This June, Salvationists and friends from across the territory will descend on Toronto for the INSPIRE Conference and Congress. With a full week of events, workshops and services planned, it’s going to be an inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime event.
On this episode of the podcast, Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd, territorial leaders, share highlights of the week and their own favourite congress memories.
Learn more about INSPIRE at Salvationist.ca/Inspire
This June, Salvationists and friends from across the territory will descend on Toronto for the INSPIRE Conference and Congress. With a full week of events, workshops and services planned, it’s going to be an inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime event.
On this episode of the podcast, Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd, territorial leaders, share highlights of the week and their own favourite congress memories.
Learn more about INSPIRE at Salvationist.ca/Inspire
Kristin Ostensen
This is the Salvationist podcast. I’m Kristin Ostensen. On June 26, Salvationists and friends from across the territory will descend on Toronto for the INSPIRE Conference and Congress. With a full week of events, workshops and services planned, it’s going to be massive. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime event! On this episode of the podcast, Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd, our territorial leaders, walk us through highlights of the week, and share their own favourite congress memories.
Hi, Commissioners Floyd and Tracey and welcome to the Salvationist podcast. It's great to have you.
Commissioner Floyd
It’s great to be here.
Commissioner Tracey
Thank you.
Kristin Ostensen
So the countdown is officially on. We're into the final stretch leading up to the INSPIRE Conference and Congress. Though there have been divisional congresses more recently, Canada and Bermuda hasn't held a territorial congress since 2014. So why hold one now, in 2023? What's the significance of this timing?
Commissioner Tracey
I think it's a significant time in the history of the territory for a number of reasons, and I think will provide the foundation for why we believe it's the right time for us to come together as a territory. First of all, this congress was on the calendar last year, but was delayed as many things were during the COVID season that we were in, because it was 140th anniversary of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. But due to COVID, as I already alluded to, we had to delay that. And COVID, in fact, is another reason why this is such a significant time for us to come together. Because after not being able to gather for perhaps maybe just over two years now, in many cases, it is time for us to come together from across the territory and just celebrate what God has done and God's faithfulness, reminding each of us of what God has done through The Salvation Army during those difficult times during our COVID space. And just to seek him and seek his design for the future ministry of The Salvation Army in a post-COVID new world in which we find ourselves. And finally, I think it's also a significant time for the territory to come together as we have been guided by the Mobilize 2.0 emphasis for the last three years, positioning for growth and being inspired for mission. And we know that there are so many people that are looking forward to coming together as a territory at such a time as this, and we are looking forward to that.
Kristin Ostensen
Now, you said the phrase “inspired for mission” and, of course, the theme of the congress and the conference is “inspire.” So, can you talk about that theme and why it was chosen?
Commissioner Floyd
Sure, it's a great question, Kristin, because the word “inspire” is the banner under which the entire conference and congress week is taking place. In the earliest days back in the territory, when we began to get an assessment of the territory and come home and find out where things were, the verses that came to mind as we journeyed across the territory were out of Ezekiel 36 and 37, looking at the territory, listening to the people of the territory, and that question of: Is this not a moment of a valley of dry bones? And can God make these dry bones come alive? And then Ezekiel 37:10, it says, The breath of God entered into those dry bones, and they stood up a vast army. And so the Mobilize 2.0 program was created, bringing together all the studies that have been underway and moving things forward, under the banner Mobilized 2.0: inspired for mission and positioned for growth. And so, a lot of the work we've been doing has been around the positioning for growth, always undergirded with a sense of a fresh breath of God is needed for this movement at this point in time. And so, Ezekiel 37:10 becomes the platform background to the entire INSPIRE conference. So, it's not simply coming to get motivated; it's not simply a pep rally. It’s an inspiration of a breath moment. And so the “inspire” is that we're seeking God's fresh anointing, his fresh move of his Holy Spirit upon The Salvation Army through this week of the conference and congress.
Kristin Ostensen
And that's a unique aspect of INSPIRE, that it's not just a congress—it pairs a congress with a conference. Can you talk about why we decided to do both this time?
Commissioner Tracey
If we look at the schedule of congress, there's this opportunity to hold a week of territorial conferencing to support front-line leaders. And we thought that was very important leading up to the congress, and that would include officers and soldiers, employees and volunteers, with various new learning opportunities. The conference will focus on ministry through corps, but it will also have additional workshops for other key streams of ministry expressions and resourcing. The conference leads up to the congress weekend and, really, no one will want to attend the conference and miss the congress. And that congress has a strong emphasis on inspiration, inspiring for mission and worship, through testimonies, a presentation of the Word of God and the opportunity for us to just join together in prayer from across the territory.
Kristin Ostensen
Absolutely. And of course, there is so much happening that week. If folks haven't taken a look at the schedule yet, you can go to the website and see there's just chock-a-block full of great stuff happening. So I'm wondering if you can talk a bit about what you think some of the highlights of the week are going to be? And what are you looking forward to most?
Commissioner Floyd
I think there's so many pieces that are going to be highlights. And so there's going to be, in many ways, a different highlight for every person who's coming. Some of those key highlights, especially in the conference week, are the plenary sessions, gathering together, listening to dynamic speakers who understand the Army, understand the culture in which we seek to do our ministry and live out our mission, bring us all to those points of conversation. And then you dovetail that with a plethora of over 100 workshops, that people can choose to build their own agenda for the week. The conference’s agenda of workshops meets every aspect of Salvation Army ministry and expression. So, people can find something that scratches where they're itching, and build that into their own learning and understanding together. I think one of the other highlights in the conference week is going to be the introduction to the territory of the Skeleton Army. It's a Canadian-born musical drama with, you know, with a fresh message that comes from our history, but it's relevant for today. And so that will be an outstanding opportunity, especially as the conference opens with a dinner theater presentation of Skeleton Army. So, there's so many pieces. And undergirding all of that is this element of prayer and the prayer room, and all leading towards the congress events. Tracey, you'd have your own view of some of the highlights that you see.
Commissioner Tracey
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to hear about stories, and I'm about stories, about people's stories. So, I'm looking forward to hearing people's stories and just learning how their story has been shaped during these last few years, and really seen ahead what their story is. And we've said this over and over and over again, especially during the COVID season: God is continuing to do a new thing, not only in our own lives, but he continues to do new things through The Salvation Army. And so, I believe there will be plenty of time during the conference, over breaks or meals or gathering locations that will be there, for the opportunity for those conversations to take place. And I hope I have the time to kind of sit in those spaces and listen to people's stories and see what God is doing and continues to do in their lives through The Salvation Army.
Commissioner Floyd
I think those are some of the unscheduled pieces that Tracey’s picked up, that aren't on the specific agenda, but they will be the takeaways for a lot of people, is the highlights of having heard what a presenter said or been in a workshop, the synergy of unpacking that together with one another from across the territory. Ultimately, what I'm really looking forward to is seeing what God has in mind to do as we come humbly before him, to praise him, to thank him for his faithfulness, seek a fresh move of his Holy Spirit as we gather, inspiring us that we might stand up as a vast Army in this territory.
Kristin Ostensen
Yeah, absolutely. And, of course, INSPIRE is not just an internal event. There's going to be so many opportunities for us to get out there and be in Toronto. I mean, the NewFound Brass band is going to be playing at a Blue Jays game. There's going to be events at Yonge-Dundas Square, which is sort of the big square downtown for those of you who are not from Toronto. And there's just going to be Salvation Army people on the streets, in the malls and the restaurants. Why do you think this outward focus is such an important part of INSPIRE?
Commissioner Floyd
That's a great question. It's a great opportunity for us in this conference and congress week. We're an Army that was raised up to be on the streets. We were an Army long before we had any buildings or any facilities. Our home is in the streets; where we belong is in the public square; not in our buildings, out in public; not on an internal parade square, even. So as we gather for the conference and the congress, there has been an intentional approach to ensure that we live out that dynamic of who we are, outside of the places where we'll gather even, of people on the streets with a message of hope. And that's in addition to the organized events that you've referred to like the Blue Jays game, and the events and the concerts that will take place in the theatre centre, the outdoor theatre centre at Yonge and Dundas Square. Just the very presence of uniformed and brand-wearing Salvation Army officers, soldiers, employees, volunteers on the streets, walking from one venue to the next, in the restaurants in the shops, on public transit—just the Army on the streets, back where we belong.A and people seeing there is a movement of God called The Salvation Army that is still making a difference today and available to people where they are, when they need us to be there.
Kristin Ostensen
Absolutely, yes. I'm sure there's going to be just a flood of red, so many Red Shields downtown.
Commissioner Tracey
Yes, for sure.
Kristin Ostensen
How will INSPIRE celebrate our territory’s past, but also propel us forward into the future? As you mentioned, we've now been in Canada for over 140 years.
Commissioner Tracey
At the congress, there will be a reference to our history. And if we look at our history, it's been over 140 years of faithful service by sacrificially serving officers and soldiers and employees. And I think in our most recent years, including the COVID years, and in all of our looking back, we'll be looking back to see the faithfulness of God, and what that looks like. And we'll be looking ahead as conference speakers and workshops will draw our focus to recognize our present reality, and to look forward with faith-filled anticipation. I think all of us are going to come together with this anticipation of June coming and gathering together for the first time in a very long time. And then again, the congress days will be focused on being freshly inspired for mission as we go to conferences, and then leading up to the Congress, God's mission, as we share the love of Jesus, as we meet human needs, as we be a transforming influence in over 400 communities in this Canada and Bermuda Territory. And also, not even in our territory, but around the world.
Kristin Ostensen
And we talked a little bit earlier about the theme of “inspire” and how that ties into the Mobilize 2.0 transformation program. And INSPIRE, of course, marks the conclusion of that program. And so, looking back, what would you say have been the key achievements of Mobilize 2.0? And what's next?
Commissioner Floyd
Yeah, Mobilize 2.0 was established almost three years ago, with three real key purposes. And that was that we would have a vision-aligned strategy that the whole territory owned, and work together towards; that we would strengthen our ability to deliver our holistic mission ministry; that we have the delivery model that ensures that both the spiritual and social care are so well interconnected; and that we would ensure that we have mission-fit processes behind all of that front-line work that’s taking place. So, over the course of the last three years, we've worked hard on that. And I want to salute everyone at every level of the organization, who have prayed into this, consulted on this, been a part of focus groups, reflection groups, sat around tables in their own local settings, developing their own local commitment response to the vision and the mission, and now creating their action plans. So all of that's been well accomplished. We've strengthened our approach and design as to how we ensure that our community engagement, our social service expressions, and our spiritual life through corps, are working well together and the establishment of what we're calling, even Regional Integration Forums that will continue along after Mobilize 2.0 comes to an end. They're a part of the new way of working together and go forward. And we've also in the course of this process, looked at our HR systems, looked at our IT systems, and I would say that we have come to the end of the chapter of Mobilize 2.0. But the ongoing, the epilogue, the pieces yet to be lived out, will continue on long after, as we work together through the strategy that's been developed through Mobilize 2.0, that together we will walk that strategy and will work at the local levels, resources supported at divisional and territorial levels. What's next? What's next is working to live out that vision, realize that vision, and using the strategies in place, and ultimately growing as an Army, an Army that is full of Christ-centred, others-focused followers of Jesus.
Kristin Ostensen
And, of course, The Salvation Army has a long history of congresses, beginning with the first in 1886 in London, England. And I'm wondering if you can both just look back on your own personal experiences of congress, and can you share a particularly meaningful or impactful experience for you?
Commissioner Tracey
If I look back over my 37 years as an officer, there are so many memories from a number of congresses that I've attended. And I think one of the memories that stick out in my mind the most for me was in Atlanta. And I think a lot of us are familiar with this, with General Gowans. And he held up this three-legged stool and he unpacked the message that we were raised up by God to do three things—and this is so familiar to many of us—save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity. And at the end of that sermon, hundreds, hundreds from all around the world who were in attendance in that stadium where we were gathering, gathered together around the altar. And that was such a powerful moment at that time. And I think that's the congress that I remember the most, and those three things that was part of his sermon. And just that analogy of the stool, the three legs that you always have in your mind—you never forget that analogy.
Commissioner Floyd
I think my remembering of congresses goes way back, even before our years of officership, as a young teenager in northern Ontario. And the congress events were great opportunities in remote corps to come together and realize we were part of a much bigger movement. I remember in a North Bay, Ontario, congress, a group from Toronto had come up and presented a musical called Spirit, similar to how we will see a musical presented in Skeleton Army. And the power of that message of that musical impacted my life as a young 15-year-old at that point in congress, and set a trajectory for my life of saying, There is something here in this movement that God wants to do. And then I reflect back to where Tracey was, I think, as well, in 2002, that millennial congress in Atlanta, and I remember Dr. Bernice King sharing in her message at the end of the week of sessions and workshops and various other messages. And she identified and said, “I'm asking you: are you anointed? I didn't ask if you were appointed; I asked if you were anointed.” And so there was this watershed moment for that stadium, again, to say, We need the anointing of God. So, in all of these congress events, there's a highlight moment for everybody who attends that, in many ways, sets a trajectory, adjusts something in our lives, in ways that God meets with us as we gather together with such a large group focused on one agenda: hearing from him and then being prepared to respond to what he's saying.
Kristin Ostensen
I'm sure we'll hear many more such stories coming out of this congress as well.
Commissioner Floyd
I would anticipate so.
Kristin Ostensen
And, of course, in the lead up to INSPIRE, starting on Pentecost Sunday, our territory will begin 40 days of prayer. And I know Salvationists have already been praying for months. But can you talk about why it's important for us to get involved with these prayer initiatives? And are there other ways that we can prepare our hearts for INSPIRE?
Commissioner Tracey
I think we're familiar with the longevity of prayer. We did that during Mobilize 2.0. Before we even started, we had our time of prayer and Scripture over 100 days. And prayer is the foundation for everything we do and for the purpose that we are coming together this June from all across the territory. And we often speak of the passage of Scripture we find in Ezekiel, and it reminds us that we are invited to pray that God would breathe life into our Army. And so our prayers have begun, as you have already alluded to, and will increase as we as a territory join together in prayer over 40 days. And that focused prayer, starting on Pentecost Sunday, and throughout the conference week and congress, and for a few days after the 40 days, will be that continued prayer, that opportunity to just not just stop after the 40 days or leading up to congress. But will continue that prayer pattern after congress. And so, we pray that God will just hear our hearts and our minds during those 40 days, and that people will be inspired as they come to congress. And that they will take what they have heard and allow God to speak in and through them.
Kristin Ostensen
And, ultimately, what do you hope people will take away from INSPIRE? I mean, it might be a one-week event, but of course we want to see that lasting impact.
Commissioner Floyd
I'm anticipating and hoping and praying that people will gain a fresh perspective that God is still doing, choosing to do a work with and through The Salvation Army. I think in our own remote corners, especially in these years of COVID, we can see just our own local little setting and wonder what kind of impact are we possibly ever going to make. And so, my hope and highlight will be that people will walk away from INSPIRE with the perspective that God is still choosing to work with The Salvation Army and work through The Salvation Army. And they walk away with a confidence that God, who is the only one who can breathe fresh life into this movement, is choosing to do so. It's not something yet to come. It's something that is happening. And they will see it and they will hear it in the stories of others with them. And then beyond that, they'll anticipate and see more of that yet to come.
Kristin Ostensen
Well, thank you both so very much for your time today. I hope everyone listening feels very “inspired.” And we're all looking forward to what God has in store for us as we gather in June.
Commissioner Floyd
We look forward to seeing everyone who's able to attend and those who can't make the journey to Toronto, catching as much of INSPIRE as they can through the online activities and opportunities.
Kristin Ostensen
Yes, of course. And you can learn more about INSPIRE at Salvationist.ca/Inspire and we'll have links in the show notes. Thanks again so much for your time.
Commissioner Floyd
Thanks so much.
Commissioner Tracey
Thank you very much.
Kristin Ostensen
Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Salvationist podcast. For more episodes, visit Salvationist.ca/podcast. And to learn more about INSPIRE and register for congress, visit Salvationist.ca/Inspire.