Salvationist Podcast Salvationist.ca

Happy National Volunteer Week! On this episode of the podcast, we're delighted to welcome two long-time Salvation Army volunteers, Bruce and Irene Finkel.

Volunteers are often called “the army behind the Army”—and with good reason. There’s no way The Salvation Army could achieve its mission without the thousands of people across Canada and Bermuda who give their time and talents in service.

Over many decades, Bruce and Irene, who hail from Wetaskiwin, Alberta, have volunteered in just about any way you can think of. They talk about some of their most meaningful experiences and the importance of mentorship in volunteering. And they share their thoughts on how the Army can make volunteering more accessible for people with disabilities, reflecting on Irene’s own experience with MS.

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.