The Salvation Army / USA Central Territory News and Views from the Midwest “We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.” Eph. 4:3,4 (NLT) Volume 49, Number 2 February 2019 Walking the talk at Omaha Kroc A/Captains John and Tracy Gantner to develop and deepen, and it is in those relationships that the gospel by Jill Harman and Chip Borgstadt needs in His name becomes authentic and accessible without discrimina - for people. They can provide oppor - ission starts with each one tion. tunities, as the Holy Spirit leads, to of us, and opportunities share the life-changing story of Having attended the “Mare everywhere,” said God’s love and redemption. A/Captain Tracy Gantner, National Seminar on The Omaha Kroc Center uniquely officer for program development at Evangelism (NSE), the reaches members of the community the Omaha, Neb., Ray and Joan Kroc Gantners invited staff through fitness, creativity, the fine Corps Community Center. and soldiers to read the book Just Walk arts, athletics and worship. It has Since arriving to lead the Omaha Across the Room. the opportunity and privilege to Kroc Center in May 2017, A/Captains Later they presented a connect with more than 10,000 peo - John and Tracy Gantner have been series that elaborated Long, paper-covered tables formed a cross on which names ple each year who walk through its inviting staff and members to fully on simple steps in for prayer could be written. doors. engage in The Salvation Army’s everyday life that can holistic mission of preaching the point people to faith. The capstone of the seminar. Participants gospel of Jesus Christ and meeting this effort was a seminar by program learned how to connect specialist Mark with others naturally, Bender of the such as observing those territorial adult standing alone and start - mission advance - ing conversations with ment depart - them, offering hospitali - ment. Serving as ty or performing simple outreach coordi - acts of kindness. nator for NSE, “Every person has a Mark has used story to share. Jesus has this approach for called us to learn those more than a stories and offer genuine decade. care and concern in His Kroc Center name,” said A/Captain staff from nearly Tracy. “We need to be every depart - willing and prepared to ment and mem - walk across the room.” bers of the corps Encounters like these The Omaha Kroc Center praise team leads worship. chose to attend can allow relationships Participants practice their newly learned skills. Commissioning weekend to feature Urys alvationists in the Central Christ; she loves to share with others comes from over 20 years of an ongo - Territory won’t want to miss a hunger for Him and God’s Word. ing American Family Radio program. Sthis year’s commissioning Bill’s heart desire is an intimate rela - Bill has authored several articles and weekend, June 7-9, 2019, at the tionship with the Triune God and books. Diane is a 1983 graduate of Milwaukee Theater, Milwaukee, Wis. sharing the truth of that holy love. Asbury University where she earned The event will feature the insightful They incorporate sound, rigorous a Bachelor of Arts in 1983; she also and enriching ministry of National Christian theological thinking with has a Master in Theology from Ambassadors for Holiness Bill and pastoral care and true compassion. Wesley Biblical Seminary. Diane is a Diane Ury. Married since 1984 the Bill is a 1978 graduate of Asbury Bible study teacher, mentor and disci - Urys have enjoyed a life of ministry University, studied at the Institute for pleship group leader. together, accepting their current roles Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem, has a Bill and Diane are ordained elders in 2017. Since assuming this appoint - Master of Divinity from Asbury in the Evangelical Methodist Church, ment a demanding schedule has seen Theological Seminary, and holds a have pastored together and have spent the Urys crisscrossing the country Master of Philosophy and a doctorate decades discipling men and women. speaking at holiness seminars, officer - from Drew University. While there, They are fully committed to the his - s' councils, soldiers rallies and a he and Diane served as associate pas - toric bases and contemporary expres - diverse array of teaching and preach - tors in a Chinese-American United sions of Christianity in the ing events. They are soldiers with the Methodist Church in Chinatown, New Wesleyan/Holiness tradition. Raleigh International Corps in York City. Bill taught Historical and They have four grown children, Raleigh, N.C. Systematic Theology at Wesley JoAnna, Maddi, Meredith and Seth, Diane’s passion is knowing Jesus Biblical Seminary for 23 years. His two sons-in-law and three grandsons podcast, “The Hour of Holiness,” who are their constant joy. 2 9 1 0 6 L I , s e t a t s E n a m f f o H , y w k P e n o t S e i r i a r P 0 5 5 5 , r e g a n a M n o i t a l u c r i C : o t n o i t c e r r o c r u o y h t i w l e b a l d e h c a t t a e h t d n e S ? g n i v o M 2 9 1 0 6 L I , s e t a t s E n a m f f o H y w k P e n o t S e i r i a r P 0 5 5 5 Y M R A N O I T A V L A S E H T 2 Breaking bread, building friends your table. Look at them with eyes of love, compassion and interest. by Colonel Janice A. Howard Share, ask questions and listen in Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries order to hear their stories and their hearts. We each have a story, which is part of HIS story. Spending time MEALS members, colleagues and strangers. mented the encouragement and com - at the table is a great way to hear around a kitchen counter, The bottom line is meals draw peo - pliments helped her to see herself in someone’s story and to see Jesus in in various restaurants, ple together. We all need to eat. a new light. The tables became holy it and them. places where God’s presence was at the dining room table, During recent months my husband Jesus ate at many different tables Steve and I have facilitated several evident, in conversation and in one by the warm campfire, another. with a wide range of people. He ate fellowship meals, where we gather on the wrong days (fast days), with in several vehicles, around tables to intentionally share Since commissioning last June we the wrong people (sinners), at the on the busy street, blessings, testimonies, conversations, have heard, read and considered wrong tables (Samaritan’s water worship and encouragement. It’s much about who is welcomed at our at the baseball stadium cup). Or did He? Those tables been well worth the investment of “tables” (corps, homes and hearts). became holy tables and those peo - our time. A cadet remarked he Have you given thought to the peo - ple, His friends. learned more about other cadets than I’m sure I’ve missed recalling a ple you invite and the conversations Consider not only the setting of few locations where I’ve recently he’d known about them in the pre - that take place? Invite different and ceding three months. An officer com - your next meal but who will eat eaten with friends, family, church new people into your heart and at with you. Coming home again by Jacqueline Rachev ulio Romero, 31, lost his way One evening while waking to in high school but now is Burger King, Julio was stopped by Jdevoted to making sure others police and questioned about a crime. stay on the right track. He “Even though I wasn’t involved, I grew up in a nice neighborhood and was beaten and detained. At that attended the Belmont Lakeview, Ill., moment, I stopped caring,” he said. Corps, but he also was exposed to “I figured if I was going to be drug activity and gangs to which his accused of doing the crime, I might older brother belonged. Though his as well do it.” He started selling mar - brother made sure the younger sib - ijuana and cocaine, keeping it a lings weren’t involved, there was an secret from his family. incident in high school that set Julio In his junior year, his brother was on a path to self-destruction. arrested and sent to prison for three years, accelerating Julio’s spiral into gang activity. “My brother was almost a father figure to me,” he said. “I looked up to him and then he was Julio with his daughters Sara and Izabella just gone.” Julio felt the need to “step up” and Headquarters the next year. going to college and embracing began selling During the interview, he laid his opportunities to improve their drugs to make past on the table: “I just told them futures. money. everything that hap - His trouble cul - pened,” Julio said. After minated in his his boss went to bat for senior year during him and the extensive a fight with a vetting process, he was gang member hired and has been in the who attacked a department ever since.