After almost three weeks of preparedness characterized by thankfulness moments, the 2023 annual Thanksgiving Service came on as scheduled on the 22nd of October 2023 at the Kojokrom Congregation in the Takoradi district.

Surely, it had been a month of gratitude and cheerful giving experience for many members who came in their numbers despite their current condition to thank God. The Thanksgiving Service was led by Apostle George Sam.

The scripture used was taken from Psalm 116:12, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits towards me?”               

What does God prefer in the way of thank-you?
The Apostle used the story of Cain and Abel to elaborate a point to the congregation. He said Cain and Abel presented their offering but God favoured Abel’s sacrifice instead of Cain’s because Abel brought the best of what he had. “That is exactly what we have also done today by bringing forth our best offering.”

He went further to ask, “Does God want a thank you? Or our sincere sacrifice of admiration. There is no remuneration that we can offer to God that could pay Him back for all the wonderful things He has done for us. There is absolutely nothing we can do, but we can offer Him our sacrifice of admiration. We can pour out our hearts of gratitude to Him by saying ‘Thank you’, just like what Abel did and for our great salvation.”

He continued: “We can give thanks by living a life that is pleasing to Him by trusting His word and seeking in all that we say and do to live a holy life. We can walk in spirit and truth, submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and let the love of Christ shine through us in thought and deed, to the glory of the Father.”

How we should give?
The Apostle said that Jesus’ message about giving is both clear and simple; “Give purely, and to glorify and motivate others. Do it privately, and with so much secrecy, not to make it known to others.”

Ending the service, the Apostle quoted ‘For If we do not believe in what we are doing today then we should not expect anything from God’. He encouraged the congregation to fear God because without the fear of God, we make deceptive decisions based on our human understanding but when the fear of God is upon us, it will help us to understand who God truly is.

The Apostle was supported by District Rector Fenyi, Deputy District Rector Essauh Boadi, and Shepherd Ntim (Rector, Kojokrom Congregation).