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Money & Mission
Volume VII, Issue 4 - November 16, 2016
Editorial: Being the Army's Ambassadors
Just as Paul encouraged the members of the church at Corinth to act as “ambassadors for Christ” (II Corinthians 5:20), those of us who attend Christmas kettles in the next few weeks have the opportunity to be ambassadors for The Salvation Army. Surveys have shown that nearly one third of all Canadians donate to the Army, and the overwhelming majority of the donations are via the Christmas kettles. Because for many this will be their only contact with the Army during the year, it is vital that this contact be positive!
So, try to have a warm smile and a cheery greeting for all, whether they donate or not. While some have questioned the accuracy of the assertion “It takes 17 muscles to smile, and 42 muscles to frown,” it seems to be generally agreed that smiling makes us feel happier. Also, because facial expressions are contagious, the person smiled at is likely to smile back. Even if you were not trying to encourage donations, these seem to be excellent reasons to smile!
Christmas Kettles - Keeping Our People and Donations Safe
With the Christmas kettles season now upon us, we remind you of procedures that help to safeguard our workers and the donated funds:
- Ensure that every kettle worker has a contact number to call if difficulties are encountered.
Secure the kettle bubble to the stand so that no one can grab it and run.
Lock the bubble with a padlock; keep the key on Army property, and don’t open the bubble until back there.
Never leave a kettle bubble unattended; if workers are scheduled to be on duty for a long time, arrange for periodic relief.
If a donor can’t reach the bubble and asks the worker to drop the donation into it, the worker should do so right away, while the donor is there.
Make sure that the pick-up and transportation of kettle bubbles is done by two persons.
Ensure that the kettle bubbles are opened and counted by two unrelated persons, on Army property; the totals should be recorded and signed by them.
Keep funds in a safe until they can be counted and deposited; deposits should be made no later than the next business day.
Consider using a security service for making large bank deposits.
Corps Sustainability: A Second Reaction
By Karen Coley, Divisional Secretary for Business Administration, Alberta & Northern Territories Division
This is the second in a series of three articles responding to the issues raised by Colonel Glen Shepherd in the October 19, 2016 issue of Money & Mission.
I have been asked to provide a second comment on Colonel Glen Shepherd’s article with the haunting title: “What if Our Corps Are Not Sustainable?” At the Business Leaders’ Conference held in April, our understanding of sustainability was summarized as follows:
Sustainability means “able to last or continue for a long time”.
Self-sustainability means “able to maintain itself by independent effort”.
A corps is sustainable (able to last) when it is both mission effective and financially secure.
While Colonel Shepherd focused on mission effectiveness, we cannot forget financial security. He says “Before we look for funding, we must think through the questions of identifiable community needs and assess our capacities.” While at some point we may want to “look for funding” I think financial security needs to start with the Corps congregation itself. There are two areas where we currently fall short:
Knowing what the financial needs are. Time and time again, when a corps is facing a financial crisis, I hear congregation members say they had no idea there were financial pressures, and this stems from a lack of information and understanding of the financial requirements of operating a corps. Information on the financial needs and the resources available must be regularly communicated. Readers can refer to "The Corps Sunday Bulletin - Communicating Financial Information" by Lt.-Col. Neil Watt, in the February 17, 2016 issue of Money & Mission.
There is a lack of strong Biblical teaching on tithing and generosity. Money is not a bad word, but it is often treated as if it were. These are Kingdom values that are rarely conveyed from the pulpit, yet they are the basis of authentic Christianity. We need to hear about these values more often, so that they can be absorbed and applied to our everyday lives.
In II Corinthians 9: 6 & 8 we read: “Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” If we believe and embrace this word from God, that’s where money and mission will meet.
First Impressions: New Payroll and HR System
By Jeff Skipper, UltiPro Change Manager
Friendly colours? Check. Easy to use menus? Check. My money in the bank? Check.
As you’ve likely heard, The Army is rolling out a new payroll and human resources system in 2017. And it’s a good one! Much like buying a new car, it includes all the latest improvements that we’ve come to expect. Well, that’s what they told me. As a new member on the project team I decided to look myself…
Upon logging in, UltiPro seems to live up to its reputation as a leading application in the HR area. The design is very clean. Most people will be logging in to get their pay statement and that’s easy to find right away. But what if I want to do something else…like request time off?
See that Menu button in the top left corner? One click gives you access to all of the things you might want to do. Wow! Way more than we can see or do today! I had no problem finding the right page and completed a request in a few minutes.
Managers and administrators at all levels are going to love the fact they can see how new hires and changes are being processed through the system. And don’t even get me started on the wide range of reports they can run!
But not everyone likes using web-based applications like I do. I was pleased to learn that the team is developing a complete plan to help people learn how to use UltiPro effectively. Some will need written instructions. Others will benefit from a short video. Not enough? Sessions will be made available where you can get live help from a team member. That was a relief to me. As nice as this new system appears, our Ministry Units need to keep their eye on service and having a variety of sources to make it easy to learn is exactly what’s needed. I’m looking forward to seeing more!
Need more information? Timelines and updates are here: http://salvationist.ca/projectultipro/
Finance Department Offices
Toronto, ON M4H 1P4
(416) 425.2111 ext. 2237
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Calgary AB T2X 1J6
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(709) 579.3919
For more information...
For more information about the Finance Department, please visit http://salvationist.ca/departments/finance/
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Money & Mission Editorial Team
Managing Editor:
Senior Editor:
Paul Goodyear
Design Editor & Production Manager:
Angela Robertson
French Translator:
The Salvation Army Translation Department