Hello! :) I returned from a two-day retreat with Stillwaters last weekend and I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of it -- so many questions, practices, and sharing happened that here I am, assessing where I am and where God wants me to be.
I am amazed on how simple the retreat was, yet on how big of an impact it made on me. When someone asked what I appreciate most about Stillwaters, I answered that it is with Stillwaters that I realized how church can be simple... to which he responded with, "You know, Stillwaters is so simple, all we have is Jesus."
And I couldn't have said it any better --- that response alone deserves a slow clap, don't you think? :)
Sometimes I get so caught up with everything else that make a church good, that I forget that for a church to be great, you only need a great God and a group of people who loves and follows Him.
Stillwaters is a church with house churches in Manila. I first encountered them back in college when my friend invited me to meet with Ate Flo, the one who led us into Bible Study weeks, months and even years after.
I remember just sitting at Bellarmine field, eating chips, sharing stories on how God has been at work in our lives...
Several years later when we were certified yuppies already, the Greenhills House church came alive... I wrote about how we all came together here, and the idea is to bring more people into a REAL relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus is not just someone you talk to a few times a day or go to church and worship every Sunday -- He is someone who is WITH YOU everyday. If someone is with you day in and day out, how would you talk to that person? How would you relate to Him? And if that someone is your God, how would that change how you do things everyday?
Those are tough but necessary questions in the faith :) Honestly, sometimes it's tiring to ask and wrestle with these questions so it's a good thing that there are people around to ask these questions and share answers with...
So fast forward to last weekend, and the very first Stillwaters Overseers Retreat happened.Whoohoooo! This is the first time they did this :) Overseers are the church planters, leaders and people who would minister to the health of each house church.
That's a pretty big responsibility, yes. That's why a retreat like this was done -- for further equipping, grappling and wrestling with hard questions, sharing of experiences that will lead us face to face with the kind of church that Jesus is calling us to.
A church can be simple, and I couldn't agree more. Yet, Jesus was straightforward that we all had to die to ourselves in order to follow Him. There are costs to being a disciple and the task is not an easy one.
You know how sometimes, you feel like you're doing what you ought to, you feel that you get it already? And then an event like this or a person just jolt you to your senses that make you realize that, no, you're not there yet... in fact, when it comes to our faith, we will never get to a point where we get it completely because there is so much vastness and depth to who God is.
It's kind of a bittersweet moment, but more than anything, it's a humbling one :) Coming face to face with the fact that you know very little will make you seek more and that's when you know that your faith is alive.
During the retreat, I am praying that what was started would continue on in each of our lives. Still waters has some activities up their sleeves to create a noise loud enough for His Glory and it's all pretty exciting :) I'll tell you more about that soon! :)
I pray that all of us would live out the gospel in a very authentic and real way that others would just see it reflected on our faces, demeanor and lifestyle.
Thank God for the opportunity to be refreshed in Him! :)
Photo Credits:
Michelle Magalino
I am amazed on how simple the retreat was, yet on how big of an impact it made on me. When someone asked what I appreciate most about Stillwaters, I answered that it is with Stillwaters that I realized how church can be simple... to which he responded with, "You know, Stillwaters is so simple, all we have is Jesus."
And I couldn't have said it any better --- that response alone deserves a slow clap, don't you think? :)
Sometimes I get so caught up with everything else that make a church good, that I forget that for a church to be great, you only need a great God and a group of people who loves and follows Him.
Mabuhay, Natipuan Batangas! :)
Stillwaters is a church with house churches in Manila. I first encountered them back in college when my friend invited me to meet with Ate Flo, the one who led us into Bible Study weeks, months and even years after.
I remember just sitting at Bellarmine field, eating chips, sharing stories on how God has been at work in our lives...
Several years later when we were certified yuppies already, the Greenhills House church came alive... I wrote about how we all came together here, and the idea is to bring more people into a REAL relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus is not just someone you talk to a few times a day or go to church and worship every Sunday -- He is someone who is WITH YOU everyday. If someone is with you day in and day out, how would you talk to that person? How would you relate to Him? And if that someone is your God, how would that change how you do things everyday?
Those are tough but necessary questions in the faith :) Honestly, sometimes it's tiring to ask and wrestle with these questions so it's a good thing that there are people around to ask these questions and share answers with...
So fast forward to last weekend, and the very first Stillwaters Overseers Retreat happened.Whoohoooo! This is the first time they did this :) Overseers are the church planters, leaders and people who would minister to the health of each house church.
A church can be simple, and I couldn't agree more. Yet, Jesus was straightforward that we all had to die to ourselves in order to follow Him. There are costs to being a disciple and the task is not an easy one.
You know how sometimes, you feel like you're doing what you ought to, you feel that you get it already? And then an event like this or a person just jolt you to your senses that make you realize that, no, you're not there yet... in fact, when it comes to our faith, we will never get to a point where we get it completely because there is so much vastness and depth to who God is.
It's kind of a bittersweet moment, but more than anything, it's a humbling one :) Coming face to face with the fact that you know very little will make you seek more and that's when you know that your faith is alive.
During the retreat, I am praying that what was started would continue on in each of our lives. Still waters has some activities up their sleeves to create a noise loud enough for His Glory and it's all pretty exciting :) I'll tell you more about that soon! :)
I pray that all of us would live out the gospel in a very authentic and real way that others would just see it reflected on our faces, demeanor and lifestyle.
Thank God for the opportunity to be refreshed in Him! :)
Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of
my heart and my portion forever.”
Stillwaters is a church that has house churches in Manila.
One of its house churches, Greenhills Housechurch meet every Thursday night,
at Ortigas area. To connect with us, just email at tiffanyjoybuena@yahoo.com :)
Photo Credits:
Michelle Magalino
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