“The thing I love about youth ministry in The Salvation Army in Chilliwack, B.C., is that I get to be what I never had,” says Tara Foster. “Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of stable adults in my life. So, the opportunity to do that for others is huge.”

Time Out

Foster didn’t grow up in The Salvation Army, let alone in a Christian home. She spent much of her childhood and teenage years “bouncing around” between family members and foster care in Australia, her home country.

“It’s just part of the story God’s given me,” she says.

Foster’s first introduction to the Army occurred at the age of 27, when the person she was dating “dragged me along to church because the worship team needed a drummer,” she smiles now.

“Honestly, at first, I hated every minute of it. I’d show up on a Sunday, just there to play drums and, during the sermons, I’d stare down at my feet.”

A spark had been lit, however, because a couple of years later, Foster attended a women’s camp and gave her life to the Lord.

“And everything’s been completely different since.”

“I just fell in love with Jesus.” TARA FOSTER

She became a senior soldier a year later and attended Revolution Hawaii, a Salvation Army discipleship program, in 2017.

“I just fell in love with Jesus,” Foster explains. “It gave me an opportunity to grow in my faith in a way that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

When she returned to her home in Australia, she jumped into a role as a youth pastor.

“I was on fire and all I wanted to do was ministry,” she says. “But I learned pretty quickly that ministry is hard, and I burnt out and walked away from the church for a while.” 

What You See …

After the pandemic, Foster realized that God was opening the door again for her to return to The Salvation Army, but via a move to Canada.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to see another part of the world,” she says. “But God always has a plan, and he was definitely opening doors.”

Initially, Foster had only planned to stop at Chilliwack to say hello to her former ministry leaders, Majors Fiona and Matthew Kean, before moving on to explore the rest of Canada.

“But I’ve been the youth pastor at Chilliwack Community Church for almost two years now,” she says. “And God’s been using this time to heal my heart and continue to grow me in my faith.

“Soon after I arrived, I realized that Chilliwack was the place God wanted me to call home for a while.”

“Our corps has seen lots of growth and blessing over the past couple of years, and the children and youth ministry is a large part of that,” says Major Matthew. “Tara’s commitment to the kingdom of Christ, and the faithful teaching of his Word, is certainly being used by God to bear fruit. She is an inspiration to both the kids and adults at the corps, and we know for sure that the Holy Spirit has anointed her for this ministry.”

“Our corps just loves Tara,” continues Major Fiona, “and not just the youth, either. You can often find her having coffee with our seniors, too. What you see is what you get with Tara. She is someone who loves Jesus and has a strong desire to bring others into a saving relationship with Jesus as she has experienced. Her life was turned around by him and she longs to see people, especially youth, know they are loved by Jesus and that he longs to be in relationship with them.” 

God’s Timing

God gave Foster a vision early on in her Christian walk that included a call to officership.

“After Revolution Hawaii, I explored the process of going to the College for Officer Training,” she says. “Then I burnt out, COVID happened, and I took that break from the Army.”

Since returning to the Army and with God’s healing, Foster knows that God still has that calling on her life.

“But what the timing looks like? Well, that’s in God’s hands,” she says. “As he opens doors, I walk through them.” 

Answering the Call

One thing Foster is sure of, however, is her love of The Salvation Army. But why?

“The easy answer is, it’s because this is where God placed me,” she replies. “I love how, unlike other churches—and this is not to diminish anything any other denomination does—we have a unique opportunity to go into places that other Christian churches aren’t game to. Our Shield gives us the ability to do that and to be hands-on.

“I think God is doing something really important in the Army, and he’s calling people who understand who he is and are willing to stand on what he says.

“I’m happy and proud to be a part of that.”