2000, Jill was appointed to Rotorua as Director, Community and Family Services, and in 2002 to Motueka in the same role. Ian and Jill’s last joint appointment was as Corps Officers at Motueka. When Ian retired in 2007, Jill became Manager, Community Ministries Nelson Tasman Bay, and it is from this appointment that she retires.

Long Service Recognition40 years (effective 18 Jan): Comms Alistair and Astrid Herring, Mjr Anthony Stone; 35 years (effective 19 Jan): Mjr Maureen Ashton, Cols Annette and Ross Gower; Mjr Wayne Jellyman; Mjrs Darrell and Lorraine LePine; Mjrs David and Vyvyenne Noakes; Cols Andy and Yvonne Westrupp; 30 years (effective 19 Jan): Mjr Peter Bradley; Mjr Paul Jarvis; Mjr Beverley Price; 25 years (effective 31 Aug 2014): Mjr Annette Garrett; (effective 20 Jan): Cols Lyndon and Bronwyn Buckingham, Lt-Col Jennifer Groves; Mjr Sue Hay; Mjrs Clive and Lesley Nicolson; Mjr Heather Rodwell.

We thank these officers for their faithful service and pray God’s richest blessing upon each of them.

PromotionsThe following officers were promoted to the rank of major on 11 Dec 2014: Sharlene Davis, Denise and Kenneth Smith. The following officers were promoted to the rank of captain on 11 Dec 2014: Amanda Kennedy, Dale McFarlane, Lusiana and Patiliai Leqanidruaivalu, Shaun Baker, Samantha Millar, Phillipa and Robert van Abs.

Commissioning of Auxiliary Captains The following auxiliary captains were commissioned as officers with the rank of captain, effective 13 Dec 2014: Aux-Capt Lindsay Andrews, Aux-Capts David and Denise Daly, Aux-Capts Catherine and Kenneth Walker. They join the Prayer Warriors session of officers.

AppointedEffective Jan 8: Lt Sandra Galvin, Assistant Officer, Auckland City Corps, Northern Division.

International College for Officers

The Chief of the Staff has approved the appointment of the following officers to the International College for Officers and Centre for Spiritual Life Development: Capt Sila Siufanga (Tonga), Session 228, 13 Jan–22 Feb 2016; Mjr Christina Tyson (NZ), Session 229, 13 April–23 May 2016; Mjr Garth Stevenson (NZ), Session 230, 13 July–22 August 2016; Capt Phillippa Serevi (Fiji), Session 231, 12 Oct–21 Nov 2016.

ResignationsMjr Barry Keane, effective 7 Jan 2015. Following their commissioning on 19 Jan 1991, Barry and Raewyn Keane served in a number of corps appointments before being appointed to Central Division Headquarters where Barry was the Divisional Youth and Candidates Secretary. In 2007, Barry became Territorial Youth Secretary. Following Raewyn’s resignation from officership in Jan 2008, Barry continued to serve as the Territorial and then Divisional Youth Secretary (Central), Corps Officer at Wellington 614 Corps, and then Corps Officer, Kapiti Corps. We thank Barry for his 24 years of service as an officer, particularly for the significant investment he has made in youth ministries during his officership, and pray God’s blessing on Barry and Raewyn in the future.

Mjrs Richard and Jennifer Morris, effective 7 Jan. Richard and Jennifer Morris were commissioned on 10 Dec 1994. They have served as Corps Officers, in divisional and territorial roles, and at Booth College of Mission. We thank Majors Richard and Jennifer Morris for their 20 years of service and pray God’s blessing on them in the future.

Capts Amanda and Brian Martin, effective 12 Dec 2014. Brian and Amanda were commissioned as officers on 11 Dec 2004. They have served in corps appointments in New Zealand, and also served in the Rwanda/Burundi Command. We pray God’s blessing on their future.

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CALENDAR

JANUARY 2015

13–20: Amplify Territorial Creative Arts Camp19: Wellington Anniversary Day19–23: Sponsorship Week / Tonga Region22–29: Summer Peak Adventure / Blue Mountain Adventure Centre23-26: Festival One / Mystery Creek, Hamilton26: Auckland Anniversary Day26–1 Feb: Zonal Leaders Conference / Taiwan

FEBRUARY 2015

2: Nelson Anniversary2: Divisional Planning Day / Central Division2–5: Youth Apprenticeship Retreat3: Orientation for new officers / Northern Division4–8: SpiritSong Rehearsal Camp / Silverstream5–8: National Youth Band Rehearsal Camp / Silverstream6: Waitangi Day9: Pōwhiri and Inaugural Assembly / Booth College of Mission9: Territorial Personnel Conference / Territorial Headquarters11: State of the Nation Launch 13–15: Children & Youth Leaders Retreat / Blue Mountain Adventure Centre15: Divisional Welcome Meeting (Hamilton) / Midland Division

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS

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

19–22 January: General’s Consultative Council (TC) / London26 January to 1 February: Zonal Leaders Conference / Taiwan6 February: Waitangi Day Commemoration / Government House, Wellington11 February: State of the Nation Launch / Wellington

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

26 January to 1 February: Zonal Leaders Conference / Taiwan11 February: State of the Nation Launch / Auckland

PRAYER FOCUS

Please pray for: Grandview, Greymouth, Hamilton City, Hastings, Hawera and Hibiscus Coast Corps, officers moving into new appointments, The Salvation Army in Sweden and Latvia.

Crossword Answers: Across: 1 Deeply, 4 Wandered, 10 Principal, 11 Socks, 12 Needs, 13 Newspaper, 14 Excused, 16 Deer, 19 Spin, 21 Variety, 24 Evidently, 25 Piano, 26 Scrub, 27 Regularly, 28 Nostrils, 29 Grades. Down: 1 Depended, 2 Evidence, 3 Locks, 5 Allowed, 6 Disappear, 7 Recipe, 8 Desire, 9 Opened, 15 September, 17 Repaired, 18 Synonyms, 20 Natural, 21 Voyage, 22 Reason, 23 Tigris, 25 Polar. Quiz Answers: 1 Carbon dioxide, 2 The goat, 3 Hockey, 4 The Rainbow Warrior, 5 Deuteronomy.

Do you know a young person who needs help reaching

their dreams?

Aspire is a FREE Salvation Army

youth development programme

to help 11–16 year olds address

challenges and achieve their goals.

1-year programme of weekly group sessions3-day adventure-based learning courseplanning and teamwork on a community projectgoal-setting for now and the future

Sign up by 1 February for the 2015 Aspire programmeGo to

Was Your Family in WWI? With the centenary of World War One this year, many organisations are looking for material from this period. A group associated with The Salvation Army Heritage Centre and Archives is working on a series of articles about The Salvation Army’s involvement, hoping to build a more complete record of the Salvationists who went to war, using information from such sources as the War Cry and Defence Personnel Records in the National Archives.

Perhaps your family members were in the armed forces at this time, or you are the guardian of letters, diaries or other papers from soldiers. Would you be willing to share this information with The Salvation Army Heritage Centre and Archives, or allow the centre to read or perhaps copy this material? If so, please contact Captain Ross Wardle, Director, Salvation Army Heritage Centre and Archives on (04) 528 8628, or e: ross_wardle@nzf.salvationarmy.org

International Bible Reading ChallengeWEEK 2 Matthew 5 to 10 | WEEK 3 Matthew 11 to 15Go to www.salvationarmy.org/biblechallenge for daily reading guides and more.

National Youth Band Annual Rehearsal Camp5–8 February, Silverstream Retreat

Corps are being asked to identify additional players aged from 13 to 30 years who may wish to attend this camp to shape their own musical skills and also to audition for the National Youth Band should they wish to. If you would be interested and haven’t already been approached, please get in touch. Go to www.salvationarmy.org.nz/nyb for National Youth Band membership criteria, or contact Executive Officers Majors Graham and Lynne Medland, e: graham_medland@nzf.salvationarmy.org, lynne_medland@nzf.salvationarmy.org

Let’s be true to our single, unified Salvation Army mission.

It is a pleasure to greet you at the commencement of 2015! I trust that you have been able to enjoy some rest and relaxation over the holiday period and are looking forward to contributing positively to the mission and life of The Salvation Army for another year.

Words can be interpreted variously, and sometimes the interpretation of a particular word can place an entirely different meaning on a sentence. Take for example, a sentence from The Salvation Army’s international mission statement, which describes our mission as ‘to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs without discrimination’. Does the word ‘and’ separate the mission into two neatly divided parts: (1) preach the gospel of Jesus Christ; AND (2) meet human needs without discrimination? Or does the word ‘and’ inextricably join preaching the gospel and meeting human needs together into a single and unified mission?

Our early history would suggest that the structure, choice of uniform and mode of operation were all to enhance this unified mission of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and meeting human needs without discrimination. However, over the years, various factors contributed to the separation of the mission into two parts: (1) preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ through our corps (churches), and (2) meeting human need without discrimination through our social work. While this was not true in every case, it was true for the most part. But this separation has contributed to the lessening of our missional impact.

I would argue that The Salvation Army exists to deliver this one, unified mission: to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ AND meet human needs without discrimination. That is, in every Salvation Army setting, we are to work this out as a singular and unified mission. No Salvation Army setting or programme should preach the gospel without meeting human needs, and none should meet human needs without preaching the gospel. In fact, every soldier has signed up to this unified mission in their Soldier’s Covenant, and every officer has signed up through both their Soldier’s Covenant and their Officer’s Covenant. Yes, we each have gifts and strengths to contribute to the body of Christ, but if we dare to call ourselves Salvationists, then we should be committed to this unifying ‘AND’ in our international mission statement.

Please join me at the commencement of the New Year to reflect on the particular mission unit you are involved in. Is it preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ AND meeting human needs without discrimination? Or has your ministry unit divided the mission and become overly focused on just one part? As we approach the celebration of 150 years of Salvation Army mission, let’s make sure we are being true to the single, unified mission that called us into being. God bless you!

Commissioner Robert DonaldsonTerritorial Commander

LEADERSHIP LINKS

BY CAMERON MILLAR

Excitement Grows Ahead of Boundless CongressNew Zealander Cameron Millar is one of just eight young people chosen to help get everything ready for The Salvation Army’s 150th birthday celebrations.

The Congress Office, based at International Headquarters in London, UK, is busily preparing for The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary congress, Boundless: The Whole World Redeeming. Soldiers, adherent members and friends of the Army around the world are planning, preparing, and praying for this historic occasion.

I am one of the eight International Congress Office Volunteers (#Boundless8). I spend most of my time supporting the office by assisting with the registration, statistics and database management for the over 15,500 delegates anticipated to fill the O2 arena in July.

This opportunity to work at International Headquarters has opened my eyes to the diversity, creativity and passion of the international Salvation Army family and the many ways people are caring for each other, transforming lives, and reforming society in each community.

The congress theme, Boundless: The Whole World Redeeming, is taken directly from the Founder’s Song, ‘O Boundless Salvation,’ which speaks of our salvation story:

O boundless salvation, deep ocean of love; O fullness of mercy, Christ brought from above. The whole world redeeming, so rich and so free; Now flowing for all men, come roll over me!Our sins may be many and their stains deep, but when

we plunge ’neath the waters of God’s life-giving flood, we are changed, forgiven, redeemed! As Christians and as Salvationists, it is our desire to both experience and extend this redemption to others.

The congress verse, Ephesians 3:8, calls us to ‘Preach to the nations the boundless riches of Christ!’ This scripture is central to the identity of The Salvation Army and our mission to win the world for God.

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The missional statement for Boundless is to: commemorate the past, celebrate the present, and innovate for the future.

We will commemorate the past by coming together in East London—the birthplace of The Salvation Army—and convening under the tent of the O2 arena, just like William and Catherine Booth and the first Salvationists convened under a tent, fellowshipped with the body of believers, and went out, ready to serve those in need.

We will celebrate the present and offer thanks to the Lord for the gift of reaching 150 years and the blessing of being present, preaching and serving in 126 countries. We will innovate for the future by looking to General André Cox’s vision for the Army, which serves as the basis of the arena sessions.

My experiences here have gone beyond the congress office. When I first arrived in London, I found myself sitting in the back row of a songster (choir) rehearsal. It was something very different for me, but I enjoyed this time of fellowship and worship more than I could have ever expected. One moment that stood out in this experience was during a concert that the songsters were taking part in, where months of hard work came together to create something beautiful.

Recently, I have found a new home at Stepney Corps in a great little community in the heart of the east end of London. They are doing some amazing work within this community! I have fallen in love with what God is doing there and am getting involved where I can. In preparation for the holiday season, I’ve been helping in a Christmas pantomime that brought my new family together for a time of laughter, food and fellowship I will never forget.

I am living at The Salvation Army William Booth College. It has been a great experience living there. I’ve felt so welcomed by staff and cadets, spending many evenings hanging out with them in the ‘Hub’, the central congregating area in the college. I’ve also taken part in a young people’s home group, where I have a great opportunity to invest in people’s futures.

As you can probably see, this adventure is teaching me so much more than I expected, which will lead to a better congress, but also a better me.

If you’re coming to Boundless, then you’ll get to enjoy seven main sessions, with 41 performance groups from each of the Army’s five

geographical zones reflecting different culture perspectives from our global Salvation Army. Two groups from the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory have the unique opportunity to impact Boundless by sharing our culture: a kapa haka group, Te Toa Whakaora, and the Zoo Boogie children’s entertainment group.

Some of you may want to be delegates to the congress; others may support the event from afar by watching it online. But on behalf of all the organising team, we ask that everyone keep the congress in prayer. Please pray that lives will be changed and that God will be glorified in everything we do. And remember that you can also participate locally in initiatives like the ‘Mind the Gap’ campaign.

Mind the Gap aims to sponsor approximately 1500 Salvationists from developing countries to attend Boundless 2015. The Congress Office recently released a fundraising pack to support the appeal. In the pack, there’s a letter from General André Cox inviting you to support the appeal, a promotional flyer, a profile on a sponsored delegate, and an invitation to make a gift in memory or in honour of a faithful Salvationist in your life. There are other resources too. Please share these materials at home, at church, and in your workplace, and prayerfully consider ‘minding the gap’ for a fellow Salvationist.

I believe Boundless will be a significant step for the future of The Salvation Army. More specifically, that, while there, we Salvationists from New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga will be able to learn from our brothers and sisters around the world. And, hopefully, they will be able to learn from us as well.

I believe that we will see the kingdom of God advance beyond the 126 countries in which the Army is active, and I am super excited to see what God is going to do!

My eyes have been opened to the diversity, creativity, and passion of the international Salvation Army family.

William Booth preaches in an early tent meeting

Go to www boundless2015.org to register and pay for tickets, and to find out about Boundless events, accommodation, tours, the Mind the Gap campaign, the Whole World International Bible Reading challenge, and pre- and post-congress tour options.

Mission Matters | 19

GOD & FAITH

What can the queen of twerking teach us about living for Jesus? More than you might have thought!

Pop music, it’s not Christian, right? There’s lots of bad stuff in there, glorifying things that aren’t what God likes. So, is there anything good in there? Can we find God in a secular pop song, or do we have to ditch them to be holy?

Well, sometimes you find God in unexpected places. Take Miley Cyrus—I think we’d generally agree she’s not a great role model —not with all that twerking, the drugs and the dodgy clothing. But back in the day, she had some pretty interesting things to say. Like in her song ‘Nobody’s Perfect’, from her album Learning—Changing, which is all about making mistakes.

It’s a bit of a problem for Christians, this nobody’s perfect thing. Doesn’t the Bible

say we’re supposed to stop sinning when we become Christians? Hey, Jesus even says ‘you should be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect’ (Matthew 6: 48)*. That’s pretty clear. And we can go from being saved to not being saved—that’s something The Salvation Army (and lots of other churches) agree on.

And then there are those days when you feel like another of Miley’s lines in her song ‘The Climb’:

Every step I’m taking Every move I make feels Lost with no direction My faith is shaking

Nobody’s perfect

The thing is, Miley’s right: nobody’s perfect.

When you hear about the Apostle Paul, he sounds like a great Christian—one of the greatest even. He planted lots of churches, travelled the world preaching and doing

miracles, and he wrote 13 books of the New Testament that explain pretty much everything that Christians believe. He was a great guy, right?

And yet, in Romans, Paul remembers a time when there was a battle going on in his life. He recalls this, saying: ‘I don’t do the good I want to do; instead, I do the evil that I don’t want to do’ (Romans 7:19). Even Paul, who seemed to have it all worked out, admitted he

The Gospel of Miley CyrusEVERYBODY MAKES MISTAKES / EVERYBODY HAS THOSE DAYS / EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT, WHAT I’M TALKIN ’BOUT.

BY ROBIN RAYMOND

It’s not easy. It takes effort and determination. Paul talks about training like a runner or a boxer. The more you train, the more you notice the things you could do better. This can make you feel bad, but remembering that incredible thing, that Jesus saved us, makes it easier.

C.S. Lewis, who wrote the Narnia books and lots of books about Christianity, talks about ‘dressing up as Christ’ and ‘pretending’ (in a good way) to be Jesus. When you try, he says, you’ll quickly notice a way to make it less like pretending and more being Jesus.

Or, again as Miley says:Nobody’s perfect I gotta work it Again and again ‘Til I get it right

And the really cool thing is that we’re not alone, God works in and with us! And gradually—if we keep doing our part and cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives—we become more and more like Jesus. Going back to C.S. Lewis talking about practicing, he puts it like this: ‘The real Son of God is at your side. He is beginning to turn you into the same kind of thing as himself. He is beginning, so to speak, to “inject” His kind of life and thought.’

Christians don’t try and be like Jesus because we need to, to be saved. We do it because we want to be like Christ. Because we’ve been given an opportunity to have a relationship with God —and because we’re so grateful, we want to make that relationship work.

Being a Christian doesn’t make us better or worse than anyone else. Christians and non-Christians, we all mess up sometimes. But Christians are people who are trying, with God’s help, to become more like God wants us to be. And when we do mess up, we know that God is ready to forgive us. Even if we do make mistakes, God never walks away!

10 JANUARY 2015 | 21FIREZONE.CO.NZ

messed up sometimes. As a Pharisee, he had been totally focused on keeping all the rules of the Jewish Law. But he couldn’t. Paul was a man who was looking for grace, and who found it in Jesus.

Some days, we do things wrong. And perhaps we feel like if anyone knew about some of those wrong things, they wouldn’t want anything to do with us. Let alone God wanting anything to do with us. I mean, how can we still be saved when we deliberately do something bad?

But if that’s what we think, we’re totally underestimating God. After all, he gave up a lot to make up for our mistakes. And he’s never going to give up on us!

Jesus went to the cross, died and came back to life for us. It’s hard to get a sense of how incredible it is. But it is. It really is. Mind-blowingly incredible! When we accept that and ask to follow God, he forgives us for all the bad stuff we have done. And, once that has happened, he wants to have a relationship with us. That’s also incredible.

We are saved as long as we accept what Jesus did for us—or, as that man Paul puts it,

‘God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ’ (Romans 3.22).

Getting involved with God

So, if God’s put everything right, why does it matter what we do—we’re saved, aren’t we?

Well kinda. When we become a Christian, God forgives us for the bad we’ve done in the past. It’s gone … if we want it to be. And there’s the key really: if we want it to be. If we don’t really want to be done with what Paul calls ‘the evil that I don’t want to do’, we can walk away and choose to reject God. It’s up to us. (A little thing called ‘free will’.)

That’s what the whole being saved and staying saved thing is about. We can choose to reject God if we want to. But it’s not: if you make a mistake, you’re out. God just doesn’t operate that way!

When I think about what Jesus did, the only reaction I can have to a God who would step down into my world and give up everything to fix my mistakes and have a relationship with me is ‘Wow, thank you!’—and then to pitch in to that relationship.

There’s a saying about having an ‘attitude of gratitude’. It sounds cheesy, but it’s an easy way to remember something that’s really important. We should have an attitude of gratitude: saying thanks to God for giving us this chance, and then getting involved in the relationship he wants to have with us.

Getting better at doing right

Part of that relationship involves God working with us to fix the things that are bad in that relationship. That’s the wrong we sometimes still feel tempted to do, and the good we sometimes fail to do.

If you have a friend and know that something you do hurts them, you’ll try to stop doing it. You might not always get it right, but you’ll try and gradually get better at not doing things that hurt that person. Well, if we want to say thank you to God and keep having a good relationship with him, we’ll try to do things that please God, not things that hurt God.

That doesn’t happen instantly; it only happens if we want to change. In the meantime, we do stuff up sometimes, but we bring those stuff-ups to God. God forgives us and then uses those moments to teach us and help us not do those things again. Or, going back to Miley;

I may not know it But these are the moments that I’m gonna remember most, yeah

To put it another way, the term ‘Christian’ means ‘to be like Christ’. The clue is in the name: we’re people trying to be like Christ!

IF WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO GOD AND KEEP HAVING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, WE’LL TRY TO DO THINGS THAT PLEASE GOD.

* All Bible references from the Good News Translation.

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BECOMING WHO WE ARE AlternativeKings Kaleidoscope

After a smattering of EP’s and live records, Kings Kaleidoscope brings their best to the studio with Becoming Who We Are. The organised chaos of the band’s string and brass sections, combined with hip hop grooves, soulful singing and strong lyrics makes this an excellent album. From the indie opener Glorious to the percussive close of Defender, the

different musical styles are brought together well. At 17 tracks, the album is a touch too long; however, it’s well paced well, and the shift of influences is refreshing rather than tiring. Set aside some time and give it a listen—it’ll be well worth it.

MUSIC LYRICS GOD CONTENT

BRUTAL ROMANTIC Electropop/AlternativeBrooke Fraser

Brutal Romantic marks a huge departure from Brooke Fraser’s earthy singer/songwriter roots. It instead shares its heritage with the minimalistic production of Lorde’s Pure Heroine and the jazzy hip hop fusion of Kimbra’s The Golden Echo. Electronic elements dominate the album’s 10 tracks, with a more stark and cold feel throughout. What warmth remains is

carried in Fraser’s vocals, which are soulful and smooth. The song writing is top notch, and Fraser’s gift for writing catchy melodies is not lost. However, if you’re a fan of her earlier, acoustic dominated sound, you may find Romantic a bit out of your comfort zone.

MUSIC LYRICS GOD CONTENT

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The territorial and divisional youth teams have another awesome year lined up for you in 2015. They’ve sorted a whole bunch of cool events for you to hang out, have fun, catch up and connect with God and others. Check out all the deets, get ya diary out and lock them in!

Amplify 2015, 13–20 January: Eight-day territorial creative arts camp for young people from 15–30 years in Wellington

Summer Peak Adventure, 22–29 January: The ultimate seven-day summer adventure doing sweet outdoor activities at Blue Mountain Adventure Centre for ages 14 to 17 years.

Festival One, 23–26 January: Four-day music festival with awesome local and international artists including Switchfoot, Gungor and Halfnoise in Hamilton—www.festival-one.co.nz.

Cloud Festival, 24 January: Massive one-day music festival in Auckland with a sweet line up confirmed, from Newsboys to Rapture Ruckus to Tigertown—www.cloudfestival.co.nz.

Southern Paddybash, 28 February: A day of hanging out, having fun and racing some old beat-up cars around a proper racing track. Awesome!

Easter Camps …

• Northern/Midland, 2–6 April

• Southern, 2–6 April

• Central: 3–6 April

Fiji Sports Days, 3 and 6 April: Two competitive sports days for Fiji youth from either eastern Fiji or western Fiji to hang out, play sports and have fun.

Taupo 7s, 27 April: Huge one-day sports tournament for corps from all over the North Island to battle it out for corps pride.

Southern 7s, 27 April: Corps from all over the South Island meet up for a one-day sports competition across four different sports.

Boundless International Congress, 1–5 July: A five-day event for Salvationists from all over the world to celebrate our movement together in London. If you can’t afford a plane ticket, stream it online for free!

TYCMC, 17–19 July: Territorial Youth and Children’s Ministries Conference for paid and volunteer leaders from all over New Zealand to learn, connect and recharge.

Divisional Youth Councils: Awesome opportunities that include time to connect, get into some crazy games, worship together, learn cool stuff and go deeper with God.

• Northern Youth Councils, 7–9 August

• Midland Youth Councils, 25–27 September

• Central Youth Councils, 25–26 September

• Southern Youth Councils, 2–4 October

• Fiji Northern Youth Councils, 6–8 November

• Tonga Youth Councils, 5–7 December

• Fiji Western Youth Councils, 11–13 December

Please note: Some of these dates or details may change, which is all good ’cause that’s how life is, so make sure you keep up to date by joining your divisional youth Facebook group or checking out Firezone.co.nz regularly.

Plan Your Year

Fun4Kids | 23

‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for

the Lord and not for people.’

Get Ready for Schoolwith our Cool School Labels

Colossians 3:2 (Good News Translation)

The grace of God means something like:

Here is your life. You might never have been,

but you are because the party wouldn’t have been

complete without you.

Frederick Buechner