For the month of December we are focusing on flourishing by being deeply rooted in the spiritual discipline of Celebration. In her book Spiritual Disciplines: Practices That Transforms Us, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun defines celebration as, “a way of engaging in actions that orient the spirit toward worship, praise and thanksgiving. Delighting in all the attentions and never-changing presence of the Trinity fuels celebration.”
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11
Inside you will find a devotional, conversation starters, a prayer idea, a monthly Bible reading plan and other resources to help you incorporate the spiritual discipline of celebration in your walk with Jesus.
By Major Jasiel Tumale Guam Corps Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division
Materials:
Pinecone (Big)
Christmas ornaments
Clear bowl
Tea light
Glue Gun with glue sticks
Directions: 1. Glue the pinecone in a clear bowl. 2. Decorate the pinecone with assorted Christmas ornaments. 3. Turn on the tea light (battery operated).
Every year the women of The Salvation Army USA Western Territory are always so generous in raising money for our Territorial Project. This year we are raising money for:
Nuuk, Greenland
Group Participation Meetings & Weekend Camps for Women & Children
Ensenada, Mexico
Shelter for Victims of Violence
Las Vegas, Nevada
SEEDS of Hope Anti-Trafficking Program for Women
Watch the Rooted in Christvideo which gives details of our project.
By Captain Jennifer Swain Administrator of Program San Diego, CA Adult Rehabilitation Program
Supplies*:
8.5x 11 watercolor paper
Crayola watercolor palette
Blue painters tape
“Thank you” stamp
Ink pad
Glass of water
Paper towel
Plastic tablecloth
*Most supplies can be purchased inexpensively at Amazon or the Dollar Tree!
How to…
Cover your surface with a plastic tablecloth to ensure paint does not get on your work surface. Cut watercolor paper in half (vertically or horizontally) then fold in half to give the look of a greeting card. Open paper and lay flat. Place a piece of painters tape along the folded seam to ensure paint does not bleed.
Pick a color from your color palette. This will be your focus color. Wet your brush and dip it in the color you’ve chosen. Once you’ve wet the paint, make three matching paint puddles on the inside of the lid. Rinse your brush and add a small amount of black to one of the color puddles. Rinse your brush again and add a lighter color of paint to one of the two remaining color puddles. At this point you should have three shades of paint.
Starting close to the painters tape, and using the darkest shade of color, brush the paint left to right. You’ll want cover about one-third of the card surface space. Without rinsing the paint start using the next lightest shade of paint on the middle third of the card. You will want to blend the colors together where they meet to create the effect of shading. The lightest color should be at the based of the card and be blended with the center color.
Allow the paint to dry, gently remove the painter tape, and then stamp with your “thank you”. Write a personal note inside and give to someone who blessed you! This kind of tangible gratitude blesses the one who receives, and the one who gives, it!
“In everything give thanks…” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 TLT
We continue our series on being “Deeply Rooted in the Spiritual Disciplines.” For the month of November, we are focusing on the spiritual practice of Gratitude. In her book Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transforms Us, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun defines gratitude as, “a loving and thankful response toward God for His presence with us and within this world. Though “blessings” can move us into gratitude, it is not at the root of a thankful heart. Delight in God and His good will is the heartbeat of thankfulness.”
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done. 1 Chronicles 16:8
Inside you will find a devotional, conversation starters, a prayer idea, a monthly Bible reading plan and other resources to help you incorporate the spiritual discipline of gratitude in your walk with Jesus.
By Captain Amber Ohl Bozeman, MT Corps – Intermountain Division
For me Smash Books are just a more beautiful journal. I think of it as a doodle pad, journal, maybe even a scrapbook; but it doesn’t have a set plan. It can be messy, it could be overstuffed, and most of all, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
When it comes to Sabbath, we might be stuck in the idea that it is a rigid day of rest with all these rules and such. But Sabbath is a day to focus on who God is and to be able to be refreshed. That is my hope for this smash book, that we are able to compile all these different amazing ways to be able to focus on God, but also to refresh ourselves. One of my favorite examples is found under the “T” section and that is take a nap, listen. Sometimes we just need a nap.
1. Gather some supplies. I recommend that the journals would be an 8 1/2 by 11 size. Michaels is a great place to get them as they are either on sale or you can find a coupon through their rewards app. Other supplies include the printable pages attached, scissors, mod podge, brushes, scrapbooking paper, stickers colorful pens, wasabi tape, and anything else that your women might light. This might be a good time to clean out some drawers or leftover art supplies.
2.With this activity, they can work at their own pace. It’s easy as explaining what to do and let them have at it. They can cut out the letters to the word “SABBATH,” some of the ladies just did a rough cut, while others cut on the lines; both works. I would encourage that the letters are placed about 10 to 15 pages apart. This will allow for when they do engage in their Sabbath activity provides that extra space.
S – Sing/Songs. Write lyrics that help you connect you to God
A – Attributes. What are the attributes of God? OR A – Actively Rest. How can you actively rest?
B – Bible – Book by Book
B – Be in Nature
A – Art. Doodle in these pages while spending time with God, search online for Bible art that can be pasted in these pages to color, or pick up a craft that you have not done in a while.
T – Take a nap. Talk with a friend.
H – Hobby. Whether it is a hobby that you have not done in a while or it’s something you wan to try.
3.One thing we did was add an envelopes so that we could use that to tuck away some small notes or cards.
4. I added extra pages that are some examples of a word to associate to each letter of “SABBATH.” I would encourage your ladies to add in their own that would help them on their Sabbath.
5. Also, Pinterest is a great resource if you ladies would like some extra pages. Maybe they want to add in some coloring pages or look up verses to color.
6. Remember it does not have to be perfect; that is what’s fun about smash books!
Prayer for you: For this moment of Sabbath may God help you engage in true Sabbath rest. May you unattach from the daily burdens and the concerns that are yours. May you pause long enough to pray, be present enough to enjoy, and slow down enough to rest. But most of all, I pray that you may worship the One who gives us Sabbath.
Download a printable version of these directions. It has also has extra printable pages and quotes to include in your Sabbath Smash Book.
Welcome to the second year of the Flourish Newsletter. Last program year, we focused on flourishing in and through different seasons that we all go through. This year we want to flourish by being “Deeply Rooted in the Spiritual Disciplines.” Each month we will focus on one spiritual practice that will help us to establish deep roots, grow and flourish in our walk with Jesus.
For October we are focusing on the practice of Sabbath Rest. Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, in her book Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, defines Sabbath as “God’s gift of repetitive and regular rest. It is given for our delight and communion with God. Time for being in the midst of a life of doing particularly characterizes the sabbath.” The desire of observing sabbath is “to set apart one day a week for rest and worship of God.”
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” Genesis 2:2
Inside you’ll find a devotional, conversation starters, a prayer idea, a monthly Bible reading plan, and some other resources to help you incorporate a weekly Sabbath into your spiritual walk with Jesus.
In The Salvation Army USA Western Territory, we want ministry to women to flourish, grow, and thrive. Below are easy links to information on our website, that should answer questions you have about ministry to women and also offer other insights and helps to make sure ministry to women is flourishing in your local corps.
Ministry to Women Guidelines and Ideas
Our Fundamental Purpose explains the aim, purpose and expectations of ministry to women in your local corps.
If our ministry to women is to grow and flourish, we need our roots to go deep in Christ. Our purpose in programming, while it includes fun and fellowship, is ultimately to lead women into a deeper relationship with Christ. A program with deep roots is one with a rich spiritual focus. Your Roots, Your Strength
There are endless possibilities of what ministry to women can look like in your local corps. Below are guidelines for several programs.
Home League Guidelines will explain the aim, purpose, and all the details about Home League.
Junior Home League Guidelines will explain all the details of having a Junior Home League program, for girls ages 11-15.
Baby Song is an exciting Salvation Army outreach program for babies, toddlers and their parents.
Women’s Ministries Special Events highlights some extra possibilities for ministries to women: holding a Women’s Sunday, as well as Divisional Events and Leadership Institutes.
Leadership Development
As women of The Salvation Army, it is vital that we take the opportunity to assess our own emotional, physical, and spiritual health on a regular basis. Flourishing in life starts with caring for ourselves well so that we can care for others well. It is vital to assess where we are in these areas and make a reasonable plan for how to be a loving, wise, and mindful steward of ourselves and others. Healthy Work/Life Balance for Soul Care
Qualities of a Leader helps identify the qualities you should be looking for in women to develop them local leaders.
Revamping or Refreshing Ministry to Women
Is ministry to women feeling a little stale? Answer the questions on A Fresh Assessment to help you see new possibilities for ministry to women in your community. Defining What We Value will help you with a list of possibilities for new ministry to women opportunities.
All About the Numbers – Statistical Information and Financial Guidelines
If you ever have questions about how to report ministry to women on your monthly statistics be sure to check out the Statistical Quick Reference.
https://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Flourish-Logo-Full-Color.png11821390Beth Desplanckehttps://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/uswLogo-300x75-300x75.pngBeth Desplancke2023-10-06 10:55:092023-10-06 13:53:45A Guide for Ministry to Women
The Salvation Army USA Western Territory BABY SONG STATISTICAL REPORTING
Baby Song is an exciting Salvation Army outreach program for babies, toddlers and their parents. Baby Song provides an opportunity for: parents to assist their babies in language development and interaction through music; babies to experience developmentally appropriate songs, activities and games; parents to build relationships with other parents; parents to gain parenting tips and information; and to reach out into the community.
As Baby Song crosses over boundaries, not just applying to one age group, but to the whole family, it has been decided to record Baby Song attendance as stated below. It is important that there is consistency around the territory in recording the program, so please contact the Territorial Youth Department or Women’s Ministries Department, should you have any questions regarding this.
As a Baby Song session consists of two separate sections, it can be recorded as two meetings in the following way:
The Baby Song/Music Section
Count attendance in Cradle Roll line 3310. Include everybody – children, parents, leaders, helpers.
The Fellowship Section
Count parents (if majority are women) in Women’s Ministries line 3001–option code 33:
Any activity during the Baby Song/Music Section should be recorded under the Cradle Roll (line 3310). If the parents and children are together during the fellowship section, you will only count the parents in Women’s Ministries line 3001–option code 33, not the children.
It is important to note that there needs to be some spiritual aspect to record Baby Song as Women’s Outreach. It can be in the form of a prayer, a ‘thought for the day’, or a Scripture verse.
The Salvation Army USA Western Territory STATISTICAL QUICK REFERENCE
Women’s Ministries is the umbrella term that covers all ministries offered to women in The Salvation Army, which includes Home League and Women’s Ministries Groups. Where Home League falls under WM group, International Headquarters requires special reporting as it is an international program. Statistics should be reported on NSS Corps form as follows:
Line 3001 Women’s Ministries Line 3001-31 Home League (meetings, attendance, volunteers, volunteer hours) Line 3001-33 Women’s Ministries Groups Participants (meetings, attendance, volunteers, volunteer hours) There is no membership for WM group. Please add non-Home League members, first-time participants, per program year. Line 3001-34 Women’s Ministries Corps Special Event (meeting, attendance, volunteers, volunteer hours)
Line 3003 Junior Home League Junior Home League – Junior Home League is a self-esteem development program for girls, ages 11-15 years old. It provides insight to personal improvement and skill building, and serves as a mode to encourage the four elements – Worship, Education, Service and Fellowship. The Junior HL will also provide a link to full acceptance as a Home League Member. A Junior Home League member may become a Home League Member when she reaches the age of 14 years, if desired, and membership may automatically be transferred. Meetings can be held weekly, bi-monthly or monthly according to need and local circumstances.
Record membership of Jr. Home League. Record meetings, attendance, volunteer, and volunteer hours. ** NOTE: Do NOT record girls attending HL meetings here. This line is for established Jr. HL groups **
A record must be kept of each group, with names, address and attendance. This register will be examined by the reviewing officer at the time of the Women’s Ministries Review and Revision, and a report will be sent to the Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries. Home League meetings, attendance and volunteer hours may be counted and reported on the NSS form, line 3001—option code 31. Women’s Ministries Group meetings, attendance and volunteer hours may be counted and reported on NSS form, line 3001—option code 33.
DIVISIONAL SPONSORED EVENT
When special events are hosted by the Divisional Women’s Ministries Department such as: one day institutes, rallies, leadership training, divisional event planning, multiple day events including camps, retreats, conferences or similar events, the statistics are to be counted as follows:
Line 3002 Women’s Ministries Events. Record attendance, volunteers and hours. ** NOTE: No corps units should be using these lines.
Line 3002-601 Women’s Ministries Events – Camps. Record the number of meetings/sessions in Women’s Ministries camps for fellowship held, and the combined total attendance. Line 3002-602 Women’s Ministries Events – Rallies. Record the number of meetings/sessions in Women’s Ministries rallies held, and the combined total attendance. Rallies are gathering for Women’s Ministries; may include prayer meetings for a purpose. Line 3002-603 Women’s Ministries Events – Conventions. Record the number of meetings/sessions in Women’s Ministries conferences and gatherings for networking, and the combined total attendance. Line 3002-604 Women’s Ministries Events – Institutes. Record the number of meetings/sessions in Women’s Ministries and the combined total attendance. Institutes are gatherings for learning experience.
⦁ Divisional Headquarters Reporting. Every individual meeting/session is to be counted by the Division on a divisional line 3002.
Example: for a one-day event that includes three sessions with planned programming, the total number of meetings/sessions is to be (3). For a multiple day event every meeting/ session with planned programming is counted. For example, if there are two united sessions on Friday, four united sessions on Saturday, two united sessions on Sunday, the count for the event is 2+4+2=8. A meal with no program is not considered a session. If the meal is a banquet with programming, then it may be counted as a session. If the meal has only a prayer and song, it is not counted as a session. If a workshop time is scheduled with 6 individual workshops, the workshop period is counted as 1.
Every session/meeting will have an attendance recorded. Divisions are not to simply multiply their total registration by the number of sessions. A recorded individual attendance is combined for all sessions/meetings and then recorded on the attendance line. In the event of a workshop period, the combined total attendance of all the workshops is recorded. Divisions are asked not to submit the total registration for workshop periods with the assumption that every registered participant attends a workshop.
⦁ Corps Reporting. Number of days of event times number of delegates equals meetings/attendance recorded on line 3001-34. (3 days = 3 meetings)
COMBINED MEETINGS AND ATTENDANCE
Several Corps may join together for a one-time area meeting for fellowship, leadership training, or special interests, etc. Every Women’s Ministries group from various corps will report its own figures on the corps NSS. The sponsoring Women’s Ministries group must not report the total figure. Each corps will count one meeting and the attendance of their corps ladies only.
If it is a combined Women’s Ministries meeting, each local corps will record their attendees on the NSS report line 300I–option code 31 for regular meetings. If it is a combined Women’s Ministries program, each local corps will record their attendees on the NSS report line 3001—option code 33.
WOMEN’S MINISTRIES CORPS SPECIAL EVENT
A Women’s Ministries Group Event is a program for women only with the purpose of evangelism and outreach, such as: a corps women’s retreat, a mother daughter banquet, a community hosted Women’s Ministry meal (breakfast), Local Leadership training, Bike-A-Thon, Walk-A-Thon, Prayer Walk. There is no membership for a Women’s Ministries Group Event. This is not a family event, please see Other adult groups/family activities. Attendance for a Women’s Ministries Group Event is recorded on the NSS form line 3001-34 titled Women’s Ministries Corps Special Events.
WOMEN’S MINISTRIES FUND-RAISING EVENT
When a Women’s Ministry fund-raising event is held on a day other than the regular meeting, it would be counted and recorded on line 3220 — Other Adult Group/Family Activities, and the total attendance recorded.
When the fund-raising event is on a regular Women’s Ministries meeting day, the pre-event time (time needed to set up, give instruction, etc.) should be counted as the regular meeting. The Women’s Ministries members there and others attending would be recorded under Other Adult Group/Family Activities — line 3220. These will be recorded in NSS as follows:
Home League Regular (line 3001-31) or Women’s Ministries Group Participants (line 3001-33) 1 Attendance of the group (in pre-event time) 20 Other Adult Group/Family Activities (line 3220) 1 Attendance (during the fund-raising event) 35
VOLUNTEER HOURS
Women’s Ministries Local Officers are considered to be volunteers, and their time at Women’s meetings should be counted as volunteer service.
If a Women’s Ministries Group is purely spiritual in nature (for example, a weekly Bible study or Home League worship service) no volunteer hours may be counted.
When Women’s Ministries Group participants are involved in community or corps projects, their hours may be counted as volunteer hours as a WM Group/HL.
The Corps Officers are never considered volunteers in any WM activities.
SOLDIERS & ADHERENTS MADE THROUGH PROGRAMS
Line 1510 Soldiers Made Through Programs. Record the number of soldiers added to the roll as a direct result of Women’s Ministries.
Line 1515 Adherents Made Through Programs. Record the number of adherents added to the roll as a direct result of Women’s Ministries.
SEEKERS
The statistical count of seekers or converts in Women’s Ministries should represent the number of women indicating a definite decision or response for conversion, holiness or consecration. This decision could be demonstrated by kneeling at the altar but could also include other expressions of intent such as raising of hands, standing at one’s seat, decisions in home, office, or elsewhere should be counted as seekers.
Line 2405 Adults Seekers Section 1. Record the number of seekers 14 years of age and over, not entered in the Seekers’ Register, and not listed on the Recruits’ or Soldiers’ Roll of any Salvation Army Corps. (First time seeker in TSA)
Line 2410 Adult Seekers Section 2. Adult Seekers Section 2 – Record the number of seekers 14 years of age and over, previously entered in the Seekers’ Register, or listed on the Recruits’ or Soldiers’ Roll.
FAMILIES LINKED TO CORPS THROUGH WOMEN’S MINISTRIES
Line 3005 Record the number of new families linked to the corps as a direct result of a women’s ministry program.
BABY SONG Baby Song is an exciting Salvation Army outreach program for babies, toddlers and their parents. Baby Song provides an opportunity for: parents to assist their babies in language development and interaction through music; babies to experience developmentally appropriate songs, activities and games; parents to build relationships with other parents; parents to gain parenting tips and information; and to reach out into the community.
As Baby Song crosses over boundaries, not just applying to one age group, but to the whole family, it has been decided to record Baby Song attendance as stated below. It is important that there is consistency around the territory in recording the program, so please contact the Territorial Youth Department or Women’s Ministries Department, should you have any questions regarding this.
As a Baby Song session consists of two separate sections, it can be recorded as two meetings in the following way:
The Baby Song/Music Section
Count attendance in Cradle Roll line 3310. Include everybody – children, parents, leaders, helpers.
The Fellowship Section
Count parents (if majority are women) in Women’s Ministries line 3001–option code 33:
Any activity during the Baby Song/Music Section should be recorded under the Cradle Roll (line 3310). If the parents and children are together during the fellowship section, you will only count the parents in Women’s Ministries line 3001–option code 33, not the children.
It is important to note that there needs to be some spiritual aspect to record Baby Song as Women’s Outreach. It can be in the form of a prayer, a ‘thought for the day’, or a Scripture verse.
