Christians across Ghana have ushered in 2026 by attending special church services to mark the first Sunday of the year, offering prayers of thanksgiving, reflection, and hope for the months ahead.

From the early hours of Sunday morning, churches in Accra and other parts of the country were filled with worshippers, many dressed in white and bright colours, symbolising renewal, fresh beginnings, and spiritual rebirth.

The services were characterised by praise, worship, and fervent prayers, alongside sermons encouraging gratitude, faith, perseverance, and a renewed commitment to spiritual growth in the New Year.

The clergy used the occasion to urge Christians to entrust the year to God’s care and to live with wisdom, discipline, and compassion as they navigate economic and social challenges.

Delivering his New Year sermon, the general overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensa Otabil, encouraged believers to prioritise sound biblical teaching over the constant pursuit of miracles, describing doctrine as the foundation of the Christian faith.

“When you read the book of Acts, you see many miracles happening, cripples walking, and people being raised from the dead, but none of those miracles happened in the church,” he said. “People did not go to church for miracles. They went to church to be taught. The Christian faith begins with knowing what to believe in.”

Pastor Otabil stressed that while God still performs miracles, spiritual maturity is built through understanding scripture.

“It’s not about knowing where to get something from, but what you know and believe about God, about Jesus Christ, and about the Holy Spirit,” he added, calling for greater emphasis on biblical doctrine as the core pillar of Christian living.

Meanwhile, the founder of Royalhouse Chapel International, Apostle General Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah, assured congregants that 2026 would be a year of divine transformation, urging believers to remain confident in God’s active involvement in their lives.

“The God who has brought you this far is your helper. Jehovah is your helper,” he declared.
“You have started well, and you will finish well. At the end of the year, we will not be the same as when we entered.”

He dismissed claims that God is absent from human affairs, insisting that faith and trust in God would produce visible change.

“There are those who say God is not there to help us. We dare them to come and see. Something will change about us this year,” he said.

As services ended, many worshippers left with a renewed sense of purpose and optimism, hopeful that 2026 would bring progress, answered prayers, and spiritual growth.

For many Christians, the first Sunday of the year was more than a moment of reflection; it was a call to carry faith, hope, and perseverance into the year ahead.