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First GCI Missions Fest held at GCI Pampanga
The first of a series of Missions Fests dubbed as "Beyond the Great Commission, Preparing the Bride," was held at the newly completed worship center of the GCI Pampanga in Bacolor City, Pampanga last April 28 and 29. Facilitated by a ten-people Missions Team composed of missionaries and mission advocates headed by GCI National Missions Director Dr. Reynaldo Taniajura, the event was graciously hosted by the combined GCI Churches of Bulacan and Pampanga. According to GCI Pampanga Senior Pastor Miles Umlas, the attendance for the first day peaked at 78 while having 64 on the second day. Of these, 51 people registered and most of them signified interest in having additional mission seminars and trainings. A possible short-term mission exposure trip is being planned at the end of the year for those who are interested and will go through a basic training in missions. The event aims to showcase what God has accomplished in terms of missions through our denomination Grace Communion International (GCI) Philippines as part of our Jubilee year-long celebration.
Pastor Miles Umlas gave the welcome address on Saturday followed by a ten-minute audio-visual presentation from GCI National Director Eugene Guzon entitled, "GCI Mission: The Next Decade," where he set the tone for what GCI members can expect as to the denominational leading in terms of fulfilling the Great Commission mandate of Matthew 28. The first plenary was given by Dr. Taniajura on "Preparing the Bride and Mission." He put in plain words what missions is, and that the Church's role in the Great Commission is primarily preparing the Bride for the coming wedding of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.
Next, Canaan Training Center for Transformation pioneer and Chairman, Elder Kwan Soo Lee, spoke on "Transformation." Elder Lee, a successful businessman as well as chairman and adviser of several other noted Korean business organizations here in the Philippines, encouraged the members to embrace transformation principles as a primary means in eradicating poverty. He shared how the Pyongyang Revival of 1907 was born out of concerted prayer of the people of God, even martyrdom, and how this was key to South Korea's rise as a developed nation. The training center they started in 1999 in Floridablanca, Pampanga aims to showcase transformation principles applied and how it altered not just the physical, but the spiritual landscape of a then-wasteland-turned-into-a-productive-farm.
At the end of his sharing, Elder Lee was given a plaque of appreciation by GCI Bulacan Elder Emilio Cabigao, GCI Pastor Miles Umlas and Dr. Taniajura.
In the afternoon, the members were shown the "GCI Philippines Missions Journey" video produced by Arnold and Bituin Aquino bringing forward local missions among the Mangyan tribe in Mindoro led by Senior Pastor Bernardo Cuizon, who is also the father-in-law of Pastor Nomer Venus of GCI Manila South. Together, they pioneered outreach efforts to the people of Sitio Tuog, Rosacara, Bansud and Sigao in Mindoro. Also featured were GCI Manila Senior Pastor Gil Llaneza and Glory to the Lord Fellowship (GLF) Senior Pastor Andrew Teng who both spoke about their congregations' participation in missions in the past twelve years. A missions supporter-turned-missionary Mercedes Aldaba from GLF shared about her personal missions journey which culminated in her serving in the mountains of West-Central Kenya in East Africa among its orphan children, alongside longtime missionary Cecilia Bangay in 2010.
The rest of the afternoon and the first part of Sunday were spent in different workshops designed to give the members a glimpse of and a deeper appreciation of missions and missionary life. Divided into groups of ten or more, each participant went through the five pre-set tracks one-by-one namely: (1) Networking and Faith Promise Giving led by Tess Uadan; (2) Cross Cultural Experience (Short/Long Term) facilitated by Cecilia Bangay with desired outcomes of organizing a cross-cultural exposure trip by the end of the year, and coordinating and assisting potential students of our missions training center; (3) Spiritual Warfare & Prayer (Ephesians 6 & John 17) facilitated by Malou Leyva; (4) Member Care with Honorio and Angelita Tabin; and finally, (5) Intimacy with God facilitated by Beth Leyva. Going through the tracks culminated in the participants signing a Covenant Declaration, which is their one-year commitment paper reminding them of what they have personally agreed to do for missions.
Sunday afternoon was spent in celebratory worship led by the GCI Pampanga Worship Band with a soulful worship song from Judelyn Reyes-Ferrer. Her husband, Robert O. Ferrer, First Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, India gave the missions challenge sharing how God's provision follows His mission. He also challenged the participants in rethinking their role as good stewards of God's resources. Prior to this, the coupled served at the Philippine Embassy in Vienna, Austria for several years.
Tons of prayers were raised and offered the rest of the afternoon - prayers for the denomination, GCI leaders, GCI missionaries, even for each participant, and specially for the different least reached people groups - the tribal people, the Hindus, the unreligious, the Muslims, the Buddhists, and the even the 4-14 window referring to children in the Church ages 4 to 14. Several videos were shown that really touched the people's hearts. There were no dry eyes when the video was shown about the Kimyal people of Korapun West Papua Indonesia receiving their first written bibles after many years of translation work, while most people received the challenge of taking better care of our children especially those in the 4-14 window before we lose another generation to bad media, and worldly propaganda.
With glad hearts, the participants indulged the Missions Team as Beth Leyva shared about the group's vision of building a missions training center and a place to stay for missionaries while in furlough at the 3,000 square meter farm land in Alfonso, Cavite made available for use by our missionary family to the United States, the Tabins. The entire event owes a lot to Senior Pastor Ronald Hernandez of GCI Bulacan who did a lot of the communication and arrangement before the event, and to the good-hearted members in Pampanga who graciously hosted the team while there. Deeply grateful, the team now prepares for the next leg of the Missions Fest to be held in Pili, Camarines Sur on the weekend of June 9 and 10, 2012. The aim is to bring the Missions Fest to as many places as are willing to host it within the year. We are looking forward to seeing our brothers and sisters in the Visayas, Mindanao areas, and hopefully in the greater Metro Manila as well. May we all catch, keep and cast the vision of making the Bride (Church) ready for the coming marriage of the Lamb as the Spirit and the Bride call all peoples into a relationship with the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ! And then, may the world be at one with our awesome God-- Father, Son and Holy Spirit-- in this truly amazing journey! --Beth Leyva, Missions Team Member
GCI Zamboanga Conducts Summer Bible Program
Fifty-six children participated during the Summer Bible Program conducted by GCI Zamboanga. Click to zoom.Greetings from Asia's Latin City - Ciudad de Zamboanga!
We have just culminated our Summer Bible Program also known as Vacation Bible School last April 28,2012 held at Divisoria Zamboanga City. To our surprise, this was the very first time wherein parents and relatives of the graduates attended the ceremony. Most of the kids who attended this year's VBS came from the neighboring houses near our church and from a neighboring barangay. And of course,their relatives came to the church for he first time too! It was very exciting for us to see new faces to visit the church grounds. We are hopeful that by God's grace, unbelievers in this area will be able to know God's love through our ministry.
The Summer Bible Program started Monday, April 23 thru April 27, 2012 daily from 1 to 4 pm. Activities were as follows : General assembly,Prayer, Singing of songs,The missionary story,Bible class, Hands on activities and finally ,Snacks.
Classes were divided into three groups : The pre schoolers - handled by teacher Langga and assisted by teacher Janelle. The elementary levels ages 7 to 9 handled by teacher Arlene and the early teens ages 10 above, handled by teacher Jenny and assisted by teacher Joy Custodio.
The Grace Communion International Church located at Weesit drive, Divisoria Zamboanga City started to conduct yearly VBS since 2009. During the previous years the number of students who attended the program did not exceed to 26. But this time, 56 kids received their certificate of completion! Glory to God! And we look forward for more in the future.
To all those who backed up for the success of this stressful yet rewarding 5 day Bible School, truly, your labor in the Lord will never be in vain. To God be the glory forever and ever! --Ptr. Ted Michael Natividad, Senior Pastor, GCI Zamboanga City
| "Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you." (NLT, 2 Thessalonians 3:1) |
