Posts in category: Articles

INTRODUCTION

They arrived with hearts set ablaze to keep the fire of the Gospel burning, despite the unfriendly African climate that claimed many lives. These individuals are true heroes of the faith. They faced the challenging task of ministering the Christian evangel in a context that often resisted it, resulting in significant losses. Then, a tall Irish man emerged on the scene: Pastor James McKeown.

He preached the word far and wide, establishing a thriving church to the glory of our Christ. Among the many aspirations James McKeown held for The Church of Pentecost (CoP) and the broader Christian community was the utilization of various media, especially writing, to disseminate the Gospel and explain the intricacies of Pentecostal doctrine to CoP members, the larger Christian community, and society as a whole.

Apostle Michael Kwabena Ntumy is the embodiment of this particular hope of Pastor McKeown.

“FOR I BEAR IN MY BODY THE MARKS OF JESUS”

How can one adequately describe Apostle Ntumy? Does his life not exemplify that it doesn’t matter where one finds themselves, but rather, when the searchlight of God falls upon you, your light shines for the world to see?

From him, we learn that young people are essential for leading and building the Church. He exemplifies that a gentle and quiet spirit is not a weakness but a virtue to be cherished. When Jesus Christ taught, “If a brother sins against you, go to them” (Matthew 18:15-20), Apostle Ntumy heard and became a champion of Christian unity and religious tolerance. You could ask the Ghana Pentecostal Council (GPC), before it became the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC). If it were possible, you could verify this from the late H. E. Aliu Mahama, a former Vice President of Ghana.

The echoes of their friendship still resonate today, so there’s no need to consult the deceased. In this era of Pentecostal spirituality and the growth of divine healing as a central theme of Pentecostal theology worldwide, a Pentecostal giant found himself incapacitated and confined to a wheelchair, suffering in agony. Remarkably, he did not raise his voice against the God whom it was said could “heal all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3).

Apostle Ntumy demonstrates a remarkable balance in Pentecostal beliefs regarding supernatural phenomena. He understands that misfortunes can have physical causes and stands tall as an exemplar of what it means to be a true Pentecostal. This is a man who bears the marks of Christ. Just like his master, when some thought that God had stricken him, he did not succumb to their allegations or accuse God.

While many consider him a man of sorrow, he rejoices in the Lord’s joy. Suffice it to say that he is a true servant of Christ. His response to ill-health sets a monument for Christians now and generations to come. He bears in his body the marks of Christ’s suffering, just as Apostle Paul did. He heard the call of his master amidst the sound of gunfire, beckoning him to “feed my lamb.”

Undoubtedly, the weight of the memoirs of Paul, detailing the suffering and struggles he endured as a minister of Christ, can be compared to that of Ntumy. Despite these hardships, he pursued his passion for writing, a gift bestowed upon him by the Lord. He has carved a niche for himself as an outstanding writer, significantly influencing writing within the CoP. The hope Pastor McKeown had regarding the use of books to convey the Gospel and the Pentecostal message has been realized through the writing ministry of Apostle Ntumy.

ON TABLETS OF THE HEART AND PAPERS OF HOPE

Pastor McKeown was not a strong advocate for preparing sermon notes, a view shared by many Pentecostals at the time. He believed one should pray until the word was laid on their heart, emphasizing that the word of God should register in the hearts of people as they listened. He once mentioned during a conference, “When I look at your faces, the words were registering. You were taking them in.”

From this perspective, it may seem that writing, in general, did not appeal to him much, but that’s not the case. He particularly believed that ministers of Christ and Christians should endeavor to articulate their thoughts on paper. Barely two years after his arrival in the Gold Coast (now Ghana), in January 1939, he wrote and published an article titled “Gathering Gold in the Gold Coast” in the influential magazine Herald of Grace.

He wrote another report for the same magazine in January 1941. He encouraged people to pour out the reflections of their hearts on paper, benefiting others near and far. In May 1986, during an interview when asked about the number of churches at the time and how evangelism was being carried out, Pastor McKeown emphasized the importance of radio broadcasting and writing in evangelism and discipleship.

He even expressed hope that someday, instead of just magazines, they would have actual books disseminating doctrine clearly to the people. At that time, the CoP had been publishing a magazine called Pentecost Fire, distributed free of charge throughout Ghana since March 6, 1965. These periodicals played a pivotal role in spreading the gospel during the early days of the CoP.

Today, the CoP utilizes both print and electronic media to reach out to the world. Apostle Ntumy’s tangible fulfillment of Pastor McKeown’s desire for “real books” is evident. His writing prowess shone even in the midst of paralysis. He became a true man of manuscripts.

MAN OF MANUSCRIPTS

Apostle Ntumy places great importance on education, creating opportunities for many people to pursue higher education. He further demonstrated the significance of writing, a disposition not commonly associated with Pentecostals. The Apostle’s writing acumen is one of the major aspects of his ministry that will leave an indelible mark in the annals of the CoP.

The institutionalization of Pastor McKeown’s hope can be seen in the Pentecost Literary Works of the CoP, with Apostle Ntumy serving as its director for almost a decade. In addition to personally publishing up to 16 books, he has co-edited over 20 others for the CoP in his role as the director of the Pentecost Literary Works. These books provide detailed explanations of the CoP’s annual themes and make Christian doctrine accessible to many.

Isn’t this what Pastor McKeown hoped for? The Apostle has trained numerous individuals in writing and has reviewed countless other books. To further his vision of transmitting godly knowledge through the written word, Apostle Ntumy established a public library in his hometown.

CONCLUSION

Dear Pastor McKeown, I am pleased to inform you that your hope has been realized in a grand fashion. What began as a mere droplet of water longing to quench the thirst of a vast, arid land has grown into an unending fountain, even in the driest seasons. Apostle Ntumy has answered your call with excellence, even in the face of pain. Apostle Ntumy is a man who deserves admiration from philosophers.

Theologians will find ample material for discussing how God works in the world through his life. Historians, both present and future, who write about the history of Christianity in Ghana must include the story of Apostle Ntumy; otherwise, they leave a significant gap in their narratives, rendering the history incomplete from their perspective. The various forms of art, including literature, poetry, and drama, must embrace the life of Apostle Ntumy, who has brought the Bible to life. Filmmakers should preach his life and teachings. A heartfelt salute to those who refer to him as “a Christian general.”

Written by Elder Dr. Stephen Ofotsu Ofoe

My parents relocated to Awoshie when I was still a child. I found myself attending Sunday school alone as a child from my family. Later my other siblings joined in. My dad and my mum were not attending church, although, at the time, they claimed to be Anglicans. My dad would often drop us for Sunday school but come home to “chill” with my mum and their friends. This was the “religious context” at home, which God has now transformed to His glory.

I was very committed to Sunday school with the then Emmanuel Assembly which later became Emmanuel Worship Center and is now Pentecost International Worship Center (PIWC), Odorkor. I married in this same place while it was Emmanuel Worship Center with the then Overseer (now, Apostle) Samuel Gyau Obuobi (our current General Secretary) as our Resident Minister. The Sunday school teachers at the time took so much interest in me. They would visit me at home, to follow up on me and also to greet my parents. Among the teachers who touched my life are Teachers Ruth, Olivia, Adom, Ofosuhene, Lydia etc.

There were countless number of times that Sunday female teachers will pick me up especially on weekends to go round the homes of other Sunday school kids to visit them. One Teacher Ruth would buy biscuits and carry along as we went on visitation. In the homes of the kids, Teacher Ruth would share a word, ask how kids are doing, follow up on their parents, pray with us and then we move to another house. This built in me the desire to care for others and the drive for visitation in the local church.

It was through Teacher Ruth that I received baptism with the Holy Spirit with evidence in speaking in tongues. Anytime there was prayer session for baptism with the Holy Spirit, I would not receive and went back disappointed. After completing Junior Seconday School (JSS) and awaiting to enter Senior Secondary School (SSS), on one occassion, while on home visitation with Teacher Ruth, we were in the same area where our church building was so my teacher requested we go and pray in the church. No sooner had we started praying than I received the Holy Spirit baptism with evidence in speaking tongues; I received the gift there and then with my teacher alone; the Holy Spirit was there too.

I must add that, as a child in Sunday school without my parents, I sometimes felt very lonely because after church many of the adults would focus on checking up with children whose parents were known in the local church especially as leaders. I also wanted this interaction but hardly found it. However, some adults, aside my Sunday school teachers took notice of me and took interest in me to ensure that they showed me care and attention. Even into my youthful year, leaders such as Elder Ben Donkor (the former Area Deacon for Odorkor Area), Elder Emmanuel Eyison (current Area Deacon for Ablekuma), among others have continued to follow up on me, until today and supported me in sundry ways.

At one point as a Sunday school child, I did not go to church for two Sundays. Then, I found my Sunday school teachers in my house on visitation. They asked my reason for not coming to church. I told them. Few days earlier, a group of people in our neighbourhood who believe that “the Holy Spirit is just a force and not a person and that there is no such thing as speaking in tongues” had ambushed me and confused me. They had seen my zeal for the Lord and possibly wanted to win me over to their end. My teachers took time to open the bible verse by verse to clear my confusion. If not, I would be lost.

All this while, with my awareness of the love of God and His grace that brings salvation unto all, I was disturbed that my parents are not saved. I prayed for their salvation even as I entered my teenage years. At one time while on vacation from SSS, I went to preach the gospel to my Dad. He told me he can’t attend a church he is older than, at least within the community. He warned me not to share the gospel with him again. The interesting thing is that, he never opposed our going to church and would even drive us to church anytime and everytime. This rejection of my sharing the gospel with him really broke my heart.

Fast forward, I had gotten into the university. I loved to visit members of Pentecost Students and Associates ( PENSA) with some of my friends. If I did not see someone in church service, we would go and visit them. It was through one such visit that I met Seth Kwame Fianko-Larbi and the rest, it is said, is history. During these days in the university, we as PENSA were praying, preparing and planning to go for vacation time evangelistic outreach to a village. During the prayer times, I asked the Lord to touch my parents and save them through any means as He was also using me to go and save others. I had the Damascus encounter of Saul in mind as I prayed.

I came home from the “Village Crusade”, as we called it. When I attended my local church, many people were excited to meet me. Many of them were telling me, “I saw your Mum and Dad in church last Sunday.” I did not think they were talking about my biological parents. I thought they were referring to some of the adults in church, many of whom had become my “Mum and Dad” at the time. So I went home after church and asked my parents if they were in church last week. Here was the shocker!

Apparently on the next Saturday following the day I prayed to God to save my parents, my Dad said he felt a strong urge to go to church so he told my Mum who also agreed to go with him. They went to church and when the altar call was made, both of them came forward and that same day both of them were baptised in water. They have since remained steadfast in their faith the Lord Jesus Christ and their commitment to the local church.

The care I received from my childhood Sunday school teachers seems to have birthed in my heart the desire for children and teenage ministry. When we served as Missionaries in Seychelles, being pioneer missions work, I spent nearly all my Sundays in the entire 5 years running Sunday school for the children and training Sunday school leaders in order to allow parents space to join the adult service for discipleship. The story isn’t different in the Kenya missions where we established teenage ministry in Nairobi Metropolis on our arrival in late 2019; a ministry which is a key driver for our city church model.

I wish to pay glowing tribute to my Sunday school teachers and the many adults in my childhood local church – Emmanuel Assembly – now, PIWC Odorkor, who helped to shape my life with the Word of God, prayer and care even when my parents were neither saved nor part of the local church. I also want to encourage children who are currently in the state I found myself and their Sunday school teachers for their labor. I pray that their labor will never be in vain. It is working. God is up to something great. Hallelujah

Written by Dr. Theresah Fianko-Larbi (The Church of Pentecost, Kenya)

The apostle Paul had to point out Timothy’s spiritual legacy. It was a vital part of who he was. It helped shape him as a man, a Christ-follower, and an emerging apostle. Timothy’s actions prompted Paul to write, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Tim. 1:5).

Young Timothy became the recipient of a trans-generational legacy. Two generations of praying women shaped him from the inside out. Timothy’s home life, created by the faith of his grandmother and mother, left an indelible mark on him. His grandma and mom were praying women, and their behavior shaped his. The stark reality is you cannot take someone where you’ve never been yourself. To raise praying children means that you must first have a measure of proficiency yourself. In the book “No Easy Road” by Dick Eastman, it says: “To learn prayer, we must pray. We only learn prayer’s deepest depths in prayer, not from books. We reach prayer’s highest heights in prayer, not from sermons.”

Eastman’s observation is not isolated. E. M. Bounds, the prolific author of numerous books on prayer, notes: “Prayer is a trade to be learned. We must be apprentices and serve our time at it. Painstaking care, much thought, practice, and labor are required to be a skillful tradesman in praying.” Would you attempt to teach your child to swim if you were uncomfortable in the water?

Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley—founding brothers of the Methodist Church—had nineteen children. Seldom did she miss a daily hour of prayer. Even with the stress and time commitment of mothering, she made time to be with God. She had no private room or dedicated space in which to go and seek the Lord. Yet that didn’t stop her. This habit made it easy for her to model prayer to her kids. Eastman documents Susanna’s practice like this: “At her chosen time for spiritual exercise, she would take her apron and pull it over her face. Her children were instructed never to disturb ‘mother’ when she was praying in her apron.”

The sight of a praying parent leaves a huge impression on the soul of a child. It trumps any verbal instruction that you’ll ever give to your little one on prayer. This observation caused leading pastor and author Rick Warren to say: “A dad stands tallest when he kneels to pray with his children.”

Susanna Wesley taught each of her children the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9–12) as soon as they could speak. She made them recite it twice daily: when they woke and again at bedtime. As they got older, she added other elements to their prayer regimen. They would be taught to pray for their parents and some of the promises found in the Bible. This was all based on their stage of development and ability to memorize.

Admittedly, we’re living in a different era with different cultural norms and expectations. But as Christians, we should never veer from this parental target: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).

The Message puts it this way: “Point your kids in the right direction—when they’re old, they won’t be lost.” We cannot cave in to popular culture that suggests that we leave our children to form their own opinions about God, about faith, or about prayer. God demands us to take on the role of a teacher—a teacher of prayer. We come full circle to my point: to raise a child who prays, you must be a “pray-er”!

In fact, author and teacher Mark Batterson writes: “Prayer turns ordinary parents into prophets who shape the destinies of their children, grandchildren, and every generation that follows.” You don’t have to be a perfect parent, but be a praying parent! God’s involvement with the rearing of your child will fill in the parenting gaps that you were unable to perform.

JESUS, THE PRAYING CHILD

Before there was a cross, there was a cradle. Jesus did not skip steps on the way to the cross. He had to progress through all of the ordinary, yet necessary, stages of human development. Scholars use the terms “very God” and “very man” to describe the unique nature of Jesus. He was totally God while at the same time totally man. His humanity did not take away from His divinity. His divinity did not suppress or deny His humanity. In fact, being human enabled Jesus to sympathize with our weaknesses, as our High Priest (Heb. 4:15). He accurately and compassionately brings our suffering before God’s throne of grace.

Jesus’s prayer life had a starting point, just like yours, mine, and our children’s. Jesus was a baby, a preteen, a teenager, and a young adult before He made His mark on the world as an adult. The Bible gives us little bits and pieces of His life prior to adulthood. We have enough to form this conclusion: God does not wait until you’re an adult to respond to your prayers.

• Jesus, the Twelve-Year-Old Prayer Warrior

At the age of twelve, Jesus understood the importance and value of prayer. He participated in prayer—His Father’s business—and other spiritual matters. Jesus made that point very clear to His earthly parents. Unbeknownst to Mary and Joseph, on their return trip home from the annual Feast of the Passover, Jesus stayed behind. Like all parents, when they realized He was not in the caravan with any of the other families, they returned to Jerusalem in search of their little boy. When they found Him, Jesus respectfully said: “Why were you searching for me? . . . Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49, NIV).

What did Jesus mean by this? What was this twelve-year-old doing? The answer is found when we understand what occurs in the temple. Years later, as an adult, Jesus said: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17, emphasis added). Jesus used the terms “My house” and “My Father’s house” (John 2:16) interchangeably. Both terms reference the temple as a place of prayer, among other religious activities. Without reading anything into the text, we can easily see that Jesus prayed as a child. If the Father valued, respected, and answered Jesus’s prayers while a child, God also values the prayers of your children.

• The influence of Mary and Joseph

As parents, Mary and Joseph created a certain home environment, family culture, and expectation about Jesus. Even if their influence on Him was limited, flawed, or partial, they still played a role in His spiritual development. Joseph was a carpenter (Matt. 13:55). Jesus became a carpenter (Mark 6:3). Jewish boys, in those days, went into the same line of business as their father. Becoming a carpenter was no accident. We know that parental influence was at work in Jesus’s life. It didn’t stop at His vocational choice. It extended into the whole, of His life.

The religious practices of Mary and Joseph are without question. When Jesus was eight days old, like any good Jewish parents, they had Him named and circumcised (Luke 2:21). At the appropriate time, they traveled to Jerusalem to dedicate Him to God, in accordance with the Law of Moses (Luke 2:22). Every year, Mary and Joseph faithfully went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover (Luke 2:41). It was during one of these annual visits that Jesus, at twelve years old, remained behind to pray and attend to His “Father’s house.”

The Bible doesn’t detail all the things Jesus learned from the godliness of His parents. Even in their limited knowledge, imperfect lifestyle, and inadequacies in raising the Savior, they still played a critical part. Your role in the spiritual development of your child is invaluable. You cannot deflect it back to God. You cannot claim that your inadequacies disqualify you. Even if they do, you still cannot abdicate your role as an influencer. You can’t even say: “My parents didn’t teach me how to pray. Therefore, I lack the tools to teach my child.” None of these excuses hold water even if they are true.

Your home is the number one influence in the life of your child. The average church has a child one percent (%) of his time, and the school for sixteen percent (16%), but the home for eighty-three percent (83%) of his time. This reality does not eliminate or reduce the need for churches or Christian schools to serve as positive spiritual training centers for your child, but it establishes the fact that your home dominates your child’s world, and you have an opportunity to maximize that benefit. You must, therefore, take your role seriously!

Written by Elder Johnson Nyormah (Pentecost University)

In many cities across Ghana, most auditoriums of The Church of Pentecost host two church services each Sunday. The first service is usually in English, while the second is Twi (local language). This practice has led to a significant increase in attendance and overall growth. However, it has also raised sanitation concerns, specifically the cleanliness of the church auditorium after each service.

Typically, the responsibility of cleaning the auditorium and church premises falls on the shoulders of deacons, deaconesses, caretakers, and a handful of dedicated members. 

My first day at Rose Hill Assembly in the UK was eye-opening, which inspired me to write this article. Immediately after the service at Rose Hill Assembly, all members come together to arrange the chairs and other items meticulously. They use their cleaning equipment to tidy up the auditorium within 10 to 15 minutes, ensuring it is properly set for the next activities.

Recently, The Church of Pentecost has introduced an annual environmental care campaign in which every member and assembly collaborates with stakeholders to clean their communities. In light of this, it is only fitting that the church auditorium is clean right after service. This raises a pertinent question in Ghana, where many big assemblies run two services back to back – how can the auditoriums be cleaned before the commencement of the second service, not to mention the washrooms?

This issue has often been overlooked or neglected, especially when the first service runs late, leaving no time for preparations before the next service. It is essential to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:26, “Clean the inside of the cup and the dish, and the outside will also be clean.” 

Cleaning our auditorium after the service is crucial to prevent embarrassing situations, especially during emergency meetings, where presiding elders and Women’s Ministry leaders are often held accountable.

As the adage goes, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” It is my heartfelt desire that all members will take inspiration from the example set by Rose Hill Assembly to ensure our auditorium remains clean and a fitting place for the glory of God.

Article by Elder John Boateng Asante (Photographer)

Rose Hill Assembly, Croydon District, UK

In many cities across Ghana, most auditoriums of The Church of Pentecost host two church services each day. The first service is usually in English, while the second is Twi (local language). This practice has led to a significant increase in attendance and overall growth. However, it has also raised sanitation concerns, specifically the cleanliness of the church auditorium after each service.

Typically, the responsibility of cleaning the auditorium and church premises falls on the shoulders of deacons, deaconesses, caretakers, and a handful of dedicated members. 

My first day at Rose Hill Assembly in the UK was eye-opening, which inspired me to write this article. Immediately after the service at Rose Hill Assembly, all members come together to arrange the chairs and other items meticulously. They use their cleaning equipment to tidy up the auditorium within 10 to 15 minutes, ensuring it is properly set for the next activities.

Recently, The Church of Pentecost has introduced an annual environmental care campaign in which every member and assembly collaborates with stakeholders to clean their communities. In light of this, it is only fitting that the church auditorium is clean right after service. This raises a pertinent question in Ghana, where many big assemblies run two services back to back – how can the auditoriums be cleaned before the commencement of the second service, not to mention the washrooms?

This issue has often been overlooked or neglected, especially when the first service runs late, leaving no time for preparations before the next service. It is essential to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:26, “Clean the inside of the cup and the dish, and the outside will also be clean.” 

Cleaning our auditorium after the service is crucial to prevent embarrassing situations, especially during emergency meetings, where presiding elders and Women’s Ministry leaders are often held accountable.

As the adage goes, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” It is my heartfelt desire that all members will take inspiration from the example set by Rose Hill Assembly to ensure our auditorium remains clean and a fitting place for the glory of God.

Article by Elder John Boateng Asante (Photographer)

Rose Hill Assembly, Croydon District, UK

Happy smiles, beautiful feet, adorably dressed little angels march in, bustling with energy and joy, eager to hear what the Sunday school teacher has for them today. “Will we learn a new song? Will we sing some action songs? Oh, I know! Who was Jesus’s father?” Several questions pique their curiosity. Their thoughts are, however, interrupted with the popular slogan, ‘Jesus!’ and they, in unison, respond gleefully, ‘friend of children!’

Christian parents have adapted to the culture of dressing their kids up as early as possible for Sunday school. This culture may be due to a myriad of reasons, among which will be to relieve mothers and afford them the space to complete their chores before attending service. The question that weighs on every mind is, ‘Is that really the purpose of Sunday school? Is it to act as a mere stress relief for parents?’

The Children’s Ministry, like every other ministry, recognizes the importance of the faction of the church that has been placed in its charge. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the game” (Psalm 127:3-5, ESV).

This scripture brings out the weight of parenting and the responsibilities that have to be fulfilled. Children are a gift from God, His very heritage. Parenting may be defined within the context of bringing up and raising to maturity through care and education. It is not limited to birthing children. Parenting is the extent to which efforts are put into intentionally raising holistically groomed young ones who can be independent, and in our case as Christians, young ones who can stand in worship before God and be intercessors for their generation. It is a noble yet herculean task to assume the role of being a parent – it is a whole ministry.

Ministry is doing what God wants us to do. It is fulfilling our divine mandate in whichever sphere of our lives we find ourselves in, including our role as parents. The Children’s Ministry is not left out of this parenting ministry. Sunday School teachers are second parents to these little ones. The ministry’s efforts are geared towards complementing that of parents in bringing up the young in the love of the Lord and grounding them in sound doctrine.

It is often said that children are the future, but brethren, they are both the present and future. Children are the future manifestations of present-day deliberate efforts. They will reflect all that was spent on them in the Sunday School days and how grounded they are in the near future, all things being equal. How do we match up to expectations? “And you must commit yourself wholeheartedly to these commands that I’m giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your foreheads as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:6-9, NLT).

Repeat and talk about them: Children are a part of the Christian community – the very center of it. As the future of the church, it is imperative that they are socialized in the ways of the church through constant teaching. We are to diligently impress the beliefs and doctrines of the church upon them. “Train up a child the way he should go, and when he is grown, he will not depart from it,” says the Holy Bible. Our kids are not supposed to be alien to the foundational beliefs of the church. Teach, oh Sunday School teacher, teach! Dear parent, do not neglect the teaching of the word. Have biblical conversations with your children!

Tie them to yourself: The words we repeat to our kids should be seen in our lives daily. They should be translated into actions. Children are the best imitators of behavior. Bind the biblical principles to your very being and imbibe the church’s culture such that we will be literal living books to our younger ones.

Write them on your doorposts: Children are visual learners. They are able to better assimilate that which they see daily like “the doorpost and gate”. The children and all who enter the gate must know that as for this house, we serve the Lord.

Children thrive in welcoming environments. Jesus, our perfect example of a lover of children voiced “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them.” Dear Sunday school teacher, do not hinder the children. You are a parent to these ones. Teach them with all diligence, rebuke them in love, and gather them into a warm embrace.

Inclusion is key. All praise to God for the Intergenerational Service initiative. In the church, we learn through observation which the Intergenerational Service affords. The children are able to merge what they are told about the church’s culture with what they observe.

The importance of the children’s ministry cannot be overemphasized! I reminisce my younger days when I would be sent to Sunday school neatly dressed. It was all joyous, especially when the snacks came. The childhood innocence of waiting upon snacks even as the teacher tirelessly tried to catch our attention with action songs and beautiful Bible stories disappeared as I grew. I then fully came to appreciate the efforts of the Children’s Ministry as a training ground for grooming young ones who will stand for God in such a perverse world.

Parenting as a ministry is helping children love and live for Jesus. God cares about how children are raised and nurtured. Parents, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Teachers and leaders of the children’s ministry should, therefore, make conscious efforts to help these young ones build a positive self-image and nurture them in the holy fear of God. This will help them to accept God’s promises and experience His benefits personally.

Parents, love to send your little ones to Sunday school. The children’s ministry workers are ever ready to guide these young ones to a saving faith in Christ. Children’s Ministry workers, Ayekoo!

Written by Deacon John Anaman Essiam (Agona Ahanta District, Takoradi Area)

Have you ever wondered if parenting has a heart? The answer is a resounding “yes.” Parenting has its core, its essence, and its operational center. This vital aspect of parenting is understanding.

Parenting, the art of nurturing a child to fulfill their destined potential, becomes a more achievable and rewarding journey when we grasp its true essence – understanding.

To truly understand someone is to practice love in its most practical form. Many parents are adept at loving their children, but they struggle to put that love into practice. While loving your child is a crucial aspect of parenting, the pinnacle of fulfillment comes when you truly understand your child.

Understanding your child empowers you to nurture their dreams and unlock their hidden potentials. It helps you identify the resources needed for their successful future.

It’s essential to recognise that parenting doesn’t begin with love or providing for basic needs. Some parents shower their children with material comforts but remain absent from their lives. Giving birth is one thing; being a parent is another.

Have you ever wondered why there’s a rise in deviant behavior and a decline in peace? Mahatma Gandhi once said, “To reach real peace in the world, we will have to begin with the children.” The world suffers when children lack attention, especially when they aren’t understood.

Understanding your children is the key to successful parenting. Who is your child to you? What is their temperament? What are their likes and dislikes? These questions must have clear answers in your mind.

Did you know that some children don’t respond well to rebuke? For them, rebuke stifles their development. Instead, correction should be approached differently, as rebuke or insult rarely serves as a suitable corrective tool.

So, how can you understand your child?

1. Observe: Spend time with your child, observe their behavior, reactions, and interactions. This will reveal much about their personality.

2. Be Your Child’s Best Friend: Make your child feel secure, loved, and wanted. Encourage them to open up to you.

3. Spend Quality Time Together: Engage in activities like playing games, cooking, or cleaning together. Quality time strengthens your bond.

4. Praise Wisely: Praise your child for their accomplishments, but avoid overpraising, which can lead to arrogance.

5. Listen: Actively listen to your child to deepen your connection and understanding.

By following these steps and consulting a higher source, such as God, you can unlock the ability to truly understand your children. Remember, as a parent, you represent God to your family, and applying these truths in your home can lead to transformation.

Written by Tonnie Baffoe (Ekroful District, Agona Swedru District)