The Voice of The Salvation Army

Reading Rainbow

The Bible is vital to our personal walks with God and our communities of faith

October 27, 2010 by Captain Mark Braye Leave a Comment


reading

Do you remember the television show Reading Rainbow? It was an American children’s television series on PBS that encouraged reading among children. It was highly respected and won numerous awards during it’s time on the air. “Reading,” said English poet, essayist, playwright, and politician Joseph Addison, “is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” Reading informs, inspires, … [Read more...]

Kids Matter

Do we have a special responsibility to children?

October 25, 2010 by Colonel Floyd Tidd Leave a Comment


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The school bus pulled up to the house and, following a knock on the door, the children ran down the front steps and eagerly climbed aboard. Another Sunday morning and a busload of children was making its way to the Salvation Army Sunday school. Stepping onto that Sunday school bus, on a cold Sudbury, Ont., winter morning, was a little girl named Tracey. Tracey would grow up to become a … [Read more...]

View From the Field

A Report from the ‘Salvation Army Tent City’ in Pakistan

October 15, 2010 Leave a Comment


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Major Raelton Gibbs, a member of The Salvation Army's International Emergency Services team based at International Headquarters in London travelled to Pakistan to provide help and advice to the Army's response to floods that brought devastation to much of the country. Three hours' drive from Karachi in the Sindh Province, southern Pakistan, is the city of Hyderabad. It is the sixth biggest city … [Read more...]

’Til Death Do Us Part?

When my husband died, I had a choice: embrace my grief or let it consume me 

October 15, 2010 by Major June Newbury 6 Comments


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I was driving to work when the darkness closed in on me again. That morning’s commute was particularly bad. I was cocooned in gloom. I was facing depression for the first time in my life, which was bewildering to family and friends who’d always known me as sunny and upbeat. But the darkness was unrelenting and I feared I would be swallowed up and dragged down. Thoughts of suicide had even … [Read more...]

Antiques Roadshow

Do our churches attract the nostalgic and the curious while the masses of humanity pass us by?

October 15, 2010 by Major Fred Ash 6 Comments


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An-tique: 1. a relic or object of ancient times; 2. being in the style or fashion of former times. As I drove through the main street of a southern Ontario city, I saw ahead of me a large sign that read ANTIQUES. When I drew closer, I realized that it was attached to the front steps of an old brick church. A cross stood over the door and another on the roof. Stained-glass windows still invited … [Read more...]

The Hidden Life

We all have an important role to play in ministry

October 15, 2010 by John McAlister 1 Comment


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As an employee at The Salvation Army’s territorial headquarters, I sometimes find it hard to see Jesus in the workplace. This is certainly not a judgment on my co-workers, but rather an acknowledgment that I spend my days staring at a flickering computer screen, filling out mountains of paperwork and trying to keep up with the constant barrage of e-mail correspondence. Part of the problem is … [Read more...]

Christ’s Transforming Power

Jesus used his authority to reverse cultural definitions and bring honour to the helpless.

October 15, 2010 by Major Ray Harris Leave a Comment


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When we enter the world of Christian faith we enter a world of power. The Church sings about power, biblical stories revolve around power and leadership meetings confront issues of power. But what kind of power are we talking about? There is a world of difference between the influential power of a Terry Fox and the destructive power of a tsunami. In this article I would like to explore a … [Read more...]

Walking With the Spirit

Symposium Delegates Combine Discussion with Recreation

October 12, 2010 by Lt-Colonel Richard Munn Leave a Comment


Sunbury

The mid-point of the five-day International Theology and Ethics Symposium being held at Sunbury Court near London, contained doctrinal discourse, recreation and aesthetic expression.  (Click here to read the report from the first two days.) Day 3 Following morning prayers Colonel Johnny Kleman, from Sweden, spoke on the subject 'Relational Holiness "In Community" – Gathered in Community' … [Read more...]

A League of Their Own

Toronto Blue Jay Vernon Wells and his wife, Charlene, stay on base with God

October 8, 2010 by Jayne Thurber-Smith Leave a Comment


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Some fans may not have been faithful to the Toronto Blue Jays’ Vernon Wells last year, but he has always been faithful to them. At a time when athletic loyalty is rare, he has been with the organization from the day he was drafted in 1997, and his eye is on the prize of helping them get back to the World Series for the first time since 1993. “This is the only club I’ve known,” Vernon … [Read more...]

All Heart at Vancouver’s Harbour Light

At Thanksgiving and all through the year, Jackie Franson dispenses great food and free hugs by Cheryl Chan

October 8, 2010 by Cheryl Chan Leave a Comment


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Jackie Franson remembers how she felt many years ago when, hungry and unemployed, she stood in line at a Surrey, B.C., food bank. “It was embarrassing. I felt like I was less than an inch high,” she recalls. “I can remember the feeling of utter desperation, the look on my kids’ faces.” That experience is one of the reasons why Jackie, now the manager of client and community … [Read more...]