December 2022 NZFTS War Cry

war cry

Christmas in Community

It Takes a Village The General's Christmas Message Who Do You Say That I Am? The Great Christmas Congress

8 It Takes a Village—and Kai

Wi Pirihi has worked at Whangārei Corps for 10 years and has a passion for engaging with students in schools across the city.

12 Celebrating Christmas in Fiji

Young people from Fiji corps share the unique way they celebrate Christmas with their families.

16 Mary had a Little Lamb

Mary giving birth to Jesus collides with a greater story of a prophesied Messiah in the Old Testament.

18 Service, Support and Advocacy

Mike Gibbs shares how he has served in Linwood Corps and in his community for 15 years, being on school boards and assisting during the Christchurch earthquakes.

22 Corps Connect at Christmas

The Kind Parent

admire people who pre-plan their Christmas shopping, with every gift chosen and purchased before the end of October! This is anathema to me, as I am a last-minute, and at times, a Christmas Eve shopper. This says more about my level of organisation than it does about the value I place on gift-giving, because throughout the year I carefully consider the best gifts for my loved ones and delight in the joy that a specially chosen gift can bring.

God is often said to be a last-minute God, holding back the gift, coming to the rescue or answering prayers at what is perceived to be the last moment of someone’s need. But rather than God answering our prayers at the last minute, I believe he has perfect timing. The Bible tells us that God knows our every need before we even form the words to pray, that he has counted the individual hairs on our heads. His thoughts are bountiful and boundless towards us and he anticipates our needs even before we become aware of them.

God is not grudging, only moving on our behalf after our pleading and petitioning. He is the kind parent who lovingly understands and knows his child completely. He delights in

choosing the perfect time, the perfect answer to our prayer and the perfect gift, carefully selected in anticipation of the wonder it will bring. He is not stingy or withholding good from his children in order to teach them some lesson. He anticipates and already has the plan in place for delivery—at the perfect time, in the perfect circumstances.

Will you trust him this Christmas? Will you come before him with your needs, desires and fears and know that the Father-heart of God will respond as a loving and trustworthy parent? Will you believe that God has already anticipated your needs?

Trust him to answer your prayer in his wisdom, his timing and you will be amazed at the wonderful unwrapping of a gift that will delight your heart. Let your attitude be like a child who has waited for Christmas Day in anticipation of unwrapping the gift. You will not be disappointed.

Vivienne Hill Editor

‘Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.’

OREN ARNOLD

HENRIK IBSEN

SALVATION ARMY PRAYER

We continue to pray for the Kingdom of Tonga to rebuild after the eruption; Taupō Corps; Tauranga Corps; Taveuni Corps and Tavua Corps; Tawa Corps; Te Aroha and Te Awamutu Family Stores; Territorial Headquarters; The Salvation Army in Hong Kong and Macau; and The Salvation Army in India.

INTERNATIONAL PRAYER

• Iran—Pray for the Church in Iran and its response to the current unrest.

• Myanmar—Pray for the Church in Myanmar, particularly as many places of worship have been destroyed by fire and heavy weapons.

• India—Pray for Lalu, Madhya Pradesh, where Christian villagers are targeted for their faith.

• North Korea—Pray for the underground church, particularly in this time of famine in the country.

• Nigeria—Pray for the Church in Central Nigeria following the recent murder of 70 Christians.

Give a Gift of Hope

This year’s theme is the ‘Gift of Hope’. Each gift tag represents opportunities for giving and receiving. You can help families in need this Christmas by gifting them essential items and services for the holiday season and beyond. Some of the gifts you can purchase include Aroha— wraparound support, Whānau— social support, Joy—practical aid and gifts and Peace—Positive Lifestyle Programme. Purchase a gift at salliesgiftsofhope.org

WORD OF THE MONTH Vuvale

(Fijian, noun) family, belonging; ‘my home is your home’.

A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.

salvationarmy.wm

hamodava

salvationarmyus

Fudgy Chocolate and Nut Logs or Bars

The filling for these delectable chocolate treats is super easy to make—ideal for little edible Christmas gifts | 45 mins + cooling | Serves 8 depending on size

It’s pretty stable once set, so the finished product is easy to wrap and store. You’ll need a mould to set the mixture in. I make moulds for logs by slicing long cardboard tubes from the centre of a roll of cling wrap longwise using a craft knife. For bars, I line mini loaf pans with cling wrap. You can make in a regular loaf pan as a slab if you prefer and serve in slices.

Ingredients

• 250g dark chocolate— I use Whittaker’s 62%

• ½ x 395g can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 ½ cups mixed nuts, unsalted

Method

TOP FIVE

Santa Trackers

1 Google

This Santa tracker is super interactive, with plenty of games to play while you’re waiting for Santa to come santatracker.google.com

2 NORAD

The North American Aerospace Defence Command, the oldest Santa tracker, uses satellites and radars to track noradsanta.org/en/

Coating

• 250g dark chocolate melts

• ½ tbsp Kremelta, copha or coconut oil

• A handful of white chocolate or white chocolate melts

• A sheet of foil

Prepare the moulds, lining each with cling film or foil with an over-hang on the long sides for easy removal.

Place a bowl over a small saucepan pan of simmering water. Add chocolate to the bowl. As soon as it begins to melt remove pan from the heat. With the bowl still sitting on the pan, stir chocolate gently until melted. Stir in condensed milk and nuts to form a thick mixture. Spread mixture in prepared moulds to desired thickness.

Refrigerate several hours or until firm. When the logs or bars are firm, turn them out of the moulds, remove the cling film and slice into desired lengths and trim to neaten. Melt chocolate melts according to package instructions, add Kremelta to thin the chocolate coating slightly. Use a fork to dip the logs or bars into the melted chocolate coating, tap off the excess and place coated logs onto a sheet of foil. The coating will set very quickly.

Melt the white chocolate and drizzle onto the logs.

Tips

Use any combination of nuts, but the little hint of green from pistachios is pretty. Use milk chocolate or white to coat if you prefer. Store coated logs in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. Kremelta is simply a solid flavourless vegetable fat, it makes the chocolate more liquid and easy to work with.

Source: Sophie Gray | destitutegourmet .com

3 ReindeerCam

This is less of a tracker and more of a live stream of a real-life Santa and his reindeer | reindeercam.com/ web-free/

4 SantaTrackerApp

This mobile phone app tracks Santa on a map that is reminiscent of Google Maps | Download for Android or Apple on Play Store or App Store

5 WeatherWatch

This tracker uses a radar navigation system to track Santa’s movements across the world on Christmas Eve weatherwatch.co.nz/ content/live-santa-tracker

Moment of the Month

Kmart and Salvation Army staff celebrated the launch of the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal in Botany Downs, Auckland.

Do you have a holiday photo you’re keen to have featured in War Cry? Send it to us at warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz

What’s On?

NZ Commissioning

Weekend | Wellington

09–10 December

Graduation, Ordination and Commissioning of the Reflectors of Holiness session celebration weekend will be held at Hutt City Corps. These events will be livestreamed at salvationarmy.org.nz/ commissioning

International Day of People with Disabilities 03 December

This day sanctioned by the United Nations aims to promote

QUICK QUIZ

1 From which country did the Christmas tree originate?

2 Who invented the Christmas cracker?

3 What is the most popular Christmas tree topper ornament?

4 Which department store is said to have created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

5 In the Bible, in which direction did the star appear to the Magi?

Answers page 32

understanding and rights of people with disabilities.

Carols in the Carpark 18 December

Linwood Corps are hosting their annual carols evening in the corps’ carpark, with musical accompaniment from the brass band. This is often followed by a sausage sizzle.

If your corps or centre is holding a specific event in January, we would love to add it to our calendar. Send submissions to warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

A quick note to acknowledge the new-look War Cry— more white space, different layout and interesting articles. I particularly liked the articles about Shirley Millar and Murray Stanton.

I well remember the audible gasp that went around the hall when the Sunday morning congregation at Palmerston North Corps was told of Murray’s promotion to Glory. I sensed that the people were stunned at hearing the news. I was visiting the corps that Sunday while taking a vacation course at Massey University.

Sadly there was another officer doctor who died around the same time in India, Australian Walter Lucas. Walter was chief medical officer at The Salvation Army’s MacRobert Hospital in Darhiwal, Punjab. He was a highly skilled surgeon and physician. In one year under his leadership, the MacRobert Hospital conducted 2000 operations, treated 36,000 out-patients and helped 7000 eye patients at rural camps. He was a dynamic organiser and motivator who raised money for much-needed hospital equipment including a new operating theatre with air-conditioning and a new x-ray machine.

In August 1973, Walter experienced abdominal pains which led to him undergoing an appendectomy. This was initially successful but then his condition deteriorated and despite further treatment, he died on 22 August 1973. Walter was buried at Dhariwal, his officer father being among those who conducted his funeral. His wife Olive and their three children returned to Australia. Olive later served in Zimbabwe and their children have undertaken missionary assignments. Olive retired in 1999 and now lives in Queensland.

The deaths of Shirley, Murray and Walter may have left many unanswered questions but they did draw attention to the costly nature of Salvation Army missionary service.

Sincerely,

Kingsley Sampson

The Impossible Promise: A Christmas Story

Christian, Children | Bob Hartman | Illustrations by Mark

Beec | SPCK Publishing

This booklet features the gospel story with a comic book twist to it. When something big happens like an angel or a star appearing, there’s a ‘boom!’ on the page. Along with text explaining the story in detail, there are also illustrations, with some left for children to colour in, plus a few speech bubbles left blank for children to write their own speech for characters. It’s a unique interactive booklet that makes the Nativity story engaging and exciting. The cool thing is that it’s available for free through Bible Society, just in time for Christmas. Also, link to the video to watch the story—biblesociety.org.nz/theimpossible-promise. We have booklets available; send your address to warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz

this is our Christmas album

Christmas | Switchfoot | Listen on Apple Music and Spotify

In describing this album, Jon Foreman, lead singer of Switchfoot, explains that Christmas is a season ‘stretched tight with contradictions’. After 12 studio albums, Switchfoot has just released this is our Christmas album, which tries to highlight some of these contradictions: love and joy, and struggle and lament. The album features a mix of original songs and classic Christmas favourites, including ‘Silent Night’ and Charlie Brown’s ‘Christmastime is Here’. It has moments of fun, with a Beach Boys-reminiscent single—‘California Christmas’, and an interlude where the band sings ‘Everybody Knows a Turkey’. However, a standout song on the album is the second track, ‘Looking for Christmas’ which considers the hope of Christmas in the midst of conflict and inequality.

Do You Know These People?

If you recognise the people in this photo, we’d love to hear from you.

Email archives@ salvationarmy.org.nz

The Chosen: Season 3

Historical Drama | G | Dallas Jenkins

If you have watched Seasons 1 and 2 of The Chosen series you will be pleased to know that the first two episodes of Season 3 will be playing at various Hoyts Cinemas in New Zealand from November 18, and will also be available free to view on The Chosen app. The story picks up where Season 2 left off, with all 12 disciples, including Judas, ready to follow Jesus wherever he goes. The episodes include: the sending out of the disciples by Jesus two by two to preach and perform miracles on their own; Andrew visiting John the Baptist in prison; and the day-to-day challenges for the men and women who follow and minister to Jesus. A great watch for all the family this Christmas.

https://tinyurl.com/TheChosen3

Gift Wrapping Hacks

Don’t use too much or too little paper. It should be sized to wrap around the box with just enough on either side to cover the ends of the box. Wrap it tight and make sure you have good wrapping paper that doesn’t rip. To keep edges straight, try using your fingernail to create creases. If your wrapped gift looks imperfect, embellish it with ribbons, bows and gift tags.

It Takes a Village —and Kai

Envoy Wi Pirihi has been a soldier of The Salvation Army at Whangārei Corps for the past 10 years. He is active in the corps, in Māori Ministry, and also has a great passion for young people. Wi has been working in schools across the city for six years, sharing kai (food) and life skills with the students, most recently at Bream Bay College.

WORDS Holly Morton

n September of 2021, Wi was invited to a community hui to address bullying concerns at Bream Bay College, and to come up with a solution to reconnect the students. The idea of hosting hot soup and fry bread for lunch one day a week was floated, which was something that Wi and his team had already been doing in a couple of other schools. ‘I always remember our Founder’s idea [William Booth] of hot soup, soap and salvation; it’s stuck in my mind and my heart. Sharing food with young people brings them together,’ Wi explained.

It takes a village…

Each Tuesday, four to eight students from the school’s bilingual unit make soup and fry bread to serve to the other students, often making lunch for up to 220 young people each week. The unit is made up of 65 students, who all get an opportunity to help in the kitchen. There are many benefits for the young people who participate in the preparation, though it may not seem very exciting—peeling potatoes and washing dishes. The students are given responsibility in the kitchen to learn about teamwork and the importance of showing up for their classmates.

The team asked members of the community who felt comfortable chatting with and supporting the students during the kitchen prep to come alongside and help

the students cook. Wi feels that this has made a huge difference. ‘There have been some nannies who have come in and helped. We’ve got one kuia and she’s a bit of a matriarch; she’s retired and just really loves what we’re doing so she comes in and supports us on Tuesdays.’

Wi explained that although it hasn’t just been down to their work, the bullying problem at Bream Bay College has dropped off significantly since they have been working in the school. Wi feels that the opportunity to help in the kitchen and serve the rest of the school gives the students a good community outlet and encouragement from external adults in their lives.

‘They come to school with all different kinds of loads; they come from different environments at home, sometimes with no parents or being looked after by their grandparents. Maybe there are challenging home lives. I want to help some of those ones feel okay about being at school.’

Close to home

Wi has been very aware that Bream Bay College is in his own community. ‘It’s about 35–40 minutes out of Whangārei, but it’s also practically in my backyard. I’ve always had a love and a yearning to work for my own community, my own hapu, my own iwi, my own

marae.’ The community that the college serves is quite small, and Wi mentioned that he feels a sense of pride in his work when he sees the kids outside of school. ‘We’ll see them out and they’ll come up and say, “Hey, Matua Wi” and that just fills up my cup, because you know you’re having an effect on them … I feel so strongly, so passionately about being out there for our youth. You’ve got all these things affecting them in their lives, and they really are just children. They appreciate having another adult say hello and take an interest in them.’

After initiating hot soup and fry bread at Bream Bay College, Wi also helped The Salvation Army’s Aspire Kiwi Youth Development Programme come into the school each week. Aspire has been run in other schools that the team has worked in, but Wi thinks that Bream Bay College currently has the largest Aspire group in the country. ‘We have about 18 students, and I said, “no more” but they kept coming. I had to tell them to go back to class as there were too many showing up for two of us to work with.’

The school has also recently had approval to set up a community garden through The Salvation Army

Jeff Farm Programme in the college, after they first intended to host it at Whangārei Girls’ High School.

Wi is been very thankful for the school’s support of their programmes. Bream Bay’s Principal Wayne Buckland purchased a deep fryer for the fry bread, and the school gives Wi and his team a budget of $150 a week to help them buy ingredients for the lunches.

Trusted to listen

Wi has since been invited on to the school’s Board of Trustees, an opportunity for which he is honoured. ‘There are little miracles that God can produce every day, like being invited onto the Board of Trustees. That’s God’s influence, when this grey-haired, 62-yearold Māori man with really dry jokes gets to sit at the table and speak into the running of the college.’

‘...I’ve always had a love and a yearning to work for my own community; my own hapu; my own iwi; my own marae.’

Wi is thankful for the ability to contribute and advocate for the students he works with. Being able to connect with young people in the space where they spend the most time each week is vital in speaking positively into their lives and reflecting the love of God to them.

‘When you’re young you want someone to listen to you, and that often means more than the answers you are looking for. To know that someone will listen to you is a principle of Jesus. He didn’t really say much, but people knew that he loved them. Mostly because of where he walked in his ministry. He preached in the synagogues, but he was mostly on the streets, among the people. Our young people are in school for most

of the week, so we should really be getting in front of them there.’

Wi and his team have worked at five schools in the past six years, beginning with Kamo High School where they first started soup and fry bread lunches. They ran these lunches in other schools, including Whangārei Boys’ High School and Tikipunga High School, but some of these have stopped as the schools have since had lunches provided. The Aspire programme has also been brought to a number of the schools, starting with Whangārei Intermediate. Wi would love to see these supports in every school in their area and beyond, but mentioned that the team has had to reign him in a bit due to available capacity.

Working as God’s hands

In all of his work, Wi acknowledges a need for and a reliance on God, particularly when interacting with the struggles of young people. ‘We get hurt as human beings by trauma that we haven’t been able to travel through. This is when God comes in and makes us realise that we’re okay as we are, and one of my greatest desires for our youth is to teach them that they are okay as they are, with all they have.’

There can be a difficult balance in being open about the importance of faith while working in a secular schooling context, but Wi does his best to show the students their value through the eyes of God. He explains that with young people it can be easy to focus on what’s going wrong or what they need to do better, but Wi knows that they all have something to contribute and works hard to help the students see it in themselves.

In all of his work, Wi acknowledges a need for and a reliance on God, particularly when interacting with the struggles of young people.

Wi believes that he has a lot to offer the young people in his community. ‘There’s value in how old I am. I never thought I’d say that, but there’s value for that in the kingdom and in connecting with the youth. I believe that God wants me to be working with youth, but through his Spirit he allows me to better connect with them,’ he explained.

His life experience and the wisdom he has gleaned along the way have helped Wi to view his vocation as a sort of discipleship, knowing that the young people look to him as a role model. ‘I have to be the example of Jesus’ love, and there’s a passion burning in me when I ask as a Māori person, how can I be more of a light to them?’

Encouraging support

A particular event at Bream Bay College recently stood out to Wi. The college’s te ao Māori Deputy Principal Junie Shelford had her moko kauae (traditional chin tattoo) completed at the school earlier this year. She wanted to normalise the practice and for it to be a learning experience for the rangatahi (youth) in the community. Wi was blown away by the support that all the school staff showed and noted that many of them commented later on the strength of the wairua (spirit) in the space while she had the moko kauae done. There is a Māori proverb that comes to mind for Wi in his work across the schools in Whangārei and the significance of the wider community coming on board. The proverb is ‘Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini’ which translates to, ‘Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many’. In all of the work, Wi sees this as the key to supporting their young people; there is only so much they can do in the schools a couple of days each week, without the wider care from the other adults in the students’ lives. Wi believes we need community and collective support when it comes to raising rangatahi, and that the input of other adults, including grandparents, teachers and neighbours, all contributes to young people having positive role models contributing to their growth.

‘When you’re young you want someone to listen to you, and that often means more than the answers you are looking for.’

Celebrating Christmas in Fiji

Christmas is celebrated in different ways around the world, dependent on season and culture. War Cry checked in with four young people from corps in Fiji Division—Suva Central, Labasa and Nasinu—about how they celebrate Christmas with their families.

Alumita Sokulavou Tudrau from Suva Central Corps

Bula vinaka, my name is Alumita Sokulavou Tudrau. I’m 17 years of age and I’m a youth member at Suva Central Corps. I will explain the interesting traditional ways we celebrate Christmas and the reasons why.

First of all, we celebrate Christmas because of the remembrance that Jesus the Messiah was born. We are reminded of those words and their importance when we recall all that Almighty God has done for us.

Some parts of the world are celebrating a white Christmas by making snowmen and baking hot roast dinners with all the trimmings. For us, Christmas is a different experience entirely. My family and I celebrate Christmas by coming together, wearing kalavata (brightly coloured matching clothes), having a feast with lovo (earth oven, like a hangi), ota miti (white ferns and coconut milk), fish lolo (steamed fish with coconut) and traditional desserts like vakalolo (creamy cassava balls with caramel sauce). As we come together, we make new friends, mend broken relationships and offer forgiveness.

Moreover, the reason why we celebrate Christmas this way is that we get to enjoy our time with our relatives, families and friends and

First of all, we celebrate Christmas because of the remembrance that Jesus the Messiah was born.

Above: Nathan and Angelina Cheer from Nasinu Corps enjoying their fara (celebration).

share the joy of Christmas together. So, Christmas is indeed a joyful season because there’s plenty of delicious food and beautiful kalavata and enjoyable moments with family and friends.

Sophia Tagicimoala from Labasa Corps

Christmas … a time of gathering together with our extended families in our village to commemorate the birth of Jesus and him in our lives. Celebrations include feasting, fellowship with our loved ones, a time to meet and get introduced to members of our extended families and a big family reunion unites us all for this celebration at Christmas. Christmas is about meeting together and making sweet memories.

Matilda Basil from Nasinu Corps

Growing up as a child, Christmas was always an occasion to look forward to. Presents were something we didn’t get while growing up, as we were taught that it was a season to renew ourselves and our faith with our Almighty Father.

This is a season of giving, forgiving and making amends between loved ones, but most importantly, celebrating the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

On this auspicious occasion, families come together to commemorate the

Lovo, steamed rolled beef, watermelon, pineapple and fekei (a Rotuman delicacy) are popular spreads when visiting most Rotuman homes.

life of Jesus and share about struggles encountered during the year and our goals and plans for the upcoming year.

I’m really grateful to have been born into a family who are strong believers in Christ. Our family traditions consist of a family get-together in which lovo and special dishes would be made early in the morning. We would then share a small devotion between the family to remind us about the purpose of the occasion and the impact it has on our lives.

After this is done, we go around to homes of our families and friends to share the meal we have prepared, exchange words of encouragement and give hugs and kisses, and then we go to the park to play and make more memories.

guitars and ukuleles, singing and dancing with joyful spirits.

In response, home occupants bring out perfume, talcum powder and refreshments for the visiting merrymakers. Lovo, steamed rolled beef, watermelon, pineapple and fekei (a Rotuman delicacy) are popular spreads when visiting most Rotuman homes. Getting to enjoy good fun and fellowship of friends and family over the festive season in this manner is the next best thing to experiencing heaven on earth. Truly, he is Emmanuel, God with us!

Nathan Cheer from Nasinu Corps

Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus, my Saviour. Being a Fiji Islander, like many other Pacific Islanders we love to celebrate our traditions and customs. We like getting together, engaging in special church services, having family reunions, feasting and dancing to traditional songs like during a fara, which in the Rotuman language means to ask or request. In Rotuman villages people go from house to house on the Island of Rotuma or communities in urban areas with

Food and Family

Christmas in Fiji means big family gatherings. God is a big part of the celebration as is attending church services. Food is also central to celebrations and often cooked in the lovo for Christmas. In preparation, Fijians gather smoothsurfaced stones and firewood. A hole is dug in the ground and a fire is lit to heat the stones. Once the stones are red hot, the wrapped food is placed on top and the dirt replaced to contain the heat. Food is served after two hours of cooking.

Our family traditions consist of a family get-together in which lovo and special dishes would be made early in the morning.

Emmanuel: God with us

This year we have been excited to visit many corps and centres across our four nations. We have heard the joys, challenges and stories of the transforming love of Jesus through the diversity of our mission centres.

We have been encouraged by your commitment to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to all who come in contact with The Salvation Army.

During a recent visit to Samoa, we spoke to a man who has found a place to belong and serve God and his community. In his younger life, he experienced many difficulties that led to time in jail. However, during this time someone showed him kindness and helped him to work through some of his hurts and anger. He has also discovered the love and forgiveness of Jesus and is now an adherent of The Salvation Army and helps others to find hope, purpose, and fullness of life in Jesus, through the Alcohol and other Drugs Addictions Programme.

This is a demonstration of the healing and transformation that comes from your commitment to working together to reach people in our four nations with the joy from that first Christmas.

In Luke 2:10–12 it says: ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’

Our prayer for you all this Christmas is that you will pause from the busyness and the festivities of the season to consider the joy of the message brought to each one of us down through the centuries: Emmanuel, God with us.

It has been our privilege to serve alongside you all this year. We are grateful for everyone who belongs, works, worships and serves the Lord and has a found a place to belong in The Salvation Army, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. We wish you a happy and restful Christmas and New Year.

Commissioners Mark and Julie Campbell Territorial Leaders

Luke 2:10–12

But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger’. (NIV)

Nā ka mea te anahera ki a rātou, ‘Kaua e mataku: tā te mea he kaikauwhau tēnei ahau ki a koutou mō te hari nui, meāke puta mai ki te iwi katoa. Nō nāianei hoki i whānau ai he Kaiwhakaora mō koutou i te pā o Rāwiri, arā a te Karaiti, te Ariki. Ko te tohu tēnei ki a koutou; e kite koutou i te tamaiti ka oti te tākai ki te kākahu, e takoto ana i te takotoranga kai mā ngā kararehe’. (PT)

A sa kaya vei ira na agilose, Dou kakua ni rere; raica, au sa kauta mai vei kemudou e dua nai tukutuku vinaka mo dou reki vakalevu kina, kei ira kecega na tamata. Ni sa sucu vei kemudou e na siga oqo, e na koro i Tevita, nai Vakabula, ko koya na Karisito na Turaga. Ia oqo na kenai vakatakilakila vei kemudou: Dou na kunea na gone sa viviraki vua nai sulu ni gone, a sa davo e na nodra tikina na manumanu. (FOV)

Lekin ainjal bolis, ‘Ḍaro nai! Ham hiañ achchha khabar leke aaya hei, jon tum sab log meñ khusi laai. Aaj, Ḍeiviḍ ke ṭaaun meñ tumhaar waaste ek tumme bachaay waala ke janam bhais hei, aur yahi Prabhu Maseeh hei! Aur ham tumme uske pata bataayga. Tum ek laṛka jon kapṛa meñ lapṭaan tumme charni (jon meñ jaanwar graas khaawe hei) meñ mili, wahi hei’. (FRHNT)

Bea behe e he agelo kiate kinautolu, Oua e manavahe: vakai, he oku ou omi kiate kimoutolu ae ogoogolelei oe fiefia lahi, aia e hoko ki he kakai fulibe. He kuo aloi kiate kimoutolu i he aho ni, i he kolo o Tevita, ae Fakamoui, aia ko Kalaisi koe Eiki.

Bea koe fakailoga eni kiate kimoutolu; te mou ilo ae tamajii kuo takatakai aki ia ae kofu, bea tokoto ia i he aiaga-kai oe manu. (TWB)

Ona fai mai lea o le agelu ia te i latou, Aua tou te matatau; auā faauta, ou te au mai ia te outou le tala e olioli tele i le nuu uma; auā o le aso nei ua fanau ai i le aai a Tavita, lo outou Faaola, o le Alii ia o Keriso.

O le faailoga lenei ia te outou, e iloa e outou le tama meamea ua aui i le ie, o loo taoto i le fale povi. (SOV)

Mary had a Little Lamb

The circumstances in Mary’s life right before she gave birth to her son Jesus must have been confusing and frightening. Vivienne Hill examines how Mary trusted God and may have even been aware of the prophetic words surrounding the birth of the long-awaited Messiah.

The preparations for the birth of Christ would have taken place in his mother’s home town. Mary’s mother, sisters, grandmother and aunts most likely would have prepared a place for the birth and supplied blankets, clothes and everything associated with the birth and first few weeks of a baby’s life. During Mary’s time and still today, expectant mothers in the Middle East embroider swaddling cloths for newborn babies, with symbolism embroidered on the fabric depicting both her family and the father’s, showing two families coming together in the new child.

Mary would have known what was to come. She too would have attended to female relatives who had preceded her in pregnancy. But the unexpected news of a census and the realisation that she would need to travel from her home in Nazareth to Bethlehem (some 144 km away) with her betrothed while nine months pregnant, would have been a shock to the young woman. But this was a woman who knew God and had found grace and favour in his sight, and was observant of the requirements of the Law of Moses.

Mary may well have known the verse in Micah 5:2, ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’ She may have joined the pieces of the puzzle together and understood God’s

unique plan and timing written about 700 years earlier.

In Micah 4:8 it says, ‘As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.’

Oh,

Little Town of Bethlehem

Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem Ephrathah was a long one, across dangerous terrain. The small village sits in the agricultural zone of Migdal Edar, also known as ‘Tower of the Flock’ or ‘Shepherds’ Field’. It is a small village about 8 km outside of Jerusalem, and between the two places are fields where shepherds tend their sheep. This is a significant area because it is also known as the ‘Field of David’, purchased by King David to raise the sacrificial flock for the Passover blood sacrifice. The lambs bred in this place had to be without spot and blemish as required by Mosaic Law. They were bred for sacrifice right up until the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem.

Alfred Edersheim in The Life and Times of Jesus, the Messiah said that according to the Mishnah (oral Torah) it ‘leads to the conclusion, that the flocks, which pastured there, were destined for Temple-sacrifices, and, accordingly, that the shepherds, who watched over them, were not ordinary shepherds.’ They would have been trained in the required Levitical regulations by the temple priests

who came on every high holy day to Migdal Edar to inspect the flock and place the spotless newborn lamb in a manger (feed trough) to protect its legs, wrap it in a swaddling cloth to protect it and carry it into the temple in Jerusalem for sacrifice.

The sign

After Mary gave birth to Jesus an angel came to Migdal Edar and announced the birth of Christ to these shepherds. Luke 2:8–12 is one of the most recognised Christmas passages in the Bible. It is the proclamation by an angel to the shepherds who watched their sheep in the fields outside of Bethlehem the night of Jesus Christ’s birth. ‘But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger”.’

These shepherds would have known what the sign was as spoken of by the

But this was a woman who knew God and had found grace and favour in his sight, and was observant to the requirements of the Law of Moses.

angel, and the significance of the baby swaddled and placed in a manger, just as the lambs were before being taken to the temple to be sacrificed.

In Isaiah 53:7 it says of Christ, ‘He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth’. The Gospel of Luke’s account of the events surrounding Christ’s birth would seem on first reading to be the story of an unfortunate couple who had to take an unpleasant journey at a difficult time. The fact that the baby was born in an animal enclosure, wrapped and placed in a feeding trough does elicit sympathy for the sad circumstances. Yet, God had orchestrated events, both good and bad, to work out his redemptive purposes for humankind.

In Luke 2:14 the angel’s announcement to the shepherds finishes with, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests’. We may not always recognise God’s favour in the events and circumstances of our lives, but we can be confident that his plans for us will culminate in our own redemptive story.

Mary trusted in God and changed the course of history … will you trust him too?

Service, Support and Advocacy in the Community

Mike Gibbs is a force for change in his community—helping out at Linwood Community Ministries during the Christchurch earthquakes, sitting on school boards and supporting families in need. He shares with us the work that he does and his heart for advocacy amidst his own difficulties.

I have been attending Linwood Corps since 2007, after St Albans Corps closed. I had been asking God where he wanted me, and wasn’t sure whether God was leading me to another church or corps. I was actually first saved at Linwood Corps as a 17-year-old, so it has a history for me.

I was an immigration consultant between 2003 and 2007, but I began to get less work than I would have liked and hit a bit of a low patch for a couple of years. At the time I attended Linwood Corps, but had also been worshipping at Grace Vineyard, where I met my wife, Amy, in 2009. But God firmly said to me on a number of occasions that I needed to stay at Linwood.

Staying put

We had planned to have an autumn wedding in 2011, but in September of 2010 we had the first big earthquake in Canterbury, followed by the second one in February. We were living down the road from the corps and it felt like I was at Linwood Corps every day, helping however I could. God puts you in a place for a reason, and at the time the reason was the earthquakes.

Amy and I were married in January of 2012, and we’ve been married for 10 years. I helped out at Linwood in different roles for over eight years in Community Ministries, picking up a lot of skills that I have since been able to use in the community. I spent about a year working for a community group called Just Dirt Trust, which helps to build community gardens. We put together about four gardens in my time, including

the Richmond Community Garden, which is now a huge outfit, with orchards and programmes for school kids to come in and work in the garden.

I also was elected to the Board of Trustees at our children’s school. I didn’t think I would be elected as there were 16 people running for five positions, but I have just been re-elected for the third time—now into my seventh year on the board. I’ve been on two other boards since. In my time at the school we’ve employed two principals and done a major rebuild on the school worth $4.2 million.

Becoming an advocate

One of the great things about being on these boards is that I’ve got to know a lot of the parents as well. In 2016, I ended up chatting with a mother who had just lost one of her children to Oranga Tamariki )child social welfare). She asked me if I could come with her to the meeting with them, as she was scared. I hadn’t had much experience with Oranga Tamariki, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I went along to the meeting, and the Oranga Tamariki support worker, who is now a good friend of mine, asked if I could help in the situation by working as a mentor for the woman and her family.

I’m still helping this family out six years on; the child was able to return home and is currently at a local high school in our area. I’ve even come to be her guardian at the school, as she’s had a few hassles here and there. The Oranga Tamariki worker must have noticed something in me to have me be the point person for the family so that they can have continuity of care.

Since then I’ve had other families in our school and community come to me for support. One woman, for example, wasn’t able to complete her course of study as she couldn’t get a few things correct with her paperwork. I made a couple of phone calls and was able to get that sorted for her so she was able to graduate.

This year I also stood for the community board in our local body elections. Although I did not win either position out of the two elected roles, I participated and received about 2000 votes, showing I am well-liked and well-known in my communities. I’ll give it another go in three years, as communities matter and we need community-minded people elected to these roles.

A different kind of work

This has all spurred me on to think about going back next year to finish off my social work degree. In early 2010 I was working through a diploma in social work and mental health. I am also enrolled in a Community Chaplains course in March. There’s no funding for this sort of community advocacy; if I was qualified as an independent social worker I could be making oodles of money, but it’s not about that as far as I’m concerned. It’s all about what effect I can have on my community.

In all of this I have my own difficulties; I have a physical disability called cerebral palsy. My body thinks I’m about 75 and I have paralysis down my left side. I can use it because I’ve had operations, but I don’t have as much movement as I used to. My brain tells my body it’s older, so my organs are actually deteriorating a lot quicker than anybody else my age. It’s a real struggle to actually do stuff in a day. In the past 10 years I’ve had to change my whole lifestyle. I still live with the pain, but I’ve done a lot to live as

I can, so I can still raise my kids to be productive members of society.

God has put me in a place where he wants me. I’m busy but I’m also thankful that I’m not doing an eight-to-five job. God has got everything worked out for me. My son said a few years ago that his dad doesn’t work. And I asked, ‘what do I do?’ He said, ‘you do everything Dad.’ He knows that I work differently to other people, and I want to show him that you don’t actually have to be paid to work within

community.

your

…I’ve had other families in our school and community come to me for support.

Who Do You Say That I Am?

WORDS Vivienne Hill | ART Sam Coates

The birth of Jesus was a joyous occasion. It came at a time called the intertestamental period— between the last book in the Old Testament, Malachi, and the New Testament appearance of John the Baptist—commonly known as ‘400 years of silence’. But God was not absent.

In Luke 2:25–35 is the account of Simeon. He was a righteous man who was on talking terms with the Holy Spirit, so much so that he was in the Temple at the exact time Mary and Joseph brought Jesus in to fulfil the ceremonial aspects of the Law. God had told Simeon that he would see the Messiah before he died. Simeon was not a priest or a prophet but a Jewish man who walked by the Spirit of God.

Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and after glorifying God and stating why the baby had been born, he turned to Mary and said: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

Amidst the angelic announcements of the birth of the Messiah came Simeon’s prophetic insight as to the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ. Simeon’s prophecy points to the polarisation that Jesus Christ would bring. Rather than a line in the sand, he drew a blood line across history separating legal requirements from grace to come. But Jesus’ life was not just about grace. The predictions point to the division that would come between those who believe and enter into relationship with him and those who reject Jesus and his divinity.

Jesus asks each of us the same question today: ‘“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”’ (Matthew 15:16).

Corps Connect at Christmas

In a time that can be tough for many, The Salvation Army strives to be a light for those needing extra support and love during Christmas. Corps work hard to connect with their communities and help people to feel cared for over the holiday season. We checked in with Blenheim Corps, Miramar Corps, Linwood Corps and the Newtown Centre, to find out what they have prepared for their people this Christmas.

WORDS Holly Morton

Blenheim Corps

For a number of years now, Blenheim Corps has been supporting families at Christmas through their Operation Gifts for Kids programme. This is a week where nominated parents and caregivers can come to the centre and select gifts for their children. While this is led by the Community Ministries team, it’s a whole-corps experience with many involved in tasks, including clearing out the chairs, making the space look Christmassy and volunteering throughout the week.

Corps Officer Captain Emma Howan explained that over the Covid-19 period, the Blenheim team ‘made the decision to work through all restrictions necessary to make sure [the programme] could still happen while keeping families safe—mask wearing, distancing, volunteers behind tables so that clients weren’t picking up toys they might not take with them, a single flow of traffic and no volunteers to gift-wrap but those supplies given to take home.

‘All these things we felt might make that week a bit like a conveyer belt and less relationship-based, but we were proved wrong!’ Emma suggested that because of the need to take steps to keep people distanced, this often meant someone was waiting, which created space to chat with them and have some meaningful conversations.

This year as the corps heads into their Operation Gifts for Kids programme, they are hopeful they can reflect on what they’ve learnt over the last couple of years. ‘We don’t want to be tempted to rush things back to how they were before, just because we can. We are looking forward to seeing all of the people’s faces and not having to worry about distancing. Being forced to think differently through Covid-19 has resulted in some changes that we believe will make Christmas even more memorable for families in our community.’

Newtown Centre

The Salvation Army Newtown Centre is home to the Wellington South Corps, Wellington Community Ministries (CM) and Wellington Bridge and Oasis. An Early Childhood Education (ECE) centre is also onsite, which is part of the CM family. ‘All of us work together to make Christmas special for staff, volunteers, ECE children, clients and congregation,’ said Corps Officer Major Christina Tyson. This includes identifying people the corps have worked with during the year who need a little extra support over the holidays.

‘Our Christmas response during the Covid season was as busy as usual,’ said Christina. ‘The need was there and so was The Salvation Army.’ The Salvation Army in

Newtown doesn’t provide a Christmas meal—Covid-19 has added uncertainty to catering for many groups—but at least 300 generous Christmas hampers are usually distributed. Allowing parents to choose gifts for their children is also mana enhancing for parents.

‘Last year, some grandparents as well as older aunties and uncles came in seeking support over Christmas, because younger relatives unable to afford Christmas at home had signalled that they’d be arriving on their relatives’ doorsteps,’ added Christina. ‘This caused a lot of anxiety for older people who wanted to help whānau (family) but were on very tight budgets themselves. Sadly, with the current cost of living pressures, we’re expecting more of this stress in 2022.’

In 2021, Wellington City Mission ran out of Christmas food supplies for their clients and so The Salvation Army jumped in to help, welcoming City Mission clients in the week before Christmas. ‘The generosity of Salvation Army donors meant we were in a position to meet these unexpected needs even at short notice,’ Christina explained. Some of these donations came from supporters of the centre’s popular Adopting Families programme, which encourages local businesses and families to donate food and gifts at Christmas.

An unexpected blessing ahead of this year’s Christmas season came at the end of October when 24 people from Transpower volunteered for half a day to help the centre get ready for Christmas. This included doing an inventory of Christmas donations already received, sorting and tidying Christmas decorations (which bring so much joy to centre visitors in December) and tidying the foodbank so it was ready for an influx of extra seasonal food. They also helped tidy the ECE playground, did some work at the Bridge and served clients coffee in the drop-in centre. Some of the group commandeered the centre’s kitchen to bake muffins for drop-in clients. The group left promising to encourage colleagues to sign up for the Adopting Families programme.

The Newtown Centre is also home to the Wellington South Corps. In November each year, CM social workers come and speak to the corps about how the

‘All of us work together to make Christmas special for staff, volunteers, ECE children, clients and congregation…’

From top: Making an inventory; the Transpower team who volunteered at the Newtown Centre to prepare for Christmas.

Army will be helping at Christmas. On the first Sunday of December, children decorate a large Christmas tree during the morning worship service. Then, on the second Sunday of December, members of the congregation bring donations of food and gifts to place under the tree for CM to distribute.

Each year the centre’s ECE children practise Christmas songs that they then perform around the centre and at end-of-year events. ‘This brings so much joy, especially to older people,’ said Christina.

Miramar Corps

Over the years, The Salvation Army in Miramar has had a big Christmas outreach. Last year was a bit different for the corps, but Corps Officer Captain Sarah Green is thankful that they got in before any of the mandates. ‘It was such a blessing to not be under that sense of heaviness or having to be thinking about that in our planning.’

Last year, Miramar Corps decided to have their Christmas in the Neighbourhood event across a number of churches and sites in walking distance of their building, particularly in light of the spread of Covid-19. They’d normally do a trail through the corps with activities for people to take part in, but they arranged instead to use outdoor spaces at the local Baptist Church, community centre, St Aidan’s Anglican Church and Miramar Central School. Families went to each station and received a star on their map, eventually leading them back to the corps hall where they could pick up coffees and hot chocolates. This Christmas they returned to the corps hall for this year’s event, The Greatest Treasure, Te Taonga Nui, which was celebrated on November 18 to 19 across five sessions over that weekend. The event included a treasure hunt around the corps, craft and Christmas activities to take part in—decorating

Being forced to think differently through Covid-19 has resulted in some changes that we believe will make Christmas even more memorable for families in our community.

cookies, contributing to the Remembrance Tree and carol singing. All proceeds from the event go towards providing Christmas gifts and support for families in the Miramar community.

Sarah explained the significance of this annual celebration for their corps and the wider community. ‘Our people and our community love these events to share the special reason for the season. The team worked hard to get everything prepped and ready, with working bees and a team putting up the fairy lights in the main hall.’

Miramar Corps will also be having a Christmas Eve service that their community can attend. They held one last year as well, and Sarah has expressed excitement over a shift away from those mandates for hosting events this Christmas. ‘Last year we had a space for vaccine passes and a space for no vaccine passes, with everything separate for both spaces, so we are looking forward to not having to do that this year.’

Linwood Corps

Linwood Corps is blessed with a good brass band which goes out into the community during December to play Christmas carols and engage with the public. Corps Officer Major Joanne Wardle has been thankful that Covid-19 hasn’t affected the band’s carolling to any great degree over recent years, and has expressed their plans to continue with it again this year. ‘The community really appreciates hearing the Christmas tunes that bring back happy memories for some and are new to others.’

Offer a Helping Hand

Christmas for Salvation Army corps and centres throughout our four nations is a time when our people work hard to connect with their communities over the season. Consider offering a morning or an afternoon to help your local corps hang decorations, bake goodies or wrap

One carolling event that was cancelled last year was the corps’ Carols in the Carpark. This year on Sunday evening of 18 December, the team will set up in the carpark and invite the community to come and sing along to carols, with musical accompaniment from the brass band and a short Christmas message. This is often followed by a delicious sausage sizzle. Last year, due to a period of heavy rain, causing ‘Linwood lakes’ in their carpark, the corps was unable to host this event, but this year they are really looking forward to this time of community engagement.

Joanne noted that many in their community have been struggling this year, with food parcel demand up more than in previous years. They are excited by the opportunity to make the Christmas period brighter than it otherwise might have been. The corps will be partnering with families to help with food hampers and Christmas gifts. This also provides a great opportunity for corps and community volunteers to be involved with setting up, hamper and gift distribution and further engagement with the community.

presents. You might be able to give to one of the many initiatives, such as the Adopting Families programme, or provide food for a hamper or a gift for a child. Check out the Christmas events at your local corps and attend carol services or some of the fun activities planned over this Christmas season.

Band practice at Linwood Corps.

The General’s Christmas Message 2022

When I consider the star that was a significant part of the first Christmas story, I’m reminded that scientists view the stars in the sky very differently than I do.

A light year is the distance light travels in one earth year, so about 5.88 trillion miles (or 9.46 trillion kilometres).

The sun is our closest star and is some 93 million miles away. So, the sun’s light takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach us, meaning we see the sun as it was more than 8 minutes ago. The next closest star to us—Alpha Centauri—is some 4.3 light years away, so when we view this star today, we see it as it was 4.3 years ago. It’s as if we are looking back in time.

This means that the Magi written about in Matthew 2:1–2 would have seen a star whose light was beaming before they could even see it. And yet, God used that star to lead them to Jesus: ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him’ (Matthew 2:2, NLT).

because the Bible tells us he is the alpha and omega—the beginning and the end. He is as much a bright light today as he was at the beginning of time, or when he came to the earth to take up residence and ‘move into the neighbourhood’ (John 1:14, The Message).

Jesus is not constrained by time. He is the ‘light of the world’ (John 8:12) and shines light into the darkest places of our troubled world, bringing change. The Light has come! There are no light years that can separate us from this Light. He is here, he knows us, and we can walk and talk with him now. His purpose in coming was to be with us, but he has been, and always will be, with us.

If you do not know him already, you too can know this Light of the World. His name is Jesus, and he came to the world to bring about transformation. If you are seeking change, seek Jesus. If you are living in a dark place in life, seek him who is the Light of the World.

Jesus came to be the Light of the World. He came to shine his light in darkness— our darkness, the darkness of this world. We read in Isaiah 9:2 (NIV): ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.’ This was prophesied long before Jesus was born.

Are we talking about light years when it comes to Jesus? No, I don’t think so,

For those who already know Jesus, he reminds us that we are light in the world. In Matthew 5:14 (The Message) we read: ‘You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.’

May you be a source of light in your corner of the world this Christmas, as you bring the Light of the World to others!

May God richly bless you throughout this Christmas season!

Brian Peddle General

Adopting Families this Christmas

Adopting Families for Christmas Programme is a part of The Salvation Army Christmas response for communities across New Zealand. The aim of the programme is to give gifts to families who need them this Christmas.

The programme was started 18 years ago when a group of lawyers approached a Salvation Army court officer in Manukau and said they wanted to buy presents for a family in need, rather than just for their own family.

Ministry in Manukau Corps

Janice Holdaway, the Adopting Families coordinator for Manukau Corps, said the programme was first launched at Manukau Corps, then grew to include Taupō, Hutt City and Tauranga Corps.

Janice said that in previous years Manukau Corps provided gifts for

people through agencies, but due to a difficult year, they are just focusing on people who are being supported by The Salvation Army through programmes and services.

Over many years, there has been a real connection with the sponsors; there are families who donate a gift box every Christmas and it has become a way for the parents to teach their children about giving.

‘They would take their own kids shopping and buy for this other family,’ said Janice. ‘And those children are now stepping in and taking over so it’s become a real tradition for some of our lovely families.’

Last year, they had almost 200 donors support over 300 families, and the previous year they supported almost 500 families.

‘It is all about blessing the families who have been with them and worked hard through their programmes this year,’ she said.

Giving gifts at Taupō Corps

Adopting Families at Taupō Corps was started five years ago.

Corps Officer Lieutenant Charlene Whybrow said that Taupō Corps partners with agencies such as Family First and Family Start throughout the year who then give them a list of families who may need extra support at Christmas time.

Each corps that runs Adopting Families gifts locally, so donors in Taupō are giving to families also living in the city of Taupō.

Charlene sees Adopting Families as an important way of allowing space for people to give this Christmas. ‘It is a great way to facilitate people’s

Last year, they had almost 200 donors support over 300 families, and the previous year they supported almost 500 families.

generosity, because there are lots of people in the community who want to give and we can help them give to those families who need it.’

The way it works in Taupō is that Community Ministries Coordinator Micah Corbett gets a list from the agencies and of other clients who’ve come into the centre, usually 20 to 30 families, which they then find donors for in their corps and community. The donors then put together gift hampers which are given to the families before Christmas.

Easing the strain on families

Many of these families are already working with the agencies to improve things, such as creating a budget, providing food or accommodation, and the gift hamper is an ‘extra blessing at Christmas’, said Charlene.

She said that some families have tight budgets so may not have much left over for little extra things for Christmas, so the gift hampers meet that need.

Families have anywhere between two to eight kids, and so far this year they have 10 families registered— about 60 people—to give to.

appropriate gifts, plus some food items for the whole family.

This year, Charlene said they are creating a gift guide to give donors suggestions of what to buy for families, particularly for those who may be harder to buy for, like fathers, and also age-appropriate toys for children.

There’s also the option to purchase gift vouchers for the family instead, so this gives donors the flexibility of whether they want to choose the gifts or not.

‘I know some people really love choosing gifts, so that’s probably quite fun for those people. And then other people … they can be really generous with their giving and just give vouchers,’ said Charlene.

No gift too small

If the donor wants to give but doesn’t have much to spend, they can always give practical gifts such as wrapping paper and sticky tape for the family to wrap their presents.

There’s always a way for people to give, but it is up to each donor to decide what they will buy and how much they will spend on presents.

When a donor is assigned to a family, they are told how many children and their ages so they can buy age-

A highlight of the programme for Charlene was last year when a mother and her children came into Taupō Corps after Christmas. They were super grateful and the kids had even made thank you cards.

Charlene said they don’t always know what the family’s situation is, but it’s a blessing to give to those families who may be working hard to make ends meet.

If you want to become a donor for Adopting Families, check to see if your local corps is taking part in the programme this Christmas.

‘If we can make Christmas a special time where people don’t have to stress about not having something for their kids, that’s really, really cool’. When a donor is assigned to a family, they are told how many children and what ages so they can buy ageappropriate gifts, plus some food items for the whole family.

There’s always a way for people to give, but it is up to each donor to decide what they will buy and how much they will spend on presents.

Tonga Regional Children’s Camp

Tonga recently hosted their annual regional children’s camp with 98 children attending from a variety of different settlements and religious backgrounds, including children from the tsunami-devastated island, Nomuka. Regional Children’s Worker Lieutenant Sesilina Palu visited the island of Nomuka as part of a team from Ministry of Internal Affairs and Psychological First Aid. When she returned from this visit she shared with Tonga Regional Commander Captain Kenneth Walker her experience and the benefit she saw in assisting these children to come away from their environment and attend the camp. The children attended the camp with great excitement as some had never travelled off the island before.

Million Meals

Milestone

Charitable organisation Meat The Need has provided one million mince meals to foodbanks across Aotearoa New Zealand, including those run by The Salvation Army. Meat The Need’s partnership with Silver Fern Farms has enabled farmers across the country to donate some of what they produce, when they can, to families in need. Apart from mince packs, Meat The Need also provides meat and milk to Salvation Army foodbanks.

Choose Joy Retreat

Imagine it, 74 women all choosing joy, all in one day! This was the theme for a ‘mini-retreat’ held for the women of Levin Corps who were joined by friends from other corps. The retreat appealed to so many after such a troublesome, tiring, life-adjusting couple of years, and was the inspiration of Corps Sergeant Major Debra Bishop, with the full backing of corps officers Captains Ben and Karen Schischka. Guest speaker, Reverend Barbara Walker QSO, shared the story of her life as a nurse/midwife over 20 years in places like Cambodia, Somalia, the Afghan-Pakistan border and Mozambique. This left the attendees with much to think about from her amazing life of service and devotion to God and his people. Barbara’s book, Purple Hands, can be purchased at bookdepository.com.

Fellowship Brass Concert in Christchurch

The ‘Fellowship Brass’ concert was held at the Christchurch City Salvation Army on 6 November. The concert featured the musical compositions of Lieutenant Grant Pitcher. Grant is currently appointed to the work and mission at Christchurch North Corps, but is also a brass band composer and arranger and has been one of this country’s outstanding Salvation Army euphonium player for many years. The Christchurch City Corps Band played under the leadership of Martin Robertson, and the Addington Brass Band was led by Adrian Dalton; both played mini-concerts, then combined to play several numbers before concluding the concert with that ever-so-beautiful New Zealand melody, ‘Pokarekare Ana’.

Go to our website— warcrymagazine.org.nz to access the full news stories, plus further news as it is reported.

Southern Youth Councils

Our weekend at Living Springs started with 110 RAT tests which were all negative. The themes for the weekend were: let’s talk about what it means to be a child of God in the world we live in; let’s discover our identity in Christ. Session speakers were Lieutenant Stu Duxfield who brought the message which lay a firm foundation for us to build on throughout the weekend. Captain Missy Ditchburn covered what it looks like to not let what the world throws at us affect our belief and firm knowledge that we are loved children of God. Mike Dodge talked to us about what it means to go the distance and to keep building on our foundation. Seeing young people make steps to further or begin their journey with Jesus was so incredibly special.

Reaching the People of Fiji

Divisional Commander Captain Andrew Moffatt and Divisional Secretary for Mission Major Phillippa Serevi recently appeared on the Breakfast @ Fiji One programme talking about the recent Embrace Women’s Conference and the Fiji Division’s annual street appeal. This is the second time they’ve appeared on the show, which was an opportunity they received by simply asking for it. Andrew and Phillippa stated that Fiji as a nation is open to talking about the gospel, even on public platforms. Their aim is to promote the work of The Salvation Army on both radio and television to spread the gospel message and the work of The Salvation Army in Fiji.

Central Sevens

The recent Central Sevens event brought together rangatahi (youth) from the Central Division, along with their whānau (family) and friends, to battle it out on the court for the coveted title of winner at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua. There were 200 people, 18 teams, 9 corps and 3 sports, with a whole lot of anticipation, passion and energy. Porirua Corps was the strongest on the day and took out both first and second place for the competitive grade. The social grade was taken out by Awaken Youth, Johnsonville Corps, with Levin Corps coming in a very close second.

Northern Pasifika Youth Focus Event

This year’s annual fono (meeting) of the Northern Pasifika Advisory Group (PAG) was held as a Youth Focus Event, at Auckland City Corps on Sunday 30 October. The theme ‘Let’s Celebrate Pasifika Youth’ aimed to encourage, empower and engage young Pasifika, but also to honour and glorify God through their gifts and talents. Pasifika youth from Auckland City, Glenfield, Manukau Central, Papakura, Waitakere Central and Westgate Corps took centre stage as they showcased their talent and embraced their culture through song and dance. It was also encouraging to see children, parents and grandparents performing alongside and supporting the youth.

Official Engagements

Commissioners Mark (Territorial Commander) and Julie Campbell (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries)

7 Dec: Covenant Day, Booth College of Mission (BCM)

9 Dec: Graduation, Hutt City Corps

10 Dec: Ordination and Commissioning, Hutt City Corps

11 Dec: Sunday meeting, Hutt City Corps

11 Dec: CDSB Senior Band Carol Service, Parliament

Colonel Gerry Walker (Chief Secretary)

7 Dec: Covenant Day, Booth College of Mission (BCM)

9 Dec: Graduation, Hutt City Corps

10 Dec: Ordination and Commissioning, Hutt City Corps

11 Dec: Sunday meeting, Hutt City Corps

Major Liz Gainsford (Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development)

7 Dec: Covenant Day, Booth College of Mission (BCM)

9 Dec: Graduation, Hutt City Corps

10 Dec: Ordination and Commissioning, Hutt City Corps

11 Dec: Sunday meeting, Hutt City Corps

Gazette Summary

To read the full version of Gazette notices, visit warcrymagazine.org.nz/gazette

Bereavement: Major Russell Garbett, of his mother Alison Garbett, who passed away from Whangārei Hospice after an extended time of illness, on Monday 17 October 2022, at the age of 87.

Captain ‘Eliesa Prescott, of his mother Lolongo Vava’u Prescott, who passed away on Thursday 27 October 2022 at Tomaree Community Hospital, Nelson Bay, NSW, Australia, aged 84 years old.

Appointment: Effective 1 February 2023, Commissioners Robert and Janine Donaldson, officers of the New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory currently serving respectively as Territorial Commander and Territorial President of Women’s Ministries, Australia Territory are appointed as the General’s Representatives for Mission Effectiveness (Pilot). The General has appointed Commissioners Robert and Janine Donaldson to head a pilot project out of International Headquarters. The pilot project will be supervised out of the Chief of the Staff’s office and will provide updates on progress to The General’s Council.

Retirement: Effective 30 November 2022, Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson On his retirement, Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson will have completed 38 years, 10 months and 10 days of active officer service, and will be continuing on in his appointment in retirement. Ian, with his wife Lynette and family, entered the Training College from Spreydon Corps in 1982 as cadets in the Heralds of Hope session. We pray God’s richest blessing on Ian and Lynette as they continue to serve God in the days ahead and as they continue their current Appointments in Retirement.

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The Great Christmas Congress

The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa has a rich and varied history which is preserved at the Heritage Centre and Archives (Plowman Research Centre). This edition looks at our territory’s first Congress, held in Dunedin in 1883. A congress is a series of meetings held in a central location where all people associated with The Salvation Army can gather, celebrate and listen to selected speakers.

‘The first Congress, held in Dunedin between Christmas and New Year 1883, was a rousing success. Brass bands from Dunedin, Christchurch, Sydenham, Ōamaru and Tīmaru, and a drum-and-fife band from South Dunedin marched between five and six hundred uniformed Salvationists through the crowded streets to a series of meetings in the Garrison Hall. It had a capacity of sixteen hundred, but many were unable to gain admission. The Congress concluded with a “great field day” at the Caledonian Grounds. As Major George Pollard stood at a saluting base and watched the “grand march past” of his officers and soldiers, he was fully entitled to see the parade as a striking demonstration of the way in which this new and peculiar religious body was adapting itself successfully to New Zealand conditions.’

This is a report that was included in the New Zealand War Cry 5 January 1884, and since reprinted in Cyril R. Bradwell’s book on The Salvation Army in New Zealand, Fight the Good Fight . Mentions of this first Congress were found in other editions of War Cry, including notices in 15 December 1883 and 16 February 1884. This report expresses that the large numbers of people that they saw at Congress were, as Major Pollard remarked, ‘only samples’, and ‘that they had left plenty more at home’.

Captain Stratt expressed the excitement that was felt around the territory for this first Congress, explaining, ‘On Monday night (Christmas Eve), our soldiers and officers from various corps in the South Island came pouring into the city of Dunedin, to take part in the Great Christmas Congress. Happiness, confidence, and unbounded enthusiasm were the defining characteristics written upon every face.’

An overall review of the event and the response from those outside The Salvation Army was as follows: ‘A stranger coming into this vast building, and looking upon the shining and happy faces of the Salvation soldiers, could not fail to notice the evident sincerity beneath all this display of flags, music and singing’.

One hundred and thirty-eight years on from that first Congress in our territory, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa most recently held ‘Encounter’ Congress in 2019 in Wellington, which was held in October. General Brian and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle were in attendance, with the General sharing the importance of being an international Army and seeing beyond the borders to better ‘appreciate my brothers and sisters’.

There is some uncertainty around the date of the next Congress for the territory, due to the challenging nature of the Covid-19 pandemic.

How to be Generous this Christmas

Christmas is a time for giving and receiving, but often receiving becomes the greater focus for families, especially for the kids! However, giving can be much more rewarding, and cultivating this in your family culture can develop a spirit of generosity throughout the year.

Giving is a way to bless others who may be on tight budgets and do not have the ability to give gifts or celebrate Christmas, but it can also be the simple things such as taking the time to make handmade cards and gifts. It is also a good opportunity to institute a family tradition, such as setting aside a day when the family bakes Christmas treats to give to your neighbours and community.

As a family, decide what each person will do, share or give this Christmas. For the children, it may be a gift or a card for their teacher. Talk as a family about the needs you see in your community which you can try to meet this Christmas.

Take time to talk to your children about the ultimate gift of Christmas—Jesus Christ—God’s gift to us.

Ways to give this Christmas:

• The Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal (you can donate online if you don’t have a Kmart where you live).

• Sponsor a child through The Salvation Army International Sponsorship Programme salvationarmy.org.nz/help-us/helpoverseas/sponsorship

• Bake Christmas goodies for your neighbours and those in need in your church or community.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Read: In your Bible, go to the New Testament book of Galatians. It says in chapter four, verses four and five, that God sent his Son as a gift into this world. Jesus came when the time was right to be born here on earth so that we could become children of God.

Think: Have a think about the number one thing on your wish list for Christmas. Maybe it’s the latest online game, or a cool toy or fun gadget. How excited will you be to rip open the wrapping paper from your present under the tree to see what you have received? You’ve waited months for it, right? Now think about how the Israelites waited thousands of years for a saviour to come and save them. Jesus was the ultimate gift to the world.

Kia ora! I’m Hope, from Southern Division. I enjoy: Playing with my sisters, colouring, and painting my nails. Something I’m learning about God: God makes me strong and courageous. My favourite Bible story is: Samson and Delilah.

Pray: Thank God for sending the best gift anyone could ever receive, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. Thank him for being able to celebrate Christmas with your family or caregivers, or for what you are given—food, presents and sweets. Pray for those who don’t have much this holiday season and for God to provide comfort and joy.

Do: Take some time this season to sit down as a family and talk about the true meaning of Christmas and discuss why Jesus came to earth. Think about what that means for you in your own life and how you can share the beautiful gift of Jesus with others.

‘But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.’ Galatians 4:4–5

And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent... Taylor Caldwell