Tag: Exploring Creation Science

Shofar Mission Cebu Update

April 25, 2022 Shofar Missions Cebu

Keep reading to learn what we have been up to in the Philippines and the USA over the past month.

While we were in the USA, we got to spend time with Annemieke, a missionary from the Netherlands, while she was on her speaking tour among the three Street Level Ministries locations. Before she spoke at UW-Stout, we handed out fliers with her on campus. As missionaries in service to the King, we face many of the same challenges. We also joined the Street Level House for dinner, a night with food and fellowship as we planned for the next chapter of ministry, and a Sunday night in a quiet backyard with grilled food, friends, and a fire on our last Sunday night in the USA for a while.

THE MINISTRY CONTINUES

We arrived a few days before Easter, so we grilled out with our neighbors on Saturday and had pancakes with a couple of students after church on Sunday. As many employers continue to work from home and schedule online meetings, Dyreen doesn’t come into Cebu City very often. When she does, we always try to meet – even if it is for a short amount of time – since she has been a great friend since we moved here.

We have been teaching Sunday School each month at the Inayawan Church of the Nazarene for the past few months. On Easter Sunday, we had an opportunity to teach there again. This is a church and school that Shofar has been ministering with since 2017. We know the staff and pastors there, along with several students that attend the church. Some of the students Laura teaches in school are part of the kids & youth group. Brittany handed out copies of Word on the Street Magazine to the youth after their discussion. Two of the youth contributed to the article about Typhoon Odette, so they were all excited to get a copy.

Since we returned to Cebu, we have spent a lot of time catching up with people and planning for the next few months. Laura has visited with staff and taught Exploring Creation Science lessons for students at Banawa Nazarene and Southern Bethany Christian School. Though classes remain digital with very few exceptions for in person learning, schools are seeking as much face-to-face interaction as possible. Students living near each other are finding ways to join activities in groups when the opportunity allows, and teachers are joining together at schools or coffee shops.

STREET LEVEL MINISTRIES

Last Friday marked the beginning of a whole new format of SLM meetings. Not only have we resumed free dinners, but we have also changed the weekly meetings to be heavily discussion based. A day or two before students attend, they can watch a short Bible teaching on our Facebook page. On Friday night, they can come together to discuss what they learned. Meetings happen simultaneously in Toledo City and Cebu City, with a different student facilitating the discussion each week. It’s an exciting change, which we hope and pray will bear much fruit for the Kingdom. To get the word out, posters have been hung all around Cebu City, and on Wednesday, Jael and Britt will host a live radio broadcast downtown. There are many college-age individuals roaming around and some third and fourth years attending limited face-to-face classes… now it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in order to meet them.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Please pray for all the churches/schools that we work with – specifically the health of Pastor Allan at Inayawan Church of the Nazarene and Jim Young.
Pray for new ministry opportunities as Laura seeks to spend more time ministering with the Nazarene School.
Pray for all those we were able to minister to at the Universal Church of Christ in Toledo. In February, Laura taught a science lesson during kids church and Britt gave WOTS to the youth.
Pray for the upcoming Street Level Radio broadcast and posters – that students would know about SLM and desire to get connected.
Pray for the discipleship of the SLM students – that they’d grow in love for Jesus, holiness, and discernment about the decisions they’re making.

Let the Games Begin

February 24, 2022 Shofar Missions Cebu

Read what is happening with Shofar Mission in Cebu City.

One Saturday morning in late January, we woke up to emails letting us know the Philippines was planning to open to Foreign Tourists on February 11, 2022. March 13, 2022, will mark two full years since our last “normal” Street Level meeting, did an outreach on a university campus, or taught a science lesson in a classroom. Currently, universities and schools are like ghost towns with many staff still working from home due to requirements of social distancing, plastic barriers, etc. that remain in effect. Check out some photos from the heat of COVID and what ministry was like before:

The Best of Times and the Worst of Times

The last two and a half years have taught us a lot. It has been said that the Philippines has had the hardest, strictest, and longest COVID lockdowns. There were many times that left us trusting God – for example, when the city announced all Quarantine Passes were invalid. They issued new ones, but the idea was to issue less of them. These were required to leave our house to access goods and services. December 16, 2021, and the weeks after were another big test as Super Typhoon Odette approached our island. As Cebu City was raised to Alert 4, we prepared to move to the innermost room of our house with what we needed to be safe. The typhoon left severe damage, including no water or electricity for weeks (months for some people).

Street Level Ministries

During these times, we have continued to see the hand of God at work. Even though all classes remain online and students need a valid reason to visit campus. We have met several students recently through Facebook promotions that have been interested in SLM. We got to play Dutch Blitz and eat pizza with a couple of them last Sunday. In January, Street Level Ministries started meeting every fourth Friday of the month in Toledo City. We have also been hosting Street Level Radio live broadcasts weekly, and recently added a couple of songs written and produced by Capstone Generation Church to the station. Our latest edition of Word On the Street Magazine has been released digitally, with print copies coming next week.

Exploring Creation Science

All of the schools in this ministry are connected to one or more local church. This has allowed for some face-to-face interaction with students. We have been able to teach Sunday School for both the children and youth at the Inayawan Church of the Nazarene. We continue providing Explore Booklets, a USB with the lesson videos, and will teach a science lesson during kids’ church at the Universal Church of Christ Church & School in Toledo. These face-to-face opportunities have given us a chance to hand out fliers promoting the online Exploring Creation Science lessons. We have also continued to provide online lessons and Explore Booklets for students. Lessons online continue with the Nazarene school in Banawa.

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for all of the students and staff we have been able to meet and minister to – that their love for Jesus would grow and that they’d be bold witnesses in their communities.
Pray for the local churches we have recently been able to connect with more, including: Inayawan Church of the Nazarene, Capstone Generation Church, Universal Church of Christ in Toledo, and the Toledo Alliance Church.
Pray for preparations as we get ready for Pastor Tim and Sharon to arrive, and us to depart for a short visit to the USA.

The Aftermath of Super Typhoon Odette

January 25, 2022 Shofar Missions Cebu

Read more about what God is doing in Cebu, Philippines.

More than a month has passed since Super Typhoon Odette struck Cebu, yet many people are still without electricity, water, internet, and rebuilding supplies. Life has returned to a sense of normalcy as people have adapted to the changes brought on by the storm. The staff of Word on the Street Magazine Philippines collected stories from young people living throughout Cebu about their experiences during Typhoon Odette. Read this early release from Issue 89 here.

Street Level Ministries

Between Typhoon Odette and a resurgence of COVID cases in Cebu, face-to-face classes have been delayed yet again. The Street Level students are spread throughout the island with intermittent data connections, so attendance at Friday night meetings has been hit-or-miss. We are aligning with some universities to restart the semester in February. Hopefully, by then, more students will have electricity and data signal. Starting January 28, we will be meeting on the last Friday of the month in Toledo City. We’re holding a recruitment meeting at Jalz Milk Tea, which is close to campus. Restrictions are less strict in the province, so we are going to heavily pursue the west side of the island this semester. We will continue to run ads on Facebook and are planning to release an app to help keep students connected, since so many are spread out throughout the island(s).

Exploring Creation Science

Classes for elementary and high school students will continue online this semester. Some schools have directed their students to download lessons and materials for offline use. Many students (and now parents due to the recent Cebu City Executive Order) have to find an internet connection to download and upload what they need, then return home where there is no electricity and/or signal. A few lessons will be adapted to be taught at local churches throughout the island for their kid’s church on Sundays. Also starting this semester, the “best of” Exploring Creation Science lessons will be produced to air on Shofar TV. We are looking forward to presenting this ministry to more schools on the west side of the island especially as our trips over there increase and restrictions are less strict. We had an opportunity to visit with a local pastor while we were in Toledo last week and leave him a USB with science lessons the teachers at the church’s school can copy and share with their students.

Building Up Local Churches

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been able to reconnect with local churches, assess their needs, pray with pastors, and donate relief packs to be distributed to local families. Three different churches have invited us to teach their kid’s church and youth groups. As a para church organization, our hearts are for the local churches to grow and thrive in their respective communities. The typhoon brought so much destruction, yet we see them continuing to stay hopeful and reach out to their neighbors. They may get knocked down, but they don’t get knocked out. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort and encourage them, for the gospel to be their motivating factor, and that the local churches could lead people to Jesus.

Unidentified Flying Objects

December 25, 2021 Shofar Missions Cebu

See what is happening with Shofar Mission Cebu.

On December 16, a storm signal 4 was raised in Cebu City. Some staff and students we know in Cebu Island were evacuated as much of the city lost electric around 4pm. The storm hit Cebu City between 9pm-10pm with very strong winds picking up shacks (small houses usually with tin roofs) sending the roofing tin flying through the air. Doors and windows couldn’t keep the rain out and the wind shredded leaves and tore through the trees.

Street Level Ministries

Earlier this month, we got into the community to do a live radio broadcast with Street Level Radio. This gave us an opportunity to meet a few new students. We also started distributing Word on the Street Magazine at two local cafes. We planned to host a Murder Mystery Christmas Party, but the storm cancelled it. Maybe it could be a New Year’s Party… we’re done with weekly Bible discussions for the semester and look forward to restarting in January. Hopefully, we’ll get to have more students join us in the office for phygital discussions.

Exploring Creation Science

Earlier this month we had several opportunities to reach out to local churches and schools that we work with in Metro Cebu. We were able to bless the staff with a fruit basket and card for the holiday season. Since they were set to hand out items for next semester before break we also left new Explore Booklets and certificates.

Whether teachers were ready or not the semester ended early. Due to the storm, it was clear there would be no classes on December 16, 2021. Exploring Creation Science lessons ended for the holiday break with a couple of schools offering an opportunity to host a review with the students. Instead of playing a review game students received the review information via messenger. Some students will start the year joining from a temporary home due to the typhoon. When classes continue in January there are several different ideas of how to continue amid the typhoon clean up.

Please continue to pray for the Philippines specifically those affected by the typhoon!

Continuing To Be Faithful

November 24, 2021 Shofar Missions Cebu

Read what has been going on at Shofar Mission as we continue the mission God has given us.

Street Level Ministries

Street Level has been meeting weekly for discussions about big questions in the Christian faith: “Why Did Jesus Have to Die?” “How Can I Have Faith?” and “Why and How Do I Pray?” We have one new member who got connected by seeing a Facebook ad. We’re still meeting online, but making plans for when universities start meeting face-to-face again. The WOTS writers have been working on Issue 89 and distributing Issue 88. One of the SLR DJ’s has been hosting a weekly radio show from the office. At the end of October, we hosted a phygital Halloween party. A couple members joined us at the office! In December, Pastor Jonah will lead one of our Friday discussions, and we’ll finish out the semester with a Christmas murder mystery party.

Exploring Creation Science

Students and staff continue to tune in and engage each week with online lessons. One addition has been adding experiments with basic materials that schools can do as a whole group and observe over the course of the week. We have been able to see a few students in person. Those 12-18 are allowed out and those under 12 can be out if accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult. At the end of October, the school and church staffs that we work with were fully vaccinated. This has allowed for a conversation about more interactions with teachers and school administration. Since everyone is fully vaccinated opportunities to teach a lesson from a school with the teacher and share a meal with school administration are in the works. Exploring Creation Science also continues to provide Daily Bible Readings and staff reading plans for students.

Shofar Youth Network

We have continued to communicate with various churches and ask how their youth ministries are going. In some cases, school administration and pastors are also the ones that lead church youth groups. Since the youth had been unable to go out of the house, we were able to recommend a few ideas to a couple of youth groups in the city. As we start the new year, we are planning to continue providing resources and sponsorships to youth groups.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for students to remain firm in their faith over the holiday season and in their conversations with family.
Pray that those eligible for boosters would see the importance of getting them.
Please continue to pray that people would follow minimum public health standards (wearing of facemask and social distancing) and get vaccinated.
Pray that we would continue to get creative with ways to see people and minister in person as the new year begins.

Philippines Ministry Update

October 24, 2021 Shofar Missions Cebu

Check out what we’ve been up to in the Philippines!

Street Level Ministries

At the end of September, we had a couple of SLM members visit the office for breakfast. Since we still meet online, we’re thankful for opportunities to meet in person. We’re continuing to go through the Alpha series and supplemental discipleship discussions on Friday nights. A couple new students have joined since they saw our semester promo video on Facebook. Ben and Sasha also joined us for a meeting recently. It’s always nice to keep in touch with the SLM chapters in the USA.

WOTS issue 88 has been sent to print and should be ready this week. The writers will gather virtually this Thursday to pick out local articles and start on Issue 89.

On Saturday, we are having a phygital Halloween party. A few students will join us at the office and others who live in the province will join us on Google Meet. Everyone has been so busy lately, so we hope it’ll be a time to fellowship and laugh together. There will be costumes, candy, games, and prizes…it’s not really a Filipino holiday, so it should be fun to do something different.

Exploring Creation Science

At the beginning of the month, a special fingerprinting lesson was taught to the JFB homeschool group. Each student was able to take their own fingerprint and compare it to the main 3 types of fingerprints. This lesson shows how each person is uniquely created in the image of God and no two people (even twins!) have the same set of finger or toe prints. New Explore booklets were delivered to Inayawan Nazarene and Southern Bethany. Laura was able to visit and fellowship with the staff at Southern Bethany while delivering the booklets in person. Again, these limited face to face meetings are something we don’t take for granted! Weekly lessons continue on Facebook Live and Google Meet.

Shofar Youth Network

Last week, we delivered a USB with teaching curriculum to South Cebu Church on Talisay. It included 4 sessions from the NUA series with Cebuano subtitles and English teaching guides, which will be used in part or whole for a youth camp the church is hosting in December. The topics include “How Did We Get Here?” “Jesus: Fact it Fiction?” “What About the Resurrection?” and “What Was Jesus Really Like?” One of the ways we seek to help local churches is by providing teaching resources like NUA for youth groups to use. We also post monthly on a blog with topics that could challenge and help youth leaders.

Prayer Requests

The Philippines as a whole – upcoming presidential election (May 2022) as candidates are already campaigning; it is causing much division and uncertainty among the people here. We are praying for God to guide the election and place godly people in positions of influence.
Street Level Ministries – for the students to grow as disciples, for new students to get connected, and the distribution of the new issue of WOTS.
Exploring Creation Science – for the students who received Explore booklets, relationships with schools and staff, and endurance to continue online learning.
Our Community – God keeps giving us opportunities to serve and be served by our neighbors. These relationships mean a lot to us. A new family will move in next month, so we’re excited to meet them!