November-December 2021
SEC Reg. No. 13617
TCM-Philippines Grace Ministries
Edited by Pastor Jun Pielago
Praise
&
Prayer Notes
A Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Why TCM Bible Schools?
"The Key Factor of Rapid Growth of TCM Churches in the Philippines"
Things to Come Mission in the Philippines has four residential and three non-residential Bible schools whose main aim is training young men and women for the ministry.
TCM has also other training programs, such as the continuing education through seminars for both workers and lay leaders, and field Bible school for those that could no longer spend four years in the formal training. These are programs that strengthen the spiritual growth of leaders as well as church members.
+ Every year, these Bible schools turn out graduates and become recognized pastors and Bible women of the Mission.
They are assigned in the various ministries of the organization, but mostly serving the churches in the field.
+ The services of these workers are a great help in the spiritual growth of the church members. Notably, active participation of these faithful workers in the ministry is a strong factor that contributes to the rapid expansion of growth in terms of both number of members and TCM churches planted in new areas!
+ TCM Bible schools in the Philippines are grateful to the Lord for using them as tools of training men and women for the ministry! The graduates are not only serving as pastors and Bible women of churches, but also, a good number of them are serving the Lord as missionaries of TCM in the foreign fields!
+ Currently, a total of 154 students (first year to fourth year) are enrolled this School-Year 2021-2022. Out of this number, 28 are expected to graduate in 2022.
(Small number of graduates is due to poor enrolment brought about by the start of the pandemic in 2020. Number of students to enroll is expected to pick up once pandemic related condition becomes normal.)
(Please continue reading on Page 2 . . .)
Why TCM . . .
+ Despite the adverse effects of the health issue, classes did go on to meet the needs through modular and online classes. Now, however, all Bible schools are conducting classes in-person. They spend certain hours daily in learning the prescribed subjects on a semestral basis.
+ After finishing three years in the classroom, the students are assigned to churches under senior workers for their internship. The internship program requires the student to work in the church for nine months, then return to the school for graduation.
+ Pressing needs of students include:
financial support from their parents which are often delayed due to poverty.
Their home churches are also helping, but more often not enough to supply their needs.
+ The Bible teachers are products of the Bible schools. Many of them are volunteers. They receive meager support from the churches.
+ The school libraries need newer reference books and Bible study helps.
Second hand books authored by Grace writers are badly needed! This will help maintain and preserve the sound teachings of the Bible for the students.
Good study Bibles are also badly needed in the library for the students! New graduates must have good Bibles and reference books for their personal studies. These will keep them from using non-Grace reference books and study helps!
+ Why TCM Bible schools? The students themselves are trained and molded spiritually to become leaders of the churches and other phases of the ministry. They are instrumental in strengthening the spiritual growth of church members. They are a big help to the church planting program of the Mission. They are a great help in maintaining, preserving, and promoting the sound teachings of grace! And foremost, the young men and women are full of idealism in sharing the Gospel of the Grace of God to the lost!
These are, among the reasons, why Bible school training and other training programs must go on! (Eufracio H.
Pielago, Jr.)
“If you stop learning
today, you stop leading
tomorrow.” - Howard
Hendricks
159 Were There Via Zoom!
“Celebration of the Life of Faith and Service of Pastor Jimmy T. Escobar”
130 ATTENDEES have arrived when Pastor Gardner Improso, the presider, started the virtual service last night, October 18, at 6:15 (Philippine Time). Prepared Worship songs and the special medley number rendered by James and Agape Bermejo complimented the whole focus of the worship service. The strong message of Pastor Ben Anderson, Director of TCM-International, and the words of encouragement by John Harris, Chairman of the Board, TCM-USA, were featured parts of the service.
In his message, Pastor Ben pointed out that death is not only separation from family, but also eternal separation from God, if the person who died is not a believer in Christ! “And our mission’, he emphasized, “is to solve that separation.”
Highlighting this point, he mentioned his being in the hospital with his late father, Vernon. Although his dad could no longer talk, he kept on pointing to the door – reminding Pastor Ben not to waste his time “watching” him in the hospital, but to go out and continue preaching outside!
The night spent more than three hours in a visibly emotional expressions of respect from many people who are close to the heart of the Escobar family and Pastor Jimmy himself.
It was a night to remember, indeed – not only to the attendees, but most especially, to JOY (the beloved wife of Jimmy), JAM (his daughter), and JOSH (his son)! So long, Pastor Jimmy! Enjoy the
presence of the Lord and Master Whom you dearly loved to live for and serve!
(Grateful acknowledgment goes to Doc Gloria C.
Nabus, Mission Coordinator of TCM-Philippines, for the planning and preparation of the entire program, in coordination with Missionary Joy Capilla Escobar.)
23
rdFounding Anniversary Celebration
“Malugod po namin kayong inaanyayahang samahan kami sa aming pagdakila at pagpupuri sa ating buhay na Diyos sa Kanyang pagpapala sa ating eskwelahan sa loob ng dalapu’t-tatlong taong!” (We warmly welcome you to join us in exalting and praising our living God for blessing ourschool for the past 23 years!)
IGBI-Bataan Campus celebrated her founding anniversary last October 11-14. The celebration was made via Zoom. Part of the event was the Spiritual Emphasis spearheaded by the school alumni.
The school is fully supported by churches and individuals from Central Luzon Association of Grace Churches (CLAG) and Central Northern Luzon Association of Grace Churches (CNLAG).
(The school has 14 students enrolled this school year 2021-2022, as reported by
Pastor Renante
Ramos, the campus director.)
GGCC-Tambulig Cares
Packing Assorted Goods
Church members of the Grace Gospel Church of Christ in Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur pack assorted goods for needy local constituents in the municipality.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
“He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, He that soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully”
(II Corinthians 9:6).
Our family and the Grace Gospel Church of Christ in Tambulig did our first move to extend help to the local citizens in the municipality affected by Covid-19. Kind of scary at first but trusted God to supply the financial need . . . Our goal at first was to give out 150 bags to the families that needed help. Talking about God supplying our needs according to His riches in glory, at the last minute, bags and bags of rice were delivered to church making our goal doubled. To God Be the glory! Our hearts are joyful that even in our little ways we can express God’s love to people around us! We are not doing these to earn our way to heaven, but because Jesus already paved
our way to heaven! He is the only way to heaven, and believing that He died for you and me to pay for our sins, buried and rose again, energize us to do good works as an expression of thanksgiving for what He did for us.
Thanks to all who helped financially, rice donors, labor of love packing 300 bags, our local church members (who were behind these project), and most all, thank you Lord, for without your help and blessings we could have not done all these! The glory belongs to you! (Virginia Grosskurth, U.S.A)
·
Children’s Ministry - Bayawan City
Pastor Aldwin and I, are happily working in our pioneering work here in Santa Catalina, Bayawan City. By God’s grace, the work is growing! In fact, our pioneering ministry has another outreach! We have started teaching the children, and their parents are now joining us in worship. These children are now grown-ups and we are training them to teach in our outreach. Every Saturday we are conducting seminar. I would like to avail of the Highway of Life lessons for them. Thank you so much.
(Annie Rose Sausa, Santa Catalina,
Bayawan City)
50 Copies of Scofield Study Bible Donated
MARK & CINDY LaVier of Grace Church, Indianapolis, USA, have donated 50 copies of the study Bible for the Saturday Zoom Bible Fellowship! The online ministry is a 16-month program offering three sets of lesson series covering Salvation, Basic Bible Doctrines, and the Highway of Life. 63 students of Batches 1, 2, and 3 students will finish the whole three sets of lessons before the online “Thanksgiving Program” which is scheduled on December 5, this year. Pastor Ben Anderson is the invited speaker.
Regular attendees of this online studies are from various parts of the Philippines and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), representing mostly places in the Middle East countries.
Cindy & Mark LaVier
This study group started with a few participants in May, 2020, but a month later the group grew, and the program had to conduct two sessions: one in the morning and one in the afternoon for the growing number! The program has become a substitute for the non-gathering in person.
We are grateful to the Lord for the usual generosity of the LaVier family! The Lord bless you both!
(PPN Editor)The Fastest Growing Church in the District
The Grace Gospel Church of Christ in Cuambogan Tagum City is the fastest growing Grace church in the TCM-Davao-ComVal Ministry District (Davao III)! (The district has 18 churches under SM Elie L. Enate.) Presently, the congregation has 50 families and 300 members!
Theodore “Ted” Improso Plale is the assigned pastor of the church. This young man is a visionary. Young as he is, but the elders and members respect him because of his commitment to strengthen and expand the church ministry – both spiritually and numerically. He has organized
“care groups” for young people, adult men and women. He has developed a levelized program for spiritual maturity. His heart is also for evangelism.
This picture shows a group of young people belonging to the 6th Batch of Pastor Ted’s
“Discipleship Class”. The two-fold objective is:
to make every believer a disciple and to become a leader of a care group, and to be rooted in the grace doctrine. (PPN Editor)
Literature Ministry
The TCM LITERATURE DEPARTMENT is offering free online Bible course of the Highway of Life (both in English and Cebuano). We are also offering the HL lessons to churches for their small group Bible studies and Sunday school classes.
Other bible study helps are also available! Contact this number: 09094852940 or
Next year, we are prayerfully considering conducting in-person seminars with students of our Bible schools and church members in the field. The seminars will encourage and promote the use of available lessons and Bible study helps for groups and churches – small group studies and Sunday school classes. We need your prayers! (PPN Editor)
SGYMC Family
“Due to pandemic, we are reunited by God's Grace!” - Jashin Shi Dacuba
These young people represent the youth of Cotabato I & II Ministry Districts under SM Joed Amlon and SM Eugene Presno. (PPN Editor)
