Day: January 1, 2024

The night of December 31 every year is seen as the last step to a new year, and therefore most people engage in activities they cherish as they keep awake to crossover from the old to the new. 

   

On the night of December 31, 2023, and the wee hours of January 1, 2024, while some thronged churches to pray and make new resolutions and others to pubs, a group of men in Tema Community eight engaged in their loveliest game, checkers. 

  For them, the perfect and best way to keep awake and bid 2023 goodbye while embracing 2024 was to play a game of checkers, popularly known in Ghana as ‘dummy’. 

  The Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Monitoring Team spotted the men seated in front of Perfect Spot on the community Eight Market Road, with two players each behind two huge checker boards.

  The board was placed in between the laps of the two players as they skillfully studied the disc-shaped playing pieces of their opponent to be able to make tactical moves to win the game. 

  Others cheered them on as they wai
ted patiently with some drinks in hand for their turn to take over the playing pieces and board. 

  Mr. Francis Kofi, a checker player, said that as a ‘nature worshipper,’ he found fulfilment in playing checkers to welcome in the new year instead of attending a church watchnight service. 

  Mr. Kofi explained that he sees God in everyone; therefore, there was no need to learn who God is from a pastor. 

  He said they often visit the spot to play the game after a hard day’s work from 19:30 hours, adding that they however decided to entail their playing time to the day break of New Year’s Day as their special service for the day. 

  Mr. Samuel Quayeaon, another checker player, also told the GNA that the intense playing of the game started on December 24, 2023, to herald the festivities. 
Source: Ghana News Agency

Bediako: Ambassadors Family Chapel, in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality, has hosted a Thanksgiving service at the church auditorium to celebrate the year 2023.

The members of the church wore white outfits as they praised and worshipped God with melodious songs led by the church choir.

The Reverend Elvis Myles Forson stated that Christians need to cultivate an attitude of gratitude to attract God’s blessings.

He added that Christians have to express gratitude to God with some key principles, which included the act of giving gratitude without any conditions or rationality, and it should be done with a good heart.

Rev. Forson noted that ‘God is the maker of men.’ Therefore, he urged Christians not to backslide, even though afflictions may arise.

He made prophetic declarations into the year 2024 and blessed the members of the church to expect God’s abundant blessings.

He further stated that Christians should never limit themselves by geographical location and advised that ‘with God all things are possible.’
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He revealed the theme for the year 2024 as ‘the year of manifesting as sons of God.’
Source: Ghana News Agency

Some pubs in Tema on the night of December 31, 2023, lost their business as most patrons chose church auditoriums over cracking the bottles. 

  The Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Watch Night Monitoring Team observed that while some pubs were totally empty and chairs and tables were left unoccupied, others had a few patrons. 

  At about 00:10 on New Year’s Day, the GNA noted that Starbite at Tema was totally empty with a television on being watched by waiters and other staff. 

  The story was not different at Estherose and other pubs around the community eight area. 

  At T-Havana, in Tema Community 9, a few people were spotted enjoying drinks with kheebabs and grilled guinea fowl, while many tables were empty. 

  Meanwhile, churches in the same area had large numbers of people attending watch night services. 

   

At the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Redemption Congregation at Tema Community and the Light House Chapel had their auditoriums overflowing, leading to an extension of the service to the
ir forecourt to accommodate the annual churchgoers. 

  At the Methodist Church in Tema Community 8, the service was moved from the auditorium to a park to make room for all attendees. 
Source: Ghana News Agency

Kpone: The Catechist of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Trinity Preaching Post, Kpone Shanghai, Catechist Isaac Agbo, has urge Christians to be courageous and have faith in God through the new year.

He noted this during his new year’s message to church with a Bible quote from Zephaniah 3 verse 9 and said that as Christians, they have to stand firm in the Lord and only trust in him.

He also stated that, as Christians, they have to uphold their faith and believe in the Lord that he would lead them in the new year.

He added that, through their trials and tribulations, the Lord God has promised to take great delight in them, and in his love, he will no longer rebuke them but will rejoice over them with joyous songs.

‘The Lord is with you this year; you will sing a joyous song. The Lord has so many blessings for you; whatever you desire will be yours. Do not be afraid of any trials and temptations, but be courageous and have faith in the  Lord, he said.

He urged Christians to remain strong in unity and be c
onfident that the Lord will lead them through the year.

The church sang praise and adoration songs to thank the Lord for successfully guiding them through the previous year and ushering them into a new season.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Afua Asantewaa Owusu Aduounum, the Ghanaian who attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the longest singing time by an individual, has stated that her team is yet to submit her official attempt for recognition.

She explained that the judges and technical team have finalised their works and will soon submit them for verification by the Guiness World Record before an official announcement is made on her record attempt.

Afua Asantewaa gave this explanation when she crossed over to the new year by worshipping with the Potter’s City headed by Prophet Nanasei Opoku-Sarkodie at Prampram.

She received a rousing welcome on arrival, with the Prophet himself ushering her and her husband to their seats.

The two were accompanied by members of her production hub, ASKOF Productions.

Prophet Opoku-Sarkodie, who was excited to meet Afua Asantewaa, said he had been inspired and motivated by Asantewaa’s confidence, and she had been his teaching topic since hearing of her.

He prayed for them, decorated them
with a prayer mantle, and prophesied a new beginning in their lives. The team earlier in the day attended a Thanksgiving service at Glorious Word Power International, headed by Apostle Dr. Isaac Owusu Bempah.

Afua Asantewaa, who has been appointed Tourism Ambassador, attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the longest singing time by an individual.

Her adventure began on December 24 and ended on December 29. The young star sang for a total of 126 hours and 53 minutes.

The current record is 105 hours, set in 2012 by India’s Sunil Waghmare.
Source: Ghana News Agency