Presented to TSA Alberni Valley Ministries by Major Michael Ramsay on the occasion of the Ramsays’ farewell, Sunday June 28, 2026.
Hebrews 11 speaks of the heroes of the faith. They are people that God uses to do amazing things in our world, laying the framework for the world to come. My friends you are heroes of the faith.
Last week when we spoke about David and Goliath we spoke about how God uses each of us for His good purpose. God uses you each and everyday here to help out in so many ways
God uses you, heroes of the Faith, to provide in excess of 700 meals for people in need in our community.
God uses you to provide a safe place for people to be 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
God uses you to provide groceries for hundreds of kids and families every month through the food bank, Breakfast and After the Bell programs.
God, through you, provides companionship, entertainment, crafts, activities, meaningful volunteer and non-volunteer work for people in need – for children, youth and adults at the Army and for adults at the Bread of Life.
God enables you to make a safe place for doctors, nurses, social workers, outreach workers, and other community partners to meet, to help the vulnerable in our community.
God is using you to spread the Good News to the community. He has touched people’s lives through the many events you have been a part of: Summer Rain Evangelistic festival, Rotary Colour Fest and Train station, Hospice Butterfly, fishing derby, CAT car show, workshops; employment fairs, coop days, Special Olympics, Sage Haven CNOTY, Friendship Center events, Orange Shirt Day, the Toy Run where we have served at the start, the finish and even prayed for the Bikers before they rode each year; God used you to save the John Douglas memorial Polar Bear Swim when the City was not going to hold it anymore. I spoke to Donna Douglas, John’s widow, the other day. She is so thankful for what God does through you.
God is also using you to save a lot more people. God used you to place more than 24 people in homes of their own last year – these are people who were on the streets, then staying with us at our shelter and now are in a place of their own
God used you to save victims of human trafficking and just this week we were commended in the House of Commons for how the Lord used our team
God through You has given people their first jobs at 20, 30, 40 years old and more and you have given people experience so that they can get their first jobs
God has used you – to transform many children's lives through sending them to camp for the very first time, through powerful and amazing kids club programs, through day camps, through music lessons, through pageants, through community kitchens, and so much more.
God used you to send men and women to camp as well – some for the very first time
God uses you at the Thrift Store ministry serving and providing for people
God uses you as an instrument of reconciliation – in every sense of the word
The Lord used you all so powerfully during covid-19. When the world was locked down for its safety, you were able to bring food to people who would otherwise have none. The first few months of covid, people weren’t leaving their houses; so, you, we brought food, hygiene kits, and other supports to them. We had a large map of the city separated into dozens of delivery routes; people in this room today, other volunteers and congregation members, and with many groups and individuals helped make and deliver food. You saved lives. Praise the Lord. You are heroes of the Faith.
When church was banned, and people in distress were prevented from receiving the emotional and spiritual care they needed, through the Lord’s Providence and Susan’s great idea, we were able to have sandwich church at the legion, where without breaking a single rule, we could not only offer emotional and spiritual support but also make sandwiches which we in turn brought to people in need in our community. Can there be anything more Salvation Army than that? .
God delivered food via our team from the TSA mobile kitchen, food truck; we thank the Lord for providing the Food Truck from Gibsons; we still partner with many agencies to serve nutritious and delicious meals to those in need in our community – especially seniors and the housing insecure. Many of you have served on the food truck, cooked meals, made sandwiches, prayed with people and helped people out in other ways from the CRU.
Many of you have served meals at the Bread of Life Centre, being used by God to care for the most vulnerable. Many of you have rung bells at the kettles and with your support, we were able to raise more resources than ever before to help the most vulnerable right here in our community, at Christmas.
Thank you each for coming to our very many events, dinners and Christmas kick-offs.
God had blessed our team to be able to be involved in the Remembrance Day events, and honoured me by enabling me to officiate legion events and address the community on Remembrance Day.
You are heroes of the Faith
The Lord used you here to set up the only dry, clean shelter in our community. This was especially important during covid. We had some resources in town to care for those who could be around substances but we had none for the sober addict or others who couldn’t or didn’t want to be around substance use. The Lord made it possible to take care of everyone who is in need of shelter.
When weather was dangerous, the Lord used you to open and run a warming centre and a cooling centre; many of you worked with us during road closures.
You are heroes of the Faith. The Lord used you to keep the Bread of Life open when it looked like it was coming to an end – it is so important to our community. Just before covid struck The Salvation Army was able to invest time, money, and people into the centre so it not only survived but thrived. And continues to this day serving more than 700 meals each and every day and providing a safe place for people to be 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
People involved with the Bread of Life Centre were also worried about missional drift – that it wouldn’t serve God in the same way it was intended. Now, not only is grace fully accepted and appreciated before every meal but there are prayers and prayer groups, salvation, and Bible study and men’s and women’s groups. And even before all of this at the Bread of Life there were Bible studies here, at the Grunehagges, at Steampunks and elsewhere. The Lord is using you heroes of the faith.
It is a real blessing that you support the fire and police departments by sending our food truck, food and water, and other care during long engagements – fire, flood, road closures, evacuations.
The Lord used you to help people during strikes, and other challenges in our community; you have been there everyday with all our community partners serving this community.
The Lord has used each and every one of you to affect so much change for good in this community, He has and is transforming it through you to make it more and more like His Kingdom to come where there will be no more sickness, no more death, and no more suffering.
I praise the Lord for you, for you are each heroes of the faith. Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” I have every confidence in you heroes that God will continue to use you in amazing ways as Sharon Tidd arrives as your new captain – to guide you, to lead you, to serve you as she and you continue to serve the Lord.
Hebrews 11:40: “since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” My friends as we, you and I, continue to serve the Lord, we will be made perfect and you will continue to do great things for God, the Kingdom, and others for now and forever more.
Let us pray.
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