Our Business

Our new divisional leaders (Majors Dave & Naomi Kelly) have set a new theme before us: The Northern New England Division will be about the business of Soul-Saving, Soldier-Making and Community-Transforming.

Amen to that! I'm on board (and was- long before it was actually presented)!

However, this statement begs us look at its opposite. What we should not be about the business of doing:

1) Program-Making. I've been involved in programs all my life. I've discovered that programs don't get people saved. Relationships do.

2) Adherent-Making. Why The Salvation Army even has this form of membership is beyond me. We are an army. An army makes Soldiers. A Soldier is committed; they make sacrifices. An adherent kinda likes being associated with Soldiers and the whole military thing, but cannot (will not?) make the full commitment necessary to fight on the team. I understand the need to belong, so we should just make "Members-" as soon as possible. Then direct them to the full commitment of the Soldier. The position of adherent gives people a way to escape the fight and stay right there in that limbo.

3) Internal Focusing. The church is the only organization that exists for the purpose of its non-members. Yet in my experience, we usually focus on our own members (through our programs especially). Sounds more like a club than a church.

So lets get out there, find and Save Souls! Let's make them Soldiers, committed to the task of Saving more Souls (Saved to Save)! And while we're at it, let's transform our communities by introducing the life-changing message of The Gospel! Now we're talking.