The CSM

a Biblical thought...
The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. (1 Cor 12:26-26)

a Book thought...
One of the primary laws of human life is that you become like what you worship; what's more, you reflect what you worship, not only back to the object itself but outwards to the world around. (p195 Wright)
a Dave thought...
Corps Sergeant-Major: The chief local officer for public work who assists the corps officer with meetings and usually takes command in their absence.

It is interesting to see how many Corps no longer have a CSM as part of their leadership structure. One of the strengths of The Salvation Army is that we have always known clearly who is second in-charge, as when the commander is absent or is struggling with an issue there has been someone to take over. As with all command positions there must be an assistant, such as Territorial Commander there is a Chief Secretary, Divisional Commander there is a Divisional Secretary, so a Commanding Officer of a corps needs a clear assistant. Unless the people of a corps clearly know who else to turn to in challenging times things will often get messy.

Just a thought.

The 10 Worst Movies About Jesus

a Biblical thought...
What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt. (1 Cor 11:26)

a Book thought...
Jesus simply didn't say very much about the future life; he was, after all, primarily concerned to announce that God's kingdom was coming ón earth as in heaven'. (p189 Wright)

a Dave thought...
You would think the opportunity to play Jesus Christ in a major motion picture would be a distinction even more amazing than playing Hamlet, since Jesus is someone that no human could ever thoroughly understand unless he had the mind of God. Well, think again. Chances are the reason the director picked you is because you're the guy who couldn't afford haircuts and you owned a dusty pair of Man Sandals.
These are the movies that make the story of the Son of Man look like the story for Son of Flubber.http://www.wittenburgdoor.com/10-worst-movies-about-jesus

It is sad how often our attempts to go big with media and movie making about the most influential man ever are always so bad.

Just a thought.

An Evangelical Manifesto

a Biblical thought...
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. (1 Cor 10:13)

a Book thought...
God will download our software onto his hardware, until the time when he gives us new hardware to run the software again. (p175 Wright) a Dave thought...
First, to be Evangelical is to hold a belief that is also a devotion
Second, Evangelical belief and devotion is expressed as much in our worship and in our deeds as in our creed
Third, Evangelicals are followers of Jesus in a way that is not limited to certain churches or contained by a definable movement.
Fourth, as stressed above, Evangelicalism must be defined theologically and not politically; confessionally and not culturally.
Fifth, the Evangelical message, “good news” by definition, is overwhelmingly positive, and always positive before it is negative
Sixth, Evangelicalism should be distinguished from two opposite tendencies to which Protestantism has been prone: liberal revisionism and conservative fundamentalism.
Seventh, Evangelicalism is distinctive for the way it looks equally to both the past and the future.

This document was made public on May 7, 2008 to help USA and the wider world have a better understanding of what it means to be an evangelical. As the term often brings negative connotations here is an attempt to put it right.

http://www.anevangelicalmanifesto.com/docs/Evangelical_Manifesto.pdf

Just a thought.

Back to hymns

a Biblical thought...
I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. (1 Cor 9:26-27)

a Book thought...
Hope for the resurrection of the body has been so out of tune with several of the prevailing moods of Christian thought down the years that it has become muzzled, distorted and then not even known. (p159 Wright)

a Dave thought...
It was great to be part of the concert last night which featured the Northwestern College Symphonic Band. This 70 piece ensemble from a Christian College in Minnesota is currently touring Australia, their mission statement reads...Northwestern College exists to provide Christ-centered higher education, equipping students to grow intellectually and spiritually, to serve effectively in their professions, and to give God-honoring leadership in the home, church, community, and world.
Noah was not so much excited about hearing the band itself but about meeting our two billets at the end of the concert. Eventually we did meet Sarah and Rachel and had some great conversations over cake and raisin toast last evening. As we got on to the topic of young adults and church Rachel made the comment that her church had two services, a morning one which was contemporary, and an evening service which was based more around hymns. Her observation is that more and more young people are wanting to sing hymns and that this service is attracting a lot of them as time goes by. She went on to say that perhaps we are all so used to contemporary worship and have had it from the day they entered the church that singing hymns is not so common and many are wanting to worship God in the old way once again.

Just a thought.

A trinitarian thought

a Biblical thought...
But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track. (1 Cor 8:9)

a Book thought...
The promise is not that Jesus will simply reappear within the present world order, but that, when heaven and earth are joined together in the new way God has promised, then he will appear to us - and we will appear to him, and to one another, in our own true identity. (p147 Wright)
a Dave thought...
I have been in various conversations of late on how we look after the things around us, and what we value most. I have noticed in particular some interesting observations with my fellow officers. For some keeping their quarters in a perfect state and their garden beautiful is very high on their agenda. I believe they do this because they have been taught from a young age to look after the possessions that have been entrusted to them. I have also noticed this with some and their lease vehicles, again even though they don't own them they do their utmost to keep it in great condition. For those that cherish these facilities there are also an equal number who have no attachment at all and feel it is not a big deal if things deteriorate or get shabby.

I personally like to have a clean house & car, but do not always have them in the best possible condition. However the area that does take some part of my attention is looking after my body. For me if my body gets in such a state that I am unable to do ministry due to sickness or overweight it certainly effects the way I serve both God and others. So I will continue to observe some who demand others to get their house or car in order but deep down I wish they would get their own body in order as surely down the track a quarters and vehicle is only of use if we can go the distance.

Just a thought.

Driveway No. 1

a Biblical thought...
There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple —in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out. (1 Cor 7:29-31)

a Book thought...
Despite widespread opinion to the contrary, during his earthly ministry Jesus said nothing about his return. (p137 Wright)
a Dave thought...
Call me unusual but I am one who actually enjoys door knocking with my Salvation Army uniform on. Yesterday I went out collecting for the Red Shield Appeal with my son Noah and had some amazing conversations, met great people, and received some generous donations along the way.

As I was team captain, I had to organise quite a few others so it was looking doubtful that I would be needed to actually knock at all, but when I finally got to my first house I was reminded once again why it is so valuable. This well dressed lady came to the door and once I had finished my usual blurb, she disappeared to get her $20. She then came back and started to share her story while I was filling in the fresh receipt book. She explained how her husband had just left for London to rescue their 34 year-old son who is an alcoholic, and due to liver failure is currently in medical care. We discussed the options of a rehab centre amongst others, and how she was hoping the Salvos might be getting involved to help her family. After a few minutes we parted ways and as I left heading for driveway no. 2 it was like God assured me to never stop this face to face contact, and that it was once again worth coming out today.

I soon realised I was having my best conversations when I took a long time to fill the receipt book out, but then would often get stuck at a house for 3- 5 minutes rather than the efficient 90 seconds when I was all pre-receipted up. So the dilemma for our movement was right before me personally -am I more interested in collecting lots of money and getting through my area as quickly as possible, or is it connecting with the people that really counts?

Just a thought.

Marketing or Military

a Biblical thought...
You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body! (1 Cor 6:13)

a Book thought...
The American obsession with the second coming of Jesus, or rather with one particular and, as we shall see, highly distorted interpretation of it, continues unabated. (p131 Wright)

a Dave thought...
Yesterday at the Men's Bible Convention I sat under the teaching of David Starling, currently a lecturer at Morling College, a Baptist college in Sydney. He gave a very thought provoking message on Ephesians 6 on how the military metaphor used here with putting on the Armour of God has been replaced today with the marketing metaphor of the church. We no longer disciple and teach our people to get ready for battle but rather we use catchy slogans and deceptive advertising to somehow get people into our buildings. You only have to check out churchmarketingsucks.com to see how badly we use this tool, I even own a book from the nineties titled Marketing the Church by George Barna.
So even though are marketing is slicker than ever before church attendances continue to decrease so maybe David is on to something and it is time to engage with the military metaphor once again.

Just a thought.

John Anderson

a Biblical thought...
But I am saying that you shouldn't act as if everything is just fine when a friend who claims to be a Christian is promiscuous or crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can't just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. (1 Cor 5:11)

a Book thought...
Get the ascension right, and your view of the church, of the sacraments, and of the mother of Jesus can get back into focus. (p125 Wright)

a Dave thought...
John Duncan Anderson (born 14 November 1956) is an Australian politician. He served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Leader of the rural-based National Party of Australia from July 1999 to July 2005. Anderson was born in Sydney, but his family have been graziers (sheep ranchers) and landowners in northern New South Wales since the 1840s. When he was three years old, his mother died of cancer. In a tragic accident, his younger sister died after Anderson hit a cricket ball into the back of her neck while he was playing with his father. He was educated at The Kings School and has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Sydney. He was a farmer and grazier on family properties before entering politics.

Last night I attended the Belgrave Heights Men's Convention purely as a trombonist but came home as a John Anderson fan. This former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia has been through a lot in his life, not only did he accidentally kill his sister with a cricket ball at a young age, but he also lost one of his own children to sickness. He told the story how he had a heart experience of God in his teenage years but then drifted away for a number of years until at university where he had a head experience and he could no longer doubt the existence of God and acknowledged His presence in his life.
Perhaps the story that said the most to me though was when he was leading the country in September 2001 as John Howard was away in the US. As this was when 9/11 occurred the experts thought Australia might be hit next, John said the pressure was enormous and all he could do was pray, and and how through this time he had an amazing peace from His Heavenly Father. John believes , like myself that the more our country turns away from God and becomes self-centred the more problems we will continue to face.

Just a thought.

twenty-somethings

a Biblical thought...
I know there are some among you who are so full of themselves they never listen to anyone, let alone me. They don't think I'll ever show up in person. But I'll be there sooner than you think, God willing, and then we'll see if they're full of anything but hot air. God's Way is not a matter of mere talk; it's an empowered life. (1 Cor 4:18-20)

a Book thought...
Part of Christian belief is to find out what's true about Jesus and let that challenge our culture. (p122 Wright)
a Dave thought...
Recently I heard a speaker address the challenges facing our society in regards to the twenty-somethings. His thinking is that they have decided to put back the four markers of adulthood 10 years. Those being - choosing a career, getting married, taking on a mortgage, and having kids. I know personally that I had decided on a career at 21, married at 22, mortgage at 24 but waited till I was 31 to have my first child.

Today things are different for most, as you will well know there is now no rush to decide on a career as you can take gap years, go overseas, do multiple degrees, and take your time, most not settling down till their late 20's. When it comes to marriage many now live together and find no need to seal the deal till into their thirties, and this also means not settling on a property till that stage. Many are now opting not to buy at all not just because of soaring house prices, but as they want flexibility and not commitment. And when it comes to children they are becoming an optional extra in your life and most start a family as late as possible in their mid to late 30's.

It is fascinating how quickly life is being put back and in many ways I think the Church has yet to figure out how to cater for these extra 10 years the twenty-somethings have created. They live life to the full but don't want to jump into commitment unless they are really convinced. If we want to engage with this group maybe church for the twenty-somethings has to be flexible, interactive, exploratory, intellectual, and worth turning up to.

Just a thought.

Canvas Night

a Biblical thought...
You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God's temple, you can be sure of that. God's temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple. (1 Cor 3:16-17)

a Book thought...
The world is created good but incomplete. One day, when all forces of rebellion have been defeated, and the creation responds freely and gladly to the love of its creator, God will fill it with himself, so that it will both remain an independent being, other than God, and also will be flooded with God's own life. (p114 Wright)

a Dave thought... from Noah
I did this on Friday with Mr Ano and Miss Montana. The picture is of me. It took me one hour or half an hour. My mum paid for it. It cost $10. It was fun painting it at school. Thank you for reading this blog. Love from Noah.

Last night our family went to Noah's primary school to the canvas night, where we viewed all the wonderful paintings of the 200 students. It was great to chat with parents and teachers but most of all to see my son's amazing artwork. It is hard not to be bias or proud but then again maybe it is just a natural dad thing to do.

Just a thought.

My Ministry Essentials

a Biblical thought...
God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. (1 Cor 2:8-9)

a Book thought...
What has happened in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is by no means limited to its effects on those human beings who believe the gospel and thereby find new life here and hereafter. It resonates out, in ways that we can't fully see or understand, into the vast recesses of the universe. (p108 Wright)
a Dave thought...
After yesterdays 10 rules for balancing life I thought I would offer my 4 rules for those in ministry. If you want to serve God and his people for the long haul you must...

1. Know your God - it is very easy when you have had a strong faith for many years that you take your relationship with the big boss for granted. Remember this guy is the ultimate line manager and unless you check in with Him everyday and read His word you will eventually lose the plot. So do not neglect your first love. If you don't plan to spend some meaningful time with God on a daily basis you are planning to fail.

2. Know your giftings - be confident in how God made you. We are all different and once we have worked out what areas in our life we produce the best fruit in we will often be trying to be a person or taking a role that does not suit our gift mix. If you have never done a gift assessment, do one but better still ask those around you to confirm them in you. If you are working mostly in areas outside of your giftings not only will you get worn out but those around you will get frustrated.

3. Know your friends - ministry is not meant to be done alone. For some of us that is easy because we are in well functioning teams, but for others of us who may be isolated it is essential that you gather some friends and mentors around you who gone this distance in ministry. Not only do you need friends who know what you are facing everyday but people who will be honest with you, not just agreeing with you all the time but also pointing out areas in your life they may need some attention.

4. Know your body - as we are always doing ministry through our physical being it is essential that you look after it. Firstly that means physically and emotionally you must know your limits and how to replenish your energy when needed. Some are capable of doing ministry 24/7 while for others 30 hours a week is a push, again everyone is different and it is important to find your levels of output and put boundaries in place so when you reach your limit you can take some time out. So healthy sleep, diet and exercise habits will certainly enhance what God wants to do through you.

Sorry that it maybe too Maxwell-like for some, but for me over 20+ years when I violated one of these areas I discovered my ministry got way harder than God intended.

Just a thought.

Balancing work & life

a Biblical thought...
That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God." (1 Cor 1:31)

a Book thought...
The central Christian affirmation is that what the creator God has done in Jesus Christ, and supremely in his resurrection, is what he intends to do for the whole world. (p103 Wright)
a Dave thought...

Here is the top ten rules from The Age to balancing work, family & lifestyle commitments...

1. Work out what matters

2. Know your entitlements

3. Negotiate an agreement

4. Schedule your time

5. Learn to say ‘no’

6. Ask for help

7. Be web savvy

8. Look after your health

9. Focus on end results

10. Take time out for you

Although they are not perfect I would currently live by eight out of ten of these (not 2 & 3) at the moment. As burnout is becoming more and more popular in the workplace in our culture it is important we each work out what our strengths and weaknesses are when it comes to life. You may want to only live by six of these, it is up to you, but I encourage you to do an inventory of your life on the ten and ask yourself what else is worth implementing so you can last the journey.

Just a thought.

Post-Charismatic?

a Biblical thought...
Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They're only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren't above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents. (Romans 16:17-18)

a Book thought...
Hope is what you get when you suddenly realise that a different worldview is possible, a worldview in which the rich, the powerful and the unscrupulous do not after all have the last word. (p87 Wright)

a Dave thought... review on Post-Charismatic
'Charismatic' is a loaded word. For some it's old-hat, for others it's unknown, and for still others it's dangerous. But for a growing number, it's a bad dream they want to forget. Rob McAlpine writes for all these, but especially for the last category – those who embraced charismatic renewal with hope and excitement, only to be found picking themselves up off the floor after years of disappointment, disillusionment and even spiritual abuse. Rob deals with facts before venturing an opinion. Carefully he steers us through the relevant history, looking in depth at the 'Latter Rain' movement, teaching on 'shepherding', and the prosperity 'gospel' that ultimately brought pain and disillusionment to so many. Then, aware that it's often easier to criticize than to construct, he explores possible ways forward to a more mature expression of spirituality and a shared life together as disciples of Christ today.

"Rob McAlpine writes with a positive and constructive voice. He shows us that the answer to misuse or excess concerning the Holy Spirit is not 'no use' but right use. For burned-out and hurt former charismatics, Post-Charismatic? leads the way forward toward a mature and sane re-engagement with the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Post-charismatic is not post-Holy Spirit, it is a call for post-weirdness."

This word ''post-charismatic'' means post rather than anti and is probably best summed up by a comment I heard recently, "Many are Post-Charismatic. . . after 20 years, they would rather shoot themselves than sing another chorus." I like many no longer have to begin with 45 minutes of singing to have a real worship service. I will continue to appreciate the charismatic movement and am very thankful for the experiences but maybe I am not in the centre of it any longer.

Just a thought.

We're fat!

a Biblical thought...
May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! (Romans 15:6)

a Book thought...
Though the historical arguments for Jesus' bodily resurrection are truly strong, we must never suppose that they will do more than bring people to the questions faced by Thomas, Paul and Peter, the questions of faith, hope and love. (p85 Wright)

a Dave thought... form The Age
In just 20 years, calorie-dense fast food, passive entertainment and our dependence on the car have fuelled a doubling of Australian obesity rates. We now have the fifth-highest adult obesity rate in the world, with almost 9 million adults either overweight or obese. Their excess weight will place them at greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and a range of other conditions, and — according to a 2005 analysis by Access Economics — cost the nation more than $21 billion a year in health-care costs and lost productivity.

We continue to be trying to work out what to do with the obesity problems in Australia. It seems that the rapid change we have experienced in the last 20 years has actually made our country worse. We now have fast food outlets on most corners and eat out more than ever before, we have more cars and drive to every place we possibly can, then even though we've saved all that time by not cooking and not walking we have vacated churches on Sunday. Add to this the growing numbers of Australians diagnosed with mental illnesses and we are not in the best state. So yes we are officially more physically, spiritually, and mentally unhealthy than ever before. It seems as we become more selfish and fatter, both physically and financially, Christianity is no longer needed. You'd hope us Aussie Christians are different, but perhaps we Australians just need God when things aren't so easy.

Just a thought.

Uncle Sam

a Biblical thought...
Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. (Romans 14:1)

a Book thought...
What I am suggesting is that faith in Jesus risen from the dead transcends but includes what we call history and what we call science. (p83 Wright)

a Dave thought...
Uncle Sam is a national personification of the United States (US), with the first usage of the term dating from the War of 1812 and the first illustration dating from 1852. He is often depicted as a serious elderly man with white hair and a goatee, with an obvious resemblance to Presidents Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, and dressed in clothing that recalls the design elements of the flag of the United States—for example, typically a top hat with red and white stripes and white stars on a blue band, and red and white striped trousers.In 1941, in an effort to control inflation, the U.S. Treasury began marketing the new Series E Bonds U.S. Savings Bonds as "defense bonds". The government used the hype of the war to market the bonds to the country as a way to raise money for the war, when in fact they were used to take money out of the economy so inflation would not occur. The first one was sold to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 1, 1941, by Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau.[3] After the formal entry of the United States into the war in December of that year, these bonds became known as "war bonds".

The picture above, printed in 1942 is another that was sent to me this week in relation to the Revolution debate. I agree the imagery is very similar and although Uncle Sam was some guy, he certainly didn't have the same impact on the world as Jesus. By the way if you want to comment on this and to keep in vogue with past comments, I would like to encourage you all towards references to selling pets.

Just a thought.

Liminality

a Biblical thought...
Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.(Romans 13:10)

a Book thought...
Jesus is raised, so we must act as his heralds, announcing his lordship to the entire world, making his kingdom come on earth as in heaven! (p67 Wright)
a Dave thought... from Alan Hirsch
The church in the West is facing a massive adaptive challenge: positively in the form of compelling opportunity and negatively in the form of rapid, discontinuous change. These twin challenges comprise a considerable threat to Christianity locked as it is into the prevailing form of church with all its associated institutional rigidity. We are in a situation of what Roxburgh calls ‘liminality’. Liminality in his view is the transition from one fundamental form of the church to another necessitating the apostolic role. Environments of discontinuous change require adaptive organizations and leadership. As the apostolic role is responsible and gifted for the extension of Christianity, so too the missionary situation requires a pioneering and innovative mode of leadership to help the church negotiate the new territory in which it finds itself.

It will be really interesting where we will be as a Salvation Army in the next 10 to 20 years. Most current leaders at the moment won’t be in positions of authority then so maybe don’t consider the long term future as much as some of us younger officers. However unless we have adaptive, creative, but focused leadership we will always struggle to transition.

Just a thought.

Generation Y

a Biblical thought...
Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. (Romans 12:11-13)

a Book thought...
Despite a thousand Easter hymns and a million Easter sermons, the resurrection narratives in the gospels never, ever say anything like ‘Jesus is raised, therefore there is a life after death’, let alone ‘Jesus is raised, therefore we shall go to heaven when we die.’ (p67 Wright)

a Dave thought...
Gen Yers are those broadly aged from 6 to 31, born from 1977 to 2002. Unlike the generations that have gone before them, Gen Y has been pampered, nurtured and programmed with a slew of activities since they were toddlers, meaning they are both high-performance and high-maintenance. "Generation Y is much less likely to respond to the traditional command-and-control type of management still popular in much of today's workforce," says Jordan Kaplan, an associate managerial science professor at Long Island University-Brooklyn in New York. "They've grown up questioning their parents, and now they're questioning their employers. They don't know how to shut up, which is great, but that's aggravating to the 50-year-old manager who says, 'Do it and do it now.' "
"We are willing and not afraid to challenge the status quo," 23 year-old Kate says. "An environment where creativity and independent thinking are looked upon as a positive is appealing to people my age. We're very independent and tech savvy."
Unlike boomers who tend to put a high priority on career, today's youngest workers are more interested in making their jobs accommodate their family and personal lives. They want jobs with flexibility, telecommuting options and the ability to go part time or leave the workforce temporarily when children are in the picture.
Generation Yers don't expect to stay in a job, or even a career, for too long.They don't like to stay too long on any one assignment. This is a generation of multitaskers, and they can juggle e-mail on their BlackBerrys while talking on cellphones while trolling online.
And they believe in their own self worth and value enough that they're not shy about trying to change the companies they work for.

After attending a few conferences of late, it seems that it is not only the church that is trying to workout out how to cope with Gen Yers but also the Australian workforce. These guys are wanting more flexibility, more consultation and then when you give it to them there is no guarantee they are going to hang around. The challenge for us in a highly structured and controlling organisation, is to somehow relax a bit and listen to this generation. Sure it is going to get messy and its not how we've done it before, but unless we engage them and let them help shape our future there maybe will be no future at all.

Just a thought.

71 years later

a Biblical thought...
Behind and underneath all this there is a holy, God-planted, God-tended root. If the primary root of the tree is holy, there's bound to be some holy fruit. Some of the tree's branches were pruned and you wild olive shoots were grafted in. Yet the fact that you are now fed by that rich and holy root gives you no cause to crow over the pruned branches. Remember, you aren't feeding the root; the root is feeding you. (Romans 11:16-18)

a Book thought...

What we have at the moment isn't, as the old liturgies used to say, 'the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the dead', but the vague and fuzzy optimism that somehow things may work out in the end. (p35 Wright)

a Dave thought...
The poster above was the one I had on my blog post a couple of weeks ago that caused so much controversy. The upper picture is an image that was found in a 1937 War Cry. It is amazing the similarities even though the young designer had never seen the original artwork before. I'm sure many believe the times have changed and this kind of imagery is not appropriate today, but as we are still an army involved in warfare maybe this is who we are supposed to be, but have just lost our way somewhat.

Just a thought.

Josiah

a Biblical thought...
Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it." It's exactly the same no matter what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. "Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help." (Romans 10:11-13)


a Book thought...
Our task in the present is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day, with our Christian life, corporate and individual, in both worship and mission, as a sign of the first and a foretaste of the second. (p41 Wright)

a Dave thought...
After 3 days of vomiting Josiah, our 1 year old, has just been admitted to Box Hill hospital due to dehydration. Although this is not uncommon, it is for our family. Please pray for him.

Just a thought.

Don't blame the church

a Biblical thought...
All those people who didn't seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. (Romans 9:29)

a Book thought...
It is telling that English evangelicals gave up believing in the urgent imperative to improve society about the same time that they gave up believing robustly in resurrection and settled for a disembodied heaven instead. (p38 Wright)
a Dave thought...
Yesterday Matt Kean preached in our Mothers Day service and gave the challenge to all parents 'don't blame the church if your child is not here in 5 years, if you are not talking with your own children about how to live like Jesus at home'.
Many of us want others to bring up our children in the ways of Jesus but don't actually have the conversations about God or pray with our own siblings as part of our daily lives. I am with Matt on this one, to disciple our own children is the most important thing we can do for them. Praying with them, reading the bible with them, and talking about how we can live a life that reflects Kingdom values is surely worth making time for in our lives. So rather than only teaching our children how to pursue a successful career that will fund everything they want to buy, let's make time for the most important. It seems we all put more effort into potty training our children than talking about Jesus with them, maybe it is because we have to deal with the consequences first hand when our toilet training is unsuccessful.

Just a thought.

Cameron Wallace

a Biblical thought...
I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:39)

a Book thought...
Many now to refuse in hell at all; but we have found over the last century, as this denial has developed, that paradoxically it leads to a diminution of the promise of heaven. (p26 Wright)

a Dave thought...
We have just heard the sad news that Major Cameron Wallace, Corps Officer at ACH died of a heart attack yesterday. As father of three teenagers and husband to Sue, this wonderful man will be greatly missed. It was only Tuesday at Super Cluster that I spent 15 minutes with him chatting about ACH, jogging & ministry over coffee at morning tea. He was a wonderful officer and fine gentlemen and through that conversation with him this week it confirmed what an incredible passion he had to serve God with all his heart.

Amongst this sad news this morning Noah our 6 year old treated mum with some special gifts, and the letter above is just one of his marvelous creations. Let's treat our mums well today, and everyday for that matter.

Just a thought.

Leadership

a Biblical thought...
The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. (Romans 7:25)

a Book thought... from Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
Most people have little or no idea what the word resurrection actually means, or why Christians say they believe it. What is more worrying, this multiple ignorance seems often to be true in the churches as well. (p19)
a Dave thought...
In twenty-one separate but related essays that comprise this volume, James Kouzes and Barry Posner share their thoughts about the positive and enduring impact that an effective leader can have. The nature and extent of each effective leader's legacy, of course, varies from one to another. While reading the Introduction and then the first few chapters, I began to think about great leaders throughout history such as Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Mohandas Gandhi. Obviously, there are differences between and among them and other great leaders in terms of when and where they lived, the circumstances in which they were born and raised, and the challenges they faced. However, all of them had a vision of what ought to be as well as an absolute faith that it could be fulfilled, they attracted the support of others who shared their vision and their faith, and they possessed what Bill George characterizes as "authenticity." Two excerpts:

Not a week goes by "that we don't hear someone in an executive role say something to this effect: `I don't care if people like me. I just want them to respect me." Get real! This statement is utter nonsense - contrary to everything we know about leadership...people perform significantly more effectively when their leaders treat them with dignity and respect, listen to them, support them, recognize, make them feel important, build their skills, and show confidence in them. Likeability is a major factor in being successful in just about every endeavor in life."



"You can leave a lasting legacy only if you can imagine a brighter future, and the capacity to imagine exciting future possibilities is the defining competence of leaders. Today's leaders have to be concerned about tomorrow's world and those who will inherit it. They are the custodians of the future, and it's their job to make sure that they leave their organizations in better shape than they found them. We've surveyed thousands of people on what they want in leaders, and their tell us that being forward-thinking is second only to honesty as their most admired leader quality...Get everyone involved in asking, What's next?...Another crucial question is, What's better? What's better than what you're now doing or anticipate doing in the foreseeable future?...It's imperative that we spend less time on daily operations and more time on future possibilities."

Honesty & forward-thinking are the two qualities people want to see in leadership. It would be interesting to see how The Salvation Army does on these two areas by surveying people inside and outside the movement. I am one who continually wants to cast a preferred future and know where we are heading, and believe unless we do so as an organisation we will continue to frustrate those who minister and work for us.


Just a thought.

GodTube

a Biblical thought...
But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master. (Romans 6:22,23)

a Book thought...
To be successful in the twenty-first century we will have to learn how to practise infinite innovation. Infinite innovation is the never-ending pursuit of creating more and more value for all stakeholders inside and outside the organisation. (p219 FBF)

a Dave thought...
GodTube, the YouTube for the religious, has raised $30 million at a $150 million valuation, according to Rafat Ali. The funding comes from GLG Partners, a hedge fund.
What’s interesting about GodTube is not so much the technology – as Pete wrote in his initial review, “put bluntly … it was crap” – but how it’s little more than an existing concept catered to a very specific yet very huge audience. Christian television is enormous in the US, and GodTube has been able to capitalize on people’s desire for religious programming by taking a proven concept (video sharing), a brand name clearly inspired (some would say stolen) by a market leader, and industry best practices to become a big business.
As Pete noted in August, the site actually got its start running on a $300 script. It simply exploded from there, entering the top 1000 web sites in September and never looking back.

GodTube is an obvious rip-off of YouTube with the added bonus of knowing that all the material uploaded is selected to help you consider God and improve your understanding of Him. It is a great example of the fact that you that you don't need to have a radically new idea to reach more people today, but rather just a stolen one that has worked can often be just as successful.

Just a thought.

Assessment Tool

a Biblical thought...
We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. (Romans 5:8)

a Book thought...
The challenge for organisations is that values are more complex than money. Values cannot be simplistically condensed into a mission statement or neatly printed onto an embossed card. And values cannot be invented. Either we have them or we don't. (p194 FBF)

a Dave thought...
At Super Cluster on Tuesday Tim Brown introduced an assessment tool they use at their church...
The Christian Life Profile Assessment Tool (CLPAT) Training Kit is a four-session course designed to help churches implement a spiritual growth plan for everyone in their congregations by means of a small group structure. This comprehensive discipleship tool kit enables churches to assess the Christian beliefs, practices, and virtues of each member to help everyone grow. The training kit is based on the “Thirty Core Competencies” as outlined in the book The Connecting Church, also by Pastor Randy Frazee. These thirty core competencies help churches know when they are making progress in guiding their members toward Christ-likeness. Each of the four sessions contains components such as video, lecture, leader-led discussion, large group discussion, and small group discussion. Individuals answer 120 questions about their Christian beliefs, practices, and virtues. Three friends also assess them in the virtues area. Using the results, individuals identify areas in which they would like to grow during the upcoming year. The resource guide provides plans to help realize the growth such as reading books, memorizing Scripture, attending a seminar, being mentored by a spiritual director, or engaging in a new spiritual discipline.

I am interested if anyone has used this tool before and what the fruits of such a thorough exercise were. It does seem very analytical and certainly has dangers of turning discipleship into a science but if it helps us all grow a little more maybe it is worth checking out.

Just a thought.

Super Cluster

a Biblical thought...
That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right." But it's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God. (Romans 4:24-25)

a Book thought...
If you educate people and then treat them as morons or just a human resource, the best ones will leave. Education without personalisation treats training as a cost rather than an investment. (p192 FBF)

a Dave thought...
Yesterday I joined the Super Cluster for the day, this is the group of about 80 Corps Officers that Kelvin Merrett facilitates. As the focus is on building healthy churches, the topics for the day ranged from Assimilation to Leading Continual Change. The main presenter for the day was a Tim Brown, one of the many success stories that Paul Borden has mentored over the years.
Tim Brown is the pastor at First Baptist Church of Clovis in California, a church that has grown from 67 to 900 in the last 10 years. Tim is a great communicator and let us know some truths such as:

• That we can attract a crowd without changing lives.
• The real leader of the church is the most influential person at the church, who is often not the Senior Pastor or Corps Officer.
• Many of us are discipled and biblically educated far beyond our obedience.
  

As this group continues to meet, learn, and discuss I pray that it will result in healthier corps which truly start to reform the communities God has placed them in.

Just a thought.

The Power

a Biblical thought...
Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:24)

a Book thought...
Innovation requires experimentation. Experiments are risky. We can succeed or fail. So, an innovative environment must have an exceptionally high tolerance for mistakes. And so must leaders of innovative organisations. (p183 FBF)

a Dave thought...
Heather Power, or as some may know her "The Queen of Facebook" ventured over from Canada 12 months ago to work alongside us in the 2Love team. Heather is an amazing lady, she is always having fun, has heaps of energy, has hundreds of friends all over the world, along with being a great writer who has been an incredibly loyal and creative member of our team.
Yesterday we received the sad news that Heather must return home. After 12 months of working here in Australia her visa has expired and after many attempts to get an extension, she has been informed that on May 24 her time in the land downunder for now has come to an end.
I will miss Heather, and will never forget that she has introduced me to many new things including Facebook, Tim Hortons Coffee, and 'the points system'. So Heather we will miss you, thanks for all you have added to our team, and I'd like to award you 100,000 points!

Just a thought.

Divisional Youth Meeting

a Biblical thought...
Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn't so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done. (Romans 2:2)

a Book thought...
Successful leaders live the values of the company 24/7 and continually set the culture. Culture comes from the top. (p181 FBF)

a Dave thought...
It was a lot of fun being a part of the Melbourne Central Divisional Youth Meeting last night at Macleod. Sarah led a great worship time, James gave a really challenging testimony & the interview Naomi conducted with Sonia let us all know something we all really wanted to know -Sonia is a scruncher!
We asked all the young people present to spur each other on (Hebrews 10:24) and had a time to reflect and contribute some thoughts on this. It was really encouraging to see what a faith community could look like if we prayed for each other, thanked each other, cared for each other, and believed in each others dreams. So let us keep on encouraging each other & I'm sure we will continue to see amazing youth emerge out of MCD.

Just a thought.

Young Adults

a Biblical thought...
It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: "The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives." (Romans 1:16-17)

a Book thought...
Real Leaders challenge people. They do not control them. True leaders set people free. (p66 Funky Business Forever)

a Dave thought...
Last evening a group of us ventured down to Noble Park Cafe Salvo for an Eastern Vic young adults night. With all the essential elements present it was a really good night. There was coffee & cake, live music with Mezz Coleman, & some discussion with Danielle Strickland around human trafficking. As Danielle asked us to consider how we are involved with promoting God's kingdom in the world today she challenged us to get involved with the fight against human slavery. She introduced us to a short segment from a BBC documentary interviewing past slaves from an Ivory Coast cocoa farm. This was disturbing as the slave suggested to us to start seeing eating chocolate as ''eating my flesh'', so harsh was his treatment and punishment working for nothing and getting beaten for so many years as a farmer. The challenge is there for us to start getting involved in Kingdom business by fighting against this oppressive treatment of slaves, and we can make a start by simply buying fairtrade chocolate & writing letters to the manufacturers.

Just a thought.

Future Forum Reflections

a Biblical thought...
Paul talked to them all day, from morning to evening, explaining everything involved in the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them all about Jesus by pointing out what Moses and the prophets had written about him. (Acts 28:23)

a Book thought... from Funky Business Forever by Ridderstrale & Nordstrom
Ten years later even the coolest-looking Apple computer with all the gigabytes any human being could possibly want is still dumb. (p8)
a Dave thought...
Reflecting on the Future Forum I attended on Thursday there is no doubt there has been rapid developments in the past ten years in the area of technology. The challenge for us all is that the futurists predict that in the next ten years there will be even more change than what we have just experienced. This includes by the year 2010 every manufactured phone will be equipped with a GPS chip so you can locate all your friends or employees 24/7. That every telephone call will be recorded on both your mobile and at work in case there is information that may be needed after the occasion.

How do we react or better still plan ahead so we are not behind the eight ball in technological developments is the often asked question. The SA like all organisations will be forced to change with the times, but it would be great if we can think together on how these developments will help our mission rather than just annoy us as an aging organisation. Perhaps an SA Future Forum would be a good place to start.

Just a thought.

Future Forum

a Biblical thought...
"Last night God's angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, saying to me, 'Don't give up, Paul. You're going to stand before Caesar yet—and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.' So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what he told me. But we're going to shipwreck on some island or other." (Acts 27:23-26)

a Book thought...
The longer you look at Jesus, the more you will want to serve Him in His world. That is, of course, if it's the real Jesus you're looking at. Plenty of people in the church and outside it have made up a 'Jesus' for themselves, and have found that this invented character makes few real demands on them. He makes them feel happy from time to time but doesn't challenge them, doesn't suggest they get up and do something about the plight of the world. Which is, of course, what the real Jesus had an uncomfortable habit of doing. (N.T. Wright)

a Dave thought...
Yesterday I attended Future Forum which featured workshops by Australia's "best and brightest" minds: Dr Bruce McCabe – Australia’s leading IT Analyst, Allen Kearns – CSIRO Environmental Scientist, Mark McCrindle – Social Demographer, Neville R. Norman – Associate Professor of Economics (University of Melbourne) and Dr Robert Kay and Bruce Hills co-founders of innovation and commercialisation consultants - Incept Labs.
As I attended this event in my full uniform, again everyone wanted to talk to me about their past religious experiences or the Oasis documentary that was on the ABC recently. Over lunch there was one particular conversation I won't forget. We had just come out of a session on sustainability and the presenter left us with the challenge that we each must learn to live using less resources, including smaller homes and driving smaller cars. Then Tim, a wealthy businessman, shared with me over lunch that he had links with The Salvation Army many years ago and that his grand parents were SA officers. He went on to say to all at the table that the most content people he ever new were these grand parents who had very little but were always far happier than anyone else he had every come across, and fondly recalled the times he would drop in as a child to visit them at their humble quarters.
I will blog on some of the content over the next week but again it was the people I met yesterday and the conversations I had which made me realise why it is important that The Salvation Army is present at such events.

Just a thought.

Philip Smith

a Biblical thought...
'I'm sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.' (Acts 26:17-18)

a Book thought...
Our decision to serve Jesus should not be made in order to earn Jesus' grace, but as a response to it. (p153 Frost)

a Dave thought...
Last evening Kylie and I ventured down the road to hear Philip Smith, principal of the NY Philharmonic Orchestra with the Melbourne Staff Band. As a brass muso myself the night was certainly impressive but it was two verbal introductions that will stay in my mind.
The first was the introduction Colonel Robert Redhead gave to a favourite piece of mine, 'Pastoral Symphony'. Robert described why he wrote the piece and the fact that he was a Corps Officer at the time and discovered that his church needed the holiness of their pastors, that despite their own giftedness nothing would replace their personal devotion to God, so they needed to get on their knees. He went on to say that until we are completely devoted to God and serving Him, only then can we truly glorify God.
The second moment was when Philip gave his testimony in such a straight forward manner and challenged us all that if you have just come for the music that is good but you can go away with so much more. He asked us each to consider praying for Jesus to come into our hearts and that if we do that we will go away with so much more than just another music festival.
So for me the words outshone the music last night, but for others I'm sure they were hardly heard, nonetheless I thank God for Robert & Philip and the clear messages they portray around the world. There is no doubt in my mind that a concert with the gospel communicated clearly and authentically, by real people unashamedly devoted to Jesus, will always outshine just another slick production.

Just a thought.