The Salvation Army Media Release

Salvation Army youth from Australasia & beyond converge on Waikato

Wellington, 18 January 2008 - Close to 700 young Salvationists from throughout Australasia and beyond are set to gather in Hamilton for a four-day congress.

The Salvation Army Tri-Territorial Youth Congress - held every two to three years - brings together young Salvationists from across the three Salvation Army territories of Australian Southern, Australian Eastern, and New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, as well as from the United States, Canada and Bermuda. It runs from 22-25 January at the University of Waikato in Hamilton.

Known as "Make Change", the congress includes a mix of spiritual and faith issues, as well as social justice issues such as human trafficking and fair trade.

Delegates will be able to attend a range of talks and workshops with local and international speakers, participate in games and sports, give vent to their creative talents, and spend reflective time in prayer.

Among the highlights will be a performance by the 47-member Tabernacle Youth Chorus from Pasadena in the United States and a presentation of the experiences of two Fijian delegates who were sponsored as children by The Salvation Army's Cherish a Child programme.

Youth Secretary for the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory, Major Barry Keane says that the congress provides an opportunity for young people involved in The Salvation Army in different countries to get together to share experiences and discuss common issues.

Major Keane says many of the delegates will also be attending the Parachute Music Festival to be held just out of Hamilton on 25-28 January.

'We felt that dovetailing the Make Change congress with Parachute, which is the largest Christian music festival of its kind outside the United States, will provide our delegates with double the experience.'

The Salvation Army will have a site at the Parachute Music Festival.

ENDS

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