Seeking those willing to commit a lifetime to serving Christ in The Salvation Army UKT North Western Division, Major Glad Ljungholm (CLICK ON IMAGE TO WATCH VIDEO)
'Not called' did you say? 'Not heard the call', I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bi
"God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life..."
Friday, January 27, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
PLEASE STEP UP...
at·tri·tion -
noun
2. a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment: The enemy schemed; surrounded us in part, infiltrated our movement and conducted a war of attrition.
3. a gradual reduction in work force without being replaced. The small number of candidates and cadets in many territories is a major cause of attrition
4. an insistence that soldiers and officers adhere to antiquated, non-enforsable regulations: Many officers refused to accept the army's policy
ATTRITION STATISTICS IN 6 TERRITORIES THAT NOW APPROVE OF SSO (single spouse officers)
It's been almost seven years since SSO policy was introduced. Has the introduction of SSO served its intended purpose to avoid the human rights' legal controversy and added significantly to the number of active officers? What are some of the issues surrounding the SSO that require attention?
The below article by Major Victor J. Cyr, ‘The Horizons’ September/October 2005.SA CANADA serves to introduce the policy well. Note- the article was written prior to its approval and enactment.
A series of articles will follow detailing the crucial factors that the non-officer spouse must understand and embrace in order that the officer spouse fulfill their calling and lifelong vocation to the fullest and God's glory.
Dr. Sven Ljungholm
non-officer spouse ______________________________________________________________________
Has the time come for the Army to enable married couples to pursue separate callings?
“The Lord says ‘Do not cling to the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already you can see it now!’…”-Isaiah 43:18-19 GNB
Recently I had the privilege of being a member of a divisional focus group that looked at the important matter of single spouse officership. As most Salvationists are already aware, when a married individual wishes to be an Army officer, it is required the spouse be a part of that same calling as well.
The primary purpose of the focus group was to brainstorm and determine what ramifications could arise should the Army, as an organization, move toward a system that permits one married partner to be an officer while allowing the spouse to be a non-officer.
The focus group, made up of officers and lay people, was presented with different scenarios to stimulate our thinking. Without exception, everyone in the group agreed the time to permit single spouse officership had now arrived and that there is certainly no biblical injunction that should prevent such a calling.
This new system of one spouse officership is already up and running in the U.K. territory and has had no adverse impact. Now that the Canada and Bermuda Territory has accepted this policy for the ranks of lieutenants, I believe we need to go the next step and incorporate this to cover all ranks within the Army.
Although there are great advantages in having both husband and wife in ministry team leadership, this should not impede couples where only one wishes to become an officer. Single spouse officership would allow a former officer to be reaccepted without the spouse being required to follow suit. Where a married officer resigns or is terminated, the spouse might be given the option of retaining their officership. If an officer must retire due to age or poor health, the spouse may be permitted to continue to serve in their calling. It would also allow a single active officer to marry a non-officer.
Some concerns were raised in regard to what standard the non-officer spouse should be required to follow:
Must they be a soldier or member of the Army, or can they simply be a professing believer of the Christian faith?
Would they be willing/required to move to a new location when the officer spouse receives transfer orders?
Would they be prepared to live in an officer’s quarters if their combined income enabled the couple to afford a more expensive place to live?
How would our corps/community churches accept this new leadership arrangement?
What kind of expectations would be placed upon the non-officer spouse by the congregation at large?
Though these issues will continue to provoke debate, I believe these questions and others like them will be reasonably worked out on an individual basis with each couple as they consider this lifestyle choice.I commend our leadership for showing vision by adapting to changing circumstances in our culture while still maintaining the core values that will determine our effectiveness in the years to come. May we, as a Movement of God, be continually ready to embrace change and to allow it to bring renewed vitality and vigour to our desire to faithfully serve the Lord.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Single Spouse Officership?
Single Spouse Officership (SSO) refers to an active officer of The Salvation Army who is married to a non officer,
Whether only one spouse was trained and commissioned,
Or whether through the reacceptance of one spouse only of a former officer couple,
Or whether through reacceptance of a former single officer who has married since leaving officership,
Or whether through voluntary resignation of one spouse of an officer couple,
Or whether an officer chooses to marry a non officer.
“Single Spouse Officership (retirement option)” refers to SSO-like scenarios which are produced by the retirement of one officer spouse. The difference is that the “retirement option” SSO is married to a retired officer (not a non officer spouse).”SSO (retirement option)” has two scenarios:
For those desiring to retain officership while the officer spouse retires at normal retirement age, and
For those desiring to retain officership while the officer spouse retires before normal retirement age.
Single Spouse Officership will be considered a full time position.Why is Single Spouse Officership being offered?
Throughout Salvation Army history our unique position on married officer ministry, i.e. both spouses equally called, trained, ordained and commissioned, has been a great strength. The model of service where an officer is married to an officer will continue to be encouraged and endorsed in this Territory.
The Salvation Army International Commission on Officership (2000) opened the door for Christian ministry and spiritual leadership for those called by God, but whose spouse does not share the same calling to ministry.*
SSO will broaden access to officership for those who are married to non officer spouses.* SSO celebrates individual calling to ministry as officers in The Salvation Army and requires that each candidate for SSO be evaluated on their own merit.
SSO (retirement option) facilitates continuance of service by the active officer when his/her officer spouse retires at normal age or retires early.
* In the case of SSO (retirement option) the single spouse officer is married to a retired officer spouse.
When will Single Spouse Officership be offered?
In July 2005 The Salvation Army International Headquarters approved Single Spouse Officership as policy for the Canada and Bermuda Territory. Extensive input and dialogue on this concept at every level of The Army has prepared this Territory to launch SSO in May 2006.
During the first four to five months of 2006 the preparation of policies and procedures to accommodate SSO will be completed. Sometime after April 30th Divisional Commanders and Department Heads will release information and establish interviews with interested Salvationists. Timing is important. All applicants for SSO must allow time for an extensive interview and evaluation process.
What is the application process?
The application process starts with a written request to the Divisional Commander or Department Head asking for consideration as a single spouse officer.
An interview with the applicant and the non applicant spouse (or spouse to be) will be arranged.
Divisional commanders and Department Heads will be able to detail the numerous steps in the SSO application process.
Officers who are currently in active service and former officers should not assume that application for SSO will be approved automatically. A significant review will be part of the application process. The Salvation Army wants to ensure the very best candidates for SSO in this Territory, so that our mission will be accomplished
How will Single Spouse Officership function in a corps/community church setting?
In some cases corps are already used to ’single officer’ leadership, so the adjustment to SSO will not be as significant.
In other corps settings where an officer couple usually provides leadership, SSO may be a significant change, requiring a reassignment of responsibilities which an officer spouse once performed.
Some corps are no longer able to sustain financially two full time officers (a married couple). In these corps SSO may provide financial relief.
A change of appointment for the spouse who becomes the remaining SSO officer may be necessary
What will be the role of the non officer spouse?
The non officer/retired officer spouse will possess a thorough understanding of The Salvation Army, its mission and values and its officer appointment system. The nature of officership as a spiritual covenant rather than a contract with The Salvation Army must be understood and affirmed. He/she must sign a ‘declaration’ of support for the officer spouse’s ministry and a willingness to relocate with the officer spouse as part of the Army’s appointment process.The non officer/retired officer spouse must be a senior soldier of The Salvation Army ‘in good standing’. This person will share the same commitment as his/her officer spouse to The Army’s mission, values, beliefs and lifestyle.
Divisional Commanders and Department Heads will provide a copy of the ‘Manual of Guidance for Single Spouse Applicants’ to interested persons when an interview date is established. This manual will address questions and detail the application process.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Candidates Accepted
More Candidates were accepted today to enter the USA Western Territory College For Officer Training. This is really good news. We need more and more to win the world for Jesus.
How many people do you think God is calling for officership today? Twice the number applying? Three times? I think it’s more like 10 times.
Do we have enough means to train them all? We’ll find it.
Do we have enough appointments for all of them? We sure do.
Can we advance without them? Advance is the work of God. He can do anything. Hallelujah! That’s why He is calling so many to step up and serve Him with everything.
Talk to your corps officer today. Can your corps do without you? They can if it’s God’s plan.
“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” 1 Thess 5:24
Friday, January 13, 2012
FROM "PRAYER" BY RICHARD FOSTER
Transformation and intimacy both cry out for ministry.
We are led through the furnace of God's purity not just for our own sake but also for the sake of others.
We are drawn up into the bosom of God's love not merely to experience acceptance but also so we can give His love to others. The world writhes under the pain of its arrogance and self-sufficiency.
We can make a difference if we will.
In earlier days we tried to serve out of our spiritual bankruptcy, and we failed. We now know that ministry must flow out of abundance.
Bernard of Clairvaux writes,
"If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. For a canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus communicates, without loss to itself, its superabundant water.
In the Church at the present day, we have many canals, few reservoirs. "
We have determined to be reservoirs.
Drawn from "Prayer, Finding the Heart's True Home" by Richard J. Foster, perhaps the best known Quaker in the world today, although many are at most dimly aware that he is associated with the Religious Society of Friends.
We are led through the furnace of God's purity not just for our own sake but also for the sake of others.
We are drawn up into the bosom of God's love not merely to experience acceptance but also so we can give His love to others. The world writhes under the pain of its arrogance and self-sufficiency.
We can make a difference if we will.
In earlier days we tried to serve out of our spiritual bankruptcy, and we failed. We now know that ministry must flow out of abundance.
Bernard of Clairvaux writes,
"If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. For a canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus communicates, without loss to itself, its superabundant water.
In the Church at the present day, we have many canals, few reservoirs. "
We have determined to be reservoirs.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Officership: A Lifetime Call?
Statistics don’t lie—for an increasing number of people, the years of service as an officer are short
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In an age when most people change careers four or five times, can we realistically expect a lifetime commitment to officership? Does God call different people for different periods of time? Is our approach to leadership biblical? Is it practical?
This is the fourth in a series of Point Counterpoint debates in which a variety of Salvationists will explore two sides of an issue that is critical to Army mission.
Officership is not a career, but a covenant relationship designed for the long haul. Of course if we want people to sign up, we need to change our approach.
BY MAJOR WENDY SWAN
It may seem a no-brainer for someone in her 27th year of officer service to answer this question. Like others, I enjoyed a successful career in business prior to choosing officership. Since commissioning, have I ever been offered another career? Several times. Recently? Yes. Why then continue to commit to a lifetime of service as an officer?
Let me quickly affirm that much has been gained by the Church from using a business model in terms of management and stewardship of resources. I wonder, however, if we have inadvertently made a mistake in using business language to describe officership—specifically the use of the word “career.” Career speaks of experience and expertise that provide opportunity for power, independence, financial gain and “self.” Officership is not a career. More accurately, officership might be described as a “service path,” originating out of a covenant relationship with God and a vehicle within which to serve The Salvation Army.
The Army’s military terminology and imagery aside, ordination is not a new idea within the Church. It finds its roots in the Mendicant orders of the 13th century where groups of people offered themselves as a model of God active within a community. They took vows of obedience, poverty and chastity so that all of their time and energy could be expended on the religious work of preaching the gospel and serving the poor. Sound familiar?
Seven hundred years later, all Salvationists commit to evangelism, discipleship and service. Officers voluntarily choose additional covenant vows of obedience and simplicity of lifestyle. After more than 20 years in leadership development and training, I have yet to meet anyone who begins officership thinking, “Well, I’ll see how it goes.…” But statistics don’t lie—for an increasing number of people, the years of service as an officer are short.
Based on this reality, I’d like to ask another question: Under what conditions might the Army expect an individual to commit to a lifetime of service? Aside from the theological issue of covenant, I’d like to suggest some pragmatic components that facilitate productive “long-termers.”
Consultative Leadership: While we are making progress in consulting officers on a variety of issues, consultative leadership is more than asking officer personnel for thoughts or opinions regarding issues. These days, people not only want a voice, they want a vote. If people do not believe that their voice is truly heard and valued, they will vote with their feet. The best form of consultative leadership involves what I call “mature conversations,” discussions where deepest need and deepest passion intersect, where both parties recognize capacity and contribution as well as challenges and limitations. People choose to commit to the long term when what they experience in the short term tells them there is a future and they can envision their place in it.
Professional Development: Our Army provides a myriad of opportunities to fulfil one’s calling to serve community. While I’ve served in corps and social services, most of my officership has been in international education and training. We live in a world where accreditation and credentialing increasingly demand a high level of professionalism. While a growing number of people enter officership with extensive skills and education, it is critical that we adopt lifelong learning and equipping of officer personnel for present and future service. While limited financial resources will always be a factor, our strategic-planning lens must be one of “investment” and not “cost” at strategic points in an individual’s service.
Sabbatical Refreshment: I’m not talking about a year lounging on the beaches of Bali (as beautiful as they are!). Studies show that within the ministerial professions, frontline workers experience burnout regardless of how well they have attempted self-care. This is a particular danger for our movement as we expect 24/7 availability as well as multiple appointments from individuals. Are we guilty of abusing God’s grace when we ask people to commit to a lifetime and then fail to provide for the biblical precept of intentional re-creation? Several territories have in recent years implemented a variety of sabbatical forms. This is resulting in longer years of productive and energized service of officers. I’d love to see this become a reality here in Canada and Bermuda.
Consultative leadership, professional development, sabbatical refreshment—that sounds like an Army I’d want to sign up for—long term of course.
Major Wendy Swan is the extended learning program director at William and Catherine Booth College in Winnipeg.
Monday, January 9, 2012
And that brings me thirdly to the outcome of his appeal. Supposing we do present our bodies to God, what will happen? The answer is in the remarkable contrast of the next verse, "Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." The basic contrast, I think you will agree, is absolutely clear. On the one hand is the fashion of the world which is superficial and changeable, and on the other is the will of God which is profound and unchangeable. So the contrast and the choice between all of this is on the one hand the world's way and on the other, God's way.
Now that option is before us daily. The world presses its claims upon us through the media: through television, through radio, through audio or video cassettes, through newspapers, through movies, through the theater. The world with all its standards and its value system is pressing upon us through the media every day.
But God presses his claims upon us through Christ and through the scriptures in which he has revealed his will, and we have to choose between the way of the world and the will of God.
The world says: get and grab what you can and live for yourself. God says: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
The world says: give as good as you get; return good for good and evil for evil and tit for tat. God says: "Do not repay evil for evil but overcome evil with good."
The world says: sex is for fun; it's enjoyment without commitment. God says: sex is for love; it's enjoyment within commitment.
The world says: go for the top and the end justifies the means. God says: "Whoever wants to be first among you, let him be the servant of all."
The world says: greatness is measured by achievement. God says: greatness is measured by service.
The world says: you're number one; so live for yourself and look out for yourself; nobody else is going to if you don't. God says: "Seek first my rule and my righteousness, and these things will be added to you."
The world says: stand up for yourself; fight for your rights. God says: "Blessed are the meek; they shall inherit the earth."
And so I could go on and point after point the way of the world and the way of God are at variance and in opposition to one another. My friends, there is no possibility of reaching a compromise, no possibility of negotiating a settlement, or of having the best of both worlds, we've got to choose either to conform to this world and its value system or to conform to the will of God and so become transformed into the image of Christ.
Now as I bring this to a conclusion, I want to urge you not to fudge this issue. Don't try to escape from this choice. Let me bring it to you in five simple steps:
First, thank God for his mercies. Read the scriptures that unfold the story of the mercies of God. Come to the Lord's Supper, if you are a Christian, which portrays and celebrates visibly the mercies of God. Meditate on the unutterable mercy of God who loved us when we deserved only his judgment, and has had mercy upon us. Remember his mercy and thank him.
Secondly, present your bodies to God in response to his mercy. Not your heart only, not your mind, not your life in some ethereal sense, but your body: your hands, eyes. I find it a lovely thing; in fact almost the first thing I do when I awake in the morning, when my alarm clock goes off - is that I swing my legs out of bed and sit on the side of my bed and present my body to God. And I sometimes go from limb to limb, the hands, the lips, the ears, the eyes, the feet, etc. and present my body to God afresh for that day as spiritual worship.
Then thirdly, don't let the world squeeze you into its mold. You probably know that that's the rather dramatic translation of "don't be conformed to this world" in J. B. Phillips' translation of the New Testament. Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold. Be on your guard. It's necessary to read the newspaper, but have you ever thought it's dangerous. It's necessary to watch television and go to the movies to understand what's going on in the world around us, but it's dangerous. Subtly, insidiously, the world can infiltrate into your life and squeeze you into its mold. So we need to be on our guard. The whole value system of the world can permeate our lives if we are not careful. Keep on your guard. Keep up your defenses. Maintain your critical faculties. Read the newspapers. Watch television, but do it critically.
Then fourthly, be transformed according to the will of God. Radically transformed by accepting the standards of God rather than the standards of the world. If you are a Christian, then you already have a renewed mind. That is to say that the Holy Spirit has given you the mind of Christ. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia which means a change of mind. Every Christian has been given a change of mind. The Holy Spirit has given you a new outlook, a new perspective. And with this new mind seek to understand God's will for your life in his word, not only in order that you may discern it, but in order that you may prove it, and endorse it and seek grace to do it.
And then fifthly, remember that God's will, which you will discover in his word, is good, acceptable and perfect. God is not a kind of' ogre who is determined to rob us of everything good in life and everything that makes life worth living. The very opposite is the case. "Christ came , " Paul said, "to give us life, and to give it more abundantly." God's will is not a burden. It is a pleasure. God's will is not alien to our human personality. It fits it perfectly. I venture to say from my own experience, as well as from the scriptures, that God's will is good, and acceptable and perfect. To rebel against the will of God is to rebel against your own highest welfare, whereas to endorse the will of God is to find personal human fulfillment.
So as I conclude, I appeal to you, my brothers and sisters, at the beginning of this new week, in view of the infinite mercies of God, "Come, present your bodies to him as your spiritual worship." Don't go on being conformed to the empty fashions of this world but allow yourself to be transformed as your renewed mind grasps the will of God and seeks to do it. And remember the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect.
So this appeal to present your bodies to God is an appeal that simply cannot be ignored.
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