Abena Konama Donkor
I am very much honoured to be able to say I was a part of those who founded Goodnews AOG.
The thought of starting a Church from scratch would be viewed by many as a highly audacious yet possible step. Despite this, we have been able to get through 10 years of its establishment and are still growing by the grace of God.
From doing praise and worship in our own living room we were soon given the opportunity to fellowship in an actual church setting. However, a few years passed and soon we were kicked out of the place, understandably devastated but hopeful to God that he would quite literally, open a new door for us. We’ve now been warmly welcomed into the Collyhurst community and to The Saviours church with the faith that God shall open another door where we shall all fellowship in our very own building.
Being a part of such a movement has taught me so much about the world we live in, my personal life, and even the future ahead.
From around the age of six, I and my older brother Nana Kyere began learning piano with a remarkable family friend we like to call Uncle Sam. He first taught us the basics of becoming a great pianist and helped me to even advance in this area, overriding the skills of my older brother for a very long period. I am so thankful for this experience and looking back I realized that I was at such an advantage with an opportunity that very few people get – especially at such an early stage in their life.
I do have to admit that doing praise and worship through our own family band using the small keyboard we had and some toy-like tambourines, I didn’t really know or fully understand what we were doing and for what reason. But as the years progressed, answers were being unfolded.
Moving into a large building was a very big turning point for the family and for the likes of the church because it meant that we could actually dress up and run around in the open space – which is what I thought at the time. This change did encourage me to express myself in what seemed like a freeing environment and to try and make sense of what I had been taught.
Moving forward the members began to slowly increase with people coming in with their problems and leaving after a short period of time. Although this seemed disheartening and distressing at the time, all along we had to trust that God knew exactly what he was doing.
Our all-night services, bible studies and general fellowship slowly faded from being primarily family oriented to including many outsiders who seemed there to stay.
I remember the first time Andrew Drapper came to teach us about how to evangelise and the different strategies available for us to use in order to inform others about the love of Christ. Years later I realized that all these
teachings were put in place to build me up as an individual and to help me understand who I am in Christ in order to tell others about him.
We had many events with the few members we had including church outings to Knowsley Safari Park, giving Clothing, food to the elderly across the street, Spree Camp, Ikids, evangelism training the Careers event and joining AOG Great Britain which all began in the old church at St Thomas with St Mark.
When the announcement came that due to our supposedly disruptive all night services, we’d have to relocate, fear and doubt began to grip me. Would this mean we’d have to revert back to home fellowship or are the few members we have going to leave – this really tested my faith.
As a church we decide to go on our knees praying, fasting and waiting on God, hoping that he would make a way. Low and behold, he did.
Being at Church of the Saviour has honestly been an amazing experience. It sincerely feels like we’ve been here our entire lives even though we’re only heading into our fourth year! Goodnews church has been through so many up and down roller-coasters. I wouldn’t have it any other way or else I know I wouldn’t have been able to experience so many different things which I needed to help me advance in my walk with Christ.
This journey with God has helped me grow in wisdom, knowledge and understanding and I’m ever so grateful to him who has brought us this far.
10 years, 3650 days is a very long time and to process it is very much overwhelming. To know that some of our current little angles were not even born at the time, or that members have lived through death by the power of prayer, that others are resting in peace and that some very early members continue to remain with us till this day, just goes to show how great God is and how much he can do for those who love him.
My prayer for this church is that as we continue to grow in number and as individuals, leaving off to University, going on to find our life partners and beyond, that we shall forever remember our first love. That God shall continually remain in me, in you and in all of us and that we shall be the light in this world, passing on the mantle of Christ.
I believe that God has many amazing plans in store for Goodnews Church and that with him; we shall continually grow bigger and better every day.
There have been days of sorrow, days of joy and days of absolute confusion but through it all, I believe God had already planned the end from the beginning, knowing that the future is bright and that I’d be here today, giving thanks and celebrating 10 years of his faithfulness.
Happy 10 Years to Goodnews Assemblies of God Church!
Thank you – Abena Konama Donkor
