Posts in category: Children’s Ministry

History was made when a crowd of participants, comprising of ministers and wives, Children’s Ministry workers, and children, assembled at the Burma Camp Worship Centre (BCWC) of The Church of Pentecost, on Sunday, June 26, 2022, for the Children’s Ministry 50th Anniversary Lecture.

The anniversary lecture, a programme supported by the Women’s Ministry of The Church of Pentecost, was chaired by the wife of the Chairman of the church, Mrs. Mary Nyamekye. 

The special guest speaker was Mrs. Rose Kumi-Larbi, wife of the General Secretary.

The event was under the theme, “The Children’s Ministry: Successes, Challenges, And the Way Forward.”

According to the Children’s Ministry Director, Pastor Prof. William Otoo Ellis, the anniversary lecture is the first in a series of two golden jubilee anniversary lectures held as the first activity after the launch of the anniversary of the Ministry.

“50 years in the life of an institution is a no mean feat in the ministry of the church,” he said.

He said that currently, the Children’s Ministry is one of the vibrant ministries of the church, adding, “even though in the beginning things were not formal, it has grown to be a well-organised ministry of the church.”

Delivering a presentation on the theme, Mrs. Rose Kumi-Larbi said that in the formative stages of the church, there were no formalized children’s ministry or services. She noted that it was common to find parents coming for Sunday morning and weekday evening services with their children.

“As the numerical strength of the church grew, new members joined with their children, and this intensified the need and calls for a separate children’s service,” Mrs. Kumi-Larbi revealed.

She explained that children responded quickly to the gospel, and in some cases, they facilitated the conversion of their parents. This, she noted increased the desire to introduce Christ to the children at such tender ages.

The wife of the General Secretary iterated that in the 70s, the late Mrs. Margaret Mills (wife of late Pastor David Mills, who was then the Principal of the church’s Bible Training School), started organising children’s services in their residence in Asokwa.

She reiterated that some Elders and Pastors got interested and involved in ministry to the children in their respective jurisdictions.

Mrs. Kumi-Larbi outlined that the Children’s Ministry has undergone several transitions, accompanied by changes in name and leadership from 1972 to date. 

The first leadership led the ministry till 1983; they were the late Apostle Appau Asante (General Leader), the late Mrs. Margaret Mills (Deputy General Leader), and the late Mrs. Esme Siriboe (Secretary), she stated.

She further stated that apart from producing champions, the Ministry has also blessed many families in the church and society, saying that, “it is therefore not surprising that we find products of the Ministry in various spheres of society and professions.”

She then urged parents to ensure that their children attend children’s service until they reach adolescence when they graduate to the Youth Ministry of the church.

Again, she charged Children’s Ministry workers to prepare diligently before their classes. She urged them to stay relevant by using modern technology in teaching the children.

In her closing remarks, the Chairperson of the occasion, Mrs. Mary Nyamekye thanked the leadership of the ministry and the participants present.

“It is my prayer that this anniversary lecture will set the tone for a great 50th anniversary of the Children’s Ministry,” she mentioned.

Present were Prophet David Kankam Beditor (Patron, Children’s Ministry & Ashaiman Area Head), Apostle (Lt. Col.) Benjamin Kumi-Woode (Resident Minister, Burma Camp Worship Centre), Prophet Benjamin Adobah (Rtd) (Former Children’s Ministry Director), Mrs Deborah Agyemang Bekoe (wife of the International Missions Director) and Mrs Philomina Mireku (Women’s Ministry Director).

Others were wives of some Area Heads of the church, National and Area Executive Members of the Children’s and Women’s ministries, Children’s Ministry workers and children of the ministry.

The Children’s Ministry anniversary lecture is one of the activities outlined by the ministry to celebrate 50 years of raising and touching the lives of children in the church.

PENTECOST NEWS.

An 11-year-old Basic 5 Pupil of Prang R/C Primary School, Kumi Nkamageen Princess, who is a Children’s Ministry member of Prang District in the Atebubu Area of The Church of Pentecost, has won a Ministry of Communication and Digitization award.

The award was presented to her at a ceremony organised by the Ministry of Communication and Digitalization in collaboration with the Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence and MTN Ghana and GIFEC on April 20, 2022, at the Valley View University, Techiman Campus in the Bono East Region.

The event was organised to climax an ICT programme known as GIRLS-IN-ICT which is an intensive ICT training for girls in Scratch Programming, Cyber Security, and Fundamentals in Basic Computing.

The one-week programme involved programming language used in creating games, stories, graphics and animation as well as staying safe on the internet. The girls were selected from the various public schools across the region to be trained. At the end of the training, Kumi Nkamageen Princess emerged as the overall best student.

Presenting the award, the Minister for Communication and Digitization, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, congratulated her for emerging the winner out of a hundred finalists from the 11 Municipal and District Assemblies in the Bono East Region.

Hon. Owusu-Ekuful promised that the Ministry would construct a well-furnished computer laboratory for her school and encouraged her to put up her best in the upcoming national event.

Present at the event were the Bono East Regional Minister, Hon. Akwasi Adu-Gyan, traditional authorities of the Techiman Traditional Area, the Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) in the region, officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Officer-in-charge of ICT/Statistics and Data at the GES, Mr. Kwame Aboagye, and the Girl-Child Co-ordinator, Madam Owusua Gladys, facilitators who assisted in the training of the girls, among others.

Report by Pastor Daniel Teye Narh, Atebubu.

This year’s ‘Foundation Builders Conference’ being organised by the Children’s Ministry of The Church of Pentecost (CoP) for Children’s Ministry workers and teachers has commenced at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa.

The conference began on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, and is expected to end on Friday, June 17, 2022. About 465 participants comprising Children’s Ministry Pastors, leadership, teachers and workers, are participating in the training.

In his welcome address, Pastor Professor William Otoo Ellis, Director of the Children’s Ministry of the church, said that the conference is the first of a two-part series being organised by the ministry for the year.

Pastor Prof Otoo Ellis said the training session was designed for Children’s Ministry workers in the Southern and Central Zones of the church. He said the second to be organised would be in the Northern zone of the church.

According to him, the conference is aimed at creating an environment to effectively examine the vision implementation of the church in line with the ministry and to review and bring to better understanding some of the new initiatives introduced by the ministry.

He added that it will help participants to learn about some contemporary issues and their effects on the work of the ministry.

“We would share experiences of ministry workers in our various areas to encourage ourselves,” the Children’s Ministry Director said.

Delivering the keynote address, the Patron of the Children’s Ministry, Prophet David Kankam Beditor, who doubles as the Area Head of Ashaiman, called on children workers to learn from one another in pursuit of their duties.

“Open up and empty yourself; put aside whatever you know as you allow God to fill you with wisdom and knowledge,” he stated.

Reading from 1 Chronicles 29:1a, Prophet Beditor mentioned that David acknowledged the insufficiencies of his son Solomon in leading the Israelites and called on the leaders to teach him. He noted that when Solomon ascended the throne, he asked for wisdom to lead the people. This, he said, was the breakthrough of King Solomon.

Speakers for the conference are Apostle Lt. Col. Benjamin Godson Kumi-Woode (Acting Director of Religious Affairs, Ghana Armed Forces), Pastor Prof. William Otoo Ellis (Children’s Ministry Director), Prophet James Osei Amaniampong (Asokwa Area Head), Apostle Frederick Kweku Andoh (Assin Fosu Area Head), Elder Lawyer Alfred Aidoo (Deputy Director of Children’s Ministry), and Pastor Ebenezer Hagan (Youth Ministry Director).

The rest are Pastor Dr Ebenezer Tetteh Kpalam (National Executive Committee Member, Children’s Ministry), Pastor George Owusu (Agormanya Area Children’s Ministry Leader), Mr. Emmanuel Arthur (Chief Executive Officer, Ramsys Infotech Limited), and Mrs. Freda Koranteng (National Executive Committee (NEC) Member, Children’s Ministry).

PENTECOST NEWS

The Children’s Ministry of The Church of Pentecost has to a large extent lived up to its goal of producing champions for the Church over the last 50 years.

The Chairman of the Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, made this assertion in a speech read on his behalf by the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, at the launch of the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Children’s Ministry yesterday.

Highlighting the objectives of the ministry, Apostle Nyamekye said that the forebears of the Church had specific goals in mind in setting up the Children’s Ministry. These core objectives, he noted, include leading children to personal knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour (2 Timothy 3:15), teaching the children the unadulterated word of God and preparing them to take their place in the body of Christ in a responsible way.

“The ministry was also instituted to create in the minds of the children the need to live holy, honest and righteous lives as well as encourage the spirit of good citizenship in the children,” he further noted.

According to Apostle Nyamekye, since its inception in 1972, the ministry has forged ahead with an added drive of evangelism, bringing many children to the saving grace of our Lord and Saviour. 

“Apart from producing champions, the ministry has also blessed many families in the church and society. It is therefore not surprising that we find products of the ministry in various spheres of society and professions, to mention a few; the pastorate (both in The Church of Pentecost and other churches), the business sector, the built environment, health sector, educational sector, the security, legal and administrative fraternities etc,” he noted.

He, therefore, commended past General Leaders, patrons, directors and their teams for the hard work and sacrifice in making the ministry a full-fledge ministry.

He also lauded Prophet David Kankam Beditor (Current Patron), as well as Pastor Prof. William Otoo Ellis (Current Ministry Director) and his team for carefully and diligently building on the work of their predecessors.

Apostle Nyamekye was very grateful to God for His goodness towards The Church of Pentecost and the Children’s Ministry in particular over the last 50 years and urged the entire membership to join the ministry in marking its Golden Jubilee anniversary in spectacular fashion.

“Today is a very special and historic day in the annals of The Church of Pentecost and the Children’s Ministry. This is because the Children’s Ministry is 50 years old. It is thus, a moment to give glory to the Lord for His goodness and love for the Church and the ministry,” he said.

The Children’s Ministry was introduced in The Church of Pentecost in 1972. The ministry, which began with pockets of children in the homes of some individuals, now boasts a membership of over one million, approximately 8.5% of the total population of children in Ghana.

The Children’s Ministry, now a full-fledged ministry of the Church has turned 50 this year, and as a result, some special activities have been outlined to mark this historic milestone.

The golden jubilee celebration is being held under the theme: “Celebrating 50 Years of God’s Goodness in Equipping Children to Possess the Nations” (Psalm 100:5, Proverbs 22:6) and would be climaxed in September during the annual Children’s Week celebration.

The historic event was officially launched on behalf of the Chairman by the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, yesterday.

A major highlight of the celebration is the “50 for 50” evangelistic initiative, where the Children’s Ministry of the various local assemblies of the Church have been tasked to win and maintain at least 50 souls for Christ by September.

The ministry has also introduced a drawing competition for children of 12 years and below as part of the celebration.

PENTECOST NEWS.

A special ceremony was held yesterday at the McKeown Temple, Ashaiman, to officially launch the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Children’s Ministry of The Church of Pentecost.

The historic anniversary celebration was launched by the General Secretary of the Church, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, with assistance from the patron of the ministry, Prophet David Kankam Beditor (Ashaiman Area Head and Executive Council Member), Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh (PEMEM Director and Executive Council Member), Pastor Prof. William Otoo Ellis (Children’s Ministry Director) and other ministers of the Church.

The Children’s Ministry was initiated in The Church of Pentecost in 1972 by some illustrious women of the church including Mrs. Margaret Mills.

The Children Ministry has turned 50 this year, and to mark this momentous milestone, the leadership of the ministry has outlined some special activities to observe the anniversary celebration.

The golden jubilee celebration is being held under the theme: “Celebrating 50 Years of God’s Goodness in Equipping Children to Possess the Nations” (Psalm 100:5, Proverbs 22:6) and would be climaxed in September during the annual Children’s Week celebration.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi, in his address, said that the event is a special and historic day in the annals of The Church of Pentecost and the Children’s Ministry in particular.

“The Lord has been good to the Church and ministry. The ministry, which started in the homes of individuals is now a full-fledge ministry playing significant roles in the growth and activities of the Church,” he said.

The General Secretary also commended the ministry for staying true to the objectives for which it was instituted by the forebears, amongst which are to lead children to have personal knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and to teach children the unadulterated word of God.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi also paid a glowing tribute to past and present directors and leaders of the ministry as well as children’s workers for the great work done for the last 50 years.

He also urged adult members to take active part in the golden jubilee celebration to ensure its success, saying: “50 years of God’s goodness is worth celebrating!”

The General Secretary also urged parents and church leaders to prioritise the spiritual growth of the children and be keen on raising godly children.

In a brief speech at the event, Pastor Prof. Ellis expressed gratitude to God for the historic milestone chalked by the Children’s Ministry.                                   

He asserted that, the Lord, through the Children’s Ministry, has raised many great men and women of God who now serve as ambassadors of the ministry in the church and various spheres.

The Director stated that the ministry continues to pursue this mandate as it seeks to raise godly children who grow to become godly adults who would positively impact the Church and the nations.

Pastor Prof. Ellis further noted that, among other things, the Golden Jubilee anniversary celebration would grant the ministry the opportunity to take stock of the work done in the last 50 years, learn from the failures, and strategise for a more glorious future.

“I am overjoyed because the Lord has made it possible for us to see and be a part of the golden jubilee anniversary of the ministry. It is, therefore, a time to celebrate, a time to sacrifice to the Lord, and we want to do it in style with the “50 for 50” evangelistic initiative,” he said.

Throwing more light on the “50 for 50” initiative, which is also the official slogan for the celebration, Prof. Ellis said that to mark 50 years of God’s goodness, the Children’s Ministry in every assembly of the Church is tasked to win and maintain a minimum of 50 children for Christ.

“This would serve as a thanksgiving offering to the Lord for His goodness,” he added.

He further noted that assemblies that are able to achieve the set target would be acknowledged for their efforts and would have their names inscribed on a plaque of honour for posterity to see their noble feat.

Pastor Dr. Ebenezer Tetteh Kpalam, the Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee, in turn, walked the audience through the various activities outlined for the semi-centennial celebration.

The launch ceremony, which was interspersed with song ministrations, scripture recital and other activities, was well patronised by ministers, children and child workers of the Church.

Among the dignitaries present were Elder Lawyer Alfred Aidoo (Deputy Children’s Director) and other National Executive Committee (NEC) members of the ministry. Also in attendance was Apostle Emmanuel Ofei Ankra-Badu (Tema Area Head), former Director of the Children’s Ministry, Prophet Benjamin Adobah (Rtd.), Apostle Johnson Agyemang Baduh (Rtd.).

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Abodom District in the Ashanti Bekwai Area of The Church of Pentecost has organised a Fasting and Prayer Convention for the district’s Children’s Ministry.

The event, which took place on Saturday, May 14, 2022, was initiated by the District Minister, Overseer Noble Dzakah, in partnership with the ministry, to equip the children and children’s workers for maximum impact.

The event was attended by the District Children’s Ministry Leader, Executive Committee Members of the ministry, teachers and some children in the district. The Abodom District Secretary, Elder Alexander Owusu, also participated in the spiritual empowerment programme.

Speaking on the theme “Equipping the Child as an Army to Possess the Nations” based on Matthew 18:1-4, Overseer Dzakah said that it is only those who have a repentant heart like that of a child that could become the greatest in the Kingdom.

Expounding further, the district minister noted that one of the key traits of children that adult Christians must emulate is their forgiving nature.

“Children forgive easily, so to become greatest in the Kingdom, one must have the heart of forgiveness,” he said.

He further stated that: “as we possess the nations, people, including Christians, may offend us. However, Jesus is saying that to become the greatest in His kingdom we must forgive them.”

Overseer Dzakah also advised Christians to repent and desist from all kinds of evil, such as anger, lies, gossip etc., in order to be considered great in the Kingdom.

After the sermon, the district minister led the congregation of about 642 children through a time of fervent prayer during which 45 of the participants were baptised in the Holy Spirit.

To the glory of God, 64 non-members of the church surrendered their lives to Christ at the event. 

Report by Overseer Frank Osei Tutu (Area Media Coordinator)

The Children’s Ministry Director of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Prof. William Otoo Ellis, has advised Christian parents to take proper care of their children in order to appropriate the blessings of God that come with parenting.

“Children are like arrows; if you treat them well, you become a powerful warrior. So, we (parents) can only become powerful if we appropriate the blessings of God the children carry by helping them serve God right from their infancy,” he said.

The Children’s Director said this at the dedication ceremony for the newly-constructed Children’s Auditorium of the Toflokpo Central Assembly last Sunday. 

Speaking on the topic Children: Our Heritage from the Lord, based on Psalm 127: 3-4 and Matthew 18:1-6, Pastor Ellis asserted that children carry the blessing of God.

He, therefore, implored parents, the community and Church to count themselves blessed to have them and accept the responsibility of taking good care of them.

Professor Ellis bemoaned the unpleasant situation where some mature members and church leaders reject or ignore the call to become Children Ministry teachers.

“Let us not leave the children alone to do their own things. Parents should help the Sunday School teachers to take proper care of the Children Ministry,” he charged.

Professor Ellis also advised church leaders to do well to provide suitable places of worship for the children and not to take them for granted.

The children’s auditorium was singlehandedly constructed by the Toflokpo District Minister, Pastor Dickson Baidoo and his wife, Dora, who in obedience to a divine directive put up the facility for the children.

The beautiful edifice, which was constructed at a total cost of GHS 125,000.00, was dedicated by Apostle Emmanuel O. Ankra-Badu (Tema Area Head), with assistance from Evangelist Ohene-Asa Otu (Sefwi-Juaboso Area Head) and the Children’s Ministry Director.

Also present at the colourful event were ministers and wives in the Tema Area, traditional leaders, as well as the officers and members of the Toflokpo District and other nearby districts.

Report by Pastor Boachie-Ansah, For Tema Area Media Team

For many years, the children of the Central Assembly in the Toflokpo District of The Church of Pentecost met under a Neem tree for Sunday School. But now, they can heave a sigh of relief because their District Minister, Pastor Isaac Dickson Baidoo, and his wife, Dora, have singlehandedly built them a suitable place of worship.

The beautiful edifice, which was constructed at a GHS 125,000.00, was dedicated last Sunday by Apostle Emmanuel O. Ankra-Badu (Tema Area Head), with assistance from Evangelist Ohene-Asa Otu (Sefwi-Juaboso Area Head) and the Children’s Ministry Director, Pastor Professor Otoo Ellis.

Also present at the colourful event were ministers and wives in the Tema Area, traditional leaders, as well as the officers and members of the Toflokpo District and other nearby districts.

Recounting the genesis of the project at the ceremony, Mrs Dora Baidoo, a tutor at the Bonikope School Complex, said it all began one Sunday morning in 2019 when she was on her way to church. As she got closer to the auditorium, she saw the children gathered under the tree where they usually held their meetings. Suddenly, it began to rain, so the children had to carry their benches into the main church auditorium for shelter. As she looked on at the unpleasant situation, she heard a voice saying: “What will you do about this situation?” However, she did not respond and ignored the voice.

Three weeks later, she heard the voice again, “Won’t you do what I told you about the Children’s place of worship?”

“This time I responded and said that I am only a teacher by profession and did not have enough money for such a project. But the voice assured me that I would have enough money when I commenced it,” she narrated.

After the experience, Mrs. Baidoo became nervous and immediately shared what had happened with her husband, who encouraged her with the word of God in Haggai 2:8 and Psalm 127:1. He also assured her of his support for the project.

Pastor Baidoo summoned the District Executive Committee to inform them about the project. They also assured the couple of their unflinching support.

On hearing the ambitions project, the then Area Head, Apostle Matthew Larbi Wettey (now retired) offered words of encouragement to the couple and performed the sod-cutting ceremony for its commencement in April 2020.

The project continued steadily but was later halted due to financial constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, just as the Lord had assured her of His provision for the project, Mrs Baidoo received a breakthrough.

According to Mrs. Baidoo, she felt some pain in her leg and visited the hospital for treatment but to no avail. A friend introduced her to a herbal medicine that completely healed her of the ailment.

“One day, in my sleep, I had a strange dream in which my husband was encouraging me to be a sales agent for the herbal medicine. So, when I woke up, I contacted the manufacturer and signed up as a sales agent,” she said.

Mrs. Baidoo said the decision served as a major turning point as it provided her additional income to push the project until its successful completion.

Pastor and Mrs. Baidoo are very grateful to God for His faithfulness and for helping them to provide a suitable place for worship for the children.

They are hopeful that the edifice would help boost children’s attendance at Sunday School.

Dedicating the building, Apostle Emmanuel Ofei Ankra-Badu thanked the Baidoo family for bearing such a great vision, which is worthy of emulation. He charged the leadership of the church to take good care of the building and engage in aggressive evangelism to win more children in the community for Christ. 

Moved by the gesture, the Area Children’s Ministry pledged to install a flatscreen TV in the facility for the children to facilitate teaching and learning of the word of God.

Report by Pastor Boachie-Ansah (Tema Area Media Team)

The Alajo District Children’s Ministry of The Church of Pentecost in La  Area has organised fun games for children in the community.

The event which took place at the Alajo Central Park on Monday, March 7, 2022, saw the children going through physical activities like aerobics, soccer, table tennis, lime and spoon, bouncy castle, oware, chess, and draft, among others.

In an interview, the District Children’s Leader,  Elder Eric Padi Nyabey, noted that the games were organised for the children to exercise their bodies, have fun and socialise.

“These games will help the children to build their psychosocial, physical and emotional development,” he added.

He indicated that the event will go a long way to improve the physical, psychological and mental health of the children.

He stated: “The session is a great deal for most children since they do not have the opportunity to explore other areas aside their academics.

He called on other children workers to emulate their example and bring variety into the Children’s Ministry activities.

Report by Gina Akua Padi.