THE JOURNEY SO FAR

It all started when the root of Jesse visioneer our Father in the gospel Pastor Raymond Eli caught the vision about God’s interest in this generation and the need to get men on the right track. And as is in Habakkuk 2:2, that the vision is yet for an appointed time which shall speak and not lie if the Lord has said it, you can count on it. The same way, at the appointed time, the vision started materializing.

The first step towards implementing the said vision was taken towards the second quarter of the year 2004; with a few people meeting to pray in our institutions of higher learning particularly the University of Port Harcourt and the Rives State University of Science and Technology. This went on for a while and no sooner than later, the vision was shared mainly amongst students of UST and UNIPORT and so many keyed into the vision. However, the ROJ vision is not to the university students alone or those in the institutions of learning as it were, but most people in our generation, happen to fall into the student category. In other words, the vision extends beyond students, to-young people those in paid employment or those who are into their private business like it is presently in the ROJ.

Hence, there was a move from just meeting in school, to meeting twice a week in church (Jesus House) to build ourselves up. As this phase progressed, those involved were enlisted to undergo the RCCG Workers’ Training to be equipped for the task ahead which is all about affecting lives positively and impacting our generation according to the will of God. When the training period was over, about forty two people emerged as workers and eighteen volunteers were commissioned duly at the ROJ inaugural service on the 14th of November 2004. These ones were known ass the PIONEER WORKERS. And by God’s grace, another set called WISE MASTER BUILDERS were trained and commissioned during our Reggae Service on the 1st of May 2005. in the ROJ, we believe in giving people an opportunity to serve and for that reason another training of a particular group.

Officially, the ROJ Service (which is the 3rd service of the RCCG Jesus House parish) kicked off on the 14th of November 2004 with the theme “Whuz gatchya Back” Without a shadow of doubt, God has been faithful all the way through and by the day, things are better, such that we are being taken to the next level and dimension of our lives individually and collectively as a church. We believe that we are a people called by god to impact our generation according to the will of God. Thus through the help of the Holy Spirit, we have been innovative and dynamic in our approach; to break out of tradition and think outside the box. To this end therefore, every service has been something new and something different. We’ve had about two pidgin service-with the themes “wetin dey” and “Dat wan no Before” with braada J blessing us with the word, Nigerian high praise service in which the workers are kitted up in specially made attire with white and green colours. We also had “Jazz and Joy” a service of rededicating Jazz music to God, “the coin of Life” (Genesis 1:1) and Pastor Raymond Eli was a blessing in these services where he preached, but he’s presently on international mission planting Jesus House for all nations in San Diego Pastor Mrs. Grace Eli also blessed us with the word in one of our Nigerian high praise services.

As it relation to dynamism, we’ve had a reggae service on the 1st of May where Sis. Phina blessed us with word “I’ll do what he says do”. We’ve had Deacon Gbenag Komolage also blessed us with the word on “The seed of greatness” which God has planted in us. Our very own Pastor Akin Monehin has been a very big blessing to us through diverse teachings on some of the parables of Jesus, Goal setting, Stinking thinking, handling disappointments Mrs. Lot, The Hireling, inscribed in his palms and many others for which the tapes are available on sale. In fulfilling our mandate to reach out to those in our generation, we’ve had evangelistic outreaches barbeque parties; the first during Christmas 26th December 2004 and the other on 28th February 2005, where we had Lara from KUSH and Kunle Ajayi along side other gospel artists respectively with enough barbeque chicken and meat,. We also had some night vigil” where is Mephibosheth” during Easter at the Landmark Hotel,. Our Easter celebration service still at landmark where we had Pastor Brenda bless us with the word and a Sunday service which was with Pator Jide- “That I May Know Him and Why men slept with Pastor Bayo Ayorinde. We also had dating, sex and God on February 12th 2006 and February 14th 2007.

In the R.O.J., we understand that God is also interested in our spiritual uprightness and consequently we engage in spiritual exercises such as fasting and praying although when we are not fasting in the R.O.J. we are feasting like the day we had a graduation party for the wise master builders (second batch of trained workers) we chilled out with Pastor Jide Odumnlami. And the days we had barbeque, picnic’s, and Esther banquet at Uniport, June 30th 2006, end of years and anniversary celebration (1st and 2nd).

By the grace of God we have a well structured workforce to help us facilitate our vision. The workforce is made up of Pastor Assistants, choir (voice from the house of David), dance group (G.O.A.), usher, operations, beautification & sanitation, welcome party, evangelism (salt and lyte), publications prayer partners (spiritual assault squad) visual/IT, Jesse Academy and audio this way everybody will contribute their own quota to ensure the implementation of this god given vision. However this is more or less a call to serve and enroll in God’s army by simply picking a workers form.

There is a need to endure that we build up healthy relationship as it were to among our selves, hence we have C.A.R.E. (contact and relate everyone). This is a cell meeting which holds on Wednesday in U.S.T. and UNIPORT. Its barely a few months back since C.A.R.E. commenced and relatively there has been result.

We are indeed grateful to God for how far He’s brought the R.O.J. it’s marvellous in our eyes. We also believe that there better days ahead and the best is yet to come. When God gives a vision he makes provision for the vision, and we trust God to make available to us everything needed to fully implement this vision.