MARCH 2008 UPDATE

Hello. It’s summer time in the Philippines . This means, aside from the warm weather, it’s time for schools’ closing, church fellowships, retreats and youth gatherings.

At Asian Institute of Church Planting and Church Growth, (AICPCG),we closed the semester with five full-time first year students and two apprentices. Four of our full-time students have been with us since the opening of the school. And so we hope that in one more year they will complete a two-year course, an Associate degree. For two more years they will be trained to do church planting.
One of the five full-time came to us in the second semester. (His congregation helps to support him partially).The other two came from another school but need more training and more Bible subjects. So, we made arrangement with Imus congregation for them to work as apprentices in their congregation while they are enrolled in three subjects at AICPCG. We hope to have new students in the opening of school this June if we get enough funds from supporters. We also hope to move into another temporary place this June. We’ll keep you updated.

At the Philippine International Bible Institute-Batangas, (PIBI-B), we closed the semester with sadness because one of the teachers, Jules Ryan S. Jones passed away unexpectedly. He died of heart attack on March 10 and was buried on March 15. (Please read my attached article about him).
Sixteen (16) of our eighteen (18) students survived the semester. As far as I know they are all willing to continue if we pass them all. They are all going to spend two-month fieldwork with congregations in the area. The school is being supported through bro.Charles Smith who directs four of this kind of school in the Philippines .

Last March 19-22, we had our Metro-Wide Youth Bible Camp. This time, ten congregations served as hosts. We divided, responsibilities among the congregations. It’s easier. I ended up as a driver for the camp and chairman of the logistics committee. Also, I spoke twice during the camp, first was to college and young professionals and later to high-schoolers.
It’s expensive to send our youth to the camp but we’re happy we managed. (It would have been easier if we have sponsors for our youth).

On March 21, in the middle of our Youth Camp, I had to escape, travel for more than an hour to be able to speak to another group of brethren. I was a speaker too of a regional fellowship. I was told they had 400 registered attendees. I tried to finish the day’s program and then went back to the camp.

Coming back to Manila was another experience. One of the vehicles used by our youth had problems. And we had to assist them through out the journey. (My whole family was with me through the Camp and the ordeal of traveling with defective vehicle).

One thing good after the camp is the news of young people being baptized in their congregations. Five were reported to have been baptized in Taguig. Also, our youths are fired up in organizing activities for this summer. (Our son, Shervin helps organize inter-congregational basketball games)

I finally brought inside National Penitentiary the materials for the cooperative store of the brother-inmates. We hope they will be successful in running a store inside.

I guess, this is enough news. It’s hard to type using just my left hand. I had one little accident last night, I crushed (or smashed) my right ring finger when I closed the vehicle’s door. Nail is badly damaged. I had three injections. ugghh. I was also advised to go to an orthopedics for possible bone damaged in my finger. But I didn’t, and I am still okay. I stayed home the whole day, and finished my report. Wow!

CHURCH PLANTING

CHURCH PLANTING:

an approach in evangelizing Philippines
Bonifacio C. Patricio Jr.


Church Planting is one approach in evangelizing Philippines. This writer does not claim nor profess to be an expert on the subject. He just had an experience on Church Planting that he wants to share.
He had planned to work in an area where the church is not found. And that was the reason why he chose to first plant the church in Pasay City in 1985 (after getting some recommendations from some concerned brethren).

Five years after, his family moved to Las Pinas. Later, three more families moved to the area and decided to start worshipping in Las Pinas (that was in August of 1991). Pasay cong. assisted the new congregation.

In September 1993, the brethren in Taguig who were worshipping then in Pasay decided to worship also by themselves in Taguig. Again Pasay congregation assisted.

In July 1997, Salawag Congregation in Dasmarinas was started also. This time it was Las Pinas and Imus brethren who supported the work .

Then in November of 1999, one more congregation in Bulihan, Silang, Cavite was planted. One Christian family lives there, and the family wanted to reach out to their community.

Then in Makati City last June 2002, another church was started with the initiation of preachers and leaders in Metro Manila with this writer taking the lead.

In 2003, another church was planted in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig since two families from Taguig congregation moved to the area and wanted to worship there. This writer assisted and Taguig congregation was more than happy to assist too.

On August of last year, 2006, the church was started in Piela, a suburb of Dasmarinas, Cavite with the partnership of Imus congregation preacher, Roberto Patricio, my brother and co-worker in the vineyard. He also teaches at Asian institute of Church Planting.

For more information about the school, you may check its blogspot, aicpcg.blogspot.com).
All the congregations were started to meet a need, to evangelize the different areas where the churches were located. As this writer looks back he realizes that what happened is what it is called CHURCH PLANTING.

THE BIBLICAL BASIS OF CHURCH PLANTING

The great Commission teaches church planting.

Matt.28:19, reads, "Go and make disciples of all nations". The disciples have to make disciples anywhere. The early disciples planted churches in places where there were no churches.Mark 16:15,says "Go and preach the gospel to every creature..." "Every creature will include those people who are in other countries and places where there are no churches. To reach them there is a need to plant churches .

Biblical examples teach church planting.
Acts 8:4, "Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word". Acts 8:5-ff.. Philip, the evangelist planted the church in Samaria.
Acts 11:19-ff-The church at Antioch was planted by those who were scattered (v.19) and with the assistance of Jerusalem Church and Barnabas. (v.22.). Acts 13:1-5 The church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas. They planted churches in; Perga, Lystra, Derbe, and Antioch (of Syria). This is called the 1st Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14).Acts 15:39-18:22- During the second Missionary Journey of Paul, he planted churches to these places; Philippi, Troas, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth, Ephesus. Acts 18:23-21:16. Paul planted churches in Galatia and Phrygia, and in Macedonia (20:1-5).

Paul was a "church planter".
1. 2 Cor.10:15-16," Not boasting of things beyond measure, that is in other men's labor, ...to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's sphere of accomplishment.".

There is a "Macedonian Call" to the churches.
Acts 16:6-10 ".A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him saying, "COME OVER TO MACEDONIA TO HELP US". There was no church in Macedonia. That’s the reason for the “Macedonian call”. There are those who come to us for help. They say, "Help us start a congregation in our place!" .We can not tell them. "Just wait, we'll plan for that, or Sorry, we can not because we want to build a mega church here in our place."

PRACTICAL REASONS FOR PLANTING CHURCHES,

as means of evangelizing

The brethren are helped to grow or mature.
Church planting provides the opportunity for brethren to be responsible Christians, and evangelist too. Heb..5:12, teaches that "old" Christians ought to become teachers.
It was observed that "older" Christians who were not delivering sermons while worshipping with large congregations, were able to do it in the new planted congregations. This writer's sons, learned to serve the Lord’s table and lead prayers in the new planted churches. Also, those who will stay in the congregation where the church planter comes will be forced to do their part in evangelism.
Increase our membership.
Church planting is growing in number. The ten congregations This writer has a part it their planting are small congregations. All have the average membership of 35-40, (except the newer ones). Fewer than some congregations in Metro Manila (but is larger than others too). But if you multiply 35-40 to 9 or 10 then that is 350 to 400 Christians.
It multiplies the number of evangelist.
More preaching brethren will multiply in church planting.
Big congregations have the problems of overlooking the potential of some brethren who are capable of preaching and so they are not asked to preach.But in a newly planted church, men are forced to study and preach.
There is need to look for the "lost sheep".
The parable of the lost sheep, teaches that one sheep is important
In a church planting in an area there is always the opportunity of finding the lost brethren.After the signage was put up, not a few brethren visits and say, "We're happy to find the church. We have not worshipped for a while".
The church must be where the people are

Because of the new housing programs of the government, new communities are formed. People in Manila are buying properties outside Metro Manila. These communities need to be reached. Church planting is necessary
CHURCH PLANTING IS NOT :
Starting one congregation in one place, and staying there through out your life. It was a church planting but when one stops there, then he stops planting church. The PROBLEM of many preachers is that they have not nurtured the church they planted 30 years ago, 40 years ago. (They have not trained Christians to become leaders of their congregations and therefore can not leave their congregation). A more SERIOUS PROBLEM is that a planted church becomes a dead church later because of the preacher.
Church planting is not starting one congregation and leaving it without provision to grow.“We are not judge how we started but how we finished”. Paul, after establishing churches, sent evangelists to look after the concerns of the new planted churches.(Tit.1:5).
He also communicated with the new churches. His letters in the N.T. are his communications with the churches.
It is not becoming a preacher of one congregation already established.
There is nothing wrong with being a preacher of one established congregation, but you are not a church planter.

WHAT ARE NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CHURCH PLANTING
For a congregation who wants to plant a church:

The whole congregation, who wishes to plant a church, must be involved and be committed.The leaders of the congregation must plan together.Plan when to start.Plan the strategies. Plan about the meeting place.Plan about some activities. Plan about the financial matters. There must be a consistent evangelistic program. There must be a full time worker or members committed to do the job. The church planters must be consistent, persistent and prayerful in their effort to plant a church.
Possible steps in church planting.
The church must be well advertised in case there are other Christians in the community. If there are Christians in the community, who do not attend any congregation they must be informed about the plan and be asked to participate. Members of the planting churches must attend the worship services and activities of the newly planted church, to show support. Members of planting church must attend at least for a year or two. There must be a consistent evangelism program from the very start. New members must be edified and be trained to participate.
Start scouting for a full-time worker. Teach the new congregation of their responsibilities.

CONCLUSION:
These observations and recommendations are based on the experiences of this writer. It comes to you as suggestions in evangelizing the country.