April-May 2008

Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,

We are delighted to share with you the Lord’s work through ECPM:

“Team’s Vision and Goals Refined”
Last 23-25 March the 2nd training modules was hosted by Guiuan Christian Fellowship in Eastern Samar. The team presented their vision and goal for the work in Catbalogan City. We helped the team refined their vision and goal to become more vivid and understandable of what they wanted to happen on their target mission site in two-year period. The team’s vision: “A local assembly in Guinsorongan that influences the community by the transforming power of the Gospel.” Their goal for 2 years: “To have at least 24 baptized and maturing believers who are serving and worshipping God as a local assembly at the end of December 2009. The team expressed their excitement and asking for our prayers for God leads them to achieve such vision for the glory of his name.

FILM SHOWING: Still an Effective Way to Proclaim the GospelThe Linao team in Palawan intensified their evangelism activities in their target community amongst the indigenous tribal group. Aside from having more than 60 individuals who already signified their interest to the “christian faith,” they held another evangelistic effort through film showing which draw huge numbers of attendance far above their expectations. After the film showing, a mother with a two-year old daughter got my attention and approached her. She shared that her daughter was hospitalized 4 times within one-month period because of the reocurrence of a disease caused by poor source of potable water in their village. Pray that this basic need of these unprivileged folks will be provided soon. Pray for the efficient follow up for these contacts. Also the team is considering to conduct water baptism in the next couple of months for the early converts. Pray also for the partnering church that is actively helping the team in leading Home Bible studies.

“Cell group as starting point”
The Himamaylan team is planning to start a cell group for evangelism purposes soon. This is how they see to reach out the target community folks. The team is also considerering the possibility of organizing young people to attract this age group for the Gospel. Pray that this plan will yeild spiritual fruit.

Personal Matters. Thank you for your prayers.
My health is quite stable at this point.
My two months medication for my 2 kidney stones has satisfactory positive implications.

Continue to pray for my responsibilities at ECPM which oftentimes stressed me out. Our very lean staff caused me to travel frequently and to directly deal problems of 5 church planting sites.

Pray for the health of my family. My wife and I are enjoying the times with our growing children though sometimes we are running out of patience especially with our teenage daughter. Because (we suppose) she is on the transition period of her adolescence stage. And she couldn’t get along with her two brothers who are very much younger than her.

Other Area of Concerns for Prayers:

1. I invited someone from one of the assemblies here for a part time work at ECPM to augment
our need for pastoral care person and for regular facilitator in our training modules. Pray for
his sponsorship to fund for his salary on part time commitment.

2. We are praying to start by next month two colleges or universities to establish campus
ministry and to train campus ministry teams. We already received invitations from two
assemblies. Pray for the possible sponsorship of these two campus outreaches.

3. We are praying for the growth of our sponsorship source for the support of our administrative
operations including financial support for ECPM staff. We are also considering to buy a copying
machine which is necessary for the reproduction of our training materials. We are conducting
training modules almost on a monthly basis.

Your prayers and active partnership in the ministry of reaping the harvest encourage us much!


By His amazing grace,

Elvin T. Buenviaje
Exec. Director, Empowered Christian in Partnership & Ministries (ECPM)
Formerly Emmaus Church Planting Ministries, Philippines
http://www.ecpmph.blogspot.com/



PS. For more updated photos of the activities and ministries mentioned above, you can visit my personal blog site: http://www.elvinbuen.multiply.com/. I encourage you to make comments and/or write responses as you visit

Elvin's Prayer Letter - As the 2007 ends...and a fresh year comes...

“Praise God for great outcomes”

• Almost ninety (90) youth leaders from different local churches attended our first Youth Missions Congress last Nov.30 to Dec. 2. The Missions Congress tackled the issue that most churches are not fully engaged in mission and the youth are not efficiently mobilized as a potent workforce in missions. Concrete action steps were formulated by the participants and articulated their commitments to implement to their respective churches.

• The campus ministry team in Tarlac State University conducted their first Evangelistic campaign where 30 unbelieving students showed interests to the Gospel. Follow up activities are now being done by the team. Also, the partnering church was very involved on this outreach activity inside the university campus.

• There are 4 church planting teams at present which were under ECPM training and at the same time involved in actual pioneering work in 4 different sites. Because of this, we are very much challenged and encouraged that requires hard work and creativity in ministering with four unique communities.
  
  “Creative ways of establishing contacts for the Gospel”
  The Ibaan team capitalized their individual gifts and abilities to establish relationships with the community folks and eventually hoped to get involve in Bible studies. Rodel offered ‘guitar lesson’ for free which attracted 40 youth on weekly regular sessions. Allan Perez as a trained reflectiologist was able to reached the adults and elderly while his wife Cora shared her know how on herbal and alternative medicines. On the other hand, Cora Vicente started a pre-school classes to reach the parents through teaching their children with no charge. Pray that these creative approaches in serving the community will soon harvest souls for the Kingdom.
  
  “ECPM Board looks within”
  The ECPM Board made a decisive step to intensified its fund sourcing activities especially for the paid regular staff. The Board saw the unstable financial situation of ECPM in taking care of its full-time staff and the inability to grow its administrative capabilities which in effect will hamper the eminent growth of ECPM ministries. Pray that the Lord will touch more individuals and churches to serve as partnering sponsors in this particular aspect.
  
  Personal Matters Continue to uphold me in prayers for my health. During our Youth Missions Congress I was rushed to the hospital because of severe abdominal pain few minutes before my turn to speak at plenary session. The attending physician told my wife that I have a “stone” on my urinary tract down near the kidney which caused the unbearable pain. After the hospital done the first aid treatment to ease the pain, I went back to the conference and taught in to my workshop group and also speak in the plenary. Right now, I am taking my medication. Pray also for the provisions to continue the required medication.
  
  Other Area of Concerns for Prayers:
  
  1. The church planting project in coastal area of Catbalogan, Samar in partnership with GLO-Australia is scheduled to start on the first week of January 08. The potential team made the initial survey of the target community last 6-8 December 2007.
  2. The Campus ministry in the state college located at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan has schedule to conduct this time a campus-wide evangelistic gathering sometime this coming January after a series of small group evangelistic activities for the last two months.
  3. The Polillo team is now busy for their home bible studies involving around 70 people. They have also a weekly worship meeting at the mission house.
  4. We have been invited to partner with 3 local churches to start a campus ministry next year. This is a tough task for our mean staff to maintain 5 church planting teams next year, and at the same time oversee 2 campus ministry teams. To add 3 more teams, will require more time and energy from us.
  5. The YMC volunteered staff is considering another new project next year. There is also a plan to establish the YMC as an affiliate organization of ECPM to be less dependent from ECPM and become more flexible with its mission programs for the youth. I see this plan as a good attempt for growth and development of not only in the aspect of organization, but foremost for the Kingdom ministries.
  
  Your prayers and active partnership in the ministry encourage us much!
  
  
  By His grace,
  
  Elvin T. Buenviaje
  Exec. Director, Empowered Christian in Partnership & Ministries (ECPM)
  Formerly Emmaus Church Planting Ministries, Philippines
  
  PS. For more updated photos of the activities and ministries mentioned above, you can visit my personal blog site: www.elvinbuen.multiply.com. I encourage you to make comments and/or write responses as you visit

Saved in Bordeos

The sun was up that day Nilo(team leader), Homer(church planter), and Pastor Gerry (from the partnering church), decided to visit Bordeos in Polillo Quezon. Bordeos, just for a brief background, is a town of mountain ranges. The roads are steep and what makes it even more different is that the circular roads going up are slanting towards the cliff. This is more dangerous rather than the usual road where the roads should be slanting towards the mountain.
The tricycle was having a hard time going up those roads where, Homer was staying at the back of Pastor Gerry who was driving the tricycle. Nilo sat inside the cab of the tricycle and feeling the danger held on the handles almost ready to jump.
The tricycle took a dive since it cannot work against the slope of the roads towards the cliff. They fell almost 14 ft. below ground. The story could just end there. Of course tricycles have no seatbelts or airbags. Even so, falling on a cliff is not that easy. Probability is it could cost one’s life.

Amazingly, God held the team swiftly in His hands. They suffered minor bruises. Nilo, aware of the danger, was able to jump to safer ground during the fall. Homer’s nape had minor pains and Pastor Gerry’s legs felt strained. The motorcycle of the cab slanted out and shouldn’t be able to run but miraculously, it did. No one passes often that road so if ever the machine wouldn’t work, they are left with the choice to wait for long hours or walk, physically down yet with uplifting spirits because of how the Lord saved them. Good thing God as well protected the tricycle, as it was able to bring them back to the city.

These things don’t happen everyday. And there are real dangers. We are sharing this story because of how much we felt God’s protection and comfort. He alone is the safety net whom we could jump on or the stable rock we could depend on in times of troubles. Thank you for always praying for the church planting teams of ECPM. Your prayers were the backbones that supported each ministry & each church planting site or team. Please continue to pray for the team’s health specially Homer who is right now being treated for the presence of stones in his kidney. May you continue to remember them each time you call upon the Lord.

Continue to pray for the missionaries & mission work in the Philippines and all over the world. The modern time poses different dangers so let us continue to pray for each ministry done for the advancement of the gospel & for the glory of God.

Elvin's August Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,

Greeting in the Name of the Lord of the Harvest!

We want to joyfully share with you what the Lord is doing through ECPM:

“Praise God for His provisions”

** Sixty (60) pieces of mosquito nets were already purchased and ready for distribution to the community folks of Linao where there are many cases of children infected by malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
**The sponsorships for the campus ministry team ministering amongst the students of Palawan State University have been received and sponsors commit to support for a period of one year.
**Ella Santos, ECPM full-time youth ministry coordinator had received her support from committed sponsor.

“One new church planting team has just started”
An assembly in Lipa City, Batangas Province invited ECPM to work together in church planting in the town of Ibaan. The new team had their first training module on 7-10 August. The team is composed of the couple Allan Perez (61) and Cora Perez (54), Rodel dela Crus (27), and Guiller Vicente (42). The target community for church planting is called Panghayaan village with approximate population of 2000 where the common source of livelihood is backyard hog raising and small-scale planting coffee. Majority of the residents belong to Roman Catholic faith.

ECPM took a step of expansion
The ECPM Board envisioned to have Palawan their own oganizing body that will plan and eversee the work of ECPM in the province. This is an attempt to decentralize the various ministry of ECPM and make the local leaders oversee the existing ECPM ministries in their area, plan training ministry projects and identify priority mission opportunities. Last June, a committee was formally organized compose of respected and active leaders of various local churches in the province of Palawan.

Personal Matters. Due to my unstable health condition, I temporarily deferred my study program at Asian Theological Seminary (ATS). I have 3 more subjects left before I finish my MBA Program on Christian Management. Pray that I could regain my old and healthy form fitted again for seminary studies. Our only daughter will soon become teenager this coming September. Pray for my wife and myself in dealing with our daughter who is entering the adolescent stage, which is quite hard to manage with as parents (according to many especially for fathers, but I hope not in may case!).

Other Area of Concerns for Prayers:

1. We are being invited by GLO-Australia to visit their future church planting projects in Catbalogan City and some coastal towns in Samar province. We are considering working in partnership with them in church planting sometime next year. Our scheduled visit is on 21-24 August.
2. The Campus ministry team in the state college located at Puerto Prinsesa City, Palawan is on their way or reaching students with the Gospel. Pray for their series of gathering their non-believer contacts with evangelism in purpose this coming September and October.
3. Another campus ministry team had just started in Tarlac province. Help us pray that their required sponsorship will be answered soon.
4. We are planning and preparing to conduct the First Youth Missions Congress this coming Nov. 30 to Dec 2 with the purpose of encouraging the youth leaders of the church to include mission topics on their youth curriculum and encourage active participation of the youth in mission activities and ministries of their respective assemblies. Pray for the speakers and good crafting of the congress programme.
5. Pray for the existing church planting teams in Linao, Brookes Point Palawan and in Salipsip, Polillo Island who are holding their grounds to penetrate the target communities with the power of the Gospel.


Your prayers and active partnership in the ministry encourage us much!


By His grace,


Elvin T. Buenviaje
Exe. Director
Empowered Christian in Partnership & Ministries (ECPM)
Formerly Emmaus Church Planting Ministries
Philippines


PS. For more updated photos of the activities and ministries mentioned above, you can visit my personal blog site: http://www.elvinbuen.multiply.com/. I encourage you to make comments and/or write responses as you visit my personal blogsite.

Elvin's Prayer Letter

“Training Leaders in Reaping the Harvest”

Dear Ministry and Prayer Partners,

Greeting in the Name of the Lord of the Harvest!

Elvin, Bentat Cariz Team and WilsonWe want to joyfully share with you the work of the Lord in His harvest field:

“Partnership yields harvest of souls in rural community”
Bentat Caris ChapelIt was so amazing to witness the result of partnership of God’s people in the cause of the Gospel. This was my feeling during the graduation rite of the Bentat Cariz church planting team who minister among the tribal group in Rizal, Palawan last May 6, 2007. There were an average of 14 local churches worked together to establish new worshipping community in the village of Bentat Cariz for 2 years, not to mention the countless individual believers who prayed and contributed for such purpose within that period. Praise God for these people who partner with us! Pray for the continuing spiritual nourishment of more than 60 new believers that are meeting regularly. The couple of Jacob and Nini commit to continue serve in that new work. Pray for their source of sustenance which their local church has a meager means to support them according to their needs.

“What an enormous task to contextualize our ways to share the Gospel with these people”
This was the comment I hear from one of the members of the new church planting team formed to serve in Linao, Brookes Point, Palawan. The new team started the pioneering ministry on the 2nd week of February. The team is composed of the couple Ricardo Amoto (64) and Vivencia Amoto (65) and brothers Ronnie Jontilano (29) and Bernie Jontilano (21).

Linao can be reached by a jeepney or motorbike but most parts of the road are rough and muddy. The primary source of living of the people in Linao is gathering kopra (dried coconut flesh), making charcoal and planting rice. Market, school and hospitals are quite far from Linao. So, the team is used to walking far distances. Their water source is deep well and small brook. The majority of the people group living in the area belong to the tribe of “palawan.” Pray for the team’s plan to distribute mosquito nets to the residents of the community who frequently got infected with “malaria.” This is their way to meet this particular felt need of the people and serve as a bridge to express the love of God. The team needs fund to purchase at least 60 pieces of mosquito nets, and also to fund the rehabilitation of the community deep deep well which is the village’ potable water source.

Personal Matters. Thank you for your prayers that I was able to come back in the ministry of ECPM after I suffered a “stroke.” I also praise the Lord in providing for my costly medication needs, and thank God for my friends and fellow Christians who helped me on that crucial time of my life. Please continue to pray for my complete recovery.

I also thanked the Lord because for the first time, my wife and my youngest son joined me in my recent visit to Palawan. Aside from helping me in my ECPM duties, we have also found a good time for relaxation which they enjoyed a lot.

Other Concerns for Prayer:

1. Possible church planting ministry at Catbalogan, Samar (southern part of the country) in partnership with GLO by the 3rd quarter of this year.
2. Just started the training for Campus ministry team in the state college located at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Pray for the sponsorship of 6 students who composed the team.
3. Possible partnership with an assembly in Tarlac to start campus ministry in a college situated within the community of the inviting local church. There 4 prospective young people from that church who are also studying at the target school. Pray for the required sponsorship for the campus ministry training.
4. Sponsorship for ECPM regular staff --Ella Santos, who decided to serve at ECPM as our youth ministry coordinator in full-time capacity beginning this May.
5. Active participation of the new members of ECPM Board. In the recent annual Board meeting, the Board revisited the ECPM’s vision and goals. Pray for the realization of such goals and may God leads us to a more effective ministry direction.


Your prayers and active partnership in the ministry encourage us much!


By His grace,


Elvin T. Buenviaje
Emmaus Church Planting Ministries
Philippines


PS. For more photos of the activities and ministries mentioned above, you can visit my personal blog site: http://www.elvinbuen.multiply.com/