Adjusting to college can be hard when you’re alone and far from home. At Asbury University, there’s a built-in family on campus. It’s called the Salvation Army Student Fellowship, and it’s there for Salvationists and all students who want a spiritually vibrant community. Read about their extraordinary closeness and how they grow in Christ together.
Major Mark Unruh came from a family of faith but rebelled into a life of serious addictions. When the longtime officer speaks to substance abusers at a Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center, he can relate to what they’re going through, and he knows that God is the ultimate answer to lasting transformation.
Cadet Daewon Kim dealt with significant culture shock and a language barrier in his early days at the College for Officer Training, but he found nothing but love and support from his classmates and the faculty. “I believe CFOT is a community that seeks God more deeply together,” he says. “Through this community, I have learned many new ways to love God.”
Cadets Sara and Wendell Perkins are grateful for the family-like atmosphere that develops among cadets at the College for Officer Training, where everyone comes together to love, support, and encourage one another as they work toward a single goal: to further the Kingdom of God. “We’re all here for the same purpose,” Sara says. “There’s something special about serving side by side with other people so that we can grow together.”
Training to be a Salvation Army officer is challenging enough, but Cadet Delia Rojas also had her three children to think about as a single mother. She made it through with the help and prayers of the community at the College for Officer Training. “Being surrounded by so many people who love God and have the same calling, it’s been a great encouragement,” she said. “We learn together, we grow together, and we are one in God following His path.”
Salvation Army officers who traveled to the Holy Land in 2023 said the trip changed their lives and opened their spiritual eyes in a new way to the major events surrounding the life of Jesus, particularly the final week of His earthly life. Now when they speak from the pulpit, they do so with the authority of people who truly walked where Jesus walked in Israel and felt His presence.
Holy Week is a special time at The Salvation Army in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Captains Irseris and Ismael Ortiz make sure everyone learns the significance of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The past five years have featured reenactments of the Last Supper and Jesus’ last seven words. This year, the corps is adding Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and Mary Magdalene going to the tomb the morning of the Resurrection. Read how the events have changed the lives of those taking part.
Watching sports can be an enjoyable pastime and a good alternative to often-carnal movies, but when does it become too much? When does it infringe on our spiritual growth? It’s easy to let sports become an idol when God should be the top priority in our lives. Don’t let sporting events, which are often forgotten with the next news cycle, keep you from reading your Bible, praying, and meditating on God’s Word.
Attending church and a midweek Bible study are keys to spiritual growth, but one-on-one discipleship is where new believers can ask questions and discuss spiritual pitfalls with a trusted mentor. It involves a commitment between mentor and mentee to explore Scripture together and allow the Holy Spirit to chip away at the rough edges. Read about a few examples in the USA Eastern Territory.
Jewel Caquias has touched many lives at The Salvation Army in Poughkeepsie over the last 70 years. She exemplifies everything a Salvation Army soldier should be and is an example not only in her corps, but in the community she serves. She is at the corps day after day, year after year, ready with a smile, welcoming strangers who become family and pitching in wherever there’s a need. She also has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
The Salvation Army Mission Statement
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
The Salvation Army Eastern Territory Headquarters
Serving communities in Connecticut, Delaware, Northeast Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands.
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