UPDATE from WCG PHILIPPINES

An official weekly e-mail newsletter from the Worldwide Church of God in the Philippines

National Director Meets Key Leaders to Discuss Small Groups

As a continuation of the previous Area Superintendent's Meeting held last July 14, the National Director Eugene Guzon met again with several Area Superintendents and pastors last July 21, 2008 to discuss the importance of having small groups. During the meeting, ND Eugene explained why we should have small groups.

He noted that having established and organized small groups previously, various pastors and brethren may have varying concepts and ideas of what a small group is or ought to be. Based on their past experience, they may have various thoughts, apprehensions and negative or positive reactions to having small groups once again.

ND Eugene then explained what exactly is the kind of small group that we want established that could benefit the local church and every member in the local church. This small group that we hope to have may differ or may be totally different from our past experience with small groups, he added.

To promote and help explain this, trainings and/or seminars on small groups to be conducted by selected key leaders are planned in the near future to address this need. --Noime Aileen del Rosario

ND Eugene Visits Bulacan, Checks Preparations for Upcoming Projects

ND Eugene Guzon visited NHV outreach area at Norzagaray, Bulacan last Sunday afternoon, July 20, 2008. Aside from attending the outreach activity there, He also inspected the facilities which will be used for the upcoming US short-term mission trip this August.

He also met with the local leaders of Bulacan and finalized the other logistical considerations for the upcoming projects. Part of the activities of the visiting team includes the hosting of the “Youth Leadership Camp” which will participated by about 60 young people. –Noemi Aileen del Rosario

Visayas-Mindanao Leaders Conference on August 9-11

We are pleased to announce our Visayas-Mindanao Leaders Conference this coming August 9-11 at the Victo Retreat Center, Beverly Hills, Lahug, Cebu City. All pastors and all our men and women leaders in the Visayas and Mindanao are highly encouraged to attend this wonderful time of equipping, fellowshipping, sharing, renewing acquaintances and meeting old friends. For Mindanao, we have cancelled our Mindanao Leaders Conference this July so that we can all join our Visayas fellow leaders for this August conference in Cebu.

Guest speakers for this conference are Mr. Charles Fleming, WCG Mission Developer for the Caribbean region and our National Director Eugene Guzon. Conference starts at noon time of August 9, Saturday and ends at noon time on August 11, Monday. Lunch is included on August 9 and 11. Cost for food and lodging for the whole event is P1,300 per person.

Contact person and event coordinator in Cebu is Pastor Jimmy Boone, cell phone number +63927-433-8491. Please begin planning and preparing now! Register as soon as you can!

Combined Metro Manila Worship Service on August 17

Please be informed that we will have a combined worship service this August 17 at the Amoranto Theater in Quezon City for all the Metro Manila local congregations. Worship services will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. Guest speaker for this combined meeting will be Dr. Mike Morrison, editor of Together: Worldwide Church of God News and managing editor of WCG's Christian Odyssey magazine.

For the second time, Dr. Mike Morrison will visit the country along with a delegation from the US for another short-term missions exposure trip.

Beloved: The Musicale on August 31

Announcing the anniversary concert presentation of the Glory to the Lord Fellowship called "BELOVED The Musicale" at the Amoranto Theater on August 31, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. with the Crossway Ministry Band, OMFJ Band of Manila, Amplifiers Band of Sta. Rosa and the Glory to the Lord Fellowship Band, featuring the GenMillenium Dance Company. Tickets are available for sale at P100. --Pastor Andrew Teng

Nationwide Updating of Leader's Profile (Please fill up this form)

Dear Senior Pastors, Pastoral Team Members, and Ministry Leaders: Greetings from the National Office! In line with our goal that: "Emerging leaders are identified and trained to fill ministry needs of the church within 2 years" and also in line with our goal that, "New congregations are cared for by trained leaders," may we request for your help: 1) in updating our current list of pastoral and ministerial leaders across our congregations nationwide and, 2) in seeking to identify emerging leaders in your congregations who will receive specific training to meet the various needs of our local churches.

To address this aforementioned need of our churches in terms of pastoral and ministerial leadership, we have designed a WCG Servant – Leader’s Profile Form (click link to download form) for our pastors and leaders to fill up.

By emerging leaders, we specifically mean those who are below 35 years of age. They may be serving in the local churches now (youth ministry, worship, outreach, etc) or they still need to be identified as one of the leaders that we anticipate would serve the local Church. We would like to request the Senior Pastors to make this form available to those emerging leaders in your congregations.

This profile form will help us determine the training/ equipping opportunities that our current and emerging leaders may have already gone through. Through this profile form, we hope to be able to determine the training need analysis and core competencies of both current and emerging leaders.

Through these assessments, we will be able to come up with specific retreats, conferences, mentoring, and other training sessions (both in-house and WCG recommended) to meet the leadership equipping needs of our servant leaders.

Kindly have all members of the Pastoral team, ministry leaders and identified emerging leaders fill up this WCG Servant – Leader’s Form. The form may be emailed back to me at this address: rex.delapena@wcg.org or have the printed form be mailed to the WCG National office. Due to the comprehensive scope of what we are trying to assess for the denomination, may I request to expect receiving this form (electronic or printed) by August 15th, 2008.

Thank you very much Pastors and ministry leaders for your help. May God continue to bless the work of your hands in the ministry, of which God has joyfully given us the privilege to participate in. God bless. --Rex Dela Pena, Leadership Development Coordinator

2008 Festival Dates

The festivals are an opportunity for us to gather together as a big group fellowshipping with one another as brethren and worshipping God together as one big family for several days in one place. These are not commanded assemblies but we gather together because we want to. We want to worship God together in one big group and enjoy each other's company as one big family for a few days. This is a time for rejoicing and taking time off from our daily routines and work. Children especially love "vacation time." For this year, let us again plan to be there and join the fun. These are the festival sites so far:

Baguio City - September 24 - 28 at Teachers Camp. Morning worship services are from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Various activities are slated in the afternoon. For housing accommodations, contact Pastor Jerry Ortiguero at +63920-903-8377.

Kiara, Bukidnon - October 23 - 26 at the WCG Kiara Church Building, Kiara, Don Carlos, Bukidnon. Contact person: Ruben Carmelotes at +63921-404-3487.

Motiong, Western Samar - October 23 -26. at Ygrubay Family Compound, Motiong, Western Samar. Contact person: Ptr. Danny de Guia at +63919-539-5397.

Dumaguete City - October 24 -26. Le Toundra Peak, Bacong, Negros Oriental. Contact person: Ptr. Angelo Ouano at +63915-804-4740.

Tagbilaran City - October 26. FAD Beach Resort, Baclayon, Bohol. Contact person: Ptr. Romy Pusta at +63917-241-3980.

Cagayan de Oro City - October 31 - November 2. Contact person: Ptr. Rollen Olango at +63927-345-5522.

We will post more details and more festival sites as we receive them from the various site coordinators. Let's begin planning and preparing now!

Two Baptisms at Pampanga Church

After attending worship services for the second time last Sunday at the WCG Pampanga Church, Dorothy Villaluna (third person from left) requested to be baptized. She was invited by her cousin (4th from left) who is a church member (visiting from the US) to attend this local church's worship services. Dorothy said she liked what she saw in the local church.

During the baptismal counseling in their home, an 18-year old youth, John Mark de Guzman (2nd from left), also joined and requested to be baptized. He used to attend Pampanga Church previously years ago. During this pastoral visit and baptism, non-attending brethren (due to distance) were also re-visited and relationships were re-established. Pastor Pio Umlas, one of this local church's ordained elder, expressed joy and excitement at the turn of events and with what the Lord has done.

Pampanga Church will be celebrating its 31st church anniversary this coming Sunday. All those who can drop by and visit are welcome to join us this Sunday from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. We welcome you to the family!

New Senior Pastors in Bukidnon

Please be informed that the new senior pastor for Kiara Church is now Pastor Georgie "Jojo" Geron (left photo) replacing Pastor Joel Alisbo who is now in Thailand. The new senior pastor for Maramag Church is now Pastor Levi Yuson (right photo), an ordained elder, replacing Pastor Rey Balistoy who is also now in Thailand. Additionally, Pastor Levi has been requested to help oversee our 4 local churches in the province of Bukidnon. He previously pastored both Kiara and Maramag churches years ago.

Ptr. Rey Gapul, senior pastor for Kidapawan Church, will also now (additionally) pastor back again our Purok Elisan Church and Pamantingan OBS replacing Pastor Joe Salvador who is also now in Thailand.

Sorry for this much delayed announcement. We request your prayers for all these men of God.

Nursing Licensure Board Exam Passer

Congratulations to Bambi Zaballero of the WCG Cagayan de Oro City Church who recently passed the Nursing Licensure Board Exam! We wish you all the best Bambi! Congratulations!

Speaking of Life Videos

Every week, Dr. Joseph Tkach presents relevant topics affecting life through a 3 or 4 minute video on the internet found in our WCG website. Pastors are highly encouraged to play these videos weekly as part of their local church worship services. A transcript is also available (in text format) for pastors to read during worship services. We have included it here as part of this Weekly Update.

Some local churches have found these videos very uplifting, and has kept them abreast of the current teachings of the WCG. For some, this is also their first time to see and hear Dr. Tkach and this has created a sense of the local church's being connected to the denomination's headquarters.

Below is a transcript of this week's Speaking of Life video:

Speaking of Life 098: COME VISIT US

Many of our viewers have let us know how much they enjoy Speaking of Life and have asked whether the Worldwide Church of God has local churches where they may receive teaching like they hear on Speaking of Life. The answer is yes.

We offer weekly worship services in hundreds of congregations around the world that emphasize a living personal relationship with Jesus Christ by faith. Many of our congregations are small, with 35 to 40 people, and visitors are more than welcome.

To find a congregation, you can write to one of our offices, or you can phone us and find out when and where we meet. Or you can check out our website for congregational meeting times and locations, as well as contact information for pastors.

Perhaps you'd like to visit us sometime, to praise God in song, to hear scripturally sound messages of the Good News of God and to meet others like you who have found rest in the goodness and grace of Jesus Christ.

Our pastors also offer spiritual counsel. If you have questions about God, the Bible, salvation or Christian living, then we are happy to talk. If you want to discuss repentance, faith, baptism or other matters, a pastor near you can discuss these on the phone or set up an appointment for a longer discussion.

We believe that Jesus offers freely what people need most, and we enjoy sharing the good news of what he's done for humanity.

Everything we do is offered as a service, made possible by members of the church who donate a portion of their income to support the gospel.

Jesus told his disciples to share the good news, and that is what we strive to do. We invite you to participate with us as we do so. Why don’t you plan to drop in on one of our services?

Our phone number in the United States is 1-800-423-4444. For contact information for other nations, see our website, www.wcg.org/international

I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE

Copyright 2008 Worldwide Church of God

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you." (2 Thessalonians 3:1)