So, this thing happened last week, Annette & I were promoted to Major’s within The Salvation Army (TSA).
Now for some this may come as a bit of a surprise that we have lasted this long as I’m sure some had their doubts.
You see, in simple terms this means that we have served 15 years as Salvation Army Officers and have dedicated our lives, skills, and service completely to and for God.
Promotion in effect is based on length of service, but character, efficiency, capacity for increased responsibility, and devotion to duty are also taken into account.
Thus far we have served mainly in Corps appointments; Westport (3yrs), Belfast, known now as Christchurch North (2yrs), Invercargill (6yrs), Wellington City (21 months) and currently serving at Central Division headquarters in administrative roles – all within New Zealand.
I’ve also been privileged to serve on the International Emergency Services Team in Nepal, assisting people in and around Kathmandu after the devastating earthquake in 2015
(Read about my experiences here).
Recently at our 15yr Review we were asked to breakdown our years of service down to three defining moments. The following is a slightly abridged version of what I wrote 🙂
To be honest breaking down 15yrs of ministry down to three defining moments has been extremely difficult, as in each appointment there have been numerous defining moments some good and some not so much.
We have been blessed to have been predominately based in Corps appointments, but even breaking each of those down individually we’d more than likely come up with more than 3 defining moments in each.
I use the words we both as recognition of the fact that my ministry has been a partnership with my lovely wife, who has been with me for the up’s and down’s and is someone who I wouldn’t have been able to do it without.
But also because this is not just about me, or even Annette and I, God has journeyed with us every step of the way, and protected us come what may.
Rather than three defining moments, I’ll instead focus on an abbreviation – a C.O’s life.
C – in essence meaning the many challenges & crises that we face along the way.
O – Opportunities for growth and development of people, communities and The Salvation Army, and the privilege we have as C.O’s, or officers in general.
Life – obviously life in general both ministry and personal, or more specifically the impact on life.
Challenges / Crises:
These have been wide and varied from dealing with the sudden death of someone that we have grown close to in ministry and life, to the challenge of confronting someone so that they no longer remain a stumbling block to God fulfilling what He wants us to do in a certain setting.
Add to this the fact that we have had to work through what it means to survive the aftermath of catastrophic disasters where people have lost their lives unexpectedly. From quad bike accidents and car crashes, floods, mine explosions, earthquakes and unexpected sudden deaths of people that we have grown to see as family and invested our lives heavily into.
That doesn’t include having to work through the challenges of convincing people that buildings are no longer fit for purpose, earthquake damaged and or suffering from leaky building syndrome. Which has seen us have to work through the process of relocating family stores, corps buildings and office facilities on a number of occasions.
And I’m sure that we could divulge heaps more on the challenges and crises that we have faced along the way. But we have also had the immense privilege to be doing this thing called ministry and with it have seen a multitude of opportunities to see God at work in and through us and sometime even in spite of us 😊
Opportunities:
Throughout all of our appointments we’ve had the privilege of journeying with people and for the most part seeing their spiritual growth blossom, as we invest time and effort in exploring what it is that God wants of them, and how we can help in releasing them into ministry.
We have seen people live and experience life to the full through in some small measure our involvement in their lives. We have literally seen lives saved both figuratively and literally, physically and spiritually.
We’ve journeyed with people who have been hurt by the church (including TSA) and bring them to a point of reconciliation. We have seen families come to faith and then find their niche in ministry. We have seen ministries grow from nothing to something substantial that continues to make huge strides within the community to make it a better place for people to live and serve, both in ministry and in work situations.
We have journeyed with people who have been turned away from serving in ministry and experienced their own Nineveh moments along the way, who are now fully immersed in officership and/or other ministries and churches. We’ve also seen people saved, serve and meet their maker.
As noted earlier, I’ve had the privilege of serving and ministering overseas and impacting the hearts and minds of hundreds of people.
I’ve been able to share the love of Christ in ways that would not usually be acceptable or even allowed in some cases – But His Word was still heard and seen, and changed many people’s lives for the better.
A highlight being the Wellington Citadel Band 2019 Tour to Japan and Singapore.
Sometimes we’ve had to battle with people, as well as alongside them, advocating for them by challenging policies and procedures, so that they can be released to that which God is calling them to.
This has unfortunately brought many a frustration along the way, as we as The Salvation Army on the one hand say that we are for the whosoever and the down-and-outs, and then on the other put blockages in the way for them to be are part of who we are.
I wonder if all too often we are sending mixed messages around this and are not really seeking to bring life in all its fullness, but are actually shutting people out and turning them away from God 😦
Life:
Now all of this I’ve come to understand, comes at a cost! And that cost is something that we all, in one way or another come to accept as part and parcel of ministry life.
We accept the brutality of ministry life, understanding that there are going to be times that are hard. Sometimes I wonder though if we were ever told how brutal it can be at times and if we were, were we listening, or did we just gloss it over.
If you haven’t experienced hard times in 15yrs you are either extremely blessed or completely oblivious – Because I’m sure we have all had them.
Now, obviously, we’d like to think that these are counterbalanced by the good times that we experience as well. And if we were to balance the scales, I’m sure that the good would outweigh the not so good 😊
But we have a choice to make – do we dwell in the challenges and the crises, or do we celebrate and acknowledge the good times and thank God for His involvement in our lives every step of the way, sometimes even carrying us through the hard times.
Do we elevate the joys that God has blessed us with by focussing on the opportunities and the privilege that we have to journey with Him, making a difference in people’s lives bringing life and hope.
Unfortunately, I’ve been hampered with a life altering invisible disability that’s affecting what I can and can’t do. It has me having to constantly evaluate what I can do, when and ultimately where.
But I believe that God hasn’t finished with me yet and He is opening doors into people’s lives and other spheres of influence which I would never have imagined.
Blessings ’til next time 🙂
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