Every Sunday afternoon in Little Tondo at Barangay Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro City (CDO), bright faces of children and EFC-CDO volunteers eagerly gather to worship Jesus. But on this special day of June 18, fathers joined the fun.
It rained like fire from the heavens as the young people of JECPP Northern Mindanao experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during the youth conference held last April 10-13, 2017 in Cagayan de Oro City. More than 125 participants from Cagayan de Oro, Mambayaan, Manticao, Naawan, Balingasag, Lala and Malaybalay had a life changing encounter with God – a spiritual turning point that they will never forget for the rest of their lives.
“Little Tondo”. This is how people call this place in Barangay Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro City. Dilapidated “barong- barong” houses with barely enough space for families to huddle in to sleep at night, many without electricity, are a replica of the shackled poverty in Tondo slum.
Little Tondo caught the attention of Sister Malou S. Dunatchik a faithful member of EFC-CDO who is now living in the United States. She has been away for thirteen years, and she came home last December to spend Christmas with her family.
Christmas is an opportune time to share Christ’s message to those whom Jesus noticed as having the humblest hearts- the little kids.
For this reason, EFC-CDO volunteers held various Christmas parties for kids in different outstation churches like Molugan, Manolo, Calaanan, Pualas, Tagoloan, Paglantaw, Puli and Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City during the holiday season.
Unfolding the year with thanksgiving, JECPP Northern Mindanao Church planters and volunteers met for its first Christmas gathering last December 29, 2016 at Stargate Resort, Cagayan de Oro City.
Pastors and their families came all the way from Malaybalay, Naawan, Manticao, Lala, Balingasag and Mambayaan to celebrate Christmas as one family. This is the first time for JECPP Northern Mindanao to hold a pastors’ fellowship as big as this to celebrate Christmas together.
There’s more to Christmas than just sparkling lights and joyful carols. It has always been about the unfathomable love of God towards mankind. And like a city on a hill, He wants His church to magnify that love to the ends of the earth.
With this in mind, EFC-CDO took the initiative to bless families through compassionate giving last December 24, 2016. Before the clock struck for the midnight noche buena, the church distributed 30 packs of delectable meals for families residing in Camaman-an, Biasong, and Tambo.
Themed “Making Disciples, Planting Churches”, the focal point of the youth camp was the commitment to take part in sharing the redemptive grace of God by making disciples and planting churches all over Northern Mindanao.
“INSTALOVE”, a Valentine’s Day special of EFC-Cagayan de Oro last February 14, 2016 gave the young people a very enjoyable celebration of the hearts day together with the entire church family.
Evangel Family Church-Cagayan de Oro chose the “more blessed” deed, which is giving instead of receiving, last Christmas holiday.
