Passionate Women and Salvationists

'By faith, women throughout history have seen the impossible become possible. Our faith will always be stretched, and when it's stretched, it grows.'

- Passionate Women's Conference 2017

By Faith was the catch-cry of Arise (a local Wellington church) women's conference 'Passionate' this year.

Over March 31st and April 1st 2017, a small group of Salvationists and I joined with over a thousand other women to immerse ourselves in powerful speakers, testimonies of healing, worship, dance acts, games, pamper stations, teaching and food trucks!

Gillian Cameron from Arise was joined by two guest speakers - DawnChere Wilkerson, founder and pastor of The Vous Church in Florida - and Holly Wagner, the co-pastor of Oasis Church, LA. and founder of the Women's Ministry ‘God Chicks’.

Each of these incredible women shared their own take on what it looks like to live by faith. Here are some of the highlights in the words of the Salvationist women who attended!

“God wants us to live by faith - Every day, every hour, every minute, every second - Alive to the possibilities of what we can achieve thought him." 

She Rises

‘She rises in wisdom, gratitude, and with hope.’

Kayleigh: I really loved Holly’s sessions ‘She Rises’! Gillian spoke about the language of faith and I felt God speaking to me about my mum during her session.

Joanna: I loved this too! Holly spoke about finding even the tiniest things to be grateful for and how that helped her through her darkest times.  ‘Gratitude is a decision of our heart, not an outcome of our circumstance.’ This struck me – I want to be focusing more on the blessing in my circumstances rather than the hindrances.

Olivia: Holly spoke about how we are daughters of the King and when he looks at us individually he says ‘breath-taking and phenomenal’. She also said ‘We aren't fighting for victory. We are fighting from a place of victory because he has already won!’ and that no matter what storm you are going through in life, he is our floatation device, our hope that helps keep our head above water until he brings us to solid ground.

The Language of Faith

Kayleigh: Gillian told us that faith is a language, and that

• Faith is a language of expectation: To speak this language of faith we need to 'say something' and claim something. (Hebrews 11:1-6)
• Faith is a language of declaration: What are you saying about your worlds (family, friends, workplace)? Don't speak out of the wrong world, or the negativity. (2 Corinthians 4:13)
• Faith is a language of promises: Our God is a promise maker and a promise keeper. Every promise is written in the blood of Christ. We accept the promises because we agree. We live on His promises. (1 John 5:4, Isaiah 40:31, Hebrews 11:11, 2 Corinthians 20)

Olivia: Gillian talked about us needing ‘a faith that is willing to go into hell with a water pistol.’ She reminded us that every day, every hour, every minute, every second we are called to live by faith.

Fishers of women

Sarah (Corps Officer at Kapiti Corps): This was our third year taking a group to Passionate Conference. One of the messages that spoke to me was needing to spend daily time with God allowing him to wash, mend and untangle me. Just like the fishermen needed to wash, mend and untangle their nets after each time fishing!

It was both significant and special to have our life group attend the conference together - in less than two years, we have gone from 0 to 5! I loved how our group was open to others joining us. I'm looking forward to inviting the women of the corps to gather monthly to watch the sessions again on the video recording.

My faith journey

One of the women who attended with us wrote this testimony:

I was deeply challenged by both the words that were spoken at Passionate and how to live my life with them in mind. It was incredible being in a room with so many women, where the presence of God was so strong and alive.

In the weeks prior to Passionate my life began to spiral downward, in a state of distress with so many things negatively affecting my life. I was medically unfit, suffering with mental illness, debilitating panic attacks and suicidal thoughts.

When I was offered a ticket to Passionate I took it with great fear about not coping during the weekend. But Holly Wagner’s session left me with a hope, and a belief that positive could come from this storm, my pain and the journey of recovery I’m on.

Holly said ‘Gratitude is a decision of our heart, not a result of circumstance.’ ‘You are free to be who God created you to be… Your past can help give someone a future.’

'...but even more significant was being surrounded by so many beautiful-hearted women - followers of Jesus leading by example.'

This has given me strength since the Passionate Conference to continue fighting, to tell my story and that there is a hope through all of this. Passionate Conference challenged me, but even more significant was being surrounded by so many beautiful-hearted women - followers of Jesus leading by example.

They were how I knew I was exactly where God wanted me in that moment.

 

Article assembled by Joanna Keane

Kapiti Salvation Army Corps