Bagong UNIDA@Unida Christian Center

ANOTHER STEP UP = ANG TINIG NG UNIDA

2012-01-25T09:05:00.002+08:00

angtinigngunida on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

ANOTHER STEP UP
Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church inaugurates another STEP UP through its Baclaran Unida Multimedia Arts for Christ: a podcast titled “Ang Tinig Ng Unida.”
And hey, it’s in iTunes! You must download iTunes and we are making that easier for you here. This news is our Gintong Butil 17. We are out there, as in out there! Modern technology has proffered a way and we are taking it. And we are now offering it to our Unida Internet Travelers. An Unida broadcast that you can listen to at your own pleasure, anytime you want and wherever needed. It is as if you are there and you are also here. We are going to reach the world without physically getting out of where we are. We will be there while we are still staying here. We will not be immobile because we now have the capacity to be mobile.
The world will know that there is IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO: A Church that brings the Gospel, yes the Good News, of the Saving Grace of Our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST.
We proclaim that there is only One God, there is only One Lord, there is only One Saviour, and there is only One Name given for man’s Salvation: JESUS!

STEP UP

2011-12-29T20:50:00.003+08:00

UNIDA
DEKADA OTSO
“Step Up”
By Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio

UNIDA. Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church of the Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo, 1932. We are, admittedly, a small church. That is, small in numbers but BIG in Faith. We do not play the numbers game but aim for Quality of Faith through Teaching and Preaching the True Gospel of the Saving Grace of Our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST.

We have reached our 8th decade. No small deal for a church initially ridiculed for being small and penniless at the start.

But this is a church that stood its ground on our faith that God will provide all our needs as He did the apostolic churches that sprouted in the first century of Christianity. UNIDA CHURCH was forged with the fire of Filipino Nationalism that raged at the turn of the 19th century FILIPINAS. This translated into a “Monument of Church Nationalism” that was awakened in the hearts of our forefathers in their struggle to free themselves from the fetters of the Church of Rome.

This “monument” is enshrined in the hearts of the pioneer Unida Pastors who served without remuneration during the first decades of the Church. “Naglingkod sa Dios at hindi sa Piso.” We have produced a Teleplay proclaiming this, titled “DEKADA OTSO” where we pried into the struggles of a Unida Pastor today. The fictional character Pastor Daniel Garcia embodies a composite of a current young Unida pastor.

Si Daniel Garcia. Isang bagong pastor. Inakala niya na ang
pagpapastoR ay ganun-ganun lang. Hanggang sumuong siya sa mga
pangyayaring sumubok sa tatag ng kaniyang pananampalataya sa
Panginoong Jesu-Cristo. At sa iglesiang kaniyang nilakhan at kung saan kinatagpo siya ng Dios. Tunghayan… Ang tele-dulang
ito ay batay sa kasaysayan ng Iglesia Evangelica Unida de
Cristo.

Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church, a “kapilya” where I grew up, is steeped in a tradition of Christmas Stage Plays, begun by my father, Pastor Genio, followed by Paying Garcia, then by this author, and today by my youngest son Lance. We begin practices in October and by December 23, we erect the stage at the side of the Kapilya. Even during those early years when I was one of the actors we already had musical scoring using long playing wax 45 rpm records played on turntables.

But now we have STEPPED UP from stage plays to Video Plays called nowadays Telenovela. When we produced our first Teleplay titled ‘ANG APAT” and our second one titled “SALVACION”, we used only one video camera. Today for our first full-length Telenovela titled “UNIDA, DEKADA OTSO”, we used five video cameras, have shoot a lot of footages and you can just imagine the post-production work that had to be done. And the cost skyrocketed. Because it has to be PROFESSINALY accomplished. Hindi basta-basta lang. This is for God!

Lance is making a limited copy of this Telenovela. Wait for it. It is worth it.

On January 8th 2012 our kapilya will celebrate its DEKADA OTSO. The theme is “MIGHTY AT EIGHTY” and permit me to add “FOR GOD ALMIGHTY”. Their shout is UNIDA AKO, PROTESTANTE, EBANGHELIKO, FILIPINO. We are self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-propagating. No foreign money and no foreign concept.

Plus, our Baclaran Unida Multi-Media Arts for Christ (BUMAC) is set to inaugurate its initial PODCAST of “ANG TINIG NG UNIDA” with this Intro:

Mula pa nuong 1932, pinag-isa ng Dios ang anim na iglesiang protestante, ebangheliko at pilipino at tinawag itong UNIDA. At humayo ang mga lalaki't babae nang kanilang panahon na hawak ang kanilang mga bukas na bibliya at wala silang ibang ipinakilala kundi ang ebanghelyo ni Kristo bilang tagapagligtas ng buong mundo. Ito ang tinig ng UNIDA na aming ipinapahayag ngayon: makasaysayang pananampalataya para sa nagbabagong mundo. Ito ang “TINIG NG UNIDA”. Pananampalatayang Unida para sa Mananampalatayang Unida.

We invite you to look at three videos, one at www.bagongunida.blogspot.com and two at our Youtube Channel, www.youtube.com/PastorGalying. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

UNIDA IN SONGS THROUGH THE YEARS

2011-12-15T22:01:00.002+08:00

IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO HAS GROWN THROUGH THE YEARS. And this no more apparent than in the anthology of its music and songs. At the turn of the century its legacy of nationalism and faith in the One True God evolved into what it is right now.

It is truly self-sustaining, self-propagating and self-governing. No foreigners in its fold of leaders. It followed the example of the apostolic churches that spread in the first centuries of Christianity.

BUEC REACHES DEKADA OTSO

2011-12-09T19:54:00.002+08:00

ON January 8th 2012 Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church celebrates DEKADA OTSO. The event starts with their declaration: UNIDA AKO, PROTESTANTE, EBANGHELIKO, FILIPINO and their theme is "MIGHTY AT EIGHTY FOR GOD ALMIGHTY."

A PIVOTAL DECADE

2011-12-09T13:11:00.003+08:00

Deuteronomy 7:7-8
7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. KJV

We now live in a pivotal decade. We have come to a fork in the road. SANGANGDAAN. Right or left? Or should we blaze a new trail straight forward?

It was inevitable. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. The one He established in Caesaria Philippi. His body, of which he is the head must make a decision. And after doing it, there is no turning back.

It is not easy in our times when a lot are calling our attention, beckoning for us to come and seeing a lot of people answering the call. Leaving only a few behind. With Unida perhaps being the fewest. We live in a generation where definitions are blurred, where meanings have become ambivalent if not turned-around 180 degrees. Where it is so hard to distinguish what is right and what is wrong. Where the church is seemingly traipsing with the world in order to be relevant; so that a lot of people can “ease in” and we can be more in number. But the True God loved the few over the more. That is inescapable.

It is now therefore no longer a wonder that the First of the Ten Commandments is: "I am the LORD your God, You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3

Because right now there are so many gods that men are elevating to Godship, yes, to the top of the mountain. And many are being deceived and misled. But God said I AM, you shall have no other before me. He was emphatic and we should listen.

But when only a few is left behind, do not be distressed nor dismayed. What you must struggle for is to be God’s Own through His Covenant of Grace by the blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Since time in memorial men have tried to reach God by their own efforts, they even invented a Queen of Heaven in Semiramis to intercede for them. They did not reach the TRUE AND ONLY GOD because they also invented their own God in Baal. But there is only one God.

We live in a decade where growth is measured in numbers. Their logic goes like this: Unida has been around since 1932 but it has not shown BIG NUMBERS, therefore Unida has not grown as the scriptures said it should. But I say: through the years the Unida Faithfuls, though small in numbers, had been put through the grinder and they went through it with flying colors for 8 decades. Surviving alone without money is grinder enough but we are still around. Why? Because we are children of a great God.

Growth IS measured in the collective Faith of the individual Christians who are part of the Body Of Christ. Growth is measured in the Faith of the Church. So that when it comes to a pivotal decade, a fork in the road, a sangangdaan, it knows what to do. PUT ITS FAITH IN AN ALL-KNOWING GOD and HIS COVENANT OF GRACE. NO OTHER GOD.

We are commanded to make DISCIPLES of NATIONS. Because within those nations are God’s own people. We must seek and reach them to preach and teach them God’s words and commandments. Lest they hear these they cannot know what God had done for them; that he died for them and that God’s own blood was shed to save them. Because they are incapable of saving themselves by the Covenant of the Law, God had made a New Covenant by His blood. Lest they hear this and have faith they cannot be saved.

For there is only One God. There is only One Lord. There is only One Saviour. There is only One Name given for man’s Salvation. JESUS. Believe.

Pastor Galying
Sunday, November 27, 2011

WE RECEIVED GOOD NEWS WITH THE SAD

2010-12-12T07:41:00.001+08:00

We thank God for the visit from USA of Mrs. Remedios Galvez Reyes, widow of our late and beloved Bishop Alfredo I. Reyes and the husband & wife pastoral team of Pastors Nathaniel and Janet Blair. I hope I spelled their name right because their coming blessed us so much. We were literally overwhelmed.
To them we say, thank you so much for the early Christmas gift. They, however, also brought sad news that frankly bothered this writer a lot. In the USA, they informed, it is forbidden to say “Merry Christmas” to anybody in public. Prayers are forbidden in schools and yes also the playing of Christian gospel songs, anthems and hymns. You are also not to mention the name of Jesus Christ. There are no more Christmas Cards in the USA. Which led me to the question : Are the Americans, God forbid, trying to erase the name of Jesus?
Filipinos are good imitators but I hope we do not imitate our American brethren in this. Remember that verse where Jesus said you will be persecuted for declaring yourselves Christians? I used to think that He was talking to the Christians of His time, now I believe He is looking at us. Remember the verse that said, they that persevere up to the end shall be saved? Well, when it is declared illegal to say the name of Jesus Christ, will you stay up to the end?
Previously, Dan Brown came with his Da Vinci Code and now this. Perhaps it is time to revisit our Gintong Butil written by this writer years ago against the contentions of Dan Brown and the questionable Judas Gospel. Here goes:
THE JUDAS GOSPEL & THE DA VINCI CODE
Oh my, how callous have we become?
A Dissection by Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio
The Robe
They literally disrobed Jesus Christ when they nailed him to the cross. Now they are AGAIN trying to “literarily” disrobe Him of His Divinity and to reduce him to a mere man by marrying him off to Mary Magdalene and by demeaning him through his betrayer Judas Iscariot.

It would be funny if it does not hurt when you laugh. Because they are nailing Jesus on the cross once more and once more for the same reason – M O N E Y. Judas betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver and now after him come Dan Brown, using DA VINCI to make Jesus look bad, is making a lot of money – at the expense of Jesus.

The Crown of Thorns
Is there nothing sacred anymore? Have we really sunk this low? I decried the fanaticism and mysticism of the Roman Catholic Church of my youth. And yet I cannot help but be appalled by what this generation have replaced it with. We have crowned his head with thorns of disrespect.

The Lashing!
We use to utter the Name of Jesus with awe and reverence as befits the Son of God. But Dan Brown disrespected Jesus and lashed & tore his flesh once more at the center of an international audience through his Novel and now the movie “The Da Vinci Code.” And Oh how some people lapped it up and made it a best-seller and translated it into 44 languages. The producers of the movie, because of the controversy it created, is running all the way to the bank.

The New Pontius Pilate
The novel is FICTION, a product of the author’s imagination, and therefore not fact. Dan Brown took a button and sewed a colorful, imaginative but historically inconsistent and multi-layered SHIRT on it.

But since it is fiction it should be read like “Harry Potter”, “The National Treasure”, “James Bond”, “Mission Impossible” and even C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Nothing less, nothing more. That it is being given an importance it does not deserve is a testimony of how sacrilegious our world has become.

One said that while it is fiction there are some truth in it. They should stop pulling our leg because this statement is incorrect. You have to take a novel as a whole and not in parts. Even if some truths are injected into it, it is still fiction woven out of whole cloth.

The Nails
It grieves me that Brown did a Pontius Pilate in desecrating the name of Jesus by means of fictitious allegations and imaginations as did that Roman Procurator. That is disrespect on the Name of Jesus and every Christian martyr, living and dead.

The plot is imaginative but based on loose premises and untruths masquerading as widely accepted truths. “The book opens with the claim by Dan Brown that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate"; but this claim is disputed by academic scholars in the fields the book discusses. As widely noted in the media, there has been substantial confusion among readers about whether the book is factual. Numerous works have been published which explain in detail why any claim to accuracy is difficult to sustain.” (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
The Cross
They are crucifying Christ on the Cross of Controversy. Because without controversy books, television, movies, and media has no other way to call attention to itself. And if people do not pay attention to them they will not make money. Truth is no longer important but Controversy that attract people. That spells M-O-N-E-Y.

Who is Da Vinci anyway that what he is implying in his Last Supper painting is being passed off as the truth? Brown made him the keypoint to his Novel and concocted a conspiracy as only a Fiction-Writer can. Congratulations, he started a controversy and he is now a rich man because of it!

But as soon as the controversy wears out, the book, together with its author Dan Brown, will be forgotten but the name they disrespected – JESUS – will stand forever.

The Tomb
Jesus died in calvary and they laid him in Joseph Arimathea’s tomb. Judas committed suicide and was buried in Potter’s Field. But while Jesus resurrected from the dead on the third day, it is the Gospel of Judas that is being resurrected today.

It is being presented not as fiction but as an original factual manuscript. And here the first debate lies, and secondly on what it contends.

Is it real or fake? The debate cannot end even up to doomsday, perhaps. I believe, however, that it is an absolution after the fact, written by one of the close friends of Judas to redeem him from what he has done.

But a discussion on the real role of Judas in the fulfillment of the prophecies about Jesus Christ is quite relevant to us today.

It is evident that the language and style of this gospel is so different, if not inconsistent, with the 4 gospels of the Bible. Jesus speaks in a different manner and about things not discussed in the four. Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are compatible and their books compliment each other although different in style and approach. And Jesus speaks in a way that is common to the 4 and other books of the Bible.

However, the verse that intrigues and the point of contention is that one where Jesus supposedly told Judas: “But you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.”

The Judas Gospel is contending that Jesus, instead of letting the prophecy be fulfilled through the people that has been foretold thousands of years ago, conspired with his “friend Judas” so that the prophecy will happen. And yet the verse admits that he is both man and God. If Jesus is God as he demonstrated when he raised up Lazarus from the dead, he does not need to conspire with anybody to make things happen. Prophecies will be fulfilled no matter what anyone does.

Did Jesus make a mistake in choosing Judas as one of His disciples? My answer is he did not, because the role of Judas was something that was prophesied and it was part of the plan of Salvation that God put in place. Nobody could stop it, nobody could change what Judas was, not even the Son of God.

Now in the states it is forbidden to say Merry Christmas and they replaced it with Happy Holidays. That is an exercise in futility because without Jesus Christ those supposedly holy days are NOTHING. And here in the Philippines they cannot take away Jesus from us. Simply because the name chosen by God for our church is IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO.

KABABAIHANG UNIDA UPHOLDS ITS LEGACY

2010-07-19T16:09:00.003+08:00

There they were, resplendent and pure, swaying with hands aloft as they sing “TAWAG NG PAGKAKAISA”. More than 500 women of Unida Church merging as One in the Name of JESUS.

It is the first National Fellowship of KKU when it presents before God the National, District, and Local Officers. It is not the token given that was the more important but the acceptance of the commitment to serve God with all their soul and all their might.

With one accord they shouted: “WE ARE ONE. ONE HEART. ONE MISSION. Sapagkat ang layunin ng Dios para sa lahat ng mga kapilas ng kaluluwa ay ang magbigkis tayo ng banal na tali ng pagkakaisa.

“TAWAG NG PAGKAKAISA”
Adaptation by Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio
Sung to the tune of “Fishers of Men” and “Read Your Bible, Pray Everyday.”

Ikaw, si Jesus at Ako;
Maging ISA! Let’s shout, let’s go!
Tawag ng pagkakaisa,
Ibalita mo. Ipakita mo. Isabuhay mo.
Kaligtasang tinanggap mo,
Isabuhay mo.

Ikaw, si Jesus at Ako;
Maging SAMPU! Let’s shout, let’s go!
Tawag ng pagkakaisa,
Ibalita mo. Ipakita mo. Isabuhay mo.
Kaligtasang tinanggap mo,
Isabuhay mo.

Ikaw, si Jesus at Ako;
Maging LAKSA! Let’s shout, let’s go!
Tawag ng pagkakaisa,
Ibalita mo. Ipakita mo. Isabuhay mo.
Kaligtasang tinanggap mo,
Isabuhay mo.

Ikaw, si Jesus at Ako;
Maging MILYON! Let’s shout, let’s go!
Tawag ng pagkakaisa,
Ibalita mo. Ipakita mo. Isabuhay mo.
Kaligtasang tinanggap mo,
Isabuhay mo.

ELECTED BY MEN, CHOSEN BY GOD

2010-06-23T07:17:00.003+08:00

UNIDA CHRISTIAN CENTER sits serenely at the junction of the by-pass road going to Tagaytay City and the smaller road going to Silang Town Proper, at the left side of Aguinaldo Highway coming from Manila. Here every three years Unida feels the presence and power of the HOLY SPIRIT when God chooses the men who are to lead the church for three years.
On May 21st in the Year of Our Lord 2010, I personally felt the presence of the Holy Spirit when I was elected as the “least of the apostles” but nevertheless was chosen by God to be the Tesorero General.
Alas, I can only speak for myself. The UNIDA way is so humbling. You end up saying to God “I am only so because YOU had your way.”
Last Friday (May 21, 2010) God chose the Unida Generales from the 11 set apart from the rest by men. I heard my name read for the first two positions but God said no. But in the position I did not prefer I heard my name read first and at a chance of 1:9 God said “I want you” and I literally crumbled with the question “why” twirling in my mind. But He quickly put me in my place. He wants me as one of the generales, no ifs and no buts. And like I said time and time again to other people, when God calls you there are only two answers: “Yes Lord and Yes Lord.”
Tesorero General. Pastor Gamaliel B. Filio, unang bunot. “Ikaw ang Pinili ng Panginoon.” 95 people covered my back and made sure that it happened and God delivered the coup d grace. I am in, the Unida way.

7 LAPTOPS USED IN BUC VOTING = GOD CHOSE HIS LEADERS BY PELOTILYA

2010-04-13T08:24:00.000+08:00

April 11, 2010 is a benchmark in the history of Baclaran Unida Church. It is the first time that automated elections was conducted from where God is to choose the men and women who will be the leaders of the church for the next three years.

Unida by-laws provide that leaders are to be chosen first by voting and then by pelotilya. The voting part was done using 7 laptop terminals through the efforts of our young adults and youths. This was modern technology at its best. Voting results were out 5 minutes after closing.

Pelotilya was done as our forefathers did before us – drawing of lots as done by the apostles and disciples in the ACTS.

It was a spiritually-powered process that moved everyone in the church.

We will post the results by June.

BUC "BAGONG AKO" CHURCH CAMP

2010-04-05T16:54:00.005+08:00

THE OLD SELF SUBMERGE; BEHOLD THE NEW SELF EMERGE!

BUC CHURCH CAMP

2010-03-24T07:47:00.004+08:00

A VISION is about to come about. Baclaran Unida Church will go on a CHURCH CAMP on April 1-3, 2010 at the Y.C. Yen James Yen Center, IRR, Silang, Cavite. And we mean the whole congregation. The camp is called “BAGONG AKO” CHURCH CAMP and this is the first time it is going to happen.

And we have our very own theme song titled “NANDYAN KA LANG PALA, LORD”, the MTV of which is above, just click the youtube video.

Layunin: Upang linangin ang kakayahan na ang bawa’t isa ay may binagong buhay at magkaroon ng isang iglesiang buhay at gumagabay.
Paraan: Tuklasin ang Dios na nasa iyo sa pamamagitan ng pananalangin at pag-aaral ng Biblia, ang Salita ng Dios.

JEREMIAS 29:11-14a “Sapagkat alam Ko ang nais Ko para sa iyo.” sabi ng PANGINOON, “Nais Kong pasaganain ka at huwag kang saktan; balak Ko na bigyan ka ng pag-asa at kinabukasan. Upang Ako ay iyong tawagan at upang pumarito ka at manalangin sa Akin, at pakikinggan Kita. Hahanapin mo Ako at makikita kapag hinanap mo Ako ng buong puso. Matatagpuan mo Ako,” wika ng PANGINOON. NIV sa Filipino.

“NAND’YAN KA LANG PALA, LORD!”
Musika ni Genesis F. Luz
Titik ni Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio
Areglo nina Lance at BIGS Band
MTV Production nina Lance & Nikki Filio

Koro 1
Nandyan ka lang pala, laging kasama
Nandyan ka lang pala, hindi nag-iisa
Ang layo ng tanaw, nandyan ka lang pala
nandyan ka lang pala, hindi mawawala.
Verse 1
Nagtungo sa bundok pero wala ka
Sinisid ko ang dagat pero nas'an ka.
At kahit na anong tingin sa papawirin, wala ka
wala ka pa rin
Kahit anong aking gawin ay sisikapin
Nais ko lang ikaw ay aking makapiling
Koro 2
Nandyan ka lang pala, laging kasama
Nandyan ka lang pala, hindi nagiisa
Ang layo ng tanaw, nandyan ka lang pala
nandyan ka lang pala, hindi mawawala.
Angkinin ako Hesus, ako’y sa’yo
Ayoko ko na sa mundong kay gulo.
Angkinin mo nako Hesus, tayo na!
At ang pangako koy wala na ngang iba.
Verse 2
Sa bahay ng Ama ako’y nagtungo;
Tiyak na naroon ka sa mga pagsamba.
Sa mga awiting nakakaligaya;
sa tunog at saliw ng gitara.
At sa aking pag-iisa at panalangin
Dito sa puso’t kalul’wa Ika’y nakapiling.
(Repeat Koro 2)

Koda
Kahit anong gawin ay sisikapin;
Nais ko lang ikaw ay laging makapiling.
Sa pag-iisa at panalangin
Dito sa puso ko't kalul’wa Ika'y makapiling.

GREAT@78 BUC@HEAVEN'S GATE

2010-01-18T11:58:00.002+08:00

BACLARAN UNIDA CHURCH celebrated it’s 78th Year last Sunday, January 10th with a Thanksgiving Morning Worship and capping it with a Choir Concert at night. And there was a parade around the community on the morning of January 9th to boot.
BUC is at the center of Barangay Baclaran and had its roots when it was still a fishing village with a beach called “aplaya” in the vernacular. Fishing boats were aplenty then and every child then could swim like a fish. At night the sweet smell of dama de noche permeates as the fishermen go out to sea with their fishing nets and lamps in tow.
They were simple folks but their faith in God is big enough for their “kapilya” to be still be alive and kicking after almost eight decades.
BUC can be seen in video at its YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/PastorGalying and at its blogsite at http://www.bagongunida.blogspot.com. Its Sunday Sermons and the like are posted at www.churchcloud.com/ieudc/Sermons.

ELI DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL NIGHT

2010-01-12T15:21:00.003+08:00

Remember Lance Malachi nicknamed Eli, who in November 8th 2007 was operated on at the Philippine Heart Center? He had inverted red and blue arteries and when only two weeks old we prayed for him when he had that surgery.

Well, he is now two years old and just how great God's love is can be seen in this video of Eli dancing with others kids of Mambo no.5.

Take a look at him also as a child actor in our Teleplay "Salvacion" that can be viewed below.

"SALVACION" BUC's CHRISTMAS PRESENTATION

2009-12-28T16:27:00.002+08:00

Salvacion - Part 1 (Christmas Church Presentation) from Lance Filio on Vimeo.

Yes, we have done it. We have produced a Teleplay. See it here. It took some doing but we did it. This is for God alone.

BUC CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS WITH "SALVACION"

2009-12-16T08:14:00.006+08:00

We have done it! We are now in post production of our teleplay titled "SALVACION". It will be shown on December 24th with the live concluding part. See you on that night! Our storytelling scince December 16 is going on nightly featuring our group "TROUBADOURS OF CHRIST."

SALVACION: BUC's 10-day Celebration of cChristmas 2009

2009-11-18T07:11:00.003+08:00

CHRISTMAS 2009 will be a grand and different celebration at Baclaran Unida Church – it will run for ten days. From December 16 up to December 25, 2009 BUC will literally glow with the spirit of Advent. The theme will run through one Spanish word: S A L V A C I ON and it will be storytelling time from the start of Simbang Gabi. Storytelling of the Christmas Story in songs, prose and dance.

Christmas is a celebration of God’s Love. In the beginning was the Word and He created the whole universe making man as the center of all His creations. Why did it become necessary that God has to give His only begotten son so that Salvation may come? If it be our wish to know of this, we must go back to the beginning and hear the whole story from day one like a Christmas Teleserye.

December 16, Mierkules - Tesalonica at Young Adults “Ang Pasimula at Paglikha”
Patnugot: Michelle Vizcarra Storyteller: Abi David
December 17, Huwebes - Efeso at Kalalakihan “Si Rahab at ang 2 Espiya”
Patnugot: Arnold Limpin Storyteller: Billy Limpin
December 18, Biernes – Antioch at Kabataan - “Bakit Bethlehem?” (Boaz, Ruth at Noemi)
Patnugot: Elba David Storyteller: Asher Pascua
December 19, Sabado – Colosas at Kababaihan “Si Samuel, David, at Goliath”
Patnugot: Baby Padilla Storyteller: Ira David
December 20, Linggo – Filipos at Koro “Juan Bautista, Elizabeth at Zacarias”
Patnugot: Mecce Espiritu Storyteller: Nash Limpin
December 21, Lunes – Galacia at Mga Diakonisa “Si Jose, ang kaniyang lahi, at ang Anghel”
Patnugot: Pining Bederico Storyteller: Genesis Luz
December 22, Martes – Corinto at Mga Elders “Si Maria, ang tala, at ang Tatlong Hari”
Patnugot: Miriam Pascua Storyteller: JP Manuel
December 23, Mierkules – Sunday School “Nang Gabing Isilang si Jesus”
December 24, Huwebes
On Christmas Eve, it is traditional for the church to stage a Christmas Drama. But this year, we are going to go beyond this. We are going to shoot a video teleplay entitled, you guessed it, “SALVACION” and show it that night, plus of course live singing of Christmas Carols. Different and yet not that different.

The bad news is that the script had to be written for the storytellers and the drama of December 16-25. It is truly a daunting task! But the good news is that I have finished writing the script for the storytelling and drama and Lance and Nikki will direct the whole thing. And it only took three days to write. We have started rehearsals and are scheduled to shoot the whole day of November 28 in different locations. Reshoot and post-production will follow.

One of the things that bothered me is the fact that churches celebrates Christmas with dramas and thanksgiving worship on the eve of his birth. Yet on the very day of his birth the churches are closed. But not in Baclaran because we have a Happy Birthday Jesus Worship on Christmas Day, December 25 every year.

December 25, Biernes – Happy Birthday Jesus Christmas Worship
Patnugot: Pred. Irvin Rebucas Tagpagsalita: Rev. G.B. Filio
Ang Koro ay aawit ng dalawang Christmas Hymns
Pastoral Family Singers will sing. Offertory: Marigold dela Cruz
There will be singing groups and solo singers
We will come out with a DVD of the whole activity and we are sorry we cannot put it in our youtube channel because it will be too long. MERRY CHRISTMAS.

TYPHOON "ONDOY" POURED UNPRECEDENTED RAIN AND FLOOD

2009-09-29T06:11:00.005+08:00

WHEN DISASTER STRIKES,
EVERYONE is caught unawares and totally surprised. “This can’t be happening. It has never happened before.”

This came out of our lips when Typhoon Ondoy poured rain water equivalent according to PAG-ASA to one month of rain. And it surely felt that way Saturday when the street in front of our house flooded in the wink of an eye. Looking out to where the sea was, we saw Roxas Boulevard under water and the water flowing into our direction instead of out to sea.

We went into the rain to assess the situation forgetting that I had my cell phone in my pocket. It conked out. Then I saw in the intersecting street my son Bengene in his small car trying to turn left into our house but by then the street was under water so I signaled him to back up. But because of the rain, he can’t see his rear so I went to him and guided him going backward to park in front of Ate Pet’s house.

I went back and saw our street flooded and the drainage clogged. I reached down and found a wet rug blocking it. I forced it out. Flood water came rushing down, with all the plastic bags, lots of them. I told one of the guys to guard the plastics from blocking the water.

Then I realized that if our street is flooded what about those places that are flooded when we are not? We thought about the house where our grandson Eli stays. We were informed that the front of house is already under water.

A day after we learned the extent of the disaster and another day later we are seeing the full gloomy news. Flood went into Gagalangin Unida Church, Tipas is under water and will stay so for a week or perhaps a month, Tipas Unida Church is surrounded by water and worshippers will have to go by banca to worship, and we received the news that our Pastor Rainier was rescued from the roof of their house. A lot of cars and vans were submerged in water.

Government agencies are busy rescuing people and feeding and curing those in evacuation centers. It will take a lot of time before we recover from this disaster.

BALIK-ESCUELA UNIDA

2009-07-26T06:47:00.002+08:00

BACK to the UNIDA SCHOOL OF FAITH! Ang Layunin ng Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church sa taong ito ay: “Upang linangin ang kakayahang ang bawa’t isa ay mayroong binagong buhay, at magkaroon ng isang iglesiang buhay at gumagabay.”

In line with this, the church has initiated a return to the School of Faith by means of a joint Sunday School (Youth, Young Adults, and Adults) every fourth Sunday of the month.

The congregation were asked to write down questions and more than fifty were submitted and are now being answered by the panel of Church Workers: Rev. Gamaliel Filio and Preds. Irvin Rebucas and Lance Filio.

The church has a channel at youtube, a blogsite, and a PODCAST. Visit us at www.youtube.com/PastorGalying, www.bagongunida.blogspot.com, and www.churchcloud.com/ieudc/sermons.

LANCE, FOURTH PASTOR FOR TWO GENERATIONS

2009-05-27T14:28:00.009+08:00

There is now great rejoicing in our family. Out of the blue, our youngest son Lance got the call from God to be a Pastor. He was ordained last May 16, 2009 at Unida Christian Center.

He is an Electronics Communications Engineer, graduated with honors from Mapua Institute of Technology, a manager with Eastern Telecommunications and for the longest time has been saying he will not be a pastor. But God works in mysterious ways.

His style is that of his grandfather Obispo Genio, not mine. But I take credit for the fact that he does research and writes his own materials, not copying nor adapting from others, thank God.

He and wife Nikki got their test of faith early. Last October 2007, their youngest son Eli was born a blue baby, one with inverted heart arteries and had to be operated on at Philippine Heart Center when only a week old.

Lance and Nikki passed the test of faith and Eli is now a precocious lad who laid both his hands on the back of his father and uttered Amen on the day that he was ordained.

Click below for Video of Pastor Lance.

PERHAPS BRITAIN'S GO TALENT BUT WE'VE GOT IT TOO!

2009-05-06T14:24:00.001+08:00

THE following video amazes me. It is posted at youtube and we have favorited it in our channel www.youtube.com/PastorGalying and we are also posting it here at http://bagongunida.blogspot.com.
It features the youngest son of Dr. Aladin Mariano, a heart surgeon par excellance and youngest son of the late Rev. Laureano Mariano of Tipas Unida Church. This is the piano recital of Andrew at his graduation. Bravo!
Dr. Al and wife Dra. Evelyn and family are based in Chicago, USA.

UNIDA, A HISTORY IN VIDEO

2009-04-24T14:35:00.001+08:00

UNIDA, A TRULY FILIPINO PROTESTANT CHURCH

2009-04-16T13:58:00.004+08:00

This is our account of the History of Unida Church based on old manuscripts. The sermon introduces the history.

Researched & Written by Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio
(This account is based on the history of Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo as written in 1932 in the original manuscripts that are now so brittle one has to be careful handling them lest they crumble. Some facts are a revelation to me and I know it will be to you. The first part is the result of research by the author but the second part is a translation to English of the 1932 A.D. original. God bless)

The IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO or UNIDA CHURCH was born on January 3, 1932 but the seeds that gave birth to it were sown at the turn of the century. It was preceded by the birth pangs of an independent Filipino Nation and emboldened by the coming to the Philippines of Protestantism and consequently the right to read and own a BIBLE.
Protestantism entered when, after 350 years of “abuse, oppression, cruelty, and injustice”1 by Spanish Friars and of prohibition on owning and reading the Bible under pain of death or imprisonment, Spain ceded the Philippine Islands to the United States for twenty million dollars. As the bell of freedom rung throughout the islands. Protestant missionaries came in with lots of Bibles that people can own and read. The HOLY BIBLE was opened to the Filipino people and it was a time of joy and peace, and progress. *
It was a breath of fresh air long awaited by the Filipinos. The Americans guaranteed religious freedom and the liberty to worship God without literally paying for it through the nose. “The peace-speaking guns of Admiral Dewey have opened the gates which henceforth make accessible not less than 8,000,000 of people who have for three hundred years been fettered.”2 Thus declared the statement of the Presbyterian General Assembly, in session at Winona Lake, Indiana, in 1898.
The United States established a Civil Government in the Philippines and “The Presbyterian Board felt that political and military relations into which the United states had been so strangely forced with reference to the Philippine Islands……involved certain moral and religious responsibilities…..and that Christian people of America should immediately consider the duty of entering the door which God in His providence was thus opening.”3
For this purpose they decided to transfer Rev. James B. Rodgers, who was stationed in Brazil, to the Philippines. Rev. and Mrs. James B. Rodgers arrived on April 21, 1899. And thus began the spread of Protestant Presbyterianism through him. *
There were five Protestant denominations in 1903 funded by their American Mission Boards. And through them, many congregations and churches were established.
But the spirit of nationalism was awakened in the heart and soul of the Filipinos not only in their political life but more so in their worship of the one true God. Their eyes were opened that Salvation is not by good works and graven idols but by Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Indigenous Protestant Churches sprouted right and left, independently of each of other. They built chapels (kapilya) on their own and they existed without financial help from the Americans.
In his book “An Observer in the Philippines ” subtitled “Life in Our New Possessions”, published in 1903 by the American Tract Society, REV. JOHN BANCROFT DEVINS, D.D., Editor of “The New York Observer” wrote in page 265, “It is the belief of many that the Philippine Protestants will soon have not only self-supporting, but also self-propagating churches, and that men in training now will be willing to give a part or all of their time to the work of the ministry, depending upon their converts for support and the erection of churches.”
And ultimately, the belief mentioned above winnowed only two groups that pursued to be self-supporting and indigenous. One of them is a church composed of six groups that bonded into One, IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO.
“In addition to three Manila congregations, there were three in Cavite Province, three in Laguna, and one in Pasig, in the province of Rizal. Regular services are also held in six other places and occasional ones in a number of other towns. There are six chapels constructed by the people, in addition to the large native church opened in Manila.”5
Those three churches in Cavite begun by Rev. Rodgers, specifically Bacoor, joined Iglesia Evangelica delos Cristianos Filipinos which together with Iglesia Trinitaria, Iglesia Reformada, and three smallers groups formed IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO. Rev. Devins narrated a visit with Rev. Rodgers in 1903 to Cavite Viejo and Bacoor in his book pages 282-287. And the old history of Bacoor Unida Church confirms this.
The years that followed saw a people, awakened by nationalism, seeking to be an Independent Nation. Consequently, Filipino Protestant Churches sought to be independent and self-supporting, giving birth to a number of indigenous churches whose converts support the pastors and erect their own churches. It was hard going for them as their pastors were given no compensation and instead gave to the church.
In 1930 a group of them came together at the instance of Don Toribio Teodoro, owner of a shoe factory named “Ang Tibay”, who is a Lay Leader of Iglesia Evangelica de los Cristianos Filipinos and known as “King of Slippers and Shoes”. This meeting was held on November 10, 1930 at 2200 Rizal Avenue, Manila and those who attended were Atty. Prudencio Remigio and the General Superintendents Pastor Gil Domingo of Iglesia Trinitaria, Pastor Moises Buzon of Iglesia Metodista Reformada, and Ob. Victoriano Mariano. After a repast prepared by Mrs. Maria de Jesus Teodoro, they secluded themselves in a room and each one prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide the proposed unification of their three churches.
After their prayers they discussed the proposal and each one consented with the proviso that they will consult their churches about the unification. The consensus in the three churches was for the unification of their indigenous churches.

The first Meetings
In the meetings of each of the three churches they decided to bond their three churches together as one. However, Brother Toribio Teodoro received the urging from God to invite all the other Evangelical or Christian Churches being run by Filipinos. He did not waste any moment but immediately called on all Evangelical Churches that he knows to a special meeting that will be held at the factory of “ANG TIBAY” at 714 Ilaya Street, Tondo, Manila.
He also invited to witness and verify the beautiful plan to unify the Evangelical Churches some Gentlemen Brethren whose names are prominent and known in the entire country for their efforts to spread the Gospel and everything that will redound to the benefit of the country. They never wavered in helping to the best of their ability and they are Teodoro Yangco of Iglesia Evangelica Presbiteriana, Dean Jorge Bocobo of Iglesia Metodista Episcopal, and Atty. Prudencio A. Remigio of Iglesia Evangelica de los Cristianos Filipinos.
Ultimately, thirteen Churches were invited and came to the second meeting held at “ANG TIBAY”. At the start, almost all of the present representatives of Churches happily agreed to bond together all the evangelical churches in order to eradicate disunity and in order to be a unified force that can bring down the forces of evil and sin, fanaticism and all the bad vices that are prevalent in the islands.
But the 13 was trimmed down to 6 and this six examined the Constitution presented by Victoriano Mariano. After discussion, debate, careful examination, consecutive meetings, prayers and scrutiny of the verses needed the Constitution was approved.

The Meeting to Choose the Name
Choosing the name of the six churches that bonded into one happened after worship service on October 4, 1931 A.D. at the temple of Iglesia Evangelica of Atlag, Malolos. They held the meeting of the representatives and supporters of the six churches after lunch at the house of Pastor Quintin D. Santiago. Six names were submitted to be the name of the church unified by God. When the temporary chairman, Toribio Teodoro, asked the body how they will choose the name, Victoriano Mariano
suggested they should do it by PELOTILYA and it was approved without debate by the whole assembly. So they prepared six small papers on each of which they wrote the six different names suggested and they also prepared one on which is written “it is not here.” They rolled the seven papers and put it inside a hat (sombrero). They prepared another set of six papers on each of which they wrote “that is not the one” and also another one on which they wrote “That is the name God chooses to be the name of the unified church”. They rolled the seven papers and put it in another hat (sombrero).
The two hats were placed each on opposite ends of the table in front of the Chairman. At the suggestion of Victoriano Mariano, two five or six-year old children were made to stand at opposite ends of table where the hats were placed. Then they all knelt down to pray for God to point to the one he chooses so that all will agree. Victoriano Mariano, Atanacio Pineda, and Pedro Castro led the whole congregation in prayer. After the prayers, the whole congregation stood up from their knees and the first child was asked to draw a paper from the first hat and so also with the second child. They both raised up their hands to be seen by all. The first paper was opened and it read: “Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Filipinas”. The second paper was opened and it read: “That is the name God chooses to be the name of the unified church”. There was joy and rejoicing and acceptance of the will of God and they all stood up and as one they sang GLORIA PATRI.

Meeting to elect the Permanent Officers of the Church
The temporary chairman called a meeting on October 21, 1931 A.D. at “ANG TIBAY”. The representatives of the six churches that bonded into one decided to hold the elections of the permanent officers who will lead the new church. They agreed to separate or elect first (in the way the first disciples separated Joseph and Matthias Acts 1:23) three official candidates for the position of Superintindente Heneral by means of secret ballot. And the names elected were Moises Buzon, Juan S. Pring and Victoriano Mariano. And the three were submitted to God in Pelotilya, the same way that it was done in choosing the name of the church. The knelt down and prayed. (Acts 1:24) God chose Victoriano Mariano to be the Superintindente Heneral and then in the same way were chosen Moises Buzon as Secretario Heneral, Quintin D. Santiago as Tesorero Heneral, and Atanacio Pineda as
Ebanghelista Heneral. (Acts 1:26) The length of their term as decided also by Pelotilya is three years.

The Way of Electing
In order to prevent the entry into the hearts and mind of anyone, the destructive lust for power or position that is responsible for disunity of brethren and the outrageous habit of destroying the reputation of others and of lifting up of one’s self and inveigling others to make himself popular so that he will be elected the way it happens in the politics of the country, IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY AGREED IN A MEETING WITHOUT DEBATE that from NOW and up to the FUTURE, the election of the officers of the church will be as it is done now by means of prayer and pelotilya or drawing of lots as it is taught in the BIBLE as written in Proverbs 18:18; 16:33 and Acts 1:23-26.

Announcing the Founding of “Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Filipinas”
In the last meeting of the representatives of churches they set the day January 3, 1932 A.D. to announce the founding of the church at the Manila Grand Opera House. They also decided to invite all the Evangelical Churches whether they are run by foreigners or not.

This is the history of the birth of Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Filipinas, and we respectfully and graciously greet all the Evangelical and Christian Churches of the Philippine Islands that is unified in glorifying Christ as Lord and Saviour by spreading the gospel to the world and to bring salvation and truth to all.

A Slight Change in the Name
However, when they went to Register the name, they were informed by the government agency that there is already one with the same name although in English namely United Evangelical Church of the Philippines. To avoid confusion they went back to God and by Pelotilya God chose the name ‘IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO.”
The name registered according to Act Number 1459 at the Department of Commerce and Industry was IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO number 5477 February 6, 1932.

BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT AT 47 YEARS OLD

2009-03-09T16:10:00.005+08:00

God gave so many talents that are not seen and heard and appreciated. Thank God this one got out. When 47-year old Susan Boyle went onstage Simon was rolling his eyes and the audience and judges were so sickeningly cynical and laughing inside, but when she started singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables her voice was so angelic that they gave her a standing ovation. A lot of them cried. Enjoy and perhaps shed a tear or two.

From MARCHA UNIDA to KAISANG UNIDA, HAYO NA!

2009-03-09T16:10:00.003+08:00

From seven decades ago, our UNIDA forefathers left us this song titled MARCHA UNIDA, composed by Prof. Hilarion Rubio, with lyrics by Atty. Ismael Santos. They called us their "KAPILAS NG AMING KALULUWA." Here is the song with a video of Baclaran Unida's parade around Barangay Baclaran during their 77th Anniversary.

In 2007 for UNIDA's 75th Anniversary our signature song is KAISANG UNIDA, HAYO NA! Here is the song with a video of Baclaran's 77th Anniversary Parade.

MYEVANGELISM

2009-02-26T09:44:00.008+08:00

KAISA! THE POWER OF ONE!
By Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio

FOREWORD
I did not plan to put in writing my STAND on Evangelism at this time, not wanting to “rain on anybody’s parade.” But God and events have a way of interfering in the lives of men and who are we to question them? But let me be clear at the outset. Since I am not part of the leadership of Unida Church today, the stand made here is personal to this pastor. Responsibility therefore rest on me and mirrors a whole lifetime of learning the Word of God in Unida Church.

MAIN THESIS
WHEN Jesus said: “GO YE!” HE MEANS YOU. He is talking to you. He is telling you. He is telling each ONE of us. ALL OF US. He is teaching you your true worth - the POWER OF ONE, KAISA! The goal therefore is for EVERYONE to be a gospel-bringer (Lahat Tagapaghatid ng mabuting balita)

SUBTHESIS
GROWTH does not refer to quantity but rather to the quality of a man’s faith. As to how deep the roots of the Word of God is growing, unseen, in those that believed. It is God who is “causing this growth” , not men. It is not how many but what kind of Christians are produced that can make a difference in the world.

ANTITHESIS
THE wisdom of men will try to impose upon the church its own version of the “Way, Truth, and Life.” And for this, churchmen will be used.

SYNTHESIS
JESUS is the only WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. Everything else will fall at the wayside.

DISCUSSION

John 17:11-12
Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name -the name you gave me- so that they may be one as we are one. “ NIV

John 17:20-21
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” NIV

1 Cor 3:6
I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. NASU

Mark 4:26-29
He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain-first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." NIV

INGESTING THE WORD OF GOD
These are the words of the Scriptures. INGEST them and God will cause them to grow in you. I know because I saw this miracle in the old members of Unida Church who showed me the way of the Lord in their lives. Picture in your minds the pioneer Unida pastor propagating the word of God “without pay” while others yield to the American dollars and you will realize how strong that faith is.

GO YE MEANS YOU!
“God might have sent angels to evangelize the world. But He did not. He might have broadcast the message from Heaven. But He did not. He might have utilized a heavenly TV, but He did not. God chose to send men, men saved from sin, to win other sinners.” 1

Our main point is that when Jesus said Go ye, he meant that each and everyone should be a bringer of the gospel of the saving grace of God wherever he is and wherever he goes. He did not call only a special group of people to do it but that everybody should be doing it. This is what we are aiming for: Each One a Gospel-bringer. Each ONE to have beautiful feet. How? Rom 10:15 "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" NIV

ONE FOR ONE: EACH ONE, REACH ONE
This is a simple program, a simple plan. The Pastor is to move all to action on to God’s Agenda. To instill in the minds of the people that like Paul all that is being asked of them is to plant and water (translate to “share and explain the words of God”) and God will cause the growth. But he must move all of his members, no exemption, to share and explain the good news and God will do the rest.

This is the power of one. KAISA! In the previous three years we have proven that we can be one and achieve great things to show our nation that we exist and that the Holy Spirit works in us.

GROWTH IS NOT A QUESTION OF NUMBERS BUT OF FAITH
My youngest son, who has gathered and read all that I have written, pointed out to me that his generation has been bombarded with teachings that growth is measured by numbers and since Unida has not achieved big numbers they passed judgment that it failed. And the irony he points out is that many in Unida believed this. But it is not so, he says, because our 75 years show our great faith. He wrote me the email below: (slightly edited)

Dear Dad,
May the spirit of our evangelical founding fathers live in him who stands against the teaching of a different gospel than the one we have received since the beginning.

For while others may refer to it in different names or mask it In different ways, it is obvious that their assumption against us, UNIDA, will always be the same: We are SMALL in numbers so we are NOT growing, therefore we FAILED the Great Commission of Christ.

And where is this assumption coming from? Definitely not from us, UNIDA. Because if they really are with UNIDA since the beginning then they would have shared the same sentiments of UNIDA who has been there since the beginning when the gospel was preached freely during the last century. (1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. NIV”)

How can one assume that there is no discipleship happening in our churches only because they do not see it happening just like in other churches? How can one assume that our small membership reflects a weak commitment to the gospel when we have been doing it for the past 75 years? How can anyone from us feel that we failed our Lord in His call to make disciples just because we cannot show big numbers for the past several years?

We shall mourn the day when UNIDA concedes to this kind of faith. For then we would know that we indeed failed. But our failure will not be failing to grow our numbers but failing to GROW our FAITH.

We would have failed to see the invisible hand of the Master in His church inspite of our few numbers.

“Never underestimate the spirit of a dedicated few.
Although often ridiculed by the society and dismissed by the mighty,
A handful minority has the power to change the entire world.”

En Xristos,
Lance

THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD
But the wisdom of the world will try to encroach upon the church to bring it down under the guise of putting it up. And many will be deceived.

Christianity grew inspite of the world. It is in this world and yet it is not of this world. And because it is and because it lives by God’s wisdom, men and women learned in the ways of the world will try to insinuate themselves into the church to make it appear that they are the ones responsible for its growth. Yet the Bible says: “It is God who is causing the growth”, not men, 1 Corinthians 3:6. Amen.

AFTER ALL THINGS ARE SAID AND DONE...
We finally have Jesus to show us the TRUE “Way, Truth, and Life.” The way of the world confuses and misleads, the truth of the world is suspect, and life in this world ends.

But Jesus guarantees Life without end. He said: John 11:25-26 "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" NIV. Yes, I do believe.

UNSHAKEABLE ANCHOR. We have to anchor our lives on something that does not move and cannot be moved. A place where the gates of hell cannot prevail. A Kingdom where God reigns. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST that is built upon the Rock that JESUS is the Son of the Living God. There is only One God, there is One Lord, there is only One Saviour by whose Name man lives forevermore – JESUS. THE POWER OF ONE. THE POWER OF LIVE FAITH.

AND NOW THE FULL "Ang APAT" FINALE EPISODES

2009-01-19T11:35:00.003+08:00

BUMAC CARRIES ON THESPIC LEGACY

WE HAVE COMPLETED A DREAM. A full Christian Telenovela produced and performed by the BACLARAN UNIDA MULTI-MEDIA ARTS FOR CHRIST (BUMAC). It is now uploaded at www.youtube,com/PastorGalying and right here in chronological video order for easy wiewing. The first two parts were shoot and edited as a Telenovela but the succeeding episodes were dramatized live at Baclaran Unida Church last December 24th. We have finished the Epilogue but it will be uploaded 2 or 3 days from now.

Baclaran Unida Church has a thespic legacy that dates back to the days of Pastor Genio, Tagumpay Garcia, Rodolfo Lusterio, up to the present Administrative Pastor, Rev. Gamaliel B, Filio, and now to Lance, Nikki, and Abbi & the newly organized BACLARAN UNIDA MULTI-MEDIA ARTS FOR CHRIST (BUMAC) composed of (in alphabetical order) Amaba, Jhervy; Borja, Kristine C.; Casimiro, Belle; Cortejo, Danica; Crisologo, Sharmaine; David, Abbi; David, Ira Azel G.; David, Lei; Deleña, Jasmine; Domingo, Shem; Erroc, Melanie; Espiritu, Mecce; Espiritu, Myki; Esquillo, Lady Francis P.; Giron, John Mark P.; Giron, Krissha Paula; Giron, Nico John Paul; Giron, Ryan Paul; Hernandez, Rodilynn; Ignacio, Michael; Lazarte, Jewel Faith G.; Lazarte, Jewel Love G.; Legaspi, John Paul; Limpin, Billy Joel; Limpin, Nash; Luz, Genesis; Manuel, Jared; Navoa, Pamela; Ortanez, Ronamay; Peñas, Andrea; Peñas, Angelica; Rebucas, Irvin; Rivera, Mara D.; Santos, Emmanuel; Sarmiento, Red; Tabaranza, Jacob L.; Untal, Carlos; Untal, Jemearl; Untal, Liloy. Special Participation by Lance Malachi “Eli” Filio, Arnold Limpin, and Dra. Amy Manalaysay

A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN AT SEVENTY-SEVEN

2009-01-09T09:39:00.002+08:00

BACLARAN UNIDA CHURCH celebrates its 77th Year on Saturday and Sunday, January 10-11 2009.

The celebration begins with a parade of the 300-strong church on Saturday spearheaded by the 80-member BESC Drum & Lyre Band around Barangay Baclaran, followed by a free medical check-up for its members. Sunday begins with a worship and ends with a Congregational Fellowship.

Baclaran Unida has a signal achievement this term as its newly organized Baclaran Unida Multi-Media Arts for Christ introduces its own Telenovela titled “Ang Apat” that can be viewed at www.youtube.com/PastorGalying and this blogsite.

AT LAST, OUR VERY OWN TELENOVELA

2008-12-30T08:58:00.008+08:00

We have posted our drama done in our church. But now we start to post the "Ang APAT" Telenovela as we have shoot it the way it is done on TV. This is our very own. Enjoy! The concluding FINALE will be posted later. When downloaded and processed on youtube, the resolution suffers a bit. But our DVD copies are crystal clear and of good quality. When we have shoot the concluding part, we will come up with the DVD copies.

THE FINALE EPISODE OF "Ang APAT" TONIGHT DECEMBER 24TH

2008-12-24T11:05:00.001+08:00

Tonight we play the FINALE EPISODE of our Telenovela “Ang APAT” in a live drama at Baclaran Unida Church.

The episodes started last August and became the centerpoint of our sermons two Sundays of every month culminating on December 24th.

The presentation tonight will be two parts – One part video and the last part is a live drama.

If you are in the vicinity of 1139 Unida St., Baclaran, Paranaque City, please join us and be a part of our celebration.

PASKO NA NAMANG MULI!

2008-12-12T17:38:00.002+08:00

We live in a jaded world. We use to celebrate Christmas with much more ardor. But now the ardor has gone. Yes, by December there are so many activities and to-do’s but most of them are downright commercial and eerily superficial. What is missing is the meaning of Christmas.

I grew up in a fishing village that was Baclaran when people were so few that everybody knew each other by name, pet-name, or teasing-name like talakitok, kandule, patola, or dat-dat. And oh how they celebrate Christmas!

My generation and the generation before me ANTICIPATED Christmas. As soon as the “ber” months began the simple people of Baclaran girded for the big event in December. Christmas carols were already heard and people were more “mabait” to each other than usual. It was a three-month anticipation plus a month-long celebration.

But now we have become so jaded that we have reduced it to a week-long celebration plus a month-long commercial anticipation. What an insult to the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings whose birthday we are waiting to celebrate.

And please pray tell me one thing: why is it that we, Christians, celebrate Christmas in full worship services on the eve or the night before the birth of the Son of God? And does not worship or celebrate on the day of His birth?

I find it a blessing that I grew up in a Church that offers Thanksgiving Worship to God on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day. At Baclaran Unida Church we worship on December 25.

"Ang APAT" in DVD

2008-12-05T17:54:00.002+08:00

Here is a sampler! We have started to re-shoot our Telenovela so that we can come in DVD Format. Better quality and better clarity!

We have so far posted at youtube our Telenovela as dramatized in our church. But now we have started to do it like GMA-7 and ABS-CBN. For this Lance and Nikki bought a high-end digital video camera and with their expertise we can come out with a product comparable to others.

We are also excited to announce that the FINALE EPISODE of “Ang APAT” will be dramatized at Baclaran Unida Church on Christmas Eve, December 24th at 7pm. So if you are in the vicinity of 1139 Unida St., Baclaran, Paranaque City on that night please drop by. But come early because the church will be overflowing on Christmas Eve. The temple is fully air-conditioned.

On Christmas Day, December 25, we have a “HAPPY BIRTHDAY WORSHIP starting at 10am.

UNIDA CHURCH GOES TO THE WORLD! TRAVELLING THROUGH THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY

2008-11-16T07:00:00.004+08:00

FOREWORD
This week, let us meditate on the dynamics of the Information Highway and the role of the Christian Church, specifically Unida, there. But first we must understand it before we can travel through it.
The Bibles says: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14

INFORMATION HIGHWAY OPENS
There was a time in my younger years as a pastor when I was unable to fathom how this “preaching in all the world and witnessing unto all nations” can be accomplished. I have ceased to wonder. Advances in communication technology and what is now called “Information Highway” have proffered a pathway. The gate is now open for the fastest dissemination of information “in all the world” and “unto all the world” but not only of the gospel but of those opposing it and of those trying to bring down the Church of Christ. How fast? At the flick of a finger. Or in Biblical term “in the twinkling of an eye.” “isang kurap!” That’s how fast your message reaches the world.

INTERACTIVE DYNAMICS
The dynamics of this field is this: anybody can enter in and post his message and vice versa anybody can challenge what you have written. So it takes not only the facility to post but also the courage of conviction to stand by and defend what you have written. And this is what makes it interactive and alive because internet travelers have the option of reading or deleting without even opening it. Just be sure that what you have written is defensible. The upside is that if nobody is able to put down what you have posted, it stands.This then is the battleground to fight for the ONLY WAY, ONLY TRUTH, AND ONLY LIFE.

UNIDA MEMBERS GIVE IT A GO
The Unida Church is reaching the world right now, this very second, with the message of the “Saving Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And for this, I admire several people in Unida Church who are taking advantage of the Information Highway by using it to preach and witness unto the world. If I mention some of them here, it is not because they are the only ones doing it, but only because they are the ones I know of and admire. There are others but I have not come across them yet. But when you respond to this meditation with names and sites, we can perhaps make a more complete and comprehensive list that we can link together. In the meantime permit me to begin. Here goes.

First is Heart Surgeon Dr. Aladin M. Mariano, based in Chicago, USA, with his Foundation for the Advancement of Christian Truth and Spirit at www.fact-s.net. He is my brother-in law and is the youngest son of a Unida Pastor, the late Rev. Laureano C. Mariano. He comments on my site and my GINTONG BUTIL. And his Biblical knowledge is extensive. You will see his comments sometimes agreeing but sometimes disagreeing with my Gintong Butil. Dr. Al envisions “That everyone through the medium of cyberspace can have an interactive exchange of ideas, tempered by humility, individual inadequacy and respect for each other's revelation given by none other than God himself.”

Second is Pastor Nollie Malabuyo, based in the Philippines but goes back and forth to the USA. He has a very active website that has reached its 10,000th visitor. www.twoagespilgrims.com/doctrine. Wow! He maintains two blogs. What is difficult with websites and blogs is that they are so hard to keep active and to maintain with original writings. Nollie is capable of doing it.

Nollie is a Master of Divinity graduate of Westminster Seminary, California, USA. He did Missionary Work for Wycliffe Bible Translators of Orlando, Florida from 1993 to 2008. He became Pastor Nollie when he was accepted after stringent requirements by the United Reformed Churches in North America and now is presently the Associate Pastor of Trinity United Reformed Church in Walnut Creek, California. His formal title is Associate Minister of the Word and Sacrament.

He pushes for Reformed Theology and I sometimes agree and sometimes disagree with him right in his website. But we agree on and will defend the original Unida doctrine where he and I were born and reared. His father was Rev. Ruben B. Malabuyo, Sr. who was pastor of Unida Central Church in 1963-1976. He is married to Evelyn and their children are Tim, Lem, Oliver, and Rachel.

Before his seminary education, Nollie graduated from the University of the Philippines with the degree of B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1973. We do not often see each other personally but we always meet in cyberspace precisely because the “Unida Church goes to the World.”

Nollie presently teaches at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the Mars Hill Study Center.

Thirdly, Rev. Gene Filio, Associate Pastor of the First Filipino Baptist Church of Los Angeles and graduate of Asian Theological Serminary, with his http://gene-lamppost.blogspot.com. He is the son of Bishop Eugenio B. Filio, Jr. and the grandson of the late Bishop Eugenio R. Filio, Sr. Together with Senior Pastor Ed Maliksi, their US-based church had given cash and gifts for Unida Pastors, Deaconesses, and scholars for three consecutive years during our stint as General Evangelist. We were in touch and coordinated through the internet.

Fourthly, my son Laurence Christian is into the study of Greek, English and Filipino grammar in order to better understand his favorite verses. He then posts the results of his studies at http://ekpotamou.wordpress.com. You are all welcome to visit and agree or disagree with him. Although he has a busy work schedule he is trying to acquire a Master of Divinity degree. His mother Lucy is praying he does.

And lastly, Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church has http://bagongunida.blogspot.com and has a channel at www.youtube.com/PastorGalying. We will not discuss this because it will be tantamount to blowing my own horn, so we will just invite you to visit and view our Christian Telenovela. If GMA-7 has “Asero” and ABS-CBN has “Betty La Fea”, our Unida Kaisa TV has “Ang APAT” at its youtube channel and bagongunida blog.

How much more extensive can we go? Just imagine if all Unida Internet Travellers and Unida congregations converge and link at cyberspace, how extensive that can be. KAISANG UNIDA, HAYO NA!

GRAND FINALE EPISODE of "Ang APAT" DECEMBER 24TH

2008-10-30T14:47:00.002+08:00

The FINALE Episode of "Ang APAT" will be on Christmas Eve, December 24th at BACLARAN UNIDA EVANGELICAL CHURCH. Everyone is invited.

Meanwhile, here now for viewing is the Act Five.

"Ang APAT" - The Saga of Four Generations

2008-10-13T18:32:00.006+08:00

We are so thrilled with this announcement: Today October 9th, in the year of our Lord 2008, The Baclaran Unida Multi-Media Arts for Christ (BUMAC) presents its first Christian Teledrama titled “Ang APAT.” The Saga of Four Generations. Now playing at www.youtube.com/PastorGalying and http://bagongunida.blogspot.com. No commercials.

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It took a lot of doing inspite of lack of funds and equipments but God is with us all the way. The first video of Acts One & two is part video, part still pictures. We apologize for this, but we lacked equipment at first. But Acts Three & Four are fully in video, with English subtitles to boot. Each episode ends with a Sermon but we have not yet posted it except in Act four where there is a part of the sermon. There are still two Episodes in October and two Episodes in November, before the season-ending FINALE on the night of December 24 in an interactive and proactive Drama that will involve each and every member of the Church.

The response and viewership of our blogsite and youtube channel is awesome. I quote one commenter who said: “It is about time that the world knows about Unida Church.” Amen! We are committed to do this. We are late already but as our old saying goes: “Huli man daw at magaling ay naihahabol din.”

Our generation has been blessed with the means and opportunity to be seen and to be heard to the “uttermost part of the world.” Let us use this wisely and ward off those that are not of God. Please advise your Unida friends and acquaintances to enroll as an Unida Internet Traveller by sending an email to gbfilio@yahoo.com. This will also enable them to receive weekly meditations (GINTONG BUTIL) that we have written and intend to write and share.

We fervently hope that these will be a blessing to all of you.

THIS IS IT! "Ang APAT" PREVIEW

2008-09-29T20:23:00.002+08:00

YES, this is it. The fulfillment of a dream that was conceived 20 years ago. A CHRISTIAN Teledrama that is fully UNIDA. At last! “Ang APAT” A saga of four generations.

Next week, the first 4 segments of the drama will be posted at youtube and bagong unida. Each segment is part of my Sunday sermon and performed by the BACLARAN UNIDA MULTI-MEDIA ARTS FOR CHRIST August 10&17 and September 14&21. We are posting the preview tonight.

This is an innovative concept that has captured the imagination of the youth and young adults and of the whole congregation of Baclaran.

There are four more segments in October and November before the FINALE on December 24 that will feature an interactive and proactive event that will involve the whole congregation. The Holy Spirit is working!

http://bagongunida.blogspot.com and www.youtube.com/PastorGalying.

"ANG APAT" TELENOVELA BEGINS

2008-09-08T20:25:00.003+08:00

Last August 17th and 24th, Baclaran Unida Church began an innovative SERMON with a TELENOVELA titled: "Ang Apat." Here are still pictures. Videos to follow.

"We did it!" BACLARAN UNIDA MULTI-MEDIA ARTS FOR CHRIST

2008-08-28T06:17:00.005+08:00

It’s done! We launched our video-drama ministry last August 17 with the drama series titled “ANG APAT” carrying the initial theme of FORGIVING. The church was overflowing and a week after the sermon a whole family listened and forgave each other. The whole congregation appreciated the innovative sermon and were blessed.
And to top it all, we have finally organized the BACLARAN UNIDA MULTI-MEDIA ARTS FOR CHRIST.

BACLARAN UNIDA CHURCH LAUNCHES ITS VIDEO-DRAMA MINISTRY AUGUST 17!!

2008-08-12T17:20:00.008+08:00

Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven."
NIV

UNIDA: A TRULY FILIPINO PROTESTANT CHURCH

2008-07-28T04:28:00.007+08:00

The IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO or UNIDA CHURCH was born on January 3, 1932 but the seeds that gave birth to it were sown at the turn of the century. It was preceded by the birth pangs of an independent Filipino Nation and emboldened by the coming to the Philippines of Protestantism and consequently the right to read and own a BIBLE.

Protestantism entered when, after 350 years of “abuse, oppression, cruelty, and injustice”1 by Spanish Friars and of prohibition on owning and reading the Bible under pain of death or imprisonment, Spain ceded the Philippine Islands to the United States for twenty million dollars. As the bell of freedom rung throughout the islands. Protestant missionaries came in with lots of Bibles that people can own and read. The HOLY BIBLE was opened to the Filipino people and it was a time of joy and peace, and progress.

It was a breath of fresh air long awaited by the Filipinos. The Americans guaranteed religious freedom and the liberty to worship God without literally paying for it through the nose. “The peace-speaking guns of Admiral Dewey have opened the gates which henceforth make accessible not less than 8,000,000 of people who have for three hundred years been fettered.”2 Thus declared the statement of the Presbyterian General Assembly, in session at Winona Lake, Indiana, in 1898.
The United States established a Civil Government in the Philippines and “The Presbyterian Board felt that political and military relations into which the United states had been so strangely forced with reference to the Philippine Islands……involved certain moral and religious responsibilities…..and that Christian people of America should immediately consider the duty of entering the door which God in His providence was thus opening.”3

For this purpose they decided to transfer Rev. James B. Rodgers, who was stationed in Brazil, to the Philippines. Rev. and Mrs. James B. Rodgers arrived on April 21, 1899. And thus began the spread of Protestant Presbyterianism through him. There were five Protestant denominations in 1903 funded by their American Mission Boards. And through them, many congregations and churches were established

But the spirit of nationalism was awakened in the heart and soul of the Filipinos not only in their political life but more so in their worship of the one true God. Their eyes were opened that Salvation is not by good works and graven idols but by Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Indigenous Protestant Churches sprouted right and left, independently of each of other. They built chapels (kapilya) on their own and they existed without financial help from the Americans.

In his book “An Observer in the Philippines ” subtitled “Life in Our New Possessions”, published in 1903 by the American Tract Society, REV. JOHN BANCROFT DEVINS, D.D., Editor of “The New York Observer” wrote in page 265, “It is the belief of many that the Philippine Protestants will soon have not only self-supporting, but also self-propagating churches, and that men in training now will be willing to give a part or all of their time to the work of the ministry, depending upon their converts for support and the erection of churches.”4

And ultimately, the belief mentioned above winnowed only two groups that pursued to be self-supporting and indigenous. One of them is a church composed of six groups that bonded into One, IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO.

“In addition to three Manila congregations, there were three in Cavite Province, three in Laguna, and one in Pasig, in the province of Rizal. Regular services are also held in six other places and occasional ones in a number of other towns. There are six chapels constructed by the people, in addition to the large native church opened in Manila.”5

Those three churches in Cavite begun by Rev. Rodgers, specifically Bacoor, joined Iglesia Evangelica delos Cristianos Filipinos which together with Iglesia Trinitaria, Iglesia Reformada, and three smallers groups formed IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO. Rev. Devins narrated a visit with Rev. Rodgers in 1903 to Cavite Viejo and Bacoor in his book pages 282-287. And the old history of Bacoor Unida Church confirms this.

The years that followed saw a people, awakened by nationalism, seeking to be an Independent Nation. Consequently, Filipino Protestant Churches sought to be independent and self-supporting, giving birth to a number of indigenous churches whose converts support the pastors and erect their own churches. It was hard going for them as their pastors were given no compensation and instead gave to the church.

In 1930 a group of them came together at the instance of Don Toribio Teodoro, owner of a shoe factory named “Ang Tibay”, who is a Lay Leader of Iglesia Evangelica de los Cristianos Filipinos and known as “King of Slippers and Shoes”. This meeting was held on November 10, 1930 at 2200 Rizal Avenue, Manila and those who attended were Atty. Prudencio Remigio and the General Superintendents Pastor Gil Domingo of Iglesia Trinitaria, Pastor Moises Buzon of Iglesia Metodista Reformada, and Ob. Victoriano Mariano. After a repast prepared by Mrs. Maria de Jesus Teodoro, they secluded themselves in a room and each one prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide the proposed unification of their three churches.

After their prayers they discussed the proposal and each one consented with the proviso that they will consult their churches about the unification. The consensus in the three churches was for the unification of their indigenous churches.
(To be continued)

UNIDA: A CHURCH NAMED BY GOD!

2008-06-25T11:51:00.010+08:00

IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO
A NAME CHOSEN BY GOD

IN 1932, six Filipino indigenous Churches bonded together to form ONE. And with humble Faith, they followed the example of the Disciples, in letting God choose the Name of the new Church. They did what they call Pelotilya, as the first disciples did when faced with the task of choosing the replacement of Judas - the christians drew lots from two people they have separated.

Our forefathers voted and separated three church names and after the prayer of the whole congregation they submitted them to God, and He chose the name IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO.

But they did not stop there, they also used pelotilya to choose the General Superintendent, General Secretary, General Treasurer, and General Evangelist of the Church. They voted 11 pastors to be members of the Board of Directors. Then they let God choose the Generales who will lead the church.

First the General Superintendent. They ranked the pastors according to the number of votes. The first three names were submitted to Pelotilya. In a straw hat they wrote the three names in three small pieces of paper and they rolled each one. In another straw hat they placed three rolled blank pieces of paper and a special one in which is written the words: “You are the one chosen by God.” It is possible and it had happened that three blanks will be drawn and no one is chosen, in which case the next three names in the ranking will be submitted to pelotilya until God chooses a name.

The process is repeated for General Secretary, General Treasurer, and General Evangelist.

It is our faith that God chose the name of our Church and also have chosen the leaders of the Church since 1932 up to the present.

Dear Unida Internet Travellers,
Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, wherever you are in this whole wide world.

The response and viewership of our blogsite and youtube channel is awesome. I quote one commenter who said: “It is about time that the world knows about Unida Church.” Amen! We are committed to do this. We are late already but as our old saying goes: “Huli man daw at magaling ay naihahabol din.”

We have started posting videos at youtube and blogsite. To start, we have 11 videos posts about UNIDA CHRISITAN MUSIC and UNIDA CHRISTIAN DANCE and we appreciate those that have already seen them. If you have not yet seen them yet, please do so now here and/or at youtube.

Yesterday, we started a new series about Unida, who we are, what we are yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We start with the spirit that moves Unida which is “KAISANG UNIDA”, which I freely translate to English as “THE POWER OF ONE.” We posted yesterday “The Power of One-1” to be followed today by “The Power of One-2”, to be followed by “Unida History- 1 up to 4. This would translate 17 total video posts. And much later I would like to produce a Christian Telenovela. The only limiting factor in all this is expense but I never let that deter me.

Jokingly, Pastor Masiglat told me that “Dinaramdam niya pero hindi siya puwedeng artista sa telenovela ko.” And I answered that: “Kailangan ko ng balbas-sarado kaya kukunin ko siya.” That is, when he gets home from Abu Dhabi.

And we have made our Bagong Unida Blog almost like a real website but more interactive. More than the videos, we have written articles, commentaries and news from around Unida and the world that you can share with others like the videos. We are now broadcasting from Baclaran Unida Church where I am now the Administrative Pastor. And one day in the future, we will produce a Christian Telenovela that we will broadcast from our blog and youtube channel.

Sharing of the gospel now is more encompassing and worldwide, as I now beg you to forward this news to others so that they too may play our videos and read our articles, commentaries and news and be blessed by them. Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations;”

If possible, can you share with me some email addresses to whom I can also send refreshers like this? Our links are: http://bagongunida.blogspot.com and www.youtube.com/PastorGalying.

Because Christ lives,
Pastor Galying

In May 20,2007 the Unida Church celebrated 75 years at The Forum of the Philippine International Convention Center. Let us now go down memory lane in the history of the church.

The men's and women's organizations were part of the growth and history of the church.

It is now the turn of the Youth and the Choir to narrate their part in the history of the church.

The Sunday School and Body of Ministers also took part in the growth and life of the church.

It is now time to be ONE. Together, we rise up a united church. With one body, one spirit, one hope and one Lord, we will lift up this land for God alone. KAISANG UNIDA! LET US GO FORTH! THE POWER OF ONE!

At the Unida 75th Anniversary, contemporary songs were sung as gospels.

UNIDA CHRISTIAN MUSIC AND DANCE

2008-06-17T19:30:00.012+08:00

Music, Songs, Dances, and Electronic Musical Instruments have taken center stage in Christian Celebrations and yes, even worships.

In its celebration of the church’s 73rd Anniversary at Cuneta Astrodome in 2005 and the 75th Anniversary at the Forum of the Philippine International Convention Center in 2007, we took videos of the songs and dances as performed by Unida Talents using modern technology. All for God alone!

We are now broadcasting these videos of Unida Christian Music and Unida Christian Dance in our channel at YouTube and in our Bagong Unida Blog. The links are:
http://bagongunida.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/PastorGalying

What was an unreachable dream in the 1950’s when I was a boy I can now reach with my laptop and the world is just a keyboard away. Imagine YouTube telling me to: “Share your video with the world!” “Allow others to rate your video” “Allow others to embed and play my video” Wow!

And we have made our Bagong Unida Blog almost like a real website, but more interactive. More than the videos, we have written articles, commentaries and news from around Unida and the world that you can share with others like the videos. We are now broadcasting from Baclaran Unida Church where I am now the Administrative Pastor. And one day in the future, we will produce a Christian Telenovela that we will broadcast from our blog.

Sharing of the gospel now is more encompassing and worldwide, as I now beg you to forward this news to others so that they too may play our videos and read our articles, commentaries and news and be blessed by them. Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations;”

Old Hymns and Anthems sung by the “Creatives” composed of Gigi, Grace, Lady, Nikki, Ben, Rainier, Jonjon & Genesis. Click Video.

Rachelle R. Gerodias, our International Soprano performing a cover of “Light of a Million Mornings”. Click Video.

Unida Dancers performing at the Unida75th Anniversary at the Forum of PICC in 2007. Click Video.

Jun Penaverde and Rachelle Gerodias singing “The Prayer”. Click Video.

Gospel songs sung by Koro ng Unida composed of Mahjeeh, Ethel, Ninet, Rachel, Andrew, Ecoy, Rainier, & Alan. Click Video.

Unida Youth sings about reminishing their Sunday School & DVCS. Click Video.

Nylah Bautista singing “Shine” at the Unida 73rd Anniversary 2005 at Cuneta Astrodome. Click Video.

Unida Youth tries the modern boys dance. Click video.

Sunday School Children put on their dancing shows. Click Video.

IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO: A CHURCH NAMED BY GOD

2008-06-16T10:36:00.005+08:00

IN 1932, six Filipino indigenous Churches bonded together to form ONE. And with humble Faith, they followed the example of the Disciples, in letting God choose the Name of the new Church. They did what they call Pelotilya, as the first disciples did when faced with the task of choosing the replacement of Judas - the christians drew lots from two people they have separated.

Our forefathers voted and separated three church names and after the prayer of the whole congregation they submitted them to God, and He chose the name IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO. But they did not stop there, they also used pelotilya to choose the General Superintendent, General Secretary, General Treasurer, and General Evangelist of the Church. They voted 11 pastors to be members of the Board of Directors. Then they let God choose the Generales who will lead the church.

First the General Superintendent. They ranked the pastors according to the number of votes. The first three names were submitted to Pelotilya. In a straw hat they wrote the three names in three small pieces of paper and they rolled each one. In another straw hat they placed three rolled blank pieces of paper and a special one in which is written the words: “You are the one chosen by God.” It is possible and it had happened that three blanks will be drawn and no one is chosen, in which case the next three names in the ranking will be submitted to pelotilya until God chooses a name. The process is repeated for General Secretary, General Treasurer, and General Evangelist.

It is our faith that God chose the name of our Church and also have chosen the leaders of the Church since 1932 up to the present.

BACLARAN UNIDA CHURCH is one of the original congregations of the churches that became ONE. And since then, it has contributed five bishops to the leadership of the church. Only those chosen by God to be General Superintendent can become a Bishop. And BUC to-date has five of them.

FIRELIGHT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

2008-06-10T08:51:00.014+08:00

IN A FULLY TRANSFORMED CHURCH, EVERY MEMBER IS A GOSPEL BRINGER. Someone who tells someone else about JESUS. Someone who is in this world but not of this world.

Spiritual Transformation should happen in each and every member of the church, Not only for a few but rather it should be church-wide. There must be a church rebirth and renewal as the members shed, either inwardly or in appearance, the values, ideals, and behavior of a fallen world and undergo a radical change in inner character, condition, or nature.

The church must be transformed into something else: A lighthouse in the middle of a sin-darkened community. It must not only glow but should overflow with the FIRELIGHT of the Holy Spirit.

Seven decades ago, Baclaran was a barrio in the true sense of the word. In the early evenings, as the sweet scent of Dama de Noche permeates the surrounding, fireflies (alitaptap) abound. As youngsters, we use to gather them in a clear-glass “garapon” (a wide mouthed bottle) and marveled as they light up the place when we have gathered a big number of them inside.

Imagine, for a moment, the newly air-conditioned temple of Baclaran Unida Church, lighting up the whole community with the firelights of every transformed member worshipping the One True God – JESUS! A gathering of Christian Fireflies. Wow!

The temple then will be like a LIGHTHOUSE in the shore of a turbulent ocean, where those who are seeking God can come to become Firelights of the Holy Spirit.

IKAW! SI JESUS! AT AKO! KAISA! LET’S GO! (Click videos 1&2)

CHRISTIAN TELENOVELA, ANYONE?

2008-06-04T12:40:00.006+08:00

TELEVISION IS A POWERFUL MEDIUM. An instrument of communication that can be used for good or bad.

People, including even Christians, are hooked on Tele-Dramas, which competes with prayer meetings, Bible Studies and other church activities. This is unfortunate but sadly true. While Christian programs proliferate television today, telenovelas dominate primetime TV. It is our dream that someday we will have Christian Telenovelas on primetime TV and Church activities.

Here is a video-look of this titled UNIDA KAISA TV:

Now here is video look at a promo for a Christian Telenovela:

Now a video look at the implementation of a video & live drama titled "Ang APAT"

SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION BEGINS

2008-06-02T08:31:00.011+08:00

A WHOLE FAMILY WAS BAPTIZED AS BACLARAN UNIDA CHURCH BEGINS FISCAL YEAR 2008-09. THERE were rejoicing and praising as the 200-strong Baclaran Unida Church baptized 10 members of a family on Sunday June 1, 2008.

It was an auspicious start for their vision of SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION by Church Rebirth & Renewal. This was the result of the Church’s Person-to-Person Sharing of the Gospel and the Bible Study for new believers led by Sister Lucy Filio at the Pastor’s House every Tuesday.

Spiritual Transformation is the one-year goal of the Baclaran Unida Church. This will be church-wide and will embrace every activity of the church and will culminate at the Church Camp at year-end.

By camp-time, it is expected that each and every member, child & adult alike, will have transformed into a “new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

The battlecry of the church is SIKSIK 76!

View a video of this below:

KAISANG UNIDA! HAYO NA!

2008-05-23T17:36:00.000+08:00

WHAT DO YOU MEAN EXPANDING BORDERS?

2008-05-18T06:20:00.003+08:00

ARE WE CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD?
By Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio
PEOPLE measure our God using us as their yardstick. To them, our God is only as great and as powerful as the things we have achieved in His Name and what we dare to do for His Kingdom. And, of course, comparable to the challenges we throw at ourselves in serving Him. If we are mediocre, what else will they call our God.

Elijah showed how powerful his God is in a prayer face-off with the pagan god worshippers. Yahweh won because the prophet dared to pray for fire to consume his water-logged and water-surrounded offering. Yahweh incinerated the offering with fire from heaven. Are we as worthy of our God as Elijah?

Small ideas are products of small faith. But big and extra-ordinary things and projects, those that other people categorize as impossible, are products of a GREAT FAITH in a GREAT GOD.

We want to “EXPAND THE BORDERS OF THE CHURCH.” GOOD! BUT WHAT DO YOU MEAN EXPANDING BORDERS?

The borders of a church are traditions, territory, and a mindset of how to do and achieve things.

Expanding borders therefore means to get out and operate outside the confines of these three.

When one increases his numbers within his territory, he has not expanded his borders. If one follows only traditions and a mindset, he is not expanding but shrinking.

We were 80 worshippers when we first came to Baclaran Unida Church. We have doubled that number and even reached our target of 215 Sunday Worshippers. However, in doing this we have not expanded yet. But when years ago, Baclaran helped establish a church in Calapan City, Mindoro Oriental, that is going out of its territory and therefore expanding its borders.

When we do things just because that’s the way it’s been done for many years without considering what the world around us has become, that is a trap that we must get out of. If we use modern communications and new technologies to bring the message of the Gospel to people within and outside our territory then indeed we are expanding into the Virtual World.

TERRITORY

The Administrative Territorial Zones of Baclaran Unida Church covers Barangay Baclaran, a part of Sucat and a part of Las Pinas City & Abroad.

The coverage are as follows:
Efeso: From Roxas Boulevard passing through L. Gabriel up to Mactan Street.
Corinto: From after Mactan up to Lt. Garcia Street.
Tesalonica: From after Lt. Garcia up to Unida Street.
Antioch: From after Unida up to Lapu-Lapu including our Church
Galacia: From after Lapu-Lapu passing thru G.G. Cruz up to Quirino
Filipos: Sitio Maligaya and Don Carlos
Colosas: Sucat, Las Pinas and Abroad

Expanding means working outside of these territory and experimenting on doing things beyond tradition and mindset.

Traditionally, the Unida Church holds its Anniversary worship at its temple in Unida Christian Center, Silang, Cavite. The place is now too small for such a big event attended by all Unida congregations. But in 2005 and 2007 this was done before the public and the nation at CUNETA ASTRODOME AND PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER (PICC FORUM).

Next year, The IEMILIF Church will reach 100 years and will hold its Anniversary Worship at SMX near Mall of Asia (MOA). The place holds 10,000 people and rents at Php500,000.00 or half a million pesos.

It is our personal prayer that some day in the future the Unida Church will also hold its Anniversary Worship & Concert there.

Because the God that we serve is not a lesser God but the GREATEST GOD! “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly He was above them.” Exodus 18:11.

People regard and believe in many gods and lords. But this does not mean that they are really what they call them. For absolutely no one can compare to our God. “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” Exodus 5:11.

We repeat, our GOD is MAJESTIC in HOLINESS, AWESOME in GLORY, and in WORKING WONDERS. If we are shy in our efforts, limited in our initiatives, hampered by lack of finances, stagnant and immobile, then perhaps we can be called children of a lesser God.

But NO! We have a GREAT GOD who can make the impossible possible, and give us the strength ad the wisdom to surmount the insurmountable, and climb the highest mountain.

It is inconceivable that the Church of God will lack finances, “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.” Deuteronomy 10:17. God will provide the great, big finances but great big finances carries with it the responsibility to do the impossible, to surmount the insurmountable, and to reach the greatest heights that men can see like a candle on top of the mountain.

Are we then children of the GREATEST GOD? YES, WE ARE. So, let us start doing like we really are.

Let us achieve great and powerful things in His Name. Begin to dare doing what has never done before and challenge ourselves far beyond even our own imagination. Let us aspire to demonstrate and show the whole world the real and true worth of Yahweh.

Then they will know by looking at us and knowing of us that “There is only One God, there is only One Lord, there is only One Saviour, there is only One Name given for our Salvation – JESUS. And they will know how great our God is, through us.”

UNIDA CELEBRATES 75 YEARS @UNIDA CHRISTIAN CENTER

2008-05-17T05:49:00.001+08:00

IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO reaches 76th and on Sunday, May 18, 2008, will celebrate for the whole day at UNIDA CHRISTIAN CENTER located at the junction of Aguinaldo Highway that goes to Silang and Tagaytay City.

The worship service begins at 8:00 and will climax with the sending out of the Pastors and Church workers to their respective congregations and mission points. A Choir Festival follows right after lunch.

Our modern world awaits and the challenges of modern communication and technology offer vast opportunities to reach the unsaved with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us all come together as we forge our way towards expanding our borders and discipling our nation.

PERFORMING VS PRAISING!

2008-05-10T07:02:00.004+08:00

SINGING is a God-given talent. It should be used primarily in worshipping and praising God.

On the secular stage, performances showcase a person’s singing talent. The focus is on the performer and the bravos are for him/her. The audience gush “Oh, what a voice, what a performance!”

Several nights ago, the American Idol finalists sang “Shout to the Lord!” They bombed. Why? Because they were all performing instead of praising God. They even started on the wrong foot by changing the lyrics of the song. Instead of singing “My Jesus, My Savior” in the first bar they sang “My Shepherd, My Savior.” They were so focused on their performance, they ignored the God they are singing about.
The Center of Worship is God. It is all about Him. Not the worshipper.

But the worshipper must give all that he has and the best that he has. Our times is blessed with the "best of so much", nay, not only the best but the fastest way of doing things that the first Christians and reformers did not have nor even dreamed could ever be possible.
Could they ever have imagined an instrument that can play like a Hammond organ at the flick of a finger, or be a violin, a trumpet, a piano, etc at the musicians whim? Or a stringed instrument like a guitar whose volume can be controlled from a whisper to the loudest sound. Or could they ever have imagined a MINUS ONE?
These are musical instruments that God has given our generation to use and CONTROL for the good of the church. Satan is using them to take hold of the world. We should not let IT win BY DEFAULT. By all means, let us use them. But let us be DISCRIMINATING AND HOLY when doing it. Let us always remember that worship is about God. Not about you performing but you PRAISING AND WORSHIPPING GOD.

"WORSHIP IS MORE THAN A SONG!"

2008-03-29T10:38:00.005+08:00

HINDI LAHAT NG USO AY MAGANDA AT DAPAT GAYAHIN. PERO MERONG MGA USONG MAGANDA AT DAPAT BIGYAN NG PANSIN. DATAPWA’T ANG LAHAT NG USO AY LUMILIPAS AT NAWAWALA. SUBALI’T ANG SALITA NG DIOS AY MANANATILI MAGPAKAILANMAN.
And the unvarnished Word of God is Jesus Christ who became Flesh and dwelled among us so that we can get a glimpse of God and in the process become worthy to be called a child of God, born not of flesh but of the Holy Spirit.
Children of God who in their spiritual act of worship will offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
Music pervades today’s modern style of worship. They respect no liturgy at all and they claim worship is as the spirit moves them. Their Music borders on rock if not out and out rock music. And of course, they dance as worshippers had never danced before. Yes, out and out dance.
I believe in creativity and relevance in worship. Worship should not be done redundantly but in different ways while retaining the liturgy that the Bible say should be included in it. A balance must be found between the old and the new without forgetting that worship is an spiritual act. (Romans 12)
Below is a chapter of a book I have written that deals with how I feel about modern worship.

Tsapter Tri
“Kung mangarap ka’t magising…”

MULA sa pagkaidlip ay napamulagat ako. Saan ako naroon? Anong araw ngayon? Anong oras na? Umaga, tanghali, o gabi? Sa loob ng maraming sandali nangapa ako sa mga sulok ng utak ko. Kinakabahan ako. Ba’t wala akong maalala? Bigla, lumilanga-linga ako. Nasaan ang librong “The Story of Rip Van Winkle” na binabasa ko? Wala! At nuon ko napansin ang kapaligiran ko. Hindi ko kilala ang mga furnitures at appliances na nakikita ko. Hindi ko bahay ito. O, hindi nga ba!?

Ano ito? Sulat. “Daddy,” ang nabasa ko, “nasa kapilya na kami.” Pero hindi iyon ang tumawag ng pansin ko, kundi ang petsa. Dec. 25, 2018. Teka, teka, ang alam ko, ang kasalukuyang taon ay 2008 pa lang. Huwag mong sabihing….

Marahas kong binuksan ang pinto at lumabas. Lalong lumalim ang pagtataka. Iba na ang lahat. Ibang-iba ang paligid. Bumalik ako sa loob. Nag-isip. Bumalik ang tingin sa sulat.
Pagkatapos ay binuksan ko ang pinto at tumingin sa labas. Lumabas at mabilis na lumakad. Ang kapilya, nasaan ang kapilya? Dito lang ‘yun. Dito lang, Ahhhhh ayun!

Malayo pa ay dinig ko na ang masayang awitan. Ang electric guitar, drums, keyboard at iba pang instrumentong kumakalansing! Kumakalansing?! Nagmadali ako.

Bumulaga sa akin ang buong kongregasyon na nag-aawitan, nagsasayawan. Masaya. Bigay na bigay ang pag-awit at bigay na bigay ang pagsasayaw. Ibang sayaw, o iba nga ba? Pareho din pero….pero, iba ang indayog. Iba ang dating. Iba ang ibig sabihin? Praise & Worship? Biglang rumagasa ang kaba sa dibdib ko. Iba na ang gawaing ito, isang hakbang na higit sa inisip ko. Dios ko! Ako, ang nagdala, nagpasok ng gawaing ito sa kapilyang ito. Ako! Ganito ba katindi ang intensiyon ko?

Tumignin ako sa paligid. Wala akong makitang kakilala. Hindi ko makita ang pamilya ko. Nasaan sila sa gitna ang nag-iindayugang mga katawan sa harap ko?

Nag-iba ang tugtog ng banda. Tugtog na nagbababala na mayroong darating. Sa kanang bahagi ng stage lumabas ang isang lalaki. Puting-puting ang suot. Nagsasayaw, umaawit. Pumapagitna habang umiindak sa saliw ng tugtog at awit. At nagsimulang magsalita, mangaral sa ritmo ng tugtog. Ang tinig ay nanunuot, tumatawag ng damdamin. Ang lahat ng mata ay tumutok sa kaniya. Umugong ang paligid. May tumili. At naghari ang sigaw ng pagpupuri! Pagpupuri? Kangino?

Bigla nag-iba ang pagsasalita, kangina nauunawaan ko. Ngayon gibberish ang salita. Paulit-ulit. Sumunod ang mga tao. Sabay-sabay. Umugong. Mga salitang hindi ko maunawaan. Dios ko, ako lang ba sa lipunpung ito ang hindi nakakaintindi sa ugong na ito?

Isa-isang naglapitan ang mga tao sa lalaking nagsasalita ng hindi ko maintindihan. Naghihiyawan. Naghahalakhakan. Walang patumanggang awitan, tugtugan at sayawan at halakhakan! Pagpupuri? Kangino? Isa-isang dinunggol sila sa nuo ng nakabukas na palad ng nakaputing lalaki. Isa-isa paatras silang bumagsak. At sa tuwing may bumabagsak lumalakas ang hiyawan, lalong tumtindi ang awitan laluna ang sayawan. Sino ang pinupuri, hindi ko makita. Ako lang kaya ang hindi nakakakita?

Sumigaw ako ng malakas. Nguni’t hindi ko narinig ang sarili ko. Nalunod ito ng lalong lumakas pang ugong ng kawan sa harap ko.
Hindi na ako nakatiis. Mabilis akong lumabas, nakatakip ang dalawang kamay sa ulo. Sa labas, tumakbo akong walang direksiyon. Nang biglang nanuot ang tinig ng isang dalagita.

“Lolo! Lolo!” Hindi ko agad nakilala ang mukha ng dalagita na nakalabas ang ulo sa isang bagong modelong kotse na minamaneho. Pero saglit lang, kagyat namukhaan ko. Si Bebel, dalagita na ang apo ko? “Lolo, hinihintay ka na namin sa Grand Unida Temple.”

Sumakay ako at nakita kong ibang lugar ang pinupuntahan namin.

Pagpasok ko, nanduoon silang lahat. Ang buong pamilya ko at ang mga mukhang pamilyar sa akin. Umaawit ang kapulungan. “Patnugot Ko Ay Si Jesus.” Ang paborito kong Himno. Inaawit ng masaya. Hinugot ko sa dibdib ang isang malalim na buntung-hininga.

Nuon ako nagising. At natuwa. Kilala ko ang paligid. Tiningnan ko ang kalendaryo, 2008. Ayos!

Ano ang ibig sabihin ng panaginip. Tumayo ako at pumikit. At sa aking balintataw ay nakito ko ang Unida, ang aking iglesia, sa harap ng isang magkasanggang sanga. Sa kaliwa ang pagbabago at sa kanan ang babala ng pananatili. Quo Vadis? Saan dapat magtungo?

BACLARAN CHURCH CAMP!

2008-03-21T05:58:00.004+08:00

THE whole Baclaran Unida Evangelical is on a Church Camp. It began on Holy Thursday with 110 members in attendance, a record of sorts for a special event, continue on to Fasting on God's Friday, and CELEBRATION on Easter Sunday.

With the Holy Spirit in-dwelling in them, the camp began with a spirit-filled group dynamics that brought all of them to Tomas Claudio where historically the church began and bringing some of them to as far-off as the Mall of Asia. And then the Bible Study entitled: "Finding the Power Within You." The camp continues on God's Friday capped by THE SEVEN LAST WORDS AND COVENANT TIME. Easter Sunday will be a Celebration ala-American Idol titled "ANG GALING MO 'TOL."

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE AT BACLARAN

2008-02-23T11:10:00.002+08:00

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE

WHAT is Spiritual Renaissance? It refers to the dawning-in of the LIGHT of knowledge of things SPIRITUAL. Darkness is the cessation of learning, a period in the history of mankind when knowledge halted and was at a standstill. Renaissance is when light entered in and knowledge flourished in arts, science, and more importantly in hearing and heeding God’s words.

The church should be at the forefront of this Spiritual Renaissance. God’s command is clear: GATHER, HEAR, LEARN, AND THE FEAR THE LORD.

Deut 31:12-13 GATHER the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within the temple gates, that they may HEAR, and that they may LEARN, and FEAR the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

On Maundy Thursday, Holy Friday, and Easter Sunday, Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church will launch a SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE by the whole membership of the church. This is a spiritual voyage that will bond together all the members in fasting, hearing the call of God, learning from His Scriptures and fearing God.

All of us will board the PAMANDAWAN NG KALIGTASAN (Ark of Salvation) for a COMMON EXPERIENCE OF COMMUNING WITH GOD the whole day of March 20 and the whole day of March 21, with a culminating Worship on Easter Sunday.

The Challenge is: Can we leave the world where we live and LIVE WITH GOD for three days? Are we up to the challenge. Men, women, and children?

"WHAT IS WORSHIP?"

2008-01-27T05:00:00.001+08:00

WORSHIP is an often discussed subject and many books have been written telling us what it is suppose to be. In this discussion, I stop merely accepting what other people say it is and begin saying what I feel it is. Worship for me is personal and therefore concerns what I can feel about my God. For a while, I will refrain from quoting verses to avoid circular logic but rather refer directly to my personal relationship with God. Deep in my heart, this is the meaning of worship.

“YOU, feeling God and acknowledging His reign in you. GOD, feeling you and declaring His Kingship of you.”

FEELING GOD, means accepting His presence and existence. Is there a God? Yes, there is a God who must be without beginning and no end. An Eternal God who created the universe and began Man’s time and entered into it by creating man in His own image.
This feeling begins with you and connects you to God and should never be severed. This is what faith is, never cutting your connection with God no matter what happens in your life.
Why can’t this feeling end? Because when God created you, He not only created you in His own image but made you a LIVING SOUL by breathing into you His SPIRIT. There is a part of God in you so your feeling of Him should never end. Rather, could never end, because whether you are aware of Him or not He is in you.

ACKNOWLEDGING HIS REIGN, means accepting that He rules your life. It is not you who lives but He who lives in you. When you pray, when you enter His temple and His presence, it is not any purpose that drives you but rather the Holy Spirit that powers you to overcome all things and achieve great things for Him. You were created so that God can overcome this world through you. He has no other way but you. Accepting this and His will for you is worship.

GOD FEELING YOU, means He rejoices that you have come to worship Him. He welcomes you to His flock within His Church where He is at door. He says come so that He can feel your presence.

DECLARING HIS KINGSHIP OF YOU, means God saying YOU ARE MINE and the devil cannot touch you. And as He sees you worshipping Him, He rejoices and accepts your worship.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

2008-01-16T05:35:00.000+08:00

Attached is a picture of LANCE MALACHI LIMPIN FILIO nicknamed ELI.

This is now the time to thank all of you for your prayers and to some of you for the financial help. OUR GOD IS A WONDERFUL AND MIRACULOUS GOD WHO RE-GAVE A NORMAL HEART TO ELI. He was operated on last November 8th to revert his red and blue blood arteries to normal and is now a bouncing normal baby boy surprising even the staff of Philippine Heart Center with his quick recovery. Thank you all for the prayers.

ELI showed us the true meaning of FAITH. Let us all continue praying for Lance and Nikki in their struggle to make both ends meet for their Million Peso Baby. GLORY BE TO GOD!

Because Christ lives,

Pastor Galying & Lucy, Children, grandchildren including the newly-hearted Eli.

SIKSIK 76! KAPILYANG MASIKIP!

2008-01-06T07:12:00.000+08:00

BRIMMING! SIKSIK! The word means overflowing with worshippers. This is the battle cry of God’s people of Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church on its 76th YEAR.

We aim to implement our Tri-Vision, namely: “PASIKIPIN ANG KAPILYA” “BAWA’T MIYEMBRO MISYONERO” and “NAG-IIKAPU ANG BAWA’T ISA”

We begin our Celebration of the 76th Anniversary on January 12th at 6:00 am with a PARADE OF ALL THE MEMBERS around Barangay Baclaran, preceded by a “SALVATION RUN” by 16 young men and women around the perimeter of Baclaran. As soon as they are back, the Drum & Lyre Band will signal the beginning of the parade.

The next day, there will be a SPECIAL WORSHIP SERVICE with the Unida’s General Secretary Rev. JARVIN RESUS as the main speaker. Special guest singer is the Philippines leading classical singer, RACHELLE GERODIAS. Main feature is KORO NG BACLARAN and the GALA PERFORMANCE of “KAISANG UNIDA, HUMAYO NA!” by the Unida 75th Anniversary Committee.

BUC WELCOMES NEW YEAR 2008

2008-01-01T07:23:00.000+08:00

We welcome God's New Year, not with any lucky charm, but with Jesus in our Hearts.

Eccl 3:1-8
3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
KJV

CHRISTMAS EVE & CHRISTMAS DAY

2007-12-26T04:25:00.000+08:00

THE HOME CHURCH OF FIVE BISHOPS, THE CHURCH THAT PRAYS, CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY.

A RICHLY BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO ALL! SIMBANG GABI SA NAYON NG BACLARAN

2007-12-23T05:41:00.000+08:00

PANG-ANIM NA GABI. GABI NG TSAMPORADO AT PUTO MAYA. "OH, HOLY NIGHT!"

"The Kingdom of God will come not by might nor by power, but by my spirit,"sayeth the Lord.

"SURGEON SAVES ELI'S LIFE, THEN LOSES HIS OWN"

2007-11-28T06:26:00.001+08:00

THE BIRTH OF LANCE MALACHI L. FILIO, nicknamed Eli (Eee-lay), was a test of FAITH. Eli made sure that EVERYBODY noticed his coming. And we all did. It seemed that the world stopped to let him slip in. And he disturbed and distracted us all from what we were doing with the question: “How strong is your Faith?” And the next hours and days tested us.

He was a blue baby, born with inverted blue blood and red blood arteries. He turned “kulay talong” a few hours after birth with oxygen level of only 50 when normally it should be 100 or over. We were not prepared for this. We were expecting a normal birth even if by caesarian section.

That day started inauspiciously. There was no hint that his birth would not be normal. His lola gave birth to five, all of them normal, including his father Lance who was born in our house. So why not him?

The countdown began October 25th 2007. Nikki felt birth pains and Lance brought her to Mary Johnston Hospital. In retrospect, it was God’s plan that Eli was to be born by caesarian section the next day after 26 hours of painful labor. IT HAD TO HAPPEN THAT DAY BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DID NOT KNOW THEN WILL HAPPEN LATER THAT WILL SAVE HIS LIFE.

Almost immediately after he was bottle-fed Eli turned mulatto and when checked, his oxygen level was only 50. After pulmonary causes were ruled out, they called in their pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Eden Tolosa who immediately prescribed prostaglandin to prevent the hole of the valve where Eli gets his oxygen from closing in 24 hours. The medicine was only available at PHC and a quick run there by Lance and Mecce secured the medicine. This later proved to be VITAL and saved Eli.

Transferring Eli to PHC was easier said than done. It took the whole day of October 27 before an ambulance was rented from Lifeline Arrow. But their respirator was good only for adults. Dra. Vangie asked permission from MJH to bring the hospital respirator in the ambulance and it was granted but she had to concede that she was going with the ambulance. When the ambulance arrived it was found out that their outlet was 110 while the respirator is 220. It was decided to bring the manual respirator together with a doctor. There were other glitches but they were solved and on to PHC Eli went.

Eli was bravely fighting for his life with all of us praying for him every step of the way. Pastor Boji said in an email to us: “Heart-wrenching – how could this two-week old baby endure what many of us would not even pass through in our lifetime? Eli is special or should I say very special. His heart is a heart that comes from God, strong, resilient. And we are witnesses to that. While we can only worry. . . he does the surviving.”

EXACTLY FOURTEEN DAYS after birth, November 8th, Eli underwent heart surgery at Philippine Heart Center. Together with his lola, we struggled to be with him before he went into the Operating Room. But it conflicted with the schooling schedule of Cayler, the firstborn of our son Ben, who was also under our care. However, Ben gave way by taking a leave from work. At 7am we were on our way to PHC, arrived past 8 am and was able to pray over him. As I said amen his eyes flickered as if in acknowledgement and he did it again when I said to him loudly, “See you later Eli!” before he was wheeled into the operating room.

The surgery took 8 agonizing hours but it was successful. He stayed in the recovery room for 4 days and at Pedia ICU for 3 days. By November 18th, 10 days after his heart operation, Eli was wheeled in with his mother Nikki into his own private room where his lolos and lola gushed over him, taking cell photos right and left. OUR FAITH PULLED US THROUGH! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

I write this journal for Eli, so that when he is grown up and we may no longer be around he will know how special he is and why he was first consecrated to God as firstborn son and then baptized.

Now we write about something that only God could have foreseen. Why it was providential that Eli had to be born on October 26th and brought to PHC on October 27th. And why after postponing his operation for a week to November 7th, it was necessary that he be operated on November 8th and that it no longer be postponed.

After midnight of November 8th, Eli passed all the necessary test and it was GO for him 8 am of November 8th. Dr. Jaime Nuevo, Pediatric Cardio Surgeon par excellence, did the surgery. This was vital. Because 12 days after, the good doctor succumbed to a massive stroke, leaving behind the legacy of a successful blue baby heart surgery in Lance Malachi, nicknamed Eli (Eee-lay).

He operated on Eli last November 8th, reverting back to normal his blue and red blood arteries in an 8-hour surgery. He guided the baby for 12 days and saw him recover from his operation. But he did not see Eli go home because by then he has joined his Maker. Dr. Nuevo left a large size shoe that the Philippine Heart Center is finding hard to fill.

The happy news is that Lance Malachi, nicknamed Eli (Eee-lay), is doing well and we pray will fully recover from his heart surgery.

The sad news is that there is only one surgeon doing congenital heart surgery at Philippine Heart Center and that they have only recently acquired the equipments for such delicate surgery. But now that they have the equipments they no longer have the surgeon to perform the surgery. The courageous Dr. Nuevo left a shoe so big that as of this writing they cannot find anyone to fill it. They now do not know what to do about infants with congenital heart disease. Eli squeezed in before Nuevo died. He is truly blessed because the two other children that Nuevo operated on after him succumbed.

Eight people donated blood and a surgeon lost his life for Eli. This is truly a modern day PASSOVER STORY. The Angels of God PASSED OVER ELI by the blood of his eight donors and the life of his surgeon. Praise God!

BACLARAN CONSECRATES FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED SANCTUARY!

2007-11-25T15:54:00.000+08:00

On November 25th, BACLARAN UNIDA EVANGELICAL CHURCH consecrated to God 8 units of 3-tonner air-conditioners making its sanctuary a place of worship truly worthy of the ONE TRUE GOD.

The members came early for the celebration as they sang praises and thanksgiving for God's continuing provisions in the life of the church. COME & WORSHIP WITH US!

CONSECRATION OF AIR-CONDITIONED SANCTUARY
BACLARAN UNIDA EVANGELICAL CHURCH

i. Pastor: Numbers 7:1 When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings.

ii. Aircon Dedication Video

iii. Dedication Song & Dance - Dancers & Junior Choir

iv. Pastor: 2 Chronicles 2:4 Now we build a temple for the Name of the LORD our God and to dedicate to Him (a fully air-conditioned sanctuary.)

v. Aircon-1: Singers - Garcia Family
Ribbon Sponsors - CORINTO

vi. Aircon-2: Singers - Filio-Carpio-Flores-Conde Families
Ribbon Sponsors - GALACIA

vii. Aircon-3: Singers - Velasquez-Luz Family
Ribbon Sponsors - PILIPOS

viii. Aircon-4: Singers – De Leon-Giron Families
Ribbon Sponsors – ANTIOCH

ix. Aircon-5: Singers – David-Celeridad Families
Ribbon Sponsors – COLOSAS

x. Aircon-6: Singers – Rivera-Reyes Family
Ribbon Sponsors – EPESO

xi. Aircon-7: Singers – Sitio/Don Carlos
Ribbon Sponsors – TESALONICA

xii. Aircon-8: Singers - Villanueva-Almodovar Families
Ribbon Sponsors - COUNCIL

xiii. Pastor: Ezra 6:16 Then the people of Israel celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

xiv. Special Song - The Singing Preachers

xvi. Pastor: 2 Chronicles 2:5-6 "The (air-conditioned) temple we build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then are we to build a temple for him, except as a place to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

xvii. ANG PAGTATALAGA NG 8 UNITS 3-TONNER AIRCONDITIONERS

SANGGUNIAN NG MATATANDA: “AMIN PONG INIHAHANDOG NA ITINATALAGA ANG AIR-CONDITIONERS NA ITO, SA KALUWALHATIAN NG DIOS, SA IGLESIA NG PANGINOON NA AMING PINAGLILINGKURAN.”

TUGON NG PASTOR: Sa Pangalan ng Ama, at Anak, at ng Espiritu Santo, ay aming itinatalaga ang air-conditioners na ito, sa pagpupuri sa Makapangyarihang Dios.

SAGOT NG KAPULUNGAN: Purihin ang Dios sa Kaniyang Sanctuario; purihin Siya sa langit ng Kaniyang kapangyarihan. Purihin Siya sa tunog ng pakakak; Purihin Siya ng Salterio at Alpa.

PASTOR: Ating itinatalaga ang air-conditioners na ito sa pagpapaunlad ng isang mataas na sining, sa pagbibigay pakahulugan sa pahayag ng Dakilang Guro ng Awit, at pagpapahalaga sa Pagluwalhati at Pagpapasalamat ng Iglesia, at sa paglinang ng mga pananalita ng Pagpupuri na nauukol sa lupa at sa langit.

KAPULUNGAN: Purihin natin Siya ng mga panugtog na kawad at ng flauta. Purihin ng lahat ng may hininga ang Panginoon. Purihin ninyo ang Panginoon.

PASTOR: Ating itinatalaga ang air-conditioners na ito sa magagandang paglapit sa Dambana ng Dios, sa mga pagdiriwang ng Pananambahan, at sa kasiglahan ng mga paglilingkod, upang ang lahat ng mga tao ay mangagsipagpuri sa Panginoon.

KAPULUNGAN: O! umawit kayo sa Panginoon ng isang bagong awit; umawit kayo sa Panginoon, boong lupa, sa mga awit at himno na mga awitin ukol sa Espiritu, na laging umaawit na isinasaliw ang inyong mga puso sa Panginoon.

PASTOR: Ating itinatalaga ang air-conditioners na ito sa paglunas sa mga suliranin ng buhay, at sa pagbibigay kapahayagan sa kaluluwa ng tugmang pamumuhay; sa pagtulong sa mga naaapi, at pagbibigay aliw sa mga nangasa kalungkutan; sa ikapagkakaroon ng kapakumbabaan ng puso sa harap ng walang hanggang hiwaga; at sa pagtataas ng kaluluwa sa namamalaging kagandahan at kaligayahan at kaginhawahan, sa pamamagitan ng Ebanghelyo ng walang hanggang pag-ibig at mabuting kalooban.

KAPULUNGAN: Upang sa Pangalan ni Hesus ay lumuhod ang lahat ng mga tuhod, ng nangasa langit at nangasa ibabaw ng lupa, at nangasa ilalim ng lupa, at upang ihayag ng lahat ng dila na si Hesu-Kristo ay Panginoon, sa ikaluluwalhati ng Dios Ama.

ANG PANALANGIN NG PAGTATALAGA: (Sasabihin ng Pastor: Tayo’y Manalangin)

Aming Dios at aming Ama, na sinamba ng maraming sali’t saling lahi sa pamamagitan ng mga tugma at matatamis na himig ng awit; kalugdan Mo nawang tanggapin ang air-conditioners na ito na pinaka-awit ng pag-pupuri sa Iyo. Amen.

Ipagkaloob Mong ang himig na may kasaliw na awit ay maging basbas na pagpapala sa lahat ng dito sa dakong ito ay nananambahan sa Iyo. Amen.

Ang air-conditioners na ito nawa ay maging himig ng awit na walang kamatayan sa sanglibutan na ang kanyang pagpapasigla, pang-aaliw, pagtawag sa pananambahan, at pagbibigay-lakas-loob, ay magpatugma sa buhay ng tao sa kanilang araw-araw na gawain at marangal na paglilingkod. Amen.

xviii. Pastor: Numbers 7:5 The LORD said to Moses, "Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work of the Church."

xix. SONGS OF PRAISES TO BE LED BY THE BAND

"I'M GOING HOME! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!" - ELI

2007-11-23T10:24:00.000+08:00

“Mapalad ang manatili sa piling mo Panginoon Mapalad ang magsasabi kalakasan ko ang Pangalan Mo! Uwi na po kame today with Lance Malachi L. Filio from Philippine Heart Center. Truly this is the day the Lord.has made. May we all rejoice and be glad in Him. Thank you all for the prayers and support.” - LANCE & NIKKI

THANK YOU LORD FOR MY NEW HEART! - LANCE MALACHI, NICKNAMED ELI

2007-11-19T19:42:00.000+08:00

Ezek 18:31b "And I will make you a new heart and a new spirit." KJV

THE BIRTH OF LANCE MALACHI, nicknamed Eli (Eee-lay), was a test of FAITH. Eli made sure that EVERYBODY noticed his coming. And we all did. It seems that the world stopped to let him slip in. And disturbed and distracted us all from what we were doing with the question: “How strong is your Faith?” And the next hours and days tested us.

He was a blue baby, born with inverted blue blood and red blood arteries. He turned “kulay talong” a few hours after birth with oxygen level of only 50 when normally it should be 100 or over. We were not prepared for this. We were expecting a normal birth even if by caesarian section.

That day started inauspiciously. There was no hint that his birth would not be normal. His lola gave birth to five, all of them normal, including his father Lance who was born in our house. So why not him? But that is not to be.

EXACTLY FOURTEEN DAYS after birth, November 8th, Eli underwent heart surgery at Philippine Heart Center. Lucy and I struggled to be with him before he goes into the Operating Room. But it conflicted with the schooling schedule of Cayler, the firstborn of our son Ben, who is also under our care. Ben gave way by taking a leave from work. At 7am we were on our way to PHC, arrived past 8am and was able to pray over him. As I said amen his eyes flickered as if in acknowledgement and he did it again when I said to him loudly, “See you later Eli!” before he was wheeled into the operating room.

The surgery took 8 agonizing hours but it was successful. He stayed in the recovery room for 4 days and at Pedia ICU for 3 days. November 18th, 10 days after his heart operation, Eli is wheeled in with his mother Nikki into his own private room where is lolos and lola gushed over him, taking cell photos right and left. OUR FAITH PULLED US THROUGH! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

THE PRINCIPLE OF THE CONTINUING PRAYER!

2007-11-12T06:06:00.001+08:00

"LORD, TAKE HOLD OF THE HEART OF ELI!"

1 Thess 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

TO CEASE means to stop. Is it therefore the meaning of this verse to spend your whole life praying, not ceasing nor stopping even for a moment to do or give attention to other things? If so, then nobody can do this because realistically other things in life grab our attention. How then? Permit me to explain.

When you pray without ceasing for something it means the prayer must be continuing from the moment it began. It does not mean spending your whole life praying but CONTINUING to pray for that something. Same difference? No!

PRAYER begins with an address to God, say, “Lord God Almighty, please….” and ends with an AMEN! But when one focuses on only one request and addresses it to God without saying amen, then that prayer does not cease and therefore continues. Until God answers and one accepts by saying Amen.

This is the principle of THE CONTINUING PRAYER that I learned when Lance Malachi, nicknamed Eli, was born. And my continuing prayer for him is focused in only TEN words: “Lord, take hold of the heart of Eli.” I address it to God and utter them no matter when and wherever I am and I will only say Amen when I hold Eli in my arms and his smile tells me: “Lolo, I am Here.” See you later Eli, in this world and in this life.

There are personal prayers and there are congregational prayers. In the latter the one leading the prayer ends with an Amen and the congregation affirms and confirms by responding Amen!

But in a continuing personal prayer, the Amen is uttered by the person when God answers. Here the Amen means a person’s ACCEPTANCE of the answer whether negative or positive. Job 1:21 “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

When you pray for something plead for it with out ending the prayer and continue uttering that single request whenever and wherever you are. A continuing prayer until God answers. Pray without ceasing.

NEWS BULLETIN: November 12 in the afternoon Eli was transferred from the Recovery Room back to PICU-II where we pray he will only stay for three days before he is assigned his own room. Praise be to God!

NEWS BULLETIN: Today November 15 Eli is in PICU-II and they plan to wean him away from the respirator. May God heal him completely.

PLEASE POST YOUR PRAYER BY CLICKING COMMENTS BELOW.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! PLEASE CONTINUE PRAYING!

2007-11-09T15:07:00.000+08:00

ELI AT THE RECOVERY ROOM OF PHILIPPINE HEART CENTER

"Heart-wrenching – how could this two-week old baby endure what many of us would not even pass through in our lifetime?
Eli is special or should I say very special. His heart is a heart that comes from God, strong, resilient. And we are witnesses to that. While we can only worry. . . he does the surviving.
Today, as I start, I think of Malachi and I say a prayer, one more day closer to healing, one more day Lord of Your strength and grace. Amen" - Pastor Boji

Here’s the latest on Malachi, nicknamed Eli. Yesterday, November 8th, they operated on him at Philippine Heart Center for eight hours – from 9am to 5pm. The surgeon said it took longer because of some pulmonary bleeding which they were able to contain. Also the organs etc were smaller since Malachi is a baby. Now he stays in the recovery room for three days and then three days in ICU before he is transferred to a private room. Malachi’s change of skin color was dramatic. He is not dark but maputi pala, hindi Moreno. No longer a blue baby.

In three days, we will know if the operation is completely successful. We are praying for complete healing. Continue to pray with us.

PLEASE POST YOUR PRAYER FOR ELI BY CLICKING COMMENTS BELOW.

PLEASE, LET US ALL PRAY FOR MALACHI

2007-11-05T04:46:00.000+08:00

CORRECTIVE Heart Surgery will be performed on LANCE MALACHI, firstborn of Lance & Nikki and our fourth grandson, on NOVEMBER 7, 2007. Please join us in prayer on that day and pray that God guides the hand and mind of the SURGERY TEAM.

Nevertheless, we are also praying that God Himself operate on Malachi and heal him completely before that day.

WE ARE STARTING A PRAYER CHAIN STARTING 8PM TONIGHT. PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR TIME AND PRAY FOR THE COMPLETE HEALING OF MALACHI. POST YOUR PRAYER BY CLICKING COMMENTS BELOW. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. - Pastor Galying

OUR GOD IS THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE

2007-10-31T04:36:00.000+08:00

LANCE MALACHI, our newborn grandson was diagnosed a blue baby and is now at PEDIA ICU of Philippine Heart Center. He is the firstborn of our youngest son Lance and his wife Nikki. His first prognosis was that his heart valve is too thin. We prayed that this not be so and GOD ANSWERED. Examination at PHC REVEALED that the blue blood and red blood arteries are inverted and an operation can correct this.

He was scheduled for operation today, October 31, 2007 but it was postponed because they want to correct his long blood-clotting time first and perhaps they want him stronger for the surgery.

NOW WE ARE PRAYING FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE. WE PRAY THAT GOD PERFORM THE SURGERY ON MALACHI AND CORRECT HIS CONDITION. Let this be revealed in the coming days as he become a normal, lively child. LORD JESUS THIS IS OUR PRAYER!

PLEASE POST YOUR PRAYER FOR MALACHI BY CLICKING COMMENTS BELOW.

"WELCOME TO THE CHURCH THAT PRAYS!

2007-10-24T04:30:00.000+08:00

A CHURCH MUST BE A PRAYING CHURCH. Lest a church prays, God cannot grant our requests. Matt 7:7-8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

And the good news is that, once we pray, God is bound by His promise to grant our prayers: John 14:13-14 "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." NIV

PRAY! DO IT NOW! God is waiting for you. Our Prayer Ministry is every Wednesday night at 7:30. Do join us, or else send us your prayer requests. Click COMMENT below and type your request and we will pray for you every Wednesday. Welcome to the Church that Prays!

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST! BACLARAN UNIDA EVANGELICAL CHURCH

2007-10-23T04:10:00.000+08:00

THE CHURCH is the only place on earth instituted by God with a guarantee that "the gates of hell" cannot prevail upon it. It is where He placed us after choosing us from out of the world to be part of His Body. And it is where He will come back for us when Jesus come for the second time with HIS KINGDOM!

Let us all gather together in His Church - Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo. Because harvest time has come and God will be bring in the sheaves from His Church.

BACLARAN UNIDA EVANGELICAL CHURCH "THE HOME CHURCH OF FIVE BISHOPS" Welcome to the Church that PRAYS!

2007-10-21T04:10:00.000+08:00

AFTER nine years serving as General Treasurer and twice as General Evangelist of the UNIDA CHURCH and three years pastoring at Bacoor and Novaliches, we are back as the ADMINISTRATIVE PASTOR OF BACLARAN UNIDA CHURCH = REV. GAMALIEL B. FILIO. This time it will be a TANDEMN MINISTRY in Visitation, Healing, Prayer Ministry, and advisory in Counselling, Worship, Teaching, and Preaching with my wife LUCY, who retired as Principal of Baclaran Elementary School two years ago.

The first batch of Communicant Class that I taught and trained fifteen years ago are now the leaders of the church. And our first test is the TITHING THRUST of the church, plus the two other visions of our ministry and presenting before God a Sanctuary that is fully air-conditioned.

THE TRI-VISION OF THE CHURCH ARE:

1. PASIKIPIN ANG KAPILYA
a. Mobilizing & Motivating the Whole Church by means of
Church Events: Christmas Week, January Church
Anniversary, and Holy Week
b. Five Bishops School of Faith
c. The Church in Prayer
d. Healing Prayer
e. Promotion of UNIDA THEME SONG

2. BAWA’T MIYEMBRO MISYONERO
a. Horizontal Urban Evangelism. “Where you are. What you are.” Rom 10:15 How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
b. Printing of 5,000 “Mahal Ako Ng Dios Tracts”
c. Our Calapan Mission Point
d. BACLARAN UNIDA MULTI-MEDIA ARTS FOR CHRIST
e. Communicant Class

3. NAG-IIKAPU BAWA’T ISA
a. Malachi 3:10 Whole Church Tithing Thrust to be spearheaded by
The Kapisanan of Young Adults

We have reached a peak Sunday attendance of 150 but our target is 215.
We have doubled our church resources because of our Tithing Thrust.
By the end of April 2008 we will achieve our Tri-Vision by the Grace of God.

BACLARAN UNIDA CHURCH IS 75 YEARS TODAY!

2007-01-14T05:54:00.000+08:00

MINSAN, may isang nayon ng MAMALAKAYA na tinawag ni JESUS upang gawing MAMALAKAYA NG MGA TAO...

"From here and there" by Rev. Eugenio "Gene" R. Filio III

2006-11-01T06:47:00.000+08:00

"...when I go to the highest peak,
even on the heights of a surging Tsunami,
Lord, you are there.
...when I go to the deepest depth,
into the heart of Mars and the interior of Venus,
Lord, you are there.
...when I go to the most crowded places,
from one refugee camp to another.
Lord, you are there.
...when I go to the most solitary place,
and deserted streets of New Orleans.
Lord, you are there.
...when my eyes looks up to heaven
and see the vastness of the universe,
how it is expanding and rapidly extending,
Lord, you are there.
...when my eyes looks sideways,
from the rising of the sun and to its setting down,
Lord, you are there.
...when my eyes search deep inside my thoughts,
from Aristotle to Spinoza, from Darwin to Flew.
Lord, you are there.
...when my eyes search within my feelings,
the pounding of my heart and butterflies in my stomach,
Lord, you are there.
...when my ears listens to the stillness of silence,
no sound, no cry, no dirge,
Lord, you are there.
...when my ears hear the rumbling sound of thunder,
bombs blowing up,
crackling sounds of automatic rifles,
nuclear threat from the north to the middle east,
Lord, you are there.
Yes, Lord, even now I see.
Yes, Lord, even now I hear.
My spirit is at rest.
I can sleep silently in the night.
At the end, I just want to see your face.
Your Name to always praise.
From time past,
To time that never ends.
A little more steps away,
You are here.

Kaisang Unida, Hayo na!

2006-10-29T23:58:00.001+08:00

UNIDA EVANGELISTIC TRAINING COURSE - "MAHAL AKO NG DIOS!"

2006-10-10T06:33:00.000+08:00

Through the efforts of the 75th Unida Anniversary Committee, the Lupon ng Edukasyon Kristiana (Christian Education), and Unida National Mission, the first UNIDA EVANGELISTIC COURSE was launched in five sites last August 12 at Noveleta Unida Church for Cavite 1&4 and Unida Christian Center for Cavite 2&3; August 19 at Matangtubig Unida Church for Metro Manila 1&2&3 and Sta. Rosa Unida Church for Laguna; and August 26 at Sipat Unida Church Bulacan.

546 trainees graduated and were sent out last September 17 during the Unida Mission Sunday Celebration. For pictures of the event, please log on to http://new.photos.com/gbfilio.

MISSION SUNDAY CELEBRATION SEPTEMBER 17, 2006

2006-08-28T19:31:00.000+08:00

PANAHON na ng pag-aani ng mga kaluluwa para sa Dios. Paramihin natin ang mag-aani sa pamamagitan ng ating MISSION SUNDAY CELEBRATION sa September 17, 2006, ika-2:00 hanggang 4:00 ng hapon sa Unida Christian Center. Mayroon po tayong sinusuportahang 14 na mission points at 10 growth churches at kailangan nila ang tulong ninyo.
Panahon na ngayon upang maging KAISANG UNIDA at HUMAYO NA! Nguni’t kailangang ang isa ay maging handa para dito sa pamamagitan ng pagdalo sa mga EVANGELISTIC TRAINING COURSE na tayo po ang lumikha at magpapatupad. Unidang Unida at hindi galing sa iba kundi sa atin. Atin ito! Sali na!
On this day we will celebrate JESUS CHRIST, THE LORD OF THE HARVEST IN THREE GENERATIONS OF UNIDA ORIGINAL GOSPEL MUSIC. Three evangelistic songs - “MARTSA UNIDA” composed and sang in 1957 for the 25th Anniversary of the Unida Church, “KAISANG UNIDA, HAYO NA!” composed as the 75th Anniversary Theme, and the Praise & Worship Mission Song “TARA NA TARA NA UNIDA!” composed for the Youth. Three Songs but ONE in Message. We will have these together with UNIDA TV and other videos in a commemorative DVD.

ANG MAPAGWAGING PUWERSA NG KAKAUNTI

2006-08-28T18:43:00.000+08:00

“Huwag mo kailanmang matahin ang kakayanan nang iilan. Kahit kinukutya ng lipunan at hindi pinapansin ng mga may kapangyarihan, ang kakaunti ay mayroong kapangyarihang baguhin ang buong mundo.” ~ Lance M. Filio

Ang kakaunti ay palagi nang winawalang halaga ng mas marami. Sa isang mundo na ang karamihan ay nagpupunyaging magkamal ng marami at ang lahat ay iginigiit ang rule of the majority, walang nag-aakalang ang kakaunti ay magkakaroon ng halaga o kahulugan.

Nuong si Gideon ay makipagdigma sa mga Midianita ay dinala niya ang Israel sa tagumpay hindi sa pamamagitan libo-libong mga sundalo bagkus kasama lamang ang isang daang mga lalaki. Maging nang pasimulan ni Jesus ang pagliligtas sa buong sanglibutan, hindi niya isinama ang isang laksang tagasunod upang dalhin ang Mabuting Balita kundi ang labing-dalawang alagad lamang. Subali’t ang bunga ng iilang ito ay namumunga pa hanggang ngayon. At oo nga, ang mga ninuno nating tumawag sa ating mga kapilas ng kanilang kaluluwa, ay nagtayo ng isa sa mga matatag at nakapagsasariling Simbahang Ebanghelikong Filipino ngayon, sa pamamagitan ng pagsasama-sama ng kakaunti lamang. At bagama’t lingid sa marami, ay nakikita ng Dios ang malawak at dakilang lakas ng nagkakaisang pananampalataya ng kakaunti: Pakinggan mo: Sa kamay ng mapagpalang Dios, ang mahina ay malakas, ang maliit ay malaki, at ang kakaunti ay madami.

Sa ating mga Kaisang Unida: Sa Cuneta Astrodome ay napaikita kung paano ang isa ay mayroong halaga. Sa pamamagitan ng pagsasama-sama bilang isang nagkakaisang iglesia ay naipamalas natin ang ganda, timyas, at galak ng ating maraming bilang. Subali’t sa malawak na mundong ating ginagalawan ang ating bilang ay maaaring hindi pansinin at pahalagahan. Ang maliit nating bilang ay maaaring kutyain at ipagwalang-bahala ng mga makapangyarihan at maimpluwensiyang mga tao ng ating panahon dahil maaari nilang sabihin na katulad ng iba diyan, tayo ay mahina at maliit. Subalit mga magulang at mga kapatid maging matatag po tayo sapagkat dumating na ang panahon na ang pagbabago ay darating hindi sa pamamagitan ng lakas at kapangyarihan, bagkus sa pamamagitan ng Espiritu na nasa iilang Pinili ng Dios. Ang ating nais ay ang Mabuting Balita ng Kaligtasan at ang ating bandila ay si Hesu-Kristo.

Pitumpu’t-limang taon na tayong naghihintay. At, bagama’t hindi pa dumarating ang araw na ang ating iglesia ay lubos na matutupad ng plano ng Dios sa pagpili Niya sa atin, ay nababanaag na natin ang bukang-liwayway ng isang PASIMULA. Nuong Agosto, limang daan at limampu sa atin ang dumalo sa 1st Unida-produced Evangelistic Training course. Ito ang pinaka-agresibong hakbang ng ating iglesia upang isulong ang ebanghelismo. Maaaring sabihing ang 550 ay kakaunti lamang - iilan. Subali’t batid natin na sa pamamagitan ng Espiritu ng Dios, ang matatag na kakaunti ay kayang pagalawin ang mundo.

Maging bahagi ka ng iilan upang maranasan mo kung paanong pinalalakad, pinatatakbo at pinalilipad ng Dios ang ating iglesia. Himukin mo ang inyong lokal na iglesia upang sumama sa misyon ng pagdadala ng MABUTING BALITA sa buong mundo. Magtayo ng grupo ng kaanib ng inyong iglesia at dalhin ang ebanghelyo sa inyong komyunidad. Ipanalangin ang bawa’t lokal na iglesia sa kanilang pagsaksi para kay Kristo. Magkaloob ng halaga para sa gastusin ukol dito. Tandaan mo, kahit tayo kakaunti ay mayroon tayong hindi nakikitang laksa-laksa na kaagapay.

KAISANG UNIDA, HAYO NA!

THE FORMIDABLE FORCE OF THE FEW

2006-08-28T18:34:00.000+08:00

“Never underestimate the spirit of a dedicated few. Although often ridiculed by society and dismissed by the mighty, a handful minority has the power to change the entire world.” ~ Lance M. Filio

The few has always been taken for granted by the many. In a world where most strive to acquire plenty and everyone insist on upholding the rule of majority, no one expects that a few would actually make a world of difference.

When Gideon fought the Midianites, he led the Israelites into victory not with an army of thousands, but only with a hundred men. Even when Jesus set the redemption of the world in motion, He did not commission a crowd of followers. He entrusted the mission of preaching the gospel to a small number of disciples, yet until now, the work of this chosen few lives on. And yes, our forefathers established one of most steadfast and independent evangelical Filipino churches of our day, neither by following the majority, nor by depending on the wealth of the plenty, but by the commitment of a few good men. And though it has been hidden from the eyes of many throughout history, God sees strength of great magnitude in the unified faith of the few. Listen: In the hands of our most able God, the weak is mighty, the small is big and the few is plenty.

To all my fellow men and woman of Unida: In Cuneta Astrodome, we have witnessed how one can make a difference. By coming together as a united church, we have shown the sheer excitement of our numbers. But in the vast reality of the world that we live in, our numbers and resources will appear trivial and insignificant. Our humble size may even be ridiculed and dismissed by the most powerful and influential people of our time because, just like the few before us, we are deemed weak and small. But take heart my brothers and sisters, for the day has come where change will neither come by power, nor by might, but the Spirit of His chosen few. Our cause is the gospel and our banner is Christ.

Seventy-five years, we’ve waited. And though the day has not yet come when our church has fully realized the plan for which God has called us, we can now see a promising beginning. Last August, five hundred & fifty of us attended the 1st Unida-produced Evangelistic Training course. It is, by far, the most aggressive step our church has ever done for the cause of evangelism. Most may say that “550” is a miniscule number - a mere few. But we know that by the Spirit of our God, the dedicated few could turn the entire world upside down.

Be a part of the few and experience how God is moving our church. Encourage your local church to participate in the mission of preaching the gospel to entire world. Form a small band of members and evangelize to your own community. Pray for every local church in their witness for Christ. Contribute your resources in financing this cause. Remember, we may be few but we have an invisible multitude on our side.

KAISANG UNIDA, HAYO NA!

KAISA! KAISA! KAISA!

2006-07-22T14:17:00.000+08:00

JUDAS & DA VINCI

2006-04-15T11:03:00.000+08:00

THE JUDAS GOSPEL & THE DA VINCI CODE
Oh my, how callous have we become?
A Dissection by Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio

The Robe
They literally disrobed Jesus Christ when they nailed him to the cross. Now they are AGAIN trying to “literarily” disrobe Him of His Divinity and to reduce him to a mere man by marrying him off to Mary Magdalene and by demeaning him through his betrayer Judas Iscariot.

It would be funny if it does not hurt when you laugh. Because they are nailing Jesus on the cross once more and once more for the same reason – M O N E Y. Judas betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver and now after him come Dan Brown, using DA VINCI to make Jesus look bad, is making a lot of money – at the expense of Jesus.

The Crown of Thorns
Is there nothing sacred anymore? Have we really sunk this low? I decried the fanaticism and mysticism of the Roman Catholic Church of my youth. And yet I cannot help but be appalled by what this generation have replaced it with. We have crowned his head with thorns of disrespect.

The Lashing!
We use to utter the Name of Jesus with awe and reverence as befits the Son of God. But Dan Brown disrespected Jesus and lashed & tore his flesh once more at the center of an international audience through his Novel and now the movie “The Da Vinci Code.” And Oh how some people lapped it up and made it a best-seller and translated it into 44 languages. The movie, because of the controversy it created, is running all the way to the bank.

The New Pontius Pilate
The novel is FICTION, a product of the author’s imagination, and therefore not fact. Dan Brown took a button and sewed a colorful, imaginative but historically inconsistent and multi-layered SHIRT on it.

But since it is fiction it should be read like “Harry Potter”, “The National Treasure”, “James Bond”, “Mission Impossible” and even C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Nothing less, nothing more. That it is being given an importance it does not deserve is a testimony of how sacrilegious our world has become.

One said that while it is fiction there are some truth in it. They should stop pulling our leg because this statement is incorrect. You have to take a novel as a whole and not in parts. Even if some truths are injected into it, it is still fiction woven out of whole cloth.

The Nails
It grieves me that Brown did a Pontius Pilate in desecrating the name of Jesus by means of fictitious allegations and imaginations as did that Roman Procurator. That is disrespect on the Name of Jesus and every Christian martyr, living and dead.

The plot is imaginative but based on loose premises and untruths masquerading as widely accepted truths. “The book opens with the claim by Dan Brown that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate"; but this claim is disputed by academic scholars in the fields the book discusses. As widely noted in the media, there has been substantial confusion among readers about whether the book is factual. Numerous works have been published which explain in detail why any claim to accuracy is difficult to sustain.” (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The Cross
They are crucifying Christ on the Cross of Controversy. Because without controversy books, television, movies, and media has no other way to call attention to itself. And if people do not pay attention to them they will not make money. Truth is no longer important but Controversy that attract people. That spells M-O-N-E-Y.

Who is Da Vinci anyway that what he is implying in his Last Supper painting is being passed off as the truth? Brown made him the keypoint to his Novel and concocted a conspiracy as only a Fiction-Writer can. Congratulations, he started a controversy and he is now a rich man because of it!

But as soon as the controversy wears out, the book, together with its author Dan Brown, will be forgotten but the name they disrespected – JESUS – will stand forever.

The Tomb
Jesus died in calvary and they laid him in Joseph Arimathea’s tomb. Judas committed suicide and was buried in Potter’s Field. But while Jesus resurrected from the dead on the third day, it is the Gospel of Judas that is being resurrected today.

It is being presented not as fiction but as an original factual manuscript. And here the first debate lies, and secondly on what it contends.

Is it real or fake? The debate cannot end even up to doomsday, perhaps. I believe, however, that it is an absolution after the fact, written by one of the close friends of Judas to redeem him from what he has done.

But a discussion on the real role of Judas in the fulfillment of the prophecies about Jesus Christ is quite relevant to us today.

It is evident that the language and style of this gospel is so different, if not inconsistent, with the 4 gospels of the Bible. Jesus speaks in a different manner and about things not discussed in the four. Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are compatible and their books compliment each other although different in style and approach. And Jesus speaks in a way that is common to the 4 and other books of the Bible.

However, the verse that intrigues and the point of contention is that one where Jesus supposedly told Judas: “But you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.”

The Judas Gospel is contending that Jesus, instead of letting the prophecy be fulfilled through the people that has been foretold thousands of years ago, conspired with his “friend Judas” so that the prophecy will happen. And yet the verse admits that he is both man and God. If Jesus is God as he demonstrated when he raised up Lazarus from the dead, he does not need to conspire with anybody to make things happen. Prophecies will be fulfilled no matter what anyone does.
Did Jesus make a mistake in choosing Judas as one of His disciples? My answer is he did not, because the role of Judas was something that was prophesied and it was part of the plan of Salvation that God put in place. Nobody could stop it, nobody could change what Judas was, not even the Son of God.

NATIONAL OFFICERS CONFERENCE

2006-03-15T08:29:00.000+08:00

WHAT WE SOW NOW,
THEY WILL REAP DECADES FROM NOW!
Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio, Evangelista General
Gal 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. KJV

CONFLUENCE
We consider this National Officers Conference as a Prelude to A UNIFIED ACTION – a CONFLUENCE of the SHEPHERD and his FLOCK. A time when all things, ideas, theologies, ideologies, laws and events must conjunct, juxtapose, fuse, and merge into one single question: WHERE ARE WE GOING?.
We have to settle first where we are going before we even begin to devise ways of FLOWING TOGETHER to get there. This is the very essence of STRATEGIC PLANNING. FLOWING TOGETHER with the POWER OF ONE.
John 14:5
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
NIV

A VOW TO REACH THE GOAL
First, a Shepherd-Leader should sit down and think. Set a direction. And target a single goal. One that can be remembered. Three, four, or at the most 10 words. For a period of one or two decades. And then plan the infrastructures needed to the accomplish the goal. Then make a vow to God to reach the goal.

KAISA! KAISA! KAISA
PALAGUIN ANG IGLESIA!!

WINNOWING
Once the question of where one is going is settled then it is time to separate the chaff from the grain. All activities should be planned and devised towards reaching the place pinpointed or zeroing in on the status desired. Consequently, all activities that are counterproductive or does not contribute to the attainment of the goal is discarded and left.

Conceptualizing
•It should always be CONCEPT before ACTION. A plan before movement. The WHere should always precede the HOW. Everything proceeds from the concept. All things that follows are how to do activities that proceed from the concept.

Borrowing Activities
•The easiest way is to import an activity. But the hardest part is to trace the concept from which that activity emanated. Foreign concepts do not always fit local needs nor concerns. That is just like fitting a round peg into a round hole.
Conceptualizing and Initiating Activities
· We must learn how to conceptualize and initiate our own activities as did our forefathers.

When the winnowing is over, then one will know how much money is really needed and only necessary funds will be budgeted.

OUR REASON FOR BEING
Why are we here? Why do we exist? The Church must realize the reason for its existence. Where it is coming from and where it is going.

•To develop the ability to forge the unity of the whole church towards expanding the borders of the work of the church. UNIDA IS KAISA!

• Upang linangin ang kakayahang pandayin ang pagkakaisa ng buong iglesia patungo sa pagpapalawak ng hanggahan ng Gawain ng iglesia. ANG UNIDA AY KAISA!

SETTING THE DIRECTION
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LEADERSHIP IS TO SET DIRECTIONS. It is the rudder that points to where and how fast the church should go. Their task is to make sure that the flock does not lose its SENSE OF DIRECTION. Because it is so easy to get lost in a world that is cluttered with so many ideas, theologies, technologies, media-mind-conditioning, enticing seminars and books and so many charismatic but false prophets that mislead and make man lose sight of God and His Great Commission for the Church and its flock. If the leadership has no sense of WHERE IT IS GOING the flock will just flounder on.
However, this sense should come from within like a geiger counter. From our identity, what and who we are, our heritage from our forefathers who bonded Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo following the Acts of the original Apostolic Church.
We begun as ONE and must continue to act as a church that originated from the first Christian Apostolic Church that was founded by Christ in Caesaria Philippi. We must also value our Presbyterian roots and also be responsive to the changes around us. But we must act together and resist the tendency to flow in different directions. We must value who we are and what we have that enabled a small and financially poor church called Unida to reach more than seven decades of fruitful existence.

WHO ARE WE?
“An EKKLESIA that is One and United in the Worship of One God in Spirit and in Truth.”
From the beginning up to now, and yes, from our forefathers up to us today - WE ARE ONE. In 1932 our church founders (mga tagapangulong tagapaglingkod ng iglesia) wrote an open letter addressed to us and using a term that is so wonderful & poignant & apt: “sa inyong MGA KAPILAS NG AMING KALULUWA.” Wow, the term in English came to be used only in the 1980’s - SOULMATES. Unida members are all soulmates – ONE. Mula nuong una hanggasng ngayon, sila at tayo ay magkapilas ng kaluluwa. May kabuluhan ang ISA.
The essence of being ONE is as old our Church. It is embodied in that letter when they said: Ang kabuuan ng dakilang layon ng Dios sa ating paglalakip-lakip ay ang tayo na mga tingting na nakasabog sa ating kapuluan..... ay mabigkis ng matibay na TALI NG BANAL NA PAG-IISA sa pananampalataya, pag-asa at pag-big na lalong pinakadakila sa lahat. This is our heritage.

THE POWER OF ONE
•ONE WORSHIP
•ONE PRAYER
•ONE BAPTISM
•ONE FAITH
•ONE GOD
•ONE SPIRIT

A UNIQUE AND DISTINCT CHURCH - We are the only church in the world that chooses their leaders the Apostolic Way. God chose the name of our church, IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO and since the inception of our church, God chose the leaders, the Generales who led our church for the last 73 years. By means of pelotilya or drawing of lots that was laid down in the Acts of the Apostles we avoided church politics. We should be proud of this and this should bind us together.
We are also a church that has a distinctive way of praying every time we break bread together – by singing the following:
Pagpalain Mo po, O aming Dios
Ang mga biyayang mong kaloob
Itulot mo nawa na magdulot
Ng kalakasang ipaglilingkod! Amen.
If it pleases everyone I suggest that we do this before every meal in this Officers Conference.
Unida members know each and greet each other and embrace and beso-beso each other everytime they meet. And during every occasion “hindi matapos-tapos ang kwentuhan at halos ayaw nang maghiwalay.”
And lastly, the Unida Church is indigenous. A Pilipino Church composed of Pilipinos and run by Pilipinos.

OUR WORK
“Bringing the Message of the Saving Grace of the Lord to all creatures in every corner of the world.”
There is ONE Work. To plant and establish churches. And to add to the church daily such as should be saved.
In 1901, an American, Rev . James Rogers, regarded as the first Protestant Evangelist started planting the gospel of the Saving Grace of the Lord in this Roman Catholic Nation. Rev. Tomas Filio picked it up and was followed later by his nephew Rev. Eugenio R. Filio and other Unida Evangelist who started what they called then “Propaganda” for the Evangelical Faith in towns and barrios, in the process establishing churches. In 1957 at Unida’s 25th Anniversary there were 25 strong churches namely Central, Matangtubig, Gagalangin, Sociego, Bagong-Ilog, Baclaran, Caloocan, Tipaz, Novaliches, Imus, Medicion, Caridad, Bacoor, Dasmarinas, General Trias, Anabu, Bacao, Salawag, Malabag, Marulas, Panginay, Sipat, Atlag, Mambog, Carolina.
They are still around and are performing quite well. Now, we are 85 churches and 50 mission points. These are products of the pastors and missionaries that followed one by one, planting churches. The legacy goes on.
OUR HOPE
RUNNING TOWARDS THE FINISH LINE
THE BINDING OF THE ONES INTO ONE DYNAMIC BODY
“The Hope that Jesus will be with them to the end of the ages at the coming of the Kingdom of God.”
We are binded together with this HOPE. And with this in us, we serve God. And there is nothing like a common GOAL that can unite us.

AIMING FOR A FULLY-ARMORED ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

OUR age, times, and world demand of us to establish a church that is fully-equipped to meet the challenges brought about by the Great Commission in a world that is constantly being changed by Information and Communication Technology and the advances in science & modes of transportation that are changing the outlook and values of man. The world is continually being compressed into a GLOBAL VILLAGE. How should the Church respond?
Pastor-Shepherd-Leaders (PSL) must be fully equipped in areas of church administration and concerns not traditionally regarded as part of the work of a CHURCH. This will enable them to respond with confidence to what is happening around them. The future is definitely here already and is not something still to be yet anticipated. The PSLs must guard against finding themselves lacking in personal equipment and the whole church membership must likewise be fully equipped for royal priesthood.
The church and the workers in God’s Vineyard today cannot afford to be ONE DIMENSIONAL. They must strive to be MULTI-DIMENSIONAL.
It is our belief that Strategic Planning is Biblical and it is about time, if not yet late, for the Unida Church to do this. We must now AIM FOR ROYAL PRIESTHOOD IN FULL ARMOR. Royal Priesthood refers first to the Pastors, then the Laity-Professionals, the Organizations, and the whole membership of the Unida Church. But a National Church Development Plan must first be formulated, discussed, debated, approved, submitted to God and implemented.

IT’S TIME TO EQUIP
Ecclesiastes 3:1
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” KJV

FULLY-ARMORED
Eph 6:13-14 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” NIV

FOR ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light

WITH THE POWER OF ONE
KAISA defines how ONE can acquire the power of a MULTITUDE! The Kaisa Spirit comes from the prayer of Jesus and this is where its power comes from.
John 17: 11b “Holy Father, protect them by the Power of Your Name – the Name you gave me – so that they may be ONE as we are ONE.”
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be ONE, Father, just as You are in me and I am in you.”

Our Aims for the Term:
•To fully equip ministers for royal priesthood by means of a PASTORS PERSONAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM.
Upang sangkapan ang mga manggagawa sa maharlikang pagpapastol sa pamamagitan ng PASTORS PERSONAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM.

•To develop the ability to mobilize each and every member to a meaningful ministry in the local and national church.
Upang linangin ang kakayahang hamigin ang bawa’t isang kaanib upang magamit sa makabuluhang ministeryo sa iglesia lokal at nasyonal.

•To develop the ability to plant and establish local churches that are self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-propagating.
Upang linangin ang kakayahang magtanim at magtayo ng mga iglesiang may kakayahang suportahan ang sarili, may kakayahang pangunahan ang sarili, at may kakayahang paramihin ang sarili.

•To develop the ability to establish a Fully-Resourced Unida Church.
Upang linangin ang kakayahang magtatag ng isang iglesiang sapat sa pananalapi.

LAYING DOWN INFRA-STRUCTURES FOR THE FUTURE
Strategic Planning requires laying down structures that will effect the future.
What we decide to do or not to do today are relevant to the youth because they will be the leaders tomorrow.

Our batch of youth leaders of the 60’s had a big part in the laying down of the following infra-structures that affects us right now.

1. The First Constitutional Convention in late l960s.
2. The Unida Centralized Budget
3. The Finance Committee
4. The Unida Ministerial Institute & The Unida Lay Leaders Institute
5. The Resistance Against Liberation Theology
6. The Unida Christian Center

The following are some of the infrastructures we wish to be part in laying down for the future.

1. The Unida Professionals for Ministries in the Church
2. The Unified Development Plan for the Unida Church

3. The Bagong Unida Blog

A TOTAL WORLD PERSPECTIVE

2006-01-08T07:26:00.000+08:00

A
TOTAL WORLD PERSPECTIVE
FOR THE UNIDA CHURCH

IN THE FACE OF THE THIRD MILLENNIUM

AND THE 21ST CENTURY
By Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio

PROLOGUE
VISION is a burden to the leadership. But to a Church, it is the sign that it is ALIVE.

The problem with vision is that it is, often times, so hard to understand and to accept in the present time. For it speaks of a future that cannot be immediately perceived, much less be completely understood.
Because people can only feel a sense of urgency about something that presently stares at them face to face, and it is mostly on this that they are forced to act or react. When one thing happens, they react to it. When an innovation is introduced, they either imitate or denounce it. It is something that they consider urgent because it is staring at them on the up-front.
But acting or reacting on things that some visionaries say are bound to happen, and therefore cannot be seen nor felt at the present time, just do not command such urgent attention. This is human nature. But there are times when we have to veer away from the way things are usually conceptualized, done, executed or implemented. The Church must have vision. Simply because it is spiritual and not physical as a whole.
And to enable it to do this, the Church must have a total perspective of the world around it. A world that is constantly changing (progressing?) and is always trying to shake the Church away from its moorings. But the Church must not be moved.

PERSPECTIVE
The world that Jesus Christ referred to when He said, “Go ye therefore into the world…” is now a totally different world. The Great Commission that Christ gave has never changed and will never change, but the world which is the target of the message of the Saving Grace of the Lord has turned over several thousand times.
Are we saying that Christian perspective must change? No. But it has to be widened, considerably expanded, to the extent that the Church’s work can cover the total world perspective. WE MUST EXPAND THE BORDERS OF THE WORK OF THE CHURCH.

UNIDA TARGET
We should therefore be:
· A Church that answers the needs and stands up to the challenge of a Technology & Communication-Driven World.
· A Church that always emerges victorious in the marketplace of ideas and faith.
· A Church that can identify the current “battleground” for the souls of men and become relevant in it
· A Church that can withstand the onslaught of the winds of change.

THE CHANGING VIEW OF THE WORLD
The Old World. When Christ said “Go ye into the world…”, he was referring to the WHOLE round WORLD and the universe around it. But the limited knowledge of the people He was talking to prevented them from understanding the total width and breadth of that world. Because to them the world was a FLAT area consisting of only the places they have seen or heard of and traveling beyond the flat area is unimaginable because they will fall into limbo. This is the limit of the their perspective of the world at the time.

The New World. Copernicus came, followed by Galileo and they found out through scientific studies that the earth is round. People soon traveled by ocean-going ships beyond the flat area and did not fall into limbo and they proved that the world is bigger than they thought; and it is round. They also found countries and people beyond the horizon and they called these places the New World. They found out how big the world was. Columbus soon discovered America, Marco Polo went to China, and Magellan discovered that there are people in the islands later called Filipinas after King Felipe of Spain. During these times people traveled by horseback and in groups by horse-drawn carriages and stagecoaches.

The Present World. If the world became bigger in the New World. It began to become smaller, to shrink by means of advances in science and inventions. Henry Ford invented the horseless carriage, the automobile or Car, and later the Wright brothers invented the airplane and the world was on its way. Soon, air travel became ordinary and the whole world became accessible and reachable. Radio, telegraph, television, satellite signals, cable TV, the Internet converted the whole world into a global village, making every nook and corner of the world within reach.

The Virtual World. The previous three worlds discussed are physical. The fourth is not. It is in the world but it has no geographical location. Advances made by man in science and most especially in Information & Communication Technology has created a virtual world not apart from the physical one but very much distinct from it. It has its own language and is capable of fast communication that can reach every nook of the earth in volume and speed beyond our imagination. The FUTURE is indeed here already. Take note of the world millennium celebration that was broadcast and telecast simultaneously in every country around the world. And this makes one wonder: what about a simultaneous broadcast and telecast of the message of the Saving Grace of the Lord?

A MAJOR CONCERN:
TECHNOLOGY & COMMUNICATION
BUT are our pastors and workers ready to face a Technology & Communication-Driven World, or do we all really understand our TOTAL WORLD, which is both physical and virtual and its relationship with our SPIRITUAL WORLD?
The answer is a big fat NO. Is this an indictment of the Unida Church? No, not Unida alone but the whole fellowship of believers in the Philippines. We are all not ready.
The Christian Churches are now in radio and television communicating the gospel to the people. Through this the Christian Presence is established in the visibly most effective means of bringing and selling a message or information to the people. But with the coming of the future, the present is revised. For the present and the future is forged together in the Virtual World created by Information & Communication Technology. And here there is no clear Filipino Christian Presence yet.
I definitely cannot think for the whole Christian fellowship of believers, but being one of the Generales, I can think for the Unida Church.
The Unida Church must pioneer the establishment of the Christian Presence in NETRADIO and NETTV and must fully use the communication & information venues of the INTERNET.

OUR NEXT CONCERN:
THE MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS AND FAITH
We are sure about our faith. We are sure about the God that we serve. We are sure about our salvation.
Let us put ourselves to the test by being in the marketplace of IDEAS and FAITH through the present Information & Communication Technology. The faith of our forefathers, our original “mga pangulong tagapaglingkod ng iglesia Unida”, withstood the test of time and new ideas and ideologies. We believe that we, too, can fight the good fight in our physical and virtual world so that the Kingdom of God will prevail.
But we must prepare ourselves.

OUR THIRD CONCERN:
THE CURRENT BATTLEGROUND
The new battleground is the virtual world created by the Information & Communication Technology.
Some are saying that computers are satanic and therefore we should not use it, much less touch it. They are partly correct because the minions of satan are using it to purvey false teachings and satan worship. But it is precisely because of this that we should be there to counter them by answering with the Word of God. If we don’t we will lose by default and we will answer to God.

OUR FOURTH CONCERN:
THE WINDS OF CHANGE
The winds of change is upon us. I have discussed this in another article and so I will not elaborate on this here. Let it suffice that I quote the words of a non-christian whose teaching of non-violence is so Christian, Mahatma Ghandi:
“Let us open our windows so that the winds of beliefs and faith of other cultures can freely flow in and out of our house, but never permit these strong winds to blow our house down.”

OUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITY:
AN UNBLEMISHED CHURCH
“…..even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27

WE HAVE presented a total world perspective that challenges the wisdom, strength, preparedness, and faith of Christians today. The first inclination is for us to retreat into our Christian shell and let this world pass by. But if we do this a lot of souls will be left unsaved and this the Lord does not want. Because when He comes for the second time, we must present to Him a glorious Church that is without blemish. Christians must not run away from their responsibility. But the time to do it is now. LET US DO IT!

"IGLAP" Tsapter Wan

2005-12-30T05:37:00.000+08:00

Iglap!
"At Biglang Dumating Ang Bukas!"
Ni Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio
Unang Kabanata Ng Isang Serye

PROLOGUE
Matagal ko nang binalak na sumulat ng isang aklat. Ito para sa akin ay isang bagay na tiyak. Ang nasa balag ng alanganin lamang ay kung kelan. Pero nawala na ang alinlangan. Ngayon na.
Ang unang dalawa at kalahating tsapter ng librong ito ay isinulat namin nuong 1999. Ipinakita namin ito sa aming lektura ukol sa Pastoral Leadership sa harap ng mga laykong nag-aaral sa Lay Leaders institute bilang pagpapakilala sa sarili at sa aming pananaw ukol sa iglesia at sa bagong mundo.
Naging napakabilis ng pagbabago ng mundo. Bigla. Iglap. Naganap ng halos hindi mo napuna. Nagising tayo isang umaga na ang iglesia, at ang lahat ng mga institusyon, at ang lahat ng tao ay nasa harap na ng isang BAGONG MUNDO. Ano ang gagawin ng Iglesia? Ito ang papaksain ng libro sa isang kakaibang paraan ng pagsasalaysay.
Ito sabi ang ko nuong 1999 sabay lagay sa mesa ng manuskrito. Nanatili ito duon. Hanggang nuong 2001 ay itanong sa akin ng isang layko kung nasaan na ang aklat na ipinangako kong tatapusin ko nuong 1999. Lumipas pa ang dalawang taon bago ko muling dinampot ang manuskrito at eto na nga. Tikman ninyo.
Ang tanong e me karapatan ba naman akong sumulat? S’yanga naman. Sino ba iyong nagsabing ang isang manunulat ay isinisilang, hindi ginagawa. Paano ito malalaman ng isang tao? Madali para sa akin. Ganito ‘yun! Ang sukatan ay kung ma-publish ang akda mo ng mga nangungunang publikasyon. Ang una kong short story ay nalathala sa Liwayway. Marami pang sumunod sa Bulaklak, Pilipino Free Press, Tagumpay, atbp. Nagwagi na rin ako ng Gantimpalang Liwayway sa pagsulat ng nobela na may pamagat na “Sigwa.” Sa lahat ng mga akdang ito ay binayaran ako. Biruin mo, inilathala na ang akda mo binayaran ka pa! Nang tanggapin ko ang isang libong pisong gantimpala mula sa Liwayway Publications nuong 1966, sinabi ko sa sarili, manunulat na nga ako.
Iisa ang una kong nakilalang evangelista o tagapangaral. Malakas ang kaniyang tinig, mahusay magsermon, at sa tingin namin nuon ay memorize yata niya ang buong Bibliya, pati ang kilalagyan ng bawa’t aklat, kapitolo, at versiculo. Mahusay siyang magturo at nuong kaniyang kapanahunan ay hindi natatakot sa patalim o baril sa kaniyang pangangaral ng tamang aral sa mga tribunang pampubliko. Hanggang sa siya ay pumanaw ay siya pa rin ang nag-iisang evangelista para sa amin. “Kasi tatay mo siya,” ang itutudyo sa akin ng iba. At isasagot ko, “Tama, ang nag-iisang dahilan ay sapagkat tatay namin siya.”
Ang aklat na ito kung gayon ay binanghay namin sa alaala ng aming ama, Ob. Eugenio R. Filio, Sr…. At sa aming inang si Aling Delay, ang aking unang guro, bago pa dumating ang aking mga guro sa paaralan. At sa huli, sa asawa ng pastor na ayaw patawag ng pastora, si Lucy Mariano Filio, retired principal ng Baclaran Elementary School.

Iglap!
Tsapter Wan
“Iglap! Minsan, Isang Araw….”

Nagising ako isang madaling araw. Bumalikwas.

Susulat ako ng isang libro! Malakas na wika ko.

Bumungkalit ako ng tawa. Sino naman ang me sabi sa’yo na me karapatan kang sumulat ng isang banal na aklat? Nanununya. Nang-iinsulto.

Hindi banal na aklat ang isusulat ko. Nag-iisa lamang ang Banal na Aklat. Ang Biblia. Ang lahat ng iba ay nagpapanggap lamang. Tanong ko. Sagot ko.

Ang taray mo naman!

Taroy! Hindi taray. Lalaki ako.

Nagpapatawa ka ba o ano? Hindi ako natatawa! E, ano kung gayon ang isusulat mo?

Tungkol sa paksang alam na alam ko. Ako…. At aking iglesia. Ang Unida.

Ha!!!! Sino naman ang babasa ng tungkol sa iyo? Ano naman ang tingin mo sa sarili mo? Si Og Mandino? Si Max Locado? Si John Maxwell? Si Charles Swindoll? Si Billy Graham?

Oo nga ano? Alisin na natin ako. Ang Unida. Iyan ang isusulat ko.

O, di ang aklat ay pang-Unida lamang?

Ang aklat ay para sa lahat sapagkat ang manunulat ay para sa lahat.

At ipamimigay mo ng walang bayad!

At ibibigay ko sa mga magbabayad.

Nahihibang ka! Nasisira ang ulo!. Nababaliw! Kahit ipagbili mo iyan ng mura ay walang tatangko sa iyo.

Hindi ko ipagbibili ng mura. Mahal! Iyong kapag pinakawalan mo ang pera ay pahahalagahan mo ang binili mo. Ang nagbibigay ng kahalagahan sa isang bagay ay ang halagang ipinapalit natin upang ito ay maging atin.

Saan mo naman natutunan iyan?

Sa Dios!

Sa Dios?

Oo, nagkaroon ka lamang ng malaking kahalagahan sa harap ng tao at sa harap ng demonyo nang bayaran mismo ng Dios sa pamamagitan ng buhay ni Kristo ang buhay mo. Kaya’t pati demonyo ay alanganin sa’yo, kasi alam niya kung gaano ka kahalaga sa Dios. Hindi basta-basta Niya pababayaang mapasa-demonyo ang isang binayaran Niya ng sariling buhay.

Tingnan mo! Tingnan mo kung paano kang magsalita. Salitang kalye.

Sa kalye ako nagmula. Ito ang aking wika.

Ow? Hindi ako naniniwala. English. Bakit hindi English ang gamitin mong wika. Mahilig ka du’n di ba? Ang yabang-yabang mo pa nga, inglis ka nang inglis sa mga sermon mo. Sa tingin ko nga, gusto mo buong sermon mo inglis. Why don’t you use English in your book?

Ano ang silbi ng paggamit ng isang wika na hindi naman naiintindihan ng lahat! Ang isang wika ay ginagamit upang maunawaan ka. Kung hindi ka nauunawaan ng lahat ay ano ang silbi nito? Para ka lamang nagbato ng salita sa hangin.

Ang ganda naman ng sinabi mo. Orihinal ba iyan?

Hindi.

Saan mo kinuha?

Sa Biblia.

Saan duon?

Sa kaniyang kabuuan.

Ang ibig mong sabihin ay kailangang basahin ko ang buong Biblia?

Oo. Upang maunawaan mo ang sinasabi nito.

Nakakatuwa ka.

Nakakatuwa o nakakatawa?

May pagkakaiba ba?

Ang nakakatawa ay nakakasakit ng damdamin. Ang nakakatuwa ay nakakaintriga.

Kung magsalita ka ay parang hindi ka pastor…parang karaniwang tao lang.

Karaniwang tao lang ako bago ako naging pastor. Karaniwang tao pa rin ako ngayon.
(Sundan ang kasunod na kabanata…..)

"IGLAP!" Tsapter Tu

2005-12-30T05:28:00.000+08:00

Iglap!
Tsapter Tu
“Pen de Serapen, de kutsilyo, de almasen..”

Anong klaseng aklat ba ito? Seryoso o nagpapatawa? Malalim o mababaw? Pangmasa o pangmayaman? Mamili ka….sige… “penpen de serapen de kutsilyo…” Teka isang tanong pa, English ba o wikang Filipino. Jack en Poy na lang kaya?

Ang buhay ay pamimili. Bago ka pa isilang pamimili na agad.

“Ang gusto ko,” sabi ng nanay mo, “kung babae Consuelo at kung lalaki ay Segismundo.”

“Matanda pa sa humukay ng ilog ang mga pangalang iyan,” sansala ng tatay. “Dapat modern tulad ng Edward o Catherine, me arrive.”

Pero siyempre hindi magpapatalbog si Lola. “Hindi maaari. Ang magiging pangalan niya ay Telesforo kung lalaki at kung babae Brigida.”

“Hep-hep! Tekamuna! Susundin natin ang kalendaryo ni Honorio Lopez,” sabad ni Lolo Bonifacio, “Maria o di kaya ay Jose. Iyan ang magiging pangalan ng unang apo ko.”

Kamukat-mukat, ang naging pangalan ng apo? Segismundo Edward Telesforo Jose Bonifacio M. Dimaculangan. At ang sumunod na babae naman ay naging Consuelo Catherine Brigida Maria Lagrimas M. Dimaculangan.

Ang siste ay ito, nang magsimula nang mag-iskul ang dalawang apo ay galit na galit sa kanila ang dalawang apo sapagkat hirap na hirap pag-aralan ang pagsulat ng kanilang mga pangalan.

Kamukat-mukat uli, ang lalaki ay naging Edward na lamang at ang babae ay, nahulaan ninyo, Catherine. PAMIMIILI. Sila rin ang nasunod sa huli sa legal names nila.
]
Maraming mga Dios sa “Pamilihan” ng mga relihiyon at pananampalataya. Singluma na ito ng “Lumang Tipan” o Old Testament. Nguni’t iisa lamang ang tunay na Dios.

There is only ONE God.
There is only One Lord.
There is only Saviour.
There is only Name given for our Salvation.
JESUS.

Ang buhay ay isang paglalakbay sa pakikipatagpo sa tunay na Dios at sa tunay na tagapagligtas. Natagpuan mo na ba siya?

Biglang naging seryoso, no? Pero lutasin natin ang tanong ko sa simula, anong uring aklat? Seryoso o nagpapatawa? Malalim o mababaw? Pangmasa o pangmayaman? English o wikang Filipino? Kung IISA lamang ang Dios ay kabaligtaran ang dami ng klase ng aklat. Ano ang aklat na itong sinulat namin?

Inimbento ng mga kano ang ice cream at ang iba’t ibang sundaes at malalamig na sweets. Pero wala silang HALO-HALO. Pinoy ito. May labing-dalawang halong minatamis at sa ispesyal na halo-halo ay mayroon pang dalawang scoop na sorbetes sa ibabaw ng kinaskas na yelo na hinaluan ng gatas.

Ang lahat ng ito ay hahaluin mo sa isang mataas na baso hanggang hindi mo na mapansin ang kaskas na yelo at ang mga minatamis ay magkakahalo na. Malamig, masarap, matamis at pinoy na pinoy.

Ang aklat na ito kung gayon ay parang halo-halo. Minsan ay nagpapatawa at minsan ay seryoso. Kadalasan ay mababaw nguni’t may pagkakataon din namang malalim. Pero minsan naman ay hindi mo mawari kung malalim o mababaw. Minsan English, minsan Filipino. Pangmasa ito kung gusto mo at pangyaman kung pagiging-dapatin mo. Nasa iyo, hindi ka pipilitin. Sapagkat ikaw naman ang kakain…upsss…babasa pala.

Kung ang aklat na ito ay magiging kasing-sarap ng Halo-Halong Pinoy, ewan namin. Pero sana…..sana…
(Sundan sa susunod na kabanata…)

"IGLAP" Tsapter Tri

2005-12-30T05:18:00.000+08:00

IGLAP!
Tsapter Tri
“Kung mangarap ka’t magising…”

MULA sa pagkaidlip ay napamulagat ako. Saan ako naroon? Anong araw ngayon? Anong oras na? Umaga, tanghali, o gabi? Sa loob ng maraming sandali nangapa ako sa mga sulok ng utak ko. Kinakabahan ako. Ba’t wala akong maalala? Bigla, lumilanga-linga ako. Nasaan ang librong “The Story of Rip Van Winkle” na binabasa ko? Wala! At nuon ko napansin ang kapaligiran ko. Hindi ko kilala ang mga furnitures at appliances na nakikita ko. Hindi ko bahay ito. O, hindi nga ba!?

Ano ito? Sulat. “Daddy,” ang nabasa ko, “nasa kapilya na kami.” Pero hindi iyon ang tumawag ng pansin ko, kundi ang petsa. Dec. 25, 2015. Teka, teka, ang alam ko, ang kasalukuyang taon ay 2005 pa lang. Huwag mong sabihing….

Marahas kong binuksan ang pinto at lumabas. Lalong lumalim ang pagtataka. Iba na ang lahat. Ibang-iba ang paligid. Bumalik ako sa loob. Nag-isip. Bumalik ang tingin sa sulat.
Pagkatapos ay binuksan ko ang pinto at tumingin sa labas. Lumabas at mabilis na lumakad. Ang kapilya, nasaan ang kapilya? Dito lang ‘yun. Dito lang, Ahhhhh ayun!

Malayo pa ay dinig ko na ang masayang awitan. Ang electric guitar, drums, keyboard at iba pang instrumentong kumakalansing! Kumakalansing?! Nagmadali ako.

Bumulaga sa akin ang buong kongregasyon na nag-aawitan, nagsasayawan. Masaya. Bigay na bigay ang pag-awit at bigay na bigay ang pagsasayaw. Ibang sayaw, o iba nga ba? Pareho din pero….pero, iba ang indayog. Iba ang dating. Iba ang ibig sabihin? Praise & Worship? Biglang rumagasa ang kaba sa dibdib ko. Iba na ang gawaing ito, isang hakbang na higit sa inisip ko. Dios ko! Ako, ang nagdala, nagpasok ng gawaing ito sa kapilyang ito. Ako! Ganito ba katindi ang intensiyon ko?

Tumignin ako sa paligid. Wala akong makitang kakilala. Hindi ko makita ang pamilya ko. Nasaan sila sa gitna ang nag-iindayugang mga katawan sa harap ko?

Nag-iba ang tugtog ng banda. Tugtog na nagbababala na mayroong darating. Sa kanang bahagi ng pulpito lumabas ang isang lalaki. Putting-putting ang suot. Nagsasayaw, umaawit. Pumapagitna habang malanding umiindak sa saliw ng tugtog at awit. At nagsimulang magsalita, mangaral sa ritmo ng tugtog. Ang tinig ay nanunuot, tumatawag ng damdamin. Ang lahat ng mata ay tumutok sa kaniya. Umugong ang paligid. May tumili. At naghari ang sigaw ng pagpupuri! Pagpupuri? Para kangino?

Bigla nag-iba ang pagsasalita, kangina nauunawaan ko. Ngayon gibberish ang salita. Paulit-ulit. Sumunod ang mga tao. Sabay-sabay. Umugong. Mga salitang hindi ko maunawaan. Dios ko, ako lang ba sa lipunpung ito ang hindi nakakaintindi sa ugong na ito?

Isa-isang naglapitan ang mga tao sa lalaking nagsasalita ng hindi ko maintindihan. Naghihiyawan. Naghahalakhakan. Walang patumanggang awitan, tugtugan at sayawan at halakhakan! Nakakapanindig balahibong halakhakan. Pagpupuri? Para kangino? Isa-isa dinunggol sila ng nakabukas na palad ng nakaputing lalaki. Isa-isa paatras silang bumagsak. At sa tuwing may bumabagsak lumalakas ang hiyawan, laong tumtindi ang awitan laluna ang sayawan. Sino ang pinupuri, hindi ko makita. Ako lang kaya ang hindi nakakakita? Nakakadama?

Sumigaw ako ng malakas. Nguni’t hindi ko narinig ang sarili ko. Nalunod ito ng lalong lumakas pang ugong ng kawan sa harap ko.
Hindi na ako nakatiis. Mabilis akong lumabas, nakatakip ang dalawang kamay sa ulo. Sa labas, tumakbo akong walang direksiyon. Nang biglang nanuot ang tinig ng isang dalagita.

“Lolo! Lolo!” Hindi ko agad nakilala ang mukha na dalagita na nakalabas ang ulo sa isang bagong modelong kotse na minamaneho. Pero saglit lang, kagyat namukhaan ko. Si Bebel, dalagita na ang apo ko? “Lolo, hinihintay ka na naming sa Grand Unida Temple.”

Sumakay ako at nakita kong ibang lugar ang pinupuntahan namin. At bumukana kami sa isang malawak na lugar. Maganda ang landscaping at kalagitnaan ay naruon ang isang napakaganda at napakalaking templo na mayroong video wall sa harapan na nagsasabing THE GRAND UNIDA TEMPLE! WELCOME TO THE HOME CHURCH OF FIVE BISHOPS!
Luminga-linga ako. Wala akong makitang lugar na paparadahan. Ang nakita sa aming harapan ay ang makapal na dingding ng templo. Nagtatanong ang mata ko kay Bebel pero ngumiti lamang siya sabay turo sa dingding ng hawak niyang bagay na singliit ng kalahating ballpen. Biglang nawala ang dingding. At pumasok kami at tumambad sa akin ang isang malawak na basement parking na puno ng mga sasakyan. Bigla ay nakaparada na kami. Pagkababa ay itinuro ako ni Bebel sa escalator. Ilang saglit pa ay nasa bukana na kami ng sambahan.
Pagpasok ko, nanduoon silang lahat. Ang buong pamilya ko at ang mga mukhang pamilyar sa akin. Umaawit ang kapulungan. “Patunguot Ko Ay Si Jesus.” Ang paborito kong Himno. Hinugot ko sa dibdib ang isang malalim na buntung-hininga. Pero biglang umikot ang paligid.

Nagulantang ako at nagising. Tulala, pero natuwa. Kilala ko ang paligid. Tiningnan ko ang kalendaryo, 2005. Ayos!

Ano ang ibig sabihin ng panaginip. Tumayo ako at pumikit. At sa aking balintataw ay nakito ko ang Unida, ang aking iglesia, sa harap ng isang magkasangang landas. Sa kaliwa ang pagbabago at sa kanan ang babala ng pananatili. Quo Vadis? Saan dapat magtungo?
(Sundan sa susunod na kabanata….)

"IGLAP!" Tsapter Por

2005-12-30T05:02:00.000+08:00

Iglap!
Tsapter Por
“Sino ka? Ano ka?”

AYAW mo ng pagbabago.

Marahan akong umiling.

Gusto mo ng pagbabago.

Iling uli.

Hindi mo alam kung gusto mo o ayaw.

Bumunghalit ako ng tawa.

Ano na nga?

Hindi naman sa ayaw. Ang hindi ko matanggap ay ang pagbabago dahil gusto lamang ng pagbabago. Hindi ko rin gusto ang pagbabagong pumapalit ng kung ano ang mayroon na sapagkat hindi magtatagal ang mga ito ang magpapabago ng kung ano ang Unida. Hanggang sa hindi mo na ito makilala. Sapagkat ito ay kopya lamang ng mga ginaya sa iba.

A second-rate, trying hard copycat!

Ikaw ang nagsabi, hindi ako.

Ipaliwanag mo pa.

Kunin nating halimbawa ang dalawang anak ko. Si Grace at si Lady. Si Grace ay mahabang magpalda, si Lady ay mag-igsi. Si Lady ay nagso-shorts ng maigsi, si Grace kung magshorts man ay mahaba rin. Si Grace ay hindi mahilig sa make-up, si Lady ay mahilig. Si Grace ay agresibo, mahirap paiyakin, si Lady ay deliberate at madaling paiyakin. Si Lady ay kayumangging kaligatan, si Grace ay mapusyaw ng kaunti. Kung babaguhin mo ang mga kaangkinan nila, hindi na sila iyon. Hindi mo na maituturo na ito si Grace at ito si Lady.

Pero walang mali at walang tama. Basta iyon lang ang personalidad nila. Magkaiba. Duon mo sila makikilala. Nguni’t pareho ko silang anak. Parehong mahal at hindi itatatwa.

Iba ang Unida sa iba. Pero si Kristo pa rin ang ulo niya. Tulad din ng ibang iglesia na hindi niya kaparis kumilos, si Kristo rin ang ulo nila. Kailangan bang magkapare-pareho, kailangan bang manggaya?

Ano ang Unida? Ano ang personalidad niya? Marami na ang hindi nakakaalam, alam mo ba?

Ang unang halo ay ang nakaraan…
Mabilis ang bugso ng mga alaala. Parang marahas na agos ng tubig sa isang nabiyak na tubo ng MWSS. Hindi mapigilan. Nangungulit. Pabalik duun sa simula ng pagkakamalay.

Ang buhay, a ang buhay ay nagsimula nang unang mabuksan ang malay. Pagkaalam mo kung sino ka at kung ano ka.

Siyam ang mga batang nakaupo sa mga mahahabang bangko sa ilalim ng lilim ng mga mayayabong na mga punong kamatsile. Ang tatlo ay walang kakilos-kilos sa kinauupan nguni’t ang iba ay hindi mapakali sa kinalalagyan. Nagbabatukan, nagkukurutan, nagsasalyahan. Nguni’t lahat ay nagkakantahan sa kumpas ng aming guro sa escuela dominical na si Tita Tibang.
“Maliliit nating paa ipaglingkod sa kanya, kamay may kailangan n’ya sa gawang magaganda, lagi nawang maglingkod kami sa iyo Jesus…lalalalalalala…”

Nalimutan ko na ang letra pero ang dibdib ko ay puno ng ligaya dahil sa hugos ng alaala. Parang buhay na buhay ang tagpo at gusto-gusto kong magbalik sa panahon. At sa sulok ng isipan ay kinapa ko ang alaala. At natagpuan.

“Paaralang lingguhan ngayo’y winakasan. Paalam, paalam kami’y magbabait.”
Tapos na ang escuela. Nguni’t biglang may isang batang tumili at nagtatatarang, kinakamot ang batok. “Higad!” ang sigaw. At bigla napalis ang mga tao sa gitna.
“Huwag mong kakamutin, babaon ang bulo.” Malumanay na wika ni Tita Tibang. “Dali, kumuha kayo ng suka.” At kinarga niya ang bata.
Nakapaligid sa malayo ang mga bata at mga magulang at sa gitna ay naruon si Tita Tibang at pinapahiran ng bimpong may suka ang batok ng maliit na bata upang alisin ang makating bulo. At unti-unti ang palahaw ng iyak nito ay humupa hanggang sa maging hikbi na lamang at tuluyang mawala.
At ang tagpo sa muni-muni ko ay hindi makatkat ang mapagpalang kamay ng Dios sa lahat ng panahon sapagkat ako iyong bata, si Galying.

Ang lahat ay mayroong simula at mayroong wakas. Maliban sa Dios na naroon na bago magsimula at sa pagwawakas ng lahat ng bagay ay naruruon pa rin. Ang tao ay wala pa nang magsimula, nilikha siya pagkatapos na likhain ng Dios ang buong sangsinukob at ipinagkatiwala sa kaniya. Pero ang tao bagama’t wawakasan ng kamatayan ay hahakbangan ito patungo sa walang hanggang kung kasama niya ang Dios. Kung siya ay mananampalataya. Sapagkat nilikha siyang kamukha ng Dios upang maging walang hanggang kaakbay ng Anak ng Dios.
(Sundan sa susunod na kabanata….)

"IGLAP!" Tsapter Payb

2005-12-30T04:54:00.000+08:00

Iglap!
TRAPTER PAYB
“At ang mundo ay libong ulit na tumabalelong…”

At ang mga dahon ay mabilis na napigtal sa tangkay ng panahon at ang mundo ay mabilis na uminog at libong ulit na tumatambalelong.
Sa paglipas ng panahon ang palda ng babae ay umigsi ng umigsi, humabang muli at nang muling umigsi ay umabot na hangang sa hindi dapat abutin. Ang beywang ng pantalon ng mga lalake ay naging high waist pagkatapos ay nakakaintrigang low waist kasabay ng paglapad at pagkipot ng laylayan. Pero sino naman ang mag-aakala na pagbabalik ng low waist ang gagawa naman nito ay ang mga kababaihan kasabay ng pag-igsi ng blusa nila upang ibandera naman ang pusod at ang tiyan.
(Abangan ang karugtong ng kabanatang ito…)

A GIFT FOR THE KING of kings AND LORD of lords!

2005-12-24T09:58:00.000+08:00

Every Christmas we search from our gift bags a perfect gift for God. This year my gift to Him is a BLOG. It is not perfect, but for me it is a place to publish all my writings for God and for the Unida Church. This is the latest interactive and proactive site in the Web. Please do not hesitate to comment constructively for the good of the BODY OF CHRIST – THE CHURCH. Start blogging!
WELCOME UNIDA WEB TRAVELLERS!

Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio

"ESTABLISHING A SPIRIT-POWERED CHURCH

2005-12-23T10:38:00.000+08:00

By Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio
General Evangelist

LIVE POWER
The CHURCH OF CHRIST has POWER. Not ordinary power. But power that comes from on high. This is power that does not merely come from God but is OF GOD. This is power that is found in every individual church but, ironically in some, remains LATENT power. It must not continue to be so, but must be developed and used. It must translate into ACTIVE Power.

POWER FROM ON HIGH
The Church can only function and overcome the world when it is powered by nothing else but the Holy Spirit.
It should not be man-driven for the power of man cannot overcome the forces of evil. Rather, it should be God-powered through the power that Jesus promised His disciples. “…..but tarry ye in the city of Jeruzalem, until you be endued with the power from on high.” Luke 24:49
Neither should it be concept-driven because concepts change as time goes by. Concept refers to the ways we use to accomplish a plan, project, or endeavor. There are old concepts and there are new concepts. But we all know that what is new now will be old ten years after because new concepts will surely come that will be replaced also years later.
There are people and concepts that are right and there are those that are wrong and misleading. The big number of people following a person and his concept is not a gauge of right or wrong. Because wide is the road towards perdition. One should not do something just because it is the “in thing” at a particular time and conversely one should not be so fanatical about traditional things.
The Church holds onto something that never changes – THE WORD OF GOD. 1 Peter 1:24-25
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
KJV

THE POWER TO DISCERN
The power to discern and to understand comes from the Holy Spirit that must be endued in every Church and in every Christian.
1 Cor 2:9-10
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
KJV

ENDUING THE CHURCH WITH POWER
When Jesus left the church his disciples lacked knowledge, capability, courage, finances, personality and leadership. They had no power to accomplish the Great Commission that Jesus commanded them. But he promised them power from on high.
God fulfilled His promise on Pentecost Day. On that blessed day, the Holy Spirit was manifested by “a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind” and “cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,” and the Church was endued with Power. This is the beginning of the SPIRIT-POWERED CHURCH. Acts 2:1-3
Today, the Church will almost always lack knowledge, capability, courage, finances, personality and leadership. But it has overcome these because it has power that comes from on high to enable it to accomplish the Great Commission. A promise was given and the promise was fulfilled by God on Pentecost Day. The Church must run and yes fly by this power source.

"KAISA!" The Power That Moves Unida Church

2005-12-22T06:45:00.000+08:00

“KAISA!”
The Power That Moves UNIDA Church

The Meaning of Kaisa
THERE are words that you cannot translate to English lest you mess it up. “Kaisa” is one such word. You can try to search for a synonym, a homonym or even an antonym, but it will be futile. There is no English word that fits. But there is a Spanish word that does. UNIDA.

Unida is Kaisa
Our “Kaisa” must emanate from your heart and from your very soul in order to enable you to understand its true worth and meaning. It is spiritual. Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo. An Evangelical Church united in Christ. In a word, KAISA!

The Power of ONE
It defines how ONE can acquire the power of a MULTITUDE! The Kaisa Spirit comes from the prayer of Jesus and this is where its power comes from.
John 17: 11b “Holy Father, protect them by the Power of Your Name – the Name you gave me – so that they may be ONE as we are ONE.”
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be ONE, Father, just as You are in me and I am in you.”

What difference can ONE make?
Last May 21, 2005, at Cuneta Astrodome, the UNIDA CHURCH unfolded one big moment when it launched NC2W or NATIONAL CALL TO WORSHIP. 6,000 people came and praised and worshipped GOD. All the serving and caring Ones of Unida were there. If you were not, “Sayang!” You’ve lost an AMAZING MOMENT.
The Unida shout of Kaisa is a response to the prayer of Jesus and a commitment to obey his command - To be ONE with Him, the Father, and with each other. Yes, with all those that believed the message: “There is only One Lord, there is only One God, there is only One Name given by which man shall be saved – JESUS!”

THE POWER THAT MOVES
NOTHING moves without something or somebody powering it. The scientific theory of Kinetic Energy says that a ball will remain immobile on the table until a force pushes it to move. And it will remain moving until a force stops it.
For the last 73 years, where does the power of the UNIDA Church come from? It came from without and from within. The moving spirit that binded Unida together from the original 25 churches to the 85 churches and 50 mission points today is the Prayer of Jesus coined into one word, KAISA!

Forged in Hardship & Sacrifice
NOTHING of great value comes without hardship and sacrifice.

In NCR alone, with an estimated population of almost 10M last 2000, the church to population ratio is 4,279 people for a single church. The 2,391 churches, with an average attendance of 126 members, in NCR is less than 10% Evangelical or Full Gospel. More than 70% barangays in NCR has no church. One of the cities which badly need a church is Pasay City (church to population ratio: 8,066).

We do not have a church in Pasay City. And oddly enough, we also do not have a single church in Makati City. But prophetically enough, our Metro Manila Tri-Districts surrounds the two central cities in an average radius of 6 kilometers with Baclaran and Tipas as the closest. Is God telling something to the you? What is the Metro Manila Tri-Districts plan to do about it?

The Metro Manila Tri-District are composed of Gagalangin, Kalookan, Marulas, Matang-Tubig, Roasario T. de Leon, Novaliches, Palatiw, San Juan, Taytay, Tipas, Bagong-Ilog, Bumbong, Baclaran, San Dionisio, and Almanza.

Is God telling us to start an Urban Mission in these two cities? Is God telling us that Urban means Urban-rich?

VISION STATEMENT
A serving and caring church faithfully proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and commissioning every believer to make disciples of all nations.

Isang naglilingkod at nagmamalasakit na iglesia na matapat na nagpapahayag na si Jesu-Cristo ang Panginoon at Tagapagligtas at nagsusugo sa bawat mananampalataya na gawing alagad ang lahat ng mga bansa.

MISSION STATEMENT
Glorify God by equipping the church in reaching and serving people with the love of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luwalhatiin ang Diyos sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay sa Iglesia ng kakayahang abutin at paglingkuran ang lahat ng tao sa pag-ibig ni Cristo sa kapangyarihan ng Espiritu Santo.

OUR TARGET:
ONE FOR ONE: EACH ONE, REACH ONE

Isang Distrito Magtatayo ng Isang Malusog na Iglesia at Isang Kristiyano Gagawa ng isang Disipulo sa loob ng Isang Termino.

“ K A I S A A K O ”

CHURCH GROWTH AND PLANTING:
16.47% Growth Increase in one term, or
5.49% Growth Increase in one year

THAT IS:
By MAY 2007 99 LOCAL CHURCHES
2008 104
2009 110
2010 116 LOCAL CHURCHES
2011 122
2012 129
2013 136 LOCAL CHURCHES

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP GROWTH:
100% Growth Increase in one term, or
33.33% Growth Increase in one year

THAT IS:
By MAY 2007 8,000 CHURCH MEMBERS
2008 10,640
2009 14,151
2010 18,821 CHURCH MEMBERS
2011 25,032
2012 33,292
2013 44,279 CHURCH MEMBERS

AIMING FOR ROYAL PRIESTHOOD IN FULL ARMOR

2005-12-16T05:52:00.000+08:00

Iglesia Evangelica Unida de CristoUNIDA! KAISA!
Aiming For
Royal Priesthood
In Full Armor

REV. GAMALIEL B. FILIO
General Evangelist

The Thesis
OUR age, times, and world demand of us to establish a church that is fully-equipped to meet the challenges brought about by the Great Commission in a world that is constantly being changed by Information and Communication Technology and the advances in science & modes of transportation that are changing the outlook and values of man. The world is continually being compressed into a GLOBAL VILLAGE. How should the Church respond?
Pastor-Shepherd-Leaders (PSL) must be fully equipped in areas of church administration and concerns not traditionally regarded as part of the work of a CHURCH. This will enable them to respond with confidence to what is happening around them. The future is definitely here already and is not something still to be yet anticipated. The PSLs must guard against finding themselves lacking in personal equipment and the whole church membership must likewise be fully equipped for royal priesthood.
The church and the workers in God’s Vineyard today cannot afford to be ONE DIMENSIONAL. They must strive to be MULTI-DIMENSIONAL.
It is our belief that Strategic Planning is Biblical and it is about time, if not yet late, for the Unida Church to do this. We must now AIM FOR ROYAL PRIESTHOOD IN FULL ARMOR. Royal Priesthood refers first to the Pastors, then the Laity-Professionals, the Organizations, and the whole membership of the Unida Church. But a National Church Development Plan must first be formulated, discussed, debated, approved, submitted to God and implemented.
For this purpose a NATIONAL LEADER’S WORKSHOP ON CHURCH DEVELOPMENT will be initiated in four levels before its eventual presentation in the Annual Assembly in May 2006 and ultimately its implementation by the new sets of officers in 2007.

IT’S TIME TO EQUIP
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” KJV

FULLY-ARMORED
Eph 6:13-14 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” NIV

FOR ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light

WITH THE POWER OF ONE
KAISA defines how ONE can acquire the power of a MULTITUDE! The Kaisa Spirit comes from the prayer of Jesus and this is where its power comes from.
John 17: 11b “Holy Father, protect them by the Power of Your Name – the Name you gave me – so that they may be ONE as we are ONE.”
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be ONE, Father, just as You are in me and I am in you.”

Definition
From the beginning, our definition of Pastoral Leadership has been “the capacity to move people to action.” For many years we tested our leadership using this yardstick. We pointed to a vision with a definite direction; and church people, thank God, followed.
We recently discovered the book of Henry Blackaby and attended his lectures at Cuneta Astrodome on “Spiritual Leadership” and he added the most important aspect to my definition, he said: “Move people on to God’s Agenda.”
This is leadership that is anchored on the agenda of God and one that is based only on the WILL of God and not of ourselves. We are then talking about a leadership that seeks to lead God’s people to follow His commandments and fulfill His Will.
We are talking about PASTORAL LEADERSHIP. And this is leadership that cannot be categorized with other types of leadership in other fields. And while general principles and laws of leadership may apply to pastoral leadership, it cannot succeed unless an Outside Power is applied and incorporated into it. The outside power? THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Pastoral Leadership
When we speak about Pastoral Leadership, we inevitably talk about a SHEPHERD. Simply because the Bible talks about God as the “Shepherd-Leader of Israel.” (Psalms 80:1) And so our Model for Pastoral Leadership is God Himself through the example of His only begotten Son when He became man like us.
The model of shepherding is, as sung by the Psalmist in verse 23:
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD, forever.

Compleat Shepherds
There must be a conscious and deliberate effort to develop a compleat shepherd of the flock of the church of Christ. In order to achieve this, the personal competencies of the Pastors must be enhanced.

PASTOR’S PERSONAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
“Aiming For A Fully-Equipped Royal Priesthood”
When we talk about fully equipping the Pastor-Shepherd-Leaders we are in fact referring to their Innate qualities and the skills that they must acquire in order to transform them from being one-dimensional to be multi-dimensional.

INNATE QUALITIES - This refers to what all PSLs must possess. From the start or ab initio a pastor must have this. A determining factor of what they are and who they are.
1. God’s Call – This is a must. No one should be a pastor without a sure, manifest, and clear call to the ministry from God. The call, like in the case of the Prophet Samuel, is with you at birth and you will hear it in God’s time (not your own convenience).
2. Spiritual Resource – The PSL must have a vast supply, stock, assets of spiritual strength. Nurture comes in the reading and study of the Word of God. Not only daily Bible reading and meditation but to read and study the Bible from cover to cover on your own. A good and long experience in the ministries at the local church will be a good resource. And the PSL must have someone, ideally an older pastor who have mentored him and to whom he can run to for advice. And of course, a support prayer group.

Suffice it to say that this innate qualities vary from Pastor to Pastor but both must be present.

ACQUIRED SKILLS - This refers to skills and expertise that can be learned or acquired with basic intellectual capacity through formal and/or informal studying.
And when we talk about personal enhancement we are talking about the individual PSL’s efforts to improve themselves. I cannot forget what a Political Science Professor told us when we were freshmen at the University of the Philippines, “The more I know, the more I know that I do not know.”
Life is a continual learning and enhancing of one’s tools and equipment in order to be able to cope with the jobs that will continually challenge you.
But how do we start? By reckoning. •Reckoning means finding out where you are and finding out what you have done to insure where you are going. We must answer the questions: WHO ARE WE? WHERE ARE WE? WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Setting TheDirection
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LEADERSHIP IS TO SET DIRECTIONS. It is the rudder that points to where and how fast the church should go. Their task is to make sure that the flock does not lose its SENSE OF DIRECTION. Because it is so easy to get lost in a world that is cluttered with so many ideas, theologies, technologies, media mind-conditioning, enticing seminars and books and so many charismatic but false prophets that mislead and make man lose sight of God and His Great Commission for the Church and its flock. If the leadership has no sense of purpose the flock will just flounder on. However, this sense of purpose should come from within like a geiger counter. From our identity, what and who we are, our heritage from our forefathers who bonded Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo following the tradition set by the original Apostolic Church.

THE UNIDA CHURCH’S REASON FOR BEING
•To develop the ability to forge the unity of the whole church towards expanding the borders of the work of the church. UNIDA IS KAISA!
Upang linangin ang kakayahang pandayin ang pagkakaisa ng buong iglesia patungo sa pagpapalawak ng hanggahan ng Gawain ng iglesia. ANG UNIDA AY KAISA!

We begun as ONE and must continue to act as a church that originated from the first Christian Apostolic Church that was founded by Christ in Caesaria Philippi. We must also value our Presbyterian roots as well as also be responsive to the changes around us. But we must act together and resist the tendency to go in different directions. We must value who we are and what we have that enabled a small and financially poor church called Unida to reach more than seven decades of fruitful existence.
It is right to have a vision and a definite mission. It is proper to have general objectives as well as specific objectives. But it is so hard to remember them after reams and reams of it have been written down and filed in the cabinet and in the Personal Computer (PC). So it must derive from ONE specific statement, a pledge, a solemn promise that is INNATE to the UNIDA CHURCH and derives from them who started the UNIDA CHURCH.

The UNIDA Pledge (Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo)
I am Unida and it is my solemn promise to secure AN EKKLESIA that is ONE and United in Christ in the Worship of ONE God in Spirit and in Truth and in Bringing the Message of the Saving Grace of the Lord to all creatures in every corner of the world and in the Hope that Jesus will be with them to the end of the ages at the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Ang Panatang UNIDA (Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo)
Ako ay Unida at ang aking banal na pangako ay makamit ang ISANG EKKLESIA na IISA at Nagkakaisa kay Kristo sa Pagsamba sa IISANG Dios sa Espiritu at Katotohanan at sa Pagdadala ng Mabuting Balita ng Kaligtasan sa lahat ng kinapal sa lahat ng sulok ng daigdig at sa Pag-asang si Jesus ay sasa-Kaniyang palagi hanggang sa katapusan ng mga panahon sa Pagdatal ng Kaharian ng Dios.

WHO ARE WE?
“An EKKLESIA that is One and United in the Worship of One God in Spirit and in Truth.”
From the beginning up to now, and yes, from our forefathers up to us today - WE ARE ONE. In 1932 our church founders (mga tagapangulong tagapaglingkod ng iglesia) wrote an open letter addressed to us and using a term that is so wonderful & poignant & apt: “sa inyong MGA KAPILAS NG AMING KALULUWA.” Wow, the term in English came to be used only in the 1980’s - SOULMATES. Unida members are all soulmates – ONE. Mula nuong una hanggasng ngayon, sila at tayo ay magkapilas ng kaluluwa. May kabuluhan ang ISA.
The essence of being ONE is as old our Church. It is embodied in that letter when they said: Ang kabuuan ng dakilang layon ng Dios sa ating paglalakip-lakip ay ang tayo na mga tingting na nakasabog sa ating kapuluan..... ay mabigkis ng matibay na TALI NG BANAL NA PAG-IISA sa pananampalataya, pag-asa at pag-big na lalong pinakadakila sa lahat. This is our heritage.

A UNIQUE AND DISTINCT CHURCH - We are the only church in the world that chooses their leaders the Apostolic Way. God chose the name of our church, IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO and since the inception of our church, God chose the leaders, the Generales who led our church for the last 73 years. By means of pelotilya or drawing of lots that was laid down in the Acts of the Apostles we avoided church politics. We should be proud of this and this should bind us together.
We are also a church that has a distinctive way of praying every time we break bread together – by singing the following:
Pagpalain Mo po, O aming Dios
Ang mga biyayang mong kaloob
Itulot mo nawa na magdulot
Ng kalakasang ipaglilingkod! Amen.
If it pleases everyone I suggest that we do this before every meal in this workshop.
Unida members knows each and greets each other and embrace and beso-beso each other everytime they meet. And during every occasion “hindi matapos-tapos ang kwentuhan at halos ayaw nang maghiwalay.”
And lastly, the Unida Church is indigenous. A Pilipino Church composed of Pilipinos and run by Pilipinos.

OUR WORK
“Bringing the Message of the Saving Grace of the Lord to all creatures in every corner of the world.”
There is ONE Work. To plant and establish churches. And to add to the church daily such as should be saved.
In 1901, an American, Rev . James Rogers, regarded as the first Protestant Evangelist started planting the gospel of the Saving Grace of the Lord in this Roman Catholic Nation. Rev. Tomas Filio picked it up and was followed later by his nephew Rev. Eugenio R. Filio who started what they called then “Propaganda” for the Evangelical Faith in towns and barrios, in the process establishing churches. In 1957 at Unida’s 25th Anniversary there were 25 strong churches namely Central, Matangtubig, Gagalangin, Sociego, Bagong-Ilog, Baclaran, Caloocan, Tipaz, Novaliches, Imus, Medicion, Caridad, Bacoor, Dasmarinas, General Trias, Anabu, Bacao, Salawag, Malabag, Marulas, Panginay, Sipat, Atlag, Mambog, Carolina.
They are still around and are performing quite well. Now, we are 85 churches and 50 mission points. These are products of the pastors and missionaries that followed one by one, planting churches. The legacy goes on.

OUR HOPE
RUNNING TOWARDS THE FINISH LINE
THE BINDING OF THE ONES INTO ONE DYNAMIC BODY
“The Hope that Jesus will be with them to the end of the ages at the coming of the Kingdom of God.”
We are binded together with this HOPE. And with this in us, we serve God. And there is nothing like a common endeavor that can unite us.

Our Aims for the Term:
•To fully equip ministers for royal priesthood by means of a PASTORS PERSONAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. 2
Upang sangkapan ang mga manggagawa sa maharlikang pagpapastol sa pamamagitan ng PASTORS PERSONAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM.
•To develop the ability to mobilize each and every member to a meaningful ministry in the local and national church. 3
Upang linangin ang kakayahang hamigin ang bawa’t isang kaanib upang magamit sa makabuluhang ministeryo sa iglesia lokal at nasyonal.
•To develop the ability to plant and establish local churches that are self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-propagating.
Upang linangin ang kakayahang magtanim at magtayo ng mga iglesiang may kakayahang suportahan ang sarili, may kakayahang pangunahan ang sarili, at may kakayahang paramihin ang sarili.

•To develop the ability to establish a Fully-Resourced Unida Church.
Upang linangin ang kakayahang magtatag ng isang iglesiang sapat sa pananalapi. 5
“Wealth is not what we have,
but what we are.” – Unknown

SHOULD WE GO MICRO OR MACRO?
Aiming is one thing, but achieving is another. Enumerating tasks is one thing, but particularizing is another. Taking care of a particular task requires accomplishing several, if not the whole job.

For example, General Evangelism is the whole job and mission is a particular task. But the latter can only be done if the office of general evangelism achieves the five main aims stated above. The sender is as important if not more important than the bringer of the message of the Saving Grace of God.
Thus Romans 10:13-15 says: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
But where am I coming from? From a single thesis. We must look at the Church as ONE WHOLE. And when we do, we will realize that where it is going and how fast it will go depends on the leaders of the church. The leaders of the church are the Pastor-Shepherd-Leaders. If we have good and dependable PSLs who are visionaries and doers the Unida Church will be able to do the Great Commission given by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us therefore be true to our calling as UNIDA and shout KAISA! Let the Kaisa Spirit bind us together as ONE and let us work as One. We may disagree on some points but let us thresh them out and agree at the end.
At the end of the day, we must have a UNIFIED CHURCH DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE UNIDA CHURCH. WE MUST TURN UP AN UNIDA CHURCH FULLY-EQUIPPED FOR ROYAL PRIESTHOOD.

BRIDGING THE GAP
There are present realities in our church today. Some of them are strengths and opportunities. But unfortunately some of them, if not most, are weaknesses and threats. Let us identify them and then let us formulate remedies, plans, programs and projects to bridge the gap between Reality and Goal.

God has carved our task on stone: Formulate, Discuss, Debate, Approve, Submit to God and IMPLEMENT. Let us Go! KAISA!

2005-12-14T10:52:00.000+08:00

A Fully-Resourced Unida Church:
The Future of our Financial Destiny

"Wealth is not what we have, but what we are."
~ Unknown

I've been member of our church (Unida) for almost half of my life now and I have yet to see our financial potential realized. Our resources seem to be almost and if not, always below the lid of our member's giving capacity. The glass ceiling effect appears to hinder the growth of our finances wherefore further impairing the ministries of our church. And all my life, I wonder, would this
seemingly impregnable barrier be one day fall just like the walls of Jericho?

Remembering Roger Bannister, a fleet foot physician who has broken the four minute mile barrier at the British Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, I realized that what seemed to be impossible today would one day be possible in the future. But Bannister had not done it without criticism. People had tried to achieve it for centuries but it has become a basic belief that it was physiologically impossible. Some say, the feat was so strenuous that our lung power was simply
not adequate. So what has changed? Did man improved physiologically in training? No! The difference was in attitude. Now everyone knew it was possible and it empowered three hundred additional runners, a year after that, to break the same four minute mile barrier.

During a typical group discussion in church, I've asked the members the reasons why they think Unida, as whole, has been lagging growth compared to other successful churches like JIL, CCF, Victory or Word of the World. One of them answered that it is because, unlike them, we lack the financial resources. It seems to be well perceived by most of the people on our church that our finances are to blame for the current dilemma that we are facing. Most think that the sudden
increase of resources would definitely solve our every ministry problem. Definitely not! Finance is not just about accumulation but proper distribution of it. And, I believe we have more than we think we have.

Wealth is not what we have, but what we are. And these are the ministries of our church that fuel the giving of the members and not the other way around. To motivate the members in giving because of the lack of resources in ministry weaken the giving even further. To lose focus on the ministry would result to poor giving. However, the involvement of everyone in the ministry would definitely guarantee the financial resources to support it. Therefore, to strengthen the ministry would make the Unida one step closer to what Act 2 described the Church of Christ should be.

Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread. (Psalms 37:25) Is the Lord of Unida church a weak god that he would not honor his promises? Are we children of a lesser god, so to speak? Our Lord has been faithfully providing but are we faithfully equipping. The financial destiny our church's future generation
lies in the giving of our present members but are we, as leaders, equipping them financially?

Hundreds, if not thousands, of fund raising programs had been tried in the past. Some were deemed successful yet many have been left wanting. The "giving-begets-ministry paradigm" has worked for a while but has been poorly sustained. Faith Partner's for example, founded for the sole purpose of generating income that would provide for the needs of our workers and pastors, has been faithfully serving this duty for years but it has appeared to have reached a glass ceiling already. The needs have outgrown the resources. Therefore, something has to change.

The purpose of every ministry is to fuel the giving and not the other way around. The "ministry-begets-giving paradigm" shifts our focus on the importance of the ministry in supporting its finances. Rather than motivating the members to give in order to sustain the ministry of our pastors and workers, the leaders of the church should be equipping the members, through a ministry, to become financially mature and giving Christians. Instead of focusing on the need, whether in teaching or preaching, the members should be encouraged to get involved in a ministry that would not only enhance their spiritual lives but also improve their financial security.

I've encountered one ministry like this in one of our local churches in Unida and it is named "M310". It is a membership club that not only ensures the financial liquidity of their local church or facilitates the tithe giving of the members but also educates the members on money matters and financial security. And, it was all done through teaching biblically sound principles! Now, all it needs is to multiply itself in order to influence every church Unida-wide.

Eleven years in the Unida faith and in spite of its shortcomings, my love for His church has not grown weary. I firmly believe that God's agenda will be revealed and the destiny of His people in Unida will soon be realized. The ever expanding borders of God's Kingdom have been unfolding the midst of our church. So get involved! Be blessed and be united with us in deeds and in prayer! Amen!