A 'Kingdom ambition' and growing disciples will be the strategic focus of The Salvation Army for the UK and Republic of Ireland territory, says Commissioner John Matear, leader of The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland.

In praying for you and our Army a God-blessed new year, I ask myself the question - who are the people God blesses? My reading of Scripture confirms that the people God blesses are those who clearly understand they cannot live without him and whose lives demonstrate this truth.

Let's be clear, any Kingdom ambition that does not have God's will at the heart of it and bears no evidence of waiting on and hearing from God, will have no impact in Kingdom terms.

At the beginning of a new year it is wise to restate that God's work can be accomplished only when it is implemented according to his will. Jesus reveals the divine will when he states:

'I will build my church' (Matthew 16:18 all quotations from New International Version). I believe that is Kingdom ambition.

We are dealing with theology. God will do that which only he can do. God will deliver! This is the solid ground that constitutes our hope during 2009 and the future. It is this knowledge and assurance that should inspire and motivate us as, under God, we seek to build tomorrow today.

As a territory we have been listening to God and that has led us to declare our Territorial Mission and Vision Statements. We have Kingdom ambition and envisage a growing Army where

• the proclamation of the gospel, leading to salvation and holiness of life is paramount
• there is a strong focus on winning people to Christ and discipling them as soldiers of Jesus Christ with an emphasis on young people
• social service centres and community programmes at corps increasingly become places of effective mission because of the intentional spiritual focus that is given soldiership is valued and the soldier's covenant is explained and commended to all who would be disciples of Jesus Christ.

With this in mind, and in seeking to fulfil our Kingdom ambition and calling, I confirm that the strategic mission priority for the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland is to prioritise making disciples - growing saints.

This is about being faithful and obedient to Jesus' command to 'go and make disciples of all nations' (Matthew 28:19).

Do I hear someone say - 'What's new, Commissioner! Can we not do better than that?' To that or any similar comment my answer is that we are not pursuing novelty. We are being faithful. Faithfulness and obedience to God's will produce effective Kingdom work. Given the pattern of decline in our membership rolls for past decades, I suggest that in declaring and investing our total united energies in this singular focus - prioritising the making of disciples - the outcomes in many places will be refreshingly new.

I believe that soldiership in The Salvation Army should be seen, understood, embraced and promoted as a model of radical, dynamic discipleship. You do not need to be a soldier to be a disciple but being a soldier should model effective discipleship. Every member of the Salvation Army family should have the opportunity to consider and understand what it means to be a soldier. The decision about an individual's membership is ultimately a personal one involving prayer and obedience to the Lord. We will serve each other well if we encourage one another in this way. Our work is Kingdom work and it needs disciples with mission ambition.

Disciples make disciples! Like the rest of the Church our need is not for more members but for more disciples. This is not a focus on numbers but on people. Neither is it a focus on programmes but on quality of outcomes. This is not a focus on denomination but on Kingdom values.

Making disciples as the priority in our territory is right 'for such a time as this'. It is the key that will unlock the door to growth and realise our vision. It is the priority before other initiatives and emphases. It is the driver for effective mission.

Making disciples is about equipping people to understand God's word and to live out the Christian faith in their personal lives, their corps and the world enabling people to share the love of God through their speaking and through their actions encouraging people of all ages to follow Jesus.

Such a focused and deliberately straightforward priority for the territory is accompanied by the following objectives:

Growing saints 

Spiritual leadership - an obedient response to God's call

Equipping for mission - resourcing God's people for worship, witness and service

Saving souls 

Mission - to be what Christ has sent us to be and to do what Christ has sent us to do

Serving suffering humanity 

Social justice - to speak out and act on key social issues in our world (with particular emphasis on the five deliverables in the Seeds Of Exclusion report).

Disciples like these would compel others to be attracted to Christ. This would result in the United Kingdom Territory making greater strides towards fulfilling its vision of being a Spirit-filled, radical and growing Army with a burning desire to be all that God calls us to be.

The priority must be owned at local level but supported and resourced from the appropriate headquarters. The priority of making disciples will help keep the emphasis where it belongs.

It will need:

• to be surrounded by prayer at every level
• to be worked out in every activity in our corps, centres and headquarters
• personal commitment
• Holy Spirit-inspired direction that will impact structures and make available
• appropriate resources to be disciples and make disciples
• effective training for leaders at all levels - and much more!

During the coming months every member of the Salvation Army family will be encouraged to embrace this scriptural mandate. Every corps and centre will be encouraged to put this Kingdom command at the heart of their planning and every headquarters will be charged to examine how they can best resource and equip the mission of the territory.

In the coming months I will be calling the territory to come together in prayer and to hear what God is saying to us specifically regarding Kingdom ambition. In individual corps and centres, in all headquarters and in every expression of Salvation Army work let there be prayer-fuelled dialogue with the Almighty!

As we listen to God and to one another I believe it will become obvious what he wants us to be and to do. Action plans will emerge that are not simply good ideas but are characterised by Holy Spirit-driven inspiration and ambition. They will resonate with our mission ambition and will indicate our seriousness of intent.

They will reflect an agreed agenda within the territory. It will not be one size fits all. It will not be about imposition but rather ownership, celebration and freedom in the Spirit to be who God has raised us up to be - The Salvation Army!

We have a powerful heritage and, together as a territory, we will stand united in our belief that God raised up The Salvation Army for Kingdom purposes. We will humbly declare together our Kingdom ambition as we embrace and work out our territorial mission priority.

This is not about us, it is about God. It is not about The Salvation Army, it is about the Kingdom.

As Territorial Commander, I call upon everyone within the Salvation Army family of this territory to ask God what he requires of you as you seek to respond to his command to make disciples of all peoples.

I charge every leader of every corps and centre to get this matter onto the prayer and action agendas of your appointment and, with your people, to seek God's will as to how you will express your Kingdom ambition in The Salvation Army where you are.

I call on every leader of every headquarters to pray to God for direction and guidance as, with your colleagues, you seek to give leadership that will foster and encourage mission ambition.

Let us begin talking together and get the priority of making disciples on theagenda as never before. My prayer is that this priority will engage our minds and capture our ambitions. Let the conversations begin - start praying!

Much more will be said during coming months and this article at the dawn of 2009 is just the beginning - the declaration of intent.

The leadership of the territory is as one regarding this declared priority and, by the grace of God, we are committed to fulfil our responsibilities and play our part in doing what it takes to make it happen.

We have an exciting and challenging future as a territory as we demonstrate belief in action - believe it!

As we move forward together seeking God's will and declaring Kingdom ambition, I believe our corporate testimony will be: 'It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us' (Acts 15:28).

Lord, answer prayer! Lord, stir up in us Kingdom ambition!