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| 2331: Salvation
Army Queanbeyan Corps, Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia |
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Mystery
Worshipper: Wldflr.
The church:
Salvation Army Queanbeyan Corps, Queanbeyan, New South Wales,
Australia.
Denomination:
The Salvation
Army.
The building:
The building is a brick one, I would say built within the last
20-30 years or so. The original weatherboard building adjacent
to the new hall is now a Salvation Army Family Store. A playground
sits between the store and the worship building.
The church:
The Salvation Army has been in Queanbeyan for 127 years. They
have a store and various ministry outlets on the grounds, including
SAGALA (Salvation Army Guards and Legions Association, similar
to Scouts).
The neighbourhood:
Queanbeyan lies about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) to the east
of Canberra, Australia's federal capital. The Salvation Army
campus sits at a reasonably central location to the centre of
the city, in a leafy street opposite the bus interchange, and
next to the local Presbyterian church.
The cast:
The name of the lady officer escapes me, but she had the rank
of major. Her husband's name was Chris, although he wasn't in
uniform so I was a bit stymied as to his role.
The date & time:
5 February 2012, 10.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Family Service.
How full was the building?
The building, I would say, could comfortably sit some 60-70
people, and there were about 40-45 in attendance, so it had
a good "full" feeling. There were about a quarter of the folk
in uniform.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Yes, Chris and the lady major.
Was your pew comfortable?
It was individual cushioned seating, very comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Buzzy, chatty, relaxed.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Good morning and welcome to everyone this morning."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
All words were projected. A copy of the Good News Bible
was on every second pew.
What musical instruments were played?
Some kind of keyboard that had other sounds that could be played
from it, e.g. drum beats. A few timbrels were played sporadically
in some of the songs.
Did anything distract
you?
The major's husband not being in uniform – I couldn't figure
that one out. I may have gotten things wrong a bit, though.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Generally happy-clappy. One or two of the songs seemed to be
not too well known by the congregation. There was a reasonably
good mixture of Hillsong type songs and good old Salvation Army
songs such as "Would you know why Jesus loves me" in which the
congregation clapped and there was a lady in front of me doing
the good old timbrel thing!
Exactly how long was the sermon?
15 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7 – The major's style was sincere and succinct. It was
a good presentation of the message and would have been clearly
understood by all there.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
The text was Revelation 1:4-7 (every eye will see Christ, who
freed us from sin, when he comes again). Jesus loves us, frees
us, and lifts us out of our sins – and he does this all
for sinners.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
There were several times. First, during the singing of a Zambian
melodious song called "What the Lord has done for me" –
very happy, clappy and joyful! Second, when a young man was
escorted to the mercy-seat during the sermon, the major paused
and prayed for the young fellow and then continued with the
message. It was wonderful and one almost heard the angels rejoicing
up there over this young man.
And which part was like
being in... er... the other place?
Nothing really, just the somewhat annoying murmur of a toddler
playing with his cars in front of me during the message.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Well, to be honest, I had a place to be, so I gapped it as the
closing benediction was being given.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Refreshments were mentioned, so I would assume there was an
ample supply on hand. But I couldn't stay.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
7 – I would have no hesitation in recommending this church to anyone who might be looking for a good community of faith to belong to.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes it did.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
Why did the major's husband not have a uniform on? |
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