General’s call to the troops

General Bond informed a packed meeting at the Army’s International Headquarters that after extensive consultation with Salvation Army Leaders around the world that she was placing before them 12 Mission Priorities which can be seen online in the Vision Plan (http://sar.my/one).

General Bond said: “The Salvation Army has a very deep spiritual life but sometimes a church can get detached from its spiritual roots and I think that happened to us for a while.”

Speaking about the Mission Priority to “stand for a serve the marginalised” she challenged her listeners by saying the Army needs to “find its voice and stand for the people who are marginalised in society”, explaining that the army is married to such people.

Speaking to correspondent Leslie Smyth, Lieutenants Dominic and Debbie Eaton, leaders of the local church said they would be accepting the challenge and were looking forward to a more public image of the Army. They have already started a Parent and Toddler group in the Irish Street estate and hope to establish what is called a Messy Church there. The possibility of some work being done in Nelson drive is also under discussion.

Sunday, November 20, will also see the visit of the Army’s Divisional Youth choir and information about this can be found in today’s notice in the Sentinel. This is going to be a real treat of Gospel song.

The following weekend the Divisional Headquarters team will be in the city. Details of this will be announced in next week’s Sentinel along with information about the church being opened two days per week in January and February of 2012. This is for the benefit of anyone who would like a heated place during the winter cold.