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DEA CI: This Cant Be The Last!

Ondoy Sendong Pablo Quinta These names really sound familiar, right? Since December of 2011, the people of Mindanao have come face to face to these BIG 4 typhoons that exaggeratedly ruined everybodys excitements about the Christmas season. But instead of just sulking in one corner and idling for what has happened, the five annual conferences from the Davao Episcopal Area starting with the BPPAC, VPAC, EMPAC, NWMPAC and MinPAC became one in heart and in spirit as they wholeheartedly prayed, prepared and organize the first ever event that would gather the Young leaders from Visayas and Mindanao to celebrate the faithfulness of our Lord and to share the love of the Christmas spirit to others. We were getting ready for our travel bound to Leyte, waiting for the bus to arrive when the skies of Davao started to get dim, the clouds seemed to be angry and heavy raindrops fell to the dry and dusty concrete grounds, accompanied by strong winds and flashes of lightning. Some of us never cared of how bad the weather is and continued playing, some were already tired of waiting, and others were seated calmly and patiently, but me? I was really scared and worried already, and thoughts of pessimism plus the

The Young People delegates getting ready to sing during the Youth Led Worship at Philippines Central Conference.

by Resyl Faith Luzano (EMPAC)

troublesome what ifs were playing inside my mind. Then the long awaited bus came, passengers hurried inside the comfortable vehicle and silently, fervently praying that we can arrive safe and sound. Well, we did! With just few delegates, we started our program since we were already one day late due to some uncontrollable reasons, and I was wondering Malingaw kaya ko diri? Managhan pa kaya?(Would I be enjoying it? Are there still some who are coming?), and as the program and activities continued, God answered my questions and continued to overwhelm me with His plans. Little by little, continue to page10

I n s i d e
Young People's Address to PCC 2012 Sketches | Fulfill the Great Commission Soak in Christ: A Lifetime Routine C.I. 2012 Photos Status: In a REALationship The Contract Aldersgate Renewal 2012 Testimonies 2 4 5 6 8 8 9

YOUNG PEOPLES ADDRESS

INTRODUCTION
May all the young people in this Session stand (as you are able) and those who served and who were once a young person.

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Caravan Mission program. We are aware of what our church has gone through in the past few yearswe have been divided in our opinions, principles, and ideals. Some left. Some stayed. Some were accommodated. We were confused. We were hurt. We asked ourselves, Is this the kind of church that we will inherit? Is this the kind of church that we want to disciple us? Many questions remain in our minds, in our hearts. We may not have the answers. But this we know and believeour church has to move forward. And we, the young people of the church, have a big role to play! We pulled the young peoples composure together, held prayer rallies, organized unifying camps/institutes, and several forums. We were, as Romans 12:12 put it best, joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. We are united in knowing Christ. We are united with the same passion to make disciples. We believe in the process of connecting with people, planting seeds of Biblical foundations, equipping for the ministry, and empowering to make Christ known. Hundreds of thousands of people have not yet experienced life with Christ. As a church, let us extend our arms wider to embrace people from all walks of life; let us be agents of transformation in the world one act of kindness at a time. These are the things that are worth more of our time, resources and effort. These are the issues we need to talk about in our church meetings, in social media threads, and in our daily conversations with each other. Let us be accountable to each other. Let us work joyfully together. Let us stop building walls within us. Instead, let us break them down. These are the things that really matter. We know, and so we believe. We believe, and so we must act. We must act, so that our united efforts may positively transform our world. UMYAFP Today, we desire humble hearts. Today, we celebrate all the triumphs, our renewed strength and our readiness to soar higher. Today we conclude all the challenges we painstakingly overcame for the past four years. Today, we will create new beginnings and new efforts for reconciliation and unity. Today, we celebrate our revival. All of us should untiringly take part in the continued transformation of our church as we face the challenges of our time. As one body with many parts, may we all find our significant places in the church, running the race marked out before us. We call for genuine unity. We uphold the faith that stands through all circumstances. We affirm our faith through the United Methodist Church. WE ARE CHARGED, ROOTED, and UNITED! Say it with us, we are charged, rooted, and united!

We shared in the vision of the four areas of focus of the United Methodist Church. We trained new breed of leaders through our Breakthrough Bishops, the rest Leadership Trainings and of the members of this Leadership Summit. (PPT: 20th Philippines Central Developing Principled Conference, guests, we are Christian Leaders) We have the people of the United helped in the transition of Methodist Church, our many youth in becoming church; CHARGED. young adults by giving ROOTED. UNITED. orientation and serving as Say it with us, mentors. (PPT: Creating CHARGED. ROOTED. new places for new people) UNITED. We reached out to our indigenous brothers and Good morning sisters through the Caravan Bishops and delegates Missions, providing of the 20th Philippines their communities Central Conference! We greet you in behalf of the Delivered by Ramil De Vera, Sonny and April Gonzaga-Mercado (NUMYAFP) and with livelihood, values education, and diversity Floreuce Dale Cancio, Denise Anne Escusa and Joy Eva Bohol (NUMYFP). young people of the United trainings. (PPT: Caravan 1 Methodist Church of the & 2, Eliminating poverty) We partner with advocacy groups in promoting Philippines. Before we go on, let us recognize the young people in our awareness on HIV and AIDS as we share in the 2020 vision of an AIDSmidst. Please raise your hand if you are seating beside a young person. free world. (PPT: Bagong Pag-asa, NCCP Youth Desk, Improving Global (Wait for response). Stand, if you were an active UMYF or UMYAF Health) We also launched the nothing but nets campaign encouraging during your time. (Wait for response). Thank you! each local church to donate at least one mosquito net to support UMCORs This is our time. We are the church. We are CHARGED. ROOTED. global program on mitigating malaria. UNITED. Say it with us, CHARGED. ROOTED. UNITED. As people of the United Methodist Church, we are equally charged Four years have passed since the First Young Peoples Address was to Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. heard in the Philippines Central Conference session. Since then, how What you have seen and heard are our humble share in fulfilling our have we viewed, supported, and discipled our young people? charge from Jesus Christ. We go a long way because of our ideals, dynamism and our We recognize that we are all pilgrims in this journey of making strengths. We found courage in our weaknesses and we are challenged to disciples. Some could offer energy and idealism; some could offer wisdom pursue new and innovative ministries. We continue to dream because it is and experience. We ask you, those who have walked ahead of us, to pave where we look for opportunities and fulfill them. the way for the young people of our church to be in the leadership, and to work hand-in-hand with us in engaging the world. We embrace our diversity because we find ways for acceptance and unity. We strengthen our commitment and faith because they keep us as Teach us. Guide us. Hold us. Remain faithful with us to our charge! one family. We are the young people of the United Methodist Church We are CHARGED. ROOTED. UNITED. CHARGED. ROOTED. UNITED.

CHARGED, ROOTED, UNITED

THE YOUNG PEOPLES ADDRESS TO THE PHILIPPINES CENTRAL CONFERENCE 2012

experience and confirmed by reason. Scripture, however, is primary, revealing the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. (as stated in the Book of Discipline) We uphold our doctrines as members of the United Methodist Church, as Wesleyans, and as Christians. Lead us back to our traditions, to our heritage. Patronize what is truly oursemphasis on mission, prayer, fasting, holiness, small accountability groups, and works of the Holy Spirit to name a few. Our church, we believe, is overflowing with resource materials, resource persons, and programs that could empower our disciple-making task. But we need a united effort to do it! UMYAFP Some think that young adults is the missing generation of the church. True enough, we seem to be more focused in establishing our careers and building our families, yet we dont lose our hope in our church. We long for a church that caters to the holistic needs of the family. If the family is the basic unit of the society, then the family should be the basic unit of our ministries. Let us walk back through our memories Susana Wesley devoted her life for intentional discipleship of her children and Samuel Wesley took pride and supported in the accomplishments and endeavors of their children. Their family wasnt perfect. Yet they modeled for us a family worth emulating. We long for a church that parent us to become truly Christians. As we build our own families, we want to raise our children in a community of faith that is inclusive in its ministries, work and leisure. We believe that we need a spark to light us and turn us into a fire, and then we would see a vital church because the young people have risen; and we are back with passion and enthusiasm. We want to be rooted in faith so that nothing can uproot us from our heritage. Lead us. Re-learn with us. Together, let us reclaim our Wesleyan heritage and traditions. We want a church that is: CHARGED. ROOTED. UNITED.

CHARGED!
UMYFP The United Methodist Youth Fellowship in the Philippines is charged with a supreme task, To know Christ and make Him known. We believe that Christ has been made known in the lives of the young people through our various innovative programs: our campus ministry (PPT: Student Methodist Active in Campus Kirk), music and songwriting competition (PPT: Awit Kay Yahweh), literature (PPT: Pananaw Newsletter, and Pananaw Literary Award, CI Bible Study materials), workshops in social media (PPT: The World [Wide Web] is my Parish), and outreach (PPT: Out-of-School Youth community outreach). UMYAFP The United Methodist Young Adult Fellowship in the Philippines is charged to live the life exemplified by Jesus Christ. We walk, In Jesus

ROOTED
UMYF

Some of the literatures and programs available for the use of young peoples ministries are either borrowed or adopted from different ministries and denominations. It saddens us that some of our youth primarily looks for resources outside of our church because they think that those are more effective and cool. This is one reason why some young people drift from our Wesleyan identity. A lot of our youth get involved with the discipleship programs of other churches and para-church organizations. They are hungry for discipleship and meaningful, Christian relationships. In the end, when they graduate from College or they start working, they decide to leave the UMC and join these groups. Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in the Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal

UNITED!
UMYFP United is a word we really cannot detach ourselves from. Being the people of the United Methodist Church, we should live up to the name our church has adopted. More so, being Christians, we are united by the love that the God freely gavethat is Christ Jesus. We recognize unity in diversity. Though the youth and the young adults may be different, their avenues where we come together to move forward programs and ministries. We have been partnering together in advocacies like promoting awareness on HIV and AIDS, election of young people to the Central Conference session, and nurturing young people through mentorship programs. We have joined hands in reaching out to our Out-of-School youth and indigenous people through the

sketches
Floreuce Dale Cancio, TarPAC

PRESIDENTS DESK

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by Theresa Eleanor L. Paano, NWMPAC

Fulfill the Great Commission

Task #2: BE INSTRUCTED THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT The Holy Spirit is working to people who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. After God descent to heaven, He gave us His Holy Spirit to guide us; to give us hope, peace, joy, happiness, and everything according to Gods will in our lives. He told us that He would never leave us nor forsake us. He promises that He will bless us each day we need Him. The Holy Spirit gives us everything that we need may keep us victorious and will overcome the evil with good deeds. Let the Holy Spirit make us as the salt and light of the world. Be the setter of our hearts. Be the strength of our minds. Be the savior of our souls. Task #3: DO THE TASK #1 & #2 AND IN 40 DAYS, SPEAK ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD Are we talking about being a Pastor here? Hahaha! Yeah! A shepherd to the sheep. I really want to be a worship pastor but I was then thinking about that I dont know what to do. It was very unpredictable to me how am I going to do Gods missions if I do not have any idea on how to. It was ridiculous! But God wasnt finish yet. He makes difference every single day. Since I started reading Acts, I was thinking, My life will never be the same again! That was what my mentor told me. Yes, in 40 days, I will be reading the book of Acts. Finding out what God wants me to do even if it is limited to 40 days. But it is not done after 40 days; it will be a start of saying my life will never be the same again! On a 40 days journey with God, let the Holy Spirit works, May Jesus Christ be our redeemer and friend, and may God be glorified. Join me, lets read the word of God, do and teach it, be instructed by the Holy Spirit and let 40 days journey be a fulfilling one. continue to page12

Soak in Christ:
A Lifetime Routine
The Christmas Institute Theme for 2012 is Soak in Christ. True enough, it is a topic which needs in depth explanation, but let us tackle it in its most basic sense. When we hear the word SOAK, Im sure it reminds you of water, or maybe your laundry. Webster defined SOAK as to saturate with liquid or to wet thoroughly. But obviously, the term SOAK in this context definitely means deeper than that. Soaking and Soaking in Christ are two totally different feats. Soaking is an expressive term depicting a spiritual, emotional and physical position that we place ourselves in to spend time with our most high God. This is the time when we calm our souls from the hurly burly business of life and allow the Lord to soften our hearts with His Love. Soaking in Gods Presence is like putting ourselves on Gods divine operating table, wherein He puts us under anesthesia, leaving total control to Him as He carries out operations that only He can perform. Soaking is a momentary act, but soaking in Christ is a lifetime commitment. The truth is, it is not hard to do SOAKING. Its just that we have this human nature that we find it very difficult to just stop what we are doing and allow God to produce in us what only He can produce. Oftentimes, we associate productivity with our own hard work and effort and thats where we are wrong because God has a totally different perspective. We need to realize that time spent with God is time well spent. In other words, time with God is never a wasted time. The fruit of establishing this trust relationship with God and letting Him take control as we enter into His rest is True Peace. It is just like the final line of my Awit Kay Yahweh entry, ang tunay na kapayapaay nagsisimula sa PUSO, which means, true peace begins when our anxious hearts plagued with several, different voices are hushed by the Prince of Peace when we devote our time for soaking. The key word to SOAKING IN CHRIST is REMAIN. This is where John 15:4 comes in. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain with the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless

FEATURE

Acts 1:1-3 (NIV) Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven 1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. Our God is a very thoughtful God. Right? He certainly gives instructions to His people. He delivers them in the right time, in the place and in the right situation. My mentor told me to start my devotion in reading the book of Acts where there are a lot of teachings and thoughts from Jesus. When I started reading it, there was a rhema (( in Greek) literally means an utterance or thing said in Greek. It is a word that signifies the action of utterance) out of it. Rhema means when you say or read a word, it signifies an action about it. It touches my heart, mind and soul. My unpredictable life was filled with the purpose of God when I started reading the book of Acts. From Acts 1:1-3, God gave me 3 Tasks. Excitingly, I was urged to make notes on this to make stories and testimonies out of it. Here are the 3 Tasks. These tasks were not based on the whole thought of the Task #1: TO DO AND TO TEACH I was instructed by God to do and to teach the gospel to everyone around me. As a Christian, a fully devoted believer, we must do something! If you believe, say so! Do something that God would appreciate, that God will smile at you and wills say I was waiting for you to do that. Good job! He is waiting for you to say that you are about to do these things for Gods glory. Everything that you do is to see God, to feel God and to experience God. Do it now! The gospel of God is not just for you. Dont just keep it on your mind but teach other people how God teaches you. Through teaching the word of God, the great commission is being fulfilled. The promises of God have been shared. Your life is a living testimony. Your life is also a teaching to other people.

missio Great Com The

Therefore go and make disc iples of all nations, bapti zing them in th e name of the Father and of th e Son and of th e Holy Spirit Matthew 28:1 9

you remain in me. Guilty as charged, most of us remain in Christ only on Sunday. A very few number remain in Christ during weekdays. Do you know what Jesus wants? He wants us to remain in Him like a branch remains in a vine. This relationship is inseparable. Remain in Jesus Christ ALWAYS, not sometimes, not only when you are free, not only when you are in the mood, not only when youre alone in your room and definitely not only in good times. The moment you separate from the vine, you will wither. Remaining in Christ doesnt require you to always lock yourself in your room and pray in solitude. At the same time, when you keep saying Praise the Lord or Hallelujah and keep yourself away from everyone, it doesnt mean you are remaining in Christ. Although it is healthy to spend some time alone, have some quiet time, to pray, meditate and talk to Him, we cannot avoid our family and social life. Of course, we need to earn to live, go to school and face people as part of our day to day routine. But thats where the act of remaining in Christ can be best practiced; that even if you are busy with the daily demands of life, we will not forget God in our hearts, let others manifest that we fear the Lord, do our best to live a life of conscientious walk and never permitting the enemy to control us. Difficult? Well heres an easier way to remain in Christ. Just follow the three simple rules: Do good, do not harm, and stay inlove with God despite the hustle-bustle of our everyday living. If you want to experience Gods miracle in your lives, stay with the vine. If you want to be productive, fruitful and useful, stay with the vine. If you want to grow and mature, stay with the vine. Remember that Jesus warned us, Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he [the Gardener] taketh away ... If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned (John 15:2, 6). Yes, the act of remaining in Christ is easier said than done, but the consequences of not abiding in him are more difficult than you could imagine. So which do you prefer? Facing the challenge and undergoing the complex process of soaking in Christ, or enduring the very complicated consequences for not being soaked in Him? God already provided the options; its up to you to decide. And if you choose the first option, dont just soak in Christ in selected days; exercise soaking in Christ daily; or better yet, make soaking in Christ a lifetime routine.

CI 2012 PHOTOS

by Tomas Jerico Aliwalas and Marick

PAC
Cordillera Mission District
by Tomas Jerico Aliwalas

West Pampanga District

by Tomas Jerico Aliwalas

CI 2012 PHOTOS
Northeast Philippines Annual Conference
by Rejie Ann Constantino, Benigno Alcantara

In a

status

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The

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by Theresa Eleanor L. Paano, NWMPAC

REALationship

CONTRACT
by Sylwyn Sheen Guevarra Alba, PAC

Aldersgate Renewal 2013

TESTIMONIES
Collated by: James Vincent Turingan and Kevin John A. Maddela

Its February! Its love month, they say. Yes Im sure youre starting to see heart cutouts and cupid images everywhere. Its that time of the year again mostawaited by couples and abhorred by singles, especially on the 14th day. And Im pretty sure you have some plans for that day too, be it having a romantic date with your special someone, or having a party with your single friends in celebration for the singleawareness day. But people just cant see the real picture. Theres more to this month than that. Since its the socalled love month, then lets talk above LOVE. What else tickles the insides, makes the system alert and catches your attention other than LOVE? However, I do not mean to burst your bubbles because you might be expecting something that tackles love, courtship and marriage. Yes, we will be talking about relationships, but its a different kind of relationship, something that is extraordinary, something that is REAL. February might be the month of hearts, but it does not only focus on the superficial, human love. We fail to recognize that there is this one special person who needs our love and attention more than anyone else. We are too busy thinking about what to give to our mates and how to celebrate it that we neglect the one who started it all, the author of true love and romance. And if Im not making it too obvious, yes, I am talking about God. Let us not forget that we learned to love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). That is why it is just appropriate that we return the favour. Then again, its got to be more than that. Our relationship with God must be more than just returning the favour; it must be heartfelt and genuine. It must not be a kind of relationship that exists only in times of trials and hardships; but a relationship that exists 24/7. It must be an unbreakable, intimate bond that is not simply disconnected by discouragement and frustrations, when things do not go as expected or planned. Having a relationship with God is essential in our lives. Our human relationships may end, but our relationship with God knows no bounds. Let me take romantic relationships as an example. In our society today, it is undeniable that there is almost no assurance on how long romantic relationships will last. In fact, I know a lot of partners who call it quits after just one week; or a sadder fact is that some partnerswho have been together for 8 years decide to part ways. But dont be affected by these facts because theres good news. continue to page10

Christmas Institute (CI) has been a venue wherein the young people of the United Methodist Church in the Philippines gather, learn and worship together as one. Naging mahalagang parte na ito ng buhay ng mga kabataan mula noon hanggang ngayon. May mga nakatagpo ang Lord, nagcommit sa ministeryo, nakakita ng lifetime partners at nagstep up na great leaders, dahil na rin sa tulong ng tinatawag na CI experience- ung experience na parang katumbas ng heart-warming experience ni John Wesley noon. At gusto ko ngayong ikwento ang nakaraang istorya ng aming CI. Heto na We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) Yan ang peg namin ngayon. Naglayon kami na madama ni kabataan ang pagibig ng Panginoon at maudyok na sumunod sa Kanya ng tapat after realizing this love. Akoy isang simpleng staff na kabilang sa program committee. Aminado sa aking sarili na ako ay nagkulang sa preparasyon. Ngunit naghanda na rin ako para sa mga hindi inaasahang mangyayari. At nagsimula na nga ang unang araw Alas singko y media pa lang ay may mga kabataan nang nagsidatingan. Nakakatawa kasi kami yung hindi pa nakahanda sa mga oras na yun. Sunod sunod na nga ang pagdating ng mga kabataang nagmula sa Philippines Annual Conference (Northwest and Southwest District). Originally, ayon sa programa, 10 AM magsisimula ang opening worship pero unang araw means unang bugso rin ng pagsubok at pagtatagumpay. :P Wala pang sound system! Yan ang bumulaga sa aming unang mga oras. Bilang program committee, siyempre hindi ito basta basta biro ito dahil may programa kaming sinusundan, idagdag pa natin ang napakaagang pagdating ng guest speaker namin at 7:30 AM. We have no choice but to move the program 6 hours naghintay ang aming speaker, and finally nakapagsalita na siya at 1:30 PM. Nakakahiya pero good thing he understood the situation. Hindi lang ito nangyari sa unang araw, kundi in the whole duration ng CI may mga adjustments din... Ngayong CI kumuha kami ng event organizer at siya ang umayos ng lahat, mula sound system, food, accommodation, at transpo. Ngunit katulad nga ng sinabi ko kanina, hinanda na namin ang sarili continue to page10

Its my 4th time na mag attend ng Aldersgate Renewal. Dito sa Aldersgate 2013 mas naramdaman ko ang calling ko to serve God, to transform the nation, our church by reaching generations..dito ko talaga naramdaman na I am called to lead and to reach others in His Name -Brylex Paul S. Sosa 2013 great opportunities! Our testimony goes this way, 2012 was also a great year for us pero parang kulang pa din, madami pa ding nagdaan na trials. We really planned to go to Aldersgate Renewal 2013. Nanghiram pa nga kami ng pang-registration kasi wala pa yung expected salary namin sa last job namin. December 27, we received our salary so nakabayad kami ng mga nahiram namin. Then may kaunting natira para baunin sa Aldersgate. When Pastor Josef Zabarte gave his testimony about tithes/offering eto ang tumatak sa isip ko, when we give our offering to God always give the best, so nag-isip ako I have 500 peso bill in my wallet and 300.00, I asked God to guide me how much I am going to give beacause I am not a real giver to, my mind tells me sayang kung yung 500 ang ibibigay ko but my heart tells me to give the best. I started praying, saying thank you and bless my offering. So I gave the best amount I have. Binigay ko yun ng walang regrets and I never expect ng whatever na kapalit. I went home with nothing left in my wallet but, I didnt worry. January 7, two days after Aldersgate, my supervisor called and told me to get my check at hindi pa daw namin nakuha yung training allowance namin na ang alam namin nakuha na namin lahat last Dec.27. The next day yung isang supervisor ko tumawag sinabing my project daw kmi. Agad-agad another blessing ang dumating. God really has in stored something for us, kailangan lang natin sabayan ng galaw. God will always provide for us. -Catherine Real and Mark Manalese Nung una kong narinig ang Aldersgate, sabik na akong malaman at maranasan kung ano nga ba ito at kung ano nga ba ang magiging epekto nito sa aking buhay. Dumaan pa ang isang taon bago pa man ako makapunta ngunit wala pa rin akong pera para sana sa mga gastusin. May mga tao akong nilapitan at sobrang bait talaga ni Lord dahil para sa ikakabuti ng kanyang mga anak ay lahat ipagkakaloob niya. Nakarating ako sa Baguio na kulang ang pera, pero dun ko narasan na truly God is a provider. Marami akong natutunan at nalaman, hindi lang tungkol kay Lord kundi sa aking sarili

din. Naranasan ko kung gaano tayo kahalaga kay Kristo, at kung gaano nya tayo kamahal. Masasabi kong blessed ako ng sobra dahil isa ako sa mga pinili niya na pumunta ng Aldersgate, at syempre next time pinapanalangin ko na hindi lang ako yung pupunta kundi mga iba pang kabataan sa aming simbahan ksama ang buong pamilya. -Romnick Verdadero It is my first time to attend the Aldersgate Renewal. My churchmates asked me if I could come and I said yes. Mag-iisponsor ang church namin ng delegates pero 5 slots lang. Hindi ako kasali dun kasi nakapagplano na sila bago ako nakauwi ng Santiago. So it means, I need to pay for my registration. That time, we are financially insufficient. Maraming gastos pero walang income kasi bakasyon nga. Wala naman akong mahanapang sponsor. Pero kampante ako na makasasama ako. After our BS during CI, I went to Teacher Aimee to have a small conversation. Later on, she told me that my churchmate is giving up her slot for the sponsorship and she wants me to take it. I cried and thanked God for He made a way. I remember Teacher Aimee saying, alam mo ba kung bakit gumawa ang Panginoon ng paraan para makapunta ka? Kasi natutuwa Siya sa ginagawa mo. continue to page12

status... from page 1 our numbers increased then I have remembered what Pastor Jez mentioned when we have our morning devotion at the Port that, its not the quantity, its the quality of praise and your heart that counts. It was really incredible and the room now was full of young people with hearts that sing songs of gratefulness, ready to learn and eager to strengthen one another and show love and compassion to those who needs it. By this, we need to prepare to SOAK in CHRIST. It may look so simple and can be understood totally without any further explanations, but honestly being fully soaked can be harder than what we have imagined. Every night we evaluate our program till dawn, just to make sure the delegates were serious and matured enough to understand and grasp the essence of each activity. Assessments of each activity were done and reasonable response a n d action to the listed observations were done with the help and guidance of the One who Created us, and all the experiences that we have encountered surely marked our hearts and taught us the lessons that cannot be taken away easily. We nurture ourselves spiritually, were guided by the supportive group of clergy and lay people who made effort in increasing our comprehension and intensifying our relationship with one another and most especially with Jesus. This Christmas Institute really made us super soaked in Christ, spiritually and physically! The participation of the rain during the SOAK 3 Night helped us to appreciate the experience of being blessed and anointed by God. Loud cries and rising praises surely reached the heavens that moment, hearts opened and wounds were healed, burdens lightened and commitment was renewed to every young people who wanted to serve the Lord through their own special gift. At that time, I know that God is very well pleased! Overwhelmed by the events that has happened during the 3-day Christmas Institute, I still wish that we have longer time to share stories and experiences, build relationship to one another. Well, God still plans for greater things and I know that the DEA-WIDE events have just begun. In His perfect timing the five annual conferences will be meeting again so, this cant be the last!

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status... from page 8 Our relationship with God has no breakups! Even before we decide to build a relationship with Him, He already has a relationship with us. He has no plans of letting us go; in fact, during those times we feel like He is drifting apart, we are the ones letting go of Him. In human relationships, we cannot simply ask our partners to restart after a break up, but with God we can go back to Him anytime and He is there waiting with arms wide open. A relationship with God is a relationship like no other. It is a special kind of connection that only God and God alone can provide. Whether we admit it or not, humans are created to limited. Yes we can make our loved ones happy, try our best to give them what they need, spend quality time with them, come to their rescue when they need help and be there for them when they need comfort; but human as we are, we arent perfect. We are not superman, and even superman cannot do everything. Humans are limited; but our God is limitless. When we have a relationship with Him, He is willing to give us not only our needs, but even our trivial wants (Psalms 37:4). He will show you what grace looks like. Youll be amazed. But just like human relationships, God wants a mutual understanding. Yes, He will never get tired of loving us and connecting with us; but He also wants us to feel the same for Him, to value Him more than we value our life and to love Him more than we love our loved ones and ourselves. We know how it feels to have a onesided love affair right? And our tendency is we just give up and move on. However, it is nothing compared to our Father in heaven who has a lot of one sided love affairs in the world yet He never gives up on us. He patiently waits for the day that we give our hearts to Him, no matter how long it takes. You see, thats how great His love is for us. Im not saying we forget all our human relationships. I am saying that it is about time that we build or rebuild our relationship with God. Having a relationship with Him will surely change our life and make us feel pure joy that we cannot experience in superficial human relationships. He can fill the emptiness within us and gratify the longing of our souls. Human relationships can disappoint us, but God never will; in fact, once we establish this bond with Him, He will then work wonders in our relationship with others. Until we are satisfied with the relationship we have with God, only then can we be satisfied in our human relationships. Become intimate with the lover of your soul. Aim to get this relationship right before pursuing another. Open your life inbox and check your notifications. God has requested you to be in a relationship with Him. God is excitedly waiting for your confirmation on His relationship status request. So, are you ready to change your life status to In a REALationship with God today?

the contract.. from page 8 sa mga di inaasahang pangyayari.TAMA! Hindi namin inasahang hindi siya tutupad sa ilang mga ipinangako during negotiation time pa lang. tsk tsk Sound system (mics and dalawang speaker) provided pero walang drumset, LCD projector, at keyboards. Unang araw pa lang nagspecial meeting na for troubleshooting. Resolving the problem was the peg for the day. Good thing, we were able to get the things we need from the concerned PAC churches (Central, Knox and Makati UMC). 1st truth: GOD PROVIDES. DONT WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING. Though may mga pagsubok na katulad nito, hindi naman nagsuffer ang quality ng mga activities for the day. Na-hit pa rin ang objectives plus higit pa sa iniexpect. Sabi nga ng first speaker namin, Ok lang magkaproblema, ang mahalaga ay hindi ito nararamdaman ng delegates niyo. Ito yung panahong mas kailangan niyo magkaisa para masolusyunan ang problema. [salamat dok] Pangalawang araw, ang medyo naging struggle dito ay ang pagkaen. Longganisang flat sa umagahan, pork chop na may sabaw ng adobo sa tanghalian at embutidong tuyo sa hapunan. Walang kape at nagkulang pa sa tubig. Pero katulad ng natutunan namin nung unang araw, PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW Kaya namankahit mahirap lunukin, ang hustisya sa pagkaing pinagkasunduan ay isinantabi muna at nagpasalamat pa rin na kamiy may makakain. Babawi na lang po bukas, yan ang sabi ng mga kuyang nagserve ng food. Pero hindi ko napigilang maiyak nung gabing iyon. Nang makita ko ang hapunan, alam ng ibang staff kung paano ko nadisappoint at nanghina, di ba Aldrin?Isang malaking HAYY Naiyak ako dahil naawa ako sa mga delegates namin, naiyak ako dahil hindi ko matanggap na ganon ang kakainin namin matapos ang isang nakakapagod na araw [mapunta ka ba naman sa impiyerno at sa langit, idagdag pa ang pagod sa pagaabsorb ng mga lessons sa buong maghapon]. Nakakaiyak di ba? Pero dahil dito, nakita ko ang 2nd truth: GOD SUSTAINS US. BE THANKFUL! Umaga ng makakain kami ng tatlong klase ng ulam, itlog, hotdog (ung tigtetres siguro) at meat loaf, bumawi nga. Pero sabi ko nga sa isip ko, Hindi yun pagbawi. Yun lang talaga ang dapat na tinatanggap namin sa binayad namin sa pagkaen. (bitter pa rin. hahaha) Pero sige, isuko na ang bitterness, at tanggapin na lang ang mga susunod... Third day, ang mahabang piring. Bible study at trust walk. Sa araw na ito, ang pinagusapan ay ang objective ng program. Actually kung ieevaluate siya, out of 100%, meron siguro itong 50% na hit sa layon ng araw na yun. Medyo nagkaroon ng kaisipan na hindi nameet un goal sa trust walk (na highlight ng 2nd day), dahil nawala ang solemnity at kaayusan ng activity itself. Pero para sa akin, hindi naman siguro.

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Iba-iba ang take ng mga kabataan sa mga gawaing inihahain natin sa kanila. Merong seryoso, meron ding naglalaro. May nakakaintindi at meron din namang hindi. Kahit na gaano kaganda at kaayos ang trust walk na gawin ay hindi pa rin natin kontrol ang magiging reaksiyon ni kabataan. Hindi naman naging epic fail iyon dahil Im sure na may mga kabataang sineryoso ang gawain kaya naman naging maganda rin sa kanila ang dating nito, hindi nga lang talaga lahat. Pero overall, its a thumbs up na rin. Hindi naman natin masusukat ang pagtanggap ng tao sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga iyak o sigaw e. 3rd truth: MAN LOOK AT THE OUTSIDE APPEARANCE BUT GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART. ONLY GOD KNOWS. Pangapat na araw, wag na natin pagusapan ang pagkain. Hahahahha, dito oras ang hinahabol. Sa loob ng apat na araw, hindi naging ahead or on time ang preparation ng pagkain. Naging istrikto sa oras, mula paggising ng maaga hanggang sa pagcontrol ng time dahil magiging siksik ang buong araw Kaso ang lahat ng ito pala ay tataluhin din ng late na lunch at dinner namin. Haha, ang nasabi na lang, OK. When God Ran... Nun mga nakaraang araw ay medyo may mga hindi kami na-hit na objectives (program) na gusto sana naming iparating kay kabataan. Pero laking gulat at pasasalamat namin na sa panghuling araw ay tila tinahi-tahi na nito ang programa at dinaanan pa ung mga naging pagkukulang nun mga nakaraang araw.BULLS EYE! Naguusap nga kami ni Wapoy nun at ang sabi namin, Ang galing lang! Nakuha ung mga hindi nakuha nung nakaraan tapos sobra pa! Naamaze talaga kami nun! 4th truth: GOD IS IN CONTROL. LEARN TO TRUST. And lastly, the 5th day. Ang araw na pinakahihintay ng mga magulang namin. hehehe, Tuluyan nang hindi nasunod ang oras at programa. Pero sa closing worship isa lang ang masasabi ko: isang katagumpayan ang CI. Banggitin ko lang ang mensahe ng paghamon. Matapos natin malaman kung gaano tayo kamahal ng Diyos, at tanggapin ang pagibig na ito, tayo ay tinatawag na sumunod sa Kanya. Dalawang utos ang iniwan. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Then love your neighbour as yourself. Simple lang, PAGIBIG. Madali lang umibig kung ayon sa depinisyon nating mga tao ang susundin. Pero katulad ng pagibig na ipinakita ng Ama, ibinigay ang sariling Anak dahil sa pagibig sa atin, gayundin ang inaasahang pagibig na ibabahagi natin sa iba. Dahil ang pagibig natin ay mula sa Diyos, dapat ito ay walang pinipili, walang sini-sino, walang tigil, at walang kundisyon. In short, WAGAS at DALISAY. Kaya naman kahit tayo ay naNILDA, matuto tayong continue to page12

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the contract... from page 11 ibigin pa rin ang mga taong nakagawa sa atin ng hindi maganda, though hindi kinakalimutan na sa pagibig ay may kapatawaran pero meron ding hustisya. Siyemperds, ang kontrata ;p Napakadami kong natutunan, sa sarili ko at sa bawat isa. Outside the programa, maraming tumatak sakin katulad ng pagtitiwala sa Diyos at sa mga kasama, pagiging kalmado sa panahon na ang lahat ay aligaga na, paggawa ng magagawa mo at pagpapaubaya sa Diyos ng hindi mo kayang gawin, pagiyak para sa iba, pagsunod kahit sa mas nakababata sayo, pakikinig sa mga ate at kuya, panalanging mataimtim sa gitna ng kaabalahan, at pagibig period. Isang kagalakan ang maging bahagi ng CI na ito. Sa taong ito, lalo pang ibigin ang Diyos, sa katotohanan at sa gawa, at pag nangyari ito, hindi na tayo mahihirapang ibigin ang iba. Mahalin kahit ang di kaibig-ibig. Ikalat ang Kristo sa pamamagitan ng pagibig na umaapaw mula sa ating mga buhay, sa pamilya, kaibigan, kachurch, katrabaho, ka-faith, kababayan, katutubo, kasama, kakilala, kasalubong, katampuhan, kaaway, at idagdag mo lahat ng ka na maiisip mo Patuloy na magalab at wag mawala ang init ng pagibig sa Panginoon upang patuloy din ang pagibig natin sa ating kapwa... humayo! Again mga ka, ang mahalaga, WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US! Spread the Word! Christ above all!#Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me #love love love aldersgate renewal 2012 testimonies... from page 9 Natutuwa Siya sayo. Then I cried again. I was so blessed but I still have a concern, the sponsorship doesnt cover our fare and allowance, so I prayed. January 1, 2013 we have our family reunion. My aunt gave me five hundred pesos because she heard that I am going to Baguio for the Aldersgate Renewal. That night, my other aunt visited us and I installed Microsoft Office in her daughters laptop. Unexpectedly, she gave me another five hundred pesos. I was so blessed that time because I do not need to worry for my fare and allowance. God really wants me to go and more blessings came during the Aldersgate Renewal. Maybe thats the reward for trusting Him. Umpisa palang ng taon pero masasabi ko ng kumpleto na ang taon ko dahil sa Aldersgate Renewal. I learned a lot and Ill make sure that I will not be the only one that will be blessed. Isasabuhay ko lahat ng natutunan ko at ibabahagi ko to sa mga taong makakasalamuha ko. I can say that I drew the line and made a new covenant with the Lord. -Jedidiah B. Perez

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sketches... from page 4 Remember our Quadrennial Theme, Make Disciples of Jesus Christ to Transform the World, and its a continuation of the UMYFP: Intensifying Social Holiness in Leadership Sustainability. As Jesus was taken up into heaven, may we see the work of God through the Holy Spirit. #siKRISTOhigitsalahat

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not your ordinary... from page 4 of Vol.IV No.VIII Christian friends now known as the CBL Board of Governors formulated rules that were based on our Christian values and policies formulated by higher basketball entities like FIBA, PBA and the NBA. Some of the unique rules that the board formulated are: *Every team must have a Small group session before the game. Either days before the game or minutes/hours before the game. Failure to have a small group session before the game will cause the team, automatic default. * Each team must have 2 representatives to share their small group session to the other team and vice-versa. * A 1.5k quota for each team (The normal quota for a league is around 5-10k) Headed by its Commissioner Pastor Floyd Alcantara, the Board of Governors officially launched the CBL last March 31 2012 at the Mapayapa Village 2 court. With all 11 teams (named after the 12 disciples) composed of almost all churches in QCPACE, the teams made a covenant to each other and to God that CBL will be a Christ-centered league and that discipleship, sportsmanship and fellowship will be its mandate. After 3 months of CBL, the Lord has been good to this ministry that He provided the league with sufficient funds to push through. It also had a great impact to those who participated. One significant impact is that the number of male UMYF in Churches grew, as one UMYF from Tala UMC shared sobrang salamat po sa Lord sa buhay ng mga organizers ng CBL, dahil sa CBL, dumami po ang kabataan namin at marami ang nagiging active sa Church. Not only that the number of male UMYF in Churches grew, but also the unity and bonding of the UMYF became stronger. Dahil sa CBL naging ka-close ko yung ibang UMYF sa church, yung mga dating di sumasama sa activities ngayon sumasama na dahil naging friends na namin dahil sa CBL UMYF from Deparo UMC.