The Chairman of the National Discipleship and Leadership Development Committee (NDLDC) of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr. Samuel Kojo Gakpetor, has advised members of the church to intentionally work at owning Vision 2028 of the church and to pay the price it takes to ensure the vision succeeds.
In an interview with PENTECOST NEWS on the sidelines of the ongoing Global Ministers and Wives Conference (GMWC), Apostle Gakpetor outlined the success story of the NDLDC under Vision 2023 and said the new focus of the committee is built on the success of the past vision.
He mentioned that the NDLDC worked at transforming the Bible study groups into discipleship groups with the permanency of membership and leadership. Thus, the group leader is more of a shepherd than a Bible study facilitator, he stressed.
He touched on making the lay leadership school lessons practical on the role of the leader and their life, the environmental care campaign that created awareness on environmental protection and the responsibility of Christians to be stewards of the earth.
Apostle Gakpetor also revealed that the church undertook a literacy project to ensure the preservation of the local languages and interest in using the languages.
Touching on the new things that will attend to discipleship drive under Vision 2028, the Chairman of NDLDC revealed that the dedication of the Mondays of the Lord’s supper week of the church for Home Cell is a great respite to reinvigorate the cell meetings that came handy during the COCID-19 era.
He also indicated an integrated manual for new coverts with lessons and devotionals for spiritual disciplines.
He explained that when coverts are taught on fasting, the devotionals will aid them to practice the lesson within the week.
Another initiative being rolled out by NDLDC is a read-through-the-Bible challenge to cultivate a habit of searching the scriptures.
Apostle Gakpetor also said a manual on ethics and another on leadership will also published for the church populace.
Apostle Gakpetor said though the task looks daunting, it is achievable because God backs it with His Spirit.
“We don’t want to lose guard even as we are unleashed. The local church remains our equipping centre, and it is the overflow of the equipped that will be unleashed. Discipleship remains the focal thing,” he reminded.
He said the vision is targeted at the individual members of the church; thus, he called for members to embrace the vision, avail themselves of the equipping avenues such as the home cells, ministry meetings, and other church programmes, and become committed and willing to pay the price.
“It is work time; we are being tasked to transform our spheres. It will come with attacks and opposition, but we must be willing to go the full hull and achieve the ideals of the vision’, he encouraged.
He also called for a time of prayer to push the vision because “God wants to do something with the church, and we need the ‘fierce wind’ the Chairman talks off to push it.”
Finally, Apostle Gakpetor pleaded with the church members to be willing financiers of the vision in cash and kind to ensure that in five years, all may look back and rejoice over what the Lord has done in His church and with His church.
PENTECOST NEWS.
