Learning to Flourish at Territorial Women Officers Retreat
Waves of fresh encounters with the Holy Spirit spread through hundreds of Southern Territorial women officers as we met together for an event unlike any other. The first-ever Territorial Women Officers Retreat (TWOR) took place over the span of four days in the beautiful spaces and scenery of Sandestin, Florida, dreamed up and orchestrated by the dynamic duo of Commissioner Donna Igleheart and Major Anne Westmoreland and their fantastic team. It will warmly be remembered as the place we were given time to view ourselves, our calling, and our lives through the declaration of Psalm 1:3: “She will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of life. She is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous.” Though the temperatures dipped into the thirties over the week, the spirits of the women in attendance would not be chilled! To flourish in every season that we experience is not a matter of the weather, nor the circumstances we face. These lessons were woven together through each session led by an incredible powerhouse team of Spirit-filled teachers.
TWOR commenced on Tuesday night by welcoming everyone in from the cold, long day(s) of travel. Space was made for friends to be reunited and new acquaintances to be made around the tables at dinner before entering an evening of beautiful worship and teaching. Dr. Ingrid Davis taught with great warmth and vulnerability as she implored us to “pray the promises, not the problems.” She reminded us of the power that comes when we pray God’s Word back to Him through the seasons in which we walk.
As we entered the grand Magnolia Ballroom on Wednesday morning, where each of our meetings were held, we were greeted by all things summer, the first of the four seasons that would theme the week’s sessions. Dr. Jennifer Keitt began by leading us through an exercise of gauging our own personal levels of flourishing. Burnout, stagnation, loss of passion, and neglecting self-care are all signs to identify that we may not be, in fact, flourishing. Yet even so, Jesus told us in John 10:10b, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” And that is precisely how we are to bask in the summer seasons of life, with the knowledge that Jesus desires for us to enjoy the abundance of a Spirit-filled life, and that we can bloom where He has planted us.
The season of summer lingered for a while longer for the second session of the day, as Jeniffer Dake spoke with passion, bringing poignant insights through scripture including the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. She drew us in with vivid imagery of the Garden, calling us to “turn our backs to what we lack,” as Eve could have chosen while she stood at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Jeniffer challenged us to instead look around so that we can drink in all the blessings God has given us.
When the Wednesday evening session arrived, the fall season was upon us with all its beautiful colors and an air of change. Dr. Keitt returned, teaching on having Zoe Life in any season (“Zoe” is a Greek word from scripture meaning “life”). She expounded on this biblical notion as a “quality of life that is considerably more than what one expects or anticipates. It’s active, vigorous, blessed, and connected to God.” The meeting went on with incredible impact as the Holy Spirit met us in power and glory like only He can; chains with which the enemy has tried to ensnare women for years were called out and broken by words of truth and freedom! It was a night that no one in that room shall soon forget.
The morning after such a spiritually powerful meeting was calm and crisp as the winter season greeted us. Lisa Harper came to speak to us over the course of two sessions about the ways in which God has taught and loved her during seasons of winter. We can walk through these spiritually cold seasons feeling surrounded by sparseness, yet we can also recognize the deep growth and crystal-clear clarity that comes through such a season in life. The Lord gave Lisa a mighty word for us as she brought our focus to the truth that “the posture of our flourishing = our proximity to Jesus.”
An evening of celebration and laughter awaited us as we retroactively rang in the New Year together with line dancing and the comedic stylings of Amy Barnes. We walked the red carpet, enjoyed delicious food, and soaked in the goodness of such a lighthearted atmosphere on our last night together. It was a sweet gift to enjoy as a group of women, united in joy and fun.
In the morning on our final day, Commissioner Donna Igleheart welcomed us to the warmth of the spring season. The worship was a powerful culmination of the Spirit-filled flames that had been fanned all week long. The momentum from the week’s teaching and worship was palpable as Commissioner Donna took the stage. She began by reminding us that we, as the women officers of the Southern Territory, are united under the banner of calling and covenant with the Lord. Throughout her teaching, she pointed us again and again to the power of Christ in us, uniting us, and leading us. While sharing about growth, resilience, and the enduring nature of God, Commissioner taught from Psalm 92:12-15, which says, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’” And as we basked in the goodness of that scripture, she added blessing and truth on top of it by reminding us that “contentment does not come when we have everything we want, but when we want everything we have.”
There are so many more details and stories to be shared from the Territorial Women Officers Retreat, and the women who were in attendance are poised and ready to give testimony after such an impactful week. It was truly an anointed time that has ushered hundreds of Salvation Army officers into a deeper, more attuned place with the Holy Spirit in their lives and in their ministries. Each woman left TWOR standing firm in the knowledge that no matter where we are in our journeys or what season of life we walk through, to flourish is to live out this holy mantra: “For His glory, and our good.”
