The new mission landscape may be most difficult for the ministry’s school-based program since it has always been linked as the ministry’s mission presence within the schools or campuses. So what happens now that physical school presence is no longer available? This has been a dreaded question for the team of full-time missionaries, mission volunteers, youth heads and couple coordinators of YFC Campus Based when the quarantine started. It is already challenging enough to empower these programs back when physical mission gatherings and activities were still allowed what more now that everything is already in virtual.
One with the ministry’s battle cry that the mission still continues, International Program Coordinator Mac Quinto first ensured that he will be working with a team that can reach not just Manila but the Philippine provinces and International countries as well. Towards the completion of the Think Tank, the team decided to start holding live session and workshop premieres via facebook and still marry the pastoral theme they formulated for the whole academic year.
Above and Beyond was inspired by the verse Luke 5:4-6 “After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.”. This made perfect sense for the program to rise above the hindrances brought about by doing mission online. So last May 10, 2020 at 6pm Mac Quinto officially opened the first ever International Campus Tour Online, orienting the digital world about what the Campus Tour is and how we will continue to be Above and Beyond. In the next four Fridays, different sessions and workshops was premiered to put to life the four cardinal virtues. First of the four is Fortitude which was given life through the Passion Pass It On campaign where Gerald Manapsal, the International Program Coordinator of High School Based shared his passion and expertise on creating PowerPoint presentation. The next virtue is Temperance and it was put to light through the virtue of chastity as explained in the context of Theology of the Body and this very fun session was given by Nica Katigbak, a member of Singles for Christ and an advocate of the Theology of the Body. A very timely topic on the #Kristogram Campaign was given by OJ Rivera, a Full Time Pastoral Worker from Canada to give a better understanding on the virtue of Prudence. Finally, completing the four virtues is Justice, where Alvin Genese the Region Coordinator of Southern Tagalog Region gave his insights on Financial Stewardship.
The four weeks of inspiring sessions and workshops were concluded through an International Prayer Assembly via zoom. But in the realm of going Above and Beyond, the program team of the culminating activity created a two-part special event. The first part was broadcasted live via facebook where different performances from different areas were showcased. A tribute segment was also given for all the YFC Campus Based who graduated this academic year. After the live broadcast, the participants were redirected to a more intimate gathering in the zoom Prayer Assembly. Inspiring stories and sharing were witnessed by the whole team and all was a grace filled moment of basking on to God’s generosity through this community.
Challenging as it may seem, this activity was proof to the fact that there is nothing God cannot do as towards the end of the activity, online insights recorded that the activity reached 10,000+ viewership, a significantly wide reach for a program that struggled in numbers. Indeed, nothing and no one can stop us from going Above and Beyond this mission. At your command Lord, we will lower down the nets!
