These are all Victory members lined up
at the SM Megamall TicketNet booth

Want to know how it happened? Click here to find out.

Over 400 teachers gathered at the
Every Nation Building for the Educators' Assembly

It takes a lot of skill, diligence, and heart to be a teacher. The role that teachers play in the lives of young people is crucial. Congressman Ruffy Biazon, addressing over 400 teachers at the Educators' Assembly last May 6, put it this way: “You, educators, are the builders of the nation’s future.” Explaining why, he said, “The classroom is where we will shape the mind and character of the next generation.” Beyond knowledge and skill, what the nation needs is a generation of leaders with integrity and character. Thus, beyond the lectures, tests, and assignments, what we need are teachers who reach into the hearts of young people.

Pastor Nixon Ng talks about making an impact
in the lives of studentsPastor Nixon Ng, formerly a professor at De La Salle University, encouraged the teachers with a message entitled, “iTeach.” In the midst of changing times that introduce new methods and tools for teaching, the role of the teacher remains unchanged. Here are his three points on how to make a significant impact in the lives of students:

1. iReach – Reach beyond competence to character.

2. iTouch – Touch not just the head but the heart.

3. iEach – What you can’t do for everyone, you can do for someone.

Teachers spend so much time and energy to make lesson plans, amplify their voices class after class, check assignments and test papers, and sometimes go out of their way to help students. It seems like a 24/7 job. Yet many are unthanked. Last week’s Educators’ Assembly aimed to appreciate, give tribute to, and inspire these teachers. Aside from the encouraging messages, food, and simple gift, teachers were also presented with a video of students who were touched by their service and devotion. Check out the video below!

School of Church Planting
  Church leaders in this program are equipped with the necessary leadership and ministry skills to plant a church. Here, they learn basic principles and processes of church planting, as well as practical skills such as strategic planning and team building. They are also given opportunities to receive training, mentoring, and impartation from our pastors with church planting experiences. Last year, two batches with a total of nineteen students were equipped through our School of Church Planting.

School of Local Church Ministry                The goal of the School of Local Church Ministry is to raise ministers who can serve effectively in the different ministries of a growing church. This includes associate pastors, pastoral and administrative staff, and leaders of specialized ministries. Some subjects in their curriculum include the theology of ministry, crucial issues in ministry, basic church administration and management, and other topics to help them become more effective in their ministries. The School of Local Church Ministry started its first run last August 5. The fifteen students of our first batch graduated last October 6.  

School of World Missions
The School of World Missions is where we train future missionaries who are capable of adapting to and engaging any given culture to effectively evangelize, disciple, plant churches and raise up local leaders. Formerly a ten-month program, the school has revised its curriculum. Students now undergo a five-month program, which includes topics that talk about culture, strategy, and an overview of the missionary life. The first batch, which included students from different parts of the globe, went through the new curriculum from October last year to March of this year. We believe that these twenty cross-cultural workers will be a blessing to nations in Asia, Africa, and North America as they go to their respective mission fields.

ENLI is committed to raising a new generation of leaders. We look forward to this school year as we see more people getting trained and equipped for the purpose that God has for their lives. For those of you who have a heart for the ministry, you may talk to your small group leader or local church ministers for more information.

Below are some highlights of the event.

Check the gallery below for photos of Victory Metro East's first Sunday gathering last March 8.

Topics included in the new One2One are:

• Salvation
• Lordship
• Repentance
• Baptism
• The Bible and Prayer
• The Church

For those of you who’ve been wanting to share your faith with your friends or loved ones, we believe that this is a good opportunity for you to do so. With a more compact One2One, it will be easier for you to help them know more about Jesus, follow Him, and build genuine relationships through personal follow-up and discipleship.

The new One2One is now available at the different Victory resource centers and book tables.  Also, watch out for the Filipino and campus editions.

Do your children listen to Barney, Dora, or Spongebob more than they listen to you? One of the biggest challenges parents face is the responsibility of disciplining their children. How is it to be done? Should you spank them? Ask them to stand in the corner? Deprive them of their favorite dessert?

The Little Handbook on Loving Correction by Larry Tomczak talks about how to raise happy, obedient, and respectful children by following biblical principles on love and discipline. The handbook serves as a guide for parents as it tackles the foundation of correction and gives practical guidelines on how it should be done. Here, the author also shares his own experiences with his children and illustrates how to handle common situations that many parents encounter.

This book is a timely tool for parents as kids of this generation grow up in a world where many things try to catch their attention. It is crucial that parents work on strengthening their relationships with their children, building them up in love, and training them in character.

If you are a parent, we encourage you to get a copy of the The Little Handbook on Loving Correction, available at our different Victory resource centers or you can ask your local church admin on how to get your own copy.

One of the weekly Sunday gatherings at Victory Pioneer

Young women in a small group meeting

Campus Ministry
Having been birthed out of a campus outreach, our church has always been passionate about reaching young people. Our youth services across the nation accommodate students from 233 campuses. Today, 6,512 young men and women attend the weekly youth gatherings in different Victory churches, 3,112 of them go to our provincial centers. Almost all of these young people are already plugged into small groups, being prepared for leadership, integrity, faith, and excellence.

Schools of Ministry
For several years, the School of World Missions has equipped our pastors and missionaries with its ten-month training program. Last year, the school was split into four specialized three-month courses:

* The School of Campus Ministry
* The School of Church Planting
* The School of World Missions, and
* The School of Local Church Ministry

This new step makes the graduate programs more focused and accessible to those whom God has called to serve in the ministry.


Medical assistance for cyclone victims in Myanmar Missions
As we are called to reach every nation in our generation, year 2008 has been a fruitful one for our mission efforts. Last May, members from our church gave generously for the flood victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River Delta. This opened doors for us to be a blessing to the nation of Myanmar. In Southeast Asia, there are now only three more nations where we have yet to plant an Every Nation church. We believe that it’s only matter of time before this would come to pass. Through our prayers and giving, our World Partners program now supports forty-six missionaries worldwide.

Real Life Foundation
We are happy to announce that the Real LIFE Foundation has already been accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC). This means that every amount donated to the foundation is now tax deductible. And just recently, the “Race for Life” fun run was held to raise more funds.

In the past year, sixteen scholars graduated through the support of the Real Life Foundation. The foundation currently supports more than 100 high school and college students from Pasig, Makati, Quezon City, and Laoag. And through its life-coaching program, the goal is not just to produce university graduates, but to produce young men and women of good character and influence.


Today, we are even more excited to see how God will move in the lives of people in the coming years. As we enter into a new season this 2009, we look forward to see more hearts changed and leaders raised in the campuses, in the entire Philippines, and in more nations in the world.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Psalm 150:6

Read: Psalm 66 • Psalm 96 • Psalm 103 • Psalm 145 • Psalm 150

It is appropriate to end our journey through the Book of Psalms with its last verse. What is the psalmist’s final exhortation? "Praise the Lord." He concludes that everything that has breath is called to give God praise—speak of His awesome power and tell of His wonderful deeds. And while many people say "praise God" often, so few actually understand the purpose of praise and exemplify this lifestyle of joyful celebration.

We need to start taking praise more seriously. Scripture encourages, even commands us to bless the Lord. Are you in a situation that is not really worth celebrating? Rejoice because God will give you a new song to sing. Dealing with sorrow and pain? Celebrate that He turns your mourning into dancing. Feeling down and defeated? Command your soul to put its hope in God and bless Him. When we choose to give God praise, our eyes are opened to God’s reign over our situation and we experience His presence in greater measure. His joy becomes our strength and those around us will see His glory through our lives. Our great God is always worthy of our praise.

Reflection:

1. According to Psalm 103:1-5, what benefits of God are we not to forget?
2. What verbs did the psalmist use when they described the act of praising God? What is the relationship between a heart of praise and its outward expression?

Application:

• Write down your own list of blessings you have recently experienced from God. Praise God for His faithfulness, greatness, and power in your life.
• How can you practically develop a lifestyle of joyful celebration? Pray for a greater understanding about the power of praise.

¹Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. . . . ²¹I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

Psalm 118:1, 21

Read: Psalm 30 • Psalm 107 • Psalm 116 • Psalm 118 • Psalm 136

There is always a reason to be grateful. Yet so often we tend to be like the nine lepers in Luke 17. Jesus pointed out that only one out of the ten took the time to thank Him for the healing, indicating the fact that He noticed their lack of appreciation. The Bible teaches that a lifestyle of gratitude is expected of every believer. Even in trying times, we should be able to give God thanks and praise.

The psalmist cultivated a thankful heart by taking the time to understand who God is and acknowledging all that God has already done. When we practice this same principle, our thankfulness will no longer be limited to moments in life when everything is going well. Think about it. Our God is a good God. He is faithful to His Word. We have seen it before. We know we will see His goodness again. So today, let us choose to give thanks.

Reflection:

1. Study Psalm 107. What was the turning point in each situation? What did God do in response? What was the psalmist’s concluding advice?
2. What did the psalmist in Psalm 116:12-19 decide to do as a response to God’s goodness in his life?

Application:

• Read Psalm 30:11,12. Has God done something similar in your life? Thank God for His loving kindness and share your story with a friend.
• Do you find yourself grumble and complain more than thanking God? Ask God to create a grateful heart in you. Thank Him daily for His faithfulness.

I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 16:8

Read: Psalm 16 • Psalm 18 • Psalm 40 • Psalm 46 • Psalm 91

Jesus once said, "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33). Though not a very exciting idea to think about, it would do us well to heed its truth. The issue has never been if storms will come because they will. Our attention should be on how we respond when they arrive. And, contrary to popular belief, a storm does not make a house stronger; it only reveals the strength already there.

The determining factor is the foundation that it was built on. Even in the midst of great trials, we can remain confident and unfazed when we choose to make God our foundation. When we turn to other options, we end up standing on shifting sands. Like the psalmist, we can trust that no matter how strong the winds and regardless of how long the storm lasts, those who choose to make the Most High their dwelling can be assured of an overcoming and storm-proof life.

Reflection:

1. Read Psalm 46:1-3. What was the psalmist's basis for declaring that he will not fear? What situations could he face boldly with God?
2. In Psalm 91:9-13, what benefits did those who take refuge in God experience? How does one make God his dwelling?

Application:

• List down the reasons the psalmist gave for loving God in Psalm 18. Ask a friend to pray with you for a greater revelation of who God is.
• When facing a storm, do you base your confidence in God? If not, decide to put your trust in God today. Share this decision with your prayer partner.

¹Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. ²I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.

Psalm 69:1,2

Read: Psalm 61 • Psalm 69 • Psalm 77 • Psalm 142 • Psalm 143

Have you ever seen a person drowning? With arms and legs flailing, a person drowning does everything in his power to keep himself from sinking. His struggle, however, keeps him from being rescued by a lifeguard. He has to stop panicking before he can be helped. The same is true in life. When circumstances become so overwhelming that it feels like a flood, what is our typical response? We let worry grip us and fear push us around. We start panicking and struggling in our efforts to keep afloat.

The psalmist had a better option. He knew that only God has the power to lift him up and carry him through his trial. He chose to grab on to God and depend on Him for divine help. God often allows crisis to happen in our lives to wake us up to our desperate need for Christ. When these times come, we can choose to panic and try to save ourselves or we can be still and let our Lifeguard take charge.

Reflection:

1. Take note of the comment in the beginning of Psalm 142. Notice the boldness David had in petitioning God. Have there been times when you have felt caved up and at a dead end?
2. According to Psalm 77:10-12, what helped change the psalmist's attitude and perspective?

Application:

• Are you at a point of desperation in your life? In what area? Pray Psalm 61:2 over your life.
• Read Psalm 143:15 and meditate on what God has done for you in the past. List them down and share them with a friend.

. . . Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.

Psalm 112:1

Read: Psalm 1 • Psalm 37 • Psalm 49 • Psalm 112 • Psalm 128

We always have a choice. It is one of God's greatest gifts. Never believe the lie that says we do not have a choice. We do. We always do. Think about it, regardless of how complicated the details surrounding life gets, it always boils down to choice.

The two trees in the center of the Garden of Eden presented Adam and Eve with two options. And as we learned from them, we know that the path we choose makes a world of difference. One leads to life, the other away from it. One results in blessing, the other does not.

Over and over in the Psalms, the psalmist appeals for us to take the superior option which is God's way. But the decision is ultimately ours. May we heed the psalmist's advice and choose wisely.

Reflection:

1. In Psalm 1:3-5, how did the psalmist describe the difference between a blessed and wicked man?
2. What does it mean to "fear the Lord"? According to Psalms 112 and 128, what blessings does a person who fears the Lord receive?

Application:

• Are you facing a major decision? Ask for God's wisdom for your situation and prayerfully seek godly advice from those around you.
• Have you made wrong decisions in the past? Ask your prayer partner to pray with you for God's wisdom and grace to make things right.