Following the announcement of the winners of the recently concluded gospel writing contest organized by The New Man Organization, we took out time to have a chat with some of the winners and their insights about the theme for the quarter.
Q: Can we meet you?
Abigail: I am Ajere Abigail Inioluwa, and I’m a passionate Christian and a creative writer currently pursuing my undergraduate studies at the University of Lagos. I am deeply committed to personal growth and constantly eager to expand my knowledge while contributing to the field of Christian writing.
Writing has always been my outlet for expressing my faith and connecting with others, and I’ve had the opportunity to have some of my works published in magazines and shared on my personal social media platforms.
Q: What motivated you to put in an entry for this year's Q1 contest?
Abigail: My motivation for participating in this year's Q1 writing contest was my decision to dedicate myself more to writing and refining my skills, particularly in short stories. I had already begun working on this goal, and when I learned about the New Man Gospel Writing Contest, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to achieve my writing goals.
Q: How did you feel when you realized you won? Have you ever anticipated that this piece would win?
Abigail: I was really excited to see that I won. I didn’t necessarily expect it, to be honest. I was, however, confident in the passion and effort I put into it and I hoped that it would shine through. It was such a pleasant surprise when it was recognized. I am grateful for the honour.
Q: What was the creative point of view you had while writing your winning piece? What were you anticipating that your readers would learn?
Abigail: For my piece, His Grace: Received and Extended, my creative point of view was centered around the profound and transformative power of grace in both receiving and giving. God has called us to be partakers of a divine gift - His grace and this is to be received, and also to be extended to others. My aim was to encourage the readers to reflect on how grace impacts their faith, in embracing grace fully, not just as God’s gift to us, but also to as many others as we can reach out to.
My personal experience of telling others about the grace which I have received also helped me achieve a clearer perspective on the story.
Q: To whom will you dedicate this piece to (Kindly expatiate how this person, place or thing has influenced you in your writing journey)
Abigail: I dedicate this piece to Yahweh, my Father, whose guidance has been instrumental not only in the creation of this work but throughout my entire writing journey. He has blessed me with purpose and the ability to write, and His presence has been my greatest source of inspiration and motivation, not only in writing but in all that I do. It's all to God's glory.
Q: "Partakers of His grace" - this was the theme of the contest. Do you think the present day church has harnessed this fully (kindly give a recommendation if no and a reason, if yes)
Abigail: In diverse ways, the present-day church has harnessed the concept of us being partakers of God’s grace. These ranges from preaching about God's grace to creating a space for Christians to grow in a full understanding of God’s grace and also reaching out to others to be partakers of His grace.
There is however, much more work to do in letting the message of grace get to as many as have not received it. The church should also focus on making known the transformative power of God's grace in every area of life.
Q: What do you think could have been done better with the contest?
Abigail: This contest could be a good opportunity to connect with other Christian creatives. There could be a way for participants to network, for growth and future collaborations.
Q: Do you have any other things you'd like to share?
Abigail: I'm really grateful to the New Man Organization for this great opportunity and honour. Thank you, and God bless you.
Post a Comment
Please drop a comment and use the Social Media Buttons below to share to friends and family.