Posts in category: Church News

The most effective way a leader can impact and transform people is to lead by example, Apostle Derek Kwaning Mireku, Agona Swedru Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, has said.

Apostle Derek Mireku said this during his annual engagement with the staff of the five centers of Compassion International Ghana in the Agona Swedru Area.

Speaking on the topic: ‘Unleashed in Spirit and in Truth to Transform Generations,” the Swedru Area Head emphasised the need for children workers to advance Kingdom values and principles in all their engagements with the youth and children.

He cautioned against questionable lifestyles and urged them to be accountable in their dealings with Compassion International and The Church of Pentecost.

Apostle Mireku observed that as representatives of the church and Compassion International, the staff are strategically placed to be ambassadors of Christ and the two institutions.

He called on them to exhibit a great level of integrity in their dealings with beneficiaries and their guardians.

Touching on the unleashing mandate of the church, Apostle Mireku said the church is God’s power instrument to effect transformation in every sphere of life. “Thus, if we do not go out there, spheres will remain untransformed,” Apostle Mireku iterated, adding that “God is counting on us representing Him well.”

He pleaded with the staff to focus on forming Christ in the people under their care while advancing their social well-being.

Apostle Mireku posited that compassion is about the heart of Christ, and that is the total well-being of the spirit, soul, or body.

“The best way to impact and transform the body, soul, and spirit is by being an example to others in word and deeds,” he stated.

The annual engagement is held every December for the centers to brief the Area Head of their activities and also share best practices amongst themselves.

This year’s meeting was held at the Nyakrom Central Assembly auditorium. In attendance were the seven pastors, including the host minister, Pastor William Ofosu Asiamah, Pastor George Osei-Asiedu (Area Secretary), Pastor Nathaniel Asare (Area Children’s Ministry Leaders), and Pastor Paul Obuobi (Area PENTSOS Coordinator).

Report by Agona Swedru Area Media.

The Church of Pentecost, a global Pentecostal church with millions of members across over 151 nations, is undergoing a digital transformation agenda to achieve its vision of ‘Possessing the Nations’ and transforming lives with godly principles and values. 

The church recognises the need to adopt modern technology to improve efficiency, productivity, and ministry decisions.

This was revealed by the IT Manager at The Church of Pentecost General Headquarters, Pastor Paul Odai Laryea, on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, during the annual Head Office Management and Staff Retreat underway at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) near Kasoa.

According to Pastor Laryea, the digital transformation agenda addresses the church’s current and future IT challenges, such as integrating systems and processes, scaling up operations, ensuring security and compliance, accessing and utilising data, and enabling remote work and collaboration.

“The vision of this digital transformation is clear – strategically positioning the church on a robust digital path, aligning with its mission to possess the nations and transform lives with godly principles,” he said. 

He added: “The mission is to sharpen the church’s digital edge, placing it on high-tech wheels, reshaping processes for data-driven information systems governance, and equipping ministers, staff, lay leaders, and all members to embrace technological advancements.” 

He stressed that the ultimate goal is to utilise these advancements to reach more souls, raise leaders, establish churches, make disciples, and exemplify Christ-like character globally.

According to him, the church’s goals include the digitalisation of administrative functions, the acquisition of advanced systems, the expansion of IT infrastructure, policy documentation, information sharing, and skills training.

He explained that to increase productivity and corporate flexibility, the church is focused on automating various operations at different levels, streamlining reporting processes, and improving communication across church levels and among its workforce.

PENTERP System and Beyond

Central to this digital overhaul is the ‘PENTERP’ system, featuring a Financial Management System, Inventory Management System, Human Resources Management System, Asset Management System, and Project Management System.

Beyond PENTERP, the church is adopting various systems such as Church Management, Appraisal, Conference, and Ministerial Interview Management, along with integrating Microsoft 365, a Geographical Information System, Online Store, Job Portal, Document Management System, Online Payment System, and more.

Infrastructure Enhancement Initiatives

The church is actively investing in acquiring advanced systems, state-of-the-art IT devices for its offices, a central server to support a distributed computing environment, and improvements to its network infrastructure.

Pastor Odai Laryea emphasised: “As we digitalise our church’s operations, we are not just upgrading systems, but we are elevating our mission to possess nations.”

He indicated that the church is prioritising policy documentation, advanced IT security measures, and comprehensive skills training to align IT best practices with ministry goals.

He noted that digital transformation is not merely about technology but a strategic shift in delivering the message.

“As we embark on this digital transformation, we are not changing our message; we are changing how we deliver it to meet our congregation where they are in the digital age,” he said.

This ambitious initiative positions The Church of Pentecost as a forward-thinking institution ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the digital era, ensuring its messages reach a global audience effectively.

PENTECOST NEWS

The Bawku Area of The Church of Pentecost organized the third edition of the all-night service on Friday, December 8, 2023, at the Zebilla Central Assembly auditorium.

The service aimed to introduce the officers to the new strategic vision of the Church, “Vision 2028,” and the theme for the upcoming year, 2024.

The event featured various activities, including learning the theme song, a presentation on Vision 2028, group discussions, seeking the best way to own and implement the vision, and intensive intercessory prayers. The group discussions allowed officers to share their perspectives, exchange ideas, and seek clarity on how best to implement the vision within their respective roles.

During the service, officers received a detailed understanding of Vision 2028 and were, therefore, encouraged to align their efforts and work towards its fulfilment.

According to the Area Head, Pastor Eric Gyacham, the 2024 theme, “A People of God Unleashed to Transform their World,” serves as a guiding principle or focus area for the church’s activities throughout the year and as a build-up to the actualisation of the overarching vision.

Intensive prayers were subsequently offered for the church in general and for the Area in particular, especially for the upcoming Christmas convention. The prophetic messages and songs received during such an intimate time were indications of the immense presence of the Lord.

The event served as a significant gathering for officers to familiarize themselves with Vision 2028 and the theme for the year 2024.

Through group discussions and shared insights, officers strengthened their commitment to the church’s goals, explored effective ways to implement the vision in their respective roles, and offered intensive prayers for the actualisation of the vision.

Report by Bawku Area Media Team

The newly-constructed church building of the Wawabile Assembly in the Bole District of The Church of Pentecost has been dedicated.

The building was dedicated on Friday, December 8, 2023, by the Sawla Area Head, Pastor Frederick Obboh.

The Wawabile Assembly, formerly known as Lamporga No. 1, was one of the assemblies which was opened at the time when the present Sawla Area had not yet been carved from the Wa Area.

The assembly, which started with few members, has now grown into a big church.

The members of the assembly, during its early years, worshipped under a tree and later moved into a temporal structure until 2021 when the then Area Head for Sawla, Apostle William Ohemeng-Kwakye, cut the sod for a permanent church building to be put up for the assembly. This was during the tenure of Pastor Kwaku Amponsah and Elder Emmanuel Yitah, as District Minister  and Presiding Elder, respectively.

Apostle William Ohemeng-Kwakye laid the foundation stone for the building on Friday, July 9, 2021, when the building reached a habitable stage.

This great foundation was built upon by the immediate-past Area Head, Apostle David Amankwaa, whose hard work saw the building project progress near completion.

Through the instrumentality of Pastor Frederick Obboh, the current Area Head, the building which is situated on a five-acre land, has been completed successfully to the glory of God.

Delivering the sermon at the dedication service on the topic: “Keep the Fire Burning,” the Sawla Area Secretary, Pastor Benjamin Addo-Boateng, with scripture references from Leviticus 6:13, touched on the need to have the presence of God among the people.

He noted that the church building serves as the symbol of the presence and a place of worship for the Almighty.

Pastor Addo-Boateng emphasised that the presence of God is influenced by the fire, who is the Holy Spirit.

He, therefore, charged members to make the church building a house of God where prayer and worship will be offered unto the Lord daily.

“The Lord admonished the Levites to keep the fire burning on the altar daily to ensure the continuous presence of the Lord which will take away sin and bring redemption to the lost and the captive,” he said.

In a brief remark, emphasised that leaders must ensure that the house of the Lord is made a safe haven where distress people can find solace in the Lord.

This, he noted, could be achieved, only when there is constant prayer in the church, proclamation of life-transforming unadulterated word of God, effective church services, and intentional discipling of converts to ground them in the faith, and unleashed to transform their sphere of influence with values, life-style, and principles of the kingdom of God.

 The Area Head admonished ministers to be filled with the Holy Spirit, for the priest in the New Testament is a carrier of God’s glory, adding that, glory must be edified to bring out spontaneous worship and sacrifices among the members who are the beholders of the glory of God which now resides in the priest.

Dedicating the church building, which has an attached children’s auditorium, Pastor Obboh expressed profound gratitude to the leadership of the Church for providing the funds for the project

He alao thanked his predecessors, Apostles; William Ohemeng-Kwakye, and David Amankwaa for their hard work and judicious use of resources.

On his part, the Bole-Customs District Minister, P/Overseer Samuel Obeng, thanked all past district ministers and all others who contributed in diverse ways towards the successful completion of the project

Present at the dedication service were Mrs. Joana Mina Obboh (Wife of the Area Head), ministers in the Area and the Area Deacon, Elder Pourimah.

Report by Overseer Jones Dwomoh Amankwah (Mandari District)