10 & 11 year review

Well it has been almost a fortnight since my last post. Some people will be wondering what has happened.

Angela and I were privileged to attend The Salvation Army's 10 & 11 year officer service review last week in Geelong. This is a week apart for officers who have served over 10 years in The Salvation Army. During the week there were worship times, interviews with the Personnel department, sessions on the latest ministry ideas, prayer times and times to network and socialise with our colleagues.

An important part of the week was the opportunity for each of the delegates to share their story of ministry. It is amazing to note the diversity of experiences that ministry brings to people. Most of all, it was important to note the way that God uses people that make themselves available... so here's to the next 10 years.

News from the weekend

Well, what a long weekend. In more ways than one.

Firstly, a report on Sunday - it was a great day. We are really enjoying the testimony times at the start of Sundays @4, and while I know that there were some raised eyebrows after the message on Sunday morning, I'm sure the point about valuing all of the Scriptures was well made.

The building continues to be in a slight state of disrepair. The 'Marion Room' is still unusable, mostly because of the damp and the smell. We are waiting for word from the Division about a possible assessor coming to help look at our problems and advise on the best approach for repairs. In the meantime we need to be careful around electrical use in the foyer and the Marion area.

The picnic was a great time for those who joined us at our wet weather venue (i.e. the hall!). Some new families joined us and those that were there had a great social time together.

Hallett Cove

This afternoon is a pivotal time in our hopes for an outreach at Hallett Cove. Our request for re-zoning of our proposed location is before Marion Council and is in the hands of the developer and builder. After a mad scramble this morning to get drawings and letters to them, they are now on their way to present our case (along with a number of others).

Please pray and let's see what God has to say today in this regard.

An excerpt from another blog

I am a member of the Assets-Based Community Development Network of South Pacific and Australasia. That's a mouthful that says I keep in touch with the latest ideas in community development and connect with people from around the region that have worked in the field.

One such guy in Melbourne has a great blog that I subscribe to. I thought I'd share one of his entries with you:

Good neighbourhood building relies on good relationship building. As simple - even simplistic - as that might sound, its amazing how many community building initiatives rely on “programs to fix what is broken” rather than growing knowledge amongst residents of what capacity already exists in their neighbourhood, mining the wisdom of neighbours about what is possible and growing our “trust of each other” as neighbours.

The Christian notion of Holy Trinity (though corrupted over time to be seen as a personified god-hierarchy) originally captured the dream of this type of relational neighbourhood. The earliest exponents of the concept labelled it “perichoresis” which is nothing to do with hierarchy at all. In fact the word means “circle dance.” Involved in the dance were the source of all possibilities (“father”, in the language of the day), the transmitter of what is possible (“spirit” in traditional language) and the one who knows the part he has to play in using that possibility (“son” in the old language). In this circle dance, the three dancers wind tightly together into an amazing unity of relationship and interconnection. Knowledge of and trust in what is possible comes about in the dance.

Changes in territorial leadership

Hi all. Please pray for our senior Salvation Army leaders as the following changes of appointment have been announced this morning:

EFFECTIVE 1 JULY 2010
COMMISSIONERS JAMES AND CAROLYN KNAGGS , officers of the USA Eastern Territory, currently serving as territorial leaders of the Australia Southern Territory, are appointed as territorial leaders of the USA Western Territory. Commissioner James Knaggs is appointed as Territorial Commander, USA Western Territory, and Commissioner Carolyn Knaggs as Territorial President of Women’s Ministries. They will succeed Commissioners Philip and Patricia Swyers who will be retiring from active service.

COLONELS RAYMOND AND AYLENE FINGER , officers of the Australia Southern Territory currently serving respectively as Chief Secretary and Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries in that territory, are appointed as territorial leaders of the Australia Southern Territory. Colonel Raymond Finger is appointed as Territorial Commander, Australia Southern Territory, and Colonel Aylene Finger as Territorial President of Women’s Ministries. They are promoted to the rank of commissioner on 1 and 2 July respectively.

LT. COLONELS PETER AND JENNIFER WALKER, officers of the Australia Southern Territory currently serving respectively as Secretary for Business Administration and Assistant Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries in that territory, are appointed respectively as Chief Secretary and Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries, Australia Southern Territory. They will take up their new appointments with the rank of colonel.

Chile Earthquake

Following a devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile during the early hours of Saturday morning (27 February), affecting around two million people, Salvation Army emergency services were immediately mobilised to provide support and comfort. International financial assistance is already on the way from The Salvation Army international headquarters in London. The earthquake epicentre was approximately 90 miles (150 kilometres) north west of the city of Concepción in Southern Chile which is approximately 350 miles (approximately 600 kilometres) from the capital of Santiago, 'nevertheless, the quake was of a 7.0 magnitude in the Santiago metropolitan region', says the Chief Secretary of The Salvation Army South America West Territory, Lieut-Colonel F. Bradford Bailey .The area most affected by the earthquake was between the cities Os Temuco and Chillan, with Concepcion hardest hit, reports the South America West Territory Secretary for Business Administration Lieut-Colonel Maria Alarcon. She adds, 'I have never seen such destruction here before, though I have worked in many disaster situations - they don't compare with this'. The Lieut-Colonel says the immediate need is still food, water and medicine. Lieut-Colonel Alarcon also reports that tents to house 60 displaced families have been set up on the patio of the Hualpencillo Corps near Concepcion and that Salvation Army officers are travelling from Puerto Montt and Osorno, in Southern Chile, to Concepcion to join The Salvation Army emergency relief response team. 'Our officers are all fine, but a lot of Salvation Army properties are damaged especially the older ones made of adobe bricks. The worst damage in Santiago has occurred at Quinta Normal and Lo Vial Corps, and El Faro Men's Residence,' adds the Lieut-Colonel.Territorial Commander for the South American West Territory, Commissioner Jorge A. Ferreira (currently in Ecuador) reports that The Salvation Army is also carrying out emergency relief work in the city of Os Valparaiso on the west coast of Chile. The Commissioner adds that it had been planned to dedicate a recently arrived mobile Salvation Army emergency services canteen (a donation from USA Southern Territory) on 4 March, 'however, this is now already being used to serve those in need'. In the early hours following the earthquake Lieut-Colonel Bailey said that the immediate Salvation Army response included providing food, water, first aid kits, emergency packets, blankets, candles and other urgently required supplies. He added that people had flocked to the streets 'as numerous aftershocks continue to pummel' the country, severely affecting older buildings in the more historical areas of the larger cities.Water, gas and electricity were immediately cut off in areas affected by the earthquake and will stay disconnected until relevant emergency crews can assess the damage and prioritise immediate needs. Lieut-Colonel Bailey said that it has been extremely difficult to communicate with Salvation Army centres throughout the country as all phone lines (mobile and land) have been disrupted. 'Some computer based communication, especially Skype, has been providing an alternative way for those in other countries to communicate with people in Chile.'The emergency services coordinator for The Salvation Army International Headquarters (IHQ) in London, Lieut-Colonel Mike Caffull, reports that IHQ has already agreed to provide financial assistance for the Chilean Salvationists relief response. He says assistance coordinated by the IHQ emergency team will also be provided regarding ongoing relief in the medium and long term.Please pray for the people of Chile.

The Salvation Army has been active in Chile for many years. This is a clip from the video, "A Life Saving Army". It gives an insight into the work of The Salvation Army in Chile. The original video also featured Salvation Army programs in Bolivia, Equador and Peru. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciiqsVwV6fM

Safety

This is a subject of much derision these days. Mostly because of the bureaucracy associated with it. While talking to volunteers and staff, one of my obligations is that we continue to consult and raise the matter of safety.

Our church has a rigorous safety program. It includes police checking of volunteers that work with minors or vulnerable people, OHS committees, regulatory compliance schedules for maintainence of safety equipment, audits, medical forms for people in our youth and children's programs, emergency information for staff and volunteers - a huge undertaking.

We take very seriously our task to look after those attending our corps programs and continue to seek everyone's support in this regard.