Mission Report February 2025

24 February 2025

Mission Update - Brunswick

February 2025

Picture: The Salvation Army Citadel Brunswick 2025

Re-imagining Local Mission

Written by Jason Simmonds – Community Engagement Coordinator

We are excited to provide our first update regarding the new initiatives at The Salvation Army Brunswick. In many iterations, the Brunswick Corps has served the community since 1884, with a proud history of engaging with the neighbourhood and its people in  creative and innovative ways.

At the recent 140 year anniversary celebrations of the Brunswick Corps - John Cleary (pictured with Jason Simmonds at the Brunswick Corps recently), a veteran ABC broadcaster and one of Australia’s best-known commentators on religion (who came to faith at the Brunswick Corps) commented

*Over its history, Brunswick has been able to uniquely adapt to the changing needs of the community – re-imagining how the mission of The Salvation Army is delivered in relevant and timely ways. He sensed that “now was such a time” where the Corps will reinvigorate the mission to continue its proud tradition of serving the community here in the City of Merri-bek.

*Paraphrase of John’s comments at the 140 Year Celebration on 24 August 2024.

Merri-bek City Salvos | Brunswick & Coburg

Merri-bek City Salvos serves the community through two locations – Coburg North and Brunswick. The two sites are connected by the #19 Tram line that runs up the spine of the City of Merri-bek. The team is taking a coordinated and collaborative approach to mission across the city. Jason has recently transferred from a national community engagement role in The Salvation Army and is excited to creatively engage with the people of the area.

Picture (Left to right) – Jason Simmonds, Capt. Meg Dale, Capt. Steph Glover, Capt. Ashley Proctor, Maj. Debbie Serojales, Melody Lamb, Maj. Rebecca Inglis (Area Officer - Vic Metro West)

“I’m thrilled to be spear-heading the mission at the Brunswick location and join with God on his mission in this creative, asset-rich city. It’s evident that God is very much at work in the community and we are excited to partner with him on mission to see the community thriving and lives transformed with the love of Jesus. We believe that a community asset-based approach will harness the creative potential of the city to ensure that help gets to where it’s needed most”

Reimagining Brunswick

Plans for re-imagining the mission at Brunswick Corps have been underway since August 2023 and the team are now well-resourced and at a point of deep listening to the community, praying and discerning what the next steps will look like. Under the direction of Captain Steph Glover, Jason is pulling together a ‘mission team’ who will oversee this new chapter that will tap into the vast resource of creativity in the area, utilising innovative approaches to live out the mission, vision, and values of The Salvation Army in Brunswick.

The team will be using a community development approach. This strategic and methodical process starts with listening to God and people, mapping the assets of the community and discerning next steps.The historic corps building is perfectly situated in the heart of Brunswick. It is our prayer that it will become a location where we will see lives transformed as we share the love of Jesus in innovative and creative ways in line with its incredible history.

Picture: April and Jason getting out and about in the community of Brunswick meeting local traders and our neighbouring Salvos Stores just a few blocks away.

Our newest volunteer at Brunswick – April, grew up at the Corps with her family and is one of the passionate partners in the mission who are currently preparing the site for reopening to the community as a vibrant, creative, community-led, reimagined expression of The Salvation Army, with the heart of the mission continuing to focus on those who are marginalised.

The community development approach will allow the mission team to co-design the mission with the neighbourhood, with an emphasis on creative approaches to mission and ministry relevant to this diverse and eclectic context. Focus groups, identified in partnership with the local council, will be utilised as catalysts to re-invigorate the mission.

What’s Next?

In coming weeks the team at Merri-bek City Salvos will be kicking-off with an open worship and prayer night at the Brunswick site Sunday March 23rd 5PM – the first of a number of gatherings which will invite people interested in the mission, to join us in prayer for the neighbourhood and explore ways in which The Salvation Army can continue its rich legacy of mission in the Brunswick area.

The Brunswick Salvation Army website will be a central point of sharing of information on the mission within the city. Please visit salvationarmy.org.au/brunswick in the coming months as more information will be released here and on our social channels @merribeksalvos.