Date: 16th October 2021
Topic: Growing a Celestial Parish in the 21st Century
Lecturer: Pro. Kunle Hamilton

I ask also that we remain open-minded and forthright in asking Questions and Answers that must flow tonight

This is our topic

GROWING A CELESTIAL PARISH IN THIS 21ST CENTURY

Question One

How many males here would LOVE to serve God as Shepherds in CCC?
Can I get at least 10 raised hands or

Okay o, if our educated young men are running away from Ise Oluso, doesn’t this mean that we mostly believe Shepherds ought to jobless illiterates? Hmmmm

COVID 19 has changed and modified the pattern of growing churches as we used to know it

Up till 2019, people were criticizing me for putting all our Celestial Showers Services on Facebook livestream.

My argument then was that no matter how large or small a church auditorium is, every passionate Shepherd must leverage technology to expand his pastoring beyond the walls of his parish or church for there will always be sheep within and without the 4 walls of each parish

Some people argued that our beloved Celestial Church of Christ wasn’t like any other church.

That Pentecostals and other denominations may use the Internet, but because Papa never used the Internet, CCC angels and liturgy forbade the use of Internet.

They said I was a rebel and renegade

Then COVID hit the world
Churches were forced to close ‘shop’

For almost 8months, most urban based CCC parishes were empty. Shepherds went hungry for no offering or tithe came in

For those who had a passion for their commission and wanted to conduct services, preach and pray with their parishioners, they felt useless and frustrated

But a special category of Ministers and Shepherds continued to thrive. They hosted Services and Gospel talkshows and concerts and prayerfests Online

Their parishioners were gathered on Telegram, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook platforms and it was as if Church wasn’t closed down

You see, Almost everyone who criticised me shut up. In fact they all started struggling to start online engagements.

Many fumbled and messed up things. Some manged to start something

I HOPE YOU ALL GET MY DRIFT?

With or without COVID, this is the 21st century.

Growing CCC parishes and ministries still follows the biblical injunctions and principles, but the strategies, content building, message dissemination and people management all call for new thinking and action

So first let us look at WHO is called to grow a CCC parish?

Answer: One who is sure God called him. Not just one who thinks church planting and management is a commercial business.

It is not enough to know the bible or be a prophet. You need the HEART of a Shepherd; a Pastor’s HEART.

Capacity to do it isn’t enough. You need verified calling

To lead a CCC parish from this 21st century forward, you need to be educated, theologically, academically, socially, intellectually, etc

I want 10 people to quickly mention ONE major quality they wish to see in a CCC Shepherd they would be happy worshipping under

The 21st-century church has its demands and the 1947 qualities can’t deliver it right

No church can thrive on the right biblical principles anymore without leveraging technology.

It’s growth will be stunted

Educated Celestians are beginning to groan under uneducated Shepherds

Papa Oshoffa never went to the bank. He trusted completely his female treasurer. This is no longer possible in these times

The complexities of living that Christians face in the 21st century are a puzzle to primordial mindsets

So I have a few suggestions… But first please peruse these scriptures;

Before, Papa said every CCC Shepherd must no longer engage in secular incomes. But some of the most successful shepherds I know run thriving businesses alongside successful parishes. While other Shepherds who have no secular incomes go to them to beg for money. Why? Even this Scripture demonstrates that God does not thrive in bondage. Rather, he deals differently with every called and commissioned Shepherd

If a parish cannot fend for its basic needs, it definitely cannot give its Shepherd a decent livelihood. So think about it and get your questions ready

There is no age limit to who can help a Shepherd grow the parish.

What IT, photography, videography, multimedia etc skills do you have? Your parish Shepherd needs you to help him grow the parish.

Are you a skilled Office Tech Administrative graduate, you can help grow a database for your parish to help your Shepherd set up an effective pastoring routine for his parishioners

No matter the provocation, church growers (evangelists, prophets, teachers, shepherds and apostles – five fold ministry inside every parish) must never curse or deal criminally or ruthlessly with even one parishioner. Else he will scatter his own sheep.

Growers are ‘blessers’ not ‘cursers’

Church planters and growers in CCC especially must learn to lead exemplary lives worthy of emulation.

We are the 21st century Psalms and Proverbs, Celestians now read

IN CONCLUSION…
The 21st century CCC will grow where…

1. Evangelism thrives
2. Music is topnotch across genres
3. Solid investment in sound, media and musical equipment
4. Human capacity building e.g. structured and proper training of the priesthood, ushers, prophets, teachers, preachers and administrators is deliberately invested in.
5. Prophets and Prophetesses are strictly monitored and prevented from deceiving people

THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL. AMEN