Church services, social events mark Christmas in the regions

Graphic Reporters / Daily Graphic / Ghana Dec - 27 - 2013 , 09:41

Christmas , a celebration hitherto enjoyed by only those who profess Christianity, has now not only become a yearly ritual by Christians but has been embraced by adherents of other religions that partake in the merry making associated with the day.

A day set aside to mark the birth of the saviour of the world - Jesus Christ, it has also become synonymous with the sharing of love and engaing in social activities meant to bring people together.

In Ghana, the celebration was widespread, with church services, feasts and social activities being the main ways Ghanaians marked the day.

Celebration at Swedru

At Agona Swedru in the Central Region, Gilbert Mawuli Agbey reports that church services were held by most churches on Christmas day to mark the birth of Jesus Christ.

He says most of the churches visited were filled to capacity and the congregations prayed and gave thanks to God for His protection and guidance throughout the year.

At the Saint James Anglican Church, the Archdeacon of the Winneba Archdeaconry of the Anglican Church, Venerable Ebenezer Love Annan, in a sermon said that Christmas was celebrated for Christians to know the purpose and mission of Christ for the world and mankind and was also a period to prepare in expectation of the second coming of the Messiah.

He urged Christians to use the celebration of Christmas to prepare their hearts and minds and allow God to change their character and attitude in order to put up Christ-like behaviours.

Christmas at Adomi

Gabriel Ahiabor, however, reports that it was all joy for the youth of Adomi in the Asugyaman District in the Eastern Region who celebrated the Christmas day by engaging in various games such as boat racing, playing of cards amidst singing and dancing and cheering crowds in a not-to-be-missed spectacle. Also referred to as Small London, the Christmas extravaganza at Adomi, a community of coconut and palm trees overhanging the Volta Lake’s banks, attracted participants from other island communities, including Abutia, Sapa, Kwablakope and Yidakope.

Mr Daniel Amedume, a youth leader in the area, said although Christmas was always celebrated by Christians in Adomi, it was actually the new year that was of a far deeper religious significance to the people of the area. He, however, submitted that Christmas could not be separated from the new year, which was a time of reflection and stocktaking. “The idea of Christmas is to show appreciation to God for guiding us successfully throughout the year and also to reflect on the past and make amends,” Mr Amedume said.

Celebration in Tamale

Vincent Amenuveve reports that residents of Tamale marked the season with church activities and other social events. On Christmas day various churches organised special church services, including carols night, while on the entertainment front residents, including holiday-makers, trooped to the various night clubs and attended other entertainment programmes to have fun.

Preaching a sermon at the Winner’s Chapel in Tamale, the Resident Pastor, Victor Irabor, told Christians that Christmas was more than just the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

“It is rather the celebration of your deliverance, liberty and glory of God in your life,” he stressed.

Making references to the Holy Bible, Pastor Irabor noted that the purpose of Christmas was to reveal God’s glory to mankind.

Other churches visited by the Daily Graphic included the Church of Pentecost, the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) and the OLA Cathedral. Activities outlined by the churches included Christmas conventions, vigils, carols night and children’s programmes. At the ICGC in Tamale for instance, children were feted as part of the Christmas festivities.

An Events and Promotion Manager, Mr. Adam Abdul-Basit, told the Daily Graphic that the entertainment front was bubbling with a lot of activities and expressed joy about the way residents patronised all the entertainment programmes during the season.

Kumasi celebration

According to Kwame Asare Boadu, in Kumasi the Ashati Regional capital, the Anglican Archbishop of Ghana, Most Rev. Prof. Daniel Yinkah-Sarfo, called on Ghanaians to fix Jesus in their celebration of Christmas.

He said the celebration of Christmas was arguably the biggest global event and that putting Christ in the centre was the surest way of reaping the full benefits of the occasion.

Preaching the sermon to a packed congregation at the St. Cyprian Anglican Cathedral in Kumasi on Christmas Day, Most Rev. Prof Yinkah-Sarfo said failure to put Christ at the centre of Christmas defeated the very purpose for which Jesus Christ was born.

“A Christ-less Christmas is like a counterfeit United States Dollar. It is useless,” he said.

He said when Christ was placed in the scheme of things at Christmas virtues like love, forgiveness, reconciliation and unity became rooted in the people to enable them contribute meaningfully to the society. Quoting John 3:16, to show how the love of God for man resulted in the birth of Jesus, the archbishop said it behoved on all people to shun selfishness and show love to one another.

For his part, Nana Yaw Barimah reported that Rev. Dr. Patrick Agyeman Gyebi, Pastor in-charge of the Redemption Assemblies of God Church, New Suame, in his Christmas day message urged all the political parties in the country to put Ghana first ahead of their political interest.

He stressed that, it was time all Ghanaians realised the need to take the country's development very seriously and avioded parochial and egoistic interest.

Rev. Gyebi said that, Ghanaians should allow the Almighty God to take control of their lives and aviod any negative tendencies that could retard the country's development.

He urged all Ghanaians to use the occasion to reflect on their lives and where they fell short, made amends in the best interest of the country.

Christmas at Tema

From Tema, Rose Hayford Darko reports that church services were held all across the Metropolis to mark the birth of Christ on the Christmas day .

At the First Baptist Church in Tema, the Senior Pastor, Rev Osei Kwebena Nkrahene, urged the congregation to eschew negative tendencies that would not benefit the society.

He said the church should be the first place where change must start to show the way for others to follow .

Rev Nkrahene said despite the fact that churches were filled to capacity during festivities and even on Sundays, corruption, killings and armed robbery had persistently continued to exist. Rev Nkrahene explained that without determination and a strong will power the bad things would continue to persist.

Basing his reading on the theme “Christ is the reason for the Season” Rev Nkrahene called on the congregation to start the change from the church and ensure that negative things were left out in their individual lives.

The church provided a feast of food and drinks for the entire congregation to show brotherliness and joy.