Belonging and Becoming: Finding Home in God's Family

July 6, 2026

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

– Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

We can become passionate about life and pursue goals with great zeal. Peter was much the same—full of passion and eagerness, yet often slowed down by Jesus so that he could learn to trust God's plans more deeply. Through his willingness to learn, Peter not only grew as a disciple but also became instrumental in helping others find their place in God's kingdom. Along the way, he learned to trust not only God's plans but also in His timing—the same lesson that would become a defining part of Christian and Jasy Gonzales' journey.

Christian and Jasy are the current leaders of ICOC Quezon City South and are both working full-time in the church. But long before they stepped into leadership, their journey with God first began during their college years in the Campus Ministry.

Jasy came from a deeply religious family of a different faith. Her sister, however, was already a disciple and encouraged Jasy to study the Bible. Their mother strongly opposed the idea and eventually sent Jasy to Manila in the hopes of preventing her from pursuing it further. But as we know, it takes more than geography to hinder God from pursuing His people. While studying in college in Manila, Jasy was unexpectedly reached out by disciples in her university. Through those encounters and her own Bible studies, Jasy eventually decided to become a disciple herself.

Christian (fondly known as Chrisbro in the church), on the other hand, was reached out during one of the lowest points of his life. He was on the brink of being kicked out of university when a disciple invited him to attend a devotional. Chrisbro agreed, believing it would simply be another Christian gathering. Yet when he arrived, he was deeply moved by the warmth and genuine fellowship of the community. In that moment, he experienced a kind of comfort he had long been searching for.

While the warmth of the community drew him in, he had not yet grasped what it truly meant to be a disciple. The love and belonging he found among the disciples fueled his desire to follow Jesus, so much so that he was baptized in a large water drum inside a public restroom. Yet in time, God would reveal that discipleship had to be built on something deeper than the encouragement of others.

When Christian felt that the encouragement and attention he once received from other disciples had begun to fade, he found himself questioning whether he still wanted to remain a disciple at all. But God used this struggle to reveal the deeper motivations of his heart. Christian learned that discipleship was never primarily about the people around him, but about his personal relationship with Jesus. Through this experience, his faith matured as he learned to anchor it not in others, but in Christ Himself.

Yet being a disciple did not exempt Christian from facing what he had been dreading. After he was kicked out of university, he began working at a BPO company and was later moved to the Singles Ministry. Even then, however, his heart remained in the Campus Ministry, and he longed for the opportunity to serve there once again.

Four years into working at the company, an unexpected opportunity came his way. His company offered him a scholarship to pursue a university degree. Soon after, he returned to serving in the Campus Ministry. Balancing both work and school, Christian poured himself wholeheartedly into the ministry, serving alongside Jasy, who would later become his wife.

At the time they were leading together, however, Christian and Jasy had already broken up. Christian was the first to develop feelings for Jasy and made several attempts to build a friendship with her. But Jasy did not immediately feel comfortable around him enough to reciprocate. In fact, her discipler eventually approached Christian and advised him to give her some space. He respected the request, but it did not change how he felt about her.

Instead of forcing a relationship, Christian focused on building genuine friendships with those around Jasy. Over time, their own connection grew, and they eventually started dating. Yet despite their affection for one another, something in the relationship didn’t seem right. They struggled to connect on a deeper level, a challenge made even more difficult by Christian’s demanding schedule as a working student and Jasy’s own responsibilities. Eventually, they decided to end the relationship, though they remained friends.

During this season in Christian’s life, he felt exhausted and burned out. Seeing the weight of his responsibilities, his discipler advised him to let go of at least one of these commitments. Christian considered his options carefully. He could not give up work, as it was tied to the scholarship that made his studies possible. He could not give up his education either, since it was what allowed him to serve in the Campus Ministry. The only remaining option was leadership, yet it was the very thing that gave him purpose and joy. Rather than stepping back, Christian chose to persevere, trusting God to sustain him through every responsibility He had entrusted to him.

Even in the midst of this demanding season, his zeal for serving God never diminished. When an opportunity arose to join a mission team while he was still studying, he was eager to go. Yet one of the church leaders advised him to wait until he had graduated before entering the mission field.

Much like Peter, whose passion often ran ahead of God’s plans, Christian’s zeal was continually shaped by patience. His desire to serve was genuine, but God was also teaching him that serving faithfully meant following His timing.

When Christian eventually graduated, he was recognized as the Most Outstanding Graduate during the Campus Achievement Awards Night (CAAN). Yet even after graduation, his passion for the ministry did not fade. He would often leave work early to attend devotionals and study the Bible with others. His heart had always been to glorify God through serving people and advancing His kingdom.

In time, God opened the door for Christian to serve in the full-time ministry, fulfilling a desire that had been in his heart for years. Unfortunately, even after stepping into the full-time ministry, Christian still wrestled with feelings of insecurity. He had long dreamed of dedicating his life fully to serving God, yet he often wondered whether he was truly capable of the calling placed before him. Similar to how Jesus continually encouraged Peter, God often used leaders around him to remind him of the purpose and calling He had entrusted to him.

God also surrounded Christian with people who continually encouraged him in his faith, one of whom was Jasy. As they continued serving alongside one another, the friendship they had rebuilt after their breakup continued to deepen. Over time, their relationship grew stronger, eventually leading them back to each other. In 2019, Christian and Jasy got married.

As a married couple, Christian and Jasy continued serving God together, especially during the challenges of the pandemic. They helped manage community pantry initiatives and arranged oxygen tanks for those in need, finding ways to serve both the church and their wider community during a difficult season.

Even before the pandemic, ICOC Quezon City had been experiencing significant growth, and the leadership had already begun discussing plans to divide the sector into two groups. The ministry was divided into Quezon City North and Quezon City South, and Christian and Jasy were asked to lead Quezon City South—a responsibility they wholeheartedly accepted.

The opportunity, however, came with its share of concerns. Many of the disciples they would be leading were more seasoned and mature in the faith than they were. Moreover, many members felt disconnected after the pandemic, and during the transition, Christian and Jasy also had to raise up new people to serve in the body.

Yet rather than focusing on what they lacked, Christian and Jasy chose to lead through their strengths. They invested deeply in relationships, taking the time to know, encourage, and walk alongside the disciples entrusted to their care. They served in whatever capacity they could, even stepping in as songleaders until they were able to encourage more people to serve.

Christian and Jasy had to learn to trust in God’s timing more deeply. That lesson continued even in recent years. When Jasy was a student at the Asia Pacific School of Missions (APSOM), she believed that God would one day allow her to serve in the full-time ministry according to His perfect timing, and she wrote exactly that in one of her responses. The very next day, the company she worked for closed. Soon afterward, she was called into the full-time ministry.

Over time, their efforts in ICOC Quezon City South began to bear fruit. The relationships they built helped cultivate a stronger sense of family within the church, and more disciples gradually stepped forward to take ownership of the ministry. For Christian and Jasy, leadership was never simply about raising up volunteers—it was about helping people find their place in God’s family.

Their vision for Quezon City South is to develop the next generation of leaders, ensuring that every disciple has a place to serve and grow. Much like Peter, who came to understand in Acts that God’s kingdom was bigger than he had imagined and helped welcome the Gentiles into the family of God, Christian and Jasy desire to create a church where people from all walks of life can belong, serve, and grow in their relationship with Him.

One way they have pursued this vision is by intentionally creating opportunities for young people to lead. Every month, the church holds a youth-led service, giving the next generation a chance to use their gifts and take ownership of the ministry. Christian and Jasy believe that young people should feel that they belong long before they take on formal leadership roles. By inviting them to serve, they create opportunities for teenagers to build friendships, grow in their faith, and experience what it means to be part of God’s family. Through these opportunities, many young people have grown closer to God, with some eventually deciding to study the Bible and pursue a relationship with Him.

At its heart, their vision is simple: to help ICOC Quezon City South grow into a church where every disciple has a role to play and people of all ages can belong and serve.

Like Peter, Christian and Jasy have learned that zeal alone is not enough. Through seasons of waiting, disappointment, and growth, God taught them to trust His timing and depend on Him more deeply. Similar to Peter, who eventually helped welcome the Gentiles into God’s family and showed them that they, too, had a place in His kingdom, Christian and Jasy have come to see that ministry is not simply about leading people—it is about helping them belong. Today, they continue to pursue that same vision, helping others find a place in God’s family just as they once did.