Below is a sampling of reports from corps officers and staff who hosted cadets during their visit to the Maritime Division for Holy Week. Reports have been edited for brevity.

 

Fredericton Community Church, N.B.


By Major Judy Goudie

It was great having the cadets here at our corps for the Easter campaign. They did an amazing job and were very confident and talented.

The highlight of the weekend for the corps was the five young people who were enrolled as senior soldiers.

Another highlight was the Saturday, when we had a candidates' brunch but invited other youth as well. It was a good time of questions and answers for the candidates and young people who are considering officership. That evening, we had a youth group numbering 21 people and they had lots of fun mingling with the cadets.

Sunday was also an electrifying experience with 150 at our Sunday morning service—a record for the time we were there. To God be the glory! We walked into the church with the band prelude, Up From the Grave He Arose and from the first moment, the presence of the Lord was so real. People are still talking about the wonderful time they had.

The sermon by Cadet Shawna Goulding was inspiring. She challenged us to receive the gift that God has given us through Jesus Christ, his Son. She invited us to come and receive a gift tag with a scripture verse on it and many came and picked up the tag, thankful for God's amazing gift of salvation.

The word from our people was that the cadets were dynamic and this was a great weekend. They had the opportunity to see how The Salvation Army is training our cadets by sending them out into the field and it was beneficial for our young people—especially those who are contemplating officership.

 

Fairview Citadel, Halifax


By Captain Jamie Rands

We were blessed by the company and ministry of the cadets throughout Holy Week. For Fairview Citadel, we had over 235 out to the united Good Friday service which was led by Major Jamie Braund, principal at the College for Officer Training in Winnipeg, and several cadets. Major Braund led us to the throne of grace with a powerful message titled “The Sacrificial Lamb of God.”

The other major service at Fairview (Easter Sunday) was also well attended (between 150 and 200). An Easter message titled “Jesus Conquers the Power of Death” was delivered by Cadet Indira Albert. Cadet Juan Chirinos played guitar and sang for both the special music and the reflection time. We were blessed to have them share with us during this crucial time of the year.

 

Spryfield Community Church, N.S.


By Andrew Wilson

From the corps perspective, this was a wonderful weekend. The presence of the cadets was not only a spiritual blessing, but also a positive morale booster. It was encouraging to get a glimpse of what CFOT is doing to develop our future leaders and what we have to look forward to in this territory.

Spryfield had two primary responsibilities. Looking after the kid's praise event on Saturday afternoon and hosting Cadet Justin Gleadall for the Easter Sunday service. Along with these primary responsibilities, we had several logistical support functions.

Total attendance at the kid's praise event was 65. Cadet Colleen Gleadall led the afternoon's activities. Parental feedback was positive and all children were engaged and involved. The event was a success in terms of reaching the children with the Easter message.

Total attendance for Easter Sunday was 50 with eight seekers. I believe God used our efforts and the Holy Spirit spoke through Cadet Justin's message on transformation.

 

Charlottetown Community Church, P.E.I.


By Captain Jamie Locke

Cadets from the CFOT arrived on Thursday evening where they helped with the children's event that we had planned called “Easter Egg Extravaganza.” We had approximately 60 children in attendance. Cadet Crystal Porter presented a devotional message which captivated the children's attention. It was a fun-filled evening for everyone involved.

Friday morning, the corps officers, brigading officers, cadets and some volunteers from the corps came together to provide a pancake breakfast for our Friendship Room, which is our daily community outreach program. Our clients truly appreciated the gesture and the conversations. Friday evening we had our Good Friday service when we invited the corps from Summerside, P.E.I., to join us. Cadet Norman Porter shared insight from God's word on the theme, “Finding our Identity in Christ.” The response was heartfelt and a woman accepted Jesus into her life that night. Praise God! Following the service, a time of food and fellowship encouraged and supported conversations and friendship building.

Saturday afternoon, we headed to the community of Montague, P.E.I., to Riverview Manor, a seniors' home. This was a great opportunity for The Salvation Army as the cadets interacted with and led a time of singing and devotion with the people of the home. Saturday evening the cadets planned a fun night for our youth group along with Summerside youth. They enjoyed a time of devotion, playing games and pizza.

Our Easter Sunday morning service was one of celebration! God spoke though Cadet Dusty Sauder and a man recommitted himself to God.

 

Sussex Community Church, N.B.


By Major Judy Folkins

The cadets led a Good Friday service in the morning. Cadet Dae-Gun Kim spoke in the morning service about the last words of Christ. He walked the congregation through a moving description of the final moments of Christ's sacrifice for man as seen and experienced through the eyes of the criminal that hung on the cross next to Jesus. The congregation was moved to a time at the mercy seat with music from the worship team.

On Friday night, the youth group gathered to hear Cadet Sarah Braye, who energetically presented the gospel. The youth absorbed every word and entered into a time of worship as led by the youth worship team. The youth leader, Shondra McLean, was blessed as two youth walked in off the street to hear the cadet speak. The youth are primarily those whose families are client of family services.

On Saturday afternoon, the cadets hosted a community Easter program at the corps. It was a great success as there were more than 50 children who participated, along with their parents and family members. Those in attendance participated in a variety of games, crafts and music with the cadets. It was truly an event for the whole family. As a close to the program, the cadets hid candy-filled eggs in the corps sanctuary. Children and their parents were delighted to participate in a grand hunt!

The cadets' visit concluded with an Easter Sunday service that had more than 100 in attendance. The morning started as the cadets prepared breakfast and spoke to a dozen community children in Sunday school about Jesus and the sacrifice he made for them. The children were mesmerized as the cadets had them help with an experiment and craft. During this time, the corps was blessed as Cadet Aejin Jeong had the opportunity to lead five children to the Lord.

Soon after, people filed in the doors of the small community corps and were blessed with the magical sounds of the cadets and corps worship band singing the praises of the risen Saviour.

Comment

On Thursday, May 16, 2013, heidi said:

Yeehaw- great report! So glad to hear of the positive and uplifting impact the cadets had over Easter. God is doing a new thing!

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