Performers' Circle First Name Musicale

It has been some years since our last provincial tour.  This year through the 80th Anniversary Celebration the group decided to go for another Musicale entitled "First Name" by the Trumpets. Our team were able to go to Vigan, Laoag, Baguio and La Union to perform and have led more people to Christ.

And finally a performance for God in UECP yesterday.  In this year's performance, I felt God has really set up a new batch of performers for our church and I was impressed with what they have presented as a team.  So far, I can consider this performance the best through the years.  Steven's directing has improved a lot, and of course with the right chemistry of our young people.  They were able to bring the message of Jesus Christ clearly to the audience.  Many were asking for a repeat performance, will see...

This is a more improved Performers' Circle in terms of running a show.  I was also informed how the members cooperated in setting up the sets in the different provinces.  And I thank God because this was really the dream of the original people who organized the group - all will work together harmoniously for the gospel, no one is to be above anyone (bawal artistahin).  Just as I have mentioned in my previous blog, benchmarking with the Heavenly Melody group on how they work together.

I praise God because I personally witnessed such cooperation after the show in UECP, where everyone cooperated and removed all the set in 30 mins as a team, considering our stage is really very big.

God has been working in each ministry, which I would soon leave behind as I move to my new ministry.  God is telling me that each ministry is safe in His hands.  I praise God for the wonderful experiences and opportunities I got in serving my mother church.    

Celebrating 38

Clock is really ticking... Last week, in the Heavenly Melody Concert in UECMalabon, I was able to be seated from start to the end since I was just accompanying the group for their concert with our daughter church.

In his message, he said Birthdays are not necessarily happy.  It is like God has given us coins in our pocket and each year spend is one coin lost.  It means life gets shorter.  But the problem is you do not know how many coins are in your pocket.  Very very true.

As I celebrate my birthday at 38.  I was able to reflect my contributions and my damages to the world in this 38 years of existence.  I spend some time walking around our main sanctuary that day praying and God has indeed used me in many ways and I praise Him about it.  Still a normal busy day for me since I am the Program Director of two-month long 80th Anniversary Celebration, we just finished 20% of our scheduled activities.

Of course, I took off early and went to have dinner with my godchildren.  This has been our second year, where my godchildren, Marisa, Bryan, Sally and Dominic would treat me for dinner.  By the way, Dominic was absent last year, so this is his first year to join the group.  I might miss this since Bryan is already leaving for Singapore.

I enjoyed much having such dinner with I really felt my children hehehe since I do not have one and hope to have one in the very very very near future.  Oh God, please... hehehe. We ate at UCC since some of them has not eaten there.

Seeing them discuss life and encourage one another like how they talk to Dominic seems to really make us a family as older siblings encourage the younger ones.

 Marisa got to bring me home that night is her big big car.  Praise the Lord for He allows me to continually see how He bless me and be blessed through people like my godchildren.

Heavenly Melody Concert

Gladly, it has been 8 years since I got acquainted with the Heavenly Melody Singing Group and has maintain in close contact with them.  I praise God for allowing them to come to the Philippines though they are really very very busy.  They just came in from New York and after a few days of rest came to our church to present a three night evangelistic concert.

All the concerts were fully attended.  What I love about their songs as compared to other Christian songs is that rather than the usually praise and worship to hype your feelings, the focus of their songs is evangelistic.  This theme has always been their target - all songs should evangelize and proclaim who God is to its listeners.  Not many song writers or singing group has focus their song on such important message.  Whenever I listen to their music, I felt how God is so close to man and that He is the Almighty and is actively involve in our daily lives.

There were new members of the group from Sunshine who came for the first time to the Philippines.  The Sunshine group is a younger singing group like our Junior Choir in church.  They were being trained to become professionals.  The Heavenly Melody is a professional singing group.  They earned their living through this ministry.

I am glad to allow more young people to witness how they work together.  Amazing, bringing all their sound system to the concert venue and setting it all up in 20 mins, and packing all up in 10 mins.  Everyone took part; and a role in a specific task.  They really work as a team.  Incredible.

So, I remembered their very first visit that draw up my vision to have a group of young people in performing arts in 2001, which bore Performers' Circle through the help of Steven Conde and Derrick Lim (the founders).  It was amazing how the group lasted and has already performed many shows.  Though PC has not gone professional but their group is becoming stronger and performances becoming better.  Would this be realized someday that the group becomes a professional group???  God knows...

So far, Performers' Circle has been doing provincial tours and in our last tour, it was reported that the whole cast really worked well together and helping each other set and packing things up.  The concept of Heavenly Melody team is already present after 8 years... hehehe

In all areas, I praise God for continually using me and my ministry and my co-workers and my church to spread the gospel through different means and opportunities.  Praise the LORD!

Who Will Do It For Me?

It seems things are really very very awkward, how can you do a program that recognizes yourself?  Whether you like it or not, you were the appointed in-charge as the program director.  Now, they add an event that recognizes you.

Isn't that ridiculous?  The turn of events created an imbalance for the planning of program.  Doing it too simple destroys the essence of the celebration since the recognition is much much bigger than the celebration itself.  But doing it celebrative might cause people to think that you are glorifying yourself rather than God.

Your hands are now tied up; in all directions you take, all decisions become wrong decisions.  And the worse part of this, time is not on your side.  The insertion of such recognition came very very very late.

So, who will do it for me?

The Church Just Endorsed

The church leaders through the recommendation made by the Board of Elders last June 1, approved in June 5 for the ordination of my brother and I this coming 80th Anniversary on July 12.

Well, honestly, I did not feel any excitement because my concept of ordination is a little bit different.  Ordination for me is an affirmation of the church of my pastoral ministry calling and work, and upon ordination I would move to become a bona-fide, empowered minister to do gospel work in the church who ordained me.  But I am leaving, I already signified my intention to leave last February to join Makati Hope Christian School to be their Assistant Principal.  I really felt weird rather than excited with the affirmation of my calling to fulltime minsitry.  I have talked to the leaders to decline but due to some technical issues, I have to accept the ordination.

Come to think of it, I felt accepting ordination is additional work hehehe... which is true.  Not that I am complaining.  I know my life is dedicated to God's work, but being ordained and attending Makati Hope Christian Church as a volunteer seems disadvantageous.  The church does not have any ordained minister, so in any liturgical work, I would become the closes available in times of need, which in Filipino-Chinese church, there seems to be a need everyday.  So, I need to fill in automatically??? hehehe... Oh no, we the load of work in school and fulfill church duties... I think it will kill me and make me single for life.  I have worked in a Filipino-Chinese church for 9 years and I tell you, I know these scenarios... hehehe.

May the good Lord who I love and serve continue to be my strength in my next ministry, and it is still "EQUIPPING GOD'S PEOPLE FOR EVERY GOOD WORK!"

Nothing to Write

Grabe!!! it has been days and nothing significant has come into my life... nothing to write until now.