Posts in category: Youth Ministry

The highly anticipated PENSA Ghana Conference 2024 kicked off its opening session with a powerful message of empowerment and transformation for young people across the country and beyond by the General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Gyau Obuobi.

The PENSA Ghana Conference is an annual national mega-gathering of all youth in the Church of Pentecost, Ghana and beyond.

This year’s edition, dubbed the Transformers Conference, began yesterday, January 2, 2023, and is expected to end on Friday, January 5, 2023, under the theme, “Young People Unleashed to Transform their World” (1 Peter 2:9; Acts 1:8).

The Transformers Conference has drawn a large number of youth in the Church eager to participate from three different centres: the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) in Gomoa Fetteh, KNUST in Kumasi, and UDS in Tamale.

In his opening address, the PENSA Ghana Coordinator, Elder Samuel Boahene, warmly welcomed the participants, ministers and distinguished guests.

Highlighting the significance of a PENSA Ghana Conference and its relevance in today’s context, he emphasised the importance of the Transformers Conference in achieving the vision of the second phase of the Possessing the Nations Agenda.

“There is a time when the youth need to arise and answer numerous questions. It is a time when the youth need to arise and make their presence felt. The time is now,” exclaimed Elder Boahene.

He further registered his sincerest appreciation to the Chairman of the Church and the leaders for their massive support and guidance in achieving this remarkable feat.

Take advantage of the unique opportunity to seek a personal encounter with the Lord. Draw strength and virtue, and share fellowship with participants drawn at the 3 locations in the country. Build a professional network. Leave this conference holistically empowered,” he advised.

The Youth Ministry Director of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Ebenezer Hagan, revealed that the conference is at the heart of the Chairman and the leaders of the church.

“The leadership took 50% of the actual registration fees,” he revealed.

He extended appreciation to the Area Heads, District Pastors and Youth leaders for taking the initiative to support the youth.

The conference means a lot to the Lord, who is the owner of the church, and also to the Chairman, who is the vision-bearer. It is also happening when the church of Pentecost has decided to prioritise the ministry of young people. We intend to reach everyone for Jesus”, he noted.

As part of the initiatives for the Youth Ministry’s Vision 2028, “Grounded in Christ, Reaching Everyone and Taking Everywhere for Christ”, the Apostle Hagan noted that the Professional Guilds will be launched to train young people to win their various fields of profession and take them for Christ.

He then gave a Clarion call to every youth to rise to the task and be challenged to take everywhere for God. He finally acknowledged participants joining from Nigeria, Togo, and other countries.

The former Youth Patron, Apostle Samuel Osei Asante, also the Area Head for Kaneshie, gave his opening remarks.

In his address, he made a profound statement that “For the youth to transform their world, they must be transformed first, hence, the need for the Transformers Conference.

“It is a conference for people who are transformers – a people ready for a change. You are to change society. It is possible. As young people, we are being unleashed to transform our world, and that is the burden on our hearts. If you can go out and transform others, you will be transformed. Take a decision. Be transformed”, he stressed.

The main speaker for the day, Apostle Samuel Gyau Obuobi, the General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, delivered an insightful exposition on the theme.

Drawing references from the theme scriptures, he spoke about the critical role of Christians in the Great Commission, calling for active engagement and commitment.

He emphasised that the Church is a container of the power of God, which is immeasurable, unlimited and surpassing; as such, the world must experience that power.

The opening session also featured uplifting ministrations from the PENSA Ghana Choir, adding a vibrant dimension to the event.

The PENSA Ghana Conference 2024 promises to be a landmark event, setting the stage for a transformative journey for young Pentecostals.

With a lineup of influential speakers, engaging sessions, and spiritual activities, the conference is poised to significantly impact the lives of many young people, empowering them to transform their world.

Report by Pensa Ghana Secretariat Team.

The Youth Ministry of the Nazareth Assembly in the Chemunaa District of The Church of Pentecost marked this year’s Boxing Day with the inmates at the Mamprobi Police Station in Accra.

Elder Emmanuel Bortsie, the Nazareth Assembly Youth Ministry Leader, along with Deacons Daniel Affum, his assistant, and Emmanuel Adu-Poku, the Assistant Evangelism Ministry Leader of the Assembly, led the Youth Ministry delegation to the police station.

The purpose of the visit was to share God’s love with the inmates and the police officers at the station, which is in fulfillment of Jesus’ command in Matthew 25:36-40.

Exhorting the inmates and officials present at the event, Deacon Emmanuel Adu Poku emphasised that the greatest gift is demonstrating love towards one another.

Deacon Poku highlighted the profound love of God in giving us His only begotten Son.

Expounding further, he referenced Romans 5:8, stating: “We were once in a state of despair and deprivation, but God sent His Son into the world so that through Him, our condition and status could be transformed.”

He further stated that God is ever-present to rescue humanity from any situation.

Drawing inspiration from Apostle Peter’s story in the Bible, he mentioned how Peter, too, faced challenges but was delivered through the church’s prayers.

Highlighting the contrasting intentions of the devil and Christ, he noted” “While the devil seeks to kill, steal, and destroy, Christ came to seek and save the lost. By surrendering your lives to God through His Son, you can embrace eternal life.”

Concluding the message, he reminded everyone of the true essence of Boxing Day: a time not for physical altercations but for expressing love and compassion.

An altar call by Elder Emmanuel Bortsie saw six inmates surrendering their lives to Christ.

As part of the visit  the team donated toilet rolls, gallons of liquid soap, bottled water, soft drinks, sachets of water and packaged food to the Station Commander in charge. 

The Mamprobi Police District Commander, Chief Yeeboah, received the relief items on behalf of the inmates and commended the church for their show of love. He also encouraged them to continue this act of benevolence.

 Report by Lawrence Nana Kwame Asiamah

The leadership of Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA), Ghana, led by its Coordinator, Elder Samuel Boahen, on December 2, 2023, donated musical instruments to the Akropong School for the Blind.

Elder Samuel Boahen presented the items, which included a brand new high-performance Yamaha keyboard, a keyboard combo, and a set of microphones, to the School authorities on behalf of the team.

According to him, the purpose of the visit was to fraternise with the PENSA group on campus and to provide them with free training in handicrafts.

The PENSA-Ghana Coordinator also remarked that this action was taken in their quest to fulfill the holistic mandate of PENSA Ghana and the Youth ministry’s vision of holistic empowerment of all persons.

He emphasised that not only will these instruments help boost their worship sessions, thus helping engender spiritual deepening, but it will also help nurture the abundance of inherent musical talents PWDs are known for.

“As we seek to harness their spiritual development for the salvation of their souls, we complement it with the needed skills to economically empower them even outside the domain of white-collar jobs,” he said.

The chairperson for the Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) Committee of PENSA-Ghana, Deaconess Mabel Akutey, took participants through the training in bead making, hair fascinator, bridal fan, and key holder using ubiquitous everyday items.

It was such a beautiful scene seeing the excitement on the faces of participants, with strong determination and eagerness to learn these skills.

The authorities of the school, as well as the students, filled with joy, expressed their gratitude to the PENSA Ghana leadership for donating musical instruments and also providing free practical training to their students.

The students reaffirmed their belief that the training would go a long way to help them generate a source of livelihood for themselves.

Report by PENSA Ghana Media Team

In a nerve-racking, five-hour series of contests at the PIWC-Asokwa auditorium, 16 Areas, seeded into three contesting groups, had their last dance in determining who comes on top in the various contests with their accompanying categories.

The Junior Category of the Bible Bee Contest saw Goaso, Agormanya, Achimota and Kwadaso areas, unleashing the verses of scriptures they had committed to memory.

The 1st and 2nd Semi-Final encounters saw Goaso and Kwadaso Areas, sailing through to the Grand Finale with Agormanya gaining a late ticket after the winning the playoff over Achimota.

Surprisingly, an overwhelming display of courage and determination saw the defending champions amass 144.25 points in the 3rd round known as the ‘home stretch’ to set the win it and become the 1st Area to win and successfully defend their trophy in the Junior Category-Bible Bee Contest.

Kwadaso and Goaso areas followed suit in 2nd and 3rd place with 302 points and 289.85 points respectively.

The Senior Category of the Bible Bee Contest on the other hand saw Ho Area gliding past Kwadaso and Tarkwa in the Grand Finale to lift the trophy.

The Ho Area led by Andrews Helegbe couldn’t make it to the Grand Finale of the 2022 edition held last year. Unperturbed by the defeat, he prepared-in-wait and kept knocking at the door of opportunity sailed through this time round, accumulating 421.5 points to lift the trophy.

Tarkwa Area emerged 1st runner-up earning 399 points while Kwadaso Area finished 3rd with 380.25 points.

The Junior Category of the Questions and Answers Contest on the other hand saw Goaso Area etching their names in the quiz hall of fame for the first time after seeing off Dansoman and Suame Areas with a whooping 35.5 points, maintaining a 12.5 point-gap advantage over Dansoman Area who bounced back from an initial defeat and play-off amassing 23 points.

Suame Area saw the tide turned against them as they came behind Dansoman Area with 21.5 points, whom they defeated in the Semis.

The last contest that saw a charged euphoria and effervescent cheers and applause, was the Senior Category – Questions and Answers Contest with Wa, Kaneshie and Bompata Areas battling for glory. Kaneshie and Bompata Areas entered the contest as favourites to win the ultimate with Wa Area coming through the back door as underdogs.

Nevertheless, they left no stone unturned, capitalising upon every bonus question that went abegging. In all three rounds, before the Problem of the Day Round, Wa laid behind Kaneshie in 2nd place with 37 points, only a 1.5 gap separating them.

It was soon to be discovered that the Problem of the Day was going to be the decider of the fates of these three contesting.

The outcome of the Problem of the Day Round saw Wa Area overtaking Kaneshie Area in 1st place with 41.5 points. Kaneshie who could only earn a point from the last round couldn’t help but fall to 2nd place with Bompata Area coming third.

That was indeed a record-making feat achieved in the history of the quiz. The first ever northern side to lift a trophy in the history of the National Youth Quiz Competition since its inception.

Report by NYQC Editorial Team

The Youth Ministry of the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) in the Dunkwa Area of The Church of Pentecost has donated various items to inmates at the Obuasi Local Prison.

The donated items, comprising rice, soap, toothpaste, brushes, sachet water, shaving sticks, and assorted drinks, were presented on Friday, December 1, 2023. This benevolent act is part of the Church’s outreach initiative, aimed at sharing the gospel message and providing support to the inmates.

Led by the Resident Minister, Pastor Barnabas Kwabena Nortsu, the church delegation engaged with the inmates and prayed with them. Pastor Nortsu took the opportunity to encourage them with the word of God.

Expressing gratitude for the generous donation, the prison commander, Superintendent Esther Ako-Nunoo, deemed the visit timely.

She acknowledged the positive impact such visits have on the welfare and morale of the inmates, and, therefore, called for more of such visits in the future.

Report by Elder Simon Awuku (PIWC-Dunkwa Youth Ministry Leader)

The Youth Ministry Director of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Ebenezer Hagan, has charged young people to make a conscious effort to study the Word of God and keep it in their hearts.

Apostle Hagan made this statement on Saturday, December 2, 2023, when he addressed quiz contestants, supporters, and youth workers during the grand finale of this year’s National Youth Quiz Competition (NYQC) at PIWC-Asokwa.

In a brief exhortation, the Youth Director emphasised the need for young people to always feed on the Word of God for greater exploits.

He explained that the rationale behind the quiz competition is to help young people get closer to their Bibles.

“It’s likely that you may have read over a passage of scripture several times. That’s why we begin the competition at the local level to encourage many young people to begin reading the books we publish each year. For me, the joy I have is that, to be at this level means one may have read a passage of scripture as many times as one deems necessary, and that’s how God’s word gets to us,” he remarked.

Directing his attention to the contestants drawn from 16 areas of the Church, Apostle Hagan shared his experiences while serving as an Area Youth Leader in Tamale and as a District Pastor in Nyankpala years ago.

He revealed that preparing his candidates for the quiz at that time allowed him to read and meditate on some of Paul’s letters, particularly the one he wrote to the Philippians since that was what his candidates were studying at that time.

He reminisced on how Apostle Paul’s view on the fact that the gospel being preached out of goodwill as well as for selfish interest in some for the sake of their stomachs was a joy to him and ushered him into a broader sense of understanding God’s word.

“Though his joy was that the gospel was being preached, juxtaposing it to the life and ministry of his son Timothy brought greater joy to him, and this is seen in how Apostle Paul commended Timothy’s resolute to preach the gospel out of goodwill,” he said.

He further stated that: “Timothy had proved himself to Apostle Paul as a son who stayed true to the faith. As a son serves a Father, so has Timothy been with him, having the interest of Christ at heart.”

“This portion of scripture he stumbled on while training his candidates for the quiz has made inroads into my life and ministry and most of my sermons too,” he explained.

Apostle Hagan opined that the journey of competing in the quiz ensures that the word of God sticks in the individual for the rest of their lives, adding that: “With the word of God in you, it activates your ability to hear God when He speaks to you and through you. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit speaks to us through scriptures. At times, the scriptures will play through your mind, and the Spirit of God may speak to you at that time.”

He further revealed that to contest in the Youth Quiz brings a lot of good, and the bigger reward is the nourishing grace that God brings one through the constant study of the scriptures.

The Youth Director recounted how he met a Muslim who boasted about being able to finish reading Gideon’s International New Testament Bible, saying: “The focus is not really to finish reading it, but it’s how the word of God gets into you.”

He further stated that the ultimate objective of leadership is to see the scriptures being recited by the contestants come alive.

“We want to see the life in it. That you’re having intimacy with God through His word and not just being in a hurry to finish reciting it to accrue high marks because it’s a contest. We want you to see the life in God’s word and enjoy yourself as you recite it,” he urged.

He further noted that it is a good thing to read God’s word repeatedly, as it aids retention and has a transforming effect on the individual.

“The word of God can be likened to a seed. Allow it to grow. Don’t just recite it,” he stressed.

Report by NYQC Editorial Team

The Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) in Cape Coast Sector organised the second edition of the “Kodesh Pre-tertiary Conference” on Saturday, November 18, 2023, for pre-tertiary schools in the Cape Coast zone.

The event, held at the Adisadel Church auditorium, was under the theme: “Sexual Purity” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Pastor Blessing Joseph Quayson, the PENSA Travelling Secretary for Cape Coast Sector, emphasised that the gathering aimed to ground students in Christ and empower them to resist sexual immorality on their campuses.

Referring to 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7, he stressed that living a sanctified life aligns with God’s will, as He calls us to pursue holiness, not impurity.

Mrs. Esther Asare Yeboah, wife of the Dominance District Minister and a Pharmacist, delivered the first presentation on “Establishing a Perfect Balance as a Young Christian.”

Encouraging participants to balance their academic and spiritual lives, Mrs. Asare Yeboah identified challenges such as procrastination, bad company, social media, lack of godly mentors, excessive sleep, laziness, and poor time prioritisation.

She challenged students to strive for a balanced life, outlining key attitudes like goal-setting, time management, proper prioritisation, avoiding procrastination, and maintaining discipline.

The second presentation, led by Mr. Emmanuel Owusu Acheaw, Administrator for the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, focused on “The LGBTQ+ Agenda.”

Drawing from Leviticus 18:23 and related scriptures, he clarified the hidden aspects of the LGBTQ+ movement, cautioning against their goal of universal acceptance.

Mr. Owusu Acheaw highlighted negative consequences associated with LGBTQ+ practices, including high rates of suicide, homicide, depression from rejection, child defilement, and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Pastor Frank Akonnor, Resident PENSA Campus Minister for the University of Cape Coast (UCC), conducted the Holy Ghost baptism session, resulting in 30 participants receiving the Holy Spirit, with an additional 22 students giving their lives to Christ.

The programme, attended by 426 participants, included members of the working team, patrons, the incoming PENSA Ghana Coordinator, Elder Issah Iwembeh, and Overseer Benjamin Yeboah Asare.

Report by the PENSA Cape Coast Sector Media Team.

The Deputy Youth Ministry Director of The Church of Pentecost, Elder Prof Eric Appau Asante, who serves as director of the KNUST E-Learning Centre, has been adjudged the Star Ambassador of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) for 2023.

He received this recognition during the 6th ACU Ambassadors Summit held virtually on November 14, 2023, to celebrate the commendable efforts of ACU Ambassadors and facilitate the exchange of knowledge among universities across the Commonwealth.

Elder Prof. Appau Asante was honoured for his significant contributions to the collaboration between ACU and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Prof. Asante, who has served as an ambassador and lead of the partnership for the Enhanced and Blended Learning West Africa initiative at KNUST, has successfully steered the project to enhance the capacities of faculty members and support staff within the e-learning ecosystem.

The ACU, therefore, acknowledged Prof. Asante’s outstanding achievements and commitment to duty, naming him its Star Ambassador for 2023.

Expressing gratitude for the recognition, Prof. Asante affirmed his dedication to furthering the Vice Chancellor’s vision of making KNUST and the E-Learning Centre a centre of excellence in the subregion.

He took the opportunity to commend the visionary leadership and support of KNUST’s management, led by Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson.

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is a global network comprising over 500 member universities across 50 Commonwealth countries is dedicated to fostering international collaboration in higher education.

Currently, KNUST stands out as ACU’s top university in Ghana for engagement with its members, with Prof. Asante serving as the focal point for its largest community of staff and students from a member university in Ghana.

PENTECOST NEWS.