SNP MSP praises Salvation Army's Scottish Election 2016 film project

A Salvation Army film project has been giving people at risk of being made homelessness the chance to quiz politicians on the issues affecting them.

Service users at The Salvation Army's Greenock Floating Support Service – which provides housing support to adults with addiction issues – got the chance to come up with some questions for local SNP MSP Stuart McMillan.

The event was the latest part of The Salvation Army's Scottish Election 2016 film project – a series of short films that will be used to highlight the main political parties’ responses to issues highlighted by the church and charity's frontline services. The issues are: drug and alcohol misuse, homelessness, employability, older people, and debt. The series of short films will be released on social media in the weeks before the Scottish Election on May 5, 2016.

Leaders and representatives from the five main political parties have accepted an invitation to visit a frontline Salvation Army service that deals with one of the issues in the films.




Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, said: "As the SNP representative in The Salvation Army's film project, it has been a hugely interesting experience.

“I'm well aware of the wide range of services The Salvation Army provides in Greenock and across Scotland. I've always been greatly impressed by this work and I know that it genuinely helps people get their lives back so they can contribute in a positive way to society.
"The public sector can't solve every single issue and this is where organisations like The Salvation Army have a huge part to play in our communities."

Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Roberts, The Salvation Army's Assistant to the Secretary for Scotland, said: "This is a great opportunity for The Salvation Army and our service users to ask the questions that matter. For example, one issue that has come up among our service users is the availability of sustainable tenancies for vulnerable adults.


“It has all the hallmarks of being an interesting discussion and everyone at The Salvation Army is looking forward to it.”



One service user who got to put a question to the MSP was Shaun Murphy. Shaun has been with The Salvation Army since 2007, starting out at its former Fewster House service in Greenock before being supported into his own flat.

Shaun asked Mr McMillan if the Scottish Government would consider banning alcohol advertising in public. Mr McMillan replied that the matter was a reserved issue for Westminster but added that the Scottish Government would continue to press the UK government to do more around marketing and advertising.

Shaun said: "It was good to be able to put our questions to Mr McMillan. I'm pleased to be able to take part in this kind of thing with The Salvation Army because I wouldn't be alive without their support over the years.


"I'm originally from Lincolnshire but now I've made a life for myself in Greenock. So much so that when my dad died in 2013 my mum moved up to live permanently. Now we both go to The Salvation Army's church service every Sunday."

The Gathering 2016

The Salvation Army will again have a stand at The Gathering, which is Scotland’s largest event for charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations. It will be on 17 and 18 February at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), Glasgow, G3 8YW. Entry is free and it is open from 9am to 5pm each day. See more information at http://gatherscotland.org.uk/. If you're interested in helping out on our stand contact us at Scotland@salvationarmy.org.uk.

This year we will also be hosting an event on the Thursday at 1.30pm called 'A joined up alcohol strategy: research, practice and policy'. It will highlight our partnership with the University of Stirling in developing the next phase of our Scotland Drug and Alcohol Strategy. You can see more details and book a free place at http://gatherscotland.org.uk/events/a-joined-up-alcohol-strategy-research-practice-and-policy/

There are many other interesting free events you could attend during the two days listed at  http://gatherscotland.org.uk/events/

Posters and leaflets are available to print from these links:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/49905299/gathering%20leaflet.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/49905299/gathering%20poster.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/49905299/Poster%202.pdf

We hope to see some of you there!

Journey through Advent 3

We come now to the journey of the Wise Men. We read in Matthew's Gospel.

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler    who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

These men had travelled far and did not really know where they were headed. They simply knew they had to follow a star to find a king. Looking for a king they went at first to the palace, where you would probably expect a king to be, but of course, the king they were looking for was not there. So they continued to follow the star and came at last to where Jesus was, there they bowed down and worshipped him and gave the gifts they had brought with them.

Sometimes we don't always look for Jesus in the right places. God speaks to us in many different ways, sometimes not in the way we expect. But, like the wise men, if we continue to follow then God will guide us. As get closer to Christmas keep following the star and do not let yourself get distracted by the trappings and bustle of this season, follow the star to the manger and find the baby there.

Journey through Advent 2

Our second journey this Advent is to think of the journey of the shepherds.

They were quietly watching their sheep in the fields when something dramatic happened - the skies were filled with angels singing and praising God. They were told to go to Bethlehem and see a baby.

We read in Luke's gospel

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

It was hard work being a shepherd, you  were out in the fields all day protecting your sheep against any danger. Shepherds were not very important people, they had no influence in the society of the time. Can you imagine how they felt when angels appeared to them and told them this news. They put aside their fear, they trusted in what the angels told them and they went to Bethlehem to see this amazing and wonderful thing, to see this amazing and wonderful child, born not in a palace but lying in a manger.

This advent let us remember those who live on the outskirts of our society, those who have no influence, let us remember that the child was born in the manger for them.

The Salvation Army has teamed up with Shakin Stevens towards the re-release of his classic hit Merry Christmas Everyone. Shaky has re-recorded the hit and renamed it as Echoes of Merry Christmas Everyone, with the proceeds of sales for this year going to The Salvation Army.

Journey through Advent 1

This Advent as we journey towards Christmas I thought we could think a little on the various journeys that were made at the first Christmas.

The first journey to pause and think about is the journey that Mary and Joseph made. They journeyed first to Bethlehem to be registered there because of the decree that Caesar Augustus issued. We read in Luke’s gospel:

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,^[b] who was with child. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

This would not have been an easy journey, the road would have crowded with other people also going to Bethlehem, it would have been hot, dusty and Mary would have been tired and soon to give birth. They would not have had many possessions with them. Then when they arrived at Bethlehem they could not find a room to stay in.

Their next journey was a frightening one, we read in Matthew’s gospel

“Now when they (the wise men) had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Again not an easy journey to make, with a young baby this time. They fled not knowing what awaited them, they fled with little possessions. They made a journey from danger to safety, trusting in the Lord.

As we think about the preparations we are starting to make for Christmas let us also think about those today who are making journeys to safety.  Let us remember those refugees who are fleeing for their lives, from places torn apart with war and destruction, refugees who are hoping for a safer life. They are fleeing with little or no possessions to a place they do not know, let us remember to pray for them this Advent season.

 

Celebration at Glasgow City Centre Corps

Last weekend it was celebration time at Glasgow City Centre Corps with the opening of its new community church. The oldest and youngest members of the corps cut the ribbon at a day of thanksgiving for the whole community in Anderston.

When the Salvation Army first expanded from England into Scotland the first corps was in Anderston in 1879. Now the corps enter a new chapter with the opening of their new building.  The building on Houldsworth Street features a modern glass front, generous grounds for a community garden and facilities for local residents which include a cafe, a larger open plan hall and a prayer space.

Captain Matt Butler says "We are now in a great position to continue to deliver our Sunday worship and our popular God's Groovy Gang children's ministry. We are also excited to be exploring the opportunities to start new programme and activities and we have a fantastic cafe space that we are looking forward to opening in the New Year.  It's been an incredible journey to get to where we are with this new building. Our thanks and blessings go to all those who worked tirelessly to bring us such an incredible space."

Majors Russell and Catherine Wyles, Divisional Leaders joined with the corps for the celebrations. Major Russell Wyles says "we recognised the needs of the community in Anderston. This new centre will give us an exciting opportunity to demonstrate our belief of changing people's lives within communities and enhance the already strong ties we have with local residents."

How are we doing?

The Salvation Army in the UK is currently emphasising TIDE – Transformation, Integration, Discipleship and Effectiveness. On the matter of effectiveness, it was the management guru Peter Drucker who said some years ago: ‘The Salvation Army is the most effective organisation in America. No-one even comes close to it in respect to clarity of mission, ability to innovate, measurable results, dedication and putting money to maximum use’.

Looking at each of these points, can we ask ourselves ‘how are we doing?’

• Clarity of mission. Jesus was very clear about his purpose. His opening words in Mark 1:15 were ‘The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news’. He was announcing the good news of the kingdom – not just in words, but in deeds as the rest of the chapter shows. Our mission is also to bring the kingdom near in word and deed. Every corps and centre should be clear about this, should encapsulate it in a mission statement, and ensure that every activity is aimed at achieving it.
• Ability to innovate. The opening shots of the American War of Independence were fired at the battle of Concord in 1775. The British troops insisted on marching down the road in formation, while the American militia men hid among the trees and took pot-shots at them. The British lost the battle because they failed to adapt to the terrain. Our social and cultural terrain is constantly changing and so we need to innovate to remain relevant and effective.
• Measurable results. Acts records that 3,000 were saved on the Day of Pentecost and the Lord ‘added to their number daily’. Every few chapters we read that the word of God spread and the church grew. These were measurable results. That’s not to say that everything good can be measured. Much valuable ministry cannot be estimated in terms of numbers or tangible outcomes. But effective ministry and mission will have some measurable results, whether it’s in terms of attendances, membership or numbers of people helped. 
• Dedication. Back in the 1980s Roy Castle presented Record Breakers. At the end of every show he would sing the theme song: ‘If you want to be the best, if you want to beat the rest, dedication’s what you need’. Yes, it is what we need even if we aren’t planning on breaking any records. Dedication sometimes goes unrecognised and unrewarded, but it is vital for our effectiveness. 
• Putting money to maximum use. Whether we’re entrusted with money given by our own members, by the public or by government agencies, we have a responsibility to be good stewards. Careful planning, budgeting, accounting and spending are all part of this. Money is a kingdom resource – let’s use it wisely and well for the kingdom’s sake.     

So, how are we doing?

Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts