18/07/2026
First Week of the 1st Term
School Year 2026โ2027
Dulag, Leyte
We rejoice to welcome 22 freshmen students who have answered the call to prepare for Gospel ministry this academic year. Our foundational course Spiritual Formation is designed not merely to teach biblical facts, but to shape hearts, minds, and lives, training each students biblically, ministerially, and holistically to bring hope and transformation to our communities, regions and the nations. This first week laid the unshakable foundation for all that follows: knowing who God is, who we are in Him, and how we stand firm by faith in every season of ministry and life.
WEEK 1: CORE TOPICS & KEY INSIGHTS
Every lesson was anchored in Scripture and rooted in the reality of ministry where faith is lived out among diverse struggles, joys, and daily realities.
1. Theology of Life: Seeing All of Life through the lense of faith in Christ alone
Scripture: Genesis 1:27โ28; Psalm 139:13โ16; John 1:1-14; 10:10
โข We explored that every person is created in Godโs image, all life belongs to Him and sustained by Him.
โข Students reflected: To honor God, we must first honor Jesus, the giver of Life, and the life He has given to us.
Our outreach will always value dignity, justice, and compassion, proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Source of true, abundant life for all.
2. Repentance and Faith: The Way of New Beginnings
Scripture: Mark 1:14โ15; Acts 3:19; 2 Corinthians 7:10
โข We learned that repentance is not just sorrow for sin but a whole-hearted turning away from what separates us from God, and returning fully to Jesus. Faith is trusting Him completely for salvation, sanctification, security, sustainability, satisfaction and supernatural life and ministry.
โข We emphasized that these two go hand in hand: there is no true faith without repentance, and no lasting repentance without faith in Christโs finished work at the Cross.
We cannot lead others where we have not walked ourselves. Malalakaran ang kayang paniwalaan. Our ministry will be marked by humility, modeling the grace we proclaim, and calling people to the true faith, freedom and fullness of life found only in Christ.
3. Overcoming Lifeโs Internal, External and Spiritual Battles
Scripture: Ephesians 6:10โ18; 2 Corinthians 10:3โ5; Philippians 4:6โ9
โข Internal Battles: Fear, doubt, pride, past hurts, and sinful habits, we learned to bring every thought captive to Christ, and find healing and strength in His Word and prayer.
โข External Battles: Persecution, hardship, lack of resources, cultural opposition, and the pressures of ministry, we stand firm on Godโs promises, support one another, and rely on the Holy Spiritโs power.
โข Spiritual Battles: The Devil, or Diablo, will always find ways to throw accusations with the intention to discourage, deceive and destroy everyone who tries to fully live by faith in the Son of God.
We fully prepare now so that when we face trials in the field, we do not fall away, but testify that God is able and faithful in every battle.
HOLISTIC FORMATION IN ACTION
This week showed us that spiritual formation touches every part of our being:
โข Biblically: Students studied directly from Godโs Word, learning to interpret and apply it correctly, not just for knowledge but for life.
โข Ministerially: We practiced sharing personal testimonies of repentance and faith, and prayed for one anotherโs future ministries, especially for outreach to children, families, and communities across Dulag and beyond.
โข Holistically: We discussed caring for our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, nurturing healthy relationships, stewarding resources wisely, and guarding our hearts as we serve.
TESTIMONIES & HIGHLIGHTS
โข Our class ended with a time of consecration and commitment: every student prayed to surrender their fears, their past sinful life, and their future fully to the Lord, asking Him to make them faithful and fruitful servants of the Gospel.
LOOKING AHEAD
This week was only the beginning. As we move forward, we will build on this foundation, growing in character, skill, and spiritual authority. Our goal remains clear: to be servants formed in the image of Christ, and victoriously live For Christ, Through Christ, To Christ, bringing the light of Christ to every corner of the Philippines and to the ends of the earth.
โBut you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Godโs special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.โ โ 1 Peter 2:9
Even without Rice or Price, we preach Christ and Him Crucified!
