Our pastors are off on vacation. We are praying that their recreation might be re-creative in body, mind and spirit.

Major Clay sent us this photo with no comment - none is necessary!

This Sunday and next Captain Jonathan Harvey will be bringing God's Word to us, be sure and join us!

See you in Church!

Western Bible Conference
MOUNT HERMON CONFERENCE CENTER, CALIFORNIA
AUGUST 21-26, 2010

Even if you are unable to attend this year's Western Bible Conference, you can still plan to be part of the congregation online, as each of the main sessions will be webcast live. During the webcast, you will be able to chat live online with other viewers and share your thoughts and prayers for the conference and the territory.



You will also have the opportunity to contribute to the "online prayer wall" for the WBC, found here. You may add a prayer or prayer request by texting or emailing it to wbc@saynetwork.com. It will be displayed before and after every meeting during the week, and will be kept active even after the conference ends.

Some other useful links for WBC:

Promotional Video (Windows Media Player)

Live Webcast Information

Conference Information Page

Wow! This has been the fastest few weeks of my life.

With mixed emotions we said "Farewell" to our beloved Ruth [Vint]. In our hearts is a hole that will be hard to fill, but we know she is walking the golden streets of Glory and we will see her soon and spend all eternity smiling and laughing with her.

A couple of weeks ago we said "Farewell" to Cadets Randy and Sheryl Skelton and little Levi. It seemed like we had only just said "Hello," it was the fastest seven weeks of my life.

Saturday many of you helped Pam and I celebrate as Jason and Emily were married in a beautiful ceremony. Then on Monday we said "Farewell" to them as they headed off to Texas where Jason is stationed. (They stopped for a couple of days at Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth, on their way.)

And now, we've one more "Farewell" to say. This Sunday is Cadet David Harth's final Sunday with us before he heads off to The Salvation Army's College for Officers' Training. David has committed his life to full-time service to God as a pastor/officer in The Salvation Army. At the college he will spend two years learning those things necessary for full-time ministry.

This Sunday as we say "Farewell," David will be sharing his testimony and delivering his first sermon and your presence is requested. Equipped by the Word, empowered by the Spirit, and supported by us, David will make a fantastic officer. I know you think so too. So come support him!

See you Sunday!
Major Clay

The bridal party gets ready for the photographer.


It's almost hard to believe that it's been nearly eight years since Majors Clay and Pam were appointed to our church, time flies so fast when so much is being done! When they first arrived in Concord from Texas, their daughter Joy had just graduated from high school and their son Jason was just starting. Little did they know that Concord was to be a divine appointment for Jason as well, for it was at high school in Concord that Jason first noticed Emily.

Fast forward through Jason's graduation, military reserve musicianship, regular US Army induction, service for two years in Korea, and stateside base in Texas - Jason always knew that Emily was to be his life's partner (and so did she!).

On Saturday August 7th our sanctuary was filled to capacity to witness the wedding of these young people. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ceremony. Major Clay relished his role as a proud dad as he officiated and Major Pam looked serene despite looking after the myriad of details she is well known for!

Emily and Jason now plan to "mosey on back" down south to Texas where he continues to serve our country and she will continue her education.

We all join in wishing them the very best in their lives together and God's richest blessing - which is essentially saying the same thing!

Much happiness to you both!


The cake before Mr and Mrs J. Gardner got to it!


Onlookers with a combined life experience of nearly 300 years are thrilled as the newly-weds cut the cake!

H/T Claycord.com

One of our advisory board members, Pleasant Hill Police Chief Pete Dunbar, obviously does not have enough excitement in his life. Here we see him rappelling 38 storeys down the outside of the Grand Hyatt in San Francisco to raise funds for the Special Olympics. The rest of our board are thrill-seekers too, but mainly by assisting the work of The Salvation Army in our local community.

David Harth stands with Major Clay Gardner at the Divisional Candidates' Farewell.


The title comes from the old hymn "Hold the fort" and says "reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh!"

At the Divisional Farewell to Candidates held at Camp Del Oro on Saturday July 24th, we were very proud to be sending one of our own as a "reinforcement" to the officer ranks of The Salvation Army. Candidate David Harth has only a couple of weeks before he joins the newest session of cadets in training at the School for Officer Training in Rancho Palos Verdes.

David is a fine young man with a terrific testimony to the working of God in his life and enters training after much prayer and with the full support of his immediate and church family.

If you'd like to wish David well, there will be a Church farewell to him on Sunday August 8th in our morning worship service.

Come join our Army!

David and the other candidates are welcomed by Major Colleen Riley.

From time to time vacancies occur in our Church's administrative staff.
The following job opening has just been posted.
We are accepting resumes online - just format the resume in .doc, .pdf, or .txt format and upload it using the "Send your resume" link on the website.

---

Position: Administrative Assistant
General Statement
The Salvation Army is a branch of the Christian Church and the ultimate goal of all programs is a spiritual regeneration of all people.

• • The purpose of this position is to provide professional level administrative support to the Business Administrator and Corps Officers and maintain a smooth workflow in the office.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• § Provide administrative support to Business Administrator and Corps Officers

• • · Correspondence
• • · Facilitate weekly creation and distribution of post cards
• • · Maintain mailing lists and church directory
• • · Prepare Sunday bulletin and inserts
• • · Filing
• • · Open, sort and delivery mail daily. Deliver outgoing mail to post office daily.
• • · Assist bookkeeper as needed
• • · Make phone calls to business contacts and church members as needed

• § Manage Corps Calendar

• • · Communicate with event and church leaders
• • · Meet with Corps Officers Monthly to review calendar

• § Manage Facility Rentals

• • · Act as liaison between renters and BA or Corps Officers
• • · Manage rental agreements
• • · Collect fees & Insurance documents

• § Assist with Vehicle Management

• • · Work with Business Administrator to keep fleet in top condition
• • · Manage vehicle registration, mileage records, and maintenance records

• § General Administrative

• • · Keep work room tidy, organized
• • · Ensure supplies are up to date and ordered as necessary
• • · Keep postage meter current
• • · Report photocopier meter reading
• • · Manage photocopier maintenance
• • · Manage printer and computer maintenance for facility
• • · Order janitorial supplies as needed

• § Program Help

• • · Home League set up/close
• • · Home League pick ups
• • · Create Fliers and other marketing materials
• • · Bible Study set up
• • · Advisory Board set up/clean
• • · Help collect statistical info and gift in kind reports
• • · Help with Christmas and Thanksgiving efforts as needed

QUALIFICATIONS:

• · High school graduate with at least two years work experience in administrative position
• · Exhibit high degree of confidentiality
• · Ability to work under pressure and multitask
• · Self-starter with excellent follow-through skills
• · Courteous telephone skills and knowledge of office telephone systems
• · Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• · Good computer/word processing skills including experience with MS Word, Publisher, Excel, PowerPoint, internet and e-mail
• · Ability to type 60 WPM
• · Ability to work independently as well as part of a team to get tasks done
• · Ability to lift 25lbs
• · Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
• · Valid CA Driver’s License

Ability to perform the above responsibilities with or without accommodation

Remuneration DOE
Excellent Benefits and a positive work environment
Full-time hourly, 37.5 hours weekly

Susan Pierce
Business Administrator
The Salvation Army Concord

p 925-676-6180 m 925-325-0521

Our Band serenading the pancake breakfast patrons at the Clayton Independence Day Celebrations!



Looking good! (Sounding better!)



On the starting line!


As you can see from the snaps above, our band was busy this July 4th.

But our whole church is busy these days!

We have day camps going on, music camp and Vacation Bible School is scheduled.

The ever popular Summer Palooza is just around the proverbial corner.

We have Cadets Randy and Sheryl Skelton from the School for Officer Training helping us (along with their son Levi).

We just completed our highly successful 2nd annual golf tournament (photographs here).

We have nearly completed a very popular Sunday Afternoon Bible Study Series featuring the covenants of the Old Testament - only one more available on July 11th, you won't want to miss it!

Jim and Craig's Sunday Morning Bible studies are in full swing!

So just because Summer is now officially in full swing, don't get the impression that we're taking any vacation from worship and praise - quite the opposite! Be sure to join in the fun. And, oh yes, we'll see you in Church!

Monday, is our 2nd Annual Golf Tournament at Boundary Oak in Walnut Creek.  It’s not too late to play, call us!!  Monday, is our daughter’s birthday, and this year she is celebrating it in New York City.  Monday, is also the first day of Summer.

I know, it’s about time.  We’ve had a cool damp spring.  Spring sprung for a long time this year, which was good for our artichoke plant, we got like seven artichokes off it and there are still two more growing, because it grows better in the cool and damp.  But, artichokes excepted, we’re ready for some warm weather.  So with Summer large on the horizon we are cautiously optimistic that the weather will at last warm up.  But that’s Monday.

Before Monday comes Sunday, say “hallelujah”!  Say it louder!  Sunday is Father’s Day.  How cool is that?!  And I got a really special Father’s Day gift this year, Jason came home.  There’s a bit more surprise there, but he’ll need to share that, so come Sunday and ask him, “Tex (that’s what his friends call him) what’s up?”

We will honor our fathers on Sunday.  Come early, because as the band plays the prelude we’re going to show off some of our fathers and their families in a little slide show.  Ahhhh.

And we’re going to talk about a father in the Bible.  Not Abraham, that’s too obvious.  Not Jairus, though he swallowed his religious pride and asked Jesus to save his daughter - that would have been a good choice.  Adam and/or Noah, the fathers of the Human Race.  I know God - the Father.  All good ideas, but I found an obscure father, barely mentioned in the Bible, but in that mention he reveals the heart of every father, including our Heavenly Abba Father.  Come see what I mean...

  See you Sunday,   Major Clay

Can't go to the Commissioning Services in So. Cal. this weekend?

Click here and you can still follow the action via the Western Territory's Webcasts.

This will take you to a page which will let you watch in real time, catch up with meetings you've missed, and view the printed program for each meeting.

Our own Craig Arnold will be receiving the Trailblazer Award in Sunday's afternoon meeting.