January 2023 Newsletter
Permission given and received in the Philippines.
This month we would like to highlight a ministry in the Philippines whom TDC Founder Gary Goodell connected with 17 years ago.
This month we would like to highlight a ministry in the Philippines whom TDC Founder Gary Goodell connected with 17 years ago. This brother, ordained leader, Molong Nacua in Cebu tells his version of what he was already doing for many years in the Philippines and how grateful he was to having Gary come and share liberating ways to do ministry in his community. Molong is not just a house church planter. He is a missionary to the poor, the elderly and the vulnerable. He has a huge heart and a lot of zealous passion for reaching those around him for Christ. We are honored to provide support to his mission and would really love for you to consider making a special gift to him as he starts 2023 caring for the less fortunate. Keep in mind he does this work boots on the ground from his own home in an area often burdened by resource shortages, limited health care and frequent destruction from typhoons and tropical storms - all in a Third World system that does not make it simple.
A Brother, a Friend, a Mentor, a Father-figure and a Grandpa...
It was on my early years of doing simple/house church that Gary and I started connecting (2006-Nov). Those years I thought I was all alone and you know how friendship starts by saying to each other “Ah, you’re crazy too, I’m not alone!”
The excitement of knowing that this man, a prolific writer, an experienced pastor and simple church practitioner, will come visit an Asian guy? And guess what? He sleeps in our tiny house with a tiny-tiny room size 10x13 feet. At least he’s a single sardine in an air-con can.
I can say that my early years of doing house-church is like “honey, I shrunk the church” style. No difference than Institutional churches offers. Only mine has more pastors and leaders. We started 13 small churches on our first year. From then on the numbers goes up and down for over 8 years. In the middle of that years Gary steps in. And I am just like a student with all ears. And until now from time to time when friends who venture in this new kind of stuff I always quote Gary’s insights of meetings, relationships, leaderships, and church ways.
When I first found his book “Permission Granted: to do church different in the 21st century” it’s a sigh of relief. I am grateful that someone confirmed what my heart and mind wanted to do regarding changes of how to do church. In my country doing religious stuff if we saw you do the same thing the second or third time we ought to follow them through. If we are so used enough and abruptly stop we feel guilty. It’s like stopping a Sunday-school program one Sunday or sing only praise songs is not gonna work. We feel that we have sinned against the Lord. As Gary himself would put it “we are so into human-doing that we forgot we are human-being.”
So here comes Gary, not as a CEO of his organization Third Day Churches, but as a CDO - chief destructive officer by putting an end to everything I started but not abruptly, he didn’t condemned me as well. Honestly, he didn’t even look where are all these “house churches” I claimed when he came. And I was glad or else I need to buy sacks of rice bribing them all to come. This is true, in my country people needed something to come and get it. Either a free meals, free books, free registration and who knows what else? It is Gary who helped change the way I summon leaders. He said “whenever I invite leaders to a conference I only give infos about the venue and fees. That’s all. Because if they claim to be leaders then they can find their way in.” Really, another sigh of relief for me. Imagine, as a ‘half of my country coordinator’ and later a vice-chairman coordinator of Philippine Housechurch Movement, flying 16 times a month around, inviting leaders to join our conferences, seminars and summits with free meals and books - finally it has to stop! Well, I did finally stop everything when Gary started coming in my country.
Gary visited around three times here. We did do some conferences and seminars gathering leaders around. We flew many many times together around my country. Visited many many cities and sat down with leaders and common people in a family way. That’s the best part always and Gary is better at it. He speaks with many audiences, one time with over thousands of students (you can search in YouTube: Gary Goodell Mindanao MSU students) and he said ending his sermon “alright, I’m done.” I overheard him saying to himself “I feel and do better sitting down with smaller groups” of which I totally agree. By this time hearing Gary talks to himself I decided to stop doing large meetings as well. You can let many people hear you talk on large gatherings but you can only impact deeper in the hearts of people in a small group setting - with cookies and coffees of course.
Many large gatherings we did with Gary, yes he let me speak as well, that’s the good part for me too. The fathering aspect I see in him is that he gives permission to everyone to speak. Not audibly but by his presence mostly. Specially in a small group gatherings at Jollibee, McDonald’s, hotel rooms, hotel lobby’s, a food streets side walks, at someone’s kitchen, while walking, sitting, eating, drinking. The relational family meetings are everywhere. He said it himself “families don’t do meetings, they just meet a lot” and “you want to be family? Stop doing meetings.”
Gary has ministered to thousands of young people, one speaking engagements alone he speaks to around 3,000. We went to Cagayan de Oro, Dipolog, Zamboanga, Pagadian, Iligan, Bukidnon, Butuan, Davao, Kabasalan, Cotabato, Panabo, Tagum, Bukidnon. Valencia, Marawi, Koronadal - this is only Mindanao part. My country is divided into three region: Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao. We also roam around Visayas Region.
We had more family like meetings with leaders than large conferences like we did. Saying that, I mean we don’t just travel the two of us together but most of the time the leaders we are meeting with, they travel with us to their own cities and towns and let us meet with their own people. Sat down with them and ate with them - from house to house, from hotel to hotel, from jolibee’s to jolibee’s, from coffee shops to coffee shops and from park to park.
I just had a chat with those people whom Gary has had some impacts on their lives and they’re asking “Is he coming back?” Below is from one of those friends around who benefit from Gary’s presence:
Gary's presence was notably unforgettable. We were with him on September of 2010 in the Philippines. You can easily feel comfortable with him and, funny at times. He was like a father to us during our trips.. of course a teacher, and out of the box depth of spiritual understanding. I guess it's because of his long time experience as a Church pastor but most importantly his experience with God in his life. I hope one day we'll have reunion with him and the guys with him at that time.
Grateful for Gary’s presence in my country assisting the work of the Holy Spirit around. Oh, how I miss that guy!
Recently Molong told me of the many rebuild projects
they had to do after the destruction of the recent typhoons.
Even though his own property and ministry base was affected he also reached out and helped among the community. Also just last week 4 of the children in the community were taken to the hospital with high fevers. Potentially dengue fever. And then just this weekend one of the widows was taken to emergency after suffering a heart attack. There are many needs that we can help meet with your help. Everyone can't go physically like Gary did (nor get to sleep in a house on stilts under mosquito net) but your support can help our brother who is already there helping. You can click the donate tab below and memo for missions in the Philippines. And Thank You!!
TDC Ordained leaders: Stay tuned for important updates for 2023 and drop us a quick hello from your part of the world.