Salvos “Inside Out” at Southbank
A mass vocal group perform at the QPAS Concert. (Photo: Captain Emma Johnson)
It wasn’t hard to find The Salvation Army at Brisbane’s busy South Bank Piazza on Saturday, 7 July. Dozens of young people in red and white Salvos shirts filled the open-air venue, and interactive displays featuring Salvation Army ministries were visible from many vantage points.
Billed as the Salvos Expo, the South Queensland Division’s “Inside Out” attracted many people from all walks of life who were out enjoying the sunshine in one of the city’s most popular lifestyle precincts. “Discovering the beating heart of your Salvation Army” was the focus of this event.
Interactive displays were open to the public from 11am – 7pm. These included The Salvation Army Emergency Services; the “Sallyman” giving free cups of water from its landcruiser truck; and Sports Ministry, where, throughout the day, young people shot baskets with youth leaders at the portable basketball rings. The courts and prisons chaplaincies also attracted crowds with their life-size cardboard replica of a prison cell where prisoners spend approximately 14 hours per day.
Young people from the Queensland Performing Arts School (QPAS) joined the divisional ministries, performing in the showband, demonstrating hip hop dancing, painting faces and blowing bubbles for the children, and interacting with the crowds.
The Agents of Truth also attracted many onlookers who stopped to watch and listen to their message.
“This is an event I am hoping will grow in the future,” said Captain Ben Johnson, Divisional Youth and Candidates Secretary.
“I have a deep seated conviction that we need to take church to the people, not expect them to come to us,” he added, as he shaped balloons into flowers and puppies to give away to the growing crowds of children.
“We wanted to make today’s event as ‘streetwise’ as possible and so bridge the gap between the church culture and what is happening out there in the community.
“Today’s event has been really well received by the people here and the Southbank Corporation is keen for an extended Salvation Army presence in the future.”
The Piazza was also the venue for the free family concert at 2pm. Divisional corps and centres had distributed tickets leading up to the event, with more being given away during the day at South Bank.
Guest artists for the concert included the Sweden Salvation Army’s VASA Gospel Choir and Band who have been touring Australia over the past ten days, Krosswerdz “Hip Hop church” who rapped gospel truth and rhymed testimony to God’s grace, the Agents of Truth, and the combined QPAS and VASA choirs singing Amazing Grace.
Short and powerful testimonies were also a part of the concert.
The Salvation Army’s Bill Hunter, Brisbane Broncos team chaplain, introduced two players, Aaron Whitchurch and Dunamis Lui, who spoke of the role God plays in their lives; and Neil, a former resident at Brisbane Recovery Services Centre (Moonyah), shared how he has found strength in his relationship with God and is now out of the cycle of addiction.
“The public just really loved it all,” said Captain Emma Johnson, Divisional Youth and Candidates Secretary.
The day concluded with the QPAS concert in the Piazza later that night.
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