RRCP Sugnod - Getting Ready

My Dear Grace Chapel Partners,

Barangay Sugnod

We are getting ready to launch our 8th church, River Rock Church Philippines Sugnod. Sugnod, like many of our churches, is in a depressed area.  There are no other churches in Sugnod. There is a Catholic Church building, but only once a year the priest comes to hold a service.

The word Sugnod means pile of dead bodies. During WW2 many battles were fought here. After the battles, they piled the dead bodies and burned them. This city is currently an area of many beheadings. Because of this we had to get a permit from the city Malinao. The Mayor of Malinao is providing a police presence during our 2 night launch.

Planning Meeting

Two weeks ago we traveled more than 4 hours by motorcycle to reach Sugnod. There we had a planning meeting with Pastor Alagos mother-in-law who is donating land for the church. She is also willing to donate land for our new pastor and family to farm if he wants. They are eager to have a Christian church and pastor in their Barangay.

These last two days we were in Sugnod again securing our permit from the Mayor and talking with the Chief of Police. They are also excited about the many community programs we will bring. As you know our values are to change lives through Jesus Christ and transform communities by “being the Church”. That comes from our value DON’T JUST GO TO CHURCH – BE THE CHURCH. I talked to the Mayor about “being the church” to Sugnod. His response was “yes, you want to walk your faith not just talk it!” I could not have said it better!

Malinao Meyer

Pastor Alagos and I also finalized hiring Sugnod’s new pastor, Billy Aclo. We had been invited to start the new church in Sugnod several months ago. However, as we were getting ready, we discovered Pastor Billy was holding a Bible study in Sugnod already. His desire is to start a new church in Sugnod. As it turns out, Pastor Alagos and his wife Edna and Billy and his wife graduated from the same Bible School. They know each other well, and we have the same beliefs and values. More importantly, we are saved by the same Christ and belong to the same Church, Jesus Christ’s Church. Pastor Billy has an independent church in a neighboring Barangay that has been there for 6 years. Pastor Billy wants to join his church, Jesus Christ Worship Center, to RRCP. We will begin the process. In the meanwhile, we hired Billy to be the new pastor of RRCP Sugnod. It was Pastor Billy that secured the permits and meeting with the Mayor and Chief of Police. He is well known in the communities there and loved. WOW! We serve an awesome God! Our God always is in control.

This next Friday and Saturday evenings, September 28 & 29, we launch the Sugnod church with a concert crusade. We have hired a Jeepney that carries 30 people. The Jeepney will take people from our churches here to help with the crusade. They will go house to house Friday and Saturday. They will get the names and addresses of those who respond to the call for salvation and repentance. Pastor Billy and members of his church will follow up and start home Bible studies.

There are powerful strongholds that have kept the Church out of Sugnod!

•           WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS THAT OUR LORD WILL TEARDOWN THESE STRONGHOLDS!

•           PRAY THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS POWERFUL IN CONVICTING THEIR HEARTS AND LEADING THEM TO REPENTANCE.

•           PRAY THAT WE WILL ALL BE SAFE.

IN JESUS NAME!

Your partner,

Steve Bragg

Birth of the Franks/Mabasa Church

Franks/Mabasa Church

My Dear Grace Chapel Partners - River Rock Church Philippines

 

The Birth of this new church is different from the others. There was no church launch with a two day concert crusade like the others.

In the book of Acts, the Macedonia church was started with a call to come “help us”. The new Franks/Mabasa church was started the way.

Act 16:9  A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10  When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.



Dedicating the Land

Tabernacle of Praise, our second church, left the Barangay of Mabasa because of persecution. The congregation left the beautiful building and answered the call to be the Lord’s church. In order to stay in that building they would have to compromise their faith. They choose to stay faithful to our Lord. They acted in obedience and left a very beautiful building behind.

The only other way they could congregate to worship was to rent a building in a neighboring Barangay, Igbarawan. The Lord has honored their faith and the people of Igbarawan are blessed as well with Tabernacle of Praise to serve them.

But the Lord was not done with blessing their faith!

The people of Franks a Sitio a smaller neighborhood in Mabasa and the people of Mabasa felt a loss when Tabernacle of Praise left Mabasa. Even though, they were not regular attenders of Tabernacle of Praise or members at all, they missed the church there that served their community.



Church Building Laid

The Captains and Counsels of both Franks and Mabasa called a meeting with Pastor Alagos. They told him that if the church would return they would donate the land to build the church. The land was donated, even with the blessing of the Governor of Antique our province.

However, instead of Tabernacle of Praise returning we are building a new congregation and church building. The people of Franks/Mabasa started meeting in homes. Pastor Alagos and I hold a worship service there each week. There is a significant presence of our Lord there with each worship service.

Last week all the materials for the building were delivered. This last Sunday, September 8, 2012, we dedicated the land, and now the building is being built.

We service an awesome God.

 

Steven Ray Bragg

Pastor/Elder
River Rock Church
& Grace Chapel Ministries
Serving in Patnongon Antique Philippines

Email: steve.bragg123@gmail.com
Grace Chapel Blog: http://gracechapelministries.blogspot.com/
River Rock Church Philippines:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/RiverRockChurchPhilippines

A Twofold Blessing - Church Dedication & Church Launch
http://vimeo.com/48412990

My Story http://youtu.be/6C2DRT2vtjs

River Rock Church Philippines Slideshow http://youtube/GZP3GlIQTt0

Birth of RRC Esparar: http://vimeo.com/31760794

Documentary: First Four Churches http://vimeo.com/33566496

9 Days on the Island of Palawan *https://vimeo.com/45223189*<https://vimeo.com/45223189>

A Christmas Story Philippines 2011  http://youtu.be/ouw_OEiMc28

Encouragement: In the Lord Almighty’s Presence I Stand
http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=143527

Donations: http://www.river-rock.org/giving.html