Cultivate Missional Living [CML] is a six month training course for people who want to learn how to engage in mission in an urban community.

[CML] takes place in the Beasley neighbourhood in downtown Hamilton, Ontario - one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada - and is hosted by The Freeway.

[CML] is supported by Allelon, Resonate, and The Salvation Army.

For more information about [CML] or to receive an application form, please contact the [CML] director, Jordan Donald, by e-mail [jordan@frwy.ca] or by phone: 905-929-0890.

Labels: church planting, leadership, the freeway, the salvation army

I received this comment by an anonymous person recently on one of my blog posts, and I've been thinking about it quite a bit since. Here are some observations:

• I really hate anonymous comments. I deleted two previous blogs partly due to my frustration with people's annoying, anonymous comments. If people aren't willing to identify themselves, what business do they have taking verbal [or written] jabs at me? I don't think anybody should write anything anywhere they aren't willing to attribute to themselves [unless they are quoting someone else, in which case they should attribute it to the author]. I may even delete anonymous comments from this blog from now on, because they really bug me... and that includes positive ones as well. I realize not everyone has a Blogger account and needs to log in as anonymous, but they can sign their name at the end of the comment.
  
• I was also bugged by this comment because, judging by a couple of things they said, it would appear to be someone who knows me... maybe even a member of my family. Ouch. They still haven't identified themselves, and I don't expect that they will. But the fact that they would leave an anonymous comment like that... annoying to say the least. Have the decency to at least e-mail me a message like that for goodness sake.
  
• I am an embarrassment. It's true. I even embarrass myself often. I cross the line. I go too far. I say stupid things. I am egotistical, rude, selfish, self-centered, overbearing, mean, and arrogant far more than I care to admit. The reality is, it is usually only when people I care about, and who I know care about me, point out my mistakes that I learn, grow, change, repent, apologize... or whatever else is necessary for me to correct the situation. If you don't care about me, don't think for a moment you can really have any impact on me in the long haul [this is a good reminder for me as a pastor when it comes to how I deal with others and their shortcomings]. And if you are leaving an anonymous, negative comment... you obviously don't care about me one iota.
  
• I need to be far more careful with what I say and to whom I say it... "oh, be careful little mouth what you say..." That likely means that in some situations I likely can't "be myself". I wish this weren't the case, but sadly, I think it may well be.
  

Well, I probably won't blog again until after the weekend [by the way, I am really excited that Mark Jefferson is going to accompany me to the youth retreat at Muskoka Woods that I am speaking at this weekend].

Peace.

Labels: blogging, leadership, personal, the salvation army

If by "Salvation Army", you mean: uniforms, brass bands, flags, and predominantly military terminology and acronyms used... then "no, we're not."

If by "Salvation Army", you mean: either social service or church and not both together... then "no, we're not."

If by "Salvation Army", you mean: quality vintage clothing at a reasonable price... that's cool, but "no, we're not."

If by "Salvation Army", you mean: out-dated, mean-well-but-virtually-useless, stodgy, stayed, same old, same old... then "no, we're not."

If by "Salvation Army", you mean: simply collecting money door to door, or at red shiny bell-ringing Christmas kettles... we do that, but "no, we're not."

If by "Salvation Army", you mean: concerning ourselves with simply hanging onto the traditions/rituals/practices we love because we love them and for no other good reason... and we convince ourselves that they could still work even though they really haven't for fifty years [if they ever did]... then "no, we're not."

If by "Salvation Army", you mean: cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all... then "no, we're not."

However...

If you mean: mission and values... then "yes, we are."

If you mean: solidarity with the poor, the over-looked, the unloved, the disenfranchised, the broken, the riff raff, the down-and-out, the neglected... then "yes, we are."

If you mean: a movement which is simply part of the larger church [the Kingdom] world-wide with a 2000 year history [not just a hundred and something year history]... then"yes, we are."

If you mean: blending deep community with social action [and mission and the arts]... then "yes, we are."

If you mean: fighting against systems that oppress, battling dark spiritual forces, overcoming evil with good, fighting for the rights and health and well-being of the neglected, and trying to do what's right... then "yes, we are."

If you mean: "heart to God, hand to man"... then "yes, we are."

If you mean: bringing church to where the people are and finding any way necessary to show them Jesus by the way that we love... then "yes, we are."

If you mean: treating people with dignity and respect, being available and accessible, and recognizing our own desperate need of Jesus while responding in the darkest parts of the city with his love... then "yes, we are."

Yes, we really are Salvation Army.

Labels: the freeway, the salvation army, writing

What are people's impressions and experiences with church/denomination identification/branding?

The Salvation Army, the tribe we are part of at The Freeway, is at times pretty adamant about having Salvation Army branding on things: buildings, publications, clothing, etc. I am torn about this, and trying to formulate my thoughts and feelings. Not that I want us to hide the fact that we are part of The Salvation Army... on the contrary I am very proud of who we are, and the movement of which we are a part. In fact, I would say my experience as part of The Salvation Army, and our experience at The Freeway, has been absolutely amazing... and they're experience of us as part of the movement has been amazing too... and I am not shy about telling people so, I don't think.

I guess I just don't feel the need to plaster a red shield on everything, anymore than I feel the need to wear "Christian T-shirts" - if there really is such a thing.

Recently, I have received some flack about not having the red shield on our website, building, and published ads, letterhead [which we really don't have anyway], etc. People claim that it seems like "we aren't part of the team" and ask why "we hide our belonging to The Salvation Army?"

I think that's kind of hogwash.

The reality is, I would say most people who enter our coffee house, or check out our website, or attend a worship gathering, would know we are part of The Salvation Army. And those who don't... who cares, what does it really matter?

What has your experience been? Is it healthy and normal to need to broadcast this belonging in branding form, and should I just get over the way I feel, or what? These are not rhetorical questions. Please comment.

Labels: the freeway, the salvation army

Well, I promised a response to this. Then I apologized for it not happening yet. Sorry for the wait... it likely won't be worth "waiting for with baited breath". But none the less, here is my response:

The question was, "How could The Salvation Army allow this [The Freeway] to happen?"

The truth is they didn't allow The Freeway to happen. They made it happen. And by "they" I mean "we".

You see, we are inherently part of The Salvation Army, even though:

• some of us may not think so
• some of us may not know so
• some of us don't want to admit to it
• some of us couldn't care less either way
• some of us don't identify themselves with The Salvation Army... even though they are part of The Freeway
• etc.
  

When people frequent the coffee house they may or may not know that we are Salvation Army, or a church, or anything other than a nice place to grab a tasty beverage with free wifi, local art, funky music, friendly staff, and an incredible vibe. That's OK with us. See, the point isn't promoting our church, or The Salvation Army, or even ushering people into religion. The point is building community, getting to know our neighbours, creating a safe place, living missionally, and incarnating Christ's life and message to our postal code.

Likewise, people who have joined the church community may have joined the local body of Christ at The Freeway and not necessarily the world-wide movement. That doesn't mean they are any less part of the world-wide movement, but in their frame of reference they have joined our little church community. That's OK with us too. Maybe they identify with The Freeway, but not The Salvation Army as a whole. Fine. That doesn't mean they any less belong.

To be honest a lot of the people who have found The Freeway to be home don't know who William Booth or John Wesley are... or for that matter, who Brian McLaren is either. They couldn't care less about "emerging" or our Wesleyan heritage or our Salvation Army roots. But they belong regardless. We are the people in their neighbourhood who care, and who have established relationship with them... the people who represent Jesus to them... and they represent Jesus to us.

We are also inherently Salvation Army even though:

• we don't wear uniforms
• we don't play brass instruments
• we don't have a flag
• we don't speak in acronyms
• we use Biblical metaphors other than just military ones

If you want to know what The Salvation Army looks like, come and visit us at our coffee house some time. Or check out our local addictions centre, or our centre for young single moms, or our centre for adults with developmental disabilities, or our shelter or... well, you get the message.

The church community and the coffee house would simply not exist without The Salvation Army. They have supported us in incredible ways... not as outsiders who they feel led to help... but as their own.

"We are The Salvation Army"... there I said it, are you happy now?

Labels: the freeway, the salvation army, writing

Please donate online now... please.

Labels: the salvation army

Yes we are.

Someone e-mailed me today and was quite negatively inquisitive as to just how The Salvation Army would ever allow "this [The Freeway] to happen".

In typical Pernell fashion, my first response [in my head] was "bite me, wanker". But that's a bit harsh... I guess. So, I will attempt to answer this question here... tomorrow, because I think it's actually a good question.

I guess this is a teaser.

Labels: the freeway, the salvation army

The Freeway is raising money online between now and December 13th for The Salvation Army's Christmas Campaign. It's part of a little contest they are having for an iPod Nano... which we couldn't care less about winning, but it's for a great cause. From SalvationArmy.ca:

Welcome to our online contest. It’s easy to participate, and you’ll be giving hope today by raising money to help thousands of Canadians during the Christmas season!

Between November 13 and December 13, sign up for the contest and ask your friends and relatives to support you by making an online gift to The Salvation Army’s 2006 Christmas Campaign.

All you have to do is click here and donate securely online. You know you want to. Go on. Help us out... and give hope today.

Labels: the freeway, the salvation army

The Freeway is featured in the most recent edition of Salvationist.ca [A national Salvation Army magazine]. Today the article was posted online. You can read it here if you are interested.

Labels: the freeway, the salvation army

Today I had a meeting with my supervisor [from The Salvation Army headquarters]. Not a fun meeting, but a good guy to meet with.

Tomorrow I get another pain injection in my spine [I get it done about every nine months]. Picture it: Me in my tighty whiteys and a hospital gown. Sprawled out on a bed in the operating room in the fetal position. Ass up. While they drive a needle the size of a sewing needle up my spine and inject anti-inflamatories and pain medication into my lower back region. Good times, for sure. They called yesterday to remind me that I need someone to pick me up at the hospital afterwards because I won't be in any condition to drive. No kidding.

It's weird too, because my back hasn't really hurt all that much this summer. It's been pretty good [knock on wood]. I am doing the injection anyway, because last time I played the tough guy, I regretted it big time.

Anyhow, thanks for all your prayers and encouragement in the last couple days. Margie and I both appreciate it very much.

Labels: personal, the salvation army

I think I can honestly say that my tribe has the best denominational website I have ever seen: www.salvationarmy.ca. They also have an excellent blog: www.salvationarmy.ca/blog. There's even a rumour that someone you know may be posting there in the near future. Look out.

Labels: blogging, the salvation army

"Preaching for all, by all."

I like that. It's one of the "essentials" (values?) of a church I deeply respect in my own tribe, The Salvation Army. The church is called Corps 614 (based on Isaiah 61:4). It started in the Regent Park neighbourhood in Toronto and, evidently, the idea has spread like crazy. There is actually a whole network of 614 churches now - not just in Canada either - but in several countries.

I love what they do. I love their incarnational ministry with the poor and over-looked. I love their energy and creativity. I love their commitment to Jesus and his Kingdom. They rock.

The thing I like about their tagline about preaching is that it represents a Biblical idea I believe strongly in: the priesthood of all believers. See, I believe that God speaks into community through community. I believe that each of us has the responsibility to teach and encourage one another. I believe God uses the "foolish" to shame the "wise". I believe the Kingdom has leveled the playing field for all of us. In fact, that's one of the reasons I do not hold to a complimentarian view, or a "one preacher" view, or a "personal" salvation view (yes, I believe that individuals come to faith in Christ, but that Jesus came for the whole world - and we play a part in the proclamation and incarnation of the Good News).

This is what Mark Driscoll says in his book "Confessions":

"We continued to meet on Sunday nights until Christmas, when some of the arty types started complaining that there was a preaching monologue instead of an open dialogue, as would become popular with some emerging pastors a few years later. This forced me to think through my theology of preaching, spiritual authority, and the authority of Scripture. I did an intense study of the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament commands regarding preaching and teaching. In the end, I decided not to back off from a preaching monologue but instead work hard at becoming a solid long-winded, old-school Bible preacher that focused on Jesus. My people needed to hear from God's Word and not from each other in collective ignorance like some dumb chat room."

Via

According to Driscoll (or at least, if I read this quote correctly) it's either "long-winded, old-school Bible preach[ing]" or "artsy collective ignorance." I think that's just a dumb thing to say.

Labels: community, leadership, speaking, the salvation army

My friend Jordon just got a job with The Salvation Army in Saskatoon. Nice going, buddy. He had gotten laid off from his job not too long ago. I am happy to welcome him to the Universe of The SA.

I commented on his site, asking if he was going to get the "Army tattoo". He replied that he would get it between the "FRWY.ca tattoo" and the "Pernell Goodyear tattoo".

Sorry Jordon, I don't think you can get a tattoo there!

Labels: friends, the salvation army