January 2018
CEVRU Delegates to the National Conference 2017
EDITORIAL BOARD Writers Eleazar Canonigo Kenny Ebo Faith Harmony Macabenta Laura Pla Liane Angeli Rabuya Editor: Kenny Ebo Layout Artist: tasyo Photo Credits to Belle Coleen Sanchez Camera ni Juan David Salva Johnrel Brigoli
16| Linker
NC 2017: A BOLD CALL Eight years ago, during the National Conference 2009, the call to celebrate – as IVCF anticipated a new horizon – reverberated through the hollow of our hearts and minds. And why not, indeed? For over fifty years, God “[has] been faithful to us, and will always be, for all eternity,” as that NC’s theme song perfectly captured and summed up the motive for such merriment.
True enough, we listened. God’s voice wasn’t just still and small, drowned out by the bonebiting breeze in Tagaytay. Instead, it was megaphoned to every heart that only the calloused couldn’t hear. But we did hear, and so we responded. We bent our knees to…
This National Conference, though, has rather more serious and sober tones to it. While it was backdropped by post-Christmas cheers, a wind-chilled venue, and lovewarmed hearts, over four hundred IVCFers responded to the summon of NC 2017, for an unambiguous aim – or aims: to repent, renew, and rebuild. It took such courage to gather our constituents for these particular purpose. For while the sweet sounds of seeing, reminiscing, and reuniting with generations of IVCFers always bring gladness, these became mere whispers to the resounding plea for repentance, renewal, and rebuilding.
REPENT. Ther e ar e few things mor e touching than a person on his/her knees repenting of his/her sins. But for a whole community to bend its collective knees to repent of sins, well, it’s just beyond moving. That could be described of the IVCF family as we humbled ourselves before the Lord, begging for forgiveness for the sins we committed to one another, to the ministry, and to the church as whole. As it were not enough, we saw former staff and graduates who abased themselves, confessing the sins of their generation – sins of pride, of immorality, of others that marred the name of IVCF and ultimately of God. As tears