Resounding Praise: MGCNLCA Seniors Host First Fundraising Concert

Resounding Praise, MGC New Life Christian Academy’s (MGCNLCA) first fundraising event to support the school’s Alabang expansion, took center stage last March 30 at the Maybank BGC Performing Arts Center.

The event, attended by 520 people, was spearheaded by the Grade 12 Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM), Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS), and General Academic Strand (GAS) students as the final project for their Business Ethics and Social Responsibility (BESR) class. 

With the theme “Audience of One” and guided by Romans 11:36, the concert brought together the school community in a night of worship filled with unity, love, and praise.

Project mentor and BESR adviser Daniel Dionisio Jr. emceed the event, with Makati Gospel Church (MGC) Senior Pastor Reverend Harg Ang as the guest speaker. Senior High School Supervisor Raquiel Pinlac and School Principal Evangeline Co gave the opening prayer and opening remarks, respectively.

The event began with the Upper Primary Years Children’s Choir, the MGC Dela Rosa Worship Team, and the MGCNLCA Alumni Band. An intermission then ensued, allowing attendees to purchase from featured merchants such as ShareTea, Maison Midori, and Absidy, with the latter two brands owned by former New Lifers. Afterward, the MGCNLCA Teachers’ Band and Senior Whales Band took the stage. 

Closing the concert, project managers Amanda Dana Chiong and Caden Lewis Ching gave their appreciation speeches, with the closing remarks and prayer led by School Director Helen Villanueva and Board Member Kenrick Chua, respectively.

“We gave our all for this event because we really wanted to show that God's faithfulness truly knows no bounds,” shared Ching. “And that from the beginning to our end in MGC[NL], God has been the only constant. … Throughout the years, God has been with the school leaders, to the alumni before us, to us ourselves, the graduating batch of 2025, and to the next thousand generations.”

To formally close the event, all the performers came together to sing “Holy Forever” by Chris Tomlin and “Glorious Day” by Passion.

Many students, teachers, parents, and alumni showed support for the event by purchasing from various fundraising initiatives including Resounding Praise official merchandise, ShareTea products, and dirty ice cream before the event. In total, the event raised more than its initial goal of one million pesos.

“We visited [Maybank] in January, then decided [at the] last minute to change our project from a pop-up bazaar to a worship night,” Chiong recalled. “We really wanted to contribute something to the school, so we realized we should do a fundraising worship concert to donate to [the MGCNLCA] Alabang [expansion].”

Chiong explained how their batch connects through music, and hopes that through Resounding Praise, they will make a lasting impact in the school community.

“We just hope that there can be other students who can also connect [with] God through this simple way of just singing together,” she shared, “and, hopefully, it will [plant] a seed in their lives that one day, they’ll be able to have the same relationship with God that [MGCNLCA] has nurtured in us.”