Frequently Asked Questions

You probably already know this, but I want to remind you: Worry won’t help you. Jesus told us this in Matthew 6:27, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (NIV).

Of course, the answer to Jesus’ question is ‘No.’ For example, you can’t keep yourself from catching a disease through worry. It won’t keep your family from getting sick. Worry just makes your problems worse because you feel you can’t move a step closer to solving them. Worry can’t change your past, nor can it change your future. All it can do is mess up your present time.

Proverbs 12:25 says, “Worry weighs a person down” (NLT). You weren’t made to endure it. In fact, it wears you out more than just about anything else. To effectively help yourself and others, you need to be at your best. Worry won’t get you there. So how can you overcome worry during stressful times?

1. Let Jesus be your Shepherd:
Many people spend so much time helping others or even thinking of themselves that they easily forget they have a Shepherd. A shepherd takes the responsibility of looking after the sheep. You might want to start every day by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd. You’re a good God.” Then repeat that throughout the day. If you start saying that phrase regularly, your worry will decrease. Reminding yourself that you have a good Shepherd who cares for you cuts down on anxiety.

2. Give Jesus control over every area of your life:
Worry is a warning light that you have an area you haven’t entirely given over to God. When you love something more than you love God, it becomes a source of stress and anxiety in your life. Even good things—like our marriages, our children, and our ministries—can become sources of worry if we give them first place in our lives. When anything becomes an idol in our lives, it creates insecurity and anxiety.

3. Relax and give God your worries in prayer:
In times like these, you must continually remind yourself of all God has done in your life. But it also helps to check your worries; what really is the cause for anxiety. Before you can give God your concerns, you need to have a clear idea of what they are. Once you know that, you can hand them over to God in prayer.

Peter says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). You weren’t designed to carry your worries. It’s unnatural. God is big enough and strong enough to handle all your concerns.

4. Trust God one day at a time:
Don’t steal your whole future by bringing its worries into today. Jesus said it this way, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34 NLT).

You can plan for tomorrow without living in tomorrow. You can only live in the present. God is continually testing how much we trust Him. He wants us to decide whether He really holds first place in our lives. Before we can help others understand this too, we must be clear about it ourselves.

God has promised to care for us. He will meet our needs. Will we trust Him?

How can I work on becoming happier?
• Cultivate gratitude, forgiveness, humility, and contentment
• Relieve stress and conflict
• Stop comparing yourself to others
• Grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus through Bible reading and prayer
• Release the pain of your past hurts
• Do life together with others (small groups)
• Rediscover and work on your God-given purposes in life

We know that even the most mature of God’s people, as well as non-believers experience periods of joylessness. For instance, Job wished he had never been born (Job 3:11). David prayed to be taken away to a place where he would not have to deal with reality (Psalm 55:6–8). Elijah, even after defeating 450 prophets of Baal with fire called down from heaven (1 Kings 18:16–46), fled into the desert and asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:3–5). If these men struggled, how can we experience consistent joy in the Christian life?

The first thing is to realize that joy is a gift from God. The root word for joy in the Greek is chara, which is closely related with the Greek charis for “grace.” Joy is both a gift of God as well as a response to the gifts of God. Joy comes when we focus on God’s grace and blessings in our lives ...even the small ones.

With this in mind, it’s evident that one way to experience joy is to focus on God. Rather than dwelling on our difficulties or those things robbing our contentment, we can dwell on God. This is not to say we should deny our discontent or stuff negative emotions. Following the example of many of the psalmists, we can pour out our hearts to God. We can tell Him bluntly all the things that ail us. But then we submit those things to Him, remember who He is, and are happy in Him. Psalms 3, 13, 18, 43, and 103 are good examples.

The book of Philippians has much to say about joy, even though Paul wrote the epistle from prison. Philippians 4:4–8 gives some guidelines for experiencing joy in the Christian life: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! . . . The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Here we see the importance of praising God, remembering that He is near, praying about our worries, and keeping our minds focused on the good things of God. We can experience joy when we intentionally praise. David wrote that the study of God’s Word can bring us joy (Psalm 19:8). We experience joy by communing with God through prayer. And we experience joy by keeping our focus on godly things rather than on difficult circumstances or discontentment.

Jesus also gave some instructions regarding joy. In John 15 He talked about abiding in Him and obeying Him. He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9–11). One of the keys to joy is living in obedience to God.

Another way to experience joy in the Christian life is through community, serving others less fortunate, and being served ourselves. God gave Elijah rest and then sent a man, Elisha, to help him (1 Kings 19:19–21). We, too, need friends that we can share our hurts and pains with (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12). Hebrews 10:19–25 says, “Brothers and sisters . . . let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” Because of the grace of God, we know we can approach God confidently in prayer (Hebrews 10:19). We know we are cleansed of our sin (Hebrews 10:22). And we are joined into a new community ...a family of believers. With our fellow believers, we hold firm to our faith, trusting in the character of God. We also encourage one another. Christians do not belong to this world (John 17:14–16; Philippians 3:20). We long to be with God, finally restored to our original design. Life can be lonely and discouraging. Others help remind us of truth, carry our burdens with us, and strengthen us to continue on (Galatians 6:10; Colossians 3:12–14).

Joy is meant to be a hallmark of the Christian life. Remember the trials that come our way can build our character, draw us closer to Jesus in prayer and bible reading, and in the future can help us help others in similar trials. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and a gift of God. We best receive this gift when we focus on the truth of who God is, commune with Him through prayer, and rely on the community of believers He has provided. If you want to try out joining a group at the church then let our office know.

(mostly taken from gotquestions.org)

1. The empty tomb. The Jews or Romans had no reason to steal the body of Jesus Christ. They wanted to suppress Christianity, not encourage it by providing it with an empty tomb. Jesus’ followers, the disciples, would have had no motive, either. Because of their preaching on the resurrection, they were beaten, killed, and persecuted. Why would they go through all of this for a deliberate lie? No serious scholar holds to any of these theories today.
2. The many post-tomb appearances of Jesus. As Paul recorded in 1 Corinthians 15: 3-6, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living…” The disciples record eating and drinking with Jesus, as well as touching Him. This cannot be done with hallucinations. It is also improbable that they would all have had the same hallucination. Hallucinations or dreams are highly individual and not group projections.
3. Cowardly disciples were transformed by the resurrection, willingly preaching about it, even though it could have cost them their lives. Were they lying? If they knew that Jesus had not really risen and just made up the story, why did most of them willingly die as martyrs for their belief in the resurrection? People will sometimes die for a lie that they believe is the truth. But if Jesus did not rise, the disciples knew it. Thus, they wouldn't have just been dying for a lie that they mistakenly believed was true. They would have been dying for a lie that they knew was a lie. Furthermore, can we reasonably believe that the disciples could have covered up such a lie, especially for the rest of their lives?
4. Experience of billions of people today. If you ask any Christian today what their experience is with Jesus, you will realize how He speaks and guides them very personally every day. He still answers prayer in miraculous ways! (adapted from material by Matt Perman)

Would you like to have more meaning, understanding and purpose in your life? How about having a good reason to worry less? Greater joy, love, appreciation, companionship, people who will pray for you, a personal relationship with a believable God who actually speaks to you and listens to you―who has your best interests at heart? How about having a greater interest in helping others and receiving much joy and appreciation in return.

According to a 2018 article in Time magazine, studies show that people who go to church generally have longer lives. This is linked to having less stress, focused prayer and “having that sense that you’re not in the world alone, that you are part of a power larger than oneself, giving one confidence to deal with the issues of life.”

We simply weren’t meant to go through life alone, and God didn’t put you on earth to live a self-centred life. His purpose for you is to build your life with Him at the core; we were made to have a relationship with God and each other. Meeting at church helps you centre your life on God through worship, learning and prayer. Give it a try, and if you tried church before and didn't get anything out of it at that time, you may have changed just as we know we have over the years. We invite you to join us this Sunday.

Click here to read the Time article

The Bible is the most read book in history. It’s also the bestselling book in history and the most translated book. It’s the Word of God, His very breath. Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (NIV).

We can know the Bible is trustworthy because thousands of prophecies mentioned in the Bible have come true exactly as God said it would. There are over 300 300 prophecies about Jesus alone—all written a thousand years before He was born. It takes more faith to believe that the Bible’s prophecies were a coincidence than to believe that God planned them.

The Bible prophesied about when Jesus would be born, where, and how. He couldn’t have manipulated His birth to fulfill those prophecies. It also predicted how He would die. A thousand years before Jesus died, David described His death on the cross in one of the psalms. He didn’t use the word “crucifixion” because no one knew that word then. Long before the Romans were even thinking about crucifying people, David described it. Only God could have known that.

The Bible says, “No prophecy ever originated from humans. Instead, it was given by the Holy Spirit as humans spoke under God’s direction” (2 Peter 1:21 GW). During Bible times, nobody wanted to be a prophet. The law in Israel was that a prophet of God had to be correct 100 percent of the time. If you were wrong just once, then you were considered a false prophet and would have been put to death. The biblical prophecies were right—every one of them. You can trust the Bible because what the Bible predicts comes true.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:16. This verse tells us that God inspired all Scripture and that it is profitable to us. It is not just the parts of the Bible that deal with religious doctrines that are inspired, but each and every word from Genesis to Revelation. Because it is inspired by God, the Scriptures are authoritative when establishing doctrine and sufficient for teaching us how to be in a right relationship with God. The Bible claims not only to be inspired by God but also to have the supernatural ability to change us and make us “complete.” What more can we need? Try reading parts of the New Testament today, and don't be surprised if God speaks specifically to you about something going on in your heart and mind.
(Adapted from More Than 300 Biblical Prophecies Point to Jesus by Rick Warren)

Sunday Services at The Salvation Army Oshawa are at 11:00 AM September - June and move to 10:30 AM in July and August for the Summer. Join us ONLINE or plan a visit, everyone is welcome.

No.

Registraiton is not required, everyone is welcome. 

Come in person or join us online

For questions like these and other deep, often unanswerable questions, it can really show how small groups at church can help you navigate this journey we call life. God doesn't create many of the disasters like pandemics to happen to us; we decided to turn away from God's perfect world back in the Garden of Eden. God, nowadays, does allow things to happen for a reason.

Pain may not be desirable, but it's only a feeling, as is joy. Yet pain is not mere suffering; it is also a warning sign and a way to protect us against danger. That something may hurt is undeniable, and that we will all feel some sort of pain at some point is inevitable, but whether this pain is our doing or God's is something entirely different. The all-knowing, all-powerful, all-good God allows us to suffer, just as He allows us all sorts of things because we have the freedom to behave as we will. But He has also provided a place with the greatest contentment we can imagine if only we listen to Him, listen to His Son, and listen to God’s Word, the Bible.

As to the specific issue of pain and suffering, well-known Christian author C.S. Lewis, who watched his beloved wife die of cancer, put it this way: "Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

God's plan is for us to return to Him and lead the best possible life on earth. Sometimes, we need to be reminded of our purpose. Pain is a sharp, strong tool to achieve that purpose. A needle may be necessary to prevent disease or infection. Nobody welcomes or enjoys the injection, but it prevents far greater suffering, just as what may seem like even intolerable pain now will lead to far greater happiness later.

Whether or not we understand His reasons, we must remember that God is good, just, loving, and merciful

(Psalm 135:3). Often, bad things happen to us that we simply cannot understand. Instead of doubting God’s goodness, our reaction should be to trust Him. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight”(Proverbs 3:5–6).

We walk by faith, not by sight. Sadly, it is often after a disaster that people have their confidence in this life shaken and are forced to think about eternity. Churches are usually filled after disasters as people realize how tenuous their lives really are and how life can be taken away in an instant. What we do know is this: God is good!

Many amazing miracles occurred during natural disasters that prevented even greater loss of life. Natural disasters cause millions of people to re-evaluate their priorities in life. If you have suffered through something in particular, you are then best equipped to help someone else in a similar situation. Churches such as The Salvation Army have the opportunity to help, minister, counsel, pray, and lead people to saving faith in Christ! God can, and does, bring great good out of terrible tragedies (Romans 8:28).

Remember, bad things may happen to good people in this world, but this world is not the end. Christians have an eternal perspective: “We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18). We will have a reward someday, and it will be glorious.

Join us doing life together, join a small group, bring this question and others up for further understanding and, have others pray for you as times of suffering come your way. Connect with us anytime to ask further questions. (adapted from responses to FAQs on Bible Questions Answered | GotQuestions.org)

How to know you will spend eternity in heaven?

Admit your need and that you don't have all the answers (I am a sinner).
Be willing to turn from your sins (ask for forgiveness and begin to change with God's help).
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave. (know deep inside that God wants a relationship with you)
Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit (Receive Him as Saviour and guide of your new life)

Simply pray: Dear Lord Jesus...

I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite you to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as the Lord and Saviour of my life.
In Jesus name, 
Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer the Bible tells us...

• “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
• “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
• “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:12-13)

Watch this video to be prayed for.


Connect with us to discuss these short answers more fully and let us know of any further questions you have, and how to further your relationship with God and a newfound family of believers. Contact our church office if you would like a free 64 page pocket sized book entitled 

You can live the life you were meant to be lived:

Rick Warren’s 64 page mini booklet “What on earth am I here for?” answers life’s 3 biggest questions:

Why am I alive?

Does my life matter?

What on earth am I here for?

Wonderful to read yourself or to pass onto a friend. Request a free copy today by contacting our church office (office@saoshawa.ca or 905-436-0011)

This is a really good question because it's not possible for the Salvation Army to be a church without being charitable. Therefore, it is both a church and a charity.

The Salvation Army thinks of itself in terms of a body with two arms, the spiritual and the social—with one hand we reach out to God and with the other we reach out to the world. I think that's a beautiful image.

And this 'two-in-one' focus is not new for us. From the commencement of The Salvation Army in London in the late 19th century, our founders, William and Catherine Booth, emphasised that we must exist in this fashion—as a church we must live out our Christianity.

It's crucial that our Christianity is expressed in charitable work. I don't see a separation between church and charity and, in fact, if there were ever to be a separation between the two, then The Salvation Army would cease to exist as it is known, understood and valued today.

If it were to be 'just' a church and failed to be charitable, then it would have no right to preach or speak about justice, compassion, or anything that affects the well-being of others.

But if, on the other hand, it were just a charity, it would fail to respond to the whole person—the body, mind and spirit.

The short answer to this question is 'no.' The Salvation Army is not a religion, nor is it a mix of denominations. We stand independently as a denomination in the Christian Church alongside other churches, for example, the Anglican, Baptist and United churches.

In the 1860s, William Booth, The Salvation Army’s Founder, began reaching out to the masses living in poverty in London. He preached that there was a God who could transform their lives and show them a new way. He fed them, prayed with them and thousands of lives were changed.

Booth, a Methodist minister, tried to introduce these new believers to local Methodist churches, but the wider church at the time had lost much of its vision for what was then considered the underclass and would not accept them.

In less than 20 years, while it had not been his initial goal, Booth established The Salvation Army. Today, the Army upholds the cross of Christ and serves suffering humanity worldwide in more than 130 countries.

A good word to describe our church is 'community.' The Salvation Army, like other churches, is a community of people that meets together in local neighbourhoods. We worship God together; nurture faith, wholeness and integrity of life in our own lives and in the lives of others; and, in keeping with the 'DNA' of the Army, our faith shows itself in service to people with all kinds of material, emotional, physical and spiritual needs.

The Salvation Army is a great place to belong! Why not come along and find this out for yourself?

Salvationists believe that once we have entered into a relationship with God, our lives become His temple, and so we must try to adopt a lifestyle that is beneficial to our well-being. Body, mind and soul are closely interrelated, and what harms one may well affect the other. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.”

Alcoholic drink
In London, England’s East End, the misery and poverty, often exacerbated by excessive drinking, led the Army's founders to regard drink as a root cause of many social problems. They believed in abstinence from alcohol because abstinence rather than moderation seemed to them to be the most effective answer to the tragedies caused by drunkenness and alcoholism.

Today, tragedies caused by excessive drinking are no less evident. The Army feels it would be hypocritical to come alongside and try to help those suffering from the effects of alcohol if we practiced drinking ourselves.

The Army will not judge people who see no harm in drinking in moderation. However, in a society where much social and business interaction revolve around alcohol, a positive stance is made by Salvationists that it is not necessary to rely on alcohol to feel confident, communicate with others, or enjoy oneself.

Smoking
In an age before the dangers of smoking were known, the founders regarded tobacco as detrimental to health, a waste of money and a disagreeable thing to inflict on others. For that reason, Salvationists were at first encouraged not to smoke, and that has continued. History has proven William and Catherine Booth's views correct.

Drugs
Of course, Salvationists regard drugs in the same light as the above and abstain from the non-medical use of drugs or addictive substances.

Gambling
Christians believe that our lives are in God's hands. Gambling is based on luck and chance and contradicts this belief. More importantly, gambling can be addictive, causing misery to the families of those caught in its web. Salvationists want to distance themselves from anything that can be the cause of so much harm. Nor would we be happy at making a gain through other people's loss, the principle on which gambling operates.

When asked to support a lottery or raffle in aid of charity, Salvationists are free to support by making a donation instead. Salvationists do not regard their abstinence from alcohol, tobacco and gambling as a negative lifestyle, but instead, we believe that it gives us the freedom to be the people God intended us to be.

A significant difference between The Salvation Army and some other religious denominations is that it does not include sacraments (mainly holy communion and baptism) in its form of worship.

The Salvation Army has never said it is wrong to use sacraments, nor does it deny that other Christians receive grace from God through using them. Instead, the Army believes that it is possible to live a holy life and receive the grace of God without the use of physical sacraments and that they should not be regarded as an essential part of becoming a Christian.

Salvationists see the sacraments as an outward sign of an inward experience, and it is the inward experience that is the most important thing.

It should be noted that The Salvation Army did not cease to use the sacraments because of any prejudices it had against them or from any desire to be 'different.' The decision to discontinue their use was a gradual process in the minds of the Army's founders.

Some reasons for The Salvation Army's cessation of the sacraments may be summarised as follows:
• The Army's founders felt that many Christians had come to rely on the outward signs of spiritual grace rather than on God's grace itself. William and Catherine Booth believed, along with the Apostle Paul and others in the Bible, that salvation came solely from God's grace personally received by faith. They felt that much of what passed for Christianity in their day was primarily an observance of outward ritual and not enough focus on a relationship with God.
• Historically, many early-day converts to the Army had previously been alcoholics. It was considered unwise to tempt them with the wine used in holy communion, and unfermented "wine" was not available/acceptable at the time.
• Luke 3:16 - John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
• Corinthians 11: 25-26 - In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Note "as often" or "every time" they drank and ate, not just on a prescribed day, in a formal church setting, about once a month, and apart from a fellowship meal. Salvationists view the true sacrament here as that spiritual joy and fellowship Christians share every time they gather together for a meal ...and remember Jesus in a prayer of thanksgiving.

To a large extent, this is still the Salvationist's standpoint. However, it should be stressed that Salvationists have never been in opposition to the sacraments. Indeed, when they take part in gatherings with Christians from other churches, Salvationists will often share in using the symbols of the Lord's Supper as a sign of fellowship and remembrance.

Furthermore, Salvationists are not prevented from being baptized in other churches should they so desire. There may be those who would take exception to some aspects of The Salvation Army's interpretation of the Bible, but keep in mind there has always been criticism and differences of opinion concerning both the practice of baptism and the Lord's Supper. There is no uniform structure through all churches.

The essential thing for all Christian churches to keep in mind is that regardless of what we practice or how we practice them, Jesus Christ is the ground and centre of our faith. Through Him, in Him, and by Him, we may have glorious unity, fruitful fellowship, shared ministry, and brotherly love.

Following is a quote regarding baptism, communion and even our next question of wearing the Salvation Army uniform:
"If we were allowed a glimpse into the heavenly throne room of our eternal God I am sure he might be amused at our deliberations on the finery and details of our particular expression of church. If we accept him as Saviour through Christ, having renounced our sins and sought forgiveness, then been spiritually blessed in our quest to be like him in word and deed, then we have become part of the body of Christ, the Church. We are a church in essence and by adoption. What we actually call ourselves and what we wear or what symbols we use to confirm our status – as important as they may be to our own expression of faith – are largely incidental to the fact that we are who we are, children of the most high Living God. I don’t need the symbols of sacrament, the water of baptism, the uniform of witness to know that. I simply choose these things as part of my expression of Faith. If I do not choose those things it doesn’t make me unworthy of membership. I make my confessions and promises and public pronouncements to witness to all that I am saved by grace – and I am sure God is happy with that and blesses all of us who then follow in the footsteps of Christ in whatever capacity in whatever Christian church. I can break bread with fellow believers in church or at home if I wish, wearing whatever attire I choose, but when I share sacred fellowship it is not about the ceremony, but it is in the knowledge that Jesus is our Saviour and only by the blessing and power of the Holy Spirit are we part of the embodiment of Christ and therefore his Church." (Salvation Army Major Keith White)

The uniform of the day was used to equalize the new members from all places in society; it was also used to unify them in cause and commitment. Knowing that their mission was to engage in spiritual warfare, the uniform became a symbol of a visual reminder that they had accepted the call of Christ. Underneath the uniform was a heart committed to God and a willingness to use their hands to reach humanity.

The Salvation Army uniform is one of the recognizable icons of the world. This uniform shows itself in the pulpit, on the street corner, in hospitals and nursing homes. It has been recognized in service at floods, fires, tornados, and other disasters worldwide.

The uniform is the Salvation Army officer's clerical garb (ordained minister) and is also worn by some soldiers (local corps members). It is a symbol to declare our faith to everyone and to make ourselves available for service. It tells the onlooker that the person wearing the uniform is a professing Christian and is available to give practical or spiritual help through the Movement, if not personally. The uniform also opens the wearer's way to be recognized and accepted as the Salvation Army representative in all kinds of situations.

There are also personal advantages in uniform-wearing. It helps the wearer to remember to live up to the Christian profession he or she has made. In difficult or dangerous situations from inner cities to wars around the world, the uniform can give the wearer a measure of protection. Wearing a uniform also gives Salvationists a feeling of fellowship and an increased opportunity to witness to those who often ask questions or offer stories of appreciation for what The Salvation Army has done.

The intention of the Salvation Army uniform is not to isolate its wearer from other people but to give a visible sign that he or she is available to serve others. You do not have to wear a uniform to be a Salvationist; however, Salvationists who wear uniforms feel it is a privilege to do so.

In The Salvation Army, all the churches are simply community churches, but we also clarify them by size: temples are the biggest, citadels are smaller, and corps are the smallest.

William Booth, born in Nottingham, UK, on 10 April 1829, was the founder of The Salvation Army. He grew up in the Methodist Church and worked in a pawnbroker's shop.

He felt a calling on his life to become a full-time preacher and was offered a position as an evangelist for a few months with some financial support. This was the beginning of him being able to fulfil his life's calling.

In 1865, Booth started The Christian Mission, which was re-named in 1878 as The Salvation Army. Booth had a heart for the down-and-out in society. As he walked around the East End of London and saw people—the poorest of the poor—sleeping in the streets, Booth felt these were the people he should help.

Outside a pub called The Blind Beggar in June 1865, Booth stopped to listen to a group conducting an open-air meeting, and he accepted an invitation to say a few words. Soon after, on 2 July in the Whitechapel district of London, Booth preached to hundreds and later declared to his wife, Catherine: 'I have found my destiny.'

Booth encountered opposition but became a social reformer in his time. In 1890, he published a book, In Darkest England and the Way Out, and in 1891 opened a match factory to create employment. He also provided training in agriculture, shelter and food. While reaching out to help the poor, Booth encouraged the rich to use their wealth wisely.

Booth was a creative communicator and was ably supported and advised by his wife, Catherine. Physically weak and blind after giving himself in total commitment to the calling on his life, Booth died on 20 August 1912.

The Salvation Army doesn't have a Pope but has an international leader called the General. The General leads the work of The Salvation Army in over 130 countries.

To become General of The Salvation Army, a person (man or woman) must be a Christian who is ordained and commissioned as a Salvation Army officer (minister). The electing body, referred to as the High Council, is composed of all active commissioners and territorial commanders in the world.

The General resides in London, England, where The Salvation Army began its work in 1865. The founders of the Army were William and Catherine Booth. They chose a quasi-military command structure in 1878 when their congregation, The Christian Mission, changed its name to The Salvation Army.

William Booth was the Army's first General and, since then, another 19 Generals from around the world (including General Brian Peddle from Canada since 2018) have served in the role.

In The Salvation Army, the rank of Commissioner is assigned by the General. The roles of commissioners vary, but all carry a great weight of responsibility.

A territorial commander is responsible to the General for accomplishing The Salvation Army's mission of transforming lives, caring for people, and reforming society within a territory of the world. This person must provide visionary and practical leadership and inspire Salvationists in their Christian faith. They are also responsible for implementing social service programs to meet human needs and taking social action against evil in society. Among other things, a territorial commander is also responsible for the legal constitution, property, and finances of the territory and the development of officers (ministers) and soldiers (full members).

The Salvation Army is committed to assisting all people without regard to nationality, race, belief, sexuality, ability, or judgement of behaviour. Donations worldwide are used to fund the following programs:

Yes. The Salvation Army Church in Oshawa is located at 570 Thornton Road N. Oshawa, ON L1J6T6. If yo uneed anything, you can call 905-436-0011 or, send an email to the office.