Skeleton Army: A New Salvation Army Musical

In 2021, when The Salvation Army decided to restructure its ministries in Halifax, there was a unique opportunity to plant a new church—and so was born Encounter Church.

In this episode of the podcast, Captains Brent and Melissa Haas, corps officers, talk about what it was like to plant a church during Covid; Encounter's humble beginnings in a condo common room and how it's grown tremendously since then; and how a simple slice of pizza has helped the church connect with hundreds of young people, sparking new ministries and, ultimately, leading people to Christ.

Find Encounter Church on social media: Facebook / Instagram

On the east side of downtown Toronto, there is a trio of three-story Victorian houses that, together, form The Salvation Army’s Archibald Centre and Bunton Lodge, a halfway house to help ex-offenders transition back to life on the outside, after they’ve served their time in prison. 

On this episode of the podcast, we go inside Archibald and Bunton to get a first-hand look at how the Army helps men reintegrate into the community after incarceration. 

Along the way, we'll meet Art Rasmusson, executive director, Juliane Martin, chaplain and director of spiritual care, and Kenny, a former resident who has successfully rebuilt his life after staying at the house.

Making our churches a welcoming place for new people is so important. We want the people who come through our doors to feel the love of God through us, to have a sense of belonging that will bring them back and into deeper relationship with Christ. But what does a welcoming church actually look like?

Leanne Friesen is the executive minister of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec and an expert on this topic. On this episode of the podcast, she shares her insights with us.

Visit Leanne's website.

Download Leanne's handout, "More Than Comfy Pews."

Learn about Leanne's new book, Grieving Room: Making Space for All the Hard Things After Death and Loss.

Suffering is something that no one wants to go through—but it’s also something that none of us can avoid. So, what can we do when we find ourselves in a period of great difficulty? And how can we help others who are suffering?

Dr. Aimee Patterson, a Christian ethics consultant at The Salvation Army’s Ethics Centre in Winnipeg, has thought very deeply about this topic—and not just academically. On a personal level, she has had an intense experience with suffering, having had brain cancer. And she’s recently released a book on the subject called Suffering Well and Suffering With: Reclaiming Marks of Christian Identity.

On this episode of the podcast, Aimee tells us about her journey with cancer, what she’s learned from the story of Job, and how the Army can better serve suffering humanity.

Learn more about Aimee's book.

Learn more about the Ethics Centre.

How did you end up at The Salvation Army? You can ask any Salvationist that question and you’re always going to get an interesting answer. Maricarmen Raudales is no exception. 

She is the executive director of L'Abri d'Espoir, the only Salvation Army shelter for women in Quebec. She's also a soldier at Montreal Citadel, where she's involved in multiple ministries.

In this episode, Maricarmen shares how the Army is fighting against conjugal violence in Quebec, what inspires her about the Army today, and how she learned the Army is far more than just a thrift store.

On this episode of the Salvationist podcast, we welcome Major Len Ballantine, former leader of the Canadian Staff Songsters and the International Staff Songsters, a prolific composer, and one of the giants of contemporary Salvation Army music.

Over the course of this wide-ranging interview, Major Ballantine takes us through his life’s journey—from his salvation experience at the Salvation Army corps in Windsor, Ontario, to his retirement from active ministry last fall. 

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada, an opportunity to honour Indigenous peoples, listen to and learn from them, and renew our commitment to walk in truth and reconciliation.

For this episode of the podcast, we talk with Danny Zacharias and Chris Hoklotubbe, two Indigenous scholars and followers of Jesus who study theology from an Indigenous perspective. Danny is also one of the presenters at The Salvation Army’s INSPIRE Conference and Congress this month.

In this episode, Danny and Chris share some of their personal journeys, what it means to read the Bible from an Indigenous lens, and how we can take practical steps towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Fathers have an important role to play in the development of their children. And yet, there are very few parenting programs out there specifically for dads. It’s a gap that desperately needs to be filled, and that’s why the Salvation Army’s Bethany Hope Centre in Ottawa created the Dads Matter program.

On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Merlin, a father of five who’s found an invaluable support system through the program. But first, we sit down with co-ordinator Rachel Day, to learn more about why Dads Matter really matters.

Learn more about Dads Matter: https://bethanyhopecentre.org/fathering

This summer, the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s College for Officer Training will welcome the first session of cadets into its new eight-year training paradigm.

On this episode of the podcast, Major Deana Zelinsky, training principal, and Dr. Michael Boyce, Director of Program Implementation, give us all the details on what's new at CFOT.

How is The Salvation Army cultivating new worship music today? One way is through Salvation Worship, a publication of the Canada and Bermuda Territory. 

Laura Rowsell, worship ministries director at Glenmore Temple in Calgary, is one of the contributors to Salvation Worship. In this episode of the podcast, she talks about her song-writing process and why it’s important for the Army to cultivate its own worship music identity.

To learn more about Salvation Worship, visit salvationworship.com.

Laura's song: Take My Life (I Am Yours)