Shoes and songs in Kidapawan Campus Ministry

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by Jeanelle Grace Lorilla

“Whenever the presence of God comes, favors are unstoppable. It is like deserts turned into springs.”

5We stand upon these words proven true when we saw the blessing of God poured out in the lives of the students as they received for the first time brand new shoes for graduation. It was distributed the same day when the Youth Shakers Campus Ministry conducted a concert crusade at Amas National High School, Amas, Kidapawan City last March 22, 2015.

Amas National High School is a field white for harvest. When EFC-Kidapawan asked permission to hold a Christian concert on the month of March, one of the busiest months in high school calendars, the Principal Mrs. Vilma Belotindos agreed. In fact, they rescheduled some of their closing month activities, even their final examination day, just to give way to this event. All the teachers were also very accommodating to us when we arrived that day for the concert.

And God blessed their responsive hearts. Early in the morning of that concert day, the school received a memorandum from the North Cotabato provincial government regarding the distribution of shoes as gifts to the graduates. Recognizing God’s provision to the graduating classes, Mrs. Belotindos said she did not regret her decision of inviting our youth group to minister to the students that day.

Then God continued to shower His grace to the school as the day progressed. A crowd of approximately 250 students, faculty and staff were not just entertained but blessed through the various presentations. There were dance numbers by the Hearts on Fire Dance Crew. Students were amused and surprised to learn that God is the Lord of the dance. The song numbers led by Fire Band touched them to sing with the performers. They clapped their hands and gave joyful noise to God. A drama skit was also shown. The song “Who Am I” by Casting Crowns and the actions of the casts portrayed the honor God gave us to be called His child. We saw some students with teary eyes as they realized God’s unfailing love communicated in songs.

It was amazing to witness that they attentively listened to the Lord’s message delivered by Rev. Tony J. Angelias. They lifted up their hands and surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ as Pastor Tony and some of the church leaders prayed for them.

After the event, we fellowshipped with the students. They were encouraged to join the campus ministry next school year and continue their journey in growing their relationship with God. We will keep on praying that more students will be closer to Jesus through this ministry. We, as a church, were also encouraged to keep working and reaching out souls in other schools and universities. We pray that we will “not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9-10).

Southern Mindanao Youth Challenged to walk the NexGen path

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By Michael Lyco J. Barreranexgentext

A teenager is bombarded with crises and pressures from all sides of life as he or she goes through growth, maturity and development. Psychosocial development as theorized by famous psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, states that we need to overcome crises on particular stages in our lives in order to become “whole” persons. A teenager, for instance, must overcome role confusion to establish and secure his or her identity.

Without the word of God, a teenager seeking for directions gets entangled with unbiblical ideologies and wanders on a lost path. Jesus knows the pain and restlessness of a drifter, and so he calls the lost sheep into his fold that it may lie down on green pastures. This fold is the church which welcomes all weary travelers, introduces them to the Savior, and equips and releases them to help others who are still astray.

group_pictureThis summer, the JECPP Southern Mindanao region once again fulfilled its deep calling of training young people inside the fold to love and serve God with all their hearts and strength. More than 200 youth from Evangel Family churches all over Southern Mindanao gathered in Jones Beach Resort, Talomo, Davao City for the 2nd NexGen Southern Mindanao Regional Youth Conference last April 1-4.

The event was an ideal summer spree for energetic teens and young adults where they were nourished and revived with compelling messages, physical activities, fellowships, music, prayer, and creative expressions of talents.

 

Every day in the camp was a feast of the Word served by anointed speakers. These messages were meant to transform and renew their minds so they could make sound decisions and actions as exemplary Christian youth. Reverend Peter Wee marked the first night with a highlight on the favored life of Lot because he walked with blessed Abraham. Unfortunately, Lot decided to walk on his own, forsaking the Godly legacy of Abraham and embracing the culture of his time.  Pastor Wee quoted Oliver W. Homes who said, “it matters not where you are, but rather in what direction you are heading” for where you are looking, there you will also go.

Expounding the idea of “walking with those who are blessed”, Pastor Wee reminded the participants of another lover and follower of God in thepas_peter_wee person of Joshua. “Joshua loved the Presence of God” (Exodus 17:9) and “Joshua loved God`s House” (Exodus 33:11). Like Joshua, young people need to learn to love the presence of God above all and to be in the house of the Lord rather than to be in other places.

conference_speakersOther speakers in the morning and evening services were Rev. Albert Polino, Jr., Rev. Delia Miguel, Rev. Tony Angelias, Rev. Gregorio and Rev. Rosario Simpas, Rev. Judith Kintanar and Rev. Christine Wee. These speakers addressed various issues that the young people relate and struggle with.

An all-time pressing issue among young people is undoubtedly romance. So, “striking while the iron is hot”, one afternoon in the camp was devoted solely to the topic of love and courtship delivered by Pastor Judith Kintanar. The eager young people raised questions, and were satisfied with wise counsel from their leaders. Pastor Wee and Pastor Christine helped answer the questions and candidly shared their own love story to the delight and enlightenment of the listeners.

creative_balloons_&_table_skirtingAnother worthwhile engagement in the camp was the creative balloons and table skirting workshop headed by Sis. Cecille Gacasan, Bro. Jonathan Lariosa and Sis. Lourdes Bargoso. Since the church is a venue of gatherings, celebrations and parties, the young people can serve using their aesthetic skills in decorating and designing. The young people were of course motivated to learn as they could use this skill not only in the church but even in their own parties such as debuts and graduation.

pastor's_fellowshipThe entire camp was mentally and physically challenging, so after dinner on the last night of the conference, the leaders chilled to a “pastors just wanna have fun” session. Selected pastors from the Southern Mindanao region showcased their talents. As a result, many hidden talents such as song composition, dancing, and wildly-spirited laughter were all discovered. We believe God will release our young people to serve God with greater measure.

 

 

 

Equipping and releasing the NexGen in Luzon

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by Joven Llabore

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Holding the retreat for the second time, the Evangel Family Church (EFC) Luzon had it this year inside the metro with around 107 delegates coming from four sections:  Mindoro, La Union, Batangas, and Palawan plus EFC Quezon City as the host.

Spending the holidays with the family or mountain climbing and skydiving with  friends would be the best thing to start off the summer season; however, these gregarious campers consist of young and “once young” (as others would call it)  gave up those ideas and humbly gave in to this amazing “stay-cation” with God.

So off they went from down south and uptown provinces and cities to the base church of Luzon at Fairview, Quezon City. Little did they know that this was one exhilarating three-day summer adventure that began on April 1.

“Equipping and Releasing the Next Generation” was the theme of the of year’s retreat, and the speakers mainly focused on re-infilling of the Holy Spirit, keeping the spiritual life attuned, and challenging the youth to take a step to answer the call.

Eager to experience the moving power of the Holy Spirit, the delegates listened attentively to the messages delivered by the speakers and savored the sweet presence of God during praise and worship. Altar call followed after each session.

Loud cries echoed out as lifted hands and voices were raised. Tears continuously fell as the young people were touched and filled by the Holy Spirit. Some received the gifts of the Spirit, others answered the call. God truly moved in and fully released His power and presence to equip them all.

The tasks performed by the leaders and the delegates were a bit physically and mentally demanding, nevertheless enjoyable. For some, being in Manila was like a  dream come true. The campers toured around and strolled the two famous historical sites in the country: the Intramuros and the Luneta Park.

The young walked around the streets and went to a souvenir shop and busied themselves taking pictures with the calesa, the insignia, the building, and other “social media worthy” photos.  Given an hour to relish the Luneta Park, each did not waste a second to enjoy and have fun with their friends.

They also enjoyed swimming at the pool on the last night of the retreat. Others preferred to talk with their new-found friends and elated themselves with stories they could laugh about.

Waving goodbye to each other the next morning was hard, but the friendship and the lessons they had built and learned would always be there until the next retreat. One thing was certain, they were now fully equipped and ready to be released for the expansion of God’s work as they confidently geared themselves with great  IDEAS (Innovation, Dedication, Excellence, Anticipation, Speed)they learned in this youth convention.

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Testimonies of the young people are powerful in this three-day retreat. They give the listener the hope that God is alive and truly working in the lives of His people. 

Among the many who experienced personal revival, two sisters share their own stories below:

I’m Katherine Joy Manzanero Apuyan of Evangel Family Church Quezon City. I had  three marvellous days of experiencing God’s great power.  There’s a restoration of stolen joy, replenishment of empty faith, revival of my weary heart and renewal of my soul.

It was indeed a fulfilling experience to be blessed and renewed! At first, you can feel the need of the Holy Spirit covering the place. And I know everyone was waiting for the touch of the Holy Spirit.  The piercing sermons of different pastors rebuked and gave me hope.

The burdens of my heart that kept me from moving forward disappeared. The discouragement, doubt and hatred were replaced by the love and peace coming from my Heavenly Father. And as I looked upon the other believer, I have seen every spirit humbling themselves before God.

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My name is Fe Ellana, 24 years old, a young professional from Evangel Family Church-La Union. Three days of encounter with God and I answered the “Yes” to His call. Short time, right? Well, the truth is, it has been my heart’s desire since I was sixteen.

This retreat has made me give up everything I have right now. I’m spiritually filled.

I prayed and asked God to forgive me for making Him wait for too long. The burden in my heart was lifted up. And now is the time to move forward and take a bold step of faith. 

I was so grateful to God for this retreat. I’ve been blessed by the preaching of His Word and meeting fellow Christians encouraged me more.

 

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“Next Generation” equipping in Northern Mindanao Summer Youth Conference

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By Pastor Vic Louie Pacaña.

 …And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ …  Ephesians 4:11-16group_picture

Last March 30 – April 2, 2015, JECPP held its annual summer youth conference at Coconut Bay Resort in Tablon, Cagayan de Oro City with a theme “ Equipping and Releasing” participated by youths from different Evangel Family Church sections all over Northern Mindanao including Lala, Naawan, Manticao, Balingasag, Mambayaan  and Malaybalay. It was facilitated by Pastor Rowena Kwong, and administered by Pastor Andrew Kwong, Pastor Roberto Padinit, and Pastor Vic Louie Pacaña.

The four-day and three-night conference was full-packed with encouraging sermons from pastors and fun-filled activities that showcased God-given talents of young people: singing, playing instruments, narrating and acting. Noticeable also in this year’s camp was the increased number of younger participants.

The event started on March 30, 2015 with the arrival of the participants, an orientation and groupings of youth for the activities. The event was opened with a praise and worship jam in the evening and a heart-warming message of encouragement by Rev. Andrew Kwong. In his message, he reminded all young people to remember the source of eternal life. He said, “To whom shall we go? You [Lord] have the words of eternal life”.

“A biblical foundation must be built in the lives and hearts of the next generation. They must be fully equipped in doing God’s work. ” With this message from Pastor Andrew, he capped the day and set the course of the entire event!

The second day of the camp started exceedingly great when Pastora Lourdes Ello, from EFC Malaybalay, shared an eye-opening devotional. After breakfast, the morning service began with a praise and worship lead by Lala team followed by a message from Pastor Vic Pacana of EFC Cagayan de Oro. Camper Paul John Cornel of EFC Lala  was the one leading the worship team. At his very young age, God enabled Him to do his ministries.  Though he was very young, he took the responsibility in leading the praise and worship.  What a great joy to see young ones willing to be trained and be used mightily by God.

The highlight of the day was the Battle of the Bands in the afternoon where praise and worship teams from the different sections, Lala, Malaybalay, Naawan, Manticao, and Balingasag, gave out songs that brought people to an experience of anointed praise and worship.

In the afternoon of the second day, all teams prepared for the competition.  Here they would be able to express their talents and abilities in singing and playing music. Through this, each team would be able to encourage and challenge others to give their best in whatever things God has entrusted on them.  As the first team began to play, I noticed how expressive they were in singing their songs to God. They had given their very best; a magnanimous heart was evident as they worshipped through music. Others, as they waited for their turn, were also motivated. In this event, Pastor Rowena Kwong introduced Bro. Jefferson Ouano as the sole judge for the competition.  He was also giving feedbacks, recommendations and commends every team that performed.  All of them had distinct ways of playing their songs; all were commendable. To God be the glory! Among the teams who participated, Naawan won the Battle of the Bands.

I remembered last year that it was Pastor Andrew Kwong who proposed this Battle of the Band for all the outstation churches. We were all enthused with the idea that through this, we would grow, challenge, help, and polish one another’s music skills.

ptr_andrew_kwongAfter which we proceeded to the evening service.  Before the preaching of the Word, an hour was spent for prayer asking the power of the Holy Spirit and anointing of God throughout the service.  It helped us to be prepared spiritually.  Pastor Andrew Kwong shared about “Seeing the Unseen God”.  It was Moses’ faith that prodded him to leave Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger, and he persevered because he saw him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:27). On one hand, he fled to save his life, but it was not because he feared the anger of the king. Rather, he fled in surrender to God’s timing. He was waiting when exactly God would deliver Israel. That long, discouraging wait was possible only because Moses saw the unseen God. I believe that God can do the same to all the young people in this conference. May they learn to believe in God and choose to stand firmly in His side though they cannot see Him.

When the evening service was over, everyone was busy meeting together for their practices. They carefully planned and put all their efforts to come up with the best presentation for the next day.  It was a great time of fellowship and bonding.  It gave me a joyful heart to see them sacrificing and devoting their time at night to practice and work things out in their groups.  It was a place and time of encouragement, mentoring and understanding one another in spite of many differences.  Praise be to God for His abounding grace to them.

ptr_reynaldo_cornelOn the morning devotion of the third day, young people were all alive as Pastor Reynaldo Cornel of EFC Lala shared the message of being bold and unashamed of the gospel. The morning service started with a Cebuano praise and worship led by EFC Balingasag team followed by a message “Serve like Jesus” by Pastor Robert Padinit of EFC Cagayan de Oro.

Then came the most awaited part of the day; the room exploded into a big cheer as five groups showcased their acting skills and teamwork in the drama and cheering competitions. Teams Ephesians and Corinthians won the competition.

The evening service was also a blast with a jam-packed praise and worship led by CDO praise and worship team. The event was closed with a message “Dare to Be Different” by Pastor Andrew Kwong. He exemplified the life of Daniel and other three men as they stood out for the Lord, did what was right, and trusted God for the results, no matter what. In this case, God caused Daniel to excel than all the other youths.

Those words are remarkably insightful specifically spoken for the young people to take a leap of faith and be courageous in doing God’s will.  With willing and humble hearts, we have responded to the Word of God.  God graciously poured out His Holy Spirit to the congregation. As shared by Pastor Andrew Kwong, the lives of these men are worth emulating. Once more, the young people were challenged to do likewise.

The night ended with great assurance of hope. Many questions were answered. Doubts that clouded our minds were cleared, and the Holy Spirit moved in our midst.

The last day was spent for swimming, picture-taking, eating and fellowships allowing young people from different section to mingle and bond with their teammates and new friends to share experiences that would surely inspire them to serve the Lord enthusiastically.  This years’ youth conference played a vital role in strengthening and equipping the faith of the next generation. As they travelled home, they brought with them a touch of the Holy Spirit, the fun experiences, and encouraging messages that prepared them to be released in God’s work in their various places.

God made many wonderful things and revelations during the camp.  It was a remarkably successful and anointed youth conference.  All of the young people and outstation church Pastors were really grateful for this experience and for the vision that JECPP imparted to us.

The challenge did not end in the conference. We now have a journey set before for us.  We are now equipped, and we will never be afraid because God will always provide the skills, ability, direction and resources we need to carry out His will.

We are already looking forward to next year’s camp!