This week we have taken the group that is here from the US and have travelled to Toledo for a Ministry Training Institute (MTI) which we are holding at our Toledo office. These trainings are a continuing education that we have been providing on a regular basis for years.  It is geared toward pastors and other leaders at local churches here in the Philippines.  Please pray for the leaders that are attending the sessions – that they will be blessed by the teachings.

During the same time as the MTI sessions, some of the group has been going out and doing outreaches at some of the colleges here in town.  The goal with these outreaches is to let students know about our college ministry, (as you may know is Street Level Ministries) as well as inform them that we are doing a movie night Friday night.  We have had a lot of varying levels of engagement, through coffee, lemonade, and a hint of awesome personalities.  A couple of new people actually came to our Street Level meeting last night due to the outreach, which is always a win.  

A couple of very near things that will be happening are an outdoor movie tonight with popcorn and hot dogs, a youth leader summit tomorrow, and church on Sunday back in Cebu – at 5PM.  

Please keep us in prayer especially for the next two weeks while the team from the US is here – as we plan to travel to do other MTI and Street Level events.  Thank you for your support in this way.  It means more that you probably know.  

BELIEVERS CHURCH CEBU

The end of September marked 2 years of Believers Church Cebu – it is amazing how quickly that time has passed. It seems just yesterday we held our first service, not knowing if anyone would show up! We have been very blessed to see God growing our fellowship – in strength and number. In addition to Sunday service, we have begun a class, focused on discipleship and doctrine, for those who have committed to serving at church.

We are currently working our way through 1 Corinthians on Sunday evenings, which is proving to be an insightful look at what real life Christianity should be, and how messy it can be.

STREET LEVEL MINISTRIES

In September, we held a special informational meeting for SLM – to explain who we are, and why we do what we do as an organization. We also hosted a board game tournament in Cebu, which proved to be a good night of friendly competition and lots of laughs. With the recent earthquakes, university life in Cebu and Toledo has been majorly disrupted, with most schools being entirely online for over a month. We are continuing to meet for dinner and Bible discussion in both locations and are currently studying the gospel of John. We are also looking forward to our upcoming summit in November!

SHOFAR MISSION

We are gearing up for the arrival of the next U.S. team in a few weeks! While they are here, we will be hosting more Ministry Training Institute classes, “Staying Strong: Abiding in Christ Through Prayer and Bible Study” in three locations. We will also be gathering some youth who are stepping up as leaders on the west side of Cebu Island for a summit discussing David Platt’s “Follow Me” material. And, as previously mentioned, hosting a Street Level summit as well! Those are all things we have planned, but God always surprises us with other opportunities or changes in our plans, so we look forward to what He has in store for us.

Over the past couple of weeks, most universities in Cebu City have resumed classes for the new school year, which means the streets are once again full of students.

We’ve been setting up tables outside campuses and giving away free coffee, lemonade, and Coca-Cola. Something as simple as asking, “Hey, would you like a free coffee?” opens the door for a short conversation and an invitation to church and Street Level.

One highlight was being able to set up a booth inside one of the universities for a day. Even though we handed out hundreds of flyers, it still felt like just a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of students who attend there.

On Friday night, we hosted a fellowship night at the office for Street Level, complete with board games, charades, snacks, and henna tattoos. A few new people arrived… then a few more… and then even more. So many showed up that we had to order more pizza three separate times! One of the best parts was seeing everyone connecting and building relationships with each other.

Following the success of the recent Cybersecurity Trainings, Britt and Daphne decided to host something similar that leans into their creative strengths: an Art & Design Workshop. It’s scheduled on a holiday at the end of the month, which should make it easier for students to attend. We’ve reached out to the art, design, and communication departments at several universities, and the response has already been strong.

God has truly been blessing our efforts. We haven’t done anything extraordinary. We’ve just prayed, shown up, and put in some sweat and elbow grease, but we’ve seen many new faces coming on Sundays and Wednesdays.

It almost goes without saying, but we’re in awe of what God is doing…and even more in awe that He allows us to be part of it. We know He doesn’t need us, but we’re grateful to be on His team, playing in the big leagues with Him.

If you feel led to pray, please pray for the new students and church attendees to get connected, for Street Level members to continue growing in discipleship and service, and for all of us to remain aligned with God’s plans for this ministry. We don’t know exactly what He’s up to, but we’re excited to be along for the ride.