Widows Smile As Church Women Celebrate Day

Before now, it was celebration galore. A day to showcase new attires and probably treat family members, friends and well wishers to plates of palatable meals all in the name of a celebration of Mothers’ Day.
Then, it was indeed a tale of different strokes for different folks as widows and the poor women who didn’t have any shoulder to fall back on for financial assistance, got withdrawn into their lonely and depressed cocoons as a way of expressing their handicaps.
While many prayed for a Women’s Day celebration to be announced, others never caught its fancy due largely to their inability to meet up with the aura of flamboyance that characterised the day.
Today, from the global perspective, down to the local setting, Women’s Day celebration, has drastically taken a different dimension, so much so that what used to be a self-centred affair, has dramatically taken a philanthropic posture, hence, making the day an envy of all and sundry.
From the turn of events, the feeling and crave for what to gain from such a day, has gradually given way to the thought and desire for what to give out, a posture that has earned the Women’s Day celebration the recognition it now enjoys.
This no doubt, may have propelled the Women Department of TheAssemblies of God Church, Agip Road branch, Port Harcourt, to rise up to the challenge of putting  smiles on the faces of their widow-members. The occasion of Mothers’ Day celebration held last Sunday, provided a platform for the  body to identify with the plight of the widows as food stuffs as well as cash  were provided to them.
Meanwhile, every second Sunday in May has been earmarked as a remarkable date in the yearly calendar of Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria. It is a day the General Council of Assemblies of God, Nigeria joins the world to celebrate Women’s Day.
Apart from commemorating a global event, Women’s Day in Assemblies of God Church as it is popularly called, affords the female faithfuls an opportunity to be heard and also be seen.
For this year, May 12, 2013 may have come and gone, yet ripples generated by the event of the day will hardly be forgotten in a hurry.
At Assemblies of God Church, Agip Road,  Port Harcourt, it was one event too many. Members were thrilled with various presentations, ranging from Bible exposition to recitation, drama, special songs rendition among others.
The one-week programme with the theme “Jesus Heals” highlighted Christ’s ability to heal and liberate His people from all  manner of bondage ranging from physical health challenge to social as well as economic challenges.
Adorned in red blouses and blue wrappers, leaders of the women considered it a day to identify with the plight of the widows in their midst as they spoilt them with some food stuffs and cash gifts.
Speaking to our reporter, one of the beneficiaries, Ma Rebecca Adiele, expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Women Ministry of the church for remembering the widows during their moment of celebration.
In her address, the Co -ordinator of the branch, Mrs Bridget Agba, illustrated Christ’s ability and willingness to heal the church both spiritually and  physically as well as materially.
She, however, said that humans or faithfuls could only be happy beneficiaries of Christ’s healing benevolence if only they remained obedient to his words, giving and living a holy life before him.
It would be recalled that  the General Council of Assemblies of God, Nigeria is poised to balancing the spiritual as well as the intellectual requirements of every department in the church while still keeping them socially relevant.
To this end, it has approved a day in a year for every department in the denomination for members to express as well as showcase their spiritual endowments and potentials, hence, serving as a ladder for beginners to grow in faith so as to appreciate the gains of serving the Lord.
The Women Ministry, therefore, considers such day, a window to reach out to the world- spiritually and materially.
Women they say, have a mandate from God, perhaps, there may not be a better time to stand up and announce their presence and capabilities than now, so that they can be the propeller that will move the nation forward.