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CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCHYOUTH FELLOWSHIP LEADERS’ RETREAT
TOPIC: TEAM WORK IN THE MINISTRY
Growth is possible when pastor and people work together in a local church.
Support ministry principle has been proven throughout scripture and history to be one of
the most effective dynamic of any healthy and successful church.
There cannot be effective growth in the church if the pastor is left alone to do the
work. Many workers don’t support encourage and assist the pastors to bring growth
into that local church. They have not been taught how to support the pastor and
strength the church. Many of them sit idle in the church doing nothing. Some of them
are “look man”, who just sits down to look in the church. Many of the workers believe
that pastor is the one called to do the work of the ministry
On the other hand, many ministries don’t know how to get the people involved in
the ministry. They don’t know how to mobilize the people for the work. But, according
to Eph. 4:12, the major work of the pastor is to equip the saint, so that the saint will do
the work of the ministry.
A The Reason Why1. Jesus did not do the work alone, he got the disciples involved
2. The strength of the church is not measured by seating capacity, but by sending
capacity
3. The success of the pastor is measured by what the people can do even in his
absence
4. Every member is a deposit of the unique gifts of God
5. It is better for people to work with the pastor than to work against him
6. The success of every member depends on how committed he is in a local church
Ps. 92:13-14; Matt. 6:33
7. For growth, increase and expansion
8. For community impact
B Authority must flow from one source1. People must allow one pastor to lead
2. The pastor must provide dynamic leadership. A role model
3. Support him prayerfully
4. Follow his God-given vision
5. Encourage and motivate him
6. Be obedient and teachable
7. Deacons, elders and influential members must support and work with him
8. Church officers must give him free hand to lead
9. Advice and provide ideas and financial support
C Expectation from the people following1. Give to their pastor
2. Be a true sheep
3. Use gifts and graces for growth
4. Work together to lift up the church
5. Be available and teachable
D Things That Hinder Teamwork1. Ignorant
2. Luke warmness and coldness of hear
3. Lack of compassion and love
4. Worldly minded and carnality
5. Discouragement and tiredness
6. Lack of personal development
7. Blurred vision Is. 6:1
8. Lack of goal setting
9. Wrong information
10.Demonic operations
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E 12 ways of Pastors can Encourage Team work1. Understand the vision
2. Believe in your people – you can turn your people around
3. Encourage your people, encourage your pastor
4. Share the vision often with your people – believe in the vision of your pastor
5. Trust and train
6. Personal growth
7. Be involved in the church
8. Be committed to prayer and fasting
9. Discover your gifts and use them
10.Be a seed sower
11.Patiently labour on
12.Be diligent and hardworking Christian
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Study Two
TOPIC: THE NEED TO DEVELOP WORKERS FOR EFFECTIVE MINISTRYMK. 1:14-20
Follow me
I will make you
This is a vital issue; why must we train workers. Our success will be determined
by how seriously we train workers to help us fulfill offer ministry. Moses, Elijah, David,
Paul, Jesus was a success because they took this issue very seriously. Come ye after
me – not some one else, but after me, I will make you.
Jesus calls the other disciples so as to train them to take over from him. Jesus
was not just interest in followership – but to develop them up to fill the leadership gap.
Come after me and I – personal duty
‘I will’ personal determination
Make you – purposeful designed
He has a goal to make them fishers of men – productive destination
We have no right to criticize our worker until we can say we have done our best in
training them. God has called us to lift them up
To look them over
To let them in
To line them up – equip them
To let them out – send
By doing these we eliminate three basic problems1. Misuse – untrained workers
2. Disuse – failing to tap
3. Abuse – over – load few
a. Reason for training and developing workers
b. Resources training and developing workers
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c. Result training and developing workers
1 The Reason – why?You worker will determine the level of your success. If you don’t train your choir,
ushers, S.S. teachers, they will pull down what you have panted
Let’s learn from David I Sam.22:1-2David found himself in the midst of useless of men; but he began to train this
nobody to somebody. See the result of his training II Sam. 23:8-12
The different between Saul and DavidSaul had enough men but not trained soldier. None was able to stand against
Goliath. David had vagabonded and debtors he decide to train than and they became
great warriors for him. Your members can become such as you train them.
2 The growth potentials of your church is directly related to the potential of your workers
Jesus laid a good example, you know he trained the twelve and as at the time he
left, the church never suffer Acts 2:41; 6:7; 9:31. A church cannot grow without until his
workers grow within. Everything rises and falls on leadership.
3 Trained and develop workers will help you to carry the loadYou will go along way if there are those who will carry the load with you. No
minister will suffer because his workers are trained. But you will suffer if your workers
are not trained. If you don’t train you will drain. If you don’t train you will wear out.
Most ministers’ sunset at noon because of the stress involve in the ministry. The
load become lighter see the example the battle between Israel and the Amalekites Ex.
17:11-12. You need Aaron and Hur in your ministry
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JETRO’S COUNSELThe problem of Moses carrying on the work all alone. Until his unsaved in-law
gave him a godly counsel to train others Ex. 18:13-28; you livelong when you train
others.
4 When you train others you multiply your own effectiveness Matt. 10:1
Jesus sent out his twelve and he could not be to all those places Matt.11:1 Jesus
multiply his effectiveness
5 Trained workers enhance the future of the churchIf not for trained disciples the church would have stop after the death of Jesus Jn.
20:21 a church without trained workers have no future.
II The Resources to Train and Develop WorkerThree things we must do namely
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1. Evaluate 2. Equip 3. Empower
1 In evaluating – 3 things to do
a. We look in – evaluate self
b. We look out – evaluate need
c. We look around – evaluate access
Look in – evaluate yourself you must be interested to train eight testing question to
answer
a. Do I believe in people and see them as appreciable access – Jesus
worked on Peter will he becomes an appreciable access
b. Do I create an environment or people to be train and develop if
people know that they would be train they would come?
If you confined a shark fish in a six feet container, he would survive and never
be longer but throw the same shark to an ocean it could be long to 40 feet and above
c. Do I pray for potential leader for God to send to me?
d. Do I desire to raise others above my own level of leadership we fear
to train people so as not to do better than us; see Jesus example Jn.
14:12
e. Do spend time to develop people that have leadership potential
Jesus spend more time training the twelve than the multitude
f. Do I enjoy watching others getting credit for what I have taught them.
When your apprentices do even better than you, are you threatened;
are you happy?
g. Do I train others to take my place in case I am transfer or relocated?
Be honest to answer this. Can you confidently say you have
someone to take place in case you are gone? There is no success.
WITHOUT A SUCCESSOR
II Look out – evaluate your need which of the department is necessity to train
people
III Look around – there is something more than ability that is the ability to
recognizing ability. Search for qualified men. They must pass six tests Acts 6:1-5
They must pass the A
1. Influence test
2. Relationship test
3. Credibility test
4. Spirituality test
5. Administrative test
6. Faith and faithfulness test
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Now that the need arise we must still carefully prove them to pass this test for effective
training
How to select workers Acts 6Never pick a man with bad influence
Never pick a man who turns others off
Influence – honest – report
Relationship – among the brethren
Spirituality – full of the Holy Ghost
Administrative
Faith – faithfulness – full of faith
How many workers to select – 20% of your member will do the job Equipping them
Model – Jesus taught them by example
Mentor
Monitor
Motivate
Multiply
1. Model – Jesus taught the disciples by example. Elijah never knew how much
he did when he parted Jordan before Elisha
2. Mentor – Mk. 3:14 Jesus ordained the twelve to be with him. To train,
develop Acts 4:13 to mentor – we give them these school, tools, rules
Study Three
TOPIC: DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE WITH WHATEVER IS AVAILABLELuke 17:1-6; II Kings 4:1-7; Luke 1:37
We are living at a time when human needs exceed available resources. This is a
common and prevailing situation in many homes, organizations, societies, churches,
state and nations of the world. Thus the cry for rationalization from many quarters and
the inability to satisfy man’s unlimited wants.
This situation has created a lot of tensions in many homes and multitudes are
incapacitated and unable to handle their problems while many have found themselves
limited and unable to admire den to limited and resources. Those who are conscious of
the little that is available are also beset with the problem of procrastination. “I will do
something when my resources unproved”, eventually they ended up doing nothing.
They get frustrated and confused, murmuring, unhappy and dissatisfied with their
conditions. In the process, they start warming themselves, accusing the government or
shifting the blame on somebody else. The devil has succeeded in blending their eyes to
the reality of what the scriptures teach that “LITTLE IS MUCH OF GOD IS IN IT”
GOD’S DEALINGS WITH HIS OWN PEOPLE
God spoke the world into being by His word (only three words – let there be)
Gen. 1:1-3
Moses parted the red sea with his rod Ex. 14:15,16,26-31
Only two angels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah Gen. 19
Only one angel killed 185,000 II Kings 19:35-37
With a bottle of oil a widow became a millionaire II Kings 4:1-7
With 12 disciples the gospel was spread to the whole world
David was able to kill Goliath with a sling and five stones I Sam. 17:40
The mustard seed became a mighty tree Matt. 13:31-32
Samson was able to do exploit with the jawbone of an ass Jud. 15:14-15
Israel as a nation was able to subdue her desert land with what was available
With a net the disciples were able to draw multitude of fishes
The problem – when much is available little is maximized but when little is
available much is admired and resources are well harnessed. Man’s problem is that he
despises the days of small things. God kind of faith is needed to achieve much for Him
with the little that is available.
INCREASE OF THE WIDOW’S OIL II Kings 4:1-7
This woman was blind to what she had until God through Prophet Elisha opened
her eyes to the fact that she was not all that poor as she had painted her condition. She
however took the following steps that bailed her out of her problem:
i. She realized that she has a need or problem for which she had no solution.
She did not deny the problem. Her problem was real
ii. She did not keep the problem to herself
iii. She sought for help
iv. She contacted the right person
v. She was asked question to which she responded sincerely and correctly
vi. She was advised to go and borrow
vii. She was taught the secret of multiplication
viii. Her obedience yielded result
ix. She then had something to offer
x. She entered into life of abundance
NOTE: A man who is unable to do the impossible with whatever is able will never be ale
to do the possible when much is available. Remember “LITTLE IS MUCH IF GOD IS IN
IT”
WHAT TO DO WHEN LITTLE IS AVAILABLE
(i) Pray
(ii) Develop a big vision
(iii) Do not exercise unbelief
(iv) Have confidence in yourself
(v) Be determined to achieve
(vi) Be courageous
(vii) Do not develop a wrong attitude
(viii) Use language of faith
(ix) Harness your resource
Study Four
TOPIC: A CHRISTIAN WOMAN – LIVING A BALANCED LIFEProv. 31:11-15,30-31
There is the need for a Christian woman to live a balanced life despite all
pressures surrounding her daily. This brings her happiness and fulfillment. She
needs to cope in her relationship with God husband, children and work.
Work hard on these relationships that none suffers for the other. Be organized
and be a good manager of time Eph. 5:16. The topic will be considered under four
sub-topics:
1. Coping with God
2. Coping with husband
3. Coping with children
4. Coping with work
1 Coping with GodThe secret of succeeding in every other area of your life is the type of
relationship you have with God
Fear God and have a personal relationship with Him, be born again
Put Him first in all endeavours
Start each day with God. Have a regular quiet time
Develop your inner man through the study of the word
Do not forsake the assembling of others Heb. 10:25
Be involved in the Lord’s work
2 Coping with husband Accept his headship, submit to and obey him
Be faithful to and dependable Prov. 31:11-12
Take good care of the home and his food
Render conjugal duty constantly
3 Coping with childrenChildren are the heritage of God and blessings to the home. They have
entrusted into our home to train and build up in the Lord
Train them Prov. 22:5
Lead them to the Lord
Love them and spend quality time with them
Be a worthy example for them to emulate
Be a friend and a confidant to them
Your search for daily sustenance should not affect your children negatively.
Remember you are going to give an account on them
4 Coping with work Prov. 31:15-19 Be industrious
Be diligent in duty and business
Be hardworking
Don’t be lazy Prov. 31:27b
Do your work/business as unto the Lord
CONCLUSIONLike the virtuous woman in Prov. 31:15, wake up early each and plan your time
daily and weekly striking a balance between the above relationships.
Happiness and fulfillment as a woman are not what you get by simple desire.
They are products of handwork, self-sacrifice, commitment and effective prayer.
REMAIN BLESSED
Study Five
TOPIC: IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC IN THE MINISTRY
It is quite clear that music cut across the entire known history of God from His
past to His future, hence its’ importance cannot be over-emphasized. Cutting across
the entire known history of God, music finds its’ way down into the activities of man
and become inseparable from as a result of natural instinct. God’s past shows how
much He appreciates music in:
(a) The creation of a being in whom the workmanship of his tabrets and
of his pipes was prepared in him in day of his creation Ezek. 28:13m
(b) The foundation laying of the earth when “the morning stars (i.e. the
angels) sang together” Job 38:4,7
(c) He has a trumpet of his own I Thess. 4:16c
(d) He can blow the trumpet Zech. 9:14
Genesis records the name of the 1st Musician as Jubal, the inventor of harp and
flute Gen. 4:21, thus music find its’ way throughout the account of the Bible (but time
won’t permit me to go into details of this). However, the great and wonderful works of
the Great Psalmist of Israel can’t be overlooked in a topic like this. In his admiration
and appreciation of music in the ministry, he organized a choir and orchestra of
Levites for religious services headed by a skillful choir director called Chenaniah I
Chron. 25:7-8, this choir members formed a distinct group of priests of 4,000
membership both of singers and instrumentalists, because of their skill I Chron. 15:16.
Among these men were 288 skilled musicians, while others were considered students
I Chron. 25:7-8.
The wonderful composition of the psalms and likely musical instruments is a
revelation of what music was to David during this time II Chron. 7:6. From the
beginning, Christianity has used music in worship:
1. Jesus and His disciples sang Mark 14:26
2. Paul told churches to sing hymns to praise God Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:18; I
Cor. 14:15
Almost all words uttered in heaven as recorded in the book of Revelation seem
musical in nature Rev. 4:8,10-11; 5:9-10,12,14; 7:11-12; 19:1-8. Heaven is a place of
worship, worship and worship indeed and forevermore, hence music is inevitable.
Take away music in the ministry, heaven will query you, because heaven is music,
music is heaven.
Thus, let us come to an outline of the importance of music in the ministry but at
the same time, the kind of music the Bible recommends and commends is the spiritual
one Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19
1. It is a part of worship and praise to God, a gathering of service unto God with
the absence of psalms, hymns or spiritual songs – being rendered is
considered incomplete service Mark 14:26
2. Music creates atmosphere for the spirit of God to operate II Kings 3:15-16
3. Music is an instrument of battle II Chron. 20:21-24
4. Breaks fetters and chains of darkness, hence liberation comes Acts 16:25-26
5. A means of disseminating spiritual information i.e. preaching, admonition,
comforting, winning souls etc
6. It lifts the spirit and makes a divine connection to the godly heavenlies
7. Music finds its way more easily into the spirit of man more than any other thing.
A proper set-up of music in the ministry will accomplish much for the glory of
the Lord
Study Six
TOPIC: CLEANLINESS, GOOD NUTRITION AND HEALTH
A NECESSITY FOR GOOD LIVING
INTRODUCTION:Without health, life is not life. It is only a state of languor and suffering an
image of death. One of the greatest physical gifts, God Has given to man is good
health 3 Jn. 2 reiterate this – “beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers”.
We should work, sweat, make wealth from our labours, eat and lie well. In this
context, the family dinning table is meant to be a place of nourishment comfort and
fellowship. An adequate diet and proper nutrition with some exercises to tone up the
body muscles should be sufficient to ensure health and vitality.
Divine health is central in the scripture. It is God’s provision for those who
KNOW, LOVE and FOLLOW him. God is not just interested in healing you; He wants
you to enjoy perfect health on a continual basis. In Ex. 15:26, he says, “if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God and wilt do that which is right in his sight and will give ear to his commandment and keep all his status, I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee”
Despite improved medical care and technological advancement, dreadful
sicknesses are very rampant in every segment of our society. Many are plagued by
preventable illnesses. For many, life itself is a frightening experience of pain and
anguish while sound health is a rare and most desired commodity but there is hope for
you in Christ Jesus. Divine health is the heritage of God’s children. It is appropriate
through faith in Christ and His accomplished work on the cross of Calvary
NOTE: Some may think or say: “don’t bother your time on all these talks about health,
I will eat anything, drink any water and live anyhow. I have Jesus as my healer for
God says, “I will bless your food and water and take diseases away from you”. Yes, our God heals and keeps healthy but can a man/woman put fire under his/her
bed and not be burnt? Therefore, take heed
What is health?A state of complete physical, mental and spiritual well being and not just the
absence of illness.
Physical care: - Good nutrition
- Clothing
- Shelter/protection
- Hygiene – personal hygiene (head to toe)
Environmental hygiene
Mental care: - Mental security (love/sharing)
- Your emotions and feeling about yourself and others
- Attitude towards life’s situations and circumstances
- Relationship with people outside (elderly
ones/colleagues)
Spiritual care: - The spirit man is a reference point for being in
Perfect health “as thy soul prospereth” 3 Jn. 2
Good nutrition - A way of life
If adults are to stay healthy and children are to grow, they must have enough of
each of the nutrients – proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals – which come
from the foods they eat. There are many kinds of foods and most of them are
mixtures of nutrients, which are put into food groups according to their main nutrients
composition. These are cereals (rice, wheat, maize, millets, oats)
- Starchy roots
- Sugars and syrups
- Pulses, nuts and seeds
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Meat, fish and eggs
- Milk and milk products
- Oils and fats
- Beverages and spices
A good understanding and application of these will assist in no small measure
in the preparation and consumption of an adequate diet by both young and old,
making use of the locally affordable and available food items within the reach of every
member of our households.
However, on the other hand due to urbanization, many engage in the habit of
digging their grave with knife and fork by following these seven wrong roads:
1. CONSUMPTION – of too much refined sugars and sweeteners which are
suited to promote obesity because of their caloric (energy) density
2. REFINED FOODS – People think that refreshment is good because it
getsrid of useless roughness. Now, we have learnt how necessary fibres
are in protecting us from certain cancers, stabilizing blood sugar, controlling
weight and preventing gastro intestinal problems like gallstones,
hemorrhoids and constipation
3. FAT – A high fat diet contributes to blood vessel/heart disease, overweight,
adult diabetes and certain cancers
4. PROTEIN – A diet heavy in meat and animal products provides more
protein, fat and cholesterol than the body can use. Scientist now recognize
that a diet containing less protein and much less fat and cholesterol is
essential for improved health and longevity
5. BEVERAGES – North Americans seldom drink water. They substitute
water for coffee, tea and sweat drinks everyday. Because most of these
drinks are loaded with calories (energy) from sugar, they can play havoc
with blood sugar levels and sabotage weight – control efforts, caffeine
phosphates and other chemicals found in beverages pose additional health
risks
6. SALT – Most westerners consume about two to four teaspoons of salt a
day. This is many times more than is actually needed and contributes
prominently to high blood pressure, heart failure and kidney disease (e.g.
kidney stone i.e. less water with too much salt)
7. SNACKS – Most times, these replace main meals. He who guards his
mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity
IS THERE ANYTHING TO EAT?Think of fruits – hundred of varieties, don’t forget the grains. Eating a variety of
whole plant foods will furnish all the fat, protein, fibre and nutrients the body needs.
The best news is that these kinds of dietary lifestyle helps delay and often
prevents the onset of most western killer diseases. Eating full-fibre plant foods not
only allow people to eat larger quantities of food without having to worry about weight
gain but also can promote optimum health and energy for a lifetime.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. EAT WELL TO KEEP HEALTHY.
Study Seven
TOPIC: LIVING GODLY IN OUR UNGODLY WORLDI JOHN 2:13-18
The command of God to all believers on their relationship with the world is very
clear from the scripture. The moment one surrender his/her life to Christ, he/she
learns that the world is not friendly with Christ or to the Christian (Jn. 17:14).
The ways and customs of the world are different from the way of God (Is. 55:8-
9) and the life style and influence of the world are opposed to grace and heaven
mindedness. For any Christian to make any progress in life, he/she is expected to live
a life of non-conformity to the world. Even though Christians are in the world but not
of the world. For proper understanding, we shall consider the following sub-headings:
1. World and its concepts
2. God’s commandment against worldliness
3. Characteristics of a godly Christian
1 WORLD AND ITS CONCEPTJn. 14:30; Eph. 5:8; Phil. 2:15
The world here is not atmospheric heaven or earth surface or third planet in the
universe. But the world is the customs, systems, activities, traditions, fashions,
festivals and all forms of worship that opposes the commandment of God.
The world we live in is characterized by evil and engulfed in darkness, which is
controlled by the devil, the prince of the world and the god of this present world. This
world is a world of iniquity, world where corruption is the order of the day and devil’s
activities are openly displayed.
The world deceives, steals, disobeys, persecutes, entices discourages and
opposes all forms of godliness. Worldliness pollutes and compromise is evil.
2 GOD’S COMMANDAMENT AGAINST WORLDLINESSI Jn. 2:15-17; Jam. 4:4; Gen. 3:6; Is. 3:16-17
If there is no danger in going the way of the world, God wouldn’t have been
calling and commanding us that we should not love the world. The Bible says God
gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and our father (Gal. 1:4). And what is a man’s profit if he
shall gain the world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for
his soul? Even though Jesus who calls us has overcome the world (Jn. 16:32) genuine
believers must stay clear from worldliness in its various forms. Worldliness is
involvement in the systems, customs, traditions, fashions, festivals etc of the world.
God’s command
Love not the world I Jn. 2:15Worldly things and practices are contrary to God’s will. Anybody that lives in the
pleasure of the world is dead while he/she lives (I Tim. 5:6), the love of the father is
not in him/her and the judgment of God is upon such person (II Pet. 3:7). We are not
of the world (Jn. 17:16) or affection has to be set on things above and not on the
earthly things (Col. 3:1,2,4). For when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall
we also appear with Him in glory?
Lust of the flesh Jam. 4:4People’s actions are governed by motives. If a Christian keep his/her vision on the
great reward that comes from serving God, he/she will not be influenced by temptation
that pleases flesh for the movement. Therefore notify the members of your body that
are on the earth and put on the Lord Christ. Give no chance for the flesh to fulfill its
lust which war against our spiritual life and soul. Take a daily consecration to put your
life under God’s control.
Lust of the eyes Gen. 3:6Eve was deceived, but Adam was not. Adam was disobedient to God because of
his love for her, he decided, after she had eaten of the forbidden fruits, to forfeit Eden
and share her fate rather than to lose her (I Tim. 2:14) and they were thrown out of the
will of God. There is need to turn our eyes from beholding vanity and hasten in God’s
way (Ps. 111:37). Let your eyes look straight on and let your eyelids look straight
before thee (Prov. 4:25)
Pride of life Is. 3:16-42; I Pet. 3:3-5; Prov. 16:18-19Pride goes before a very destructive fall. Humility is the mark of Christian maturity.
Let your dressing and adornment be moderate, not in an extreme manner or style.
Decency and modesty should be your basic standard. Avoid the attitude of being
proud. The Lord will destroy the house of the proud (Prov. 5:25)
3 CHARACTERISTICS OF GODLY CHRISTIANEph. 4:1-3; I Thess. 2:12
A Christian who is a genuine child of God is by all standard a renewed person
whose daily desire is to please God in all his/her ways. He/she does not only seek to
please God but is determined to influence other people positively. Even though
he/she lives in a world polluted with sin, he/she maker himself/herself a bacon of light.
His/her life is characterized by:
Victory over sin through the power of God Jn.5:4-5,18
The fruits of the spirit which he/she daily manifests Gal. 5:22-25
Total separation from sinful companion and the world Rom. 12;2; I Jn. 2:15-17
Absolute devotion to the will and service of God Rom. 12:1-2; Ps. 40:8
Self denial and daily cross bearing Lk. 9:23
Total obedience to the word of God Ps. 119:16
Constant study and meditation on the word of God Deut. 17:18-20
Prayerful and watchful Matt.26:4
Shining example in conversation, in charity, in faith and in purity I Tim. 4:12; Tit.
2:7-8
CONCLUSIONWhat goes wrong with people who lose the close walk with God, they once
had? It may be traced to the loss of spiritual vision and the substitution with earthly
values. There is a great danger when a Christian begins to develop worldly thinking
pattern. The loss of one’s first love for Christ will lead to a consequent return to the
love of world. There is a need to re-evaluate our spiritual value.
It is not too late to check our life and pray unto God to come to our aid and
return us back to the normal track.
The world passeth away but he/she that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
SONGI live for Jesus, day after day
I live for Jesus whatever may
The Holy Spirit I will obey
I live for Jesus, day after day
TOPIC BREAKING BARRIERS TO MARRIAGETEXT: DAN. 10:10-13; EPH. 6:12; JAM. 4:7
Barriers to marriage can be called hindrances, opposition, obstacle; I will divide
the barriers into two parts
1. Personal barriers
2. Demonic barriers
What is marriage?Marriage is the state in which a man and woman are united in a sacred wedlock
with the approval of God and their parents. Christian marriage forms the basis of a
home where children are born and nurtured in the fear of the Lord.
Marriage is the oldest institution on earth today. It existed before the fall of
man. Its existence was also at the instance of God. Marriage is therefore God made,
God instituted and God ordained (Gen. 2:18-24)
A Personal barriers Misconceptions of ladies that causes barriers to marriage:
1. Some ladies set their eyes upon a particular brother who might not be
interested in them and because of this they chase other men away
2. Some ladies set their eyes on the rich but forget that nothing one earth is
permanent. A young man can be poor now but possesses the potential of
being rich tomorrow.
3. Some ladies or brothers have line of qualities they desire in ladies or
brothers, which they can’t find until old age. This is chasing the wind
4. Some over-spiritual sister’s or brother’s believe God will bring their life
partner whether they dress well or not. To them the physical doesn’t matter
5. Some ladies place themselves so high and so expensive or even so
arrogant that man avoids them.
B Demonic barriersThe devil and his demons are against the success of any Christians; therefore.
They will attack the marriage with anyone of these problems and difficulties.
Joblessness, curse, poverty, disease and various problems.
Demonic barriers can be hindrances, opposition, obstacle to the lives of
Christian’s brothers and sisters.
Way out:God can make a way, where there is no way:
1. Change of attitude
2. Prayer and fasting and waiting upon the Lord
3. Word of God
4. Depending upon the Holy Spirit
5. Learning on God for direction Prov. 3:5-7
CONCLUSION:Put all our trust in the Lord for the success of your lives Ps. 37:5 says “…
commit your way unto the Lord; trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass”
SELF DEVELOPMENT – A TOOL FOR EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE
INTRODUCTION:Man’s greatest heart desire has been to succeed and be accomplished in his
life endeavours, be it spiritual or otherwise. This noble ambition atimes becomes very
difficult to realize as a result of some limiting factors in life among which is self-
development.
God has deposited enough potential resources in everyman to make him a
success but your ability to recognize and develop such will determine the level of
achievement and success.
Other limiters of success include lack of planning, lukewarmness, carefree
attitude, frustrations disappointment and ignorance.
Ignorance has remained the greatest enemy of mankind. It is a destroyer of
destiny. For you to be successful you must run away from ignorance.
The best friend of a successful man is information. You need to be adequately
and rightly informed to become successful, because information gives knowledge and
the right application of knowledge result to wisdom. Outdated and out model tools will
result in much labour but little fruit. The Bible says, “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success” (Eccl. 10:10 NIV).
Although success means different things to different people but for the purpose
of this lecture I wish to define success as discovering your best talents, skills and
abilities and applying them where they will make the most effective contribution to your
fellow men and women.
In the words of Longfellow, it is “doing what you do well and doing well
whatever you do”. Success is therefore not confined to anyone part of your
personality but is related to the development of all the parts: body, mind, heart and
spirit. It is making the most of your total self.
Ethan Moore of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, gave a definition of success as follows
“that person is successful who finds what God intended for him to do with his lie,
prepares himself to do it and does it daily to the best of his ability”
Some of the key areas of life where self development is important and highly
beneficial include personal growth, social, financial, health, career, hobbies spiritual
and recreation
SOME INGREDIENTS OF SELF-DEVELOPMENTAs long as you are still alive, you are capable of changing and growing. You
can do anything you want to do, be anything you want to be. If you will listen to some
positive thoughts on how to continue your self-development and then apply them in
your own life.
1. Accept personal responsibility for your own growth, no one can do it for you.
What you do today will determine your readiness for tomorrow. Take time
everyday to do something for yourself. Don’t neglect yourself SOS 1:6
2. Take classes to stay current in your field of expertise. The world is changing
rapidly and you must learn to manage “change” to avoid obsolescence. They
way Will Rogers put this was that “even if you are on the right track, if you just sit
there you will get run over”
3. Never look back to the past – you only can control your actions in this instant, so
what should you be doing right now? The only reference to the past should be to
analyze, in a non-judgmental way, mistakes in which you were involved. It will
help you to prevent these in future.
4. Learn from “other people’s experience” rather than having to try everything for
yourself. It shortens the time needed to learn. Learn from the errors you see
others make as well as from their successes.
5. Never say something cannot or will not be done. Keep looking for ways to do it
(Matt. 19:26).
Dealing with a problem helps you learn patience and strengthens your
management skills, it is good mental exercise
6. For all your learning experiences, whether it is reading, seeing, thinking or
attending; apply the R squared and A squared formula (R2 A2)
7. Cultivate the reading habit. The only requirements for getting a good education
are the ability, the desire and the willingness to read. Reading is the key that will
unlock the doors to all kinds of new opportunities.
Failure to acquire a desire to read and failure to learn to read properly are the
major causes of dropouts.
8. Develop a “master – mind” group of four of five people with whom you can
openly discuss ideas in a non-judgmental way:
Identify some “models” and observe their style ad actions. Do not copy them but
learn from their experiences.
9. Do not be afraid of failing at something. You can learn and change as a result of
it. One of the most basic needs of human beings is the need for security. To
achieve security, people try to “play it safe”. Many people will not act or make
decisions at all for fear they will fail
10. Always keep your goals in mind as you start a new activity. You should never
wake up in the morning without a goal. Having goals to work for will add
direction and purpose to your life.
11. Work for balance in your life goals: family, financial, professional, social, spiritual
and recreational
12. Challenge yourself to learn something new everyday. Seek new information on
projects for which you have responsibility. Look for new “ah-ha” ideas all the
time.
13. Fill your mind with positive ideas, thoughts and aspirations and you will have no
room left for the negative.
The mind functions somewhat like a computer. What is programmed into the mind
sooner or later will be expressed in actions, speech and feelings. If you spend time with
successful people, you will begin to train your mind in success attitudes Prov. 13:20
14.We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Learn from those people who get more
done than you do. Perhaps you can find a way to improve what you are doing.
Learn to manage your time wisely. Eliminate time wasters from your life.
15.Remain flexible and constantly adaptable. Be open to others and sincerely
interested in them. Learn to appreciate others Rev. 2:2
16.Work on overcoming personal, non-productive habits: for example, overeating,
smoking, gossip, alcohol, drugs etc.
People who manufacture, sell and promote alcohol, tobacco and drugs are in it for
the money-they do not care about you or your future. BE WARNED!
ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES IN THE YOUTH FELLOWSHIP
INTRODUCTION:Finance is an important tool in any business or spiritual organization. It is
equally vital in any human activity (Eccl. 10:19). Funds or income generated and
expenses made there from have to be recorded properly on permanent records so as
to see clearly the inflow and outflow of such funds. This art of recording business or
organizational transactions in such a manner that the financial position of the concern
can be ascertained readily at a given time is known as book-keeping
ACCOUNTINGThis can be defined as the art of identifying measuring, recording and
communicating information derivable from the available records. It encompasses the
book-keeping aspects and the information obtainable from it.
From records kept, projections unto the future can be made and this will give the
concern’s management such needed encouragement to put in more in all areas or
departments and achieve the desired goal.
As for spiritual organizations, profits are not expected but management may still
need to know the financial position of the ministry. Equally the usage of the meagre
resources in the right way will interest them. To achieve this, some accounting
procedures and records are to be maintained or kept. These include the following:
MAJOR RECORDS TO BE KEPT(a) CASHBOOK: A cashbook is a ledger account for cash transactions. It serves
the dual purpose of a book of prime entry and ledger account. It is ruled like a
ledger account with debit and credit sides. All cash received are debited and
cash paid are credited as illustrated below:
Illustration 1 – A CASHBOOK
DEBIT SIDE
Date Particulars Receipts
No
Amount DETAILS
Offering Donation Monthly
Contributions
National
Conference
Etc
CREDIT SIDE
Date Particulars P.V
No
Amount DETAILS
Entertain
ment
Photocopy Traveling
expenses
Financial
Aid Honoraria Etc
(b) INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT: This is the profit and loss
account of a concern. It contains only revenue items. Expenditures are
debited while incomes are credited as received within a specific period. The
final balance of an income and expenditure account represents the excess
of income over expenditure or vise versa as the case may be. The balance
is similar to the net profit or loss of a trading
Illustration 2 – Income and expenditure account
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31/3/05 EXPENDITURE INCOME
Photocopying xx B/f xx
Entertainment xx Contributions
Traveling expenses xx vigil xx
Financial aids xx bible study xx
Honoraria xx purchase of land xx
Ministers allowance xx Donations xx
Printing of programmes xx Offerings xx
Xxx Monthly contributions xx
Excess of income over exp. Xx xx
xxx xx
B/d xx
(c) PAYMENT VOUCHER: This is the payment authority detailing expenses to
be incurred and the costs. There would be a column for approval by
relevant authority before such expenses can be made as illustrated thus:
Illustration 3 – payment voucher
(d) RECEIPT BOOKLET: This is the official document to be issued for all
income received. It contains the date, payees name and address, the sum
paid in words and in figures, kind of payment made, receivers’ signature and
the address of the fellowship. Receipt can be issued by any unit receiving
money on behalf of the group. Printing is to be done centrally and the
NATIONAL YOUTH FELLOWSHIP
CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCHMotto: ONE FOLD, ONE SHEPHERD
C/O P.O. BOX 2028, DUGBE, IBADAN
PAYMENT OF VOUCHER
Date Particulars Amount10/10/05 (a) 2 steel cabinets for the National Coordinator’s
Office at N5,000.00 each N10,000.00(b) 5 reams of tying sheets at N500.00 each N2,500.00
Total N12,500.00
…………………… …………..………..Officer purchasing Approval & Date
custodian should be the National Treasurer. See illustration 4 below as a
sample:
Illustration 4 – Official receipt
(e) IMPREST REGISTER: Departments/units are not supposed to be carrying
huge sums of money about but rather depending on degree of need,
departmental/unit heads are to apply for approval for imprest to be kept.
Amount to be approved may not be more than two/five thousand naira for
immediate running expenses such as fuel, photocopy transport, GSM card
for official purposes etc that are not capital in nature.
Any officer particularly the departmental/unit secretary with proven integrity may be
appointed to keep the departments’ imprest. Bulk sum will be given on first installment
but will not be exhausted before applying for reimbursement. For reimbursement to
be given, receipts for expense incurred are to be attached. This will be checked and
approved by the accounting officer in the department/unit.
Illustration of this is to be made in the hall
NATIONAL YOUTH FELLOWSHIPCHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH
C/o G.P.O. Box 2028, Dugbe, Ibadan
Date:………………………Received from……………………………………………………………………….Of…………………………………………………………Assembly/District/ZoneThe sum of………………………………………………………………………….Being payment for………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………………
…………………..
Received by
N : K
ACCOUNTABILITYIn any organization each officer is accountable to either his/her employer or the
superior officer(s). Depending on skill, volume of work, nature of assignment or
responsibility, a degree of trust or confidence is supposed to be given to some of the
subordinate officers while the overall supervision lies on the most superior officer. The
most superior officer is the accounting officer in the establishment. For instance in this
fellowship (C.A.C. Youth Fellowship) the Accounting officer is the National Youth
Coordinator who will have to be reporting detailed activities and programmes of the
group to the supreme council and the executive arm of the mission (C.A.C. worldwide)
Each unit head is accountable to the National Coordinator and is to approve
major expenses to be made on behalf of the fellowship
Equally, each unit state officer is responsible to their National heads of
departments or units. For example, the state secretary is responsible to the National
Secretary etc. Collation of various activities from each of the state will be done by the
National secretary when reporting his activities to the National Executive headed by
the National Coordinator.
WHAT HAPPENS IN SCHOOLS/CAMPUSES
It is better to introduce fellowship/Christian education to make the youth
Christian knows that they are free, yet bonds for Christ sake.
There are adulterated/scientific oriented programmes with other gospel is
painted to persuade minds of the youth. Here tolerance is necessary but not given
room for the devil so we should not compromise.
There are challenges in the campuses for various kind of business/marketing.
Youth should hold to their principles, prayer power, God-given talent/Bible contents in
order to promote the gospel.
Their different social groups/fellowship a viz. palm wine drunkard/clubs. The
youth should study his/her interest and allow God to direct him/her. Joint the Christian
fellowship that ill prompts your faith/gospel of Christ.
THE BENEFITTING LIFE IN THE CAMPUS SHOULD BERom. 12:1-11; II Pet. 1:5-10
a. Biblical/not scientifically. Base all principles on Bible teaching
b. Be spiritually power packed, prayerful/Christ like
c. Be lively with songs unto God i.e. praise clapping/using musical
instrument-glorifying God
d. It must be total the fellowship in the campus must touch the soul, body
and spirit, ways of life, your needs, career, hopes, academics/your
heaven
e. Harness the gifts/talents bestowed on you as youth by God as a believer
to propagate gospel/not for a social life but for the glory of God
f. The life of youth in the campus should be for a positive challenge, glorify
God/lift the soul of people towards God/Heaven. It is to make God’s
kingdom to expand in the mind of the youth
May God bless you/be worthy of Heaven (Amen)?