TSAASTTCGFC - Grand Final Challenge, an update

Well things are progressing well, then bam!... its the final day of the challenge!
I won't provide a comprehensive list, but here are a couple more things we got up to:

• Pete blogged recently about evangelising a prank caller, next time one calls, try it! (Or maybe you could get a telemarketer saved!)
• We've had the privilege of collecting heaps over this past week, 4 attempts with 614 (Melb Central and Southern Cross Stations), we didn't get confirmed amounts, but each day my tin was packed to the limit with notes and lotsa gold, I pray that money will see people saved through 614!
• In a recent outreach night, Steve put Pete and I on the line when a gangsta-kinda guy came to 'preach' at us about the Salvos, we had 2 minutes each to share the gospel (which he agreed to listen to... yeah!), we didn't see any radical salvation that night, but on my parting handshake, I slipped the guy a little gospel of Mark - he thought that was hilarious and kept it - heres praying the gospel will stay with him till Jesus gets his heart!
• Collected $696 for Carlton Corps at Lygon Court shopping centre (nice), as I was collecting a uni student set up a henna tattooing table (henna - temporary painted tattoo). After my shift I asked her to paint me a cross and the words "Jesus Saves", to my disappointment, she said she'd especially love to write those words on my arm... turns out she's a believer! praise the Lord! Now I have a ready-made evangelistic opener, lets see some people saved this week!
• Prayer-walked the Collingwood area with Xander and Pete, along the way we met a guy from a past outreach in the park. Made a meaningful contact there, also prayed for rain.... since then we've received a healthy drenching!!! ;o)
• Freedom Friday last week we saw 4 College-mates meeting in the 707 prayer room. A time of focussed prayer and great mutual encouragement to continue the fight for freedom!
• Last night had an awesome night out with some mates of ours, I'm believing for the next Gowans and Lllarson!!! Candidates papers are getting sent their way today! whoo!

Well thats some of the cool stuff we've been up to for the kingdom! By the way, I'm loving the challenge and the way it has given me an opportunity to push forward in the fight! Maybe this should be a year-round focus to get us active in prayer, proclamation, evangelism and building character! I don't really care about whatever prize the challenge-winner gets, I care more that I've been challenged to reach my world for Jesus and in doing that, the prizes are fully eternal for myself and the people I've had the awesome opportunity to reach out to!

If you're interested in doing the challenge with your young people over the summer break - which I highly encourage! (its heaps better than sleeping in and playing the PS3/Xbox!), you can find the official list at the armybarmy blog in the 16th Dec post (thanks Steve!).

Feed and Clothe her...

I've been thinking a bit about something a wrote a while ago, I wasn't sure whether to post it here, but I left it to the Lord to confirm it. Recently I've received this confirmation through several different Godly friends and through scripture (which I hadn't read prior to writing down this vision). Anyway, have a read, I implore you - let your heart break for the lost, the bride can't wait.
.................................................

O Salvation Army, how you break my heart!
The mission sent from God to a multitude of freshly-saved, spirit-filled, holy warriors has been shelved and preserved as antiquity. A generation holding a cheap imitation of the original have marched forward, determined that the clothes they have made, the meal they have prepared for the bride are true and eternal.

Stand guard no longer! Selfish generation! Millions of lost tailors, cooks, chefs and seamstresses are wasting away, unable to fill her or adorn her in the finery she deserves. As Christ’s bride stands in tatters, weeping in shame and hunger, you admonish those who point out her rags and stains.

If you love her so, how can you stand to see her wasting away, alone and empty? Forget the meagre rations of the past! Bring to her a fresh harvest, that she might be filled once again! Look closely at her current state, see her eyes brimming with tears for the lost, those thin fingers clutching her empty stomach – aching and hungering for new fruit.

As you look into her eyes, deep with the sorrow of the past, steel yourself against running to the old orchards – they are deserted and empty, barren.
Look to the hills, see? There are the trees over-laden with strange new fruit! Run to the harvest, you must reach it before one more branch breaks and crushes its’ load – lost and rotting fruit, food for the worms.

Can we debate any longer the methods and tools required for the task?
Look, some of our number have begun the harvest, reaching out with bare hands despite the sharp branches. Do not be afraid, run to the hills for the harvest; reach out, this fruit will not be lost! Care not for the pain and the blood, for lack of tools or treat with disdain these primitive methods. Remember the bride, perishing for lack of blood spent, and lack of effort on our part to bring her the food she requires!

Work quickly, she wastes away; feed her, patch up her rags, create a new garment of praise with joyful shouts as more workers run to the harvest!

.................................................

" Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." "
REVELATION 19:7-9

TSAASTTCGFC (Grand Final Challenge)

I think a few people already know about the Grand Final Challenge presented for this final 3 weeks of college. Basically we're challenged to form teams of 3 and choose tasks to complete out of a range of different options, there's evangelism, personal growth and other variations of Christian mission, ministry & formation (even the kooky stuff! hehe). I'm proud to say my team is made up of Pete, Xander Coleman and myself. We're pumped for the challenge to reach more people for Jesus and dive deeper in our personal commitment to the Lord!

Thus far our challenge tasks have included:

• Ridiculously early prayer (2-5am) - God used that time for empowering, edification and some serious intercession!
• Fasting (we chose to go a 'Freedom Friday' this week)

Since this is only the beginning, we're just getting warmed up, but we're praying to see some serious spiritual fruit out of this exercise. Praise the Lord for the challenge, it's certainly stirred things up!

So you think you can PREACH?

Macleod last night, 5 preachers "pitted against" a congregation of young people in a battle for Salvation & Holiness....

Preachers drew a preaching topic out at random and had five minutes to prepare before letting loose on the young people. Topics and Preachers were:

Alana - Trinity
Amazing for a first-time preacher! She had a go at a tough topic and ripped through it in record time! Keep an eye out for this young woman, she's got it!

Pete - Salvation
Shared his extreme passion for souls from a passage in Luke 4 - the bit with Jesus reading from Isaiah. Challenged the youth to lay down their sin before God and step into new life with Christ!

Jo - Worship
I brought a notebook with me to scribble notes on, as I opened it, found I'd scratched out some notes & bible verses on worship ages ago! (praise the Lord!). Preached also from Isaiah 58, using an out of tune guitar as an illustration for our worship being out of tune with God's desire for worship!

James - Holiness
Typical of Jamsie to get his favourite topic! This crafty guy organised a 'backing track' with the band, rocking it out with some holiness passion and laying down truth so thick we didn't know what hit us!

Tish - Choices
Man this girl has a seriously quick brain! She chucked in about 15 verses on choices and gave us the low-down on our choice between wisdom and foolishness.

The "all-in challenge" saw all 5 preachers up the front backed by the band, and being led by the Spirit in challenging some radical response. Tell you what, we saw some serious sanctification happening at the foot of the cross! A massive night for youth, by youth (yay Sarah McIver! love you!), this definitely has to be done again and reproduced across the world!!!!

Lieutenancy Change

The other day at Officers' Councils (Connections 07 event), it was announced that the following (thanks Stephen & Aaron - ArmyBarmy) is official....

"We've read at IHQ site that non-commissioned lieutenancy is ending. Apparently, in March 08, the current system will end and newly commissioned officers will receive the rank of lieutenant."
"The rank of Lieutenant is being reintroduced as a commissioned officer's rank as of March 1, 2008. All cadets coming out of training will be given this rank, and will hold it for at least 5 years (barring promotion by the General, or promotion ot Glory).They will be re-examining the current rank of Lieut. for non-commissioned officers."

The full announcement can be found at the rubicon.

Despite the obvious discussion about whether it is a bad/good decision... It was shared that a rank for the soon-to-be-nameless-'Lieutenants' hasn't been decided on yet... Got any suggestions???

I like 'Adjutant' - hard to say, not sure what it was used for, but it's different, so I like it ;o)

CONNECTIONS 07!!!

Off to the first of many Connections 07 meetings today... (my first Officers Councils! yeah!).
I hope you've signed up to be a delegate, but if not, there's plenty of events you can rock up to at no charge. Check out the Connections page here. Make plans to be at the march, its gonna be awesome!

Well thats it for now, things are looking good here at college, the Heralds are mega-pumped for their commissioning and the Witnesses are just loving the ride....

See ya there!!!!

Songs for the Revolution

Here's my short-list of songs to keep you pumped for the fight...

Casting Crowns - "What if His people prayed"
Casting Crowns - "If we are the Body"
The Inhabited - "Revolution"
Switchfoot - "Dare you to move"
The Lads - "Favourite Time"

"Love is the movement, love is a revolution.
This is redemption, we don't have to slow back down."
Switchfoot - "Love is the movement"

Group 1 Crew - "A lot in common"
David Crowder Band - "Undignified"
Hip Hop Praise - "Liteshine (declaring war)"
Superchick - "One-girl revolution"
Superchick - "Get up"

"Make a move 'cause talk is really cheap.
You'll never start a revolution in your sleep.
Showing love to everyone is what It's all about."
Stellar Kart - "Activate"

Casting Crowns - "Every man"
Casting Crowns - "What this world needs"
Hillsong - "Hosanna"
Hillsong - "None but Jesus"
Hillsong - "Soldier"

There's something about a good song with passionate lyrics that stirs you up inside, gets you excited, uncomfortable, ready for action... Our revolution generation needs more anthems for the fight... got any other awesome songs up your sleeve???

Equality of the sexes? where?

Here's a bit of 'holy-discontentedness':
Whats the deal with having an Army that supposedly supports equality of the sexes in Ministry, yet has a stand-alone Women's Ministry Department????
What about the men? Is there no Men's ministries? (don't try to argue the brass band line! Thats no longer acceptable!) Don't we care that men aren't being built up and discipled outside of 'banding' and leadership?

I propose that if we truly believe in equality of the sexes, we have equally-sized (staffed and funded) Men's and Women's Ministries departments (departments at THQ-level and positions at DHQ-level).

OR

We change 'Women's ministries' to 'Family ministries' and get some guys in...
Better yet, put Men's, Women's, Child Sponsorship, Playgroup ministries etc. into the Corps Programme Department (its logical!).
Then give the higher ranked Women Leaders positions that allow them to contribute to the leadership of the territory without a 'shadow' responsibility for Women's ministries.

I'm all fired up! how did we get to this place where the inequality was so blatantly obvious?
It's just not acceptable.

Come on women, step up and address this, and guys - get things happening!

400 DAYS TO GO...

400 days 'till our commissioning Witnesses!!! Today this milestone was marked by a 'fly-by' appearance from 400-man... whadda guy...

The closer we get, the more pumped I am to be 'unleashed' on the world!!! (storm-the-forts-of-darkness-style!) Gods got something huge in store for his Army... I hope I'm out in time to catch the wave!

woohoo! 400 days to go...

Let the weak say "I am Strong!"

Thanks to Pakenham Corps I had the opportunity to attend the Global Leadership Summit over the last weekend. I heard some awesome leadership insights, but I must say its pretty weird sitting in a room full of people clapping for a speaker who is on DVD! (and even funnier when the speaker asks a question and people answer! hehe!).

Aside from having a great time, I learnt some valuable lessons about how to grow as a leader. One of the most dynamic speakers we heard from was Marcus Buckingham (who works with the Gallup Poll people). He spoke about the common misconception people have - that to improve (as people and as leaders), we should work on fixing our areas of weakness.

Marcus' view was that many societies have taken this on, to the point that our children are recieving the message that the things they aren't good at are more important than the things they do really well (their strengths). What kind of people are we setting them up to be? Adults that are guilt-ridden by the fact that they aren't good enough...

How confident can a leader be in their abilities when they are living out of this paradigm???

Instead, Marcus said to build on your strengths and manage around your weaknesses. Just as we would expect Tiger Woods to work on his golf swing, instead of practicing scales on piano.

This also applies to working as a team...

Instead of trying to make every member of a team seperately well-rounded, we should realise that a team is most well-rounded when the members aren't. What this means, is that when each member is working from their strengths, the team is stronger.

Now I think that this is pretty important to us who are working with the body of Christ, in ministry teams... Lets seek to engage people in their areas of strength, use what they do well to serve the Lord! Don't try to do everything well, but work on building a team who are strong in areas where you are weak (don't forget the importance of acknowledgement, thanks and encouragement).

Personally, we each need to find our areas of strength and then get 'buff' for Jesus!

On a completely unrelated note, check out this cool photo I took at the summit...

I call it "Field of Chairs"

Uniform vs. Uniformity?

PETE : AARON : XANDER : JAMES

What an awesome bunch of fired up Salvo guys! I love that all of them are in uniform, but they're all different!
This was taken at the Prayer walk (@614) about a month ago, but I recently spent some time with them at 'Go For Souls!'... an AWESOME time! People were getting saved, we were prophesying over each other, tons of prayer for others and the lost and the Revolution band went nuts for Jesus! The Holy Spirit was really moving (you know what happens when the Holy Spirit moves... oh yeah!), heaps of people were challenged that weekend.

There's nothing like spending time with people who get you fired up for Jesus! ;o)

I officially hate Reviews!

Can't write anything about how I actually feel.
But I came awfully close to throwing myself out a window... is that too much?
College is hard.
ERGH!


P.S. I now have the self-esteem of an ant who's just been squished.

Dear Lord, please do something with me, with college, with the Army - because you know nothing will change without you. Let it be.

GO FOR SOULS - this Friday & Saturday

A local Evangelism-focussed conference - you'll find Passion, Direction, Fire, Equipping, Worship, Teaching, Zeal, Challenge, Empowerment, Vision... all THIS Friday and Saturday at Plenty Valley Salvos (cost - $10), give James a call to find out more - 9436 4681 (ask for James).

God is gonna start something huge...

How good is God!

I have way too much to write in this blog!!!! God has really blessed the socks off me! Last week was some AWESOME ministry with the kids and people out at Rochy, I was in my element and God was doing a good thing through the mission team! We had a great time.

The news today is mind-blowing (a new TP in Dec 2007), what is God up to???

Whatever it is, the Lord is getting things moving and I hope this momentum keeps up. I've had a read of the TC's dream/vision document (check it out here) and it was like fuel on the fire, I just want to get at missioning, visioning, leading and being with the people.

Our ATP Gregory Morgan has a great excerpt in JAC (from his thesis) about re-focussing educational strategy. I've pasted in a couple of my favourite quotes:

"We believe that the best educational theory confirms the fact that people learn best when learning matches the life experience of the learner. The idea that students are blank slates that come to be filled with knowledge is bad theology and even worse educational philosophy. Therefore we try to bring the experience and the learning moment together. (Frost and Hirsch 2003: 221)"

>> No one is a blank slate, everyone has experience, info and opinions to share. When it comes to cadets I think we should find ways to share our gifts and expertise to teach each other, a shared - not imposed - learning experience. For me, I've found sharing in group ministry is one of the most rewarding and richly educational experiences for me to date - experience and education.

"Do we want and need people who are socialised and identify strongly with others trained for ministry? Or do we want and need people who are socialised to society and identify with the community to which they are called in mission and ministry? A Christendom model of church can entertain the luxury of a separate class of people defined by status, however a missional church needs leaders who understand the genuine need for incarnational ministry."

>> I'm hungry for some incarnation, some community contact with the people I'm called to reach!

"[Mr.] Banks and others who share this view want the learning community of theological schools extended beyond the campus gates so that students, faculty, and administrators might experience their ministry in the context of God’s classroom – the world. Access to this world-oriented classroom would occur not after one’s degree is earned, but during the process of one’s education. The spirit behind this missional approach to theological education is found in the text of John 3:16… The context for theological education is not restricted to the classroom, but encourages us to be in the world at the same time. (2002: 54)"

>> Amen - Lord, bring it on

Mission Week 2007 - Rochester

Jo dancing to some Hillsong Kids tracks...

Our Mission Week (campaign) team has been having an awesome and extremely busy time buzzing around Rochester, Kyabram and Echuca getting involved in ministry to country people. We've spent a huge amount of time preparing and running a holiday program in Rochester a drought-affected area. During the 3-day program, we impacted 66 kids! (in Rochy, thats a pretty great turn-out!). Our program was Superhero-themed and we shared about Moses, Esther and Jesus - how they were able to do super things through God. We also helped the kids to realise that this same 'super' God wants to be their friend too! It was great to see the kids blossom over the time we were with them, they were a gorgeous bunch of kids to spend time with! A weekly kids church will begin at Rochester Salvos very soon, we pray that the kids we met will be drawn even closer to God through this awesome initiative! Please pray that the leaders will be given divine energy to keep the fun and God-focus happening!

Praise the Lord for all he's done this week!

God-man & Speed-Demon at it again....

Gimme that old-time Salvation Army!

Reflecting on the stats blogged on ArmyBarmy & WhollyHoly (thanks Stephen & Jamsie!) about the decline in numbers over the past 10 years, I remembered some older stats I'd discovered in "Salvation Soldiery" that had just blown my mind (and this is not ten years difference, but five!)...

1876 The Christian Mission…

- 546 Public Speakers

- 27 Officers

- 380 Services weekly

1881 The Salvation Army…

- 13,400 Public Speakers

- 540 Officers

- 4,300 Services weekly

According to William Booth in “SALVATION SOLDIERY” (1889)

I pray that we might see these kind of radical results once more!

With great Power...

I'm a bit of a perfectionist about my own stuff. I like everything I do to come out exactly the way I intend it. Now this is a bit of a problem when it comes to blogging... (already I've deleted the first paragraph four times and re-written it!).

You see, I'm not really sure my whole motivation behind blogging... its partly an outlet for my frustrations and passions, partly a way to be known, partly an offering of my 'stuff' as a gift, partly an opportunity to debate and share with people. A lot of the time I worry what people will think of what I say (considering the college thing), but what I also wonder is what God thinks of my blogging...

Because he knows which parts are deeply painful, which are soul-baring therapy, he knows the motivations that got me typing. God knows the difference between my holy discontentedness and my child-like whining. He recognises my pridefulness and my desperate hope to make an impact on the world.

I hope I am being real to God more than anything else, more than my fear of being judged and my fear of being less-than-perfect. But I am judged sometimes... I need to get over it - its what humans do, I'm not perfect at everything I do... and God's ok with that. He's especially ok with me being who he created me to be, me growing and stretching for him. And if blogging does that, perhaps he likes it after all.


(sdjkhkjhfuvuibfdf - this is me rebelling against perfection!)

The Elephant and the Ant

A parable (actually a bit of creative therapy! sorry Pete, its a little 'Arty Farty')

The Elephant and the Ant once lived in a jungle, ruled only by the sun.

The elephant, wise and slow, saw beauty in the wide-open sky, the trees and grassy plains, the sun as it arched the heavens.

The ant scurried by, hurrying to find and build, to fight and survive… and live another day to do the same amongst the dirt.

“Dear ant,” the elephant said, “have you seen how beautiful the sun is shining today?”
“Well no, I have no time for that,” the ant replied and hurried by.

The elephant was sad for the ant, as he slowly moved away amongst the jungle trees to find the perfect place to watch the sun set.

As time went on, the ant built an army and a fine nest to call home. The army learnt to scurry and hurry, finding and building, fighting and surviving… to live another day to do the same amongst the dirt.

All the while, never noticing the way the sun shined beautifully for them.

And never understanding why the elephant was sad…

Or why he loved the sun.

"going to the Army"

I found an awesome quote recently in Revolution in the Church by Michael Brown, in it he compares church to an Army…. as in military (think war & camouflage, not brass bands & uniforms), what a novel idea!
He is speaking about our perception and experience of "church" and how that affects our mission... doing vs. being. I don’t think he intended it to be directed to the Salvation Army, but it certainly fits us as a movement! Have a read...

“What about the Army? What if the local officers and enlisted members met together once or twice a week and discussed military strategy, displayed the latest weaponry, watched inspirational war films and sang favourite battle songs?
And what if attending those meetings became known as “going to the Army”? What kind of Army would we have? How many battles would we win (if we ever made it to battle at all)?
The problem, of course, is the concept of “going to the Army” instead of “being the Army.” What a life-and-death difference lies between the two!
And what if the Army’s meeting place also became known as “the Army”? Confusion would reign, resulting in misguided and misplaced military efforts, since the focus would be on the meeting (not the results of the meeting) and the meeting place (as if a nice building could defeat an enemy).”

p38-39 Revolution in the Church, Michael Brown

Close to home... do you agree?

Uniform vs. Uniformity

Yet again the question is raised... can the young salvos of today, especially Generation Y, be committed to wearing Salvation Army uniform? It's a monster question that raises its' head along with the endless cycle of debate around brass bands, timbrels, relevance of methods, social vs ministry etc...

Of course it's not young people who are asking the question (sorry), they aren't asking it because they don't see the relevance. Young people love uniforms, there's no doubt! Young people love to express themselves... uniform was designed partially as a visual expression of the Salvation Army, a way for people to align to a belief 'subculture'. Look at a young person on a night out and you see an expression of their personal style, their tastes, their subculture... have a look at their myspace page to see (& hear) their cultural "evangelizing", promoting their unique tastes and sharing their worldviews.

So open the wardrobe of the loudest and gutsiest young Salvos... in it you'll find red shields, modified uniform jackets, salvo badges (shameless plug).. all screaming "I AM THE SALVATION ARMY". Their everyday clothes carry an expression of their do-or-die faith, an affiliation to their movement and a commitment to a world-winning cause.

Salvos care so much about uniform-wearing because it communicates who we are.... or does it? Are we on about communicating? or is it really about uniformity?
I love wearing salvo uniform... but the 'official' uniform is understated and too 'respectable'... Navy blues look smart and different enough for people to take notice... but lets get practical, down here in AUS where we wear white shirts most of the year, we tend to look more like security guards than anything else!! (due to the white "S" on each shoulder being the most visible logo on the uniform). Slap an inoffensive, unobtrusive logo on a polo shirt, a jacket... does that better communicate The Salvation Army for all to see?....

NO! ...emblazon the red shield on my clothing (full-front, in-yer-face red t-shirt) and I'll be happy! the shield is recognized world-wide, it opens doors... people know you're a salvo from 500m away! Anything I do while wearing my red shirt is burned into the retinas of community members, as THE work of the Salvation Army.

I love wearing my uniform. It's an extension of my burning heart for this movement and the mission it represents... Transforming lives, caring for people, making disciples and reforming society... in the name of Jesus. What an awesome responsibility, to represent God and our movement. I believe we can trust our young people with that... no matter what it looks like.

Video Blog - Life on the Inside

Jesus & Courage - thats what I want...

Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

You know what? I don't really care what people think of my life... especially my schooling. I've done tons of educational stuff and sometimes good, other times bad.... but when it comes down to it, I want to focus on what really matters in a life lived for Jesus.

For those of you fully committed to God and ready to jump into whatever he asks of you... what is necessary for a future of full-time ministry?

• Is it how professionally and religiously you can execute a prayer?
• Is it your ability to rip apart any verse of the bible in the name of 'exegesis'?
• Is it the skill of digging into the meaning of everything, ignoring how simple it really is?
• Is it to present the Christian 'look' of piousness?
• Is it to remain in control at all costs?
• Is it to climb to the top of the career heap?

No way. Perhaps thats the 'art' or 'science' of ministry, but its not the soul... the core essentials for doing God's work.

Courage and Jesus... thats what's needed.

Peter and John were unschooled.... ordinary....
But they had the essentials for 'success' in ministry: they hung out with Jesus and they had guts.

Disclaimer: education is important - but not the MOST important!

Tagged to Serve...

Just realised I was 'tagged' recently by Andrew Clark, so here I go, tagging away too: Pete Brookshaw, James Thompson, Aaron Stobie, Rachael Collins and Gary Grant. You guys are next... hehe

OK, the rules: grab the book closest to you. Turn to page 161. Print the 5th complete sentence on your blog. Tag 5 others.

My result:
"From the descendents of Zebulun: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families."
from the bible of course! 'TNIV & The Message//Remix: Parallel Bible' by Zondervan.

Interesting that I got a bible verse talking about ENLISTING in the ARMY!!!! Are YOU able to serve? over twenty? (sorry stobes) GET PRAYING!!! We need more workers for the harvest.... don't ignore the calling God has for you.

How can a Po-mo live with Mo?

Are you Po-mo or Mo? how are you getting on with the transition?
I've recently been reading "Postmodernism and the Salvation Army" (TSA Triterritorial Theological Forum - AUS, AUE, NZ, FiJI & TONGA). In one chapter, it talks about how symbolism is a huge part of the Salvation Army's 'thing'. It says,
"Postmodernity.. offers a number of new opportunities for the Army to embrace. These include symbolism that is:

• less word, more visually centred;
• less cerebral, more exponentially based;
• less metanarrative, more personal narrative encouraged;
• less explanation, more mystery allowed;
• less formality, more play and artistic expression;
• less structure, more creativity;
• less order, more party celebration;
• less control, more transparency and vulnerability"

I can see these tensions playing themselves out in my life at the moment. The question I grapple with, is how can a postmodernist live with modernism? The answers?

• Become Modernist - let the system shape you
• Change others to Postmodernists - shape the system
• struggle somewhere in the middle - grapple with the issues, not let it take you over
• Give up - ignorance is bliss (yeah right)

I hope I'm a 'struggler', but sometimes think I might be a 'everyone needs to get with po-mo, NOW!' kind of person (maybe trying to make up for the Mo's dragging their feet!).

One more list of dot points for you.... about structures that will enrich the Army for the future.
"The institution that will work for us in the postmodern era is one that:

• thanks God for its potential contribution to renewal and mission;
• can distinguish between purpose and process;
• is strong on vision and mission while being relaxed about boundaries;
• holds itself up to scrutiny and acknowledges its own transitory nature;
• can laugh at itself;
• listens intently to those at the grass roots;
• is saturated by grace."

I think perhaps that last point holds some answers for Po-mo's and Mo's living in harmony and taking this transition on.... GRACE.
Lord send us more grace, we need it to remain united for your purpose - to be a SALVATION Army. Amen.

What've you been up to lately?

The past two weeks have been tough in many ways, a violent attack of the flu meant I was sleeping at least 12 hours a day, rapidly falling behind on my assignments and locked away from the world in 'self-quarantine'.

While I was in recovery, I had opportunity to do a bit of 'light' reading, and for me, the raw fire of early Salvationist writings was just the thing I needed to keep my fighting spirit alive whist in a germ-induced haze. Summing up my feeling at that time was this quote:

"Nothing demoralizes salvation soldiers more than inactivity."

- William Booth

I was physically inactive at the time, but have recently felt missionally inactive because of the constraints of college and my increasing hunger to be doing the work of Christ. Putting my personal feelings aside, I think of how many soldiers today seem to be demoralized (have you noticed an 'air of discontent', holy or otherwise, which pervades the air around many soldiers?). Is it as William Booth said, that inactivity is the root of a demoralized fighting force? I believe that if we only engaged our soldiers in vital Christ-centered mission, we would hear much more rejoicing and less 'muttering' amongst the ranks. As a friend said recently, "every person can do ministry, if they can do something, they can do ministry... even baking scones or moving tables".

Let's ask ourselves - What is it I am doing? What action does God require?

if in leadership, what is it we are asking our soldiers to do for Christ?

Let's not be an Army that used to be a movement, let us share a Holy Spirit-inspired vision that will inspire our soldiers and our Army, to move today.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Prov 29:18a), lets not allow people to perish for our lack of vision, or lack of action!

Church x 5

I went to 5 services last Sunday... FIVE!

That's pretty extreme, even for a Cadet, but you know what? I didn't get bored, didn't get sick of hearing about God, meeting with His people or getting into worship!

But really, what's the point of all this church stuff? As much as I love it all, sometimes I wonder at how much time we actually spend on preparing a service. Whether its worth the effort if our focus is on the wrong things. Could we we better use our time in the community? reaching new people for Christ? Or do we just need a renewed idea of what 'church' is really about?

I haven't formulated any real answers for myself as to what church should look like (believers meeting together) or how I should go about enabling worship. But I find myself very uncomfortable with anything that smacks of 'performance'... instead, yearning for the 'authentic' when meeting with other Christians in church settings.

Of the five services I went to, I still found myself drawn to the younger, informalish, "authenticity-chasing"-type service, where people don't take themselves too seriously, but seriously worship the Lord and seriously seek to make their faith real in the everday.

But.... praise the Lord for variety in the Body of Christ!!!!

Dreams and Visions

The night before last night I had a dream, one of those dreams that wake you up because they're so different to reality that you just know it can't be real (which is sad in this case!).

Anyway, I was dreaming about normal stuff, I was the leader of a youth event and the kids wanted to grab some food from the supermarket. They were all lined up with their goodies at the register when I ran in to tell everyone to get moving, because Jesus was coming and we had to get to a specific place (not sure where). I ran back outside and the entire sky was glowing, mostly bright reddy-pink like a sunset, but also half-covered with rainbow upon rainbow, upon rainbow.... It seems kinda weird, but I had this new 'gift' where I could run super-fast and I ran all over the place letting people know they had to come to the place where Jesus was going to be. Then I woke up... it was one of those dreams you want to 'get back into'...

Now this is completely unscriptural as far as dreams go... perhaps I had had one too many conversations about "the end of the world" or seen one too many movies about superpowers, BUT...

Last night at Waverley Salvos Youth service ('Fusion' @ 8pm).... I was blown away...

It was a great service, with a great message - "is Jesus the MOST important?"

Heaps of kids were responding with prayer while "None but Jesus" was playing on CD, when BOOM! the dream smacked me in the head. I suddenly understood part of what it meant...

I still have a huge heart to see young people saved.... to see them run after Jesus.... and to see God do the miraculous in our world. My job? run around everywhere as fast as I can to tell everyone to get ready, to get "in the right place" for when Jesus returns.

Whoa, what a challenge.

Are you ready? he won't be long...

"When the last days come, I will give my Spirit to everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams. In those days I will give my Spirit to my servants, both men and women, and they will prophesy. I will work miracles in the sky above and wonders on the earth below. There will be blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will turn dark, and the moon will be as red as blood before the great and wonderful day of the Lord appears. Then the Lord will save everyone who asks for his help."

ACTS 1:17-21

WAAAHHHH!!!! ARGHHHH!!!!! *sob* HELP US LORD!!!!

I'm in a ranting mood and I'm sitting at the computer crying because of the blogs I've just read. So much passion. A united groaning for the Army is being sent up... weeping, hurting people, in pain because God's vision weighs so heavily on them...

How can we have so many on-fire people in our Army, people with vision and passion and full of the Holy Spirit, people showing the Army God's way foward and putting their lives on the line to do it.... and yet the Army in the west continues to shrink and wither away before their eyes?

Why Lord??? How can it happen? How can the situation be so dire, yet I sit here in the library, in the college, crying, waiting for the day I can break out into your glorious mission, make the hard decisions to see more people saved, to see the church and your kingdom grow, to put it all on the line for you!!!??!!

Send your rain on us Father God, refresh us... make us green and alive!
Send your fire Holy Spirit, burn us up, consume the dross, leave us shining in your light
Send your blood Lord Jesus! wash us, purify us, make us holy through your sacrifice...

Perhaps I'm just being emotional.... perhaps I'm connecting with the pain I'm feeling for the lost.... whatever its for, it hurts, and it makes me want to do God's will, to cry out on behalf of our world, our Army and God's people.

Lord take these inner groanings, these unintelligible words, and through your love accept them as an offering... one of brokenness... send your mercy upon us Lord... revive us once again. Amen.

Up Close & Personal

I came across Joe Noland's blog, 'Slightly Irregular' and was fascinated by a recent post about regulations for male and female single cadets to become 'interested' in each other... In 1965, you had to get approval to think about going out? It's a mite strange!!!! (especially the 'rules' about when and where you can meet up!). I remember hearing that when my Grandma was in college, she and another 'fellow' would just happen to be cleaning the floors at the same time... so they could see each other 'unofficially' teehee! (what a naughty lady!). So happy I don't have to worry about that stuff and really relieved for the singles in my session, that they don't have to go into the whole 'avoiding the opposite sex' thing!

Makes me glad there are no longer any rules to get close to God, although you do need to ask Jesus for some help in setting it up!

"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God." Rom 7:4

This Easter...

I'm an "easter person" - I love that Jesus died for my sins and was risen from death - bringing an opportunity for everyone to experience his saving love! Our TC ('Jimmy' Knaggs), spoke tonight about being 'easter people' and living not for dead things, but for the real life found only in Jesus. Today is Easter Sunday and we celebrate Jesus' being risen from death, its the most awesome day of the year for Christians to celebrate the joy and the hope we have for the future, Jesus is alive and working in our lives today!!!! (Yipee, Hooray!)

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"
Luke 24:5-6 (Angels speaking to the women at the tomb)

It wasn't really part of the sermon, but while I was listening to TC Jim, I began to think about how I'm always on about the Salvation Army becoming a powerfully passionate movement once again, its a pretty awesome thing to think about, because we need to challenge the status quo when the Holy Spirit prompts a change...
BUT... life's all about JESUS! If I become engrossed in the systems and politics of the Salvos as an organisation, I'm kinda of missing God's calling for me! God wants me to bring focus and glory to him, not to people. The Salvation Army is great in the vision it provides, but without Jesus, it is also a dead thing, because life is found in Christ alone.

In the mish-mash of Easter events I went to this year (Rosebud corps, MCD Easter Camp, Divisional Youth celebration @ Waverley), I've been blown away by something I've seen and heard...

Jesus is alive (YAY!) and at work in the Salvation Army!!!
Young adults, youth and children have a vital part to play in the next 'chapter' of Jesus' mission to the world. I'm seeing more young people, more fired up, more passionate, more equipped than ever before... they are being handed the tools for the work openly and being truly trusted with the responsibility of bringing the gospel to the streets (Hallelujah! thanks Jim!). The people of the world see our young people actively loving the community and they LOVE it!!!! What an opportunity for us to bring the gospel back to where it belongs, out in the open, free for all!!!!

A 'force' of young people is rising up for Jesus.... I say its a REVOLUTION!!!!!!!

Thank you Jesus!

Journey to the Cross

To all those who have contact with the college at some stage during the week, let this be a reminder, please sign up to our 24/7 prayer 'journey to the cross'!

I've been part of several 24/7 prayer marathons and truthfully, I've never regretted organising them or going along, I've always met with God in a powerful way. I'm not really sure why that is, but I know I can expect God's Spirit to draw near to me as I commit myself to a specific time of prayer and fasting.

Have a go... see if God won't bless the socks off you and challenge you to go further than you've ever been before!!!

------------ UPDATE ------------

God is great! Cadets, staff and visitors visited 707 and met with the Lord. Most left their 'mark' in the room with prayers on the 'wall', in our prayer journal, sticky notes, prophetic 'posts', signing the guestbook and most importantly leaving their mark on the spiritual battlefield! Group prayer was a really special time for those who came along, God spoke to us in the prophetic and hope was renewed!

This 24/7 was an awesome opportunity to reflect on the journey of Christ as he travelled to and went through the ordeal of being crucified for our sins. Personally, I've been brought to my knees in appreciation for what the Lord did for me (and you)... Jesus is Lord! Keep the prayer flowing... Praise God.

Picnic Church?

I went to an awesome outreach event today... Waverley Corps is where I'm doing a Mission & Ministry placement as part of my officer training (pretty big corps with lots of seperate congregations.. Trad, cont, blended, youth)... They've recently experienced some awesome growth in their Playgroup program, so organised for a picnic for these families (to build on these relationships). Not only did they invite the playgoup families, but also the Brass band & timbrels and older kids ministries... the whole Corps was asked to come along and mix in!

At the picnic (12:30-2:30pm @ a local park) there were balloons, face-painting, parachute games for the littles, ball games for the older kids, puppets and showbags... everyone at the corps pitched in to make this a really positive experience for the Playgroup families. One thing that really impressed me, is how the Brass band learned some new songs to connect with these families (I don't know how many Brass bands you've heard playing music from 'The Wiggles'!!).

On the way home reflecting on the success of the event, I began to wonder... 'What if this was church?'. In a strange way, this was a modern version of an 'open-air' service! If we were to ditch church services on Sundays and go out into the local parks for a family-focussed 'picnic church', would we better reach the lost in our community? Seriously, if we think about Sunday-morning church, we have to admit that it has become a tradition for the people to come to us... and in today's world we have to realise that people aren't just 'rocking up' to a church to see what goes on... they think they know what its like (TV has a lot to answer for!)... and they don't want it. Could we plant a 'picnic church' through the Salvation Army?
...expanding to also hold mid-week discipleship & worship?
...possibly home-church based?

hmmm... interesting... I know this may be taking it a bit too far for those of us who are used to our Sunday-mornings sitting in a pew!

If we can just have a look at Jesus' ministry...

"Now when he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he when up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them..." Matthew 5:1-2, Sermon on the Mount)

"Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties." (Mark 6:39-40, Feeding the 5000).

What a thought!!!!

Frustration is my Friend

Ever had a moment when you've heard someone talking about something that you've been through, but they're not telling it with the passion you feel about it?
That's my life.

I really should stop reading Blogs from other Salvo people, I invariably get fired up by the prophetic voices rising up all over the world, reminding us to chase after Holiness and save souls... Then I read comments under these passionate posts and get all dis-heartened by people who just don't seem to get it. Why???

It seems obvious to me that the Salvation Army has been called to a specific task and that we are an Army for a reason. We are not about pussy-footing around and people don't expect that of us. We radically challenge the status quo, we fight against injustice, against poverty, against oppression, against the evils that see people condemned to a life of hopelessness.... we preach the gospel whether the 'time is favourable or not', we get out into the community to make Jesus a recognisable face in our neighbourhood, we challenge the lost to give up a life of sin and despair to chase after radical holiness, we meet needs in the name of Christ, we work at actively seeing lives transformed by the power of the Cross!
...or do we?

I'd love to say yes.... but I believe there is more for us to experience in the work of reaching this world!
I'm completely unable to say no..... many saints are fighting to the end to see the lost won for Jesus! They're making headway in the Spiritual War... when will 'back-up' arrive? Will reinforcement troops join the fight alongside them? (are you one of them?)

I struggle with these feelings, you see as gung-ho as I am about getting a Spiritual Revolution underway, I can find complacency creeping in. Being a cadet is great, opportunities are around for ministry... but this is not the place God has called me to. I am not called to be a theological student, part-time cleaner, odd-jobs minister..... (although some may be).... I am called to be a no-holds-barred, passionate revolutionary, fighting to see the world won for Jesus.... to see his unending compassion raining down on the oppressed and down-trodden... to shine a light in this dark world... for my heart to break for God's children and each day to humbly walk the path of Jesus.... Full-time ministry won't come for me until after college, but there must be something I can do now... then again... We're stretched in so many different directions, could I handle 'one more' outreach project? (Lord, please make it 'yes'!)

Before I came into college, I was given a vision of a high white tower with eagles nesting in the rafters, babies being nurtured and pushed over the edge to learn how to fly. I saw also, a pegasus, able to walk within hours of birth, but for the pegasus, learning to fly meant running along the ground, stretching its' wings.... Both eventually fly... one in the seclusion of a tower, the other with feet steadily pounding the earth.

My heart longs for the earth, to feeling the dust rising behind me... to mix with the horses, the wild brumbies, and to teach them, that they too can fly.

The frustration for me is constant... want to be in the world - have to be apart... ergh!
The tension of this struggle is such that I am determined to hold onto the fire placed in me by the Holy Spirit, to tightly embrace the burden he has for me to promote a revolution, to learn and grow by the teaching of the Spirit, to feel the passion threaten to burst out of me! (Praise the Lord for Blogging, without it I would burst!). This struggle enables a refining of passion and calling, to be in the world serving in the name of Jesus. It hurts, but it's good. Frustration is my friend.

YOU CAN'T GET 'WHITE-HOT' WITHOUT BEING IN THE FIRE...

SalvoJo - the Story & the Call...

Someone once told me that if you had been part of the YES team (mission), the Youth Internship program or had studied in the training college, you were destined to be an officer. If this is true, it seems there was no choice in the matter - I have attempted all three! (help Lord!).
Let me tell you a story about the journey....
(adapted from my testimony as published in 'College Friends')

Over the past five years I've got myself 'involved' in:

• the Salvo Youth Internship program,
• studying both at The Salvation Army Training College and @ Whitley (Baptist Theological College)
• travelling with the YES team's one-month Sri Lanka mission (2004)

These experiences (and other edge-of-your-seat ministry adventures), have grown in me a passion for Jesus and ministry in his name. Mind you, I haven't always had this passion!

My early years of faith were spent at Preston Salvos, the family (Marshes) then moved to Werribee Salvos, where my love for God grew. In 1999, my faith took a hit when I met now-husband Peter Brookshaw, who was a non-Christian. His interest in my faith led me to begin questioning how much I actually wanted to live my life for God. Praise the Lord! Pete was awesomely saved and we began our journey of ministry... (who said 'flirt&convert' was a bad thing... whoops!)

Together Pete and I have discovered the awesome power of the Holy Spirit (still constantly blown away by the way the Spirit works!) and committed to serving God whatever the cost. Married in 2004, we recently gave up the best jobs in the world (at Werribee Corps as Youth & Children’s Ministers) to follow God. Let me explain...

Last October (2006), I was involved in an event where I acted the part of 'Mrs' Commissioner Nellie Coombs. In the lead-up to this, I prayed and read the word to prepare for God to use me in this role. I read Isaiah 58 the night before the performance and spent half that night crying out to God for the future of our Army (read it and you'll get what I'm talking about!). Playing a commissioner was strangely comfortable, although the costume definitely wasn't! Within a week, I had my 25th birthday and felt a sense in my heart that God's plan for my life was so huge that I hadn't got past dreaming about it! I was 'spending' my life (Isaiah 58:9-12) on waiting for my big future and distinctly felt the Spirit say to me "What are you waiting for?". I knew there was no way I could hold that call off... so I talked to Pete about it, he confirmed it for his own life and we immediately got into the journey(Four months later, I'm here in college!!!).

The heart of the early Salvos influences me in a powerful way... their fiery passion is what I hope to emulate in an explosive ministry to the lost! My heroes of the faith are Catherine Booth, Reinhard Bonnke and my all-time number one– Jesus! I have a strong sense that God is leading this next generation to be part of a spiritual revolution in Australia and the world (see my blog about it). God has been faithful, the journey ahead is both exciting and scary. There are things I can see God has for us to do in future that I don’t think I can cope with…. But God in his faithfulness equips us for every task he calls us for....

...to life as an officer I say, ‘bring it on!’.

SALVATION... SPIRIT... GOT IT??

Do you ever wonder if people really know what it means to be saved? As a Christian who is still young, but has learnt a few things along the way, I am starting to wonder if we're getting a little bit mushy around the edges with our definitions. Lately I've been Blog-hopping in Salvo circles, going to a lot of classes at Salvo college, some at Whitley too and generally having chats with different people.... and you know the more I hear, the more confused I get. I'm the kind of person who likes to keep things simple (I didn't say anything about clean or neat!!!), to have truths in my life that are unchanging.... God loves me, my husband loves me, the sun will rise, I'm living life for Jesus, that kinda stuff.

From all different sources I'm starting to hear some warped things

• people mixing religions the same way they mix drinks (being a Salvo, I don't know how to do either!)
• people watering down what God requires of his kids (evangelism, passion, growth, commitment)
• people forgetting what being a Christian (or a Salvo), is really about (saving souls... anyone??)
• people thinking that you have to 'make it' as a Christian before you can do ministry (just live it and do what the Holy Spirit says!)

I want to hear some more Catherine & William Booth's around, some more Samuel Logan Brengle's stirring the place up, some Isaiah's and Paul's getting in your face with the real deal!!!! Catherine Booth was one smart and spirit-filled lady, she didn't beat around the bush, she let everyone know what the truth was and then challenged people to think about it... what a woman of God! In her "Aggressive Christianity" sermons/book, she provides some pretty hard-hitting definitions of what Salvation really is... and never tries to water it down, in fact she expands on it so much that your head almost explodes with the force of truth in it!!! (Read it! I dare you..)

The thing that is frustrating me to the point of screaming - is the stuff I'm reading in these books (add "Revolution" and surprise, "The Bible"), holds answers for the kind of Christian I KNOW I want to be, this is the mission I want to live!!!! the conviction I want to have!!! In these books I see a passion so far beyond just 'really liking' something... there's a passion in there that threatens to be an all-consuming desire of your life! (Oh, Lord make it so!)

I want to see a passion with legs, walking around the place and stirring things up!!! I want the Holy Spirit live and active in more people's lives, to the point where they're so passionate they seem nuts!!! Anyone else want to see another Pentecost??? Please if you have influence over the spiritual lives of others, I implore you....

DON'T REST UNTIL YOU HAVE THIS PASSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR YOURSELF!!!
THEN LET IT SO INVADE YOUR LIFE - THAT YOU WILL ALLOW IT TO SPILL IT OVER ALL THOSE AROUND YOU!!!

How can we be happy with second-best, when we could have life in abundance through the Holy Spirit! Don't allow your Christianity to be watered down, get the Holy Spirit now... just ask and see what he will do with you!!!

"In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy." ACTS 2:17-18

A Spiritual Revolution for the 21st Century!

Hi, going nuts with my MSN Livespace blog, so I've made the change in order to make the Revolution rant more accessible!!! Here is some of my passion from a recent 'pre-college' assignment asking me to describe the 21st-Century officer... so here it goes...

In its relatively short history, The Salvation Army has experienced some of the greatest revolutions of the ages. The Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century was the setting for its founding in the East-end of London. In the 20th century came the communist revolution in Russia and two World Wars, which impacted the Western world in a dramatic way. Late in the 20th century, the Salvation Army was faced with the generational revolution of the Baby boomers and more recently, the technological revolution. All of this has affected society in ways that were extremely painful in the short-term, but brought long-term change and growth.

As an Army on a gospel mission in the world of the 21st Century, we have similar issues to face in the Spiritual Revolution I believe we will soon face. It is ministers with a specific calling that are required for the task of reaching this world, and this generation in the name of Christ. A new ‘breed’ of revolutionary officer is rising up in the Salvation Army, created by God for “such a time as this”! The calling of God is of vital importance to the character of a ‘revolutionary’. To form an image of what this 21st century officer will look like, we should consider the following questions:

Who is God calling? This generation of 21st century officers are from a vast spectrum of ages and backgrounds, they are united by their “evangelistic zeal,… commitment to holiness and.. strong community outreach,” key strengths attributed to the Salvation Army (TSA IHQ, 1986:101). These officers connect with the Generation Y characteristics of people-centeredness, a tribalistic focus that means they love to be part of a larger group. Their energy, drive to learn and ability to make things happen means they are an upcoming force in the world! Young people of today are looking for a cause, they are searching for meaning in their lives and they want to make this world a better place. It is from this group of people that I believe God is now calling a wave of revolutionaries to become 21st Century officers.

What is God calling them to? Primarily God calls people to serve in the name of Jesus. The distinctive of these revolutionaries is the focus of their ministry, these are not people with a ‘career’-minded attitude. They are ‘all about’ the mission set out for them by God. Their commission and calling to reach the world for Jesus is what drives them first and foremost, not the expectations of others or the red tape of bureaucracy. These officers are educated and connected with today’s society, working to change the world for Jesus and make The Salvation Army the most effective it can be in its mission.

The revolutionary officer of the 21st Century will be recognised by their passion, evangelistic heart, holiness, love for all and the spirit living and working in them. Their passion for God and serving him will be evident by their unwavering desire to be involved in ministry. This also will be characterised by a love for prayer and the word. Their heart for evangelism is noticeable in their excitement to engage with ‘not-yet’ Christians and the heated discussions (of which they will no doubt be involved!) of how to best reach the lost. Holiness will be an important aspect of their character, they will rely on and strive for the Holy Spirit and his gifts. In order for their integrity and influence to be without question, the revolutionary will see personal and social holiness of utmost importance to The Salvation Army and to God. Love is what drives these revolutionaries to action, their love for God fuels ministry, love for the lost drives them to their knees in prayer and love for the Army’s unique calling gives them a ‘cause to die for’! Without love the revolutionary Salvationist becomes a rattling timbrel or an out-of-tune songster stuck on a long note (please refer to 1 Corinthians 13:1 TSA version!). The Holy Spirit is what takes these revolutionaries from being burrs on the proverbial Salvation Army backside and inspires them with prophetic insights, words of knowledge, healing and other such gifts to minister in the Holy Spirit’s power. Their reliance on the Spirit in ministry is the lifeblood of who they are. Without the spirit, the revolutionary becomes evolutionary (and evolution never saved anyone!).

Just as each revolution in the world has its key figures and heroes, so too will this revolution. The Salvation Army officer of today is the hero of this spiritual revolution. These officers are those who lay their lives on the line to see genuine and lasting change - at a community level - within The Salvation Army and the entire world. A true revolutionary faces an oncoming current standing their ground against the tide of popular opinion. They are characterised by their strength in constant persecution and uncompromising commitment to the mission to which they have been called.

Just as Jesus said, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Luke 4:24, NIV), the revolutionary will not be received well among their own people, we may be first drawn to notice them for what they are getting into trouble about! Until there is a change of culture within our Army, these on-fire, mission-focussed officers may be rejected by those who are ‘traditionalists’ (not to be mistaken for the real Salvation Army traditions of soul-saving and social holiness!). They may be called arrogant or stubborn, but it is this steadfastness in spirit that will allow others to stand with them in serving Christ.

In ushering in this generation of Salvation Army Officers equipped for the 21st century, it is our responsibility to further equip the whole Salvation Army with a stronger sense of who we are as Salvationists under God. “If we know who we are – Salvationists – and it’s a non-negotiable point with us, then our passionate commitment, the sheer joyful excitement and the heroic aspects of our identity will never lack in finding disciples.” (Geoff Ryan, Sowing Dragons, p63-64). This strong sense of Salvationist identity will allow people to be sure of what they are signing up for and give greater confidence for ministry to those who are its Soldiers. This said, we cannot be ready for ministry in this century, as an organisation, if we do not continually assess and update our structure and systems (as is timely) to further empower our soldiers and officers in the work of Christ. This century will also require a strong sense of God’s vision for the future of the Army and mission for the present - in order to greater fulfil our calling to reach the last, the lost and the least in the name of Jesus.

Finally, an officer in the 21st Century - a revolutionary - must rely fully on our God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), in order to fulfil the calling placed on their life, and their mandate to grow the kingdom under The Salvation Army, in the name of Jesus Christ. As a favourite ‘fake Salvo’ t-shirt of mine says, “the Revolution starts here”, I wear it proudly, as an outward sign of an inner reality; I can’t begin a spiritual revolution in the world, until I first allow God to perform a Revolution within me. These revolutionary officers will embody the spirit of revolution on behalf of The Salvation Army, from this - the beginnings of a world-wide spiritual revolution will be seen.