INSIDE THIS WEEK Army responds to cholera outbreak HAITI PAGE 4 〉〉〉〉 High Council is on the internet IHQ PAGE 7 〉〉〉〉 PLUS LOTS MORE! PAGE 15 〉〉〉〉 PAPERS THIS WEEK’S QUOTES FROM THE PAPERS ‘SO I’M RELIGIOUS. THAT DOESN’T MAKE ME STUPID’ ‘THERE ARE SO FEW CLEVER BELIEVERS WHO ARE GIVEN A PODIUM TO MAKE THEIR CASE… ‘THE PRESENTATION OF THE ACADEMIC ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST GOD’S EXISTENCE HAS BECOME UNNECESSARILY ONE-SIDED. AT LEAST WE KNOW WHOSE SIDE THE BIG GUY UPSTAIRS IS ON…’ Rosamund Urwin in the London Evening Standard RELIGIOUS EDUCATION and one humanities subject. COULD LOSE OUT IN NEW But the humanities subject GRADE SYSTEM will be made up of history or Concern has been expressed geography, and not RE… that Religious Education (RE) The RE Council of England could be marginalised in and Wales (REC) called for the schools. subject to remain a statutory Under plans to bring in a new part of the school curriculum. Baccalaureate system, secondary In a study it commissioned schools in England will be involving 1,000 16 to 24 year ranked by the number of pupils olds, it found 80 per cent of gaining five good GCSEs in core respondents thought studying academic courses. RE could promote better Teenagers will be expected to understanding of different score A* to C grades in English, religions and beliefs. maths, science, a language The Baptist Times MORE POOR CHILDREN More than 200,000 extra children will be in poverty by 2013 because of cuts in housing benefit and tax credits, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said. Martin Narey, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: ‘Children’s life-chances are being compromised by putting child poverty targets on hold – affecting the future of our society.’ HAITI A YEAR ON – MAJOR RON The Times BUSROE TALKS FROM PORT-AU- NEW PROTECTION parents may not approve of… PRINCE TO MAJOR NIGEL BOVEY OFFERED ONLINE With cases of child In a world so dependent upon solicitation from strangers via the internet for day-to-day use, social networking sites such as this resource can offer great Facebook and MSN Messenger ICE SKATER NICKY SLATER benefits, as well as harm, on the rise, parents will want to TALKS ABOUT HIS FAITH TO especially in the hands of guard their children from children. Now available for harm… CLAIRE BRINE purchase from retailers within Each CYBERminder packet the UK and Jersey, as well as includes two keys – one online, CYBERminder is a ‘Supervise’ key for parents, and CAPTAIN ANDREW STONE LOOKS simple USB key programmed to one ‘Protect’ key for children. AT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND protect children from sites The Church of England Newspaper CHURCH NOTICE BOARD MAKES THE NEWS ‘ABIDE WITH ME’ THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT CANNOT BE ANSWERED BY GOOGLE Reported on CNN website TERRITORIAL HEADQUARTERS Tel: 0845 634 0101 SALVATIONIST 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN Tel: 020 7367 4890 Fax: 020 7367 4691 Email: [email protected] Web: www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist A registered newspaper published weekly by The Salvation Army (United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) on behalf of the General of The Salvation Army and printed by benhamgoodheadprint Limited, Bicester, Oxon. © Shaw Clifton, General of The Salvation Army, 2011. The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England and Wales is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. EDITOR Major Stephen Poxon Tel: 020 7367 4901 MANAGING EDITOR Stephen Pearson Tel: 020 7367 4891 ASSISTANT EDITOR Major Jane Kimberley Tel: 020 7367 4892 ASSISTANT EDITOR Claire Anderson Tel: 020 7367 4894 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Captain Paul Holifield Tel: 020 7367 4893 DTP DESIGNER Colin Potter Tel: 020 7367 4895 DTP OPERATOR Denise D’Souza Tel: 020 7367 4896 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jonathan Carmichael Tel: 020 7367 4883 ADMINISTRATOR Stella Merino Tel: 020 7367 4881 ADVERTISING Tel: 020 7367 4883 Email: [email protected] DISTRIBUTION Salvationist Publishing and Supplies (Periodicals), 66-78 Denington Road, Denington Industrial Estate, Wellingborough NN8 2QH Tel: 01933 445451 Fax: 01933 445415 Email: [email protected] THE SALVATION ARMY FOUNDER William Booth GENERAL Shaw Clifton TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Commissioner John Matear EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHING SECRETARY Major Leanne Ruthven 2 8 January 2011 SALVATIONIST www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist COMMENT with a degree of uncertainty as to how exactly we are to turn intentions and prayers into action. What then? For some, commitment will mean officership, and I would request your We’re all in intercession for those attending their assessment conference next weekend and who might be called to ‘wear the red’. For others, it means staying put, just exactly where the Lord needs them. this together God is also perfectly within his rights, being God, to ask us to wait for clarification of his leadings. If The Salvation Army stands for anything, it stands for Christianity in action, and any individual decisions we might make are part and parcel of that corporate modus operandi. Action, though, can take various forms. It might mean, for example, serving in Haiti, and we are indebted to Lieut-Colonel Heidi Bailey for her encouraging report on that country on pages 12 and 13. It might mean lending a hand with children’s work at corps level, as Lieut-Colonel Marion Drew tells us about on page 11. It will definitely mean praying! To that end, I commend to you Peter Cooke’s impressive account of the way in which he has structured his prayer life. I know of someone else who bought a cheap address book in order T is that time of year again when we to be able to enter prayer requests (‘everyone linked to The Salvation alphabetically, and I am permanently I Army’ as it says on the front cover) are encouraged to know that Lieut-Colonel invited to take advantage of George Pilkington prays his way Commitment Sunday and to pause at through the Disposition Of Forces as he this early stage of 2011 in order to commutes to THQ each day. refresh promises, consider making new As a cadet, I lost count of the ones and resolve to help others do number of times I sang Tennyson’s likewise. words set to music by Robert Redhead: Major Anthony Cotterill (as he was ‘More things are wrought by prayer then) once preached, on Commitment ‘Waiting on God means more than this world dreams of’ (from the Sunday, not on our commitment to God, musical Chains Of Gold). The than a prayer of thirty as is usually the stuff of sermons on this powers-that-were in the training college seconds… it may mean a particular Sunday, but on God’s seemed keen to impress that truth dozen prayers that knock and commitment to us. He inspired me to upon my session. With that in mind, it is persist and will not be put off, believe afresh the multiple promises of quite something to realise that a little God’s commitment to love – a until God arises, and makes address book costing less than £1 is, in commitment that is always at its Kingdom terms, worth its weight in bare his arm on behalf of the zenith. gold. pleading soul.’ Suppose, though, we rise from our (Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle OF) place of new year’s spiritual resolutions MAJOR STEPHEN POXON, EDITOR NEWS CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES COMMITMENT SUNDAY NEW COMMITMENTS Pages 4 – 9, 18 & 19 〉〉〉〉 FEATURE FEATURE Page 17 〉〉〉〉 NewZealandFijiandTongaHaitiIHQAustraliaSouthern TGI Friday! Run to make a difference THQBangorMinsterSouthShieldsSouthseaWoking Page 11 〉〉〉〉 Page 15 〉〉〉〉 ANNOUNCEMENTS TunstallSnettishamHighworthRockFerry NorwichCitadelSouthamptonShirleyHordenBargoed Army people, engagements, PooleExeterBromsgroveRAFWitteringHorsham FEATURE BIBLE STUDY tributes and picture caption LetchworthLeightonBuzzardRutherglenPokesdown Building hope in Haiti Quietly seeking Jesus competition BirminghamCitadelHayleLutonBelfastTempleRipon Pages 12 & 13 〉〉〉〉 Page 16 〉〉〉〉 BurtonuponTrentHaylingIslandWorthingLongEaton Pages 18 & 19 〉〉〉〉 REFLECTION Praying in a definite way – ADVERTS 〉〉〉〉 LETTERS every day Pages 20 – 23 Page 10 〉〉〉〉 Page 14 〉〉〉〉 [email protected] SALVATIONIST 8 January 2011 3 NEWS as ‘great pillars of this church’. mission: ‘As you labour for the Chief of the Staff Territorial Commander Com - Lord – as you serve him – recog- SA now in 122 missioner Don Bell introduced nise that you do it for the Lord enjoys flying visit the Swansons, noting that the and in the Lord’s name.’ countries to Wellington responsibilities of their roles Maori Ministry leaders Aux- IHQ meant a busy travel schedule. Captains Joe and Nan Patea GENERAL Shaw Clifton has New Zealand, Fiji and They had just been to Japan and presented the Swansons with a approved the official commence- Tonga were soon to travel to Australia. gift from the territory that ment of The Salvation Army’s A TRADITIONAL greeting ‘The Lord has appointed them included a beautiful painting by work on the Turks and Caicos awaited Chief of the Staff into their roles and they’re here Major Jenny Carey of a Maori Islands as of 1 January. The Commissioner Barry Swanson to share their hearts,’ said koru – a spiral shape symbolis- Army is now at work in 122 and Commissioner Sue Swanson Commissioner Bell. ing new life. countries. (World Secretary for Women’s The Chief of the Staff Lieut-Colonel Bronwyn Buck- The Turks and Caicos Islands Ministries) on their arrival in expressed pleasure at being able ingham ended the brief morning consist of 40 islands and cays, New Zealand’s capital city. Staff to visit New Zealand. ‘It’s great service by leading everyone in eight of which are inhabited. The from Territorial Headquarters to be with you and it’s great to singing the National Anthem, islands are located east of Cuba and the Central Division offered enter your culture as we have this reflecting that the nation remained and the island of Hispaniola, a po-whiri – a Maori greeting – to morning,’ he said.