On September 20, we welcomed to the College for Officer Training a new session of cadets—people who have accepted God's calling upon their lives. But God is already calling others for 2010-2012. The next sessional name is Friends of Christ.
Those who apply to officership are called to serve Christ as leaders in The Salvation Army. This is a challenge in our post-modern world—to reach out to people who are desperate and lost without Christ, and who often don't even realize it.
We are all challenged to walk the journey of life with Christ―as his friends, his companions and his children. Not only for our own sake, but for those around us.
What is needed to be a friend of Christ?
Real
We live in a complex, troubled world. People often don't know where to turn for help or who they can trust with tangled lives filled with deep emotional hurts and disillusionment.
We need to be real and willing to make ourselves vulnerable in order to be the people God wants us to be; ready to live incarnational lives for him—and for the sake of others.
Relational
Connections with people are so important. Our friendship with Christ as believers is to be cherished. Then, this friendship is to be expanded upon as we reach out to a world that is so impersonal and distant.
As we ask “Who is my brother, my sister?”, perhaps the answer will be our friend next door, the person at the gym, the woman on the street, the child in the playground, the lonely teenager. It begins with a smile, a friendly word, an invitation to share a coffee. To be salt and light in our communities, we must love and care for others, as Christ did.
Relevant
Many people are interested in spirituality … yoga, meditation, spiritual retreats. But Christianity itself? Not so much. People find it constraining, rules-oriented, full of prohibitions, out of touch with the world.
Yet Christ is all about freedom, vitality, hope, liberty and life. Jesus is still relevant today. His good news speaks to all people—no matter their age, race or economic status.
We can all be his hands, his feet, his arms of love to a broken world. To be real, relational and relevant is truly to be Friends of Christ.
Major Beverly Ivany is the Secretary for Candidates. Married to David, she has four children and two grandchildren.
Those who apply to officership are called to serve Christ as leaders in The Salvation Army. This is a challenge in our post-modern world—to reach out to people who are desperate and lost without Christ, and who often don't even realize it.
We are all challenged to walk the journey of life with Christ―as his friends, his companions and his children. Not only for our own sake, but for those around us.
What is needed to be a friend of Christ?
Real
We live in a complex, troubled world. People often don't know where to turn for help or who they can trust with tangled lives filled with deep emotional hurts and disillusionment.
We need to be real and willing to make ourselves vulnerable in order to be the people God wants us to be; ready to live incarnational lives for him—and for the sake of others.
Relational
Connections with people are so important. Our friendship with Christ as believers is to be cherished. Then, this friendship is to be expanded upon as we reach out to a world that is so impersonal and distant.
As we ask “Who is my brother, my sister?”, perhaps the answer will be our friend next door, the person at the gym, the woman on the street, the child in the playground, the lonely teenager. It begins with a smile, a friendly word, an invitation to share a coffee. To be salt and light in our communities, we must love and care for others, as Christ did.
Relevant
Many people are interested in spirituality … yoga, meditation, spiritual retreats. But Christianity itself? Not so much. People find it constraining, rules-oriented, full of prohibitions, out of touch with the world.
Yet Christ is all about freedom, vitality, hope, liberty and life. Jesus is still relevant today. His good news speaks to all people—no matter their age, race or economic status.
We can all be his hands, his feet, his arms of love to a broken world. To be real, relational and relevant is truly to be Friends of Christ.
Major Beverly Ivany is the Secretary for Candidates. Married to David, she has four children and two grandchildren.
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