Please join in giving praise to God for a very special weekend held in Melbourne, Australia. Our Territorial Commander was given a vision from God of a very special set of commissioning/congress meetings which he termed Connections 07.Part of this weekend were two days of conference meetings which were attended by many people, including non-salvationist employees from our social centres. People from all over our territory gathered to learn and share together.Commissioners James and Carolyn Knaggs led God inspired and anointed Officers Councils. Most public meetings were marked by crowded Mercy Seats as people were saved and sactified. The Sunday afternoon meeting was marked by a sense of joy and excitement as 29 new captains received their first commissioned appointments. Included in this number were a significant number of Lieutenants along with the Cadets.Long term readers of the Forum will remember my Praise Reports from our days soldiering at the Ringwood Corps. Many of them contained comments about the Candidates within the corps. On Sunday 4 of these were commissioned. Sometimes I think that those years when Jennifer was the Recruiting Sergeant and I helped the Candidates prepare for the Training College were the most fruitful of our officership to date.On Saturday there was a giant march/parade/procession throughout the city followed by a Social Justice Rally in a public square, followed by both children's rallies and youth rallies. The people in the streets of Melbourne stopped to watch, listen and be involved in what the 3000 Salvos were doing. It was amazing to see children on the streets being given mini Army flags to wave and enjoying doing so. Salvo children ran from the parade to give these flags to their peers and then returned to join their parents in an act of witness. The streets of Melbourne have not seen this sort of thing from the Salvos for many years.Many bloggers from our territory have testified to their belief that God has started a significant work that will change our territory for the better.Here's the TC's blog for his view of Connections 07. http://tcspeak.blogspot.com
Praise God!
Peter
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Sunday, 15 July 2007
Back to the fight!
Jennifer and I have been experiencing that wonderful "F" word "Furlough" for the last 14 days. So today has seen lots of catching up, particularly on the email front.
Furlough aka holidays aka vacation has seen us catching up with family and a few friends.
One of the great activities we were able to attend was the Retirement Service of Majors Athol and Ursula Jackson. There were so many people we knew that were present to pay tribute to these good people's service as Salvation Army Officers, including Commissioners James and Carolyn Knaggs.
I was reminded and impressed by the memories of past appointments for these fine, hardworking officers. There were slides of people being involved in various activities at the variety of small and often difficult corps they led. Indeed many of these corps reached their peak under their leadership. I was reminded that there were no large or prestigious appointments amongst them. Immediately prior to retirement they had served as Chaplains to Retired Officers.
Serving and potential Salvation Army Officers have much to learn from Athol and Ursula about gaining the most from their people. Their ministry could be described as being about people. They worked with and alongside of people and people were touched by their ministry. They cultivated people and improved their corps appointments. People entered the Kingdom of God because of these hard working Overcomers.
"In the fight say does your heart grow weary?" are words from an old song. The answer must always be yes if we are putting our whole being into the fight. The people business is tiring. But Athol and Ursula remind us that we can through Christ, be more than overcomers.
Back to the fight! You've rested long enough!
Furlough aka holidays aka vacation has seen us catching up with family and a few friends.
One of the great activities we were able to attend was the Retirement Service of Majors Athol and Ursula Jackson. There were so many people we knew that were present to pay tribute to these good people's service as Salvation Army Officers, including Commissioners James and Carolyn Knaggs.
I was reminded and impressed by the memories of past appointments for these fine, hardworking officers. There were slides of people being involved in various activities at the variety of small and often difficult corps they led. Indeed many of these corps reached their peak under their leadership. I was reminded that there were no large or prestigious appointments amongst them. Immediately prior to retirement they had served as Chaplains to Retired Officers.
Serving and potential Salvation Army Officers have much to learn from Athol and Ursula about gaining the most from their people. Their ministry could be described as being about people. They worked with and alongside of people and people were touched by their ministry. They cultivated people and improved their corps appointments. People entered the Kingdom of God because of these hard working Overcomers.
"In the fight say does your heart grow weary?" are words from an old song. The answer must always be yes if we are putting our whole being into the fight. The people business is tiring. But Athol and Ursula remind us that we can through Christ, be more than overcomers.
Back to the fight! You've rested long enough!
Sunday, 24 June 2007
WOW!!!!
Last Saturday evening we held an International dinner at our corps. This started off as a fellowship type activity for the corps so that people could get to know each other better. It ended up as perhaps a corps direction changing outreach opportunity.
While there was great support for the event from our regular attenders the large number of people who came was directly because of new people bringing their unchurched friends. The main organiser of the evening attended a local Primary School disco and spoke to heaps of parents about sending their children to a Reading Group at the corps. Some of these were followed up by a lady who attends the corps who made sure they came to the dinner as her friends.
Suddenly our lovely fellowship night for 50 or 60 people became a night for 125 people; a significant proportion of whom had never been in our building before.
The CO's worries about enough food proved fruitless as there was plenty of food left over. The miracle of the loaves and fish was repeated as people under the inspiration of God brought more food than they had indicated. Some corps people broke away from their friends to converse with the people they didn't know.
On Sunday we wondered if the greatness of the evening would translate into positive outcomes or negatives. The organiser had already suffered some unjust comments made to her before the event as well as an horrendous afternoon in other ways. On Sunday the comments were overwhelmingly positive. God was at work! One of the patriarchs of the corps, a godly well respected long term Salvationist, told the Bandmaster and his wife that it was the most exciting thing he had been to for a long time. Indeed he went so far as to indicate that if that was what we had to do to get people into the building then we ought to scrap all our traditional Salvationist ways and go that way.
Now the hard work begins! How do we build on this success? How do we follow the desires of the long term Salvos and the newer people and the very new people? Strangely the desires are all fairly similar. More of these type of events is the common thread. Such consensus can only be the work of God. This event has come at a time when the direction of the corps is continuing to swing strongly outward. No negatives at corps council about starting new community focussed groups, only lots of excitement at the possibilities.
Strangely I remember some people indicating to me that Friendship Evangelism wouldn't work at our corps. Maybe my preaching on building relationships with the lost and urging people to reach out into their community to make new friends is bearing fruit after all.
God, keep bringing the lost into the fold! Help us to lead them to Jesus!
While there was great support for the event from our regular attenders the large number of people who came was directly because of new people bringing their unchurched friends. The main organiser of the evening attended a local Primary School disco and spoke to heaps of parents about sending their children to a Reading Group at the corps. Some of these were followed up by a lady who attends the corps who made sure they came to the dinner as her friends.
Suddenly our lovely fellowship night for 50 or 60 people became a night for 125 people; a significant proportion of whom had never been in our building before.
The CO's worries about enough food proved fruitless as there was plenty of food left over. The miracle of the loaves and fish was repeated as people under the inspiration of God brought more food than they had indicated. Some corps people broke away from their friends to converse with the people they didn't know.
On Sunday we wondered if the greatness of the evening would translate into positive outcomes or negatives. The organiser had already suffered some unjust comments made to her before the event as well as an horrendous afternoon in other ways. On Sunday the comments were overwhelmingly positive. God was at work! One of the patriarchs of the corps, a godly well respected long term Salvationist, told the Bandmaster and his wife that it was the most exciting thing he had been to for a long time. Indeed he went so far as to indicate that if that was what we had to do to get people into the building then we ought to scrap all our traditional Salvationist ways and go that way.
Now the hard work begins! How do we build on this success? How do we follow the desires of the long term Salvos and the newer people and the very new people? Strangely the desires are all fairly similar. More of these type of events is the common thread. Such consensus can only be the work of God. This event has come at a time when the direction of the corps is continuing to swing strongly outward. No negatives at corps council about starting new community focussed groups, only lots of excitement at the possibilities.
Strangely I remember some people indicating to me that Friendship Evangelism wouldn't work at our corps. Maybe my preaching on building relationships with the lost and urging people to reach out into their community to make new friends is bearing fruit after all.
God, keep bringing the lost into the fold! Help us to lead them to Jesus!
Sunday, 10 June 2007
Boost
This was the title of our Divisional Officers' Fellowship. A variety of speakers were designed to give us a boost. Plenty of time was scheduled to give us a physical boost as well by allowing for rest and recreation. Different speakers affect different people and some that were highly motivational didn't particularly inspire or motivate me at all. But some of the sharing by colleague officers was very helpful and my spirit certainly received a boost.
Today the mission of the Doncaster Corps received a boost with the installation of an Assistant Corps Officer. A good crowd gathered to witness Captain Dianne Gibbons being installed in that position. We see Dianne's appointment as a boost to the mission resources of the corps.
In the congregation was a young man who it turns out I'd had a telephone conversation with around last Christmas. When he hadn't arrived it had slipped my mind. He had also visited on our Planned Giving Pledging Sunday and left half way through. Today he was one of the last to leave the Hall. He is a guitarist. That means that God has given us a young Keyboard player and a guitarist within a few weeks. This certainly should be a boost to the musical resources of our corps.
One of the new families has just welcomed a brand new boy into their family. This is also a boost for the congregation. God knows what He is doing. Our new officer has a baby boy a month old. We now have 2 baby boys and a baby girl. God's plan is fairly clear to me. After a period of time when the corps had very few babies being born we now have the great opportunity to reach out to young families. 3 babies may not seem many but when you consider that each of these families has come to the corps within the last 8 months you can begin to sense my excitement.
Now we need some brass players and some singers and some leaders and some more converts and more soldiers and more money and more ...
Maybe God is providing what we need and we shouldn't run ahead of Him.
Thanks God for the various boosts! Please keep them coming!
Today the mission of the Doncaster Corps received a boost with the installation of an Assistant Corps Officer. A good crowd gathered to witness Captain Dianne Gibbons being installed in that position. We see Dianne's appointment as a boost to the mission resources of the corps.
In the congregation was a young man who it turns out I'd had a telephone conversation with around last Christmas. When he hadn't arrived it had slipped my mind. He had also visited on our Planned Giving Pledging Sunday and left half way through. Today he was one of the last to leave the Hall. He is a guitarist. That means that God has given us a young Keyboard player and a guitarist within a few weeks. This certainly should be a boost to the musical resources of our corps.
One of the new families has just welcomed a brand new boy into their family. This is also a boost for the congregation. God knows what He is doing. Our new officer has a baby boy a month old. We now have 2 baby boys and a baby girl. God's plan is fairly clear to me. After a period of time when the corps had very few babies being born we now have the great opportunity to reach out to young families. 3 babies may not seem many but when you consider that each of these families has come to the corps within the last 8 months you can begin to sense my excitement.
Now we need some brass players and some singers and some leaders and some more converts and more soldiers and more money and more ...
Maybe God is providing what we need and we shouldn't run ahead of Him.
Thanks God for the various boosts! Please keep them coming!
Sunday, 3 June 2007
Successes and failures
Throughout life we are faced with both successes and failures. Ministry is no different. There are people who respond to the call of the gospel and there are those who don't. There are those who allow us to pastor them and others who just don't relate to us or trust us at all.
Last week I wrote about a growing congregation. It seems that almost every time I write about new people coming or successes, I can guarantee either a poor congregation numerically or people leaving or a failure of some sort. On Sunday after well over a month of larger than average congregations we had dropped back by a third and most of those who were missing were the new people. Jennifer's children's message was adapted to big kids. The Youth Bible study also had less people than normal, despite an excellent guest speaker. Sunday School didn't even operate due to the absence of the children.
So are these failures or smaller congregations being used to teach me something about humility. Sometimes I think so! Then after a period of soul searching I recall that it is God that I glorify in the telling of the Doncaster story. For He is the one who has brought the people to His church. It is not my doing in any way, shape or form. Most of the people I invite haven't actually come.
Perhaps it is the result of the Evil One's work in order to frustrate some great plan of God's. Then I remember that he is a defeated being through the Cross of Jesus. Other times I realise that this is just part of life and ministry in an age where commitment is viewed differently. Church is OK unless there is a better offer.
Lord Jesus, build your Church!
Last week I wrote about a growing congregation. It seems that almost every time I write about new people coming or successes, I can guarantee either a poor congregation numerically or people leaving or a failure of some sort. On Sunday after well over a month of larger than average congregations we had dropped back by a third and most of those who were missing were the new people. Jennifer's children's message was adapted to big kids. The Youth Bible study also had less people than normal, despite an excellent guest speaker. Sunday School didn't even operate due to the absence of the children.
So are these failures or smaller congregations being used to teach me something about humility. Sometimes I think so! Then after a period of soul searching I recall that it is God that I glorify in the telling of the Doncaster story. For He is the one who has brought the people to His church. It is not my doing in any way, shape or form. Most of the people I invite haven't actually come.
Perhaps it is the result of the Evil One's work in order to frustrate some great plan of God's. Then I remember that he is a defeated being through the Cross of Jesus. Other times I realise that this is just part of life and ministry in an age where commitment is viewed differently. Church is OK unless there is a better offer.
Lord Jesus, build your Church!
Monday, 28 May 2007
Praise God!!!
Pentecost Sunday 2007 saw us focussing on the infilling and empowering of The Holy Spirit. I'd love to be able to say that He came in obvious power and that the Mercy Seat was lined with seekers. But I can't!
What I can say is that we had the biggest congregation for the year. 1/3 of these were people who weren't part of the corps at the start of last year. We may not be seeing lined Mercy Seats or people rushing to receive salvation or sanctification, but God is moving. He is drawing people to our corps. He is making them feel welcome. Now we need to do our part.
Come Holy Spirit with your empowering and anointing!
What I can say is that we had the biggest congregation for the year. 1/3 of these were people who weren't part of the corps at the start of last year. We may not be seeing lined Mercy Seats or people rushing to receive salvation or sanctification, but God is moving. He is drawing people to our corps. He is making them feel welcome. Now we need to do our part.
Come Holy Spirit with your empowering and anointing!
Tuesday, 22 May 2007
Time to catch up
The Red Shield Appeal is now almost over and I have time to breathe again. I guess I never actually stopped, it just felt like it. We tried hard but we just aren't going to reach last year's amount.
We've had an Assistant Officer appointed to join our team for which we praise God. We look forward to her joining us as a means of improving our mission.
My mother spent some time in hospital and has now returned home, hopefully OK.
Our eldest son, Ben had to miss Melbourne Staff Band practice amongst other things as he had pneumonia and almost end up in hospital. No wonder I'm tired! He's making a good recovery.
So as we mop up the Red Shield Appeal admin, I have the time to catch up on blogs and a few other things. I'm certainly looking forward to Officers' Fellowship in a few weeks and furlough in a month or maybe slightly more.
Now one of the things I regret is that I appear to have attracted some regular readers and I haven't given you anything to read lately. I sincerely apologise!
I'd love to know who you are!!!!!
We've had an Assistant Officer appointed to join our team for which we praise God. We look forward to her joining us as a means of improving our mission.
My mother spent some time in hospital and has now returned home, hopefully OK.
Our eldest son, Ben had to miss Melbourne Staff Band practice amongst other things as he had pneumonia and almost end up in hospital. No wonder I'm tired! He's making a good recovery.
So as we mop up the Red Shield Appeal admin, I have the time to catch up on blogs and a few other things. I'm certainly looking forward to Officers' Fellowship in a few weeks and furlough in a month or maybe slightly more.
Now one of the things I regret is that I appear to have attracted some regular readers and I haven't given you anything to read lately. I sincerely apologise!
I'd love to know who you are!!!!!
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