NNE Women Celebrate ‘El Shaddai’
by Hugo Bravo
The women’s ministries department of the Salvation Army Northern New England Division hosted 140 Salvationist women from the division in North Conway, N.H., for a weekend of ministry, bonding, and shared testimonies.
“El Shaddai,” a name for God commonly translated as “God Almighty,” was the theme of the two-day event. The women who shared their testimony each talked about a name for God and how He had appeared in their own lives with that name. They spoke about different titles that have been given to the Lord, such as Provider, Sustainer, and others.
“God meets us where we’re at,” said Major Nicole Ross, women’s ministries secretary for The Salvation Army of Northern New England. “And oftentimes, the names we give to Him are for our own benefit. There are different seasons of life where God lives up to those names.”
Major Ashley Mauk, corps officer in Chambersburg, Pa., and Lieutenant Emily Betts, from Kearny, N.J., also took part in the event. Mauk shared the story of Hagar and El Roi (“the God who sees me”) from the Book of Genesis. Hagar, a servant of Abraham’s wife, Sarah, gave this name to God after having an encounter with an angel.
Betts led music worship for the event, and Ross said that having a musical presence for the women had been a priority when planning the weekend.
“So many smaller corps don’t have a music ministry, and Lieutenant Emily has such a gift for it,” said Ross. “When we present aspects of ministry like that to people, it sticks with them, especially if they’ve never had that before.”
Ross called an event like this a “to be continued” moment, not only for the women in attendance, but for everyone whom they will influence in their own ministries. It’s important for women involved in ministry to know they have support across the Eastern Territory.
“There are soldiers and Salvationists who might feel that an event from Divisional Headquarters is something so distant from their own local corps,” Ross said. “We want them to know that real people are working in these buildings, trying to make things happen for each of them, and as an Army, strength comes from our numbers.
