Father, form a unity in Stillwaters that is stronger than death. Because that is the allegiance you deserve. May the world see Your amazing love through us! Amen.

        Square One is a leadership training camp. It’s designed to increase the capacities of participants in three ways:

• Retrace. Going back to our first love and growing sweeter in love with Jesus.
• Reconnect. Experiencing the beauty and power of unity as the body of Christ.
• Reveal. Moving with God as He glorifies Himself in a generation-wide impact.

        We promise to transfer the benefits of the camp to you as fully as possible. Especially to those who really wanted to come but couldn’t make it. (We’ll try to give live updates via our facebook/twitter. Look for melvinandflo.)

        Now, join us in prayer! Watch out for posts on October 24 and 25. There’ll be a prayer in each, please agree with us to God. I’ll post a bonus video for you too. These were the teasers made for the camp. Here’s the first one.

“Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.”
Psalm 97:2

Who compares to You Father? May every person who attends Square One catch a glimpse of Your glory. An encounter like that would change us forever. Amen.

        It was an amazing time for me in the Word. The passages I went through spoke directly to my attitude and issues. For Flo it was a very meaningful time of prayer. She shared how a sense of peace and dependence on God strengthened her. It’s great how God meets us individually and that the experience is never exactly the same.

        This house church is led by 6 leaders-in-training. Previous full-fledged leaders have either started a new HC, graduated or took a pause. It was a pleasant surprise to see these “newbies” take the evaluation to heart. They were brutally honest with one another, even if it meant that none of them would make it to full-fledged leadership. (None of them did.) There was a drive to learn; so as to achieve even more next semester.

        One example of this was Danielle. She egged her teammates on, telling them to hold back nothing in constructive criticism. Through tears she shared why she believed she ought to be a full-fledged leader. She wanted badly to serve her God in this way. But she didn’t want to bypass His standards. So she humbled herself and agreed with the team decision. She won’t be a full-fledged leader just yet, but guess what. She’s in Japan now (as an exchange student for a sem) and is eager to plant a student house church there.

        We don’t have to be discouraged when others give us pointers. These student leaders are already moving forward; it’s the happy process of maturity.

        I was out for a few days due to a bad case of hyperacidity. It was the first time Flo and I had to rush to the hospital! (For ourselves.) Doctor said it was stress and diet. The pain has subsided and no need for surgery. Flo was with me the whole time; it’s so good having a beautiful woman take care of me!

        Thanked her with a dinner date and a just-for-fun movie. I had 12 hours of nonstop pain, SO… please excuse me for posting the following cheesy photo.

        Leadership teams from the different house churches have been evaluating their first semester of the year. We’re excited to tell you about all the results. We’ll post on one house church a day over the next week.

        As an appetizer, let us show you how these evaluations go. There’s only one indicator that they are looking for: enjoyment of God. They evaluate each other based on how much enjoyment of God exists. Because we believe that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.

They break down that enjoyment into three factors (taken from 1 Timothy 3):

• The secret place: Does the student enjoy God when no one is looking?
• Inside the church: Does the student help those inside the church enjoy God?
• Outside the church: Does the student help those outside the church enjoy God?

Then they enforce a strict environment during this discussion: brutal honesty. This is done by adhering to 2 biblical principles.

• Purpose: We are not here by random chance. God appointed us as student leaders and we have a job to do. We will build up the church. Sugarcoating evaluations does not build up the church.
• Permanence: Our performance does not determine our worth. Therefore I can receive and give criticism with the confidence that, no matter what, I am of infinite value to God.

What happens next is a no-nonsense, clear and inspiring view of how God is at work in these house churches. Those stories are coming up next.

Photo

What is success in worshipping God through music?

        A simple and transferrable answer could help song leaders for generations. Their hope is to stop burnout among those who lead and also spark multiplying environments of meaningful worship for all house churches.

Here’s what Flo has to say about the time:

        “Through the discussion, the leaders are more confident in leading as well as tapping new p&w (praise and worship) leaders. Feedbacks from the students also show that the time helped them verbalize their thoughts on p&w; they havent been able to do this because they always get caught up with the technical stuff. ”

Here’s the simple answer that they came up with:

Success in worship through music is letting God use our talents to glorify Him by conveying His message to His people.

The leaders will also continue to discuss and shape this organic statement with other song leaders in Stillwaters.

Below is the geeky run down on our new hosting service.

- Dual Quad Core Xeon 5520
- 24 GB of DDR system RAM
- 4x300GB 10,000 RPM Raid-10
- 100 Mbps Ports
- 99.9% Guaranteed Uptime

And now, it’s time to post more God-stories!

        “I need tons of Bible knowledge before I truly become a mature Christian.” Have you ever thought that? I have. I used to think that a seminary degree would guarantee maturity! (And all the blessings that come with maturity.) Yet many “Bible experts” are angry, arrogant, unfruitful and unloving. How then do we receive the blessings of maturity?

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…
A doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
James 1:22, 25b.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
Psalm 111:10

        How simple it is! We practice it first AND THEN get a good understanding. It’s not the other way around. Here’s an example. Did you learn how to ride a bike by taking a written exam? You could very well master the concept of riding a bike, but are far from the simple joy of riding one.

        Kingdom culture celebrates obedience. Seminary degree not required. If you’re reading this post now, I sincerely ask you, as a friend, let’s create this powerful culture. Is there any way you haven’t been taking the kingdom seriously? Let’s work on it together. Let’s stop at nothing less than glorious, satisfying King’s Reign. Only then will our country have a chance.

Photo from TravelPod.com.

        Of the 10% above, how many will share their faith today? I’ll say 100. Today, 100 out of the 84.6 million people will get a clear and personal explanation of God’s free gift. 100 people! That’s great right? It is. But if only 100 people hear the Gospel everyday, then it will take 2317 years for everyone to hear. This is clearly not good enough.

        Do you want to see the King’s Reign in our country? Will the activities we are doing now lead to the kind of movement that will reach 84.6 million people? Let’s press the Father to make His kingdom come now. We must return to the biblical model for kingdom building. We must ruthlessly evaluate the activities that we do against the biblical models.

Photo of 72 provinces from http://www.philippinedomain.com/philippines_map.htm.

        We are taught to forcefully insist the Father to make the King reign in our area. Kingdom = King [‘s] Dom [inion]. He wouldn’t command us to ask Him for something and then shoot us down when we do ask. Ask. Do you want to see the King’s reign in your area?

Photo: http://narnia.wikia.com/index.php?title=Aslan&image=LWW-Artwork-Aslan-JPG

p.s. Let’s see if I can add Facebook/Twitter updates on the side!

        Father, please give Melvin power to devour and apply all that You will command him in Thailand. Give him provision as he raises the funds for airfare. Give him peace as this is the first time he’ll be apart from his lovely wife for two weeks. Thank You because we feel Your kingdom coming ever so closer.

Photo: T4T (training for trainers) is a book written by leaders in the movement I mentioned earlier. It will make you feel like you can start a movement too. It will certainly equip you for it.

        I stole this shot of PJ asking Tim for advice on how to teach a Bible study lesson. Tim is the head of the Wednesday house church. He met PJ last month and discipled him soon afterward.

        PJ is a freshman excited to make a difference for Jesus. He has already shared his faith and started Bible studies with fellow freshmen.

Thank you for the faith of these men Father! Multiply them by your power. Spread your fame in this generation. Amen.

        A Heyday house church guy will be preaching for the first time this week. I asked him why he wanted to preach. He said he loves it when the Bible confounds and challenges his assumptions… so he’d like to do the same for others. I was thrilled by the truth-obsession in this man.

        A Thursday house church guy is trying something new. He hopes to be helpful to an audience of non-believers. What I loved about preparing with him was his eagerness. First, he’s been asking around for feedback and tips. Second, exploring the context and details of his Bible passage got him all excited. (Great sign in a preacher.) Third, he’s doing all this with exams and requirements aplenty.

Thank You for these students Father. You know how much our generation needs such. Raise up students who will enjoy, display and obsess over Your truth. Because there is nothing like the words of the Living God. Amen.

Photo by: elizaIO

        Flo has been a campus missionary for nearly 7 years and so she knows when a contact is simply being polite; i.e. freshmen who attend Bible study because they’re too shy to say “no”. But this young professional she met tonight was quite different. This lady was not ashamed nor intimidated, asking very provocative (but relevant) questions. It was like a breath of fresh air for Flo.

        Aaah, conversation where no one needs to fake it. They’ll be meeting again next week.

Photo by: Herbi Ditl

        There are stories of yuppies sharing the Gospel with roommates, high school friends and office friends. We may be on to something. Feels like we’re learning a very good thing indeed.

Side note: Changed venue. Everyone seemed to have more fun over frozen yogurt today. Very yummy discussion.

        The first freshman refused to live as if God wasn’t there to care. He wanted a faith that banked on God to make real differences in life.

        The second freshman explained that the “big problems” he has faced so far have shaped him into a stronger person. Now I know that may sound like something from a cellphone text message. But he didn’t end with a presumptuous feel-good statement. He said: “Now ironically, my problem is the little things. Why in the world do the little problems upset me so much?”

        It was only recently that Tim connected these freshmen with the personal Jesus. And I’m learning from them already.

        You are clearly at work in these hearts Father. Bring a joyful wisdom that confounds the world; may these two be good soil and bear fruit!

Photo by: Santeri Kyröhonka

        The picnic worship services (see this post) that we’ve been having earned us a good many friends. We are still in happy communication with all of them. Yet we found that it’s very hard to have meaningful conversations on the football field. So we’ve made some changes to our gatherings:

• We now meet at a coffee shop
• “Gospel Transformation” discussion material is used
• It’s earlier in the day
• More seeker-friendly

        It has been very meaningful for us so far. AND the environment has allowed us to help each other in our personal ministries. There are some good stories of yuppies sharing their faith. More on that next time.

Two weeks ago, this student was in knots; he was worrying about the many academic requirements he had. He would go to school trembling everyday, because everyday his best efforts only got him partial results. But the strange thing was that every time, every class, the requirements would officially fizzle out or be modified for one reason or another. This left him repeatedly wondering what he was worrying about in the first place.

        And then something happened. (He calls this a “turning point” in his life.) At the end of that week, he hears a Stillwaters talk on Matthew 6. The phrase that struck him hard was: “Worry is a sin.” The events of the previous days amplified that message. So in his heart, he decided not to allow worry to rule his life. He decided to live as if a Sovereign God really did care about him. And you should see the smile on his face now.

Hearing him share the story is inspiring. There is a serious joy in his eyes when he says: “I want everybody to know this.”

But if God so clothes the grass of the field,
which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,
will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/travelguy/2447780758/

        Such regular multiplication is a good sign for Stillwaters as a whole. Just ask the new full-fledged house church leaders and the new batch of leaders-in-training. The send-off worship service yesterday was full of passionate testimonies.

Father! An awesome work you have done in the hearts of these students. These spiritual families meet a desperate need in my generation. Thank You. And knowing You, there’s more to come. Take us there. Amen.

Photo by Nigel Chatfield: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boxley/2482742958/

If you haven’t yet, follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/melvinandflo) or on Twitter (www.twitter.com/melvinandflo). That way, you receive God-stories as they happen. Here’s a sampling:


And now, God-junkies rejoice! The Building Households of God blog will be once again updated on a regular basis. We start tomorrow, so stay tuned!

p.s. You might even get the bonus of NEW blogs from our new staff.

These are the leaders of Stillwaters from the 4 different student house churches. Not included in this photo are the many other wonderful people that they lead. The stage is set for a radical Gospel-movement in this generation.

These student leaders gathered the other day for a briefing that was greatly encouraging. They exchanged stories of how God transformed lives in their house church; revisited the main distinctives and identity of Stillwaters; and together dreamt of what God could do this coming school year and beyond

Feedback from those who attended reveal a stirring of the Spirit. Responses include:

• A trembling because of the great trust God has given
• The satisfied thrill of seeing (and not only hearing of) God alive in other house churches
• Tender affections for “cousins” during break/fun times
• A seasoned missionary commented that there was enough power in the room to see Stillwaters grow to 10 house churches and 600 members by the end of the year.

Stillwaters would never have made it this far without You, Father. You maneuvered ten thousand factors without breaking a sweat. What a joy to see Your power! So now expand Stillwaters, Your church, at a rate explainable only by Divine intervention. Amen.

Here’s another reason why tomorrow’s briefing is special. The event is funded entirely by Stillwaters alumni. Together we’re learning that church isn’t just a “college thing”. I salute you graduates!

He was moving through our exposition-exgesis-homiletics method much faster than before. There was comprehension of the passage and skill to connect it with the present audience. It’s beginning to be second nature to him. I have a feeling that the other student preachers are likewise getting the hang of this.

And so an exciting thought came to mind. With new house churches being planted, why not let students train the next preachers?

Haha! Why not! Right, Father? Full-time missionaries like me don’t have monopoly on Your Spirit or Your Word. Let then a new breed of preacher-prophets reproduce themselves in this generation. Fiercely faithful to the Bible. Powerful models of enjoying the Living God. Amen!

Photo by Eric P. Olson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mac_girl/1808548002/

I have a feeling that this upcoming one might be even better.

• The pool of (confirmed) student leaders has increased to 28.
• Many who were leaders-in-training before and will be attending as full-fledged leaders now.
• There are now 4 house churches.
• We have new volunteer staff.

Here we are Father! So happy to be part of Your kingdom. Gather us under Your wing. Feed us with Your word. Empower us to do Your will. Take Stillwaters to exhilarating heights as You lead the leaders. Amen.

Photo by Jenna Langer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennalanger/5055846466/

…Jesus has risen from the dead bodily, not just spiritually. Some are willing to talk about the resurrection as a symbol of Jesus’ ongoing influence or his spirit alive in the world or his soul returning to God. That is not John’s point. The body was not there. He had risen bodily. In fact, one of the most striking and stubborn historical facts is that the enemies of Jesus and of Christianity in those first days and weeks and months in Jerusalem could not produce the body. That would have ended the whole thing. There was no dead body, because Jesus was raised bodily.

…The point of saying the linen cloths were there, and even mentioning the cloth that was bound around his face, is probably to show how this resurrection was different from Lazarus’ resurrection… People had to help Lazarus out of the linen strips and face covering… Jesus’ body is different. He simply passed through those grave cloths the way he passed through doors in John 20:19 and 26…

…Jesus “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” This is not a UFO, or irrelevant life on another galaxy. This is what will happen when God judges the world by a man, Jesus Christ.

If you belong to him by faith in him, you will receive a body like his, which will be suited to see him and enjoy him and enter finally into the new heavens and the new earth where you will spend eternity admiring God in all that he has made. And this world that we love so much, compared to that one, will be like a candle compared to the sun.

(View full article here: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/i-have-seen-the-lord.)
By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org
Painting by Ricky Trione http://www.flickr.com/photos/25412288@N04/3645269400/

I love how some of the stations play with your mind. I wonder what they’ll do this year. Definitely checking it out.

Have a rejuvenating vacation everyone!

(Click the picture above for more info.)

The UP commencement exercises today included a number of Stillwaters students. So their siblings from the different house churches set up a simple celebration afterward. Awesome thing is that they took the initiative to do this; the staff didn’t push them. I see a genuine happy-for-you attitude which makes me even more proud to be Stillwaters. Can you imagine the power if they keep up this attitude for the next twenty years?

I was refreshed to learn of two guys with a friendship that seeks God. These two students long to know the excellencies of Christ. And when they catch a glimpse of that excellence, they get loud. Pumping up the Christian rock and having a mini-concert in their car is something they do. It’s funny. And awesome.

I love how these guys are crazy for You, Father. May Your Word root deeply in their hearts. So that they may bear the same fruit in any season; even in seasons of testing. We really enjoy You for being infinitely wonderful. Thanks. Amen.

Concert photo taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flattop341/4116871601/

It’s our calling. Logo-fied.

• Is it a house? Is it an arrow? It’s both. Our life’s work is to multiply communities that are unmistakable signs of God’s presence.
• The house is much bigger than the M and F. Flo and I long to be part of something unstoppable and bigger than ourselves.
• A safe and authentic environment is communicated by the color orange and the rounded corners.
• The font of the M and F displays the grace by which God has made us stand firm.

This logo reminds me of our calling and mission. There were a few times that I just stared at it… and smiled. Why am I sharing this with you, dear reader? Because you too, in your own way, are building households of God.

p.s. Much thanks to our friend Mikka Lagrimas! A student leader and fellow household builder, she made the logo with love.

You see, building house churches involves tapping new student leaders-in-training. For the past several days, Flo and I have been accompanying existing leaders to invite their prospective students. As of today we’ve talked with almost all of the prospects.

Now for the delightful surprise. The excitement that existing leaders feel is not theirs alone. The same gusto came from the members Flo and I spoke with. Most of them eagerly decided, on-the-spot, to help lead their respective house churches.

The coming school year may be more powerful than I think.

But it was more inspiring than heartwarming. Each of the students there had a story to tell about the semester that had passed. They had developed more than just surface-level friendships this school year. Isn’t that what my generation longs for and desperately needs? More people with the ability to develop meaningful and lasting relationships. God has graciously blessed us with just that.

Here are some of them taking time out to thank Jesus.

Stillwaters wanted to attend Trizia’s debut. In this picture, the Thursday house church celebrates with gusto. They were the life of the party, working creative and simple gimmicks with Trizia.

That was the other day. I was proud to be Stillwaters that day. Yes, it was great having crazy, healthy fun. But also, I felt a connection among us that will outlast college.

Tim (March 8, 2011):

Pat (March 15, 2011):

Full sermons at http://www.youtube.com/user/stillwatershc.

It was exciting. Especially since we saw it in every house church. We’re definitely going to ask some students tell you about it. Watch out for a post in the next few days.

My personal highlight was sharing our thoughts on the message in small groups. Paola, a freshman and a new believer (she started attending Bible studies with Toni this 2nd sem.), realized by God’s love how blessed she is especially with her mom. She could not stop expressing her excitement and gratitude for helping her realize how God is loving her through her family. This is special for me because my usual interactions with Paola were random jokes or friendly silliness. It’s been a blessing to deepen my relationship with her through a deeper knowledge of how God is loving us. And isn’t this our hope? Students from the top universities in our country being transformed by the love of God.

On our way out after the service, new members of the house church were requesting songs they would like to sing next week. There is an eagerness to worship.

The Bible talks about being of “one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel”. That was very tangible to me yesterday. Dedication was clear as every student participated in evaluating one another. There’s a lot more to this story; I’ll see if I can get a student or two to describe their experience here on the website.

Also, we made a lot of new friends again. Apparently they’re like us, people going to the sunken garden for pick-up games. They’re usually much better than us, but they’re still fun to play with. This is the second time we’ve played with some of them.

A small step for better friendships in my generation.