INC Giving – INC Giving Project

Uplifted & Much Appreciated: A Teacher’s Perspective

The opportunity to be part of Teacher Appreciation Day, Thursday, 14th of July 2016, was an occasion I was looking forward to. I have been teaching for just over 20 years and have never been involved in such a celebration.

Upon arrival at Iglesia Ni Cristo – Europe Main Office, Sunbury-on-Thames, I was warmly welcomed and invited through to the marquee and displays. I met some colleagues who had also graciously accepted the invite and together we experienced the joyful nature of the afternoon.

photo_2016-09-20_15-24-28 — Louise Cowley, (author of blog) with her student Tyris Sison, during the INC Giving Teacher Appreciation Day in Sunbury, London, United Kingdom.

A teenage member of the Church gave our group an informative guide through the display of photographs of the Church of Christ throughout the world. Her pleasure in sharing the wonderful way in which the Church represents itself around the world was a delight. As a teacher of primary-aged children, it was refreshing to see a young person speaking so passionately and articulately.

0s4a4932 — Students perform a number for their invited teachers during the #INCGiving Teacher Appreciation Day.

0s4a4894 — Teachers are given the opportunity to mingle with each other along with their students.

0s4a5024 — One by one, teachers were brought up on stage to be recognized by their students.

The main part of the celebration took place under the marquee where groups of children sang songs expressing their appreciation for their teachers and also giving humble thanks to God for providing educational opportunities for us all. It was inspirational for me to see how the children value the efforts of their teachers and to listen to their aspirations for the future. To know that a love of learning is so valued among a community really reminded me that I can and do make a difference.

0s4a5084 — Teachers join their students for some photo booth fun during the INC Giving Teacher Appreciation Day.

0s4a4949 — Anika Lorin Ching, one of the INC Giving volunteers, recognizes the teachers she invited during the Teacher Appreciation Day.

I left the celebrations feeling uplifted and much appreciated. It was quite an afternoon of joy and blessings and I was proud to have been invited to such a special occasion.

0s4a5039 — Tyris Sison recognizes his nursery teacher, Ms. Louise Cowley (author of blog) during the INC Giving Teacher Appreciation Day in Sunbury, London, United Kingdom.

Contributed by: Ms. Louise Cowley, A Nursery Teacher Invited to the Teacher Appreciation Day in Sunbury, United Kingdom.

Planting For Our Future

July 31st, 2016 was Australia’s National Tree Day and members of the Church Of Christ from the Local Congregation of Brimbank gathered in Public Parkland in Sydenham Park, Victoria to help the Brimbank Council plant 1500 seedlings.

The initiative, which started in 1996, is the country’s largest community tree-planting and nature care event. Its aim is to encourage all Australians to do something positive for their local environment by planting and caring for native trees and shrubs. Simon Heyes, a land management officer with the Brimbank Council, talked about the need to revegetate and increase tree cover across Australia.

“A lot of the landscape, particularly around this part of Melbourne, has been heavily cleared so we use this as an opportunity to try and reverse some of that land clearing that happened in the 19th century.” Simon Heyes, Land Management Officer.

Concern for the local environment is something that the members of the Church Of Christ of the Brimbank congregation have long shared with the local council.

“I think it started way before the INCGiving initiative. We’ve been having tree planting days before I even started with the Brimbank congregation. We have an obligation to God to share our faith, but we also have an obligation to protect what gifts God has given us, and one of that is the environment,” said Michael Velasquez.

July 31st 2016 also marked the start of a countdown to a historic milestone for the Church of Christ in Australia. In seven days the Church would be celebrating 40 years in the land down under. For the many of the members of the Church Of Christ, it was a time to think back to how the Church arrived in the country and to be thankful for how far it’s come. And for a large crowd standing on a sunny hillside in Sydenham Park, it was also a time to look ahead and plant for the future.

The symbolism in caring for seedlings (young plants) is a theme that was clear for many INCGiving Volunteers. Parents, especially, took this day as a chance to teach their children about the importance of growing more than just trees.

“Apart from planting trees and trying to help them understand the importance of helping out with community activities, it’s also a way of showing them that we’re always attending church activities. It’s very important that in their young age they start to understand that we hold these church activities and that we always try to attend.” explained by Ron Talicuran, who had brought along his 4-year-old son, Ryder and 2-year-old daughter, Mya.

“I am actually quite proud that they chose to be involved in something like this…because it shows that we care.” – Ella San Jose

As one of the many youth in attendance with their parents, it’s evident that this important lesson is clearly one that has been, and will continue to be, passed on to the next generation. Ensuring that for many years to come, there will always be trees in the Parklands around the Brimbank Congregation, and many young hands to help care for them.

Contributed by: Anna Katrina Aragon, Brimbank, Australia

Recognizing Local Heroes

In the early morning of July 2nd, the officers and brethren of the Local Congregation of Christchurch, New Zealand are gathered in the parking lot of the house of worship, currently, in its last stage of construction.

At around 9am, Constable Li’Ying Cai, a New Zealand Police Officer, pulled up into the parking lot. She was greeted with the smiles and cards of the members of the Children’s Worship Service. She accepted the cards wholeheartedly and stated that she would also give them to her colleagues who were not able to come because of another assignment on that day.

She sat and listened to the Introduction to the Church Of Christ, listened to the Storybots – Police Officer song, and then, gave a short talk about safety. After her visit, she brought back to the police station some gifts of appreciation, given to her and her colleagues for their work as police officers.

After she left, the brethren waited intently for the coming of the Fire Fighters. They were delayed in their arrival because of two emergencies that they needed to attend to first. But as the fire truck turned the corner, the brethren began to smile. As the truck backed into the parking lot and came to a stop, the children immediately went and greeted the firemen as they came down from the truck. They gave them their cards and said their thanks to the firemen.

They too listened intently to the Introduction of the Church Of Christ, as they sang the Storybots – Firefighter song. Then they gave a short talk about safety and using fire alarms. Afterwards, they were presented Gift Hampers by the Local Congregation, and in return, they gave the children a tour of the fire truck and let them come on board.

They educated the children on what firefighters do. The firefighters took their time, staying to talk to the brethren and taking pictures until they had to go. They thanked the members of the Church Of Christ for appreciating their efforts. Just like the police officer before them, they were invited to the chapel dedication and other events of the Church.

It was a truly blessed day for all. A day to remember as the members of the Church of Christ in Christchurch, New Zealand were able to give to those who risk their lives to take care of them. We thank the Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ for blessing us with success in this endeavor. We also thank the Church Administration, through the leadership of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, for approving this activity, which strengthened the bond between the members and the community.

Contributed by: The Local Congregation of Christchurch, New Zealand

Restoring Clear Waters

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a 156-mile long estuary that runs along the East coast of Florida. It is a mixture of the Atlantic Ocean’s saltwater and the freshwater of the mainland’s rivers and is home to more than 4,300 species of animals and plants. Its diversity adds to Florida’s mark as being one of the world’s best fishing destinations.

Sadly, the Lagoon is in trouble. After more than two centuries of human occupation, pollution, the building of dam-like causeways, irresponsible fishing, and many other man-made problems the Lagoon is left deeply scarred. What was once crystal clear water now reflects a brown hue that reeks of dead algae during uncontrollable bloom seasons.

The work of saving the Indian River Lagoon surely won’t finish in the blink of an eye, but through generosity and love, the Lagoon and its future inhabitants may still have a chance.

The members of the Church of Christ in the local congregation of Cocoa Beach know and understand this issue. For the second year in a row, they joined forces with the Marine Resources Council (MRC)–an organization dedicated in rescuing the Lagoon–by planting mangrove trees along the shorelines of the IRL.

“You planting the natives is the cornerstone, the healthy part of really good lagoon life. By having that healthy cornerstone of native plants, the rest of the lagoon can then benefit.” – Nicholas Sanzone, Marine Resources Council

The mangrove’s unique, above ground roots act as nurseries for young fish and crustacean, its branches serving as a resting place for Florida’s diverse migrating birds. It also helps filter the dirty water and it anchors the shores of the Lagoon to keep it from eroding away.

Under the heat of the Florida summer sun, the brethren worked together with MRC to plant a handful of mangroves on the shorelines of Palm Bay, Florida and help clear the site of litter and invasive plant species. Although the little nook was just a tiny corner of the vast area covered by the Indian River, it was an important step closer towards the rehabilitation of the beautiful Lagoon. Hopefully soon, the residents and animals of Florida’s east coast can once again enjoy her crystal clear waters.

“The volunteers that volunteer a lot of their time–they get to see the benefits of the work they do by coming and visiting that same site. So when you drive by it or when you look at it from Google Earth, you’ll see the trees growing, and the water getting clearer, and the fish coming back to the area. And that kind of reward is better than money can buy.” – Nicholas Sanzone, Marine Resources Council

Contributor: Chloe Ravina, Cocoa Beach, Florida

Special thanks to the Marine Resources Council’s Nicholas Sanzone for letting us lend a hand and for all the work the MRC does for the Lagoon.

The Gift of Reading

On June 4, 2016 members of the Church Of Christ from the Local Congregation of Miami, FL once again reached out the community by donating books to one of the nearby libraries close to their Worship Building.

In preparation for the Book Donation Drive, the brethren gathered and sorted all kinds of books throughout the week. The materials donated ranged from books for children, young adults, educational, novels of all types of genres to DVDs.

On the day of the Book Donation Drive, the brethren assembled at 9:00 a.m. at the function hall for a prayer. Everyone helped pack and transport the materials to the Arcola Lakes Branch library, located at 8240 NW 7th Avenue, Miami FL 33150. This library is just a few steps away from the Police Station; where the congregation of Miami had held another INC Giving project appreciating the police officers a few months ago.

The librarians received the books, expressed their gratitude to the Church of Christ, and assured that these would be of great help to the community, most especially for educational purposes.

The brethren were encouraged to participate in this project because, as mentioned by sister Jessica Manguila, “I would like that many more people would enjoy these books as much as I did, because if they are just laying around the house only I and my family would benefit from them”. Sister Kiara Rabara added, “as much as I learned from these books I would like that others would learn from them too.”

Through various projects like this, brethren of the Local Congregation of Miami FL in the Ecclesiastical District of Southeastern Seaboard continue to offer their help to the community and neighborhood of their Worship Building, hoping to strengthen their relationship and to make the Church Of Christ even more known to them.

Contributed by: Sharlene Dueñas, Jade Esquito, Kimm Rabara, Miami, FL

A Heartfelt Thank You

It was a day of gratitude, generosity, and neighborly love. A Neighborhood Appreciation Day took place on the fields of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in Roseville, Ecclesiastical District of Northeast California.

The chapel building was dedicated one year ago, officiated by Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo. To commemorate the first anniversary of their chapel dedication, and to show gratitude for the overflowing blessings from the Almighty God, the local congregation of Roseville held a Neighborhood Appreciation Day – to show their love for the community that warmly welcomed the Iglesia Ni Cristo to the city.

“Our neighbors were so patient with us and very understanding during the renovation of this [chapel],” says INC Giving Coordinator, Laura Sideco. “So it’s about time we give back to the community.” With a heart of gratitude, the Roseville Congregation provided medical services, lunch, games, and live musical entertainment for all ages in the neighborhood, all completely free of charge.

A blood drive was made possible by Blood Source, where Roseville City Council member, Bonnie Gore, cut the ribbon at the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony to kick-off the event. “It was an honor to attend the ribbon-cutting at Iglesia Ni Cristo. Their renovated chapel is lovely and welcoming.”

The day featured a Chapel Tour. Around the clock, groups gathered at the main doors to get a peek at the results of the renovation. Guests stepped in a foyer of bright marble tiles and large drop chandeliers. A gallery displayed the church history and illustrated its international expansion. The tour then led the guests into the sanctuary, with over 100 recessed ceiling lights above an extended wooden podium and choir loft, and large drop chandeliers shining over the centre aisle.

The tour guides and guests honored the sanctity with lowered voices, peacefully observing the interior of the beautiful, newly-renovated chapel fitting for the grace and glory of the Almighty God.

Contributed by: Sister Madeline Sideco, Roseville, California

Spreading Joy Through Songs

By today’s standards, it is getting more and more difficult for young people to connect to the older generation. With shorter attention spans, and more tech-savvy young children, when are the opportunities for the young and old to connect in a meaningful way? The answer lies in the simplest but most powerful gift to give – music.

The INC Kids from the Local Congregation of Surrey visited Elim Village Retirement Community to share their gift of song for their INCGIVING event, Singing for a Cause. Through their gift of music, even the tiniest voices were able to bring joy to the hearts of the residents.

And as one of the youth members began playing the piano – a hum could be heard in the air – one of the residents could not help but join along. Another unforgettable moment was when one of the residents lifted his hands as if he was directing the chorus, it was undeniable that he was having a lot of fun.

After serenading each floor of the retirement home, the feeling of joy was electric, a happy energy spreading from one child to the next– for they learned that there is no better feeling than the gift of giving.

Contributed by: Sister Archierose Natividad, Surrey, Canada

Sprucing Up for Earth Day

On this year’s Earth Day, members of the Church Of Christ from the newly established Ecclesiastical District of Central Canada joined their fellowmen in showing their love for God’s gift of nature by conducting a community clean up.

Despite the cold weather, about 400 volunteers from the local congregations of the Manitoba and Saskatchewan region gathered in their designated areas early in the morning to show their unity with this project launched by the Church Administration. As a way of acknowledging this cause, the government provided Earth Day awareness shirts to the volunteers.

The activity began with an opening prayer to ask for God’s guidance throughout the course of the event. Soon after the prayer was finished, brethren were give maps and a few reminders about their respective city’s guidelines for garbage and recycling before hitting the streets.

Carrying their cleaning tools and happy faces, children and adults, together with their loved ones and friends, scattered throughout the streets, public parks, sidewalks, and all the areas their city government requested assistance in.

They also took this wonderful opportunity to share their faith by giving out God’s Message magazines, INC Media cards, and invitations for the upcoming Evangelical Mission.

Their desire to follow one of our Lord’s commandments – to love our neighbors – moved their hearts to help their fellowmen in keeping their respective communities clean and presentable in the sight of God. Activities like this also help parents and children to strengthen their ties as Christian families inside the Church. Most of all, these kind acts of giving show our love for and strong unity with our Almighty God because this is the manifestation of His continuing guidance to the Church Administration.

Contributed by: Sis. Christine Daquial, Bro. Frederick Perey, & Bro. Jan Bernard Javier, Winnipeg, Canada

Cleaning the Capital

Members of the Church Of Christ from the Local Congregation of Ottawa, Canada took part in a city wide initiative called “Cleaning the Capital”, which takes place every spring and fall. It is a joint initiative between the City of Ottawa and it’s major sponsor, Tim Hortons (the popular coffee and donut chain). Cleaning up the capital started over 22 years ago in 1994 and since the start of this initiative, more than 1 million volunteers through 16,000 projects have removed over 1.7 million kilograms of garbage from the city’s streets.

Since May 2008, brethren from this congregation, both young and old have participated in this activity every year, making this the 8th anniversary of the collaborative efforts between the city of Ottawa and the INCGiving Project.

Not even the cold and rainy weather could stop the members of the Church Of Christ from participating in this activity. With garbage bags and cleaning equipment in hand, volunteers set out to clean MacFarlane Road which is immediately adjacent to the congregation’s chapel.

The efforts lasted almost 2 hours and the impact was noticeable as brethren filled over a dozen large bags with trash collected from the streets.

Not only was this activity a great way to show the importance of keeping the environment clean, but it was also a great way to help out their neighbours and stay active members in their community.

Contributed by: Marvin Milan, Ottawa, Canada

A Token of Gratitude

Saturday April 23, 2016 was Teacher’s Appreciation Day. Members of my locale of San Gabriel Valley, including myself, came early to help set up tables and food, and also to help out with registration tables, decor, and sound checks.

Some of us, Binhi, were rehearsing our performance since we were the first group. Our performance was to be in sign language.

Soon Brother Ruben De La Cruz, Sr. led the opening prayer for the program. Afterwards, Brother Feodor Fermin and Sis. Neszille Manuel made a brief introduction and then they called us Binhi to start our performance.

We performed the song called “You Have Made A Difference.” It was to show our teachers that we appreciated everything they did, the sacrifices they had to make, to make a difference in our lives. The fun part of the performance was that we performed in sign language as mentioned before. It was quite interesting, considering that it was the first time for some of us to use sign language.

Usually it is the teachers who take care of the students. On this day, the young members of the Church wanted to show their gratitude and give back. A game of Family Feud was played with the teachers and church members. Each question was related to school work, supplies, etc. We also recognized the teachers and gave them supplies to help because there are often shortages. The final performance was rendered by the CWS and some Binhi members singing “You’ve Got A Friend In Me.”

To close the event, a spiritual and inspiring message was given by our Resident Worker Bro. Andrew Taaca. Like always, we open an activity with a prayer to guide us throughout and end it with a prayer to thank God for the success of our activity. – Contributing Writers: – Allysia Paige Fermin, 12 years old, 6th grade, CWS & Kirsten Gemeniano, 12 years old, 7th grade, CWS.

“My teacher, Mrs. Toran, came to the event. She is my History teacher, and she even was my brother’s English and History teacher a few years ago. I invited her because I truly appreciated her effort in teaching me, and because she is one of my favorite teachers.” – Kaleia Mei Gamiao, 12 years old, 7th grade, Binhi

“Teachers get a bad rap on television. For you guys to take time out of your day, we’d like to honor you, for what you do, because it means a lot, and I want to say Thank you, Mrs Nakano. I was very glad and happy that my 2nd grade teacher came. She is very nice, kind-hearted and most of all very patient. Not once that I’ve seen or heard her lose her cool. She goes above and beyond to help us.” – Allysia Paige Fermin, 12 years old, 6th grade, CWS

“It’s important to appreciate teachers because they work hard to teach children even those who don’t want to listen most of the time. They go through a lot of troubles in school and in their own lives. We think being a teacher is pretty self-explanatory. You teach kids to learn the way of life and how to do things in certain circumstances. I feel like more kids today aren’t really appreciating teachers enough other than the teachers who make class fun, although they should all be appreciated. But what about the teachers who try their best to teach kids who are always interrupting and noisy? Would they be counted as nice teachers? Or would they be counted as bad teachers because of the kids who don’t appreciate the teacher? The same goes to substitutes. I’ve been in a lot of classes where the substitute is trying to keep everything under control but the kids are just too noisy and the substitute has to raise their voice in class to keep everyone quiet and listening.

I chose to invite Mr. Silva because he’s one of those teachers. Mr. Silva is a funny teacher but he could get ticked off and yell at us because of some argument that’s going on. There are kids who I don’t think appreciate Mr. Silva for his comedy or the way he teaches. Well, maybe his comedy. But I really do appreciate Mr. Silva taking out his time in the day just to teach kids about science, engineering and robotics. Mr. Silva is a kind of teacher who appreciates his students telling him jokes or just telling him what they’ve learned in school or even maybe just having a casual conversation.

I recognized Mr. Silva at Teacher’s Appreciation Day because I wanted to show how much I appreciate him. I also treat him as a close friend that teaches me about science and engineering which he was once taught in his life. Mr. Silva is a teacher who makes class fun and interesting with the fun facts and the tips and tricks he has up his sleeve then reveals to us to make it easier on us. But it doesn’t make it easier for him. Mr. Silva gives us things to make it easier on us, We students should do the same thing since we don’t really give teachers back what they give to us. Teachers are always caring to their students, they do their best to give us what we need and use in the future.” – Cason Gemeniano, 14 years old, 8th grade, Binhi

“I had invited 2 teachers for this event; Ms. Chong, my science and homeroom teacher, and Ms. Canales, my math teacher. They are from Telesis Academy of Science and Math. I invited my teachers to this event because I feel they needed to be recognized as great teachers. They have made my school year the best so far and they make learning fun. They are teachers who I can reach out to anytime and they will always help me.

Once all the teachers and students were up in the front, I was introduced by Brother Feodor to come read the cards I made for the teachers I invited. My second short speech had some people laugh. My brother, Cason was then called to read his card to his teacher that he invited. I believe that his short but funny speech got more laughs than mine. The teachers were given the opportunity to speak. The teachers who spoke had said compliments about our event. They thanked us for having a day just for them.

Everyone was having so much fun that they still stuck around even after the closing prayer . So I decided to take pictures with my teachers along with my brother’s teacher.” – Kirsten Gemeniano, 12 years old, 7th grade, CWS

Contributors: Sister Donna Gemeniano, Sister Allysia Paige Fermin, Sister Kirsten Gemeniano, Sister Kaleia Mei Gamiao, Brother Cason Gemeniano, San Gabriel Valley, California