There are some Holy Rites or Sacraments within the form of worship in the Celestial Church of Christ that are of utmost importance.
Members shall avail themselves of the opportunity to partake in these Rites or Sacraments:-
(a) BAPTISM
This is by immersion. Before being accepted as a member of the Church one must be baptised or re-baptised into the faith of Celestial Church of Christ.
Reference is made to Acts 19:1-6.
(b) HOLY COMMUNION
The important rite of the Holy Communion is generally held Quarterly as well as on Holy Thursday (Pre-Easter), and on Christmas Day at the Porto Novo Beach.
It may also be held on other special occasions such as Marriage, Funeral, Mass in remembrance of Departed Souls etc.
(c) ANNUAL WASHING OF FEET
This is held on the Thursday of the Holy Week (Passion Week). It is in commemoration of the event when Jesus Christ washed the feet of His disciples during the last supper.
For this purpose, it has been laid down that representatives of each parish shall congregate at the Diocesan Headquarters,
Makoko on Saturday preceding the Palm Sunday. After a short service the representatives would return to their
respective parishes on Sunday (i.e. the Palm Sunday) and would perform the washing of feet to members of their respective parishes on the following Thursday-John 13:5-9
(d) ANNUAL CONVOCATION AT PORTO NOVO CHRISTMAS EVE
It is ordained by the Holy Spirit that all members of the Celestial Church of Christ, wherever they may be,
shall convocate for Christmas at the sea side in Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin.
This is in remembrance of the birth of Christ during the census decreed by Caesar Augustus – Luke 2: 1.
(e) ANNUAL EASTER CONGREGATION AT MAKOKO
This is a Congregation of all members of Celestial Church of Christ Nigeria Diocese at Makoko from the morning/ afternoon of Good Friday_ until Easter Sunday.
Three services are held in Celestial Church of Christ on Good Friday to celebrate the anniversary of the arrest, trial, conviction, crucifixion and burial of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These are at 9.00 a.m., 12.00 noon and 3.00 P.m. local time. Representatives of each parish in the Diocese are enjoined to attend the 3.00 p.m. service at Makoko and thereafter partake of the feast of fruits and water at about 5.30 p.m.
The day’s celebrations will be considered over thereafter as from about 6.00 p.m.
The following day, Saturday, in the evening, there will be a procession to the Cemetery for a devotional service there at twelve midnight.
Then on Easter Sunday morning, there will be a full devotional service of joy and victory in the Church.
(f) ANNUAL HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICE
It is also laid down that each Parish of the Celestial Church of Christ shall annually observe the Harvest by holding Harvest Thanksgiving.
Service followed by Harvest Sales. This will be celebrated in two parts – Juvenile and Adult. The Juvenile Harvest will be celebrated by all parishes on the first Sunday in June each year,
while for the Adult Harvest, parishes shall inform and agree their respective dates with the Diocesan Headquarters in Lagos, always provided that no parish shall hold its Harvest Thanksgiving Service on the Ist Sunday in October,
which is the date fixed for the Supreme Headquarters in Porto-Novo or Ist Sunday in August, which is the day set aside for the Diocesan Headquarters, Makoko in Lagos.
(g) HOLY MARY’S DAY
This is in commemoration of the appearance of Holy Mary to the Pastor on the 15th day of July 1977.
The significance of Holy Mary to the Celestial faith can be traced to the earliest days of the Celestial Church of Christ; for the very first spiritual hymn that was given to the Church through one of the early prophetesses of the Church (WOLISATA) was the hymn which reads thus
