NEWS UPDATES

As Diocese of Lagos West, Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion) commences her 2nd Session of the 9th Synod, DLW Media team member, Olayinka Aboderin, engages the wife of the Bishop and president of the women and girls organization, Dr. Mrs. Lydia Olukemi Odedeji on the activities of the organization in the last year.

Her excerpts;

Question: Ma, It's another Synod year, how can you rate the women's ministry in the last one year?

Answer: I want to sincerely give kudos to all the women in the Diocese of Lagos West. The past one year has been awesome. God has really been good to us. He has been our help in ages past and our hope for years to come.

Question; Since last Synod, a lot of activities would have taken place in the women's ministry. Can you give a brief update on the developmental stages of women's projects?

Answer: Concerning developmental stages of women's projects, we thank God that we are moving forward. On the hostel  building at the Women's Conference Center, all the tiles have been procured; finishing touches are ongoing and we are trusting God for speedy completion.

We also thank God for the first graduation ceremony of 30 students of the Diocese of Lagos West Vocational Training Center. We appreciate the supports of well-meaning women in this diocese who empowered the students.

We equally thank God for progressing the Anglican Girls College, Ijanikin. We appreciate the principal, the Venerable and Mrs. Peter Bamidele. They are doing very good work in  impacting character and learning to the students.

Question: Talking about women's projects, what's been the challenges facing speedy completion of the projects especially  the 450 hostel suits under construction at Caroline Adefiola Adebiyi Women Conference Center (City of God) Ipaja?

Answer: The major challenge we face that has slowed down the development is finance. An occasioned high inflationary rate has prevalently caught up with all outstanding expenses thereby slowing down the pace of work.

 Question: What are the women's programmes for the year? Any new ones?

Answer: By the grace of God, we will be starting the professional and business women  fellowship. It will be inaugurated on the 20th of November this year. It will cater for career ladies and assist them to merge their professional and business lifestyles with the Word of God.

Our usual programmes like the Mother's Union, the Young Wives Fellowship, the Women's Guild, the Royal Gems and Vessels, Girls and Boys Guild, Medical Outreach, School Outreach went on well. were done as usual.

Question: On spirituality, what can you say are the core roles of Christian calling?

Answer: Our core role as Christians is to live worthy pleasing God always and preparing family members to be earthly relevant while heaven-bound.

 Question: What are the benefits of having women's ministry?

Answer: One of the benefits of the women's Ministry is both spiritual and developmental growth. We help women grow in capacity through inter-generational mentoring, community support and deliberate empowerment towards identity creation. Through outreaches and Programs, young women and young mothers are constantly exposed to teachings that handle emotional and health challenges.

Question: How do you encourage women not to give up on their ministry, marriage and career?

Answer: We encourage women to build resilience through close relationship with God. To be horizontally right with people, women should endeavor to be vertically right with God. Listening to inspiring music, developing attitude of gratitude, growing faith in God and groaning in the place of prayers help women to remain strong and victorious.

Question: How can women balance their careers, personal life and callings? Is there such a thing as balance?

Answer: For us to be able to balance our careers, family, personal, spiritual callings, we need to set our priorities right. What do you really want and in what order? And I would encourage women to put God first, their family second and career third. Because once your priority is not well aligned, you are likely to run into problems.

Secondly, I would like to encourage women to subject their decision to their values and priorities. Whatever choices you want to make, wait. Don't lay the permanent on the altar of the temporary. Subject your decisions to those your priorities.

Another thing to help us balance our life is proper timing of events. The Bible says, to everything there is a time and a season. But each person should know the time and the season they are in and what is appropriate for that time and season.

Times change, seasons change. So we should understand that when you have young children under 10, it is not a time for a woman to be away from home most of the time (absentee mother) but the time to do something that  will not take you away from home for too long.

Another thing that can help us as women to balance our lives is the fact that we must learn to delegate. You cannot do everything on your own.

Prayerfully and wisely delegate tasks that can be done by others for you. So with the grace and the wisdom of God, you will be able to achieve balance.

But know that balance does not mean equal timing to every activity. It's allotting appropriate time for each task.

Other things that can help us to learn to balance is to practice mindfulness. When you are at home, be at home. When you are at work, be at work.

So wherever tasks at hand, be there. And the Lord will help us.

 Question: How can women develop their leadership skills?

Answer: Women need to be ready to take responsibility and that involves learning what is required for each  task. A woman who wants to grow her leadership skills shouldn't run away from responsibilities whether at home, at work, in the Church or in her neighbourhood.

Readers are leaders. We need to be reading, attending both online and physical seminars on leadership.

We are expected to support our husbands, but we are still expected to lead our children, lead in our career and lead in some sections of the Church. We must be willing to grow, and avoid short-sightedness obsession with food and fashions.

Question: How can women support other women in their various callings and organizations?

Answer: As women, we must be ready to use our time, our talent, our treasure to support other women.  Life is such that I need you, you need me. And so we must be ready to help others.

Question: What advice do you have for women looking forward to grow their own marriage, faith, and business?

Answer:  For a woman seeking to grow her faith, her family, her business, I will charge you to seek God honestly. Seek God sincerely. Desire a walk with God. Knowing that everything does not end here. The Bible says for the things that are seen, they are temporal. The things that are not seen, they are eternal. So I will encourage such a woman to seek God sincerely, to seek God honestly.

Whoever seeks God cannot come last.  Whoever seeks God cannot go away empty. The Bible says, the earth is the lot and the fullness thereof, the world and those who live in it. So when you seek God honestly, you seek God sincerely, you can't be behind.  Then in marriage, there are principles that govern marriage.  So any woman that desires growth should continuously seek God's principles to run her marriage. The principles of submission.  Principles of transparency. Principles of honesty.

Principles of sowing and reaping.  Principles of diligence and hard work.

Question:  What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Answer: To the next generation of female leaders, I want to charge them to continually seek a better version of themselves in character and in learning.  To seek to be beautiful inside and outside. To seek to be positively influential. And to be ready to walk within God's boundaries.  To be ready to walk within healthy boundaries.

QUESTION: Lastly ma,  what's your projection in the next 5 years?

Answer:  In the next five years we are trusting God for a more glorious Church.  We are trusting God that the Church will continue to be shining lights. The Bible says, the path of the righteous is like a shining light that shines more and more to the perfect day.  So we are trusting God that in the next five years these houses will be bigger and greater than this in everything that is good and godly.  Our members will record increments in every sphere of their lives. Our children will continue to blossom and the peace of God will reign in our land now and forever.