Manila Mud on Designer Shoes

I have written this article as an overview of the project that I'm involved with in the slums of Manila.

The “Eastside” of Seattle is known for its affluence. Microsoft, SUVs, nice homes, designer clothes, good schools and big churches characterize this part of our highly secular and liberal city. During its first fifteen years, Eastside Foursquare Church struggled to shake people from this comfortable reality and to impart a vision for underdeveloped countries.

But then during 2001, a transformation began to take place. For years, Eastside’s Senior Pastor, Dr. Jim Hayford, had traveled to Manila to participate in leadership training events at the invitation of Dr. Felipe (Jun) Ferrez, who at that time was serving as the President of Foursquare Philippines. As major forces began to come together, God forged a vision that would re-shape the Foursquare Churches of Metro Manila. These converging forces included urbanization, the increased plight of the urban poor, a ripe harvest, and a vision emerging through strategic prayer.

Urbanization
God cares about cities and Metro Manila is an exploding hub of humanity. It is a case study for the modern phenomena of urbanization. Growing at a rate of 5000 people each week (National Census and Statistics Office (OC Philippines 1994)), this city is filled with the starkest contrasts between wealth and poverty. Beautiful malls and high rise buildings are adjacent to slums of squalor filled with people suffering from all the effects of poverty. Infrastructures are weakened by corruption resulting in a social system that cannot possibly keep up with the demands. It is within this center of human migration that people are searching for answers, while crying out for help.

The Plight of the Urban Poor
God’s Word makes it clear to us that He cares for the poor and the disenfranchised. His heart breaks over the suffering that comes from injustice, disease, exploitation and sin. These priorities are clearly spoken in Isaiah 58:6-12, and 59:9-17. He invites His people to gain His heart and to respond to these issues. In Manila the plight of the urban poor is inescapable.

A Ripe Harvest
Manila is a ripe harvest field of souls. Human needs coupled with a predominant Catholic view of God, allow for an openness to the ministry of Jesus Christ and to the Gospel. We have found that people in Manila are responsive and eager to receive prayer, ministry and the Gospel.

A Vision Forged from Strategic Prayer
The Urban Church Planting Project (U.C.C.P.) strategy was commenced in 2001 with a prayer conference involving the existing 48 Foursquare Churches of Metro-Manila. Confronted with the reality of the relatively slow growth of Foursquare in the city of Manila juxtaposed against the rapidly growing city and ripe harvest field, leaders and congregants met together to seek the Lord for vision and direction. From these meetings the Foursquare Churches of Metro-Manila embraced a call to reach out aggressively and strategically into the most difficult neighborhoods surrounding them. Numerous leaders felt called to “go,” and existing pastors committed themselves to a strategy of rapid church multiplication.

Vision Implemented
Out of this a vision emerged – one that saw 300 new churches planted among the poor of Manila. These churches would be holistic in nature—meeting both human needs as well as spiritual needs. This aggressive vision was supported by over forty church planting teams who started the first group of new churches. An ongoing leadership training structure was included for these new and emerging leaders.

Since 2003 the number of new churches planted in Manila through this strategy has grown to 100. When this project began, the total number of Foursquare churches was 48. In just three years that number has more than tripled! Numerous community development projects are also providing hope and a better life for thousands. Approximately 40 of the churches have pre-schools that provide children a head start in their education, while at the same time providing them with a strong spiritual foundation. The current enrollment in these schools is approximately 1200 students.

Strategic Partnership
A key word to successful missions is partnership. The leadership, strategy, and vision of the Urban Church Planting project come from the Foursquare leaders and pastors of Metro-Manila. Eastside Foursquare Church provides support and service to the project through prayer, financial resourcing, short-term teams, and leadership training and consultation. Because of this partnership, long-term relationships are being built between the leaders and congregants of Eastside and Manila. This allows for greater accountability and effectiveness. Each year we send approximately seven teams to Manila. We also now support full-time project missionaries, Pete and Tina Forras, who are there to serve the project leaders and facilitate teams. We are grateful to see other churches come alongside this project by supporting it financially and sending teams of their own.

Today hundreds of people from Eastside Foursquare Church have been part of one of our short term teams. We have sent medical, teacher training, evangelism, sports, construction, music and exposure teams. Team members are first-hand contributors to what we call the “Miracle in Manila.” Every one of them has come home with a more accurate view of the world as God sees it. As Jim Hayford states, “I am a better Pastor because I have the mud of Manila on my shoes.” Nearly one million dollars has been given by our congregation to support and facilitate this project. Thousands of Filipinos have received Christ, and a movement has begun. We praise God for allowing us to be part of this amazing process and are continuing to press forward toward the goal of 300 new churches among the poorest of the poor in this city that is loved by God.

In addition to adopting the city of Manila, Eastside Foursquare Church’s mission program keeps a multi-faceted approach to missions that includes reaching out to our own “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and uttermost parts of the earth.” Today we support seven full-time missionaries in various nations while contributing to Foursquare Missions International. We support local ministries in our community and continue to send teams to Mississippi to aid in the hurricane recovery efforts. We also have teams going to other countries around the world.

We believe every Christian is called to discover their personal and appropriate response to the Great Commission and these are some of the ways we are doing that. Eastside Foursquare Church feels a tremendous sense of obligation to do its part to be a light to the world, for “to whom much has been given, much more will be required.” (Luke 12:48). The world is getting more accessible every day. Consider the ways in which you can expand and enhance strategic partnerships as you also “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

For more information on the Urban Church Planting Project, visit the project website at www.ucpp.org.