The Cloud Is Moving

The youth ministry is changing form again. Recently, the youth ministry took a hard blow because the higher authorities forbade us to use the sanctuary, where we hold our large-group gatherings, during Saturday afternoon to evening - the time most condusive to youth! They say it's because we leave the sanctuary messy for Sunday morning even if we try to tidy it up. After much argument and negotiations, I finally gave in to their requests. There goes our established large-group events like Kamayan and APAW.

But it dawned to me, perhaps God is moving us again. Just like the pillar of cloud in Exodus, it's time to pick up our tents and move toward unchartered grounds. It became a challenge for me and my team. Instead of whining about policies, why not look at it as a giant interesting puzzle that needs fitting and solving. Now that sounds exciting. So at the moment, we agreed that each cellgroup must develop their own activities/projects to impact the community and ourselves. And God has been doing marvelous things!

First, we are doing Book of Hope in the third week of July. We have also an evangelistic bridging event called Hopefest happening that Tuesday afternoon for students. That would launch our weekly Student Fellowship every Friday at church; The Young Professional cellgroup, starting October, will do a monthly outreach to 12 impoverished 5-6 year old kids in a small Christian school in Bulacan; Brznf has done an amazing job opening a Bible Study group in his classroom during vacant period. In their first meeting, 4 students gave their life to Jesus! Praise God; The Youth Binondo group will be giving out meals to the homeless in Binondo. These excites me.

I realized that I don't have to take in all that foreign ideas I hear, read and got imposed to. Before I assumed that a cellgroup SHOULD "multiply" at max one year. If not, dissolve it or get frustrated. Because that's what they saw in Singapore. But what if I have a different culture, a different reactions, a different mindset to change.. of course, I do. What if I value relationships and long lasting friendships? And taking in this ideas and failing to emulate it only makes me feel like a failure and a loser. I realize there is something on the other side of the fence of filling up the chairs on Sundays. I must unlearn the sophisticated ministry and return to the building blocks of my existence: to glorify God by sharing Him to others. I see that today it maybe moving uphill, but at least its moving, and it's good. It's time to head outward!

The cloud is moving: RISE, LET US GO!