This year, as always, Christians in Australia will be asked to support the Christmas Bowl Appeal. This is adminsitered through the National Council of Churches' Act for Peace group.
The Christmas Bowl appeal for many years has support development and aid across the world, including in parts of Australia where work is conducted with the indigenous community. It has been a valued ecumenical expression of Australian support to the world, and a means of unity and giving at Christmas time. It has assisted many Christians in recalling God's generosity to us, and called us to a generous lifestyle rather than a receiving lifestyle.
This year an anonymous (usually this means 'cowardly') individual has sent us articles denouncing the National Council of Churches work in through this appeal. Not one of their articles is less than 24 years old. All of them politicise this appeal from a non-Marxist perspective, rather irrelevant a quarter of a century later.
It should be admitted that The Salvation Army has in the last few had an uneasy history with the World Council of Churches because of the conflicts between this body and evangelicalism and because of links to armed groups, particularly in Africa in the late 1970s. This is the sort of thing these articles refer to, and also why The Salvation Army (a founding member of the World Council of Churches) ended its membership of that body in 1980. It is why The Salvation Army has been a key particpant in the Lausanne Conferences on Evangelisation, which is a counter body to the WCC (this is an oversimplification, admittedly).
The premise for teh break with the WCC was the murder of two expatriat Salvation Army officers in Zimbabwe, at the hands of militia supposedly funded through WCC appeals such as the Christmas Bowl. But there is always another side to the story. Many national Salvationists had already died in that conflict at the hands of both sides and we did not act - perhaps a greater tragedy. Moreover, our withdrawal of support from the national groups being funded by the WCC seemed to the nationals like The Salvation Army had turned their back on Zimbabwe and there were protests outside our Harare headquarters calling for the removal of our general over this issue.
It is never an easy matter to get the balance right. But withdrawing support is not the answer, especially when it can cost so many lives and is based on outdated and biased information.
Furthermore, the criticism levelled at the appeal comments fasely about "Developmental Education". As someone with a specialty in overseas development (including post graduate studies and practical experience) I cannot emphasise how important education is in development, including education about development. Development education opens the door for civic participation, self determination, empowerment of the poorest, employment and economic development. It is not synonymous with Marxism.
I will continue to support the Christmas Bowl. I will do so to teach my children about giving at Christmas. I will do so to continue to support a powerful expression of Christian unity at Christmas. I will do so because it matters that we act for peace and justice in our world. I will do so because it has an excellent, demonstrable track record in channeling funds to those who need it.
If you have any questions - do the research for yourself.
www.actforpeace.org.au
www.actforpeace/Be_Informed/Publications/Annual_Reports,aspx
Monday 29 November 2010
Monday 22 November 2010
Weekend Activities
This weekend was one of those weekends that demonstrates how busy and active our Corps is.
On Saturday the day started with preparations for the Glenelg Pageant (see below) and the sorting of donations that have already been recieved from the Wishing Tree and some food outlets. Thank you to Kerryn's family who came in especially to assist.
As the shop opened, our Men's Fellowship met with one of the recently un-elected (!) Marion Councillors who was able to bring us up to date on what is happening with the local wetlands.
Our youth then headed off to St Kilda for the day. The adventure playground was a great location for them to have fun together. Thanks especially to Mary and Bec who stepped in at the last minute to help me with this. We seem to have lost a number of our youth team volunteers in recent days, so it was great to get help from these guys.
Saturday night there was a great social night at the Wood's house. Those that came along all had fun - and too much good food. Thanks to Colin and Mavis for hosting so many of us.
On Sunday worship continued as usual at the Seacombe Gardens Centre, while out the front of the Glenelg Centre we put on a BBQ for the community as the pageant went by. During this time we gave out over 500 lollipops and 250 colouring competition sheets. Those that enter the colouring competition will all recieve an invitation to our Christmas activities and a chocolate prize!
I think the only 'downer' for the weekend was to recognise the continued demise of our 4pm congregation. Last week 4 people attended. This week 2. (Well, 1 if you don't count me). It seems that many are choosing not to return since Mark has resigned, but we must also recognise that prior to his leaving we were only getting 10 or 15 some weeks. Some are also taking advantage of the summer weather (I knew a few of our kids went to the beach instead of church yesterday).
Please pray about this. It is untenable to offer a service for so few, when we already have another worshipping opportunity on the same day. I will be discussing this with our DC this week also, as regardless of our decisions around Sundays@4, it is a Salvation Army practice that any discontinuations or changes in worship services need approval from HQ.
On Saturday the day started with preparations for the Glenelg Pageant (see below) and the sorting of donations that have already been recieved from the Wishing Tree and some food outlets. Thank you to Kerryn's family who came in especially to assist.
As the shop opened, our Men's Fellowship met with one of the recently un-elected (!) Marion Councillors who was able to bring us up to date on what is happening with the local wetlands.
Our youth then headed off to St Kilda for the day. The adventure playground was a great location for them to have fun together. Thanks especially to Mary and Bec who stepped in at the last minute to help me with this. We seem to have lost a number of our youth team volunteers in recent days, so it was great to get help from these guys.
Saturday night there was a great social night at the Wood's house. Those that came along all had fun - and too much good food. Thanks to Colin and Mavis for hosting so many of us.
On Sunday worship continued as usual at the Seacombe Gardens Centre, while out the front of the Glenelg Centre we put on a BBQ for the community as the pageant went by. During this time we gave out over 500 lollipops and 250 colouring competition sheets. Those that enter the colouring competition will all recieve an invitation to our Christmas activities and a chocolate prize!
I think the only 'downer' for the weekend was to recognise the continued demise of our 4pm congregation. Last week 4 people attended. This week 2. (Well, 1 if you don't count me). It seems that many are choosing not to return since Mark has resigned, but we must also recognise that prior to his leaving we were only getting 10 or 15 some weeks. Some are also taking advantage of the summer weather (I knew a few of our kids went to the beach instead of church yesterday).
Please pray about this. It is untenable to offer a service for so few, when we already have another worshipping opportunity on the same day. I will be discussing this with our DC this week also, as regardless of our decisions around Sundays@4, it is a Salvation Army practice that any discontinuations or changes in worship services need approval from HQ.
National Psychology Week
Last week was National Psychology Week. As a part of the 'celebrations' Marion hosted an afternoon tea for Psychologists and Social Service workers in this area.
A key part of the afternoon tea was to promote one of our great services, SalvoPsych. SalvoPsych is offered as a service connected to our Community Support Services. Visitors to our service can be referred to a clinical psychologist in our area who will assess and provide support to them free of charge. (We are using the Medicare bulk billing system to pay for this service).
This is a great initiative and has come about due to the hard work across the CSS network in partnership with the Australian Psychological Association (SA). One year after the pilot started we have already seen the great impact that this is having in the lives of our clients.
A key part of the afternoon tea was to promote one of our great services, SalvoPsych. SalvoPsych is offered as a service connected to our Community Support Services. Visitors to our service can be referred to a clinical psychologist in our area who will assess and provide support to them free of charge. (We are using the Medicare bulk billing system to pay for this service).
This is a great initiative and has come about due to the hard work across the CSS network in partnership with the Australian Psychological Association (SA). One year after the pilot started we have already seen the great impact that this is having in the lives of our clients.
CSS Reference Group and QI
Quality Improvement is a term that buzzes around most industries. The Salvation Army is involved in a process that will accredit all of our social services against the industry benchmarks and also set up a system of ongoing quality improvment. This is a requirement for the sake of providing best practice service to our clients, but also so that we can continue to be considered for government funding.
This will directly impact our Community Support Services team. Already we have done file audits and have started the improvement processes. This will continue into 2011, especially in the lead up to accreditation in March. At the moment we are concentrating on services that are being offered out of our Seacombe Gardens centre. If we are to do anything in the future out of our Glenelg centre, it will also need to meet QI standards.
Another part of this process is the establishment of the CSS reference group. This is a group of HR, OHS, CSS, Social Service personnel and CO's that are meeting regularly up until accreditation is finalised to help with the aspects of this process that will require standardisation and also the aspects in which our network director, Margaret Davies, will require particular support. I am a representative CO on this group.
Please pray for our CSS teams through this process, particularly our own Margaret as she leads the process across the state.
This will directly impact our Community Support Services team. Already we have done file audits and have started the improvement processes. This will continue into 2011, especially in the lead up to accreditation in March. At the moment we are concentrating on services that are being offered out of our Seacombe Gardens centre. If we are to do anything in the future out of our Glenelg centre, it will also need to meet QI standards.
Another part of this process is the establishment of the CSS reference group. This is a group of HR, OHS, CSS, Social Service personnel and CO's that are meeting regularly up until accreditation is finalised to help with the aspects of this process that will require standardisation and also the aspects in which our network director, Margaret Davies, will require particular support. I am a representative CO on this group.
Please pray for our CSS teams through this process, particularly our own Margaret as she leads the process across the state.
Honoured Friends
On Thursday morning we hosted the "Honoured Friends" of The Salvation Army at our Seacombe Gardens centre.
Honoured Friends are those people that have already indicated that they will be leaving a bequest to The Salvation Army in their wills. Some already partner with The Salvation Army as monthly donors also.
Much of the money raised by our Honoured Friends funds critical services, particularly through assisting with capital projects. Through these means, monies otherwise spent on physical things can be diverted to assistance for those we serve. This year alone, a significant bequest has assisted our Corps to clear around 1/3 of our building debt, releasing more money for our mission in the Marion and Holdfast Bay communities.
Honoured Friends are those people that have already indicated that they will be leaving a bequest to The Salvation Army in their wills. Some already partner with The Salvation Army as monthly donors also.
Much of the money raised by our Honoured Friends funds critical services, particularly through assisting with capital projects. Through these means, monies otherwise spent on physical things can be diverted to assistance for those we serve. This year alone, a significant bequest has assisted our Corps to clear around 1/3 of our building debt, releasing more money for our mission in the Marion and Holdfast Bay communities.
Alan Sibbons
Last week I met with Alan Sibbons, the member for Mitchell - the state electorate within which our Seacombe Gardens centre exists.
Alan was very keen to talk about the activities of The Salvation Army in the area. He is also very keen to look into ways that home assistance for the elderly can be improved and young people at Seaview High can be assisted. Both projects were ones that we might be able to have some input into, so over the next few months we'll look at this with our Seniors team and also our youth.
We have had good contact in recent days with our local representatives. On Thursday at a Brighton High School assembly, where we were represented by Kerryn Morriss and Laurie Venables, Duncan McFetridge spoke very highly of The Salvation Army in this area. Duncan is the state member for Morphett, which includes our Glenelg centre.
Alan was very keen to talk about the activities of The Salvation Army in the area. He is also very keen to look into ways that home assistance for the elderly can be improved and young people at Seaview High can be assisted. Both projects were ones that we might be able to have some input into, so over the next few months we'll look at this with our Seniors team and also our youth.
We have had good contact in recent days with our local representatives. On Thursday at a Brighton High School assembly, where we were represented by Kerryn Morriss and Laurie Venables, Duncan McFetridge spoke very highly of The Salvation Army in this area. Duncan is the state member for Morphett, which includes our Glenelg centre.
Tuesday 16 November 2010
The Wishing Tree
Today marked the launch of the Kmart Wishing Tree. It was a great occasion at Westfield with the Mayor of Marion (newly reelected) Felicity Lewis doing the honours. The band played well and the channel 7 news team seemed impressed. Brighton PS choir also participated.
The wishing tree appeal has been conducted in Australia by KMart for 23 years. During that time millions of toys have been donated to be redistributed to children and families finding Christmas hard. Here at Marion we collect around 4000 toys each year to distribute to around 400 families. Already the first 180 toys have been donated.
We are always grateful to our corporate sponsors who help us serve the community. Kmart, Bunnings and Westpac are among those that are helping us this Christmas.
The wishing tree appeal has been conducted in Australia by KMart for 23 years. During that time millions of toys have been donated to be redistributed to children and families finding Christmas hard. Here at Marion we collect around 4000 toys each year to distribute to around 400 families. Already the first 180 toys have been donated.
We are always grateful to our corporate sponsors who help us serve the community. Kmart, Bunnings and Westpac are among those that are helping us this Christmas.
Causes
This month is a month to raise awareness about efforts to stop violence against women. You may have heard the ads on the radio asking all Australian men to swear.
I would encourage all of our men to swear! To swear to never act violently against women, condone violence against women or stop speaking out against violence against women.
They can 'swear' at www.myoath.com.au
Also, this Sunday is abolitionist Sunday. We think often that slavery finished in the 1800s. Realistically, people are still trafficked around the world daily, usuall women and children to be used as sex slaves or children and men to be used in warfare. Join the awareness campaign and get more information at www. stopthetraffick.com.au
I would encourage all of our men to swear! To swear to never act violently against women, condone violence against women or stop speaking out against violence against women.
They can 'swear' at www.myoath.com.au
Also, this Sunday is abolitionist Sunday. We think often that slavery finished in the 1800s. Realistically, people are still trafficked around the world daily, usuall women and children to be used as sex slaves or children and men to be used in warfare. Join the awareness campaign and get more information at www. stopthetraffick.com.au
Monday 15 November 2010
Debbie
It is with sadness that we let our church community know that this morning Debbie Hepworth resigned as our shop manager.
Deb has had a fair bit of family trouble in the last few weeks and needs to leave to be the main carer for her parents. She also has had a son in hospital.
We will be seeking advice from DHQ about the way forward for employing someone more premanently. With the proximity to Christmas this is a matter of urgency, but at the same time may not be possible until 2011.
At the same time it is worth letting you know that our proposal to replace Mark in the youth pastor's role should be presented to the DHQ board tomorrow. We have needed to go back to the Division for approval after revising the position description and having it reclassified. Please pray for this process also.
Deb has had a fair bit of family trouble in the last few weeks and needs to leave to be the main carer for her parents. She also has had a son in hospital.
We will be seeking advice from DHQ about the way forward for employing someone more premanently. With the proximity to Christmas this is a matter of urgency, but at the same time may not be possible until 2011.
At the same time it is worth letting you know that our proposal to replace Mark in the youth pastor's role should be presented to the DHQ board tomorrow. We have needed to go back to the Division for approval after revising the position description and having it reclassified. Please pray for this process also.
Issues... following on from yesterday
It is interesting that on the evening that we discussed changing our world, a great world event occured.
The release of Aung Sun Suu Kyi from house arrest in Burma is of significance similar to the release of Nelson Mandela a few decades back. Aung Sun Suu Kyi, a pro-democracy fighter in Burma/Myanmar, and Noble Peace Prize Laureate has been under house arrest for the last 20 years. This was following her election win in 1990.
Democracy for Burma is perhaps years away but we are able to continue to pray, stay informed, and promote awareness of the situation that the military junta has created in one of our neighbouring countries.
On the local front, it was mentioned yesterday that there are a lot of social justice issues within our state that require attention. As one example, you may wish to catch up on the media debate around the 'bikie' laws. These laws as currently promoted include the criminalisation of lawful assembly by groups of bikies.
Conviction by association is never a good thing. But let's take this thought to its potential extreme. If we isolate and discrimintate against one people group because of a few criminals in their midst, we may have to start outlawing all assemblies. Do we stop High School kids from getting together at the shops because a few shoplift or grafitti? Do we stop young adults from clubbing in the city because a few get into drunken fights? Do we stop churches from gathering for worship because a few clergy have been abusive or fraudulent?
This is a big justice issue... again it's important that we stay informed.
The release of Aung Sun Suu Kyi from house arrest in Burma is of significance similar to the release of Nelson Mandela a few decades back. Aung Sun Suu Kyi, a pro-democracy fighter in Burma/Myanmar, and Noble Peace Prize Laureate has been under house arrest for the last 20 years. This was following her election win in 1990.
Democracy for Burma is perhaps years away but we are able to continue to pray, stay informed, and promote awareness of the situation that the military junta has created in one of our neighbouring countries.
On the local front, it was mentioned yesterday that there are a lot of social justice issues within our state that require attention. As one example, you may wish to catch up on the media debate around the 'bikie' laws. These laws as currently promoted include the criminalisation of lawful assembly by groups of bikies.
Conviction by association is never a good thing. But let's take this thought to its potential extreme. If we isolate and discrimintate against one people group because of a few criminals in their midst, we may have to start outlawing all assemblies. Do we stop High School kids from getting together at the shops because a few shoplift or grafitti? Do we stop young adults from clubbing in the city because a few get into drunken fights? Do we stop churches from gathering for worship because a few clergy have been abusive or fraudulent?
This is a big justice issue... again it's important that we stay informed.
Thursday 11 November 2010
Citizen of the Year & Volunteer Day
It is important to recognise the great work done by people around us. We highly value our volunteers and understand that we don't say so often enough. We only operate because people get together and serve.
Marion City Council are recognising our volunteers and offering a free breakfast on Volunteer's Day, December 3. It will be held at the City Council offices in Sturt and looks like a great morning. Check out the ad near the sign in sheet and rsvp if you are interested.
Also, if you know someone who has made an extraordinary contribution to our community here in Marion, or to the state, nation, or world, consider nominating them for the Citizen of the Year award. This is a great means for our whole community to recognise citizens that make a difference. Nominations can be made at www.citizenoftheyear.com.au or www.marion.sa.gov.au
Marion City Council are recognising our volunteers and offering a free breakfast on Volunteer's Day, December 3. It will be held at the City Council offices in Sturt and looks like a great morning. Check out the ad near the sign in sheet and rsvp if you are interested.
Also, if you know someone who has made an extraordinary contribution to our community here in Marion, or to the state, nation, or world, consider nominating them for the Citizen of the Year award. This is a great means for our whole community to recognise citizens that make a difference. Nominations can be made at www.citizenoftheyear.com.au or www.marion.sa.gov.au
Team Leaders Meetings
Once a month our 'team leaders' get together. Our meetings aren't long or onerous, but they include updates so that everyone knows what is going on, the chance to share news, a prayer time and some leadership training.
Today was our November meeting.
It is important that you know who is among this group. For those that have been Salvationists for a while, these people constitute what would have previously been considered our Corps Council. I would encourage everyone to bring things to these folk that you might want to suggest, or things that you think need attention.
In the first place, speak directly to the leader concerned. If it is beyond their influence to address issues they can bring it to the rest of the team for input.
Our team leaders are:
Angela and I
Lynette Ritter - Corps Secretary and Office Manager
Kerryn Morriss - Community Support Services Manager
Judith Lear - Assimilation/ Recruiting
Paul McDonald - Children and Families Pastor
Deb Hepworth - Thrift Shop Manager
Ross & Doris Lewis - Seniors Ministries Pastors
Mark Flippance - Youth and Young Adults Pastor (until 12/11)
Our Corps Sergeant Major Neil Stokoe and Corps Administrator Iris Collins are also critical parts of this team but can't often attend due to work commitments etc. This is a dillema of having externally employed soldiers as well as internally employed soldiers and staff on the team.
Having said all of that - please make sure you support and pray for our team leaders.
Today was our November meeting.
It is important that you know who is among this group. For those that have been Salvationists for a while, these people constitute what would have previously been considered our Corps Council. I would encourage everyone to bring things to these folk that you might want to suggest, or things that you think need attention.
In the first place, speak directly to the leader concerned. If it is beyond their influence to address issues they can bring it to the rest of the team for input.
Our team leaders are:
Angela and I
Lynette Ritter - Corps Secretary and Office Manager
Kerryn Morriss - Community Support Services Manager
Judith Lear - Assimilation/ Recruiting
Paul McDonald - Children and Families Pastor
Deb Hepworth - Thrift Shop Manager
Ross & Doris Lewis - Seniors Ministries Pastors
Mark Flippance - Youth and Young Adults Pastor (until 12/11)
Our Corps Sergeant Major Neil Stokoe and Corps Administrator Iris Collins are also critical parts of this team but can't often attend due to work commitments etc. This is a dillema of having externally employed soldiers as well as internally employed soldiers and staff on the team.
Having said all of that - please make sure you support and pray for our team leaders.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Whooping Cough
One case of whooping cough has been reported in our English class child care. The child with the illness was in attendance on Friday November 5 and Monday November 8.
If any children that you are aware of were in the centre on these dates, please seek medical attention should any symptoms be present. Here is some information that you might find helpful:
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a serious, contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease begins like a cold and then the characteristic cough develops. This cough may last for months, even after antibiotic treatment is completed and the person is no longer infectious. The ‘whoop’ (which is not always obvious) is due to a deep breath at the end of a bout of coughing. Vomiting after coughing is common. Whooping cough is particularly dangerous for babies aged less than six months. They are affected more seriously by the disease than older children or adults and are more likely to develop complications. One in every 200 babies who contract whooping cough will die. Immunisation is the best way to prevent whooping cough. Whooping cough begins with symptoms similar to those of a cold. These can rapidly progress to include:
Severe cough, which occurs in bouts of coughing
Characteristic ‘whooping’ sound on inhalation
Vomiting at the end of a bout of coughing
Apnoea – the child stops breathing for periods of time and may go blue.These symptoms may be associated with poor appetite, fatigue and dehydration. The person may appear normal between bouts of coughing. During the convalescent phase, the cough gradually decreases but can take weeks to disappear.Babies are at increased riskWhooping cough is most serious in babies under 12 months of age. In young babies less than six months of age, the symptoms can be severe or life threatening. Seek urgent medical attention if your child’s lips or skin go blue (cyanosis) or if they are having breathing difficulties associated with the coughing. Some of the complications of whooping cough in young babies include:
Haemorrhage (bleeding)
Apnoea (stopping breathing for long periods of time)
Pneumonia
Inflammation of the brain
Convulsions and coma
Permanent brain damage
Death.
The Bordetella pertussis bacterium is spread by air-borne droplets from the upper respiratory tract (when the infected person coughs or sneezes) and is highly infectious. The time from infection to appearance of symptoms (incubation period) for whooping cough is between six and 20 days. A person is infectious for the first 21 days of their cough or until they have had five days of a 10-day course of antibiotics. In countries where immunisation rates are high, the risk of catching whooping cough is low. In Victoria, most reports of whooping cough currently occur in adults over 20 years of age. Recent research has shown that parents and family members are the main source of whooping cough infection in their baby. A mother does not pass any protection against whooping cough on to her baby while pregnant or breastfeeding. Whooping cough should be diagnosed and treated immediately if there is a typical history of the disease. There are a number of tests, but they are not always reliable and may take weeks to become positive. Treatment should not be withheld while waiting for these results.
If any children that you are aware of were in the centre on these dates, please seek medical attention should any symptoms be present. Here is some information that you might find helpful:
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a serious, contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease begins like a cold and then the characteristic cough develops. This cough may last for months, even after antibiotic treatment is completed and the person is no longer infectious. The ‘whoop’ (which is not always obvious) is due to a deep breath at the end of a bout of coughing. Vomiting after coughing is common. Whooping cough is particularly dangerous for babies aged less than six months. They are affected more seriously by the disease than older children or adults and are more likely to develop complications. One in every 200 babies who contract whooping cough will die. Immunisation is the best way to prevent whooping cough. Whooping cough begins with symptoms similar to those of a cold. These can rapidly progress to include:
Severe cough, which occurs in bouts of coughing
Characteristic ‘whooping’ sound on inhalation
Vomiting at the end of a bout of coughing
Apnoea – the child stops breathing for periods of time and may go blue.These symptoms may be associated with poor appetite, fatigue and dehydration. The person may appear normal between bouts of coughing. During the convalescent phase, the cough gradually decreases but can take weeks to disappear.Babies are at increased riskWhooping cough is most serious in babies under 12 months of age. In young babies less than six months of age, the symptoms can be severe or life threatening. Seek urgent medical attention if your child’s lips or skin go blue (cyanosis) or if they are having breathing difficulties associated with the coughing. Some of the complications of whooping cough in young babies include:
Haemorrhage (bleeding)
Apnoea (stopping breathing for long periods of time)
Pneumonia
Inflammation of the brain
Convulsions and coma
Permanent brain damage
Death.
The Bordetella pertussis bacterium is spread by air-borne droplets from the upper respiratory tract (when the infected person coughs or sneezes) and is highly infectious. The time from infection to appearance of symptoms (incubation period) for whooping cough is between six and 20 days. A person is infectious for the first 21 days of their cough or until they have had five days of a 10-day course of antibiotics. In countries where immunisation rates are high, the risk of catching whooping cough is low. In Victoria, most reports of whooping cough currently occur in adults over 20 years of age. Recent research has shown that parents and family members are the main source of whooping cough infection in their baby. A mother does not pass any protection against whooping cough on to her baby while pregnant or breastfeeding. Whooping cough should be diagnosed and treated immediately if there is a typical history of the disease. There are a number of tests, but they are not always reliable and may take weeks to become positive. Treatment should not be withheld while waiting for these results.
Monday 8 November 2010
Food Safety
As part of our overall safety compliance program we are looking over the next few months at food safety.
Food is a big part of what we do at Marion Salvation Army. We have morning teas, community meals, BBQ's, cake stalls, fundraisers, Community Support Services food parcels, bread runs, playgroups, kidzone, Habit@, and companion clubs that all use food as part of their program.
Both our centres are required to meet Australian food safety standards and also comply with the council regulations issued from time to time by Holdfast Bay and Marion City Councils.
To this end we need to improve a lot of our food safety operations. In the new year we will be offering training days for many of our teams. Part of these training days will be food safety training. It is important that anyone that is involved in any sort of food handling - whether it is as simple as pakcing bread in a fridge or as complex as feeding 150 souls at Pioneer Companion Club - gets to one of the training sessions. The dates are:
Saturday 22/1/11 - this is best for playgroups, children's ministries and youth ministries
Sunday 23/1/11 - this will be best for the morning tea people, companion clubs etc
Wednesday 2/2/11 - this will be best for CSS and for people that do BBQ's etc
While I've included as a guide which group would be best suited to which training, it is just important that everyone involved in food handling gets to one of the three sessions available. Times will be advised in the new year. Thanks for your cooperation.
Food is a big part of what we do at Marion Salvation Army. We have morning teas, community meals, BBQ's, cake stalls, fundraisers, Community Support Services food parcels, bread runs, playgroups, kidzone, Habit@, and companion clubs that all use food as part of their program.
Both our centres are required to meet Australian food safety standards and also comply with the council regulations issued from time to time by Holdfast Bay and Marion City Councils.
To this end we need to improve a lot of our food safety operations. In the new year we will be offering training days for many of our teams. Part of these training days will be food safety training. It is important that anyone that is involved in any sort of food handling - whether it is as simple as pakcing bread in a fridge or as complex as feeding 150 souls at Pioneer Companion Club - gets to one of the training sessions. The dates are:
Saturday 22/1/11 - this is best for playgroups, children's ministries and youth ministries
Sunday 23/1/11 - this will be best for the morning tea people, companion clubs etc
Wednesday 2/2/11 - this will be best for CSS and for people that do BBQ's etc
While I've included as a guide which group would be best suited to which training, it is just important that everyone involved in food handling gets to one of the three sessions available. Times will be advised in the new year. Thanks for your cooperation.
Thursday 4 November 2010
Moving Groups
Today was a significant day. On the surface you wouldn't have known it, but there's a big deal in the changes we saw this morning.
Today was the first day that an activity from our Glenelg centre operated out of the Seacombe Gardens centre. This is not a permanent move, just something that happens while the renovations are occuring.
However, it is an occassion that reflects a number of things. Firstly, I need to thank everyone for their flexibility. Seeing the Glenelg Companion Club move to operate as a home group and moving the playgroup down to Seacombe Gardens means that people are being brave and are starting to move forward. And soon, the benefits of these moves, such as the refurbished and operational Glenelg centre will be visible.
So far the works have been without hiccup. The asbestos is coming out of most places and the floors are up. By the end of this week, the new slab under the old platform and some of the plumbing works for the disabled toilet will have commenced.
Thanks to everyone for their cooperation at this time.
Today was the first day that an activity from our Glenelg centre operated out of the Seacombe Gardens centre. This is not a permanent move, just something that happens while the renovations are occuring.
However, it is an occassion that reflects a number of things. Firstly, I need to thank everyone for their flexibility. Seeing the Glenelg Companion Club move to operate as a home group and moving the playgroup down to Seacombe Gardens means that people are being brave and are starting to move forward. And soon, the benefits of these moves, such as the refurbished and operational Glenelg centre will be visible.
So far the works have been without hiccup. The asbestos is coming out of most places and the floors are up. By the end of this week, the new slab under the old platform and some of the plumbing works for the disabled toilet will have commenced.
Thanks to everyone for their cooperation at this time.
Euthenasia Petition
Thank you to all those that signed the euthenasia petition that has been in the foyer for the last few weeks. These have been forwarded to Hon Dennis Hill MLC who is leading the opposition to the current bill before pariliament.
It is not too late to voice your concerns to your local member, if you choose.
Last year when the South Austrlian state parliament proposed the legalisation of euthenasia, the bill was only defeated by one vote. Our state came within one vote of legalising euthenasia with only a short cooling off period (3 days from memory) which could have been performed by any medical practioner, including a dentist! Given that we have a 7 day cooling off period when buying a car, this was rediculous.
The bill has thankfully been ammended, but is still dangerous. For example, our information is that the only life-threatening illness that could not be considered grounds toward voluntary euthenasia is mental illness. That leaves a door wide open for much abuse.
It may be of interest to you that the government member that introduced the bill stated in her speech that many in the Church circles supported this legislation. Perhaps this is a great example of when we shouldn't let others speak for us.
It is not too late to voice your concerns to your local member, if you choose.
Last year when the South Austrlian state parliament proposed the legalisation of euthenasia, the bill was only defeated by one vote. Our state came within one vote of legalising euthenasia with only a short cooling off period (3 days from memory) which could have been performed by any medical practioner, including a dentist! Given that we have a 7 day cooling off period when buying a car, this was rediculous.
The bill has thankfully been ammended, but is still dangerous. For example, our information is that the only life-threatening illness that could not be considered grounds toward voluntary euthenasia is mental illness. That leaves a door wide open for much abuse.
It may be of interest to you that the government member that introduced the bill stated in her speech that many in the Church circles supported this legislation. Perhaps this is a great example of when we shouldn't let others speak for us.
Monday 1 November 2010
South Australian Council of Churches
The Salvation Army is a member church of The South Australian Council of Churches.
Each year the member churches take it in turns to host the AGM of this body. This includes a worship time as well as their annual deliberations.
This year The Salvation Army is the host church, and they are coming to our Corps this Saturday morning from 9am onward. We also have the opportunity to lead their morning worship, and I will be speaking to the group. Thanks to our ladies that are catering for their meeting, too.
Please pray for this occasion. Pray for the expression of Christian unity and for the fruitfulness of their discussions. Pray for the Council of Churches upcoming activities including the Christmas Bowl which assists churches in developing nations to aid their communities.
Oh... and remember that they will be in the main hall on Saturday, so regular centre users may wish to avoid the front spaces in the centre to help our guests as they meet. Thanks.
Caroling
Wash your mouth out, Brad! We can't be thinking of caroling yet!!
Well, we are...
Sort of.
This Saturday you may like to come out and support the band from 10am at Marion Westfield. They are playing in Santa as he arrives at the centre for the retail Christmas season. This is a great opportunity for our band as they get to "march" through the length of the shopping centre from Woolworths down to centre stage where they deliver Santa to his home for the next 7 weeks. This is a high visibility event for our Corps and it's good for us to be this involved in our community.
Even if it feels way too early...
Police Checks
Thank you to everyone that has helped us to update our police checks since our audit in September. You can imagine that with over 100 volunteers regularly working at our centres, and youth and children's activities running as well as visitation to senior's homes, this is quite a process.
The good news is that for this year, we are almost done. Through the good work of our team leaders there are only six current volunteers' checks outstanding, and hopefully we can mop them up this week.
Thank you everyone for your diligence in this matter.
Safety
Tomorrow is our monthly W-ORM meeting. For those that are new to our Corps, this is the Workplace Occupational and Risk Management Group. It is where a team of people look at the safety of our premises, programmes and functions for both centres.
This team includes:
Brad Watson
Angela Watson
Ken Howie
Kerryn Morriss
Lynette Ritter
Dot Hillman
Deb Hepworth
They are a great team, but they rely on everyone else to help by reporting hazards, managing risks and taking care for the activities that we lead and offer our community. We are also reliant on people reporting injuries and participating in solutions to remedy accidents and situations that are risky.
It is sad to report that we have had two injuries at our centre in the past week. One was a young lady at a youth activity that cut her foot in the foyer on Friday night. The other was a volunteer at Kidszone that hurt his wrist while cleaning some gear on the front lawn. We are also currently dealing with an insurance claim from a fall in the foyer at Glenelg.
Please make sure that you let the WORM members know if anything is not safe at our centres. Also let us know straight away if something needs repair, such as today when we had to get the disabled toilet at the Seacombe Gardens centre repaired in a hurry. Finally, make sure you let the activity leaders know as soon as something goes wrong, particularly an injury.
Ultimately, safety is everyone's responsibility.
Give, Live, Grow - week 4
Yesterday was a great day as we came forward to commit to God as a united Corps. I understand the grief this caused for some as it was another sign that an era had passed. But overall there was a great spirit as we recognised the way that God is bringing us together and the way that the future involves great things when we work together. There was also a sense of trepidation for the guys at Sundays @ 4. This was their first involvement in a planned giving programme. Teaching intentionality and giving for the first time has been a good opportunity with this congregation.
Giving to our Corps will benefit both centres. But most of all, we are responding to God and thanking him for what he has done for us.
Over the next week the envelopes will be available for those that have requested them, and there will be information available for those that have asked to direct deposit. There will also be a chance in the next week or two for others that missed yesterday's meetings to also participate. If you are one of those folk, look out for information that will be forwarded soon, with a card that will allow your personal response to be joined with everyone else's.
Thank you
This is a note to thank all of the people that helped with the preparations and removals at Glenelg over the past week, ready for the works to start tomorrow.
Thank you to Wendy, Tryntje, Arthur, John P, Margaret D, Kathleen, Gaylene, Daryl and Maureen who all gave time to help move things around and pack them away so that we have a clear space for the tradesmen. Also thanks to the community groups, including AA and AlAnon who have been so understanding.
Thanks to God that everyone has found alternatives so quickly, also.
Stage one, where the A/C were installed on the walls has obviously occurred. Tomorrow there is some works to remove carpet and start to move the platform. This will allow the asbestos tiles to be removed later in the week. We will keep you informed of works as they occur.
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