Evangelism As An Emergency Service – Apostle Dr Col. Kumi-Woode To Christians web

Evangelism Is Emergency Service – Apostle Dr Col. Kumi-Woode To Christians

Apostle Dr Col. B. K. Kumi-Woode, the Director of Airforce Religious Affairs, has called on Christians to see November, which has been declared as ‘Aggressive Evangelism Month,’ as a call for emergency service for the Lord. 

Speaking at the launch of the Ashaiman Area One-Member-One Discipled Soul on Sunday, October 29, 2023, at the James McKeown Temple, Apostle Dr Col. Kumi-Woode likened the Christian to the Fire Service personnel, who is always ready on standby for emergencies of any fire outbreak. 

“The Fire Service personnel knows that his work is of an emergency nature, so he is always ready, and their equipment is also ready to be called upon any time. They are never taken unaware,” he said, stressing, “This should be the attitude of Christians as well.” 

Speaking on the theme, “Snatch others from the fire and save them,” Jude 1:23a, he called on believers to move into action during the Aggressive Evangelism Month, saying God is counting on them to save the world.

He said that soul-winning is not assigned to angels but to believers who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. 

Stressing further, he said: “We as believers are fire service operators, for sinners are in fire because they are under the control of the devil. Their lives are being destroyed, and for such, we need to rescue them.”

He asked believers to realise that the devil is also in emergency service, driving many into hell, so the Christian emergency service must come in. He reminded Christians that the end of the wicked is severe, and they must not allow any sinner to die in their sin, for that will make God a loser because one of his creations has found his way to hell. 

“We should not allow people to become evangelists after death as was the case of the rich man in the Bible (Luke 13:19-31), and we must ensure we do everything possible to snatch them from the devil’s burning fire.” 

In his military element, he charged the members with the command, “Just go. Preach the word, proclaim the truth, for unbelievers surround us, and we ought to preach the word.” 

He added: “You don’t need to memorise many scriptures before you can preach; you can also use just one scripture to preach Christ. Use your testimony as a reference point to preach, and we will win the world for Christ.” 

He indicated that the return of Jesus Christ is imminent, making evangelism an emergency service. 

The Area Evangelism Leader, Pastor Alexander Mireku, speaking on behalf of the Area Head and Chairman of the Area Evangelism Coordinating Team, said the One-Member-One-Discipled Soul drive is a deliberate action to be taken by every member of the church to evangelise about Jesus Christ. 

Quoting Elton Blueblood, who said: “Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus,” he called on members to engage in all forms of evangelism, stressing the use of digital, tracts, placards, house-to-house, testimonial evangelism, street, schools, and market, among others. 

Present at the function were all ministers and wives from the Area, Presiding Elders, Districts Executive Committee Members, and Ministries Executive Committee Members from the local to the Area level.  

Report by Ashaiman Area Media Team.

WHY IS SIN GROWING AROUND THE WORLD DESPITE THE INCREASING NUMBER OF CHURCHES WEB

Why Is Sin Growing Around The World Despite The Increasing Number Of Churches?

Sin will continue to grow every year, and there will even be new inventions of sin until the church truly rises to her prophetic mandate, summed up in Acts 26:15-19. The church has the divine power to STOP sin from growing. That power is released in the following ways, which cumulatively express the church as salt and light to a corrupt and dark world:

Every Christian should read at least one chapter of the Bible a day and pray for at least 1 hour a day to generate divine power (strength, boldness, courage, wisdom, joy, truth, etc.). This is where our quest for maximum impact starts. If this is not happening, we will only be engaged in what I call “Genetically Modified Impact” (GMI) – an impact that is transient, minimal, or mediocre at best.

Christians, walking in the power generated (as explained earlier), should walk in forgiveness towards each other to promote reconciliation and a united force against the dark world. Christians must know that our fellow Christians are not our enemies, although carnal ones can be used by Satan to give us a hell of spiritual warfare and troubles. The religion of the other sons of Abraham started spreading 600 years after Christ ascended into heaven simply because the church at the time was fighting one another about doctrine – as to whether one can be saved just by faith – something Christ had earlier made abundantly clear. Our impact can easily be sabotaged by bitterness and politicking within local churches, etc. These are strategic approaches by the devil to distract Christians from maximizing our impact within our various spheres and communities of influence.

Christians, walking by the divine power, boldly live by the voice of God in their hearts through the Spirit as we meditate on the Bible. The Holy Spirit also delivers the voice of God to our hearts through other means that do not contradict the nature and work of Christ revealed through the Bible. Living by the voice of God comes with huge persecution, but by the power of the Spirit, we stand. As we stand, over time, many others seeing our great impact and the prosperity we enjoy despite persecution are drawn to the light of Christ in our lives (Isaiah 60:1-3). This trend is supported by the Social Impact Theory (SIT). Indeed, the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church. If we are scared to be persecuted and even to die for standing by the truth, we can hardly maximize our impact. Jesus said, “Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone” (John 12:24-26).

Christians, by the power of the Spirit, should remain focused on interceding in prayer to scatter the darkness of falsehood, manipulation, deception, etc. in the hearts of people. We must build networks with all kinds of people without condemning them. We must share the Gospel with everyone we encounter and call them to repent (turn from sin to Christ). After they come to Christ, we must continue to pray for them to be established, like Paul did to the churches (Galatians 4:19). A great mistake is to tell people to change before coming to Christ. That is not possible. We must tell them to come to Christ to receive the divine power to change. The worst mistake is to complain about the lifestyle of people and continue to condemn them instead of praying for them, reaching out to them with the Gospel, and painstakingly discipling and mentoring them in Christ.

If we examine ourselves and our local churches within the framework of these four points, we will easily realize the reason behind our individual minimal or mediocre impact in turning people from the power of sin to the power of Christ. Once our individual impact is minimal, it also means our “Corporate Ecclesiastical Impact” (CEI), as I call it, will also be minimal or mediocre. The vice versa is also true. May the Lord have mercy on us and help us.

Written by Apostle S. K. Fianko-Larbi

THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST HEADQUARTERS STAFF ACQUIRE SKILLS IN CRUCIAL COMMUNICATION web

The Church Of Pentecost Headquarters Staff Acquire Skills In Crucial Communication

Management and Staff of The Church of Pentecost General Headquarters have undergone a week-long training programme to sharpen their skills in crucial communication.

The training sessions, which began on October 23 and ended on November 1, 2023, sought to equip the staff with the requisite skills and knowledge for effective interpersonal and professional communication to help them navigate difficult conversations, build stronger relationships, and achieve better outcomes in various aspects of their personal and professional lives.

In all, a total of 196 staff benefited from the exercise, which BeiroConsult, an Accra-based management training consultancy firm, facilitated. 

The Director of the Counselling Ministry of the church, Apostle Dr Philip Osei-Korsah, whose outfit initiated the training programme, in an interview with Pentecost News, noted that crucial communication, which borders on relational conversation on matters that are critical and difficult to discuss, is vital to ensuring high productivity at the workplace and enhancing one’s social life. 

He explained that the exercise was meant to help management and staff acquire the skills to communicate and handle thorny issues for mutual benefit.

Apostle Dr Osei-Korsah added that the training was based on two dimensions – workplace productivity and social life enhancements, which are expected to help them better manage various aspects of their social lives.

To realise the full benefits of the training, he urged the beneficiaries to practice the skills they acquired at home and workplace. 

Some staff who spoke with Pentecost News expressed their delight to management for putting together the training.

According to them, the exercise has helped them acquire skills in dealing with difficult conversations, conflict resolution, assertiveness, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and adaptability, among others.

They called for such training programmes to be organised regularly to build their communication skills.

PENTECOST NEWS

Go And Make Disciples Of All Nations web

“Go And Make Disciples Of All Nations!” – New Tafo Area Relaunches One Member; One Discipled Soul Project

The New Tafo Area of The Church of Pentecost has relaunched the Area’s “One Member; One Discipled Soul” project with a call on Christians, particularly members of the Church, to vociferously preach the Gospel to rescue others from the clutches of sin, and disciple them for Christ.

Launching the event on Friday, November 3, 2023, during the Area’s monthly prayer meeting dubbed: “Divine Encounter” at the Sepe-Buokrom Revival Centre, the Area Head, Prophet Samuel Tetteh Doku, read from Matthew 28:18-20, and charged all members to be deeply involved in the soul winning assignment.

He emphasised that soul winning is the prime duty of every believer, urging the congregants to intensify their evangelistic efforts to win more souls into the Kingdom of God as the month of November has been set for rigorous soul winning at all levels of The Church of Pentecost.

The New Tafo Area Head stressed that it is not just enough for Christians to preach the Gospel to the unsaved, but rather win, nurture and integrate them into the body of Christ.

“If nothing else, you must endeavour to win just one soul and disciple him for Christ,” he tasked.

After the launch, the congregants who could not hide their joy happily sang and danced to the glory of God for they were poised to reach out to the unsaved with the Gospel message of Christ.

Present at the event were Mrs. Victoria Tetteh Doku (Wife of the Area Head), the Area Pastorate and their spouses, among others.

Report Emmanuel Nana Nsiah

Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Launches One Member, One Discipled Soul web

Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Launches “One Member, One Discipled Soul” Project

The Anyaa-Ablekuma Area of The Church of Pentecost, led by Apostle William Ohemeng-Kwakye, on Sunday, October 23, 2023, launched this year’s aggressive evangelism month initiative, dubbed “One Member, One Discipled Soul.”

The project, initiated by the church through the Evangelism Ministry, dedicates the month of November to aggressive evangelism nationwide.

During a leadership training program organized for all presiding elders and Area and District Ministry executives ahead of the month, Apostle Ohemeng-Kwakye preached on the theme: “What Do You See, Man of God?” inspired by Jeremiah 1:10-12, 2 Kings 6:16, 17, and Genesis 16:13.

He encouraged leaders to be visionary leaders and not outdated or wheelbarrow-typed leaders who are always pushed to act.

He charged the house that they are leaders of city churches; hence, they should strive to “see well.”

The Area Head also mentioned that God has called and appointed leaders to win souls for Himself and needed to see themselves as such.

He also announced that every local assembly within the Area is tasked to win at least 21 souls during the period.

Apostle Ohemeng-Kwakye advised presiding elders and ministry leaders to be skillful in discharging their duties.

Following his presentation was Pastor Frank Awuah Fordjour, a coopted National Executive Committee (NEC) member of the Evangelism Ministry and the Agape District Minister, who shed more light on the activities to be embarked upon during the month.

These activities include house-to-house evangelism, personal evangelism, market evangelism, bus evangelism, street evangelism, ministry to prostitutes, sports evangelism, dawn broadcasting, ministry to the ghettos, water and Holy Spirit baptisms, etc.

During the launch ceremony, the Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Head requested all present to be intentional about winning back backsliders during the month.

Members present spontaneously burst into speaking in tongues at the end of the launch to demonstrate how poised they were to win the lost souls for Christ.

In attendance were Mrs. Comfort Ohemeng-Kwakye (Wife of the Area Head), the area pastorate, Area and District ministry leaders, and presiding elders. In all, 207 persons participated in the launch ceremony.

Report by Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Media Team

Jamasi For Christ Mega Crusade Yields 55 Souls web

Jamasi For Christ Mega Crusade Yields 55 Souls

The ‘Jamasi for Christ’ Crusade, organised by the Jamasi District of The Church of Pentecost in Mampong Area, saw 55 people giving their lives to Jesus Christ.

Twenty-eight of the souls won were baptised in water, while 27 received the Holy Spirit baptism.

The five-day mega crusade held at the Jamasi Community Centre from October 23-27, 2023, was under the theme: “Jesus came to set the captives free” – Luke 4:18-19.

Hosted by Pastor Emmanuel Tete Yeboah Asare (Jamasi District Minister), speakers included Apostle Samuel K. Asare (Mampong Area Head), Pastor Richard Asare-Drah (Agona District), Pastor Samuel Aidoo (Area Evangelism Leader) and Pastor Nyarko Koomson (Nsuta District). 

By the grace of God, many people received their healing and breakthroughs. 

A woman who had been struggling with sight and had sought medical attention for several years regained her sight instantly when she was prayed for.

The crusade ended on Saturday with a free medical screening, which the community people patronised in their numbers.

Report by Patrick Ntiamoah.

Winneba Area Relaunches “One Member, One Discipled Soul” Evangelism Drive web

Winneba Area Relaunches “One Member, One Discipled Soul” Evangelism Drive

The Winneba Area of The Church of Pentecost relaunched the “One Member, One Discipled Soul” aggressive evangelistic drive for the month of November.

The event, which took place at the Hallelujah Temple on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, was chaired by the Area Head, Apostle Daniel Nii Tetteh Tackie, with assistance from Pastor Prince Duvorn Daniels-Hortsoe (Area Evangelism Ministry Leader), and the Area pastorate.

Apostle Tackie, the Area Head, delivered a powerful message centred on the theme “Go tell them, we are going home,”

Preaching on the theme: “Go Tell Them, We Are Going Home,” and drawing inspiration from biblical references such as Matthew 28:18-20, Hebrews 11:13, Romans 3:24, John 1:14, Leviticus 9:23-24, 2 Peter 1:4, Hebrews 2:10-11, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and John 17:5-6, 22, Apostle Tackie urged the members to share the glory of God with their fellow brothers and sisters, many of whom have strayed from this divine radiance.

He encouraged them to bring these lost souls back home, assuring them that Jesus Christ would be with them to perform miraculous deeds.

Apostle Tackie stated that, as stated in Romans 3:24, sin had deprived humanity of the glory of God.

He defined the glory of God as encompassing God’s beauty, power, honour, and the quality of His character, stressing that by “going home,” they were seeking the glory of God.

He elucidated that one beholds the glory of God by believing in Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour, drawing parallels with the experience of Peter, James, and John witnessing the glory of Jesus Christ during His transfiguration.

Apostle Tackie noted that this glory now resides within believers and will soon be fully revealed.

Apostle Tackie reminded the congregation that they are merely temporary residents on Earth, encouraging them to reach out to others with the message that they are going to their eternal home, referencing John 14:2, where Jesus promises to prepare a place for His followers.

He concluded his message with an urgent call to action, stressing the importance of spreading the word, as time is running out.

He also implored the congregation to engage in evangelism with unwavering determination, sharing the message “we are going home” with all those they encounter.

This aggressive evangelism exercise, “One Member, One Discipled Soul,” has been relaunched with the ultimate goal of bringing glory to God and winning more souls for Him, reflecting the dedication and enthusiasm of the people.

Report by Winneba Area Media Team

Ayigya District Retires 5 Gallant Officers web

Ayigya District Retires 5 Gallant Officers

The Ayigya District in the Bompata Area of The Church of Pentecost on October 29, 2023 organised a retirement service for five officers who have served the church meritoriiusly for several years.

They are Elder Hope Appiah, who served for 42 years (1981-2023); Deaconess Mary  Saa Mansah, who served for 30 years (1993-2023); Deaconess Florence Appiah, who served for 33 years (1990-2023); Deaconess Margaret Donkor, who served for 43 years (1980-2023); and Deaconess Comfort Boakye, who served for 27 years (1996-2023).

The glorious event, which took place at the Safo Memorial Temple, was chaired by the Bompata Area Head, Apostle V. K Asamoah.

Preaching on the theme: “Fight the Good Fight, Keep the Faith, Finish the Race” with scripture references from 2 Timothy 4:1-5, 7-8, the Bompata Area Head congratulated the retirees for their selfless service to God and the church over the years and advised active officers to emulate the exemplary qualities of sacrifice, commitment, humility, hard work, perseverance, and a strong prayer life exhibited by the retired officers.

He emphasised that once someone is called into a leadership or ministry position, they should serve with a clear mind and heart to receive God’s blessings.

Apostle Asamoah also encouraged the retired officers to continue contributing to the advancement of God’s kingdom even in retirement by participating in church meetings.

Present at the service were Apostle R. K. Andoh (Essam-Debiso Area Head), Apostle D. Y. Nsaful (Old Tafo Area Head), Pastor Ernest Addo (Kentikrono District Minister), Pastor E. D Annor (Rtd.) and Mrs. Kyei Mensah.

Report by Elder Immanuel Asamoah Maclean

THE NEW MONTH TREND1 web

The New Month Trend

The months, January to December, are all filled with God’s provisions, protections, and privileges for His sons and daughters. God does not modulate His standards, precepts, and principles towards us just because some hold the opinion that attached to each month is a unique numerological index that has the propelling capacity to release a special blessing and unhindered fortune.

It is instructive to state that all months are the same, and any attempt to associate certain months with happenings and events is not only unbiblical but also unwholesome for Christian growth.

There’s a subtle inroad made by some “cults” who seek extra-biblical revelations by forcefully mapping certain perceived blessings, breakthroughs, miracles, and encounters to every month.

Such a phenomenon is gradually taking root in the lives of “weak believers,” especially because of its global and contemporary dominance via social and traditional media. Unfortunately, its acceptance is widespread because of its perceived consequential harmlessness.

Against such faith-wrecking onslaught, the Apostle Paul writes: “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” (Colossians 2:8-10, NLT)

The focus is to clandestinely replace faith in Christ with faith in superstitions—an attempt to systematically deconstruct faith in Christ Jesus.

In my humble submission, I opine that every new month provides for us:

The opportunity to reflect on how our walk with God could improve by letting our roots grow down into Him and letting our lives be built on Him. Then our faith will grow strong in the truth we were taught, and we will overflow with thankfulness. (Emphasis is mine) (Col. 2:7 – NLT)

A space to live and instill the kingdom values. This we do with the help of the Holy Spirit:

a. Not plotting conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey.

b. Not devouring the innocent.

c. Not seizing someone’s treasures.

d. Not extorting wealth.

e. Not adding to the tallies of widows, orphans, oppressed, neglected, etc., in the land.

f. Not utterly disrespecting the value of life.

CONCLUSION

Thanking and appreciating God for ushering us into a new month and further trusting in His faithfulness for the ensuing month is godly and biblical. The matter of concern I am urging us all to consider is the unbridled desire to wantonly dissipate the treasure chest of our faith, which is hinged on Christ rather than empty philosophies and sophisticated worldly manipulations.

COLOSSIANS 2:20-23 (NLT):

“You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, ‘Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!’? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

It is the wall of righteousness that guards the land, but not the strict adherence to a temporary and deteriorating elemental trend. It is all about Jesus, but not a new month. All months are the same.

Written by Pastor Simon Afful (The Church of Pentecost – Madagascar)

Pastor And His Family Support Students With Educational Materials web

Pastor And His Family Support Students With Educational Materials

As part of their commitment towards the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda of The Church of Pentecost through community and livelihood development, the Buipe District Minister in the Kintampo Area of the church, Pastor Eric Owusu and his family have donated educational materials to support all Junior High School (JHS 1) students in the Buipe Circuit of the Central Gonja District of the Savannah Region. 

In all, 750 students benefited from the gesture by the pastor and his family, receiving five books each and a pen at a total cost of GH¢8,700.00. 

Both public and private schools in the area benefited from the donation, which took place on October 20, 2023, at the Buipe Central Auditorium of The Church of Pentecost.

The Central Gonja District Director of the Ghana Education Service, Mrs Veronica Tampour-Kuupol, who chaired the event, encouraged students to take their studies seriously and avoid deviant behaviours that can endanger their future. 

She appreciated Pastor Eric Owusu and his family for their kind gesture. 

“Thank you, and God bless you. We look forward to receiving more,” she said. 

Representatives of the beneficiary schools took turns to show their appreciation to the pastor and his family.

The Director of the Benkrom Pentecost Child and Youth Development Centre, Mr Felix Donkor, applauded the donors for such an impactful initiative. He also pleaded with other individuals to emulate the gesture of the pastor.

In a brief interview with the media, Pastor Eric Owusu said the gesture was a way he and his family can contribute to the educational needs of the children in the community. 

“It is a way of motivating these young ones to take their academics seriously,” he stated.

Mrs Esther Owusu, the wife of the district pastor who is also the headmistress of Buipe Higher Height JHS, added that the donation sought to bring relief to some families, especially those affected by the recent floods in the community. 

“Jesus preached, taught, healed and fed the people,” she said, adding, “As his disciples, we must also replicate what our Master did.”

In attendance were students, the clergy from the Local Council of Churches, church members, opinion leaders, various stakeholders, teachers and officials from the District Education Office.

Report by Buipe District Media Team.