'Electric' response to SHE women's conference
'Electric' response to SHE women's conference
11 October 2022
The annual SHE conference, conducted by the NSW/ACT Division, promises to give delegates time to be energised and electrified by the Holy Spirit.
Life as a woman is filled to the brim, so when more than 70 names were received in the first 48 hours of registrations opening for this weekend’s SHE women’s conference in Sydney, you could say the event has been highly anticipated.
It’s also the first time the conference has been held in two-and-a-half years because of COVID-19 disruptions, but there’s no doubt that this year’s event is set to be a highlight on the NSW/ACT divisional women’s ministry calendar.
In total, 185 women have signed up for the conference, with most coming from corps, recovery centres and other Salvo expressions.
“As soon as the advertising for the camp went out, there was an instant buzz of excitement. The women were more than happy to have this opportunity to get together again,” said Fay Foster, Adults Ministry Secretary for NSW/ACT, and planning team leader for the SHE conference.
The Collaroy Centre on Sydney’s northern beaches is the venue for the event, which starts on Friday and ends on Sunday (14-16 October). The theme is ‘Electric: Powered by the Holy Spirit’, and the conference promises to rejuvenate and re-energise Salvos across the division.
Aux-Lieutenant Rosy Keane, Secretary for Spiritual Life Development, will be a guest speaker at the SHE conference 2022, joining Commissioner Janine Donaldson in ministering to delegates.
“SHE stands for ‘Spiritually Healthy Experience’, and it certainly is that! But SHE is so much more than that,” said Fay.
“It is an opportunity for women to leave behind the concerns of their everyday lives – taking care of families, working, housekeeping etc – and to come together as women who are free and vulnerable and open to each other and to what God’s spirit wants to do in our lives. There is time to relax, to laugh, to be active, to reflect and to take in some amazing Bible teaching.”
The annual conference has been conducted in the NSW/ACT Division for many years, drawing in women of all ages. This year is no different. Guest speakers include Commissioner Janine Donaldson and Aux-Lieutenant Rosy Keane, who Fay describes as “sold-out women of God”. And over the weekend, delegates can participate in worship and electives ranging from ‘Staying connected with God’ to ‘Spoken Word’ and even a game of laser tag.
“We can choose to learn, speak, relax or run around in the mud trying to tag each other – each to her own!” laughed Fay. “We also have our SHINE night, with opportunities to have fun, create, connect and share.”
While there was some concern about how women would receive SHE after two-and-a-half years of COVID-19 lockdowns and isolation, Fay and the planning team were happily surprised to receive registrations from as far away as Coffs Harbour, Gunnedah, Singleton, the Hunter Valley in the north, Forbes/Parkes and Young in the west, and Wollongong in the south.
Spare a prayer this weekend for the diverse group of women attending – it promises to be a space where lives will be transformed.
“It occurs to me that maybe it is this space, where we can be ourselves in a happy and supportive environment, that helps us to become so open to God and to what he offers us,” said Fay. “It’s like a little taste of heaven in the middle of the busyness and stress of everyday living, a time when we can say, ‘Here I am God, do whatever you like with me.’ And He does!”
Comments
No comments yet - be the first.