The Elevation Church

Tag: Small Groups

  • Breaking Addictions

    Breaking Addictions

    What comes to your mind when the word “addiction” is mentioned? Just as some of us think that all doctors must be male and all nurses must be female, that’s how some of us see the word addiction as related to negativity. I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking that way especially when the term is related to dependency, craving, habit, weakness, compulsion, fixation and enslavement. In this context, addiction is a psychological and physical inability to stop partaking in activities especially when it causes harm. These activities could be, but are not limited to, excessive gaming and gambling, excessive food consumption, social media, impulsive shopping, consuming illicit drugs and alcohol etc.

    Shaping our everyday activities and even how we feel about ourselves, addictive habits can either make or break you. New Year’s resolutions are similar to trying to break a habit. So, the question is:

    • Why do most New Year’s resolutions and attempts at breaking an addiction fail?
    • Why do people partake in activities or consume substance that are harmful to their well-being without having the psychological and physical ability to stop them?

    The truth is, some people unknowingly fall into these addictions without realizing the damage it does to them. Like Roman 6:16 tells us, “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?” Most people start these habits with the intention that they won’t get hooked, and unfortunately, don’t realize how deep it eats into them until it is too late.

    As we forge into the new year/decade, if you’ve been consumed by a habit that is harmful to you physically, emotionally or psychologically; it is time to say goodbye and take charge of your total wellbeing. Making the decision to change, and deciding what that change will look like, is a process that often takes a while, but in the process of forming a new positive habit, you are slowly breaking the bad one.

    Here are a few strategies to break bad habits and form new positive ones:

    1. Consultation: consult a medical professional or licensed counsellor to assist you in breaking the addictions you crave, and help you cope with the physical and mental symptoms that occur after stopping such addictions.

     

    1. Positive thinking: fill your thoughts with positivity by reading the Bible, daily devotionals, listening to gospel music, audio and video messages of preachers of the God’s Word.

     

    1. Positive behavior: engage in healthy or positive activities like regular exercise, attending church programs, enrolling in personal development courses, eating healthy, having good companions, joining responsible professional or social small groups etc. Remember, anything you do for more than 3 weeks becomes a habit.

     

    1. Love yourself: loving yourself is a big key in removing the chains your addiction or bad habits have locked you into. This is where a strong mind and strong love for yourself comes into play. When you are in that moment, ask yourself, “Will this really better me? I love myself too much to give into this habit that will only make me feel temporary pleasure, while putting me at a worse state for the future.” Love yourself enough to stop yourself from doing damage to your present and future.

     

    1. Reflect: take a review of past years and keep a log of what you typically spend your time doing. What takes the bulk of your time? What takes up most of your head/mind space? These questions will assist you in ascertaining what you’re addicted to and guide your actions towards creating a balance and surmounting negative addictions.

     

    1. Relationships: consciously make efforts to stay away from friends & people who could potentially drag you back to the habits you’re trying to change. Surround yourself with the right people who fuel your drive towards change and help you build a better lifestyle.

     

    The year 2020 is going to be a great year. However, the greatness of 2020 depends on your daily habit and actions. Once you learn to live without your habit, you won’t feel the need for it in your life anymore. You are responsible for your actions and the consequences that comes along with them.

    Take control of your body and your mind. You are in charge; you have finally unlocked the chains. You are free. You have to start somewhere. Get up and start today.

     

    Written by Richard Agu

     

  • Making Friends in a New Church

    Making Friends in a New Church

    The Makinde family had the opportunity to relocate to a neighboring West African country, Ghana. As every blessing has its challenges, it took some months to settle in at work, find a school for their kids, obtain a residence permit, work permit, accommodation, hospital and of course a place of worship. So, they were on the lookout for a church. Some factors were considered: proximity to their new home and whether or not they should settle for a church which had a physical presence in Nigeria or just worship at an unfamiliar church.

    Finally, they decided to attend one of the largest and fastest growing churches in the city of Accra. They attended the first service which commenced at 7:30am. They enjoyed every aspect of the service, but they did not bother to stand for recognition as new attendees after the service, because they felt it was unnecessary. However, they decided to make it a date the following Sunday. Subsequently, they continued to worship at the church. But sadly, they were yet to make any friends. And at the end of each service, they humbly picked their kids, walked down to the car park, and zoomed off.

    Several months after acclimatizing to the city, one Sunday morning after the service, a gentleman tapped the husband’s shoulder. As he turned around, the man realized he was mistaken. He had thought Mr. Makinde was someone else. He apologized and walked away, leaving a bewildered Mr. Makinde. Mrs. Makinde, who had become restive over the past weeks, then said to her husband, “I wonder when we will be known in this church, and get to talk with other church members”.

    We can all relate to the Makinde family story. Joining a new church, especially a big one, can foster feelings of loneliness and being lost in the crowd. If enough care is not taken, a new member with no human relations might reconsider regular attendance. You may wonder if this is a cogent reason for irregular attendance, but the truth is most humans are social beings and we all long for connection. No wonder new attendees are always welcomed with love and warmth so they feel a sense of congeniality.

    As a new attendee or an old attendee who is yet to connect and make friends, there is hope for you. It’s really not too late or too early to make new friends in church. And here are some tips that can be useful:

    1. Stand up for recognition as a new attendee: This is an opportunity to be welcomed to the church officially. You will be able to fill in your details with the church and meet with other new attendees at the welcome reception, which usually serves as an opportunity to break the ice and mingle with others.
    2. Attend the membership classes and other classes organized by the church: These are opportunities to know more about the church and meet more people.
    3. Engage in volunteering: The aim is to lend a helping hand to others, which puts you in a unique position to meet potential friends in a positive space. You can offer to serve at a conference, summit or program organized by the church. You will meet new people, exchange pleasantries and strike up conversations through which meaningful relationships can be built, and they can lead to great friendships.
    4. Join a small group: A small group is an avenue where the church gets to know its members in a more intimate way. Find a small group which you can identify with based on either your interests, location or both.  After the meetings, there will usually be some time to unwind and socialize. You will definitely find one or two people you can relate with right there.
    5. Join a unit: This helps you to serve and while contributing your quota to the growth of the church, you get to meet people doing the same. Friendships often kick off over shared experiences. This is ideal because there is common ground to start conversations to relate with people you do ministry together.
    6. Get involved in activities such as mass evangelism: At the meeting points, you’ll get to meet other church members and you can ask for guidance on evangelism, other topics and strike a conversation through this.
    7. Be friendly: One must have a friendly attitude to make friends. The first step to being friendly is often saying a simple “hello”. A couple of opportunities to say this abound before, during or after the services. Don’t take the moment to ask your neighbor how their week was for granted. Ask genuinely, and with a smile.

    Know that friendship requires time and effort; it does have an element of trial and error and it might not happen right away or with the first people you get to meet. However, if you keep attempting to make new friends in the church, eventually you will find the right people and build friendships.

    Remember though, the main reason for joining a church should not be to make new friends, but it helps to make and have friends. So, be receptive to the message and over time, with some effort, you will attract new friends.

     

    By: Bolutife Ore-Dawodu

  • The Impact of Sharing Testimonies

    The Impact of Sharing Testimonies

    And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,

    and by the word of their testimony; Revelation 12:11b

    Testimonies are evidence or proof of the acts of God by which we can trust Him to fulfill His promises in our lives because we’ve seen the proof in the life of someone else. In other words, a testimony is bearing witness to an action, a proof of the occurrence of something spectacular.  It is therefore important that we share our testimonies with others because we will be giving someone a reason to believe that whatever promise God has made to them or whatever they are trusting God for, He is able to do it.

     

    So many people have testimonies of what God has done in their lives at one time or the other but have never shared it. As much as some of these experiences are very personal and close to home; we must not forget that God gave us those testimonies as proof of what He is able to do and much more. When God answers a prayer, He expects us to use them to encourage others to know that God is still in the business of doing amazing things. Especially people who might be giving up hope or have lost faith in God.

     

    I once heard a testimony that changed my attitude towards prayer and I began to relate it to my personal life. It was a testimony of breakthrough and the testifier said this;

     

    “My life was a total mess and I felt like I could never achieve anything or amount to anything anymore. I had fallen into such a great sin that the devil just dangled it over my head and lied to me that I couldn’t get out of it or make something out of my life and I almost gave up. But I wasn’t ready to die yet so I went to God and asked him to just help me to survive. God gave me a word; write down everything you want to achieve in a year and attach a scripture to each. Then confess it, speak in tongues over it and praise me and you will see the change you want; your sins were forgiven before you even sinned. I thought I was imagining the impossible but then I took the step of faith and followed through. I kid you not; in two months, the first set of desires happened in such a way that I knew it was purely by angelic assistance. One year down the line, everything on that list was fulfilled one after the other, some happened even much more than I anticipated. I didn’t just survive, I thrived, and I give God all the glory. He said it and He did it and my prayer life took a turn for the supernatural.”

     

    This testimony caused a shift in my spirit such that when I have a desire, I don’t just pray amiss or emphasize unnecessary repetition; I prayed in understanding, attaching applicable scriptures, meditating on it, speaking in tongues and praising God for answered prayers. And because God cannot lie and doesn’t favor one person over the other, I have experienced the miracle of answered prayers in different dimensions.

     

    For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev 19:10

     

    What am I saying? It is important to share our testimonies because it is the recounting of the occurrence of the miraculous that not only allows us to remember how God came through for us, but also allows someone else the opportunity to believe God and trust that if He did it for one person, He can do it for another.

     

    Here are a few reasons we should share our testimonies:

    1.       It glorifies God: When God comes through for us in amazing ways, testifying about it reveals the faithfulness of God and thus we give the glory back to Him. We are able to recount how amazing He has been to us, and our gratitude opens us up to more of His blessings. And because we acknowledge that what happened was not by our own power but by His grace, He takes the glory.

     

    1.       It becomes a resource that gives others hope and courage: Many times, people have lost hope and wonder if something can ever happen for them. But sharing our testimonies with them might just be what they need to hear to rekindle their hope and help them believe again. It was the testimony of Elizabeth that reaffirmed to Mary that she will surely conceive of the Holy Spirit.

     

    1.      It builds our faith and that of others: The Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Your testimony is, therefore, a reminder for you that if he did it before he can do it again. Just like David who remembered that the God who helped him to kill the Lion and Bear is also able to kill the uncircumcised Philistine irrespective of him being a giant. Also, someone may need to hear your testimony repeatedly until their faith is built up towards that desire in their heart.

     

    You might ask, “how can I share my testimonies”?

    –          You can share it physically during church service

    –          You can have it written and read

    –          You can have it recorded as video

    –          You can share it in small group meetings

    –          You can share among friends and families or social media

     

    The most important thing is to get the message across. Remember, your testimony is someone else’s hope for a miracle, assurance that God will do what he says and the evidence of faith for the fulfillment of prophecy. Don’t hold back those good deeds that God has done in your life. Give someone an opportunity to trust God again.

     

    Written by Tolulope Oyekan

     

     

  • Doing Life Together

    Doing Life Together

    There is a zone in life that is more dangerous than danger zone, it is called comfort zone or solitary zone. Gone are the days when people were comfortably suffering and smiling; in this age and time, a lot of people are sinking and smiling. I’ve come to realise that doing life alone can be more devastating than doing life with the wrong people.

    One of the greatest sources of success in life is having the right relationships and one of the surest sources of stress is wrong relationships; but the most unwise decision anybody can make is having ‘no relationships’. The life of a loner hardly makes sense. However, a wrong relationship can be a blessing in disguise. Every relationship can either be a blessing or a lesson, what makes the difference is the power of positive perception.

    In a world where depression and suicide have become the norm, the significance of having a circle of strength cannot be overemphasized. I have had to deal with deep depression too, it was further fuelled by wrong relationships and lonesomeness. However, I got to a point where I wrote this short poem:

    I have seen heaven and hell

    Nightmares don’t scare me any more…

    I have terrifying tales to tell,

    Echoes of woes don’t move me anymore.

    I know the valley of the shadow of death,

    I’ve been there before.

    Jesus restored my soul and my strength…

    His grace kept my core.

     

    In the inaugural speech of the current President of Nigeria, He said “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”. In some Christian communities, a lot of people seem to be lost in the crowd and their testimony is “I fellowship with everybody, I’m in friendship with nobody” or worst still, “I live with everybody, I lean on nobody”; little wonder The Elevation Church has put systems and structures in place where it is easy for guests to move from the crowd to the committed, one of such systems is the small groups system.

    Some small groups are interest-based while some are location based. Everyone has a group where they feel at home with people who speak their ‘language’. Small groups are not only circles of strength, they are a major source of stability in adversity and sustainability in prosperity. Small groups provide a platform for members to experience favourable friendships, fulfilling fellowship and deep discipleship in an atmosphere of faith, fun and freedom.

    The first small group in the world can be traced to Genesis chapter one, where God called a mini conference which led to the creation of man. Since then, small groups have always played a major role in the discovery, development and deployment of creative capacities.

    Below are four reasons why small groups are sacrosanct:

    • Personal Discovery: Vulnerability is a key factor in self-discovery. Except a seed falls to the ground and breaks, it abides alone. It is easier to get integrated, inspired and ignited in a small group than in a large community. For instance, teaching and learning is everyone’s duty in small groups, questions are asked and answered by anyone who wishes to but that doesn’t often happen during church sermons. Leadership qualities are swiftly discovered, developed and deployed in small groups.

     

    • Purpose Delivery: Small groups do not only provide a platform for people to learn from each other, it also provides a platform for interaction, interrelation and interconnection. It is easier to share ideas, sharpen strategies and shape destinies in small groups because people of like minds who share same interest often find it easy to bond and build each other up in such settings.

     

    • Effective Ministry: No one comes to the larger church to share their secret storms and struggles but due to the high voltage vulnerability in small groups, it is easier to minister to peoples’ needs without much ado. Small groups are more like the backbone of ministry.

     

    • Greatness Gallery: I have always maintained that anyone who wants to stand tall must be willing to start small; every big and beautiful thing around us started small. The disciples of Jesus in the early part of his ministry were just twelve, but look at the whole world, billions of Christians are making greatness common in different spheres of life. Doing life together guarantees greatness.

    I encourage you to join a small group today and enjoy doing life with amazing people who will uplift, inspire, encourage and motivate you towards achieving your purpose.

    Written by Adeleke Adeite

     

     

     

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