Posts in category: Youth Ministry

The Director of the Youth Ministry of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, has paid a three-day working visit to the Mampong Area of the Church in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

The visit, which commenced on Friday, August 26, 2022 with a Ministers and Wives’ session at the Mary Afia Amaniampong Temple (MAAT) in the morning, was followed with a session with youth workers and youth members in the Agona and Mampong zones of the area later in the evening.

Addressing the gathering on the topic, “We Can Stand,” the Youth Director challenged the youth to lead a victorious Christian life by standing against sin and the deceit (schemes) of the devil aimed at destroying their faith in Christ Jesus.

Quoting Colossians 2:4 & 8, he urged the participants to be vigilant and grounded in Christ in order to withstand the deceit of the evil one.

According to him, the devil could use anyone to tempt the believer; and when they fall for it, he (devil) will enslave them. 

In contemporary times, he further stated, the devil is deceiving humanity through worldly philosophies (worldviews) and superstitious beliefs.

Reading from Romans 14:4 and Colossians 2:16-18, Pastor Hagan urged the youth not to fail their generation, but to do whatever it takes to stand for the Lord no matter how hard the storms of life may rage

He indicated that God has made available for them the needed strength and power to overcome the devil and his cohorts in the Holy Spirit. He further explained that, despite the power of sin, God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, has given humanity power to overcome it. 

“Jesus Christ died to sin and ended its power over us once and for all. Through His death, we have our victory over sin,” he said.

To be able to stand and be well grounded in Christ, the Youth Director advanced the youth to  constantly seek the infilling of the Holy Ghost, take daily devotions seriously, and be actively involved in Church and youth activities. 

He also charged them to do their best not to give their body to sin nor allow the negative aspects of social media to have an adverse impact on their Christian life.

After the sermon, the Mampong Area Head, Apostle Samuel Kwabena Asare, advised the youth to hold on to the message received as he led the house in a time of intense prayers. The prayer session resulted in 57 participants receiving Holy Spirit baptism.

Present at the event were Mrs. Beatrice Asare (Wife of the Area Head), Mrs. Priscilla Hagan (Wife of the Youth Director), ministers of the Church within the Agona and Mampong zones and spouses, the leadership of the Area Women’s Ministry. 

The Youth Director also fellowshipped with PENSA AMUSTED and the Ejura Zone on Saturday, August 27, before drawing the curtains down on his visit on Sunday, August 28, 2022.

Report by Mampong Area Media Desk.

The Youth Director of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, has begun a three-day visit to the Abuakwa Area of the church in the Ashanti Region.

The visit, which commenced on Monday, August 22, 2022, in the Abuakwa Zone, is expected to end on Wednesday, August 25, 2022.

Addressing members of the ministry in the Abuakwa Zone on the topic, “Our Victory Over Sin,” the Youth Director challenged young people to live a victorious life over sin.

Referring to 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, he stated that death may be powerful but its power originates from sin. He explained that the power of death is in sin, therefore, much fear should be given to sin instead of death, saying, “Sin is the origin of death. Therefore, if there were no sin, there wouldn’t have been death.”

Reading from Genesis 3:8, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan indicated that before sin entered the world, God used to visit man daily in the Garden of Eden. He, however, said that at the entrance of sin, the constant daily visitation and fellowship of God and man was compromised.

Pastor Ebenezer Hagan also stated that despite the power of sin, God has given humanity power over it through the death of Jesus Christ. He stated that Jesus Christ died to sin and ended every relation to it once and for all. “In his death, we have our victory over sin,” he said.

To overcome sin, the Youth Director noted that the Holy Spirit helps believers live a victorious life over sin. They must make a conscious effort and decide to allow Him to help them in that regard.

He stressed the need for Christian youths to do their best not to give any part of their body to sin nor allow sin to have full control of their body. He charged Christians to hide the word of God in their hearts so that they will not sin against God.

He made further scripture references from Psalm 119:1, Isaiah 59:1-2, Ephesians 5:1-3 and Romans 6:9-14.

The exposition from the Youth Director challenged the young people who left the meeting poised and charged to go and live a victorious life over sin.

Chairing the meeting on behalf of the Area Head was Pastor Francis Ato Ansah, the District Minister of Atwima Koforidua. In attendance were Mrs Priscilla Hagan, wife of the Youth Director as well as ministers and their wives in the Abuakwa Zone. From Abuakwa Zone, the Youth Director will proceed to Nyinahin Zone and crown the three-day visit at Kunsu Zone.

Report by Youth Ministry.

The Youth Ministry of The Church of Pentecost has awarded all outgone youth workers and travelling secretaries of the Church in recognition of their meritorious service to the ministry and the Church.

The awardees, 21 in all, served in different committees of the ministry before their reassignment at this year’s Extraordinary Council Meetings of the church earlier in May.

The short award ceremony was held in July 2022, during the recently-held 2022 Mid-year Report Reading of the Youth Ministry at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa. 

According to the Youth Ministry Director, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, the event was organised to appreciate and laud the awardees for their selfless and dedicated service to God and the Church.

The outgone committee members also expressed profound gratitude to the Youth Ministry for such a thoughtful and kind gesture towards them.

They further encouraged the newly inducted committee members to work steadfastly, urging them to serve with all their might and strength for the effective work of God.

The ceremony was crowned with a get-together event, dubbed “Love Feast,” for all youth pastors and workers.

Report by Youth Directorate News Desk

The English Assembly Youth Ministry in the Mankessim Estate District of The Church of Pentecost has organised a special retreat for singles and young couples in the Church.

The event, which took place at the Saltpond beach resort last Sunday, also served to meet the recreational needs of the youth as they engaged in various outdoor games.

Elder Spencer Essiam, the resource person for the event, advised the youth to continue to plan for the future.

He urged them to lead chaste and holy lives, especially as they prepare for marriage.

He also advised young couples to make a conscious effort to put up their place of residence within the first 16 years of their marriage.

“You may not have all the resources to build the dream house. So, it is only expedient first secure at least two bedrooms, then later plan towards the dream house,” he advised. 

The event was well patronised by the youth of the church.

PENTECOST NEWS.

It was a wonderful sight to behold when scores of students and staff of the University of Education, Winneba, assembled at the Josphus Anamuah-Mensah Conference Hall for the climax of the “You Must Be Born Again” Gospel Crusade last Sunday.

The three-day crusade was organised by the University’s Student Representative Council (SRC) Chaplaincy in collaboration with the Schools Outreach Ministry of The Church of Pentecost (COP).

The interdenominational crusade, which was held under the theme: “Jesus Died That I Might Live” (2 Corinthians 5:15), began from Thursday, August 5, 2022, at the Winneba Presby Park each night.

Delivering a sermon on the topic, “The Authority of the Name of Jesus,” the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, said that the name Jesus refers to the embodiment of the Godhead, that is God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Apostle Nyamekye explained that when Adam was created, God gave him the power to name all creation, saying, “He bequeathed man the authority to give names to His creation because He wanted him to have that authority. (Genesis 2:19)

The Chairman, therefore, pointed out that Adam named creation, and since then, humans give names to creation.

“We all want to be identified by a name, but a name is not just for identification; all that a person is, is vested in his name,” Apostle Nyamekye stated.

He, however, admonished the youth to carry themselves well in order not to destroy their names forever, adding, “When your name is destroyed while alive, then it is better dead than being alive. This is because your name stands in for you.”

Quoting the statement of Dr Charles Blair, the Chairman stated that: “The business of a man is determined by the cause he lives for and the price he is willing to pay to achieve it.”

He further cautioned the student to desist from allowing politics to make them insolent and disrespectful towards authority and management.

Speakers for the crusade were Apostle Lt. Col. Benjamin Godson Kumi-Woode (Chaplain, Ghana Armed Forces), Apostle Nana Yaw Agyei (Kade Area Head, COP), Apostle Samuel Otu Appiah (Winneba Area Head, COP), Pastor Ebenezer Hagan (Youth Ministry Director, COP), and Pastor Richard Atobra (Resident PENSA Campus Pastor, UEW).

Among the university management present were Rev. Prof. Jonathan Armah (representative of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mawutor Avoke), Rev. Prof. Alexander Edwards (University Chaplain, UEW), and other management, faculty and staff members of the university.

Also present was the National Coordinator for the Schools Outreach Ministry of the church, Elder Desmond Addison.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Patron of the Youth Ministry of The Church of Pentecost, who doubles as the Koforidua Area Head of the church, Apostle Samuel Osei Asante, has encouraged the youth to ground themselves in the Word of God, which is the Bible.

According to him, every Christian needs to grasp and allow the Word of God to fill them fully.

“Once we understand this, it will give us a certain perspective whenever we approach the Bible,” he said.

Apostle Asante, an Executive Council Member of the church, said this on Saturday, June 11, 2022, during the Shekinah PENSA Conference of the Youth Ministry of the church, at the Mamprobi Central Assembly command centre. 

Speaking on the topic, “Equipped With the Word of God,” Apostle Samuel Osei Asante said that to be equipped is to be fit out to accomplish a purpose or provide someone with the needed tools to accomplish a task.

Apostle Asante noted that God’s divine agenda for believers is to possess the nations. He encouraged the youth to be equipped for this great task given by God.

The Executive Council Member iterated that God equips his children through His calling, spiritual gifts, empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and through His Word.

“We need the Word of God so that we will be approved of any work we do,” he reiterated, stressing that we need the Word of God to dwell in us richly to make ourselves available for His use.

Reading from 2 Timothy 3:15, Apostle Asante said that Paul admonished Timothy to make himself available to study the Word of God as a youth. He, therefore, charged the youth to know the scriptures as God makes it possible to be fully equipped for His work.

He further urged that to be equipped with the Word of God, prayer, is a tool that propels this agenda. 

‘When we pray, God speaks to us through the Bible. Have it in mind that after praying, it is time for God to speak to us,” he added.

He emphasised that the Bible is a collection of God’s inspired Word (spoken or written) for humanity as a result of his interaction with them. Therefore, as the manual of the believer, the youth must take hold of it.

The Koforidua Area Head mentioned that we equip ourselves with the Word of God through personal devotional life, family devotions, organised Bible studies in the church, home cells, scripture memorisation, and public recital of scriptures.

Other ways are through public reading scriptures, positive confession of the Word of God, meditating on God’s Word, and participating in Bible quizzes.

He then encouraged the youth to involve themselves in the activities of the church to be fully grounded in God’s word.

“God will grant us the strength to stand and possess the nation,” he charged.

The Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Teens and Pre-Tertiary Conference, dubbed “Shekinah PENSA Conference,” was held virtually across over 520 satellite centres in the country.

PENTECOST NEWS

Pastor Stephen Safo Nsiah, the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Travelling Secretary for the Mampong Sector of The Church of Pentecost, has asserted that once saved is not forever saved as some theologians argue.

He called on Christians to expunge this false doctrine that is deceiving many and leading them out of the kingdom of God.

Pastor Nsiah made this call on Friday, June 10, 2022, at the Mamprobi Central Assembly command centre during the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Teens and Pre-Tertiary Conference, dubbed “Shekinah PENSA Conference.”

Delivering a presentation on the topic, “Basic Christian Doctrines and Contemporary Fallacies – One Saved, Forever Saved,” using 2 Corinthians 11:14 and Romans 11:19-23 as scriptural references, Pastor Nsiah cautioned Christians about mistaking the devil as Christ since he (devil) portrays himself as the angel of light.

He compared the journey of the Israelites to the church, which showed how God cherished and loved them. He, however, noted that due to their disobedience and unbelief, God cut them off.

“As believers, we have become part of the branch (people of God) because of our belief in Christ,” he said.

Throwing more light on doctrines and fallacies, he stated that doctrines are the codifications of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of the teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system. He also defined fallacies as deceptive or false appearance; deceitfulness, which misleads the eye or the mind.

The PENSA Travelling Secretary further stated that Christian doctrines cover the Christian faith and are based on scriptures. He also revealed that doctrines were formulated in the early church to deal with heresies or false doctrines.

“In The Church of Pentecost, our doctrines are the Tenets of the church,” he explained, adding that Christian doctrines are in two forms, that is, true and false ones.

Pastor Nsiah, therefore, urged the youth to believe and hold fast to the Word of God, which is the truth, rather than listening to soothing messages of speakers who neglect the truth of the scriptures for their personal gains.

Expounding on the doctrine of “once saved forever saved” among other false theories on salvation, the PENSA Travelling Secretary said that some religious groups or sects assert that it is impossible for one to lose their salvation after believing in Jesus. Another school of thought, according to him, argue that ‘eternal life’ cannot be lost, or else it is never eternal. (John 3:15)

“According to them, salvation is not by works but purely by grace. So, there is no need for works after salvation,” he said.

Pastor Safo Nsiah expressed concern that some people continue to hold onto such fallacies because they have been taught to believe it as true, and are, therefore, not ready to let go. 

Another reason why some people hold on to this falsehood is perhaps because they may be living in sin or they know a loved one living in sin and are afraid of the thought of them ending up in hell, he stated.

Setting the record straight, Pastor highlighted the three phases of salvation, which he mentioned as Justification (We are saved); Sanctification (We are being saved) and Glorification (We will be saved).

He further explained that although salvation leads to eternal life, accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour whilst still on earth does not mean unconditional eternal security, rather, the believer, for as long as they remain on earth, must keep working on their salvation by leading a life of righteousness until the Lord’s return. 

He, therefore, posited that the unbeliever is saved by grace, but the new believer is to live as an expression of God’s grace by saying “NO” to sin.

“Living in un-repented sin can be disastrous for Christian salvation,” he admonished.

PENTECOST NEWS

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has charged Christians to endeavour to know God for themselves rather than relying on others to show them who He is.

“Our greatest desire as Christians should be to have a closer relationship with God,” he said.

The Chairman said this on Saturday, June 11, 2022, during the closing session of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Pre-Tertiary and Teens Conference at the Mamprobi Central Assembly command centre in Accra.

Speaking on the topic, “Knowing God as a Father,” Apostle Nyamekye urged Christians to relate with God as their Father and not as a distant God in the heavens.

Using John 14:1-9 as a scripture reference, the Chairman said that the disciples had questions on their minds about the Father; however, it was Philip and Thomas who asked Jesus on their behalf. As a result, Jesus invited Philip to walk closer with Him and urged the disciples to seek where the Father is and that will be enough, he stated.

According to the Chairman, Philip desired to know the Father for himself so he could connect to Him and probably be like Jesus. 

Reading from Luke 11:1-2, Apostle Nyamekye stated that the disciples were not just attracted to the prayer of Jesus but to His lifestyle too. This, he said, was evident in the lifestyle Jesus portrayed, which was influenced by how He related to the Father.

“Prayer is not just communicating with God, but the importance of prayer is to build a relationship with Him,” he stated.

He added: “The intimacy people derive from relationships causes them to share certain character traits.”

The Chairman, therefore, urged Christian youth to develop the habit of prayer since the Lord’s prayer was teaching and an encouragement to pray while being a revelation.

He advised that even though a person may have been raised in a Christian home, knowing God for themselves was a necessity, stressing that: “we all have equal access to Him just like Jesus and He dwells in heaven.”

Apostle Nyamekye indicated that all humanity is God’s creation, however, not all are part of His family. He further urged believers to draw near to God as a response to His call.

According to him, the Christian who is truly intimate with the Father never draws attention to themselves, rather, they are to only show evidence of a life where Jesus is in complete control.

“If you are closer to Christ, show by your way of life. The bearing of fruit is always shown in scripture to be a visible result of an intimate relationship with the Father God,” he further stated.

He urged believers, particularly the youth, to strive to have a deeper relationship with God because He (God) wants to relate with them not as servants but as friends. 

PENTECOST NEWS

The Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Travelling Secretary for the Takoradi Sector, Pastor Emmanuel Opoku Mensah, has urged the youth to abstain from addictions, particularly sports betting and drug addictions.

According to him, addiction to sports betting and drugs has led to the destruction of many youth persons in the country.

Pastor Opoku Mensah made the call on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at the ongoing Shekinah PENSA Conference of the Youth Ministry of The Church of Pentecost. 

Speaking on the topic, “Dealing With Addictions: Sports Betting and Drug Addiction,” he stated that the Christian’s response to the grace that salvation brings is the ability to live a self-controlled life (Titus 2:11-14).

In defining addictions, he stated that it is a pattern of behaviour that causes negative consequences for the individual. He added that addiction can be a self-chosen slavery to something other than God.

“Addiction is a psychological and physical inability to stop consuming a chemical, drug, activity, or substance, even though it is causing psychological, emotional, health, spiritual, and physical harm,” he added.

He indicated that many addictions are often associated with the youth, however, the most common ones are alcohol, drugs, and sexual addictions.

“Alcohol is a substance that is widely used by people all over the world,” he noted. Nevertheless, he asserted, it is also a highly addictive substance that can cause several health problems.

Pastor Opoku Mensah mentioned that narcotic drugs are very addictive drugs that reduce the user’s perception of pain and induce euphoria (an exaggerated sense of well-being). Some of the drugs often used are marijuana, cocaine, heroin, shisha, vodka, tramadol, among others. 

He iterated that due to their adverse effects on the brain, they are either banned or used under strict regulations. He, therefore, said that the illegal use of these drugs is however common and the Christian youth must be very careful not to be lured into it.

On the part of sports betting and gambling, Pastor Opoku Mensah revealed that those who indulge in it enter in the hope of securing a ‘big win’, but as time passes by, they become obsessed with the thoughts of gambling and the anticipation of winning.

“Gambling addiction can lead to devastating consequences for the entire family,” he further said, emphasizing that as many of those affected ended up in massive debts, some even resort to crime in order to get their hands on money to continue gambling.

He noted that addictions leave dire consequences and effects, such as precious hours that can be engaged in profitable ventures being spent on addictive behaviours, leads to shame and guilt, and unnecessarily cost to individuals and the state. It is also not good for their health, he added.

He advised that in dealing with addictions, one must identify and acknowledge the source of the struggle and seek help. He further urged the addicted person to pray and confess it; confide in matured Christians like pastors, parents, youth leaders and counsellors, and develop the spirit of self-control.

“When you do not have self-control, it means you do not have protection. Hold on fast to the Word of God,” he admonished.

PENTECOST NEWS.