Well, all 93 of us, graduated last Saturday …quite a bit, but miniscule compared to the 650 and 700+ who graduated from the first and second batch in Manila, respectively (gosh that’s more than our whole congregation). Nonetheless, it’s still a good group and it makes me so glad to see such a number of people—many of them running circles around me spiritually—so dedicated to growing in the Lord and serving him. Not surprisingly, I didn’t win any honors and I’m likely wallowing somewhere at the bottom of the class.
Well, at least I graduated.
I don’t have much time to blog about it, but I’ll let my 3-minute testimony (a requirement for graduation) and the pictures tell the story. Kudos once again to CCF and to my fellow graduates. But let’s not forget that this is not an undertaking so that we can get extra privileges or bragging rights. This whole program serves as the final nail on our crosses, signifying that we are ready and willing to follow Him wherever He may lead us. As Isaiah said in the book that bears his name, “Here am I. Send me!” (Is. 6:8)
Here’s my testimony. Enjoy.
Carlo Manuel P. Alado August 9, 2010 GLC 3-minute testimony
It’s difficult to put my GLC experience into words, because it was one great rollercoaster ride that allowed me to experience a smorgasbord of emotions, from great joy to great sadness, great anticipation to great exasperation, great seriousness to great silliness, great times of inspiration to great times of challenge. It’s this wide range of emotions that would make the rest of this piece seem very random. My apologies, but there is just so many thoughts swimming in my head, and each one so different from the other. But overall, it was a very positive experience and easily one of the milestones in my Christian walk.
Firstly, I am just awed by how wonderful God is in His allowing me to be a part of such a fantastic program. One, he allowed me and my family to be a part of such a wonderful church that puts so much effort and emphasis in disciple-making and equipping. I’ve never been happier to have stumbled into CCF-CDO a decade ago than I am now. Secondly, I very nearly failed to be a student of this program. Workload was high and finances were low, and, even though I really wanted to join, I was already resigned to the fact that this would not be my year. But lo and behold, a benefactor enrolled me without my knowledge, and here I am, writing this testimony. God is good.
Secondly, it is obvious how this program has impacted its students. My mom noticed how different the students were after only a few weeks into the program. Generally, they were more excited about doing God’s work and seem more confident about life in general. Indeed, the GLC program is very holistic, greatly equipping us not only in spiritual principles and Biblical knowledge, but also when it comes to parenting, financial stewardship, health, and, most importantly, in making disciples.
We truly learned so much. The course was a gold mine for all of us. My favorite topics where I learned new information were: Making Disciples 3, for teaching me how to do counseling and mentoring; Personal Development, which strongly taught us how important it is to be not only spiritually healthy, but physically, mentally, and relationally healthy as well; and Apologetics 1, which taught us how to relate to those who do not share our Christian views.
There were also sessions that made me squirm in my seat. The Family Life topic is an example, as it made me realize how much I still need to improve as a genuinely Christian husband and father. Another was Biblical Stewardship, which challenged me to be a better steward of my money, my time, and my talents. Don’t think that since I squirmed in my seat, the experience was negative. Even these experiences were very positive, because they exposed blind spots and showed us what was wrong, even when we didn’t realize that something was amiss.
With that said, I couldn’t recommend the GLC program highly enough. Sure, it was quite a mad scramble to get things done on time; but I’m sure all 93 of us are better Christians, better leaders, and better people after these past 10 months. Even better, the upcoming batch will have a newer and better curriculum than what we have had, which is actually quite enviable. God is truly moving mightily in our midst, and I pray that more people will join Him in His work.
It’s amazing that we have 93 newly minted leaders of our local church. I can just imagine the fruitful growth that CCF-CDO will have thanks to the efforts of these excited, dedicated, and, thanks to this course, equipped people. All these new speakers, d-group leaders, mentors, councilors, ministry heads…wow, just the thought of it makes me want to greatly rejoice. May all of us truly carry out CCF’s slogan, which is “To make Christ-Committed Followers, who will make Christ-Committed Followers, who will make Christ-Committed Followers…”
One of the great mentors in my life, my D-12 leader, Dr. Allan Melicor
To see all the pics of the graduation rites. Click here. The new batch will start next month. Already, in my d-group, my wife has enrolled, as well as another couple very close to us. If you also worship in our church, I strongly suggest you invest in the GLC. You will never be the same person again.
