“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of [all]. That is what love looks like.”
– Saint Augustine
PHOTO BY FADI XD ON UNSPLASH
What is The Salvation Army?
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.
Vision Statement
Wherever there is hardship or injustice, Salvos will live, love and fight alongside others to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus.
Mission Statement
The Salvation Army is a Christian movement dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus by:
• Caring for people
• Creating faith pathways
• Building healthy communities
• Working for justice
The Salvation Army Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders, past, present, and future. We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of people of all ages, particularly children.
Salvos snapshot
The ministry and outreach of The Salvation Army in Australia and globally extend into some remote, and often surprising, corners of community.
In this edition, we look at a few of these ministries, with a focus on one that recently celebrated its 80th anniversary – the Flying Padre Service.
For 80 years, the men and women behind this service have flown into some of Australia’s most far-flung places and walked alongside families and communities facing some of their toughest moments.
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Founders: William and Catherine Booth
Scan here to subscribe to Salvos Magazine
Salvation Army World Leaders: General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn
Buckingham
Territorial Leader: Commissioner Miriam Gluyas
Secretary for Communications and Editor-In-Chief: Colonel Rodney Walters
Printed and published for The Salvation Army by Commissioner Miriam Gluyas at Focus Print Group, Chester Hill, NSW, Darug Nation lands.
A Salvation Army Emergency Services partnership with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation is also enabling the Salvos to assist children in times of trauma and disaster through the provision of ‘Buddy Bags’. And another partnership –with Harley-Davidson – is helping to raise funds and awareness for those in need.
These ministries reflect the dedication of those involved as they serve our “up close and personal God” that Andrea Redford writes about in Faith Talk. They also reflect the Salvos mission to share the love of Jesus throughout the country.
For these stories and more, go to salvosonline.org.au
Simone Worthing Editor
Wings of hope across the Outback
80 years of the Flying Padre Service
For 80 years, The Salvation Army’s Flying Padre Service has brought prayer, support and the love of Jesus to some of Australia’s most isolated communities. In 1945, Captain Vic Pedersen had the vision for a flying padre service to reach everywhere – from remote Outback stations to tiny missions.
Today, there is a legacy of officers (pastors) who have followed in Vic’s footsteps and flight paths, always with the same message: “You are seen, you are valued, and you are deeply loved by God.”
Humble beginning
In 1945, as World War II was drawing to a close, a young Salvation Army officer
(pastor), Vic Pedersen, was posted to an army base in Western Australia.
His work with radar sites led him to the idea that The Salvation Army needed an aircraft for its ministry.
The Flying Padre Service was born. From remote outback stations to tiny missions, Vic flew across Western Australia’s vast landscape, sometimes swapping his wings for a folding bike to cover the last miles.
But it wasn’t just about reaching the destination, it was about what he brought with him – prayer, support, a concertina full of songs and a heart filled with a love of Jesus.
Captain (later Brigadier) Vic Pedersen was our first flying padre.
Captain Vic Pedersen proudly flying the ex-RAAF Tiger Moth, the first aircraft of the Flying Padre Service.
Captain Vic Pedersen began the Flying Padre Service in Western Australia.
Majors Michelle and Niall Gibson are rural and remote chaplains based in Katherine, Northern Territory.
Former and current flying padres gathered in the Northern Territory last month to celebrate the 80th anniversary.
Aux-Lieutenant Simon Steele was the flying padre, based in Mt Isa, Queensland, for 15 years.
Ongoing service
Over the decades, many officers followed Vic’s footsteps and flight paths, bringing hope to flood-ravaged communities, drought-stricken properties, and isolated Australians.
In Queensland, the flying padre ministry, by this time called the Outback Flying Service, took on a new form – helicopter.
Skimming across remote regions, the message remained the same:
“You are seen, you are valued and you are deeply loved by God.”
Today’s outreach
Today’s flying padres continue that same
mission, bringing the presence of Jesus to those who might feel isolated from the rest of the world.
Through pastoral care, practical help and a good old-fashioned cuppa and a chat, they remind people that hope is never out of reach.
Here’s to the flying padres, past, present and future, serving the Outback with wings, heart and the love of Jesus.
Scan here to view a brief history of the flying padres.
‘Buddy Bags’ help children impacted by trauma
A powerful new partnership between
The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) and the Alannah and Madeline Foundation will provide vital support and comfort to many children who have been impacted by trauma.
The Salvation Army’s corporate partner, the National Australia Bank, is a supporter of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, and late last year, the charity wanted to know if their Buddy Bags could be used within the emergency services work.
It was a quick yes from Bindy Lupis, SAES National Response Manager.
With the Victorian SAES team attending an alarmingly high number of single-incident house fires across the state, these bags will provide vital comfort and care to children – not only those impacted by house fires, but by natural disaster events, too.
“Often there are kids who have just lost everything,” said Bindy.
“[The bag] doesn’t give them back everything they have lost in their house or make everything better as they sit in an evacuation centre following a flood or cyclone. These kids have lost everything. But if you can hand them a bag with a teddy, a book, a few comforts, it tells that kid that they are seen, and they are heard, and they are loved, and it tells the parents that, too. Often it helps the parents just as much as the kid.”
Feedback from frontline personnel who have already distributed several Buddy
The Salvation Army's Bindy Lupis (centre back) with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation team of volunteers.
Traumatised kids love the Buddy Bags!
Bags at house-fire incidents has been powerful.
“It was that excited moment in the middle of chaos, in the middle of a really awful night, that there was still this little moment of joy. Kids are still kids. And even in the middle of tragedy, they can get excited about something; their face lights up at a toy and a gift. It doesn’t change the tragedy, but there is that moment where you get a smile, you get a little light of a face, you get this little brief moment. So, it was really special.”
– Lerisse Smith
Salvos and Harley-Davidson hit the road for a good cause
Almost 3000 motorcyclists across Australia and New Zealand participated in the inaugural United We Ride event last month when The Salvation Army and Harley-Davidson teamed up to raise funds and awareness for those in need.
The riders set out simultaneously across 53 Harley-Davidson dealerships, covering more than 240,000km and raising $150,000 (and counting).
The funds raised will directly support The Salvation Army’s frontline programs, offering vital services and assistance, including emergency housing, crisis support for women and families, and financial counselling, to thousands of Australians and New Zealanders experiencing hardship.
“The Salvation Army’s partnership with Harley-Davidson has been an amazing ride,” said Major David Collinson, Executive Officer for Salvos Stores Mission.
“We are so grateful for their support, and the support of the amazing community of motorcyclists across Australia and New Zealand.”
Salvos’ Relationship Manager, Amanda Travers, said that the ride across Australia and New Zealand was an experience she will “never forget”.
“It was a privilege to be part of such a powerful day – united with riders, fuelled by emotion, energy, and the thunder of those unmistakable engines …”
Harley-Davidson and Salvos personnel at the Tempe dealership in Sydney for the United We Ride event.
Major David Collinson, Executive Manager Salvos Stores, ‘tests’ a HarleyDavidson with the team.
Major Aaron Stobie, Salvos officer (pastor) at Perth Fortress Corps (church) attended the event at a dealership in Perth.
“It was a fabulous event for the whole family all for a great cause!
“We’re deeply grateful for your passion, horsepower, and unwavering commitment to making a difference.”
– Matthew Plon
PHOTO HANNAH BRABROOK
Kyabram store ‘rises from the ashes’
When fire tore through Kyabram Salvos Thrift shop in May this year, it could have ended a decade of service to the community – but instead, a vibrant new temporary home has risen from the ashes.
Just three months after the deliberately lit blaze shattered the Goulburn Valley community in northern Victoria, the store team has rallied and reopened in an interim location, the vacant Kyabram Salvation Army church located at the rear of the burned-out building.
Now transformed into a bustling pop-up store, the space has reunited the closeknit community after the sudden loss of their much-loved shop, which served Kyabram for 10 years.
“We are actually bursting at the seams!” said Carmel Phillips, Kyabram Thrift Shop Manager.
“The support and kindness from the community have been incredible. The fire was a big loss. The volunteers were devastated. It was more than a shop; it was a place to connect. The shop meant a lot – it was a real hub where people came for bargains or knick-knacks and felt part of the community. It was the largest thrift store in the area.”
For Lisa Stow, a long-time volunteer at Kyabram’s store, seeing the interim premises so warmly embraced by the local residents has been a huge morale boost for the dedicated team. “The community love it,” she said. “They are all just happy we have opened up and they can come in.”
The Kyabram Thrift Shop team.
Ceiling damage from the fire.
The generous donations brought in by the local community.
And its location, right next door to Salvos Doorways (emergency relief), adds even more value – clients seeking support can now pop into the store, too. Additional features include a cosy community corner that now welcomes anyone needing a cuppa, a chat, or simply a quiet moment. – Lerisse Smith
PHOTO COURTESY OF JEMMA JONES, KYABRAM FREE PRESS.
Kindness builds an ‘empire’ of tents
It all began with a simple Facebook post by former Colac Salvos (Vic.) volunteer and support worker Susan Perkins, who put out a call for tents as a client was facing homelessness without a suitable shelter.
Tents poured in from across the country, including Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia, far beyond what anyone could have imagined.
The gear isn’t just stored. It is sorted, assessed, repaired, and when needed, repurposed. Damaged tents are not discarded; they are stripped for useful parts like poles and zippers to refurbish others.
Blue Sky Outdoor Experts in Colac have generously donated multi-room tents.
Colac Salvos leader Josiah Van Niekerk (left) and Peter Gavan, owner of Blue Sky Outdoor, with donated tents.
The Salvos collaborate with local Scouts groups and schools to fix the tents. Tents have also been dropped to other parts of the state.
Social housing project in Toowoomba
“The Snell Street development is a testament to what can be achieved when community, compassion and purpose come together,” said Major Mark Everitt, who oversees the Salvos in Queensland, at the official opening of the new social housing project in Toowoomba.
“This isn’t just housing – it’s a place where lives will be changed in Jesus’ name.”
A collaboration between the Queensland Government, The Salvation Army and generous donors, this new complex will house 23 families who would otherwise be at risk of being homeless. The complex is an attempt to combat the ever-growing homelessness issue in and around Toowoomba.
The Salvos team inspecting progress during the building of the project.
The homes include 19 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom units, purpose-designed for comfort, dignity and connection. It has been built by McNab Constructions, a long-time supporter of the Salvos, with tenanting jointly managed between Salvos Housing and the Queensland Government.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC NEWS: EMILY BISSLAND
Reading between the lines
In a recent Salvos Online column – Three Books – guest bookworm Andrea Redford writes about two biblical and one secular book that have impacted her faith and spiritual walk. Andrea is a journalist with The Salvation Army Kidzone team.
Besides the gospels and Psalms, which is your favourite book in the Bible and why?
Job. It’s famous for its storyline of unimaginable suffering and grief, but Job is my favourite read in the Bible for a few other reasons. There’s so much to learn from the complex portrayal of friendship, and Job’s meditation on wisdom (chapter 28) is worth a read all on its own.
What really makes Job special for me, though, is its depiction of an up-close and personal God who is not afraid to muck through the ‘uglier’ side of our emotions and thoughts with us.
Throughout the story, God and Job go toe-to-toe. Job tells God exactly what he’s feeling and thinking. He doesn’t hold back how angry he is and how unfair he thinks he’s been treated. And God is up for all of it. Every last bit.
Reading Job has taught me that approaching God doesn’t require a wellthought-out, three-point prayer with a considered opening and a neat closing (not that God minds those either). Yet Job’s forthrightness and honesty is rewarded with such a direct and transformational encounter with God that he’s left saying, “I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes” (chapter 42, verse five New Living Translation).
Besides the Bible, what is a Christian book that has strongly influenced your faith?
Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church by Philip Yancey had a huge impact on me in my early 20s. In fact, I think it’s high time for a re-read.
The book is Yancey’s story of “searching for a faith that works”, along with the stories of 13 “unlikely mentors” whose remarkable lives shaped his own spiritual journey. Some of these Yancey interviews himself (Annie Dillard and Dr Paul Brand), while others he encounters through their
PHOTO COURTESY KAREN MASTERS
own writing (G.K. Chesterton, Shusaku Endo, Leo Tolstoy).
Soul Survivor is like one good friend introducing you to many more. The main reason it remains high on my list of favourite books after 20 years is because it was here that Yancey introduced me to Henri Nouwen and Frederick Buechner (both of whom he interviews). I’d never heard of either writer before reading Soul Survivor, but I’ve since gone on to read all their books, and my faith has never been the same.
What is a secular book that has revealed to you a Christian message or theme?
I’m going to cheat a little here and name a whole series, rather than just one book: the Armand Gamache series by Canadian author Louise Penny (also sometimes called The Three Pines series).
These are mystery/detective novels mostly set in a tiny Canadian village and centring around Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec.
Each instalment is a great read, but it’s very much a series where you come for the mystery but stay for the characters. These are the books I’ve recommended most to family and friends and haven’t (yet!) heard a bad word.
Themes of faith and spirituality don’t dominate the series, but they’re there. Wisdom is sprinkled throughout the pages, often taking the form of protagonist Gamache’s dialogue. Gamache wrestles with questions of faith and doubt, and good versus evil.
Penny shines a light on the best and worst of humanity and, for me, her observations on human nature are often worth underlining (or a second, third or fourth read, at the very least).
The series is rich in themes of community, sacrifice, loyalty, forgiveness, redemption, brokenness and healing and offers readers a lot more than simply discovering whodunnit.
Flying with faith
Mark and Jo Bulow’s mission in the bush
by Kirralee Nicolle
With The Salvation Army marking 80 years of the Flying Padre Service last month, we feature the story of one couple who, 14 years ago, felt called by God to serve in the isolated Darling Downs region of Queensland. Majors Mark and Jo Bulow arrived on remote cattle stations and farming properties – first in helicopters, then later in a fixed-wing, four-seat Cessna 182 Skylane – bringing practical assistance and a caring, pastoral presence.
Faith and fences
Mark and Jo are self-described country people, born and raised in rural Queensland. Their work is deeply practical – handing out pliers, critiquing fences – but at its core, it’s about tending to the hearts of those battling isolation, unpredictable weather, and the pressures of farm life.
“I’ve always grown up in the bush,” Mark says. “I feel very comfortable with farmers. I understand the way they talk and that they’re very direct, which is how I speak.”
On one visit, Mark noticed a farmer having a rough day. “I said, ‘Your fences look like they need a bit of work. Can I give you a good set of pliers?’ Then I added, ‘I see you’ve got a good workshop. I always cut things 100ml too short – here’s a tape measure so you won’t make the same mistakes I did.’ He said, ‘Thanks! Oh well, you better come and have a cup of coffee.’”
Fires and floods
The Bulows fly together, with Jo primarily caring for women and Mark for men. Their transition from Salvos corps officers (pastors) in Toowoomba to remote chaplaincy was smooth.
In 2012, Mark began flying a Salvation Army helicopter during devastating floods. The Warrego River broke its banks, isolating communities. Mark recalls “bunny-hopping” across the river to reach those in need.
Soon after, the region was plunged into an eight-year drought. “The same people worried about floods were suddenly facing a horrible drought,” Mark says. “Our own families were struggling.”
Though recent seasons have been fruitful, many fear drought will return. “It’s just the cycle of the bush,” Mark says. “They just have to prepare for that.”
Showing up
Through good seasons and bad, Mark and Jo remain a steady presence. During the drought, they flew to rural airstrips to sit at kitchen tables with those facing mental, physical or financial hardship. They bought tools and equipment to help people reconnect with hobbies.
One woman loved sewing but couldn’t afford to fix her machine. Mark and Jo flew it to Dalby, paid for repairs, and returned with fabric and patterns. “That allowed her to get back to her happy place,” Mark says.
Mark and the helicopter he started with as a flying padre/chaplain.
Majors Mark and Jo Bulow have been flying padres in Queensland for the past 14 years.
The Cessna has made many visits to remote places across Queensland.
For one couple, the Bulows have been present for both celebration and grief.
“We’ve had the joy of marrying their daughter, but also the heartbreak of burying their son,” Mark shares. Jo says she and Mark were the first people they called after their son died. “They didn’t know who else to ring,” she said.
Heartfelt purpose
Mark says trust takes time in the bush –and once earned, it must be honoured.
“They know my phone is on 24/7 … even at three in the morning … when all those bad thoughts happen.
“One thing that these farmers and any people in remote [areas] need is face to face contact.”
Jo agrees: “You can put your hand on their shoulder and say, ‘Mate, you’ve got this.’”
Despite changes over 80 years, the flying padre’s purpose remains unchanged: to bring hope, help, and the love of Christ to those in remote places.
“[Rural Australians] may ring other agencies, but they don’t know who they’re talking to,” Mark says. “When they call Jo or me, they know us – and we can say, ‘We’ll be out there tomorrow.’”
�� Chocolate cupcakes
Ingredients
1 ½ cups self-raising flour; ¾ cup sugar; ½ cup cocoa powder, sifted; ¾ cup milk; 125g butter, melted; 2 eggs, beaten; 1 tsp vanilla essence; ¾ cup choc bits; 1 tbsp cocoa powder or icing sugar for decoration
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Line muffin or cupcake pan with patty pans.
Combine flour, sugar and cocoa powder in bowl.
Make a well in the centre to add milk, butter, eggs and vanilla.
Combine gently. Stir through choc bits.
Spoon mixture into patty pans, about half-full. Bake for 15 minutes.
Dust with cocoa powder or icing sugar to serve.
Believe in Good: Tips
“Our greatness has always come from people who expect nothing and take nothing for granted – folks who work hard for what they have, then reach back and help others after them.”
– Michelle Obama
1. In which part of the rainforest do sloths like to live?
2. How many hours a day can sloths sleep for?
3. How long can it take for a sloth to digest one meal?
4. Are sloths more active during the day or night?
5. Why do sloths move so slowly?
On which page of this week’s Salvos Magazine is Tum-Tum hiding?
❓Did you know?
Due to the increased moisture in the air, our sense of smell can be more acute in spring.
Spring is often associated with a common misbelief that it is the start of the pollen season. In fact, some pollen types can be released as early as June.
The first spring flowers are typically lilacs, irises, lilies, tulips, daffodils and dandelions.
Each year, under a full moon during spring, the corals of the Great Barrier Reef reproduce in unison, releasing millions of cells to find new places to grow.
✏Answers
3. A whole month. 4. Night, because they cannot see in bright light. 5. Because they have a very slow metabolic rate. Tum-Tum: is hiding behind Mark and Jo on page 13.
Quiz: 1. Treetops, to sleep and hide. 2. Up to 15 hours.
�� Sudoku
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
Have a laugh
What do you call an island populated by cupcakes?
What does Frosty the Snowman like on his cupcakes?
What did the ice cream say to the unhappy cupcake?
Desserted
Icing What’s eating you?
Bible byte
“Support one another. Keep building each other up.”
1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 11 The Voice translation
Please mark your calendars for these significant dates in the lives of our soon-to-becommissioned Cadets and Auxiliary Lieutenants:
