“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
No comments:
Post a Comment