On September 7, 2025. The church organized a send-off service for the family and it was grand. It was great and most importantly it was quite emotional. The place we've called our address has been changed and now we're going to Adeiso. Not necessarily all of us, I stay at Peduase now. Just that Adeiso is the new destination for missionary work. 

We've made friends and connections at Mampong but that's the nature of the work. In a beautiful way I wrote the following to leaders of the Youth Group;

Exit;

Nothing in this writing / is known to be true. / It’s a reflection on what I’ve noticed, Not facts so much as thoughts. 

 I still think they're worth sharing before I exit this group. I believe this post may come in handy someday. 

Purpose of these thoughts is to share light on what I believe works, our strengths and also some things to take note of. 

Contrary to the popular modern Christian society way of doing things almost all that we believe in youth ministry that works are mostly, mostly things that distracts. So the key thing here is to stick to demands of scripture and find balance via the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

What works.

1. Scripture alone works:
It is also important to know the difference between the context of scripture well, and not as a punctuation sort of for personal wisdom in dealings of the guild. The guide has been 
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
??Philippians? ?4?:?8? ?ESV??; as youth, we fall off sometimes but the most important thing is to try as leaders and members to make sure you fall back to this standard. If scripture says that's final, if God want to speak to you, he is saying it in his word, if you want to hear from God read scripture, if you want to hear from him read loudly, read scripture loudly. Let us not transmute our intuition into what God says, it is very very dangerous. Beware. 

2. Consistency works: Consistency in executing activities planned and new programs is what will make things work, let us not become jaded when we don't feel like going to meetings and also continuing other programs planned and give excuses when the time nears. We have to be consistent and not fall prey to our feels. Execute the plans drawn to its latter. It works. 

3. ?Prayer works, not about its loudness but the sincerity in the prayer, sticking to what scripture has commanded about prayer not what we think works for prayer. Pray always.

4. Regular in-person meeting works: not to say online meetings don't work but for effective planning and evaluation of activities please don't substitute in-person meetings for online. Only do online if you are beyond the means to do in-person due to extreme weather or distance. 

5. ?Presbyterian Standards works: It is normal to sometimes question the way we go about our things as church but the fact of the matter and judgement given by posterity reveals that, comparing the three main traditions of church; Catholism, Reformed(Presbyterian), Charismatic(Pentecostal): Presbyterian system is the most closest to biblical and acceptable way of worship with less excesses and chaos. In terms of Catholics loving extreme traditional way of things which they subject to the direct order of popeship from Peter and Charismatics also loving extreme feels which they mostly subject to apostolic giftings and the holy spirit movings. Comparing the two with Presbyterian(reformed), the Presbyterian ways of doing things have stood the test of time and standards of scripture. The guild must always remember our Church is a Presbyterian church, and the standards laid down by the church should be followed. It works. 

 ?
Let's take note of the fact that.

1. We have a very vibrant youth currently and the burning flame should not be quenched.
2. We don't lack creativity, we are creative and we are bold enough to execute programs that suit victory in a particular way. 
3. We have distinct local congregation culture and norms, Like every youth and students week celebration, we present a gift to the church, we do Sunday meetings every Sunday rain or shine no excuses, quarterly clean up, and the breakfast meetings on saturdays of every quarter, morning devotional texts on Whatsapp. Let us not lose them, these things are from God through his providence helping us shape the guild. 
4. We have a large group of educated youth, let us leverage their skills and backgrounds to the benefit of all. That is the Presbyterian theology on work, let us keep reminding our youth to use their skills to help church work. 

Now to the warning signs;

1. Let us beware of the New cool of copying any new fad from other churches. It will hurt us. It may work in the interim but I believe shortcuts and compromises will lead to regrets. 
2. Don't be Slow in the execution of plans; drawing out drafts with names is not a plan. It is a draft of a plan, rather leave meetings with actionable items transforming it into a plan. This person is giving the talk, that person is handling ads, this person will seek approval from session, etc. Those things make things work rather than drafts without clarity. 
3. Giving up easily when a new initiative slows down, when we start anything new and the numbers are not what we think we could get, let us continue executing relying on thus profound statement “if what we are doing is of and for the Lord, we will succeed, his holy spirit will give us the ideas to get it done and if we don't succeed, it wasn't his sovereign will.”  It is difficult for me personally to go by this, but over the years I've seen the results. 

Finally, let us worship the Lord in Spirit and truth. Let us build the guild for his glorification for he will build his church and the gates of hell will never ever prevail. Na asafo Nti 

From a place of love, 
For the Good of the Guild,
Isaac Nana Kwame Owusu. “Ikay”.

I'm out.