The Salvation Army Spryfield Community Church and Family Resource Centre

Check it out.

Sesame Street taught an entire generation of kids, not only to spell and count, but to have a love for one's neighbourhood.

Sesame Street,  that iconic children’s program which premiered in 1969 is probably the greatest kid’s show in existence.  It is the template that all other childhood education shows are based on.  There’s been many facsimiles, but it remains the originator (okay, the Canadian show “Mr Dressup” was a close runner up).

One thing I appreciate about Sesame Street as I catch little snippets of it every now and then, is the focus it gives to the concept of ’neighbourhood’.  Sesame Street was the first show to highlight life in the inner-city.  It had a wide diversity of inhabitants; it was multi-racial.  People of all colours lived on the same street: African-Americans, Hispanics, Italians, not to mention moppets, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and Elmo.

Sesame Street promoted inner-city living in a positive light.  It gave inner-city kids a positive image of themselves which likely explains the show’s enduring legacy and popularity even to this day.

How well do we know our neighbourhood? What about it do we appreciate?  Does it sometimes get a bad rep? Deservedly, at times, no doubt, but at other times, undeservedly.  On Saturday, we had the privlege of serving the wonderful people in our neighbourhood.  At the Greystone Block Party we were out in full force, passing out freezies, pouring lemonade, and chatting over coffee.  Too often the church is accused of being insular and out of touch with the people around it.  I’m happy to say that at Spryfield Community Church we’re doing our best to combat this image of Christ’s church and to be the kind of church that connects with people in the community.  I believe that what we did on Saturday is as important to God as our worship on Sunday.  So let’s continue to reach out to our neighbourhood.

For my Spryfield and non-Spryfield readers, tell me what you love about your neighbourhood?

Mission Team Members: Kristie Burton, Sara Murphy, Jed Flemington, Sara Bowdridge, Thomas Marsh

This week Spryfield Corps hosted the Scotian Glen Camp Staff Mission Team. What a great week it was. Over 20 local kids took in a 5-day long VBS. From 9-12 each morning, our church was rockin’.

Other events the team took part in: providing leadership of our very first Spry Cafe – a coffee house in our beautiful foyer where folks from the community will feel comfortable in coming to have a chat and a cup of joe.

The city was bathed in prayer when we did our prayer walks, as well as EVERY school in Spryfield. We prayed for all the students who would be resuming classes in September, that God would be with them in a big way.

The group also helped us lead our Open Air (our first in many years). Over 80 people were in attendance! God is good! (An additional note of praise to add, is that some new people came to our Spry Cafe as a result of attending our Open Air service.)

 Coupled with the backpack distribution, where over 30 kids received a backpack loaded with school supplies, plus our wrap-up BBQ, there’s been a real buzz associated with our corps this week.

Someone walking by today, seeing the scores of children playing on our front lawn asked me in amazement, “What’s going on here?”  What’s going on here indeed. God is at work, working through the lives of our people, drawing the men, women, boys and girls of Spryfield – unto himself. Hallelujah!

"Joy! Joy! Joy! There is joy in The Salvation Army"

The crowds

Jed, Rob, and Thomas

Queen Elizabeth II. (Click on the picture above to hear a live rendition of "The Queen" performed by the Halifax Boys Honor's Choir, Garrison Grounds, June 28th, 2010.

Whenever the Queen comes to Canada, there’s always talk about the role of the monarchy in the 21st century. At one time, support for the Queen seemed to be waning, but the unprecedented support given to her by Canadians surprised many who thought the Monarchy’s days were numbered.

Queen Elizabeth is a lady with  many names and titles. According to Wikipedia (it’s a blog people, don’t expect me to fact check this with an Encyclopedia), the Queen has dozens of titles. The Queen is: Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith,Duchess of Edinburgh, Countess of Merioneth, Baroness Greenwich, Duke of Lancaster, Lord of Mann, Duke of Normandy, Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Garter, Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Sovereign of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, Sovereign of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Sovereign of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Sovereign of the Distinguished Service Order, Sovereign of the Imperial Service Order, Sovereign of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Sovereign of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, Sovereign of the Order of British India, Sovereign of the Indian Order of Merit, Sovereign of the Order of Burma, Sovereign of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, Sovereign of the Royal Family Order of King Edward VII, Sovereign of the Order of Merit, Sovereign of the Order of the Companions of Honour, Sovereign of the Royal Victorian Order, Sovereign of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.

Pretty amazing isn’t it? Perhaps it makes you glad that you only have three names.  Some facts you may not know about the Queen. She is head of the church of England which makes her a religious leader of over 25 million Anglicans. During WWII, the young Princess Elizabeth was heavily involved in the war effort. She repaired and serviced trucks, motor cycles, and military jeeps. So if you’re ever four-wheeling with Her Majesty and you pop a tire, she could probably repair it quicker than you could.

The Queen is a person just like anybody else. She is loved by God, but no more so than you or I. Yet at the same time, she embodies an institution: she represents our liberal parliamentary democracy and all that it stands for. What do you think of this rather curious institution called the monarchy? Does it have a place in today’s world?

Lieut. Rob Jeffery and Donna Williamson, Director of the Single Parent Centre

Take a drive up to our Cornerstone Building and you may see some new folks in the neighbourhood.  Some time ago, the Single Parent Centre of Spryfield approached The Salvation Army about using our Cornerstone building (180 Greystone Drive) to run their programs out of while they underwent renovations. We jumped at the chance to help out a well-respected community group, recognizing the strengths they’ll bring to the neighbourhood.

Sharing our resources is what we’re all about.  Besides our own programming, we share our facilities with numerous groups in the community. These groups include the Spryfield Business Commission, the VON, G-ROC (Go Reach Our City – a kid’s club sponsored by Faith Tabernacle), the Redeemed Church of God (a small African Pentecostal church that meets out of Cornerstone), and the Department of Justice, to name only a few. 

Allowing other churches and organizations to use the resources God has given us will ensure that we remain effective and relevant within this community. While the inclination may be to hang on to one’s resources in a spirit of competitiveness, by sharing what God gives us with others, we’re actually getting so much back on our return.  We’re getting favour from these community groups and the constituents they serve, plus we’re getting allies in the Salvation War – allies to help us in our mission to save souls, grow saints, and serve suffering humanity.

Emmanuel Cemetery - the original site of Emmanuel Anglican Church (1851-1947)

Every week, pastors spend many hours exegeting (studying) biblical texts in preparation for their sermons.  This process of exegeting and interpreting scripture can also be applied to one’s interaction with the community.  A good pastor will “exegete” or study the community in order to understand how he or she can best relate Christ’s gospel to the people.  The Bible teaches us that although the gospel message is universal, how it is heard varies from culture to culture and even from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.  For instance, the Greeks heard the gospel differently than did the Jews – but both peoples came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Today on my day home from the office, I did some ‘exegeting’ of my own.  While on a jog I took a little detour into Emmanuel Cemetery ( a mere stone’s throw from my house).  The cemetery has long served as the local Anglican church’s parish burying grounds. 

Looking at the headstones, some familiar names jumped out at me.  My eyes came across the weathered gravestone of Rev. A.F. Dentith.  I knew the name because I buy my groceries at the Superstore on Dentith Street – obviously named in the good Reverend’s honour.  Another name was familiar as well - Elizabeth Sutherland - one of the first teachers in Spryfield and the namesake of the local elementary school (Elizabeth Sutherland Elementary).  The founder of Spryfield, Captain William Spry, I did not see.  Ironically, Captain Spry who purchased farm land in the newly founded city of Halifax (hence, the reason it was called ‘Spry’s field’) in about 1770, moved back to Britain in 1783.  He probably had no idea that an entire town was named in his honour.

Captain Spry notwithstanding, several of the names in the cemetery stood out as pillars of the local community.  People that made Spryfield into the community that it is.  Some of the surnames on the grave-markers were the same names of existing members of my congregation, revealing to me that these were the ancestors of the people Hannah and I see every day.

There’s nothing that’ll make you reflect on your own mortality like standing in a graveyard.  Ecclesiastes 6:12 came to mind: “For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?”  The people who now rested beneath the grounds of Emmanuel Cemetery have no idea the kind of community Spryfield is now – but we sure do. And we thank them for their legacy.

In exegeting my new community, I came to reflect on the impact that my life will potentially have on others.  Let me give you a question for you to consider as you reflect on the location that God has placed you in:  When you go to your rest in the Lord, what legacy do you hope to leave behind?  Most of us will probably not have streets named after us in our honour, but our lives, for good or ill, will have an impact on our community.

The view of Spryfield from Clearview Street