Over the last few weeks this Blog has posted about making disciples, changing communities, social ministry that is transformational, planting Salvation Army Corps in areas where we have no current representation.
Over the next few weeks various people will be contributing to the blog - all of them are practitioners, they are involved in real ministry, in real settings, in real time.
None of them write regularly for a blog or other publication so style will change from post to post.
We hope you enjoy each post - feel free to comment here on the blog site, through Facebook or through Twitter. Just look for "Salvation Army Mission Scotland".
Friday 26 April 2013
Monday 22 April 2013
Forgotten Children...
How do we show Children they are not a forgotten people in The Salvation Army today?
The answer is really simple.....because the bible says so! In the gospels we hear Jesus saying that nobody should stop a child coming to him and that as adults we all need to have that childlike faith and trust. Then why do we in the Church always look at children as the 'army of the future'? If children are so important to Christ then we should be doing all we can create opportunities for them to have a relationship with him.
I don't believe that children need to best games equipment or the most up to date resources to make our ministry successful. For me, children require our Corps to be a place that love them and allow them to play their part. The best quality a children's worker can have is faithfulness in the work they do, as children so often don't get the commitment they deserve from society.
Can you play your part within this and be faithful to the children we are called to work with?
Through Mission Scotland, the Children and Youth group are seeking fresh ways to do this by making sure our children's ministry is intentional and relevant but also making sure children are included in all aspects of our worship. By doing this then surely we will become a more attractive place to be and help to show children that they are not forgotten about but instead people who we treasure and love.
Ian Midwinter
Monday 15 April 2013
Pioneer Corps
In the earliest days of Salvation Army ministry Corps and mission stations were popping up all over the place! They were exciting days as newly saved people became our most effective evangelists - both for the gospel and for Booths new model army..
The battle lines have been redrawn as our country has moved into the late twentieth and then early twenty first century.
As community and society has shifted so must our pioneering be different to the early day.
Marching into the town centre with a brass band may bring a feeling of well being and nostalgic warmth but is it the most effective way of establishing Salvation Army Christian fellowship in 2013 and beyond?
What are the needs of your locality - not where your Corps fellowship meets but where you live? Is this the place for the next area we 'open fire' using not only the weapons of goodwill but the sword of the Spirit?
The battle lines have been redrawn as our country has moved into the late twentieth and then early twenty first century.
As community and society has shifted so must our pioneering be different to the early day.
Marching into the town centre with a brass band may bring a feeling of well being and nostalgic warmth but is it the most effective way of establishing Salvation Army Christian fellowship in 2013 and beyond?
What are the needs of your locality - not where your Corps fellowship meets but where you live? Is this the place for the next area we 'open fire' using not only the weapons of goodwill but the sword of the Spirit?
Thursday 11 April 2013
Life changing?
In recent years there have been several changes in the way we operate our Social Service provision.
We no longer have dormitory hostels, moving towards individual rooms in Lifehouses. A hand out has become a hand up with personal dignity ranking high in terms of how we deal with those who need our assistance. There are challenges that come with this - not least that of funding our ever increasingly costly programmes.
But what is the greater cost? The provision of roof and mattress or the risk of someone dying (and people still do) on the streets of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen?
Within The Salvation Army in Scotland an focus has been given in an aggressive way through providing high quality social ministry which is truly life changing. the work of the Floating Support Service based in Greenock, or the SHIELD project in Aberdeenshire are two great examples of mission and ministry as they enable people with chaotic and addicted lifestyles to remain in their own tenancy.
Our LifeHouses across Scotland provide food shelter and warmth - and spiritual challenge to those who need it.
The meeting Scotland Drug and Alcohol Strategy is ground breaking and life changing and is gaining respect far beyond The Salvation Army.
Add to this the raising of the spiritual bar in all of our social centres and we have a truly life changing social mission as defined in the Mission Scotland Mandate.
How are you and your corps / fellowship involved in serving stuffing humanity?
We no longer have dormitory hostels, moving towards individual rooms in Lifehouses. A hand out has become a hand up with personal dignity ranking high in terms of how we deal with those who need our assistance. There are challenges that come with this - not least that of funding our ever increasingly costly programmes.
But what is the greater cost? The provision of roof and mattress or the risk of someone dying (and people still do) on the streets of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen?
Within The Salvation Army in Scotland an focus has been given in an aggressive way through providing high quality social ministry which is truly life changing. the work of the Floating Support Service based in Greenock, or the SHIELD project in Aberdeenshire are two great examples of mission and ministry as they enable people with chaotic and addicted lifestyles to remain in their own tenancy.
Our LifeHouses across Scotland provide food shelter and warmth - and spiritual challenge to those who need it.
The meeting Scotland Drug and Alcohol Strategy is ground breaking and life changing and is gaining respect far beyond The Salvation Army.
Add to this the raising of the spiritual bar in all of our social centres and we have a truly life changing social mission as defined in the Mission Scotland Mandate.
How are you and your corps / fellowship involved in serving stuffing humanity?
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