Interview: Stephanie Parker Chagas
Original Publication - JAC #85 , June - July 2013
JAC: Tell us, who are you?
SPC: I am a mid-twenties brazilian/british daughter, sister,
friend, soldier and servant on a life-long discovery of
myself, others, the world. I’m compassionate, caring,
sensitive, seeking to be at the heart of God’s will, set apart
for Him and his purposes…
JAC: How did you get saved?
SPC: Growing up in a family of Salvationists, my church has
always been The Salvation Army. I feel that my personal
encounter with Jesus and experience of the Holy Spirit
happened when I was about 10 years old at the Children’s
Convention at the UK Territory’s Roots Conference.
There was an appeal and I felt the desire to stand up
and go to the front. As I was doing so I felt my legs weak and
a strong sense of fire within. I remember I couldn’t speak
much after that but just cry. That was an awakening moment for
me. I felt the difference as I returned to school after that
weekend and was excited to tell my friends about the time I’d
had.
JAC: What have you been up to over the last few years?
SPC: I studied Journalism in Brazil and worked in the area in
a couple of corporate firms. As much as I enjoyed my job I
didn’t find total fulfilment and wanted my work to have a
longer lasting impact upon people. I soon moved cities and had
the opportunity to work for The Salvation Army in the
communications department of the Thrift Store Programme. To
cut a long story short, one day out of the blue God called me,
took me out of Brazil and placed me in London at the
International College for Officers and Centre for Spiritual
Life Development where I’ve been for the past two and a half
years nearly helping to create spiritual life resources,
promote the Global Call to 24-7 Prayer, support events on and
off campus, network with Salvationists worldwide, develop my
own relationship with Him…
JAC: What has been the impact on you of this experience?
SPC: I’m still trying to take it all in. It’s been amazing. I
have learnt so much in these past two years about God’s
provision, timing, guidance. I have learnt how to better
nurture my relationship with him, understand myself better to
be able to serve Him better, see God at work in the lives of
other people from all around the world. I have been truly
blessed.
JAC: How has your work with the Centre for Spiritual Life
Development affected the world?
SPC: I often sit
in my little office on the outskirts of London and think how
effective the CSLD truly is. However, in these five years of
it’s history, I feel that through the participation in events
on and off site all around the world, the resources that are
available online and also sent to the different S.A.
territories, contact with hundreds of officers through the
International College for Officers, networking with Salvation
Army personnel in this role from different territories, the
start of the Global Call to 24-7 Prayer and hearing
testimonies of what’s happening is encouraging. The CSLD is
inevitably transitioning at the moment and I do feel quite
excited to see what will happen. I know there is so much more
for me to do and learn and there is so much more for the CSLD
to do, but I am confident for the future.
JAC: How can the CSLD benefit salvationists and corps around
the world? (SPC - maybe suggest resources...)
SPC: I think firstly, Salvationists can benefit through the
resources on the website – www.salvationarmy.org/csld. There
is a diverse range of Bible studies, spiritual formation and
prayer resources; articles related to justice issues; weekly
online devotional and video news updates; audio prayer tracks
and the CSLD’s monthly newsletter along with specific content
related to the Vision and links to other useful resources and
websites. Salvationists can benefit by reading the book Army
on Its Knees (Major Stephen Court and Colonel Janet Munn), a
great resource on prayer and spiritual disciplines. They can
‘Like’ the CSLD and Global Call’s facebook and twitter pages
to receive daily news and resources about what’s happening.
They can take part in the Global Call to 24-7 Prayer –
a day and night cry for justice, create a place of prayer in
their corps, social centres, divisions etc. The CSLD is also
available to help with teaching and providing resources at
events.
JAC: How has discipleship - both being discipled and
discipling - influenced your life and war fighting?
SPC: I’ll always be grateful to the people who took time to
invest in me as a child and who first called me to help out
with Sunday School. I have no idea what they saw in that
extremely shy, introverted, self-conscious thirteen year old,
but as I grew, those times I spent with the children teaching
and helping them were sometimes the best moments of my week. I
am grateful that today, some of those children who are now
adolescents remain firm in their Corps back in Brazil. This
was an open door to me in terms of having the confidence to
discover my own ministry and gifts in other areas and being
able to use them for the sake of the kingdom. In my youth I
felt the need to have someone more present helping me at a
personal level in my spiritual growth. More recently I feel
this need has been better met and I am more aware of what to
look for in a discipler and how to be one myself. Presently,
there are a few people, near and far, who I try and be a role
model too, simply listening, trying to make myself available
and helping them in their spiritual journey.
JAC: What has God been teaching you about prayer?
SPC: One thing I have learnt is to identify the different
rhythms of prayer in my own life and to try and understand
what God is saying and what he wants me to do for him through
prayer. There are times when my prayer life seems dry, other
times where I find myself praying all the time, there are
times when I rejoice in prayer, times when I weep constantly
in prayer, times when I feel immensely burdened in prayer. My
constant prayer is that I may have faith to believe in prayer,
for the small or the huge things and to be persistent as I do
so.
JAC: What does the future look like for you?
SPC: I’m not too sure, but I think that’s ok for now! My only
desire is that my ears and eyes by open to know what the next
step is.
JAC: What's your favourite move of God that you have
experienced first-hand?
SPC: I feel that a personal favourite move of God happened
while I was taking part in the mission team of Salvationists
that came together during the Pan-American Games in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil in 2007. In just two weeks of teaching and
mission on the streets, in parks, shanty towns etc. God truly
opened my eyes to others and their needs. This was such a huge
thing for me, something ‘clicked’ inside. Another move of God
was the way he brought me to the U.K. His guidance has been so
evident from and since then, it still amazes me every time I
think about it. It’s my Ebenezer stone that I always look back
to for faith and reassurance for the future.
JAC: Does God often impact you through preaching and teaching?
If so, what are some outstanding examples?
SPC: I am often
impacted through preaching, teaching and simple observation of
what people say and do. I learnt a lot through simply
observing how my parents related to people, how they fully
engaged themselves in everything they did and guided me in the
right way. More recently, I have been impacted by the teaching
and preaching of Colonel Janet Munn who I had the opportunity
to work with closely. Her spiritual authority, biblical
knowledge and general lifestyle, whether in the small mundane
things or the big events would always challenge and inspire
me.
JAC: What do you see as the great opportunities for The
Salvation Army in coming years of the salvation war?
SPC: I feel society is reaching a point where people are
realizing that having jobs, cars, technological gadgets, isn’t
really that fulfilling. With the economic crisis that has hit
some countries in the past years things haven’t turned out
quite the way they were expected financially socially. I see
these things as a great opportunity to reach out to those in
need of a meaning, purpose, intimacy. At the same time, used
wisely, I do think media and communications are a great tool
to share the gospel all over the world and at a more rapid
pace. It’s a great way for people to be encouraged, connected
and receive the Word in so many creative forms through videos,
audios, websites etc.
JAC: If you could write a quick letter to salvationists around
the world, what would you say?
SPC: There is always more than meets the eye. Do not fall into
a position of contentment and complacency with the way things
are in your life, with the things that are presented to you by
the media, society etc. Seek. Take time to be holy. Try and
fast at least once a week from things that can be overpowering
your life, time and energy – food, facebook, phone…Set
spiritual goals and ask someone to help keep you accountable
to them. Be resolute in knowing who God is and who you are to
Him. Find ways to relate to him according to the way he has
created you – in solitude, in silence, through music, through
dance, through writing, through spoken word, practical service
– and use these tools.
Live a lifestyle of worship, be conscience of God
wherever you are and in whatever you do, think and say. Don’t
be too hard on yourself, receive His love. Expect Him.
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