CG: All for Jesus goes hiking

It has been yelled always in the group All for... Jesus! The cell group has been so strong (Praise the Lord for that) through life challenges.

After the storm (issues, problems) we had in the CG, the group spend time mountain trekking at Brgy. Canito-an, Cagayn de Oro, Philippines.

The group started the journey 10:05am to 6:00pm. |Everyone enjoyed the wonbderful creation of the Lord and together praise His works.

"Maliit na salu-salu" was enjoyed by everyone. Thanks for the donations :D, (biko: Auntie Anna Magallanes, Bihon and Bulad, Softdrinks: Pastora Gemma Gier.

Thank you Lord for the ever supportive parents we have.

Snapshots of the trek!

Ladies have a pose in a "Sereguelas Tree"



I came after them to have this photo. this was taken noontime!
On our way to the picnic area.




Praising the Lord together for His wonderful creation



3R’s during IVCF day 2011, NMRU

On the 30^th of November, Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship celebrates its 58^th anniversary and the first official Regional Assembly in IVCF Northern Mindanao Regional Unit, with a theme of “Recall. Reflect. Respond”.

The celebration was enjoyed with presentation brought by different areas in the regional unit namely, Iligan City, Cagayan de Oro City and Bukidnonn. However ther highlight of the said event is its theme. Each corresponds to the highlights of this celebration.

            First is RECALL. In the event everyone was given the chance to recall God’s providence in the beginning of IVCF ministry in NMRU through given brochures of IVCF Northern Mindanao History upon registration. Here is a glimpse of it. Around 1970 a man named Willie Girao visited Cagayan de Oro City and shared the IVCF ministry to Reverend Jim Jenson, who he met in the city. The American Advent Christian Missionary was a youth minister, who handled a student center near Xavier University- Ateneo de Cagayan. Reverend Jenson who is a missionary in the city was encourage to start an IVCF work, from then on IVCF ministry continued and God willing an IVCF staff was sent to guide, win, disciple, equip student leaders up to the present.

            Aside from the IVCF Northern Mindanao History, a review of past school year 2010-2011 financial report was shown. Summary receipts of Php 66,619.80 and total amount of Php 68,581.70 disbursements were presented to the group. The said practice of Annual Report in S.Y 2010-2011 were just an implication of how transparency is important in this campus ministry and a student led organization. A recount statistical data of developments in the flagship program and acknowledgement of active campus chapters helps in checking the status of the Regional Unit.

            REFLECT. Every recollection needs to be reflected upon. So as we had revisited the past of IVCF-NMRU, it is also important to reflect on the new ones. One of it is our New National Director Kuya Ferdie Juni. He who gives an exhortation during the celebration allows us to reflect more of God’s goodness in our lives. Even the Annual Plan for the S.Y 2011-2012 was assessed, and reflect whether it is allocated properly. The new IVCF Philippines Regional Based Management has both long term and midterm results which train the student leader to be visionary in their Universities-melting pot. Everyone also ponder on the ministry updates. We heard so, that there already seven campuses that are active in the region.

            In guidance also for the student leaders especially the executive ones, a summary of budget for the school year 2011-2012 was also presented. These way student leaders were given the chance to be critical in the resources allotted and to be a good steward/watcher of the resources kept and needed.

RESPOND. After recalling how God started and sustained each one and IVCF Ministry through the years and reflecting on the ministry update, it is about time to respond on the things planned and structured. One way responding to God’s calling is to attend the first Regional Advisory Council (RAC). To participate actively in the newly, organized Regional Advisory Council (RAC) has been cited to respond to needs and concerns of the Region.

KC 2k11 THE EMPOWERED: Proclaiminig Christ Beyond Borders

Irish Mae B. Esin

Northern Mindanao Regional Unit

KC 2011 Testimony

                I praise and thank the Lord for choosing me to experience and be part of KC 2K11, where I learned to value work as a gift from Him; to ask and extend my forgiveness to those people whom I have hurt  and vice-versa , so that my heart will be healed and relieved. The Lord also reminds me that there is no excuse in not hearing and understanding the gospel as we have our Bible Study week, it’s on the hearts availability to be used by Him that matters. I praise the Lord for assuring me that I am loved by Him and thus I must love the people too, even those who are unlovable to my sight (like my biological father, who left us and attempted to give me away to the Muslim couple-his friends in exchanged of some amount while I was at the age of two). To love those who are lost, brethren who shed blood for their freedom and salvation, yet still they are searching for the truth and peace in their hearts. As I engaged in the society (when I step out from the site) I am already aware that I am God’s representative and that my university is my mission field.

Session Leading...

                To be His follower is to have the same heartbeat as His. I learned about discipleship that I need to go, tell everyone and train them to be productive leaders and disciplers like I am trained in Kawayan Camp. No one is a super hero. We need to proclaim the gospel to them about worship, pastoral care, knowing the bible by heart, which may be passed on the next generation by the witnesses- them who heard the gospel.

                 I continually praise You Lord for the new heart You’ve given me after the Community Involvement – a heart that beats for mission like You- my Master have and for Your provision Lord in my Camp fee.

During our Asian Night Celebration

Final Recreation_ team C=oconut

Bible Study Week (BSW), photo with my BSW mates

me in my Indian Costume for our Asian Night
Credits to kuya Mon 

                To You all be the glory! ALHAMDULILA.

How to Create Healthy Small Groups Ministry News

Strong, healthy small-group ministries succeed because they develop strong, healthy small-group leaders. So, naturally, one of the top concerns ministry leaders have is how to develop strong, healthy group leaders. How can you be sure they’ll lead well? What will slow down the turnover rate? How do you get more people to lead?

Healthy leaders are empowered leaders. Empowered leaders have been trained for success, entrusted with authority, sent out to lead (without micromanagement) and supported throughout the entire process.

As ministry leaders, we must give our lay leaders more than just permission to lead. It’s our job to provide them with three things: (1) clearly defined direction, (2) relevant training and (3) personal support. When you strategically and consistently provide these three things, you produce an environment where innovative, energized leaders lead with passion and power and where lives are changed.

A major key to empowering your leaders is adequately training them, providing them with the resources they need and avoiding the temptation to let management become about control. If you provide inadequate training and resources, you’ll create the need to hypermanage your leaders later.

An under-trained, over-controlled leadership environment always results in weak, tentative leaders and high turnover. Anytime you over-control, you’re guaranteeing that your strongest leaders will leave!

Effective training is far more than sharing philosophies. It’s defining what “success” looks like by clearly defining direction and goals and helping your leaders create a plan of action. As you’re developing your training, try to figure out what assumptions you’re making about what your leaders will know and do when they’re leading. Identify the top three or four things, and then don’t assume they can read your mind—train them on these things!

At Gateway Church in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, where I serve as an executive pastor and oversee the development of Gateway Groups and training of Gateway Group leaders, our first step in training is an orientation for new leaders. In this session, we provide training on very practical things, such as how to get started, where to find curriculum, how to get people in your group and so on. Our initial training also defines the vision for our small groups, explains how leaders are trained and supported, and lets them know what resources are available for them.

Then, it’s time to get started. After our small-group leaders have started their groups we provide ongoing, in-depth, practical training about caring for people, empowering group members to serve, facilitation skills and more.

Why do we wait until after they’re leading a group to train them on these areas? Because people learn best when they have a context in which to see and practice what they’re learning. Imagine marriage counseling: You may spend hours in premarital counseling, but you don’t realize how badly you need it until after you’re married!

Another critical piece of the puzzle in empowering leaders is trusting them to lead well. The only way you’ll be able to rest comfortably with this is if you’re supporting and listening to your leaders within the context of personal relationships.
 
The Bible instructs us to “know the condition of our flock.” You can do this through a core group of leaders who’ve been entrusted with caring for the other leaders. In order to feel empowered, your group leaders need to know who to turn to for help. If they don’t feel relationally connected to these people before they need help, they won’t turn to them when they actually do.

Far more people succeed than fail when using this approach to leadership development. In fact, very few people fail at all. When a leadership system is structured for support and not control, the cream always rises to the top. As marketing guru Seth Godin says: “When you open doors for people (instead of closing them), your followers are more likely to open doors for others.”

Over time, you will see strong, healthy small groups emerge—because empowered leaders empower others.  —Randy Cochran

Source:

http://www.ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-news/65-news-main/19021-how-to-create-healthy-small-groups-#readmore

God is far too wonderful

God is far too wonderful! It is truly a blessing to me when the LDP compassion gave this Great Days with Great Lives by Charles R.  Swindoll, during our LAMBAT 2K10 in Caliraya with the theme of TATAKBO AKO!

my favorite book as of now...

“I never ceased to be amazed at how perfectly God weaves His will together without our help!”- GDGL

“You may think some skill you learned or used years ago is lost, or that you’ve wasted all the time doing whatever, but don’t you believe it. God can use what may seem to be most insignificant part of our past and put you exactly in the right place to use that particular gift or skill.”-GDGL

These are cool. It was been meant for me Today I watched the Paraisong Parisukat (theatrical play in our senior Development Communication student as their final requirement for a certain major subject) and the Karate do game during our University Intramurals week. I envied them much that times; since I wasn’t able to be permitted by my mother to be part of the Karate do team of our very own College of Agriculture. I love Karate do, but I am afraid of where it could lead me. Up to where I can stand and face the consequences after joining again (if ever).

I believe this was knit together by God. All things work together…, that leads me to my insight that my skilled learned or used ago that was lost, is not in vain. God has a purpose of allowing me to learn/ practice something today, for me to be equipped in someday battle.

Not only will that, because of this time now I believe that my biological father who had left us will soon comeback and my family be complete again.

I’m looking forward that the Lord will continue to show His wonders to me. Continue to mold, purify, anoint and use me for His glory.

Source: GDGL and My Journal 2010

Healing Wounds of the Past

It’s the time of year when someone commemorates its birthday with his/ her family. But what is really a birthday celebration? Is it about foods? Shared by family and friends, gift wrapped and serenade for the celebrant? Is this birthday celebration all about?

For many people, birthdays may not be an occasion to get excited about. They may not have foods to share with; money to spend for things to be wrapped or even receiving greeting cards from loved ones who were way for various reasons.

She stands behinds the photocopying machine, waiting for her work to be done, only to beat the deadline of her academic works with the students who are all anxious to have their lunch at the canteen. As she was standing with the crowd, undeterred by the noise circulating around, she had reminisced her high school life.

To most of her high school classmates and friend, she is just some ordinary serious “KJ” student. To her family she is a protective eldest sister, silent and respectful yet sometimes acts masculine, when circumstances pushes her to be. Because of her favorite past time which is to imagine his love of life to come home someday-his father. At the age of fourteen, she started to hate high school life, for its Family Day Celebration in the school. With this she started to envy her classmates as she saw them with a complete family. Her mother is a working mom or self employed mother for their father had left them while she was two years old and her youngest sister as five months old baby. Since then, the head of the family had not kept in touch with them.

Then the prom season came, where every high school students were dreaming of and she was so excited. Nevertheless her have shattered into pieces when their school principal had declared of no prom night to that year’s of batch due to financial crisis.

After four years in high school she graduated with awards and was given an opportunity to be one of the LDP (Leadership Development Program) Compassion International-Philippines’ Batch 14 scholars. Her prayer has been heard from heaven now, little by little. She was enrolled in a prestigious university the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan as a Development Communication student. But still her past is dragging her away towards recovery. Hatred fades out as the longing for her father starts to creep in his young heart when she saw the debut party picture of her classmate with her dad and family. She started to draw possibilities in her mind, “Unsa kah noh kung mutunga si papa sa akong 18^th birthday? Dawaton o masuko ba mi niya kay iya ming gibiyaan og kalit?” she still can’t move on of her past, where her father attempts to give her away to Muslim couples who can’t have a child in exchange to money. His anger towards his wife leads him to do such wicked thing to his own daughter.

Presently, she lives with her co-scholars in a pad which is paid by the scholarship program they are in. She’s already 17 years old. As her 18^th birthday is fast approaching, she started to prayed and begged God to grant her birthday wish- to see, kiss, hug, dance with her biological father during her debut and treasure that only moment for a lifetime.

The moment she wrote this feature story of her life, tears are rolling down from her cheeks… not because of grief, loneliness nor hatred to someone else but tears of joy and with a brave heart to share to others that though she were left abandon by her biological father, she still have a Father up there, who loves her unconditionally, who mend her broken heart and dreams whole again and who will never her family behind.

She’s not just writing today for the glorification of herself but to the one who sustained her family all through these years. This is more than just a course requirement but a testimony of God’s greatness and goodness.

Over centuries and lifetime birthdays has meant different things for different people. But for the one named Irish Mae it is about giving thanks to her Father and Maker in everything she had gone through.

To forgive others as the Lord forgives my shortcomings, helps me to move on and enjoy life in line to God’s plan and will, leaving everything under His control…trusting Him with all my heart, is one of my life’s lesson learned as the healing process continues.

Reminder: Be reminded!

Does you grade define you? Are you in school for learning or only earning a degree? Are you a real Atenista?

This has been my questions to my friends. Having been a student of Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan), it become part of my daily routine to drop by and buy something in our canteen, in front the College of Agriculture building. The only place in the university thats always thickly settled.

Being a second year student who loves to stay and eat in the canteen, a crew caught my attention. While students are having fun, chatting with their friends and enjoying their meals. Rushing to leave the venue as the school bell rings, leaves their trashes around with their utensils after eating then a canteen crew cleanse it organize the chairs they neglect to arrange.

But most often, disappointment would always hound me every time I see these Ateneans as they claim to themselves yet doesn’t even care to the person who will next use the area.

It was really a blessing that the Central Student Government (CSG) had taken an initiative to post a reminder to the students upon leaving the place where they have eaten to clean and organize for the next users comfy.

 I was then reminded of my First Year Formation Program (FFP) Class last year. Since I learned the Ignatian principle of “Magis” and “Cura Personalis” it helps me to understand how should an Atenean be. TO aim for excellence in everything you do; care for the other persons who walked along with you my journey as a student and a Filipino Youth. Not just to think of myself but also to the welfare of others.

As I certainly had a great time reminiscing the past and relating it to the present, upon observing the life of a canteen crew, I noticed their sweat rolling  down from their forehead, to its back, as they wipe the messy table, carrying in their hand the tray full of plates, gasses, spoons, forks and many more utensils. Then on the other hand was gripping on a soft drinks bottles neck. What a heroic deed. Indeed everyone is a hero in their own little way. They are less appreciated, recognized and complimented for their status in life. They are working for them to earn money and pay their debts and other household expenses and necessities.

Every wipe of a messy table, every tray full of utensils and leftovers to lift, bottles to carry and sometimes clamor, complains to gain from the students and staff, - builds their attitude of patience, heart of servant hood and the most neglected part, leadership skills. I as a Youth leader in our church compliment them, for they are the one of the best example of a servant leader- humble, patient, pays back a smile to others though their heart is frowning due to tired body and peoples complains and demands.

As an Atenean we need to be reminded that we are leaders that should care for the others welfare and strive for excellence in everything we do.

Let’s put into action all we learned, apply it into our life and do everything not for men but to the One who created us wonderfully. Our grades would not totally define us, nor do our degrees acquire, for what it profits for a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul.

In school we learn, aim for excellence and earn a degree. Nevertheless in the long run our relationship to God and people define us. Dare you to be a real Atenista. Be one!