"Sow bountifully so that you will also reap bountifully”

This was the daring challenge posed by the leadership of the community to all its members in the occasion of this year’s community conference. As the year started, the community attempted to lay down its directions and gave a brief account of its last year’s performance when it converged at the XU High School Gymnasium at Pueblo de Oro, this city, last March 7, 2010.

Veering away from a business-like presentation which basically characterizes every community conference, Rene Pacana, the community’s senior coordinator, opened the event with a fitting exhortation along the conference’s theme taken from 2 Cor 9:6 which says: “He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly but he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

Rene stressed the importance of being faithful to our vows and in living out our individual and corporate commitment to Him. “The Lord is not pleased when we make our vow and then fail it”, he said. He challenged everyone to give some more of their time, resources and energy to the work of the Lord in the community. By sowing bountifully everyone can also expect to reap bountifully.

In his report to the community, the senior coordinator highlighted some significant milestones in the year 2009. Among these are:

· Over all reorganization - new groupings and new pastoral leaders appointed

· Continuing training of leaders for both men and women

· Enlarging the leadership bench

· Attendance & participation of some leaders, both men and women, to international conferences and regional visitations

· Strengthening the Lord’s Day celebration

· Parents’ forum which tackled the parents and children’s needs

· Strengthening of the children and youth ministries

· Evangelization & re-evangelization of parish leaders

· Progress in community building efforts

· Regular newsletter as a means of information and evangelization

A more encouraging feature in the conference is the community’s 2009 financial report which revealed an increase in receipts and disbursements, all despite the dangling economic crisis. He challenged the community to be more faithful in giving their financial support, especially in the light of the increasing works in the mission.

Most importantly, our Senior Coordinator presented the community’s 2010 Action Plan and stressed how significant it is to follow certain directions and set specific goals in order to continue living out as community of disciples in mission. He mentioned the following areas that the community can individually and corporately work on so that its outlined goals can be obtained:

· On-going renewal of community and its members

· Maintaining commitment

· Maintenance of unity and vision among leaders

· Proper functioning of pastoral system

· Effective evangelization and mission

· Involvement in the SOS work

· Effective external outreach

· Relationship with local churches

The conference was capped by a Eucharistic celebration which was presided by no less than our very own, newly ordained priest, Fr. Michael Fabello who also supported the action plan of the community and went on to challenge everyone to make sacrifices during the season of lent. - /Tata A.