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FAITH IN ACTION | 06 February 2016 | Issue 6635 | $1.50

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

FOUNDER William Booth

GENERAL André Cox

TERRITORIAL COMMANDERRobert Donaldson

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

EDITOR Major Christina Tyson

GRAPHIC DESIGNLauren Millington, Amber Wilkinson

STAFF WRITERS Ingrid Barratt, Major Shar Davis, Robin Raymond, Vanessa Singh

CONTRIBUTORSMartin Barratt (movie reviewer), Kris Singh (music reviewer)

PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford

COVERPhotography: Luke Tearle

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 responsible sources 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 132 years

ISSN 0043-0242, Issue 6635Please pass on or recycle this magazine

Read War Cry online with Issuuwww.issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry

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BIBLE VERSE

Romans 8:37 New International Version‘No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.’

Rōma 8:37‘Engari i enei mea katoa hira ake te wikitoria i a tatou, he mea nana i aroha nei ki a tatou.’

WISE WORDS

What if you approached every person, every situation, every challenge as if Christ were in your corner?

Mark Batterson

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The power of oneOn this Waitangi Day, it’s important to take time to think about how we can encourage a greater level of selflessness and creativity to build healthy and more equal communities across New Zealand.

Kiwibank’s Local Hero Award aims to identify ‘everyday people doing extraordinary things’ in their local communities. It recognises the enormous contribution, sacrifice and commitment of Kiwis who selflessly work to make their local communities a better place.

One of those recognised in the 2015 Local Hero Awards was Salvation Army Education and Employment (E&E) tutor Joseph Cropley of Oamaru. As you’ll see from this edition’s story about Joseph’s work, this is someone who firmly believes in the power of one individual to effect change in people’s lives.

Flick on a few more pages and you’ll see a story about some E&E students who finished 2015 with a celebration of their academic successes. As E&E National Director Gregory Fortuin says, ‘The achievements of these people who have failed in or been failed by mainstream education are amazing. Where once they were seen as failures; now, with the right encouragement, they’re able to achieve.’

The E&E tutors and support staff I’ve met are tenacious individuals who don’t like to give up on anyone and gain immense satisfaction from seeing students succeed and grow in self-confidence. New Zealand is blessed with a great educational environment, but one size does not fit all. For those who don’t suit the traditional school system (for whatever reason), along with others who’ve had either a few false starts or simply need to be pragmatic and retrain in a field that offers greater employment opportunities, it’s great to know that The Salvation Army is ready to help.

This week, it’s a pleasure to welcome Major Shar Davis to the War Cry team. It will take a few weeks before Shar is in print, but we’re delighted to have her join us and are also looking forward to her contribution to the wider work of the Communications Department team.

Christina TysonEditor

BY CHRISTINA TYSON

I’ve been fascinated and frustrated by the campaign to change the New Zealand flag. Fascinated by some of the options put

forward as designs—and frustrated at the process and the huge expense involved.

Although I’m comfortable with our current flag, the option I would have preferred if it is to be replaced didn’t make the final cut. (And no, it wasn’t the legendary one of the kiwi firing lasers from its eyes!)

The New Zealand Flag Consideration Panel noted the following in an open letter to the public: ‘A great flag should be distinctive and so simple it can be drawn by a child from memory. A great flag is timeless and communicates swiftly and potently the essence of the country it represents. A flag should carry sufficient dignity to be appropriate for all situations’.

You could certainly say that about the Salvation Army’s flag. Designed by the Army’s co-founder Catherine Booth, the original Army flag (which has changed only a little over the years) made its debut at a ‘war congress’ in September 1878.

The flag’s blue border represents the holiness and purity of God the Father; the red represents the sacrificial blood of Jesus the Son of God; and the yellow star represents God the Holy Spirit, with its ‘Blood & Fire’ motto a reminder that we are saved from sin by the blood of Jesus and that the fire of the Holy Spirit helps us live holy lives for God. Catherine Booth hoped the flag would be adopted as a symbol of devotion to the Army’s great purpose of soul saving.

This year, Joe Serevi—with his wife Jeannine—will be

flying the Army flag in Clendon, in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa, as The Salvation Army plants a new mission there.

To Joe, the Army flag has multiple meanings—and most speak more strongly to those who march under the Army’s colours than those who don’t. To the community, the Army flag signals that The Salvation Army is present and available. But to Salvationists, the flag is an even stronger reminder of what their own focus needs to be.

‘The flag reminds me there is a spiritual battle going on,’ Joe says. ‘There is desperate need in New Zealand—physical, emotional and spiritual. And these needs can be met through our triune God. It’s a Salvation Army flag, so it reminds me that we have a way of doing things in The Salvation Army—we want to meet people’s needs and love them, so they can come to know Christ.’

Joe continues, ‘The flag reminds me I represent God, so I must have God with me in my ministry. I can’t do anything without God! It also reminds me I must be Christ-like in my community if I am to do God’s will and build his kingdom.

‘Most of all, the flag reminds me about God’s love. If we don’t carry that love in our hearts then even if we carry the flag with us, we can’t do anything useful. The Salvation Army flag is really about pointing people to a loving God.’

Because God’s love never fails, the Army flag has never in its history flown at half-mast. As an early Salvation Army ditty puts it: ‘To the end of the world, our flag’s unfurled. We’ll never let the old flag fall!’

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Christian RapChurch Clothes 3LecraeThis is the third in Lecrae’s Church Clothes series. Playing with ideas of identity, belonging, faith and social issues, he delivers his raps with razor sharp wit and great insight. Featuring a host of collaborators, Church Clothes 3 is as interesting musically as lyrically. A sense of urgency permeates each track, with each sample and beat crafted with a sense of purpose. The album tends to drag a bit near the middle, though its excellent production helps it along. Lecrae isn’t as overt with his faith as in previous works, but the density and depth of his lyrics in Church Clothes 3 definitely deserves a second listen.

WorshipLet It EchoJesus CultureLet It Echo is Jesus Culture’s latest offering, and carries many of the hallmarks of the band’s sound. It’s a large and bombastic record, tempered with tons of synth and guitar layers. There are some great songs buried within these layers, but smaller churches will need to adapt these songs significantly. This is a musically exciting album. Carried by the sum of its instrumental parts, lead single ‘In the River’ is meticulously constructed to a satisfying whole. Lyrically, the influence of the hyper-charismatic theology of the band’s home church, Bethel, is clear and won’t appeal to everyone, but there’s some great material here.

Kids/Family/ComedyOddballStuart McDonald / GInspired by real events, Oddball is a heart-warming story about an unusual hero dog.

The small Middle Island, which lies a few hundred metres off the coast of Warrnambool in Australia, is home to a little penguin colony. But then some foxes manage to get on the island at low tide and decimate its population. With penguin numbers declining, the town council is threatening to close the sanctuary down.

Working with his granddaughter Olivia, local chicken farmer Swampy Marsh (a brilliantly funny Shane Jacobson) makes an amazing discovery about his Maremma sheepdog Oddball.

Oddball has never been much good at guarding Swampy’s chickens from interlopers, but for some weird reason, he is completely on the ball when it comes to protecting defenceless penguins from dangerous predators. With the help of Olivia, Swampy hatches a scheme for Oddball to become a round-the-clock bodyguard for the penguins and help save the colony.

It also doesn’t get cuter than a dog and penguins bonding together, and the scenery is also a winner, with sweeping vistas of Victoria’s stunning coastline.

Oddball is a funny and upbeat family film that will appeal to all ages. The great thing is that Swampy’s idea became a revolutionary conservation project that saw the penguin population survive, thrive and flourish.

It’s an important message anyone can stand up for defenceless, no matter how unlikely they might seem.

Bookshelf

Playlist Reel News

To win a copy of A Worshipfull Life, tell us what brings you closer to God.

War Cry Giveaway, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org. Entries close 22 Feb.

GIVEAWAY

Go to www salvationarmy.org.nz/saresourcesThe Bible for Minecrafters winner is: S. Gainsford

WorshipA Worshipful LifeMichelle Kay-BrowningThere are rumblings of deep discomfort with what has become known as ‘worshiptainment’. So it’s beyond lovely to read a book that takes the focus off worship leaders, and even off worship itself, and strips it all back to honouring God in our daily lives. Each chapter of Sydney-based Salvationist Michelle Kay-Browning’s book examines the place of worship in our relationship with God, and ends with a practical way of doing worship—including a meditation, application, prayer and group discussion. A great resource for personal reflection, but an even greater tool for worship leaders to guide their teams in true worship. (Sanctuary House Ministries)

Christian LifeIfMark BattersonMark Batterson’s latest book unpacks that innocuous little word ‘if’ and all the tectonic ramifications it has for our lives. Essentially, he looks at two sides of the coin: our ‘if only’ thinking, and our ‘what if’ possibilities. ‘If only’ are the regrets we live with, considered alongside the centrality of God in healing our history. Yet, ‘what if’ is about looking toward our future and all its possibilities. The key verse Batterson goes back to is: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us’ (Romans 8:31). Written in an engaging and even humorous style, it’s an encouragement for all who believe God is in charge of our ‘ifs’. (BakerBooks)

DevotionalRevealing JesusDarlene ZschechDarlene Zschech has proven to be a woman of substance. Now a pastor, along with her husband, Revealing Jesus is a book of 365 daily devotions. This is presented as innermost thoughts from Darlene’s journal, but stays well clear of any personal disclosures. Rather, it’s a well-edited collection of reflections from the Word of God. Each reflection stands alone, not necessarily connected to what surrounds it, which frees it from the constraints of theme or gimmick. The book is deliberately design heavy, giving it a gift-book feel, and something that is pleasurable to pick up at random and flick through. (Bethany House Publishers)

Helping people find a sense of belonging is at the heart of what Oamaru man Joseph Cropley does. It’s led him on

a life of teaching and giving back, and to being called a ‘hero’ by the students whose lives he’s changed.

BY ROBIN RAYMOND

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New opportunities in OamaruIn 2004, Joseph and his family decided to move back to Oamaru, where his wife also grew up and where her family still live. Joseph moved away from education, managing the Oamaru McDonald’s and then a section of the local freezing works. Supporting young people was never far from his mind, though, especially at McDonald’s, where he had a lot of younger staff to whom he was offering support and advice on wider life problems.

But Joseph was still keen to get back to education, and when he saw the Salvation Army E&E job advertised, he quickly applied.

When he started at E&E in 2011, Joseph’s students included adult learners from 18 to 65 years, as well as teens who had left mainstream education. A year later, the job changed to solely teaching the E&E Youth Guarantee programme for teens aged 16–18. Some of the students are referred from Youth Justice or passed on by schools. They have no qualifications and many have low levels of literacy.

Their backgrounds are often complex, including gang affiliations, depression, ‘broken homes, drugs and alcohol, all the social issues you see in the world really,’ Joseph explains.

Success storiesOne of his first students when he joined E&E was Anthony, an 18-year-old from a family where no one had a job. He struggled with low self-esteem and anger issues and was often told by job agencies that he was unemployable.

‘After his time with E&E he changed in so many ways. He became confident in speaking, he improved his hygiene and presentation, and his attendance and punctuality was immaculate. I arranged for him to have an interview at the local freezing works after about six months and he gained the position. He became a pioneer for all the learners at this centre. Because he was such a good employee, many other learners have gained employment there.’

The change in Anthony’s life and the money coming in to support his family also inspired Anthony’s father to get work.

Another was a 45-year-old man whose past criminal convictions were a barrier to getting a job. The repeated refusals had damaged his confidence and motivation.

‘I gave him responsibilities such as vehicle maintenance, being in charge of the centre in my absence and helping with behavioural management of the youth learners. This gave him some self-worth and his motivation returned. He started applying for more positions and was knocked back again and again. So I spoke to him about resilience and that there would be an employer out there who would give him a chance.’

Not long after, Joseph says the man was accepted into a night- shift position at the local freezing works.

‘He impressed them so much that when he applied for a position at the local road works company, they gave him a glowing reference. He now drives past the centre in his road works truck, beeps and waves with a huge smile on his face. Every time I see him working on a footpath or road in our town I am proud of his achievement.’

It’s not an uncommon story for Joseph. Eight of 11 students in his first Youth Guarantee course went straight into work and one went on to higher education.

oseph Cropley can’t help helping people. It’s just part of who he is, he says. A couple of years ago Joseph was at the gym when he spotted some young men using the punching bag.

‘They didn’t know how to do it properly, so I went over and showed them how. They said I should start a gym, so I did.’

Joseph, who boxed as a young man, is now a coach at the club, which he runs from his garage. The sport is a good outlet for young people to get fit and learn discipline, resilience and commitment, he says, and the club’s members are gaining a good reputation.

‘We’ve been competing for two years and we’ve had about four title winners come through.’

Along with the boxing club, Joseph is a trustee at the local Te Whare Koa Community Marae, coaches youth touch rugby teams, is part of a group of regional education and community leaders looking at improving education pathways in the region, and is the Salvation Army Education and Employment (E&E) tutor in Oamaru. It was for the combination of this work that some of Joseph’s students and colleagues nominated him for a Kiwibank local hero award, which he was awarded last year.

For Joseph, the gym and the other roles are all ways to do what he loves, teaching and supporting people in need. ‘It’s another place where they have a sense of belonging. That’s pretty much why I do anything I do—touch rugby teams, boxing teams, here [at E&E], the marae—is so people have a sense of belonging.’

That passion for helping started young, Joseph says, and has seen him work in a range of teaching roles around the country, mostly with disadvantaged people.

Defining momentAlthough he’s also worked at a freezing works and managed a McDonalds in Oamaru, Joseph says he was always going to go into teaching. Brought up in the town, Joseph didn’t find school easy, due to a turbulent home life. Despite that, he wasn’t surprised when a test he did with a careers adviser suggested he’d be good at teaching.

He was asked to teach Māori in primary and secondary schools when he was 17, and three years later got his first experience helping troubled young people as a teacher’s aide for students aged 15–17, some with serious violent behaviour issues. It turned out to be a defining moment in his life as he discovered a profession he loved that clicked with who he was.

‘I will never forget the faces of these boys as they were handed their first ever “A”, or the tears they cried when their family and teachers praised them for the first time in their lives,’ he says.

This was also a way for Joseph to give something back to the people who supported him and helped him get back into and finish school when he was a struggling teen living away from home at age 15, he says. ‘They helped me out and got me on the right path by just being there for me, giving me advice and that sort of thing.’

After a short spell as a teacher’s aid, Joseph decided to train as a teacher. He then worked for six years as a primary school teacher in Opononi and Rawene in Northland before returning to alternative education in Whangarei. Working with young people from a low-socio economic area could be tough, Joseph says, but his approach didn’t change and it got results, with some of his students going on to be head boys and girls and to achieve in careers around the country.

In just over a year, [one student] went from being a young guy totally lost, to a valued member of community.

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time and heads off to one of his other roles, which usually involves more work with young people. ‘I’m here [at E&E] at 8 am and finish at 3:30 or 4 pm. Then I go straight from here to whatever’s next, and I take half the students with me, depending on what it is.’

Another big part of Joseph’s work is encouraging his students to get involved in community activities. His students have painted murals for community events, run dance and music competitions and helped old ladies stack wood and move house. For some, it is the first time they have experienced the pleasure and value of doing something for someone without wanting something in return and it is always a valuable lesson, he says.

That’s how Joseph measures change—in the way student confidence changes and how they’re contributing to the community. His reward, Joseph says, is hearing his students talking excitedly about helping others, or hearing others talking about how well his students are doing.

Joseph recalls a past student who was ‘doing nothing with his life and with himself’ before joining E&E, and who went on to gain his NCEA level one and two qualifications and get a job. It’s clear, though, that Joseph is equally excited that the young man has a flat and a girlfriend and the way his life is progressing beyond work. ‘In just over a year, he went from being a young guy totally lost, to a valued member of the community.’

The hardest part of the job is how emotionally draining it can be, learning not to take on everyone’s problems or taking those problems home at the end of the day. Yet, even when he is at home, Joseph says he’s still on call if anyone needs him.

‘I never [turn my phone off], because I’ve been called by young people at 12:30 at night, and if I hadn’t taken their call they may have committed suicide. When I say to someone, “I’m always there for you, no matter what time”, I’m not just saying it, I mean it! And I know they wouldn’t be calling or texting me at that time of night if they didn’t really need to.’

Five years ago, before he started at E&E, Joseph recommitted himself as a Christian, but says his faith did not change the way he approached his work.

‘To be honest, no, I’ve always been like this—even before I became a Christian. This is who I am, who I have always been, even when I was a young person. But my faith has helped me. Since I gave my heart back to the Lord, my life has improved and it’s helped in what I do. I think things work better because I have God’s blessing.’

As to his own methods of working, Joseph says he’s not sure what the secret is behind the success.

‘Everyone asks me what it is I do that makes a difference—and to be honest I have no idea. I think it’s maybe the love I show them, the understanding to make them feel valued. All the education stuff is a by-product of genuinely caring for and helping the person do what they want to do. I keep that in my heart: that I’m here for them most of all.’ Go to www educationandemployment.org.nz for more on Education & Employment (E&E), including training programmes around New Zealand

Time to help students succeedA key difference between mainstream education and E&E, he says, is that busy school teachers with large classes don’t have as much time as he does for one-on-one or small group teaching and the crucial pastoral care to address wider issues behind why a student isn’t doing well at school.

‘Back when I was at high school I had a lot of issues going on at home that were far more important than education at the time. It’s the same today. These students go to school and the teacher expects them to have done their homework, when they come from an abusive home or whatever. In the end they tell the teacher to stuff off, because their mind is on their problems.’

That Joseph’s been where they’ve been and turned out alright helps his students relate to and respect his advice, although he’s careful not to try and force them to do anything, but to advise and let them choose.

That perspective perhaps also explains why Joseph sees his students differently to many others. He dismisses completely the idea that his job might be tough or his students hard to work with, insisting they are intelligent people with a good work ethic, who simply need a different approach. Being patient and having children of his own helps, he says. But the only times he’s ever had to remove people from courses are for turning up drunk or high —something he takes a hard line on.

‘They’re just typical kids. I get it said to me quite often, “They must be really hard to teach and work with,” and I say, “No, they’re really easy and really awesome to work with.” It helps that I’ve got six kids and three of them are teenagers.’

More than academic skillsJoseph’s work involves a less traditional approach when it comes to class time, working on building confidence, self-worth and wider life skills, alongside qualifications.

‘I tell them that communication is the biggest thing they need in the world—to be able to talk to different kinds of people. I have them talking to the Mayor, employers, their peers, old teachers, trying to expose them to as many different people as possible.’

The foundations of the work are done in his E&E class time, where a typical day is split into three parts.

‘The first third is social; building confidence, self-esteem and communication. Then there’s the academic side of things. Then we have recreation time; sport, fun and games, anything.’

A fourth part of the day happens after Joseph finishes his class

Back when I was at high school I had a lot of issues going on at home that were far more important than education at the time. It’s the same today.

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ENVIRONMENT

The Day That Changed the WorldIf, like most of us, you’ve only got a vague idea about the UN climate deal, here’s our beginner’s guide to the best thing we’ve ever done for our planet … or not.

Last November, the world was shocked by terrorist attacks on Paris. Sadly, this overshadowed what was to become an historic moment in history: just 10 days after the attacks, representatives from almost 200 countries within the United Nations met to discuss climate change.

These conventions have been held every year since 1995 and have, more often than not, ended in failed deals and fractured debate. Notably, in 2001 the Kyoto Deal was reached to reduce carbon emissions, but the US under President Bush refused to sign the deal. As this deal came to an end, again US President Obama stepped away from any legally binding agreements.

But on 12 December last year, all the countries at the conference—including New Zealand—signed the deal to address climate change. It was, quite rightly, hailed as an historic moment. But what is the actual deal? Here’s it is at its most basic:

• lower greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible

• keep global temperature increase ‘well below’ 2°c and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°c

• review progress every five years

• provide $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future.

It’s not a perfect compromise—it could still dissolve into the broken promises of previous deals. And even if countries honour the deal, emissions are still likely to lead to warming of up to 3°c. ‘Scientists say [2°c] is the limit of safety, beyond which the effects—droughts, floods, heatwaves and sea level rises—are likely to become catastrophic and irreversible,’ reports The Guardian.

New Zealand will have to ‘up its game’, according to Green Party co-leader James Shaw, if we’re going to meet these targets.

But the deal is a giant step in the right direction. As Greenpeace’s international leader Kumi Naidoo said, ‘The human race has joined in a common cause.’ And that is our greatest hope.

BUDGET

Five Signs You Need a Budget

Joanna and Johnny got themselves out of $20,000 worth of debt. Here’s their top five signs that you are in need of a budget. Read on, if you dare.

1. You don’t want to log into your bank account: If you’re afraid to see what you’ve spent lately, this is a tell-tale sign you need a budget pronto. But the longer you wait, the worse it is. So go into your account and see the damage that’s been done. Facing up to it is the only way to get better at budgeting.

2. Your savings goal is ‘whatever’s left’: You could argue this is the exact opposite of how a monthly budget works. You should first calculate how much you need to save, or how much you need to pay off debt. Then calculate all your fixed expenses and put money aside for that. Everything else that’s left over is for you.

3. You’re hiding purchases from your partner: Confession—I’ve done this on a small scale. I knew we were cuttin’ it close with our budget one month, but there was a cute outfit I really wanted for our baby. So I decided to ask forgiveness, rather than permission. If you know your spouse will say it’s irresponsible to buy something and so you do it secretly, this one’s for you.

4. You’ve decided to use the credit card, just in case. You’re worried that this purchase might put you in overdraft, so you pull out the ole’ credit card. Use your credit only for emergencies and planned, budgeted purchases that you know you can pay off at the end of the month.

5. ‘We’ll be better next month’. If you say this every month, you’re in denial. On more than one occasion, we’ve fallen into this pit. We’ve been about to purchase something that we both know we shouldn’t, but we still buy it. Then the guilt sets in. And then we say to each other, ‘We’ll do better next month’. We’re not perfect—that’s why we need a budget!

Source: www.ourfreakingbudget.com

Date & Walnut CakeYou can’t see the fruit and nuts in this delicious cake because they are so finely chopped. Serve for dessert or for a special occasion.

For a 23 cm round cake1 cup (150g) chopped dates1 cup (90g) walnut pieces½ cup sugar2 Tbsp flour1 tsp baking powder2 large eggs1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 180°C (170°C fan bake). Line bottom of 23 cm round cake tin with baking paper and spray sides with non-stick spray.

Measure dates and nuts into a food processor. Add half the sugar, all the flour and baking powder, then chop until dates and nuts are as fine as rolled oats.

In another bowl beat egg whites with half (2 Tbsp) of remaining sugar until peaks turn over when beater is lifted. Beat egg yolks with rest of sugar and vanilla until thick and creamy.

Combine the three mixtures, folding together lightly, and turn into prepared tin.

Bake for about 30 mins, until centre springs back when pressed. Leave for 10 mins then turn onto a rack to cool. Serve topped with whipped cream, quark or ricotta, decorated with chopped dried fruit and nuts.

From Best Baking by Simon and Alison Holst. Go to www.holst.co.nz

A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children. John James Audubon

TestifySeeing families lives changed together inspires Salvation Army social worker Sifa Spellman.

I began working as a support worker at a women’s refuge after spending a year living there with my four amazing children. While I was there I found God, and I really believe that he will never leave me or forsake me. I have always planned to work and support our whānau and give back to those in need due to my own journey.

Many doors of opportunity have opened and many have closed for me, and I understand that it is always in God’s good timing, not mine.

I went on and studied a social work degree at Te Wānanga O Aotearoa. This was a struggle for me due to my reading and writing skills—I had none, I thought, at the time. I completed my placement at The Salvation Army’s Royal Oak Community Ministries and then was offered a job.

I work with mums, dads and their children and with individuals in the community—mainly single parents and our working poor. And I love working with families!

All of my clients are also informed about our Transitional Housing Programme for our mums and dads. The programme teaches healthy living, cooking on a budget for a family, story time where the parents and children spend time together, and parenting classes.

I also encourage the young people to come along to our Aspire youth programme.

A lot of our families come in with complex needs: housing issues, substance abuse, debts. One of our girls who came to Aspire didn’t even speak at the start, she just blinked. Now she talks and volunteers with us.

Part of my journey within The Salvation Army is the relationship between Community Ministries and church. At Royal Oak we run a Messy Church—and oh, my gosh, where do I start with Messy Church?! It’s a church for families and the community. The only difference is that Messy Church is on a Tuesday night. It’s run by our Rod and Sue Ellis with a team of amazing leaders.

Although we only started last year we can get 200 people coming along on and we pack every corner of the room. Messy Church is about caring for people,

transforming lives and reforming society into the Kingdom of God.

The church has a meal, covered by a gold coin donation—and that meal is just a blessing! Hearing the Word of God as it is shared on the night is life-changing for a lot of our families.

Each week we ask, ‘Who remembers last week’s memory verse?’ and it’s amazing to see all the hands go up—both children and adults. Most of these families have never read the Bible, let alone memorised a Bible verse. A discussion about the verse is held with people sharing their views about it around the dinner table.

The highlight for me last year was three of our beautiful ladies in our Temporary Housing Programme giving their lives to the Lord through attending Messy Church!

Q&A

How do I forgive my spouse?

I have been very hurt in my marriage and am struggling to forgive my wife. She is trying to make it work, but how can I move on and rebuild our relationship?

Your relationship is like an old-fashioned scale. When your wife hurt you, she put a rock on that scale, weighing it down and tipping it off balance. You can now choose to pile rocks on your side, by getting back at her or through quiet resentment, but that will only weigh the marriage down more. Forgiveness is choosing to reach over and take the rock off her side of the scales.

This may sound poetic, but it is far from easy. Firstly, don’t rush to forgive without first acknowledging the wound—otherwise it cannot heal. You have to let yourself feel the pain and express the effect it has had on you. Communication is essential, and you both have the right to have your point of view heard. Try to uncover the root causes of these hurts—there is no point in tweaking a behaviour if it stems from false beliefs or unresolved grief.

It’s also important you are both able to set down boundaries and communicate your expectations, so that your trust is not violated again.

The trust rebuilding phase takes time—lots of time. And it takes lots of goodwill, courage and vulnerability from both of you. Don’t expect perfection. Yes, you will be easily knocked back. You may find yourself feeling suspicious of your wife. Meanwhile, she will feel like she can’t live up to your expectations. But acknowledge every bit of progress along the way.

Be purposeful about being positive toward your relationship. Show your love every day by being affectionate, saying ‘I love you’, spending quality time together or doing an activity you both enjoy. This may be a time where the actions come first and the feelings follow.

In the words of Corrie Ten Boom: ‘Forgiveness is setting the prisoner free, only to find out that the prisoner was me.’ Your desire to forgive is a wonderful start, which will be healing for both your wife and for you.

Quickly, easily and securely donate food at foodbank.org.nz

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Lifestyle | 09

Let’s TalkI would like:

to explore what it means to follow Jesus

information about Salvation Army worship and activities

prayer for the following needs:

NAME:

ADDRESS:

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

AdviceNo RegretsThere’s an old saying, ‘No regrets’, but in reality we often live with emotional pain because of past mistakes. How do you handle your regrets and truly move on?

Have you ever noticed that when a celeb of some sort gets asked the question, ‘Do you have any regrets?’, the standard answer is to say, ‘No, because everything has made me who I am today.’ While this sounds deep, it’s not a totally honest answer.

If we don’t look back at our past without saying, ‘Yep, there are things I would do differently’ then we aren’t growing as people.

A well-known author once told a painful, true story of regret in her life: she was newly single and receiving unwanted attention from a man. One day, in frustration, she blurted out that she didn’t like him at all, in any way. The next day, he took his own life. The author was honest in saying that she could not take back what she said, she could not make it better, and she simply had to accept her regret. She accepted that the man’s suicide was not her fault, but she also accepted her own regret.

When we have made mistakes, how can we move on from crippling guilt?

Firstly, we need to recognise that guilt has an important purpose. ‘[Guilt] prompts us to re-examine our behaviour so that we don’t end up making the same mistake twice,’ says psychologist John Grohol. If we feel guilty about something, we need to firstly ask ourselves whether the guilt is real or false. We might feel guilty because we ate five chocolate bars, this guilt tells us we were being extreme and should change our behaviour for the sake of

our health. But we may also feel guilty because we had two squares of chocolate—this is false guilt, arising out of false standards.

‘If you did something wrong or hurtful, you will have to accept that you cannot change the past. But you can make amends for your behaviour, if and when it’s appropriate. Do so, apologise, or make up for the inappropriate behaviour in a timely manner, but then let it go,’ says Dr Gohol.

But like the author above, we cannot not always make amends. And then we can find ourselves stuck in ‘if only’ regret. But the Bible says, ‘There is now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1). ‘Conviction is feeling guilty over unconfessed sin,’ says Mark Batterson, author of If. ‘Condemnation is feeling guilty over confessed sin … The voice of condemnation is enemy subterfuge meant to discourage and disorient.’

If you have learnt from your past, it is time to let go!

God doesn’t want us to live life looking behind us; he asks us to learn and take our new wisdom into the future. God is always a God of hope, and Jesus is the very incarnation of redemption and new beginnings. ‘God can turn your if only regrets into a “what if” attitude, a faith that looks forward to the future with holy confidence,’ Batterston says.

See page 4 for more on Mark Batterson’s helpful book If.Find more Cartoons by McKerrow on

www.facebook.com/cartoonsbymckerrow

CROSSWORD

Across1 Human hinge joints4 It’s another day10 Not a vowel11 Checks out12 Forceful exhalations13 Of worldwide scope14 Indigenous people16 Takes in19 Move with thrashing motion21 Shiraz resident24 ABCs25 Increase in size or intensity26 Conversation starter27 Additions28 Fiasco29 Entertained

Down1 Breaking away2 Government assistance3 Forests5 Like some pitches6 Musical group7 Refuse to comply8 Advisably9 Emotional beliefs15 Fissures in the earth’s crust17 Maladies18 Held in20 On target21 Bug22 Ran swiftly23 Short periods of time25 Recipe direction

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QUICK QUIZ

1 Which company invented the transistor radio in 1952?2 What does a yellow flag with red stripes mean in motor racing?3 How old was David Bowie when he died?4 Ageusia is the loss of which of your senses?5 In what book in the Bible is the story of Goliath?

10 | WarCry 06 February 2016

BY ROBIN RAYMOND

Second Chance for a Bright FutureA graduation and a school formal-style celebration in Dunedin at the end of last year encapsulates the work of E&E and the transformation it makes in people’s lives.

At the close of 2015, a proud group of 10 students in Dunedin celebrated graduating with NCEA Level 2 and 3 after finishing a 40-week Education and Employment (E&E) Youth Guarantee course. The students graduated in early childhood education (ECE), auto trades and service sectors for youth, which covers areas including hospitality and tourism. Other students still taking courses had their achievements to date recognised with a certificate.

Tutors’ assistant Michelle Inwood says the tutors and students went all out to create a fun celebration. They invited the local paper, laid formal tables, the tutors dressed up formally and two tutors took the students to Salvation Army Family Stores to pick out suits and formal wear for the occasion. For many it was their first time dressing up nice, says Michelle.

‘It really helps give them a sense of worth. They went all out for it—glitz and glamour and the makeup. A lot of them came in early and had fish and chips and then got ready at the centre. It created a real buzz as they went in—lots of laughter and lots of panic, a bit like a formal.’

The ECE students had taken on most of the organising for the event, she said. Most of that class were young mothers, who had their children around the age of 16.

Of those who graduated, two have gained scholarships to study at polytech, two are planning to go to university, and the rest are also going to polytech or going into work.

It’s a huge achievement from tutors Sarah Robertson, Iain Davies, Jacqui Walker as well as the students, who come from the five per cent of most high-risk youth in Dunedin, with complex backgrounds and facing huge challenges, Michelle says. Many of the students who arrive at Dunedin E&E every year have been unsuccessful in gaining their NCEA Level 1. Some arrive with drug or alcohol addictions and other struggles.

‘It’s a testing job [for tutors], but it’s so rewarding when you see how they present themselves originally and then see them six months later. Even simple things like someone showering every day who wasn’t. They’re able to hold a conversation and eye contact, their numeracy and literacy skills have gone up, or they’re able to concentrate for 30 minutes instead of five.’

The students invited parents and family to the graduation event. Having their families there was very special for the young people and

for the adults, who were moved by the change in the students and their achievements.

‘We were really, really pleased with the amount of family support. It really made it much more special. It helps give them a sense of worth. Some of the parents were saying, “Wow, you’ve done an amazing job!” They seemed excited and energised too—lots of clapping and cheering.’

E&E National Director Gregory Fortuin attended the evening and said it was a special time to celebrate more than just the hard work of staff and students.

‘This is probably the first time in their lives they’re all dressed up on a stage being honoured and respected for not just their achievements, but the human beings that they are. It’s totally emotional for them. Some of the guys’ jackets were slightly big for them, but it didn’t matter. This was just their night.’

The Dunedin students’ story is typical of E&E Youth Guarantee students around the country. The first half of an E&E course is usually spent helping students overcome the challenges of their situation and supporting them to be able to learn. The courses and support of tutors provides the students a foundation to progress in life and the graduations were a special night to celebrate something remarkable, Gregory says.

‘The achievements of these people who have failed or been failed by mainstream education are amazing. Where once they were seen as failures; now, with the right encouragement they’re able to achieve. For me, that makes all the administration, budgets, and paperwork pale into insignificance, when you see genuine transformation and people provided with a pathway to a better life.’

Although E&E staff work with at least 500 young people through Youth Guarantee courses every year, E&E’s work extends much wider than that, all with a focus on transforming lives, Gregory says. It has 15 centres around New Zealand and trains about 1500 people a year, providing education courses and pathways to employment for people who don’t fit in mainstream education. E&E works with released prisoners, refugees, youth and unemployed people looking to get back into work. Courses range from painting, roading, driving and auto trades to hospitality and tourism, early childhood education, and English as a second language.

Photo: Dunedin E&E Early Childhood Education graduates. Photography: Otago Daily Times

Close Up | 11

Don’t you love it when a nerd takes off her

glasses and waves her hair around and you

realise she’s actually totally hot? We all love

a good makeover … think Miss Congeniality,

Beauty and the Geek, Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi

or even Caitlyn Jenner.

This year, you could be the new Snooki!

Actually, scrap that. What I’m trying to say

is that you’ve got it within your power to

make this year better and more beautiful

than last year.

We often start a new school year telling

ourselves that this one’s going to be

different—this year we’re gonna get in with

the cool crowd, we’re going to look better, get

fitter, study harder, be more social, pluck that

facial mole hair more often … then a couple

of Netflix binge sessions later and we’re back

to our slobby selves.

But this year’s going to be different! Because

this year we have a plan. It’s makeover time!

There are two ways you can go with this.

First off, you can quadruple your efforts

to selfie yourself at just the right moment

every day. Which means you need to: make

sure you eat an on-trend breakfast (food

shot), get a new hair style (selfie/YouTube

tutorial), chronicle your journey of going

sugar-free (lots of selfies, food shots, blogs,

FB updates, YouTube tutorials), stay on trend

with your wardrobe (selfie), set up photo

ops with friends (group selfie), create a fake

boy/girlfriend (fake FB account and internet

fraud). Yes, this is hard work people! An

Instagram star with thousands of followers

recently revealed that it could take her four

hours to get the right shot of an egg on toast

(no, she was not joking).

But there’s another way you can go. You can

say that all that fake stuff is not cool. Just like

your mama would say, ‘Well, if that’s cool,

then I don’t want to be cool! What is cool is to

be yourself.’ Yeah, Mum. Roll eyes, etc.

Being yourself is harder to do in some ways,

because it takes courage. It’s way harder to

examine the values culture imposes on us

every single day, and then decide whether

these values are worthwhile and true.

But part of being a follower of Jesus is

challenging the values of our culture. Jesus

did it all the time. One of his favourite sayings

was that the ‘first will be last, and the last

will be first’. In other words, everything

we value as most important has the least

importance in the Kingdom of God.

‘For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of

what we eat or drink, but of living a life of

goodness and peace and joy in the Holy

Spirit,’ says Romans 14:17 (NLT).

If we think about what that verse means to

us today, we could say that the Kingdom

of God is not about eating the right food,

following a certain diet, staying slim and

beautiful if you’re a girl, or ripped if you’re a

guy. God’s Kingdom is about eternal values:

goodness, peace and joy. These are things

our culture overlooks in its obsession with the

body beautiful. But they come first in God’s

Kingdom.

That’s why if you are brave enough to try and

live like Jesus, you’re never going to be cool.

Just in case you missed that, YOU’RE NEVER

GOING TO BE COOL!

That’s because pretty much everything Jesus

teaches us, goes against our cultural values.

Jesus tells us to hang with the outcasts. To

not worry about appearances. To love justice.

But while it’s really hard to live like Jesus, in

some ways it’s also so much easier. It’s way,

way, waaaaay easier to be kind to yourself

and to others, than to spend so much time

and effort trying to create the ‘perfect’ life.

This year, decide to live like Jesus. Enjoy your

true friends—even if they are a small group of

nerds—and enjoy being the nerd Jesus made

you to be! Forget all that false crap about

having to have the right hair, body, clothes

and the on-point lunchbox. All that stuff

will fade. But things of the heart—peace,

goodness and joy—will only get stronger.

No one in real life ever became suddenly

beautiful by taking off their glasses and

swishing their hair around. Your beauty will

shine through by the person you are, how

you treat others, what you care about, and

how you respect yourself. Boom! Makeover

complete.

06 February 2016 WarCry | 13

No, Jesus does not care about the size of your boobs or biceps,

but he did create you and wants you to look after your body. This

does not mean a lot of hard work trying to keep up appearances;

it means respecting the body God gave you.

Think about the unhealthy habits you have that may not be true to

the person God made you: this could be anything from scoffing too

many energy drinks, to not eating enough. Listen to God’s Spirit

talking to you, because the Holy Spirit is always helping you to be a

better person. When God highlights a bad habit in your life, replace

it with a good habit. This takes a lot of practice, but the more you

do it, the more the rewards will outweigh the work.

Just as God made our bodies, he made our minds, spirits and souls.

He made us to be creative and dreamy, or logical and practical, or a

little bit weird. So be proud to express who God made you to be.

Some of us love fashion and stylin’, and it’s great to express that

as a celebration of who God made you. Others love sci-fi, or

vampires. Others love the Top 20, or dub-step-hip-hop fusion, or

brass banding. Others are of greater intelligence than the rest of us

mere mortals. Whoever you are in the vast and wide variety of the

human-sphere, express it as an act of worship to God. It’s a whole

lot easier to spend your life being you, than trying to be a fake

version of you!

Yep, it’s important to try your best at school. But it’s about way

more than just grades. One of the fruits of the spirit is ‘discipline’,

and it’s not a word we really like in our culture. We kinda want

things to come easy. But discipline is an important part of living the

Christian life.

It takes discipline to sit down and do your work. It takes stamina to

take your studies seriously. But, like all fruits of the Spirit, discipline

will be a great help to you throughout your life. Learning discipline

will help you to hold down a great job, get better at sports, pursue

your passions, maintain a good relationship … and eventually,

discipline will be one of the most important things if you get

married and have kids. If you manage to get good grades without

working hard, that’s your good luck. But even if you don’t get good

grades but you’ve worked really hard, that shows great character.

One of the most radical things you can ever do—in school and in

life—is to decide that other people matter just as much as you do.

Would you rather be known as a Kardashian or a Catherine Booth?

In a world that idolises self-absorbed celebs, it is radically counter-

cultural to decide that you will be focused on others. That was

William Booth’s simple, one-word motto: ‘Others’. And with that, he

and the other early Salvationists changed society. You don’t need

to become a missionary in Outer Mongolia to be other-focused. It’s

simply about caring for the people we see every day: who is the kid

that’s picked on at school? Can you be the person that stands up for

them? It takes great courage, but in 20 years’ time—when you don’t

know anyone from school—you’ll still be proud you did it.

‘... Mama told me not to waste my life / She said spread your wings my little butterfly / Don’t let what they say keep you up at night … / Your words don’t mean a thing / I’m not listening …’

It’s important not to worry too much about what people say to you—it’s more important what we say to ourselves and what God says to us. Plus there’s some good Mama advice in here too!

‘... The haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate / Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake / I shake it off, I shake it off ...’

Similar ideas to ‘Wings’ by Little Mix. Basically stating that you shouldn’t listen to the ‘haters’ who want to bring you down. It’s hard, but we can shake it off (shake it off!). It’s easier to do this by distancing yourself from the people who make you feel bad (aka ‘the haters’) and finding more positive people—some real friends and encouragers.

‘... If you like having secret little rendezvous / If you like to do the things you know that we shouldn’t do / Then baby, I’m perfect / Baby, I’m perfect for you ...’

Although I’ll probably annoy some One Directioners, this song isn’t giving the right message at all! Is someone really ‘perfect’ if they’re trying to get you to do things you know you shouldn’t, including trying to get you to sneak around? I don’t think so!

‘... Don’t be so hard on yourself, no / Learn to forgive, learn to let go / Everyone trips, everyone falls / So don’t be so hard on yourself, no / ‘Cause I’m just tired of marching on my own / Kind of frail, I feel it in my bones / Won’t let my heart, my heart turn into stone / So don’t be so hard on yourself, no …’

This comes across as a very spiritual song with a lot in common with Christianity. We should forgive and learn to let go and move forward, including realising that everyone makes mistakes and we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves. Also, we shouldn’t try to do everything on our own—we should ask for help from others and from God. God will soften our hearts so they don’t turn to stone.

‘... I’m right here, ‘cause I need / Little love, a little sympathy / Yeah, you show me good loving / Make it alright / Need a little sweetness in my life / Your sugar / Yes please …’

If you’re feeling down, take a look at what’s happening in your life instead of just reaching out for sex to feel better (which is the solution a lot of popular songs portray). And don’t think you need another person to complete you anyway—God is always there to help you, so ask him what’s the wisest way to handle whatever situation you’re in.

‘... And when you told me that you hated my friends / The only problem was with you and not them / And every time you told me my opinion was wrong / And tried to make me forget where I came from ...’

Some relationship advice from the Biebs—if the person you’re with hates your friends and doesn’t value your opinion or respect who you are, this isn’t really the best relationship. Get out before you lose yourself!

‘... And I know she’ll be the death of me, at least we’ll both be numb / And she’ll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come / But at least we’ll both be beautiful and stay forever young / This I know, yeah, this I know …’

I did some research into this song and was surprised to find out that it’s not about a ‘real’ person—the ‘she’ in this song is a personification of drugs. So, it’s really about how you can become so addicted that it’s like being in a hurtful relationship you refuse to leave. Even though this song gets a thumbs down because it’s not how we want to think (because we know that ‘drugs are so bad!’ —thanks, Super 8), it’s also a helpful song because it makes us aware that if we’re taking drugs, we risk losing all that’s good about the life God gave us. In fact, any of us can get trapped in things that start off looking and feeling good but really aren’t.

Success Clear from Aspire’s First Year

Almost 500 young people celebrated at graduation ceremonies around the country last month after completing the first year-long Salvation Army Aspire programme in December.

The programme ran at 35 centres around the country, working with teens aged 11–16 who are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, with strained school involvement or a lack of engagement in positive social groups. The aim was to help participants gain important life skills and achieve their goals. The course was free for the students and funded for 2015 by The Warehouse Group, coordinator Jono Bell said.

Aspire was divided into four sections across the year with teams of 10 meeting weekly to share food, hang out and work through a course based on the Circle of Courage model. This model identifies four key development areas for teens: the need for connectedness, the need to achieve, the need for responsibility and independence, and the need for purpose and generosity. Students also enjoyed an outdoor adventure experience.

One of the final challenges was a community project for groups to do something positive for their communities. One Auckland group partnered with Youthline and fundraised at school to buy and fit out backpacks of supplies for homeless young people. Other groups worked in community gardens, held meals and fundraised for charities.

One exercise saw students make and decorate clay pots over a few weeks, while discussing identity and what their identity was. Many of the students described that as being extremely meaningful, Jono said.

Christchurch team leader Hayden Mundy said they had seen a huge growth in confidence from many of their young people, especially

after the camps when they were able to achieve things like abseiling, caving and rock climbing. The leaders were proud to see young people who started the year unconfident, disruptive and unwilling to engage or work together, supporting and encouraging each other through tasks, especially caving and a bush walk.

The students’ families were invited for events during the year and some were linked to other Salvation Army services for additional support. Key to the whole process was the dedicated work of the group facilitators. A survey seeking feedback from the students found more than 80 per cent felt their facilitator was someone they could trust. The facilitators had gone over and above, providing the programme to give strong support to the young people, Jono said.

‘The complexity of what’s going on and the upheaval in many of these young people’s lives is enormous. The facilitators were fantastic! They were passionate and worked tirelessly.’

The student survey found a significant growth in the young people’s confidence generally and in their ability to tackle problems, work in teams and problem solve. Many felt they enjoyed being challenged more and 56 per cent felt they had gained or grown in spiritual awareness, Jono said.

‘Dozens have started to come to Salvation Army youth programmes and we’ve had some families starting to attend corps (churches), so that’s been really cool.’

Although The Warehouse Group funding was only guaranteed for last year, the programme will continue this year with different funding in place and plans to welcome about 250 young people on the course.

Help for Fijians Battling Addiction

The Salvation Army has opened its first addiction support centre in Fiji, giving help to Fijians struggling with alcohol and other drug use.

The centre, at Raiwai Corps in Suva, is the only addictions treatment programme in Fiji. Captains Epironi and Sera Toloi have been appointed as officers to run the facility, which officially opened on 1 February, and they are hoping to welcome their first clients at the start of May.

The Army has been looking at setting up an Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Service in Fiji for some time. Alcohol and drug harm are a huge issue worldwide and Fiji was not exempt, Epironi said. It has become clear that alcohol and drug abuse and addiction has increased to worrying levels within Fijian society.

‘Alcohol, kava, glue sniffing and cannabis, to name a few, are part of daily life for many there. Illicit drugs are much less common, although Fiji Police believe their use is on the rise,’ he said.

The Tolois have been Salvation Army officers for nine years and have worked at the Auckland Bridge programme. Sera’s parents were Salvation Army officers and Epironi has first-hand experience of the good Salvation Army rehabilitation programmes can do, which he is passionate to share with others.

‘I was introduced into the Army through the Raiwai Rehabilitation Programme 23 years ago as a young 17-year-old with little or no hope at all. My first Salvation Army experience caught my attention and changed my focus altogether. What would be just a rehab programme turned out to be God’s way of bringing me to his knees and accepting the call to work full time for his kingdom’s sake.’

The Tolois will be starting from scratch and are working on a 10-year plan. They have been preparing for some time though, looking at various Salvation Army programmes, including working at the Auckland courts and visiting Salvation Army Community Ministries in Auckland.

‘We also visited a number of other institutions such as the social detox centre run by Auckland City Mission and attended multiple AA Meetings, observing and learning as much as we can. The purpose was to get a fair bit of understanding of what we think will best suit Fiji and integrate this into a Fijian context.’

The couple plan to build relationships with the Ministries of Health, Education, Justice, Corrections and the Police Force in Fiji, along with staff at the nearby University of The South Pacific to help strengthen and spread their work.

They’re hoping they can expand the Salvation Army service outside of Suva, although the landscape with over 300 islands might make it tricky. ‘We will be looking at extending our services to at least Lautoka and Labasa in the future,’ Epironi said.

Sera and Epironi ask God to help them minister to someone every day, and despite the challenge of setting up a new service are excited about serving God in this way, Epironi said.

‘We are looking forward to every experience we are putting ourselves into. We want to make every minute count in every moment of our time here on earth, and as such we are passionate about our journey, working with people struggling with addictions.’

Our Community | 15

Online Food Bank First for New Zealand

The Salvation Army has teamed up with web developer Galen King and Countdown to create the country’s first virtual food bank, allowing people to easily and securely donate to to fill Salvation Army food parcels.

The project was launched as a three-month pilot on 1 September 2015 and, despite minimal promotion, resulted in almost 3000 grocery items, worth around $8000, being donated to the Army’s Royal Oak Community Ministries in Auckland.

This success meant that on 14 December the project was rolled out nationally to benefit the many families and individuals seeking help from Salvation Army foodbanks in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

In the year to September, The Salvation Army distributed almost 54,000 food parcels, a 7.6 per cent increase on the previous year. ‘Meeting this level of demand always proves to be a tough challenge but The Foodbank Project looks set to make a significant contribution,’ says The Salvation Army’s head of social services Major Pam Waugh.

People can visit www.foodbank.org.nz, select from a list of the most-needed grocery items and make a donation to cover the cost.

Donations can be made as a one off, or for those wanting to give more, be set up as a recurring purchase.

Countdown, which is involved in the project on a not-for-profit basis, delivers the donated items to the nearest participating Salvation Army food bank through their online shopping network.

Countdown’s acting Managing Director, Pat McEntee said, ‘This is an innovative extension of our Food Rescue Programme which has been running for five years and last year saw us donate more than $3.5m of food to food banks to help New Zealanders in need.’

The Foodbank Project website is the brainchild of Galen King, director of Nelson-based web development company Lucid. A regular donor to food banks, Galen believed New Zealanders would give more—and those in need would gain greater benefit—if a simpler, streamlined way of donating could be devised.

In December alone, people donated 7127 items in 543 orders to The Foodbank Project—valued at $33,502. The most donated items were canned tomatoes, followed by baked beans, rice and pasta.

Donate to the Foodbank Project at www foodbank.org.nz and follow on Facebook.com/ foodbankproject

General Urges Salvationists to Create Space for Regular Bible Reading

Salvationists around the world prioritised Bible reading and prayer during 2015, The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary year. Tens of thousands of people took part in Boundless—The Whole World Reading, a year-long initiative to study the whole New Testament together.

With printed booklets, small group discussions, children’s activities and a dedicated website and smartphone app, there were many ways to engage with the Bible’s wisdom for life. Technology ensured participation in the Bible-reading challenge was possible well beyond the 127 countries in which The Salvation Army has a physical presence.

In a personal email to online participants, international leader General André Cox reflected on the ‘fascinating and stimulating journey’, praying that participants ‘felt renewed, inspired and strengthened’ in their faith. ‘We would like to encourage you to continue reading and meditating on the Word of God,’ he writes, ‘and hope that the discipline and regular rhythm that you have picked up over these past 12 months will remain with you.’

The General continues, ‘We need to create space and time to

pause, listen and reflect. It is about setting priorities and good time management.’

A PDF sample of January readings from The Salvation Army’s daily devotional Words of Life is available for those looking for a new Bible-reading aid for 2016 (download from sar.my/wolbcsample). For those who have enjoyed the interactive elements of the Bible-reading challenge, participation in the One Army teaching programme is being bolstered by live online sessions that began on 13 January. [Ed—see next story.]

All who took part in Boundless—The Whole World Reading are invited to share their experiences via the Bible Challenge questionnaire at sar.my/bcq. This feedback will help shape future resources and initiatives.

Order Words of Life from Salvationist Resources, p: (04) 382 0768, e: mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org, or order online at www salvationarmy.org.nz/shop

Record Funds Raised for Struggling Parents

Warehouse Stationery customers have donated more than $63,000 to parents struggling to pay for their children’s back to school costs —doubling the amount raised in the previous year.

For seven years, Warehouse Stationery has partnered with The Salvation Army to provide stationery and school supplies for families in need of extra support as they prepare to send their children back to school.

In the three weeks before Christmas, customers of the company’s 66 stores were invited to add a dollar to their purchase to support the back-to-school appeal. Money raised is converted into gift cards that The Salvation Army distributes to client families to help pay for school supplies.

The Salvation Army’s head of social services, Major Pam Waugh, said the vouchers have become an important way of easing pressure on families facing the costs of uniforms, fees and stationery, many still reeling from the expense of Christmas and school holidays.

The voucher system had another equally important purpose, said Pam. ‘We find many children become socially isolated because of their parents financial situations, so ensuring they have what they need when they start school and are not embarrassed or left out in the cold socially, is very important. Many of our clients’ children have very few personal possessions.’

The Warehouse Stationery store with the most generous customers was Warkworth. Wairau Park on Auckland’s North Shore, Hornby in Christchurch and Oamaru stores tied for second place, and Riccarton in Christchurch ranked third.

Warehouse Stationery Chief Executive Officer Pejman Okhovat said the appeal is one of a number of community programmes Warehouse Stationery supports to help families and young people in need. ‘We are delighted by the success of this latest campaign which confirms the generosity of New Zealanders to help others less fortunate than themselves.’

Public Relations Director Shane Chisholm with Warehouse Stationery CEO Pejman Okhovat.

16 | WarCry 06 February 2016

GAZETTE

AppointmentsEffective 14 Jan: Programme Section, THQ—Lt-Col Lynette Hutson, Executive Officer, SpiritSong; Capt Chris Collings, Executive Officer, National Youth Band. Southern Division—Mjr Gill Waugh, ILU Referral Officer, Christchurch North Corps.

International AppointmentEffective 14 June: Lt-Col Jennifer Groves, Assistant Divisional Commander, Ontario Great Lakes Division, Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Appointment in RetirementEffective 18 Jan 2016: Mjr Judith Bennett, Corps Officer, Tawa Corps.

Promoted to GloryMjr Coralie (Dawn) Eustace on 23 Dec 2015 from Thames, aged 89. Dawn was born on 25 October

1926 and entered officer training from Rotorua Corps in 1951 in the Ambassadors Session. Following her commissioning on 28 Jan 1952, Dawn was appointed Assistant Corps Officer at Waitara Corps. Dawn served as the Assistant Corps Officer at the following corps: Riverton (1953-1958), Auckland South (1958-1960), Dannevirke (1960-1962), Masterton (1964-1970) and Kilbirnie (1970-1973). After a short time at Christchurch City Corps in 1973, Dawn then moved to Thames (1974–1979), Oamaru (1979-1982). Her final appointment was in Feilding, before retiring in 1983. We honour Mjr Dawn Eustace for her 31 years of active officership and continued ministry in retirement. A celebration of Dawn’s life was held at Thames Corps on 30 Dec 2015, conducted by Mjr Ann Brunskill. Please uphold extended family members in prayer. Well done, good and faithful servant of Jesus.

BereavedCol Willis Howell of his sister, Joyce Field, from Manteca, California, on 12 Dec 2015, aged 64. Please remember Cols Willis and Barbara Howell and extended family at this time.

Lt Steve Molen of his father, Mike Molen, from Tauranga on 9 Jan. A Requiem Mass was held at St Thomas More Catholic Church in Mount Maunganui on 12 Jan. Please remember Lts Steve and Faye Molen and family in prayer.

BirthCongratulations to Lts Andrew and Sarah Green on the birth of Hannah Joy Green on 23 Dec 2015.

First-Time GrandparentCongratulations to Lt Janet Green on the birth of her first grandchild, Hannah Joy Green, on 23 Dec 2015.

Not-So-Small Group Discussions

The modest living room of Majors Nick and Kerry Coke (Corps Officers, Raynes Park in the UK) hosted more than 300 people at the launch of the One Army Live series of discussions last month. Most of the hundreds of Salvationists and friends were taking part online, as part of a live, interactive web chat—the first in a five-week pilot.

Hosted by Major Kerry Coke, co-presenter of the One Army DVD series, the hour-long session included contributions from Raynes Park Corps regulars Joe, Viv, Phil, Gill, Morten, Jennifer, Glenys and Malcolm. Supported by the International Headquarters Communications team, Major Nick Coke brought in contributions in real time from around the world.

The internationalism was demonstrated from the outset, as Morten—a Salvationist from Denmark—opened in prayer in Danish. Underscoring the connectedness brought about by the webcast, he was reunited with Stella, a friend from his home corps, who participated online throughout the evening. Commissioner Robert Street, project manager and author of the One Army materials, joined in remotely from Stotfold Corps, also in the UK.

The One Army teaching programme uses written and video material to provide an understanding of what The Salvation Army is, does and believes. And, as Commissioner Street is keen to remind people, ‘Essentially, One Army material is centred on Jesus.’

Thirty countries were represented during the evening, with a dedicated website (www.salvationarmy.org/onearmy) and using social media platforms Periscope, Twitter and Facebook as ‘One Army’. Cultural and societal differences were highlighted through a number of contributions, with online contributor Oleg offering a timely reflection from Ukraine on war, conflict and unrest.

As the evening progressed, personal testimonies were shared. ‘Jesus is our salvation,’ said Malcolm at Raynes Park, before admitting, ‘and that’s one of the things that I’ve failed to accept. I struggled for many years to give my life to Jesus … The biggest thing that stops people coming to Christ is that they don’t think they’re good enough. Jesus has already died on that cross for us.’

Reaction to the pilot was positive and Major Kerry Coke was heartened by its success. ‘It’s been wonderful to do One Army Live and to have people sharing with us from around the world. It changes the focus—makes it a much more international thing.’

One Army Live continues at 8:30 am (NZ time) each Thursday until 11 February at sar.my/onearmylive. The site includes video and other resources, with footage from earlier One Army Live sessions. Follow feedback at www sar.my/onearmyvoxpops

Australians Lead Fight Against Slavery

A campaign spearheaded by The Salvation Army in Australia to end human trafficking and slavery has been endorsed by the country’s Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull.

Writing on the day the Australian Freedom Network was launched—2 Deceber 2015, the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery—Mr Turnbull said, ‘It’s important that all corners of the community join together to work towards the noble goal of eradicating slavery and human trafficking across the world by 2020 ... I thank The Salvation Army and the Freedom Partnership for its commitment to this important cause. By educating Australians about slavery and providing ways in which they can take action, you are empowering everyone to make a difference.’

A launch event at Parliament House, Canberra, was attended by the Hon Julie Bishop (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs) and the Hon Tanya Plibersek (Deputy Leader of the Opposition), along with a wide range of leaders representing 11 Christian groups and the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu faiths. Church and faith representatives—including Commissioner James Condon and Commissioner Floyd Tidd, leaders of The Salvation Army’s Australia Eastern and Australia Southern Territories—signed a declaration to advocate and take action against slavery, including a commitment for at least the next five years to take measurable actions toward ending slavery in Australia.

Sandra, a Salvation Army Freedom Advocate, came to Australia as a domestic worker but found herself trapped in slavery. She found refuge at a Salvation Army’s safe house for victims of human trafficking in Sydney. Sandra said, ‘I had been promised a salary and permanent residency but after three years without pay and increasingly abusive conditions I found the courage to escape. I have shared my story to motivate people to take action against slavery in Australia [and] to encourage people who are in slavery to seek help. As a person of faith, I know that faith in action can be a powerful force for good in our world.’

The Global Slavery Index estimates 35.8 million people are enslaved globally, including 3000 people in Australia. In recent times, abuses of people in Australian agriculture, food production and retail franchises have been exposed on an unprecedented scale.

Commissioner Condon said the cases of slavery known to exist in Australia represent only the tip of the iceberg. ‘We must do more to close the gap between the victims we know about and the thousands still enslaved in Australia,’ he said. ‘Faith communities can play a critical role in this and be part of a global movement that prevents slavery in the first place because the world’s major faiths share universal values of dignity, freedom and social justice.’

The creation of the Australian Freedom Network was inspired by the Global Freedom Network, which was launched at Vatican City by His Holiness Pope Francis in 2014. It is founded on the premise that religion can be a powerful motivating force to inspire individual and community action both spiritually and practically. At the launch event, Mr Andrew Forrest (Chair of the Global Freedom Network) applauded the commitment of Australia’s faith leaders to embed action against slavery in the very fabric of their advocacy.

For more information, visit www afn.org.au

Our Community | 17

How many walk away from the event of worshipping Jesus to live a day-to-day life of obedience …?

Calvin Miller is one of my all-time favourite Christian authors. In his book Into the Depths of God, he shares this story:

‘When my son was a boy, I used to say to him, ‘Son, take out the trash!’ And he did! That’s how we show our love and respect—by being obedient. But suppose at my command, he had replied, ‘Oh, Dad, you are so beautiful and resplendent; I just want to sit here and contemplate your wisdom and power.’

‘But son,’ I might insist, ‘rehearsing my attributes are of little real use if you will not obey me. Take out the trash!’

‘But Father, the trash? No, rather let me consider your nobility—you are the ground from which I sprung. When I think of how you conceived me, I consider my own immaturity and I desire to praise you all the more.’

‘Son, take out the trash.’The illustration has gone on long enough to remind us of

the danger of lifting our hands in adoration when we ought to be using them to minister. We must first obey, then we can praise. God is never honoured by our sterile fascination with him’ (emphasis added).Sunday after Sunday, multi-thousands of Christ-followers

gather to praise, honour and worship Jesus. Beautiful songs are sung, heartfelt prayers are prayed, stimulating Bible-based thoughts are offered and our spirits are stirred by all that we encounter over a roughly 90-minute period.

But then what? How many walk away from the event of worshipping Jesus to live a day-to-day life of obedience to what he asks of us?

Luke recorded a time when Jesus, frustrated by lip-service uncoupled to obedient action, asked his disciples (people willingly following him—people just like us): ‘Why do you keep on saying that I am your Lord, when you refuse to do what I say?’ (Luke 6:46, CEV )

While worship and praise comes relatively easily from Christians, obedience, on the other hand, can be a bit more of a challenge, can’t it? Something within our human nature bristles when we’re told what to do. Why is that? I think it’s because obedience generally requires us to set aside our own agendas and priorities to achieve someone else’s. Ugh! Who wants to do that?

Well, I’m glad Jesus did.In writing his account of Jesus’ life, John remembered how

Jesus pointed out: ‘I didn’t come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do.’ (John 6:38, CEV )

Jesus came not only as a son with his hands raised in praise to his Father, but more importantly, to people like you and me, he came as a saviour with his sleeves rolled up. He obediently ‘took out the trash’ of my sin.

May the hands we raise in worship on Sunday be extended in obedient service on Monday.

Colonel Willis HowellChief Secretary

LEADERSHIP LINKS

BY IAN HUTSON

Weaving a Plan for the FutureThe ‘Te Ōhākī’ Māori Ministry Strategic Plan is a living document looking to breathe life into The Salvation Army’s ongoing journey of bicultural partnership

Last year, the Territorial Māori Ministry Council presented senior Salvation Army leadership with a proposal for a strategic plan, casting a vision of what the Army’s engagement with tāngata whenua could look like over the next 10 years. The plan also aims to strengthen Māori Salvationists as disciples of Jesus Christ and co-workers in the Army’s spiritual mission in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The strategy was given the deeply symbolic name Te Ōhākī, which is translated as a person’s final wishes communicated to their loved ones before death. Often, ōhākī is related to the distribution of authority over land and people. Its origin suggests a connection with breath as a sacred act—the idea that one’s breath when speaking to others is rich with potential.

The intention in using this name is to connect the Māori Ministry strategy with the ōhākī of Jesus Christ. At the time of his ascension, Jesus’ parting words to his followers were to ‘go forth and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28:19). Tragically for indigenous people worldwide, the words Jesus intended to bring all people into an experience of his resurrection and eternal life have too often been used as an unjust colonising weapon, causing immeasurable damage. In the Aotearoa New Zealand covenant context, Māori have continually been denied the Tino Rangatiratanga (their right to self determination) promised to them in the partnership of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi). Using Te Ōhākī as the title for the Māori Ministry strategic plan signals the desire to transform Jesus’ words from a weapon of colonisation, to a sacred instruction that transcends culture, ethnicity, race and all other barriers.

The Māori translation of ‘The Salvation Army’ is ‘Te Ope Whakaora’—literally, ‘The Army that brings life’. This is another reminder that the Army’s mission is to invite all people into the full life Jesus offers (John 10:10).

In putting together this strategy, the Māori Ministry Council notes that although Māori have been active in the ministry of The Salvation Army since its earliest days in New Zealand, this history has been mixed. There have been promising periods of growth and success, often followed by periods of relative neglect or disappointment. And for all the interaction with Māori over the years, a relatively small number of Māori have joined The

18 | WarCry 06 February 2016

Salvation Army. For this reason, the council and senior Salvation Army leadership are committed to strengthening the Army’s competence in and practice of effective bicultural ministry.

Hearteningly, a number of Māori and non-Māori officers, soldiers and friends are committed to a strong bicultural ministry within The Salvation Army and excited to do something significant for the Kingdom of God in this area. With this in mind, it is hoped Te Ōhākī will provide a focus for the whole Salvation Army in New Zealand to unlock greater partnership with Māori in mission, more effective social and evangelistic ministries with and for Māori, and a clearer sense of a respected tūrangawaewae (a place to stand) for all Māori within Te Ope Whakaora.

Te Ōhākī has been approved by the Territorial Governance Board, and consultation has occured with territorial and divisional personnel as well as nationally-managed programme leadership teams. However, as a living document it requires ongoing dialogue with Salvation Army whānau. Most importantly, to turn its aspirations into a reality that grows fruit for the Kingdom of God, Territorial Commander Commissioner Robert Donaldson is asking for practical actions to be taken at all levels of the Army in support of Te Ōhākī four goals. This will include, for instance:• exploring and developing ways Māori can be more involved in

leadership at all levels• providing more training and resources to support Māori

expressions of worship and ministry• developing discipleship courses that provide pastoral, theological

and ministry training to help Māori connect their faith and their culture

• strengthening bicultural training for all Salvation Army officers, soldiers, staff and volunteers

• identifying cultural advisors to help build meaningful relationships with local Māori communities and to provide appropriate cultural advice and support.Throughout 2016 and beyond there will be an effort to involve

as many people as possible in this hikoi (journey)—especially Māori Salvationists and friends—through wānanga (meetings and discussions). The Māori Ministry Council will regularly update Salvationists on progress and developments.Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Hutson is chair of the Territorial Māori Ministry Council.

To read Te Ōhākī: The Salvation Army Māori Ministry Strategic Plan (2015–2025), go to www salvationarmy.org.nz/MaoriMinistry

Aotearoa New Zealand is founded on a partnership between two peoples. Māori Ministry invites your thoughts on what that partnership means to you. Have a kōrero (chat) with our Secretaries for Māori Ministry: Tau Mataki, p: (021) 703 728, e: tau_mataki@nzf.salvationarmy.org; Trish Mataki, p: (021) 478 273, e: patricia_mataki@nzf.salvationarmy.org; and Hana Seddon, p: (027) 277 3777, e: hana_seddon@nzf.salvationarmy.org

The Vision of Te ŌhākīThe whāriki (woven mat) is an important symbol of community in te Ao Māori. It symbolises the weaving together of tikanga and Christianity. This weaving together will allow Māori within The Salvation Army and those we are in relationship with to flourish into their full potential. The master strand that holds our whāriki together is Christ, and our relationship with him gives us full freedom to express our identity, our relationships, and our discipleship as tāngata whenua. This will bring the life of Christ to individuals, families and communities.

Māori Ministry ValuesWhānau (family): For tāngata whenua (people of the land), faith has its expression as individuals, as family and as community. Māori Ministry believes that anyone in the Salvation Army connecting with tāngata whenua needs to do that through, with and as whānau.

Whakawhanaungatanga (building relationships and relating well as family): Relationships, and particularly the familial relationships of whakapapa (genealogy), are central to what it means to be tāngata whenua. Māori Ministry’s primary belief is that salvation is in relationship with Christ and with each other; relationships are not only about points of decision, but also about consistently being open to each other.

Pōwhiri (welcoming others and protecting ourselves): Any connection with other people needs to be respectful. Pōwhiri is the central model of respectful relationships for all tāngata whenua and is the model of community and whānau engagement in Māori Ministry.

Manaakitanga (generosity and care for others): The Salvation Army has a proud history of walking alongside the poor. Māori Ministry is part of that tradition, and our desire to build up and uphold the mana of tāngata whenua motivates us to lead efforts of hospitality and advocacy.

The Goals of Te ŌhākīTe tikanga o te hāhi—being church together: Our systems, policies, procedures and people reflect an intention to support tāngata whenua to live out their Christian faith as Māori.

Kia rarangatia te tira—leadership: Our development plans make a greater investment in Salvation Army Māori leadership to intentionally develop Māori leaders in preparation for senior and strategic roles.

Whakawhanaungatanga—relationships: Our operational models foster and implement a culture of whakawhanaungatanga to better develop an environment that is welcoming and inclusive for Māori and all people.

Kia rere iho te whakawa—justice: Our response to the ongoing social injustice of poverty that impacts Māori shows our commitment to reducing inequalities for Māori.

Mission Matters | 19

an apostle, and commissioned him to the ministry of declaring the gospel to non-Jews.

Paul’s insistence is not the result of pride or motivated by a desire for status. Rather, it is intrinsically linked to the reason for his letter. The Galatian believers were being disturbed and the truth of the gospel was being distorted by false teachers who objected to Paul’s message that people of every race and nationality could receive salvation simply through faith in Jesus. Nothing else was needed.

But the ‘judaizers’, as they have become known, insisted that was not enough. Gentile (non-Jewish) believers must also accept the structures of Jewish ritual law to become part of the family of God. In order to be good Christians, they had to become good Jews! It was a kind of Jesus plus theology—precisely the opposite of Paul’s teaching.

To strengthen their case, they had to rubbish Paul’s claim to be an apostle. It was an attack that had to be answered, and Paul wastes no time in doing just that. His apostleship is not of merely human origin. It comes by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. Paul never wavered in his conviction that apostleship had been given to him on that unforgettable day when he encountered the risen Jesus—it had stopped him in his tracks en route to Damascus where he intended to persecute the little band of Christians in that city (Acts 9).

This is not someone blinded by self-confidence. This is a man with an unshakable conviction that he has been blessed and burdened with an inescapable divine commission to share the good news of the gospel with people of every race.

Rescue missionHaving asserted his credibility and authority, Paul succinctly outlines the gospel on which he stands. The grace and peace he prays for in the Galatian churches flows ‘from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age …’

This letter was, of course, originally written in Greek, and we need to pause here for a moment. For these words are charged with truths that we can easily miss in our English translation.

Let’s start with the word ‘rescue’. The Greek verb occurs three times in Acts in reference to literal rescue events: the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (7:34), Peter’s release from

In the first of this series on Galatians, Chick Yuill looks at Paul’s opening greetings, and finds a rebel, a rescue and hot-blooded faith.

Paul, the author of Galatians, was a man with a life-changing message and a God-given mission from which he could not and would not deviate. Together they became his all-absorbing passion, occupying his heart and mind every moment of every day.

When he wasn’t travelling throughout the Roman Empire, preaching the gospel and planting churches, Paul was thinking about, praying for, and communicating with those small and fragile groups of believers who had responded to the good news he had brought to them about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

It isn’t difficult to imagine Paul sitting in a room in Antioch or Ephesus with his amanuensis, a fellow believer who would listen attentively and transcribe Paul’s spoken words onto papyrus.

As naturally as we would open a letter with the words, ‘Dear Friends’, Paul begins his letter to the Galatian church by dictating a formula of words familiar to his readers. He names himself as the sender, addresses the churches of Galatia as the intended recipients, and wishes them grace and peace. But this is much more than a polite way of addressing his audience. Every word is deliberate and loaded with meaning.

Grace and peace might well have formed a customary salutation, but they’re also highly significant words in the context of the gospel. For Paul, and for those early Christians, grace was the word that summed up God’s extravagant generosity toward us, his unmerited kindness offering forgiveness to undeserving sinners through the atoning death of Jesus. And peace is exactly what the gospel brings —peace with God, peace with each other, peace in our hearts.

The measure of a manPaul’s description of himself as an apostle is equally significant. The word was used in the early church only of the original 12 disciples and a few other leaders who were witnesses to the resurrection or who had been appointed by the risen Christ himself.

Without a hint of apology, Paul is declaring himself to be in that exalted company—one of the foundational leaders of the Christian church. He is convinced that his encounter with the risen Jesus on his way to Damascus years earlier had conferred on him the authority of

GALATIANS: NEED TO KNOW

Who wrote it? That’s the easiest question to answer. It comes from Paul who, apart from Jesus himself, remains the most important and influential figure in the long history of the Christian church.

To whom? It was written to ‘the churches of Galatia’—most probably to groups of believers in the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe, churches that Paul had founded on his first missionary journey, described in Acts 13 and 14.

Why? Paul is seeking to combat the problems caused by the ‘judaizers’ who had infiltrated the Galatian churches with the false

teaching that to be a true Christian, non-Jewish believers must also embrace various elements of Jewish law.

When? It was probably written between 48 and 53 AD. Which means that it may well be the earliest letter (and earlier than the four gospels) in the New Testament.

So what? That’s what this series will be about. Our purpose is not just to be better informed about the issues facing the Galatians. Rather, we want to be formed—shaped by the truth of Scripture so that we can grasp the good news about Jesus more fully and face the challenges of today more effectively.

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Security systemsBut that was a long time ago. What on earth has an argument about Jewish ritual laws got to do with us in the first quarter of the 21st century? Eugene Peterson, author of Eat this Book, tells a story that helps us answer that question. Back in the 1980s a financial downturn and race riots in a nearby city raised anxieties among his congregation. People were trapped by fear, double-locking their doors, installing alarms, buying guns. Anxiety had stolen their freedom. Peterson could see a parallel with Galatians and he knew exactly what to do:

‘I was angry, and this was Paul’s angriest letter, provoked by a report that Christian congregations that Paul had formed a few years before had abandoned the life of freedom for the security system of the old Jewish codes … It was Galatians-time for my congregation …’

That’s the so what? of this letter. Like the Galatians, we are constantly tempted to lapse into our old ways. To pay lip service to faith in Jesus, but to revert to another Jesus plus kind of religion—Jesus plus religious respectability, financial security or personal achievement. Inevitably, they all lead back to the captivity of possessions or pride, fatigue or failure, empty ritual or loveless religion.

Like the Galatians, we need to be reminded that real security is found only in trusting that God forgives us and accepts us through the glorious rescue act that took place at Calvary.

prison (12:11) and the incident of Paul’s escape from a bloodthirsty mob in Jerusalem (23:27). But this is the only time in the entire New Testament that ‘rescue’ is used in a figurative sense to refer to the work of Jesus on the cross.

Paul is using this word deliberately and carefully. He could have said that Jesus gave himself for our sins so that we could be forgiven, or so that we could be reconciled to God. Both would be true. But Paul’s emphasis is on the liberation the gospel brings. So his word is rescue and his focus is on the freedom he wants the Galatians to enjoy and which, he is convinced, is under attack.

We also need to be clear about what is meant by being rescued ‘from the present evil age’. It would be easy—but quite wrong—to assume Paul is saying that through the death of Jesus, God intends to rescue us out of the world and take us to Heaven. In fact, he’s talking about something far more exciting and challenging than an escape plan from this planet.

In the biblical worldview, ‘the present evil age’ is the present reality of the sinful, fallen world in which we live. But the ‘age to come’, the age in which God’s kingdom appears and in which God’s will is done, has already been ushered in through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

The kingdom has yet to break through in all its fullness, but those who have put their faith in Jesus, who are energised by his Spirit and who are living in the power of his resurrection, are already participating in God’s glorious future. They have been rescued, liberated to live as people of God’s new creation here and now—to live the future in the present.

Red-blooded faithBut if the reasoned progression of Paul’s opening greeting lulled the Galatians into thinking this letter would be a cool and measured theological statement, they were in for a rude awakening. In verse six, his tone changes abruptly. Paul is angry—really angry! He’s angry with the Galatians whom he accuses of deserting the ‘one who called them by the grace of Christ’—God himself—and of turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all. And he’s angry with the false teachers who have perverted the gospel and thrown the Galatians into confusion by their insistence that faith in Jesus is not enough.

To understand why Paul is so irate and why he regards this Jesus plus Christianity as so dangerous, we need to listen to the story he outlines in the second half of the chapter. He had been a devout Jew —‘extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers’ is how he sums it up. It was that very commitment to the Law of Moses as the way to God that fuelled his antagonism to those first followers of Jesus.

Eliminating what he believed to be the terrible Christian heresy became an obsession for Paul until the day he met the risen Jesus on the Damascus road. That encounter liberated him from living under the law, from the treadmill of legalism and ritualism, releasing him into a life of faith in Jesus, who had dealt with our sin and put us right with God.

For the ‘Judaizers’ to re-introduce the law was tantamount to putting free men and women back into slavery again. And Paul was having none of it.

Is there a plus you’re tempted to add to faith in Jesus? A plus that drains away your faith and detracts from your freedom in Christ?

KEY VERSES IN CHAPTER ONE1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—2 and all the brothers and sisters with me.

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age …

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ …

13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers …

23 They only heard the report: ‘The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ 24 And they praised God because of me.

PART ONE OF FOUR

Soul Food | 21

CALENDAR

FEBRUARY

6: Waitangi Day6–8: Divisional Hui (Flaxmere) / Midland Division6–8: Brass Academy Camp & NYB Annual Rehearsal / Silverstream Retreat8: Waitangi Day Holiday9: Divisional Secretaries for Community Ministries Planning Day 9–10: Personnel Conference 12–14: Whangarei Recovery Church 20th Anniversary 13: Cardboard Cup Youth Event (Tauranga) / Midland Division15–16: Addictions, Supportive Accommodation and Reintegration Service Retreat15–17: Officers Pre-Retirement Seminar / Fiji Division15–18: Summer Councils / Southern Division 17: State of the Nation Launch18: Officers Councils / Central Divisional19–21: Fathers and Kids Weekend / Blue Mountain Adventure Centre21: Welcome to Incoming Officers / Midland Division20–21: Westgate Corps 20th Anniversary22–23: Officer’s Councils / Midland Division25–26: Addictions, Supportive Accomm. & Reintegration Service Workshops26–28: Cabinet Retreat27: Foundations of Youth Work Training / Northern Division28: Divisional Celebration Meeting (Wellington City) / Central Division28: Pre-School Ministry Conference / Northern Division28: Welcome to New Officers / Northern Division29–1 March: Officers Councils / Northern Division

MARCH

1–3: Officers Pre-retirement Seminar / Booth College of Mission2: Spiritual Day / Booth College of Mission3: Divisional Business Conference / Central Division4: World Day of Prayer5: Moral and Social Issues Council / Territorial Headquarters5: Junior Soldiers Big Day Out / Northern Division5–6: SpiritSong at New Lynn Corps6: New Zealand Children’s Day

PRAYER FOCUS

Please pray for: Nasinu, Nelson/Tasman Bays, New Lynn and New Plymouth, North Shore Korean Corps Plant, Booth College of Mission, The Salvation Army in Kenya.

Crossword Answers: Across: 1 Elbows, 4 Tomorrow, 10 Consonant, 11 Cases, 12 Puffs, 13 Universal, 14 Natives, 16 Eats, 19 Flap, 21 Iranian, 24 Alphabets, 25 Swell, 26 Hello, 27 Increases, 28 Disaster, 29 Amused. Down: 1 Escaping, 2 Benefits, 3 Woods, 5 Outside, 6 Orchestra, 7 Resist, 8 Wisely, 9 Values, 15 Volcanoes, 17 Diseases, 18 Enclosed, 20 Precise, 21 Insect, 22 Dashed, 23 Spells, 25 Steam. Quiz Answers: 1 Sony, 2 Track is slippery, 3 69, 4 Taste, 5 1 Samuel.

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS

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

15 February: Southern Division Summer Councils17 February: State of the Nation Launch (TC)20–21 February: Westgate Corps 20th Celebrations25 February: National Church Unity Meeting (TC)26–29 February: Cabinet Retreat6 March: Waihi Corps7 March: Midland Division Retired Officers Gathering11–12 March: Territorial Executive Council13 March: Welcome, Messengers of the Gospel Ngā Kārere o te Rongopai Session

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

17 February: State of the Nation Launch26–29 February: Cabinet Retreat

To advertise here, email: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org

WE WANT TO SEE YOU AT THE

2016 National Māori Ministry HuiQueen’s Birthday Weekend 3–6 JuneTAURANGA, BAY OF PLENTY (marae to be confirmed)

These are exciting times for Māori Ministry, and it’s a great time to come together to korero about how we can meet our visions and aspirations and to celebrate the inroads that have already been made.

More details to come soon, but please get in touch NOW to register your interest in what’s sure to be a watershed weekend for Māori Ministry. Contact national Māori Ministry leaders Lieuts Tau and Trish Mataki. Email: maori_ministry@nzf.salvationarmy.org.

22 | WarCry 06 February 2016

Career OpportunityVice President Academic and DeanBooth University College, a growing undergraduate Christian institution in Winnipeg, Canada, educates students to understand the complexities of our world, develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be active contributors to society, and know how Christian faith compels them to bring hope, social justice and mercy into our world.

The Vice President Academic and Dean is the Chief Academic Officer and most senior member of the leadership team after the President. This position offers a unique opportunity for the right individual to provide essential leadership during a time of planned change and growth.

For more details, go to www.boothuc.ca/about/careers

Recovery CampCelebrating 20 Years of Recovery in Whangarei12 to 14 February, Mt Manaia, Whangarei HeadsWith Commissioners Alistair & Astrid Herring and Captains Beryl & John Billington

$40 (covers food and accommodation), children free.

For more information or to register, contact Gary Codlin—p: 027 600 4273 wor e: gary_codlin@nzf.salvationarmy.org

ANSW

ERS 1-C, 2-D, 3-B, 4-A.

read it‘ “But what about you?’ [Jesus] asked. ‘Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah. You are the Son of the living God.” ’ Matthew 16:15–16 (NIRV)

let’s talk How do you feel about school this year? Even if you’re a bit nervous, school is a chance to learn important things and have lots of fun.Most schools start the year with tests to find out how much you know. This helps teachers understand what you still need to learn. It’s great when you know the right answer to a teacher’s questions, isn’t it? It helps you feel confident and happy.Imagine how Jesus’ friend Peter felt when Jesus asked him the important

question: ‘Who do you say I am?’ I don’t think Peter felt nervous, because he knew exactly how to answer that question. Peter knew Jesus was the Son of God, the person the Jewish people had been waiting for to save them from the mess of their sinful lives. The word they used for this person was ‘Messiah’. This year, remember to pray for all the teachers who will be helping you to learn more—the teachers at your school and the teachers at your church.

let’s prayDear Jesus, thank you for the people who are going to teach me things I need to know this year. Help me to be positive about going back to school, to work hard and do well. Amen.

Fun4Kids | 23

Ask a friend to tell you some words that will fill in the blank spaces. Then read out the story that you’ve made.

1. Your name / 2. Adjective / 3. Adjective / 4. Your school / 5. Your name / 6. Noun/ 7. Colour / 8. Noun / 9. Something you find in a classroom / 10. Favourite subject / 11. Favourite number / 12. Piece of furniture / 13. Favourite song / 14. Good friend’s name / 15. Feeling / 16. Same friend’s name / 17. Noun / 18. Sport / 19. Colour / 20. Christmas decorations / 21. Feeling / 22. Movie character / 23. Noun / 24. Adjective / 25. Animal / 26. Your teacher’s name.

Q: What kind of tree does a maths

teacher climb? A: Geometry

Q: What did you learn at school

today? A: Not enough. I have to go back

tomorrow!

Being ’s teacher can be both and , but it’s not all fun. Here’s some important advice if you want to have a great year at this year, :

• Make sure you come to school with a packed and a every day. You’ll need this at lunch time, otherwise you’ll have to stay behind and clean every .

• is very important. You’ll need to know how to count to and how to juggle s while singing .

• Never ignore ! Unless, of course, you’re feeling . Then it’s okay, because will understand and show this by giving you a .

• Because you’re so talented, I’ve signed you up for the team. The new uniform will be with . I know you’ll be super to hear that this year our team captain is !

• Don’t forget your if you want to sing in the choir!

• Oh yes, and if you want to get a good end-of-year report, you’ll need to buy me a on my birthday.

From your teacher,

1 2

3

5

6

7 8

9

10

13

14

15

16

17

18

19 20

21

22

23

24 25

26

11 12

4

match the headphones with the music players

some advice from your teacher at the start of the year ...

Foundation learningDedicated youth mentors (Kiwi Next Generation programme)NCEA credits 1, 2 & 3Start anytimeTraining for specific industries: Auto Trades, Business Admin, Careers & Computing, Construction, Early Childhood Education, Engineering, and Service Sector.

unlock thepotential

in yourcommunity

Do you know someone aged 16 to 19 who could benefit from practical, zero-fees education? The Salvation Army Education and Employment can help.

0800 437 587 EducationandEmployment.org.nz

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