Are you taking the right degree in preparation for the right career in the future? How do you ensure that your future job will be satisfying and fulfilling?
Finishing a degree is just one of the steps to a fulfilling career in the future. Discovering your spiritual gifts and matching it with the career of your choice makes your lifetime profession an exciting journey of service, ministry, and work. When your spiritual gifts match with your profession, your work becomes an expression of your uniqueness and giftedness. Life becomes a joyful career. Work becomes fun! It’s like playing as you work and working as you play.
The secret is discovering and using your spiritual gifts to match with your lifetime career.
I’ll be speaking at the chapel period today where majority of the congregation are nursing students. Compassion is definitely one of the gifts for a nursing student. Do you have it?
Find your purpose and uniqueness by discovering your spiritual gift today.
—-
I am providing a link to a free SPIRITUAL GIFTS INVENTORY TEST download file courtesy of the Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS: KEYS TO MINISTRY / SPIRITUAL GIFT INVENTORY TEST
I wrote this friendship covenant (agreement) way back in 1997 as Cindy (now my wife) and I were getting to know each other. I’ve put it in a picture frame and gave it to her with a special token. As I look back, I see how important commitments are and how important it is to have special written agreements. I am sharing this with you.
A COVENANT OF FRIENDSHIP
Our mutual love for the Lord Jesus led us to decide to commit ourselves into this important relationship of friendship. As we enter into this covenant (promise, contract, binding agreement) of friendship, may these tangible tokens represent our commitment and help remind us of a relationship we need to solidify, value highly, and care personally.
As friends, we promise to be faithful to each other as born of unconditional love. We will stand strongly together and refuse to rely solely on self. Mutuality, not individualism or competition, will mark this precious friendship.
We will not be selfish but will remain loyal to each other. Your interests are to be more important than my own, and , likewise, you will feel the same way about my interests. Our friendship involves a concern for and involvement with the well-being of each other. Thus our friendship will be marked with: unconditional love, personal enjoyment, mutual acceptance, mutual interests, mutual commitment, and mutual loyalty.
Our close frienship will be a result of the application of principles recorded througout the Word of God; a frienship that is prayer-based, Jesus-centered, and Spirit-blessed.
Entering into this rare friendship involves revealing ourselves in confidence to each other. AS faithful friends we promise to keep confidences.
For our friendship to flourish, there will be intimacy to “carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). We will have the courage to challenge each other, to fight for each other’s spiritual and relational growth. We will always make time for each other and fight for this friendship.
With God as our witness, we commit ourselves into this binding relationship and begin to nurture a more personal, more intimate friendship. To become one in thought and heart and spirit.
______________________(signature) ______________________(signature)
___________ (Date)
ABOUT NEXT GENERATION ADVENTIST (NGA)
Welcome to Next Generation Adventist Blog!
Mission: Next Generation Adventist (NGA) blog exists to motivate and inspire Christians to develop a deeper, closer relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, empower relationship-centered leadership, & equip disciples for ministries.
Vision: To become the leading Adventist web blog touching hearts and inspiring souls.
Goals:
1. Inspire readers who need a spiritual lift, a moment’s encouragement, a deeper appreciation for worship, and wisdom for a key decision.
2. Encourage a community of believers that savor the Living Word to deepen faith, strengthen relationships, nurture hope, build character, and ultimately enrich life.
3. To inform, educate, and entertain readers about the world of the new generation of Christians who struggle to survive and make a difference in the 21st century world.
4. To become an inspirational and centralized resource blog portal for the next generation Adventist pastors, nextgen leaders, nextgen disciples, and nextgen ministries.
NGA CATEGORIES
❑ Apple Macintosh Life – Life is easier these days with the use of Mac. Find out why.
❑ Adventist Next – Understanding the new generation of Adventists: Generation X (GenXer) born 1960-79 & Generation Y (also known as Net Generation or Millenials) born 1980-2001.
❑ A Pastor4Life – Chronicles my experiences in the field as a pastor.
❑ Autobiography – My personal profile & highlights of my career and experiences.
❑ Area Chronicle – News and updates in my area of assignment.
❑ AWE4Him – Get to know the ministry of a worship team leading congregations get closer to God.
❑ BIRTHPLACE – News on urban ministry
❑ Biblical Issues – A discourse on my biblical standpoint on certain biblical issues.
❑ Blog Exchange – Building a list of Adventist bloggers. You may submit your blog address here. Kindly put this blog on your blogroll
❑ Church Planting – Get to know what’s going on site of church planting projects.
❑ Community Life – Finding new ways to serve and love my community
❑ Discipleship Essentials – Learn essentials to growing disciplined disciples.
❑ District News – News and views in my present district assignment.
❑ Evangelism – Learning new ways of reaching the new generation for Christ.
❑ Family Life – An inside look to the struggles and triumphs in a pastor’s family.
❑ Fix It Now – Practical ideas i learned from various sources to fix common everyday problems.
❑ GameLab – Insights to new games i developed and discovered.
❑ GRACELED Ministry – A ministry that envisions Grace-Revolutionized Adventist Churches Empowering Leaders & Equipping Disciples.
❑ iDREAM – A ministry training young professionals to reach the secular world.
❑ Journey to the Cross – Learn new insights in improving JTTC-an interactive, full-sensory experience of Jesus’ last days on earth.
❑ Leadership Lessons – What does it take to be a leader?
❑ Modern Parables – Real life stories taken from personal and everyday life.
❑ Modern Proverbs – Practical nuggets, rich insights and impressions drawn from the Word and life experiences.
❑ Money Management – How you handle money determines how you enjoy life.
❑ My Blog – Welcome to my blog! Nice of you to drop by.
❑ My Creative Impressions – Literary compositions, short stories, comic strips, character sketches.
❑ My Music – A review of some contemporary songs that have changed my life, worship, & ministry.
❑ Our Daily Grace – My daily reflections of the Word.
❑ Prayer Requests - A list of prayer request I’ll include in my daily intercession.
❑ Sermon File – Selected sermons I wrote and preached to my congregation.
❑ Suggested Reading – Selected books and readings that have made an impact and influence in my life & ministry.
❑ Technology Review – Recent technology updates, gadgets, and tools that have changed my world and how I work.
❑ Worship Him – Experiencing the manifest presence of God on a daily basis.
❑ Youth Ministry Hub – Ideas, insights, strategies & resources to effectively reach out to the youth.
❑ Written Prayers -A record of my selected devotional prayers
Cavite Province (Area 10) of the Central Luzon Conference is holding their camp meeting on January 29-31.
Theme: The Church: It’s Nature and Leadership
Speakers: Dr. Francisco Gayoba , NPUC Ministerial Secretary
Pastor Albert Regoso
CLOSE CHURCHES! Yes we are encouraging everyone to come and close your churches and join this special meetings.
REGISTRATION IS FREE! All campers are advised to register and get their identification code before entering the AUP campsite. Tent pitching starts at 2:00 p.m. Campers bring the following: Bible, notebook, pen, tent, food, water bottles, plates, cooking ware, personal belongings, etc.
HIGHLIGHTS
PROCESSIONAL: All districts are advised to prepare a banner with their district name and/or logo. Gather at the PIC level by 6:00 p.m. for the processional during the opening ceremony at 7:00 p.m.
ELDERS ACADEMY LEVEL III Graduation will be on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
YOUTH SOCIALS will be on Saturday night. Bring your tents and food!
OFFICERS INSTITUTE starts with a devotional at 7:30 a.m. at Philippine International Church.
FREE LUNCH on Sunday for all duly elected church officers for 2010 during the officers institute.
For more information, click
Camp Meeting Program Draft download / to view
Area 10 Elders Academy III Candidates for Graduation download / to view
FOR MORE INFO. Contact – Pastor Ardison D. Bernardo, Area 10 Chairman - 0928-521-2785 / 0922-875-7457
Where are you with God these days?
If you feel you have drifted far from God and don’t know how to get back, this sermon is for you. If you feel you are just going through religious routines and habits, then it’s time for you to have a closer look at your spiritual health.
If you feel cold and distant with God; if you’re feeling like a wanderer lost in a spiritual desert, God wants to take you to a better place. He wants to embrace you in His arms and restore your soul. He wants you to know that He’s real and that He can give you renewed purpose and joy beyond measure.
How might you restore that spiritual passion of earlier days? The following points in this sermon just delivered a few hours ago at Philippine International Church of the Adventist University of the Philippines, are intended to give you a jump start toward restoring your spiritual passion. I have also included the Faith on Fire Video that served as the appeal song.
SERMON MANUSCRIPT: How to Restore Your Spiritual Passion
VIDEO: Faith on Fire
I am speaking today at the NPUC AMiCUS Convention being held at Christian Development Centre, Tagaytay City.
My presentation notes, study guide sampler, and useful resources to launch LifeGroup Ministries (small groups) integral to successful campus ministries can be downloaded from this link. Open the leadership folder.
More updates later!
—–
ABOUT AMiCUS
“More than just an organization and way better than being merely a group of individuals, the Adventist Ministry to College and University Students finds its existence and purpose in serving as God’s ministry to fellow students on campus and beyond. To many Adventist students earning their degrees in “Non-Adventist institutions,” AMiCUS is known to be a haven of fellowship, friendship, inspiration and refuge.”
Objectives
AMiCUS (Adventist Ministry to College and University Students) seeks to meet the spiritual, intellectual, and social needs of Seventh-day Adventist students on secular campuses worldwide. In cooperation with leaders at various church levels, it aims to achieve these goals by strengthening the faith commitment of these students to Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and values, providing opportunities for Christian fellowship, preparing students to deal with the intellectual challenges that arise in a secular environment, developing their leadership abilities, and training them for outreach and witnessing on the campus, in the community, and in the world at large.
Responsibilities
The General Conference AMiCUS Committee provides leadership and coordination to the ministry on behalf of Adventist students in non-Adventist colleges and universities, in cooperation with their representatives in each of the 12 world divisions.
Real-Life Illustrations – His illustrations are not taken from the book. They are real-life encounters with people. Personal experiences. As a very keen observer, he draws many good illustrations from real – life dramas. A life that he was allowed to share with even for a moment.
Well-prepared presentations – You just know when a speaker has just copy pasted his presentation or borrowed it from someone else. This guy has organized his presentations very well based on his personal studies, research, and real life experiences. He has answered the questions commonly asked and made strong points in his presentations by providing emphasis and a pause (to think) in the form of real questions people ask or would naturally ask.
Appreciative – Before he gives a comment, he’d appreciate you first. He’d share his honest appreciation of anybody before he’d share his suggestions.
Eloquence – He has mastered the skill of oratory. There are no long aaahs or any distracting mannerism. He speaks well. Just as he can speak fluently, he can speak to your soul. He speaks in simple, illustrious words understood even by a little child.
Having attended many conferences and seminars, I had the wrong notion that the Publishing seminar I attended last August will be just like the rest. I was wrong. Pastor Howard Faigao, General Conference Publishing Director, by my estimation of his whole day discourse is an experienced spiritual man of God. HE IS AUTHENTIC. His tone of voice suggests a man not after the buzz and empty dynamism that goes with most preachers. He is simply Howard Faigao. No sensationalism, no manipulative appeals, no devious agenda.
It’s either I have been deceived by my first impression of him, being an impressionist, or he is simply true to himself. He is 60 years old. At his age, he has mastered the craft of presentations. Here’s what I like about him:
Authenticity – He is who he is. The genuine aura overflows. There is no hidden agenda or so it appears. He is simply Howard Faigao. He is real as a person. He’d share his frustrations just as he’d share his passion. He is not pretentious. His aura of genuineness overflows. He’d speak to your heart.
Bonafide Tone – He speaks in a conversational tone. Is it because he is trying to conserve his voice? He speaks in a mild-mannered voice. He doesn’t need to shout to make his point. He emphasizes through a genuine heart talk with a hushed voice. Pastor Faigao makes you think when he gives long pauses in between points. This guy gives his emphasis not with overblown words, flamboyant actions, or exaggerated delivery but with a simple genuine heart-to-heart talk.
People-Oriented – his experiences from his visits all over the world could have given him many chances to show-off focusing more on the success of his programs rather than the people who are the focus of the programs. His many illustrations about the people he met and sharing their interesting life stories give credits to the power of God at work in the lives of people through the publishing ministry. This people stories are like periods that ends the questions about whether the publishing ministry is ordained of God or not.
….to be continued.
Recently I am alarmed by the number of Theology graduates that the Adventist University of the Philippines is producing. As of now there are about more than 50 graduates working as “private” or “pre-interns” or “church pastors” in the Central Luzon Conference territory. Just a few months ago, the Central Luzon Conference has stopped hiring of new graduates for the next two years.
I believe that the need for more workers to work in God’s vineyard is increasing every year but the Conference can only hire two or three full-time workers a year. And so the question now is how do we provide “employment” for these Theology graduates whose conviction is they been have called into the gospel ministry?
It’s a fact right now that some of the Theology graduates turn to other professions later after they become disillusioned or discouraged. In CLC alone, the graduates have to wait for an average of 3 to 5 years before they get hired. That is if they ever get hired. Some former schoolmates of mine are now in public service, a vegetable vendor, a public school principal, English tutors, and a taxi driver. Sadly, AUP does not monitor its Theology graduates after they leave the University. A concern that has been discussed since I was still an instructor at the College of Theology way back in 1997.
The NPUC, CLC, and AUP College of Theology need to consider its “production line.” Just imagine the years, and efforts poured out by student, and the painstaking effort involved as parents pour sweat and blood to send their “future pastor son” to school.
And if ever AUP will qualify admission of future pastors, what would the guidelines be? What will its basis be?
Gone are the days when anyone can just be a pastor. Back in the 60’s, anyone who can preach well can be ordained into the ministry. These days however you have to finish a Theology degree and a long list of requirements before you get accepted as an intern.
Certainly the call to the gospel ministry is different from other callings. Being a pastor is not just an option, a vocation, a profession, or a job. It’s a divinely ordained task dedicated to full time service in bringing and nurturing souls to the Kingdom of God.
So what does it take to be a pastor?
Finishing a degree? Relational skills? Communication skills? Evangelism gift? Administrative abilities? Strong pastoral qualities? The list can go on.
How would we qualify, if ever we are to limit, the supply of Theology graduates? Or are there are other possible “jobs’ waiting for these graduates, say like church planting or independent ministries? If so, is it in line with the Spirit’s biblical call to full-time gospel ministry? If so, will it not be divisive of church authority?
Is it time to be directing the energy of some of these Theology students to take another degree and be missionaries in those fields. After all not everyone is called into the full-time “gospel ministry.” Is it?
Download this sermon for free. Click here
Most of us are familiar with the Lord’s Prayer. Yet one of the shortest prayers in the Bible is recorded in the Old Testament. It’s popularly known as the Prayer of Jabez. A prayer that had made a huge difference and turning point in my Christian life and ministry. I am sharing this sermon with you which I just delivered a few hours ago at the Philippine International Church during the Midweek Prayer meeting.
Recent comments