Trwyddedu ac Ordeinio 2021: Naomi Wood
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 Naomi am ei galwedigaeth fel Gweinidog Teulu.
Dywedwch ychydig wrtha’i amdanoch eich hun.
Fi ydi Mami i ddau o blant gwallgof. Richard ydi fy ngŵr. Dwi wrth fy modd yn bod yn greadigol. Dwi’n pobi fy mara surdoes fy hun. Dwi’n gwnïo, dillad i’m merch yn bennaf er i mi wneud crys a gwasgod ar gais fy mab pum mlwydd oed! Dwi’n mwynhau dysgu sgiliau newydd yn fawr. Mi fyddwn i wrth fy modd yn mynd i dreulio chwe mis yn y Repair Shop a dysgu oddi wrth y crefftwyr yno. Mae garddio’n un o’m hoff hobïau. Dwi’n cael trafferth gyda llysiau, maen nhw’n cael eu bwyta gan wlithod yn rhy aml, ond mae blodau a ffrwythau mor werth chweil ac mae’r plant yn barod iawn i helpu.
Dwi wrth fy modd bod yn yr awyr agored ac yn arbennig o hoff o fod mewn mannau lle dwi’n gallu gweld ehangder yr awyr. Mae copaon mynyddoedd yn lleoedd arbennig, er nad ydw i’n cael cyfle i’w dringo mor aml ag yr hoffwn. Dydi llusgo dau blentyn ifanc efo chi ddim wir yn caniatáu cyfle ar gyfer llonyddwch a myfyrio. Wedi dweud hynny, mi ydw i wrth fy modd yn mynd â’m plant allan i archwilio natur.
Beth ddaeth â chi i’r lle rydych chi heddiw?
Duw, yn y bôn! Dechreuais i helpu gyda’r Ysgol Sul pan oeddwn yn dal yn fy arddegau ac yna fe wnes i gymryd mwy o ran o’r fan honno. Tra roedd fy ngŵr yn hyfforddi ar gyfer ei ordeinio, mi fûm i’n gweithio fel gweithiwr plant ar gyfer eglwys ym Mhontypridd lle roedden ni’n dechrau o ddim. Ar fy Sul cyntaf yno cerddodd teulu gyda phump o blant i mewn! Ysgol Sul, clybiau ar ôl ysgol, clybiau gwyliau, grŵp plant bach, gwasanaethau ysgol, ymweld â theuluoedd – roedd yn wych. Ychydig flynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach, pan oedd Richard yn gurad yn Esgobaeth Tyddewi, roeddwn i’n dysgu’n rhan‑amser ac yn gwneud rhywfaint o waith plant gwirfoddol yn y plwyf. Dwi’n gallu cofio meddwl ei bod yn wych fy mod yn gallu gwneud yr hyn roeddwn i’n ei wneud ond bod yna gymaint o blant nad oedden nhw’n cael eu dysgu am Iesu, gymaint o eglwysi nad oedden nhw’n ymgysylltu â phlant a theuluoedd. Doeddwn i ddim yn gallu ei wneud ym mhobman! Oni fyddai’n wych pe bai rhywun gyda’r job o ysgogi gwirfoddolwyr ledled yr Esgobaeth a helpu datblygu gweinidogaeth plant a theuluoedd ym mhob un eglwys. Dim ond swydd fach felly! Siaradais â’r Esgob a’r Esgobaeth , ac ychydig fisoedd yn ddiweddarach, mi greais rôl Swyddog Plant. Fe wnes i gais am y swydd ac aeth hi o’r fan honno. Yna mi symudon ni i fyny i Esgobaeth Bangor ac ymddangosai i bethau ddisgyn i’w lle fel fy mod i bellach yn cyflawni’r swydd honno yma. Dim ond Duw allai fod ar waith!
Pa wahaniaeth, os o gwbl, ydych chi’n meddwl y bydd cael eich trwyddedu fel Gweinidog Teulu yn ei wneud?
Dydw i ddim yn meddwl y bydda i’n gwneud unrhyw beth yn wahanol dim ond am fy mod wedi fy nhrwyddedu. Bod yn weithgar yn yr eglwys leol a cheisio gwasanaethu teuluoedd yr ardal – dyna pwy ydw i. Mae llawer wedi gofyn i mi ynghylch cael f’ordeinio. Dydw i ddim yn teimlo ’mod i wedi fy ngalw i hynny. Dwi’n gallu gwneud popeth dwi’n teimlo bod Duw yn ei ofyn gen i fel lleygwraig ac felly mae bod gweinidogaeth leyg yn cael ei chydnabod a’i gwerthfawrogi’n swyddogol fel hyn yn gyffrous iawn. Mae pob Cristion wedi’i alw neu ei galw i weinidogaethu. Fodd bynnag, mae cael eich trwyddedu i weinidogaeth benodol yn gofyn am ymrwymiad mwy ffurfiol na gwirfoddoli – er mor amhrisiadwy ydi hynny.
Beth mae eich ffydd yn ei olygu i chi?
Fy ffydd i yw’r rheswm y galla i obeithio. Ni waeth beth sy’n digwydd, waeth pa mor ddrwg bynnag y mae pethau’n mynd, hyd yn oed pan fydda i’n teimlo filiwn o filltiroedd i ffwrdd oddi wrth Dduw dwi’n gwybod na fydd ei law byth yn fy ngollwng. Ar ôl cael y profiad o fabwysiadu gyda’n plant a gwybod pa mor bwerus ydi hynny – mae gwybod bod Duw wedi fy mabwysiadu i, wedi fy newis i, yn sylweddoliad anhygoel.
Pa un ydi’ch hoff fisgeden?
Wafflau Tregroes – a’r rhai sy’ wedi’u gorchuddio â siocled tywyll fyddai’r goreuon o’r rheini! Dwi’n gwybod y bydd fy ngŵr yn bedantig ac yn dweud mai waffl ydi hynny felly i’ch plesio chi bedantiaid mi ddweda i Fisgeden Siocled Gwyn a Chnau Macadamia Subway.
Pe bai rhywun yn dweud wrthych eu bod yn meddwl bod Duw am iddyn nhw gynnig mwy, beth allech chi ei ddweud wrthyn nhw?
Gwnewch o. Mae cymaint o wahanol ffyrdd y gallwn gynnig ein hunain i Eglwys Dduw. Peidiwch â gadael i’r hyn rydych chi’n ei weld yn digwydd yn barod gyfyngu arnoch chi. Byddwch yn chi eich hun yn y gwaith! Mae gan bawb ohonom ddoniau gwahanol. Mae faint o amser y gallwn ni ei gynnig yn wahanol i bawb ohonon ni. "Mae galwad Duw a’i ddoniau’n ddi-droi’n-ôl."
Licensing and Ordinations 2021: Naomi Wood
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 Naomi about her vocation as a Family Minister.
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I am Mummy to two crazy children. Richard is my husband. I love being creative. I bake my own sourdough bread. I sew, mostly clothes for my daughter though I did make a shirt and waistcoat at the request of my 5 year old son! I really enjoy learning new skills. I would love to go and spend 6 months at The Repair Shop and learn from the craftspeople there. Gardening is a favourite hobby. I struggle with vegetables, they get eaten by slugs too often, but flowers and fruit are so rewarding and the children are very willing helpers.
I love being outside and particularly love being in places where I can see a vast expanse of sky. Mountain tops are special places, though I don’t get to climb them as often as I’d like. Dragging two young children along doesn’t really allow space for stillness and wondering. Having said that I do love taking my children out to explore nature.
What brought you to where you are today?
God, basically! I started helping with Sunday School when I was still a teenager and then I got more involved from there. While my husband was training for ordination I worked as a children’s worker for a church in Pontypridd where we started from scratch. On my first Sunday there a family with 5 children walked through the door! Sunday school, after-school clubs, holiday clubs, toddler group, school assemblies, visiting families – it was brilliant. A few years later, when Richard was curate in St Davids Diocese, I was teaching part time and doing some voluntary children’s work in the parish. I can remember thinking that it was great that I could do what I was doing but that there were so many children who weren’t being taught about Jesus, so many churches not engaging with children and families. I couldn’t do it everywhere! Wouldn’t it be great if there was someone whose job it was to encourage volunteers right across the diocese and help to develop children’s and family ministry in every single church. Just a small job! I spoke to the Bishop and the diocese, and a few months later, created a Children’s Officer role. I applied and it went from there. Then we moved up to the Diocese of Bangor and things seemed to slot into place such that I’m now in this role here. That can only be God!
What difference, if any, do you think being licensed as a Family Minister will make?
I don’t think I’ll do anything differently just because I’m licensed. Being involved in local church and seeking to serve the families of the area is just who I am. But, I have often been asked about ordination. I do not feel called to it. I can do all I feel God is asking of me as a lay person and so have lay ministry officially recognised and valued in this way is really exciting. Every Christian is called to ministry. Being licensed to a specific ministry, however, requires a more formal commitment than volunteering – as invaluable as that is.
What does your faith mean to you?
My faith is the reason I can hope. No matter what is happening, however bad things get, even when I feel a million miles from God I know his hand will never let me go. Having experienced adoption with our children and knowing how powerful it is – to know that God has adopted me, has chosen me, is overwhelming.
What’s your favourite biscuit?
Tregroes waffles – the ones covered in dark chocolate would be the ultimate! I know my husband will be pedantic and say that that’s a waffle so to please the pedants out there it would be a Subway White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookie.
If someone were to tell you they thought God wanted them to offer more what might you say to them?
Do it. There are so many different ways we can offer ourselves to God’s church. Don’t be limited by what you see happening already. Be yourself in it! We all have different gifts. We also all have different amounts of time we can offer. “God’s call and his gifts are irrevocable.”