Bringing new blood into the Army sphere
Echelon is involving young professional adults who want to contribute to the
community through The Salvation Army...
Page 3
A little help from
our friends
A ministry that counts
Mike and Regina McGraw reflect on the conclusion of their years of building and
nurturing The Salvation Army’s broadcast ministry ...
Advisory boards and women’s auxiliaries are a
crucial part of The Salvation Army’s effort to fulfill
its promise to do the most good ... Pages 4 & 5
DOING
THE MOST
GOOD
www.uss.salvationarmy.org
Volume 33, No. 3
news
inbrief
ASBURY HOSTS
DISCIPLESHIP EVENT
Asbury University hosted
a weekend discipleship
conference the final weekend
of January that brought
together Salvationists from
across the nation.
“Growing Saints: a
Conference for Salvation
Army Discipleship” included
workshops, breakout sessions
and corporate prayer.
Discussion topics included
imagination, youth ministry
and the preeminence of love
in the theology of John Wesley.
General Paul Rader, former
international leader of The
Salvation Army who also
served as Asbury president,
delivered the keynote address.
ARMY IN FIJI RESPONDS
TO WINSTON
Cyclone Winston devastated
parts of the Pacific nation of
Fiji overnight on Feb. 20. With
winds exceeding 200 mph,
and 30-foot waves, Winston
was one of the most severe
weather systems ever to hit
the southern hemisphere. At
least 20 people were killed,
and thousands moved to
evacuation centers. The
Salvation Army established
10 such centers in Labasa, Ba,
Nadi, Sigatoka, Suva Central,
Raiwai, Lomaivuna, Nasinu,
Saweni and Lautoka.
Page 7
thesouthernspirit
A publication of The Salvation Army Southern Territory
February 29, 2016
Hope for the entire family
Frederick, Maryland,
Pathway of Hope helps
multiple generations
By Brooke Turbyfill
SOUTHERN SPIRIT STAFF
orrissa Travers has known
Beverly Banks for nearly
10 years – since she’s been
coming to the Frederick,
Maryland, Corps to
participate in Christmas assistance. Yet
Travers, a caseworker at the corps, said
it’s only been since Banks was accepted
into the Pathway of Hope initiative that
she’s gotten to know her.
“This (Pathway of Hope) is getting
to really know the person and knowing
what’s going on in her family dynamics,”
Travers said. “Before, I just saw her one
time every October to fill out a Christmas
application and wasn’t really getting time
to talk to her or figure out what’s going
on with the family.”
When the Banks family began
Pathway of Hope – a national social
services initiative rolled out in the USA
Southern Territory last spring that aims
to end generational poverty – they
needed more than just help at Christmas.
Beverly Banks, the head of household,
had several adult daughters, who lived
with her along with their own children.
Beverly was unemployed and didn’t have
career aspirations; one of her daughters,
Chrissy, was also struggling socially and
didn’t know how to read.
Banks’s “big goals were to get her car
M
(L-R) Major Art Penhale, Maryland-West Virginia divisional commander, POH graduate
Chrissy Breeden, Beverly Banks, Lieutenant Cathy Michels and Lieutenant Mike Michels.
fixed, to get her GED and get a full-time
job,” said Lieutenant Mike Michels, corps
officer. While he admits Banks made
some mistakes along the way, she was
quick to rectify them. He also said that
apart from getting her GED, she achieved
her goals and had met all the Pathway of
Hope assessment guidelines in order to
graduate on Feb. 19. “She is definitely to
the point that she is ready to graduate.
She believes in herself.”
Banks is employed full-time, has a car
and, at first, was saddened to hear she
was graduating; she and her family have
been attending corps services regularly
and the grandchildren are involved in
the Frederick Corps character-building
programs. She was afraid she’d have
to stop all that. Once Lieutenants Mike
and Cathy Michels told he ȁѡ