Measuring Spiritual success
Stories of Hope
Some Christians feel guilty because they do not measure up to what they believe the church is wanting from them. Making new converts, deep commitment to spiritual practices like prayer and scripture and consistent service to the poor seem to be the goal posts. However doing what God has placed in our path does not always align with church agendas, so we need to measure by that, more than things like bums on seats on a Sunday morning.
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Amanda Hart
Stories of Hope
Amanda has a rich heritage within the Salvos and yet it took time for her to find her true self, both within the organisation and personally. I met her on deployment in Townsville and Ingham delivering flood relief - and we got on like a house on fire. She is great fun and a powerhouse of genuine honesty and warmth. Her story resonates with me and I'm sure many listeners will relate and learn from her story.
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Lifting elephants
Stories of Hope
The lovely Sue works out at a gym and has a program that measures how much weight she lifts in animals. Sometimes she lifts elephants. Doing hard things is not always to be avoided. We sometimes need to ditch our fears and head directly into the suffering if we are to live life to the full.
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Brad Potter
Stories of Hope
Brad trained with me and the lovely Sue at the Salvos college for officers in Melbourne 30 odd years ago and he and his wife Katrina have always been the sort of friends we don't see much of but are close to when we do catch up. Brad is now based in Perth and has two adult children. He is a keen cyclist and we have an authentic sort of chat about life, faith and leadership.
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Women in leadership
Stories of Hope
The role of women in society has been a controversial subject since ancient times. But it is undeniable that women have been vital leaders and even prophets - warning people and analysing strategically throughout history in significant ways. General Eva Burrows was an Aussie girl who became the international leader of the Salvos. She was awesome!
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Greg Dhnaram
Stories of Hope
For the last 15 years or so Greg has been a vital cog in the leadership wheel to an innovative Salvo church expression in Brisbane called Gods Sport Arena. Greg's family originates from India and from an early age Greg developed a strong work ethic. He did not speak English when he arrived in Australia and his success story is inspiring and insightful. He has worked for many years in management roles and in retirement still loves to be alongside people in helpful and encouraging ways.
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Networks
Stories of Hope
When we join organisations we often find support and encouragement emerging in surprising ways. I was in Norway recently and saw a Salvo shield on a building and went in to say g'day. The lady who worked there was very friendly and made a really nice connection. Community life can be challenging, but the strength of a team cannot be underestimated.
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Narelle Unicomb. Reposted. Kayaking Comedienne and more.
Stories of Hope
Narelle is a third generation Salvo and grew up in PNG with her Missionary parents. Her life story is a consistent development of what it means to serve, to be real and to be authentically engaged in community. Narelle loves adventure and doing new things and I suspect she always will.
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The rewards and rigors of leadership
Stories of Hope
Leadership is a mixed bag. Often rewarding, like the time I got this great poster at my farewell from Villawood Salvos in Sydney, but also devastating like the time a rehab I was running in Adelaide got closed unexpectedly. It's important to count the cost and to get the support you need to compensate for your weaknesses, but not much happens if people are too scared to lead.
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Carmen Seaman
Stories of Hope
Carmen is one of the nicest people you could meet and the lovely Sue and I have valued her friendship for many years. But being nice comes at a cost and the journey to a more authentic place for Carmen involves having a baby and becoming a Jazzercise instructor. We have an honest and important chat in this episode and it will do you good to tune in and have a listen.
info_outlineHaving significant conversations is really important. The church has often done this well with regular gatherings like bible study groups and opportunities to listen to challenging speakers. But it is not the only place this happens. Often important conversations happen in universities or cafes or even on bush walks. In todays reading in Acts 19, Paul leaves the Synagogue and goes to the lecture halll of Tyrannus, where people of all persuasions chatted about deep things.