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

81 Follow Christ in Water Baptism

It's amazing how God can change people's lives no matter how dark their backgrounds and past. It's also amazing how people  surrender their lives to God  and publicly declare  their turning away from their old life. Through water baptism on June 23, 2012, 81 believers from several communities being ministered to by the Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries outwardly demonstrated the inward change that took place in their lives after  they asked Christ into their hearts and lives.  

Young people from Magdalena, Laguna with Pastor Dave Campanero (right, wearing glasses).

Members of the CCT Community Church in Taguig, with Pastor Ruel Castino (back row, right).

Pastor Rosberto Cortez (left) with community partners from San Andres, Manila.

Pastor Raffy Salonga (back row, in gray barong) with community partners
 and young people from Bagong Silangan, Quezon City.

Pastor Fortunato Bayucan (left) with community partners from General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite. 

Pastor Alex Medalla (right) with community partners and young people from San Pedro, Laguna.

Pastor Fords (right) of with members of the CCT community church in Novaliches, Quezon City. 

Pastor Arnel Abaincia (left, in barong) with members of the CCT Community Church in Las Pinas City. 

Pastor Jake (left) and members of the CCT Community Church in Batasan, Quezon City. 

Pastor Anthony (left) with community partners and young people from Araneta
Avenue, Quezon City

Rommel Villaflor of Sabang, Pagsanjan, Laguna shares his testimony:  "I was experimenting with drugs
when CCT came to Sabang. I accepted Christ through the ministry of CCT, then my life
 slowly started to change." 

Tommy Asis of Batasan, Quezon City says, "I used to be so proud.  I found it hard to say 'Thank you,' or
'I'm sorry'... God has changed my heart of stone to a heart of flesh."

Pastor Joel Indico stresses, "Is God true to you? Did you really
accept Him as your Lord and Savior? Are you ready to
obey?" 

At poolside, pastors and CCT staff sing, "I have decided to follow Jesus....no turning back, no turning back."

Patrick Medalla,  preacher's kid, follows the Lord in water baptism at 15. He says,  "I was born into
a Christian family, but what salvation is all about only became clear to me recently."    

First Water Baptism in 2012

Pastor Rosbert Cortez and Pastor Raffy Reyes with Nanay Vicky of the Intramuros branch.

Pastor Bien Manglo, volunteer pastor.

Children, former street-dwelling teenaged boys, an entire family, and a gray-haired grandmother were among the 74 believers who made a public profession of their faith in Christ through water baptism during the first baptism service organized this year by CCT’s church planting ministry. 

Most of the baptism candidates are from CCT community churches in Commonwealth, Quezon City; Cainta and Antipolo, Rizal; Binan, Laguna; Intramuros, Manila; and General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.  Seven are former street-dwelling teenagers who are now Alternative Learning System students at the Training and Development Institute in Magdalena, Laguna. More than two dozen are staff in CCT’s various programs. 

A micro entrepreneur from Antipolo City gave the following testimony:

Good morning.  I am Sis. Leve N. Igtic.  I am married and have an eight-year old son.  I have been a member of the CCT Credit Cooperative for six years.  I thank the Lord for how He used the cooperative to show me the way of salvation. I used to pray the rosary at a Catholic church near where I live.  I used to be very devoted to graven images; I even bought a Sto. Nino image at the church in Quiapo.

A cooperative worker once offered to lead a Bible study in my home but I refused. “I will die without leaving this religion,” I said.  I thought born-again Christians belonged to a cult because they don’t worship images.  I praise God that despite my initial reaction He opened my mind to the truth.  I know God loves me.   

Isaiah 44 is a portion of Scripture important to me.  The Lord used it to show me how futile and foolish it is to worship idols -- anyone can take a piece of wood, use half of it as firewood and the rest to make into an idol that he bows down to.

 My husband and I used to quarrel whenever I would read the Bible to him.  I thank God that my husband has also come to the Lord.

The place where we hold Bible studies used to be a part of my junkshop. It had no electricity; we had to use flashlights to read the Bible.  With God’s blessing the place has steadily improved.  Our church has been meeting for six months there now.  We hold a Bible study on Wednesdays, a fellowship meeting on Thursdays, child evangelism on Fridays, youth fellowship on Saturdays, and a worship service on Sundays.  We are able to help some missionaries, and we will soon start outreach Bible studies in two places. 

I asked Jesus into my heart on December 8. Now and in the future I will trust in him alone.

The baptismal service was held on February 4 at the residence of Stephen and  Helen Roxas in Makati.   

Baptism candidates from Cainta, Rizal with Pastor Joel Indico, extreme right,
and Jennifer Contreras, team servant for the Cainta branch 

Pastor Bien Manglo (back row, right) with baptism candidates from Binan, Laguna. 

Brother Fortune Bayucan (left),with Jackie Montano and Analyn Cantabaco
and baptism candidates from General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.

 Pastor Dave Campanero, chaplain of the CCT Training and Development Institute
in Magdalena, Laguna  with Alternative Learning System students. 

Pastor Ruel Castino (right) with staff and baptism candidates from Taguig City.

Pastor Rosbert, Alvin Rescober (in blue jeans) and baptism candidates from San Andres, Manila. 

Noy Vista, (back row, right) Intramuros community center coordinator,
with Intramuros staff and baptism candidates.

Leve N. Igtic of Antipolo shares how God changed
her from a devout worshiper of graven images
to a Bible-believing Christian.