by PASTOR BOT ABELADO
CCBC Kalinga Ministry
In the first month of the year 2020, we felt the impact of the eruption of the world’s smallest volcano, the Taal Volcano. Our churches in Batangas were hugely affected since they are located within the seven and fourteen-kilometer radius of the volcano. CCBC responded immediately by helping our churches on the location. While they were still recovering, Covid-19 pandemic brought more difficult times not only in our country but in the whole world. Onsite worship and gatherings were indefinitely halted and most of our ministry gatherings migrated online. And since the Church is an instrument of God’s grace, we are blessed to be used by God in extending His love and concern, particularly to our brother and sisters in the faith. We shared food, relief goods and financial aid to CCBC members who were in need, including those who belong to the CCBC Deaf community. We also sent help to our outreach ministries in Pasong Tamo, Marinduque and Batangas. We also distributed relief goods to 50 families of jeepney drivers in Quezon City. Just a few weeks ago, another calamity came through typhoons Rolly and Ulysses. Two of our CCBC leaders experienced floods that reached up to the second floor of their houses. There were also members of the deaf community who were affected by flood in the Cainta area. Despite all these calamities and catastrophes that came our way, the goodness and faithfulness of God are clearly seen and experienced in and through the life of CCBC. My brothers and sisters in CCBC, we are so grateful to God for how you allowed yourselves to be His instruments to extend His care through CCBC Kalinga Ministry. Maraming-maraming salamat po and to God be all the Glory!
Kaagapay Ministry for Parolees and Probationers
One of the CCBC ministries that aims to create impact in the community is the Kaagapay Ministry. Its main goal is for Parolees and Probationers to Connect to Christ, to Conform to Christ, to be Built-up for ministry and to be Commissioned to Missions (PP-CCBC). We praise God for this opportunity for CCBC to be in partnership with Quezon City Parole and Probation Office No. 2, through the leadership of our very own Sis. Connie Esguerra. Since mass gatherings are not allowed during the pandemic, online gatherings became the new normal in our community engagement. We migrated the Therapeutic Community gatherings online, meeting twice a month with around 250-300 parolee and probationer attendees on both online gatherings. We have seen how the message of the gospel bring hope and salvation in this sector of our community. In line with this ministry, we would like to thank all our volunteer members who walk alongside these parolees and probationers as ‘kaagapay.’ Salamat po, for how you laugh and cry with these people and how you share the Gospel through the Word and through your lives. Your lives are indeed blessings to them. Aside from twice-a-month Therapeutic Community (TC), we also have a twice-a-week devotion for Parolees and Probationers through our Kaagapay Inspirational Pathway. It is a 5-minute online devotion that serves as their Kaagapay toward spiritual transformation. We would like to challenge you CCBCers, to take your part of this ministry. You may start by joining our Therapeutic Community gatherings every second and last Wednesday of the month, or you may share a five-minute video devotion on the theme “Hangarin ng Dios sa Buhay.” CCBCers, you can still minister to people while you are inside your homes, just maximize what you have in your hand.Outreach and Church Planting Ministry
Our outreach pastors and workers are our ‘frontliners’ who minister to people mostly affected by the pandemic and calamities that passed through our country. We continue to innovate ways to support and encourage them while they are faithfully serving in the field. We started our Online Kamustahan as one of the major avenues to hear their concerns and testimonies. We praise God for the development of our church planting ministry in Morong and in Lemery despite the pandemic. They continue to grow like our other CCBC daughter churches and outreaches. In fact, they effectively used business-as-mission to continue ministering to people and reaching the lost and sharing God’s provisions. In fact, it is also the time where a ministry in Calaca, Batangas was started. To God be the Glory!Missions and Mission Faith Promise
We were all saddened by the news that Sis. Susan Bagcus, our member and missionary in Thailand through Ethnos Asia went home to be with the Lord. Her life is a legacy of faith, and we are so grateful for her great contribution in reaching the lost and the least reached people of the world.
On the other hand, we continually praise God for how our missionaries are working despite the pandemic. Our missionaries in Pakistan and in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok and in Chiang Mai, shared relief goods in the communities they are reaching and serving. In fact, when our brethren in Chiang Mai heard the devastation caused by the typhoon, they expressed that they would send their help for our brethren here who were affected. Praise God!
With our Missions Faith Promise, we thank the Lord for how CCBC continues to support our missionaries and the mission work that God has entrusted to us. We are still halfway in reaching our goal of 3.6M, but we praise God that we continue to send our support to our missionaries. Let us be part of God’s mission. Be an encouragement to our missionaries, our front-liners in reaching the unreached and the least reached people of the world.
We are still halfway in reaching our goal of 3.6M, but we praise God that we continue to send our support to our missionaries. Let us be part of God’s mission!
