Ballarat Salvos January-February Issue

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table contents of Colouring Competition Victoria at The AFL Army Salvation Ballarat Salvos 01 Others 03 Quick Stats 05 Installation Challenge 08 Meet the Team 11 Salvos Blueprint 102 12 Salvos Cafe 102 13 Christmas Cheer Christmas Wrapping 14 14 15 Men's Shed Box 17 Grocery 18 Kickstart Newstart B Y R H O N D A E L K I N G T O N Coffee Talk 19 OTHERS 20 20 21 22 Tribe Lunches Pay it Forward Thrift Shop A story is told of worshippers arriving at their Church in White 31 23 Lake, North Dakota on a very chilly November morning, being met by a rather disturbing sight. An apparently homeless beggar was sitting on the front steps of the church, wearing tattered clothing, a wool cap pulled down over his eyes, and clutching a bottle in fingerless gloves. The worshippers had never experienced or seen anything like this before. Most of them simply walked around the man, or stepped 50 69 over him, as he sat there. Some muttered words of disapproval, and others suggested that the man move to another doorway before the Sunday School children arrived. One member told the man, in no uncertain terms, that The Salvation Army was a more appropriate place to sleep it off. 43
At one point, a kind woman brought the man a Styrofoam cup of hot coffee, but not one person asked the man to come in out of the cold, and certainly nobody invited him in to join them in worship. Imagine, then, the people’s surprise during the entrance hymn, when the supposedly homeless man made his way into the pulpit, took off his cap, and the people recognized that it was their pastor! The pastor addressed the congregation saying, ‘I didn’t do this to embarrass you or to poke you in the eye. I did it to remind us that this is a person that Jesus loves, and he has called us to love him, too’. One of Mother Teresa's favourite texts in the Bible, which she often quoted to support her ministry to the poor is Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:40, When Jesus referred to the ‘least of these’ he was referring to people who are vulnerable; people who are socially, psychologically or economically disadvantaged. It’s sobering for us to remember that during His three years of public ministry Jesus Himself identified with the ‘least of these’ living a poor and homeless existence. During my first week at Ballarat Community Church I have been excited and encouraged to see our great team of staff and volunteers giving of themselves and their time to reach out to ‘the least of these’ through the many mission expressions here. ‘What I am about to tell you is true. Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Initially we might cringe at the phrase ‘least important of these…’ but Jesus was not suggesting that some humans are less important or valuable than others. There is no hierarchy of people that places those who are wealthy or self-sufficient at a higher level than those who are poor or financially dependent. We are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27); we are all equal. B A L L A R A T S A L V O S | 2
Page 4 and 5: We have a great team who are living
Page 6 and 7: R E A O F F I C E R - S O U T H W E
Page 8 and 9: The congregation responded by readi
Page 10 and 11: Daniel Wayman: Corps Officer Daniel
Page 12 and 13: SALVOS BLUEPRINT 102 N E W Y E A R
Page 14 and 15: C H R I S T M A S C H E E R Christm
Page 16 and 17: Men's Shed The Men’s Shed are get
Page 18 and 19: GROCERY BOX The Grocery Box has con
Page 20 and 21: Talk is Coffee 9:30 am open 11:30 a
Page 22 and 23: Pay it Forward Pay It Forward is a
Page 24: Thank you T H E S A L V A T I O N A

Ballarat Salvos January-February Issue

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