The Salvation Army Flood Response

Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) staff and volunteers have been deployed to 11 designated evacuation centres and continue to provide vital services to those affected by the floods. As of Monday afternoon (28 January), more than 120 Salvation Army volunteers had provided in excess of 4405 meals.

The SAES teams are currently engaged at Bundaberg, Gladstone, Warwick, Murgon, Ipswich, Goodna, Gympie, Carindale and Tweed Heads. SAES teams from Townsville and Rockhampton have been on standby to assist in Bundaberg. Other teams on standby include all south Queensland SAES teams, and teams at Ballina, Lismore and Casino in North NSW.

The Salvation Army encourages anyone impacted by the disasters or traumatised in any way who requires emotional support to contact Salvo Care Line on 1300 36 36 22 (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

Health Check

Today I had a health check. One of those big ones. Every five years the Army makes you have them.

Apparently I'm fit to keep serving. It's good to know.

Got me thinking about our current church series: "How To...". This Sunday Deb is talking about how to feed ourselves. This is an important part of staying spiritually healthy. This is an important part of ensuring that we are fit for service.

I'm looking forward to Deb's messages this Sunday.

Courage

Sometimes we are inspired by the courage we see in families around us. Of late, the courage of two families has been astounding.

The Smith family lost their son and brother, Paul, suddenly - possibly through foul play - in Vietnam last November. Over the past few months of shock, diplomacy, mystery, and confusion the Smith's have shown incredible courage and faith while trying to bring their son's remains back to Australia and find out what happened.

Last Friday we were blessed, honoured and privileged to have been able to share in the memorial service for Paul, held at our Seacombe centre. The courage of the family continued as they not only organised this occasion, but then led the service through and spoke about their loved on.

That same evening, tragedy struck another family.


Over the last eighteen months, we have all been inspired by the courage and determination of young five-year-old Micah Cuthbertson and his battle with cancer. Late on Friday night Micah lost his earthly battle with that awful disease. We claim with overwhelming joy the truth that Micah now lives with Jesus.

Both the Smiths and the Cuthbertsons will continue to value and require our prayers in coming days. Please remember them, and perhaps approach today with renewed courage and faith yourself.

Bushfires - The Salvation Army response thus far in Tasmania

The Salvation Army have been active across South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in recent days, assisting in the ongoing response to the devastation caused by fire in those states. Much of the focus, of course, is on Tasmania. Today, the following statement has been released by The Salvation Army' Hobart Headquarters:

In response to the bushfires affecting Tasmania and other communities across the country, The Salvation Army has launched the Disaster Relief Fund to assist affected people to cope with the significant loss sustained due to these fires and further fires that may follow during the next few weeks of extreme fire danger.

The Salvation Army is currently on the ground in Tasmania, working across three emergency response sites providing financial and emotional support to people evacuating homes caught in the fires. In the coming days, The Salvation Army will assist several thousand people with food, financial assistance, clothing and counselling. To date, The Salvation Army has provided approximately 4,500 meals to those affected by the bushfires. Salvos Stores in Tasmania are also providing goods at no charge to people affected.

“Many people have had to evacuate their homes and didn’t get the chance to take anything with them. By providing emergency financial assistance, we are able to assist them to purchase personal items that they need immediately,” said Captain Craig Wood, Divisional Communications and Fundraising Secretary for The Salvation Army Tasmania.

“We will continue to support communities affected for the long-term as experience tells us the recovery from such disaster can stretch over many months, and for some it may take much longer,” he said.

The Salvation Army is also actively involved in the emergency response to bushfires affecting Victoria and South Australia with emergency services teams already responding to five major fires since the beginning of 2013.

Donations made to the Disaster Relief Fund will assist The Salvation Army respond to the current emergency situation in Tasmania and other areas affected by bushfires, as well as supporting the response to other disaster situations that may follow as the country prepares for ongoing hot weather and extreme bushfire risk.

Restating the vision

We had a great opportunity at both campuses yesterday to restate the vision. By that I mean that we had a great opportunity to remind ourselves of the dream that we work toward at our Corps.

Marion Salvation Army will be a multi-campus, multi-congregational, multi-cultural church that serves all generations. We will do this by shining God's light in Adelaide's south so that others join us as disciples of Jesus Christ.

This will mean that we reach at least 1% of our community with the gospel.
This will mean that we have a seamless discipleship process that takes people on journey from their initial contact with our church to a point where they know God, grow in God, show God's love and go in God to serve.
This will mean that we will be leading activists and a leading voice in the areas of social justice and social seervice.
This will mean that we are a sending church and a giving church, offering people and resources to support the work of the kingdom.

This will mean that we are in for a great year!

2013

A New Year.

Happy New Year!

2012 is a year that we will look back on with gratitude. God has been with us, and has been seen at work among us.

Personally, I can look back and see the way that God has kept me safe. He has provided amazing opportunities in Nauru, South Africa and Uganda. He has helped us here, locally, to continue to shine God's light and we are seeing others join us as disciples regularly.

As Samuel did in 1 Sam 7:12 we can now place a marker (he called it an 'ebenezer') to remember God's help and guidance. But such a marker only serves to remind us that his help is for the future also.

So as we head into 2013, we also do so with gratitude.

Already we are grateful for the service providers that we have worked with, this week, to support a man into his first housing in 6 years. We are grateful for the people that are cleaning our centres and providing services to help us (you won't believe how good the carpets at Seacombe have come up). We are grateful for the team that are continuing behind the scenes to finish off Christmas programs (the last of the toys, the last of the decorations and so on).

And we are grateful for the way God will lead us on toward that dream of a multi-campus, multi-congregational, multi-cultural church that serves all generations in our area. That dream of a church that reaches at least 1% of the cities of Marion and Holdfast Bay. That dream of a church with a seamless discipleship program from initial contact with our people through to Knowing God, Showing God, Growing in God and Going to serve in God.

It's going to be a great 2013.