Still Confused?

Still confused what does Student-led Movements look like both in base & catalytic campuses?

I would say... The only difference of Base & Catalytic is the SCOPE. Base = 1 Campus. Catalytic = >7 Campuses

Now, what is the staff doing in a student-led movements?

Staff continues to do personal ministry of evangelism & discipleship. He shares the gospel, he also looks for the existing Christians to mobilize, follows up & disciples them so that they too will share the gospel, find existing christians to mobilize and disciple to multiply. It's still WIN, BUILD, SEND. Remember MAWL? It's Model. Assist. Watch. Leave. (There's detailed note posted in this group).

Now, what does the student-led movement look like if the staff are doing win-build-send in the campus?

Students are also doing WIN, BUILD, SEND as a process to see Spiritual

Multiplication. In fact, they are a product of the staff personal ministry. Or should I say, some of them are the disciples of the staff, those first generations by staff. They do the ministry as the staff MAWLed it with them.

We know by principle that it's student-led if students own their campuses for Jesus. They take the initiative, rally their fellow students to pray and strategize/plan to reach their campus for Jesus. If we disciple the students well, "helping" them be
Rooted in God's word, being independently dependent, we can be confident that they can do it. And as they lead the movement, we can coach them how to become effective    leaders.

One practical application is by selecting a set of leaders (or core leaders) on campus/es. Of course some of them, if not all, might be direct disciples of staff, depending on what stage that movement is. An assigned staff/team leader is responsible to meet them on a regular basis for coaching.

Discipleship continues (by staff & student leaders). Coaching also continues among the core leaders and the staff point person. The Core Leaders are providing leadership for the campus movements, rallying their fellow disciples under the chain (both staff and students) to reach their campus/es for Jesus. Yes, staff simply focus on giving their best to disciple well as Jesus did. Eventually, if students are discipled well, I believe, they will get the DNA of crusade. We staff are DNA keepers and we can only make it a reality if we apply it in our ministry of evangelism & discipleship.

So, who plan, as in plan for the year-round activities in the context of win, build, send to reach a campus? STUDENTS! The Core leaders take the lead. Staff point person coaches the Core leaders' point person. Can students do it? Of course! Staff coach them. We disciple the students. Remember, we disciple students to grow in Christ so that they too can do the same with others--- winning them for Christ, and discipling them to do the same also.

So does it mean that the staff will
No longer plan for campus/es? I would say, it depends on the CONTENT/FOCUS of the PLAN. Staff can plan in SUPPORT to the PLAN of the students. As they review students' plan and coach them, STAFF can come up their own PLAN for the Campus/es. Staff may focus on the Leadership Development of the Students in the context of reaching a campus for Jesus, or it could be a PLAN to help the students love JESUS deeply and have COMPASSION for the Lost.

We discussed this before...

"When talking about Student-led there are often a number of common misconceptions – so let’s clarify what Student-led IS NOT:

Student-led does not necessarily mean the absence of staff. Fulltime laborers and other leaders have a significant role to play in Student-led models of ministry.

Student-led does not just mean just having students in leadership. Students can becontrolling and fail to give away ownership of the movement just like any person.

Student-led does not mean CCC staff are passive or unimportant. Staff must always be highly committed and very engaged. While Student-led will affect how staff engage, relevant leaders are never disengaged from reality. Any leader must be mindful of words, attitudes, and actions that stifle ownership.

Student-led is not the absence of CCC distinctives. Student-led will include core CCC distinctive such as initiative evangelism, multiplying discipleship, the Spirit-filled life, and transferability."

This Holy Week

We brought our kids to QC Circle last weekend, to do something different for our family time. We saw a number of massage therapists around and got a chance to interact with a couple of them. We learned that they need to have 250+ clients who will give feedback on their services in order for them to become a full fledged therapists as required by the city hall. (It's the city government project, by the way). We were a couple of those who benefited from their free service half-body massage in an open space & under the tree spot. That was a relaxing moment.

Thinking of the number of times they needed to practice doing a massage in order to perfect it affirms me of my faith journey of sharing Christ to students, professionals, businessman or anybody I meet along the way- be it in school, offices, malls, public places like this park or just anywhere. The more I share Jesus with others, the more I get to know Him in many ways & the more that I'm growing in my faith in Him. Moreover, my interpersonal skills and connecting with people are being sharpened.

I loved this week-end experience, and so my wife. After this 20 minute massage, Divine took time to share the gospel with this lady, using her tool called, "Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?" Towards the end of their conversation, the lady was crying because of her past experiences, yet she found hope in Jesus. She expressed to have received Jesus in her life last year when her daughter shared the gospel with her and through the 700 Club Asia TV Program. Their discussion then revolved around the assurance of salvation.



Revelation 3:20 "Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me."

1 John 5: 11 "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.12 The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life."

This Holy Week, we commemorate the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ because of God's love & perfect plan for our lives. The bible says,

1 Cor. 15: 3 "For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received - that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,"

John 3:16, "For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

Would you like to invite Jesus into your life to be your Lord & Savior?

You can pray this prayer by faith:

"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins & giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen!"

If you prayed this prayer sincerely, you can be sure that Christ is in your life right now. He will never fail you. He will never leave you ( Heb. 13:5).

For additional reading, go to this link: http://www.didjesuslie.com

My Birthday, On Retreat

April 2-6, our Area Southeast Office ( ASEO) team of Campus Crusade for Christ, is having a retreat in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Months prior to this agreed schedule, my heart was so excited for these days to come --- just to be away from the busy metro, no work, no meetings, no worries (a must!), no time pressure & no checklist to monitor. The only thing I wanted to do was to simply rest, relax, read, reflect & get recharged for the next cycle of my life & ministry.

During this retreat, I'm likewise looking forward to my birthday celebration with my Creator. Alone in the beach. Just the two of us. Today, 12:11am, April 6, I'm still awake to worship my God through these words I write. I thank Him for the 35 years of an exciting adventure of growing, knowing Him more & making known to others as I keep on walking this journey of faith in Him. What else can I ask of Him? This life He gave, my family, my friends & the people whom I have the privilege of introducing Him remind me of His greatness, His unconditional love & His perfect plan for my life & their lives. He allows me to walk through the rugged roads many times for me to appreciate the beauty of life He wanted me to enjoy to the fullest.

As celebrate this life, I pray that it will reflect the Proverbs 3:5-6 kind of life that says, "5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. 6 Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight."

My this life continue to yield in Him & bear much fruit for His glory alone as  John 15 says, "4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me - and I in him - bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you.8 My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples."

7 Years of our Lifetime Twogether

Today, Divine & I are celebrating 7 Years of our Lifetime Twogether.  There are so many reasons to be thankful to the Author of this Love Story that was officially "sealed " on March 31, 2007. These 7 multi-colored years brought a lot of good memories through our up & down experiences. We would like to share our top 7 most memorable moments twogether:

7. Travels to different places, exploring the nature, taking time to rest and reflect about life, about us, our ministry & our walk with the Lord.

6. Cooking & Eating food together - in our home & outside-  taking time to savor the "taste" of food over fruitful discussions about life, ministry & family.

5. Going to campus together, reaching out to the students by sharing the gospel & discipling them to know Jesus & make Him known to others.

4. Setting appointments, meeting potential ministry partners. Divine was the one pulling in the appointments over the phone while I did the ministry presentation and invitation during the meeting for them to become part of our mission team.

3. Morning or evening walk along the streets near our house while talking about anything under the sun.

2. Bedroom discussions - fruitful, engaging & conflicting ideas even for mostly not-so-big-deal topics.

1. Family bonding. We enjoy being with one another - be it in our room (with bible stories) or in any public places - simply enjoying each other's company.

To our Great Lover who enables us to love each other unconditionally,
To the One who brought us together,
And taste the beauty of life's wonder
To Him we are awful & thankful
To unconditionally love by His power.

Celebrating 10 Years!

I'm celebrating 10 YEARS of God's peace, power, presence & provision as a missionary with Philippine Campus Crusade for Christ (PCCC).

In 2004-2005, I was trained as a New Staff in the Great Commission Training Center (GCTC) of PCCC. My field ministry was Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Mesa.

In 2005-2006, I continued my field ministry in PUP. I'm blessed to see 89 disciples under the chain who multiplied in the lives of others. This is God's purpose for me as I obeyed His call to help fulfill the Great Commission.

In 2006-2012, I was assigned in Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), Intramuros. I got married with Divine on March 31, 2007. It was a privilege to serve Him as a trainer to new missionaries and a team leader in 2008-2012. Having 134 disciples down the chain was a humbling experience before God & men. It's truly His work.

In 2012-2013, God led me & my wife Divine to Ateneo de Manila University and called us to serve the PCCC National Student-Led Movements, working with a team of committed individuals who provide leadership for the national ministry of PCCC.

In 2013-2014, I joined in His team serving the Area Southeast Office (ASEO) of CCC. Greater scope. Mixed Culture. The same God. The same Mission: to help fulfill the Great Commission. The same Process: Win people for Christ. Build them up in faith & ministry skills. Send them to WIN, BUILD & SEND.

All these years' journey taught me a lot to discover more about myself and my one true God.

What has given me the greatest joy?

"Walking with Jesus in seeing His plan unfold in different areas of my life & ministry gives me the greatest joy.

I'm blessed to serve God with my family in helping see stronger student-led movements in campuses of Southeast Asia. As God is continually changing me from
glory to glory, it's indeed a joy seeing generations of changed lives who multiply in the lives of others to help fulfill God's Great Commission. "

Now , What's Impossible?

So what's up after a weeklong visit to two countries lately? Face-to-face conversations are meaningful and accomplishing much, more than the monthly Skype Coaching can do. Thank God for this privilege of going to where our people are--- right there on the field--- sowing the gospel, leading people to Jesus and multiplying in the lives of others.

When asked about what keeps them
excited, almost all of them mentioned about discipleship. They love to help students know Jesus, journey with the latter to discover more about Him and equip them
to do the same thing with others - evangelism & discipleship. Most of these young missionaries joined our student-led movements because of the ministry of our experienced fellow missionaries who once surrendered their lives to Christ, devoted themselves to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and went to campuses where the influential student leaders are to share the message of God's love and forgiveness through Jesus (John 1:12) with them.

Though there were a lot of challenges along the way, like support raising for some, family and personal concerns, yet the love of God and His calling sustain our brothers and sisters. I'm so much encouraged hearing from them and praying for our great God to continually and mightily use them for the expansion of His Kingdom here on Earth.

He has commanded us to "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," -Matthew 28:19. And He also promised to empower us, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth." -Acts 1:8

Now, what's impossible with God? I believe, nothing is impossible with Him. If we want to see more Christ-centered Multiplying Disciples who will help turn these campuses upside-down for Jesus, OBEDIENCE  IS THE KEY!

About Him

For about 5 years, I had no communication with him. I kept on searching for him in Facebook, twitter, and tried to communicate through emails, but none of him could be found nor heard about. Until one day, I remembered to open my old cellphone and scrolled down the contact list. I then found out the number of his girlfriend. I was able to chat with her through SMS and found out that their relationship did not work out. I also got his new number and contacted him. The phone just got ringing, nobody was answering. So I left a text message. After about an hour, a message that I received was, "I'm okay, Nalds who?" That started the conversation and confirmed that he is Ben (not the real name), the one that I have been looking for- to know how he is walking with the Lord, his career in life and his family back in our region as well.

To make this long story short, we met late at night in a coffee shop in Cubao, just a 20 minute drive from my place in Masinag, Antipolo City. During our time, Ben confessed that he did not walk with God for the past 5 years,  that he was lavishing so much the blessings God has poured in to the things that hurt the heart of God. He forgot the Lord. He thought that with the big income he is receiving as a seaman engineer, he can buy anything he wants, he can indulge in anything that will give him pleasure he desires and he can go anywhere he wants. Then later did he realize that he was already trapped in fornication, addiction on masturbation and buying material things that he didn't really need. These all led to his own distraction that put him in great debt until one day God opened his heart and eyes ti see the sins he committed before God. He was broke and cried out to God for help. Ben realized how calloused his heart was and how deeply he hurt the Lord. He acknowledged these sins before him and God was dealing with him, guiding him to once again stand up, pick up every piece of him and start to walk again, this time, more intimate with God.

Ben is currently serving as a professor in one of the universities in Metro Manila. He chose this time not to go back venturing in the middle
of the seas despite the favorable amount he can earn. For him, with the average income he is receiving, living by faith everyday matters the most. He is allowing God to use his life by being a good steward of his time, talent and treasure. He is now assisting some students' financial needs for their education. He is also meeting 8 guys for a weekly discipleship group as I walk alongside him for coaching. One of his guys is presently meeting 4 guys, the other 3 are meeting 2 and 1 each, respectively. This is Spiritual
Multiplication. Ben is building a movement in this campus and the students that he is discipling take ownership to reach their fellow students for Jesus through evangelism and discipleship resulting to Spiritual Multiplication like what Paul said to Timothy, "And entrust what you heard me say in the presence of many others as witnesses to faithful people who will be competent to teach others as well." -2 Timothy 2:2

God is indeed a loving, gracious God. We may stumble and fall and yet, His hand is always upon us to carry on the task that He has entrusted to us. Ben drifted away from the path our Father led him to take and embraced the pains and brokenness for him to go back to the arms of our God, just like what happened to the Prodigal Son. He is more concerned of our being and as we abide in Him, He will cause us to bear much fruit.

 "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me - and I in him - bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. -John 15:5

Would you like to know what Ben is sharing to the students? Go to this link Get the Knowing God Personally
http://www.godtoolsapp.com/?p=kgp&l=en