Annual Congregational Meeting 2012

State of the Church Address

Theme:  Hope; Living Live to the Fullest.

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I continue to give thanks to God each time I think of you, and I am constantly amazed by the way God is using our Ministry; individually and collectively.

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, we are gathered as God’s children to review and to project our various callings in God’s vineyard. I first say thank you! Thank you for your continued support and involvement in the mission and ministry of Christ Jesus.

My appreciation and gratefulness go to my Bishop’s committee, all other committee members and the entire congregation for the support you give to this Church and the community. I am truly thankful to God for our various Ministries together in bringing about God’s kingdom.

As we reflect on the 2011, my heart is filled with gratitude for your commitment, dedication and generosity in spite of the economic hardship and the difficult times that we all experienced.

As we look ahead in this New Year, 2012, I encourage you all to reflect on the theme: Hope; Living life to the Fullest.

In John 10:10, Jesus declared, “I have come that they may have life  and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Looking at the context, St. John’s gospel chapter 10 develops the Biblical theme of the sheep and the shepherd. The shepherd is accessible to the sheep. In verse 10, St John draws the contrast between Jesus and the false shepherd; the thieves who come to kill, steal and to destroy.

Jesus’ main purpose was the salvation (health) of the sheep, which He defined as free access to pasture and fullness of life. In the context St. John emphasizes that Jesus can give a whole new meaning to living because He provides full satisfaction and perfect guidance.

Psalm 95:7 says, “For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”

When we try to live our own lives, life is dispirited, incomplete and with disappointment. When we walk with Jesus, there comes a new vitality, a superabundance of life. It is only when we live with Christ that life becomes really worth living and we begin to live in the real sense of the word.

The passage promises superior, abundant spiritual life, life empowered by the indwelling of Jesus Christ. Because we are in relationship with Jesus Christ, because He lives with us and in us, we have the riches of the abundant life.

The more our thoughts, actions and words focuses on Jesus, the fuller, the better our lives will be. Yes, a full life depends on following the resolutions that God made for us in His word made flesh, Jesus. In Jesus we found Hope for today and abundant life for tomorrow.  God our Father has given us Hope, Hope in Jesus Christ. Yes the best is yet to come.

St. Paul says in his letter to the Romans 8:28 “For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. He appointed them to be saved in keeping with His purpose.”

In the Lift Every Voice and Sing, the 43rd Hymn, we are reassured in the words of the chorus, “Because He lives I can face tomorrow, and because He lives all fears is gone. Because I know He holds the future. And life is worth the living just because He lives.

Beloved in Christ Jesus, as we have another opportunity to serve our God and His people, doing what we do best, let us hold on to the promises of the Hope we have in Christ Jesus who gives us life, and life to the fullest.

Once again, I sincerely thank you for all that you are doing, in bringing your talents and resources to the glory of God and for His mission with us all. It is a joy to be working with talented and insightful people such as you. I am always grateful for the hard work that you all do.

May God our Father richly bless you and your loved ones always, as we continue working to the glory of Him who calls us to Himself. Thank you.

Humbly submitted:

The Rev. Canon Frederick Opare-Addo, Vicar.

Church of the Holy Apostles. 

Annual Congregational Meeting, 2010

 State of the Church Address

 Spiritual Assessment/ (Spiritual Renewal)

Theme:  “Chosen”

Text: You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.  John 15:16.

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So soon, a new year has come, and we are gathered as a Church to review and to project our various callings in the vineyard of God.

I am truly appreciative and grateful to my Bishop Committee members and to the Church members for your various ministry and support to the Church, and my ministry with you.

We have all come a very long way in our spiritual journey and I count myself blessed for our ministry together. As we enter into the fourth year of our ministry together, I propose that we all have a Spiritual Assessment / (Spiritual Renewal) to live more to our Calling day by day and to bear more fruit, so as to receive God’s rewards and blessings.

What is Spiritual Assessment – Spiritual Assessment is taking inventory of our religious beliefs and spiritual life, and figuring out where you stand? One’s spirituality reflects on one’s relationship with God and other human beings.

What is the definition of Spirituality - Spirituality means

“That which animates a person's life of faith and which moves a person's faith to greater depths and perfection. “

A simple definition of spirituality is connecting with our higher selves and with The Creator, the Life Force.

Spirituality comes from a place of love and light. Thoughts, words and actions that come from a spiritual place are naturally loving and beneficial.

Co-creating with Divine Spirit allows us to bypass our ego and to embrace opportunities that present themselves through this higher presence.

“Spirituality has to do with our experiencing of God and with the transformation of our consciousness and our lives as outcomes of that experience.” - Richard O'Brien.

Christianity Spirituality is part of our way of life as Christians. It is the quest for a fulfilled and authentic life that involves taking the beliefs and values of Christianity and weaving them into the fabric of our lives so that they "animate, provide the breath, spirit and fire for our lives”.

Personal Spiritual Awakening:

Simply stated, a Personal Spiritual Awakening is just a phrase to describe the dynamic change that takes place when a Christian believer becomes aware of his or her spiritual consciousness. Actually, a Personal Spiritual Awakening is not an end, but a journey.  A journey that begins the moment you take the step (or leap) of faith to begin your Personal Spiritual Awakening.

I humbly recommend that everyone strive for a more Personal Spiritual Awakening.

I am therefore calling for a Self Examination as Christians, to evaluate our Relationship with God and others. (Our Covenant). Where are you in your Spiritual journey?

Remember, you have been chosen by God and called to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. How much fruit are you bearing for the Lord?

In our Reflection, I want us to focus on ‘Four’ main points:

1). Our Commission from God to Go and make disciples.

2). What is it that we have to Let go and Let God more in our lives?

3). Study and know the Word of God,  For example, God’s will for 

     us and to Improve our Prayer life, as we pray for others. Jesus

     said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer.’ Mark

     9: 28-29.

4). The Reward of Blessings that God has in store for those who do

      his will.

In doing so, let us take a look at some of the extracts of the 2008 and 2009 State of the Church Reports that we adopted to work with.

2008 State of the Church Report:

In my 2007 report, I instituted the St. Andrew Model (i.e. bringing someone to Jesus.  In John 1:40-42. “And Andrew found his brother, Simon and brought him to meet Jesus”), let us adapt this model to grow our congregation.

My vision and goal is to Grow Spiritually, which will bring about the achievement of the commission of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as enshrined in the mission statement of our Church “We Being Transformed by the Reconciling Love of God in Christ are Called to Share That Love With Each Other and the World”.

As we share in a growing church, I pray for each and everyone of you to rededicate yourselves to the work and ministry of this Church, and to continue in the vision of the following:

        1.     To have 100 active members

         2.     Our financial giving, in terms of envelopes and  

         pledges should be more than $50,000.

 3.     To live spiritually and zealously in honoring God

         and others with our substance, (our talents and 

         blessings).

As we are challenged, in this vision, we would maximize our giving, talents and resources for a greater glory.  In Matthew 10:8b, Jesus said “freely you have received, freely give”.

2009 State of the Church Report:

My brothers and sisters do not look at the size of our Church, but rather look to God who can take ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and this you have already begun to do. Yes, I see possibilities for greater things to come. The key to our future is faith in God’s miraculous movement within us and through us and among us.

Let us all continue to be faithful to our calling and be effective stewards of what belongs to God, as we reflect on the first two stanzas of the Hymn composed by Charles Wesley (1707-1788).

A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify, A never dying soul to save, And fit it for the sky.

To serve the present age, My calling to fulfill: O may it all my powers engage To do my Master's will!

Beloved, in Christ Jesus let us all continue to be faithful to our calling and be effective stewards of what God has put into our charge and Glorify Him with our lives.

Jesus said “You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.”

Is there any that God has not chosen?

Be a witness Isaiah. 43:10 says, “You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no God was formed, nor shall there be any after me.”

God has chosen us to go and bring forth fruit. Go and Bring are verbs (words of action).To be Faithful.

You are chosen to be the vessels God uses to show the world who he is and how they should live in godliness and righteousness.

The reward of being Chosen and being Faithful:

John 15:16 says …that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

St. Paul says in Colossians 3:24 “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Blessed Mary, the Mother of Jesus, says to us “Whatever He tells you to do, do it.”

Finally, I beseech you to reflect on St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians,  

2 Corinthians 8:3-5 “For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us.”

In Luke 11:28 Jesus said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

A New Year, A New You. Jesus said, “I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.”

I sincerely love you all and I thank you once again for all that you are doing.

May God our Father continues to bless you always as you continue to glorify Him by what you do in his name.

Humbly submitted:

The Rev. Canon Frederick Opare-Addo.

Priest-In-Charge.

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State of the Church Report

Annual Church Meeting Address 2009

Theme:  A Charge to Keep I Have, A God to Glorify

 My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father, the One who has created all things and has called us to be His stewards.

I thank God every time I remember you and your family. I remain confident in this, that the Holy One, who has called us and began a good work among us, will bring it to completion in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 How quickly the year has ended and a New Year is upon us. I thank God for His grace and blessings in our lives. I extend to all of you my prayers and best wishes for a healthy and spiritually blessed New Year. Yes, the best is yet to come!

 With the year under review, we as a Church have come a long way and have had great accomplishments. It has been a wonderful and an amazing journey.

 On a personal note, I deeply thank and appreciate all of you for your participation in the life and ministry here in this Church and the mission of the larger Church. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to meet the ever-rising cost and needs of this Church. Believe me, your time, talent and money go a long way to support our Church. I also wish to thank my Wardens, the Bishop’s Committee, other committees, all leaders, and each person for your work and ministry in this part of the Lord’s vineyard.

 Special thanks and appreciation is extended to Mr. David Pitou, who has served this Church as a member of the Bishop’s committee and an Eucharistic minister for years and has now retired from active ministry. We salute you for your dedication and service to this Church.  May God always bless you and your loved ones.

 Now, my Sisters and Brothers in Christ, let us take stock of our lives and ministry together in the vineyard of God, as we measure ourselves by the Covenant and commission in Christ Jesus.

 We are called to live a life that proclaims God’s love because the Apostles responded to the love, which God has shown and does show us in Jesus Christ. In John 13:34-35 Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another”…..

 In the last two years, we have instituted the St Andrew Model, i.e. bringing someone to Jesus. (John 1: 40-42. “And Andrew findeth his brother, Simon and brought him to meet Jesus) for growth.

 Our Vision and Goal is to Grow Spiritually, to bring about the achievement of the commission we have received from our lord Jesus Christ, as enshrined in the Mission statement of our Church, “A charge to keep I have, A God to Glorify”.

 If we are going grow as a Church, we have to be clear about this and begin by being deeply focused on our core activity. This is quite simply focusing our lives on God, so that we worship and serve Him with our whole lives.

 We are beset by so many tasks and pressures that threaten to overwhelm us, not to mention the economic crisis that we are facing. However, we have to trust God and exercise our faith in Him to take us through this.

 As we are challenged in all this, let us remember God’s promise to us through Jesus Christ in John 10:10b, “I have come that you may have life and that you may have it more abundantly”. Yes, God is our Provider.

 My brothers and sisters, do not look at the size of our Church, but rather look to God, who can take ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and this you have already begun to do. Yes, I see possibilities for great things yet to come. The key to our future is faith in God’s miraculous movement within us and through us and among us.

 Let us all continue to be faithful to our calling and be effective stewards of what belong to God, as we reflect on the first two stanzas of the Hymn composed by Charles Wesley (1707-1788).

 A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify, A never-dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky. To serve the present age, My calling to fulfill: O may it all my powers engage To do my Master's will!

 Beloved, in Christ Jesus, let us all continue to be faithful to our calling and be effective stewards of what God has put into our charge and Glorify Him with our lives.

 Humbly submitted by Rev. Frederick Opare-Addo.(Priest In Charge).

Report for 2007.

Grace and peace be unto you all my sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus.
I am blessed to be appointed your Vicar. I always believe that the best is yet to come. As a church under Fr. Eddie Alleyne, my predecessor, you have come a long way and have had great accomplishments which are so unique in the ways you do things. Let me render my gratitude to each and every member of the church family for your participation  in the life and ministry here at home and to the mission of the larger church.
 Thanks to your generosity in many ways to meet the ever-rising cost and needs of this church, yes every little bit goes a long way. I also wish to thank the Bishop's Committee, other committees and all leaders and each person for your work and ministry in this part of the Lord's vineyard. In order to grow our congregation, I am instituting the St. Andrew Model (i.e. bringing someone to Jesus. In John 1:40-42 . "And Andrew fined his brother, Simon and brought him to meet Jesus). In our mission statement; "We being transformed by the reconciling love of God in Christ, are called to share that love with each other and the world". We share a growing church, my vision and goals by the end of this year are;

1. To have 100 active members
2. Our financial giving's in terms of envelopes pledges should be more than $50.000.00.
3. To grow spiritually and zealous in the Mission of Christ.

 This vision should be our vision so that as we are challenged, we would maximized our giving talents and resources for a greater glory.
I therefore would like to activate and re-structure some of the committees{e.g. The Education and Spiritual Enrichment committee and Stewardship committee) which you already have. I will humbly seek the council of my Bishop's Committee to plan and execute this proposal. I hope and pray that we will continue to use our talents and resources to the glory of God. Let us remember that our lives together as stewards are lives of accountability. As such let us all continue to be faithful to our calling and be effective caretakers, manangers and overseers of what belongs to God.

The best is yet to come. May God Richly Bless You All.

Rev. Fr. Frederick Opare-Addo.
Priest in Charge: The Church of the Holy Apostles.

Message from Our Pastor

We welcome you to our webpage. We know that welcoming you via this electronic medium can never take the place of a personal welcome such as a hug or handshake, but please allow us to share a bit of who we are with you. THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY APOSTLES (ANGLICAN / EPISCOPAL) is a suburban church located in the multi-ethnic borough of Brooklyn, New York. We are a parish within the Archdeconary of Brooklyn, the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. It is within walking distance of beautiful Prospect Park, the nature haven of Brooklyn. Our congregation embraces a variety of people drawn together with a common desire to know and love God. This small but welcoming community is always willing to share God's PEACE, LOVE and JOY with others. We do hope that you will enjoy what we are sharing with you via this medium and hopefully one day have the pleasure of meeting you personally.

MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU.