Street Level Ministries
July is always an exciting month for us since the 27th marks the anniversary since SLM began in Cebu. To celebrate five years of God’s faithfulness, we threw a party at the office, complete with minute to win it games, jeopardy, a photo slideshow, and of course, cake! It was a great reunion of former and current students from both Cebu and Toledo. Dyreen even stopped by to say hello!
We have continued meeting weekly on Friday nights for dinner and Bible discussions. There’s a consistent group of students in Toledo and usually one or two new people there each week. We’re all gearing up for the SLM Summit on August 13. Students from both sides of the island have signed up to attend. We’ll spend the day talking about living an unwasted life – the cost and rewards of following Jesus, taking risks for God, and committing your life fully to Him. Please pray that students will sign up by July 31 and that God would prepare their hearts for the summit.
Exploring Creation Science
July meant another school would start their summer classes in person! Visayas Wesleyan Christian School in Talisay began their two-week summer session on July 11. This was the first time since COVID began that the students have had class together. Due to lack of internet and devices, they only offered paper/pencil learning (modular packets). Students were thrilled to be in person, even with classroom windows and doors open, masks, and social distancing. Laura was welcomed back in person for the first time since COVID started to teach a lesson about fingerprints. In person lessons for students at Banawa Nazarene ended last week. To give students ample room to spread out and the ability for everyone to equally see and participate, lessons were held in the church sanctuary. We covered a variety of topics, from DNA to cells.
On June 29, the mayor of Cebu City issued an order to allow students in all levels to return to face-to-face classes. The mayors in Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue City have issued similar orders. The news was welcomed by many, but it came with strict health safety guidelines, so many schools will run phygital classes. The third week of September will mark the start of a month-long series about the Reliability of the Bible for students in grades 7-12.
Local Churches & Team Prep
On July 10, we both got to teach Sunday school at Inayawan Church of the Nazarene. The following weekend, Laura taught the youth at Banawa Church of the Nazarene about the validity of the Bible, and the children about Noah’s ark. We’re excited for the team to come and host Ministry Training Institute classes in Cebu City, Balamban, and Bantayan, where we can continue building relationships with local churches. Please pray for pastors to sign up for the MTI classes and all the preparatory work for the team to come!
Shofar TV
Next month, we will start broadcasting Shofar TV on Starsat Cable TV in Bantayan town. We’re adding new programming to all the stations, including Living as Free and a Saturday morning feature of Exploring Creation Science lessons. Please pray for viewers to engage with the content and that the equipment would keep running well at each station!
