Free of money and possessions

a Biblical thought...
Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised- look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. (Judges 6:36-38)

a Book thought...
The clearer your vision becomes, the easier it is to guard what God calls you to do. (p64)
a Dave thought... from The Age
They have no running water, no TV and no fridge - and they share a squat toilet with their neighbours. But For an expat Australian family, living in Delhi's slums has been a deeply enriching experience.
MARK and Cathy Delaney don't need to see the hit movie Slumdog Millionaire. The couple from Brisbane experience slum life in India first-hand every day. For 13 years, they have lived in the shanty towns of the Indian capital, Delhi, raising their children and sharing their lives with the locals.
The Delaneys have two sons — Tom, 12, and Oscar, 7 — who were born in India and have lived most of their lives in slums.
The family home, in a neighbourhood called Janta Mazdoor Colony, is about the size of a typical Australian bedroom. They have no running water, no television, no fridge and no washing machine. Two mattresses double as a lounge in the day, and meals are eaten sitting on the floor. They share a small bathroom featuring a squat toilet with neighbours. Most of the Delaneys' possessions are stored in a few steel trunks.
But the Delaneys are not complaining. They are strongly motivated by their faith, believing that life is more about caring for others than about comfort and success in the world's eyes. For them, living in a slum has been deeply enriching.
"It baffles us that more people in Australia who say they are sick of their lives don't do something like we have," says Cathy, who holds a master's degree in pure mathematics.
"The longer we have stayed here, the more we can see the positive effect it has had on us as people. I feel much freer of money and possessions — these things don't define my life."

Just a thought.

Corps Cadets has returned

a Biblical thought...
But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul. (Joshua 22:5)

a Book thought...
Without a compelling vision, people, just like tyres, quickly wear themselves out.(p39)

a Dave thought...
After many months of dreaming, planning, writing, and designing our new corps cadet material has finally arrived. With a new look format and interactive web page soon to be launched I really believe this a great step in intentionally training young Salvationists in our theology and missiology once again.

Corps Cadets has been a part of The Salvation Army's training and discipleship strategy for over 100 years.

More than just a discipleship program Corps Cadets is about passing on the heart beat of The
Salvation Army to the next generation of Salvationists. It aims to guide and support young people to go deeper in their faith so that they will become individuals who care for people,
transform lives, make disciples and reform society.

The two books currently available are: Youth Workbook 1 ($10) which includes 16 lessons with journal pages and working spaces.
Leaders Guide ($12) this contains all of the workbook as well as easy to understand read-along directions and interaction ideas for each lesson. In depth resource and pre-lesson pages are also supplied to help you get the most out of your Corps Cadets lesson.

For more information (in coming weeks) or if you would like to order a copy please go to our web page http://www.corpscadets.salvationarmy.org.au/

Just a thought.

From a CFA firefigher

a Biblical thought...
Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. (Joshua 21:45)

a Book thought...
Without Christlike qualities, no matter how good things look today, no ministry or leader can sustain it with their own talent. (p31)
a Dave thought... by Jim Darby
Much of what we do as CFA firefighters is mundane. We spend much more time on the dirty work of blacking-out than we do taming flames. When we are actively fighting fires, there are certainly risks, but training, equipment and experience helps us control the risks and, hopefully, have the judgement to pick the fights we can win. It's in our nature to search for heroes. It puts hope into situations that might otherwise appear hopeless; the notion that the heroes will arrive and save the day. It's also part of the way we process tragedy. The idea of a hero allows us to romanticise events — if we can wrap the makings of a myth around the disaster, it gives it some structure, makes it simpler to comprehend.

As we waited for the tanker to return from Kinglake for the changeover, I got some sleep under a tree with my black woollen turnout coat an itchy pillow. Suddenly I woke to a man shouting outside the staging area, loud and clear, equal parts grief and anger: "Where was the police? Where was the fire brigade? You've killed my family!"
I think the Salvos took him in hand. I knew there had been deaths in the area and those returning to the staging area gave us the feedback that it would go way beyond the
14 already reported, but there was something in my experience and maybe my uniform that shielded me from this person's grief. I knew he was suffering, but I also knew that the CFA firefighters in this area during the afternoon would have done everything within their capabilities to save the people around them. I suppose this assurance creates an emotional shield.

Some probably did commit heroic acts on Saturday the 7th, some committed heroic acts in the days following and I suppose we gain collectively from these exploits, but, to me, the heroes are the survivors, the ones who right now are piecing their lives together in a black landscape, still stinking of smoke and loss.

Just a thought.

Junior Band

a Biblical thought...
I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. (Joshua 14:7-8)

a Book thought...
A person surrendered fully to Christ gets it. And once a person has it, he can't keep it to himself. (p25)
a Dave thought...
Last night I assisted the Box Hill Corps in running a Junior Band information night. It was a great success with 19 primary school aged children signing up to learn an instrument. As my own son is looking at getting involved I have an interest here, but also because of my background as a music teacher. But more than all this I have heard many stories of young people who were attracted to a junior musical section at their local Salvation Army who have gone on to become soldiers and officers. I'm sure once again there were some present last night that God will challenge in years to come and we will discover that this was far more than just a band recruitment night.

Just a thought.

MORE

a Biblical thought...
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! (Joshua 10:14)

a Book thought...
The leader who practices gratitude gets a head start on heaven, because gratitude gives birth to praise, and giving praise is what we ultimately are designed to do. (p186)
a Dave thought...

Over the last few months Australia Eastern Territory have launched an exciting new sub brand of the Salvos. MORE has been created by Claire Hill (Territorial Youth Consultant)and her team and the results are looking great. I encourage you all to check out the web page and pray for these guys as they make The Salvation Army work again for Gen Y. http://salvos.org.au/more

MORE is The Salvation Army's message to a new generation. It's a declaration to a generation that there is MORE to life than they ever knew existed.It's a vision that there's MORE in store for the future and that the best is yet to come. It's a promise that The Salvation Army won't settle for second-best and will strive to do MORE in order to reach and engage today's youth. It's a belief that a generation will rise to become MORE than conquerors and will inherit everything that God has promised.It's a challenge for each of us to surrender MORE in response to a Saviour who has given everything for us. But most importantly, it's a shout of praise to a God who is without limits, without fault, without sin, without weakness and is able to do immeasurably MORE than we could possibly imagine.

Just a thought.

Traralgon

a Biblical thought...
The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:15)

a Book thought...
Saying yes to God means seeing each exchange with another human being as fraught with God potential. (p184)
a Dave thought...
Today I ended up at Traralgon assisting Captains Bruce & Naomi Thorne at the Bushfire Relief Centre. These officers are doing an amazing job and have been going non-stop now for 15 days. As you may be able to see in the photo above the corps property has been incredibly valuable and has now acquired 10 shipping containers and is soon to have a portable classroom as well. The way they have turned the facility into a massive drop off and pick up point as well as a cafe and counselling centre is a great example to every corps. As it is when we are willing to adjust our ministries to meet the immediate community needs that God often does his best work through us.

Just a thought.

Memorial Service

a Biblical thought...
Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Salt Sea was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. (Joshua 3:15-17)

a Book thought...
Leaders need to be kind to and honest with two factions during conflicts - themselves and their enemies. Both are important. (p169)

a Dave thought...
It was 15 days ago that 209 lives were tragically lost and for those of us a little distant from this disaster we are able to listen and watch the memorial service at Rod Laver Arena today. But as many of us take the time to reflect and mourn over the devastation of "Black Saturday" for others as The Age reports it is just too soon.

Bushfire affected Whittlesea residents have turned down the offer to travel by bus to Rod Laver Arena for the memorial service at the heart of today's national day of mourning.
Fifteen buses gathered in the town centre before 9am, but less than one hour before the service was due to commence the empty buses started leaving. A spokeswoman for the local community told The Age "it's just too soon''. She said that many families still had not buried lost family members.

I'm not sure if there will ever be a right time but our prayers and thoughts will continue to be with all who continue to mourn.

Just a thought.

Our Declaration

a Biblical thought...
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:8-9)

a Book thought...
A mark of emotional and spiritual maturity shows up in the extent to which a leader has developed relationships with godly people. (p167)
a Dave thought...
The last couple of days I have been in Geelong working in a small group on the Connecting Forward document. This framework came about after Connections 07 when over 1000 Salvos from across the territory fed back information about who we are and what they hoped we would become. One of the results of these consultations is "Our Declaration" it reads...

We are Salvos whose deepest desire, is to be like Jesus. We are an incarnational, servant people who want to live like Jesus, speak like Jesus, journey with and serve others like Jesus.

We see ourselves as part of belonging communities that embrace others, seeking and believing for God’s wholeness for every person. We are able to build relationships and journey with people because we are present, visible and connected in our communities and in the world.

We build long-term relationships, and like Jesus, we don’t give up on people. We believe we have been saved to serve others and to journey together towards wholeness and becoming complete people.

Like Jesus, our bias is for the poor, but everyone is invited to join with us in our mission. We want to be seen, not simply as another church, but as active Christian agents of change with a particular calling to those who are most disadvantaged and marginalised.

Our membership is diverse and we embrace as ‘Salvos’ all who choose to share the journey with us, and support our mission. We recognise our need to be inclusive and valuing of all generations. We want to support and encourage our young people to lead us in a new charge to re-capture and live out our distinctive calling. We desire to live as genuine disciples – risky, edgy, people for Christ. We are prepared to stand for different values and priorities to mainstream society.

Just a thought.

Making Decisions

a Biblical thought...
Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deut 34:10-12)

a Book thought...
The leader who is going nowhere will take hits from all sides. The leader who sets a direction will at least know what direction the arrows will be coming from. (p157)

a Dave thought...
Last night as the planning team met for the Glenferrie Outreach, we looked at who should influence our decisions regarding the model and location for our way forward for our new plant. As we have many opportunities opening up we are asking which one God has in mind or are there several ways forward?

We have the option of basing the corps out of a cafe, a house, an outreach vehicle, or lastly a building which we tend to default to as a Salvation Army. Now as we are getting closer to making the decision who's voices should be strongest in the discussion -

1. God's - the reason we are here and who has called us together

2. Others - other Salvation Army centres, the local council & other groups who already work in the area

3. Our team - surely our giftings and passions should shape the way forward

For every action we take there is a following consequence, lets pray our way forward is what God has in mind.

Just a thought.

MS

a Biblical thought...
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deut 31:8)

a Book thought...
Leadership that is not encountering difficulty probably is not trying to accomplish much. (p156)
a Dave thought...
Our DYS at Melbourne Central and good friend Major Mim Adams has been fighting MS for a number of years. On Sunday I am riding in the 2009 Melbourne Summer Cycle in order to raise funds for people affected by multiple sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis is the most common disease of the central nervous system and affects over 18,000 Australians. The average age of diagnosis of MS is 30 years old and 5 people are diagnosed with MS every working day. MS Australia aims to minimise the impact of multiple sclerosis on all individuals affected by the disease, their families, carers and the community by offering a wide range of assistance, services and equipment. MS Australia’s goal is to assist everyone affected by MS to live life to their full potential and secure the care and support they need, until we ultimately find a cure.

If you would like to help all people affected by multiple sclerosis you can sponsor me for this 40km ride by clicking on this link http://register.melbournesummercycle.org.au/?DavidCollinson

Just a thought.

I saw the uniform

a Biblical thought...
For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. (Deut 30:16)

a Book thought...
Great spiritual leaders are great spiritual leaders because they enjoy exceptional communion with God. (p150)
a Dave thought...
Yesterday as a few of us had a lunch break in the inner city we decided to go to a local cafe. The cafe was not in a prominent location and only had a handful of customers, but it was not long till a lady came over to speak to us. "I saw your uniform" she began and then went on to tell us all how much she appreciates The Salvation Army and all we do. This well to do woman was very sincere and took the time to express herself with much grace and authenticity. Afterwards we were all feeling very proud that we were Salvationists but that was not the end. Ten minutes later another lady comes over and again started to thank us in much detail for all our work especially with the bushfires. She began to get very emotional as she shared with us about the loss of a loved one in Kinglake. But that was not all she was then insistent that we take her boot full of brand new clothes and shoes that she had bought to donate to the victims of the fires. As we organised to collect her donation I had to wonder if I would ever get to sit in a cafe in uniform in Melbourne again this year without being thanked for being a Salvo.

Just a thought.

Missional Corps

a Biblical thought...
The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. (Deut 26:17-17)

a Book thought...
The Sabbath establishes the tone of the leader's relationship with God. That is why it deserves so much attention. (p149)
a Dave thought...
Here is how Forge Canada defines missional church:

“The missional church vision is not a programmatic response to the crisis of relevance, purpose and identity that the church in the Western World is facing, but a recapturing of biblical views of the Church all too frequently abandoned, ignored, or obscured through long periods of church history. It is a renewed theological vision of the church in mission, which redefines the nature, the mission and the organization of the local church around Jesus’ proclamation of the good news of the Kingdom. Missional Churches seek to respond to God’s invitation to join Him in His mission in and for the world, as a sign, a servant and a foretaste of this Kingdom.”

As we continue to plan & begin the new corps plant in Glenferrie I have been looking for words to describe who we are and what we are attempting to do. Although the definition above is not perfect there is a lot to like about it. But surely the concept and the name "Corps" established 130 years ago by Booth was a missional church long before this new term came along. Well now IICM http://www.iicm.net/ are using the term "Missional Corps" it is interesting how some of The Salvation Army language we are tending to do away with are in vogue once again.

Just a thought.

Ben Self

a Biblical thought...
Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth. (Deut 23:23)

a Book thought...
The Sabbath is not a day off to pursue whatever fancy is attainable and affordable. Rather, it is a day to restore eternity to our souls. (p142)

a Dave thought...
The man who galvanised scores of Barack Obama voters with an unprecedented online campaign is in Australia to advise the Rudd Government on how it engages the public and fights elections.
As part of the Obama campaign, Self led an online donation drive that netted over half a billion dollars from over 3 million donors. He devised the MyBarackObama social networking website, which involved 13 million voters from the bottom-up and created an army of Obama volunteers who knocked on doors, collected donations through events and house parties and campaigned on his behalf.
Now, Self, who was enlisted by Obama 10 days before he announced he would run for President, is in Sydney for a series of speaking engagements. In an interview he confirmed he would be meeting with the Rudd Labor Government who the Opposition this month criticised for spending $1.1 million on 36 new promotional government websites.
By giving voters a legitimate stake in the movement and a say in its direction, Self said the Obama campaign was able to "leverage these people to do a phenomenal amount of things"."The sooner our politicians see the internet as a vehicle for two-way communication, not a new medium for old static press statements, the sooner the inclusive, democratic and liberating power of online engagement will be harnessed in the same way Obama did - to such a transformative effect," said Ed Coper, campaigns director at online activist group GetUp.

Like the Obama campaign did so well, the Salvos also need to work hard on a web strategy. One that encourages two-way communication, like Rudd maybe we too could benefit from a meeting with Ben Self.

Just a thought.

WingClips

a Biblical thought...
Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. (Deut 15:10-11)

a Book thought...
Leaders who create team figure out how to empower others, literally giving power away. These community-minded leaders listen more than tell. (p135)
a Dave thought...
I was referred to a website this week - http://wingclips.com/cart.php this site's tag line is "movie clips that illustrate and inspire". This site looks amazingly helpful as you put in a theme or a movie title and you can then download an appropriate clip. There are even sermon outlines if you need some ideas. I am one who believes strongly in the use of media and film clips in communicating to people today. As movies are the modern day preacher in many communities and often have great messages that can be used for building the kingdom I encourage you to check it out.

Just a thought.

The Media

a Biblical thought...
At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (Deut 14:28-29)

a Book thought...
People know when others are listening or whether they are merely taking time to formulate their next thoughts or opinions. (p128)
a Dave thought...
The media are a great source of information that keep us all in touch with the bushfires, but I must admit having a love hate relationship with them. I love them because when I'm watching TV I want to see the latest footage and it helps us all to share some of the pain as we hear the real stories of people going through their pain and struggles. On the other hand when you are there at any of the relief centres where the victims are going through the hardest days of their lives I hate them. The way the media want to join in and hear the personal conversations or hopefully get another piece of film of someone in tears is just rude and invasive. I was even asked the other night to stand between the cameras and the nurses treating burns victims so the the media would leave them alone. I'm sure we all have a role to play but when people are going through their darkest hours surely the media can pay some respect.

Just a thought.

Bendigo

a Biblical thought...
It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. (Deut 13:4)

a Book thought...
Spiritual leaders who quit loving quit leading. (p126)

a Dave thought...
Yesterday took me to Bendigo for a visit with our new DY in Northern Vic Simon Pickens. We ended up staying for a Community Party arranged by Stuart McGifford for families in the area of Long Gully. The amount of support was just amazing as so many organisations donated their resources and time with goods and volunteers. There was a jumping castle, live band, BBQ, games, fairly floss, the drought outreach vehicle and everyone did their best to bring some hope to another devastated community. This picture was taken just 300 metres from where the party was and as you could imagine the community of Long Gully was very grateful for this initiative from the Salvos.

Just a thought.

Consolation

a Biblical thought...
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? (Deut 10:12-13)

a Book thought...
The leader who learns to be a nurturer, an encourager, a blessing at home generally extends this character to the public ministry. (p122)
a Dave thought... from The Age by Barney Zwartz
Christian leader Danny Nalliah's rantings about the bushfires are wrong.
CONTROVERSIAL Christian leader Danny Nalliah says the Victorian bushfires are a punishment for decriminalising abortion. Danny Nalliah is wildly wrong. He is wrong as a theologian, a thinker and a pastor, and has shocked and appalled both the mainstream community and the vast majority of his fellow Christians. They feel he has brought the name of Christ into disrepute.
At a time like this, the role of religion is not explanation; it is consolation. It is to seek to offer comfort and hope, a way of going on.

Just a thought.

Chaplaincy

a Biblical thought...
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. (Deut 8:10-11)

a Book thought...
When leaders do not say no when they want to, they wind up doing things they do not want to do. They can grow to loathe themselves for this lack of assertion. (p119)
a Dave thought...
It was a real honour just to be at the Whittlesea staging area on Monday night as a Salvation Army Chaplain. As I offered some encouragement, listened to the stories, helped serve meals and coffees it was amazing to see the commitment and courage of hundreds of firefighters and volunteers. Amidst all the conversations I came across a few people I knew from many years ago, here are some words of encouragement I received from Cam Mackay on Facebook…

“Dave. Good to see you last night at the Whittlesea staging area. I wish we could have talked longer. I can't tell you how much of a difference even a brief catch up like that made me feel, and I assure you - more than you can know - that you will have made a real difference in the lives of a lot of people. That chaplains tabbard was comfort in itself. Don't stop when the fire trucks go away mate, keep on following up with people - I know you will. Thank you man, thanks."

Just a thought.

Unbelievable

a Biblical thought...
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. (Deut 4:39-40)
a Dave thought...
Yesterday my son Noah attended his primary school to discover that an integration aide & her husband were tragically victims of the bushfires on Saturday night at Kinglake, and due to their deaths the school was in mourning.

I am currently here at the Whittlesea Showgrounds where the CFA, Salvos, St Johns and others are working 24/7 to help salvage peoples lives and homes from the horrific bushfires. As I walk around and chat to the workers and firefighters there is no other way to describe the whole situation but 'unbelievable'. Hearing story after story of volunteers who have seen the devastation firsthand has been disturbing to say the least. Many describing the scenes as something you would only see in some sci-fi movie, or the Iraq war. As some are found dead and others alive, one thing is for certain no words or conversations can make up for the pain and anguish experienced by those impacted firsthand by the worst fires this country has ever seen. Please continue to pray.

Just a thought.

Hell on Earth

a Biblical thought...
Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you. (Deut 1:13)

a Book thought...
Not until spiritual leaders are willing to move past the Lone ranger, heroic-leader model of leadership will they foster genuine community and release its power for transforming lives. (p115)
a Dave thought...

Watching the news bulletins and reading the papers is just shocking at the moment. The death toll is now at 109 with police now suspecting the final number will be over 170. As we hear and read stories of those incredibly fortunate to escape the bushfires we also hear of many who tragically could not escape. The victims are not only those who stay to try and save their homes but also a man in a wheel chair or someone who couldn't find their car keys, it is horrific. Please pray for the victims, their families, and also the many workers and volunteers on the front line.

Just a thought.

Bushfires

a Biblical thought...
This is what the LORD commands: When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. (Numbers 30:2)

a Book thought...
Construct your life so that you are doing more of what God is anointing in your life. (p111)
a Dave thought...
Twenty-five people are confirmed dead and the toll is expected to rise in Victoria's worst bushfires since Ash Wednesday.
The number of dead is expected to reach more than 40 as blazes continue to ravage the state with more than 100,000 hectares affected as 3000 firefighters struggle to contain seven major firefronts.

As I head off to an MSB rehearsal and and a band spiritual followed by the cadets welcome I wonder where us Salvos in Victoria should really be today.

Just a thought.

ReJesus

a Biblical thought...
"May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd." (Numbers 27:16-17)

a Book thought...
Not coming to a clear understanding of what you have been called to do leaves you vulnerable to competing agendas and imposing peronalities in your ministry world. (p106)
a Dave thought... Alan Hirsch — ReJesus
Reformation is not the critical process, but refounding is. We don’t need to reform church, but we need to find and practice the way of the Founder.

Rebooting is a recalibrating process. This is just what needs to be done within the church, i.e., reboot the church. But we are in uncharted territory, because the model that has been our guide for 17 century’s, although good and effective in its day, will not work in our post-Christendom culture.

ReJesus — Getting back to Jesus. Taking us back to our founder. There is nothing more important to the church than rediscovering Him. It is Christology that will rejuvenate and recalibrate the church.

Jesus defines our understanding of God. It is not just that Christ is God-like, but that God is Christ-like.
Jesus set the model for discipleship. The gospels need to be our primary text for studying about Jesus and how he worked.
Jesus must be the center of church. How is it that people can say they love Jesus and not the church? It is because the church doesn’t reflect Jesus and his values.
Jesus must set our mission. What is it that we need to do to be like Jesus? We need to discover Jesus and not holiness. If we are going to reflect Jesus we should take up his values and our mission should reflect those values.
Jesus sets the agenda and model of ministry.

Just a thought.

Happy Birthday Facebook

a Biblical thought...
Balaam answered them, "Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God. (Number 22:18)

a Book thought...
God’s part of the call dynamic is to initiate, guide, position, and intervene. The leader’s part of the call drama is to hear, respond, search, and order or reorder life. (p95)

a Dave thought...
Facebook celebrates its fifth birthday this week and the company has much to crow about, as new figures reveal the social network has twice as many monthly users in Australia as its nearest competitor, MySpace.
According to web traffic monitor Nielsen Online, Facebook attracted 4,682,000 unique visitors in December, compared with just 2,362,000 for MySpace. Furthermore, each Facebook user viewed 381 pages on Facebook but MySpace users looked at only 252 pages.
The figures show Australians appear to be deserting MySpace for Facebook, which started as a Harvard dorm room project in 2004 and has had an astronomical rise in Australia since first bypassing MySpace in April last year.
Founder Mark Zuckerberg, 24, said he was "humbled" that so many people were using the site to "engage and understand the world around them. The culture of the internet has also changed pretty dramatically over the past five years," he said.
"Before, most people wouldn't consider sharing their real identities online. But Facebook has offered a safe and trusted environment for people to interact online, which has made millions of people comfortable expressing more about themselves."

I am one of the many millions that have crossed over from MySpace to Facebook, it is amazing how something can become such a phenomena in just 5 years, and all from mere dorm room. Enjoy the birthday Mark.

Just a thought.

20,000 homes

a Biblical thought...
You must present as the LORD's portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you. (Numbers 18:29)

a Book thought...
Because the apostles and other early Christian leaders chose mission over refuge, the Christian movement survived and thrived. (p92)
a Dave thought... from The Age
$6.4 billion has been budgeted to provide more than 20,000 new dwellings, the largest investment in public housing in Australia's history.

In making this bold investment, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has returned public housing to its rightful place as a key part of social policy, sending the powerful message to policymakers, advocates and the community that public housing must be a priority.
When public housing started more than 60 years ago, it was celebrated as good, compassionate social policy, but more recently it has developed a poor image and the name itself has become a dirty word. It has been seen as a failure and an old-school solution that would be better left to the market to work out.

Public housing works and this investment will produce significant social and economic returns. With this policy, the Prime Minister has made it clear he is serious about meeting his target of halving homelessness by 2020 and shown that he understands that meeting that target hinges on increasing the nation's supply of affordable housing.

Just a thought.

The Food of Champions

a Biblical thought...
Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD. (Numbers 15:38-39)

a Book thought...
Leaders who want to transform the culture seek to build as many bridges as possible to the world outside the faith. (p91)
a Dave thought...
Feedback is an interesting thing to receive. As I have overseen many events and projects over the years so have been on the end of many encouraging thoughts as well as many critical ones. I was taught early on as a leader that feedback is the food of champions and unless you are willing to receive peoples opinions it will always be hard to grow as a leader. Well the longer I have been in leadership the more I do want to hear what people think. Many are encouraging and tell you the things you want to hear in person. Then there are others who let you know everything regardless of its harshness but write it down rather than deliver it face to face or through a conversation. So I continue to learn and grow as a leader and whatever food comes my way I pray I will have the wisdom not only to know what to swallow but also to know what to digest.

Just a thought.

Why Corps Cadets?

a Biblical thought...
At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order, in accordance with his command through Moses. (Numbers 9:23)

a Book thought...
The real estate-bound and program-based church models that characterise most expressions of contemporary churchianity do not address the needs of most peoples lives today. (p82)
a Dave thought...
2Love is just about to launch our new Corps Cadet material and an interactive website for the territory. As part of this process over the last few weeks it has been a lot of fun looking through all the old Corps Cadet material. I have had many conversations over the lat 12 months on why there is a need to bring this discipleship tool back. The four reasons Corps Cadets exist is to study the bible, learn our doctrines, reflect on Salvation Army history and to practically take on how to live a Salvationist lifestyle. Most of our youth bible studies across the territory are studying the bible only which is a good thing but without any of our distinctives being passed on we are really only doing 1 of the 4 purposes at the moment. If we are studying the bible only we can learn this information at thousands of other churches across this country as there is no use for an Army without cadets .

Just a thought.

Whopper Sacrifice

a Biblical thought...
'If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazarite, he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. (Numbers 6:2-3)

a Book thought...
Pre-Christians are looking for God, not for a successful church. Church leaders who believe that building the perfect church will attract pre-Christians do not yet understand the culture that confronts them. (p82)
a Dave thought... from The Age
While many trivial actions prompt Facebook to post an alert to all your friends — adding a photo, changing your relationship status, etc — striking someone off your list is not one of them.
It is this policy that Burger King ran afoul of this month with its "Whopper Sacrifice" campaign, which offered a free hamburger to anyone who severed the sacred bonds with 10 of the friends they had accumulated on Facebook. Facebook suspended the program because Burger King was sending notifications to the cast-offs letting them know they'd been dropped for a sandwich (or, more accurately, a tenth of a sandwich).
The campaign, which boasted of ending 234,000 friendships, is history now — Burger King chose to end it rather than tweak it to fit Facebook's policy — but the same can hardly be said of the emerging anxiety it tapped. As social networking becomes ubiquitous, people with an otherwise steady grip on social etiquette find themselves flummoxed by questions about "unfriending" people: how to do it, when to do it and how to get away with it quietly.

Just a thought.

$2m?!

a Biblical thought...
So the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each with his clan and family. (Numbers 2:34)

a Book thought...
Knowing where you stand demands that you become a student of culture. Leaders with the courage and commitment to engage culture want to be culturally relevant. (p78)
a Dave thought...
Last night Serena Williams won $2m in 59 minutes as the winner of the Australian Open. It is an amazing amount of money for a short amount of work and it is also interesting how the men receive the same amount. Tennis unlike most other sport is unusual in this regard as firstly there is no guarantee you have to perform for a certain amount of time like two 45 minute halves etc. Also why do men and women receive the same when the Men's champ will probably have played for three times the length of time over the same fortnight than Serena. Not sure how the organisers justify it all but there were certainly a lot of tickets left for last nights Women's final, but at $272.95 a pop for a bad seat for 59 minutes entertainment I think I know why.

Just a thought.