Trwyddedu ac Ordeinio 2021: Ceri Sheppard
Dros Ŵyl Bedr eleni yng Nghadeirlan Deiniol Sant ym Mangor, cafodd 14 o bobl ymroddedig, dawnus eu hordeinio neu eu trwyddedu i weinidogaethu.
Fe’u gelwir i “adeiladu corff Crist fel y cyrhaeddwn oll hyd at yr undod a berthyn i’r ffydd ac i adnabyddiaeth o Fab Duw” (Effesiaid 4).
Dyna’u tasg ar y cyd – ond mae gan bob un hefyd eu straeon personol eu hunain am alwad Duw ar eu bywydau.
Yma, cawn sgwrs â Ceri am ei galwedigaeth fel Efengylydd.
Dywedwch ychydig wrtha’i amdanoch eich hun.
Dwi’n ddynes casglu cathod. Mae gen i bedair cath, a phobol - dwi’n mwynhau cwmni pobol yn fawr hefyd. Dwi wedi canu mewn corau yn y gorffennol a dwi wrth fy modd yn canu. Dwi wedi bod yn figan ers 21 mlynedd a dwi wrth fy modd yn coginio a dwi’n hoff o beidio dweud wrth bobl eu bod nhw’n bwyta bwyd figan nes eu bod nhw wedi ei fwyta a dweud wrtha’i faint maen nhw wedi ei fwynhau!
Roedd gan un o fy ffrindiau yn yr eglwys anawsterau dysgu a dwi bob amser wedi teimlo’n agos at bobol ag anawsterau dysgu. Mae’n debyg mai fy hoff swydd oedd gweithio mewn coleg addysg bellach preswyl yn Swydd Gaerloyw ar gyfer pobl ifanc ag anawsterau dysgu. Roedd yn lle calonogol iawn i fod ynddo.
Sut ddaethoch chi i gysylltiad â’r Eglwys a ffydd gyntaf?
Aeth fy mam-gu â fi i’r Ysgol Sul yn Eglwys Fedyddiedig Hope yng Nghaerdydd pan oeddwn yn dair oed hyd nes fy mod yn ddigon hen i fynd yno ar fy mhen fy hun sef, mae’n debyg, yn y dyddiau hynny, pan oeddwn yn chwech oed, er bod rhaid i mi groesi’r briffordd. Pan oeddwn i tuag un ar ddeg oed daeth gweinidog newydd a oedd â diddordeb mawr yn y bobol ifanc ac a oedd yn rhoi pob cyfle iddyn nhw. Roedd gynnon ni grŵp pobol ifanc mawr yno a dyna pryd wnes i sylweddoli am y tro cyntaf bod angen i mi benderfynu drosof fy hun a oeddwn yn mynd i ddilyn Iesu ai peidio. Felly, yn 13 oed, ces fy medyddio fel crediniwr. Fodd bynnag, ar ôl tuag ugain mlynedd mi chwalodd fy mhriodas gyntaf. Fe wnes i ailbriodi ond roedd fy ffydd yn sigledig iawn ac roeddwn i’n teimlo na allwn fynd i’r eglwys, y byddai’n rhagrithiol i mi fynd i’r eglwys. Felly aeth pump neu chwe blynedd heibio heb i mi fynd i’r eglwys. Bob dydd wrth gerdded i’r gwaith byddwn i’n mynd heibio’r eglwys ac un dydd Sul teimlais fod rhaid i mi fynd yno. Dyma fi’n fynd a ches i fy lapio mewn papur tŷ bach achos heb yn wybod i mi Sul Nôl i’r Eglwys oedd hi. Felly os ydy unrhyw un yn dweud wrthych nad oes gan Dduw synnwyr digrifwch, dydy hynny ddim yn gywir!
Sut wnaeth eich taith tuag at eich trwyddedu ddatblygu o’r pwynt hwnnw?
Dechreuais i ymwneud yn raddol ag arwain yr Ysgol Sul a phethau felly. Wedyn mi wnaethon ni symud i dŷ newydd ac eglwys newydd. Mi ddes i’n argyhoeddedig tra oedden ni yno bod Duw am i mi wneud rhywbeth mwy arweiniol ond mi wnes i weddïo llawer a theimlais ei fod yn dweud, "Ydw, ond ddim yma a ddim ar yr adeg yma". Felly, mi wnes dderbyn hynny.
Wedyn pan ddaethon ni i fyw yng Nghorris mi wnes i ddod yn weithgar efo Agor y Llyfr ac rydyn ni wedi rhedeg pob mathau o bethau ers hynny – Canu Carolau o gwmpas y pentref, nosweithiau cwis, teithiau gweddi a Chlwb Beibl yn y tŷ.
Beth am eich hoff fisgeden?
Yym... creision! Dwi ddim yn arbennig o hoff o fisgedi. Mae gen i fwy o ddiddordeb o lawer mewn bwyd sawrus na phethau melys.
Beth mae cael eich trwyddedu i fod yn Efengylydd yn ei olygu i chi?
Mae’n golygu gadael i bobl wybod, yn y ffordd orau iddyn nhw gael darganfod hynny, bod Duw yn eu caru. Mae hefyd yn gadarnhad o’r hyn dwi wedi bod yn ei wneud hyd yn hyn. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at weld pethau’n dechrau eto. Ac mae cefnogaeth swyddogol gan y giaffar! Efallai y daw mwy o bethau dwi ddim yn gwybod amdanyn nhw eto. Dwi’n agored i bethau eraill. Dwi’n dal yng nghefn fy meddwl yn holi tybed a oes rhyw fath o weinidogaeth i mi i bobol ag anawsterau dysgu a’u gofalwyr. Mae gen i lawer o syniadau am bethau - yr ysgol, yr ystâd, coginio... rhaid i ni jest aros i weld.
Mae’n fater o gael yr Eglwys allan at y bobol. Os nad ydych yn gwybod beth sy’n digwydd mewn eglwys gall fod heriol iawn. Mae gofyn disgwyl i bobol ddod at Dduw ac nid o reidrwydd i’r adeilad.
Pa mor bwysig ydy eich ffydd i chi?
Dyna sylfaen fy mywyd mewn gwirionedd. Mae’n golygu gwybod bod gen i Dad Nefol sydd ar fy ochr i. Efallai na fydd bob amser yn cytuno â fi ac efallai bydd yn meddwl, "Be ar y ddaear mae hi’n drio neud rŵan?" ond mae bob amser ar fy ochr i. Yn yr adegau yn fy mywyd pan oedd pethau’n wirioneddol anodd, mi oedd yna ymdeimlad tu hwnt o real o Dduw, bron yn ymdeimlad corfforol ohono, yn rhoi cwtsh i mi. Mae’n gwybod pob un dim amdanaf ac yn dal i’m caru. Hyd yn oed pan oeddwn wedi pellhau o’r Eglwys roeddwn i’n dal i deimlo adegau pan oedd o’n dweud "Dwi’n dal i dy garu di."
Pe byddai rhywun yn dod atoch chi ac yn dweud, "Ceri, dwi isio cynnig mwy i’r Eglwys", beth fyddech chi’n ei ddweud?
Parhewch i weddïo amdano fo a siaradwch ag Arweinydd eich Ardal Weinidogaeth. Rôn i’n meddwl ar y dechrau mai’r cyfan y gallech ei wneud oedd bod yn Ddarllenydd ond yna mi siaradais â phobol eraill ac mi wnaethon nhw sôn am swyddogaethau eraill. Darllenwch Galwad Duw a gweithiwch allan pa swyddogaeth sy’n swnio fel chi.
Hollalluog a thragwyddol Dduw, sydd trwy dy Ysbryd yn llywodraethu ac yn sancteiddio holl gorff yr Eglwys: gwrando ein gweddi a offrymwn dros dy holl bobl ffyddlon, iddynt allu dy wasanaethu mewn sancteiddrwydd a gwirionedd yn eu galwedigaeth a’u gweinidogaeth er gogoniant i’th enw; trwy ein Harglwydd a’n Hiachawdwr Iesu Grist, sy’n fyw ac yn teyrnasu gyda thi a’r Ysbryd Glân, yn un Duw, yn awr ac am byth. Amen.
Licensing and Ordinations 2021: Ceri Sheppard
This Petertide at St Deiniol's Cathedral in Bangor, 14 dedicated, gifted people were ordained or licensed for ministry.
They are called to “build up the body of Christ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4).
That is their common task – but each also have their own personal stories about God’s call on their lives.
Here, we talk to Ceri about her vocation as an Evangelist.
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I’m a mad cat woman. I’ve got four cats, and people - I very much enjoy the company of people as well. I have, in the past, sung in choirs and I love to sing. I’ve been vegan for 21 years and I love cooking and I love not telling people they’re eating vegan food until they’ve eaten it and told me how much they’ve enjoyed it!
One of my friends at church had learning difficulties and I’ve always had a bit of a heart for people with learning difficulties. Probably my favourite job was working at a residential F. E. College in Gloucestershire for young people with learning difficulties. It was a very encouraging place to be.
How did church and faith first come about for you?
I was taken by my grandmother to Sunday School in Hope Baptist Church in Cardiff when I was 3 years old until I was old enough to get there under my own steam which was probably about, in those days, 6 years old even though I had to cross the main road. When I was about 11 a new minister came who was very much interested in and encouraged the young people. We had a big young people’s group there and that was the first time I realised I needed to decide for myself whether or not I was going to follow Jesus. So, at 13 I was baptised as a believer. However, after about 20 years my first marriage broke down. I remarried but my faith was very rocky and I felt I couldn’t go to church, that it would be hypocritical to go to church. So there were five or six years when I didn’t go to church. Every day when I walked to work I’d pass church and one Sunday I felt that I just had to go there. I turned up and got wrapped up in toilet roll because unbeknownst to me it was Back to Church Sunday. So if anybody tells you that God doesn’t have a sense of humour that’s not right!
How did your jouney to licensing develop from there?
I gradually got involved with leading the Sunday School and things like that. We eventaully moved to a new house and a new church. I became convinced while we were there that God wanted me to do something more upfront but I prayed a lot and felt God say, “Yes I do, but not here and not now.” So I just held that.
When we then came and lived in Corris I got involved with Open the Book and we’ve run all sorts of other things since then – Carol Singing around the village, quiz nights, prayer walks and we were having a Bible club in the house.
What about your favourite biscuit?
Erm... crisps! I’m not particular about biscuits. I’m much more of a savoury person than a sweet person.
What does being licensed as an Evangelist mean to you?
It means letting people know that God loves them in the best way for them to find out. It’s also a confirmation of what I’ve been doing so far. I’m looking forward to things starting up again. And there’s official backing from the boss! More things may come that I don’t know about yet. I’m open to other things. Still in the back of my mind, I’m just wondering whether there’s some kind of ministry to people with learning difficulties and their carers. I’ve got lots of thoughts about things - the school, the estate, cooking...we’ll just wait and see.
It’s about getting church out to the people. If you don’t know what goes on in church it can be really daunting. It’s expecting people to come to God and not the building necessarily.
How important is your faith to you?
It’s the foundation of my life really. It’s knowing that I’ve got a Heavenly Father who’s on my side. He might not always agree with me and might think, “Blimey, what’s she up to now?” but he’s always on my side. In the times in my life when things have been really difficult there’s been real, real sense of, almost a physical sense of, God giving me a cwtch. God knows me through and through and still loves me. Even when I had gone away from church there were these moments of “I still love you.”
If someone were come to you and say, “Ceri, I want to offer more to the Church,” what would you say?
Carry on praying about it and speak to your Ministry Area Leader. I thought at the start that all you could do was a Reader but then I spoke to others who mentioned other types of roles. Have a read of Called by God and work out which one sounds like you.
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.