We had our South Metro Hub Leaders Summit, a gathering of 250+ Victory Group Leaders and Interns from Alabang, Muntinlupa, Sta. Rosa, Las Piñas, and Parañaque last May 17-18, 2017.
The vision of this Summit is to equip them to be the Salt & Light to their campuses and communities. We also had a powerhouse of speakers who preached God’s Truth to the students.
Session 1: Ptr. Cesar Bordalba, our Every Nation Campus Provincial Campus Director, spoke about the heart of compassion and pounded that our revelation of God’s grace results to the degree of our compassion towards others. The more we encounter how Jesus had compassion on us while we were still sinners drives us to extend the same compassion to others.
Session 2: Atty. Chona Gonzales encouraged our students to be the salt and light where God is calling them. She is a former congresswoman serving under CIBAC (The Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption) and she encouraged our students that they can serve in the government without their testimony getting tainted by corruption. Some students find the government too dark, but she preached that all the more the light needs to shine here. She encouraged the students that being salt and light is WHO we are, not what we do. We don’t schedule the doing, we BECOME.
Session 3: Ptr. Janssen Morados, our Victory Metro Manila Executive Pastor and Victory Sta. Rosa Senior Pastor, spoke to the students about Social Responsibility. That as Christians, we are called by Jesus to sacrificial action–just as Jesus sacrificially gave His life at the Cross for the service of others. He even challenged the students that if we are no longer being the salt and light, then we lose our value (in Tagalog: “Pag hindi ka na nagiging asin at ilaw sa pamilya o eskwelahan mo, wala ka ng kwenta.”) What a sobering truth.
We ended the Summit with a powerful worship time where Ptr. Edrei Canda exhorted about the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. The Spirit empowers us not like a match being kindled but like a volcano readying to erupt. We asked the Holy Spirit to commission the students to be the salt and light and use them to be catalysts of change to their families, communities, and the world.
One student greatly encountered God in this Leaders Summit. Edward (left) is a student from SISC (Southville International School & Colleges). He got saved just a few months ago and got really passionate to reach out his campus for Christ. To date, he has invited more than 10 classmates, 1 of which, Makoto (right) is already done with One2One and Victory Weekend while others are undergoing the discipleship process.
During the Leaders Summit, Edward got a truth encounter from Ptr. Janssen’s preaching and he shared: “This hit me so hard it opened my eyes: ‘If your school, family or relatives no longer feel you as a salt and a light. It is no longer good.'”
After that, He believed God was calling him to pray and encourage the High School Principals of Southville. Here’s his testimony:
So yesterday my heart was really cut when Ptr. Janssen preached about us being a salt and light, and while we were praying for for our campuses, God gave me an impression.
To pray for my 3 school principals.
To pray for the principal in charge of Grade 7-9.
For my principal of 10-12.
And for the principal for all levels.I was like “Lord please I’m scared.” But I knew he was calling me to pray for them. I had to take up my cross.
So I decided that today I’d walk into their office, encourage and pray for them after my varsity training. I happened to find Ryka (one of our College Victory Group Leaders) when I was in my campus, and I asked if she could join me.
We prayed for all three principals. And all of them were surprised and thankful because they were stressed and had so much to do.
We prayed for them, and we prayed for our campus and its students. We even prayed for a principal’s daughter, my classmate, when she was there, because Ryka had the impression that she was going through something.It was just a beautiful feeling and experience. To do what God has told you to do. I don’t think they’ve ever been prayed for by a student, or a college student. I saw their eyes lit up, and I knew the Holy Spirit was present all throughout.It also made me realize that, we pray for each other in Church, so why don’t we also pray for others outside of church where we are called out to be? Maybe there’s a classmate, a teacher, a non teaching staff member who needs encouragement, but they don’t have anyone praying for them. Even a small prayer helps. Who knows? Afterwards they might be open in hearing and accepting the Gospel. 😊
And that’s my story for today guys, I hope I encouraged you all to keep that light bright and that salt, salty. :)))
I remember a quote from the Summit: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a big light, or a small light, what matters is it’s purpose. That small light can do great things. Doing great things in small ways.”
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