2022 HELPS WEEKEND

(CHOIR, USHERS, PRAYER CHAMPIONS

& WELFARE DEPARTMENT)

theme:

TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Psalm 37:3, Proverbs 3:27

15TH– 18TH
SEPTEMBER, 2022
VENUE:
PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
GENERAL OVERSEER ALL RCCG PARISHES
 THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD
2022 HELPS WEEKEND
(CHOIR, USHERS, PRAYER CHAMPIONS & WELFARE DEPARTMENT)

DATE: 15TH– 18TH SEPTEMBER, 2022

THEME: JOY TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

(Psalm 37:3, Proverbs 3:27)

Through: Pastors I/C of Regions / Provinces

To: Pastors I/C of Parishes

Dearly Beloved,
Grace be unto you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world
according to the will of God and our Father. To Him be glory forever. Amen.
Jubilee greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We thank
God for the grand closure of the previous RCCG Calendar year, which was RCCG's
70th anniversary and the commemoration of the Church's 40th year on the
Redemption Camp. These events, in no small way, affirmed the tremendous grace
the Church has enjoyed since the days of its humble beginning, while also calling our
attention to the need to raise a continuous sacrifice of praise unto the Covenant-
keeping God.
RCCG has enjoyed a rich spread across the nations of the world, just as God
promised the Founder of the Church, although there are more grounds to cover in
the years ahead.
So, as we rise from our Convention and approach the New Year with new vigour and
passion to pursue the vision and mission statement of the Church, it is apposite that
we remind ourselves about some very fundamental truths, to the effect that as we
spread, we must bring joy to the various neighbourhoods where we are present.
This explains why this year's Helps Weekend is focusing on Joy To The
Neighbourhood as a crucial reminder of our calling as salt to the earth and light of
the world.
On this note, we wish everyone a glorious 2022 Helps weekend, and pray that as you
identify with this important responsibility of the Church, may you receive help from
God in Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Oladele A. Balogun Pastor Julius Olalekan

Special Assistant to the General Overseer[Admin] Special Assistant to the General Overseer [Personnel]

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Introduction

GOOD
NIGHBOURLINESS

MEMORY VERSE:
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:
and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” Proverbs 18:24

TEXT: (II Kings 4:1-8)

he widow of the dead indebted son of the prophets lived in a

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predominantly poor but friendly neighbourhood. This can be deduced
from the response of her neighbor to her request for empty vessels.
There are lessons to learn from this interesting story, one of such is
that: you are living in the midst of opportunities. Where you live right
now is where your miracles are. God will inspire you and like that widow,
you will discover that your miracles are in your neighbourhood in Jesus'
name.
The point to note here is that you must be friendly with the people living around you.
Can you just imagine what would have happened after Elisha told the widow to go to
her neighbours for the vessels with which she must collect the object of her miracles,
and she could not because she was not friendly with them? Can you imagine what
their response will be if she had fought all the people in her neighbourhood? The
Bible in Proverbs 18:24 says:
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that
sticketh closer than a brother”
In so many instances, you do not need to relocate from where you are to get your
breakthrough. In Genesis 26:1-3, we come across another interesting story in which
God commanded Isaac not to go down to Egypt. God commanded him to stay in

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2022

Gerar despite the famine in that land. He stayed and GO blessed him mightily. In like
manner, God is going to prosper you no matter the economic recession in your
nighbourhood or in your country.
There is a river in your neighbourhood that harbours a particular fish with a gold coin
in its belly. All you need to do is to catch the fish, open its mouth and claim the coin
that will enrich you for life (Matthew 17:27). There are some people in your
neighbourhood, who have more money than they can ever spend in a lifetime. You
only need to reach out to them with the message of salvation.

Do you know that those that are extremely rich are hungry for the message of
salvation? There was a young lady that preached to a rich man and he gave his life to
Christ. This man became so filled with the joy of salvation that he decided to give
something to this sister. He purchased a brand new car as a gift for this sister in
appreciation for the salvation of his soul.

What God did for that sister, He can do for you. Go out and be a good neighbor to
those around you by offering them the message of hop and salvation. You will be
surprised at how God can reward your labour of love. Be a good neighbour today by
evangelizing to the lost souls in your neighbourhood.

Action Point: Go out and preach the gospel to your neighbours today.

***Adapted from Open Heavens Devotional of 7th December 2014.

NOTES

CHOIR, USHERS, PRAYER CHAMPIONS & WELFARE DEPARTMENT 4

 Choir

SOUND OF
JUBILEE

TEXT: Leviticus 25:9-10

hen you shall cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day

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of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the
trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the
fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its
inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you shall return to his
possession, and each of you shall return to his family.

The sound of Jubilee is by all means a joyful sound because it is the sound of
freedom, it is the sound of restoration, it is the sound of new beginning. According to
the text above, it is the sound of return to generational inheritance, return to
possessions and of family reunion (Luke 15:17-24).

The sound of Jubilee is an invitation to constituents of the neighbourhood to align

with the political and economic liberation that jubilee portends for a people. The
sound of jubilee is a call of return to the Father of all creation in whom the family in
heaven and earth are named (Ephesians 3:14-15).

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2022

The greatest sound in the history of mankind that holds the greatest promise of joy
to neighbours and joy in the neighbourhood is the sound of jubilee, JESUS CHRIST
himself being Jubilee (Luke 4:18-19). Our business therefore, as priests of the Most
High God who minister unto Him with sounds of worship, is to raise a proclamation
of the Lordship of Jesus in our communities, knowing that in Him alone lies the
freedom that men desperately seek. There is no entering into His rest except there is
first a receiving of the finished work of Christ on the cross.

The atonement has been made already, God has been glorified by the death of His
beloved Son. Let the sound of Jubilee continue to ring throughout the land. Let the
sound of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus continue to ring throughout the earth.
Let that sound of deliverance travel across the length and breadth of the earth. It is a
sound that produces an earthly joy of salvation and a heavenly joy of deliverance
from eternal damnation (Luke 15:7)..

Sound of jubilee is not an indistinct noise but a joyful sound of freedom, a song of
redemption, a call to salvation, an invitation to rest. It is a joyful announcement that
the people's debts have been wiped out. It is a joyful proclamation that nothing in
their past can be held against them again because Christ has enforced the people's
deliverance and they can no longer be robbed of their inheritance.

As music ministers and indeed a worshipper of God, we are called to appropriate the
freedom, peace and glory that Christ has provided to mankind through His atoning
work.

The world is in dire need of choruses of freedom. Will you dare be a vessel that will
sound the “shofar” of jubilee that causes an eruption of earthly joy of salvation and
an angelic jubilation for the reconciliation of souls with their Maker?
NOTES

CHOIR, USHERS, PRAYER CHAMPIONS & WELFARE DEPARTMENT 6

 Ushers

INTRODUCING
MEN TO CHRIST

TEXT: John 1:35 - 42

Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And
looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then
Jesus turned and saw them following, and saith unto them, what seek
ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted,
Master), where dwellest thou?

He saith unto them, come and see. Thy came and saw where he dwelt,
and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the
two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon
Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto
him, we have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted, the
Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he
said, Thou art Simon the son of Jonas: thou shalt be called Cephas,
which by interpretation, a Stone.

We have come to know Ushers in any setting, whether religious or secular, as those
who stand at specific, strategic positions in a given facility to provide coordination

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for the population of people gathered in the facility. That estimation is fair enough
considering the very remarkable efforts Ushers put in to ensure proper organization
of people at every gathering. However, those of the household of faith must not lose
sight of the fact that Ushers are spiritual ambassadors for Christ and His Church.
This is because Ushers, both as individuals and as a group, serve as the “first
representatives” of Christ for a meeting or worship service.

One of the very noticeable lessons to draw from the text above is that aside the
visible duty of baptism that John undertook, he also performed a very critical role of
ushering men to Christ through his testimony about Jesus. It was recorded that two
disciple who had come in contact with John ended up following Jesus because of
what they heard him say (John 1:35). Andrew, who was one of those who heard
John announce Jesus as the Messiah did not keep the announcement to himself,
neither did he abdicate the task of introducing men to Jesus to John the Baptist. He
immediately got into the frame.

In Christ, we have received God's unconditional love, and through Christ, we have
been called to extend that unconditional love to others. Ushers therefore play a
critical role in ensuring that people see and experience that love. God has called you
to “usher” men unto Him – that is basic! (II Corinthians 5:18-20).

The only hope for unbelievers to come to know God is being introduced to Jesus.
This should make you appreciate just how sacred your role is in the body of Christ.

Lessons to learn from Andrew:

a. He was taught to introduce people to Jesus by John the Baptist (John 1:15,
23,26-27; 35-37). As ushers, we have to learn the art and act of introducing
men to Jesus, and the learning comes in the place of tarrying (Luke 24:49)
b. He introduced people to Jesus (John 1:40-42, John 12:20-22)

Conclusion
God has commissioned you and me to introduce men to Jesus as part of making
disciples (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). Introducing people to Jesus is a significant
component of your marching orders.
NOTES

CHOIR, USHERS, PRAYER CHAMPIONS & WELFARE DEPARTMENT 8

 Prayer
Champions

TRAVAILING FOR THE

NEIGHBOURHOOD

TEXT: Luke 10:30-37

e live in a very hurting world, and one of the ways we can bring joy to our

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neighbourhood and also reflect selfless love towards our neighbours
as our Lord Jesus instructs, is to uphold our neighbours and
communities in the place of prayers. In a world full of needs, it may
seem like an overwhelming call, but the beauty of intercession is that it
is God's Spirit who places the burden in our hearts. And our surrender
unto the leading of the Spirit to pray for our neighbours and
neighbourhood gives us a privileged access into the realm of God doing what
Apostle Paul describes as “…above what we ask or think…” for other people
(Ephesians 3:20).

Interestingly, intercession is one of the proven ways through which the Spirit of God
moves to accomplish amazing things in the world through us. The one engaging in it
may neither see nor feel it, but a prayer of intercession made in utmost sincerity of
heart and commitment, is capable of causing light to shine in dark regions and
situations.

As an intercessor, your motivation is not to try to decipher how God will answer the

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sacrificial prayers being offered on behalf of others, but an expectation to be used

by God as an instrument of achieving His plans.

Intercession is needed in our world today, as we get deeper in the end time and as
there is a greater steep of the world into moral bankruptcy. Intercession is needed in
this age when many are enduring emotional and mental torture even though they
appear normal on the face value. You do not need to know what is wrong before you
pray, you just obey the prompting of God's Holy Spirit and pray.

Persistent intercession produces results and unleashes supernatural power for

victory for our neighbours that are experiencing one form of difficulty or the other.

Also, intercessory prayer is a force that crosses the borders of time and space, just
as it happened to Peter when Jesus interceded for him in Luke 22:31-32 (crossing
the border of time) and when the Church interceded for him in Acts 12:1-12
(crossing the border of space).

Conclusion
If we channel the authority that the name of Jesus affords us to praying for others, it
is as good as unleashing the power of God to a revolutionary effect in the world –
like, to bring about salvation, revival, to rescue God's children from disaster,
embarrassment, etc.
NOTES

CHOIR, USHERS, PRAYER CHAMPIONS & WELFARE DEPARTMENT 10

 Welfare

HELPING
THE NEEDY

MEMORY VERSE:
But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up
his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? MY little children, let
us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. I John 3:17-18.

TEXT: I John 3:11-18, James 1:26-27

The entire book of Acts of the Apostles provide sufficient information for those of
us living in this present time that the Church of Jesus Christ is one that is predicated
on and operated with love, marked by giving, especially to the poor and needy.
God has a special heart for the poor and vulnerable among His people; and as those
who have become partakers of the divine nature, He expects us to also show
intentional and compassionate generosity towards the needy.
It is so paramount in the heart of the Father, that Jesus identified caring for the poor
as synonymous to caring for Him (Matthew 25:45-46).
The story of the Good Samaritan recorded for us in Luke 10:29-37, teaches us that
anyone in need is our neighbor, and the Apostle Paul took it a notch higher when he
said that as we have opportunity, we should do good to all people, especially to
those of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).
The love we have been appointed unto is not the love of the world. The love of the
world is one that takes – it is exploitative, it is demanding, it is selfish, it is
transactional. This explains why it is possible for someone to profess love to
another, yet seek how to take advantage of the fellow.

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When we share our resources with people in needs, out of God's love, certain effects
are likely to ensue:
a. A sense of acceptance, belonging and fellowship is created in the receivers
(II Corinthians 9:12-13)
b. Thanksgiving abound unto God (II Corinthians 9:11), which makes God
pleased with our fellowships
c. Prayers are offered unto God for the source of the provision (II Corinthians
9:14). This means a love-inspired giver is not likely to lack men who will
stand-in-the-gap for him or her.
d. Giving out of God's love is a tested way of restoring people unto productivity
(John 15:1-5). God gave Jesus unto us, so that through that Blessed Gift, we
can begin to bear fruits again, just as God designed us to be in the beginning.

Conclusion
Loving and giving is not an option for Christians and the Church, it is an imperative.
God is not just looking for our worship or our engagement in religious activities. He
is looking for our love for Him demonstrated through our love for the poor and needy
in our world. Ask God to fill you afresh with His compassion.
NOTES

CHOIR, USHERS, PRAYER CHAMPIONS & WELFARE DEPARTMENT 12

 Offering Sheet HELPS
WEEKEND
2022

Thursday - 15th September, 2022

Friday - 16th September, 2022
Saturday - 17th September, 2022
Sunday - 18th September, 2022

CHOIR, USHERS, PRAYER CHAMPIONS & WELFARE DEPARTMENT 13

Jesus is Lord