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RATIONALE FOR THEME 2024

Theme Texts: 1 PETER 2:9 & ACTS 1:8

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A People of God Unleashed to Transform Their World
 

1 PETER 2:9, NIV:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

ACTS 1:8, NIV:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

SLOGAN:
Possessing the nations: I am an agent of transformation!

Possessing the nations: Transforming my world!

To God be all the glory for how far He has brought His Church, especially in the past fast years where He saw us through the successful implementation of Phase 1 of the “Possessing the Nations” agenda. He has indeed proven Himself faithful to His covenant with His Church.

I would like to at this point express my gratitude for the dedicated efforts of the former Chairmen, General Secretaries, International Missions Directors, past Executive Council members and other founding leaders, who laid a solid foundation for this Church during their time.

I am particularly grateful to current and past Executive Council members who were directly involved in the planning and execution of Vision 2023. All Heads, ministers, officers, and members are appreciated for their massive support for the many successes achieved in the past five years.

Dearly beloved, In the past five years, we have focused on equipping the church to possess the nations.  We have forcefully but carefully drummed home the fact that Christ did not come to save individual sinners but to build a community of believers called the Church. His intent was that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God would be demonstrated to the forces that govern nations (Eph. 3:10).

We have not hesitated to bring to the fore the dual purpose of the church – thus, the church is called out of the world to adore God and sent back into the world to serve his purpose among the nations. To be an effective factor of change in the hands of God, we have taught that the church must be credible— a glorious church. It must be beautiful to be looked upon by the watching world. Thus, the church must be morally beautiful and doctrinally pure. We have also encouraged the church to see itself as God’s end-time militia to possess the nations.

Last year, anticipating that we would be launching full-scale into the world, we brought to our attention the need to reposition ourselves by paying attention to the rear (supporting) echelon – i.e., the local church. This was to enable the local church to continue to serve as the equipping centre and supply the needed resources and energy to the fighting echelon as we launch into the world.

It is now time, brothers and sisters, to consciously, intentionally and strategically unleash the vast potential currently held within the church to descend on the world and transform it with the values and principles of the kingdom of God. This is the only way we will make our huge numbers count for the kingdom of God. It, however, requires some systematic efforts, which will include helping our members to appreciate who they are as a people of God, the power and resources they are endowed with and their mandate in the world.

The theme 2024, therefore, is “A People of God Unleashed to Transform Their World”. This theme is the first of the second phase of the “Possessing the Nations” agenda, which has as its overarching theme: “Possessing the Nations: Unleashing the Whole Church to Transform their World with the Values and Principles of the Kingdom of God”.

The theme 2024, “A People of God Unleashed to Transform Their World,” serves as the foundation for mobilizing and unleashing the whole Church for the transformation of their world while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. This theme is a call to help every member see himself or herself as a channel through which God’s grace will flow in blessing to humanity. That the Christian is God’s hope for the manifestation of His glory on earth.

It is the desire of this theme that the church will see itself as a people of God, a peculiar people, a holy nation, a people amongst the peoples, with a mandate to influence their spheres. A people of God unleashed into the world is a call for the Church to be intentional in sending out our members to every sphere of society to transform it.

To achieve the above, the following topics have been selected to be treated during the period:
 

• The characteristics of the church unleashed.

• The church as a people of God.

• A people living by the principles, values and lifestyle of the Kingdom of God.

• Raising Godly families to impact the church and the state.

• Raising Christlike believers to transform their spheres.

• Unleashing wholistic witness through the local church to impact society.

• Flourishing life through personal devotions.

• Sacrificial giving and tithing.

 

The foundational texts on which this theme premises will be 1 Peter 2:9 and Acts 1:8.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9, NIV).

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8, NIV).

Our forward march into the world should generate holy fear in the gates of Hades as Israel’s advancement frightened the Moabites to the point that they exclaimed, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” (Num. 22:4).  Our forward march into the spheres of society should result in “turning our world upside down” (Acts 17:6).

May the Lord continue to be with us and grant us the needed grace to carry this theme through to its desired end as we seek to unleash the whole church to transform their world with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God.  Amen!

 

Apostle Eric Nyamekye

(Chairman, The Church of Pentecost)