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One Body in Christ: Moving Together in Love and Purpose

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:13:22 GMT

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ .

– 1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV

The Scriptures give us many images of what it means to belong to Christ. We are bound by His blood and we are also one body—with Christ as our Head. When that becomes our reality, every moving part finds its purpose, moving in step with His will and for His glory . This is the story we continue to witness in ICOC North Caloocan, faithfully led by Joseph and Pearl Silapan.

Family has always been central to the lives of Joseph and Pearl . They stayed close to their relatives and maintained close relationships not only with their friends but also with their friends’ families. At their former church, they even worshiped alongside the parents of the very disciples who would later invite them to study the Bible.

Their love story began through their parents’ businesses. Pearl’s family ran a canteen, and Joseph’s parents supplied the meat. What started as frequent visits turned into admiration. Joseph pursued Pearl, their friendship grew into romance, and eventually into marriage. As they were building a family of their own, God was calling them into a greater one—His family.

By then, they were already devoted members of their former church. So when their friends invited them to attend ICOC Quezon City, they were hesitant. Still, because of their close relationship, they agreed to come at least once. They even made plans to roam around the mall afterward to make it seem like just another ordinary Sunday. But that Sunday turned out to be anything but ordinary. That same day, they began studying the Bible, unaware of how much their lives were about to change .

Joseph had always known that Jesus was crucified. It was a truth he grew up hearing. But as he studied the Bible, the Cross became more than a familiar story. Understanding how Jesus suffered and the weight of that sacrifice pierced his heart in a way it never had before—making Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross more real and intimate .

Pearl’s journey was just as personal. Through the Scriptures, her understanding of sin began to change. She realized that sin, whether big or small, grieves God deeply. She also came to see that good works and religious devotion were not enough to make her right before Him. In time, both Joseph and Pearl made the decision to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior .

Just months after being baptized, they were entrusted with leading a Bible Talk. Soon after, they were raised to serve as House Church Leaders and were eventually called to lead the Children’s Ministry. Moved by God’s grace, Joseph and Pearl were fruitful in reaching out, even to their own family members, especially in their earlier years of leadership.

Over the years, their responsibilities continued to grow, and in 2002, they stepped into full-time ministry . In one season of transition, the larger ministry was divided to reach more communities. They were entrusted with leading a group of forty disciples from what had once been three hundred. It was a season that required rebuilding, perseverance, and deep trust in God. Through it all, they simply continued to serve.

In 2008, they began overseeing the Seniors Ministry in the Metro Manila church, faithfully shepherding it through the years. In 2010, they were sent to Caloocan. Within two years, the ministry grew to more than one hundred disciples. The work eventually expanded into what is now North Caloocan, where they found a venue that would serve as a home for the growing church. Today, the church is organized into two zones: North East Caloocan and North West Caloocan.

Through every transition, their heart remained the same: simply to serve God and lead His people . Over the years, they have shepherded different families within the church, and they led North Caloocan with that same heart—seeing it as a family and as one body in Christ. They often drew from 1 Corinthians 12:26: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. ” In this way, the entirety of North Caloocan became known for its compassion toward both disciples and friends. In many cases, what began with one heart open to God soon embraced entire families, bringing them into His household together.

The church gathers regularly by zone, by ministry, and by Bible Talk to reach out to more friends. Yet when it comes to baptisms, the entire sector comes together in celebration . For every baptism, they prepare a robe for the one being baptized, along with banners, balloons, and a shared potluck meal. They rejoice as one body. And when someone is sick, disciples do not hesitate to visit and care for them .

When Joseph and Pearl faced personal challenges concerning their youngest son’s health, the entire ministry stood beside them in prayer. The church continued to move forward, allowing them the space to care for their son while the body stepped up in unity and faith. In many ways, North Caloocan reflects the kind of family the apostle Paul described—one body that moves together in suffering and in joy, marked by love for God and compassion for one another.

Joseph and Pearl continue to dream for the Kingdom. They long to raise up the next generation of leaders and plant another church, empowering more disciples to lead their own groups and advance the gospel in new communities.

From a story that began through family connections and a simple invitation they almost declined, Joseph and Pearl’s journey is a reminder of how God builds His church: through surrendered hearts and faithful obedience. Today, North Caloocan stands as a spiritual family that God Himself is building, where each member learns to move together under Christ as the Head . And just as Scripture reminds us, when one part rejoices, the whole body rejoices; when one part suffers, the whole body stands together. In Christ, this family moves forward—united in love, steadfast in faith, and committed to His glory.

With your support we can help ICOC Philippines to thrive further this 2026!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Grace in Action: How God Moved in the Philippines in 2025

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:47:15 GMT

Strangers are families we haven’t met yet.

For disciples of Christ, every stranger met and every friend made is a chance to share the truth of Jesus’ love and grace. And in a nation as diverse as the Philippines, that purpose takes on an even greater meaning .

Geographically, the Philippines is a vast archipelago—thousands of islands separated by seas and distance. Yet across these shores, the Word of God has continued to travel farther than physical boundaries could ever limit. The heart of the mission has always been clear, even beyond comfort: to share God’s love and grace so that it may reach more and more people. And so in 2025, ICOC Philippines embraced the call to REACH.

Called To Reach

As Paul reminds disciples in 2 Corinthians 4:15, God’s grace is meant to reach more and more people. ICOC Philippines, committed to sharing this grace, moved forward with the theme REACH .

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

— 2 Corinthians 4:15 NIV

Reach Within

Disciples remember the love granted to them in Jesus, a love that continues to move hearts.

Reach Out

Reaching out begins with remembering God’s outpouring grace, a grace meant to be shared beyond ourselves.

Reach Upward

As it spreads, it stirs thanksgiving in hearts and ultimately brings all glory to God.

REACH in Action: 2025 Highlights

Growth, Baptisms, and Restorations

Building on its 2030 vision to reach 20,000 disciples across the Philippines, God has worked miracles throughout 2025. This past year, the church saw 301 baptisms across the country and had the heartfelt restoration of 34 of brothers and sisters . God continued to work in the Philippines by planting two churches : ICOC Calamba in January and ICOC Butuan in August.

These milestones are a testament to how God continues to use these growing communities to help His light reach across the nation.

Congregationals: Reaching Further as One Church

REACH Beyond: Worship Camp 2025

On June 27–29, 2025, nearly 500 delegates from across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao gathered in Batangas for Reach Beyond Worship Camp 2025 at Club Balai Isabel in Talisay. The camp marked a long-awaited revival of nationwide worship training after years of pause during the pandemic.

The camp offered classes designed to equip disciples serving in In Hymn (music), Create (media), and D4G (dance) ministries, while strengthening unity and creativity across the worship family. Beyond these sessions, delegates also participated in a Praise & Worship Devotional, Fellowship Night, and Worship Service, making the three-day event a meaningful time of worship, learning, and connection.

More than a training event, the camp became an opportunity to learn from one another, reconnect as one worship family, and realign in the shared mission of leading God’s people in worship .

ICOC Philippines Metro Manila at 36: Reaching Further as SouthWest and NorthEast Geo Regions

In celebrating 36 years as one family in Christ, ICOC Metro Manila celebrated as two geo regions: SouthWest and NorthEast .

The SouthWest Geo Region celebrated with a heartwarming worship service that stirred hearts to REACH. Naths Zuñiga and Loren Lee delivered the keynote message, urging the church to move forward united in purpose and bold in faith.

Naths, focusing on unity, acknowledged that it’s not always easy, especially when conflict happens. Yet through the example of the early church in Acts 2, 6, 11, and 15, he reminded disciples that the church grew because it refused to give up. They stayed devoted, loved one another deeply, and chose perseverance over division.

Loren took the message even deeper, pointing to 2 Corinthians 4:15 and Paul’s example of sacrificial love—the kind of love that reaches far and wide. It is a love that gives to the church without expecting anything in return. Loren urged everyone to reach further through this kind of love, reminding the congregation that the mission is not finished and disciples are called to go farther, together.

The Northeast Geo Region gathered over 1,200 disciples at the Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, for a stirring 36th-anniversary service. Edwin and Madz Virtudez opened the celebration by calling the church to not only remember God’s faithfulness since 1989 but to look forward with renewed vision, passion, and faith as one spiritual family .

Focusing on the benchmark of true faith, Christian Gonzales reminded the congregation of the " pure and faultless " religion described in James 1:27. He emphasized that being one spiritual family means intentionally looking after one another—especially those in distress. This heart for unity and care serves as the foundation for the church to extend God’s love effectively to the community.

Rolan Monje delivered a powerful message on how God’s grace reaches beyond human limits. Drawing from the lives of disciples like Marelle Santos and Oliver Manalili, he illustrated that grace is not about our own skills or perfections, but about God’s power being made perfect in our weaknesses. Rolan urged the church to let "more thanks overflow," encouraging everyone to be excited in their gratitude and to humbly accept help from one another, as these acts of service ultimately result in greater glory for God.

From Reach to Thrive: The Vision of 2026

ICOC Philippines is looking toward the future, the focus for 2026 has shifted— from a season of "Reach" to a powerful new vision for 2026: THRIVE .

They will thrive like well-watered grass, like willows by streams of running water. One by one, people will say, ‘I am the Lord's.’ They will come to join the people of Israel. They each will mark the name of the Lord on their arms and call themselves one of God's people.”

- Isaiah 44:4-5

This year, the mission is to move from outward expansion and to transition focus into becoming deeply rooted in Christ, ensuring that every disciple and congregation flourishes from the inside out . Drawing inspiration from Isaiah 44:4–5, the church is committed to further cultivating a culture of spiritual growth, deeper-rooted faith, and a spirit of unbreakable unity. Like trees planted by streams of water, ICOC Philippines aims to be a community where believers grow thick with life and vigor, boldly declaring their devotion to the Lord while bearing fruit that lasts for generations to come .

With your support we can help ICOC Philippines to thrive further this 2026!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Strangers are families we haven’t met yet.

Bound by Precious Blood, Sustained by His Grace

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 13:43:44 GMT

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers , but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household. " - Ephesians 2:19

We are all born into this world through a physical family. We carry their names and their stories. But we do have another family, one that we’re not born into but we choose to belong to —a family bound not by our own blood, but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. This is the kind of family God was building in ICOC East Pasig, led by Jojo and Pechay Belgar.

Jojo was a working student who spent long hours balancing work and studies. One day, a disciple reached out to invite him to a Bible Talk. Though raised with a different religious background, he didn’t hesitate to come because even then, he felt unsettled by where he stood spiritually . He owned a Bible, but its pages were still stuck together, unopened .

And so, as Jojo studied the Bible, God began to reshape not only his beliefs, but his life . Learning about Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross pierced him deeply. This also became the very strength he drew from when obedience required letting go of a relationship he once held tightly. In that moment, Jojo stepped out of one life and into a new family.

Meanwhile, Pechay was a fourth-year Engineering student when her sister encouraged her to attend a Bible Talk. The invitation was initially meant for her sister, but since the disciple inviting them was a friend to both, Pechay went in her place. She began studying the Bible, where she was confronted with a humbling truth during the Sin and Cross Studies. She thought she was already “good enough,” yet grace revealed something greater: How could someone like Jesus die for my sins when I have nothing to give in return? Moved by this truth, Pechay accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savio r .

As Pechay continued in her spiritual walk, balancing the demands of being an engineering student became more difficult. Often causing her to struggle with attending meetings of the body. Her name would frequently come up in meetings because of her absences, gradually becoming familiar to Jojo.

It was at a devotional where Pechay and Jojo first met. Jojo approached her to fellowship with and encourage her, and something stirred in him . Sensing a desire to build a friendship, he asked her on an encouragement date. Pechay agreed, and through that simple step, their relationship grew. They became close, then best friends, and both ended up serving in the Campus Ministry. Eventually, they began dating, and their relationship would later lead to marriage .

Even after they were married, Jojo and Pechay continued to serve as leaders in the Kingdom. However, challenges within the church led them to step back from their leadership roles for a time. This season tested their hearts and, over time, led to growing complacency.

In 2003, Jojo and Pechay shifted their focus toward starting a business and providing for their newborn son at the time. They even went to another country to pursue it. However, the venture did not succeed. Barely a year later, they returned to the Philippines—unaware that God was preparing something greater, even if His plans were still unclear to them at the time.

When they came back, the church had gone through many leadership transitions. They also struggled to form deep relationships with other disciples. For a long season, they attended church with heavy and struggling hearts. Even so, they continued to give what they could—serving where they were asked, attending provincial churches—but stepping away from leadership. Little did they know that even this chapter of their lives would be used by God to prepare them for what was to come.

God’s preparation in their lives became clearer in 2016, when church leaders challenged them to hold services in the city of East Pasig once a month. At the time, there was no point-person overseeing the work. Jojo and Pechay were asked to step in temporarily as Bible Talk Leaders (BTLs). Along with other BTLs, they helped lead the spiritual family in East Pasig. Yet as the needs of the family continued to grow, it became clear that a leader had to step forward . The group reached a consensus, choosing Jojo and Pechay to step into leadership. Though hesitant, especially since they lived elsewhere, they accepted the role, trusting in their hearts that this was God’s will.

In 2017, barely a year in, the church faced a season of deep trials. Several families experienced loss, many members were hospitalized, and week after week, the family in East Pasig gathered not only for worship, but also in times of loss. It was truly a difficult time for the body.

In the midst of these trials, Jojo and Pechay responded with what they knew to do—to pray continually and trust God to sustain them. They showed love where they could and built relationships with the people around them. Over time, they began to notice changes within the church, especially as relationships grew deeper. The family in East Pasig became more closely knit, marked by care and presence.

In the year that followed, God’s work became increasingly evident, unfolding one after another in ways only He could orchestrate. Jojo and Pechay, along with the rest of the East Pasig family, had no grand strategy— only obedience rooted in God’s love. As they often reflected, “We were just doing what God asked us to do.” Over the years, God also planted in them a deep conviction to build a family-centered culture—one shaped by their experiences of visiting and serving provincial churches.

This conviction became part of their weekly life together. After worship services, they would gather to share meals as a family. Through their faithfulness, God allowed the church to grow to thirty-nine disciples. At their recently held anniversary service, hearts were filled as they witnessed the next generation of youth stepping forward to serve. Indeed, East Pasig continues to live out what it means to be a spiritual family.

And with the same faith that has carried them thus far, they continue to dream for ICOC East Pasig. They aspire to plant more churches in the coming year, to involve the youth more deeply in serving, and to one day have a church building of their own, drawing inspiration from the wider spiritual family in provincial churches.

What began as individual journeys of searching and surrender became a shared life marked by prayer, perseverance, and love. Through seasons of uncertainty, loss, and rebuilding, God formed not just a church, but a family bound by Christ, sustained by grace, and shaped through ordinary acts of faithfulness. As Jojo and Pechay continue to walk forward with the family in East Pasig, their story reminds us that the family God builds is not perfect, but it is purposeful—chosen, rooted in love, and always moving toward what He has prepared next .

With your support we can help Jojo, Pechay, and the rest of East Pasig Church evangelize their city!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

The Place That God Chose

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 06:34:14 GMT

"A man's heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps " -Proverbs 16:9

God has His way of putting us where He wants us to be —even when we ourselves pursue a different path. God can always lead us back to where He desires—especially with a heart that longs to follow Him. This is beautifully seen in the story of Elmer and April Nayre.

When Elmer was in college and studying in Manila, a disciple once invited him to attend a Bible Talk. Elmer was willing to go, but a classmate discouraged him, saying, “ Wag yan kasi iba yan (Don’t go there; they have different teachings). ” Trusting his classmate, Elmer decided not to attend. Eventually, Elmer moved to Cebu to be closer to his parents and worked part-time at a popular fast-food chain. There, he noticed a co-worker who would always pray during their team meetings. This co-worker turned out to be a disciple .

One day, that disciple invited another co-worker to study the Bible, but that person couldn’t make it because of a team outing. Coincidentally, both Elmer and the disciple stayed behind, and so the disciple took the opportunity to invite Elmer instead .

Elmer’s Bible studies went smoothly. However, he was still involved in activities within his former religious group. As he continued to study the Scriptures, God began to move in his heart . When he was asked to take part in one of these activities, he realized it no longer held the same meaning for him. That moment made him reflect deeply on everything he was learning from the Bible. He decided to leave his former group and continue studying the Bible wholeheartedly. As he came to understand the truth, he chose to make Jesus his Lord and Savior. It was also on the day of his baptism that he met the woman who would one day become his wife, April .

But before their paths crossed, God had already been working in April’s heart in remarkable ways. At that time, April had been a disciple for two years . Like Elmer, she had once been deeply involved in another religious group before her brother reached out to her. April and her family couldn’t help but notice the changes in her brother’s character after he became a disciple. During Cebu’s anniversary service, her brother invited their father, who then encouraged the whole family to come along.

When they arrived, April and her family were warmly welcomed by the disciples. She didn’t expect much that day, but right after the service, she was invited to have her first Bible study. The disciples asked for her schedule so they could continue studying with her. Though hesitant at first, their patient determination encouraged her to keep going.

Initially, April went to church mainly to please her brother—she didn’t want to let him down . But as she continued to study the Scriptures, God gently worked on her heart. There were moments when she wanted to stop, yet every time, the disciples’ answers—always grounded in God’s Word—helped her see things in a new light. Over time, her heart softened. And when she finally learned about the Cross and God’s forgiveness, she understood just how deep and personal His love truly is . And so, she too accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

When Elmer and April became disciples of Christ, their focus was fully on the Kingdom. Elmer didn’t even consider the idea of dating a sister—he felt completely fine remaining single. But his discipler encouraged him to go on dates with sisters, not to find a partner, but to get to know them and to guard his heart from seeking worldly relationships. Though hesitant—since dating wasn’t a concern for him—Elmer obeyed and began going on encouragement dates.

Meanwhile, April was considering other brothers in the Kingdom. Some sisters mentioned Elmer, but she didn’t see him that way, especially since their personalities were opposites. April was cheerful, outgoing, and loved talking to people, while Elmer was quiet and reserved. Elmer felt the same toward April, so for a time, they simply viewed each other as brother and sister in the Lord.

Yet God moves in ways far beyond what we can understand to prepare the path He has in mind . Soon, God began revealing things about the brothers April was considering, and she continued praying earnestly for Him to make His plans clear.

Elmer, on the other hand, found himself moved by April’s care and sincerity. One day, after Elmer got injured at work, April offered to dress his wound the next time they met at Sunday service. Elmer assumed she would forget—but to his surprise, she remembered and gently tended to his injury. Her genuine sincerity touched his heart. At the same time, April kept praying for clarity—asking God for signs if Elmer might be the one He had prepared for her. She asked for specific signs, and God faithfully provided them.

But even as feelings quietly grew between them, both Elmer and April remained careful, choosing to guard their hearts and keep their focus on God. April continued to pray for humility, wanting to surrender fully to whatever God’s will would be. Both she and Elmer stayed close to God, united in their desire to serve Him . In time, they both volunteered for the Missions Team that would be sent to Tacloban.

It was during this same season, however, that April faced one of the most painful moments of her life as she lost her mother. Through her grief, April remained faithful in her relationship with God and drew strength from Him. A few months later, God opened the door for Elmer and April’s relationship, and they began dating in the Kingdom .

Even then, their relationship did not come without challenges. April began to have hesitations about joining the missions team—caught between her desire to serve and her deep concern for her father, who she felt needed comfort and support after her mother’s passing. Elmer supported her wholeheartedly, no matter what she decided. But because April chose to remain in Cebu, they would have to end their relationship, as the church discouraged long-distance relationships at the time. Their dates during this season carried a deep mix of gratitude, love, and unspoken sorrow .

At this time, the church had already started the “ Matira Matibay Challenge” (The Strong Will Survive Challenge) for those aspiring to be part of the missions team. April, despite stepping back from the official list of missionaries, still completed these challenges on her own . She finished each one, driven not by obligation but by her genuine desire to honor God . She continued to pour out her heart in prayer, expressing her longing to serve Him fully through the missions team.

God, seeing her deep desire to glorify Him, made a way for her to join the missions team at the last minute—making her the final person to be added to the list of missionaries . As the team prepared to be sent out, both Elmer and April stepped into this new chapter with a mix of awe, gratitude, and quiet faith, trusting that God Himself had woven their paths together for His purpose, allowing them to be exactly where He wanted them to be.

In late 2001, Elmer and April, along with the missionary team, traveled to Tacloban to do God’s work. Adjusting to life in Tacloban required faith and flexibility—most residents were already home by 6 p.m., which meant the missionaries needed jobs that followed early office hours. This proved especially challenging, and for Elmer, it took nearly three years before he was able to secure employment. During this time, April did her best to support and encourage him. Despite the difficulties, they pressed on, keeping their hearts anchored in their purpose: to glorify God and share the good news in Tacloban.

In time, Elmer finally found a job through April’s help. By 2005, Elmer and April tied the knot, and some years later, they were blessed with their firstborn son. Elmer’s job eventually opened doors for them to start a business—something they had long hoped for, as it would allow them to dedicate more time to the mission.

Seeing their heart for Him and His Kingdom, God called Elmer and April to lead the Tacloban church in 2008—a role they accepted willingly . The transition was not difficult, as service had already become a natural part of their lives. Yet even then, they wondered if they were truly the right people to lead. The answer, they came to see, lay not in their own strength but in the perfect God who places us exactly where we need to be . And so, even as heavy relational challenges arose within the church, Elmer and April continued to trust God and faithfully do their part. They worked on strengthening relationships, fostering unity, and building up the disciples.

However, the greatest trial came in November 2013, when Super Typhoon Yolanda—one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded—struck Tacloban. Everyone in the city suffered. Church properties were destroyed. More than six thousand people were declared missing, though the true number was far greater than what reports could capture . Countless families were displaced, especially in the hardest-hit areas of Tacloban. For a time, it felt as though the entire city had lost all hope.

Yet even in the midst of such devastation, unity shone through. The disciples continued to gather every Sunday for worship, choosing not to give up meeting together despite the overwhelming loss around them . The entire ICOC family also rallied to support Tacloban, doing everything they could to help the city rise again. Truly, this spiritual family became God’s instrument of hope and healing during that season. In fact, it was in this moment of deep hardship that ICOC Tacloban felt most seen and uplifted through the help and compassion of everyone .

The devastating effects of Yolanda are still felt to this day , and Tacloban continues its long journey of recovery. Yet in the midst of this, the disciples felt an overwhelming outpouring of love—from God, from one another, and from the wider church family. This love moved them to live with deep gratitude and to give back generously to those in need .

From having just over forty members before the typhoon, ICOC Tacloban has since grown to around sixty disciples . They continue to meet faithfully as one body in Christ through their devotionals and services. Beyond these gatherings, t hey regularly reach out to their communities through various acts of service, including gift-giving and ongoing outreach programs. One particular community of children, supported by HOPE worldwide since Yolanda, remains close to the church’s heart, and the disciples continue to walk with them in their long-term recovery.

Elmer and April have also come to learn deep truths that continue to guide their hearts: that when times are good, rejoice; and when times are bad, consider God . They have seen time and again that God never abandons His people. With this, they have learned to let God be God, and to remain humble as His servants—trusting His timing, His wisdom, and His unfailing care.

With your support we can help Elmer, April, and the rest of Tacloban Church evangelize their city!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Faith Without Boundaries

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:43:25 GMT

When faith steps forward, God moves without boundaries

God’s work knows no boundaries, and He often invites us to witness His power in ways that draw us beyond the safety of our comfort zones. He has a way of showing us where He wants us to be, and when we choose to step forward in faith, He graciously guides us to the place He has prepared and allows us to take part in His work. Such is the journey of Verge and Nenita Ricafort, the current leaders of ICOC Siquijor—a story that reflects how God moves when His children step out in faith.

Verge was part of a Baptist church when he lived in Missouri, it was there that he became friends with a former disciple who was reached out during the Campus Ministry back in the Philippines. Later when Verge lost his job, what seemed like an unfortunate setback was actually an opened door—leading him to New York. The friend he had made at the Baptist church told him about the New York City Church of Christ. Curious, Verge asked his cousins who lived in New York if they knew about it, only to discover that four of them were already disciples .

Not long after settling in New York, Verge made the decision to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior, with a heart set on remaining faithful in serving both God and the church. He continued to do so, even after moving to Virginia following ten years of life in New York—unaware that God was preparing greater plans for him.

Years later, God’s plan began to unfold. In July 2012, Verge attended the very first World Discipleship Summit in San Antonio, Texas, with the theme “ On the Mountain of the Lord .” There, disciples were called to return to their home countries and help others come to know Christ. This challenge echoed in Verge’s thoughts and settled deeply in his heart .

It was through this conference that Verge heard God’s call to become a missionary. In response, he joined the mission team in Dumaguete, Philippines. At first, his plan was to serve for only a year before returning to the United States. But God spoke to him through the wisdom of a leader in Cebu who said: “ If you put a timeframe on your missionary journey, when things get tough, (you may think) let me just endure it, anyway, I’m just here for a year. ”

Those words lingered in his spirit, echoing until they reached the deepest part of his heart. He realized that placing limits on God’s call would keep him from giving his whole self—that he would end up staying only to finish a deadline, instead of staying for the Lord . And so, Verge chose to follow God’s call wholeheartedly, not just for a year, but for as long as God willed.

Verge then began his first missionary journey in Dumaguete, where God led him to help plant a church unique in its growth and spirit. The missionary team consisted of only five disciples—all singles without prior experience—with one of them even being a single mother. Still, Verge, together with the missionary team and a few disciples who had already settled in the province before the official church planting, chose to move forward in faith, answering God’s call despite their inexperience. Whatever they lacked, God supplied—making even more room for His power to be revealed .

Eventually, God blessed the work of His faithful servants, and the church in Dumaguete began to grow rapidly. Many who became disciples through the team’s efforts were “cold contacts”—people with no prior connection to the church, yet whose hearts were drawn to the hope they found in Christ. But with this blessing came new challenges: how could they care for the spiritual needs of a growing flock? One particular concern was how to guide the married disciples in their faith when all of them were single—learning, trusting, and figuring things out along the way.

Yet it was through this very need that Verge came to understand more deeply that while we may plant and water the seed, it is God alone who makes it grow. Seeing their faith and need, God provided help through disciples from other sectors, turning the work in Dumaguete into a beautiful collaboration—a family of believers united in caring for His flock.

Indeed, it became an exciting and humbling season. Verge arrived in Dumaguete thinking he was already a full cup, ready to pour out what he knew. But God used his stay in Dumaguete to prune and refine him, revealing that he still had much to learn. After almost two years, it became clear why God had moved his heart to stay longer than he had planned.

In 2014, Verge was invited by the church leader from Cebu—the same one who had earlier advised him not to set a time limit on his missionary journey—to attend a singles retreat that was meant for the disciples in Cebu. Since he was good friends with this leader, Verge was encouraged to join. Little did he know that it would be there where he would meet the love of his life, Nenita. Dumaguete was a 30-minute ferry ride and a four-hour bus trip away from Cebu, yet Verge didn’t let the distance discourage him. He pursued Nenita through encouragement dates, which also gave him the opportunity to know other disciples in Cebu and learn from their stories. In time, Verge and Nenita’s relationship grew—from steady dating to marriage in 2017.

That same year, 2014, the Siquijor District Jail Ministry—one of the first prison ministries in the Philippines—began through a simple act of love. A disciple from Dumaguete had a friend imprisoned on the island of Siquijor, and Verge went with him to visit and encourage this friend during a difficult time. While there, they asked if he could find others who might be interested in studying the Bible. When they returned, ten inmates joined the Bible Talk—and from there, the work began to grow.

Verge and other disciples from Dumaguete continued to visit regularly, holding Bible Talks and studying the Scriptures with the inmates . Over time, several of these men made the decision to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

While the Siquijor District Jail Ministry flourished inside the prison walls, disciples outside Siquijor began reaching out to their own families on the island. After every Bible Talk, Verge and the team from Dumaguete would also study the Bible with these families—and through this, the fellowship in Siquijor continued to grow.

In 2021, a year before the official planting of the Siquijor church, the leaders in Cebu reached out to Verge and Nenita, asking if they would be willing to move to the island. It was not an easy decision—they had already built their life in Dumaguete and were comfortable there. Yet, they recognized that this was God’s call to step out in faith once again. And so, in July 2022, Verge and Nenita moved to Siquijor. Just a few months later, in September, the Siquijor church was officially planted.

The journey, however, did not come without challenges. One of the greatest difficulties they faced was the distance, made even harder by the island’s laidback culture . As Siquijor is an island, many disciples live more than an hour away from each other, even without traffic. Some of the senior members often struggle to attend devotionals, as safety becomes a concern with unpaved roads and limited street lighting at night. Moreover, the island’s relaxed pace of life can sometimes make people passive in their relationships. Verge and Nenita also faced the challenge of caring for a diverse group of disciples, from students in the Campus Ministry to seniors and single mothers, all with different needs and circumstances.

Yet through it all, God’s grace continued to move powerfully in their midst. Today, ICOC Siquijor continues to grow, now home to more than thirty disciples. Though the work requires great effort, Verge and Nenita have been intentional in building relationships, setting an example of what a spiritual family united in Christ should look like. They also ensure that every lesson and gathering is centered on cultivating genuine connection and commitment.

God’s provision has also been evident in other ways. One disciple opened their unused home for the church to meet—a central location that can comfortably hold around forty people. This house has become more than just a meeting place; it has become a home of worship, fellowship, and growth, where disciples continue to be united by God’s love and purpose . Moreover, disciples regularly join motorpools just to attend meetings of the body—a reflection of their eagerness to be together in fellowship. After Sunday worship services, they often share meals and conversations, making the most of every moment to encourage one another and strengthen their bonds.

Looking ahead, Verge and Nenita dream of raising more leaders and establishing two house churches in Siquijor for easier devotionals and more intimate fellowship. They also envision a stronger Campus Ministry and, by next year, the construction of a church building where disciples and visitors alike can worship freely. Above all, their vision is to see ICOC Siquijor become a bright light—reaching more people and helping them come to understand God’s love and truth.

From Verge’s decision to follow Jesus in New York, to his years of serving in Dumaguete, and now to leading the church in Siquijor alongside Nenita, one truth remains clear: God’s plans are always higher than our own . What began as a heart willing to respond to God’s call has grown into a community of disciples transformed by His grace. Their journey stands as a powerful reminder of what God can do when we let Him lead.

When we surrender our timelines, our comfort, and our expectations, God moves in ways far beyond what we could ever imagine . He opens doors, unites hearts, and builds His church—one faithful step at a time. Through every season, He continues to prove that His work knows no boundaries and His power is made perfect in those who choose to trust Him completely.

With your support we can help Verge, Nenita, and the rest of Siquijor Church evangelize their city!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Journey Led by Grace

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:09:19 GMT

We may make our plans, but it's God who directs our steps .

Let’s be honest, we all have different ways we’ve envisioned our life to go . But at the end of the day, it’s God who directs our steps —even when we don’t know it. He is the gracious Author of tomorrow, shaping our stories into a beautiful masterpiece. Through His grace, we are able to overcome, and this is beautifully reflected in the story of Michael and CJ Arias, the current leaders of ICOC Pampanga.

Michael was a college student when he was first invited and attended Sunday Service in the church. Though he arrived late and missed most of the service, he still experienced the warmth of the fellowship. Growing up, Michael didn’t have many close friendships, which left him a longing for connection—something he finally found in the church. He studied the Bible for a week, but his decision to be baptized came more from pressure and a desire to please the disciples than from personal conviction . This led him to struggle with truly denying himself and kept his relationship with his then-girlfriend hidden.

For several months, Michael lived a double life, with no intention of ending it. In fact, he even planned to leave the church after seven months. God, however, had other plans. One Sunday, he heard a message about openness and sin that deeply moved him. His heart began to change, and he chose to be more vulnerable and honest with the disciples . Michael decided to break up with his girlfriend, and through the friendships he built in the Kingdom, he was able to rekindle his relationship with God.

As Michael became more involved in the Singles Ministry, he moved to another house church and met his wife, Candy Joy (CJ). From the first time he saw her, Michael knew he wanted to pursue a relationship with her. Some brothers, however, would tell him that CJ seemed to prefer men that were a complete opposite of him. Still, this didn’t discourage Michael from bringing his desire before God in prayer. With the support of his discipler, who would arrange him encouragement dates with CJ, Michael continued to pursue her. In time, Michael was encouraged by his discipler to finally ask CJ to be his girlfriend.

For a while, it seemed as though Michael was living the dream Christian life —glorifying God through leadership in the ministry while dating the woman he had prayed for. Yet their relationship was not without struggles. Over time, Michael began to lose focus on God and became more centered on CJ. As a result, both of them fell short of their personal convictions, which in turn affected their relationship with God.

God used their relationship to keep both of them from letting go. Michael knew how the church would deal with their situation and that he would be asked to give up his relationship with CJ. Wanting to hold on to her, he tried to persuade CJ to leave the church with him. She refused to leave, and when Michael saw her decision to stay, he chose to remain as well, even though his heart was already far from God.

Michael had to step down from leadership while he and CJ focused on rebuilding their relationship with God separately. During this season, Michael often felt the urge to leave the church. The serious weight of discipling while dealing with sin pressed heavily on him. Yet, the support of his friendships played a crucial role in helping him hold on to his relationship with God.

It took Michael a year to recover and renew his relationship with God. In time, he was restored to leadership and began going on encouragement dates with other sisters. Another year later, he and CJ found their way back to each other. Though their relationship still had its share of ups and downs, they remained committed to one another until the day they finally became engaged and, eventually, married in 2005.

Becoming husband and wife was a blessing from God, but their first few years of marriage deeply tested their faith and commitment . As a young couple, they faced financial challenges, and on top of that, they endured the heartbreaking loss of their first pregnancy. Two years later, they tried again. Only to experience another devastating loss when their little one lived for just seventeen hours after birth. This was truly a difficult time—not only for their marriage, but also for their personal walks with God. While Michael saw this as a punishment and a consequence of their past shortcomings in their convictions, God saw this as an opportunity to express His love. God graciously used their house church as a source of comfort and strength, helping them heal from their painful loss.

Despite the challenges in his personal life, Michael’s career was thriving—he even got promoted to supervisor! But soon after his promotion, the company he worked for filed for bankruptcy and eventually closed. Fortunately he found another job soon after, not realizing that this relocation would become part of God’s greater plan . In fact, at the time, Michael did not even take the church into account in making his decision; his focus was solely on the job and the benefits that came with it. Although his leaders expressed concern about how he and CJ would manage, especially given their ongoing difficulties, Michael had already made up his mind to move.

In 2009, Michael relocated to the province of Pampanga first, and CJ followed after she had resigned from her job in the city. Both of them were able to thrive in their careers in Pampanga. Little did they know, God would not only use the church to help them with their marriage but also use them to bring healing to the church in Pampanga .

During this time, ICOC Pampanga was still known as ICOC Angeles—a small church with just over twenty members. The intimacy of this setting became a blessing for Michael and CJ, as their leaders and fellow disciples were able to give them the attention and care they needed. With the support of the church family, countless counseling sessions, and many heart-to-heart conversations, Michael and CJ did their best to fight for their marriage. What Michael thought was simply a career move, God turned into an opportunity to heal their marriage and preserve their love . In Michael’s words:

“Our marriage was beyond saving pero God was so gracious and ang bait lang talaga ni God kasi madaming tumulong sa amin dito sa Pampanga

(Our marriage was beyond saving, but God was so gracious and kind, showing His goodness through the many disciples who helped us here in Pampanga ).”

Eventually, Michael and CJ were appointed as family group leaders in the married’s ministry. In 2016, the leaders of Pampanga moved to another city. Another disciple was chosen to serve as the point person, but after a year, they stepped down too. Come 2018, Michael was asked to take on the responsibility. He hesitated at first, wanting to focus on his career and simply support the leadership. However, CJ, with her missionary heart, encouraged him to accept. Inspired by his wife’s faith, Michael stepped into the role of point person for ICOC Pampanga. Though he accepted the role, it took him three years to fully embrace it .

Though ICOC Pampanga strengthened Michael and CJ’s marriage, their spiritual needs for growth have yet to be met . Many disciples from the Pampanga Church moved abroad, which led to them facing challenges with numbers and finances. Another challenge was finding disciples who could preach and speak of God’s word to the church—because for the longest time, they had a full-time leader who would handle all the preaching during services. But by God’s grace, the church was able to overcome these challenges bit by bit.

As Michael and CJ embraced the role of leadership, their relationship grew deeper with the local disciples. This helped them take a leap of faith and encouraged the disciples to serve more and put faith into action; coupled with God sending more disciples with the missionary mindset to ICOC Pampanga and being surrounded with supportive leaders who shared their own wisdom and guidance, the church was able to grow steadily over time .

Each month they were able to set concrete goals—like a goal number of people to share the Word with—and organized bi-monthly community outreaches; it was activities like these that gave the disciples direction and a sense of purpose. Even during the pandemic, when movement was restricted, God used ICOC Pampanga to bring ten people to Him. From just a little over thirty in 2016, ICOC Pampanga has now grown to a hundred members this year.

God is not done with His work in ICOC Pampanga. With their new venue inside a mall, the church looks forward to reaching more people and welcoming them into their services and gatherings. They also envision raising more workers by organizing the church into two sectors. By 2030, their prayer is to see the fellowship grow to over two hundred disciples—more lives transformed, more hearts drawn to God .

When Michael and CJ moved to Pampanga, their marriage and walk with God were far from well. They were still healing from a devastating loss, carrying with them a plan of their own. Yet through their journey, we are reminded of this truth: we may make our plans, but it is God who directs our steps .

Their story is living proof of God’s grace at work. What once seemed like unneeded detours and dead ends became stepping stones in His greater plan—not only for their lives, but also for those in ICOC Pampanga. As God continues to write their story, He is also writing the story of a church that has endured, grown, and thrived under His care . Truly, He is the gracious Author of tomorrow, shaping every trial and triumph into a masterpiece that brings Him glory.

With your support we can help Michael, CJ, and the rest of Pampanga Church evangelize their city!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Living in His Faithfulness: Pursuing a Work in Progress

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:17:42 GMT

Life is a journey of pursuits—and while we may take our time before pursuing life, God never delays in pursuing us.

Whether it’s through His faithfulness to us or His faithfulness shown through us, one thing remains true: His love and grace are constant, and His pursuit of us is never just a one-time thing . This truth is beautifully reflected in the story of Ariel and Amor Ladores, and in the journey of ICOC Davao.

God called Ariel into His Kingdom while he was in college, studying nursing and actively serving in another church. At the time, Ariel was deeply rooted in religious pride , but it was through the pursuit of spiritual knowledge that God captured his attention. Ariel had a girlfriend then , and one of his classmates invited her to church. Concerned about the church’s potential influence on her beliefs, Ariel confronted the disciples studying the Bible with her. In turn, they challenged him to study the Bible—an invitation Ariel accepted, not out of a desire to learn, but because he had something to prove.

Ariel studied the Bible on and off for a year. During that time, he was challenged to change and give up his relationship with his girlfriend, but he continued to live a double life. Still, God never faltered in pursuing him. He used disciples to hold Ariel accountable. Disciples, who were his neighbors, would regularly visit his home and even wait outside his classrooms to check up on him. Through their persistence, Ariel began to feel the church’s deep concern for him.

Earlier in life, Ariel had experienced abandonment from his family, which left him with insecurities when it came to relationships. But through the church, he felt genuinely pursued by God, and that encouraged him to begin pursuing God in return. Through his Bible studies, he knew he couldn’t follow God while living a double life. Eventually, Ariel made the decision to give up his relationship and fully accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Ariel had to take a break from college for a while to work and he transitioned from the Campus Ministry to the Singles Ministry. There, he led a Bible Talk and also served as an usher during Sunday Services. During one encouragement date, Ariel noticed another disciple who immediately caught his attention. Although he was on a date with another sister, he had the chance to interact with this particular disciple, Amor.

During the date, Ariel managed to get Amor’s contact number and was also able to go on an encouragement date with her. Before long, Ariel found himself looking for ways to catch a glimpse of Amor, even though she was serving in another ministry. Ariel, determined to pursue Amor, even sought help from their leaders. They went on several encouragement dates, one of which included a ride on a Ferris wheel, despite Ariel’s fear of heights.

After their third date, during their midweek devotional, Ariel finally asked Amor to be his girlfriend, and she said yes. However, Amor later admitted that she still needed time before she could fully reciprocate his love. So even when they were already dating, Ariel continued to pursue her.

Two months into dating, Ariel and Amor were sent to Davao as two of the 17 disciples who made up the first missionary team. Being able to serve as a missionary was a long-time dream of Ariel’s. Little did Ariel know that while he and Amor were pursuing God’s Kingdom, God was also using their missionary journey to shape their relationship. In Davao, Ariel and Amor grew closer, which later paved the way for their marriage.

When their leaders moved to another province, Ariel and Amor stepped up to lead the church in Davao. In 2005, they stepped down from leadership, and Ariel resumed his studies in nursing, later earning his license. Though Ariel and Amor had plans for their family, God was calling them beyond the Philippines . And so, in faithful pursuit of His will, they left Davao to plant a church in Chonburi, Thailand . After seven years there, they moved to Battambang, Cambodia, to help nurture the young church , while Ariel worked as the hospital director of Handa Medical Center.

In 2018, Ariel and Amor returned to the Philippines for their son’s college education. At the time, their stay was only supposed to be temporary, as they were also considering settling down to another country, just the two of them. Their main objective was to find a school for him before they moved abroad. When they couldn’t find one in Manila, they returned to Davao, where they eventually found a suitable school. When they returned, they were asked to help out in the ministry, and they agreed. Though Ariel and Amor hadn’t planned to stay long-term, their hearts were moved by the state of the church in Davao, the very church they deeply loved . At the time, the church in Davao was experiencing slow growth, possibly due in part to challenges in leadership. Many disciples were also in need of spiritual support, with several facing relational struggles as well.

Ariel and Amor stepped up to lead the church in Davao, though their plan to migrate to another country still lingered in the back of their minds . However, as they became more aware of ICOC Davao’s growing needs, they found it difficult to walk away. In their hearts, God’s calling was stronger . With encouragement from their brothers and sisters in the faith, Ariel and Amor finally decided to remain in Davao.

Indeed, God used Ariel and Amor’s leadership to further His Kingdom in Davao. They inspired the disciples to embrace a vision for the church and dedicated an entire year to teaching lessons on Treasure Principles, helping cultivate hearts of selflessness. They also met with church leaders to discuss vision and sacrifice, all in the pursuit of expanding God’s Kingdom for His glory. Under their leadership, the church is now developing a continuous curriculum designed to support various ministries, beginning with pre-teens as they transition into the teen ministry, then to campus, and beyond.

It was through God’s grace and His continued pursuit of Davao that Ariel and Amor were able to help plant three churches in the region over the last six years: ICOC Digos, ICOC Tagum, and ICOC Kidapawan. Today, the ICOC Davao Region has over 200 disciples, with a campus ministry that continues to grow. This growth became a great help in strengthening the faith of the local church— unity began to take root, reigniting their zeal to serve .

Though Ariel still sees ICOC Davao as a work in progress, he rejoices in witnessing God’s many blessings poured out on the church. Ariel and Amor are looking forward to what God will do for Davao. Filled with faith and love for Davao, they aim to raise up next-generation leaders and to strengthen their Campus Ministry for the next five to seven years. They are also planning to acquire land and establish a church building. Ariel and Amor are also excited to see the fruits of the c ontinuous curriculum that they are currently working on as a church.

The story of Ariel and Amor Ladores, and of ICOC Davao, is a testament to what God’s pursuit looks like. From one man’s calling to a growing church community, God has been faithful in pursuing His people—never stopping at conversion, but continuing through every season, every challenge, and every calling. And while much has already been done, their story is far from over. As Ariel and Amor continue to lead with vision and humility, and as the church in Davao continues to grow in faith and purpose, one thing remains clear: God’s pursuit of His people is unrelenting, and His plans for Davao are far from finished.

With your support we can help Ariel, Amor, and the rest of Davao Church evangelize their city!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

The Answer God Awaits: 'Here Am I, Send Me’

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 10:31:28 GMT

Life often makes it seem like we’re waiting on God, when in truth, He’s the one waiting on us.

The prophet Isaiah once heard God ask, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” While today’s Church is far from that of Isaiah’s time, God’s question still echoes in the heart of modern ministry. And much like Isaiah, there are those disciples who step forward with a “Here am I. Send me” response—just like Allan and Myra Desacula.

Allan and Myra Desacula are the current leaders of ICOC Bulacan. Both were reached out in the Singles Ministry. Myra’s journey began when her sister invited their mother to a Women’s Day service. However, when their mother felt unwell before the service, she asked Myra to attend in her place. At the service, Myra was warmly welcomed by disciples who encouraged her to study the Bible. That moment marked the beginning of her spiritual journey, eventually leading her to build deep convictions about her relationship with God.

After a few years of being a disciple, Myra met Allan through her best friend , who happened to be Allan’s cousin. Allan pursued a romantic relationship with Myra twice, but she remained firm in her convictions . Instead, Myra encouraged Allan to study the Bible.

At the time, Allan did not fully understand Myra’s reasons or the importance of studying the Bible, but he agreed to it anyway. Initially, his intention was to grow closer to Myra. However, that did not stop God from moving in his heart . As Allan continued studying the Bible, he began to deepen his understanding of God’s Word. Over time, Allan found himself no longer pursuing Myra, but God.

Eventually, Allan accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, becoming a fruit of the Nehemiah Project. This month-long, church-driven initiative aims to rebuild, strengthen, or expand evangelistic efforts. The project is inspired by the biblical figure Nehemiah, who led the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls in the Old Testament.

As a young disciple, Allan immediately devoted much of his time to serving in the Children’s Ministry. Despite his busy schedule, he often made time to create props for the children, even making them during encouragement dates. As Allan remained faithful in serving God, so did God remain faithful to him. Allan and Myra began dating in the Kingdom, which later led to a joyful and fruitful marriage. Little did they know, their marriage would also become an instrument used by God to help grow a church He dearly loves: ICOC Bulacan.

ICOC Bulacan, formerly known as the Bulacan Christian Church , was planted in 2006 with a total of nineteen disciples. Over time, God blessed the church, and it grew to nearly thirty members. However, the church experienced frequent shifts in leadership , creating instability. Eventually, when the seat of leadership was left vacant once again, Allan and two other core group leaders met to decide who would take on the role. Both leaders unanimously agreed to appoint Allan as the point person to represent Bulacan in every meeting. Driven by the Spirit, Allan wholeheartedly accepted the role and stepped up to serve the church. Through his response, Allan followed the example of the prophet Isaiah, only this time his words are:

“ May need yung Church, so someone has to step up… Mararamdaman mo yun if you’re part of a family, and if the head of the family is gone, sino yung magte-take charge? The Spirit compels you to do something about it.

( The church is in need, so someone has to step up… You’d feel it if you were part of a family—and if the head of the family is gone, who will take charge? The Spirit compels you to act ).”

Due to the constant changes in leadership, the church in Bulacan remained stagnant for almost four years. They also gave up their church building and became a mobile church , meeting in different locations every Sunday. Some services were even held in the homes of generous disciples. Without a fixed venue, it became increasingly difficult to invite people to attend. While the disciples remained committed to attending meetings of the body, with them carpooling to the venue, this season of stagnancy raised serious concerns.

In one meeting, Allan learned that the leaders of ICOC Philippines were considering dissolving the church in Bulacan. The church was given a challenge: call the disciples back to the fellowship or face dissolution. Allan relayed this to the core group leaders of ICOC Bulacan. Though this was difficult news, it served as a wake-up call that led to repentance. The disciples responded to the challenge much like the Prophet Isaiah did—willing to be used and ready to be sent.

Even while the church was stagnant, God never stopped calling them to action. And when they finally responded, God blessed them abundantly. He sent more mature disciples to strengthen the core group. Each leader was able to share their thoughts on every concern, and together they discussed and discerned the best decisions for the church. In time, they found an affordable venue that gave them a fixed location for worship. They made the most of the space by holding Bible studies immediately after Sunday services. They also deepened their spiritual relationships through constant prayer, regular follow-ups, and intentional time spent together.

As a result of these efforts, ICOC Bulacan flourished into the church it is today, now with over seventy members . ICOC Bulacan remains a united family in Christ that helps and builds each other up. The church continues to dream big for the Kingdom, with a vision to raise up the next generation of leaders. They actively encourage campus students to serve and take part in the ministry.

When Sherwin prayed for God to introduce Himself all those years ago, he simply longed to grow a deeper relationship with Him. He never imagined that prayer would become God's way not only of revealing Himself to Sherwin but also of using both Sherwin and Jackie to introduce Himself to many others. What began as a personal prayer became a powerful testimony —one that shows how God truly meets us where we are. Whether in seasons of seeking, struggle, or service, He calls us, equips us, and walks with us every step of the way. Sherwin and Jackie’s story is a living reminder that God does not wait for us to be ready or qualified. Instead, He qualifies the called, writing beautiful stories through imperfect lives surrendered to Him. In addition, they aim to establish a Bible talk in every municipality and town in the province. Alongside this, they remain focused on reaching out to and strengthening fellow disciples in the faith.

The story of Allan and Myra Desacula, and of ICOC Bulacan as a whole, is a testament to what God can do through hearts that are willing to respond. In seasons of uncertainty, God was never absent. He was simply waiting. And when His disciples finally said, "Here am I. Send me," He moved powerfully through them. Their journey reminds us that revival does not begin with perfect circumstances but with willing hearts. As ICOC Bulacan continues to grow, it stands as living proof that when we answer God’s call, He equips, He multiplies, and He transforms—not just individuals, but entire churches.

With your support we can help Allan, Myra, and the rest of Bulacan Church evangelize their city!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Called to be Qualified: When God Meets Us Where We Are

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:47:51 GMT

God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

God meets us where we are—whether we find ourselves lost or simply seeking, He knows how to find us. He not only calls us to where we need to be, but also walks with us throughout the journey. More often than not, God invites us to step into His calling even before we feel ready. This truth is beautifully exemplified in the story of Sherwin and Jackie Bautista, the current leaders of ICOC Marikina.

When Sherwin was a college student, he found himself praying, asking God to introduce Himself. To his surprise, that prayer was answered almost immediately when a stranger invited him to a Bible talk. He attended the gathering and began studying the Bible. Just a week later, Sherwin made the decision to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Unfortunately, Sherwin struggled to resist the temptations around him. After a year of being a disciple, he fell away from the fellowship. Yet even as his walk with Jesus got a few major bumps on the road, Jesus never stopped walking with him. After graduating from college, Sherwin returned to his former church and began working at an advertising company, where he met Jackie. Sherwin and Jackie started dating, and their relationship eventually led to their marriage. Little did they know, this was God’s way of not only calling Sherwin back to His kingdom but also leading Jackie toward Him.

Four years into their marriage, on an ordinary day, Jackie was strolling through a mall when a disciple approached her and invited her to church. The woman handed Jackie a calling card with her contact information and details about the church. Normally, Jackie would have tossed it aside, but for some reason, she decided to keep it. Later that day, she gave the card to Sherwin and shared her interaction with the disciple. Both were surprised but for different reasons. Sherwin was struck to see that the card came from a disciple of the church. For him, it felt like God was calling him back; much like a sheep separated from the flock, sought out by the shepherd. Jackie, on the other hand, was stunned to discover that her husband of four years had once been a Christian, something Sherwin had never shared with her.

Sherwin contacted the disciple and expressed his desire to join the fellowship again. Though Jackie went to one Sunday service, she was not as enthusiastic about attending church. Sherwin persistently encouraged her to join him in attending Sunday services and devotionals, but she remained resistant. Still, that didn’t stop the disciples from consistently reaching out and building relationships with both Sherwin and Jackie.

While pregnant with their second child, Jackie was diagnosed with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), an autoimmune disorder often linked to pregnancy complications and miscarriages. Because of this, she was placed on bed rest. During this time, Sherwin was also pursuing his restoration studies and regularly attending meetings of the body. Jackie felt uneasy being left alone in such a vulnerable state, but she could not help but notice significant changes in Sherwin’s behavior . His transformation began to soften her heart toward the church. After Jackie’s bed rest, she began to join Sherwin at church, and a year after studying the Bible, she made the decision to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

However, much of Sherwin and Jackie’s journey as disciples and a married couple did not come without its challenges. Sherwin struggled with addiction and experienced several relapses even years after his restoration. At one point, he felt completely hopeless, especially as his struggle began to negatively affect his marriage. As stress was his main trigger, Sherwin made the difficult decision of resigning from his job as a director at an advertising company to focus on his recovery–a decision fully supported by Jackie. By 2014, he also entered outpatient rehabilitation to address his struggles with addiction more intentionally.

In 2015, Sherwin and Jackie were invited to join the missions group for ICOC Marikina. The invitation came at a time when they were still working through personal challenges and had few connections within the group. Even so, they chose to serve faithfully as ushers. As they devoted themselves to serving in Marikina, God continued to bless their faith. Sherwin has remained sober ever since they took on the mission—a testimony to God's enduring faithfulness in their lives. Indeed, more often than not, serving God ends up blessing us far more than we could ever offer Him.

Eventually, Sherwin and Jackie were invited to lead ICOC Marikina. At the time, they had little leadership experience, and stepping into this role was never part of their plans. However, they chose to trust in God and in the people He had placed around them. They found guidance and encouragement through the role models who walked alongside them and equipped them for the task. As their faith deepened, they began to bear fruit within their own family and circle of friends. They were able to reach out to a close friend, both of their mothers, an aunt, a cousin, and two uncles.

Much like Sherwin and Jackie, ICOC Marikina also had humble beginnings. The sector started with a little over 40 members and has continued to grow, now reaching over 120. Early in their leadership, Sherwin and Jackie recognized the importance of nurturing the Youth & Family Ministry, especially since the sector is largely composed of family conversions. To strengthen relationships within the church, specifically the YFM, Sherwin and Jackie often organized casual get-togethers and activities for the sector. Together with ICOC Marikina’s Core Group, they also ensured that the lessons covered the basics of discipleship, with a strong emphasis on loving God and sharing the faith. To help raise up more next-generation leaders, they worked closely with parents and conducted training workshops focused on leadership and preaching.

Through these efforts, Sherwin and Jackie aim to help disciples deepen their love for God, others, and the mission, allowing them to grow in their spiritual maturity and be emotionally healthy. They also plan to do more community outreach and involve more of the younger generation. They also desire to grow a house church into a full-fledged sector.

With your support we can help Sherwin, Jackie, and the rest of Marikina Church evangelize their city!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Church on a Mission: A Transformative Journey of Faith

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 17:30:23 GMT

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18

Paul reminds us in his second letter to the Corinthians that we are continually being transformed into God’s image with ever-increasing glory. Though we may fall short of His glory, the God we worship is nothing short of perfect. We are all works in progress, sustained by His grace—beautifully exemplified by ICOC Legaspi , led by Ramir and Menchu Bodigon.

Ramir and Menchu had separate journeys in their Christian faith until God called them to further His kingdom. One day, Ramir was on his way to the mall when two disciples from church approached him and invited him to a Sunday service.

One day, Ramir was on his way to the mall when two disciples from church approached him and invited him to a Sunday service. Though he was friendly towards them, he was reluctant to attend. At the time, he was also serving as a choir member at his former church. But because of their persistence, he finally decided to come and attend the service. Ramir didn’t know what to expect that Sunday, but he was encouraged by the warm welcome he received fromthe disciples—they greeted him as if he were a celebrity! His heart was moved even more when he heard his favorite song, Amazing Grace, sung during the service. As though something clicked, this moment compelled him to study the Bible.

After a week of studying God’s Word, hearing about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross moved Ramir’s heart, compelling him to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. However, this decision was not without its challenges. Understanding the cost of following Christ, he also chose to end his relationship with his then-girlfriend.

Little did Ramir know that the path he chose would also lead him to the woman who would become his wife. Menchu was part of another Christian church when a friend from the Campus Ministry invited her to the kingdom. She attended church with her friend but had no desire to become a disciple. Since she already had her own church, she believed her soul was already saved. Despite this, the disciples’ commitment to reaching out to her did not falter—but, at the same time, Menchu’s heart remained hardened, and she avoided them.

One Sunday, she attended worship service, and after hearing the main message, she quickly left to avoid fellowship and headed to a mall. She knew the places where the disciples usually gathered, so she deliberately stayed clear of those places. But while Menchu was relentless in avoiding them, God was even more persistent . Despite her efforts, she still crossed paths with the disciples she’d been hiding from. They managed to set up a Bible study with her, and through consistent follow-ups at her home and workplace, she continued studying God’s Word. When she finally learned about her brokenness due to sin, her heart was moved and made the life-changing decision to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

Ramir and Menchu have been faithful disciples for more than thirty years. Their loving relationship with Christ fueled their zeal to lead ICOC Legaspi as non-full-time leaders for over two decades. It was always part of their conviction to serve the church in whatever way they could. Even when the couple initially went to Legaspi as missionaries, their hearts were set on the mission of loving God and others, ready to go anywhere at a moment’s notice.

Unfortunately, in 2003, the Church was going through a rough patch. The couple that originally led Legaspi were sent back to Manila, leaving a leadership gap. During this time, the church in Legaspi was struggling. Another couple led the church, while Ramir and Menchu assisted them in addressing the pressing concerns. Yet, due to the overwhelming weight of the issues, the couple eventually stepped down from leadership. As the challenges continued, more than half of the disciples in church walked away. Amid these trials, Ramir and Menchu remained steadfast, focusing only on God. As Ramir said:

“We know for ourselves na ang reason kung bakit kami narito ay si God (We know for ourselves that God is the reason why we are here).”

When the disciples gathered together to decide on the direction of the new leadership, they voted for Ramir and Menchu, who willingly accepted the call. With the same love and passion that once led them to serve as missionaries, they embraced leadership not as a title but as a calling–to love God and His people. Menchu beautifully captured this heart when she said:

“If you’re willing to die for God, you can do anything for Him.”

Ramir and Menchu took on the leadership of ICOC Legaspi while ensuring their strength was rooted in Scripture. They prayed and fasted for the church, placing their whole trust in God.

In 2007, Ramir and Menchu sent out missionaries to various parts of the Bicol region. By God’s grace, this led to the inauguration of three churches in the region: ICOC Camarines Sur in 2014, ICOC Camarines Norte in 2016, and ICOC Ticao in 2022.

Beyond this, ICOC Legaspi also continued to grow, reaching over a hundred members. Though there are still challenges that need to be addressed, Ramir and Menchu see the hearts of the people as loving, repenting, and eager to deepen their relationship with God. With this same passion, they aim to plant two more churches in the region by 2030 and hold a grand jubilee where disciples from every province in Bicol will gather to worship God!

The story of ICOC Legaspi, along with Ramir and Menchu’s journey, is a powerful testament to His power of transforming our lives and using ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. From their personal journeys of faith to leading a church through seasons of trials and growth, their unwavering trust in God has shaped the ICOC Legaspi community into what it is today. And as ICOC Legaspi, Ramir, and Menchu press forward in faith, may we also be inspired to do the same—to love God wholeheartedly, serve His people selflessly, and embrace the calling He has placed upon our own lives.

With your support we can help Ramir, Menchu, and the rest of Legaspi Church evangelize their province!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Faith and Prayer: Our Best Line of Defense

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 18:24:33 GMT

How do you start your battles?

Prayer is a powerful tool that can empower us against life’s challenges. Unfortunately, we often treat prayer and reliance on God as a last resort. For Bong and Beng Gulapa, current leaders of ICOC Camarines Sur, prayer has always been their first line of defense .

Bong began studying the Bible through the Campus Ministry. After just one week of studying the Bible, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior—understanding the cost of discipleship, he made the difficult decision to end his relationship with his then girlfriend.

Early in Bong’s walk as a disciple, his family’s business incurred losses, making it difficult for them to afford his education. His mother even suggested he stay in their province, Camarines Sur, seeing no reason for him to return to Manila. However, driven by his commitment to the Church and his desire to continue his studies, Bong traveled to Manila in faith, with nothing but a packed meal from his mother . Bong did not sleep a wink during that eight-hour bus ride but spent it in deep prayer. The next morning, God answered his prayers through a relative who provided not only assistance for his tuition fee but also a job and a place to stay. This experience became a catalyst for Bong’s journey to becoming the prayer warrior that he is today.

Throughout his journey, Bong remained steadfast in prayer. When Bong considered pursuing a relationship with a particular sister in Christ, he prayed to God for a sign: that if she were meant for him, she would ask him if he knew the song " Sometimes When We Touch ." Amazingly, the woman Bong had in mind eventually asked him this exact question. That woman is Beng, the one who later became his girlfriend and then his wife. Within a year of their marriage, God answered another one of Bong’s prayers: an opportunity to serve God in a challenging province. These experiences only continued to solidify Bong’s reliance on prayer .

Bong and Beng were sent as part of a second-wave missionary team to Zamboanga, a province in the Philippines. At the time, the province of Zamboanga faced significant security challenges —including frequent kidnappings and bombings—and to top it off, the local church was struggling financially. Despite this, God blessed their ministry, and Bong and Beng were instrumental in helping the community through a livelihood program—they encouraged the disciples to use their strengths for economic growth; like using their skills as air conditioning mechanics to their advantage and starting their own business. After serving in other provincial churches of the ICOC Philippine family of churches, Bong and Beng were called to serve in the church in Camarines Sur—- another answered prayer as Bong’s Kingdom Dreams included starting a church in his home province .

After a few years of serving the church in Camarines Sur, financial difficulties had Bong deciding to work abroad in Dubai. He attended the church there, and his heart to serve God anywhere still rang true, as he set out to serve in the Worship Ministry there. Unfortunately, the global financial crisis impacted Dubai, leading to his return to the Philippines. Bong attempted to work elsewhere in the country multiple times, but circumstances consistently led him back home. Finally, he secured a teaching position at a local university in Camarines Sur. Bong saw this as a testament to the power of prayer and God’s guidance, realizing that even when he pursued different paths, God was leading him back to his original dream . In 2013, the church in Camarines Sur had its Inauguration Service, and over 500 people were present, including Bong’s students and fellow faculty members.

Currently, ICOC Camarines Sur is a thriving ministry with 57 member s, each with the heart to serve the people, especially the poor . In 2016, during the controversial extra-judicial killings, Bong and Beng coordinated with local government officials to minister to people with drug addictions every week. This initiative helped many families—one even became more prayerful (which left his family pleasantly surprised and grateful for the change).

Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when four disciples faced critical cases of the virus, they secured funds for these disciples and others in need by selling vegetables in every neighborhood. By God’s grace, these disciples recovered healthily.

Last October 2024, the whole province of Bicol was plagued by the strong Typhoon Kristine. The floodwaters reached approximately seven feet deep, significantly impacting many families. Unfortunately, another typhoon threatened to land in the province. This time, Bong and Beng ensured they were well-prepared. They purchased groceries and evacuated Church members. Everyone spent the night praying for the whole province’s safety from the storm. The following day, the threatening storm passed through, barely making an impact—like a typical rainy day. In the midst of these calamities, the disciples’ generous spirits remain unfazed, continuing their service through a recent outreach to people with disabilities.

Drawing inspiration from Luke 22:27 , Bong and Beng encouraged disciples from ICOC Camarines Sur to have a Christlike heart when it came to serving. As Bong says:

“ Meron isang bulwagan, pagandahan ng kabisera and damit pero hindi mo makikita si Jesus doon, andoon Siya sa kusina naghihiwa ng sibuyas (There's a grand hall, a place for showing off headwear and clothing, but you won't find Jesus there. You’ll find Him in the kitchen, chopping onions ).”

Indeed, it is essential for us to constantly motivate people to keep dreaming for the Church by going back to the way Jesus lived a sacrificial life. And so, with this kind of heart, Bong and Beng aim to raise up new leaders for ICOC Camarines Sur. In the coming years, they aspire to take on a new role of coaching and mentoring a new generation of leaders that will help us grow in fruitfully in faith and prayer.

With your support we can help Bong, Beng, and the rest of Camarines Sur Church evangelize their province!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

God’s Work Goes Beyond Borders

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 07:43:33 GMT

The majestic seas, vast skies, and beautiful sceneries are all constant reminders that the God we worship is not limited by geographical limitations nor hindered by any powers. In other words, God’s miraculous ways transcend beyond physical borders —this is a truth that Idel and Jasmin Castañeda, the current leaders of ICOC Isabela, know very well.

Idel after working six years abroad to provide for his family back in the Philippines (also known as an Overseas Filipino Worker or OFW ), is no stranger to distance. But even someone like him still felt lost and isolated without God . Idel spent those six years—and admittedly even years before becoming one—looking for the truth ; he attended many different churches and studied a variety of church doctrines but still felt far from God .

Little did Idel know that God was also seeking him as well . When Idel was in Bahrain, he started longing for the presence of the Filipino community. While strolling at a bus station on a random day, Idel was able to find more than just a community, he finally found his spiritual family. When he first attended the Sunday Worship service with the disciples of Bahrain he was unable to deny the Spirit moving in him. Soon after, Idel started studying the Bible and got baptized .

When Idel became a disciple and came back to visit the Philippines, he constantly prayed for his wife, Jasmin, to make Jesus her Lord and Savior. However, Idel’s family lived in the province of Quirino, an eight-hour bus ride away from the Manila Church (which was the church they were attending at the time). Unfortunately, the geographical distance between Idel’s family and the church raised challenges that made it difficult for Idel’s wife to study the Bible consistently—but still God showed His power overcomes any distance.

God answered Idel’s prayers in an unexpected manner. Some challenges that came up with Jasmin’s business in Quirino led her to move to Manila with their children. From there, Jasmin studied the Bible consistently and she became a disciple.

In December of 2010, upon his return to the Philippines, Idel and Jasmin’s family faced financial difficulties, which inhibited them from traveling back and forth to Manila from their province. This meant they weren’t able to go to Church as often .

After some time, the physical distance between Idel’s family and the church negatively affected their spiritual well-being, leading them to grow distant from God . For a while, they joined another church to support Idel’s father-in-law. Despite this, Idel could feel the growing weight of being physically distant from God. Yet, he had no idea that, behind the scenes, God was already working to bring the church closer to him .

In 2013, a brother from Abu Dhabi who came back to the Philippines informed Idel of the plan to plant a church in Isabela. When he heard this, Idel kept in touch with the church leaders. For a year, Idel and his family attended meetings of the body being held in Isabela while simultaneously undergoing restoration studies. With God’s grace, Idel and Jasmin were officially restored during ICOC Isabela’s inauguration service .

ICOC Isabela continues to grow fruitfully since it was planted over nine years ago. In 2019, as they increased in numbers, the leaders recognized the need to split the church by geographical location, ICOC Isabela North and ICOC Isabela South, with Idel and Jasmin leading the latter. In 2020, the couple leading ICOC Isabela North had to focus on dealing with other matters regarding their family. The church leaders, in turn, asked Idel and Jasmin to take over leading ICOC Isabela as a whole during the pandemic, even coining the term ‘lockdown leadership.’

Leading ICOC Isabela was not without its challenges, especially during the pandemic. The church also had a hard time spreading God’s word to the community. Fortunately, through God’s blessings, ICOC Isabela was able to build new church buildings. Additionally, Idel and Jasmin, fueled by their faith in God, continued to build relationships with other disciples and raise up leaders, which paved the way for them to establish new ministries . They also encouraged every member to bring their neighbor and classmates to meetings of the body. It was this kind of zealous commitment to the spiritual family that inspired three of their children to become disciples! Currently, ICOC Isabela has 79 members!

Idel and Jasmin, driven by the desire to spread God’s love, dream of planting more churches in the province to bring the church closer to the people. They aspire to share God’s Word with as many souls as possible, knowing full well that what they are spreading is the truth. In Idel’s own words

“ Totoo yung when you know the truth, the truth will set you free ( It’s true that when you know the truth, the truth will set you free) .”

With your support we can help Idel, Jasmin, and the rest of Isabela Church evangelize their province!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Puzzle Pieces of Faith: A Tale of Finding God’s Purpose

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 18:11:09 GMT

What makes your world go round?

For some (as the common saying goes), it’s money— to others, it’s their dreams, passions, and even love! However, Jesus calls us to do something completely different to give us purpose—to seek His righteousness simply, and Jesus will take care of the rest . This is how the story goes, especially Joey and Liezl Sampang.

Joey is an engineer who used to work for his uncle’s business. When Joey became a disciple, he experienced persecution from his peers and, worst of all, his uncle. As an internal policy in his uncle’s firm, most staff were required to stay beyond five in the afternoon, but Joey couldn’t follow this policy because of Bible studies and other meetings of the body. Joey’s uncle even called him out because he felt that Joey was being insubordinate and was setting a bad example.

During this time, Joey felt he had to choose between serving two masters, his work or Jesus. And so, faced with such a choice, Joey chose his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, even if it meant he was without a source of income and new job prospects. Seeing Joey’s zealous and faithful heart, God blessed him with a new job at another organization where another disciple worked.

Joey’s new company put him as a project lead, which led him to move to the province of Zambales in Olongapo; there, he started serving the local church. Little did Joey know God was using this path to lead him to another calling: leadership.

As Joey finished the project and was set to return to the city, the church leader in Olongapo asked him to stay and serve as a leader. The church in Olongapo desperately needed more disciples to take on leadership roles. And so, Joey was once again faced with a choice between staying in his current job or pursuing God’s call to leadership.

While Joey felt anxious at the thought of his future in Olongapo, the state of his career, and how he would once more be without a source of income, Joey’s perseverance to heed God’s call remained stronger. Joey stayed in Olongapo and chose to serve through leadership. All the while Joey was choosing God in all His decisions, God never stopped choosing him . It is through his stay in Olongapo that he came across one of God’s greatest blessings: his wife, Liezl.

Liezl used to be employed at a prominent bank in the Philippines. She was the bank teller who would often handle the church‘s transactions long before she was reached out. Liezl started studying the Bible with her sisters. but her heart wasn’t in it. Whenever her sisters would take a pause studying, so would she. She continued to attend her former church for a while, faithfully living by its teachings and doctrines, but even then, she knew something was missing. As she said,

“Consistent naman ako with doctrines and giving tithes pero feeling ko kung mamatay ako bukas, hindi ako mapupunta sa heaven.” ( I felt like I was faithful in my beliefs and in giving to my former church. But I felt as though if I were to die tomorrow, I wouldn’t go to heaven.)

That’s why she would constantly pray for someone to teach her more about the Bible. Liezl came across the disciple who used to study the Bible with her—and they even invited her to their wedding! It was at that wedding that Liezl felt the intimacy of belonging to a spiritual family.

Because of that, she started studying the Bible again and consistently attended meetings of the body, where Joey finally had the opportunity to interact with her.

While Joey’s bank was the same one that Liezl worked at, they never talked much outside of the bank transactions. But when Joey saw Liezl attend their Bible Talk, there was a click . Right there and then, Joey knew who he wanted to marry. One problem? At the time, Liezl was engaged to her high school sweetheart.

Eventually, Liezl made Jesus her Lord and Savior. While her fiance continued studying the Bible, any guesses as to who was leading his Bible Studies? That's right, it was Joey. But his conviction to make disciples pushed through. Joey focused on God’s call and studied faithfully with Liezl’s-then-fiance until he became a disciple .

Unfortunately, Liezl’s fiance lost touch with his relationship with God and walked a different path. However, this allowed Joey and Liezl, albeit after some time and healing, to go on an encouragement date and—fast forward to now, marriage.

Throughout their marriage, Joey and Liezl remained faithful in serving God and His Kingdom. Just a month after getting married, they were appointed to lead the church in Olongapo. Joey and Liezl were blessed to see the church grow rapidly under their leadership.

At some point, Joey and Liezl faced difficulties in dealing with other disciples who were struggling, and that made them doubt their leadership. They discussed their doubts with other church leaders and considered resigning. These leaders told them to continue with leading but they encouraged them to experience training first. Hence, they were assigned to various churches in Metro Manila to be trained in leading.

Unfortunately, the church had to deal with specific issues, which caused the need to retrench some of the full-time staff. Joey and Liezl were among the first to be dismissed from their roles, which led to financial challenges.

They chose to return to Olongapo and had to stay with Liezl’s parents for a short period of time as they made adjustments to their current way of living. Joey also had a difficult time looking for a new job. Yet, even in the midst of such challenges, Joey and Liezl’s hearts in serving God did not waver . During these moments, they found themselves deeper in prayer,

“Hindi magiging dahilan ang finances para hindi kami maglead, Ikaw na tumulong sa’min.” ( Our financial situation will not prevent us from leading; God, please help us.)

Indeed, as God always does, He helped Joey and Liezl overcome the challenges – turning their trial into triumph . They were able to start their own business through the help of Joey’s sister. God also provided Joey with employment as an engineer at a firm that specifically hired him when they found out he was a Christian. Additionally, the short span of time that they lived with Liezl’s parents paved the way for Liezl’s family to see the profound impact of Jesus in Joey and Liezl’s lives. Consequently, Liezl’s mother, Gloria, was moved by their story, so much so that she made Jesus her Lord and Savior despite being bedridden from Liver Cancer.

In 2006, Joey was deeply concerned about the state of the church in Olongapo. Many disciples were inconsistent in attending church meetings, coming only when it suited them. Although hesitant to lead, Joey couldn't bear the thought of his children growing up in such an environment. He was also worried about what the future of the next generation would look like if the situation continued. Driven by his concern, Joey began to take on the role of leadership once more.

Joey and Liezl encouraged church members in Olongapo to attend their meetings consistently. They also asked disciples from the Marrieds Ministry to take on the 40-day prayer challenge. As they continued motivating the disciples to strengthen their relationship with God, Joey and Liezl constantly put an emphasis on the importance of prayer (which was a great help to the couple in the earlier stages of their marriage and struggles).

By God’s grace, Joey and Liezl’s initiative to help everyone with their relationship with God and the church bore fruit . God blessed their leadership to pave the way to formally establish two mission ministries, making the members of ICOC Olongapo grow to 141 members. Amazingly, Liezl also recently graduated from the Asia Pacific School of Missions.

Joey and Liezl’s amazing journey of faith and service encouraged them to dream bigger for the Kingdom, aiming to plant two churches and one region in the coming years. Truly, it is difficult to constantly put God’s will first above our own, but as was the story of Joey and Liezl, following God’s will is the last and only piece of the jigsaw puzzle we need to complete the big picture .

With your support we can help Joey, Liezl, and the rest of Olongapo Church evangelize their province!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

A Family of Faith: United by Christ’s Love

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 03:08:00 GMT

Family is one of the values deeply ingrained in us.

It’s something we seek and guard fiercely, willing to do our best for them. This is the same—perhaps even more so— for our spiritual families, united and connected through Jesus. When we become part of God’s family , our connection goes beyond friendships and niceties —we become brothers and sisters united in faith, love, and the grace of God! These connections from Christ’s love help us go from strangers with different backgrounds (sometimes opposing ones too!) to one body helping each other through thick and thin. It’s also this kind of love that compels us to serve this family, much like Valerio (Val) and Ruby Casilan’s story.

Val and Ruby were both reached out in the Campus ministry. Val, moved and intrigued by the heart of his younger brother (who was already a disciple), started attending church. Ruby, on the other hand, was invited by her eldest sister. Studying in Cebu at the time and away from her family who was in another faraway city, she found solace in a spiritual family. Both Val and Ruby were invited by their biological family, gained another family–a spiritual one– and experienced God’s love through them. Soon enough, they were also being used by God to encourage their brothers and sisters in the faith. Ruby started leading in the ministry at only two-weeks-old. Meanwhile, Val was always helping in whatever way he could, serving in his bible talk group and later on even becoming a missionary for the church.

Witnessing their hearts filled with zeal to serve, God blessed Ruby and Val with each other, becoming the first dating couple in the campus ministry of Cebu and later getting married; they remained committed to serving wherever God took them.

Later in Val and Ruby’s marriage, Val decided to serve his fellow Filipino citizens by joining the military, just like the other members of his biological family. He had to face some time away from the fellowship because of his training, but his heart and mind were always with God and his spiritual family , cherishing the rare moments he got to attend services and experience the encouragement of being part of God’s kingdom. Ruby, on the other hand, soldiered through the faith as well! She was raising their eldest daughter alone while pregnant with their second child.

She constantly worried over her husband who was away for military training and over her children—knowing full well that she alone is responsible for their welfare. Still, in spite of this, she continued to minister to other disciples. She would often travel to other places with her daughter to attend to the needs of the ministry. When there were times that she couldn’t bring her daughter, the disciples were more than happy to look after her. Amazingly, it was also through serving that she experienced the love of Christ’s family.

After years of serving in one of the sectors in Cebu, another challenge came their way; this time through a threat that posed danger in the health of their eldest daughter. Ruby and Val found it difficult to leave Tacloban, the ministry that they had grown to love and treat as a family—even when it was for their daughter’s treatment. Nonetheless, they committed themselves to upholding the promise they made to God all those many years ago, to serve Him wherever and whenever. Thus, they chose to see this as an opportunity to serve God, to be part of another ministry — a family they were yet to meet.

In 2010, the family moved to Davao, where they served in a variety of ministries, shifting from married to singles and then to the campus ministry. Remaining true to their word, Ruby and Val wholeheartedly served wherever they were needed —becoming part of other missionary teams like the one to Digos (another city in Davao). Ruby and Val served in all these ministries, all the while bringing their three children with them. Perhaps it was witnessing the zeal of Ruby and Val (as well as the disciples in their ministry!) that encouraged their eldest daughter, Coleen, to make Jesus her Lord and Savior.

Val and Ruby’s dedication to serve is truly inspiring, now, God has brought them on a new journey as the leaders of ICOC Kidapawan, the newly sent-off part of the ICOC Philippines Family of Churches. ICOC Kidapawan, as a church, holds a lot of promise in the growing family of God in the Philippines. Currently, they hold their meetings in an intimate setting, approximately nine kilometers away from the city. Most of the time, they even have their devotionals in the houses of disciples who willingly open their homes for them to meet together as one family in Christ.

Quite unlike other churches, Kidapawan’s services and devotionals are mostly for the elderly, teens, and children who invite their parents. These children often go on their own, enjoying the company of the warm and welcoming disciples. These consistent gatherings every week are an answered prayer of the disciples who have been desiring more meetings of the body for so long ever since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Now, Kidapawan is a thriving family filled with zeal to spread God’s love to others.

Like any journey, Val and Ruby faced struggles before accepting the role of leadership. As Val and Ruby’s children continued to grow, there were lifestyle changes that became inevitable. They couldn’t just up and leave to serve in different sectors as they did previously, as their kids started to get older, they needed stability and consistency—especially with their children’s education (at this time, their eldest is already attending college). Ruby and Val found it difficult to serve in the ministry while looking for a way to provide for their family’s needs. However, they soon came to the realization that it was never a choice between the two; it was always about choosing God and His family.

And so, with a faithful heart, Ruby and Val’s hearts shifted once again, basking in God’s love through serving Him and this spiritual family. Equipped with zeal, they continue to dream for Kidapawan , doing what they can to reach the people in the city and fill their souls with the best kind of love there is — the kind of love that compels us to be one family in Christ.

Val and Ruby's journey of faith strongly shows the profound impact that faith, family, and service can have in life. Their unwavering commitment to their spiritual family, their resilience in the face of challenges, and their dedication to sharing God's love with others serve as an inspiration. Through their story, we are reminded of the power of unity and the strength of Christ’s love that connects us as children of God's family!

With your support, you can help Val, Ruby and ICOC Kidapawan evangelize their province!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

Faithfulness over Perfection: The Transformative Power of Faith

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 14:29:10 GMT

The God we worship values our faithfulness more than our perfection.

We often expect (whether we admit it or not) our faith journey and relationship with God to be a straight upward climb —a stable path going on the up and up. Yet, in reality, it’s anything but easy and straightforward. It’s more similar to a complex path with lots of ups, downs, and many (many many many) detours along the way. Just as Paul reminds us in the second book of Corinthians, we are constantly being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory.

This transformation, however, needs immense faith —a faith that keeps you at peace even during the rockiest of waters. Like the story of Rodel and Carmen Zafra, the current leaders of ICOC Rizal, embodies God’s powerful transformative work through faith.

With more than two decades into their spiritual journey, Rodel was reached out in his campus days and Carmen in the singles ministry. Rodel, who was also a working student with a strict, hectic schedule at the time, still made Jesus His Lord and Savior after studying the Bible for only five days. While Carmen became a disciple after a few short weeks of studying His Word. In July 1998, Rodel and Carmen began dating in the Kingdom when Carmen was just nine months old as a disciple.

Rodel and Carmen were living the ideal Christian life — glorifying God through dating and leading the campus ministry together.

They were serving God wholeheartedly by leading so many people toward His love. Unfortunately, like many others, their journey of faith took a detour. After almost two years of dating and serving, living out their convictions became a challenge and in the end they had to take a break from both leading and from each other.

They had to resume their walk with God separately. Rodel moved to Manila and went through restoration for a few months. Through the strengthening of God’s Spirit, after some time, the leaders at the time asked Rodel to lead the Singles Ministry in Manila.

After a year of working on their personal relationships with God, Rodel, and Carmen went on an encouragement date. When asked if he still wanted to pursue Carmen, Rodel had to say no, for he no longer simply desired Carmen to be his girlfriend but his fiance. Thus, Rodel proposed to Carmen, and they tied the knot after a few months of being engaged. Not what you’d expect after a huge detour, huh?

Throughout their marriage, Rodel and Carmen were able to experience the unfathomable depth of God’s love and faithfulness , especially with the birth of their eldest, Yahzee, just after a year of marriage. Despite these blessings, however, Rodel became focused on his career, so much so that he again felt weak in the faith. His struggles were only amplified by other conflicts and issues within the spiritual family.

Despite Rodel's faith challenges, the people around him, particularly his family, remained steadfast and faithful . Carmen relentlessly prayed for Rodel every 4 AM, laying her hand on his head while he slept.

Rodel’s father invited him to join ICOC Rizal’s sending-off service. Even though struggling, Rodel obliged and attended the Inauguration Service of ICOC Rizal. While to many this seems like a turning point for Rodel’s faith, the passing of his father immediately a day after ICOC Rizal’s Inauguration Service tested his faith even more.

The challenges Rodel faced in his relationship with God continued while he tried to venture into various businesses. They even went as far as planning to migrate to another country. Yet, God’s call to Rodel was too loud to ignore. After witnessing a division within the leadership of ICOC Rizal in 2008, Rodel had an epiphany in his spiritual walk. His current lifestyle of seeking the world’s standard of stability and wealth only brought him struggle after struggle—he knew that he had to go back and rekindle the fire of his faith. This compelled him to finally serve in leadership for God’s kingdom once again.

Much like Rodel and Carmen’s story, ICOC Rizal’s journey as a spiritual family was not smooth sailing . Many disciples experienced hurt from the previous leaderships, and the conflicts within the church further escalated—to the point that the leaders of ICOC Philippines had a meeting and almost opted to dissolve the Church . Rodel , however, willingly volunteered to be the point person for those that chose to stay in ICOC Rizal.

Surprisingly, during their first Sunday Service after the meeting, many disciples decided to stay at ICOC Rizal. This motivated Rodel and Carmen, who then became official leaders of the ICOC Rizal. Nonetheless, as much of a big encouragement for them, this posed additional challenges, particularly regarding finances. Their initial budget was barely enough to cover the facility's rent and other expenses necessary to sustain the church. Even though the challenges were great, their faith in God remained greater. Rodel and Carmen gathered the newly established Bible Talk leaders and enlisted their help.

They prayed fervently for the church, and everyone decided to give more out of their own pockets. Amazingly, God blessed their prayers, and they were able to grow their initial budget by twenty times more in just a year.

Although, just as things were looking up for ICOC Rizal, Rodel and Carmen encountered another personal struggle , this time with their own personal finances. They barely had enough money to pay their son’s tuition fees, much less a monthly living budget. Still, Rodel and Carmen treated this moment as another way to deepen their faith –and so they trusted God. Within six months, not only did they become financially stable, but the strength of their relationship with God flourished as well.

With the problems of church finances made more manageable, Rodel and Carmen were able to focus on the bigger and deeper problem of ICOC Rizal—relationships in the church. With the previous hurts and relational challenges, the Zafras knew that it was important to bring it all back to the center, to God. In every meeting of the body, Rodel made it a point to emphasize the love of Jesus in the lives of every disciple.

He had hoped that this would spur and nudge each disciple towards unity through the undeserving love of Jesus—-and God did not disappoint. Through this, God inspired a heart to serve a lot of the members of ICOC Rizal (whether it was in worship, ushering, or what have you!). This allowed each one to bond and grow closer, deepening their relationships with one another. Truly an answered prayer for both Rodel and Carmen!

From there, ICOC Rizal grew from a family of sixty to more than a hundred forty disciples in just a few years. This growth has inspired Rodel and Carmen to dream bigger in faith; they aim to establish three mission ministries in the neighboring cities in the next three years and bring ICOC Rizal to a whopping 500 members in five years!

The Zafras’ spiritual journey, much like ICOC Rizal’s, has been filled with one twist and turn after another, detours upon detours, and plot twist after plot twist—but it was through these circumstances that their faith grew stronger and deeper. It was through that faith that God shaped ICOC Rizal into what it is today, a testament of God’s power turning weaknesses into victories!

With your support, you can help Rodel, Carmen and ICOC Rizal evangelize their province!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Beyond Boundaries: God’s Vision for Tomorrow

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 06:17:06 GMT

We’re used to living day by day, but there are those who dare to dream of the future .

However, through God’s power and grace, we can dream of a brighter and bigger tomorrow beyond every boundary—just like Mon and Jo have and continue to do!

The three-decade (and counting!) spiritual journey of the current leaders of ICOC Dagupan, Mon and Jo Calibuso , can be summed up in two words: a wandering lifestyle. This embodies their commitment—a life devoted to serving wherever and whenever God needed them . This started out in 1996 when they were leading ICOC Baguio, a city church in the area of North Luzon (the northern part of one of the Philippines’ three major island groups) while working in the corporate world—Mon worked as a bank employee while Jo worked in sales and marketing.

In 1997, their leadership shifted into a full-time calling in the ministry. Mon and Jo felt compelled to dedicate themselves fully to ministry , leaving the security of their corporate jobs to serve God. This new path, however, was not without its challenges. Their ministry work demanded relocations, leading them to live in three different areas in the Philippines within the span of four years.

During the year 2000, after serving as full-time church interns, Mon and Jo were assigned to a new city church in North Luzon, ICOC Laoag. Moving to Laoag allowed them to settle down for quite a while, with Mon even taking a break from full-time ministry work. Mon became a teacher while still serving in leadership. Jo, on the other hand, remained working for the church.

Their stay in Laoag proved to be especially fruitful. Not only were they able to establish strong roots in the community, but it also brought them the joy of starting a family with the birth of their son, Kobi. In 2010, Mon was called back into full-time ministry, a position he willingly accepted. Mon and Jo led ICOC Laoag for 16 years, over a decade and a half of building relationships, fostering friendships, and serving God made the community a place they dearly loved.

In 2016, however, they received another call to serve, this time in Dagupan , another church within the ICOC Philippine family of churches. This decision was met with greater hesitation than their previous move to Laoag. Laoag had become a cherished home for them. Although Mon and Jo remained committed to accepting God’s call to lead in Dagupan, their decision now had a greater impact — it also involved their son, Kobi. Born and raised in Laoag, this would be his first move, leaving behind a lifetime of memories and close friends. The decision weighed heavily on the family, but with great faith, in a month, the family decided to move to Dagupan and answer God’s call once again.

Mon and Jo’s leadership in Dagupan proved to be meaningful, albeit with some difficulties. Adjusting to a new environment, all while learning an unfamiliar dialect, proved to be challenging, especially for Mon’s preaching. Yet, their unwavering faith and commitment to God allowed God’s grace to shine through! Building relationships with disciples from Dagupan, despite the language barrier, came easier than expected, even Kobi formed friendships with ease.

God blessed Mon and Jo's dedication in 2018 with new roles appointment: Mon as an evangelist and Jo as a women's ministry leader. Jo even managed to complete her Asia Pacific Leadership Academy (APLA) Diploma. Now, their leadership extends beyond ICOC Dagupan, overseeing the entire North Luzon region in the Philippines.

ICOC Dagupan is a church family imitating the warmth of Jesus’s love , but no church is perfect. Mon and Jo, through God’s wisdom, saw that despite the church’s good relationship with one another, it lacked strong leadership and spiritual maturity. To address this, they sought to empower each individual to move in the ministry , blueprinting Paul’s reminder to the Romans that a body, though with many parts, still functions as one.

They focused on training not only the leaders but every disciple in terms of shepherding, teaching, and discipling. Dagupan’s weekly devotionals became a platform for honing these spiritual skills. Eventually, this training also extended towards North Luzon.

This became a catalyst, enabling each to help the other through hurdles and struggles. When distance became a barrier for some members, the church rallied together with a carpool system to ensure everyone could attend. Through great perseverance and commitment, disciples in Dagupan were able to learn the essence of strengthening relationships.

Mon and Jo have witnessed a significant increase in the spiritual maturity of disciples from Dagupan, especially in teaching and understanding the scriptures. These bore fruits of growth; from a mere seventy disciples, they were able to grow to more than a hundred!

These amazing changes and growths have inspired Mon and Jo to dream even bigger for the future of God’s church. They aim to evangelize the whole province, extending beyond the city limits . They envision ICOC Dagupan growing bigger to cover the entire province— “ICOC Pangasinan!” Mon and Jo said. They dream of establishing six different zones with strong leadership among the next generation. Truly, through Mon and Jo, God continues to work for the flourishing of ICOC Dagupan!

With your support, you can help Mon, Jo and ICOC Dagupan evangelize their province!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

From Dreams to Reality: God’s Transformative Power in Fulfilling Visions

Fri, 31 May 2024 11:10:46 GMT

A dream, as abstract and intangible as it may seem, can go a long way in helping God’s people flourish.

This truth is visible in the story of Marvin and Cecile Adel , the current leaders of ICOC Batangas . This church is a thriving part of the ICOC Philippines family of churches, which began with the vision of 15 missionaries who had sincere dreams for God . Witnessing their sacrificial hearts and zeal for service, Cecile was inspired by their example and decided to make Jesus her Lord and Savior 29 years ago.

Meanwhile, throughout college, Marvin was a high-ranking leader in a university-wide organization. During this time, one of his subordinates invited him to church . Initially, Marvin had no intention of accepting the invite and even persistently gave this subordinate a hard time by assigning taxing and demanding duties (yikes!). Despite Marvin’s attempts to discourage him , the disciple’s persistent invitations never wavered. Marvin's turning point came when he encountered the disciple's group holding a Bible talk in a park, which convinced him to attend church.

Indeed, God’s hand was evident in Marvin’s journey to accepting His call! Marvin’s life was blessed with numerous milestones: dating within the Kingdom, marriage, the birth of his son, and a successful business. However, all the while experiencing God’s blessings, Marvin had only one dream—to serve by leading God’s people. Though this dream took quite a while to materialize, Marvin remained steadfast in his service.

Contributing in every possible capacity–he served as a teaching coordinator and the chairman of the board of ICOC Batangas; he had uncontainable zeal to improve the Kingdom and was always brimming with ideas. Marvin generously offered guidance to those disciples seeking counsel. While his current roles allowed him to serve God, a burning desire to contribute more to the Kingdom filled his heart .

Marvin's dream of ministry wasn't his immediate reality, but his passion never flickered. He poured his energy into the business world, building a thriving career that took him across the globe, from speaking engagements to training sessions in places like Dubai. Yet, the call to ministry never fully faded . As the book of Ecclesiastes reminds us, 'There's a time for everything.'

After years of patient waiting, God finally opened the door Marvin had been longing for. However, this opportunity came when Marvin had much more to sacrifice , he was in the middle of living “the dream”. Their family was financially comfortable, he was at the peak of a successful career .

Although joyful at finally having the opportunity to lead, a knot of worry tightened in Marvin’s heart. The weight of leaving behind his thriving business and the comfortable life he built for his family settled on him. This left him with a bittersweet feeling about the decision he had yet to make.

It was as though he came across a forked path , two roads diverging before him. One stretched towards the life he lived now; the other path, the dream he’s always had in his heart– to serve in God’s Kingdom at full capacity and to make a difference.

This wasn’t an easy choice for Marvin, he had to think not just about himself, but also his family : what that would mean for their life, their business, his marriage. With that Cecile , his wife, told us this,

"From the beginning when he became a disciple, it has always been his passion and dream to serve in the Kingdom. I reminded him, 'Be aware that whatever you can do in business now, you won't be able to do once you start leading a church. If you want to travel anytime now, you won't be able to do that anymore. So let's pray about it, let's fast, and if this is really what you want, I will support you.'”

After days of solemn prayer and fasting , Marvin and Cecile agreed to heed God’s call to lead ICOC Batangas . Their journey, though joyful and meaningful , was not without its trials. They found a renewed sense of purpose in leading God’s church.

Yet, sacrificing their thriving business meant a significant financial change, forcing them to adjust their lifestyle. Even as they were only transitioning to leadership, they were already faced with hard decisions, and one of their toughest was dealing with so many inactive disciples, from a community of a hundred disciples, their numbers had dwindled to just a little over 70.

Despite these challenges, God remained faithful to His promises. Through fervent prayer and with the support of the leadership , Marvin and Cecile addressed the difficulties head-on, implementing concrete plans to revitalize ICOC Batangas. Among their key strategies was to reach out to counted-out disciples . They maintained communication with them and consistently invited them back to church. Their unwavering commitment to reach out to these disciples bore fruit – these couples rekindled their faith and were eventually restored to the church!

This started off as a domino effect on the church’s growth. Inspired by their experiences, the restored disciples reached out to their families, leading to new baptisms and a renewed sense of vitality within ICOC Batangas. Making church activities of ICOC Batangas-–in a very literal as well as spiritual sense–like a huge family reunion simultaneously.

ICOC Batangas grew to be a thriving ministry, from just above 70 members, God grew them to almost four times that at 187 disciples —more than double the number from eight years ago! God’s goodness did not stop there, they were blessed with a church building seven years earlier than they planned.

Fueled by God’s miracles, Marvin and Cecile’s dream for ICOC Batangas has grown bigger; aiming to plant five sectors, two churches, and one region by 2030.

With your support, you can help Marvin, Adel, and ICOC Batangas evangelize their province.

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.

Modern-Day Moses, Answering God’s Call

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:33:27 GMT

We're all walking on this road called life, albeit in our own directions. But when God calls us towards His direction, it's hard not to answer or to be affected by it.

Just like how God called upon Abraham , Solomon , Moses , and many others—He called Joey and Amy Santiago , and just like any road, there were bumps and hurdles along the way.

Bobby Santiago, Joey's persistent brother (our brother in Christ from ICOC Rizal), first reached out to them. Though they weren't disciples yet, they were known by most as having giving and serving hearts.

When they owned a canteen near the Central Colleges of the Philippines in Quezon City, Metro Manila, they would offer free food to the campus disciples. Many of these campus disciples were on tight budgets, so their acts of kindness were very appreciated. They even welcomed disciples to host Bible Talks and evangelism activities in their restaurant— all of this before they even studied the Bible!

It was because of these Bible Talks and disciples that God was able to move Joey and Amy's hearts. A few days after the first Bible talk, they started studying the Bible. After learning God's Word, Joey and Amy were baptized, affirming Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

But no story is perfect. Even Moses was hesitant and unsure about what God was calling him to do, and so were Joey and Amy when God called them in a new direction. They, too, had their share of doubts and fears, just like many of us do.

In 2023, they were asked to lead the newly instated San Juan Mission Ministry. They weren't exactly jumping with excitement. They didn't consider themselves fit to lead a ministry, preferring to take more supportive roles. However, in the end, as Moses still chose to submit to God's will and free the Israelites, the Santiagos found strength and confidence through God's power and pushed past their fears and uncertainties.

With hearts filled with God's zeal, they responded to God’s call and agreed to lead the San Juan Mission Ministry, doubling their numbers in less than a year. This is a testament to the transformative power of God’s calling and the potential for growth within each of us.

As disciples, we can easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our fast-paced surroundings, allowing our jobs and responsibilities to distract us from our calling. With this in mind, Joey Santiago leaves a word of encouragement:

"We can do much more even when busy with our livelihoods. Our purpose as disciples continues beyond there. At our age, give time to God. When leading a church, you are not merely leading an organization; these are souls you will lead. And if we can succeed in leading, remember that it’s not because of us but because of God.”

Minister's Corner

“He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV

Isaiah 40:29-31 emphasizes the reliance on God's strength in the context of mission sending. It assures that even in moments of weakness or exhaustion or even in old age, God grants power and renewal to those who trust in Him. He said they only need to “HOPE in HIM.”

This passage encourages all who work for the Lord to wait, trust, and look on none other than the Lord, knowing that their strength will be restored, enabling them to navigate challenges with endurance and faith. Ultimately, it paints a picture of God's sustaining presence, empowering those weak and strong—young and old alike—to rise above obstacles and confidently fulfill their calling.

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FAITH KEEPS EVERYTHING ALIVE

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 09:00:38 GMT

Keeping a church thriving and faithful through decades is never easy, but all thanks to God, it became bearable.

As its quintessence, ICOC Cagayan de Oro (ICOC CDO) —which will be celebrating their 29th year—have been an inspiration to many. With its members and leaders’ collective efforts in strengthening the fellowship and faith of each other, God is continuously glorified.

Twenty-nine years and growing

Ronald Mendres, ICOC CDO’s church leader and overseer of our Mindanao Churches shared that the CDO church will be turning 29 this year. As they gear towards celebration, they have also started evangelical missions through the different Bible Talks they have.

A couple of weeks ago, they kicked off mission services in different places in Mindanao, one of which is in Bukidnon.

“Actually, per Bible Talks yung mission service [namin]. So per Bible Talk, they will find their own place to go. Meron ding pupunta ng Bukidnon. So kung saan yung may disciples n area, they go there; dun sila magse-service, magba-Bible Talk sa bahay with their families and friends.” (Actually, our mission services are conducted per Bible Talk. So per Bibletalk, they will find their own place to go. There are also people who’ll go to Bukidnon. Wherever there’s a disciple present, they’ll go there —they’ll have their worship services and Bible Talks with their family and friends.), Ronald said.

Since the pandemic, their Bukidnon Ministry already has 4 disciples —one of them being restored into faith, who, then reached out his wife, and the other 2 studied the Bible online and became baptized.

Another good news from ICOC CDO is their new church building that is located downtown.

.“Hindi namin ma-imagine na maumpisahan at matatapos namin ‘yung ground floor—actually 2 storeys siya [pero] di pa siya tapos, but nagagamit na namin siya, yung ground floor. Ako, naamaze lang ako dahil sa sacrifice, sa dreams, sa faith ng mga disciples. Kasi galing lahat siya sa disciples’ effort eh.” (We couldn’t imagine that the building’s ground floor would be built—it is actually 2 storeys but it is not yet finished, however we are now able to use the 1st floor. I am personally amazed by the disciples’ sacrifice, dreams, and faith; because every bit of this [building] is from their efforts. ), Ronald shared.

It is through the people’s strong grip of faith in God that they were able to have this prayer answered: to have their own, permanent church building—the first ever to be built through their collective efforts and prayers.

Now, ICOC CDO has a physical church that they can call their own home, plus, it is accessible to most land transportations in Mindanao.

The Fruits of Faith

At this season, it’s about time for the next generation of disciples to step up . After twenty-nine years, finally, ICOC CDO held their first-ever Young Messenger’s Day (YMD) last February 26.

Given the name, the youth (teens and Envolve Ministry) led the whole worship service—from the songleading, ushering of people, to the segment preachings and testimony—each had a youth participating in.

“First [time] namin na nag-YM service kami. Nakaka-encourage lang dahil lahat ng mga YM nagkaroon ng part do’n sa line up, tapos do’n may nagsongleading may nag-ushering, tapos may nagtestimony at may nagresponse. Nakaka-encourage lang.” (This is the first time we had a YM service. It was just encouraging to see all of the youth become a part of the line up, songleading, ushering, and even the testimony and response sharing. It really is encouraging), Ronald Mendres recalled.

Through this event, the youth ministry was able to use their God-given skills and talents to serve the church, and was all the more inspired to give more of it. Moreover, together with the youth, the disciples from ICOC CDO are looking forward to the next youth-led services.

“Actually, most of them [youth] talaga shared na they were kinakabahan. Pero they were really happy na nagkaroon ng ganitong service. They were thankful na they were able to share ‘yung mga talents nila and gifts nila. At the same time, they are looking forward for the next YM service namin.” , Ronald shared.

Our brother Ronald Mendres also noted that this event provided an avenue for evangelism, given that the majority of the youth ministry are still yet to decide whether to study the Bible or is currently in the process. These services can also be a way of reaching out to their friends at school or at home.

Currently, there are about four (4) disciples in their Youth Ministry.

With the positive responses from the youth and other disciples, ICOC CDO’s Youth Ministry-led worship services are set to happen every last Sunday of each month.

Another fruit of their faith is Benedicto Oliquiano , or Ben, from CDO, who is the husband of Pilet , a disciple residing in Manila.

“Nagstart na siya mag-Word of God, then last week nag-Discipleship kami online. Then magsi-Sin [study] siya next week, actually tomorrow, I’ll be going there for face-to-face Sin study.” (He already started studying the Word of God, then the Discipleship study online. Then he will now start his Sin study tomorrow where I’ll be meeting him for a face-to-face study.), Ronald said.

#CDOFastFacts

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A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 06:49:26 GMT

ICOC PH awards 28 full-time ministry and admin staff

The ICOC Philippines Missionary Society and the Metro Manila Christian Church Board of Trustees (BOT) honored 28 disciples who have served the church full-time in the ministry and administration for five years and more through a fitting tribute held Sunday, January 22, 2023, at the Bayview Park Hotel.

Thinking that they were attending a scheduled meeting for church staff, the long-service awardees were caught by surprise as the supposed leaders gathering turned out to be a special night to celebrate them.

MMCC Board Chairman Dr. Roy Soriano, in his message during the ICOC Philippines Appreciation and Recognition Ceremony (ARC), acknowledged the love, dedication and commitment the staff has given to taking care of the church all these years, and noted that the commendation that was prepared for all of them that night was well deserved.

THE AWARDEES

28 years

Rolan D. Monje (Teacher/Evangelist)

Danilo R. Cabadsan (Evangelist)

Jenina Girlie F. Cabadsan (Women's Ministry Leader)

27 years

Ariel S. Lastrado (Evangelist)

25 years

Norberto O. Aquino III (Evangelist)

Rozele N. Maramara (Admin Director)

Ronald J. Mendres (Evangelist)

Rowena S. Monje (Women's Ministry Leader)

Rolando P. Pasoquen (Minister)

24 years

Ma. Jocelyn D. Calibuso (Women's Ministry Leader)

Joseph B. Silapan (Minister)

22 years

Susana P. Lastrado (Women's Ministry Leader)

21 years

Maria Theresa J. Bagasbas (Media)

Fe O. Ocan (Admin)

20 years

Maria Theresa O. Aquino (Women's Ministry Leader)

19 years

Joseph Robert T. Montealegre (Elder/Evangelist)

18 years

Carmencita Q. Mendres (Women's Ministry Leader)

17 years

Armel R. Villareal (Minister)

14 years

Benigno Raymund A. Calibuso (Evangelist)

11 years

Jennie B. Dominguiano (Admin)

Godofredo S. Palomo Jr. (Admin)

10 years

Jose B. Ty Jr. (Worship)

9 years

Marilyn L. Vertudez (Minister)

6 years

Ariel Ladores (Minister)

Peter Michael D. Corpuz (Minister)

Loren James D. Lee (Minister)

Edwin S. Vertudez (Minister)

Nathaniel M. Zuñiga (Minister)

What a surprise!

While they were used to planning ministry events and encouraging and serving people, the awardees felt overjoyed to be acknowledged and encouraged for their service to the Lord and his church.

Ronald said, "It's our heart and joy to serve God but to be recognized and given some surprise gifts was truly an amazing feeling and great encouragement for us even more."

Bobby, for his part, said, "I felt surprised. I didn’t expect it. It was encouraging and uplifting. Being in the full-time ministry for almost two decades, I have learned to give without expecting anything in return - yes, not even appreciation or a thank you. I’m fine with it because everything I do is first for God."

The 1st ICOC ARC, he said, made him feel valued and honored. "I am grateful to be given the privilege to serve God’s church full-time," the congregation's elder said.

Fe took to Facebook to express her gratitude, "What an awesome surprise for all the full-time staff (ministry and admin)! Thank you, ICOC PhilMS and MMCC Board, for the appreciation and encouragement night. So honored to be working in the Admin Office for 21 years. Thank you, thank you. Words are not enough to express my gratefulness for all of you who worked hard for this (surprise). Galing nyong magtago ng secret, wala talagang nakaalam about the big surprise (You were really great at keeping the secret, we didn't know about the big surprise)."

"The meeting was the most surprising, exciting, encouraging, motivating, awesome, joyful, reassuring, and filled-with-love type of gathering," Jo shared. " Thanks so much for all the efforts, love and wonderful idea that you came up with to honor and bless us. Thanks to Che, our Admin Director, Bong and Philms Board, Kuya Roy and MMCC/PH Board, Sue and Alegre Events Committee! You are all amazing!"

Loren, on the other hand, expected an intense meeting while on his way to the venue.

"Instead, I ended with a night full of joy. Saktong sakto yung dating ko, tinawag yung aking name (I came right on time as my name was called) and people were cheering me on. My heart is full with what happened. I know in my heart that I have many flaws and to be recognized still is heart-melting because of how underserving I feel of such great recognition," the Envolve minister said, adding: "Thank you for believing in us. All of us are encouraged. Ang saya pala maappreciate (It's great to be appreciated)."

Ariel Ladores said, "I’m thankful for the appreciation night. Indeed, it was a surprise for me and all the full-time staff."

The 1st ICOC ARC was a milestone for ICOC Philippines and is eyed to be replicated in the coming years.

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FROM ONE DREAM TO ANOTHER

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 15:26:19 GMT

TICAO & TAGUM PLANTING

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 18:14:10 GMT

A story that’s 28 years in the making.

ICOC Ticao started off as a ministry way back in May of 2019 in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The ministry was filled with disciples from the ICOC Albay and some who were studying the bible. Though they faced difficulty in the beginning, they continued to persevere, regularly meeting to have worship services together and even receiving training on how to manage the church. After numerous meetings, training, and encouragement, ICOC Ticao has officially become the 34th ICOC in the Philippines.

Tagum City is an hour away from the main city of Davao but for the past several months, the ICOC Davao have been continuously conducting bible talks and house services. God surely blessed their efforts and dedication because after 28 years, the mission team planting in Tagum City will officially be led by members from ICOC Davao, ICOC Digos, Tagum, and Kidapawan Bible talk whose members live in the city and from neighboring cities as well.

Truly God has blessed the Philippine churches despite the challenges it faced throughout the years. He works persistently in the lives of every disciple to share the good news and unendingly shows His faithfulness and grace.

Let us continue to pray for them in their journey and for the growth and planting of more churches!

You can help plant more churches like ICOC Tagum and ICOC Ticao!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God's mission.

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33 TO ETERNITY

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 14:34:02 GMT

GOD'S FAITHFULNESS TO METRO MANILA

After three years of not being together physically, October 23 became a special day for the whole ICOC Metro Manila as they celebrated their 33rd anniversary. It was a day full of fellowship, worship singing, praises and reminiscing of God’s faithfulness. The anniversary worship service was held in the PICC Plenary Hall, and as the disciples from all over the Philippines were gathering, hosts were interviewing disciples which showed a common denominator – everyone was excited to worship God all together.

After their heartfelt testimonies, the first point of sermunion was preached by Metro Manila’s elder, Bobby Montealegre. He specifically shared that the church needs to be built as a safe place for everyone, and this is achieved by being connected with God. He also gave practicals on how to build the church to be a safe place. First is to learn to listen, then learn to accept and validate people, and lastly is to respect people’s journey in life. Rolan Monje, one of Metro Manila’s teachers preached about reaching maturity in Christ. Manong Rolan pointed out that biblical unity is celebrating how different and how varied people are. He highlighted that there’s beautiful unity in diversity waiting to happen when we are one in Jesus.

After the sermunion of Bobby and Manong Rolan, Ariel Lastrado, evangelist of Metro Manila, reminded everyone in the room about speaking the truth in love and gentleness with one another. He preached about seeing God’s love through our love for one another. He also shared the inaugural of two churches this year – the Tagum and Ticao churches. Despite the pandemic, God’s gospel is really moving which is evident with how He has blessed ICOC Philippines with 34 churches planted within 33 years, and currently, there are still 77 bible talks happening all over the Philippines.

"The church needs to be a safe place for everyone. Biblical unity is celebrating how different and how varied people are."

The service was definitely full of good news sharing God’s faithfulness, but it didn’t just end there. We witnessed the APSOM (Asia Pacific School of Missions) graduates of 2022 march up the stage as D4G and In Hymn launched the newest single and music video of In Hymn titled ‘You Got Me’. The worship service ended with everyone singing and dancing while having fellowship with other disciples.

The whole day was jam-packed with programs that catered from the ENVOLVE ministry to the Single’s ministry. Right after the service, preparations for the Single’s Mixer and ENVOLVE's CAAN began.

BUNYI: CAMPUS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS NIGHT

CAAN, or Campus Achievement Awards Night, was a ceremony to honor the campus students, also known as the ENVOLVE ministry. The program began with a performance from D4G and was followed by an inspiring message from Engr. Atty. Bendrick Maralit, who taught us that life is all about taking failures as stepping stones towards your dreams and success. From academics, to sports, to theater and performing arts – each disciple that excelled in these areas were awarded with medals and certificates. Not only that, but graduates from the past years were recognized, as well as those who passed the professional licensure examinations.

SINGLE'S MIXER

The Single’s ministry definitely made the most of their variety show themed mixer entitled, ‘ Single’s Pinasaya, Party Yarn? ’ They were able to win prizes through different games such as Matira Matibay which is played with a bingo card that eliminates those with the drawn numbers, and Pera o Bayong that challenges the players with trivia questions. 10 players were able to win as a whole. The program ended with a fun dance party that everyone surely enjoyed and definitely tired themselves out from the fellowship as well.

October 23 was a day that became possible only through God. From the morning service up until the CAAN that concluded the days’ events, God was truly glorified. It was a day that everyone longed for and waited for for years – to be together and to be able to worship together in one room. Surely, the disciples were encouraged and strengthened to make the church a safe place, not to give up on their dreams, and to trust God in our circumstances. Through the testimonies, lessons, and fellowship, each and every disciple that were there had their hearts full of encouragement and fire to go and make disciples of all nations.

To God be all the glory!

You can help plant more churches like ICOC Tagum and ICOC Ticao!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God's mission.

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FOLLOWING THE MASTER’S PLAN

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 10:15:34 GMT

ICOC Nagcarlan was not part of the initial plan, but after seeing one, then two, and now thirty-five souls become disciples, there is no doubt planting a church in Nagcarlan was part of the Master's plan.

ALL YOU NEED IS A VISION

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 17:31:26 GMT

“ I embraced that God would give me the skill so that I can do what I need to do [and] what He expects me to do in the mission field”, says Vergel “Verge” Ricafort, the church leader of the newly planted Siquijor church of ICOC Philippines.

Verge Ricafort is a brother who was reached out in Missouri and then baptized in Staten Island, New York in June 1999. As a young Christian, he had never dreamt of being part of a mission team or being a church leader—all he wanted was to attend church and evangelize. At the time, he was also practicing Physical Therapy.

However, God had an entirely different plan for Verge. Little did he know that he was set to go back to his home country and serve.

Where it all started

October 2012 came when Verge flew to Europe and joined the Singles Missionary Journey, organized by the ICOC Northern Virginia Mission Team. After a few weeks, he went back to the Philippines, met with Rolan Monje, and then flew to Cebu in November 2012.

As a part of the Dumaguete mission team, Verge joined Danny and the other disciples in Cebu on a road trip to the Dumaguete inaugural service. Initially, his plan was to move to the province in January 2013, yet ended up moving a month earlier.

The journey was not easy for him. He was insecure about his faith because of the language barrier. He also worried about giving up his career in the States and finding work.

After the Dumaguete church planting, God did not just stop there. He planted a vision anew in Verge’s heart—along with the cousin of a sister from Dumaguete, Eleazar.

An unexpected blossom

Who would’ve thought that someone who has never dreamt of being on a mission team or being a church leader would become one someday?

The start of the Siquijor missions wasn’t an official one. It blossomed from the vision of Verge and Eleazar, with the primary goal of just reaching out to Eleazar’s friend in prison at the time.

Through faith and dedication, God allowed a domino effect to happen with the two brothers’ vision. After reaching out to the friend in prison, it then gave birth to having a bible talk with the inmates.

On the other side, Verge and Eleazar also shared the gospel with friends, neighbors, and in-laws in Siquijor. From then on, these same people also shared the gospel with their own households.

The first fruits in Siquijor were Roland and Daisy Aqui, who are now 8 years in the Kingdom, faithfully serving. They now have a teenager, Ashley Aqui, who is now a 1-year-old disciple and is about to attend senior high school. To date, there are now 16 faithful disciples in ICOC Siquijor.

From just two people with a shared vision, a church has been planted. Along with his wife Nitz, Verge is faithfully serving the Lord as the church leader of ICOC Siquijor.

“If it’s God’s plan, no man—no leader—can stop it”, Verge said. Indeed, if it is God’s will, then there’s a way. To God, your skills, your fear, or your initial plans don’t matter—He’ll use you, even in the most unexpected way.

The church already has two Bible Talks. The disciples in Siquijor envision the church doubling in number five years from now.

Siquijor #FastFacts

Siquijor , located in Central Visayas, is a coastal province, surrounded by wonderful beaches. The atmosphere is laid back. The time seems slow-paced. The province is small enough that you can tour the whole island in two hours by car. To reach Siquijor, you take 1 45minute to 1 ½ hour boat ride from Dumaguete.

Upon discovery, the Spaniards first called the province as “ Isla de Fuegos ” or Island of Fire. This is due to the appearance of firefly swarms across the island. When viewed from afar, the eerie red glow of the island will catch your eye.

Siquijodnon Delicacies

CAMBUGAHAY FALLS, SIQUIJOR

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FAITH WITHOUT LIMITS

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 07:25:52 GMT

Second chances in life are precious, and Lola Lourdes surely made the most of that chance by using it to pursue and have a relationship with God.

Lola Lourdes Tapon, at the age of 94, first decided to study the bible before the pandemic. At her age, she had a lot of challenges to face, both physically and spiritually.

From her fear of being unable to overcome how easily angered she becomes toward noisy children to her doubts and worries concerning her health. The limitations she built for herself made her inconsistent in studying the Bible. She eventually stopped.

But the challenges weren’t over yet. There were a lot of concerns as to where her baptism would take place due to her physical strength. It was also during the pandemic so there weren’t many options available.

The inflatable pool was not possible because she couldn’t stretch anymore and she would have difficulty in getting up. A water drum was also not an option. They were concerned she wouldn’t be able to get out of it easily. Unfortunately, the lake nearby was dirty and dried up. Their last option was a pool that can be rented. They knew the owner. But it was fully booked. Since there weren't any more options, they decided to wait until the pool was available, which meant it might take a few months.

But God made a way and through everyone’s prayers, the pool suddenly became available. A client backed out. The timing was perfect. It was a week after she was scheduled to finish her Bible studies. Though everything was already set and her baptism was on the way, she still had one more thing to conquer, which was her fear of big bodies of water.

Lola Lourdes did not let her limitations hinder her from having a relationship with God. She believed that, with God, she could overcome those fears and with that faith, she was baptized on May 9, 2021.

Her baptism paved the way and inspired one of her daughters, Nanay Juliet, to study the Bible as well.

Truly God appoints the times and places in following Him. Lola Lourdes is evidence that no age or limitations can hinder us in our pursuit of knowing God. There can be a lot of challenges along the way, but with perseverance, prayers, and His love, we can see God and be used by Him.

Lola Lourdes died faithfully on August 3, 2022. She will be cherished and remembered by the Tapon Family, the Laoag Church, the disciples, and her friends.

GROUNDED IN SCRIPTURE

MINISTER'S CORNER: BUILT TO LAST

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”

– Matthew 7:24-27 NASB

One of the many things that is certain is that misfortunes and disasters will happen in our lives. And our stability depends on where we are standing, where we are laying our foundations.

Jesus tells us that the best and wisest place for us to build is on the rock, on His words because no matter how strong the winds and challenges are, we will not collapse and will remain steadfast, and unharmed.

One of the famous spots in Laoag is the Sinking Bell Tower that is believed to sink at a rate of an inch a year. We don’t know exactly the reason why it is sinking but this tower is a great representation that no matter how massive things are, they are still capable of collapsing.

We don’t know when this building will completely collapse but let’s consider this Bell Tower as a life lesson that when we build, we make sure that it is built to last.

KNOW MORE ABOUT ICOC LAOAG

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TRANSFORMED VISIONS, PLANTED FAITH

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 16:11:44 GMT

Planting a church is never easy but not impossible . Lockdowns may have happened several times in the Philippines but this did not stop the San Juan Missions Team (SJMT) from reaching out to more people inside the city.

Sooner, God has planted a dream and vision in their hearts —that if they can go back, their friends who also left can go back, too. This dream stayed in their hearts until it comes to fruition, especially when people share this dream altogether.

The year 2019 came, and finally, they had the courage to plan how to turn God’s dream into reality . After months of searching for a place to hold worship services, finding people to help move the mission, and intensive budgeting, the first SJMT trial service was held on February 18, 2020, with 100 people in attendance. The mission team knew that this was just the beginning of a fruitful journey.

Due to this, multiple baptisms took place, mostly couples, including their second daughter and her boyfriend , who both got baptized last February —and also got married last March.

Within three years since the start of this evangelistic mission, SJMT’s effort has finally paid off. Indeed, they bloomed where God has planted them . Through God’s grace, it’s finally their time to move forward as a new zone.

The San Juan Missions Team will be officially sent off during the HOPE Family Skills Camp of ICOC MSJ on June 26. This will be held in HOPE Biñan, Laguna . Continuing as an independent zone may look challenging and a bit scary, but the number of friends constantly attending their online service is their hope—boosting their faith in what lies ahead of them.

A DISCONNECTION THAT CONNECTS

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 16:11:10 GMT

Felix Ferrer , a brother from ICOC Bacolod, has been disconnected from disciples after losing his phone when he went back to his province in Tinagacan, General Santos, pre-pandemic.

When that happened, ICOC PH was just starting to establish its social media presence. Given this, Felix did not know about the online services that the Church was conducting.

As the PH lockdown restrictions loosened up several months after, Felix decided to visit ICOC GenSan’s church building. Unfortunately, the church was no longer meeting there.

Two years forward, he was finally able to reconnect with the church leader of ICOC Bacolod. However, it turned out he got counted-out of the church already, for no one knew where he went and he wasn't able to message anyone for almost 2 years.

On a lighter note, as he started getting in contact with the disciples, he told the church leader of ICOC GenSan about his plans to go back to Bacolod. He also shared that he would like to endorse a couple of people to them.

Turns out that for the past 8 months that Felix was not connected, he was sharing his faith with his neighbors—he started from one neighbor to another. He was doing bible talks every week until the community decided to conduct Sunday Services. This is how Felix showed his fervent love for the Lord . As a result, when he was about to go back to Bacolod, the community asked him to stay in Tinagacan, GenSan and be their pastor.

When the GenSan church went to Tinagacan, they were surprised that a community of around 30 were gathered and 17 of them studied the bible right there and then! Felix delayed his plans of going back to Bacolod; he got restored in ICOC GenSan last month, 2 others were baptized and 3 more are about to be baptized this June. To date, Bible studies and Sunday services are consistently being held, amounting to around 30 persons in attendance

With what happened, the highlight is this: Felix wasn’t even a leader in ICOC Bacolod . He is just a disciple who loved God’s word so much that he shared it with his neighbors.

As a result, the GenSan church was strengthened, and the entire church was involved in bible studies. Looking back at it now, Richard Demonteverde—church leader of ICOC GenSan—just knows that it is the hand of God at work in all the events that unfolded.

“God is truly incredible!”, he said. More amazing things are happening in this place, which will allow us to see more of how God moves.

As Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Felix Ferrer’s 2-year disconnection from the church turns out to have a purpose— he was meant to connect dozens to the Lord . Truly, this is how God works things for the greater good.

CONTAGIOUS FAITH –The power of reaching out to our families to the conversion of our communities

Thu, 05 May 2022 16:39:44 GMT

Our home is our mission field.

Arado's and Tacal's

Raya Arado is the daughter of Shirley and Romy Arado, who were both reached out in the Campus Ministry in 1994. She grew up in the church, aka a kingdom kid, and was baptized last May 17, 2020, during her last year in Senior High School. While studying the bible, Raya had difficulty giving up some bad habits and influences in her life as well as issues she didn’t think much of that surfaced or were revealed through talks. She also struggled with peer pressure, mental health, and building relationships.

However, these didn’t stop her from sharing the word of God to her friends. After being challenged on her sin study, she started inviting people from her circle of friends. Surprisingly, Kyra Tacal, an old classmate from high school and one of her least close friends, was the only one who responded.

"I learned to stand out as a disciple. Help them understand what you believe about God and Jesus. Express to them how God's love changed you. Most importantly, show them the love God has for you." – Raya Arado

On the same day Kyra was invited, she attended the Campus Ministry devotional for the first time and started studying the Bible soon after. However, after attending only 2 Sunday services, the pandemic hit and all church activities were done online. This caused Kyra to struggle with finding a quiet place to have her bible st udies at home, which led to having her sin study at 3 am. But because of her perseverance, she was baptized last August 23, 2020, 3 months after Raya was baptized.

Despite the limitation with the people allowed to witness the baptism due to the pandemic, Kyra’s mother, Zita Tacal, was one of those who were invited to be there. As a devoted Catholic at that time, she was, at first, hesitant to join Kyra’s baptism, but after witnessing, it moved her heart to study the Bible with the Marrieds Ministry, and was baptized last February 21, 2021.

God truly orchestrates things wonderfully because Zita’s baptism inspired her sister, Baby Romantico who was also looking for a church, to attend services and soon after, study the Bible with the Marikina Sector. With the love she felt and saw from the Church, Baby Romantico decided to make Jesus her Lord last August 1, 2021.

Tapon's & Diaz's

The story of the Tapon family started way back on October 12, 1985 when Myla Libed decided to make Jesus her Lord. Since then, she’s been working hard to reach out to her family but it wasn’t a smooth path to having a family of disciples.

It was not until 2016 that Myla was able to reach out to her niece, Manel Tapon who reached out to her father, Leonel , and her sister, Marielle , in the same year. The 4 of them continued to pray and share God’s word to their family and reached out to Manel and Marielle’s cousin, Jhade Diaz , who was in Manila that time. Jhade was baptized last August 2018 and soon after, both of his parents, Arnulfo and May Diaz professed Jesus as their Lord in the same year.

Manel’s mother, Mary Ann Tapon , who was working in Singapore, saw the impact of Jesus in her family and studied the Bible, then became a disciple in December 2018. Being overseas didn’t stop her to pray and reach out to her family. Together with her family here in the Philippines, they shared the good news to Baby Jane Cabanatan and her husband Randolf Brian Canabatan , along with Leonel's older sister, Mary Ann, who all became disciples in early 2019. And there were triplets!

One of the biggest challenges that their family had to face was the impact of COVID-19. Because they lived closely to one another, when one person was infected with the virus, the whole family had to undergo quarantine. There were even moments when their only means of transportation was also infected, hindering them from going outside to get their necessities. However, in the midst of the pandemic, their family of disciples continued to grow as Marilou Tapon got baptized in December 2020.

"It's an encouragement knowing that my family members are disciples. I know that no matter how tough the journey is, I have a family that walks with me. They give me advice based from the word of God; they really sacrifice their time to listen and encourage me; they pray for and give generously to me and anyone who faces struggles." – Randolf Canabatan

Still, their struggles continued when an outbreak of the African Swine Fever hit their area, since their family had the biggest piggery. Some piggeries already tested positive, causing the officials in their area to announce the electrocution of all pigs to prevent the spread of the virus. But through faith, prayers, and medical opinions from veterinarians and technicians, they were able to keep their piggery. More than that, their faith and hard work inspired others. In May 2021, Lourdes Tapon , their grandmother, was baptized. The conversions in their family did not stop as later that year, Juliet and Rolando Pingkian , as well as Vanessa Gamatero also got baptized.

Just this 2022, the Tapon-Diaz family continues to influence their families by sharing God’s word and love, so in result Maria Corazon Cabanatan made Jesus her Lord.

They are not just extending God’s love to their immediate relatives, but even to their extended families. Christine Ivy Tapon , Manel and Jhade’s second cousin also became a disciple in April 2022.

In this current time where reaching out and sharing the word of God is a struggle for many, God proves through the hearts of these families that not even a pandemic can stop the movement of His kingdom.

God proves that nothing can stop the movement of his kingdom. It is during these times we are reminded that our first ministry is our family.

It is during this time of pandemic that we are reminded that our first ministry is our family. This is shown in how Shirley and Romy were able to reach out to their daughter, Raya, which resulted in the conversion of Kyra and her family, and in the Tapon-Diaz family which now consists of 18 disciples.

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THREE CHURCHES GREW from a random visit, a brother struggling in his faith, and a pandemic

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 06:42:29 GMT

We dream of planting churches even in remote places. Making this dream could be a challenge to a large extent, but in the end, God’s plans will carry the day. Deep dive into the humble stories of how these three churches in the Philippines started and know how you can support God’s dream!

Siquijor Church

God moves in ways that are sometimes too big that we can easily recognize it was him or in subtle, unexpected ways like how he reached and built a church in the province of Siquijor.

It started with our sister, Daisy Alam, randomly visiting her hometown in Siquijor in 2013. There she bumped into her cousin, Eleazar, and invited him to attend the worship service in a nearby town since there was no church yet in their place. They both attended the Dumaguete Church Anniversary Service. And moved by the warmth of the fellowship, Eleazar studied the Bible and eventually got baptized that same year.

After a while, Eleazar attended a discipleship conference in Manila, and upon going back to Siquijor, he felt that the Spirit was moving him to reach out to his friend who was in jail. Eleazer shared with his friend how his life changed. His friend was stirred and asked if he could study the Bible too and even invited five more of his friends in jail.

With the help of the disciples from Dumaguete, they frequently visited the Siquijor District Jail, and by God’s amazing grace, five out of the six friends who studied the Bible got baptized.

After all this amazing series of events, Eleazar did not stop reaching out to people. He convinced his family members to study the Bible too! And so, the number of disciples in Siquijor grew!

This growth led a sister who used to be part of the fellowship to learn about the church and reconnect with the disciples. Amazing how God moves!

Our church grew from just one brother to 23 members now (including the five disciples in Siquijor District Jail) and still striving to grow as a loving family of Christ in their province. With your prayers and support, Siquijor Church will officially be inaugurated this September 2022.

Masbate Church

We may plan great things to move God's Kingdom, yet it is inevitable to meet bumps along the road that might discourage us. But for all that, there will always be a glimpse of hope that good things can come out from the not-so-good ones. And that is how our Church in Masbate was born.

Bicol is a large region in the Southern part of Luzon, where we have a church in its capital, Legaspi City. Legaspi Church has been continually praying and working on planting churches in their neighboring places such as Naga, Sorsogon, and Masbate. Part of the 2020 vision of the Legaspi Church is to start ministries in their neighboring provinces and cities. So they sent out a missionary team composed of single disciples to Naga City to start the ministry there. In due course, a few disciples from Manila also moved to Naga City to be part and be of help in evangelizing the city.

A brother who was part of the original mission team in Naga City struggled and left the church. Time flew and the pandemic hit, this same brother reconnected with the church online and was restored to the fellowship. He then started to reach out.

With one man's repentance came so many souls that were brought back to God. They are now continually becoming the light in the province of Masbate. The growing church in Masbate is proof that only God can turn things upside down and bring people and situations into their perfect places.

It is indeed astonishing to see how Jesus is building his Church through the disciples braving and embracing the mission.

Tagum Church

Kindness can go a long way, but it can go even beyond when God intervenes and make things happen. This is how the story of Tagum church inspired disciples who heard how this small ministry was born from one person’s heart and love to literally setting up the church and its church building!

This 2022, new churches will be planted in the Philippines. And one of those is in a city called Tagum. Tagum is 1.5hrs away from Davao City and is one of the flourishing cities of Mindanao. Tagum is a city blessed with many fruits and now the people living there are ripe for the harvest.

The dream to plant a church in Tagum started in Davao, where some of the members of ICOC Davao are living in Tagum. One of them is Verlyn Kho. She became a disciple in Manila in the early 90s and then went back to Mindanao and worked there as a government nurse. Verlyn is naturally evangelistic. Making the most out of this pandemic, she shared her faith with patients in quarantine and continues to do so. Many of her patients became interested to know God and have now studied the Bible. She also bought a 180-sq. m. land and decided to donate half of it to the church. So now the church has land to construct a church building. They will be one of the few churches of ICOC Philippines that will have their own church building.

The Tagum Mission Team will be led by Eric and Sherilyn Abalayan, veteran leaders from ICOC Davao. Currently, there are 14 disciples set on planting the church. These are members of ICOC Davao who are continuously growing in number and are now ready to be sent off.

The dream for our churches is the same - for every church to grow in number and maturity, continually planting seeds of faith until they shoot up and multiply in people’s hearts. With your support, you can make this dream a reality.

“Hanapin ang Tungkulin”: The Envolve and HOPE Congregational Sunday Worship Service

Sat, 04 Dec 2021 14:57:11 GMT

by Keana Mc Coy — Manila, Philippines

Stuck and spending most of our time at home, we may think that we live our lives inside a bubble.

For almost two years, our lifestyles have been patterned to allow for less contact and face-to-face interactions. Whether at work, in school, or in church, we are inevitably becoming accustomed to a virtual setup, as Zoom, Facebook Messenger, and other video conferencing applications are now our trusted companions to meet with our social groups. But while we found unique ways to still have meaningful connections with people, it undeniably takes a conscious effort not to be detached from reality.

Because through our mobile phones, we are exposed to various forms of injustice and suffering. With just one tap, we are able to consume large volumes of depressing content that often lead to feelings of frustration and helplessness with our current situation. And perhaps, it becomes more convenient for us to simply care less--or not care at all--for the sake of ‘inner peace’. Maybe we cannot begin to imagine how we could act or voice out our frustrations in the comfort of our own homes. Some of us are barely getting by; some of us are already dealing with our own share of problems, as we literally try to brave through a global crisis.

But being a disciple always begs the question: what would Jesus do, if he were living through COVID-19?

And this is exactly the main theme of Envolve Ministry and HOPE worldwide Philippines’ joint congregational Sunday worship service titled “Hanapin ang Tungkulin”, which transpired last October 31, 2021 via Zoom and Facebook live. Through this event, the Envolve disciples were once again reminded that serving and discipleship cannot be separated, even at this time of pandemic.

The worship service started at exactly 9:00 am, with Ally Bondoc hosting and ushering in about 185 participants as they entered the Zoom call. After some singing to prepare everyone’s hearts, Hannah and Kent Elnar formally welcomed everyone to the special event. Reading Psalm 118:24, they encouraged everyone to rejoice for it was a day of ‘hope’ blessed by God. For benevolence, the message was given by SJ Lopez from ICOC Dagupan, whose main point was that our giving provides people the opportunity to say thanks to God.

Afterwards, the communion and main sermon was given by Loren Lee. He begins by reminiscing about the annual joint congregational services the Philippine campus ministry, Envolve, conducts with HOPE. For the past few years before the pandemic, Envolve would have at least one joint worship service per year that visits the HOPE centers in BASECO and Payatas; however, due to the peak of living adjustments last year, there was no joint collaboration between the two ministries. Lee goes on to say that the time to be free from the pandemic is something that we are probably most looking forward to, and uses this in parallel with Jesus’ dream and desires for the Kingdom. With the same fire and fervour, Jesus looked forward to bringing heaven on earth. And using Luke 4:17 as reference, Jesus was not only aware but very clear of his goal since the beginning of his ministry: to bring heaven on earth through service.

The key takeaway in Lee’s message is that if Jesus were to live through this global health crisis, he would simply serve . Jesus would not be in the palace mingling with high-ranking officials or people of power, but he would be out on the streets and in the villages, feeding the hungry and other members of society who were shunned and cast aside. More importantly, Jesus would be with the poor--who were the very core of his tungkulin or service. During his time, Jesus faced different kinds of injustice and suffering, but he changed the world, through his example of service and genuine love for other people. Springing from this, Lee then challenged and urged the Envolve disciples to actively think of ways to serve and actually help out in any way possible. He added that we can only seek our true meaning of service in Jesus.

Following the conclusion of the worship service, the activities with HOPE began with Mendelssohn Casanas of ICOC Laguna introducing HOPE and briefly sharing his testimony. The seven centers of HOPE in Luzon and Visayas were then introduced through a short video showing the existing facilities, area managers, and staff; the seven centers are: Laguna Center of HOPE, BASECO Center of HOPE, Payatas Center of HOPE, Tacloban Center of HOPE, Ormoc Center of HOPE, Cebu (Daanbantayan) Center of HOPE, and Aklan Center of HOPE. Currently, Aklan has no facility yet, but programs and operations concerned with child protection services, education, disaster risk reduction and management, health, and nutrition just like the other HOPE centers are still being managed and facilitated. The history of HOPE was explained after by Bryan Suriaga, the area manager of BASECO, and he proceeded to also share a brief testimony about his decades of service to HOPE.

The participants were then randomly assigned to six breakout rooms composed of the six HOPE centers, excluding Aklan. Each breakout room would be facilitated by the area manager and other HOPE staff, tasked with explaining their programs and how the disciples from the Envolve ministry could volunteer. Each HOPE staff in the room introduced themselves and shared why they serve in HOPE and proceeded to explain their existing programs. A Google form was then sent to each participant to fill out which center they would like to volunteer in and what type of activities they are thinking of conducting in the area.

In one breakout room, a staff from Daanbantayan shared the transforming experience and opportunities volunteering provides for those in need. Not only does HOPE aim to help solve problems such as hunger by providing food, but they also aim to be holistic in their approach of service to those in need. They do this by targeting multiple facets of these people, by educating them, giving them spiritual and psychosocial support, teaching them sustainable sources of livelihood to help their families, among many others. Serving in HOPE is not just to simply hand out monetary or in-kind donations and let the people carry on with their individual lives. Truly, HOPE empowers so that each person receiving help could stand on their own, but each volunteer also strives to be more involved--concerned with steady, sustainable, and personal growth--so that in return, more people could help more people.

After the breakout rooms, many participants were inspired by the many miracles and stories of HOPE shared by the staff. Most of the Envolve disciples left the meeting with a renewed sense of purpose and outlook towards service. They were reminded that at the very core of these volunteering programs that transform the lives of people are benevolent hearts; whether to provide funding, to add to the manpower, or any other type of service within HOPE, all would be impossible without people moved to give to God and his people.

In this light, we might be living at a time of crisis, but we are also living in a golden era of opportunities made possible by our current digital landscape. As this event makes abundantly clear, our tungkulin can be found with only a shift in perspective. Rightfully so, life in isolation has made it more difficult to feel more connected to others, but as we embrace another year ahead, we must remember to fix our eyes on Jesus’ example. He lived unbothered by the stresses and worries of everyday life and rather focused on what matters most. In him, we see that apathy might be easier, but genuinely caring for other people is more noble and fulfilling. Right now, there are plenty of ways for us to help, whether it be through monetary or in-kind donations, volunteering, writing, creating infographics, or simply sharing valuable information on how to help those in need.

But however we may serve, we must be reminded of this: we do our part when we simply care.

Seeing His Promises and Protection

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 16:43:00 GMT

by Nadine Postigo – Manila, Philippines

Christian Gonzales, Campus Ministry Leader of ICOC Quezon City, shared some good news from the campus ministry that really is encouraging. Here’s an inspiring story of how a disciple fought for her relationship with God that will touch hearts.

Patti Angel Honera, or fondly called Pach, started the year by committing her life to the Lord. The way she discovered the church is actually something that would help all of us rethink on how we utilize the digital space. For Pach, it all began when she saw a disciple’s Instagram story, which became another way for the church to evangelize since the pandemic started (when we adapted from face to face to virtual modality).

Patti’s family started persecuting her while she was still in the middle of her bible study...she was even threatened to be kicked out of the house if she ever decided to be baptized. Yet that did not stop her. Patti’s resiliency and thirst in having a relationship with God made her fight for her faith and she was then baptized on January 10 2021. True enough, Patti was forced to leave their home the day after she was baptized. Thankfully the sisters continued to support her and helped her find a place to live in temporarily. Patti was soon allowed to go back to their house but her family continued to persecute her.

Another heart-wrenching moment happened to Pach this year, she tested positive for COVID-19. The ministry she belongs to attempted to lighten her burden and show their love by giving her some groceries. Unfortunately, her mother gave it to somebody else when she learned that it was from the church. Upon learning what her mother did, Pach felt really discouraged.

Not long after, Pach’s mother also got sick of COVID-19. The church did not hesitate to help their family again by giving groceries along with providing an oxygen tank. This time, her mother opened her heart and accepted the help extended to them and felt very thankful. She voiced out her realizations, that apart from a few of her friends, the church where her daughter Pach belongs to were the only people who helped them during her times of need.

God is truly amazing because Pach is no longer being persecuted! To add on that praise report, Pach’s grandmother was greatly and positively impacted by the disciples. She has started studying the bible and is currently on the Cross study. Let us all pray that she’ll persevere and see God’s love, the way Pach did.

Just like what we read in the bible, God uses brokenness for his Glory. We just have to keep the faith that God is always with us even in our silent battles.

“I’m personally grateful to witness stories like these that says something about how resilient disciples are. That despite the many challenges, Gospel is still being spread. Thank you everyone and to God be the glory.” - Christian Gonzales

STRONGER: The ICOC Philippines 32nd Anniversary Worship Service and Celebration

Sun, 22 Aug 2021 04:05:25 GMT

For a lot of people, milestones lose meaning while in lockdown.

When things become routine as with worship and fellowship, we may start to see them as something monotonous, without excitement. Consequently, we could fail to see the wonder in celebrations. Yet milestones are great standpoints to reflect on the past and to view the future with hope and positivity. They are great ways to celebrate life, as we go through it—especially, our spiritual lives.

In the Philippines, more than a year has passed since the community quarantine was imposed, and since then, the church has conducted worship services online. All disciples from young and old, in different ministries, and all places nationwide, have now adjusted to meet, sing, and preach the Word virtually. Yet even after developing a sense of familiarity in this setup, the ICOC Philippines Worship and Media Team did not fail to make the ICOC Philippines 32nd Anniversary exciting. They exceeded expectations by preparing a jam-packed anniversary worship service and program all under the year-long theme, “Stronger”. 

From the morning until the afternoon of July 25, 2021, the disciples all over the Philippines participated in fun-filled virtual activities and rejoiced in virtual fellowship.

Beginning at 9:00 am, the worship service premiered promptly via the ICOC Facebook and YouTube pages. To kick off the 32nd anniversary, various disciples explained the meaning of worship by describing who God is, followed by beautiful renditions of “Behold Our God” and “Every Praise”. A powerful line-up of speakers came after this strong start: Elder Bobby Montealegre and his family proceeded to welcome every viewer by emphasizing God’s faithfulness to the church and all disciples for 32 years. Teacher Rolan Monje led us back to the cross by compelling us to emulate Paul’s mindset of seeing our trials as an opportunity for reflection on Jesus’ death. And Evangelist Koko Enrile delivered the benevolence message that highlighted giving as an act of grace, that which we first received

from God.

This was followed by a segment called “Amazing Christian Testimonies and Stories” (or ACTS), where  Violy Guy of ICOC Parañaque, Jay Maramara of ICOC Makati, and Danny  Cabadsan of ICOC Cebu shared  their discipleship stories and the powerful ways God moved in their lives. In line with the theme “Stronger”, these messages and testimonies eminently showed how our faith goes from strength to strength—in dynamic power and growing with each trial and victory with God.

But as we grow stronger, how should we stay on the path to be victorious? Through the main message, Naths Zuñiga of ICOC Muntinlupa and Edwin  Vertudez of Mandaluyong/San Juan reminded us that the answer is to  Never Stop Growing. 

In this joint sermon, they explained how we continue to mature and develop ourselves, through tears and trials and through dedication and imitation. The first point talks about finding reason and overcoming suffering by focusing on Jesus’ example, for us to imitate the way he called out to God amid persecution. On the other hand, the second point explains how growth can be found in staying connected and committed and finding examples of faith and hope that can inspire and refresh our own faith. Evangelist Ariel Lastrado responded to the main message, and the worship service ended with a vibrant rendition of “Friend of God” sung by the music ministry, In Hymn.

Afterward, the anniversary celebration portion of the program began with the warm video greetings of disciples all over the world who love and treasure the Philippine church. Those who sent their warm regards were the following: Kevin and Amalia Agot of ICOC Virginia, Delano and Nadine Stewart of ICOC Las Vegas, Bob and Susan Wedin of ICOC Phoenix, Anthony and Saun Galang of ICOC Oahu, Hawaii, Ken and Lina Chau of Sacramento, California, Cesar and Jennifer Lopez of ICOC Los Angeles, Sabrina Gonzales of ICOC Los Angeles, Josh and Stacy Peterson of ICOC Albuquerque, New Mexico, David Jung of ICOC Winnipeg, Keith Rasmussen of ICOC Denver, Gordon Ferguson of ICOC Dallas, Charon Anderson Buncayo of ICOC Dubai, and Chester and Sirikit Umaguing of ICOC Colorado Springs.

The video greetings were then succeeded by the graduation of the Asia-Pacific School of Missions (APSOM) Scholars, a two-year course directed by Rolan Monje. APSOM is a training program that aims to raise the next generation of leaders who will go into ministry, either full-time or part-time. The program also equips the students with adequate knowledge about certain areas such as financial stewardship, public speaking, people skills, shepherding, event management, and conflict resolution—producing not only confident but also well-rounded graduates. For this year’s festivities, the following are the APSOM graduates of 2020: Peter Michael Corpuz, Giovanni “Jojo” Belgar, Oliver Bong Gulapa, Jhun Hugo Rommel  Guce, Ariel Ladores, and Ryan Rasines. And the following are the APSOM graduates of 2021: Faye Casis,  Richard Demonteverde , Eda Rica Fauni, Amor Ladores, Elmer Nayre, Yzabel Montealegre, Dennis Valdellon, Jessie Ibay, and Niño Francis Mercado.

Perhaps, the most entertaining portion for every viewer was the online worship bloopers, in which preachers, song leaders, dancers, and other people part of the media team shared their blunders while recording materials to be used for online worship. The program was then finally concluded by the dance ministry, D4G, with their dynamic and energetic production of the song “10,000 Armies”.

At 2:00 pm, disciples all over the Philippines reconnected and celebrated together with their respective ministries via Zoom. Together, the disciples laughed, reminisced, and praised God for how he worked in the church and in their individual lives. Through these Zoom “Reunions”, they shared their notable experiences and encounters as disciples and how these have helped them become more faithful to God. In their respective breakout rooms, the virtual fellowship became a great opportunity to meet and reunite with disciples, with nothing but joy flowing in everyone’s hearts. The anniversary worship service and celebration may have taken the whole day, but instead of getting drained the disciples found themselves renewed, recharged, and refilled with love and gratitude. 

32 years is our milestone. So we celebrate the anniversary wholeheartedly because it is the day we remember how God has extended his grace to us, from being only a few disciples to now being over 5,200 faithful followers of Jesus. Because the world may be monotonous now in the new normal, but God’s love is always new—and we celebrate because in Him we find meaning in every single thing. 

For while things around us may rob us of wonder and excitement, He remains wonderful.

Seeds of Faith Growing into New Mission Fields

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 02:59:29 GMT

In Acts 17:26-27 Paul was quoted by the author, Luke, as saying that God determines the times set for people and the places where they should live so they could seek him and find him.

ICOC Philippines used to send out mission teams to places without disciples.  In the last decade, however, the start-up ministries from a city or province where disciples have relocated have begun organically and have turned into healthy, growing churches.

ICOC Digos in Mindanao started this way with a family of disciples from the Davao church, the Abalayans (Tatay Max and Nanay Trining with their son Christopher and his wife Gay). They decided to stay in their home city instead of going back and forth to Davao City, which is about an hour-long trip, to attend church. ICOC Digos was inaugurated as a church in October 2019 after other family members and relatives also became disciples. A couple from ICOC Digos, Niño and Lowie Mercado, is leading the small church there.

This was also how the ministries in Masbate and Siquijor in the Philippines were born. Seeing Masbate and Siquijor ministries recognized in the near future as official ICOC churches would be a dream come true for the faithful disciples there and to their mother churches in Albay and Dumaguete. These churches are among the many beneficiaries of the Asia Pacific Mission Foundation (APMF).

FROM ONE MAN

Former ICOC Naga missionary Fernan Montales' humility and brokenness along with God's grace paved the way for him to get restored in the faith during lockdown on May 3 after 17 years of spiritual wandering.

He experienced financial hardship when he left Naga and returned to his hometown in San Fernando, province of Masbate. He was not even able to afford the fare to attend service at the nearest ICOC Church located in Legazpi City, Albay Province. Later he got a teaching position from the Department of Education, a surprise blessing from the Lord! Tatay Erly and Nanay Lina Lee, who led the church in remote Ticao Island in Masbate Province where Fernan was attending, returned home after becoming disciples in the United States. Fernan’s faith was awakened and he was motivated to go through the restoration study series online with the ICOC Albay brothers. After repenting of his sins, he was restored.

Since Fernan's restoration, his 15 other former churchmates also got baptized: Elizar Angustia (May 31, 2020), Rene Dapadap (June 14), Cary Lee (June 21), Michelle Lee (June 21), Jared Dapadap (June 21), Gloria Capisnon (June 28), Asuncion Dapadap (July 5), Roberth Ramirez (July 12), Victor Aguirre (July 12), Sherbert Bartolata (August 30), Roberto Mendoza (September 6), Rosalinda Ramiso (December 18), Joseph Ramiso (January 1, 2021), Rena Mendoza (January 1), and Jovilyn Ramiso (January 1).

Meanwhile, Rene, a pastor in Fernan's former church, said Tatay Erly and Nanay Lina Lee encouraged the members to study the Bible. Although some of their leaders of that church disagreed, he continued with his Bible study.

"Ang nag-encourage po sa akin ang malinaw na interpretation ng word of God at yung malinaw na presentation ng salvation plan of God (I was encouraged by the clear and sound interpretation of God's Word and the presentation of God's plan of salvation)," Rene said.

ICOC Albay Minister Ramir Bodigon said that it's been a dream to have a church in the main city of Masbate Province. Ticao Island, where the disciples are residing, is two hours by boat from Masbate City. Due to the island's remote location, the internet signal during online worship services and other virtual church meetings had been a great challenge for them. Despite these obstacles, four friends are currently studying the Bible online in the Masbate ministry with the help of ICOC Albay disciples.

FAMILY AFFAIR

Back in 2013, Daisy Alam returned from the United States to her birth home in Siquijor for a vacation. She reached out to her cousin who was living in Dumaguete City. Her cousin, also a native of Siquijor, became a disciple and got baptized in the same year after a series of Bible studies with the brothers of ICOC Dumaguete. Daisy's mom, Reina Larot, also studied the Bible and then got baptized as a disciple of Jesus in 2015.

ICOC Dumaguete minister RJ Daguinod said, "From then on more of their relatives were reached out to and Dumaguete disciples started going there regularly for mission journeys."

Daisy's cousin later shared his faith with a friend in jail. His friend and four other fellow inmates responded to God's Word and also became disciples.

The Siquijor House Church currently has 16 faithful disciples.

Indeed, there is no stopping the Word of God from going to places where it is not yet known. And it takes a brave man or a woman to start living out the seeds of faith to make it grow.

STRONGER ENVOLVE: A Workshop for ICOC Philippines Campus Ministry

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 02:58:46 GMT

More than any other year, we welcome 2021 with an inexplicable rush of excitement and anxiety, drive and detachment, and hope and fear all at the same time.

But like the start of any other year, the resolve to be better than the past year is ever-present. Whether it’s to try working out or to be consistent in our times with God, the beginning of the year is a great time to change our habits and start anew - in a word, resolutions . With fruitful lessons last year that had common themes about endurance, patience, and joy even in trials and isolation, perhaps all is said and done about 2020.

Without a doubt, the pandemic has stripped us bare to our limits—not only physically and financially, but also mentally and spiritually—as we braved through ordeals away from our brothers and sisters. While this brought some into faithlessness and despair, it has led many disciples to experience the wonder of relying on God’s power. All over social media, we have not failed to see disciples expressing their gratitude to God for the simplest things, and even for the grueling hardships, they go through. Though their faith was battered and bruised, these disciples somehow still proclaimed it for the world to see.

In this light, someone described the past year as a “refining of faith”. But if we had already been tested to our limits in the past year, why should we still focus on getting stronger this year?

As Rolan Monje, fondly called Manong, put in his sermon at the beginning of the year, we can imagine our faith in dynamic power . We go from strength to strength; rather than diminishing in strength, we grow stronger as we go along the journey. And it is only fitting that the young ones—more specifically, the Envolve Ministry or the ICOC Philippines Campus Ministry—lead the way by inspiring the next generation of disciples through a workshop, which was held on January 31st via Zoom.

The day of the workshop started with the online worship service primarily led by the Envolve Ministry, and with the main message given by congregational Envolve ministry leader Loren Lee titled “The Stronger Path”. Using Matthew 7:13-14 as the main passage, he explained that the key to becoming stronger is the narrow gate, as only through it is where we can be disciplined and thus grow. He inspired young and old disciples alike, by saying that 2021 is the year not to play safe but to go towards the stronger path.

Afterward, the workshop proper promptly started at 1:00 pm via Zoom. Following a brief but electric virtual fellowship as participants were coming in, Evangelist Ariel Lastrado set the tone and tempo of the workshop with his lesson titled “Radical Faith”. As a way to cope with life in quarantine, we have all naturally grown into habits that give us a sense of comfort. Unfortunately, this may have also meant our discipleship taking a backseat. Through his lesson, Ariel reminded us of our calling to deny ourselves and our unchanging capacity to give our all to God, only if we are willing to overcome ourselves.

Christian Gonzales, more commonly known among disciples as Chrisbro, helped us visualize another step towards this radical faith by anticipating “Triumph Over Obstacles”. By making us write down our possible obstacles, he validated the possible fears we may have as we go out into the world again with renewed faith. Using Isaiah 41:10, he then implored us to overcome these fears by focusing our perspective on God. He explained that only through this can we overcome our obstacles and turn them into triumphs.

As though these striking lessons were not already a wake-up call for our mission as disciples, Loren Lee followed the trajectory as the last speaker for the day by illustrating the imitable character of “The Envolve Disciple”. Simply and powerfully, he depicted the Envolve disciple as someone that lives with zeal. The Envolve disciple is someone that stands up for God, no matter how easy it is to conform to the patterns of this world. Loren further painted this picture with the help of the participants themselves, with activities and discussions per cluster in their breakout rooms. All these were centered on growing in evangelism and challenged us to live for Jesus in public and not in private. On the whole, these activities made disciples accountable to themselves and the people in their respective clusters to act on their zeal.

The workshop ended with each disciple feeling closer to their clusters and vividly reminded of their mission as disciples. When asked about their takeaways from the workshop, Karmela Mariano, a disciple from Envolve Manila, continues to reflect on what she had learned. “After the workshop, the urge to just really talk about God to my friends felt a lot less ‘weird’ because I know that I should allow nothing to stop me from serving and giving my all to God,” she said.

Now that it has been three weeks after the workshop, Alexis Arenas of Envolve Makati further affirms this answer. “By the grace of God, there have been changes in me and in the clusters. Worries and fears are still there, but we have been working out our courage and heart. Everyone has been motivating each other, making it less difficult to make changes,” she explained.

Truly there is nothing like the fire and fervor of young people advancing God’s Kingdom, but these learnings also apply to every single disciple of Jesus. Undeniably, it’s easy to stay inside our comfort zones and to forget to deny ourselves with much uncertainty that lies ahead. But if anything, 2020 has revealed to us inner strength that we may not have thought possible, stemming from our very own faith in God.

From here, we can only grow stronger.

Welcome to the Asia Pacific Mission Foundation!

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 13:15:52 GMT

Our gratitude overflows to our donors whose generous contributions aid us in providing much needed support to the Asia Pacific Region. We are committed to communicating current needs and to inspire you with the miracles God is performing through the Philippine and Myanmar churches.

The Asia Pacific Mission Foundation is a 501(c)(3) international non-profit organization dedicated to the spiritual, medical, and educational needs of the Asia Pacific Region. We provide ministry staff with funds to facilitate continued spiritual teaching, training, and connection. Our commitment to the poor and needy is administered through HOPE Worldwide Philippines.

We offer here a glimpse of God’s amazing work in the Asia Pacific Region!

Covid-19 Survivor Baptizes Ward Mate

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 13:15:50 GMT

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 5:8-9

The Scripture clearly shows how God’s thoughts and ways are way beyond anybody’s understanding. What man perceives as a great testing, an imposing threat, a huge risk, or an insurmountable challenge would often turn out to be a blessing in disguise or a miracle waiting to happen.

Such was how coronavirus disease (COVID-19) survivor Rodil Ocfemia, a disciple of ICOC Cavite in the Philippines, described God’s amazing plan after Emerson Domingo, his Bacoor District Hospital ward mate who was an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient, was baptized on August 21 with Evangelist Norberto “Bong” Aquino III of the South Luzon Region and another brother who will be Emerson’s discipling partner as witnesses.

From a private hospital, he had to be transferred to the Bacoor District Hospital, which also has a blood bank since he needed a blood transfusion. That’s where he met his roommate Emerson.

Just like what he did in the first COVID-19 facility, Rodil’s routine remained the same at his new isolation facility, he gets up at 5 a.m. daily for his quiet time with God and to sing worship songs, which were not oblivious to Emerson. Rodil also engaged Emerson in conversations and eventually invited him to study the Bible and attend virtual worship services with him.

After two face-to-face Bible studies, Emerson continued his studies virtually with some other brothers.

Rodil said, “I’ve realized that God wanted me to reach out to him.” He no longer questioned God after his second swab test became positive again.

New Life

Even after Rodil’s discharge, he along with Kuya Bong and other brothers continued Emerson’s Bible studies. The latter stayed on at the hospital after he went positive again following the fourth swab test that he took on the same day that Rodil took his last test.

“When I received the result and it was positive again, I just prayed. I did not worry anymore. I held on to my faith in God that He is control of my life,” Emerson said.

He said that when Rodil left the hospital, he prayed that God will give him strength to keep going and that he will get to know Him deeper through his Bible studies.

Emerson was surprised when his fifth swab test already cleared him from COVID-19.He was at an isolation facility on June 9 to 19 then at Bacoor District Hospital on June 20 to August 8. After his 14-day quarantine at home, he made Jesus Lord of his life and went under the waters of baptism, Amen!

God displayed his power in the lives of Rodil and Emerson who both received another lease in life after surviving COVID-19. While the experience made Rodil’s faith stronger, it paved the way for Emerson to find his way home to God.

New Look, Same Compelling Outlook

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 12:28:13 GMT

We are excited to unveil the new look of the Asia Pacific Mission Foundation !

Incorporated is the logo of the International Churches of Christ which shows the connection of the foundation with the church.

Additional elements were added such as parts of the Eastern Hemisphere showing on the globe representing the countries that APMF is supporting.

The words Asia Pacific Mission Foundation circles around the globe, with curved lines connecting below which constitutes the aid given by the foundation.

APMF’s mission and values focus on the support they give in ICOC church plantings and the strengthening of ministry leadership in the Asia Pacific Region. The board, together with the media team, collaborated in making sure that the impact this brings will show in the new logo of the foundation.

And so, we share with you this new look, carrying the same compelling outlook.

apac

One Body in Christ: Moving Together in Love and Purpose

Watch our newest Walking in the Footsteps video below!

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From Reach to Thrive: The Vision of 2026

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Bound by Precious Blood, Sustained by His Grace

The Place That God Chose

Faith Without Boundaries

Journey Led by Grace

Living in His Faithfulness: Pursuing a Work in Progress

The Answer God Awaits: 'Here Am I, Send Me’

Called to be Qualified: When God Meets Us Where We Are

Church on a Mission: A Transformative Journey of Faith

Faith and Prayer: Our Best Line of Defense

How do you start your battles?

God’s Work Goes Beyond Borders

Puzzle Pieces of Faith: A Tale of Finding God’s Purpose

What makes your world go round?

A Family of Faith: United by Christ’s Love

Family is one of the values deeply ingrained in us.

Faithfulness over Perfection: The Transformative Power of Faith

The God we worship values our faithfulness more than our perfection.

Beyond Boundaries: God’s Vision for Tomorrow

We’re used to living day by day, but there are those who dare to dream of the future .

From Dreams to Reality: God’s Transformative Power in Fulfilling Visions

A dream, as abstract and intangible as it may seem, can go a long way in helping God’s people flourish.

Modern-Day Moses, Answering God’s Call

Minister's Corner

FAITH KEEPS EVERYTHING ALIVE

Twenty-nine years and growing

The Fruits of Faith

#CDOFastFacts

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

ICOC PH awards 28 full-time ministry and admin staff

FROM ONE DREAM TO ANOTHER

TICAO & TAGUM PLANTING

A story that’s 28 years in the making.

33 TO ETERNITY

GOD'S FAITHFULNESS TO METRO MANILA

FOLLOWING THE MASTER’S PLAN

ALL YOU NEED IS A VISION

“ I embraced that God would give me the skill so that I can do what I need to do [and] what He expects me to do in the mission field”, says Vergel “Verge” Ricafort, the church leader of the newly planted Siquijor church of ICOC Philippines.

Where it all started

FAITH WITHOUT LIMITS

Second chances in life are precious, and Lola Lourdes surely made the most of that chance by using it to pursue and have a relationship with God.

TRANSFORMED VISIONS, PLANTED FAITH

Planting a church is never easy but not impossible . Lockdowns may have happened several times in the Philippines but this did not stop the San Juan Missions Team (SJMT) from reaching out to more people inside the city.

A DISCONNECTION THAT CONNECTS

CONTAGIOUS FAITH –The power of reaching out to our families to the conversion of our communities

Our home is our mission field.

THREE CHURCHES GREW from a random visit, a brother struggling in his faith, and a pandemic

We dream of planting churches even in remote places. Making this dream could be a challenge to a large extent, but in the end, God’s plans will carry the day. Deep dive into the humble stories of how these three churches in the Philippines started and know how you can support God’s dream!

“Hanapin ang Tungkulin”: The Envolve and HOPE Congregational Sunday Worship Service

by Keana Mc Coy — Manila, Philippines

Seeing His Promises and Protection

by Nadine Postigo – Manila, Philippines

STRONGER: The ICOC Philippines 32nd Anniversary Worship Service and Celebration

Seeds of Faith Growing into New Mission Fields

STRONGER ENVOLVE: A Workshop for ICOC Philippines Campus Ministry

Welcome to the Asia Pacific Mission Foundation!

Covid-19 Survivor Baptizes Ward Mate

New Life

New Look, Same Compelling Outlook

STRONGER: The ICOC Philippines 32nd Anniversary Worship Service and Celebration