Meet the officer – Major Nicole Snead
1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it?
My current appointment is Corps Officer at Hobart (Tas) together with my husband Johnmark. We have had the privilege of being there for eight years and we look forward to continuing to partner with God with His mission in the beautiful city where we live into the future. We have two adult children, Joshua and Lucy, who we delight in, and our kelpie dog Meg.
I love to see lives transformed holistically and to see all people flourish and thrive. I love to see people do things they never thought possible and to see people give glory and honour to God and His work in their lives. I love to see people who have no home come and see me and tell me the good news of finding housing. I love to see people set free from addiction and trauma. I love to see people feed with full bellies. I love to see children and young people choose Jesus in a world that is not easy to live in and to see them step into His love and grace. I love to see people experience salvation and know intimately the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind?
It’s more than possible to relax and unwind, especially when you live in a magnificent part of the world. I love taking our dog Meg for a run on the beach or for a walk in the bush. I love to play netball, go shopping for shoes, and catching up with friends.
3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it?
Every year, I choose a song that is my anthem for the year – it’s a song that, when times are tough, it helps me to put things in perspective and when times are full of joy, to remember all good things come from the Lord. This year, my song is ‘He Will Hold Me Fast’ by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Selah. It reminds me that no matter what I go through, no matter what life throws my way, His love is what grounds me and remains at the very centre of who I am, and it’s going to be more than okay because I will be raised with Him for eternity.
We recently had a prayer weekend, and I am loving ‘Love of God’ by Brandan Lake and Phil Wickham – you should go and have a listen!
4. If you could have a good talk with a biblical character apart from Jesus, who would it be, and what would you talk about?
Eve. Growing up in the church meant I heard a lot about Eve, and I have to say, I didn’t like her very much. She was the villain of the creation story. The mess-up, the seductress, the failure. The dangerous one and the reason everything went wrong. What’s more, because I was a woman, a daughter of Eve, those traits applied to me as well because the way we view her impacts the way we see ourselves and the women around us.
Eve, however, was not the villain in the story; she was a beloved, restored, redeemed child of God. Eve was also chosen by God. When we remember that Eve rejected God and had aligned herself with Satan, the dynamics of their relationship changed. And yet God chose to remove her from Satan’s side and placed her on his own instead. He chose her! He chose her! I would love to hear how she felt and how it changed her life and impacted the generations to come.
5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say?
I would absolutely recommend officership ... not because it’s easy or without challenge, but if God is calling you to something, He will honour your faithfulness to that calling in ways that are unexpected and surprising. I continually experience the reassurance of God’s calling, which holds me through times of doubt, uncertainty and frustration. He also has sent people in my life that have and continue to encourage me, cheer me on and support me which helps me flourish and thrive in my ministry.
You never know where officership will take you and the people you meet along the way, but together with God, your life will never be the same and completely life-changing for the better!
