THE SALVATION ARMY10 W. Algonquin RoadDes Plaines, Illinois 60016

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Volume 39, Number 9 September 2009

Earlier this year following alandmark TerritorialEconomic Summit, morethan $3.4 million was allo-

cated in a “Faith Stimulus Package”for direct assistance to the newlypoor. Of the 148 units whichapplied, 141 locations were award-ed grants totaling more than $2.3million.

These units documented need anda local match of funds, aimed atmobilizing the faith community.

Grants of $18,000 were available tohigh demand areas which showedsignificant increases in need due toparticular economic stressors, whilegrants of $12,000 were possible forlocations demonstrating more mod-erate demand.

This proactive approach has beenmaking a difference throughout theMidwest in many ways like helpingpeople put food on their tables, keeptheir homes or pay their rent, getmedical assistance and job training.

Rockford, Ill.“You can tell when

they’re new,” said volun-teer Betsy McCoy about thenewly poor who come tothe food pantry. “Theydon’t know exactly whereto go to pick up the food.Sometimes they cry. Onewoman told me, ‘A year agoI was doing what you’redoing, volunteering, andnow I receive the food.’”

The Salvation Army inWinnebago County, Ill., led

by Major Randy Hellstrom,serves 450 families a month—a 200 percent increase overlast year! According to ConnieMarquis, social services coor-dinator, they are people likeMillie and Bill Watson.

The Watsons used to live ina four-bedroom house in anice neighborhood. Bill madea good living as a truck driver,hauling heavy machinery inthe Chicago area. One day heslipped on ice at work, hurt hisshoulder and had to get an X-ray. Itsurprisingly revealed lung cancer, sohe could no longer work. All of asudden, no checks were coming in.

The Watsons moved to a two-roomunit at a motel where Millie doeshousekeeping to help with expenses.Since disability was delayed, theyapplied for unemployment and foodstamps. At the food stamp office,someone told her to go to TheSalvation Army pantry.

“I was really scared to go. I wasembarrassed and sad, but the nicestvolunteer there helped me. He said,‘It happens, and we’re here to helpyou.’” She relayed, “When I left thefood pantry, I had my head held

high and was smiling all the wayback to the motel.”

Dearborn Heights, Mich.The Dearborn Heights Citadel,

Mich., Corps received a faith stimu-lus grant. With the funds, MajorsSteve and Christine Merritt, corpsofficers, formed a coalition withGarden City Hospital and two localpharmacies to help the unemployedpay medical bills, get additionaltreatment or purchase medication.

The efforts have afforded thecorps the opportunity to team upwith the community and haveresulted in positive publicity. Theyplan to extend this same relationshipto four other hospitals in their area.

Grants making adifference in Midwest

The Salvation Army / USA Central Territory

News and Views from the Midwest

“We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.” Eph. 4:3,4 (NLT)

Gail Hendershott, caseworker in Goshen, Ind., helpssomeone receive funds from the Faith Stimulus plan.

Continued on page 12

General Clifton meets the secretary-general of United Nations

Continued on page 2

The Kansas andWestern MissouriDivision’s Three TrailsCamp has been work-

ing hard to reopen the campafter being closed since fall2006 for a major facelift. Animportant part of the reopeninghas been the help of many vol-unteers. The camp has part-nered with Boy Scout troops inthe area and has helped sixboys earn their eagle scoutaward.

One of the unique EagleScout projects has been the cre-ation of a camp garden. An oldsand volleyball court, whichdidn’t get used because of over-growth of weeds and thistles, hasbeen converted into a garden. Thegarden is home to many differentplants: tomatoes, zucchini, cucum-ber, red and yellow peppers, lettuceand herbs.

The campers are encouraged towork in the garden and when thevegetables are ready, they’re sharedwith all in the salad bar at mealtime. Three Trails Camp is doing itspart in keeping a “greener” camp.

Going green at Three Trails

General ShawC l i f t o nattended theU n i t e d

Nations in New Yorkfor a meeting with Mr.Ban, Ki-moon, secre-tary-general. The Gen-eral was accompaniedby CommissionerHelen Clifton, worldpresident of women’sministries; Commis-sioner Christine Mac-Millan, internationalsocial justice commis-sion (ISJC) director; Lt.Colonel Geanette Sey-mour, ISJC deputydirector; and MajorRichard Gaudion, pri-

Many corps, like Norridge Citadel, Ill., has seen morethan a 50 percent increase use of their food pantry.

“We’re discovering that the newlyunemployed do not know who toturn to for help. The stimulus getsthem into the office so that we canshare all of the other services andministries that The Salvation Armyhas to offer. We view it as one moreopportunity to reach out to the com-munity and share the gospel,”explained Christine.

Montgomery County, Kan.Service extension units in

Atchison, Barton, Ellis andMontgomery counties are using theextra assistance provided by thegrant to help hurting residents paytheir rents, utility and medical bills.Atchison, Barton and Ellis countieswere each allocated $12,000, whileMontgomery received $18,000 forassistance. Oil fields, businesses, fac-

tories and packing plants are down-sizing or closing in the area.

Fighting both the faltering econo-my and chronic poverty in someparts of these counties, TheSalvation Army in MontgomeryCounty has the added burden ofhelping residents still reeling fromdevastating floods in 2007, reportedMary Scott of the Kansas andWestern Missouri Division’s serviceextension department.

One of those receiving help is asingle father of two daughters. Hisoilfield coworkers were laid off andhis hours were cut to just a few. Notknowing where to turn or who toask for help, he finally came to TheSalvation Army.

“He came back to thank us afterpicking up a few more work hours,”said Mary. “He added he now knowshow important it is to donate to thered kettle!”

Alpena, Mich.Serving an area of Michigan

already on shaky economic groundbefore the current financial crisis,Alpena Corps Officers Majors Craigand Joan Stoker are well versed inproviding assistance year-round.The territorial faith stimulus grant,however, has provided opportunitiesto work with service extensions andother agencies in surrounding coun-ties. Unemployment in some areasof northeastern Michigan exceeds20 percent, reported Joan.

The faith stimulus grant facilitatedreceipt of the lion’s share of addi-tional grant monies from the federalRecovery and Reinvestment Actthrough FEMA’s Emergency Foodand Shelter Program. The SalvationArmy was awarded half of the$15,000 designated for the region!The extra money allows anincreased assistance level per family.

Goshen, Ind.The Goshen, Ind., Corps, led by

Captains Jason and Carrie Pollom,received a $18,000 faith stimulusgrant. Not only did they successful-ly acquire the 50 percent communi-ty match but exceeded it by nearly$5,000! They have primarily aidedthose in need of mortgage and rent

Grants making a difference

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THE SALVATION ARMY10 W. Algonquin Road • Des Plaines, Illinois 60016847-294-2000COMMISSIONER BARRY C. SWANSONTerritorial CommanderMAJOR JOHN WILKINSCommunity Relations and Development SecretaryELIZABETH KINZIEEditorial DirectorANNE URBANEditor/WriterJACQUELYN MURSCHELCommunications SpecialistFERN CALDWELLCirculation ManagerKENNETH ROMINGraphic Design and Production

VISIT OUR WEBSITE—www.usc.salvationarmy.org1-800-SALARMY

During a recent territorialexecutive council prayertime, members felt theHoly Spirit’s clear leading

for a renewed sense of urgency toreach the lost for Christ.

Wesley Campbell and StephenCourt, in their book Be a Heroobserve, “Part of the successachieved in primitive Salvationism isattributable to a single passion—towin the world for Jesus.” To illus-trate the strong passion of Army pio-neers—to win the world for Christ—Campbell and Court quote Williamand Catherine Booth:

“There is no record since theApostles of a body that has so

encompassed the Divine idea, allits members being taught to makeall other objects and aims of lifesubservient to the one grand pur-pose of preaching the Gospel toevery creature and striving to winevery soul with whom they comein contact to its salvation.”Catherine Booth“The Army by its very success isever in danger of drifting awayfrom the great ungodly mass forwhose Salvation it was expresslyraised up, and to whom it isessentially sent. The only reme-dy is attack. The gulf must becrossed, and re-crossed, andcrossed again. Aggression is the

key to the indispensable, nay, theonly means of conquest. To over-come, there must be skilful, per-severing, systematic, desperateaggression... We must go to thepeople. We must attack. Newmethods must be invented if theold ones do not bring us into con-tact with the godless crowds. For,no matter what the cost, we mustget at them. We must attack.”William BoothIt can’t be overemphasized that

our Lord has uniquely positionedour Army of salvation to reach thou-sands of folk who can’t be reachedby anyone else: those served by ourcommunity services. Sadly, though,

these important services are toooften devoid of any spiritual influ-ence.

The current economic crisis offersextraordinary opportunities forevangelism. George Barna suggeststhat helping the unchurched to solvesome of their problems or addresspressing needs through social ser-vices is an effective method of out-reach evangelism. In his bookEvangelism that Works, Barna says,“Like it or not, the non-churchedpopulation is perhaps most open toreligion if it can help solve some oftheir problems or address some oftheir most pressing needs.”

May our Lord renew in each of usa passion for the lost and a renewedsense of urgency to reach them—oneat a time.

assistance butplan to stretchthe money asfar as it will goin an area thathasn’t seenunemploymentout of the dou-ble digits since2008.

Gail Hender-shott, caseworker, recallsa 50-year-oldwoman named“Barb” who sought help in Februarywith food after having been laid offfrom a job in the RV industry inJanuary. She’d just bought a homelast year, was recovering from adivorce and trying to reestablish hercredit. “Barb” was drawing unem-ployment and back in school thanksto educational dollars available to asector of laid-off RV workers. Whenshe came again to the Army in Mayfor food assistance, the faith stimu-lus funds were available and shewas ecstatic to receive help with hermortgage.

Norfolk, Neb.Lieutenants Xavier and Heather

Montenegro, corps officers of theNorfolk, Neb., Corps have stretchedtheir grant of $12,000 to the max.The Montenegros hit the air waves

and local papers advertising theirplan to pay $150 toward a bill foranyone who has been unemployedsince October 2008.

Heather noted, “People who typi-cally wouldn’t ever need assistance,who’ve worked their entire lives andnever dreamed that they would haveto ask for help came in to have us apay a bill. It has taken a lot of prideswallowing but ultimately madehuge impact for those in need.”

Continued from page 1

Renewing a senseof urgencyby Major James NautaTerritorial Secretary for Personnel

GetConnected!Check out our complementary material on the web.

www.usc.salvationarmy.org/getconnected

ClipsVideo clip of Minneapolis Harbor Light Praise Team

Audio clip from Gowans and Larsson musical

LinksGirlfriends Unlimited website

Prayer Central website

Child Sponsorship

UN Millennium Development Goals

Web exclusives“Artificial Identity,” award-winning articleby Sarah Kistler

More about Wichita Citadel Hispanic Ministries

More on Cedar Rapids, Iowa, relief progress

Salvation Army in Pakistan summary

APakistani Wedding by A/Captains Simmerts

Gowans and Larsson bios

Following the Power PointPrayer Summit in Junecamps jumped right intothe year long effort, many

promoting prayer in creative andexpressive ways. Campers, staffand employees alike gained mean-ingful time with the Lord in prayer,perhaps broadening their perspec-tive and understanding of howprayer can be expressed through-out the day.

Western Division’s Gene EppleyCamp hit the ground running by

commencing camp with a Sundaymorning prayer walk service.Campers were guided by cabin to

each of six prayerstations with dif-ferent themes suchas world missions,self-reflection andforgiveness. A staffmember directingeach station pro-vided creativeprops whichencouraged partic-ipants to delve intoprayer. The serviceconcluded with atime of worshipand an altar call inwhich more than30 seekers madecommitments toChrist!

Just south at MidlandDivision’s Camp Mihaska,leadership strove to meettheir goal of 24/7 prayer inmany unique ways. “Prayerat our camp didn’t look likeholing yourself up in a cabinfor quiet time,” said MajorVicki Steinsland, MidlandDivision’s camp prayerpoint person. Prayers wereexpressed on the massivepillars that dominate thedining hall by post-it notes,they were written on stonesand tossed into the nearbytrout-run and stapled towood sticks which coveredthe ground creating a “pathof prayer.”

Not only did prayer this summertouch the lives of campers, but itreached the lives of staff membersas well. Camp Wonderland in theMetropolitan Division maintained aprayer room that was manned bytheir large staff. Staff membersappreciated their time so much thatthey requested the prayer emphasisbe extended beyond their specifiedweek and for prayer intervals to beincreased from one to two hourshifts. Camp prayer point person,Major Marc Johnson remarked,“Ministry to the summer staff is asmuch a part of our min-istry as it is to thecampers. It has been anamazing time of growth.”

Heartland’s EagleCrest Camp impactedstaff members as well.Camp staff volunteeredto walk the entire campand dedicate every build-ing in prayer. The onlyhitch? Camp Eagle Crestwas too big to walk inone morning so staffers

improvised. They quickly went froma “prayer walk” to a “prayer golf-cart.”

Up north, Northwoods Camp inMinnesota spent time praying overtheir seniors daily and in Michiganat Little Pine Island Camp one cabinporch overlooking the lake was ded-icated as an outdoor prayer room.

“The most important thing wasthat the campers were taking prayerseriously. It became more than aroutine occurence before dinner orbedtime,” said James Beardsleyabout Hidden Falls Camp in theIndiana Division.

Girlfriends Unlimitedby Major Darlene Harvey

Officers and lay leaderswho attended theMetropolitan Division’sWomen’s Bible Study

Camp earlier this year had the firstopportunity in the territory to beintroduced to the new, fun resourcethat the territorial women’s min-istries department is promotingcalled Girlfriends Unlimitedoffered through Group Publishing.This online resource provides mem-bers with all they need to developand promote women’s ministries.Experience guides outline every-

thing a leader needs to know to pro-vide a girls’ night out such as a spanight, fitness night, or creativeexpressions. Large themed eventguides give instruction to pull offlarge scale community events.Leaders can receive monthly lead-ership resource guides to help sus-tain their ministry, and a members-only community acts as a forum toexchange ideas.

This program reaches out towomen who might never darken thedoors of a church. It is centered inrelationship building. The ministry

is based on 4 B’s which come along-side the four-fold emphasis ofwomen’s ministries. The first is“Befriend.” The ministry is basedon developing outreach events andprograms which help to create con-nections. Outreach is easy withwelcoming get-togethers, inspiringsmall groups and vivacious parties.Women are provided ways to devel-op new friendships.“Belong” provides women com-

munity—where everyone knowstheir name. Interesting ideas provid-ed by Girlfriends Unlimited moti-vate women to revisit, giving them aplace where friendships will deepenas women enjoy a true sense ofbelonging.“Believe” emphasizes a personal

relationship with Jesus and giveswomen the opportunity to be disci-pled through worship, Bible study,and experiencing and exploring faithtogether.

Lastly, “Become” gives women anopportunity for growth, encouragingthem to reach their full potential andto join the Army if they don’talready have a church home.

Major Jackie Bowers, Metropoli-tan women’sministries sec-retary, believesthis program ise s p e c i a l l yhelpful tothose just start-ing a women’sministry orthose whowant to drawin youngerw o m e nbecause itgives new,i n n o v a t i v eideas.

by Kara Langford

Partnership, col-laboration andc o m m u n i t yinvolvement are

key for Major K.K.Mathews, Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo.,regional coordinator.

“We’re doing a lot ofthings in the community,and it centers on collabo-ration,” he said. “Wecan’t do it alone.”

The latest endeavorincludes the launch ofThe Salvation ArmyHuman ServicesCertificate program. K.K.teamed up with the continuing edu-cation department at LincolnUniversity to offer this educationaltool for staff and volunteers. In theprogram’s pilot, nine participantsexplored theory and practical appli-cation of faith and social work,learned first-aid and CPR skills, anddiscussed topics in interpersonalcommunication and ethics, amongother things.

“This type of arrangement andcurricula are just what we need tocontinue our lifelong learning

process,” said Major John Flanagan,Columbia, Mo., corps officer andpilot program participant.

As the two-week intensive courseis prepared to roll out to a largerpopulation, the Army has a uniqueopportunity to be a model for othersocial service organizations to followfor employee and volunteer training,according to Kathy Pabst, universitydirector of continuing education.

“It has been a vision of mine tooffer people without degrees a cred-ible education component,” saidK.K.

Expanding horizons

Major Carol Wilkins and Major Jackie Bowers with women from theMetropolitan Division who received training from Kimberly Price inGirlfriends Unlimited.

3

Camp prayer takes creative approach

4

Creative juices wereflowing whenCaptains Josh andRhegan Stansbury

of the Beatrice, Neb., Corpswrote their own vacationBible school (VBS) material.The Mr. Magorium’sWonder Emporium themedVBS drew 35 kids into thecorps that summer. Theboost in attendance carriedthrough the fall, and char-acter-building programs atthe corps tripled in size!

The Stanburys not only attributeincreased participation in character-building programs to the successfulVBS but to the fact that theirWednesday nights now consist of ameal and Bible story prior to programs.

“A few of the children come frompretty tough homes and deal with alot, so Wednesday nights may be theonly time they get to hear a Biblestory,” said Rhegan. The kids love itand are becoming involved in thecorps in other ways, such as the 13kids who attended camp this summer.

Western Divisional YouthSecretaries Captains Fred and Nancy

Mead were encouraged to see theincreased participation. Togetherthey distributed badges and certifi-cates to the children on divine ser-vice Sunday. The boys, who got newcharacter-building uniforms, wereso excited to wear them to thedivine service that they askedRhegan about them every Sundayfor a month prior.

Bridging between character-build-ing programs and Sunday morningworship has just begun. Rhegan wasencouraged to see parents and sib-lings for each child at the divine ser-vice meeting, as well as a few at thecorps for Christmas programs and

other specialevents.

The Bea-trice Corpsworships in anew buildingthat was ded-icated in Feb-ruary 2008.Perfect tim-ing for theincrease inattendance!

KIDspeak for junior soldiers

Junior soldiers, ages 7-13, partic-ipate in a weekly discipleshiptraining course called TrainingJunior Soldiers. What you may

not know is that within the pagesof this curriculum there is a monthlyentry called KIDspeak, which givesyoung soldiers a voice. The four USAterritories rotate entries, and Volume3, Standing Firm, September 2009 –January 2010, will feature four won-derful junior soldiers hand-pickedfrom our territory! Here are excerpts:

Unit #1 The Trials of Jesus and StephenErik Voeller,Kansas CityNorthlandQ: If we are

persecuted forbeing aChristian, whatgood can comeout of it?

A: When you are being persecutedeven the people attacking you knowthat you believe in God. You havethe chance to tell others about Jesusand the other people can make adecision to believe in Christ.

Unit #2 Standing Firm under FireCharlisse Forney,Menasha FoxCitiesQ: What can

a junior soldierdo to show wecare aboutChristians inother parts of theworld who are being persecuted?

A: As a Christian and as a juniorsoldier of The Salvation Army, I’mgoing to do my part in helpingChristians in other parts of the

world being persecuted for theirbeliefs. I will write letters, if theopportunity arises visit them, raisemoney and send supplies, pray forthem, and, most importantly, spreadthis message to everyone I can.

Unit #3 Making Good ChoicesKylee Abwavo,Grand RapidsFulton HeightsCitadelQ: What are

some of thethings we need tosay “no” to if weare going to showother people that we love Jesus?

A: If we are going to show otherpeople that we love Jesus we need tosay “no” to being a bully. Being abully can hurt other people’s feel-ings... God wants us to be nice andtreat other people how we want tobe treated.

Unit #4 Jesus Stood FirmBridgette James,Chicago HarborLightQ: Can we, as

junior soldiers,have the samepower Jesus hadto stand firm asa Christian?What might it cost us to standfirm?

A: We can have power for whatev-er we believe through God. If westand firm to being a Christian, wemight lose friendships with peoplewho don’t believe or people whowant to turn their backs on God.Even though that might be hard, wehave to stand firm…”

The Madison, Ind., Corpsrecently enrolled six juniorand two senior soldiers. Theservice resulted in record

attendance, including some first-timers whose children were enrolledthat morning.

When Majors David and JeanetteBiggs started their appointment atthe corps in June of 2008, children’sprograms were practically nonexis-tent. That fall they implementedjunior soldiers and Sunday school.To Jeanette’s surprise 14 childrenattended the first day of junior sol-diers, double what she anticipated!

Six were the grandchildren of acorps volunteer, Wanda Finney, whosurprised her family on enrollmentday by becoming a senior soldier

along with three of hergrandchildren, who wereenrolled as junior soldiersthe very same day.Although a friend had beenencouraging Wanda tobecome a soldier for years,it wasn’t until her grand-children became interestedin junior soldier classes thatshe began to considerenrollment herself.

The corps council decid-ed that the successfulenrollment called for a timeof celebration. Two bravesouls offered themselves as“pie-in-the-face” sacrificesfor a party if attendancereached more than 60 peo-ple. Since the goal was met

on enrollment Sunday, IndianaDivisional Commander MajorRichard Amick was asked to do thehonor the following week.

Madison’s celebration wasn’tmerely sweet entertainment; it alsoserved as an opportunity to recog-nize newly appointed Sunday schoolteacher Richard Ashby and BobSchulz as the corps sergeant-major.Bob was additionally honored forrecently receiving the Volunteer ofthe Year award in the IndianaDivision. Bob is the director ofCelebrate Recovery, a religious sub-stance abuse program in the area.

With all of the recentgrowth and honor,Jeanette couldn’t help butgush. She said, “We arereally excited to be hereand be a part of every-thing that is going on.This is a great communityof people and rewardingwork and we give God theglory for the increase.”

Youth spark corps growth

Newly enrolled senior soldier Wanda Finney poses withher grandchildren who also were enrolled.

Junior soldiers, (l to r): Angelina Graham, Hannah Sanders, Kiara Parker, Katie Stackhouse,Jacob Cope and Tony Espinosa, were enrolled at the Madison, Ind., Corps.

Indiana Divisional Commander MajorRichard Amick has, perhaps, too much fun“pieing” a Madison corps member as partof their enrollment celebration.

Beatrice character-buildingprograms thrive

Most people have heardof Flint, Mich. Home ofGeneral Motors, it’snow known for unem-

ployment, crime and appearances inMichael Moore documentaries.What better place for The SalvationArmy to be at work?

These factors sparked a renewedfocus of the Flint Citadel on theirneighborhood, the Grand TraverseDistrict Neighborhood. This area isundergoing a facelift with old build-ings getting new facades, newrestaurants opening and studenthousing being built. Special eventsare starting to occur such as artwalks, craft fairs, car shows and theCrim Festival of Races, which

attracts runners from around theworld.

The corps, led by Captains Jonand Kris Augenstein, knew they hada role to play in the revitalization.They hired community ministrycoordinators, Tom and Rachel Wyattand launched new efforts with thefoundation of prayer. Prayer walksbecame a weekly—sometimesdaily—event as they explored thearea. Surprisingly, they discoveredabout 1,000 people still live in the

70-square-block area. The corpsbegan attending neighborhood asso-ciation meetings and joinedimprovement projects.

This summer soldiers and com-munity members participated in aprogram called “Clean and Green,”through which vacant lots arecleaned up and maintained for theyear. Community gardens have beenplanted. In addition, the corps ispartnering with a local school toadopt a corridor of the highway,which often is littered with garbageand weeds. Next year the Citadelwill adopt an official gateway gar-

den, turning a dreary vacant lot intoa green greeting—a symbol of therenewal taking place.

Another effort spearheaded by theCitadel is “Picnics in the Park.” Inpartnership with the local foodbank, they provided free summerlunches to neighborhood children ina nearby park which just got a newplayground built by 260AmeriCorps volunteers in May. Theplayground was part of the RussMawby Signature Service Projectwhich also included building threeHabitat for Humanity homes(including one for a Citadel family),cleaning vacant lots and restoringlocal wetland which had beencemented. The Citadel found sever-al ways to get involved. Jim Fearon,soldier and master gardener, led thelandscaping efforts. Another soldier,Erin Wyatt, was official event pho-tographer, and several others helpedbuild the playground or servedrefreshments from the canteen.

Most recently, the corps ran avacation Bible school for area chil-dren, which was a great success,and aided the community by settingup a water station at a 5K run.

Where others see a hopeless city,Flint Citadel sees potential for afresh start. They see opportunities tomeet their neighbors and to sharethe love of Jesus.

Rachel and Tom Wyatt arenothing if not resourceful.That, along with creativity,initiative, drive and a love

for the lost, enables them to be theFlint Citadel, Mich., Corps commu-nity ministry coordinators.

“Our focus is external,” said Tom.“We do things to revitalize and betterthe area, and even sit on a boardwith several other outreach organi-zations to bring about communitygrowth.”

From highway cleanup to foodand water distribution to crafts withchildren, the Wyatts’ ministry isintense, yet rewarding.

“It doesn’t feel like work to me.Someone will see the SalvationArmy T-shirt I am wearing whilewe’re serving, and I’ll get the chanceto talk with them about God. It’s alifestyle.” Rachel continued, “TheBible says that we are supposed tolove and serve others. It feels goodbecause it is what God would like usto do.”

Tom grew up in The SalvationArmy while Rachel went to theVineyard church. They met at aSalvation Army event when Rachelwas a student and Tom was in theband. They have been married sixyears.

Feeling called into ministry, Tomand Rachel started working at theFlint, Mich., Corps after college.

It’s our mission

Tom likens it to the story of Jonah—though they didn’t want to go, theblessings were abundant once theyobeyed the Lord.

Not only are Tom and Rachelinvesting spiritually in the commu-nity, they are investing financially aswell with the recent purchase of ahome in the city. They plan to rentout the spare rooms, hold Bible stud-ies and encourage the neighborhoodwith their godly lifestyle.

Flint Citadel sees potential5

6 Igniting the fire!As usual, learning tracks at

CBLI, held annually at CampWonderland, were split by age.Adults sat under the ministry ofspecial guests CommissionersAlex and Ingeborg Hughes,who’ve served in appointmentsthroughout the internationalSalvation Army.

Their Bible studies cov-ered the Holy Spirit’signiting moments asrecorded in Acts.

Both commissioners spoke on thefirst Sunday of CBLI, leaving deepspiritual impressions on hearts andminds. The Hughes interacted withyouth and families throughout theweek, joining them for meals andrecreation, including square dancingat the camp’s western hoedown!

CBLI Kids accommodated childrenup to five years old. The smallestones watched Elmo DVDs, blew bub-bles and finger painted, while the twoand three year olds focused onNoah’s ark and enjoyed a nature cen-ter visit, carnival, crafts, tractor rideand songs to reinforce their Biblelessons. Treasure Island (God’s Word!)captivated the four and five year oldsas they memorized Bible verses.

With so much activity atthis year’s CentralBible and LeadershipInstitute (CBLI), it’s

hard to know where to begin! Theoverall focus was, “God will ignitethe kingdom life within you, a firewithin you, the Holy Spirit withinyou, changing you from the insideout.” (Matthew 3:11b, MSG)Evidence of God at work was clear-ly seen as seekers knelt in prayerafter each of the united meetings.

Junior CBLI for six to nine yearolds featured a beach theme withBible lessons centered on water. Thislarge, active group was eager tolearn about God, have fun and raisemoney for world services/self-denial.With a water carnival, creative activ-ities and occasional episodes of“Gilligan’s Island,” this was theplace to be!

Tweens (10-12 year olds) focusedon God’s extraordinary love: unex-pected, transforming and eternal.They memorized all of 1 Corinthians13 (the “Love” chapter) and impres-sively recited it during the Saturdayevening awards meeting. MissionImpossible reinforced Bible lessonsand special activities included go-

by Sarah DiMaso

carting and attending the hoedownwith the older campers.

Teens spent the week ignitingtheir faith with Jim and StephanieSparks from the Western Territory.Whole-hearted worship, intenseBible studies, peer leadership,recreational sports and War on theFloor (a late-night prayer activity)set the stage. Numerous electiveclasses were offered on subjectsincluding prayer, media, photogra-phy, making money work andscrapbooking. One teen comment-

ed that the only problem wastoo little time for late-nightprayer.

Young adults were chal-lenged by the ministry ofCaptains Terry and RutendoMassango of the WesternTerritory. The focus was on the

Body of Christ to discover truth inGod’s Word, motivate effective bib-lical living, and sharpen peer lead-ership skills. Body-building activi-ties included an interactive gamenight, dodge ball, bag-toss tourna-ment and a no-talent show!

Evening programs were far fromordinary. Lt. ColonelsEddie and KathyHobgood of theSouthernTerritory kickedoff the encamp-ment with a

7

humorous andpowerful reenact-ment of David andGoliath duringwhich ColonelEddie portrayedfive biblical charac-ters. As ColonelKathy sang, themercy seats werelined with seekers.On another night

Colonel Eddie wasJoe the Turk, a histori-

cal (and hysterical!) Army figure.Many knelt in prayer asking forthe Holy Spirit to ignite a passionlike Joe’s within their hearts.

Other evening programs fea-tured Captain Terry Masango of“Theater for the Thirsty” and theCentral summer mission teams.When Lt. Colonel DawnHeatwole, territorial candidates’secretary, encouraged sensitivity toGod’s calling to fulltime ministryas Salvation Army officers, 37 peo-

ple came to the platform.

The campwide world ser-vices/self-denial fundraising effort,Love in Action, raised $4,218 forchildren’s school uniforms over-seas. Territorial Headquarters gen-erously matched that donation,bringing the total to $8,436! At$30 a uniform, that’s 281 uni-forms—practically a school of chil-dren! (To learn more about Love inAction, please visit the world mis-sions web pages.)

If you haven’t attended CBLI asa family, you absolutely must! Thekids are well cared for and loved,do many activities they wouldn’ttypically do over a summer andlearn about God while you go offto learn about Him, too! CBLI isdefinitely NOT just for youth! Planto attend next year to hearCommissioners William andNancy Roberts as they returnhome from Kenya as special guestsfor the adult track!

Photosby

JenniferMinterandMajorCurtissHartley

88

Pakistan: ordinary toextraordinary

Share Your Christmas Joy! time. Darlene observed you can missmeetings but never tea time! It tookseveral months for her to get plain,black tea instead of chai (spiced,sweet, half-milk tea), however!

Building dedications in Pakistanare very special events. Visitors aremet at a distance from the corps bythe officers and soldiers, who escortthem the rest of the way in a paradeof vehicles, bicycles and flags. Rosepetals are tossed over their heads asthey walk toward the building! Atthe Sheikhupura Corps opening, theword “Welcome” was charminglyspelled out in rose petals on theground.

“There’s always a ribbon-cuttingceremony with speeches, muchpomp and circumstance and often ahired band,” said Darlene. “Customcalls for entering the corps buildingshoeless and for men to sit apartfrom women and young children.Afterwards, there’s usually a cele-bratory meal, often chicken in aspicy sauce, rice, chapatti (flatbread) and side dishes.”

The Pakistan Territory is currentlyled by Colonels Robert andMarguerite Ward.

Last year Auxiliary CaptainsAl and Darlene Simmertwere asked to emerge fromone of their several retire-

ments to serve in Pakistan. Theirprior overseas experiences, plus Al’scareer as a railroad executive andDarlene’s as a nurse and administra-tor, presented skills needed by thePakistan Territory, which recentlycelebrated 125 years of TheSalvation Army’s work there. Tomark this historic milestone, twonew corps and three new worshipcenters were opened.

“Al was brought in to oversee con-struction projects and ensure codeswere being met,” Darlene reported.When not on the road, his time atterritorial headquarters (THQ) isspent handling property issues;keeping equipment operating, like“geysers” (hot water tanks!), and lin-ing up drivers for THQ staff.

Darlene serves as child sponsor-ship coordinator. She works fromhome (THQ is tight on space) butcomes in for daily devotions and tea

violence, kidnapping fears and per-sonal threats. Gunfights betweenopposing forces literally spilled ontoLa Maison’s property and into its

buildings.U.S. and Salvation Army

authorities encouragedevacuation; Steve agreed,but Ketsia refused to leave.Throughout the ordeal,Steve was amazed at theresiliency of Haitians ingeneral and the children inparticular.

“A half hour after lying flatwhile bullets whizzed over-head, the children would beup and running around col-

lecting spent casings and arguingabout whose turn it was to jumprope,” he recalled.

“God doesn’t keep us from experi-encing the hard times, but He’sthere. He protects. Even in the worsttimes, He gave us only what wecould handle,” Steve added.

The envoys are now corps admin-istrators at the St. Louis, Mo.,Temple Corps.

After almost a decade ofserving in the CaribbeanTerritory, Envoy Steve Diazhas accumulated many

treasures: a beautiful wife, a healthyson and some incredible memories—most of them good, many funny, afew horrifying.

Steve began his adventure in 1999when he accepted the position ofCaribbean territorial music director.He traveled for three and a halfyears among the territory’s 16 islandnations conducting workshops andmusic institutes.

Steve often visited Port-au-Prince,Haiti, where he would stop by theLa Maison du Bonheur Children’sHome. He found himself falling inlove with the children. Each time itwas harder to leave, particularlyafter meeting Ketsia, a beautifulyoung woman who had grown up atthe home.

When Steve’s music commitmentended, he asked for an assignmentin Haiti. The LaMaison administratorwould soon be retiring.Steve was named herassistant and becamesurrogate father andbig brother to 42 chil-dren.

Steve and Ketsia’sromance grew. Theymarried the followingspring in the midst of acoup d’etat markingthe start of more thantwo years of incredible

From Haiti with love

Help children in SalvationArmy children’s homesaround the world experi-ence the joy only Christ-

mas can bring through your dona-tion to “Share Your Christmas Joy.”

The goal is $100 for each location.The money collected will be dividedequally among the institutions spon-sored by Centralites (now exceeding110 throughout Africa, Asia, theCaribbean and Latin America).

Please give generously.Please mail your gift (checks

payable to The Salvation Army) beforeOctober 31, 2009, to The SalvationArmy, Sponsorship Office, 10 W.

Algonquin Rd., Des Plaines, IL 60016

For more information on sponsorship,visit www.centralmissions.org

while Bob performs divi-sional development andEDS work, an area in whichhe’s had much experience.“The Salvation Army is

located in the poorest neigh-borhood of town in the poor-est nation of the WesternHemisphere,” explainedBob. “And yet there are suc-cessful banks, business andpeople in Haiti.”

Bob takes his fatheringrole at La Maison seriously.

Evening prayer with the youngerkids and devotions with the olderones are special times. He encour-ages the children to pursue excel-lence in all things—spiritually, acad-emically, relationally.

“You can do this!” Bob tells theolder children and teens, often usingthe division’s chief accountant whogrew up at La Maison as an example.

Salvationists Bob and VickiPoff took the place of friendsSteve and Ketsia Diaz thispast spring at the La Maison

du Bonheur Children’s Home inPort-au-Prince, Haiti.

Bob had been Midland divisionaldevelopment director and Vickidivisional director of emergencydisaster services (EDS) when theywere challenged in 2008 by Major

Evie Diaz, then Midland divisionalsecretary, to pray about replacingthe envoys.

Bob admitted his and Vicki’s firstthoughts were “No!” But when Vickivisited Haiti for the first time thatfall with a divisional short-term mis-sions team, she called Bob to say,“This is where God wants us to be.”

Vicki is in charge of La Maison,

Changing of the guard

Girls from La Maison children’s home model “pillowcasedresses” made by Vicki Poff’s home corps, Orlando, Fla.

Answering the call

needed.Prospective candidates

can get a foretaste ofofficer life through theministry discovery pro-gram in which they’llwork at a corps for twoyears (minimum require-ment is one year to expe-rience all four “seasons”of corps work). The pro-gram is also open to non-Salvationists. This com-mitment provides a won-derful opportunity forpeople to discover if theycan find fulfillment incorps work and a deeperunderstanding of TheSalvation Army.

Dawn is drawing deeply on hernatural talents and areas of spiritualgiftedness in this position. She isskilled at building relationships, pro-viding support and understanding tothose under her purview. And, shehas a passion for undergirding allefforts in prayer.

To those who feel God’s calling ontheir lives and who are consideringofficership, Dawn encourages themto be unafraid to take the first step.

“Be willing to step out in faith,trusting that God will open thedoor if that is His will for you.If He wants you to be an offi-cer, you won’t find completepeace and contentment doinganything else,” she asserted.

If men, women andyoung people whofeel called by Godto fulltime min-

istry observe SalvationArmy officers full of joyand passion for thework God has giventhem to do, then we’llhave no problem keep-ing the College forOfficer Training full,”declared Lt. ColonelDawn Heatwole,appointed territorialcandidates’ secretaryearlier this summer.“They’ll want to experi-ence that same sense ofmission.”

Having just come from appoint-ments at the divisional level (mostrecently wearing three hats for theWestern Division as director ofwomen’s ministries, program secre-tary and moral and ethical issuessecretary), Dawn brings insights intothe importance of supporting divi-sional candidates’ secretaries as theyrecruit and process the paperworkfor prospective candidates. Sheunderstands the need to cheerleadtheir recruitment efforts and encour-ages them to get to knowtheir candidates inside andout so the territorial candi-dates council (the selectioncommittee for determiningaccepted candidates) can getfast, accurate answers when

9

Tri-City scores “go-reach”success!

made it through his ordeal, he beganattending the corps with them. Theaccident gave Tony a whole new per-spective on life. “Now he’s always atthe corps!” added Steve.

The corps’ “go-reach” committeeis always coming up with freshideas, Steve continued, to contactthe myriad of people who comethrough the corps building eachweek for social services and otheractivities and meetings. For example,on bread distribution day, corps vol-unteers serve coffee and donutsalong with a word of encouragementand an invitation to attend Sundayworship or corps events and pro-grams.

“I’d say our biggest corps strengthis that people love and care for eachother,” reflected Steve. “Not a singleone of our soldiers is afraid to wel-come or offer hospitality to new-comers. Some have taken new peo-ple home for dinner, others deliverfreshly baked pies. And, they workhard behind the scenes at the corps,

such as provid-ing rides forpeople eventhough wedon’t have atransportationsergeant. Whensomeone sees ajob that needsto be done,they do it,” saidthe gratefulcorps officer.

The word “outreach” is out ofstyle at the St. Charles Tri-City, Ill., Corps, reportsMajors Steve and Melody

Koehler, corps officers. Instead,corps members have adopted “go-reach” for what they do so well:spreading the love of God and thegood news of the gospel throughoutthe far-western suburbs of Chicago.

As a result, attendance at thecorps and interest in The SalvationArmy has been growing; the corpshas been offering recruits classesyear-round. The latest recruits classproduced six new soldiers this sum-mer.

One of the corps’ newest soldiers,Tony Gundlach, was almost killed ina serious motorcycle accident duringthe 2008 Labor Day weekend. If hedidn’t have his helmet on, hewould’ve died; as it was, he was leftclinging to existence on life-supportsystems.

His wife and family already hadbeen attending the corps. After Tony

9

Pictured (l-r) are St. Charles Tri-City Corps Officer Major Steve Koehler, Briana Maier,Mariles Hood, Kayla Hedgren, Ruth Blakeslee, Jan Bryne and Tony Gundlach. The flag bear-ers are Matt Roe (l) and Rich Maier (r).

Periodic “go-reach” events attract the community.

corps chapel.Logistical issues ofswitching betweenservices proved chal-lenging during wor-ship, as did the lan-guage barrier.Since the completion

of the new building,Majors Carlos andMercedes Bravos,Wichita CitadelHispanic ministriesdirectors, have a goalof increasing atten-dance to 55 people on

Sunday mornings. Successful pro-gramming should help with thiseffort. Sunday mornings consist of atime of coffee and fellowship beforechurch, an after-service meal, follow-ing which they meet to discuss rele-vant family matters. On Wednesdaynights they hold a time of Bible studyand prayer, and on Friday eveningsthe women and children gather for atime of fellowship.

A dedication to remember

The WichitaCitadel, Kan.,Corps dedicat-ed a new build-

ing this year for theirthriving Hispanic min-istry. The facility willhold their Sunday morn-ing service, Bible study,women’s ministries andwill be available forgeneral use by thecorps.

The evening of thededication was mean-ingful. The new build-ing was at capacity as Major JefferySmith, Kansas and Western Missouridivisional commander, spoke on theimportance and appreciation ofHispanic ministries, particularly inthe corps. Major Carlos Bravo,Wichita Citadel’s Hispanic ministrydirector, gratefully accepted thebuilding. Captain Ralph Labbee,Wichita Citadel corps officer,offered up his congratulations, whileMajor DouglasRowland, Wichita citycommander, presidedover the ceremony, andthe Citadel band was onduty.

Comprising nearly 20percent of the corps,the Hispanic ministryhas grown consistentlydue to successful bridg-ing from holiday andback-to-school pro-grams. Due to quickgrowth, for quite sometime the English andSpanish services werecombined in the main

At dedication (l to r): Captain Ralph Labbee, corps officer; KenBrown, Architect; Majors Carlos and Mercedes Bravo, Hispanicministries directors; John Neely, contractor; Majors Douglasand Janet Rowland, city commander and special services offi-cer; and Majors Jeffery and Dorothy Smith, divisional leaders.

Major Carlos Bravo

OFFICER CANDIDATE

USA CENTRAL

Envoy Bill Miller cuts the opening ribbon for the new, multipurpose Minneapolis HarborLight chapel. Also pictured (l to r): Lt. Colonel Dan Sjogren, Northern divisional commander;Colonel Edgar Overstake; and Lt. Colonel David Grindle.

10

“Sanctinasium” is born! BOLT raises green

Northern divisional leaders Lt.Colonels Daniel and RebeccaSjögren welcomed people from allwalks of life. Some had come to seehow their donations had made a dif-ference; others simply came in offthe streets to see what all the com-motion was about.

HUD Director Peter Best recalledthe harbor light was threatened withclosure nine years ago. But, thanksto the diligent staff assembled byEnvoy Bill Miller, the harbor lightonce again became a shining light indowntown Minneapolis.

Involved in the early stages of thechapel’s development, Lt. ColonelDavid Grindle, former Northerndivisional commander, put the beau-tiful, new space and all future eventswithin it in God’s hands during aprayer of dedication. Guest MajorSteve Harper preached from Luke 7

where Jesus meets a Romancenturion with more faith thananyone He had encountered inall of Israel. Many peopleresponded to Steve’s challengeto not be found lacking in faith.

The power and presence ofGod filled the room during theentire worship service. Musicfrom the harbor light’s praisegroups stirred hearts and paint-ed a glorious picture of whatGod is doing for his people.

by Don LaMar

What would you do ifyou outgrew yourchapel? The logicalconclusion would be to

build a new, bigger one; at the veryleast, plans should commence.That’s where the MinneapolisHarbor Light Center found itselfnearly 10 years ago. Earlier thissummer, the dream became realityas a new, 282-seat “sanctinasium”(sanctuary and gymnasium) wasdedicated.

On its very first day God used thespace designed by architect TimothyO’ Brien in a mighty way. Envoy BillMiller jump-started the morningdedication service with a march ofharbor light troops into the service;the more than 400 guests spilled outof the doors.

launched the evening by recognizingthe many problems facing the home-less and explained how BOLT isunique in its holistic approach. CityCouncil Member Don Samuelsencouraged people to give generous-ly to a program he believed in, andPatricia Stevens, a BOLT graduate,shared her story and the differenceGod has made in her life.

Among the many silent auctiondonations made by restaurants andbusinesses were a piece of doodle artby Senator Al Franken and theopportunity to chop off the over-grown beard Envoy Bill Miller hadcultivated for the event, whichraised a total of $15,000.

by Don LaMar

Two days after dedi-cating its newchapel), the Minnea-polis community

came together to show theirsupport of the Harbor LightCenter’s BOLT (Basics of LifeTraining) program at anevening fundraiser sponsoredby local businesses.

Because BOLT is spirituallybased, government grants orcontracts aren’t available tooffset costs; it’s solely depen-dant on individual donations.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. RybakEnvoy Bill Miller talks with MinneapolisMayor R.T. Rybak, who’s a big fan of theHarbor Light BOLT program.

Bill Mondale, assistant county attorneyand youngest son of former U.S. VicePresident Walter Mondale, found a newfriend in Victoria Stevens.

interview inmates and determineif they are the right fit.

The system benefits both par-ties. This spring 42 people grad-

uated from the two-year,intensive program adminis-tered through the countyat the drug court. The cer-emony was hosted at theARC compound. This pro-gram is designed to givenon-felony drug offendersa second chance byexpunging their criminalrecord, post-graduation,and allowing them tomove forward with aclean slate.

This is the second yearthe Southeast, Mich., ARCin Detroit has celebratedwith the Wayne CountyAdult Drug TreatmentCourt graduates. Not onlydo they host the program’sgraduation event, but thisyear, six of the graduatesare ARC beneficiaries aswell!

Mike Agauas,Southeast,M i c h . ,Adult Reha-

bilitation Center (ARC)work therapy specialist,has networked for yearsin the Michigan courtsystem to develop asymbiotic relationshipbetween the WayneCounty Drug Court andthe ARC. So far, hisefforts have been a suc-cess. Many of the menwho attend the ARCwere referred throughthe court system and, inreturn, many of those who bene-fit from the ARC complete theWayne County Adult DrugTreatment Court program.

When their buildingtransformation occurreda few years ago, Mikestarted to make phonecalls to the city andcounty courts. As a resulta group of judges, proba-tion officers and admin-istrative folks from thecourt system came totour the facility.

“When they were done,”said Mike, “They were like,‘Wow, we think we wouldlike to work with you.’”

After that, ARC recogni-tion in the area took off.One of the judges became astrong believer in SalvationArmy programs. Now,when drug felons are upfor parole, local judges mayrecommend the ARC aspart of their program, andMike has direct access to

Networking pays off

Holiday Inn, Rolling Meadows, Ill.Guests include . . .

Lt. Colonels Dr. Brenda Salter McNeilMickey andJune McLaren Rev. Alexia Salvatierra

Noel Castellanos Dr. Mark Hausfield

Ms. Patty Lane and many more!

A variety of great workshops! Gain new skills, network and be inspired!$125 per person; $100 per person when registering a group of 5 or more.

Register online at www.multiculturalministriescentral.org

by Pamela Church

Prayer. Most Christiansknow what it is, howto do it and why it’simportant.

www.allaboutprayer.comsays, “All of us long to connectwith someone who can identi-fy with our circumstances andshare in our day-to-day life.Prayer is just that—a personalexperience and intimate con-nection with our lovingHeavenly Father.”

Betty McBride, a respectedsoldier at the Norridge Citadel,Ill., Corps, prepares the week-ly prayer journal which isincluded in the Sunday cele-bration service bulletin. CorpsSergeant-Major David Brooks-bank remembers that Bettywas asked to summarize theprayer concerns of the corpsabout six years ago. “Her min-istry is very important to thehealth of the corps,” he commented.

Betty feels it is her personal min-

McBride’s ministry of prayer

October Prayer Calendar

My Prayer List

Go to www.prayercentralusa.org for the rest of the calendar.

If you follow the prayer calendar in the next year, you will have read through the Bible!

Day

1 Thursday

2 Friday

3 Saturday

4 Sunday

5 Monday

6 Tuesday

7Wednesday

Bible Reading

Numbers 22-24

2 Chronicles 11-15

Psalms 117-118

Proverbs 28

Jonah

Acts 3-4

Hebrews 5-7

Pray for The Salvation Army

Janesville, Wis., Corps

Indianapolis, Ind., ARC*

Farmington Hills, Mich., Corps

Dubuque, Iowa, Corps

Huntington, Ind., Corps

Kansas City Blue Valley, Mo., Corps

Chicago Mt. Greenwood, Ill., Corps

* = Adult Rehabilitation Center

11

istry not only to inform fellowprayer warriors of the needs of thecongregation, but it is her opportu-nity to teach others how to pray.

“I feel I am teaching prayer tothose who may not know how topray. I carefully word the prayerjournal in a way that, when read, isalready in the form of a prayer. I amteaching them personal and intimatepraying,” Betty explained. “I feelthat if they start praying for some-one else, they will then learn how topray for themselves in an intimateway.”

Major Stephen Yoder, corps offi-cer, said, “It is amazing the impactone person’s ministry can have on acorps. The prayer journal preparedby Betty has a powerful unifyingeffect on the wider corps family.”

Worship warriors advance!

The troops of the aptlynamed Fort Wayne, Ind.,Corps have been flexingtheir muscles, gaining

strength and growing, according toEnvoys Gordon and Cindy Hoag,recently corps administrators.

“Over the past year, we saw somewonderful changes that have pro-duced results,” said Cindy. “Twoweekly Bible studies that vary insubject, knowledge and intensityaccommodate those who are new intheir faith and more matureChristians. And, we increased thenumber of our Sunday school class-es to enable us to offer a variety ofcurricula suitable for a wider rangeof ages plus more selections for

Body buildingadults. We’ve seen attendancegrowth in Sunday school as a resultof all these efforts.”

Attendance at corps cadets is alsoon the rise. Cindy continued, “Westarted with five teenagers who reg-ularly attended the corps. During arecent youth councils, two of themmade commitments to officership.”

Additionally, the corps has seen aslow but steady rise in attendanceon Sunday mornings. The worshipand fellowship is heartfelt andenthusiastic. On the corps’ “ComeJoin Our Army” Sunday earlier thisyear, the entire congregation posedfor a “family picture” after threeyoung adults were enrolled as seniorsoldiers.

This closer fellowshipand enthusiasm is reflect-ed in corps activities andoutreach, such as com-munity care ministriesand youth programming.

“The level of excite-ment is increasing, andpeople are encouragingeach other. It’s been areally good year,” Cindyconcluded.

Majors Harold andLynnetta Poff wereappointed the new corpsofficers this summer.The future is reflected in the dedication of its corps cadets.

Anew worship series—complete with sermons,dramas, responsivereadings, scripture,

music selections and other meet-ing components—has been pro-duced by the territorial musicand gospel arts department.

The six-week series, “WorshipWarriors,” captures the sense ofurgency in Eugene Peterson’sbook, A Long Obedience inthe Same Direction, withinsightful sermons written byColonel Carol Seiler, territorialcoordinator for strategic mis-sion planning.

The series, featuring care-fully planned meeting compo-nents by Peggy Thomas andcleverly written dramaticsketches by Marty Thomas,takes participants on a pil-grimage focusing on God as ourstrength and toward a deeperunderstanding of the 15 “Psalms ofAscent” (Psalms 120-134).

The series can be ordered throughResource Connection

12

Alegacy of souls savedand nurtured—alongwith lives saved and

preserved throughemergency disaster serviceswork—has marked the officer-ship of Majors Patrick andCarmella McPherson, whoretired this summer after nearly38 years of service.

After marrying in 1969, theMcPhersons entered theCollege for Officer Training ayear later from theLeavenworth, Kan., Corps with theirbaby son, Sean. They were commis-sioned as lieutenants in 1972 with theLightbringers session and served incorps in the Heartland and Wisconsinand Upper Michigan divisions.Daughters Tara and Erin joined thefamily during this period in whichPat did divisional emergency disasterservices work as Carmella held thefort as corps officer.

In 1989 the McPhersons came tothe Metropolitan Division. After ayear of corps work, Pat was nameddivisional director of disaster ser-vices, where he served for the next15 years while Carmella served asthe assistant league of mercy direc-tor and older adult ministries direc-tor. She excelled at both jobs with aheart for those in the VA hospitalsand seniors enjoying her specialevents and summer camps.

During Pat’s Metropolitan tenure,he was responsible for planning theterritory’s first multi-function, large-

scale (60,000 square feet) disaster ser-vices command center, housing com-munications and media centers;offices for local and state emergencymanagement personnel; emergencysupplies, and training, kitchen, sleepand shower areas.

In 2001 Pat was named the nation-al SATERN (Salvation Army TeamEmergency Radio Network) director.SATERN was Pat’s brainchild; its firstnetwork consisted of four people inJune 1988. Since then SATERN’s con-stantly growing membership ofalmost 4,000 trained operators—plusthousands more globally who pitch induring natural and man-made emer-gencies—have had a remarkableimpact on the world: saving lives,relaying vital information and reunit-ing families. Often they’re the onlylink to the outside during disasters.

In 2005 the McPhersons returnedto corps work in the EasternMichigan Division, first at theMidland Corps and then the FlintBeecher Corps.

McPhersons leave a legacy

Continued from page 1

Three new displaysat the territorialhistorical museumare almost guaran-

teed to make you whistlewith amazement at whatthe Founding Mother did,hum a familiar Army tuneor reminisce about a goodtime at camp, even if it wasjust this year!

Located at CentralTerritorial Headquarters inDes Plaines, Ill., the muse-um’s first new display is onthe Booth family. The twomost well-known childrenof Founder William Boothand his wife Catherine (who’d beensickly since childhood) wereEvangeline and Bramwell. A fre-quently published photograph of thefamily showed five Booth children.

In reality, frail Catherine hadgiven birth to eight children:Bramwell, Ballington, Catherine(Katie), Emma, Herbert, Marian(Marie), Evangeline (Eva) and Lucy.And, those eight children produced40 grandchildren (four were adopt-ed).

According to Major Gloria Stepke,museum director, Booth descen-dents still serve as officers in theUnited Kingdom and Australia.

The second display salutes twoyoung captains—one a talented com-poser, the other a gifted lyricist—

who were ordered by to write amusical. That first effort by JohnLarsson and John Gowans, Take-Over Bid (1967), spawned otherGowans and Larsson musicals:Hosea (1969), Spirit (1973), Glory(1975), Blood of the Lamb (1978)and The Meeting (1990).

Gowans and Larrson went on toeach serve as General. The museumdisplay emphasizes songs from theirmusicals that are commonly sung incorps today.

The third new display is on divi-sional camps. Children visiting themuseum love the mannequinsdressed in historic girl guard andsunbeam uniforms, reported Gloria.They particularly enjoy trying on theold-fashioned, girl guard “trooper”hat!

Hit museum displays

It’s been over a year sincerecord-breaking floods devas-tated eastern Iowa and otherareas of the surrounding

Midwest, and thanks to hundreds ofdedicated volunteers the area hasmade significant steps toward recov-ery.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Corps,under the leadership of then CorpsOfficers Captain Mark and MajorSue Haslett, celebrated communityrecovery at their annual volunteerappreciation and recognition dinner.Over 200 guests honored the volun-teers who gave endless hours topost-flood cleanup.

Keynote speaker Dennis Flom,incident commander in CedarRapids during the flooding, spoke onthe power behind godly volunteersand the impact on flood relief work.With the area down to one of theoriginal nine canteens that were sentwhen the floods hit, corps and com-munity members are beginning tosee light at the end of the tunnel.Many also have seen how God is

enabling good to come from thistragic situation.

One couple from Cedar Rapidswho suffered terribly from the flooddamage, were so impressed with thespirit and service of The SalvationArmy that they sought out a corpsafter a post-flood move to Texas.They have been dedicated attendeesand recently gave their lives to Jesus.

Although much improved, the areais not yet back to where it hadbeen before the floods in2008. “They are still cleaninga year later. There are housesthat need to be gutted, electri-cal equipment to be replacedand displaced people seekinga home,” said Dennis.

With many volunteers stillin the area, the Cedar RapidsCorps worked hard this sum-mer feeding around 150 vol-unteers breakfast and lunchdaily as a contribution toongoing revitalizationefforts.

Cedar Rapids celebratespost-flood progress

The rebuilding process in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, hasmade progress, but the demolition continues.

Major David Dalberg cleans a food con-tainer.

DUBUQUE, IOWA—Corps officersCaptains Tom and Kay Mason present theWilliam Booth Award to MarleneSmothers for 31 years of outstanding ser-vice as executive assistant and social work-er. Marlene also served as director of theArmy’s senior center for the last 27 years.

PEORIA, ILL.—The Heartland divisional pil-grimage was a call to war for the more than300 attendees by guests Colonels Paul R. andCarol Seiler, chief secretary and territorialcoordinator for strategic mission planning,respectively. “In the battle for souls…this iswar—there is no neutral ground,” proclaimedColonel Paul Seiler during this summerweekend of revival and rebirth for the recordcrowd, who were challenged and emboldenedto continue God’s work at their home corps.

Around the Territory

vate secretary to the General.During a constructive and cordial meet-

ing the secretary-general expressed appre-ciation for the global work of The SalvationArmy, articulating his belief that faith orga-nizations have a key role to play in allevi-ating human suffering. He made specificreference to the UN’s millennium devel-opment goals and acknowledged TheSalvation Army’s part in working toachieve these.

General Clifton spoke about the Army’swork in 118 countries, emphasizing its abil-ity to work with governments of all kinds.Reference was made to the work and wit-ness of The Salvation Army in South Korea,the home country of the secretary-general,

and also of the Army’s initiatives inreaching out to communities in theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea(North Korea). The General offeredwords of affirmation concerning thevalue of the United Nations organiza-tion and the office of the secretary-gen-eral in promoting peaceful relationsbetween the nations. The General pre-sented Mr. Ban with a gift of SalvationArmy books and a report on SalvationArmy initiatives in relation to the mil-lennium development goals.

The secretary-general expressed fur-ther appreciation for the role ofSalvation Army representatives at theUnited Nations.

From an International News Release

General Clifton