Prepare to Pray for Revival

Prepare to Pray for Revival

Is there a prayer God cannot answer? In the book Highway of Our God, Catherine Booth sets forth the idea that there is prayer that God cannot answer. The reason she gives why God cannot answer certain prayer is that it would break His Law. She questions why some professing Christians say that they pray but get no answer to their prayers and wonders why they do not give up praying.
In a message Catherine spoke these words in reference to unproductive prayer, “This is a very God-dishonoring experience, and to account for it something must be wrong either with the supplicants or the Giver. Often I feel what a deeply dishonoring thing it is when Christians meet, as they do to pray for revival or for some specific thing in their churches and in their families, and it never comes.”

She continues, “It is not because God is asleep, or that His arm is shortened. It is not because He cannot pour out His Spirit and give us glorious times of refreshing. There is only one reason and that is His people ask amiss. They do not fulfill the conditions of prevailing prayer. They are not the characters to whom God has made promises to hear and answer prayer. The promises are made to those who keep His commandments, who walk in the light and have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who can make intercession for them. How can the Holy Spirit make intercession for a person when He is not in them?”

Let’s think about that and break it down. There are spiritual laws or principles regarding this amazing gift of prayer. First God hears and answers the prayer of the unsaved when they pray for salvation. That is a good thing for us because it opens a whole new level of praying to us. Prayer is communion with God and involves listening as well as speaking. For the Christian, prayer becomes our “vital breath our native air” for we enter God’s Presence through prayer.

Catherine Booth called effectual prayer a four linked chain that connects our souls with the heart of God. The first link is fellowship with Jesus. The second link is obedience to His commands. The third link is the intercession of the indwelling Spirit. The fourth is the exercise of prayer.

If you have experienced a season when God has not heard your prayers, consider it may be that one of the links has broken. First examine your heart and habits. According to the Psalmist if we hold sin in our hearts, God will not hear our prayer. Harbored sin can break the four linked chain. Enter God’s Presence in prayer and confess your sin. Ask God to reveal anything that does not please Him and repent of it. Then ask God to show you how to pray.

The Giver is ready to pour out His Holy Spirit on The Salvation Army, upon your corps, your community and your family. Ask God how you should pray and get ready for the answers!

A Shepherd’s Note

I like sheep and shepherds. Here is a note for some companion shepherds:

Dear Wooliam and Bahbera;

Congratulations on receiving your commissions and your first appointment. By now you have unpacked your boxes and found the ones containing your books and notes from Training School. If things went “normally” you have found that you have very little time to consult the collective wisdom found in those resources. After the appointment service, you may have had the opportunity to meet a few of your new congregation. Reality began to peek through the excitement of the commissioning process. You are now shepherds and these folk are just some of your sheep. Oh the prospects, oh the potential, and oh the problems you now assume. Oh the prayers you will pray.

You arrived at you new appointment. You checked out the quarters. You checked out the office. You looked at the corps schedule. You met with more of your people. You checked out the community. You grabbed the brief of appointment left by the officer you followed and reality hit you like a ton of bricks. You are shepherds of this corps and of this community. Oh the prayers you prayed.

I hope you are still praying. It is all a bit overwhelming at first. Yet, it so exciting. The reality of ministry is that while it may look glamorous, it is a lot of hard work. That is why you are called a shepherd. Now it begins to dawn on you that you are going to define just what kind of shepherd you will become. The choices are fairly simple. You can be a good shepherd. You can be a hireling. You can be a bad shepherd.

A good shepherd truly cares for the sheep and is willing to sacrifice for them. A hireling takes care of the sheep and is willing to sacrifice them. A bad shepherd cares about what the sheep can sacrifice for him or her.

A good shepherd follows the example of Jesus Christ who is the Good Shepherd. Do you remember that great description Jesus gave which is recorded in John 10? King David was literally a shepherd of sheep before he became a shepherd of a nation. His experience with sheep prepared him to take care of a nation. It also gave him insight into the kind of care God gives to us. Those thoughts are recorded in Psalm 23 for you to look at. A good shepherd remembers that she or he is a sheep of the Great Shepherd and gives the same kind of care to the flock that they expect from the Great Shepherd.

My prayer is that both of you will be good shepherds and not hirelings or bad shepherds. Good shepherds know their sheep. You have probably met most of the people who are connected with your corps as members of the Sunday congregation, members of the advisory board, and members of your corps programs and maybe even some of your donors. Because of the unique calling God has given to The Salvation Army, you must learn that your flock is also the neighborhood and community that you serve. Members of your flock sleep on the streets at night and some of them are lucky enough to have a car as their hotel. Members of your flock run out of resources before the end of the month and will come to you for groceries. Members of your flock are beaten, used and abused by the very people they trust the most. Members of your flock are little lambs that go to school without breakfast and if you do not get involved in your community those lambs may go without lunch if there is not a lunch program at the school. Members of your flock frequent bars and back allies to feed addictions and spending money that should have gone to feed and clothe their families. Members of your flock are in the local jails and prisons. Members of your flock are the forgotten people in hospitals, nursing homes and in their own homes held hostage by failing bodies. Members of your flock have aids and are dying in hospice centers without the chance to experience the love and grace of God because they have been deemed unfit because of their sin. Not every member of your flock will come to you. You must go to them.

The hireling says, “I am busy enough with those who come to me to worry about those who are out there.” The bad shepherd says, “If they have made choices that put them in harm’s way, they deserve what they get. Besides if they don’t support the corps, why should the corps support them?” The good shepherd finds a way.

The hireling and the bad shepherd say, “DHQ and the Community want programs. They expect us to keep a regular schedule of ministry. They expect us to work all week then provide them with entertainment on Sunday morning. Boy am I glad they don’t expect us to have Sunday night services and open air meetings any more. Now I can be home to watch TV with my family. Well, ok the family is at home watching TV in their own rooms or playing computer games, but we are home together.” The good shepherd finds balance between work, family and self. The good shepherd says, “These are the needs of the corps members and the community. What kind of programs can help meet those needs? How do I equip and enable members of my flock to give leadership to those programs?” The good shepherd remembers that God is our greatest resource and will supply what we need when we ask.

The hireling prays when in need. The bad shepherd prays when all else has failed. The good shepherd bathes everything in prayer and teaches others to pray. The good shepherd understands that most of the spiritual battles are won first in prayer and second in praise. The hireling and the bad shepherd rarely express sincere praise to the Great Shepherd because they don’t recognize grace when it comes. The hireling runs when things get too hard. The bad shepherd digs in and clings to the security of officership all the while sacrificing one sheep after another. The good shepherd gives knowing we can never out give God. Things may be hard, but God will see us through every battle. Prayer and praise are two of the good shepherd’s best weapons.

Well, I think my point is made. As you grow in grace and toil on as shepherds you will face many choices that will define your worth as shepherds. May Jesus who is the Great and Good Shepherd guard you and enable you to be like Him. May you always make the choices that will brand both of you as good shepherds. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Yours in Christ,

A Companion Shepherd for the Lord

Won by ONE

Can you remember the first person who led you to a believing faith in Jesus? I think it was my Mom. My earliest memories include her telling me about Jesus and praying with my older sister and me every night before we went to bed. I remember her taking us to Church and Sunday School. Then as life became more complicated for her she stopped going, but made sure we went. As a single mom trying to raise five children in the sixties, the best paying job she could find was to work as a bar tender for a female bar owner. She felt this “disqualified” her as a “respectable” church member. Then she got out of the habit of going. When she changed jobs and began to work as a manager of a convenience store, she worked seven days a week. Mom has had a lot of challenges to her faith. She has returned to her strong faith and is now one of my strongest prayer supporters.

The picture of my sister and me was take before we went to church one Easter. I was three and Arlene was four.

There were certain key points in my life when God used people to say and do just the right thing that helped me grow in my relationship with God as He worked out my salvation. That is why I am convinced many people contribute to bringing us to Jesus and so that we can experience Salvation. Salvation is a moment in time decision and a life time process. Jesus saves me and continues to save me every day of my life. This truth is hard for a finite mind to grasp much less explain. (Many theologians have argued the process and would disagree with the simple term I just used.)

There are a lot of people on my list: I praise God for Majors Dick and Martha Beaver, who were my first corps officers. They expressed the love of God to our family by being there for us. Because of their commitment to the Lord, I realized my call to be and officer. (They helped me learn that God could even use someone like me if I surrendered everything to Him.) I thank God for Majors Ron and Donna Wendt who were there for me when I needed to mature in my relationship with Jesus. Lt. Colonels Chris and Jani Buchanan helped mold me as a creative thinker. My prayer warrior friends bump into me and keep me on track. My husband’s self discipline and integrity have helped shape my core values. Writers, speakers and friends have contributed to the improvement of my understanding of spiritual things.

Some people have planted seeds, some have watered them, some have even added the fertilizer – many people have contributed to who I am today and who I am becoming. Daily I thank God for the faithful servants who have worked for Him by contributing to my life. Ultimately I thank God for the ONE who gave His life to win my salvation. I am won by ONE. He will work through me to Win others.

Everybody Should Know!

This chorus has been running through my mind. “Everybody should know. I’ve found such a wonderful Saviour that everybody should know.” Have you ever made a wonderful discovery that you cannot wait to share with others?

Jean Bauer, our new administrative assistant in the Women’s Department, asked me if I have ever heard of a product called Goo Gone. “Yes!” I replied enthusiastically, “It really works.” We talked about its good smell and other attributes that makes it a great product. This is not an advertisement for a product, just an example of casual conversation that leads to either a discovery or a conformation about a discovery. Maybe it will help serve as a reminder to talk about our wonderful Saviour.

The lead in could be something like, “Have you ever heard about Sin Gone or Joy Giver?” (Depending on the context of the relationship you have or the need of the person you are sharing with.) “Sin Gone, what is that?” “It is a wonderful discovery I have made and I think everyone should know. You see all of us, no matter how good we try to be have broken God’s law and that separates us from God. That is bad news. We try to have a clean record, but we mess up. The good news is that God sent His Son, Jesus, to take away our sin and give us a clean record so that we can have a relationship with God…”

Win one woman for Christ this year. Ask God to show you who you need to win and how to win them.

WOW – Women need support of other women

WOW – Women need support of other women

This summer has been a long drawn out process to do a simple remodel and a couple of jobs in our home. What should have taken three weeks has now melted into four months. Part of the problem is that I gave the construction workers a time line that they ignored. So when they did not make my first dead line to be finished before we left on vacation, we had to stop the work until we came home. Then I gave them another three weeks to start the next portion of the project and get it finished. They did not start on time and surprise, they were not finished and time. We had to stop the work for another week. They promised me they would be finished today. You guessed it; they are not finished and seem to have no intention of finishing. I had a melt down yesterday and two special women were just where I needed them when I needed them.

The first woman who was there for me was a fellow officer and friend. For some reason I began to cry when I was relating my frustrations of the morning which included a basic sponge bath because debris in the pipe goofed up our remaining shower. My friend new that I did not need her to fix my problem, I just needed a hug and a listening ear. The second woman who was there for me was my Mom. She called last night to see how things were going. When I told her about coming home to find my home messed up, my shower fixed but dirty from the workmen and the events that took place to lead to my second melt down she listened. She sympathized as I told her about coming home from a long day at work and scrubbing the shower and just as I finished rinsing it the shower clogged again. She listened without judgment as I told her about my temper tantrum. She cheered me on as I told her about calling up the contractor and giving him an ear full. She understood when I told her how close I came to using unsanctified language to get my point across. When I told her I fixed the shower myself and meekly asked Don to call the contractor back and let them know they did not need to make an emergency visit. Then she prayed with me and reminded me how much she loves me and that God loves me even more. Together we laughed about all the crazy things that have gone wrong with this simple job. Then she helped me to consider what God may want to teach me or help me see through this experience. One thing is that I celebrate how my Mom has come back to the Lord in the last fifteen years and how she has become a prayer warrior. Another thing is to celebrate all of the wonderful women God has brought into my life.

My husband is wonderful, yet being a man he is wired to respond differently to me when I share something. The first response is that he thinks I want him to fix the problem. After all if it is important enough for me to talk about it and use up his listening time, then I must want action. I have to preface my words with “just listen, don’t act” unless I want him to tell me how to solve my problem. His second response is to listen, but not to hear what I am saying. Sometimes he hears but does not listen. The women in my life are wired to listen and to hear what I mean to say or cannot say. They usually know when to hug, when to help and when to pray.

God designed women to need each other. Generally we women herd and huddle together while the men tend to go solo. It occurs to me that there are women out there who have no women friends who support them. Who can be there for them? I understand that often mothers with small children feel isolated and friendless. What if a mother with small children, decided to start an outreach ministry to other moms who had small children? She could go to her local fast food place that has a children’s playground and hang out there about once a week with her kids. She could begin to pray and ask God to bring other women to the same place and for boldness to approach them with conversation. She could begin to build friendships. Then that could lead to a group that wants to do a quick prayer time and pray for each other and their children. (Praying with their eyes open to watch the kids) Occasionally a short Bible devotion could be shared. The new friends could be invited to attend Women’s Sunday at the corps or other fun corps event. WOW! That is just one idea. Think of the possibilities. Consider for a moment, where to lonely women hang out? Go there and make friends for Jesus and when you have won them, you can win them! Parks, libraries, frozen food isle at the grocery store, coffee shops, and book stores are a few places you may find lonely people. Are any of these places your field to harvest? The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest and ask Him to send more workers.

Happy Birthday Eva!

Have you ever had the opportunity to take an adult to Disneyland for their first visit? Thanks to some wonderful friends of the Army, a birthday wish was made possible for Commissioner Eva Gaither. We picked Commissioners Gaither up at LAX on Tuesday, September 5. They were scheduled to be our guests for the Territorial Executive Councils and for the public Welcome of the Cadets. There was an unscheduled time for Saturday morning and Lt. Colonel Don Bell attempted to find out what they would like to do for that unscheduled time. They said that they would like to think about it.

Colonel Bell went on to tell them about where we were going to stay and about eating one of our meals in the Disney area. We discovered that they had not been to Disneyland and they were excited about eating at a Disney area restaurant. We made a phone call to our ever resourceful Martin Hunt, who made a contact with someone who had contacts. The arrangements were made for our National Leaders to tour Disneyland on Saturday morning. (We went along with them.)

We were met by our Disney Ambassadors, Becky and Alexia, who whisked us into the park and took care of us in such a wonderful way that we all felt loved. It was truly the happiest place on earth as we left our cares behind and entered into the experience. It was exciting to see two people enter the Disney experience for the first time. We did not think to bring a camera, so I took pictures with my phone. (Ah, modern technology!) Our ambassadors gave Commissioner Eva a button to wear that told the entire Disney cast that it was her birthday. They all took a moment to wish her a happy birthday. The Disney cast went out of their way to make her feel special.

The Disney train took us half way around the park and let us off at a ride called Small World. Have you been on the ride? You embark on the Small World cruise by getting into a small boat. The boat takes you around the world. People from every country and every tribe are represented, even Atlantis. The last world is where all of the races and people have come together, and they are wearing white. I always say that is heaven. We also joined them on a Jungle Cruise, a Pirate’s Cruise and a River Boat Cruise. We ended the day at Disney with lunch. Our ambassadors walked us to the car and gave Commissioner Eva a birthday gift. Before we got into the car, Commissioner Israel Gaither asked out ambassadors if we could have a word of prayer with them and they happily agreed. It was a happy time for us and we want to go back.

I hope every Women’s Ministries group and every corps is like Disneyland. What is that? Yes, you read it right. What if every corps and every WM group was a place that radiated the joy of the Lord in such a way that once someone visits they want to come back? What if every corps and every WM group was a place that we wanted to bring new people because we knew it would be a great experience for them? What if every soldier and every member of our WM groups felt like “cast members” who work together to help their visitors and fellow cast members feel the joy of the Lord’s Presence?

At the Welcome of the Cadets Commissioner Gaither gave a call to come forward to pray. People responded and I leaned over to Don and said, this is the “Holiest Place on Earth” right now. What a wonderful day! I wish you could have been there!

WOW Reports

WOW Initiative reports are coming in from the divisions and they look exciting. September launches intensive prayer times for the WOW Initiative. Tuesday, September 19, THQ will use our chapel time to pray for the territory’s WOW Initiative. The Southwest Division will have WM rallies through out the division to introduce the WOW Initiative and “rally” the women to Win Other Women for the Kingdom of God, The Salvation Army and for Women’s Ministries. All ten divisions will have a session devoted to WOW at their October Officers’ Councils. Hawaii is launching its “Women of Worth” theme for the first quarter of the new program year. Golden State has already met with their Women’s Commission to make plans for their January Women’s Retreat. Sierra del Mar has made plans for a series of rallies that will occur this spring as they Bring Other Women to the planned events. Alaska is making plans to enable every corps in the division to be represented at the WOW Luncheon in June. Every division has made plans for the traveling “prayer pots” to be at every corps in the division for a week in the new program year. (We will saturate this WOW Initiative and WOW Luncheon in prayer!)

Please send the blog link to your friends so that they can join the WOW Initiative as prayer warriors and to challenge them to Win One Woman for Christ in this next year.

What Have I Accomplished?

It happened again. I was in the middle of my prayer time and lifting up names of family and friends who are either unsaved or not in fellowship with God. Some of these I have been praying for a long time. The thought occurred to me, “what difference has my prayers and witnessing made?” Then my mind wandered as I started to question what I have accomplished in my life at all. Sure I have been an officer for 29 years, but what lasting changes have occurred as a result of my ministry. Have I had any impact for the Kingdom of God? My thoughts began to spiral downward because I did not feel that I could point to any one accomplishment. Then God intervened and reminded me that what I have accomplished for His Kingdom is not as important as what He has accomplished through me. Some of those accomplishments, I may never remember or even know. I found comfort in that truth. I also found a new energy to serve God as His chosen vessel. Trust and obey and let God worry about the results. At least for another day.

Recapturing the Awe

Recapturing the Awe

How is your prayer life? I just read a great article found in the September/October issue of the Discipleship Journal titled Return to Awe and written by Tim Muehlhoff. The subtitle is “Invigorate your prayers with a focus on God’s majesty. While attending a prayer conference he heard the speaker say, “I’m going to ask God to show up today” as they were invited to join the speaker in prayer, the writer caught himself wishing that his latte was a little warmer and noticing that a girl was already starting to go to sleep. The writer kept wondering about the speaker’s bold request for God to “show up.” He wondered if God ever did show up.

As I read the opening of the article, I asked myself, “Did the casual approach of many of those attending this prayer seminar prevent God from showing up in their lives or perhaps even the whole seminar?” If we really don’t expect God to show up, how can we expect Him to show up? If we don’t respect the Glorious Presence of God enough to prepare ourselves for this awesome encounter, is it any wonder that we don’t experience the “Wonder and Awe” of His Presence? When God met with the Israelites in the wilderness, He told Moses to instruct the people to wash themselves (baptize or immerse themselves in cleansing water-preferably running water), put on clean clothing and prepare to meet with God. We are so familiar with God, our Father, Creator, Maker, Savior, and Friend that we forget that He is the Glorious, Awesome God, Ruler of all creation.

Have we been too long at ease to experience the awe? The writer of this article concludes that it is possible to recapture the awe. First you must prepare yourself. If you were going to get to meet with some important person like the President or the Queen, you would prepare yourself. Why would you not prepare yourself to meet with God? Yet think back to last Sunday or the last time you had your devotions. Did you really expect to meet with God? How did you prepare your mind, heart and body for this glorious meeting? I think of married people. When we were dating our spouses before marriage, we used to prepare ourselves. We would feel a certain thrill of being in their presence. Now that we are married and committed we are familiar with our spouse and can take them for granted. My husband and I try to practice at least once a day the thrill of each others presence. We take the time to look at each other, really look to see each other. Then we say, “I love you.” I try to look at Don at different times of the day and remind myself of all he does for me and how much I love him. It helps me keep the awe of romance alive.

If you want to recapture the awe of God, stop before you pray and just look at Him through the eyes of your spirit. Think of who He is and then tell Him you love him.

Linger in that Awesome Presence for a while and enjoy the blessing of just being with God.

Now that is a WOW experience! He is the Wonder of Wonders. He is the Wonderful Omnipresent Word and He is in love with you!

The photo is a watercolor version of a photo by Lorna Mac Glashan.

Toothless Religion

Years ago our brigade of cadets sang early SA songs like Toothless Religion. The chorus goes like this, "Toothless religion, toothless religion, it has no bite at all."

It could be a jingle for a commercial for Agressive Christianity.

By the way, have you heard of the Agressive Christianity Conference that will be held this October in San Francisco? The it is one of the many great events dreamed up by the Western Territorial Youth Department. It was advertised in the New Frontier. For more information check with your corps, division or territorial headquarters.

So are you tired of living a life that could be described as toothless religion? That would be a life of spiritual compromise and defeat rather than spiritual victory that overcomes the world. Do you want to make a difference for Jesus in this world and in The Salvation Army? Perhaps attending the Agressive Christianity Conference will be your solution.

Opposition

The following words of Catherine Booth are recorded in Agressive Christianity.

"Opposition! It is a bad sign for the Christianity of this day that it provokes so little opposition. If there were no other evidence of it being wrong, I should know from that. When the Church and the world can jog along comfortably together, you may be sure there is something wrong. The world has not altered. Its spirit is the same as it ever was, and if Christians were equally faithful and devoted to the Lord, and seperated from the world, living so that their lives were a reproof to all ungodliness, the world would hate them as much as it ever did. It is the Church that has altered, not the world."

WOW!

She goes on to say, "'What a commotion!' you say. Yes; and, bless God, if we had the like now we should have thousands of sinners saved...We should always be in collision with the world."

I am a peace maker and that kind of thinking makes me uncomfortable and convicted. I think that living a holy life means that everyone will love me and be drawn to the Christ I serve. Yes, I know the "world" hated Jesus so it will hate me. So I guess I'd better gear up to be in the "world's" face. Loving the sinners and hating the sin is such a hard balance.

Ideas for WOW Groups

Nothing is ever easy, but sometimes a little idea and direction can open the door to a new ministry easier than a blank page. Look at these ideas and see if one or more of them seems do-able.

Weeping Over Wickedness -
This would be an intercessors' group that prays for your local community, state, nation and the world. Praying for the salvation of the lost, current issues, and for the establishment of the Kingdom of God. The members of this group would meet as a group once a month for teaching, fellowship and praise reports. During the month they will "meet" in groups of two and three either by phone, computer or in person to pray for the topics assigned and for what God places on their hearts. Women who belong to this group can be interdenominational. Pray and ask God to draw intercessors to you. Remember to practice spiritual warfare means that you must begin by having a right spirit within your heart. Then ask God to cover you, your family, your ministry, your business with His protection. Any thing that is important to you can be used to distract you so give it all to God. Make sure each member of your intercessory group does the same. There is great power in this ministry and because God can use you so powerfully, the enemy will try to distract you.

Way Over Whelmed
Ever feel so overwhelmed by life that you thought you were going to drown in your problems? Join the club. It is amazing what good things and victory can come from meeting with a couple of friends over a cup of tea and prayer. Support groups are not new, but where to meet and when - make it easy. Two or more women gathered together in a deliberate meeting can be a women's ministry group.

Walk Our Way
A walking prayer or support group could be a fun way to do ministry.

Widows Overcoming Worry
Are there widows in your corps? Do they know any widows? God has a special place in His heart for widows. Look in the Old and New Testaments. Look up scriptures about widows. Lead a Bible study about what God's Word says, then ask the group to think about an outreach to widows.

Ok, those are some of the ideas I have heard. Share some of yours.

Lighthouse Keepers Sea Changes Make A Difference

Lighthouse keepers are tasked with watching the signs of weather, birds, marine life and tides to be able to predict the changes and challenges that are approaching an area or community. These people are in tune with their surroundings and they know how to read the signs. They keep the light burning and the signals clear. People depend on them. In days gone by many a lighthouse keeper was also responsible for rescue or at least sounding the alarm when rescue was needed.

As leaders, we are to be like lighthouse keepers. We are in the business of watching the signs and reading the sea changes. (Sea changes are the events and attitudes that mark a cultural shift in society.) Once we detect the sea change, it is our duty to sound the warning and draw attention to the pending change. Unlike the lighthouse keepers of the past, we are still in the business of rescue – saving the lost is still our fundamental purpose.

WOW participants are engaged in the salvation war and know how to get others engaged. We are aware of the sea changes and sound the warning. What are the needs of the women in your community that you can respond to in a life changing way? Make a difference.

Why WOW now?

So what is the thinking behind the WOW Initiative? In the spring of 2006 Commissioner Pat Swyers met with Lt. Colonel Debi Bell and Major Rose-Marie Leslie to share her heart and thoughts about Women’s Ministries in the Western Territory. We all sense that there is a great opportunity on the horizon for advancement of the Kingdom of God. We share the same belief that the women of The Salvation Army will be mightily used by God to bring about the salvation of souls and a movement of holiness not yet experienced in our history. Our statistics tell us that we have been in a fifteen year recession through out most of the territory. That in itself is a great concern to us. We prayed and talked about the challenges facing the women’s ministries programs.

All I Need

This is a picture of Sarai Welch, Brent Church and kids at VBS from last year's service corps in Mexico.

We were at the Chinatown Corps 120 year celebration this past weekend and had a great time. I heard a victory report from Carol Abella about their VBS program. There have been a lot of VBS victory reports this summer. Carol said that in her experience they often have "church families" from other churches attend their VBS. If the parents were "pleased" with the VBS they say, "See you next year!" This year they were able to get "unchurched" children and as a result have seen new children and families attend the corps. (I have heard this from other corps in the territory.)

The other victory report from Carol is that she has enrolled 5 new Home League members in the last year. WOW!

I got this in the mail and thought it was cute:

A VBS teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible; Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the verse. Little Rick was excited about the task -- but, he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.

On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

In my mind I put WM and VBS together as great outreach programs.

Win One Woman! Women who need to know the Good Shepherd - He is all we need.

WOW! Now!

The "NOW" phase begins in October 2006 when corps and ARC units through out the territory will put their plans into action. The months of October 2006 through March 2007 will be monitored and measured. We will have a territorial celebration June 9, 2007 for what has been accomplished during the first six months. Divisions and corps can have their own celebrations in the fall of 2007 for what has been accomplished after a year.

You may be able to tell, that I am excited about this Initiative and praying that God will use it and us for His Glory.

WOW! How?

The Salvation Army of the Western Territory will spend the months of August and September praying about and planning for what they will do to Win One Woman, Win Our World for Christ.

The desired outcome is that each corps will help their women Win One Woman for Christ, the Kingdom of God, and The Salvation Army and for Women's Ministries.

The "How" phase:

Spend time praying and planning about what you, your corps and your community can do to reach the unsaved for Christ, the Kingdom of God, the Salvation Army and for your corps and women's groups. Ask God to help you get a vision for what He wants to do.

“Not Worship Styles, but Outcomes”

In an article called, Three Elephants in Our Room by Gordon MacDonald found in the Leadership Journal Summer 2006 I read the following words:

Amid all the talk about contemporary and ancient/future worship, I almost never hear anyone speculate on what genuine worship ought to produce in a person or people. If it is so important, why are we vague about its results, whether short term or long term? Like everyone, I’ve been up to my ears in talk about worship styles…I’m weary of the debates. And I am a bit brittle on the subject of how long a sermon should last. The talk is about style. What’s missing is anyone asking” the right questions “What effect does true worship have upon people?” or “When a person has engaged God in worship, what changes should be expected?” “What is the difference between a person who has met God and one who has merely experienced an adrenaline high?”

He goes on to say that when he searches the Scripture, he finds many different worship styles, but more important he sees similar outcomes. When people in the Bible meet with God, they are changed.

WOW! Wonder of Wonders! Wouldn’t it be great if people could come to our WM and corps meeting, meet with God and leave changed?

To lead others you must know the way yourself. Do you enter the Presence of God in your personal devotions and prayer life? Do you expect to enter the Presence of God in public times of worship and prayer?

It seems as if we Christians have been distracted enough in the war over styles and we have missed the point. Enter into the Presence of God in private and public worship. You will be changed. The world will be changed.

Jesus is the biggest WOW of all. Wonder of Wonders!

Words of Wisdom

This past week I have enjoyed the wonderful opportunity to meet over a meal with several good women friends. On Sunday I went to lunch with two friends. One of them was one of the first “Prayer Partners” God has given to me in my officership. After training school, I was commissioned to be the assistant officer in Long Beach, California. Every Friday morning Major Dorothy Brown opened her home to any women who wanted to come and pray. Often times it would be just the two of us. On those occasions we shared some very deep lessons about prayer, spiritual growth and life. She was the perfect gift to me at that time. From that experience with her, I learned the importance of asking God to supply me with prayer partners in every appointment. Years later we are still good friends and learning from each other. I appreciate her words of wisdom. The other woman in our meal fellowship is a friend from many years who came in to my life the second time I was appointed to Long Beach. This time Don and I were the corps officers and Audrey was one of our soldiers.

The three of us were enjoying a great time of fellowship. I observed about how wonderful it was to see them as sisters in Christ together as friends that day. When we were at the corps in the late 1980s, they had not been friends or enemies. They just ran in other circles in the corps. Audrey was involved in band and songsters; Dorothy was involved in Sunday School and teaching classes. We began discussing how easy it is to label people and miss out on really being blessed by getting to know them.

Today I had lunch with an old friend, Major Dawn Rocheleau, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship. She has spent most of her as an officer time in the northern California divisions and I have spent most of my time as an officer in the southern California divisions. For the first time in years we are in the same area and we are trying to catch up with each other.

These two meal times are examples of women ministering to women. We had a need to eat. (Our felt need) The opportunity was there to go together. (More than one) Sharing of spiritual and emotional things occurred. (Ministry) Can forming a Women’s Ministry group be that simple? I think so. Now we need to expand. (Not our waist lines – please, the number we can reach by the meal time fellowships) So what now? I think I need to figure out how to report these meetings to my corps officer and encourage my friends to report these times of ministry as well. (Major Brown often meets with a group of windowed and single women after the Sunday meeting, but I don’t think she has thought to count it.)

The Red Hat Society has the secret. Wear a red hat and go out with your girlfriends for a meal or refreshments. They keep it easy and fun. I was visiting my grandmother in the rest home and discovered that she has a red hat with a purple feather. The Red Hat Society comes once a month to have “tea” with the ladies. The rest home supplies the drink and food as their regular snack time and the Red Hat Society brings hats and does a fun program. Now is that Women’s Ministries or Community Care? Whatever it is, it is easy and it is doing something. Could you start the Blue Bonnet Society in your community? Or even the White-hats On Women Society? Could it be that easy? It’s just an idea to get you thinking and praying about what you, your corps or your division could do as part of the WOW Initiative.

God designed women to need the fellowship of other women. I needed the words of wisdom that came from Dorothy when I was a young officer and I need them now. We need each other. How to capture and build on that for the Kingdom of God? That is the Question! WOW!

How Can I Better Serve Thee, Lord?

In a recent letter to family and friends, Lt. Colonel Jolene Hodder, the Territorial Secretary for Women's Ministries in Kenya wrote the following:

"Our next stop was the Joy-town Primary School, an Army home for approximately 130 physically-challenged children. Our emotions there bounced between deep sadness and high joy. We went into a room in which the most severely handicapped children are loved and cared for. Many of them just lay on floor mats, wiggling and squirming in delight upon seeing visitors. I blinked back my tears as I knelt down to speak to them. When I stood up, a young girl grabbed me and we hugged each other. I learned later that she is an officer’s child. Each precious child has a compelling story to tell. One child had been hit by a train; only the head and trunk of his body remain. Nevertheless, he is doing quite well in his studies. We met many other children without some limbs, and all were disfigured.

I suppose there are some who might say (pointing to the children) that a loving God must be an illusion. If God were real, they would ask, how could he allow such tragedy and pain? But by the time we left Joy-town, we saw a thousand evidences of the presence of our loving God. The smiles and laughter of the children were clear signs that they are being loved and cared for by God himself and his helpers. And the helpers are saints--smartly dressed, competent, patient, and full-of-love saints. Now each time I hear that God has taken one of these dear children home to be with Him, the women's department is going to make sure that the family can afford a proper burial, one fit for a child of the King.

We then visited the Joy-town Secondary School for 142 physically handicapped children. Each beautiful teenager we saw is a demonstration of God’s love. When trophies were presented to students for their successful participation in national sports events, district and zonal music festivals, and district and zonal science competitions, we saw each teen as a trophy of God’s grace. What those young people have accomplished against all odds is nothing short of amazing. What, we wondered, would the members of those families and communities who had abandoned their children think and say if they had witnessed the awards' ceremony and heard of the remarkable accomplishments? In many cases, these young people are becoming what their family members can only dream of becoming. These human castaways have become God’s precious treasures."

I have to think about that...

What a challenge to serve God in a situation such as this. Yet in some ways it may be easier to serve God in the face of such obvious challenges - I wonder if it is any easier to figure out what to do for others when the challenges are obvious verses what we face in our local communities."

Think about it.

Look at Luke 4:18. Jesus read His mission statement in the words of Isaiah, the prophet:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the down trodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

Are there blind people in your community? Are there prisoners, captives, or down trodden? Are there people who need to hear the good news? Are there poor people? They may not be as obvious as they are in Kenya, but they are there. How do you reach them and reach them effectively?

Women’s ministries encourage you to be creative in your approach to meeting needs. Start with identifying and inviting a few godly women to join you and pray. Pray for your corps ministry and what you are already doing. Ask God to show how you can do it more effectively and how you can do more for His sake. See where God leads you and be sure to obey! You will be blessed!

WOW!