The yuletide season is here, and for Rev. Chris Okotie’s church, the Household of God, Oregun, Lagos, the Christmas mood is already palpable in the arena, with the trees on both sides of the streets fully adorned with the Christmas lights.
Although, the actual Christmas day (Dec 25) may be few weeks away, celebration has begun in the mega- church as it prepares for its famous love –feast, the Grace programme holding on Sunday, December 17, 2017 at the church auditorium
Grace is the acronym for God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense, and is the church’s main annual outreach through which it reaches out to the less privileged with financial donations. The famous KARIS award, which is subsumed in the GRACE event, is given to distinguished Nigerians who served the country meritoriously in their field of endeavour but are not well recognized or celebrated in their generation. This award, initially carried a price of #500,000 (five hundred thousand naira), was later increased to #1.5m (One million five hundred thousand naira only) two years ago. It has been increased to N 2- million naira this year.
Five major charities will receive two million naira each, on behalf of the less privileged they represent. The organizations are Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Strong Tower Mission, Sunshine Foundation, and the Spinal Cord Injuries Association.
One of the interesting highlights of the GRACE night is the Queen Esther costume pageant. The contestant, who displays the most creative costume of a female Bible of a character believed to be worn in those days, is crowned winner of the contest.
According to Ladi Ayodeji, a spokesman for the Household of God Church, Rev. Okotie cast the vision of the GRACE as a way of giving back to the society, in line with its corporate social responsibility policy. He added , that GRACE now in its 28th year, will be as glamorous as ever, and the flamboyant preacher hopes to use this edition to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians during these hard times.