DAY27: PASS IT ON!

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

2 Timothy 2:2

Somehow, I am really blessed to be the part of the team that God has placed here in Lucban! At a young age, I was able to fully accept a different kind of responsibility that really stretched out my faith and my commitment! Dito kasi, “Leader na agad ang role mo!”. As early as after the Victory Weekend, you have to leave the elementary teachings because IT’S NOW TIME TO PASS IT ON!

I can still remember tuloy the first time that I experienced freedom after the VW! I was really shocked (AS IN CULTURE SHOCK) when things were addressed to me as a leader already! Well, I was first reached out kasi si Lucena, and knowing people there and mingling with them, I was kinda imitating that we’re at the SAME LEVEL (I guess I was focusing on the LEVELS that time and not on GOD’s way of leading people to MATURITY)! Eh that time, it’s like all the men leaders are graduating! Si Kuya Jano, Bisteh, Kirt, Kevin, Arneil, di Don-don na lang ata yung natira at si Kuya Webster, nawala pa sila after some time. SO WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO AT ALL! We wanted to do this and that, but we can’t kasi no one passed it to us or let us say that they wanted to, but because they already graduated from college, they weren’t able to. L

So the story continued like this: We thought that ITS BETTER TO HAVE A KNOWLEDGE FIRST ON CHRISTIAN MINISTRY before doing the leader thing, so we enrolled at EVERY NATION LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (I guess that time, di ko pa alam yung MYTH OF MINISTERING; that no one will be able to get maturity unless you minister first!). Dahil nga I as both exposed to Victory Lucena and Victory Lucban; 2 places with different cultures and probably different strategies when it comes to reaching out to students, I was kinda confused! Although the theories and the principles are the same (which is from the WORD of GOD), nahirapan ako on how to apply it immediately kasi I was exposed on 2 different places (before I realized that I need to focus on one). So the years passed that I continued on learning but not applying such things into action L. I was doing well in the Music Ministry at Lucena but a lot of Victory Weekends passed that I have no candidates! Why? Kasi puro ministry nasa isip ko, not discipleship! Even dumating pa dun sa moment that they needed to raise the bar sa music; that the team in order to stay needed to have an accountable leader and a small group, eh that time, WALA NA ATA L. Then 2^nd semester came at Victory Lucban, due to the poor attendance during the youth services tapos wala na atang visible na Lifegroups that time, they had to close the services for us to focus on small group discipleship. L

Good thing God was really good! He changed everything! He prepared us on the on the greater things that He will do at Lucban! I can still remember the question that is brought to my mind everytime I attend a worship service at Victory Pioneer, “bakit ang dami nila? What seems to be the secret” (Siguro nanibago lang talaga ako, kasi dumating na dun sa point na halos kakilala ko na lahat ng umaated sa service sa Lucena) Then God will just place on word on my mind “DISCIPLESHIP”, that was my turning point! I decided to focus my senior year on Victory Lucban, so I released all my commitment on Victory Lucena and focused on Lucban! Who would’ve thought that God would be stirring out the fire of the leaders in this place in terms of reaching out to the younger generation! J

When it comes to discipleship, we do it strategically here at Victory Lucban! Mostly kasi ng mga students that are studying here are from neighboring places from the other parts of Quezon and Laguna; so, 4 YEARS LANG ANG MAXIMUM NA ITATAGAL NG ISANG LEADER if he/she was reached out during his/her FRESHMEN days!

As for us, the current leaders, we want to PREPARE the students for LIFE! The current GENERATION ONE leaders (Kiti, Johnrey, Jocy, Hyacnth, Maica, Vanessa, Kat, Riz, Melvin and Me) were the survivors from the silent months that happened to Victory Lucban, and SYEMPRE! We don’t want them to experience the things that we experienced! J

“WHENEVER WE SEE THE YOUTH, GOD SEE’S POTENTIAL”

I am really excited on what God has in stored for the next generation! Whenever I see Mark Ponce’s leadership, Coleen Abueva’s passion, Joan Tonio’s excitement, Rannel Bravante’s commitment, Francis Dator’s mode of intercession and Rachel Cadeliña’s desire to know God more, wow! I can sense that these people would be better than us! They would be able to do even greater things than what we have done! And knowing the fact that these students who are currently the officers of Lifebox Lucban are only sophomore students (except for Rachel and 3^rd year).

Seeing these people inspires me a lot to find younger people that would inherit the same vision that they are having right now! Age isn’t a restriction! Mas maganda nga na as young as you are, ma-expose ka na on these things! J

As for me, I WILL BE FOREVER PASSIONATE in reaching out on the NEXT GENERATION! J As a current leader, I will continue to Engage culture and community, Establish biblical foundations, Equip believers to minister and Empower disciples to make disciples! God’s last commandment should be our first priority! J This generation I believe is the branch that God is talking about that would be fruitful! J

ISAIAH4:2

In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.

Jeremiah23:25

The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.