A Talk on Menopause and Andropause

In our desire to strengthen the marriages in our church, we have invited Dr. Demie O. Tidon M.D., to speak on the subjects of Menopause (for women) and Andropause (for men). Two biological and socio-psychological phenomena that have been wreaking havoc on marriages and families. Dr. Tidon's talk came as a revelation to many of our couples. After the four-hour event and all their learnings, our couples feel that they are now better prepared to confront these issues. We started at 6:30 p.m. and ended at around 10:45 p.m.

(More couples could have come but they were prevented from doing so because of the terribly heavy traffic in the city caused by the annual tourist event Dinagyang.)

Our Project Goals for 2010

The following are Project Goals of the Living Rock Church of Iloilo City, Philippines

1. Project FullHouse - this is a church-wide project that will attempt, by all means available, to complete the families in our church. We have members who are mothers or wives but their husbands and/or children don't go to church with them. We will reach out to their unchurched family members and bring them into the community of faith where they will be nurtured in the ways and things of the Lord. God's heart is for the family and He wants families to be complete. It was Joshua who said, "As for me and my HOUSEHOLD, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15) Church is not for individuals only -- church is especially for families.

2. Project Church Plant - God has called every church to be a church-planting church. In this regard our main church will, under the grace of God, plant a new church this year. We are currently praying for the specific location that God will lead us toward. There is a chance that the church we will be planting will be located in Buenavista, Guimaras.

3. Project Antioch - In the Book of Acts the first church was in Jerusalem. From there the church grew in all directions. Apostles and disciples went everywhere preaching the Gospel and started new churches. The church in Antioch (Syria) was a daughter church of the Church in Jerusalem. If you read the Scriptures you will find out that Antioch became a church planting center. From Antioch a lot of churches were planted all over the Roman Empire of the first century AD. In relation to this, we have encouraged our three daughter churches (Maasin, Amparo, and Guimaras) to plant their own daughter church.

4. Project Lazarus - In the Gospel of Luke a man named Lazarus,a close friend of Jesus, died and was buried. When Jesus came to Bethany He resurrected Lazarus from the dead. Project Lazarus, therefore, is an attempt by our church to revive, resurrect, or restore individuals, departments, and outreach churches that have become inactive.

5. Project Church Lot - the lot upon which our church building is currently standing does not belong to us (yet). We are only given a limited span of time to use the said lot. However, the owners, who are both Christians also, have agreed to give us the lot in exchange for a lot we can purchase adjacent to the lot we are currently using. This project will endeavor to determine which lot we can purchase and raise the appropriate funds to acquire said lot.

Please help us pray that we can realize all these projects this year. Thank you very much. God bless you!

Officers' Meeting (January 11 2010)

The second installment in a series of meetings designed to cover all bases for 2010. We covered all departments and all churches from 6:30 p.m. to 12 midnight (again). Lots of decisions made. Lots of things ironed out. Plans have been laid down....dreams have been expressed....now it's time to go and realize them and bring them to fruition.

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3)

A Visit from Two Special People

Pastor Narciso Dionson and his wife Sonia dropped by for a visit in our Church Service today. This special couple has made their mark in the hearts, minds and lives of our people since they were our regular guest speakers in our Sunday Services, Special Church Functions and Camps while they were still based in Iloilo City. God bless both of you always!

Officers' Meeting (January 5 2009)

Our Annual Officers' Meeting. This is part of a series of meetings for planning our church activities and programs for 2010. We discussed a lot of things for each department and outreach churches. It was both challenging and enlightening. "Two heads" are really better than just one. We started our meeting at 6:30 pm and adjourned past 12 midnight.

Our Theme Song and Battle Cry for 2010

I'M PRESSING ON THE UPWARD WAY
1. I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day;
Still praying as I'm onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

2. My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim is higher ground.

3. I want to live above the world,
Though Satan's darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

4. I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray, 'til heaven I've found
"Lord, lead me on to higher ground."

Refrain:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand
By faith on heaven's table-land,
A higher plane than I have found:
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

First Sunday of 2010

Pastor Norman preached on Philippians 3:12-14 on the Topic PRESSING ON in 2010 to start off the New Year. There is only ONE THING (with TWO aspects) that we are to do according to the Bible text chosen for this Sunday, that is TO FORGET WHAT LIES BEHIND and TO STRAIN TOWARD WHAT IS AHEAD.

A lot of us are held hostage by our past failures, hurts, mistakes, disappointments, shortcomings that we fail to move on. People in a hostage situation are handicapped. They must be set free if they are to realize their greatest potential in God. Different people are imprisoned by different things. Some are held hostage by failure. Others are prisoners of success. Many are hostage of comfort. If you are in a hostage situation today, let Christ rescue you. Let Him set you free!

Today is the day to be free! Let go of your hurts, your unforgiveness, your mistakes, failures, shortcomings, sins -- leave them all in 2009! Don't carry them over to 2010! Do not let your past rob you of your present and ruin your future. Surrender them to the Lord today! Let the Lord take care of them -- He is good at it!

God bless you!

















Brothers and sisters responding to the call to commit themselves to the Lord for His work in 2010.

Greetings from the New Set of Officers (2010)

May we have a Blessed and Spirit-Filled New Year! God bless all our Pastors, Churches, Families and Members.
















(Left to right): Aileen Gay M Cubing, Irish May A Caro, Pauline C Martinez, Velma Jane C Lao, Pastor Norman S Lao, Ira J Taala, Geline A Taala, GR Jophil A Taala, and Lolita U Basco