By Gary Magpantay
Men members of the Jesus is Lord (JIL) Church Worldwide Central Operations trooped to the Gateway Suites in Cubao, Quezon City last August 4 for an afternoon of learning and sharing experiences on “manhood.” This Men’s Conference, called “Made to be Courageous,” was convened by the Young Adult Ministry (Y-AM).
JIL’s Central Operations cover Metro Manila and nearby provinces, Bulacan, Cavite and Laguna.
Conference speakers were men who have made an impact in their respective spheres of influence: Businessman Ace Aguilar, pastor Ed De Guzman and life coach Ian Barcelona.
Bro. Ace talked about financial stewardship. Men as “providers” should learn to be good stewards of God-given finances; not only learning to gain profit, but also learning the blessings of giving. “Live a simple life,” he emphasized. He also expressed his hope for the time to come when Christians would learn contentment and enjoyment with blessings just enough for them, and the excess, they would freely share with those in need.
Pastor Ed talked about the “Spiritual Leadership in Building a Family” where he emphasized to the men who attended that “As we build the foundations of the family, we build the foundations of a nation.”
Bro. Ian, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of working with excellence in the market place. He enumerated worthy examples of excellent men who enlightened and inspired young men. “Excellence starts with the mind. There is nothing impossible to those who believed!” he said.
The aim of the Conference was to build a solid foundation for the men of churches today so that they could be mobilized for God-centered communities. It was also aimed to equip young men in fulfilling the vision the Lord has for them as future fathers in this end-time generation.