First Ministry Update

We have shared the gospel to 3,255 students during the ?rst quarter of this new schoolyear. Four hundred eighty-two students became Christians and we had recruited 650 new members. We had 97 Evangelistic Bible Study groups attended by 828 students. Our Freshmen Treat activities were well-attended in the different campus chapters in the regions. Three were 450 students who attended the Freshmen Treat in PUP. We had 14 Evangelism Training Events attended by 139 IVCF students. Praise God! The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed to many students in the country.

Diane A. transferred to Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP-Cavite) because of family and ?nancial problems. In this campus she came to know the Lord through Kalasag Christian Fellowship (our IVCF chapter in PUP). She is now the chapter president of the fellowship. Through prayers and her life testimony she won the hearts of her parents to the Lord. Diane’s parents started to help in the monthly training of the chapter, preparing their meals and praying with us.

Our discipleship activities happens in Cell Groups, Large Group and Prayer Meetings. We have a total of 186 Cell Groups with 943 members. There were 1,439 students who attended our Large Group Meetings and 327 joined our Prayer Meetings. In one campus in Caraga (ASSCAT), 70 students attend weekly meetings in the campus’ student center without electricity. We conducted 24 Discipleship events attended by 356 students. Of the 1,334 student members, 761 are undergoing our discipleship training.

A 1st year student who is a new IVCF member in our Northern Mindanao Regional Unit shares his testimony: “I felt happiness and comfort when I became a Christian. I learned how to communicate and to draw closer to God. It does not only help my spiritual growth, but also changes everything in me. I’m so thankful for having my “ATEs” in IVCF who in?uenced me a lot. I thank the Lord Almighty for not just letting me know Him but also experiencing great and sweet things about Him.”

We had Mission events attended by 127 students. Our Central & Eastern Visayas Regional Unit had a Mission Exposure trip to Gilutongan Island, Cebu last August 23-24. Also, our Caraga Regional Unit had a Mission Trip to the Agusan Marsh and shared the gospel to 30 Manobo tribe. In our Southern Mindanao Regional Unit our students are reaching out to a couple of Muslim students using our “Start Right” book and also teaching the “One Way Jesus” song.

Celgen Aurestila, our CEV Regional Director shares about their mission exposure trip: “Praise God for the very ful?lling, yet scary experience during our Mission Exposure trip last August 23-24 in Gilutongan Island, Cebu. The group was composed of 1 high school & 5 college students, 2 staff & 6 young grads. We went to the community for house to house visitation and shared the Gospel. We also helped the small local church there during the Sunday service. The usual sea travel from the town proper to the island is 30 minutes, but we were in the middle of the sea for almost 2 hours because of the big and dark waves that confronted us. Praise God, we all arrived back to the mainland safe, ?lled with joy and reminders from the Lord.”

Praise God for the 381 student leaders that we currently have in our campus chapters. We have conducted 42 Leadership training events attended by 307 students. Our leadership program includes Leader’s Bible studies, Leaders’ Retreats, intentional mentoring and counseling, Bibles Study Workshops, and other Intensive Training Programs. Mutya Febre, our Regional Director of MMRU, reported that one of the strengths of our college ministry is student leadership. We praise God for the initiative and hard work of our student leaders.

Bethel of CHMC-Alijis from our Western Visayas Regional Unit shares her testimony: “I made a tough decision in resigning as an of?cer in the school club I was involved in. It was painful for me to choose between that club and IVCF. IVCF was just in the pioneering stage in my school and I am the only student leader that Kuya Eumir [Villamor, IVCF staff] knows in our school. I chose IVCF because I see myself growing in faith and character, especially in the leadership part. Leading my classmates to Christ is something that I am happy to do.”

We praise God for all our partners, helpers, and supporters. IVCF Philippines is blessed for having 65 advisers, 34 ISCF counselors, 112 Graduate Team volunteers, 14 Church partners, 37 Regional Advisory Council (RAC) members, 161 donors giving to the regions and 172 donors to the national general fund & staff support.

We have been very active in the IVCF National Office.

•Our Human Resource Department was very active in the following trainings for our people: Staff Conference, New Staff Orientation & Trainings. We had 3 Graduate Team (GT) Orientation and Trainings in Quezon City, Cagayan de Oro and Calapan, Mindoro. A total of 47 GTs attended these events.

•Our ISCF National Coordinator started working on strengthening our high school ministries through volunteer orientation & trainings, curriculum evelopment and ISCF Promotions.

•Our Resource Development Department worked on communications to donors, improving our database and website, strengthened relationships with our IVCF alumni.

•Our Admin & Finance Department continued the important work of providing support to our ?eld ministries with building maintenance, library work, nancial accounting and other of?ce tasks.

•Our National Director focused on communications with our Board of Trustees, staffworkers, alumni, Balikatan leaders, local donors, and other Christian organization. He attended the Balikatan Conference in the USA, led the preparation for the IVCF Annual Corporation Meeting, joined MMRU evangelistic & discipleship events, and started to promote IVCF in local churches.

•Our Board of Trustees have met regularly and dealt with IVCF direction setting and policy issues.

•Finally, our Financial Report below shows God’s grace to IVCF Philippines. We give thanks to God for blessing us with the needed ?nancial support these ast 3 months. Praise God that as of August 31, 2008 we have deposited staff salaries in full and on time. We were able to ?nance our ministry programs and paid 58% of last schoolyear’s de?cit. However, ?ow of funds is not regular.

Please continue to pray for provision for our ministries. We need more supporters and prayer partners.

We praise God from whom all blessings to IVCF Philippines now.