The Voice of The Salvation Army

All My Heart Rejoices

What a night! The night our Saviour was born. A night to rejoice with all our hearts

December 21, 2009 by General Shaw Clifton Leave a Comment


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Sweet angel voices, sounding far and near, announced his birth: Christ is born! It was as though the entire sky announced this matchless message. Joy filled the air. Joy-bells still ring to hail his coming. If we listen carefully, our ears attuned, we can still hear the holy baby’s first cry from the manger in Bethlehem. It is as though from birth he has been calling us, entreating, pleading … [Read more...]

A Rose in Winter

Amid the sights and sounds of the season, pause to consider God’s amazing love

December 21, 2009 by Commissioner William W. Francis Leave a Comment


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Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year.” I love its tastes, smells, sights and sounds. Each season begins with a resolution: Watch the eating this year! But how can I pass over my wife’s scrumptious baking, shared with office colleagues? Then there’s Christmas dinner itself—the juicy, delectable turkey, mashed potatoes, hot gravy and our traditional red-velvet cake, lovingly … [Read more...]

A Christmas of Firsts

Christmas took on a new and fresh meaning for a young officer blessed with more than one could deserve

December 20, 2009 by Major Jim Champ 1 Comment


The year was 1976 and my wife and I had just received our first appointment as a married couple in Melfort, Sask. To our delight, our first child arrived early in the fall. For the first time, I stood by a kettle outside the local Steadman’s store in temperatures that dipped to -30 C. It was also my first real exposure to poverty at a level that I had not encountered before. A prairie town of … [Read more...]

Hope at Pier 21

A mother and sister flee the devastation of the Second World War, and hear a Salvation Army band

December 19, 2009 by Andy Kalnins 2 Comments


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Every year, I try to donate whatever I can to The Salvation Army. With the times being what they are, I’m glad that I can help the less fortunate. Another reason I give generously to The Salvation Army is that the good works they do are especially close to my heart. Here’s why: December 24, 1949, was almost balmy for a while in Halifax, but by the time darkness fell and Christmas Eve … [Read more...]

Away in a Manger

Would an infant meltdown or a diaper malfunction ruin the Christmas pageant? Could Baby Jesus handle the pressure?

December 18, 2009 by Diane Stark Leave a Comment


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Last year, our church held a nativity pageant for the Christmas holidays. We re-enacted the story of Jesus’ birth, complete with a set portraying Bethlehem, shepherds tending their flocks, the Three Wise Men and the stable where Jesus was born and placed in a manger. My two-month-old son, Nathan, played the role of Baby Jesus. He looked adorable, wearing a blue and white tunic. But I was … [Read more...]

A Sacred Image

The Salvation Army’s Red Shield has become a traditional Christmas symbol of warmth and compassion

December 18, 2009 by Lt-Colonel Lynda Watt Leave a Comment


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Silver bells, silver bells, it’s Christmastime in the city.” First sung in 1951 by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell, and composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, Silver Bells was inspired by the imagery of Salvation Army bell ringers standing outside department stores during the Christmas season. After being recorded by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards 57 years ago, the song has been heard every … [Read more...]

Meet Me at the Kettle

An opportunity to share stories and to make new ones

December 18, 2009 by Major Fred Ash Leave a Comment


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One of the things that frustrates me during Christmastime is that I keep losing my wife in the malls. She will probably tell you that it is the other way around—she keeps losing me. You know how it is. You are shopping together and talking, weaving in and out and around other shoppers and suddenly you realize that you are talking to yourself. Somewhere between the shoe store and the video … [Read more...]

The First 100 Days

After three months in my first appointment, this is what I’ve learned about life as a Salvation Army officer

December 15, 2009 by Lieutenant Robert Jeffery 4 Comments


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I can still hear the words hanging in the air: “I commission you as an officer in The Salvation Army and appoint you to Spryfield Community Church, Maritime Division.” It has been 100 days since that special moment and I am now in the thick of things, fully immersed in my new appointment. My bags are unpacked, I have a general knowledge of the layout of my community in Nova Scotia and I even … [Read more...]

Booth College Gets Smart Technology

The Winnipeg Foundation Provides Grant to Booth College

December 14, 2009 Leave a Comment


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The Salvation Army’s Booth College in Winnipeg was the site of a special unveiling of plaques recognizing the contribution of The Winnipeg Foundation to projects worth almost $98,000 that enhance the ability of the College to make a difference in the lives of its students and the community. Dr. Donald Burke, President of Booth College welcomed Richard Frost, CEO of The Winnipeg Foundation, to … [Read more...]

No Room at the Inn?

During the frigid winter months, the homeless die of exposure on our streets. Should they be forced into shelter?

December 14, 2009 by Captain Amy Reardon & Dr. James Read Leave a Comment


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In this Talking It Over series, Dr. James Read, Executive Director of The Salvation Army Ethics Centre in Winnipeg, and Captain Amy Reardon, Editor of Young Salvationist, U.S.A. National Headquarters, dialogue about moral and ethical issues. Click here to read more debates in the Talking It Over series. Dear Jim, A recent Globe and Mail article made me aware of a debate in British Columbia … [Read more...]