After attending the Every Nation World Conference or otherwise known as “EN10”, I realized that there really is no other way to go but discipleship. After all, discipleship is not just an Every Nation or a Victory thing but a biblical thing that is mandated for every follower of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20). The conference was amazing and probably the best World-Con I’ve been to. What struck me the most and made me say that discipleship is “the only way to go” is when one of the speakers said that all the help we could give in the world would mean little if we do not preach Jesus Christ. I knew that what the speaker had said was a wake-up call to me and made me ask myself “Do we, as a Christian NGO or charitable institution, preach Jesus Christ and teach our people to obey His commands?” So I headed back to Bicol in time for our monthly staff meeting and having only one thing in mind: discipleship.

A sense of excitement was in the air as we discussed about tipping our programs over to discipleship and this was due to the fact that the team was sold out to the idea. Almost everyone in the team is or has been part of a life group and has had a mentor or a life coach and believe that it’s important that we focus on it if we want to see the lives of our children built on a strong foundation (Tiwala Vision).

Having said these things, here are some of the discipleship principles and lessons that I’ve personally learned being with a discipleship-based church (Every Nation, Victory)

Discipleship is relationship

Probably the favourite and most-quoted in church that I first heard in 2004 EN World Conference, this principle was based on the calling of the first disciples (Mark 1:17-20) where Jesus asked the disciples in principle to a relationship with Him, with fellow disciples and with the world (“I will make you fishers of men”). In Tiwala, we realize that every time spent with the children should be focused on building a strong relationship with them, connecting with them at every level. (Emotional, spiritual, social…)

Discipleship is a process

Discipleship does not happen overnight. It’s a relief for me to know that even Jesus himself needed time for him to grow spiritually mature (Luke 2:52). Process in discipleship is something I’ve experienced after saying yes to following Jesus and being discipled since 1999 and still being discipled in 2010. We believe that it is also true for the children, that discipling them will take time but will definitely be worth it.

Discipleship is a lifestyle

Disicpleship was a lifestyle for Jesus. Reading through the gospels, I can imagine Jesus and his disciples walking from town to town and Jesus using everything they come across with as an example or illustration to teach the disciples what it was like to follow him. In the same way, the Tiwala team is committed to making the most out of every opportunity that we have with the children to share to them the life and the love of Jesus.

- Mike

Community [kuh-myoo-ni-tee]

17″ Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’ 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began this good work.” – Nehemiah 2:17-18

I remember my mentor advising me over coffee that a vision is too small if you can accomplish it by yourself. He said that accomplishing great things will require you to get along and work with other people. This advice kept replaying in my head as I was reading the story of Nehemiah, a man who had the burden to rebuild the ruined city of Jerusalem, and how he was able to cascade his vision and convince the people to start rebuilding the nation. Of course and as expected, this all came with opposition from sceptics but in the end, we see a community at work, sharing a common goal of rebuilding the city.

Similarly, I’m overwhelmed at how this principle of community is at work in Tiwala this week. As we walked from house to house, barangay to barangay (municipality) in the impoverished areas of Legazpi to invite the children to join our programs, we stumbled upon people like the barangay volunteer workers, barangay tanods (local peace keepers), barangay captain & churches who have the same burden for their people and were offering help in every way that they can. It’s so amazing how God just opened doors for us to partner with the local communities. These opportunities turned out to be mullti-purpose and barangay halls that we were allowed to use daily as our learning and tutorial centre for free! So we have 4 different centres that we’re permitted to use in 4 different communities namely Bitano, PNR – 33, Pigcale, Rizal. Parents, likewise, showed enthusiasm to support Tiwala’s programs and have agreed to join our effective parenting workshops. And last but definitely not the least, Tahilla Church near the Barangay Pigcale allowed us to use their new facility this coming July and even volunteered in some of the programs.

Looking back to this week’s events that surrounded Tiwala, I thank God that he created the idea of community so that visions don’t have to be small or impossible. Suddenly, our vision to build the lives of these children with strong foundations became one step reachable.

Community

1. A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.
2. A social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests…
3. A group of associated nations sharing common interests or a common heritage
4. A group of men or women leading a common life according to a rule.
5. Similar character; agreement; identity: community of interests.

On a hot late April morning some of Legazpi City’s underpriviledged children had the oppurtunity to try out the new indoor adventure playground located in the new Embarcadero entertainment complex at the seaport of Legazpi.

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