Join us for National Salvation Army Week

May 12-18, 2013

]]> http://corps.salvationarmyindiana.org/newalbany/2013/05/10/salvation-army-in-southern-indiana-marks-130-years/feed/ 0 http://corps.salvationarmyindiana.org/newalbany/2013/05/08/letter-carriers-food-collection-this-saturday/ http://corps.salvationarmyindiana.org/newalbany/2013/05/08/letter-carriers-food-collection-this-saturday/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 22:00:35 +0000 skiger http://corps.salvationarmyindiana.org/newalbany/?p=1604

On May 11th, 2013, letter carriers across the country will be collecting food for families in need.  In Floyd County, IN, food collected by our letter carriers and sponsored by Campbell’s, United Way and other great organizations, will be donated to help those in need right here in Southern Indiana through The Salvation Army!

It’s easy – Just collect and bad non-perishable food items

Place by the mailbox for your letter carrier to pick up and deliver to The Salvation Army.

Thanks for helping feed the hungry!

Thanks to a great team that helped give glory and honor to God as Floyd County celebrated the 62nd Annual National Day of Prayer yesterday at noon at the City-County Building in New Albany.

Led by Major Stephen Kiger of The Salvation Army in southern Indiana participants included:

Welcome by Mayor Jeff Gahan

Rev. Jeff Barbour of Graceland Baptist Church provided opening in prayer

Rev. George Ross of Northside Christian Church shared the Scripture reading

State Representative Ed Clere praying for government and civil servants

Cindy Kanning filled in for Karen Hanger of Living Magazine praying for the media

Dr. Brad Snyder of NAFC Schools praying for our schools

Joe Brown of Rodefer Moss Inc., PLLC praying for businesses

Doug Drake of Personal Counseling Services, Inc., praying for non-profits

Rev. George Wasson of Faithpoint United Methodist Church praying for our churches

Rev. Jeff Barbour of Graceland Baptist Church provided the opening in prayer

Brian Frame of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church provided for congregational music and leading.

Special Music was provided the Christian Academy of Indiana’s 5th grade choir under the  direction of Maria Smith.

“It was a packed courthouse commons as more than 250 enjoyed a beautiful day for the National Day of Prayer”  noted Major Kiger, “we so appreciated the NAFC School District who provided 300 chairs and did all the set-up and tear down.”

Follow the response and work of The Salvation Army in the Boston Tragedy .

The gray skies couldn’t darken the joy and excitement of those attending the dedication of another Volunteers Rebuilding Our Community (V-ROC) home.   Finally back home, Amanda Jackson and her family were moving furniture and household items into place as a caring community of volunteers and workers gathered around her to bless and welcome her into home.

“Out of even the most horrible of circumstances, the love of God has once again shown through,” noted Major Stephen Kiger of The Salvation Army.   Amanda had lost her grandparents and even had her four year old son pulled from arms by the tornado of March 2, 2012.

Many volunteers had come together to make the new home a reality and there were many tears of joy shed even as a glimmer of sun broke through the afternoon clouds.  “Finally home”, breathed Amanda.

V-ROC is a collaboration of faith-based organizations that have come together to help with the on-going rebuilding for those families who were either under-insured or had no insurance and were left struggling to put their lives back together again.   V-ROC key partners include Hope Crisis Response Network, The Salvation Army, United Methodist Committee on Relief, and Country Lake Christian Retreat.  For more information you may call The Salvation Army at 812-944-1018 or visit V-ROC here!

SEVERAL years ago, when attending a Sunday morning worship service at a Salvation Army corps (church), I heard one of our leaders preach. It was not a typical sermon, in fact it seemed too simple, especially for this seasoned preacher. But his first language was not English so I suppose for this English-speaking congregation, he had to play it safe and not try to be too theological, using words that he was unfamiliar with. He simply told stories about Jesus. It may not have been a sermon that won a best preacher’s award but it was one that moved me to tears and remains an unforgettable experience.

Such stories not only make for powerful sermon material but are at the heart of Christian music. The Salvation Army like most of the Christian churches loves to sing what it believes. Stories about Jesus, put to music, are forever etched in our memories. As we sing them we are called again and again to reflect on him, his life, death, resurrection and what this all means to us today.

One line of an Easter song keeps playing in my mind: ‘Alone on the road, oppressed by my load, Jesus himself drew near and walked with me.’ This line captures the event recorded in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 24) and it also speaks powerfully to us today. The story is of two followers of Jesus returning home after his crucifixion, with their hopes dashed. The horror of the crucifixion was enough to shatter anyone, but when it happened to one you loved, one who was innocent, not only innocent but absolutely perfect in your eyes, then how could you put it all together? Their grief was compounded by the fact that they had believed Jesus was their Messiah, the hope for their world. The light for which they had waited for so long was now snuffed out. Everything was darkness and despair. They were overcome and overwhelmed, blinded by this ghastly and unexpected reversal.

Perhaps for many reading this article, this Christian story does not make sense: God loved us so much that he sent his Son to earth. Jesus comes in flesh as the babe in the manger, lives an exemplary life, healing, preaching, performing miracles. Then he dies the criminal’s death, takes our sin upon him and breaks its power by his sacrifice. Through him a relationship is restored with God and through him we can know forgiveness, freedom and life to the full. And maybe the biggest stretch is this belief that he rose to life again and appeared bodily, to his followers. No ghost or apparition but a real live Jesus! Please don’t dismiss these facts as either fanciful or irrelevant. Just for this moment, hold on to them as truth, real Truth. Not fiction but facts.

Now here in Luke’s story is the Lord, the Saviour of the world, the resurrected Jesus, taking time to walk down a lonely road with two shattered people, to open their eyes, to give them cause to hope again. This same living Jesus spans the ages. He walks your path today, hoping only that you will open your eyes to see him, your ears to hear him and your heart to receive him.

That song’s phrase ‘alone on the road, oppressed by my load’ may be describing you today. ‘Aloneness’ is not numerical. If I am by myself, then I am alone. No, you and I know of times when we were surrounded by people and felt an ‘aloneness’, an emptiness that all the human bodies in the world could not fill. The weight on our shoulders, the burdens we were carrying seemed to separate us from the smiles and light-hearted fellowship experienced by others. Perhaps illness, financial worries, family concerns, addictions, failure, or even limitations imposed by others contributed to dreams unfulfilled. Maybe we have felt deluded by life and by people.

Friend, Easter is about life, life with its tragedies and triumphs. Despair need never be an option. You don’t need to be a theologian to understand Jesus. Let his story be your story, Jesus himself is with you. He draws near as the song says. Not at a distance, shaming you for your depression or your limited expectations. Not at all! He died for you, and believes in you. He wants you to believe in him, to see him as the Constant Companion, your Saviour. Don’t take my word for it. Take his – and life will never be the same again.

Linda Bond General

Feature photo courtesy of www.firstbaptistfaribault.org

Help someone  ”hold-on” this Easter season.

Support The Salvation Army in Southern Indiana

Southern Indiana residents gathered to support The Salvation Army’s mission to “do the most good” as they filled the IUS Hoosier Room for the second annual Bed and Bread Gala February 8th.

The dinner, silent and live auctions and individual donations raised thousands for The Salvation Army’s on-going efforts in the six southern counties of Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington.

Pictured below are, from left to right,

Judge Carlton Sanders; Sue Sanders – Gala Chairperson; Sharon Simpson and Ron Simpson.

Pictured above are Dale Orem, John Belski, Kevin Harned-Wave 3 TV, Roxanne Haley – Salvation Army Business Administrator, Majors Stephen & Pamela Kiger – Southern Indiana Corps Officers.

Kevin Harned of WAVE 3 TV was the guest speaker for the evening. Dale Orem, long time Advisory Board member and Master of Ceremonies for the evening was honored with the Lifetime Achievement recognition. Also recognized was Mr. John Belski who received the Service to Mankind Award.

Pictured at the left are Dale Orem, John Belski, Kevin Harned, Roxanne Haley – Salvation Army Business Administrator, Majors Stephen & Pamela Kiger – Southern Indiana Corps Officers.

Fellowship was on the menu at The Salvation Army’s Bed and Bread Gala.
Pictured below are Rose Wathen, Dianne Brumley, Jillian Cantu and Heidi Killen.

The Lead sponsors for the evening were Dennis Ott & Company, General Mills and Your Community Bank.

Auctioneer Lincoln provided an exciting time for the Live Auction portion of the event and more than 40 items were donated for the Silent Auction.

For more information about The Salvation Army’s Bed and Bread Program or the work of The Salvation Army in Southern Indiana feel free to call us at 812-944-1018.