Departments, Outreaches

It is said that as Christians, we stand taller on our knees. These folks stand in the gap for the church, individual members and the nation at large, like Daniel they pray the word of God into manifestation. They also wage warfare according to 2Corinthians 10:4-6; nothing just happens it takes prayer to make things happen. Their mandate is embedded in the Lord’s Prayer “Let Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” it is a great privilege and honour to stand before the Lord in prayers. Much of the result we see in our individual lives and as a Church is because somebody is praying for us, speaking the mind of God into our lives.

Jesus gave us a command before He departed earth, this is known as the great commission-“Go ye into the worlds and preach to all creatures, make disciples of them” Matt 28:18. Much as this charge is for all Christians, the evangelism department is a people set apart solely for this ministry. It is a calling of God to all of us, but there are some folks who God has laid upon their hearts, a burden for the souls of perishing men. They take seriously what Jesus said that “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit”- John15:16a. These ones bear fruit as some of us are the fruit they bore. They are driven into action by the desire not to see people perish and also to see them live in the light of the truth of the Word of God. They not only speak to people about Jesus, they also demonstrate how one can lead a victorious life by applying the Word of God to his/her situations. They are our fishers of men.

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16) As we harvest souls of men for God, we ought to make sure that they remain in the way, because like any other kind of harvest, souls of men can be taken away from us by the thief. Thus we follow up our converts. There are people that we’ve gone to preach to, who have accepted Christ through our witness, but still desire the ways of the world, so they stay at home instead of coming to Church. Some think Church is the home of perfect people who do not face tests and trials, like them. So when they are going through, they stay home by themselves. Some have even been members for a while, but due to some circumstances, they stay home. This department is for such and more; reaching them through text messages, phone calls and even home visits. We all, at one time or the other, had someone follow us up and made sure we were okay. Do you remember the first time you were in Church, and about two or three people sat down with you as you fill out the first-timers’ form. Then they go through the forms and ask questions and also give answers to your questions. They would go as far as giving you details about the Church, the pastorate, the vision of the Church and even how the ministry started. Yeah, you guessed it; they are members of follow-up department.

Don’t be deceived by the name; it is a clinic alright, but not the kind you are thinking right now. These people deal with the spiritual well being and growth of the members of the Church. Under this department, we have the Membership Classes and the Cell Units (aka LIFE NET)

Membership Classes: The classes are run to teach the fundamental principles of Christian living. In the world out there, there are many wrong preconceived ideas about our faith; these are beliefs, sayings and notions that are not backed by the Word of God as we know it from the Bible. This is where we connect the dots and correct the wrongs. It operates like a full class, with opportunities for you to ask questions and get answers you can always trust. We have all had to go through the Foundation School, when we decided to be committed members of the Church. It is a requisite, especially if you want to be part of the Church workforce. It is the truth that you know that will set you free.

Life Net: Call it Home Fellowship or Cell Unit and you will not be wrong. It is Church in the home where you can be relaxed and ask questions and be answered. Most of the leaders of each Home Fellowship are your friends, sisters, brothers or even parents, whom you can call your first or direct “pastors.” They are the set of leaders that you most likely would first contact even before you reach the pastorate. They are there to minister to you (body, spirit and soul watching out for you and if need be, telling the pastorate about your state. They are the folks you are likely to see visiting you the most. They are the ones who know exactly where you live. Whether they live around you or not, they are available to hear from you. LIFE-NET means Love, Impact, Fellowship, Evangelism Network. For a list of the available LIFE-NET groups, the venue and the time of meeting, please contact the admin office. Newer ones are springing up daily as our reach expands. Make yourself available for the next meeting at the closest group to you!

As we see ourselves as a family, we prepare for situations of need where somebody in our midst might be unable to help themselves. It is our desire that none of us is in lack, since we are all member of one body, if one suffers, the whole body suffers. The benevolence department ministers to members that are in need, in form of food items, clothes and even cash depending on the need and the funds available. All of these are made available by members of the Church. There are times that your heart desires to give and there is no avenue to do so or you probably don’t know how to go about it. Just package your gifts, at times like this, and come to Church with them. The department will take it from there.

We all know that there is always more to learn about every field of study and every area of life. The Christian Living is no different; there is always more to be known. This is what must have driven Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; she only wanted to know more. Imagine what it would be like, if she had waited for God to come around at the cool of the day, and asked Him all she ever wanted to know… The folks in Bible school tell you more about God, Christian Living in the light of the Word of God with words you can always trust, as they surrender their wills to God to have you taught by Him. You can say, “I don’t want to be a pastor. I am a businessman, an engineer or even a trader.” But we say: come learn and apply the knowledge you get to your business, career or your trade, and you will find the Word of God never changes and it always brings results. A lot are making exploits in the private lives because they attended this school.

You’ve heard it said that children are the leaders of tomorrow. But, we choose to believe that Children are not leaders of tomorrow, but of today that will dawn into tomorrow. Your children are brought into an environment where they learn God’s Word, as it applies and appeals to them and they are encouraged to work it in the own lives. Childrens Church Divisions: We have the Kid’s Connect, Junior High and Senior High.

Kids Connect: Childrenare taught to learn and connect with one another even as they fellowship withGod in creative and unique ways, using the everyday things and events to learnthe things of God. Classes open immediately after praise and worship session ofthe Sunday Service.

Junior & Senior High: Destinies are made in the teenage years; that is why children in Secondary Schoolor between the ages 12 – 20 are paid careful attention. They learn how to applygodly principles to issues peculiar to their ages, while having fun as they do.Classes open immediately after praise and worship session of the SundayService.

The Love Levites as they are referred to play a very important role in each service, they are responsible for leading the congregation into God’s presence through praise and worship. Some people have been called to lead the people of God into worship, the type of which has an impact on our lifestyle as individuals and our lifting as a Church. Talking about the Love Levites, brings to mind the role the ancient Levites played as Israel marched to the promised land of milk and honey, from the land of slavery. They lead us into victory, which is actually won in the place of praise and worship while we minister to the Lord; a lifestyle we should always live by, remember Paul and Silas! Though the Choir is filled with people of great talents, talent alone is not a criterion for becoming part of what God is doing in the life of His people. There is room for development as the Love Levites are willing to help you improve your vocal skills, for instance.

Though they’re not very visible, the type of work members of the Media Department do makes it impossible to deny their existence. For example, you are reading this because we have a Media Department. This department handles the A – Z of communication and information transmission for the church; from the projector screening of praise and worship lyrics, to the design of handbills, posters, banner, managing the Church website and so on.

This department rocks our Church services. One would wonder how Jesus was able to preach to the large congregation (that was typical about His Ministry) with such convenience. The folks in this department make it hard for one to imagine, since they are almost always there. A couple of other departments and ministries in the Church are deeply indebted to them. Sound makes sure the general sound system is in order, making the running of Church activities possible and smooth.

This department ensures that we hear the word over and over again, the Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God-Romans 10:17. Apart from selling CD, DVD, Tapes and books of anointed men of God from across the Globe, these folks make it possible for us to be able to listen to messages from the CLCC pulpit from the convenience of our homes, offices and our cars. They even get them to us in MP3 formats so that we can hear them as we walk on the street, go jogging or do our morning exercises.

This department brings to mind a Christmas Carol Service, where we had the Magi on an interview session. There were two of them around and one could remember how graphically they painted the story of Jesus Christ’s birth and their visit to Baby Jesus. Interesting how clearer the Bible messages can be when we have real humans acting them out! Especially, if they are people we see every day in service.

 Young adults (We call them the HIFLYERS; an acronym meaning Heaven Inspired Flyers.) who meet together in a cool and serene atmosphere to address issues ranging from relationships, career, national development, impacting the world for Christ and other issues that affect them, while taking it with good doses of fun and friendship.

Aged 20 and above, they meet on the second and last Sundays of each month immediately after Sunday Services.

They are the first set of people we come in contact with as we step into church; their smile stays with us all day long. Someone once said “I remember the broad flash of teeth the usher presented to me as I was directed to my seat.” Apart from welcoming us into the service and directing us to our seats, these wonderful people are a vital contributing factor to the smooth running of the Church service. We can call them the “babysitters” of the congregation, as they sometimes kindly nudge us awake when we doze off (not you, but maybe someone you know!) also making sure there’s water on the Preacher’s Table (you don’t want his mouth drying up while he speaks to you…) They also entertain our first-time visitors, making them know they’re welcome. Remember the first time you came around and someone served you some refreshments? Made sure you were taken care of? That’s our Ushering Department!.

The folks here are responsible for making sure guest ministers are properly checked into the hotel. They also drive the guest to church and back to the hotel. Aside the guest ministers, they are also responsible for the smooth running of the car park. To a large extent they also contribute to the service running smoothly because they make sure your car is well packed.

This department is the hub as it coordinates the activities of all other departments. It also takes care of matters relating to pastoral care, church premises maintenance and event planning among others.

Believe it or not, God is interested in our businesses and has made provision for our businesses to prosper and make impact by giving us principles to follow for our business dealings. At the Business Clinic, business know-how and lessons are shared in a comfortable atmosphere. The sessions are open to business people of all levels and fields of enterprise and even to people in paid employment. Meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m.

Marriedpeople can also meet and have fun while they address issues like raising children, dealing with in-laws, sex in marriage, finances in marriage and many other marriage related issues. We focus on these things in the light of the Word of God and the Spirit of wisdom. They meet regularly.

This is one of the youngest and vibrant ministries of the Church as it ministers to all and sundry. Just as its name suggest this department helps all graduate to develop skills in passing interviews, also those who have a hard time in communication are also taught the ABC of communication skills. Mature adults and anyone who desires academics and career development can be helped to reach their potential.