Accra Ridge Church | Accra's Local Church

Introduction

The Christian Services Group is the main outreach arm of the Accra Ridge Church. Early in the life of Accra Ridge Church, a few members conceived the idea that the church ought to reach out to the poor, the needy and the sick in our society in a meaningful way.
The brain child was put into action by the establishment of the Christian Services Committee. Members met informally in a private home on the Switch Back Road until 1991 when the meeting place was moved to the Conference room of the Accra Ridge Church taking place every third Wednesday of every month at 5.30-6.30 p.m.

Formal recognition was given to the Committee at the Annual General Meeting of the Church and the Resident Chaplain was made a member.

The name of the group was later changed to "Christian Services Group" to avoid confusion that might result between it and the "Christian Service Committee" of the Christian Council of Ghana.

Activities of the Group
a.   Scholarship Scheme
One of the first activities of the group was to adopt an orphan from the Osu Children’s Home. This child was sponsored through primary school and was assisted to undergo training as an artisan electrician and a job was found for him at the Opportunities and Industrialisation Centre (OIC).
The group continued to sponsor other children from the Home and this resulted in the establishment of a programme for the education of needy, but bright children through primary school.
Later, this programme shifted focus to the secondary schools and has now become a scholarship scheme for students in the second-cycle educational institutions.

b) Weija Leprosarium
The basic needs of the cured lepers at the Weija Leprosarium caught the attention of the group several years ago. This resulted in the Weija project which is still going on.

The Church through the Christian Services Group has helped in many ways with the provision of the following assistance to the centre:-
Members of the group, the Chairman of Council and some other members of the Church and some inmates accept the bi-monthly donation of food items from the Church.

i. Mattresses to more than 30 inmates,
ii. Mosquito-proofing of all the bedrooms.
iii. Painting of the buildings at the settlement
iv. Provision of insecticide-treated nets for all the inmates,
v. Arrangements to have the whole settlement treated to rid it of an attack by bees.
vi. Assistance for solving some of the educational and social problems posed by the dependants of inmates.
vii. Bi-monthly visits accompanied with the provision of foodstuffs and toiletries to the inmates.

The group normally conducts a worship service for the inmates during each visit during which there are interactions and very lively discussions.
The old population has dwindled through death, but a new crop of persons have been admitted from other regions.

Recently, twenty (20) males and four (4) females were added to the group.
d. The Cripples 'Aid Society (now the Society for the Socially-Disadvantaged)
Again, the Church responded to appeals made on behalf of the Society for the Socially-Disadvantaged for assistance.
Various forms of help have been provided over the years:
i.    Some wheel chairs were made available to the home.
ii.    Sewing machines, pressing irons and other necessary accessories were provided to the centre for the teaching and learning of sewing,
iii.   School uniform materials were supplied to be made and sold so that a revolving fund could be set up for use in other areas.
iv.    Once every six months, the group visits the centre to donate some food items
v. A new shoe-making unit was set up with machinery and other equipment and materials forusein2005.

Lately, attempts are being made to schedule the visits for Sundays when Church Services would be held with the inmates.

The Remar Rehabilitation Centre
Remar is an international organization in many countries where drug, alcohol tobacco addicts are helped with the word of God to conic out of the addictions. They also take up street children and help them to be reformed.

Twice a year, the Christian Services Group visits the inmates at their main cent Adabraka (Accra), although they also have branches in Kumasi, Nsawam and Dansoman. During the visits, large quantities of foodstuffs are donated and church services are during which some of the inmates give testimonies of the lives they once lived and how were reformed.

Boys and Girls Remand Homes
The two homes located at Osu are correction centres for boys and girls who have deviant characters. While some are held for misdemeanours for which court trials are being held, others are held there for reformation of character. While being kept, they are given basic literacy education as well as taught some skills.
Government subventions to the homes are never enough and the managers send requests for assistance.

The Christian Services Group has donated various items, like water tanks to these homes and twice a year, food items are donated to supplement their feeding programmes. Church services are held with the inmates as well as lively discussions and counselling sessions.

Visits to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital
For several years, the Christian Services group paid visits to the different wards Accra Psychiatric Hospital to have fellowship and donate several items.
The most memorable visits were the parties that were organized for the inmates.
These activities stopped when the Church decided to adopt the Male Convalescents of the Hospital, in order to streamline its activities at the hospital