PHILIPPINE UPDATE NOVEMBER 2ND 2012

Dear supporters and friends, it is with pleasure that I present this “Philippine Update and thank you for your continued interest, prayer and financial support.  We thank the Lord for His goodness, faithfulness and the work being done by our  people there.

Roy Rocha

From Novaliches Pastor Roy Rocha writes

“INSPIRED TO DO HIS WILL” –was our theme on our 3rd NEW LIFE IN CHRIST MINSTRY celebration last September 30, 2012. It is in response to the faithfulness of our God in our lives. We pondered on God’s mighty deeds in our lives, church and families. “We have tasted his goodness, his wonders we have seen, nothing else satisfies like my Lord” as this old song says. The theme will remain through the year and that we encourage each one of us to do the will of God stressing on making Christ known in our work, school, homes, and community.
The celebration was highlighted by different presentations coming from different cell-groups and ministries of our church. It was fun, encouraging, and most of all honouring God celebration.

I would like to thank you for your intense prayer and generosity extended to us. What we are right now is God’s answer to your prayers! I would like to mention Grant Aldridge and Ernie Schache for their encouraging message that I posted on our church wall together with the Bishop Efren Miranda’s. Thank you once again!

Inspired of God’s goodness, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14. We intensified our Discipleship class, Intercessory Prayer, Midnight prayers, cell-grouping, evangelism are happening.

Bishop Efren Miranda, Ptr. Jonathan Navacilla, Ptr. Richard Pelin, and I were able to visit Imus Cavite for a site visit on a potential ministry site opening. 4 families are praying for the opening of ministry in their area.

Let us then, continue to lift each other in prayers!

Thank you once again!

In Christ,

Roy

(Photos are of the celebrations, hover your mouse over the photo to read the caption)

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 Pastor Jonathan Navacilla

From Banilad, Cebu Pastor Jonathan Navacilla writes

Greetings!  We have just had our Thanksgiving Celebration last October 21, 2012. Our theme was, “Celebrating the Harvest”. It was a celebration of the goodness and faithfulness of God and a thanksgiving of the souls that He has brought into the church. That Sunday was attended by not less than 300 people including our outreach in Umapad, Mandaue City. We baptized 25 new believers in Christ during that time. They were results of the “Discipleship League” (basketball league) and contacts through small groups. Indeed God is faithful and is working through His Church. Thank you for your partnership with us through your prayers!
In Christ,  Jonathan.

Below – Baptismal photos   –  October 21.

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Pastor Jonathan successfully completed his subject toward his M.Div. at CGST.

 

OBC Update: October 31, 2012

1. Classes ended on October 19, 2012. Final exams were done, the five interns returned and were debriefed.

The interns:

He was able to assists in all the ministries of the church, including reaching out to the community during the flooding in the month of September. He attended a youth conference of a bigger group with his mentor. He also attended camp in Zambales. He had the opportunity to preach and lead Bible study with the students of the Alternative Learning System that the church was doing ministry with.

•     Eugene Rey Barete – Arena Blanco, Zamboanga City His was a church planting with a cross cultural missions work with the Badjaos, Yakans, Tausugs and other Muslim groups.

  

His specific ministries were tutorial (he was tutoring the elementary and high school students of the place), preaching, counselling, teaching and training the people to do praise and worship, visitation, and preach the Word using sinama language and using the “Palman” (the Bible).

The intern’s accommodation is similar to this picture.  He was living in a house built on the water (similar to the picture above) and was the highway for kidnappers on their way to Basilan and Sulu Archipelago. His previous employment in Malaysia helped him a lot especially the knowledge of the language and the culture of the people. He also underwent training for cross cultural missions in Cagayan de or before doing his internship. His approach to his ministry was literacy. Please pray for him as he committed to go back to the place and continue his mission after graduation.

Regelyn Dilag – Candijay, Bohol Her ministries included leading praise and worship, Sunday school teaching, pastoring the youth, leading Bible studies, counseling, attending seminars, youth activities, feeding children and started a swimming ministry with children and youth.

Jedno L. Pabayo – Cebu City

His ministries included leading Bible study with the members of the sports ministry. He also trained some young people to play music instruments in the church. He did some preaching as assigned by his supervisor’ led prayer meetings, attended church board meetings and joined interfaith fellowship. He also attended a G12 conference with his supervisor.

Brenda Tuico – United Methodist Church, Cagayan

Oro

Her ministries included assisting in the preschool, visitation, giving birthday sermon, preaches every Wednesday, and on Sunday as assigned by her supervisor. She also led Bible study, prayer at the dormitory, did child dedication, blessing of a house, a car and prayer shield every first and third Sunday of the month.

1. The College’s administration building and faculty housing were attacked by termites; praise the Lord somebody donated the amount needed for the first spraying of the termites. Succeeding sprays are needed three months after to totally eliminate these pests that destroyed books, hymnals, furniture, walls, doors and floors. Please pray for the provision of the next spraying of pesticides.
2. Pastor Reniel finished the first of the three courses he lacked in order to graduate with his MDiv in CGST Cebu. Please pray for him as he takes on correspondence the remaining two courses for him to graduate in March.
3. College was able to conduct funeral services and assisted for the necrological service for Darwin Lorenzo (Mrs. Gamayon’s nephew killed in Marawi City while on duty as a Military).
4. Pastor Roberto Saballero will be assisting the College in the finding of partner NGOs for the “Adopt-a- community” project of the college through the NSTP and the field education department.
5. Praise the Lord for an alumni who is now based in Canada who promoted the College for scholarship and faculty sponsorship program.
6. The College was visited by a lady from Australia, a Filipina who married an Australian and she did a dental mission with the students and some of the faculty. She donated the amount needed for the students to have their teeth checked up, cleaned and pulled by the dentist. She shared her testimony in chapel and spent time with the students counseling them and encouraging them to be serious about their studies.
7. Another visitor, a family from Canada also visited the college, the father and his children were also graduates of a Bible College. They shared their testimony in chapel and the father preached to the students and faculty encouraging us to continue in doing what the Lord had called us to do.
8. At the end of the first semester, through the field education department, the college was able to preach the word, minister to the needs of people; families, children and young people who needed the Lord.
9. For the second semester of classes; please pray for more students. Our enrolment is on Nov. 5 and 6. Classes will start on Nov. 7.

 

OBC Prayer Requests:

1.  Church planting ministry
   1. Bohai Community – Pastor Reniel w/ students
      1.  Commitment of BS attendees
      2.  Their family situations
      3. Couples who need marriage counseling
      4. Place for the children’s classes (they need tents for the classes)
      5. Provision for feeding of children
      6.  Conversion of Children’s families
   2. Sta Cruz – Pastor Billy w/ a student
      1. More attendees to the Bible Study
      2. Opposition from the catholic church
   3.  Sta Cruz – Pastor Jess Gawangon w/ students
   4.  Alubijid – Pastor Jess Gawangon, Mr. & Mrs. Gamayon w/ students
      1. Health of the senior citizens who are contacts for the Bible study
      2.  The place for the fellowship center
      3. DVBS for summer 2013
      4.  Provision for regular worship and Bible Study
      5.  Candidate for baptism (Mrs. Peping Ubay Ubay)
      6.  Child dedication finalization
2.    Openness of more people to the Gospel
   1. NSTP
   2. Bohai community – openness and understanding of the people
   3. Place for meetings, tutorial and feeding of children
   4. Place for livelihood training for mothers and fathers
   5. Support of the local government unit to the efforts of community development
   6. Coordination with Indahag Christian Fellowship to start Civic Welfare Training and Literacy with the resettlement community dwellers
   7. Identification of the community to be adopted in partnership with an NGO
   8. More community development projects for the adopted community
3.  Students
   1. More students for the second semester
   2.  Provision for the students who are coming back for the second semester
   3.  Good health, wisdom and strength for the fourth year students who are finishing the last semester of their studies. Pray for them as they tackle the remaining courses of study, the comprehensive examinations, the oral examinations and research.
   4.  Parents and families of the students
   5.  Commitment to fulltime church ministry after graduation from OBC
4.  Faculty and staff
   1. Good health
   2. Wisdom and discernment in teaching (for teachers)
   3. Mentoring and discipleship of students
   4. Families
   5. Ministries
5.  Departments
   1.  Academic
      1. Wisdom in preparing the curriculum for the concentrations in pastoral ministry, Christian education, missions, theology with the new GE course offering
      2.   To make own framework for typology based quality assurance framework
   2.  Student Affairs
      1.    Wisdom to handle matters pertaining to the student affairs
      2.  Preparation of the amended student handbook to be distributed on the first semester of SY 2013-2014
      3.  Determine to improve the present status of the department
   3.  Field Education
      1. Finalization of the framework and guidelines for operation of student practicum programs
      2. Facilitate structuring learning of students to actual ministry performance
      3. Evaluation and assessment of present modes of operation to ensure improve learning and acquisition of ministry skills for the students
   4. Spiritual Life Formation
      1. Retreat on Nov. 15 and 16
      2. Students preparedness for the retreat (financial and spiritual)
      3. Wisdom and discernment in handling school discipline problems
      4. Wisdom and discernment in planning the programs for the rest of the school year for the spiritual development of the students
6. Administration
   1. Health and wellness of the Board of Trustees
   2.  Wisdom and discernment in preparing the assessment and development timeline for the college
   3. Training and workshop for the revision of the syllabi for all courses
   4. Application for increase in tuition
   5. Plan to offer K-12 curriculum
   6. Strategies to handle the transition years as effect of the implementation of the K-12 curriculum
   7. More students to enroll at the preschool
   8. Provision of faculty/chair sponsorship to help eliminate the deficit in the budget
   9. Development plan for the physical plant of the college
   10. Support of local churches and partner institutions on the theological perspectives of the College as a Higher Education Institution
   11. Provision of qualified General Education teachers starting SY 2019-2020 to teach the new GE courses
   12. Preparation of students for the licensure examinations
   13. Approval of CHED for the new concentrations, Institutional Accreditation framework
   14. Approval of Deped for applications to Basic Ed. Offering
   15. Readiness of the school physical plant.

Submitted by:   Nely A. Gamayon, Ph.D   Director

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Unfortunately I have not heard from others.

Pastor Benjie Ragas commenced ministry at Riverside Church, Calinan, Davao at the beginning of October. Unfortunately there were some difficulties at the beginning as most of the equipment at the church was the previous pastor’s personal property. Please pray that he will still be encouraged by the congregation and by our Heavenly Father.

Please pray for Pastors Reniel Comajeg and family, Billy Comahig and family and Jonathan and Flor Navacilla. All of them have had health difficulties recently and at the present.

Additional Photos from Pastor Roy Rocha

Thank you, once again, for your support. May the Lord bless, keep and use you as you continue to serve Him.

Grant Aldridge