Faith in Action
A Christian Outreach to the Philippines
-fpng__largepreview__.webp){kind=logo}
Who We Are
About Us
A Sharing, Caring Ministry of Love to the people on the Visayas Islands of the Philippines.
Churches & Leaders
To Start New Churches, To Train Leaders
Encouragement
To Encourage Existing Pastors and Churches.
These three statements are still the guiding goal for Vision for Missions (VFM). Since 1985, many new churches have been started and several existing churches were provided financial support needed to purchase land and building supplies. Economically and politically many things have changed in the past 20 years but the goal of VFM are unchanged.
Our Missions
Starting new churches has always been our primary goal. The pastors and workers on Negros have started about 100 new churches since 1985. Some churches are in the cities, which are very crowded, developed, metropolitan areas. Others are in smaller towns which are less crowded, have electricity, water, and paved roads. We also have churches in the rural, remote, mountain areas where transportation is difficult and is mostly an agricultural based economy with limited means for income. Several churches are what we call house churches that meet in local houses and have been started by men who are trained in the recent years by our Leadership Training classes. VFM has helped with churches on a few islands besides Negros including Panay, Cebu, Northern Samar, Masbate, and Palawan. Churches are important because they can be used to meet so many needs.
Land is very expensive in the Philippines and local congregations rarely have enough money to purchase land. Often most of the land in the major cites and towns are owned by people who are not interested in selling except at prices too expensive for most Filipino workers. Once a suitable site is selected, VFM will purchase the land and the building supplies. Most of the labor for constructing the building is completed by the church members. Usually the blocks are individually hand made by them. Each year we hope to help four churches with land or buildings.
We have three different types of Leadership Training to train new church workers for ministry.
An important part of Leadership Training is a Bible College education. We still need a Bible College on Negros Island since we have about 90 churches presently and more are being started.
There are three different types of Leadership Training presently being encouraged in the Philippine churches!
First is the formal theological training at a Bible College of young people.
Previously, several students from Negros attended a Bible College in either Cebu or Manila. Both of these Bible Colleges speak a different language than Ilonggo which is spoken in most of our churches on Negros. Sadly, for the churches of Negros, students who studied in other languages and islands often do not return to minister on Negros Island. We need more students in Bible College from Negros and other islands of the Philippines!
Second is the training of church leaders and pastors, in weekly small groups, in a discussion based program. These materials are being prepared for leadership training and the program is often called “TEE” (Theological Education by Extension). VFM is translating several books (of a possible 15 books) of materials for use in the local church to train leaders. These TEE materials are presently being used very effectively in several other countries of the world and have been organized by Bob Sheffler. The materials are written as programmed learning materials and has weekly discussions led by a small group leader. The leader of the local church can learn much of the materials studied in Bible College while continuing to work and live in the local church. Most leaders of existing church have a family and job and can’t leave home for 4 years to attend Bible College. Some of the pastors use the “Train and Multiply” lesson materials for leadership training. These materials are available in three languages: English, Cebuano, and Ilonggo. The 63 lessons of teaching materials are designed to establish indigenous new churches by personal teaching and mentoring of teachable students.
Third style of training is to have a short seminar training of pastors and leaders of the local church. Many of the new churches have been started and led in the past ten years by men who have been in Leadership Training classes. This Leadership training is the key for starting new churches on Negros and the other islands in the central Philippines. Often, VFM helps with some of the expenses of seminars so that more leaders can continually be trained for church leadership.
All three styles of Leadership Training are needed. Only a few people can attend Bible College and most often they are young people. Married, employed individuals that accept Jesus, usually can’t leave their homes and jobs to attend Bible College but they need training in their local church. VFM encourages young people to attend Bible College when possible but the church must also train qualified Christian leaders for church leadership locally. With materials similar to those being used in the Bible College, leaders can be taught in the local church using TEE.
VFM seeks to encourage the workers to meet together monthly in pastors’ fellowship and working in unity with each other. Often VFM helps with medical assistance, food, transportation and various income-generating projects to help the pastors and workers. We desire to help pastors but not have workers dependent on VFM financially each month. The goal is to have indigenous churches and workers seeking to only follow the New Testament!
VFM is committed to helping the people and churches of Negros. VFM occasionally provides supplemental financial support to pastors starting out or experiencing financial hardship. VFM’s objective is to help a pastor establish a church and congregation in his community. VFM will then begin to reduce financial support as the local body assumes the stewardship responsibility of supporting their pastor. We desire that pastors be supported by the local church and be self supported with a livelihood program. VFM has helped create many different livelihood projects.
One of the biggest events in the summer is Vacation Bible School. Each year we encourage and help between 2,000 and 3,000 kids to have VBS. Also we hope many of the youth can experience a week at church camp. Usually about 400 kids are in summer camp each year in four locations. Thank you for supporting the work of VFM to encourage the youth and churches of the Philippines.