CCT Holds Biggest Baptism Service So Far

Ninety-three believers, including a 12-year old boy, were baptized in the biggest  baptism service organized so far by the church planting ministry of the Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries. The believers  include students from the Training and Development Institute in Magdalena, Laguna, former street dwellers being ministered to by the Kaibigan Ministry, and micro-finance recipients who are now members of community churches in Antipolo City, Quezon City, Taguig City, and the provinces of Laguna and Cavite.

The baptism celebration, held on September 22, 2012,  was the third one held this year.

For more information on the various ministries of the Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries, visit its website at cct.org.ph

Can a Telescope Point the Way to Jesus?

Roland Beard of Christworks Ministries shows Pastors Alex Medalla, Ric Girado, Ruel Castino,
and Bobby Navarro  how to assemble a telescope.  

Can a telescope be used to share the Gospel? Definitely!

Several  pastors who work with the Center for Community Transformation can now point people to Jesus by showing them the wonders of the night sky,  having attended a three-day course on Astronomical Observing with a Biblical View (AOBV) taught by Roland and Linda Beard. "When you look through a telescope and see a cluster of thousands of stars, you can not escape the sense of majesty of God," says Mr. Beard. 

The lessons showed  how to use Scripture references such as Job 9: 8 & 9 (Who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south) to teach people about God.  The course also covered practical night sky  observing techniques, how to use  modest instruments -- a telescope and binoculars, and how to record observations through technical sketching.

During two night observing sessions, the pastors viewed Vega, the fifth brightest star in the night sky; the Lagoon Nebula; the constellation Vulpecula; the binary star Albireo; and several other objects in the sky.  

Roland and Linda Beard are the founders of Christworks Ministries, an  all-volunteer, non-profit Christian organization based in Crozet, Virginia, USA. 

The seminar was held at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center on September 6 - 8, 2012. 

Here and in next three photos, CCT pastors listen
carefully as Roland Beard demonstrates how to
assemble a telescope step-by-step.

Pastor Alex Medalla looks into a telescope.

Pastors try their hand at sketching an improvised
moon crater.   

Pastor Fortun

Pastor Ruel and Pastor Bobby

CCT pastors learn how to locate a constellation
using a planisphere or star dial.

Pastor Fortun does a pencil sketch during
the seminar.  Roland Beard
recommends sketching of objects seen in
the night sky as a method of keeping a record
of what has been observed. 

Pastors Raffy Salonga, Alex Medalla
and Dave Campanero locate
a night sky object using a telescope,
binoculars, and a star map.
Photo by Noeh Vios

Updated: September 10, 2012

Photos: Myra Gaculais del Rosario