Women Preach Sunday 2025

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In honor of International Women’s Day (which was March 8, 2025), the USA Western Territory held its second annual “Woman Preach Day” on Sunday, March 2.

The goal was to have as many pulpits as possible filled by women on that specific Sunday. This year, the event went National, as all four USA Territories celebrated Women Preach Sunday. Doing this nationally is a great opportunity to bring emphasis on women preachers and The Salvation Army’s special mandate and prophetic voice to women’s roles in ministries.

In our territory, 141 Corps and 3 Adult Rehabilitation Centers participated in this event. Both active and retired officers as well as lay leaders spoke throughout the Territory. Lt. Kristin Boyd from the Chico, CA Corps stated, “Women covered all elements of the holiness meeting. Our Home league Secretary of many years, Linda Valdez, preached for the first time! It was a beautiful day celebrating our freedom to preach as women!”

Several corps included women and girls in all aspects of the worship service, besides the preaching. In Federal Way, WA teen girls led worship for the first time. Sophia Reed, daughter of Lt. Emily Reed (Prescott, AZ Corps) was featured in a video promotion the sermon for the week.

Ivy Swain, daughter of Captain Jennifer Swain, helped her mom preach at the San Diego Adult Rehabilitation Center, and then Captain Jennifer preached a second sermon at the El Cajon, CA Corps.

Captain Belle Green, from the Wrangell, AK Corps said this regarding Women Preach Sunday, “I don’t preach regularly. My heart desires to and I know that God has given me a voice He wants heard…This Sunday pushed me to preach and brought to the forefront of my mind the importance of me preaching more. Especially as I looked out at the teenage girls in the congregation. We are blessed to be in an egalitarian movement, and I think days like this helps remind us of that blessing, and encourage us not to take it for granted. I know after this Sunday I plan on being behind the pulpit much more.”

Next year, Women Preach Sunday will be on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Flourishing in Our Identity: You are Redeemed

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By Colonel Genevera Vincent

There are certain words that evoke pleasant thoughts as they are spoken. One such word for me is the word “Redeemed.” Spoken, in reference to everyday things like redeeming your ticket for a ride at Disney, may be special but it is not life changing. The word redeemed spoken from a biblical perspective, however, is special indeed!

Whenever I hear the word redeemed, I think of the story of Hosea and Gomer. It’s a tragic story as Gomer chases after her lovers, continuing in her unfaithfulness to her husband. Her husband Hosea buys her back – redeems her because he loves her. Hosea does this in obedience to God to show Israel how she has sinned against God and how God in his love longs to redeem her, to buy her back from pagan nations she has prostituted herself with. What a beautiful picture of the love and mercy of God.

Cory Asbury has written a song called “The Reckless Love of God.” I have refrained from using this song in a worship time because I believe that the love of God is anything but reckless. God’s love is intentional and never ending. A closer look at this song, however, helps paint a different picture. If you think of the word reckless here as God’s love being abundant and never cautious, the song has great meaning. We think of the word reckless in a negative sense but when you think of it in terms of God’s love knowing no bounds and chasing after us to redeem us, it is rather beautiful.

So, if you are one who has not used this song for the same reasons I did, will you please oblige me and read the words of the song through a slightly different lens? Look at the words in terms of the price Christ paid for us on the cross-loving us and dying for us when we were still sinners.

When I was your foe, still your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, you paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights till I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still you give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.

It is this kind of love that redeems! None of us is deserving of the love and grace of God but he lavishes his love upon us because of who he is and not because of who we are. Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

If you read 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, it is a call to holiness. Once we’ve been redeemed and bought back to God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, our redemption doesn’t become our ticket to heaven with nothing to do in the meantime. From the time we are redeemed to the time God calls us home, we are to live for Christ and live like Christ.

A few years ago, I heard a story of an atheist who was speaking to a group of Christians. In this talk the speaker referred to the redemption that Christians talk about. The speaker continued, “If you say you are redeemed, then you’d better start acting redeemed!” Ouch! What a challenge and yet what a truth. We truly flourish in our identity in Christ as his redeemed children when we not only say we are redeemed but we live like redeemed people.

I am truly grateful that I am not left on my own to live for God as his redeemed child. That would be disastrous. We do not do this journey with God alone. We have the Holy Spirit within us-comforting, challenging, guiding and correcting when necessary. With his help, I know I can flourish as one who has been redeemed!

Listen to Cory Asbury’s song:

March 2025 Newsletter

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You are Priceless! You are a Masterpiece! That is the theme of this month’s newsletter.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT

Included in this month’s newsletter is a devotion, prayer idea, conversation starters, and a Bible reading plan that focuses on our Creator God. Also included are “Identity Statements,” verses that proclaim who you are in Christ for you to memorize, meditate on, and claim in your life.

Download this month’s newsletter:

March 2025 NewsletterDownload

Be reminded today that God doesn’t make mistakes:

March 2025 Bible Study: God’s Masterpiece

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By Major Cheryl Kistan
Divisional Director of Women’s Ministries – Intermountain Division

Read Ephesians 2:1-10
1. Have you ever thought of yourself as a masterpiece?

Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are a masterpiece!

2. In verse 4 read, “But God,” what do you think that means?

“But” is one of the most important words in the Bible. Paul is using the word here to contrast our former dead way of life (trapped in sin) with our new life in Christ. God is merciful and did not want to leave us in a life that will lead to death, so he sent his Son Jesus to save us. By grace Jesus saved us and gave us the ability to say no to sin and live a life that is righteous.

3. What is one area of your life that God has helped you to change since you accepted Him as Lord of your life? Allow for personal sharing

4. What is God’s motivation for saving us?

God saved us because He loves us. Love is His character and His nature – He loves us and wants us to be part of His family.

5. what does it mean to be saved by grace?

Grace means that God gives us something which we do not deserve – salvation. It cannot be earned and it cannot be paid back. Our sins mean wee deserve judgement, but God gave us something much better – eternal life! It is a gift from God.

6. What does it mean to be “made alive?”

Before we accepted Jesus, we were on a road that leads to death but because of God’s gift in Jesus, we have eternal life. We are headed home to heaven and so we are truly alive.

7. If good deeds cannot save us because salvation is a gift from God, why should we do them?

God created us with unique gifts and talents, and he wants us to use them build his kingdom. These gifts we have show who God is and when we use them for Him, they point to Him.

8. What does it mean to be God’s masterpiece?

So often people talk about making themselves better by working hard and improving themselves. Without God, this will not make us more spiritual, in fact it can make things worse. The love of God not only saves us but also changes us.

God saves us not only from his judgement that we deserve but also to make something beautiful of us. We are his workmanship a masterpiece. We are God’s “work of art.”

9. Reflect on Psalm 139:7-18. What is one thing that God is saying to you as you read it and think about being His masterpiece? Allow for personal sharing.

Download a printable version of the Bible Study:

Masterpiece Bible StudyDownload

Enjoy this reminder from Plumb, that you are Beautifully Broken:

March 2025 Craft: Creating a Masterpiece

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By Captain Aimee Docherty
Intermountain Division

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

Goal: Using Alcohol inks you will create a beautiful work of art. then you can take your artwork and turn it into a card that you can give to someone that you would like to remind that they are a masterpiece created by God.

Supplies:

Note: All items can be found on Amazon, at a craft store such as Michaels or Hobby Lobby, while some items can be found at Dollar Tree. The alcohol inks can be a messy project so do this in a space that you don’t mind getting a bit messy.

Time frame expected: 1 – 2 hours.

  1. Alcohol Inks
  2. Rubbing Alcohol
  3. Smaller Squirting bottles
  4. Alcohol Ink paper
  5. Straws
  6. Scissors
  7. Typed up and cut out Bible Verse
  8. Gloves
  9. Table Coverings
  10. Paper towels
  11. Glue sticks

       Step 1

Prepare the space

  1. Cover all the tables with a plastic tablecloth.
  2. Put down paper towels as a place mat for each person with some extra paper towels for each person to absorb any extra mess.
  3. Put plastic gloves out for each person.
  4. Open all bottles of alcohol inks in advance if they are brand new.
  5. Place alcohol inks in center and place one piece of alcohol ink paper on top of their paper towel place mat.
  6. Put one small squirt bottle, filled with alcohol ink at each place.
  7. Place one straw at each place.

Step 2

a. Put a few drops of alcohol ink on the paper.

b. Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol on top of the drops of ink.

c. Use straw to blow the liquid about until you are satisfied with the art.

d. Repeat, as desired, using different colors.

e. Put sheet of artwork aside to draw and create another one. Artwork will dry by itself in approximately 20 minutes. If you would like to move it along more quickly use a hairdryer on low.

Step 3:

a. After the artwork has dried, take the sheet that you like the most and fold in half to create a card shape.

b. Cut sheet in half so that you can make two cards.

c. Open up and glue the printed-up Bible verse into the card

d. Write a message to a friend to remind them that they are God’s masterpiece.
(Be aware that the more you handle the ink the more it spreads to your hands and all over the white paper. Also, it will leak around the edges when you are initially doing the ink work).

Other ideas: Take a cookie cutter and cut out a shape from your alcohol ink masterpiece. Then glue it to a white piece of construction paper folded in half to make a card. Finally glue your masterpiece note inside and write a personal note to a friend.

Download printable directions for this craft:

Masterpiece CraftDownload

As you are creating your masterpiece, enjoy this inspiring song, Masterpiece, by Danny Gokey

March 2025 Devotional: Masterfully Quilted

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By Captain Ryan Boyd
Denver Red Shield, CO Corps – Intermountain Division

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

My mother-in-law is a gifted quilter. She has all kinds of quilts in her house that she has made over the years, and I love to look at them and admire her handiwork. Each time a grandchild was born, she made them a quilt. And while she sewed, she prayed for that child. Looking at each stitch reminds me how hard she has prayed for these kids all their lives.

One year, I decided that I was going to make her a quilt because she deserved something homemade. Did I know how to quilt? Nope. Did I let that deter me? Not for one second. I went to the fabric store, signed up for a quilting class, spent a ridiculous amount of money on a hobby I had no skill in, and started looking at patterns.

When I took the quilting class, I was the only student. Which was great, because I had also never used a sewing machine. The instructor patiently guided me through Sewing 101 and then quilting 101, and I left that store with an undeserved confidence that I was going to make the best quilt known to humanity.

It didn’t quite work out that way. Chalk it up to blissful ignorance or youthful hubris, but I chose a queen size quilt for my first go around. I spent weeks trying to create this quilt. And by the end, I was just happy to get it done. Would it last through the first wash? That was yet to be seen.

When I gave the quilt to my mother-in-law, she lovingly pointed out the stitches I got right and gracefully ignored the many I got wrong. And when we visit, she makes sure that it’s out to show her appreciation. I don’t tell this story to show off how great my mother-in-law is – although I could easily go on and on – I tell it because that quilt represented all the handiwork I could muster for almost six months of my life. Was it the prettiest quilt? No. But it was a labor of love that I know my mother-in-law felt.

We are God’s handiwork. God intricately made each one of us and formed us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). We may not feel like the prettiest quilt, we may have some imperfections, but God has created us for good things!

If we focus on the things that are “wrong” about us, we will miss all the things that are “right”. While we focus on the outward appearance, God is looking at what is in our hearts. He created us to be exactly as we are, knowing that the path he set out for us will require the exact talents and personality He has given us.

Often, I am quick to criticize the way that God made me. Like most women, I am rarely satisfied with the outside appearance I have. However, what I criticize most is what’s on the inside. Why am I so loud and mouthy? Why must I ask so many questions?

And when I get to be too critical of myself, I look back on Ephesians 2:10 and say, “God made me this way, there must be a reason.” Maybe I am loud and mouthy so that I can speak up for those who have had their voices silenced or for those who are too scared to speak for themselves. Maybe I am loud so that others can hear me tell them about Jesus. Perhaps I ask so many questions because God has given me this thirst for knowledge so that I can learn how to love others better through His word or so that I can be a better example of him to others.

When I reframe my view of myself from imperfect woman to God’s handiwork, my entire demeanor changes. What I view as weaknesses, God instilled in me to further His kingdom. I can’t spend my whole life looking at what I have gotten wrong, I have to look at what He has done right.

God has made each of us in His image and according to His purposes. While we may not be fully appreciative of the particular way He has crafted us, we can take comfort in knowing that there is a reason we are the way that we are. We can be confident in knowing that God loves us and wants us to use our unique abilities and personalities to love every other Image bearer we meet.

Major Cathi Boyd displaying the quilt made by her daughter-in-law, Captain Ryan Boyd