Exploring Soldiership

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Following Jesus in The Salvation Army

Exploring Soldiership is a course exploring what it means to be a soldier within The Salvation Army.

This page provides everything you need to facilitate the course.

Our hope is that by the end, inquirers will have grown in their faith and know whether being a soldier is right for them.

   

Course delivery suggestions

Exploring Soldiership looks at the eleven doctrines, or beliefs that are the foundation of The Salvation Army. They are laid out in a step-by-step table below. The course is designed so that it can be run in a one-to-one or small group context. The doctrines and the covenant lifestyle commitments are integrated through the sessions. The material seeks to provide a range of options to help structure the time together to facilitate discussion of the doctrines and covenant lifestyle commitments.

  1. 11 sessions addressing one doctrine per session
  1. 6 sessions
    1. Welcome, Introduction, Doctrine 1
    2. Doctrines 2-3
    3. Doctrines 4-5
    4. Doctrines 6-7
    5. Doctrines 8-9
    6. Doctrines 10-11 and Next Steps
  1. 5 sessions
    1. Welcome and Introduction
    2. Doctrines 1-3
    3. Doctrines 4-6
    4. Doctrines 7-9
    5. Doctrines 10-11 and Next Steps
  1. 4 sessions
    1. Welcome and Introduction Doctrines 1 - 3
    2. Doctrines 4 - 6
    3. Doctrines 7 - 9
    4. Doctrines 10-11 and Next Steps

Click here to download Exploring Soldiership now, or use the chart below to explore the chapters and key ideas of each doctrine.

Click here to purchase hard copies of Exploring Soldiership

Exploring Soldiership

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 1 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. Scripture is the basis for Christian belief and practice
  2. Scripture is trustworthy because it is inspired by God
  3. Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and for training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
- 2 Timothy 3:16–17

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 2 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. There is one God who created, sustains and governs creation
  2. God is personally involved in creation, caring for people and all creation
  3. God deserves our worship

"Hear O Israel. The Lord, our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
- Deuteronomy 6:4–5

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 3 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. Christians worship one God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
  2. God is a perfect community of love
  3. The three persons of God are distinct but united

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
- 2 Corinthians 13:14

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 4 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. Jesus is fully human and fully God
  2. Because Jesus is one of us, we can know God
  3. Like Jesus, God calls us to use our
    bodies to do his will on Earth

"The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
- John 1:14

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 5 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. Everything was created good – human beings and creation
  2. Our nature is to disobey God, which cuts us off from the source of life
  3. God longs for us to love him, but love must be freely given on our part

"As it is written: There is no-one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.”
- Romans 3:10–11

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 6 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection opened the way for humanity to be reconciled to a loving God
  2. Biblical metaphors for the atonement include: ransom, punishment, sacrifice, victory and love
  3. Understanding the generosity of God motivates us to tell others about Jesus

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
- John 3:16

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 7 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. Repentance is a response to the work of Jesus
  2. Repentance is a change in life to follow God
  3. Repentance and faith in Jesus leads to a new way of living

"The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.”
- Mark 1:15

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 8 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. Justification is a gift from God and received by faith
  2. God gives the justified person assurance of their right relationship with him
  3. Good works flow out of this right relationship with God

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
- Romans 5:1–2

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 9 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. Obedience to God is our choice and God has given us freedom to love.
  2. We need to continue to trust and obey God throughout our life.
  3. We need to guard and nurture our relationship with God.

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
- John 15:4

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 10 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ in every part of our life
  2. The Holy Spirit works within us to make us more like Jesus – to be holy
  3. Sanctification is a life changing and ongoing process

"Be holy, because I am holy.”
- 1 Peter 1:16

Download Exploring Soldiership Doctrine 11 in English here and Chinese here.

Big Ideas

  1. The Christian hope in life over death is based on physical resurrection of Jesus Christ
  2. Judgement is the final victory of good over evil
  3. Our bodies, and the entire creation will be made new

"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
- Roman 8:11