Summer Carnival!

Back again for a second post today! Two in one day???! You guys are really spoilt ;)
After today the Youth Department will be closed for the month of November (while Simon and Renee go get married, wooooooooo!)

The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory (that's us, the rest of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia) hold a massive youth event every year called Summer Carnival! Some of you may have known it as the INSANE event but it's now changed its name to Summer Carnival, woop!
This year it was held at the Geelong Showgrounds and it will be held there again next year from Monday January 7 till Friday January 11.

What actually is Summer Carnival, I hear some of you newbies ask?
It's a 5 day camp full of games, fun, worship, discussion and teaching!

Who can come?
Young Salvos of the Australian Southern Territory (that's us) who are old enough to be at high school next year (2013) but not over 21!

Where do I get a registration form?
From your Corps Officer, your Youth Leader or print one off here.

When do registrations close?
November 30, 2012! What? That's only a month away!!! That's right peeps, you've only got a month to get your form in to your Corps Officer or Youth Leader and unfortunately no late registrations will be accepted. To make sure you really get it in on time make sure you hand it in a week before the cut-off, say November 23... Put it in your diary, put a reminder in your phone with an alarm and ask your Mum, Dad, Brother, Sister, Grandma and Beagle to remind you!!!

If you, your Mum or your Beagle want more information email;
summercarnival@aus.salvationarmy.org
Or (from December onwards) you can contact Simon 0417 114 664, or Renee 0439 351 983...

Here's some of the latest info about what to expect at Summer Carnival 2013;
Have you heard of WARdrobe? They make all the really cool t-shirts that you may have seen the hipster Salvationists wearing like these;

Well the creator of these t-shirt concepts is called Fulton Hawk, he is from the USA West Territory of The Salvation Army and he is coming out to visit us at Summer Carnival this year! Yeah!
This is what he looks like;

(Thanks Facebook...)
So get ready to meet him.

Also, for those of you who went to Summer Carnival this year, you would have seen the wrestlers...

... And the magician...

Well this year get set to see the Magician take on the Wrestlers!!!
What??!
... I know... You WILL NOT want to miss that...

Ladies and Gents I guarantee you will not want to miss out on Summer Carnival 2013! Make sure you do whatever you can to get there!
The website again is here and you can download a form here.

If you are not connected to a Corps (Rural kids :)) send your form into us at DHQ:
PO Box 973
Bendigo
VIC  3552

But remember, if you do not get the form in by November 30 you're gonna miss out :( (sad times)...

Happy Day!

See you in December!***

Long term change in alcohol beliefs?

We are back on our topic of the Australian Alcohol Culture again today and we have a number of questions for you to think about;

What steps are necessary to change beliefs in Australia about alcohol over a long period of time?

Especially for guys, there are lots of linking themes in Australia about 'drinking till you pass out' and 'mateship'. This means that in order to develop a mateship with someone in the Australian culture you go out drinking, essentially. What about the other Australian value of a 'fair go' for all? How does this effect or change our perspective on what it means to be 'mates'? Do you think this change of perception that we have been talking about over a few months now could help reduce alcohol harm for guys?

Traditionally, women suffered enormously from alcohol excess (often by men) and exerted a moderating influence on alcohol related abuse through their role in families and their relationships with men. This means that traditionally most women could see the harm that alcohol was having on their families and would use their powers of persuasion to encourage men to drink less. How do you think this plays out in the modern world with both men and women drinking together more than ever before? Do you think it takes a layer of perspective away for both sexes?

Most negative trends in alcohol harm in Australia appear to be accentuated amongst young people, e.g. binge drinking, road trauma, city violence. To what extent is alcohol harm a 'youth' issue?

Typical government responses to alcohol harm involve increases in mass media driven 'education' campaigns. Why is this?
Do you believe such campaigns are likely to make significant change to Australia's drinking culture? What other key changes are necessary to achieve long term change in alcohol harm?

What role should government play in tackling alcohol harm? Isn't this simply a matter of individuals taking responsibility for their actions?

We in the youth department believe that YOU as the young people of Northern Victoria have to power to change the world! We really, really do!
This is an area that we believe you can have an incredible influence and change negative youth cultures in your community! You never know how God is going to use you, you could save someone's life!
One of The Salvation Army Mission Intentions is Transforming Lives! We take that intention very seriously because we believe we are uniquely placed in The Salvation Army to change negative youth cultures (such as excessive drinking habits that lead to serious harm)! Some people might think that is a pretty airey-fairy idea but we TOTALLY believe it. Ask God what he wants you to do in your community, especially around this issue of alcohol harm. It might feel like you aren't doing much within your circle of influence but a small amount of effort goes a long way in transforming lives!

Think about it. Pray about it!***

What is The Salvation Army? Seriously...

The Salvation Army is an evangelical Christian church known for charitable work. It is an international movement that currently works in 121 countries. It has its International Headquarters (IHQ) at 101 Queen Victoria Street. London, England.

It was founded in 1865 by William and Catherin Booth, preachers working in the impoverished East End of London. Initially titled The Christian Mission, the growing group later developed a quasi-military structure and was renamed The Salvation Army, adopting uniforms, flags and military terminology. William Booth was born in Nottingham in 1829 but was based in London from 1849 where, after working as a pawnbroker's assistant, he set himself up as an itinerant preacher. William Booth became the General of The Salvation Army, famous for his preaching, charitable passion and use of innovative technology. He died in 1912.

In 1880, two men named John Gore and Edward Saunders (not Al Gore and Colonel Harland Sanders) decided to start The Salvation Army in Australia. They held a street meeting in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and their parting invitation to those standing around listening was, 'If there is any man here who hasn't had a decent meal today, let him come home to tea with me.' This meeting under a tree was held without permission or request of IHQ, but became the beginning of The Salvation Army in Australia.

The Salvation Army's stated mission is to perform evangelical, social and charitable work and bring the Christian message to the poor, destitute and hungry by meeting both their physical and spiritual needs. The organisation's ministry extends to all, regardless of age, gender, colour or creed without discrimination. Today, The Salvation Army (yes, the full name includes the 'The') is a global leader in social work and emergency relief, taking the love of God where it is needed most.

Ephesians 6:10-17 says;

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

When you think of The Salvation Army, what are the first things that come to mind (music, people, buildings)?

Some people fight for money and success. Some people fight against other people. What is The Salvation Army fighting against in our world?

Do you see any similarities between the spiritual warfare that Paul describes above when talking about the armour of God  and the identity of The Salvation Army?

What weapons and armour do we have? How do you think they might work?

The Church is a community working and struggling together against the darkness in our world. As such, we become an army fighting a spiritual war. The Salvation Army began as an organised force in this war against darkness. In a world where many suffer and die from violence and sin, we are all invited to fight as soldiers with the armour of God.

Think about it. Pray about it.***

What is The Salvation Army?

'Gradually the movement took more of the military form, and finding as we looked upon it... that God in His good providence had led us unwittingly, so to speak, to make an army, we called it an army, and seeing it was an army organised for deliverance of mankind from sin, and the power of the devil, we called it an army of deliverance, an army of salvation - The Salvation Army.' General William Booth

Today we are looking at The Salvation Army as a movement, what it signifies and how we can be involved.
Read Ephesians 6 in the bible first.

The Salvation Army has played a big part in all of our lives (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this). Indeed, The Salvation Army is involved in millions of people's lives all over the world through its amazing work. So as the smaller parts of a much larger body, today we are looking at the movement of The Salvation Army, what it is and what it means.

Here's a quick quiz on The Salvation Army, see how much you know (answers at the end of this blog post):

1. What year did The Salvation Army begin?

2. Who were the Founders of The Salvation Army?

3. What is The Salvation Army motto?

4. What does the motto stand for?

5. What are The Salvation Army colours?

6. What do The Salvation Army colours represent?

7. What was the name of the group of criminals and thugs who targeted The Salvation Army in its early days?

Here's some wacky Salvo Facts:
The Salvation Army has often been credited with creating donuts (they didn't, they just served a lot of them to soldiers during the war).
The Arnotts SAO biscuit is short for Salvation Army Officer, named after the member of the Arnott family who became an officer.
'The White Stripes' song Seven Nation Army is named after a mishearing of the title 'Salvation Army'.
There was a TV series made about The Salvation Army in England during the 1970s (it was axed after it was considered offensive).

And here are the answers to the quiz.
1. 1865
2. William and Catherine Booth
3. Blood and Fire
4. The blood of Christ and the fire of the Holy Spirit
5. Red. Yellow. Blue. (Same as the Adelaide Crows!)
6. The blood of Christ. The fire of the Holy Spirit. The holiness of the Father.
7. The Skeleton Army

Hope you had fun today, later in the week we will go a bit deeper into what The Salvation Army is, its history and what its purpose is today in Australia.

Think about it. Pray about it.***

What is Justice?

'Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice.' Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

(Malala Yousufzai, an 11 year old girl who had the strength to rise against the Taliban in Pakistan)

I'm sure all of you have heard the term social justice before. Today we are looking at this concept, not from a political point of view but from God's point of view, as a desire of his heart. Look at the state of the world, there is still war, famine, disease, people living extravagantly whilst others go starving hungry, there are more people in slavery today then there were several hundred years ago when it was legal. Are we part of the problem in this world? Or can we be part of the solution?

Watching the news or reading the paper quickly reveals just how much unfair suffering we find in the world. War, murder, stealing, lying, greed, neglect etc... Often we find ourselves asking why the world is like this and what God thinks of it all. What does God want for human society?

Have a look at today's paper and find all the articles that report on crime, war and corruption. Here are some that I found today;
A Government Official using public funds for prostitutes.
A 14 year old Girl shot in Pakistan for wanting an education
One in Six children in Australia are living in poverty

What kind of problems do you see in the world?

Why do you think these things happen? What causes these problems?

Who does it hurt? Who are the victims?

Justice is when everything is fair and good for everyone. No matter how secure and ordered our societies might be, there are still many people who do not have fair and good lives.

Psalm 146:7-9 says;
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
⁸     the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
    the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹ The Lord watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

and Isaiah 1:16-17 says;
 Wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
    stop doing wrong.
¹⁷ Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.^[a]
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.

God wants the world to be just, but it isn't... Why do you think that is?

Who causes the world to be unjust? Who is to blame?

God commands us to act justly, how does he want us to do that?

God wants a world that is good and fair for everyone. Just as humanity is responsible for an unjust world, humanity can be responsible for a just world as well. We must be obedient to God's commands for justice and work to change the world, trusting that he will help us along the way.

How do you think God feels about the world we have made? Why?

Are there any ways that you add to the injustice in the world?

Can you think of a way you can stand against injustice in your world, whether at school, at home, at work, when down the street with your friends? Is there something you can do to bring more justice to your world?

How about at your local Corps or Youth Group? Is there something you can do with The Salvation Army in your community that can stand against injustice?

If you want to find out more about Justice check out this article from Relevant Magazine (which is a really cool christian website to check out anyway). Also the Salvos in the Eastern Territory (Queensland and New South Wales) have this page dedicated to Biblical Justice (if you want a christian ministry opportunity when you leave high school somewhere completely different you should check out their Edify program). Of course The Salvation Army in our territory has an entire department devoted to Justice called Just Salvos. There is loads of resources and information on that website about different Social Justice issues. Many of you may also know Alexis Mapleback at the Eaglehawk Corps. Alexis is our Social Justice Representative for the Northern Victoria Division so if you want to find out more or get involved with some social justice 'stuff' around Northern Vic get in contact with her! I'm sure she would love to hear from you :) 

We also recommend a really cool book written in 2007 by a Canadian Salvation Army Officer who used to live in Melbourne called Danielle Strickland. The book is called Just Imagine: The World for God. We have a copy of this book here at DHQ so get in contact with us if you would like to read it or, as per usual, your Corps Officer or Youth Leader should be able to get their hands on it for you.

The same year that Danielle Strickland wrote that book the movie Amazing Grace came out. Has anyone seen it? It's a really cool movie about the work of William Wilberforce of campaigned to abolish slavery. If you are really interested in Social Justice you will enjoy that movie. Search for it on Youtube if you want to get an idea of what it's like...

Think about it. Pray about it!***

Biblical Mercy or Christian Charity?

 

 Remember in this post last week we talked about the story in the bible from Matthew 9:9-13 where Jesus calls the character Matthew to be his disciple?
Well Matthew was actually a tax collector, not the kind of tax collectors and accountants we have today but in those days the job of tax collector was considered to be dirty and traitorous. Despite this however Jesus became his friend and spent time with him. Jesus was merciful to him. Jesus asks us to show mercy to others as well, to the outcasts and the unfortunate...

Think of a time you have been shown mercy recently.

Do you know someone who might need mercy?

What kind things can you do for them this week?

Hopefully we can all see mercy at our local Salvation Army Corps as well. Talk to your Corps Officer or youth leader about what you might be able to help out with. I'm sure they would love your help.

If you want to find out more Google Biblical Mercy. Or sometimes mercy is referred to as Charity, try Googling Christian Charity as well.

For a really cool example of mercy in the bible check out the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.

The most famous woman, in fact person, in the world for showing mercy to others is Mother Teresa a Catholic nun. There was a tele-movie made about her life in 2003 called simply Mother Teresa. Try to get your hands on it or search for it on Youtube. You will be amazed at her life and the work she accomplished during her time on earth...

Think about it! Pray about it!***

Alcohol and Australia, a review so far...

We have been talking for some time now about the many different forms of harm that can be associated with alcohol in Australia. We have talked about the Australian culture and how that can have an effect but also the potential for that to change in Australia. Like in this post.

We have also talked about the personal health aspects of alcohol and how it can be very addictive as well in this post. It is important to remember that most harm that comes from alcohol is not to people who are addicted.

We have also thought about why we (as Salvationists) should care about alcohol harm. This has led to discussions about issues of social justice, alcohol and our communities like in this post.

So what can we do about all of this? Recent research (Roy Morgan research 2010) actually shows that many people would like, and in some cases have been successful, in reducing their use of alcohol. Later on in the year we will go into specific examples of how local Corps and churches can respond to this challenge, which includes you guys.
But for now we can help balance our culture and help the well-being of ourselves and others and work towards social justice by our attitude towards reducing alcohol harm. By recognizing and not accepting the massive harm that is happening in Australia because of alcohol it will go a long way towards helping fix the problem.

Here's some things to think about;
Do you think we can change Australian culture in regards to alcohol? Or are we stuck forever with the harm done by alcohol to Australian communities?

Who do you think benefits from our massive alcohol sales?

Have you noticed any changes to the amount of alcohol that your friends drink recently?

Think about it. Pray about it.***

What is Mercy?

Anyone heard of the word mercy before?
Anyone know what Jesus taught on mercy?
Jesus essentially taught that we are to show mercy to the outcasts, even those people that we don't think deserve it and that is HARD!
BUT, remember, God showed mercy to us even when we did not deserve it...

Ever been saved by the bell? Reached out and grabbed a helping hand? Found the right thing at the right time, just at the last minute? Have you ever had someone step in and rescue you when your world was about to cave in? Whatever your experience was, if you were helped and spared terrible consequences, that's called mercy.

Think of a time when you were in trouble. Think of a time when at the last minute, someone helped you. If you're brave, share with us how you were in trouble, who helped you and how it made you feel...

Mercy is to rescue someone from the harmful consequences of either their own actions or someone else's. Mercy is usually shown with good deeds, compassion and kind acts.

Last year The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory (we're part of that) helped over a million people through 600 social programs. These programs helped people with problems of homelessness, addiction, education, employment, disability, domestic violence, gambling and basic food and clothing. The Salvation Army is famous for doing good deeds and being merciful.

Do you know any of these programs? Do you know of any that the Salvos run locally in your community? What do they do?

How many of these good works were you involved in? Any? None?

Matthew 5:7 in the bible says 'Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.'

Matthew 9:9-13 says;
⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Who will show mercy to us? Why?

To what kind of people does Jesus show mercy? Who needs mercy the most?

How does Jesus show mercy?

Think about it. Pray about it!***

The Salvation Army, Social Problems and Justice...

The Salvation Army throughout the world has led the way on major social issues.

In early British times The Salvation Army led the way on the 'phossy jaw' campaign. Have you ever read on a box of matches 'safety' matches and wondered what it meant? It doesn't mean that these matches are safer to use or safe to play with :) It means that those that were involved in making these matches are safer from the bad chemicals they used to make matches out of.

The Salvation Army led the way on one of the first WorkSafe cases! Matches used to be made with white phosphorous, the vapour from this chemical would cause terrible harm, especially to the children that were involved in making and selling these matches. The Salvation Army believed this was wrong and campaigned against using that chemical, saving the lives of countless people in England!

The Salvation Army has also taken a key role in being proactive around issues such as HIV and AIDS, fair trade and human trafficking.

If you would like to know more about these responses The Salvation Army has taken against social evils in the world you could read a book called Booth's Drum. Or for something more recent you could try a book called Challenging Evil which is all about radical social justice acts that Salvationists have done throughout history. Ask your Corps Officer or Youth Leader how you could get your hands on a copy of either book. Or watch the Boundless Salvation DVDs (again see your Corps Officer or Youth Leader) for lots of really good stories throughout history of the Salvation Army and Social Justice.

It is clear that The Salvation Army has succeeded in certain campaigns even when it means initially doing what no one else is currently doing. Seeing a need in a community and taking action on it is what The Salvation Army have done best throughout history. This happens when Salvationists (like you and me) see a fit between a particular issue and the demand of our faith. For example when we see a need for greater respect for people or for justice as the bible and the example of Jesus has taught us. In Australia we call this a 'fair go'. Tackling the harm that alcohol causes in Australia could be one of these issues.

There are many aspects of the way that alcohol is advertised and the way that people drink it which is not just harmful but it is simply unjust and wrong. Ordinary people, especially young people like you and your friends, are actually unable to make careful, rational decisions about alcohol. There are potentially enormous consequences and we don't have all of the knowledge or power to make these decisions wisely. In many ways the 'system' is against people like us because of the power of advertising, the addictive nature of the product of alcohol and government decisions which allow continuous and excessive drinking. Not to mention, the government allows alcohol to be promoted as widely as possible to as many different people as possible, far more than any other addictive substance (like cigarettes for example).

Something to think about this week: Do you drink alcohol? If you do, do you think you drink too much? Why do you think you do? Does advertising and peer pressure have a lot to do with it? What about the Australian culture? Do you think this is a social justice issue?

Think about it. Pray about it!

(Information sourced for this post is sourced from The Salvation Army Alcohol Culture Initiative Learning Module)

Evangelism Today...

Hi Guys,

Wow, holidays have really gotten on top of us and now it's been a month since the last post.

Let's keep going on Evangelism...
Remember this post where we talked about the story of the Farmer and the Seed?

 Well just like the Farmer threw the seed on the good and bad soil we should share the love of God in every situation, no matter who it is. Others won't always believe what we have to say but all we can do is share the love of God with people and pray for those who'll accept it.

Think carefully about what good things God has done in your life. What are they?
They might be providing a good family, good friends at school, or maybe even a job. Or it might be even simpler things like the sunshine, your dog or an unexpected good mark on a test.
How has God changed your life?
Does he help give you a more understanding perspective on those people that really get under your skin? Has he helped make you kinder and more willing to be friends to everyone? Has he helped give you more energy to work harder or to do things for others without any kind of reward? What is it in your life that has changed?

In what ways could we tell someone about Jesus?
Anyone got a good story they want to share about how they shared Jesus with someone?

Where could you evangelise? At school, at the skate park or just out at Maccas with some friends?
What kind of people could you talk to? It doesn't just have to be people your own age group, maybe one of your parents needs to know about God...

What should you be careful of when telling people about Jesus? Hmm, this one is hard... Sometimes you will encounter rejection or a big brush off, but that's ok, make sure you don't ever force Jesus on anyone, God can use you to speak to other people but he can also do it without you too ;)

If others don't agree with you, that's ok, don't get into an argument. You are simply sowing the seed. Only God can convince anyone of His love...

We really want to encourage you guys to pray about who you could share Jesus with. It's amazing the people God reveals to you when you pray about it. It doesn't come naturally to everyone but God can use anyone!

If you want to know more about sharing your faith with others this is a good website.This website is pretty long but it gives some good tips on how to share the gospel clearly. There are loads of other good resources online but an old book called Aggressive Christianity is also a good resource, it was written by one of the founders of The Salvation Army Catherine Booth (William Booth's wife). Ask an officer or any other Salvo you might know where you can get your hands on it, it might be old and written for a different time but it's message is still relevant to evangelism today!

Happy Holidays!***