“Repositioning the Local Church for Maximum Impact in the Nations” – 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 & Colossians 2:6-7, is the theme of The Church of Pentecost worldwide for the ensuing year 2023.
The theme was unveiled by the Chairman of the Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, at the official opening of the 2022 Heads’ Meetings on Wednesday, November 16, at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, near Kasoa in the Central Region of Ghana.
According to the Chairman, next year’s theme seeks to place a great deal of emphasis on the local church and reposition her as a formidable army unit to ensure the successful mission of the Church in possessing the nations for Christ.
“We foresee that when the local church is well positioned, it can be launched to make a difference in a hopeless world. Our local churches must be strengthened to equip and send out her members, and the members must go and take the nations for Christ as envisioned in Vision 2023,” the Chairman stressed.
To achieve the desired set goals under the 2023 theme, Apostle Nyamekye said that a pattern of teaching will be adopted, guided by some selected topics to help reposition the local church for maximum impact in possessing the nations.
The eight thematic topics are: Stoking the fire of the Holy Spirit, living in the fear of God in the local church; The local church as a family; The local church upholding the value of godliness; Sacrificial giving and tithing; The local church in evangelism; Visitation in the local church; Raising family altars to strengthen the local church: Lessons from the Puritans, and Encouraging personal devotions and small group prayer meetings to strengthen the local church.
Apostle Nyamekye disclosed that the leadership of the Church has dedicated the first three months of the Bible study sessions in 2023 to studying the rules of conduct and core values of the church, as a means of strengthening the local church and deepening The Church of Pentecost brand.
“We shall be intentional in grounding our members in the Lord. We shall build their confidence in the gospel of Christ which is the power of God that saves and unleash them into the world to be channels through whom God’s grace will flow to bless humanity.
“We intend by this theme to make the local assembly ready to combat every thought, argument and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” he stated.
This year’s theme of the church is: “Equipping the Church as an Army to Possess the Nations.” As a continuation of the 2022 theme, the Chairman stressed the need to reposition the local church to achieve the desired goal, saying, “This is because to maintain unit cohesion and will to fight to possess the nations, there is the need to reposition the tactical unit (local church) to keep the fighting strength up.”
He indicated that the local church will then be more vibrant, a serious threat to the enemy and afford the Church greater success in possessing the nations, since the strength of the Church lies with the local church where real practical ministry and congregational life exist.
He stated: “As a denomination, our greatest resource is our members, and it is in their strength we find strength. It is the efforts at the local church level (tactical unit level) that culminates in the overall success of the Church as an army.
“To this end, Vision 2023 deems the local church as crucial towards the achievement of its goals and objectives. The local church is therefore expected to be a vibrant centre for equipping members to possess the nations.”