CALBAYOG, Philippines – Aimed at enhancing the spiritual development of local families, the Calbayog Adventist Center hosted a district-wide seminar Jan. 30-31.
The event brought together representatives from three districts, emphasizing the theme, “A Covenant of Partnership: Raising Our Children for Christ.”
With an objective designed to engage local church members, the seminar included a variety of activities centered on strengthening family bonds and aligning parenting methods with biblical principles.
The teachers at Adventist Elementary School Samar-Calbayog, Inc., facilitated a vesper worship service that featured a message by Melodie Mae K. Inapan, the director of women, children, and family for the East Central Philippine Union Conference and coordinator of the ministerial spouses association.
Emphasizing her topic, which centered on the theme, she said, “The home is God’s primary classroom for shaping the character of the child.”
The following day, the Calbayog Women organized a special Sabbath School empowerment session that provided valuable insights into parenting and family dynamics. This session included two key lectures: one presented by Inapan and the other by Grace Intanto, the children and family director for Samar Mission and coordinator of the ministerial spouses association.
Intanto, emphasizing the children’s character development and the importance of raising the altar at home, said, “Reverence in church starts at home during family worship.”
Furthermore, Inapan stressed the responsibilities of parents as she delivered the sermon during the Divine Worship service. She emphasized the importance of guiding children towards salvation and the sacred duty of parents in their spiritual upbringing.
In the afternoon, the seminar concluded with a commitment ceremony led by Pastor Nick Lebaresos, a chaplain from Adventist Hospital-Calbayog. One of the highlights of the service was when several families pledged to create homes where the Spirit of the Lord is present. Following this, Pastor Jonathan Intanto offered a dedicatory prayer.
This commitment highlighted the seminar’s overarching goal of forming a partnership between the church and the home. Incorporating the “Spirit of Prophecy” through the teachings of Ellen G. White, the seminar further underscored vital lessons about children’s education and the nurturing environment of the home.
One speaker cited Child Guidance, reminding parents that training children for sound minds and bodies is their “first object”. While another referenced The Adventist Home, highlighting that a home where the Spirit of the Lord presides is the “sweetest type of heaven”.
The success of the event was due to the collaborative efforts of church leaders and community members. It successfully established a “Covenant of Partnership” between the church and families, with plans for ongoing communication and sharing of testimonies and lessons learned from the event.
Thus, the Calbayog District seeks to inspire similar initiatives in other districts of the Samar Mission, advancing the goal of raising children in faith.
Lilibeth A. Celeste ⎸ Samar Mission of the Seventh-day Adventists