The Church Blog: Guest Post | In this church, you better shout well

The Church Blog: Ccioma just gave us another reason to adore her

Yes, you are probably a born again Christian who consumes everything from Nathaniel Bassey to Onos Ariyo and you don’t know Ccioma. That’s unforgivable but we understand. She has, for about three albums, been one of the major vocal complements to the incredible Tim Godfrey, alongside IBK. She branched out on her own last year,... Read More

album, Carol, Ccioma, christmas, collaborations, gospel, IBK, Music, nathaniel bassey, Onos Ariyo, The Church Blog

December 9, 2016

The Church Blog: The Platform takes it to the logical next level – and we’re impressed

Pastor Poju Oyemade himself must have felt it – this was the year that The Platform finally went mainstream. You certainly know something has gone mainstream when the videos go viral on ‘Igwe Tupac’ Twitter and Instagram and even old-time-river politicians in Abuja are referring to it. The star speech, and the one that made... Read More

Covenant Christian Centre, Governance, Pastors and influence, peter obi, Poju Oyemade, Politics, School of Governance, The Church Blog, the platform

December 6, 2016

The Church Blog: Guest Post | How do you want your enemy to die?

by Fowowe Damilola My Church is the funniest church you can ever attend. It’s not like we parade A-list comedians to come do holy comedy. Basket Mouth doesn’t make an appearance. Not Bovi Not Akpororo. It’s just that when you come to my church, you can be sure you would get pointers on 100 ways... Read More

Christainity, Church, nigeria, Religion, The Church Blog, Unusual prayers

December 5, 2016

The Church Blog: “I simply don’t want my enemies to fall down and die”

Posted without comment. I could never pray some of the prayers I hear people pray these days. I simply don't want my enemies to fall down and die. #UnusualPraying — Laurie Idahosa (@IdahosaLaurie) November 30, 2016 Praying a blessing over the people who curse you isn't popular, but, it's Biblical and leaves you feeling clean.... Read More

#Unusual praying, churches, enemies, mfm, nigeria, The Church Blog

The Church Blog: Nigerian pastors want to be influential in politics – but there is something they have to do first

Since we had this piece up, it has attracted a bit of attention. And so we thought it would be helpful to bring forward something we wanted to explore later – institutional church engagement in the world’s influence centers, especially government – and just do it today. Nigerian church leaders have made it abundantly clear, at... Read More

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, bishop david oyedepo, Christianity, Illuminare, influence, Leke Alder, martin luther king, Mother Theresa, Politics, sticky, The Church Blog, world view

The Church Blog: Have you noticed something about the wives of Lagos State governors?

Has it occurred to you? Over 65-percent of the governors of Lagos since democracy’s return in 1999 have been Muslim, and yet they have enjoyed a very warm mutual-admiration relationship with the Christian communities in Lagos, especially the Pentecostal community. Bola Tinubu (1999 – 2007) is Muslim. Babatunde Fashola (2007 – 2015) is Muslim. Akinwunmi... Read More

Abimbola Fashola, bolanle ambode, Christianity, governors, islam, Muslim, Oluremi Tinubu, Religion, The Church Blog, wives

The Church Blog: Are you following the Celestial Church of Christ on Instagram?

No one, especially not the church, has allowed anyone to leave them behind the past? The Celestial Church of Christ is rooted in traditional heritage and they will say, a lot of misconception. It’s cool to see them use this unobtrusive medium to hold a personable, reachable brand for a new generation. Think of it... Read More

Church Culture, Featured

CCC, celestial church of christ, Faith, instagram, New generation, The Church Blog

Guest Post: The church has become worldly, and the world, churchy

by Fowowe Damilola We understand. Yes! Church has to be fun!!! Yes! We don’t serve a boring God (like God said he was fun to be with). I serve a lively God (never said he was dead). My God is a God of fun (Wawu!!!!) and all manner of things you hear. But in our... Read More

Christianity, Church, Fun in the church, nigeria, The Church Blog

#TheExperienceReport: The effortless grace of Funke Adejumo

To be honest, one of the things we looked forward to at The Experience this year was the prayer by Funke Adejumo-Lewis of the Agape Christian Ministries. We heard her pray last year and she created such a force field of safety and confidence that we began to look forward to it. There is something... Read More

Agape Christian Ministries, Funke Adejumo-Lewis, Global Mothers Summit, gospel, nigeria, prayer, The Church Blog, the experience

#TheExperienceReport: We draw the curtains, as we look forward to hosting the Guinness Book of World Records in 2017

Next year, according to the organisers, the Guinness Book of World Records will be on ground to verify, that this historic gathering is officially the world’s largest Christian concert today. We don’t need the validation to be grateful for this deeply important Christian experience. And God doesn’t need crowds to be God, or a world... Read More

2017, AMEN, Guinness Book of World Records, largest christian gathering, music concert, The Church Blog, the experience

#TheExperienceReport: The humility of Donnie McClurkin though

He walks around the stage, very light – as one who has engaged the vanity of the world, and understands the primacy of the One who first called him. Donnie McClurkin spent the week in Nigeria, on radio, on social media – pushing local acts, singing the praise of the other foreign acts, making personal... Read More

christian, donnie mcclurkin, Humility, Music, nathaniel bassey, The Church Blog, the experience, worship

#TheExperienceReport: Have you heard Chioma Jesus’ trademark testimony?

The response to @iamchiomajesus testimonies of the goodness of God! #TE11 #RevealingJesus @TheExperienceLG pic.twitter.com/3Y7VfVjlUv — Chapters&Verses (@JottedVerses) December 3, 2016 She has told it once and again, especially at The Experience, and each time the sheer power of it resonates. The origins of her journeys through worship, and the personal trajectory that makes her irrevocably... Read More

15 years, awesome wonder, childbirth, chioma Jesus, God, miracle, testimony, The Church Blog, the experience, trademark

#TheExperienceReport: They took a big risk with the closing performance – and it paid off big time

Many of us came expecting tradition to be continued: Chioma Jesus would close the show. It has become a thing of pride actually: we have this cast of globally renowned performancers including CeCe WInans and Donnie McClurkin and yet The Experience knows that the one person that would keep people waiting to the end would... Read More

chioma Jesus, closing performance, Holy Spirit, pastor paul adefarasin, pentecostal, performance, spirit-filled. Christians, The Church Blog, the experience, Tope Alabi, worship

#TheExperienceReport: The mainstream discovers Tope Alabi again

The breakout star of yesterday’s event (okay, apart from Travis Greene that has won the hearts of everyone across the Nigerian church)? Tope Alabi. Of course those who have been Pentecostals a long time know that she is a matron of worship – and far and beyond ‘Ore ti o common’. But she has been... Read More

artiste, Church, gospel, mainstream, Music, South West, The Church Blog, the experience, Tope Alabi, youth

#TheExperienceReport: What Nigerian acts can learn from the foreign acts

When veteran worshippers, Don Moen, Donnie McClurkin, Cece Winans came up to lead worship yesterday, they understood a crucial need: we were here to worship, together. We wanted to sing, we wanted to dance, we wanted to be part of a collective spiritual experience. It wasn’t really a concert – the way that Tim Godfrey’s... Read More

cece winans, Don Moen, donnie mcclurkin, foreign acts, nathaniel bassey, Nigerian acts, The Church Blog, the experience, tim godfrey

#TheExperienceReport: Wait, no Catholics allowed?

Something niggles the mind from The Experience yesterday. If you pay close attention to the ministry and vision of Pastor Paul Adefarasin, you know it’s centered on a unified inter-denominational church, that comes together for worship, to influence the culture and to hack Nigeria’s leadership. So yesterday on stage, he did make the point, by... Read More

Catholics, Christianity, Church, denominational, music concert, nigeria, pastor paul adefarasin, The Church Blog, the experience

#TheExperienceReport: Pastor Paul’s message yesterday? Christians have to join politics – but we have questions

You know we love Pastor Paul Adefarasin. And if we didn’t love him before, the annual gift of The Experience completely sealed it. But let’s unpack his message at the event yesterday – it was remarkable for its disciplined focus on Christians influencing the world, and leaving the safety of spiritual spaces. Pastor Paul said... Read More

Church, event, Leadership, nigeria, pastor paul adefarasin, The Church Blog, the experience

The Church Blog: The Christmas song releases have now begun

The first one from a major act is from producer and performer, Wole Oni – ‘Come let us adore him’. Features pastor of Church Unusual, Laurie Idahosa. It drops today. We will be keeping track of the compositions and covers as they emerge. Merry Christmas month, everyone! Listen here:

christmas, christmas songs, Laurie Idahosa, Music, new release, season, The Church Blog, Wole Oni

#CelebAtChurch: Yemi Osinbajo, Don Jazzy, Toke Makinwa and others were at The Experience yesterday

We don’t go to church or worship concerts to see celebrities, of course. But when The Church Blog sees them, what are we supposed to do now? Everyone likes celebs. So we did a run down of those we sighted at The Experience 2016, yesterday! Politicians Gen Yakubu Gowon, former head of state Prof Yemi... Read More

#te11, celebs at church, Don Jazzy, gtbank, jimi agbaje, matthew ashiolowo, nigerian celebs at church, sam adeyeme, The Church Blog, the experience, The Experience 11, the experience 2016, tiwa savage, toke makinwa, yakubu gown, Yemi Osinbajo

#theexperiencereport, The Church Blog, the experience, Tope Alabi, victor adeyemi

The Experience just ended! We’ll be reviewing it throughout the day

It just ended. With the closing performance by the incredible Tope Alabi, and closing prayers by Reverend Victor Adeyemi. And what a glorious 12 hours! The Tafawa Balewa Square was full to capacity, so choked we were truly afraid someone was going to faint from the humidity and the standing-square-only crowd. Then there were the... Read More

Featured

The Church Blog: Here’s the full list of performers at The Experience tonight. And what we think

Can you feel how excited we are about The Experience? Don’t lie. You can. It’s the biggest thing happening today, this week, and if you ask us, this entire year. So in case you have been looking for a truly definitive list of all publicly announced performers tonight at the concert starting at 7pm, well,... Read More

Featured

The Church Blog: Why you should look forward to Gabriel Eziashi at The Experience tonight

Many Nigerians in Nigeria finally got to meet ‘Aka Jehovah’ singer, Gabriel Eziashi at The African Praise Experience (TAPE) in June. And they couldn’t believe their luck. Just see. So, even though he is not as huge (as he should be) in Nigeria, you can see why he is one of the major acts at... Read More

Aka Jehovah, Gabriel Eziashi, gospel, lagos, tape, The African Praise Experience, The Church Blog, the experience

The Church Blog: But why is Nathaniel Bassey not ministering at The Experience?

It suddenly hit us: Nathaniel Bassey is not ministering at The Experience. You know how you mind plays and writes in the names of people you just naturally expect when they are actually not mentioned. So, missing this year are Sonnie Badu and Bassey. We’re a bit sad. Bassey has become almost iconography for the... Read More

chioma Jesus, house on the rock, nigeria, onise iyanu, The Church Blog, the experience

The Church Blog: The Experience 11. IT’S TODAY!

Nigeria’s biggest Christian inter-denominational experience and what is easily the biggest music concert in our country, holds today. The 11th edition. We are too excited to even pretend to be cool. Don’t ask us why, please. See this. And this. And this. AND THEN THIS. We’re going to be railing about this all through today.... Read More

donnie mcclurkin, gospel, Music, nigeria, pastor paul adefarasin, The Church Blog, the experience

December 1, 2016

Benson Idahosa, Church of God Mission, House of the Rock, Laurie Idahosa, The Church Blog

The Church Blog: We like what Laurie Idahosa is doing with Church Unusual

As far as mainstreamed youth churches go, you are hard pressed to find many outside of the Lagos metropolis (if you go to House of the Rock like one of us does, it can’t just be Lagos, it must be metropolis, and it can’t just be Lekki, it must be peninsula!). Or at least that... Read More

December 1, 2016

The Church Blog: Say a prayer for Pastor Paul Adefarasin – who doesn’t collect a kobo in ‘offering’ for The Experience

If you have attended The Experience ever before (and between us, we have attended 5), you know it is a massive undertaking – in excellence. The music is excellent, the stage and lights are excellent, the seating is excellent, the welfare is excellent, the logistics and protocol are excellent, the everything is excellent. It’s a... Read More

house on the rock, nigeria, pastor paul adefarasin, TCB, The Church Blog, the experience

December 1, 2016