Training Day focus on holistic mission

BY JEAN A. KELLNER – 

This year’s Social Services Training Day for the Southern California Division was held at the Pasadena Tabernacle Corps. The annual event’s 2002 theme was “Fulfilling Our Holistic Mission.”

Steve Allen, director of social services, opened Training Day with a motivational message for the 160 participating employees. He talked about integrating social service graduates who had made Christian commitments into many of the local corps ministries–in a bid to create a stronger and more vibrant holistic ministry.

Following a powerful video presentation showing the holistic ministry features already in place at the many social services units, guest speaker Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Alfred R. Van Cleef challenged the corps and social services staff to stay true to the mission of The Salvation Army and encouraged social service participants to keep moving forward in their efforts to bring people to the complete healing and restoration that only God can do.

Attendees had a choice among five tracks highlighting general and specific areas for job and personal development. A highly specialized team of professional and experienced presenters offered sessions in a variety of subjects including Time Management (Ms. Anne Calvo, divisional health advisor); Team Building (Jolene Swain, M.S.W., field education faculty for the School of Social Work, USC); Management: Supervision for the Helping Professional (Dr. Doug Loisel, executive director of Alegria); Culturally Sensitive Services (Dr. Maria Garay, asst. director of social services); and, Spiritual Gifts (Dr. Merrick Carter, social services evangelism coordinator).