The Church of Pentecost Relaunches Ministry to Teens

by with No Comment Church NewsTop StoriesYouth Ministry

In the advent of repackaging the activities of teenagers in The Church of Pentecost, the Youth Ministry, on Sunday, May 28, 2022, relaunched teen ministry. This was necessitated to help transition teens from the Children’s Ministry of the Church into the mainstream church through the Youth Ministry.

The ceremony, held at the Sophia McKeown Temple (SMT), near the Church’s Head Office, at La, in Accra, was chaired by Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang-Bekoe, International Missions Director of the Church.

The Patron of the Youth Ministry of the Church, who doubles as the Koforidua Area Head of the Church, Apostle Samuel Osei Asante, thanked and commended the efforts of the various predecessors of the leadership of the Ministry, who stood in to ensure a strong foothold in the Church.

“When it comes to focusing on the ministry to the teens in the Church, we cannot forget the great work done by Apostle Peter Ayerakwa (Rtd.), during the times of Pentecost Youth and Evangelistic Movement (PENTYEM); Apostle Dr. Alfred Koduah (Rtd.), when he was a District Pastor in Tema, in his book which highlighted and drew the attention of the Church, to the importance of ministering to the teens,” he stated.

He recalled the Church’s current statistics released through the State-of-the-Church address delivered by Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church, at the recently held 17th Extraordinary Council Meetings. He noted that the youth membership of the Church, as at 2021, stood at, 1,438,507, making up 43% of the membership of the Church.

“Together with children under 13 years, the percentage of young people in the Church is 75%. Out of the Youth Ministry’s membership, teenagers make up 45% whilst 55% are young adults,” he pointed out.

Stressing on the role of the church in possessing the nations, Apostle Asante said that there was the need to equip the teens and young adults who make up a large portion of the Church.

The Koforidua Area Head of the Church, further urged the leadership of the youth ministry to revitalize and develop strategies that reaches out to the teens in the church, since major decisions in their lives are made during this period.

“I use this opening to appeal to Area Heads, District Ministers, Presiding Elders and parents, to give maximum support to the ministry to teens,” he said, stressing on the fact that the stability of the relaunch, greatly relied on them.

The Executive Council Member of the Church, used the occasion to also officially launch the Church’s Skills Training Program. This, he asserted falls in line with the five-year strategic vision of the Church, which seeks to encourage and intensify career advisory and counselling services in the youth. 

On his part, the Youth Director of the Ministry, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, revealed that the rational for the relaunch, was as a result of early teenagers encountering difficulties adjusting to the context of what is preached, during their transition from the Children’s Ministry into the adult church and into the Youth Ministry.

“Owing to the major transition teens are going through (the transition from childhood to adulthood, which is the first major transition in life), teenagers need a lot of support and help,” he further reiterated.

Pastor Hagan also, admonished that, teenagers are most vulnerable to societal pressure, including peer pressure, which they are often ill-equipped to handle; adding: “to assist the teens through this period, we should do all that is possible through the union of divine and human agencies to meet their unmet needs which includes equipping them to overcome such pressures.

Notably, Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe, International Missions Director of the Church, re-launching the ministry to teens, stated that irrespective of the age of Samuel, he was employed in the temple of the Lord; working with a piety of mind. Therefore, it is imperative for teens in the Church, to be fully employed in the services of the Lord, regardless of their age.

“Young people who serve God, as well as they can, the Lord will enable them to improve that they may serve Him better,” he reemphasized, and led the participants in an intensive time of prayers.

Present were Prophet David Kankam Beditor, (RCC, Coordinator for Greater Accra, and Patron of the Children’s Ministry), Apostle John Amaniampong, (La Area Head), Apostle Daniel K. Noble-Atsu (Rtd.), (a former Director of the Youth Ministry), Apostle Peter Ayerakwa (Rtd.), (a former Director of Pentecost Men’s Ministry) and his wife, current and former members of the National Executive Committee of the Youth Ministry.

Also, gracing the occasion were Mrs. Philomena Mireku (Women’s Ministry Director), Elder Lawyer Alfred Aidoo (Deputy Director of the Children’s Ministry), Rev. Dr. Silasi Agyin-Asare (Youth Director of Perez Chapel), representative of One Hope Ghana, AWANA, International Sports Academy (USA), and Compassion Ghana, Youth workers and youth members, especially teenagers from all over the region flooded the auditorium to witness the occasion.

PENTECOST NEWS

Kwahu Kotoso Church Building Dedicated

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The Kotoso Assembly in the Kwahu Tafo District of The Church of Pentecost on Sunday, May 29, 2022, dedicated its church building to the glory of God.

A short dedication service was conducted by Prophet Foster Kwasi Aniakwaa, Nkawkaw Area Head of the Church, assisted by Overseer Francis Cobbinah, District Minister of Kwahu Tafo.

In attendance was Hon. Isaac Agyarpong, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Kwahu East District, who doubles as Kwahu Tafo District Finance Committee Chairman of the church.

Also present were Mrs. Grace Aniakwaa, wife of Nkawkaw Area Head of the Church and the Area Pastorate, among others.

PENSA Gets First Church Building After 42 Years

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Forty-two years after its inception, the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) has recorded its first permanent place of worship following the dedication of the PENSA-Takoradi Technical University (TTU) church auditorium by the Takoradi Area Head, Apostle Joseph Assabil,

The historic event, which took place on Sunday, May 15, 2022, had in attendance Prophet Samuel Tetteh Doku (Takoradi District Minister), Pastor Ebenezer Hagan (Youth Ministry Director), the Takoradi Area pastorate and their wives, as well as the PENSA-TTU Patron, Deaconess Dr. Gladys Quartey, who is also the National Secretary for the Women’s Ministry of The Church of Pentecost.

PENSA Takoradi Technical University (PENSA-TTU), formerly PENSA T-Poly, started in 1985 with six members. The group had the then Brother Opoku Woode (now a minister) as its first president.

As the years went by and the group membership increased, one of the classrooms on campus was given to association as a temporary place of worship. Through the commitment and tireless efforts of the members, the association won more souls to add to their numbers. At a point, the classroom allocated to them could not contain their teeming members; therefore, with the permission of school authorities they began to use large lecture halls for meetings. Later, school authorities directed the leadership of the group to relocate off-campus, partly because their services were hampering evening and weekend lectures, which usually took place at the lecture halls allocated to the group.

The association gained favour in the sight of the leadership of the then Effiakuma New Site Assembly, who accepted to share their place of worship with them in 2004. At the time, the group had a total membership of 530. 

The group relocated to the Tanokrom Assembly six years later due to a clash in activities between the association and the New Site Assembly. This intervention was short-lived, and they had to return to the EffiaKuma New Site Assembly even though the earlier challenge persisted.

To navigate the clash in activities, the group resorted to erecting canopies on the premises of the Pentecost Preparatory School for services. Although it served the purpose, it still came with some inconveniences as services were called off whenever it rained.

In 2011, during the tenure of the then Takoradi Area Head, Apostle F. E. Antwi (of blessed memory), the idea for a permanent place of worship was mooted. He, thus, gave the group a plot of land for the project. In 2014, the then Takoradi Travelling Secretary, Pastor Ben Noye, in consultation with the leadership of the group made a proposition to the New Site Assembly to assist them in constructing their building project on the condition that they would be allowed to occupy the top floor upon completion. This was a temporary arrangement even as the association continued work on their building project. 

To raise adequate funds, the association sold its bus and received donations from members to support the New Site Assembly church building project. Unfortunately, the project came to a halt later due to unforeseen challenges.

After careful consideration, the new PENSA-TTU leadership headed by Elder J. Ohene-Acquah officially initiated the PENSA-TTU church building project to commemorate the association’s 30th anniversary.

The then Area Head, Apostle Dr. Alfred Koduah (now retired). cut the sod for the commencement of the project on November 4, 2014. The project continued steadily under Elder Benjamin Bruce as PENSA-TTU president and Pastor Emmanuel Opoku Mensah who took over as Travelling Secretary.

The foundation stone for the building was laid by the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi Larbi, with assistance from Apostle Dr. Koduah and Pastor Opoku Mensah on November 19, 2017. 

All presidents who took over the leadership mantle of PENSA-TTU in the last four years, namely Deacon Samuel Nimako Darkwa, Elder Paul Teye, Elder Samuel Mensah, and Elder Edmond Acheampong, continued with the project at various stages such as plastering, floor casting, doors and windows fixing, plumbing and electrical works, ceiling, floor tiling, and painting, until its completion.

In a short speech, the Dean of Students Affairs at TTU, Dr. Eric Bruce-Amartey Jnr., who represented the Vice-Chancellor at the event, thanked God for the sterling leaders He continues to give The Church of Pentecost. He also applauded the Church for the great impact it has been making in Ghana and for having the youth at heart. This, he said, the Church has once again demonstrated by helping to put up a suitable place of worship for its members on campus.

Apostle Assabil, in his remarks, advised the students to honour their leaders, saying: “honouring your leaders is equivalent to giving reverence to God.”

One of the challenges of the campus ministry, especially at the tertiary level, has been getting a suitable place of worship, and PENSA has been no exemption.  

Since its inception in 1980, PENSA has struggled to put up a permanent place of worship for its members on the various campuses in Ghana. As a result, students have to oscillate between worshipping under canopies, lecture halls and rented apartments. Others also have to move from campus to nearby churches to fellowship in their buildings, which, as earlier indicated, is fraught with many inconveniences.

The dedication of the PENSA-TTU church auditorium, therefore, comes as a breath of fresh air and has brought about a new sense of optimism that soon all PENSA branches would have suitable places of worship.

Report by Pastor Emmanuel Opoku Mensah (PENSA Travelling Secretary for Takoradi Sector)

Yennyawoso District Embarks On Hospital Evangelism

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The Yennyawoso District Evangelism Ministry of The Church of Pentecost, on Saturday May 28, 2022, embarked on a hospital evangelism to the Boakye Dankwah Memorial Hospital, in Kumasi.

According to Elder Ernest Amoah, the District Evangelism Leader, the gesture was made in pursuit of the five-year strategic plan of the Church, to “possess the nations,” as well as the various spheres of life for Christ.

“We came to pray and share the gospel of Christ, with both patients and staff of the hospital,” he said.

As part of the visit, the delegation used the opportunity to donate some items such as fruits, five packs of bottled water, toilet rolls, and an amount of money to the hospital.

Receiving the items on behalf of the Hospital, the Superintendent Nurse of the facility, Mr. Edmond Awere, expressed his profound gratitude to the Church for the kind gesture made to them.

He further urged them to frequently visit the facility and keep praying for the patients and the staff.

Present were Deacon Prince Owusu, District Evangelism Assistant Leader, and Deacon Anthony Asamoah, Yennyawoso Central Assembly Evangelism Leader.

Report by Yennyawoso District Media Team

Odorkor Area Celebrates Pentecost Week In Grand-Style

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About 3,000 officers and members of The Church of Pentecost in the Odorkor Area yesterday, gathered at Sampson Okyere Memorial Temple at Mallam Junction in Accra to begin the celebration of the Global Pentecost Week in a grand-style.

The global event which was launched in Accra on Sunday May 29, 2022 by the General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, is expected to be climaxed on June 5, 2022 at all the local assemblies of The Church of Pentecost worldwide.

The Day of Pentecost marks fifty (50) days after Easter Celebration, and it is a major feast of the Church when Christians recall how the Holy Spirit descended onto the disciples after Jesus’ ascension, empowering them to be disciples of all nations.

In his sermon, the Area Head of Odorkor, Apostle Patrick Aseyero, said pentecost is not about joining a church, but it is about experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Pentecost involves the demonstrations of the Holy Spirit,” he stressed, while urging Christians to eschew all forms of sins and yearn for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The spirit-filled event was also used to ordain Overseer Alex Nyame, the National Coordinator for the Ministry to Persons with Disabilities (MPWDs) of The Church of Pentecost, who was called into the pastorate during the just-ended extraordinary council meeting.

The reviewed Odorkor Area Deacon, Elder Bossman Yabre, together with other reviewed Area Ministries’ Executives were also appreciated and prayed for during the event.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Symbols Of The Holy Spirit Used In The Bible

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The Holy Spirit is a person and so to help us understand His nature and character the Bible is filled with symbols of the Spirit. These are some of the symbols for the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

DOVE
When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. This symbol of the Holy Spirit is especially important because it is recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22; John 1:29–34). Matthew says, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased'” (Matthew 3:16–17). A dove is associated with the pleasure of God and His blessing. The Holy spirit is pure, patient, and gentle. Jesus told His followers, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

OIL
Oil was used frequently in the Old Testament for anointing people to the roles that God had chosen for them. Anointing was often followed by the Holy Spirit resting upon that person, like He did with King David (1 Samuel 16:13). The anointing oil represents God’s favor, choice, and blessing, especially for the calling He has placed upon the individual (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38). In the New Testament, oil is still used to represent God’s blessing: “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge” (1 John 2:20).

FIRE
Fire represents the Holy Spirit’s power and presence, as well as purification. John the Baptist preached that Jesus would come, baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16–17). The Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire when He came upon the disciples and God’s power was displayed as thousands of people were saved on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3–4). Other places in the Bible use the metaphor of fire for the Spirit and for judgment (Exodus 3:2; Isaiah 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

WIND/BREATH
Jesus uses wind as a metaphor for the Holy Spirit. The same Greek word is used for both “wind” and “Spirit” in John 3:8 when Jesus told Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). The wind and breath reveal that the Holy Spirit is the outbreathing of God that brings life. Like the motion of the air, His nature and moving are not foreseeable, but the effects are unmistakable (Acts 2:2; John 20:22).

WATER
“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). The Holy Spirit is the satisfying spring of life that Jesus promises to those who seek Him (John 7:37–39). Like water, the Holy Spirit washes over us, refreshing thirsty souls (Isaiah 12:3; 44:3), and like water, the Holy Spirit cleanses us from impurity (Ezekiel 36:25–27). As water is essential for life, so, too, is the cleansing and filling of the Holy Spirit essential for salvation: “Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God'” (John 3:5).

RAIN
Rain and running water represent the refreshing of the Holy Spirit: “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'” (John 7:37–38). Like rain, the Holy Spirit brings abundance and fertility: “Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:3; see also Isaiah 18:4). When we abide in Christ, our lives bear the fruit that the Holy Spirit works in our lives (Psalm 1:3; Galatians 5:22–23).

SEAL/PLEDGE
The seal or pledge is a symbol for the believer’s security of salvation. The Holy Spirit indwelling the Christian is the seal or pledge that guarantees eternal life: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13–14; see also Ephesians 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:22).

WINE
New wine is the symbol of the new covenant that Jesus speaks of, and the indwelling Holy Spirit is part of the new covenant (Matthew 9:17). The apostles, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time, seem to some others as though they are filled with new wine: “For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days It shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams'” (Acts 2:15–17). Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

CLOTHING
Jesus said to His disciples before His ascension, “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The Holy Spirit, like clothing, covers us in the power and grace of God.

Source: Compellingtruth.org

Pastor & Wife Blessed With A Child After 16 Years

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After tying the knot, the greatest wish or desire of every couple is to conceive and have a child (or children) of their own. However, in the case of the Donkorkrom District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Joseph Ndanyinanse, and his wife, Victoria, they had to wait for 16 years to see this dream come true.

The arrival of their bouncing baby boy (named Joseph Kweku Ndanyinanse Jnr.) has left profound joy in their hearts and put broad smiles on their faces. To God be the glory.

Narrating his ordeal to PENTECOST NEWS, Pastor Ndanyinanse, who is also the Afram Plains Area Secretary, said he and his wife had been patiently waiting on the Lord for a child of their own. 

According to the Donkorkrom District Minister, the irony of his situation was that, while he and his wife were struggling with childlessness, the Lord, through his ministry, was blessing other childless marriages with the fruit of the womb.

Despite the long wait, Pastor Ndanyinanse is grateful to the Lord for blessing them with a child in His own time.

“By the grace of God, just at the appropriate but unexpected time, God considered our plight and blessed us with a baby boy; this indeed is the doing of the Lord,” he said.

A short naming and dedication ceremony was held recently at the Donkorkrom Central Assembly, Donkorkrom, and officiated by the Afram Plains Area Head, Apostle Victor Kwasi Asamoah.

Delivering a sermon at the event on the topic, “For A Reason I Came,” Pastor Stephen Mensah, the Ekye Amanfrom District Minister of the Church, asserted that no one was born to this world by mistake but for a reason.

He noted that the world is the garden of the Lord which He entrusted to man to take care of. However, man was required to bring other labourers on board to help him discharge his mandate effectively.

“God enlists his workers through procreation. [In fact] Jesus Christ came to testify and declare this truth,” he stated.

Pastor Mensah, therefore, advised parents to eschew comparing their children with others, and rather concentrate on who (the child) the Lord had entrusted to their care.

He also urged Christians to strive to fulfil their earthly mandate, saying: “Wherever you find yourself, remember that God planted you there to possess the nations.” 

PENTECOST NEWS

The Church of Pentecost Social Media Ambassadors Fellowship With PENSA-KNUST

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The Social Media Ambassadors of The Church of Pentecost were given a warm reception when they fellowshipped with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) yesterday.

The visit, which is the first of many scheduled visits to the various PENSA branches of the Church nationwide, coincided with the inauguration of the PENSA-KNUST French Assembly.

The three-member delegation, led by Elder Joseph Bill Danquah (the Group President), took the congregants through the various social media platforms of the Church.

Addressing the congregants, Elder J. B. Danquah explained that The Church of Pentecost, through the “Possessing the Nations” agenda, is taking territories for Christ. According to him, one territory that has emerged of primary interest to the Church in recent years is social media. 

He further noted that the growing influence of social media in the contemporary world has caused a paradigm shift in Christian evangelism.

“There is a shift in how the Gospel is presented from the use of traditional media to the use of social media. This is because now social media is undoubtedly the place with the biggest number of people and opportunities, and we need to take over this territory for Christ,” he said.

Elder Danquah called on Church members, particularly the youth, to come on board as Social Media ambassadors to push this new agenda of the Church for maximum impact.

He bemoaned the fact that social media is now awashed with negative content, and was confident that together they could change this trend and, rather, saturate the space with the gospel of Christ.

Elder Prince Asare, a member of the delegation, showed the congregants how to access the various digital platforms of the Church, namely Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Amazon, Podcast, Website and Mobile Application, 

He urged church members to subscribe to these platforms since they are the primary audience to whom the contents posted are targeted.

“We have merged all our digital links into one (linktr.ee/thecophq) to make it easier to access the digital platforms of The Church of Pentecost. So, you can now access all the digital platforms of the Church with just a click,” he added.

The Group Secretary, Deacon Ebenezer Amoako Antwi, also urged the members to engage with the content on the Church’s platforms to give them the needed mileage so as to reach more people by reacting, commenting and sharing them.

The exercise undertaken by the Social Media Ambassadors was deemed a great success as it instantly generated over 400 new Facebook subscribers. The team plans to visit all other PENSA branches in the country to sensitise the youth on the need to become Social Media Ambassadors and to help boost the Church’s Social Media drive.

The Social Media Ambassadors, a novelty of the Media Ministry of The Church of Pentecost, seeks to boost the presence and impact of the Church on the various Social Media platforms.

PENTECOST NEWS.

PENSA-KNUST French Assembly Inaugurated

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The inauguration of the French Assembly of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) was greeted with rapturous applause and excitement by the over 2000 congregants gathered at the PENSA-KNUST church auditorium yesterday.

The inauguration service was officiated by the KNUST Campus Minister of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Johnathan Ebo Quaye, with support from Pastor Thomas Ayamboya (Home and Urban Missions Pastor for the Kumasi Sector)

Speaking at the event, Pastor Ebo Quaye, an alumnus of KNUST, recounted how PENSA-KNUST started with an initial membership of 23 students and has now grown into a vibrant campus Christian group with thousands of members. He was, therefore, hopeful that the new French Assembly would also become a strong ministry on campus in some years to come.

“Today will forever remain in the annals of history and we pray that this seed we have sown today would germinate and bear fruit in Jesus’ name,’” the Campus Pastor said as he inaugurated the French Assembly.

Pastor Thomas Ayamboya, in a brief speech, said that the inauguration of the French Assembly is a great manifestation of the five-year strategic vision of The Church of Pentecost (Vision 2023) at work.

He said that language is magnetic and has the power to bring people together towards the achievement of a common goal, hence the significance of the establishment of the French Assembly.

He was, therefore, confident that the new Assembly would help minister to the spiritual needs of international students and other French-speaking people on campus.

Delivering a sermon on the topic: “Who Has the Final Say” based on John 11:1, Pastor Quaye explained that, although there are negative elements and forces that affect believers, their sole consolation is in the fact that the Sovereign God they serve always has the final say on all issues.

According to him, there is always a hidden reason why God allows His children to endure suffering. He further noted that God sometimes allows suffering on the righteous to bring glory to Himself, to build their faith, and to cause others to believe in Him because of their testimony.

Pastor Quaye, therefore, advised believers to keep holding on to their faith in the Lord and to trust that in His appointed time, He would turn things around.

“If it is not God’s time, you cannot force it, and if it is God’s time you cannot stop it,” he said.

Among those present at the historic event were Mrs Joana Dwomoh Quaye (Wife of the Campus Pastor), Elder Francis Amihere (President, PENSA-KNUST), other executive members of PENSA-KNUST as well as some international and French-speaking students.

Report by PENSA-KNUST Media Team

Global Pentecost Week Launched

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Beginning this year, members of The Church of Pentecost worldwide will celebrate a week-long experience with the Holy Spirit dubbed: ‘Pentecost Week’ to mark the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the early disciples of Jesus Christ.

As such, Monday, May 30 to Sunday, June 5, 2022, has been set aside to celebrate the power of the Holy Spirit at all local assemblies of the church worldwide.

The Day of Pentecost marks fifty days since Easter Day and brings the Easter season to an end. It is a major feast of the Church’s year when Christians recall how God’s Holy Spirit was given to the disciples after Jesus’ ascension, empowering them to begin the work of making disciples of all nations.

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, on Sunday evening [May 29, 2022] launched the week on behalf of the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, at the studios of PENT TV in Accra.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi indicated that the period, which has been dedicated to Holy Spirit baptism, infilling and gifts of the Holy Spirit, will be observed with intensive fasting and prayer. 

Taking his main scripture readings from Joel 2:28-29; John 14:16-17, 26; 16:5-15; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4, and speaking on the topic: “Experiencing Pentecost,” he explained that Pentecost is significant in both the Old and the New Testaments.

According to him, the word “Pentecost” is a Greek name for a festival known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9). The Greek word means “fifty” and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of Passover.

Touching on Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28–32) and relating it to the promise of the Holy Spirit by Christ (Acts 1:8), Apostle Kumi-Larbi asserted that Pentecost signals the beginning of the church age.

“The giving of the Holy Spirit is therefore not just a stingy, inconsequential trickle,” he said, adding, “It is a very active point of view where we learn that God will act and do something for His people.”

He stressed that God indeed fulfilled His promise to the church ten days after the ascension of Jesus to heaven, during the Jewish feast day of Pentecost, as He poured His Spirit to the disciples with evidence of speaking in tongues.

“At Pentecost, the disciples witnessed the birth of the New Testament church with the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell all believers,” he disclosed.

He also the idea of spiritual life as generated by the Holy Spirit is certainly implicit in the sound of the wind at Pentecost.

“God’s presence and holiness are implied in the Pentecostal tongues of fire. Indeed, fire is identified with Christ Himself (Revelation 1:14; 19:12); this association naturally underlies the Pentecost gift of the Holy Spirit, who would teach the disciples the things of Christ (John 16:14), he said.”

Another aspect of the Day of Pentecost, the General Secretary revealed, is the miraculous speaking in foreign tongues which enabled people from various language groups to understand the message of the early apostles.

“In addition, is the bold and incisive preaching of Peter to a Jewish audience. The effect of the sermon was powerful, as listeners were “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37) and instructed by Peter to “repent, and be baptized” (Acts 2:38). The narrative concludes with 3000 souls being added to the fellowship,” he stated.

This, he said, gave birth to the church in Jerusalem.

“The outpouring of the Holy Spirit ushered in a new era, the church age. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was a rare gift that was only given to a few people, and usually for specific assignments.

“At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on all believers in Christ, and He came to stay. This marked a major change in the Holy Spirit’s work,” he disclosed.

Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi stated that all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately and permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11), saying, “The Holy Spirit still works in and through believers to accomplish His will. His power leads us, convicts us, teaches us, and equips us to do His work and spread the gospel. The Holy Spirit’s powerful indwelling is an amazing gift we should never take lightly.”

PENTECOST NEWS.