An integral part of our DNA
An integral part of our DNA
15 November 2017
Adelaide City Salvos' Do Unto Others ministry takes street teams into the “party-precinct” of Adelaide every Saturday night, working alongside South Australian police to provide a safety presence for late-night revellers and to connect with rough sleepers.
A “big, hairy, audacious goal”, or “BHAG”, is terminology used in business planning for setting targets that are so large, it will take the might of all an organisation’s efforts to achieve it.
For The Salvation Army in Australia, to transform Australia one life at a time is one of our BHAGs.
We commit all of our efforts to this one aspect of our vision as we know that it only takes one life to start a movement that changes the world.
It takes one life to spark an idea that will impact millions of lives. It takes one life to bring new life to another.
Since 1865, The Salvation Army’s global presence has been defined by transformation.
It is an integral part of our DNA as a movement. We believe every person deserves the opportunity to live to their full potential. All Army expressions of faith and social justice are aligned to transforming lives: meeting the “whole” needs of individuals – physical, mental, moral and spiritual.
We believe that no one should go hungry, struggle to find a job or be forced to sleep on the streets. Through journeying with millions of Australians over the past 130 years with the love of Jesus every day, we know that not only individuals will be transformed, but whole communities will come alive and prosper.
This must also be true for our movement. Through the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit to bring transformation towards unity in The Salvation Army in Australia, I have no doubt it will make us stronger and richer.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”.
Here, Paul is challenging us to be true to God’s voice and trust his vision. And, too, if we renew our mind we have the opportunity to transform more than just ourselves.
The Army is transforming in many ways at present. The way we work: seeking to focus on integrated, local mission delivery through the introduction of the Area Officer model; the way we are structured: working from a national leadership team approach with centrally coordinated support services; and the way we unite under one vision: maintaining our ceaseless desire to transform Australia one life at a time.
My fellow Salvos, transformation is not easy and is indeed a journey, but in the words of one of our founders, Catherine Booth, “there is no improving the future without disturbing the present”.
If we are to transform Australia one life at a time in the decades to come, we must heed the call of God to become a transformed movement. We are committed to improving the future. We must be prepared to have our present disturbed.
In this unprecedented moment in time to transform our movement in this nation, we must not forget the privileged position of being partners with God in his work of transforming lives with the love of Jesus.
One life transformed is one life that God will use to expand and grow his kingdom. And friends, it only takes one life for God to transform communities, nations and our world.
I fervently believe that by the renewing of our minds to God’s will, The Salvation Army in Australia will be the transformed movement God has in mind to use to transform the lives of millions more.
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