Cheerful Charity: MGCNLCA’s Heartwarming Outreach Reaches over 3000 Families
Last December 22, teachers and student volunteers of MGC New Life Christian Academy (MGCNLCA) spread cheer to around 3000 families in six partner churches in Metro Manila and its environs. Through MGCNLCA’s annual outreach program, they shared the gospel and some blessings with the less fortunate. This year’s outreach theme was "Liwanag ng Pasko: Pag-ibig, Pag-asa, at Pananampalataya" (Christmas Light: Love, Hope, and Faith)
The six locations included God is Able Baptist Church in Talisay, Batangas; Lighthouse Baptist Church of Marikina in Baras, Rizal; Christian Living Church in Kenneth, Pasig City; Puntahan Ministry in Taytay, Rizal; Lighthouse Bible Baptist Church in Tatalon, Quezon City; and Philadelphia Christian Centered Fellowship in La Loma, Quezon City.
“I thank God that even through the busyness of school work, many volunteers have been available to help and assist with the preparations. God has never failed us in providing for the goals of sharing to a number of underprivileged families,” Outreach Ministry Head and School Registrar Evelyn Joy Cawaon shared.
Families gathered for a morning of games, dances, and gospel-sharing. Volunteer teachers and students joined children from ages five to twelve in dancing to classic Filipino Christmas and worship songs such as “Kumukutikutitap,” “Ikaw ang Liwanag at Ligaya,” and “Napakatamis ng Pag-ibig ni Hesus.”
Shortly after, pastors preached inspiring messages on the importance of celebrating Christmas with a community and finding such through the church. This was followed by a story entitled “Light of the World,” a science experiment using the Tyndall Effect to represent the cleansing of the soul that comes with accepting Christ.
Jana Dy of Olive ABM remarked, “The Christmas outreach is a school event that I look forward to every year because of how fulfilling it is to experience God's gracious love through the kids’ innocent eyes.”
During the second half of the program, teachers and student volunteers broke into groups to share the gospel with an interactive coloring storybook entitled "Do You Know Gow to get to Heaven?" (“Alam Mo ba Kung Paano Makakapunta sa Langit?”).
“Nagpapasalamat kami dahil makikita naming nakangiti ang maraming mga bata ngayong Pasko. Talagang naging tapat ang Diyos sa pag-probisyon sa aming mga pamilya at simbahan,” a volunteer of the Lighthouse Baptist Church stated.
Lower Primary Years teacher Janaye Villanueva, who celebrated her birthday at the Batangas outreach, expressed, “Every year that [the] outreach falls on my birthday, I give a teddy bear to a child who shares the same birthday as me… I’m glad that I get to celebrate the life the Lord has so graciously given me by sharing with others about the everlasting life I have in Christ!”
From a projected budget of P3.6M, a noche buena pail worth P1,200 was distributed to each of the approximately 3,000 families. Each pail contained essential items like condiments, canned goods, and rice, among others. Meanwhile, children received backpacks containing school supplies, snacks, and gospel tracts that undoubtedly marked their experience unforgettable.
All this was made possible through donations from the MGCNLCA community, as well as proceeds from the selling of fishballs, lugaw, and milk tea during the early part of December.
