The International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Christ Temple East, has completed its annual charity intervention dubbed the 'Hope Project' and in so doing, positively impacted many lives.

The intervention which was organised in December had a five-part focus; a medical donation to the Children’s unit of the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Mampong, Akuapem, a medical outreach in the Akropong township, a visit to the Korle Bu Children’s Cancer unit, a visit to the Senior Correctional Centre (Borstal Juvenile Institute) and a get-together for the Teens of the Teshie Community.

Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital Donation

Some essential medical equipment was purchased for the children’s ward at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital.

The equipment and other items were received by the leadership of the unit on behalf of the hospital on 23^rd December.

The team from ICGC took the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with the children on admission, gifting them with toys, drinks, and cakes.

Akropong Medical Outreach

On the same day, a team from the church also undertook a medical outreach in Akropong. The site for the outreach was the ICGC Akropong Assembly.

Residents of the town came from far and near for free medical screening and consultation including ENT examination, Fasting Blood Sugar tests, Blood pressure, and Body Mass Index checks.

In total, 210 Were attended to. The gospel was preached to them and participants were provided with free lunch and gifted with clothing.

Korle-Bu Children’s Cancer Unit visit

The Children’s Cancer Unit remains a prime beneficiary of financial support, raised for the medical treatment of young patients from all over the country, who come seeking treatment.

The church visits children on admission annually in December to have fellowship and celebrate Christmas with them.

On the visit this year on 24th December, the children were given Christmas spectacles, branded shirts, and cakes. It was a meaningful time spent with the children.

Borstal Juvenile Insitute visit

Another team from the church also visited inmates at the Senior Correctional Centre on 24th December to commemorate Christmas with them.

The team held a church service with the Juveniles, prayed with them, and shared food packs and other items with the Juveniles.

It underscored Jesus‘ note in scripture in Matthew 25: 35-36 “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’“.

The recipients were most grateful for the care and love shown to them.

Teshie Teens Get-together

ICGC Christ Temple East assembly again organized a community outreach and Christmas get-together for the teens of the Teshie Community.

The event took place on Boxing Day, at the grounds of the church and saw over two thousand teenagers participate.

The participants, drawn from various schools in communities close to the church, enjoyed a time of worship, prayer, and fellowship.

They were challenged to build a bible study culture, break from unhealthy addictions, and live lives worthy of emulation.

The event was also characterized by merrymaking with music, food, and drinks. The high point of the day was the donation of a gift item to each child comprising of stationery, clothing and shoes.

The donations were made possible by the D.O.R.C.A.S. Storehouse, a charity initiative of ICGC Christ Temple which allows church members to share the love of Christ with the needy through the donation of food, clothes, and household items.

Raising funds for the Korlr-Bu Children's Cancer Unit

ICGC Christ Temple East organizes an annual Christmas musical and art concert dubbed ‘Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh’. The concert is in part a fund-raiser in support of a chosen charity.

The Central Aid and the Children’s Cancer Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have been recipients of funds raised at the concert for some years.

The church has supported the Cancer Unit since 2011 and through this, over 1,500 children with cancer have benefited through the payment of the cost of their treatment and the procurement of life-saving medicines.

Speaking at the event on Christmas Eve this year, the General Overseer of ICGC, Pastor Mensa Otabil, emphasized the need for the church to support society. 

He traced the evolution of the church’s social interventions, including Central Aid, which began with the provision of financial support to a handful of second-cycle students but ultimately grew to become the nation’s largest non-governmental scholarship scheme for second-cycle students.

He recounted how the introduction of the free SHS programme compelled Central Aid to shift the focus of its scholarship scheme to tertiary students.

Pastor Otabil added that supporting the Children’s Cancer Unit was an easy decision for the church because any time a delegation from the church visited the Cancer Unit, they saw at first-hand the impact of the donations on the children.

He thanked the management and medical personnel of the Cancer Unit for their sacrifices over the years.