---

Philippines, Asia

PHI02 - ECPM - Personal Support of Elvin T Buenviaje

• View report dated: June 24, 2015

• View report dated: August 8, 2016

• View report dated: September 28, 2016

• View report dated: April 4, 2017

---

Report Date: February 2, 2016

ECPM News and Update October - December 2015

 

Thank you for always keeping ECPM in your prayers and it is our delight to share with you that we have just returned from church planting modules and campus ministry preparation in Palawan, southwest of Philippines. We are thankful for a fruitful trip and how the Lord guided coordinations with partner churches and communities. More so, we thank Him for how He has enabled brother Elvin to come with us during the trip and visit the churches and church planters. The Lord is indeed our comfort and giver of strength!

You have been God's gift to us and your support, prayers and encouragement has inspired us to continue serving for the glory of the Lord. You are very much part of this church planting ministry and for that we are very thankful. 

 

Recent Events

Short Term Missions Engagement

What does engagement really mean in missions? When we talk about engaging in the community where we serve, we think of a sustainable working relationship. An exchange of learning with a goal of glorifying the Lord and reaching more people bringing them closer to the Saviour.

Early last year, just as Brother Elvin Buenviaje started to regain his strength, he conceptualized a deeper involvement for the youth and young professionals towards church planting. Guided by prayer, we came up with an engagement program to be headed by YMC, the youth arm of ECPM, who has been mobilizing young people in missions since 2003.

Last October, six young people (a mixture of college students and young professionals) formed three teams for a SHORT-TERM MISSIONS ENGAGEMENT and worked with the church planters in

Samarinyana, Tula-tula and Rizal Palawan. Several pre-field training, mentoring, planning (including wellness preparations) and prayer times were done headed by Vic, Vida and Ella a few months before going to Palawan who also guided the three teams during their engagement on site.

This resulted in fruitful relationships among the young adults, the community and the church planters. During the engagement, mission work was evaluated, suggestions on mission strategies were made and pastoral care was extended to the family of the church planters. More so, those who went with the missions engagement program are now starting to be involved in the ministry of ECPM as a whole.

PARTNERSHIP, as one of the keywords in ECPM’s mission statement, was clearly evident during the program. Before we headed home, we had rest and reflection time and everyone was in awe with how the Lord orchestrated everything. Daily tasks were done amazingly with everyone wondering

how it has happened beautifully even though there were hindrances and glitches along the way. GOD’S GLORY stood up and we realized the value of prayer and preparation. We simply have to step and move forward and the Lord will oversee every minute detail and will provide everything needed even the challenges that will teach us, the participants and the church planting team.

Engagement is a sustainable life-long relationship. Where a community of believers grow and learn and see that it is the Lord guiding every step and making every effort successful.

Thank you for praying with us. The Lord has blessed us in many different ways. 

Photos:
1) A young adult presenting to the kids of Benta’t Karis
2) Members of the third group for STME with church planters of Samarinyana on site.
3) Another group of young adults with the church planter in Tula-tula (the simple nipa house in the photo will be the mission house in Tula-tula) where the contacts could also gather together.

Church Planting Teams

Team Itis & Basikong in Saranggani will be graduating next January 2017. As we have shared previously, the team was blessed through their sending church’s network and a simple church structure is now built. This is one testament of how the Lord is overseeing the work in Saranggani.

During this reporting period, couple Marwin and Vida led the church planters in Saranggani and their wives/husbands for a separate group dynamics and a joint sharing time to strengthen their families for the ministry. Ella meanwhile played with the kids and made them feel that there is fun as well in having missionary parents. This is now part of the revised pastoral care program of ECPM for church planters.

Please continue to pray for the team as their bible study groups continue to flourish and move forward now that a new congregation is being established.

Team Samarinyana & Tula-tula will have their fourth module this February and we are excited because their contacts in their respective areas are taking ground because of how they do meaningful roles in the community through giving of medicines, feeding programs, literacy and friendship.

Team Rizal & Team Pampanga on the other hand will have their third module and Vic will visit them on-site. 

Youth in Missions for Christ

The campus team in Paombong will have one last module and we praise God as the whole church is also now developing their own small groups.

Ranao-ranao Campus Ministry Team had their second module last November and even the youth leaders of the church liked the training so that they even attended the module sessions.They have been passionate in reaching out to friends and classmates that opened bible study groups and soon discipleship small groups.

 

Prayer and Praise Points

1) Please pray for the new church planting team that will start this year in Aklan. This is in partnership with Taytay Christian Church. This is a product of fervent prayers and team work by Taytay leaders and members. Please also pray for Taytay Christian Church as they rebuild their structure just at the same time as they start their church planting in Aklan.

2) Pray for the new Campus Ministry Teams in Palawan that will start this year. Amazingly, these new set of Campus Leaders are products of the campus team in Aborlan Palawan.

3) This coming April, ECPM family will again have their retreat. Please uphold us in your prayers for wisdom and provisions as we prepare. Please also pray for our families and for the ECPM staff’s safety & health as we travel to different church planting sites. The Lord has been very faithful to us and our families!

4) Continue to pray for Brother Elvin and his strength. We praise God for how he is healing K.Elvin. Please pray for his complete recovery and provision for him and his family especially with regards to his health. The Lord is an amazing healer!

Your partners in Christ,
Elvin, Vic, Vida and Ella
ECPM Team