THE SALVATION ARMY

MAIDSTONE CORPS

Spring 2013

Dear All,

C hristmas is but a memory, and the whole new year stretches before us. But like all things new the

newness eventually wears off, and the year settles into the normal routines of life with family, church, work and even some time for relaxation.

One of the songs we sang on the first Sunday of the year was ‘New every morning is the love’. Its third verse says,

The trivial round, the common task, Will furnish all we ought to ask; Room to deny ourselves, a road To bring us daily nearer God. (John Keble)

Those first two lines remind us that the small things of life are important. Today’s tendency is to chase after the next big thrill or latest gadget, but it is in the little things, the ordinary things of life that we can find real satisfaction – a kindness, a confidence kept, a promise fulfilled, a helping hand given, a thank you said, a trusted friend to name a few. In the song writer’s day there weren’t the abundant distractions around that can hold our attention today, but he still knew that it is ex-tremely easy to ‘take your eye off the ball’ and lose the blessing of walking with God.

The second two lines tell us that in the doing of the

ordinary we find space, room, to consider what we should and shouldn’t be doing with our time, talent and resources and, in the consideration of this, dis-cover what will bring us into a close, daily relationship with our Father on the pathway of discipleship.

Some of our older songs need a little teasing out if we are understand and appreciate the truth they are trying to impart, and it is worth the effort. People write prose, poetry, lyrics for lots of different reasons – to share heartaches, to dream of better things, to tell a story, to issue a challenge – yet, it is through the ordinariness of life that we find ourselves, who we are, what we are made for and how we can con-tribute to wider groups of people, like our church, and society generally. God is in it all if we are open to His Spirit’s leadings.

May we each find blessings in the little things of life that come our way daily during this new year, and learn to appreciate our unique-ness and the uniqueness of others whom God has made in His image and with great love.

Yours in Christ,

Grayson & Janice

Williams

Majors

Pg 2 Pg 3

EDITORIAL COMMENT

I SN‟T it strange that the thing we British complain

about the most is the weather, yet that is the very

thing that provides the variety for the Environ-

mental Changes in which our differing personalities

feel most comfortable. Some people like the Winter

months with winter sports and the cosiness of the in-

door warmth and shutting out the outside world

around us. Others prefer the beauty of the Autumn

shades—the colours which almost takes ones breath

away. Yet others love the Summer sun and long days

with bright skies. For me personally it is the Spring-

time. The miracle of new-life when everything around

seems to become aware, flowers appear, buds on the

trees burst forth—everything is alive!

It seems to me that in our Christian life and activity

the same thing happens. When something new occurs

it gives us an impetus, an awakening almost. How of-

ten have we heard the phrase when enquiring about

someone‟s Church or Corps. “Oh! The same old

thing—nothing ever changes!” Well, this edition of

Grapevine shows changes that mean Something is

Happening! - Jacqui & Carole saw an opportunity to do

something for young women through the possibility of

cooking and Margaret & Alison saw the opportunity to

do something to help young women feel a sense of

worth—a low self esteem is so depressing.

The previous edition showed that something new

was happening for our teenagers. It is encouraging to

us all to learn that those in our Corps are seeing the

needs of others and springing into action and using

their talents to help others where they see the need.

When I read their stories I thought immediately of a

poem I read many years ago by an Australian called

Percy Ainsworth.

God, let me be aware

Stab my soul fiercely with another‟s pain

Let me walk seeing horror and stain

Dear God, let me be aware

If you know of any endeavour to help others on the

way—this hazardous journey of life; do share it with

us.

At Easter-time it is not only the Cross that is the key-

stone of the Christian Faith, but the Resurrection, the

awakening of a new life.

Lo! A new creation dawning

Lo! I rise to life divine

In my soul an Easter morning

I am Christ‟s and Christ is mine.

Violet E Clarke

Pg 4 Pg 5

O Sacred head once wounded,

With grief and pain weighed down, How scornfully surrounded

With thorns, thine only crown! How pale art thou with anguish,

With sore abuse and scorn! How does that visage languish

Which once was bright as morn!

O Lord of life and glory, What bliss till now was thine!

I read the wondrous story, I joy to call thee mine.

Thy grief and thy compassion Were all for sinners' gain;

Mine, mine was the transgression, But thine the deadly pain.

Paulus Gerhardt

Easters Answer

Finding fulfilment in loss is not only A learned thing (that is the lesser part) It is pure gift, the gift where to receive

Is beyond reason, where the heart catches its Breath and His Spirit

Enters the crucible of our being.

It is that process whereby loss, in pragmatic Terms seemingly paramount, is assuaged Though not removed, the Crucified Christ

Finding His dwelling place where bruised and Broken lives are transformed.

The greater part ours to recognise and re-ceive.

It is at the same time an event

And a calibrated shift that daily defines His work in us.

It is Easters answer, where lies no closure, An open door to Eternity

Life receiving its own.

“For this Son of mine was dead and is alive again.” Luke 15:24 NIV

Roger Hodgkiss

Pg 6 Pg 7

WORDS FROM THE WORD

You will see that we do not have an

item from Wesley this month!

Instead we ask you to have a special

few moments of prayer for both

Wesley and Hazel at this time as

they go through a time of treat-

ment.

We hope that Wesley is fit and well

come Summer and will be able to

bring us the Word with renewed

vigour.

Pg 8 Pg 9

Not a lot to say here!

Practices have commenced and are taking

place once a fortnight on Sundays from

15:45—17:00 approx.

Things are progressing, we have a sing song

and a “laff” as Hazell tries to extract the very

best from us, it will be a hard slog, but with

the Lord’s help we are sure that the people of

Maidstone and outlying district will benefit

greatly from the performance.

Philip Hales

T HE other day I was explaining something to a young Chinese

girl and I said you do this then that and Bob‟s your uncle,

then I thought, hold on she is Chinese her uncle is probably

Li!! This however, got me to thinking we accept and use so many

words and phrases in our lives and never stop to question their origin

sometimes these could be very embarrassing and most inappropriate. I

am sometimes amused when reading „minutes of meetings, by certain

spellings, when you can see that their author has written a word that

he does not know, has never seen in print before and has made a stab

at it. Anyway I suddenly thought with Easter on the horizon (as I

write this) just from where does this word come?

We all probably are OK with the etymology of the word

„Christmas‟, having come from the Roman Catholic words Christ

Mass, which in time just became shortened to Christmas, BUT Easter

unlike Christmas derives its origin from pagan times, like so many of

our religious derivations.

Interestingly enough for anyone who is into spreadsheets this for-

mula [=DOLLAR(("4/"&A1)/7+MOD(19*MOD(A1,19)-7,30)

*14%,)*7-6] when placed into a cell will give you the date for Easter

Sunday (the year being in cell A1) fathom as I might I just do not un-

derstand it.

The date is actually derived, by Western Churches following Pass-

over and according to the Ecclesiastical tables. The „Paschal (or Pass-

over) Full Moon‟ being the first Ecclesiastical Full Moon date after

March 20 (which happened to be the vernal equinox date).

So where do we get the name:- “Easter” originated with the names

of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a

Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum

that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great

Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly,

the “Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as

Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron

and Ausos.” Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring:

“eastre.”

So there you have it named after a pagan goddess and calculated on

a spreadsheet!!!!

Philip Hales

Pg 10 Pg 11

E A S T E R

KEN & MARGARET ROSE

O nly a Salvationist would understand the term "a com-

plete Army family", for that describes Ken and Marga-

ret's family and a picture of three generations in full

Salvation Army Uniform confirms the statement.

A child of Missionary Officer parents, Margaret was born in

the Evangeline Booth Hospital in Armednagar, Western India

and she has an older brother born in Bombay (now known as

Mumbai). At five years of age, she came to England when her

parents returned home to the UK and undertook appointments

as Corps Officers in this Country. With her parents, eventually

re-appointed to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), she continued her

schooling in Southern India

becoming a soldier in 1959 at the Byculla Corps, Bombay. And

at the age of 17, she returned with her parents, who were ap-

pointed to the London Spa Road Hostel and later to the eventide

home at Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham, where she met Ken,

at the William Booth Memorial Corps,

Nottingham.

Ken, who was born in Nottingham, has an older sister and a

younger brother. His parents were Salvationists and he has vivid

memories as a small boy sitting beside his Dad who played B flat

Bass in the Band Long before he became a Junior Soldier. Dad

had taught him to play the cornet, which he played for a number

of years, however the soprano became his much preferred in-

strument.

As a bandsman in the Memorial Halls Band, he met Margaret

and they subsequently married in 1964.

They have two daughters, Rachel is married to Graham Wall

and are soldiering at Sittingbourne Corps and Sarah, who is

married to Leslie Gilbert with two grandchildren, all who sol-

dier at Croydon Citadel,

Ken trained as a mechanical and gas engineer and such work

meant many moves around the country.

The first five years of their married life were at Derby, followed

by moves to Leicester, Lincoln, Romford, Bath and Bristol. His

55 years as a Bandsman has included such responsibilities as

YPSM; YP Bandleader; Band Secretary and Organising Secre-

tary as well as a Red Shield Organiser. So after 25 years at Bris-

tol staple Hill Corps they moved to Maidstone in October 2001

in order to be within reach of both daughters. Likewise, Marga-

ret has been busily engaged in Corps activities. As well as being

a Songster for 51 years, she has been a Primary Sergeant;

Corps Cadet Guardian; Assistant YPSM; Company Guard and

very much involved in organising Holiday Clubs. At present

she is a member of the Corps PCC and lately she has under-

taken the introduction of the WOW programme within the

Corps. She has also undertaken Brownie Guider responsibilities

both within and also outside of the Army's programmes.

They have varied interests now they are retired such as nee-

dlework, jigsaw puzzles, The National Trust, model railways

and Ken has developed an interest in arranging small items of

band music, but, as far as Army activity goes, they have not re-

tired but "Transferred to the Reserve" - a term they prefer. As

long as physical strength and energy are available, they fully in-

tend to contribute to the work within the Corps.

Sorry, no available picture—you will

Just have to guess who they are!!!!

Pg 12 Pg 13

I n our last article we looked very broadly at the timeline mapping the development of the "Creeds" or "Doctrines", which have, over the centuries, helped the Christian

Church to explain its beliefs and which include our own eleven, "Articles of Faith'.

We might well be asking ourselves why it is that our Christian beliefs are so important to us, and what in fact they contribute to our everyday lives as we try to grapple with following Jesus in a world which presents many confusing options. First of all at the very contra of Christianity is a deeply personal relationship with Jesus Christ which may often be very hard to define. When we live out that relationship in community with fellow believers, we discover that what we believe affects the way we live, behave and worship What we believe defines what we are; it moulds our attitudes; it expresses itself by what we allow and what we do not allow to become part of our inner self. It gives us our own unique Christian Identity

"We Salvationists believe that belief and action have always been intertwined. Our faith and practice are rooted In the Bible, personal experience and the Christian heritage, Salvation Army doctrine Is part of that heritage, and it too is built upon the foundation of the biblical text as interpreted by the people of God" (Handbook of Doctrine introduction).

So - what then do we believe? Let us take a look at our first four Articles of Faith: WE ARE PEOPLE OF GOD'S WORD - THE BIBLE

Article 1. "We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by Inspiration of God, and

that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice" “The first article of faith identifies the Bible as the source Of both Christian faith and Christian practice” Unless our beliefs can find their basis and definition in the Bible they lack authenticity When called upon to defend our faith, we need to point to its biblical origin. Whilst the Bible was written by many writers, and in that sense is a human document, we believe that it is also God's word. Paul, writing to the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess 2:13) speaks of the authority of God's word, and in his sec-ond letter to Timothy his young trainee in the faith (2 Timo-thy 3:16,17) he reminds him that "All Scripture is God - breathed ..." This being so, as a people of God's word, Salvationists base our faith upon its authority and take its truths as our guide for Christian living. "It explores the living relationship between God and his peo-ple In particular historical contexts". In it He reveals truths about himself to those who earnestly and honestly seek to know him better, and in spite of the fact that our ability to perceive these truths has been affected by our sin, (Just read the graphic description of mankind's sin in Romans 1:21-32) God has however made known to us what we could never discover by ourselves and still longs to make himself known to "The whosoever" which includes, to quote the musical "Jesus Folk" :-

Pg 14 Pg 15

Cont. on Pg 21

T his month we have a Special selection; rather than us old fogies giving our viewpoint on our music I am privileged to print the choices from

two delightful young ladies:-

Jessica Ball BAND PIECE — 'They shall come from the East' John Larsson; arr. Ray Steadman-Allen

This is one of the first pieces that I became aware of when I was younger. It was also a favour-ite of my Granddad' who played the bass and so I especially love the bass part! I am reminded that no matter where we are from, the colour of our skin or the level of our intelligence, we are all equal in the eyes of God. My Granddad now sits in the Kingdom of God, but his influence lives on.

SONGSTER PIECE—'Under the cover of his wings' I choose this song because I always think of the

lyrics when I am doing something challenging or something difficult is happening in my life. It re-minds me that God is there, even when I don't think he is. I know His arms will protect me and keep me safe. When I had to have my mouth operation, I sang the lyrics over and over in my head to calm me down. I didn't like the experience, but I felt near to God.

CONGREGATIONAL SONG—'Be thou my vision' Traditional

To the tune Slane. Although this is an Irish tune, I wasn't bullied by my Dad to include it. I just love this song. It reminds me that we are all on a mission and Christian journey. It makes me want to go out into the world and save people from their sins. [Van Morrison singing this rocks my boat—Philip]

Jennifer Ball BAND PIECE — YP band march "Rejoice". Leslie Condon

I just love the second cornet part and I enjoy playing this part with the other cornets. Thanks to Callum for keeping me right though!

SONGSTER PIECE—"Nothing but thy blood" R Slater arr. Norman Bearcroft

I chose this song because I love the image of being seen by Jesus, kneeling at his feet. I am overwhelmed by the thought that Jesus died for me and I cannot say thank you enough.

CONGREGATIONAL SONG—"Spirit of the living God”. Daniel Iverson.

I know is a chorus but I had to include it. When I lis-ten to it, it is always as if I'm hearing it for the first time. The song always lifts my hopes as I realise that I can just start again. Jesus loves me so much that he for-gives me time and time again. This chorus makes me feel so close to him.

Pg 16 Pg 17

W illowbrook place is a unit in Maidstone giving

valuable support to single young mothers.

Each mother has her own flat and seventeen and a

half hours support from a care worker. Altogether the

unit has accommodation for six mothers with their

children. The unit opened in 2012 in brand new ac-

commodation just off Armstrong Road.

About the same time as the unit opened Carole

and I felt the calling to continue our mission to sup-

port young people, to cook and enjoy healthy, eco-

nomic meals. About three years ago we stopped our

previous project, due to a lack of commitment from

the people in Parkwood, who we were trying to help

learn how to cook. We still had the equipment that

people had donated to us; so the question was - how

could we encourage the young people this time?

Captain Lynne Clifton provided us with the an-

swer as she had visited the unit and found that one of

the needs they had was someone to teach the girl‟s

cooking. Carole visited the unit with Lynne and

found they had a very suitable kitchen and then I

went along to meet the clients to find out what they

wanted to learn. Two of the clients had come to the

WOW course and so this initial meeting went very

well. We were also fortunate that the Rotary Club do-

nated, through Major Grayson Williams, enough

funds for the ingredients.

We have now completed two sessions with five cli-

ents on a Monday evening from 6 o‟clock to 8

o‟clock and they have been very rewarding. Whilst

the girls are cooking their children are looked after by

one of the care workers and someone from the Salva-

tion Army (Thank you Lynne, Ron and Maureen).

We try and keep it very informal and it has been a joy

for the care workers to see the girls working together

and to hear them laughing. At the end of each session

we sit and have a drink of coffee with them and look,

taste and talk about what they have made. All the

recipes are put into their own folders which we hope

that they will look at again and use.

We plan to complete a six week course and then to

decide with the clients how we shall proceed. The

girls can stay at Willowbrook for two years and then

they are given three months support in their own ac-

commodation. Carole and I hope that we can en-

courage them to come to the Salvation Army to join

the Tots and later on Messy Church. For us it is just a

wonderful way of supporting God‟s people in a lov-

ing way. We thank Captain Lynne Clifton who has

supported and encouraged us.

Carole Dodds & Jaqui Hall

Pg 18 Pg 19

Mother to clumsy Daughter going on a school outing to Stone-henge – “Be careful and don’t knock anything over”.

5 year old after his first week at school – “I’m not going back there”, “I can’t read – I can’t write and they wont let me talk”.

Seen on a church notice board – “To err is human, but to really

foul things up needs a computer”.

You know you are poor when it costs more to fill up your car than it did to buy it!!!

Saying goodbye at the door the lady apologised for her hus-

band walking out during the sermon. “I hope you didn’t take it as a criticism.” “I did wonder what had happened”, said the Preacher. “Oh! don’t take it personally”, she said. “Ralph has been walking in his sleep since he was a child”.

Seen on a small van – “I used to be a lorry till I joined Weight Watchers.”

Whilst on the bus and passing a Funeral Directors, the lady

asked her obviously deaf husband – “What do you want when you die, burial or cremation?” “I don’t know”, he replied, “surprise me!”

"Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, black man, white man, under-man, chief, gruff folk, rough folk, tough folk too!.........God's in love with everyone! with you, and you, and you, and you, and me, and me, and me, and me! " The Bible spells out a message of hope and redemption in spite of our abject failures and its message is that none need be left out! That is a very good reason to take it seri-ously, and to endeavour that our own lives are lived in line with its teaching. WE HAVE A GOD WHO IS NEVER ALONE! What do we believe about God the Father; about the mystery of the Trinity; about Jesus Christ, and about The Holy Spirit? Doctrines 2, 3 and 4. seek to explain this: Article 2. "We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship" Article 3. "We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory" Article 4. "We believe that in the Demon of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures am united, so that he is truly and properly God, and truly and properly man"

Cont. From Pg 15

Pg 20 Pg 21

Cont. on Pg 28

Liberate 2013

Theme: Truth or Dare

T his year‟s Liberate conference was held for the first

time at a commercial hotel which gave a very differ-

ent atmosphere to Sunbury Court. Despite this we

still enjoyed a time of teaching, humour and fellowship with

each other. Our speakers were Major Wendy Knott ably as-

sisted by her great friend Major Gwen Cox. This year‟s

theme was based on Masks: The Masks of Childhood, The

Masks of Adulthood and No More Masks.

We started on the Saturday morning session with the

Masks of Childhood sharing phrases from our childhood

which our mother‟s used to say and Major Wendy Knott chal-

lenged us with the question, “Why do you think you are who

you think you are?” To illustrate this we were given an ori-

gami fortune quadrant to make placing the names of people

we considered had influenced us for better or worse, together

with a list of character traits. Following on from this we

prayed for our different corps children‟s programmes and

sung “Oh, Jesus I have promised”. The Bible study for the

first half of the morning was the story of the five loaves and

two fishes brought to life by an excellent drama presentation

from Major Gwen Cox as the young boy who donated the

food.

After a break for coffee, we studied the Masks of Adult-

hood. For this we did a psychological quiz to discover the

“real me” rather than the mask we present to other people.

Our Bible study was based on the story of the rich man who

was unable to give away his riches so that he could follow Je-

sus. This illustrated the fact that he was influenced by other‟s

expectations rather than his own desires and again we had a

wonderful dramatic presentation by Major Gwen Cox which

brought the story to life. Our prayer was for non-believers in

our lives followed by the song, “Such love” and our challenge,

“What do I need to lay down to follow Him.”

The afternoon was set aside for rest and recreation. The

hotel had given us full use of the swimming pool and gym.

We also had craft sessions to choose from: sewing, knitting,

card making and making an Easter tree. Other sessions to be

used the following morning, were dance, singing and a bible

presentation.

After an excellent dinner we had Saturday Serenades and

Stories which consisted of an amazing testimony and accom-

panying songs. We had been asked to bring a “Bra for Africa”

and between us we filled a box for the Breast Cancer Charity.

As a thank you we were given home cooked and suitably

decorated buns.

Sunday morning brought our third session, “No more

Masks” Major Gwen Cox gave another excellent dramatic

presentation, this time as the wife of Zacchaeus, which made

us think of the story from another angle.

Our worship session was enriched by a discussion on our

worth to God followed by the Bible presentation practised the

day before. The Dance Group danced to “Thank You for sav-

ing Me” and we were given the opportunity to lay down our

masks and become true to ourselves. The Gospel Choir then

sang two songs before the meeting ended with the following

quote:

Spiritual greatness has nothing to do with being greater than

others. It has everything to do with being as great as each of

us can be. Henri Nouwen.

Madeleine Weatherley

Pg 22 Pg 23

1. Finding Friendship. The main focus is to help and enable us to rise above our

circumstances to enjoy life. We explored some practical ideas to equip ourselves to begin positively and confidently, to take new direction in our lives. Its about personal devel-opment. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step" - [Confucius]

It is also about fun, friendship and food.

Craft for this session - chocolate truffle making.

2. Stress and Anxiety. What is stress? Stress is the reaction people have to pressures. Some stress is good for us or else we would never get out of bed ! At some point in all of our lives, we react badly to situations - this can have a negative impact upon our own health and those around us. Craft for this session - Hand massage and nail design.

3. Exploring Emotions. Imagine a world without feelings and emotions - a pretty dull one! But we must be aware that feelings and emotions can strongly dictate the direction we take and the behaviour we show. We cannot always change how we feel but we can change the way we respond. Only when we recognise how we feel, can we begin to do something about it! Craft for this session - Decorate a notebook. A book that we can use to write down positive thoughts or events. These notes can then inspire us during tough times.

M any younger people are subject to feeling de-pressed, have low esteem, lack confidence and have no sense of purpose or well being.

WOW - or Women of worth, is a programme aimed to

reach such people. Alison and myself are not trained Coun-sellors, but just a couple of Christian ladies giving support in exploring some of the reasons that make each of us unsure of ourselves. Our aim is to explore and understand different emotions that are experienced.

Whilst doing this with the young ladies on the pro-

gramme, we had time to relax with a drink, enjoy friend-ship, play games and try our hands at a different craft each week. Two girls within the group had babies, so a creche was provided. Captain Lynne, Jacqui and Annelise sup-ported this by looking after the children. The mums were really grateful to be able to be free to relax and switch off.

We were well supported by Major Janice and Annelise who acted as hostesses preparing drinks and washing up afterwards. To both of these groups of aiders - thank you, and I must also express our appreciation for the support from Lorraine.

The topics for each week were challenging and we en-joyed some very deep and honest discussions.

The topics discussed over the weeks were;

Pg 24 Pg 25

4. Creating Confidence. The media is constantly presenting us with images of what a perfect woman looks like and also how she is sup-posed to act. There is so much pressure to be a certain size or shape in order to be successful or even acceptable. It does not matter what has happened, what we do, what we look like, who we know, we are still special and valuable. We are priceless. "We are amazingly and wonderfully made" - Psalm 139. Craft for this session - Mirror decorating - mirrors with wide frames are decorated with positive words and stuck around the frame., e.g., Beautiful, Amazing, Lovely etc., in-terspersed with other decorations.

5. Hopes and Dreams. When thinking about our hopes and dreams it can be really helpful to remember that we are all very different. What seems an ideal day to one person would not suit an-other. We spend time discovering what type of person we are and to start understanding how we can begin to feel more fulfilled in our lives. Craft for this session - Drawing or Painting.

6. Moving forward. A discussion on how we felt at the start of the pro-gramme - what we have leant and achieved during the six weeks and where we would like to be in the future. We need to "shine our light" so that it radiates for others to see it and light up too. When we feel positive - to show our en-ergy to others. Never to be ashamed of who we are or what we stand for in life. To shine on for all to see - show

strength and commitment, sincerity and love. It only takes a spark and soon others will share our light. To be proud of who we are. Craft for this session - Glass painting. Decorate a tea light holder, using glass paints - as a reminder to "share our light.

W ithin each session we sought to encourage dis-cussion in a relaxed way and at the beginning of each, we had an ice- breaker which proved to be

quite beneficial in relaxing those who were present. We then commenced the theme for the day. Throughout each morning we were learning from both the content of the ses-sion and from each other. Conversation continued between the participants as they took part in a craft activity for the final half an hour or so. Major Janice, Jacqui, and Madeline were kind enough to attend at various times and conduct those craft activities and for this we thank them. Alison and I enjoyed every minute we spent on this pro-gramme, but we could not have done it without the advice of Major Janice and Maureen and the willingness of those others that supported. Whenever Captain Lynne was about, she always came into the room and prayed with us! Lastly, the greatest support that we felt, was that God was working through us, encouraging, guiding and leading us in this venture.

Margaret Rose & Alison Lawrence.

Pg 26 Pg 27

You shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace and the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush, will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers, the myrtle will grow; and they will be a sign for the LORD, and an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

Isaiah C55 v12-13 All thy works with joy surround thee, Earth and heaven reflect thy rays, Stars and angels sing around thee, Centre of unbroken praise; Field and forest, vale and mountain, Bloss'ming meadow, flashing sea, Chanting bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in thee. Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest, Wellspring of the joy of liv-ing, Ocean-depth of happy rest. Thou the Father, Christ our brother-- All who live in love are thine; Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine.

Song 10 v2.3

Henry Van Dyke

I

I quote the following passages from the Handbook of doc-trine which may clarify many of the truths we find most diffi-cult in understanding the mystery of the Trinity:

"We believe in one God who is at the same time three. Christians worship this one God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the doctrine of the Trinity, which is essential to an understanding of God as revealed in the Bible, and is ba-sic to the Christian faith."

“We worship a God who is never alone. Within himself he enjoys perfect and full fellowship. Although God is always three, he is not three individuals who could be in competition or opposition. He is three persons always united in being, attitude and action, a threefold God of love."

"Father, Son and Holy Spirit represent a dynamic circulation of life among equal persons without any authority or superi-ority of one over another. The persons are distinct, but united, different but not separate from one another. Any at-tempt to develop a false hierarchy of power and glory within the Trinity is to weaken the integrity of the Godhead and to undermine the complete unity of the persons."

"The three - in - one definition tries to describe a God who as Father creates, governs and sustains; as Son redeems befriends and disciples; and as Holy Spirit sanctifies, coun-sels and empowers. In persons and work he is three.. in per-sonality, love and intention he is one." Next time we will try to take these thoughts further. COLONEL MICHAEL PRESSLAND

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Our Weekly Services

You are welcome to join with us for worship & praise:

Sunday Worship: Family Service 10.15 (Sunday School) 10.45 Prayer Meeting 17.15 Evening Service 18.00 Youth Group 19.30

1st & 3rd Monday in Month (to be confirmed) The Living Word Bible Fellowship 19.30

Tuesday Ladies Meeting 13.30 (Home League)

Wednesday: The Parkwood Fellowship Ladies Meeting (held at the Rosemary Graham Centre Sommer Walk, Parkwood). 14.00

Wednesday: Held Fortnightly, please contact the office for the next date Cameo & Crafts 10.00

3rd Wednesday: Ladies Fellowship 20.00 Thursday: The Over 60’s Club 13.30

Contact Information Maidstone Salvation Army 74-80 Union Street ME14 1ED Corps Officers: Majors Grayson & Janice Williams Administrator: Mrs Lorraine Munn Address as above. Telephone: 01622 681808 Email details: Maidstone@salvationarmy.org.uk Weekly Community Events: Monday & Friday SAM’s Tots (Salvation Army Maidstone) Parent & Toddler Group 10.00 For information on other mid-week activities please telephone the ad-ministrator on the above number.

Please telephone 01622 681808

for further information and/or to

check for any changes to pub-

lished times.

1. "There is method to my madness." 2. "Love is strong as death." 3."In the twinkling of an eye." 4. "A plague on both your houses." 5. "Gave up the ghost." 6. "We turn not older with years, but newer every day." 7. "The wisdom of Solomon." 8. "As pure as the driven snow." 9. "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." 10. "O ye of little faith." 11. "A cloud of witnesses." 12. "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." 13. "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." 14. "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 15. "When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth." 16. "Seek, and ye shall find." 17. "Go, and do thou likewise." 18. "God helps those who help themselves." 19. "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of an other." 20. "Train up a fig tree in the way it should go, and when you are old sit under the shade of it." 21. "What goes around, comes around." 22. "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." 23. "It is easy to despise what you cannot get." (The origin of the idiom "sour grapes.") 24. "There is no new thing under the sun." 25. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

No prizes—just satisfaction!

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