Ethics: A Real Challenge

In today's class discussion, we talked about ethics.  This is actually not only important but the most complicated issue for every youth minister.  After watching the film on "The Emperor's Club," the class focused on active discussion of the movie and later relating it to ourselves, as youth ministers.  The main issue is really all about ethics.  What is ethics?

Ethics is a tough one as we went through different issues we face as a teacher, and also as a youth minister.  The dilemma whether to execute justice or to educate these young people in a subtle manner.  Should we use the rod or should we just use love?  Youth pastors are sometimes forced to be subjective or be forced to do favorites, but where and when do we really draw the line.

Ethics is all about who we are.  It includes our principles and virtues that we have developed in our life through the years of living in this world.  Our decisions are always founded with our own being.  Our judgement is always be bias on who we are.  The only security we can develop to make the best decision is when we truly seek the will of God and do His will.  God's will is good and perfect.  Unless we are clearly connected with God, integrity and good judgement will always be lagging behind us.

We can never really know whether we were able to make good decisions or not.  We can just hope that everything we do by the grace of God is able to bring out the best in every young people that has been entrusted to our care.

Thanks for the wonderful discussion in class... I was indeed blessed and learned so much from my students.

"Finis Origine Pendet"  -  The End Depends Upon the Beginning....

Looking Good and Young

Yesterday, I went for a haircut since I have not gone for a haircut over a month now.  Before we start, I got time to really take a closer look at myself.  I noticed that it seems I look younger than before hehehe... So, in vanity, I tried to look carefully again and again and really confirmed that my face is bright, light, jolly and young.  Is this an effect of working in Makati Hope?  I asked myself.  Maybe, I thought.  Maybe, these could also be effect of the L'Oreal products hehehe... It could also be because I am surrounded by lovely kids hehehe...

Working in a school is totally a different situation as compared to working in a church.  It is not easier but definitely it is a new ball game of challenges.  I really need to spend some time evaluating and reflecting the cause of such effect on me hehehe...

I am not saying that working in a church is a dread or something because each ministry is unique in its own way.  I enjoyed my ministry inside the church for the past decade.  I was blessed and very much engaged in many stuffs.  In my previous blog, I  shared about my clear calling to shift ministry.   Could this also be an effect of obedience to God's will?  Maybe.

Anyway, whatever the reason is, I am glad and praises God that I look good and young.  Sally (my Goddaughter) and Dess (Bryan's Sister) even confirmed my observation hehehe... When Bryan (my Godson) and I stood in front of the mirror last Sunday, he even looks older than me.  Truly, it is good being refreshed by the Lord no matter where you are serving as long as each step of the way is in submission to the will of God.

God's grace is bountiful....

Personal Mission Statement

My mission is to serve, inspire and transform people with the Word of God so that they will enjoy life both now and eternal.

Equipping God's People For Every Good Work

This has been the focus of my life and ministry for the past decade by continually equipping young people in all aspects of life to the best of my ability. I always focus on bringing out the best in each person so that they may use their full potential and gifts in serving the Lord where they are gifted. I also always aimed making sure that in every conversation I had with people, they should be learning something new from me.

I have been involved in equipping young people even when I was 16 years old through the Scouting Movement. And later on, though continually serving in the Scouting Movement, the Lord has added my focus in church ministry serving our young people as a youth leader and finally, went to seminary training where I was able to formulate my personal mission slogan in life. After graduation from seminary training I became the Chief Youth Pastor of our church for nine years. Today, I enter the basic education as Vice Principal still continuously serving the youth, hoping to equip God's people for every good work.

I was actually surprised when ATS first invited me to teach the course last year, and praise God, it went well. I am not trying to create duplicates of me but equipping people who can have the passion and able to contextualize their own youth ministry according to their gifts and according to the best of each one's ability. I just hope that all youth ministers may focus on equipping God's people (the youth) for every good work (discipleship). According to John 5, the very first good thing a man can do is actually to accept Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior.

I believe this is the direction God has clearly set before me and have seen how God has used me continually for His glory. The only prayer I had the day I left seminary was for the Lord to continually bless the work of my hands. And so, He DID!!! Praise the Lord!!!

The Youth Minister - Day 2 in ATS

The class today was remarkable.  It went very well and I am blessed with the active participation of my students in our discussions.  The interactive exchange of ideas and experiences made the learning experience powerful and worthwhile.

We had few more students who came it, I do hope they can catch up especially with the e-learning activities.

Being a youth minister is a difficult job.  It is not just making friends and filling our schedule with so much activities that we forget why are we doing what we are doing.  And most youth ministers forgot why are they reaching out to the youth.  We often kept ourselves busy with doing activities hoping to attract the youth.  But attract the youth for what?  The main job of the youth minister should always center on making disciples for our Lord Jesus Christ.

The youth minister is crucial in God's ministry because majority of people coming to know our Lord Jesus falls under the age group that belongs to the youth ministry.  If the youth minister lost his perspective, all souls are lost.  But having the right perspective, we are able to bring more workers to the harvest field.  The return will be a hundred folds...

Teaching Is Fun

I have not taught primary and secondary classes for a long time.  I have to do a substitution with one of our Bible teacher who is attending a seminar for the church's Sunday school.  It was so tiring but very much fulfilling.  I know I had lots of fun, but my voice and energy are all worn out after teaching six classes in a day.  I really wonder how can our teachers survive such stressful day, and they are doing it everyday.  Teachers are truly heroes that are often neglected.  They really need a lot of support and our salute for their dedication and sacrifice for the future of our youth.

I taught Grade 5, and High 2 and 3, all have two sections per level.  Each level has a unique strategy that I need to adjust and deliver.  I don't know if the students learned anything from me... hehehe.... though I know that I have done my best.

I was amazed that in each level both sections are extremely unique.  In these three levels I taught this morning, it was consistent that I had difficulty controlling a section and the other went smoothly.  Weird but true.

Anyway, the best part of this experience was that I actually enjoyed handling the classes.  It went well, maybe because of my position and I am someone new for the students, I wonder how these students would treat me in class if it becomes a regular things... hehehe...

Thanks God for the experience.

Moved by the Holy Spirit

It has been a long time since I preached in Makati Hope Christian Church.  I am glad that I was given the opportunity again especially now as the school's Vice Principal, I believe I could better minister to our students by preaching the Word of God.  The congregation is quite young since a big majority of the worshippers were young people.

It seems God has given me a different energy in preaching His Word yesterday.  As I was preaching, though I felt my microphone is not working well - it sounds odd, and the air conditioning seems humid because I had difficulty breathing as I preach, I ended up making an altar call.

The alter call is not part of the message but because I was preaching about the deity of Christ, there was a sudden urged that was telling me to make the challenge and call.  Surprisingly, six people among the congregation professed to accept Jesus to be their personal Lord and Savior.  Wow!  This excites me more... I really do not know whether they have accepted Christ before or not, or whether they were only being assured of their salvation but what is important, they boldly took the challenge and renewed their commitment of accepting our Savior with the right and proper perspective of who Christ really is and what He has really done for us.

My message seems to be theologically heavy, I forgot that my audience is really quite young.  I believe God is in control of all things.  We just need to follow, and be sensitive whenever He talks and calls our attention.  He knows what He is doing and His will is always perfect.

Praise the Lord.  It was really good to be there and minister to them.  I was indeed blessed preaching God's Word.  To God be all the glory.  Indeed, only God can glorify us so that we can glorify Him in return.  Without Him, we are nothing and can do nothing.  He is indeed good.

Inspiring People

When we talk about Prefect of Discipline Office, people has a stigma that it is a place of chaos, punishment, headache and frustration.  It seems this office always connotes negative things; it seems there is nothing positive about this office.  This is the same picture and news I received during my first day in office as the head of the school's student affairs.

Both office on Prefect and Guidance is under my office.  It seems we have big work to do because of too many negative perception about the Prefect of Discipline Office which also house my office.

The first challenge is to correct the image of our office.  I believe the role of the Prefect of Discipline should be a culture shaper; shaping the students using the different disciplines as presented by the core values of the school.  The core values of the school is popularly known as HEIRS.  Harmony, Excellence, Integrity, Resilience and Stewardship.

I praise God that in a month's time, students have started to see some change of perception about our office.  A group of high school students came yesterday and was asking us, "How come this office seems to be very happy?"  They commented that in all of the offices, our office seems very friendly and happy.  They felt strongly about this.  They themselves, were sharing that they never thought the Office of the Prefect of Discipline would be such a wonderful place to go.

My staff and I were so much blessed upon hearing such comments from the students.  Now, we know that the office can promote and shape the culture among students.  May God continue to bless and help us in touching the lives of these students that they may come to know Jesus and lived up to the core values we hope to impress upon our graduates...

We just need to continue inspiring people... for the glory of God.

Inspiring People

When we talk about Prefect of Discipline Office, people has a stigma that it is a place of chaos, punishment, headache and frustration.  It seems this office always connotes negative things; it seems there is nothing positive about this office.  This is the same picture and news I received during my first day in office as the head of the school's student affairs.

Both office on Prefect and Guidance is under my office.  It seems we have big work to do because of too many negative perception about the Prefect of Discipline Office which also house my office.

The first challenge is to correct the image of our office.  I believe the role of the Prefect of Discipline should be a culture shaper; shaping the students using the different disciplines as presented by the core values of the school.  The core values of the school is popularly known as HEIRS.  Harmony, Excellence, Integrity, Resilience and Stewardship.

I praise God that in a month's time, students have started to see some change of perception about our office.  A group of high school students came yesterday and was asking us, "How come this office seems to be very happy?"  They commented that in all of the offices, our office seems very friendly and happy.  They felt strongly about this.  They themselves, were sharing that they never thought the Office of the Prefect of Discipline would be such a wonderful place to go.

My staff and I were so much blessed upon hearing such comments from the students.  Now, we know that the office can promote and shape the culture among students.  May God continue to bless and help us in touching the lives of these students that they may come to know Jesus and lived up to the core values we hope to impress upon our graduates...

We just need to continue inspiring people... for the glory of God.

Letting Go Eases Pain

Discipling hundreds of young people for the past decade allowed me to experience how to be a teacher as well as a friend and dad.  It is true that a teacher is the second parent of the student.  True dedication in the teaching ministry allows you to move from the initial teaching of a particular subject to a much broader picture of molding lives.

I have been very fulfilled in touching lives of those I was able to minister.  Some are very very successful, though some are struggling.  You cannot really chart their life for they are the one who makes their decision in life.  The only thing we can do is really equip them and bring out the best in them.  Time is limited because they cannot be with you always.  The good thing is, when they are in distress and need, they always come to you and sought for your help.  Some are now even my kumpare and kumare.  Some even insisted that either their first child or their first male child be my godson or goddaughter.  It really felt fulfilling and blessed.

Since it has been like these with all of them, I cannot say that I am not attach to them emotionally since I really treat them as my spiritual children and wanting the best for each one of them.  Maybe, this is the reason why I am still single because I already have too many children around.  Great people usually do not have children because they already have enough around them.  Some a whole group of people, and for some a whole country.

The other side of this is when they commit mistakes, it breaks once heart.  Especially with this post modern generation who are treats everything as relative truth.  Because the youth in this generation are frequent offenders, I felt frustrated and affects me emotionally.  Now, it is more evident for me to feel how parents are frustrated with their kids because I myself gets frustrated with them.

With the recent learning experience, though I know it is my role to educate and remind them when they fall, it has affected me with frustrations and emotional instability, maybe because I have really treated them as my real children.  Well, they are not really my children, who cares?  Yah, I know God cares.  I should care.  But with their constant offense, knowing what they should not do, and kept on doing it.  I really felt bad and felt all time and effort for these past years have gone to waste.

The best solution I can think of is to let go.  They are old enough, I have done my share to love, care and educate.  I believe I have brought out the best in each one of them.  It is time for me to move on and touch other young people's life.  Their destiny lies in their own hands and head.  I cannot control their destiny, how they will live their life and what would be its end result will always be up to their doing.  By letting go, it eases the pain seeing them do foolish stuffs in life.  Maybe that is part of their learning experience.  Now, I even understand more how God has been frustrated with me.

I have done my share well, I suppose.  The recent incident has caused me one sleepless night of sadness and frustration, I wanted to shout and scold the person, but what the heck, he will do it again and insist on his decision.  So, why bother?

Let go and ease the pain... now, I can sleep well without the heavy load of making sure they are on God's track.  God is in control and takes care of His children.  His grace I pray would just be bountiful in their lives.