The Western Territory’s news source for 31 years

September 20, 2013Vol. 31, No. 15

...it is our Christian duty to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Jordan... —General André Cox~

~

Frontlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2The West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4The World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Sharper Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Prayer Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10From the Desk of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10The Spice Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

On the Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Inside:

Find us on the web: newfrontierpublications.org

Facebook: tsanewfrontier

A message from General Cox on Syrian The Salvation Army will par-ticipate in humanitarian efforts in Jordan.

The Salvation Army’s interna-tional leader, Gen-eral André Cox, called upon Salva-tionists worldwide to pray for peace in Syria and for grace and wisdom for elected officials the world over who are adjudicating on how to manage the humanitarian crisis that has enveloped the region. Syria was the focus of the Worldwide Prayer Meet-ing on Sept. 12.

According to the United Nations, “With an estimated 5,000 desperate Syrians flee-ing their homes every day, the spiraling violence in the country has now created more than 2 million refugees. As of the end of August, the number of Syrians reg-istered as refugees or pending registration was 110,000 in Egypt, 168,000 in Iraq, 515,000 in Jordan, 716,000 in Lebanon and 460,000 in Turkey. Over half of them are children under 17 years of age. The refugee crisis has placed an overwhelming burden on the host countries’ infrastruc-tures, economies and societies, and with an average of almost 5,000 Syrians fleeing into these countries every day, the need for international support has reached a critical stage.”

The Salvation Army was invited to participate in and support the humani-tarian effort in Jordan. Officials from International Headquarters in London are working in partnership with other non-governmental organization representa-tives and a Salvation Army team is soon to depart for the region.

“As world leader of The Salvation Army, I believe it is our Christian duty to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Jor-dan both practically and prayerfully,” Cox wrote. “Please join me and Commissioner Silvia as together we pray for peace.”

Keep up with General Cox onlineThe General’s website, salvationarmy.

org/thegeneral, provides up-to-date news

GENERAL, page 8

The Army teams up with The Mission Continues to observe the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Photo by Melany Stroupe

Heralds of Grace welcomed

Galena flood creates emergencyn The Army and multiple agencies work to-gether to respond to crisis in Alaskan town.

When a dam recently burst in Galena, Alaska, thousands of gallons of Yukon River water spilled into the valley—a manageable flood until an ice jam formed, creating a need for emergency evacuation and leaving more than half of the town’s population homeless.

Jenni Ragland, The Salvation Army Alaska Divi-sion’s Emergency Disaster Services representative, worked with FEMA to relocate flood victims to Fairbanks and Army officers assisted in distribut-ing salmon to approximately 75 villagers remaining behind.

John Fulton, FEMA Mass Care Group supervi-sor for flood recovery in Galena, was amazed that so Army volunteers serve refreshments to Galena residents.

Photo courtesy of the Alaska Division

n The Salvation Army Maryvale is one of six service tributes led by The Mission Continues.

Nearly 200 Phoenix volunteers and veterans of the war on terror observed the 12-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by paying tribute with community service projects at The Salvation Army Maryvale Corps on Sept. 11.

The Salvation Army revitaliza-tion is one of six national service projects organized by the 9/11

Day Observance and led by The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit organization that helps veterans successfully transition to post-military lives through volunteerism. American Express and the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency, provided major grants to fund the Phoenix project and five others around the nation in observance of 9/11 this year. Paint manufacturer Benjamin Moore donated all paint for the project.

GALENA, page 9

General André Cox

VETERANS, page 8

Veterans pay tribute to 9/11 anniversary in Phoenix

n Western Territory welcomes 44 first-year cadets.

BY VIVIAN GATICAThe Salvation Army Western Territory

welcomed the 44 members of the Heralds of Grace Session (2013-2015), who join the 62 members of the Disciples of Cross Session at the College for Officer Training

(CFOT) at Crestmont.The welcome festivities for the Heralds

of Grace began with a private Welcome Banquet held Sept. 13 at CFOT in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

The CFOT Cadet Chorus, led by Erin Riesebieter, performed “Would you know why I love Jesus” and “If your presence” to begin the evening. Territorial President of

Women’s Ministries Commissioner Carolyn Knaggs and special guests Commissioners Oscar and Ana Rosa Sánchez, Brazilian ter-ritorial leaders, joined 204 guests.

“You are Heralds of Grace,” Knaggs told the incoming cadets at the banquet. “Your journey is to serve the Lord through The Salvation Army.”

HERALDS OF GRACE, page 6

Flag bearers wave session flags and Major Tim Foley leads a song during the Welcome of Cadets service. Photo by Ron Bawden

We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19 NIV).

TULARE, CALIF.—At The Salvation Army’s second annual Tulare County Fair Food Drive on Sept. 12, Captains Adrian and Vivianna Viquez (Visalia) and Captains Harold and Maggie Laubach (Tulare) led more than 60 volunteers in collecting 20 pal-lets—15,952 lbs.—of food in 11 hours. Volunteers included advisory board and church members, Salvation Army youth groups, Young Marines, Key Clubs and National Guard Cadet Corps.

Fair goers who donated five cans of food received free admission to the event. The canned goods will be split between Tulare County’s FoodLink and The Salvation Army.

HEMET, CALIF. — Members of the Hemet City Firefighters Association (HFFA), Local 2343, donated $500 to the Hemet Corps to purchase food for children in need. The firefighters also helped deliver the food to local schools.

HFFA President Steve Sandefer urged community members to contrib-ute to the cause as well.

Lts. Anthony and Tammy Poe are the corps officers.

BUTTE, MONT.—The Salvation Army’s Dress a Child event provided 103 children with school supplies and clothing. The event was funded, in part, through a grant from the United Way of Butte and Anaconda.

The program had more applications than it had money for.

The Salvation Army has a family store in Butte, and maintains social and emergency services for residents of Butte and Silver Bow County.

WRANGELL, ALASKA—Home League members made gifts to welcome teachers back to school. The group filled glass cups with pencils, erasers, glue sticks and candy. They wrapped each cup in a piece of fabric and tied a ribbon around it. The Home League made 10 cups, which Corps Officers Ronnie and Debra Davis delivered during open house at the elementary school.

SUISUN CITY, CALIF.—In conjunc-tion with National Back to Church Sunday, the Kroc Center Corps held Worship at the Waterfront on Sept. 15.

“So often we hear from people when they are invited to church, that walking through the doors of a church is just too hard,” said Capt. Jonathan Har-vey, corps officer with his wife, Vickie. “Some people think their life is so un-Christlike that the walls will cave in if they go to church.”

Along with traditional elements, the service included a special Zumba session.

LAS VEGAS—The Salvation Army received an anonymous donation of $10,000 for its food pantry on Sept. 11, allowing it to remain open. On Sept. 10, the Army had called for the community’s help to keep the pantry operating.

With the money, the Army pur-chased seven pallets of food from Three Square Food Bank, which donated another 11 pallets.

The food pantry helps about 200 families every day, according to spokes-person Leslee Rogers.

The food should last a couple of weeks, but the Army still needs dona-tions. Call 702-870-4430 to help.

September 20, 2013New Frontier2

KarenGleasonEditor

N E W S B R I E F S O F T H E W E S T

Doing theMost Good

Helena Salvation Army plans housing program for young menn For 125th anniversary, corps aims to raise $125,000 to meet a commu-nity need.

To celebrate its 125th anniversary, The Salvation Army Helena (Mont.) Corps will open a transitional housing complex for young men.

The new program will transition men from homelessness and joblessness into stabilized living conditions through edu-cation and training in life skills, money management, budgeting, and seeking and securing employment. To show account-ability, participants will meet weekly with a counselor.

“We want to give them that sense of dignity,” said Captain Tiffany Lawler, corps officer with her husband, Lt. Rob Lawler.

“The transitional housing need for single men in our community is great,” Lawler said. “We’re also looking to work along with the jail and prison system to as-sist in transitioning certain levels of newly released individuals back into society and our community’s workforce.”

The center is the first of its kind in Hel-ena. Shelters exist for men, women, unwed and single mothers, but not specifically for young men. The established men’s shelter provides temporary emergency housing, not a transition into stable living.

Working with the University of Mon-tana, the Lawlers drew plans for a 12-bed men’s transitional home, providing two

beds per room, separate closets and dress-ers, three full bathrooms, four full-sized washers and dryers, communal kitchen and living areas and small individual storage units. It was strategically built beside the corps’ gym for easy access.

The Helena Corps needs to raise $125,000 to furnish the facility. In con-junction with the corps’ 125th anniver-sary, a week of fundraising events ensued, including percentages of sales from various restaurants and local baseball game tickets. The corps held a catered dinner and wel-comed guests including Lt. Colonels Doug and Diane O’Brien, Western territorial

secretaries for personnel and community care ministries, respectively.

Majors Doug and Sheryl Tollerud, Northwest divisional leaders; Majors Joe and Nila Huttenlocker, Great Falls, Mont., corps officers; and Lts. Josh and Loreen Hamilton, Missoula, Mont., corps officers, also attended the dinner.

Doug O’Brien spoke at the local Histori-cal Society Museum on Saturday about the history of The Salvation Army, and the corps served doughnuts prepared from the traditional recipe of the WWI doughnut girls.

Rebekah, Jordan and Joshua Lawler stand at attention during the Helena Corps’ anniversary dinner.Photo by Catherine McKillips

After years of searching, the Bend (Ore.) Corps, led by Majors Robert and Miriam Keene, finally found a home. The dedication ceremony took place in July with corps members, officers from across the Cascade Division, and Bend Mayor Jim Clinton in attendance. Lt. Colonel Judith Smith spoke, and Majors Sabrina Tumey and Tammy Ray provided music. “Looking back, it seems like it was a long road to get to this day,” Miriam Keene said. The corps had convened for services at a former thrift store prior to finding the new building, which did not allow for growth. After failed attempts at find-ing a new property, Kristine Venier, ad-

ministrative assistant at the corps, found another location for sale. With the help of Cascade Divisional Headquarters, the corps secured the property. “God has been so good to the Bend Corps, and his provision will prosper his work for his people,” Keene said. The corps is already organizing new programs for mothers with preschool-ers, women’s ministries, men’s fellowship and veterans fellowship. “We feel very blessed to be a part of The Salvation Army’s ministry in Bend, and trust God’s faithfulness to his min-istry in beautiful central Oregon,” Keene said. “We know we are building on the work for the kingdom done by those who have gone before us.”

Bend Corps dedicates new building

Family Camp reunites Hawaiiansn Weekend event attracts 350 people.

Nearly 350 people gathered at The Salvation Army’s Camp Homelani on Oahu’s North Shore for the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division Family Camp, themed “Jesus at the Center.” Com-missioners Paul and Carol Seiler, Western Territory officers cur-rently serving as Central Territory leaders, were special guests for the weekend event, along with author and speaker Jim Burns. All the Ha-waiian Island corps participated.

“It was wonderful having offi-cers who were stationed in Hawaii over 30 years ago return as com-missioners, and renew old friend-ships,” said one attendee.

Another delegate said, “Jim

Burns was able to talk about very difficult subjects in a simple, straightforward way. He was a great inspiration and blessing.”

On Saturday night the children experienced an old-fashioned drive-in movie, complete with all 75 of them in their very own cardboard cars.

On Sunday morning, Camp Homelani’s “Orion Field” was dedicated to honor Major Clar-ence Orion, a lifelong Salvationist, for his many years of inspiration, dedication and service. Orion was promoted to Glory in 2012.

Another delegate said, “I loved walking in for every service and seeing the name ‘Jesus’ surrounded by prayer requests right at the cen-ter of the back wall of the stage.”Children sit in their homemade cardboard car for a “drive-

in” movie. Photo by Gina Halverson

The new corps building will serve the growing com-munity of Bend. Photo by Ronda Gilger

September 20, 2013New Frontier 3Doing the

Most Good

developingNews

Oxnard Corps meets Dallas Cowboysn 200 corps members visit the NFL team’s training camp.

The Dallas Cowboys invited 100 chil-dren and their families from the Oxnard/Port Hueneme Corps to its training camp in Oxnard, Calif., for a three-day community outreach event.

“Many of [those] who went were low-income families, and had never experienced this before,” said Lt. Manuel Gaytan, corps officer.

The event commenced with 15 girls attending Dallas Cowboys cheerleading

camp, where 12 of the NFL team’s cheer-leaders taught them a routine.

“It was really exciting to see the cheer-leaders,” said Cheyenna Reyes, one of the participating girls. “I had never seen them before, and want to be one of them.”

Corps members also attended the opening day of the training camp where the Dallas Cowboys passed out gift bags with a team picture, Dallas Cowboys cup and football to each attendee. The football players greeted and took pictures with people, and even autographed the chil-dren’s footballs.

“The children’s faces were full of excite-ment, and they were anxious to see the foot-ball players train from up close,” Gaytan said. “The Dallas Cowboys treated us so well, and were very happy we were there.”

The event ended with 30 children walk-ing the field with one of the players while holding the Dallas Cowboys helmets.

“You did not see a single child without a grin on their face,” Gaytan said. “The time invested in preparing the event and expe-riencing it with the families was extremely worth it.”

Children from the Oxnard/Port Hueneme Corps enjoy their time at the Dallas Cowboys training camp. Photos courtesy of Oxnard/PortHueneme Corps

BY ERNST BAUERFundraising in the corporate

world differs in many ways from other development cultivation. Corporate partnerships can be made regardless of whether you live in a large city or small town.

The best way to engage corpora-tions is to look for a win-win situ-ation. Often, corporations will be more responsive if they are assured that a co-branding opportunity will lead to positive public relations. In looking for this win-win situation, remember that all companies have giving priorities. Some may only fund children’s programs; others, only veterans’ programs.

The best part about this is that The Salvation Army has a wide variety of programs. We have a program for almost everyone—it’s your job to make sure that your community leaders and potential partners are aware of this. Don’t assume company leaders know everything there is to know about our programs. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a commu-nity relations executive say, “Wow, I didn’t know that The Salvation Army has all that programming.” The most cost effective way to mar-ket our programs and services is by word of mouth.

Another key point to keep in mind is that corporations are made of people. This leads to a variety of possibilities. A good place to start is by asking corporations if they would like to send a group of their employees to volunteer for a few hours. This will engage employees who then may internally encour-age their colleagues to also volun-teer and their company to donate. Employees might be more willing to donate if they know their company is donating to or involved with The Salvation Army.

The individual supporter remains the top donor segment for the Army. So even if a company chooses not to give, an individual of that company may still donate on his or her own. Another strategic way to approach corporations is to look for individuals who may be a great addition to your local advisory board. If you can find an individual to serve as a board member, that person will be able to work through their company’s bureaucracy and help secure more funds or corpo-rate involvement.

“Back to School” is an excellent example of how all these elements come together. During the month of July, Salvation Army corps across the Western Territory hosted “Back to School” events. Target, an inter-national corporation, supported this event by providing the Western Territory with $143,000 worth of gift cards so that children in local communities could buy basic sup-plies for a new school year.

This annual event is an excellent way to showcase the Army’s com-munity support and after-school programs. We were able to support our back-to-school programs while

Your checklist to corporate success

SAVN.tv wins awardThe Salvation Army Vision

Network (SAVN.tv) was recently recognized in the 34th annual Telly Awards, which honor the best in film and video produc-tions, groundbreaking online video content, and outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs.

Out of 12,000 entries from five continents, SAVN.tv won two bronze awards in the online video category for “Spoken Word” (savn.tv/campaign/view/502) and “Lost Boy” (savn.tv/campaign/view/1).

A SAVN.tv promo video by Cooke Pictures also received a silver award in the online video category (savn.tv/campaign/view/1).

See more at tellyawards.com.

Salem Kroc Center expands fitness resourcesn Center’s new fitness mez-zanine adds 1,000 sq. ft. and 24 cardio machines to exist-ing equipment.

BY JULIE MATOVICHThe Salvation Army Ray and

Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Salem, Ore., dedicated its new fitness mezzanine Sept. 7.

An answer to member requests for more fitness space, the mez-zanine added 1,000 sq. ft. and 24 additional cardio machines to the existing fitness floor. The assorted cardio equipment is state-of-the-art and allows members to surf the web or watch TV while exercising. Perched at the far end of the building, patrons have a bird’s eye view of the facility or the outdoors through large pic-

ture windows. “We are grateful for the

generous support of our divi-sional headquarters on this mezzanine project,” said Major Kelly Pontsler, Marion and Polk counties coordinator and Salem

corps officer. “Their support has enabled us to raise the level of services to meet the needs of our Kroc community.”

Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Judy Smith dedicated

The new mezzanine provides space for 24 additional cardio machines. Photo by Kenneth Watson

CHECKLIST, page 8

Waters rise, Army respondsn The Intermountain Division supports relief efforts in Colorado counties hit by floods.

The Salvation Army Intermountain Division responded to emergencies throughout central Colorado following floods caused by ongoing heavy rains and a lack of ground cover due to this summer’s wildfires. Boulder County was one of the hardest-hit areas, as flooding spread to 15 counties.

As of Sept. 18, the Army’s emer-gency disaster services (EDS) person-nel had supplied first responders and evacuees of the floods with more than 200,000 meals, drinks and nutritional items. The Army provided assistance from locations in Boulder, Fort Collins and Longmont; and in Jefferson, Weld, Morgan and Logan Counties. In Boulder County, Salvation Army teams distributed more than 36,000 bottles of water, donated by corporate partner King Soopers.

To date, the disaster has left five people confirmed dead, and 1,254 missing. Estimates of loss and damag-es to homes and businesses are huge; Larimer County alone reported more than 1,500 homes and 200 commer-cial properties destroyed. Damage to roads and bridges is also significant.

On Sept. 14, the Colorado National Guard conducted the most air rescues since Hurricane Katrina.

The Salvation Army Intermountain Division augmented its command team members with deployments from the Northwest, Del Oro, Golden State and Southwest divisions. Southwest also sent three mobile kitchens and crews.

In mid-August, the Army respond-ed to a flash flood that swept over Manitou Springs, providing 955 meals, 800 drinks and 100 snacks to first responders and debris removal volunteers. Volunteers pack meals for relief workers in flood areas.

Photo courtesy of The Salvation Army Intermountain Division

SALEM KROC, page 9

COLORADO FLOODS, page 9

n Army partners with FlatRate Moving to make donating easier.

The Salvation Army Eastern Territory partnered with FlatRate Moving—a nationwide leader in all-inclusive moving—to “upcycle.”

FlatRate Moving customers are offered two upcycling boxes in advance of a move to be filled with unwanted toys, books, clothing and other small home goods, which are then trans-ported free of charge to Salvation Army Family Stores across New York City.

“Through this partnership,

FlatRate Moving will connect our clients to this respected orga-nization and facilitate a culture of upcycling items from those who no longer want them to those who may need them,” said Sharone Ben-Harosh, founder of FlatRate Moving.

FlatRate’s partnership has the potential of delivering 36,000 boxes of gently used goods to The Salvation Army, a great benefit to its Adult Rehabilitation Centers which are funded by the Family Stores and help provide drug and alcohol counseling to over 300,000 men and women each year.

September 20, 2013New Frontier4 Doing the

Most Good

New ‘upcycling’ program offered

BY KENNETH SPERANZAThe Salvation Army Greater New

York Division and the New York Yankees partnered once again for Salvation Army Day at the Yankees. Though thunderstorms delayed the start of the game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the pre-game ceremony still took place in which The Salvation Army was recognized for its ongoing Superstorm Sandy relief efforts. Most recently, the Army opened a Superstorm Sandy Recovery Office to manage rebuild-ing projects throughout the region.

Joining Commissioner Barry C. Swanson, territorial commander of the Eastern Territory, and Lt. Colo-nel Guy D. Klemanski, divisional commander of the Greater New York Division, for the on-field cer-emony were guests from The Salva-tion Army’s Star Lake Music Camp and Emergency Disaster Services, as well as other friends and guests, including Tom Gaynor, a volunteer firefighter from Island Park, Long Island, and his family, who were as-sisted by The Salvation Army when their home was destroyed by Sandy.

During the ceremony, Swanson, Klemanski, and Gaynor were each called out by Yankee Stadium PA announcer Paul Olden, to the ap-plause of fans. The Jumbotron in centerfield carried The Salvation Army shield logo with a call-to-action for support. The Yankees also provided The Salvation Army with 500 tickets for the game, which were distributed to Star Lake music campers and others from Salvation Army community centers throughout the Greater New York area.

Salvation Army recognized at Yankees game

MOST Amazing Racen Scavenger hunt benefits at-risk youth.

The Salvation Army of Wake County, N.C., held its second annual MOST Amazing Race competition on Aug. 24. This year’s race, fashioned after the CBS hit show “The Amazing Race,” raised over $20,000 for Wake County Community Center’s after-school programs, which provide educa-tional, recreational and spiritual resources to at-risk youth.

Each team of two had to raise a minimum of $250 in order to enter the contest––the top three fundraising teams earning key ad-vantages, including a two-minute head start or a skip-a-challenge option. During the race, the 23 teams faced a series of challenges at 12 different locations through-

out downtown Raleigh, including The Natural Science Museum. Contestants sang, ate, climbed and sprinted their way to the finish.

“We were thrilled to introduce new locations and challenges even more similar to that of the TV show,” said Haven Sink, director of public relations for The Salvation Army in Wake County.

Ives Maready entered the race with her roommate as Team Blue By You.

“The race was really challeng-ing, but amazing!” Maready said. “We had a lot of fun, and it was awesome knowing we were doing something for a good cause!”

Rob Daviero and Colin Pelletier of Team Custom Mail Solutions placed first, nabbing the $2,500 top prize. The Schmohawks notched a second-place finish and $1,000 and

The Mellow Fungis rounded out third for $500.

“My teammate and I had such a wonderful time doing the race,” said another participant. “We are so appreciative of the many man-hours The Salvation Army put into designing, organizing and execut-ing the race. Thank you for this ‘most amazing’ opportunity!”

This year’s race saw the intro-duction of additional cash prizes for the second and third place win-ners and single challenge prizes, but also support from “The Amaz-ing Race” recent winners, Anthony and Bates Battaglia.

“The additional support from Bates and Anthony was awesome,” Sink said. “It was a great day of fun and adventure and also raised funds for a great cause at the same time.”

Contestants charge out of the starting line to begin their first challenge. Photo by The Salvation Army Wake County

Attracting younger supportersn Kentucky Army hosts retreat to brainstorm ideas.

The Central Kentucky Salva-tion Army gathered 30 mem-bers for a retreat to brainstorm attracting younger supporters to the work and ministry of the Army. The board is galvaniz-ing Lexington and Georgetown volunteers who helped raise $48,000 this year running lemon-ade stands to support homeless children in Lexington.

One of the board members and presenters at the event was Marcia Larson.

“The event went well, largely because the officers oversee a very engaged board that’s open and asking probing questions about existential and practical is-sues facing The Salvation Army,” Larson said. “I loved the inter-action, the questions, and the sense that the board wasn’t just listening—they were developing a plan of attack as they listened to strengthen their board, engage younger people in their ranks, and think about the future.”

The Central Kentucky Salva-tion Army has a 152-bed shelter for the homeless, a daycare for children, a clinic run by a physi-cian and University of Kentucky student volunteers, and a Boys

& Girls Club that serves 600 children each year, replete with a basketball court and a computer room.

“It’s a privilege but also a responsibility as a board mem-ber to support what the officers are doing in the trenches, living out the gospel in their social and spiritual work,” Larson said. “I don’t wear a uniform but I’m drafted into the Army as a board member–making sure these officers are supplied, resourced/equipped, and encouraged in their tremendous work to help 30 million Americans. Forward to the fight!”

Salvation Army National Advisory Board member, Marcia Larson, pres-ents to board members of The Salva-tion Army in Lexington, Ky.

The World September 20, 2013New Frontier 5Doing the

Most Good

Elsewhere in the world

AUSTRALIA—Elderly residents in The Salvation Army’s Aged Care Plus facility in Sydney receive treatment with a unique lifestyle approach, which includes exercise and medication. Each patient has a “pain and mobility” team consisting of family, nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational thera-pists, other health professionals and case workers.

The Australian Department of Health’s recent research estimated that 26-86 percent of residential care pa-tients experience pain on a regular basis.

From pipeline

CANADA—The Salvation Army food bank in Windsor, Ontario, changed its normal operating procedure. Instead of giving clients pre-bundled packages of food and vegetables, it let them select their own items.

“It makes the food bank more like a small grocery store instead of a place where pre-packed bags of food are handed out. Everything’s great about it,” said Shirley LaFontaine, the first person in line for the revamped venue.Staff meet with clients in private to determine how many items they may choose.

From FAITH & friends

U.K.—Three Salvation Army corps are involved in a venture to move Chris-tians out of their usual comfort zone of church or corps. An estimated 250,000 people attend three different monthly events organized through “Sunday Night Live” (SNL) to promote “live entertainment with a twist of faith”: live music and Christian viewpoint on vari-ous subjects in a non-threatening way.

“It’s not a church held in a cafe,” said Johnny Kinch, creator of SNL. “We’re Christians recognizing today’s coffee shop culture, and fitting into it.”

From news.salvationarmy.org.uk

NEW ZEALAND—Andrew Mexted-Bragg earns a six-figure salary, but has agreed to live on minimum wage for 11 weeks to raise funds for The Salvation Army.

Mexted-Bragg moved from his luxury apartment to a flat with four others and lives on a wage of $13.75 an hour. Into his fourth week, he admits his eyes have opened to the challenges people with less income face daily. He supports raising the minimum wage to $18.40 because the current minimum wage allows survival but not living.From The Salvation Army New Zealand,

Fiji and Tonga on Facebook

SINGAPORE—The Salvation Army’s Child Care Centres at Bukit Panjang, Bukit Batok East, Ang Mo Kio and Tampines gave their children an “out of routine” morning.

After meeting with NPark volun-teers, the kids enjoyed a day of sketch-ing at Fort Canning Park, pony rides at Pasir Ris Park, planting at HortPark and storytelling at Singapore Botanic Gardens.

According to Pasir Ris Park Man-ager Mohamad Husoff, as the children interact with nature, they will develop patience and respect for animals.

From sa-v.blogspot.com

n Corps programs aim at improving literacy rates.

BY VIVIAN GATICAThe Salvation Army is responding

to a need for adult education programs in Argentina with the TALITA-CUMI Literacy Center and Adult School.

In a country with a 7.2 percent unem-ployment rate, CountryReports indicates that 98 percent of Argentines know how to read and write by age 10, but there are still over 850,000 people who do not.

The Santiago del Estero Corps, led by Lt. Mauricio Gutiérrez, created the TALITA-CUMI Literacy Center last year with the initial goal of educating parents so they could help their children with their schoolwork. However, the whole program changed course after realizing the poor literacy amid the poverty-strick-en Santiago del Estero community.

“We want to reduce the illiteracy rate that exists in our province,” Gutiérrez said. “Many of our students are women who for one circumstance or another, were unable to attend finish or attend school at all.”

The program started with five women, and grew to 21 this year. Although the group is predominantly female, it is open to anyone wishing to learn. The cur-riculum consists of reading and writing lessons, as well as elective workshops that

include making party decorations out of recycled materials and sewing garments, which they can then sell.

“The students benefit from learning something ‘basic’ for others like read-ing documents and signs by becoming independent and confident, which will hopefully get them a job in the future,” Guttiérez said.

The Adult School program at the Resistencia Corps, led by Lts. Adrian and Soledad Ferrada, emerged in March to educate people who had not been able to complete their elementary education.

With 15 current students, the program curriculum consists of four stages that cover seven grade levels. Each of the stages cover language arts, mathematics, history, and science. There are also elective cours-es in embroidery, physical education, and computer science.

“The ultimate goal of this program is to give people the opportunity to receive the elementary education they were unable to complete as children,” Adrian Ferrada said. “Through this, we hope that they are able to take an active role in society.”

Army prioritizes adulteducation in Argentina

n Brazilian Salvationists campaign to bring awareness to human trafficking.

Over 100 Brazilian Salvationists showed up at matches during the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Confederations Cup in Brazil with a goal to raise awareness of the issue of human trafficking.

Matches took place across Brazil in preparation for next year’s World Cup finals. The Salvation Army’s Human Trafficking Awareness campaign operated in

three of the biggest locations: Brasília, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro.

Salvationists assembled around the foot-ball stadiums holding the matches with ban-ners stating: “People shouldn’t be bought and sold. Human trafficking is a crime. Denounce it!” They gave leaflets to drivers and passengers in cars, and held up bar-codes and posters that asked, “What’s the price of your silence?”

“In a year of great social mobilization in Brazil, where different social groups have headed to the streets, as Salvationists we

too had the opportunity to protest against human trafficking, standing at traffic signals, approaching people in their cars and telling them about this harsh reality,” said Vânia Quintão, a participant. “We were able to help these victims by making others aware of what happens and in doing this, sharing Christ-like values among people.”

The tournament also allowed Salvationists to promote children’s sporting events and to offer Salvation Army facilities for the community viewing of the matches.

From an international news release

Salvationists make noise at FIFA Confederations CupThe Brazilian Salvation Army‘s Human Trafficking Awareness team Photo courtesy of International Headquarters

Students at the Resistencia Corps Adult School receive elementary education.Photo courtesy of the Resistencia Corps

Peruvian corps celebrates country’s independenceThe Lima Central Corps in Lima, Peru, led by Captains

Alfredo and Carolina Márquez, celebrated national inde-pendence day, July 28, with authentic food, dance and music to thank God for 192 years of independence and all the blessings received.

The dances represented different regions of the coun-try, and the performers connected them to Christian themes. Performers included junior and senior soldiers, home league members and Sunday school attendees.

Corps members then convened for a feast of Peruvian cuisine. Since the corps is made up of members from all over Peru, they were able to get a taste of each region of the country.

Over 150 people attended the event, many of whom were new to the corps.

Photo courtesy of Salvation Army Peru

SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 • NEW FRONTIER—PAGE 7PAGE 6—NEW FRONTIER • SEPTEMBER 20, 2013

Heralds of Grace

Disciples of the Cross Session President Cadet Arwyn Rodriguera welcomed the new cadets, and first-year Cadet Elizabeth Gross responded.

“CFOT is a foundry for modern day prophets to be refined by the fire of the Holy Spirit,” Rodriguera said to the Heralds of Grace. “We can trust that through the heat of the fire of the Holy Spirit we will arise strengthened and effective for the Lord.”

She encouraged all the cadets to take a lesson from Moses, who realized that his people were chosen to live transformed lives that carried the presence of God to im-pact surrounding cultures.

“Heralds and Disciples, may the cry of our heart be, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here’” (Exod. 33:15 NIV).

Finally, Rodriguera urged the Heralds to embody Titus 2:11: For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.

In her response, Gross spoke of the Heralds’ passion—for revival, for a unified, cross-cultural Army, for bringing glory to the Father, for raising children in the ways of the Lord, and for giving God’s grace to the world.

She recalled the story of when Peter and John went to temple and a lame man asked them for money. Instead, Peter invoked the name of Jesus and healed the man.

“And in this same way, when we have Jesus, really have him...revival can begin in us, and transformation can begin in us...and reconciliation and the constant presence of God can begin in us, and grace—we can be Heralds of Grace because we first received it and then can give it to a world that is crying out for it.”

The following day, the Heralds of Grace took the stage, alongside the Disciples of the Cross, at the Cerritos Center for Performing Arts for the 2013 Welcome of Cadets event.

The festivities began with the CFOT Chorus, led by Riesebieter, who performed the session song “Heralds of Grace” (Janet and John Martin). Special music also includ-ed performances by the Territorial Youth Band, conducted by Richard Opina, and a soprano vocal trio composed of Major Margaret Davis (Eastern Territory), Jude Gotrich (Southern Territory) and Barbara Allen (Western Terri-tory).

Territorial Commander Commissioner James Knaggs welcomed the new cadets and the audience, and led every-one in the congregational song “I Want to Tell What God has Done.”

“Heralds of Grace I greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Knaggs said. “It’s not that you have arrived, but that you have made it.”

Knaggs challenged the new cadets with a verse from 2 Timothy 2:15: Do your best to present yourself as one ap-proved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

“It’s so easy to default to a defeated position, but I’m go-ing to ask you not to go that way at all,” he said. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved.”

Knaggs encouraged them to learn as much as possible in their two years at the training college. He then formally presented the session flag to Cadet John Kim.

“Take the two years to learn because after this it’s work, work, work,” he said.

Commissioner Carolyn Knaggs prayed for God to guide the cadets.

“We thank you, Lord, that you have rescued them from this world, and that your blood has cleansed their hearts of sin,” she said. “They’re heralds of your grace because of the mighty work that you have done in their lives.”

One of the Heralds of Grace members, Cadet Sajel McCutcheon, shared her testimony as a fifth-generation Salvationist from India. She was an active member of her home corps, and wanted to follow in her family’s footsteps through The Salvation Army.

“At a young age I knew that I had the calling to become an officer of The Salvation Army, but as I grew up I set it aside,” McCutcheon said. “I began to focus on material pos-sessions and started to lose sight of the Lord, and I did not have real peace in my life.”

After countless prayers and hours of reading the Bible, McCutcheon received the answers she sought in a dream in which Jesus and an angel appeared. She said that in this dream, Jesus gave her peace and showed her the direction

she needed to go, and the angel told her to not look back, but look forward.

“On that day, I decided to work for his kingdom until the end of my life,” she said.

In India, a Salvationist must be married to become an of-ficer, so God directed her to Youth with a Mission (YWAM). YWAM led her to Argentina for more than four years, where she met her future husband. They moved to the U.S. and wed in 2010.

“I shared my vision and calling about The Salvation Army with my husband, and we prayed for two years seek-ing God’s guidance for a full-time ministry,” McCutcheon said, referencing Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel and watch over you.”

“‘Heralds’ means messenger and each of us is a mes-senger of God,” McCutcheon said. “As Heralds we proclaim that grace and share his love no matter what circumstances

come into our lives; for it is by his grace we are saved, so now it is our responsibility to save the lost souls and lives for his kingdom.”

Territorial Secretary for Personnel Lt. Colonel Doug O’Brien brought the message. He addressed the definition of grace by continuously referencing the Herbert Howard Booth chorus: “Grace there is my every debt to pay, blood to wash my sin away.”

O’Brien defined a herald as a messenger who “works ev-ery time for the king,” and grace as “love and mercy given to us by God.”

He recounted the story of “Gypsy Smith,” whom Wil-liam Booth called upon while preaching before an unre-ceptive audience. Booth had the boy—known to those present as a gypsy hawker—give his testimony, and the un-ruly crowd grew silent, hanging on his every word. O’Brien said that many consider him the best-loved evangelist of all time.

“Maybe you don’t feel like you have much to offer, but God will use you [like Gypsy Smith],” O’Brien said.

He also referred to the story of John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace,” who said at his death, “All I know is I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great savior.”

“You’re not that bad that God can’t wrap his arms around you,” O’Brien said to the audience. “Unclench your fists and reach out to God who wants to lavish his grace on you.”

He went on to show examples of this grace through excerpts from “The Doughnut Sweethearts” and General John Gowans’ (promoted to Glory in 2012) biography, as well as the story of Frederick Booth-Tucker who stayed strong in his faith even after his wife’s tragic death.

“Today I am a Herald of Grace!” O’Brien proclaimed. “Do you know that God wants to lavish his grace on you and take that sin away?”

O’Brien concluded with an altar call, and people from all over the auditorium came forward to pray.

Commissioner James Knaggs took the stage again, and asked cadet candidates—those planning to become Salva-tion Army officers—to stand.

“These are people of hope,” Knaggs said. “These are Heralds of Grace.”

CFOT Principal Major Timothy Foley concluded the ceremony, and announced that everyone would receive the book “You’ll Get Through This” (The Salvation Army edi-tion) by Max Lucado. He announced plans for the cadets to travel throughout the territory, and expressed his excite-ment for the future of CFOT.

“We believe a revival is coming,” Foley said. “It’s coming to the training college.”

Watch the Welcome of Cadets online at onlinecorps.net/woc

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.TITUS 2:11

Top: Territorial Youth Band alto horn players Alex Moxley and Ashley Stillson; Commissioner James Knaggs speaks to the audience and to the Heralds of Grace Session.

Bottom (l-r): The soprano vocal trio, Major Margaret Davis, Jude Gotrich and Barbara Allen, perform. Cadet Ray McGo-nigle chats with Samuel Snyder before the service. Cadets Jamie and Andrian Ribeiro wait to enter the auditorium followed by Majors Bill and Lisa Dickinson and Captain Michael Halverson.

Photos by Ron Bawden and John Docter

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

September 20, 20138 Doing the Most Good

Save the Date

2014 Community Relations and Development Conference

Indianapolis April 21-24 $250 early bird registration resonate2014.org

Target received positive PR for its generosity. This event was also a natural fit for Target’s giving priori-ties. Target employees witnessed the events, which engaged their interest in what The Salvation Army actually does. However, what was really excit-ing was that we had volunteers from various corporations, including Wells Fargo, at the event. They were thrilled to be part of such a joyful occasion. We received a flood of emails from these individuals saying that they would love for Wells Fargo to play a larger role next year. Fantastic!

There are many ways to approach corporate fundraising. Above all, have realistic expectations. Companies may not always give as much as you’d like them to. Remember—don’t focus purely on the money. There are many definitions of success when it comes to corporate partnerships.

Ernst Bauer is director of develop-ment for the Golden State Division.

CHECKLIST from page 3

The children of Skylark Elementary in Orange County, Calif., know a thing or two about generosity. Despite the fact that approximately 90 percent of the students live below the poverty line, they pulled together for a Jog-A-Thon fundraiser to raise an impressive $1,669 for the survivors of the Oklahoma tornados. The Salvation Army Southern California Divi-sion thanks them for their fine example of putting others before themselves.

Envoy Michael Freeman from the Anaheim Praiseworks Corps accepted the donation.Photo by Dawn Wright

boundless2015.org • facebook.com/boundless2015 • @boundless2015

the mezzanine. Pontsler accompanied her, along with Herb Sims, local advisory board chairman; Chris Morris, princi-pal, CB Two Architects; and Jeff Perrin, senior project manager, LCG Pence Construction.

CB Two Architects were part of the orig-inal design team for Salem Kroc Center, and LCG Pence was the lead contractor.

SALEM KROC from page 3

about official engagements, along with re-ports and photos from his visits to Salva-tion Army initiatives in the 126 countries where the Army serves. The Worldwide Prayer Meeting—held every Thursday—remains an important part of the Gener-al’s site, and Salvationists and friends may contribute their own prayers for the global mission of The Salvation Army.

The website is supported by a Twitter account, @GeneralAndreCox, and for the first time a Facebook page, facebook.com/GeneralAndreCox.

GENERAL from page 1

Volunteers painted, landscaped and repaired common areas used by clients of The Salvation Army. The volunteers also built a new patio with picnic tables and benches. The effort was led by The Mission Continues fellows and alumni who have dedicated six months to volunteering with Phoenix nonprofit organizations.

“Veterans share a common bond with The Salvation Army in their com-mitment to service,” said The Mission Continues President Spencer Kympton. “What many people may not know is that The Salvation Army was the first relief agency to reach Ground Zero on 9/11. We hope our service will under-score first responders’ and service or-ganizations’ critical role on 9/11 as well as the extraordinary contributions they continue to make in local communities every day.”

The 9/11 Day Observance, the na-tion’s largest annual day of charitable service, was created in 2002 by the 9/11 nonprofit MyGoodDeed to pay tribute to the victims and those who rose in ser-vice in response to the attacks. In 2009, President Barack Obama joined the U.S. Congress in formally establishing 9/11 under federal law as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. The Mission Continues has been the lead partner for 9/11 Day service projects since 2011.

“We are grateful to The Mission Continues, and those who served our nation so bravely, for choosing our site for their 9/11 Day Observance,” said Major John Brackenbury, Valley of the Sun Program Coordinator for The Sal-vation Army. “This revitalization project will benefit the community members we serve for years to come.”

VETERANS from page 1

Volunteers commemorate 9/11 through service projects. Photo by Melany Stroupe

Major Luis Diaz was promoted to Glory Aug. 1.

Luis Diaz was born Oct. 28, 1938, in Puerto Rico, where he lived before mov-ing to New York. He graduated from Bronx Vocational High School, and joined the U.S. Army as a medic. He married Abigail before leaving for Germany in 1960.

After his discharge, the couple formed a singing quintet called “The King’s Five,” and for several years were street preachers.

The Diazes later moved their family—now including daughter, Ruth, and son, Elliot—to California, where they became church planters. For 10 years they moved from Los Angeles to Philadelphia to Miami; then to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and back to Anaheim, Calif. Daughters Rebekah and Rachel were born during this time.

In the early ‘80s the Diazes formed Day

Spring, a singing ministry, with close friend Daisy Diaz. They encountered The Salvation Army, and appeared many times as special guests at the Santa Ana (Calif.) Corps.

Diaz became a Salvation Army auxiliary captain in 1986, full captain in 1991 and a major in 2001. His appointments included director of Hispanic Services for the South-ern California Division, and corps officer in Hollywood, Pomona, El Centro and San Fernando, Calif., and at Phoenix South Mountain.

In 1990, Diaz was diagnosed with Par-kinson’s Disease, and in 2002 he took early retirement. He began writing for the Army through its Spanish radio ministry “Latido” and “Maravillosas Palabras de Vida,” pro-grams broadcast to millions in the Ameri-cas. Despite his health, he faithfully attended the Lawrenceville (Ga.) Corps every Sunday.

The Lawrenceville Corps held a memorial service Aug. 4 with A/Captain Ken Chap-man presiding. Santa Ana Temple Corps held a second memorial service Sept. 1 with Commissioner Joe Noland officiating.

CELEBRATING OUR 30th YEAR

FIND US ONLINE ATnewfrontierpublications.org • facebook.com/tsanewfrontier

September 20, 2013 9Doing the Most Good

n More than 90 Seattle children shop at JCPenney for their school needs.

Thanks to local donor Jean Renny more than 90 low-income students from Seattle received a back-to-school shop-ping spree at JCPenney.

Renny, a long-time Salvation Army supporter, donated $40,000 to the White Center Corps—$20,000 for youth pro-grams and services and $20,000 for the shopping spree.

The corps selected children for the event using state and federal guidelines to assess need. All the kids are students in Seattle public schools (grades K-12), and most live and attend school in the White Center area.

“Every day we see kids at our commu-nity center with clothing and shoes that are worn out or don’t fit them properly,” said White Center Corps Officer Major Raymond Erickson-King, who organized the event. “It gives a kid a feeling of con-fidence when they have their own new clothing, and that confidence can help lead to success in school.”

By 7:30 a.m., after a breakfast pro-vided by Starbucks, each each child was paired with a chaperone and began shopping at JCPenney. For many students, it was their first experience

shopping for their own clothes. JCPen-ney supported the project by adding a discount on most merchandise, thus stretching the donation even further.

Renny, now in her 90s, says she be-lieves giving children a fresh start to the school year enables them to focus more on their education, rather than their

ability to fit in. She began this annual project in 2004 and is the sole funder of the event. Prohibited from attending this year due to health issues, Erickson-King and Captain Jennifer Erickson-King will visit her to share photos and videos from the event, and deliver thank-you notes from the kids.

Western Territoryhonored by InformationWeek

Brady Chavez (l) and Yahir Inocencio, along with other Seattle White Center area children, select back-to-school items at JCPenney. Photo by Kevin Pontsler

Northwest donor pays for school shopping spree

many different organizations—includ-ing The Salvation Army, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Alaska Fire Service and AmeriCorps—with different phi-losophies could work together so well in a challenging disaster scenario.

“We have a unique setting at the BLM kitchen. We have what is called a ‘unified command’ and we are utilizing Bureau of Land Management kitchen staff, Salvation Army kitchen staff, FEMA Mass Care staff and the support of federal agencies and state agencies like the United States De-partment of Agriculture and the Depart-ment of Education, and partners like Food Bank of Alaska,” Fulton said. “Knowing

that all the pieces came together—and there could have easily been bumps in the road between different agencies with dif-ferent philosophies—seeing that it all came together is making me smile.”

Mark Wilson, assistant program manager for Minnesota/Iowa Ameri-Corps who led the AmeriCorps response in Galena, said teamwork is the key to taking action and getting work done.

The Army historically has offered comfort, encouragement and practical support for extended periods during disasters, but Galena has been unique.

“It’s been amazing to see how wel-coming the people of Galena are in

the midst of their own difficulties and challenges,” Ragland said. “Just to see the people and how resilient they are. Living in a community that is fairly isolated, the expectation is they take care of them-selves. But it is nice...to let them know they are not alone.”

To date, the Army has served 14,000 meals, 135 drinks and 401 snacks and has touched 581 people with emotional and spiritual care. It has collectively given 884 hours to the people of Galena.

On Sept. 23, survivors will receive meals prepared at The Salvation Army’s kitchen, packed by FEMA Corps mem-bers and shipped by air.

GALENA from page 1

San Francisco ARC hosts open housen Event brings together key com-munity members who help the ARC in its mission.

The Salvation Army San Francisco Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) hosted its first open house Aug. 21, aiming to build relationships to help men and women get the care needed to overcome drug and alcohol addiction.

More than two dozen people from vari-ous law enforcement and legal organiza-tions throughout the Bay Area attended the event, including parole officers, counselors, social workers and treatment coordinators from San Francisco, Monterey County, Salinas, Martinez and Santa Clara County.

“The people here today play a critical role in our success to help those in need,” said Patricia Butterbredt, intake coordina-tor for the San Francisco ARC. “They’re the link between the men and women who need drug and alcohol counseling and us.”

Program Manager William Lebans, LMFT, presented an overview of the ARC program including its guidelines, intake process, degrees, work therapy and spiri-tual guidance. After a question and answer session, guests toured the warehouse and the men’s residence.

“We really wanted to open our doors

to our community partners,” said Major Katherine E. Hodder-Reed, associate Bay Area coordinator. “We want them to see where they will be sending their clients and to know the people who will be caring for them while they’re here and that they’re in good hands.”

For many, it was their first time within the walls of the ARC even though they’ve referred clients to the program for years. For others, it was an opportunity to see the

changes and improvements the center has made since their last visit.

The open house was also a great net-working opportunity.

“I really enjoyed meeting new people and reconnecting with others I have known for some time,” said Devon Gaster with the San Francisco County Jail. “It was wonderful to see one of my clients who is here and continuing his treatment.”

Major Katherine Hodder-Reed talks with open house attendee. Photos by Cindy Engler

the mezzanine. Pontsler accompanied her, along with Herb Sims, local advisory board chairman; Chris Morris, principal, CB Two Architects; and Jeff Perrin, senior project manager, LCG Pence Construction.

CB Two Architects were part of the original design team for Salem Kroc Center, and LCG Pence was the lead contractor.

SALEM KROC from page 3

In addition, EDS personnel served meals to flood survivors at Manitou Springs’ Community Congregational Church, site of a Red Cross evacuation center.

The flooding impacted not only residents and small business owners, but also vulnerable inhabitants of the low-lying areas of Manitou Springs, where 15 victims lost everything in just 48 hours.

The Salvation Army needs monetary dona-tions for both immediate relief efforts and long-term recovery. Text GIVEHOPEIM to 80888 to donate $10. Donations may also be made at imsalvationarmy.org, or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (designate “Colorado Floods”).

COLORADO FLOODS

from page 3

n Publication ranks territory high for its innovative business technology.

InformationWeek named The Salvation Army USA Western Territory to its annual list of the nation’s most innovative users of busi-ness technology. The Army placed well, coming in at number 32 of 250 recognized.

This is the ninth straight year the territory has received this honor, finding itself among many large businesses and organizations, such as Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., which placed just below the Western Territory, as did Gen-eral Motors Co., AT&T Inc., UPS and Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. Last year the territory came in 188th.

“We were elated a few weeks ago when we realized we would be ranked in the top 100 of most innovative organizations, but to learn now that we were ranked at 32 was above and beyond anything we dared to hope for—par-ticularly this year in which funding for IT [information technology] projects is lower than any since I have been in the job,” said Clarence White, CIO and IT secretary for The Salvation Army USA Western Territory. “Need-less to say, I am extremely proud to lead a team of dedicated professionals whose hard work and creativity have gained public attention, but more importantly, has contributed to the mis-sion of the Army.”

This year, the department received an addi-tional accolade, being featured in the technol-ogy publication’s “20 Great Ideas to Steal in 2013” for its development of 32 highly success-ful mobile applications. Guided by feedback from users and internal staff, these apps were designed to save time and money for those involved in Army ministry.

Two of the most popular apps include one that summarizes sales for family stores in real time, and another that tracks the number and type of goods being donated in every location, streamlining the distribution of inventory. There’s also an app for improved social servic-es. Through mobile devices, social workers at Salvation Army shelters gain quicker access to a client’s case management history, personal and medical information, thereby helping improve treatment, increase success rates, and strength-en relationships with program participants.

Some of these apps can be seen at mobile-apps.usawest.org.

View the InformtaionWeek 2013 list at http://tinyurl.com/k2da9u4.

When God calls us to pray, he really means it. To pray is the most commonly mentioned command in Scripture. It is mentioned more than “love your neighbor,” more than “go to church,” and more than “evangelize.” More than anything else, God calls us to pray.

We are meant to know God in a real and personal way, speaking to him, hear-

ing from him, experiencing his love.But just as we cannot know another person

without spending time with him or her, so we cannot know God personally apart from choosing to spend time with him. This isn’t a privilege for a chosen few, but for everyone who is a child of God.

In one of his most revealing teachings, Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me” (John 10:14 CEB).

During the last hours of his earthly ministry, when he prayed for his disciples who were with him and for those who would follow them through the generations, Jesus said:“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3 NIV).

Do you “know” Jesus?In both verses, Jesus used a word for “know,”

which means knowing through experience rather than factual knowledge. We’re to know God, experiencing him through a continuing personal relationship that becomes real and intimate. From the moment of salvation, we can “know” God in a personal way.

When we “know” God in a personal way, we need to begin to share that experience with others.

How to share that experience with others is contained in the book, “Army On Its Knees,” by Janet Munn and Stephen Court (available at Tradewest and Amazon). It explores the dynamics and power of the great commission of prayer. Its nine chapters cover many of the questions that new believers (and some old ones) ask about prayer power.

I highly recommend this book as a must read for every Salvationist; it is packed with insight and guidance for having an intimate relationship with God through prayer.

Since Jan. 1, 2011, Salvation Army territo-ries, commands and regions around the world have been praying 24/7 as part of the Global Call to 24/7 Prayer: a Day and Night Call for Justice. The call comes from the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:7-8, where Jesus said: “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?...I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

Not too long ago I went on a whirlwind trip to Denver, Billings (Mont.), Spokane (Wash.), and Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) in order to tour various Salvation Army ministries. Every stop along the way deepened my appreciation for the incredible diversity of ministry taking place in these key centers of the Western Territory. On the day I was leav-ing Spokane for home, I woke up at about 5 a.m.—extraordinarily early for me—with an overwhelming desire to visit Lewiston, Idaho.

I checked my GPS and learned it was about 124 miles from Spokane, or what the GPS estimated would take two hours and 38 minutes. I figured I could make it in two. I began to do the calcu-lations in my head. If I left at 6 a.m., I could get to Lewiston by 8 a.m., spend an hour or so, and then return to Spokane by 11 a.m., allowing just enough time to return the rental car, check in at the airport, and comfortably make the noon flight. Once I committed to that plan, I sprang into action.

I had long thought about returning to Lewiston, an isolated town nestled near the confluence of the breathtaking Snake and Clearwater rivers in Eastern Idaho. My parents served there as corps officers from 1959-1962 and both my sister Laura and I were born there.

As I drove down Highway 195 south, I reflected on my parents’ faithful ministry in Lewiston. I had seen pictures of them leading street meetings, enrolling dozens of junior and senior soldiers, dedicating children and playing in the corps band. What would I find now? I had not been there for 50 years!

Today, I was finally going home. I made my approach down the hill into the valley below. With a lot of help from my GPS, I found the Army and, boy, was I impressed. The Lewiston Corps is a spacious and beautiful facility located on one of the main roads of town. I soon met up with Lewiston Corps Officers Captains Ralph and Peggy Guthrie, who generously gave me a lightning tour of the programs and services of the corps, which ultimately reach thousands of people every year. My time was short, but I was thrilled to learn about the amazing presence of the Army in that community.

I left Lewiston that morning with a great sense of satisfaction. The Army is thriving. I was reminded that throughout the entire Western Territory, including in relatively small and out of the way places like Lewiston, the mission of the Army is moving ahead with great effectiveness, due in large part to the faithfulness of dedicated officers, soldiers and community members.

Lewiston is not really home for me anymore. Indeed, I am reminded by the words of Paul that as believers our home is nowhere to be found on this earth, but rooted in our relationship with God through his Son. Paul writes in Philippians 3:20: …our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We reside in a great and wonderful territory, but a more won-drous place is in store for all of us whose faith is placed in a God who resides everywhere and who generously seeks to lavish his love and grace upon his people.

Early one morning while pedaling to work on my bicycle, I was struck from behind by a car. It happened on Park Avenue, a busy street in Long Beach, and it happened in a split second, although my mind seemed to have captured everything in slow motion.

While turning left, I was suddenly jolted by a car smashing into my bike, throwing me to the asphalt. The incident left me shaken with a crumpled bike. But other than minor cuts, bruises and sore ribs, I was OK. The driver who hit me took me home and later, when I went to my office at Territorial Head-quarters (THQ), my staff had already learned about the accident. Commissioner Jim Knaggs dropped by to see how I was doing.

I am thankful the Lord was watching out for me that morn-ing, for it could have been much worse. In San Diego recently, a 21-year-old woman was killed when her bicycle was struck from behind by a car. Each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some 48,000 bicyclists are injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes and an additional 677 killed.

Did the incident cause me to give up biking? No, but I am aware of what streets to avoid in Long Beach and those that are safe for bicyclists. Having been a pedaler since my youth when I had a paper route for the Honolulu Star Bulletin, biking has long been a part of my life.

As an officer, I have been fortunate to bike to work in three appointments, each with a very different terrain. Riding along a beautiful wooded trail to the Booth Memorial Home in Anchor-age on my single-speed Huffy was exhilarating. Brutally challeng-ing is the steep incline on Hawthorne Boulevard at the College for Officer Training. Even with my 21-speed Schwinn—courtesy of the Officer Wellness program—biking up that hill is a test of the spirit. Pedaling the flat 4.5 miles to my office at THQ has been generally without incident, except, of course, for that one hit-

from-behind encounter with a motor vehicle, and I once lost all of my keys.

Along the way to work in the early morning, I pedal past people leaving their homes and apartments—coffee cup in hand—get-ting into their cars or waiting at the bus stop to go wherever their daily journey takes them. I pedal past dog owners walking their pets, and I usually pass at least one cat staring at me from out of a window or under a parked car.

One morning, as I stop at the side of Ocean Boulevard, a car pulls up next to me. Perhaps seeing my Salvation Army fatigue uniform, the driver mistakes me for a policeman. He is lost and in broken English asks me how to get to the 405 South. Anyone who drives in Long Beach knows that it is quite a challenge to get to the 405 from Ocean Boulevard. But retrieving my trusty iPhone, I am able to show him the directions on the maps app.

Coming up to the intersection at Cherry Street, I pull up next to an elderly gentleman wearing faded military fatigues, sitting on a well-used electric scooter with an American flag decal on its back. Perhaps our commonality of being on wheels, him on three and me on two, and both wearing military-type garb draws us. We nod to each other and exchange greetings before the light turns green and we go our separate ways.

Sometimes life throws us a curve, hitting us out of nowhere, as it happened to me that one morning on Park Avenue. We are blindsided, damaged, hurt and angry. Should we curse God and die? (Job 2:9). I think, rather, we can have the faith and determi-nation of Esther, who, when faced with a difficult decision, went boldly ahead, saying, If I perish, I perish! (Esther 4:16).

May God grant you courage when faced with the challenges that come your way and when having done all, to stand (Eph. 6:13).

September 20, 2013New Frontier10 Doing the

Most Good

Pedal on

Going home

Edward HillLt. Colonel

LawrenceShiromaMajor

God is callingus to pray

prayerPower

Mervyn MorelockLt. Colonel

Music-making deserves to be of the highest possible quality—always and ever; even more so when the music is dedicated to that absolute epitome of quality and value: the gospel of Jesus Christ. But if the hearts and lives of the singers don’t reflect the beauty of the gospel message about which they sing, then they are only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

GLORIOUS, the Pasadena Tabernacle Youth Choir’s latest CD, is a fantastic gospel-style record-ing with a great touch of funk. The music is varied and balanced and captivates the listener from beginning to end. Alongside some very talented soloists, the bulk of the group consists of ordi-nary singers, who, under the skilled leadership of Barbara Allen, have been molded into a well-balanced and great- sounding choir. The fantastic accompaniment contributes immensely to the overall musical quality. Anyone who is into this kind of music will love this CD!

Having personally spent a week with the members of the Pasadena Tabernacle Youth Choir of The Salvation Army, my admiration for these wonderful people and their leader-ship is so high that, in spite of my opening statement, I don’t really care how well they sing. The sheer fact that each of the choir members has clearly and visibly dedicated their lives and their gifts and talents to the glory of God is in the end more valuable than anything their music can ever bring. Praise God! – Dick Krommenhoek, Commissioner

As a lover of song and singing, I find “Glorious” by the Pasadena Tabernacle Youth Chorus totally satisfying. You can hear enjoyment being invested by every voice in every phrase. From the first note you know why gospel music draws people in. . . first the performer, then the audi-ence. No wonder this genre is considered the people’s music. . . by the people, for the people.

In these 12 tracks you’ll find great diversity and excellent production value. The offerings range from updated hymn standards to fresh new gospel hits. Who would have thought that Kirk Franklin and William Booth could exist side by side and come off as companions! I particu-larly admire the disciplined vocal approach modeled by the group. Their unison line is amaz-ingly tight, even at its most syncopated. One might expect such a finished art from a smaller ensemble. But for 65 voices, this kind of precision is remarkable. The flavor of their gospel har-mony is as feisty and authentic as any all-black choir I’ve ever heard. Not at all the usual “young shout”. . . these guys can sing! – Len Ballantine, Major

Purchase the CD for $15 via susan.riley@usw.salvationarmy.org or 626-773-4400.

MORELOCK, page 11

Mile after mile of arid high desert; extensive and almost incredible expanses of ancient lava flows; upthrust cliffs: red and black, brown, yellow and shining white—for the past several days we have been driving among almost incred-ible reminders of the geologically violent past of America’s Great Basin. The awesome landscape slides by, waves of heat rising from the roadway ahead—all viewed from the closed windows of our comfortably cool, air-conditioned car. Believe me, we are thanking God for air conditioning.

Here and there—few and far between—are the most amazing sights of all: lush green fields of crops; golden-ripe grain wav-ing in the desert breeze; cattle, horses and sheep grazing in seeming perfect content-ment. We could not help but be reminded of the words of Isaiah: For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody (Isa. 51:3 KJV).

But as we drove on, the words of Jesus to his disciples came to mind with even more impact: “The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecu-tion comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and pro-duce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred

times what was sown” (Mark 4:14-20 NIV). The green and gold acres of thriving

crops in the desert are not accidents of nature, the simple coming together of the right conditions. They are the result of careful planning and incredible determina-tion. Rocks by the thousands have been moved to clear the land. Untold hours have been given to plowing, preparing the soil, fertilizing land to which life-giving water must be applied in abundance: a commod-ity in short supply in this arid land. All this must be brought to the inhospitable desert environ and maintained through heat and cold and storms both wet and dry.

And I wonder if, in spite of the warn-ing words of Jesus, we who claim to be his followers are willing to put the same kind of devotion, dedication and just plain hard work into maintaining our relationship with him.

A crop cannot be planted and then to-tally neglected. It requires attention: water-ing, clearing away the weeds and thorns that threaten, protection from the harmful beas-ties that would destroy it before ever it had a chance to ripen, and from the heat and cold and storms that would flatten the fields before harvest. It requires careful pruning or thinning at the proper time, even when the farmer feels reluctance to do so. (My peach tree had so many peaches on its branches that I, an amateur at best, couldn’t bear to thin the fruit. It got so heavy it broke the branches!) The fact is inescapable: if you want a good harvest, you have to work hard to tend the garden!

And if we want our relationship with Christ to be one that is full, mature, joy-ous, sustaining us through whatever ills may come our way—if we want a fruitful Christian life that proclaims Christ in the midst of a hostile environment, we must be willing to exert real effort—to work hard—to develop the seed of the fruit of the Spirit God has implanted in us.

I tend to live in the present—the here and now—not the there and then of the past nor the “sometime-maybe” of the future. But life demands that we look ahead, see what’s coming, understand trends, even make a few predictions.

Some others have made profound predic-tions.

In 1943, Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, stated: “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” At least he had the word “think” in his prescient prediction.

In 1981, Bill Gates said: “640K ought to be enough for anybody.”

In 1962, this young, English, singing group with a strange name—the Beatles—tried to get a contract with Decca Records and were rejected. When asked why, Decca responded: “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”

Let’s face it, the future is what we make it. The plan emerges from the problems of deficiencies of the past.

The Salvation Army has a difficult time planning ahead. If someone outside the command structure comes up with a valid and tested idea, it often requires successful navigation through several levels of bureau-cracy. If it originates at the top of command structure, it can be done quickly when the appropriate power base seeks the change. This is rare and most often becomes simply a surface change.

If the future pushes us to change the qual-ity and effectiveness of our social services, we have considerable data from a wide range of input reflecting the status quo. I’m not aware of whether or not these data are actually ex-amined, what range of social programs they examine, or their level of accuracy.

And what about the future? Will we be-come the Decca Records of social work? The Lehman Brothers of social change? Disap-peared historic names. Is the Army’s status quo sufficient?

I am taken with the concept “transforma-tion.” We tend to see transformation in a spiritual context wherein a human being rec-ognizes his or her separation from God, feels overwhelmed, and decides to make a total and distinct change in lifestyle—a spiritual conversion of such depth that the individual becomes an entirely new, a different person.

Transformation. We need to expand our understanding of the word.

Transformation is a new paradigm. It’s systemic, and affects all involved. It is what systems people call “second-order change”—a change in depth that frustrates leaders and threatens followers. Sometimes, it’s unplanned and almost happens by itself with inventions that modify how the society com-municates and interacts.

We tend, much of the time, to limit change planning to first-order changes. These are “superficial and do not call into ques-

tion the existing culture, mission/purpose or organizational paradigm” (John Hillary). Chang-ing the time the meeting starts or renovating the building does not change the system running the organization.

Second-order change “calls into question the status quo and disrupts the alignment among organizational attributes.” The eventual outcome of such change is a transformed, or renewed, organization—and, possibly, a traumatized workforce.

I believe The Salvation Army has a greater obligation to work toward dramatic social change—second-order change, not the cosmetic action with which we seem to limit ourselves. We move with great caution and miss many great opportunities. Why do we play it so safe? Why aren’t we making, at least,—like the New Zealand Salvation Army,—annual reports to the congress about the status of society—about the changing nature of society? It could be about crucial data assembled by its own Census Bureau—information like the dramatically unequal distribution of income. The wealthy are significantly wealthier today while poverty erodes more and more lives. Middle income people have stayed at the same income level as last year, while lower income people have earned less. What are the implications of these data?

What is the rationale that causes us to believe that it’s perfectly alright that a salary received by a woman is 23 percent less than a man receives for the same work? Why is that? Why are we silent about the 20.5 million Americans living in extreme poverty, earning less than $10,000 a year? That’s a cash income less than half of the poverty line.

The high level of hunger continues. Last year 17.2 million households were food in-secure. I know, “the poor will always be with us,” but that doesn’t mean we let them starve, or ignore their need to escape poverty. We need to abandon the status quo, get “outside the box,” and begin thinking, planning and testing a new system in, what I hope, is our ongoing commitment to reducing poverty.

Big thinkers think big. Often they are laughed at. But just look at the change we have experienced in the last couple of de-cades. To meet the challenges of tomorrow, we need a “think tank” with a few problem analyzers who are able to begin the process of moving us toward a transformation that will examine in detail “off the wall” ideas about how to deal with massive spiritual and social problems.

Let it begin with social workers, because they know the problems that need to experi-ence transformation.

The future of Salvation Army social work

September 20, 2013 New Frontier 11Doing the

Most Good

RobertDocterEditor-In-Chief

SharonRobertsonLt. Colonel

Name

address

City

state Zip

phoNe

email

3115

Have New Frontier delivered to your mailbox for just $15.00 per year. That’s just $1.25 per month for the Western Territorial news you need. Don’t wait. Subscribe today.

subscribeNow

Nuturing the seed within us

Send this coupon along with

your check or money order for

$15.00 payable to

The Salvation Army to:

Arlene De Jesus

Circulation Department

P.O. Box 22646

180 E. Ocean Blvd.

Long Beach, CA 90802.

* Domestic $15

International $25

$15 PER YEAR*New Frontier is published twice a month by The Salvation Army USA Western Territory Commissioner James Knaggs, Territorial Commander Colonel Dave Hudson, Chief Secretary

CELEBRATING OUR 30th YEAR

We welcome submissions of news stories of interest to the Western Territory. If you have something you’d like to share, submissions can be sent electronically to:

new.frontier@usw.salvationarmy.org

or by postal service to:

New Frontier, P.O. Box 22646, 180 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90802

The editor reserves the right to edit material submitted. Articles should be roughly 300 words in length.

editorial staFFrobert L. Docter, Editor-In-Chief • 562/491-8330email: bob.docter@usw.salvationarmy.orgChristin Davis, Managing Editor • 562/491-8723 email: christin.davis@usw.salvationarmy.org Karen Gleason, New Frontier Editor •562/491-8332email: karen.gleason@usw.salvationarmy.orgBuffy Lincoln, Associate Editor • 562/491-8329email: buffy.lincoln@usw.salvationarmy.orgErica Andrews, Assistant Editor • 562/491-8334email: erica.andrews@usw.salvationarmy.org Edie Jenkins, Editorial Assistant • 562/491-8785email: edie.jenkins@usw.salvationarmy.orgJared McKiernan, Editorial Assistant • 562/491-8345email: jared.mckiernan@usw.salvationarmy.orgVivian Gatica, Editorial Assistant • 562/491-8782 email: vivian.gatica@usw.salvationarmy.org layoUt & desiGN/adVertisiNGKevin Dobruck, Art Director • 562/491-8328email: kevin.dobruck@usw.salvationarmy.orgAdriana Rivera, Graphic Designer/Web coordinator • 562/491-8331email: adriana.rivera@usw.salvationarmy.orgCirCUlatioNArlene De Jesus, Circulation • 562/491-8343email: arlene.dejesus@usw.salvationarmy.orgnew.frontier@usw.salvationarmy.org

www.newfrontierpublications.orgFacebook: tsanewfrontier

member - eVaNGeliCal press assoCiatioN

ISSN 2164-5930

Hundreds of non-stop prayer rooms have housed extravagant prayer since 2011. The purpose of the global call is to motivate and focus attention on prayer throughout The Salvation Army’s international family, with a united purpose in intercession.

A renewal of prayer is happening in our day. We in the Western Territory are called to be part of it. Your corps is called to be part of it. Every Salvationist is being challenged to a greater commit-ment to prayer.

Prayer does change things! It will

change us, our corps and institutions, our communities, our nation, the world.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).

To request prayer and view other prayer requests and praise reports visit

saprayusw.com.

MORELOCK from page 10