Going to the Philippines

Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock


A couple years ago Cornelius Ebo, a pastor in the Philippines, came with his  family to spend ten months as part of the Sovereign Grace Pastors College. Cornelius, or Nilo, asked if I could come host a music/worship conference in the Philippines. At the time it seemed like a stretch. But as the Lord would have it, I’m heading to the Philippines next week.

I’ll be joined by a number of folks including Steve Cook and Norton Hall, a band led by my son , Devon. Jena Baumer, an intern from Cedarville University will also be with us, as will Lynn Baird, his daughter Meghan, and a few others from Sovereign Grace Church of Pasadena.

Sovereign Grace has been involved in the Philippines for over a decade now. Specifically, pastors Lynn Baird and Tony Walsh have been visiting once or twice a year to provide teaching and resources. This is my first time in the Philippines and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve the saints there and add to what Lynn and Tony have been doing.

Thursday morning through Saturday we’ll be hosting a conference at Living Word Christian Churches of Cebu, Good Shepherd, Tanchan Rd., Banawa, Cebu City. We’ll be starting at 9:30 AM Thursday morning and end at 11:30 am on Saturday. On Thursday and Friday the sessions will end at 6:30 PM.

Topics we’ll be covering include The Task of the Worship Leader, Pastoring Through Song, Why Do We Sing, Worship and the Word, A Leader’s Relationships, Putting Songs Together, Pursuing God’s Presence, and more. In addition we will have breakout sessions that address playing as a band, sound engineering, and song writing. The cost for the conference is PHP500.00, which includes a notebook of materials but doesn’t include meals. For information you can contact Nadine Ebo or Hannah Matibag at (032)-236-8138 or (0942)-295-9200. You can also email bernadineebo@yahoo.com or cmeptr@yahoo.com.

Sunday night we will be playing at an outdoor event at Ayala Terraces, Ayala Center in Cebu, pictured below. I haven’t done an outdoor event in a public setting for a while and am looking forward to proclaiming the gospel in song here.

Ayala Terraces - Picture of Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu City
This photo of Ayala Center Cebu is courtesy of TripAdvisor

On Monday we’ll travel over to Tagbilaran City, Bohol. In the afternoon from 1-4 PM we’ll be hosting a free symposium for the leaders and musicians where I’ll share two messages related to worshiping God in song. We’ll be meeting at Family Christian Fellowship, Upper Cal-Ceta Street, Cogon District.

Monday night will be a free event, “The Gathering,” that will include music and a message. We’ll be meeting at Bohol Cultural Center at CPG Avenue. For more information, you can contact Pete Valdez at SUN 09228510613 or SMART 09399058098.

If you happen to live in the Philippines, or know someone who does, please feel free to get the word out! And if it’s on your heart, we’d greatly appreciate your prayers for a Christ-exalting, fruitful trip that would demonstrate the Spirit’s power and serve the churches there in a lasting way with gospel-rich music, teaching, and resources.

22 Responses to Going to the Philippines

  1. Jun Ang September 30, 2013 at 12:04 PM #

    finally! :-) but too bad for me, can’t go. For sure they’ll be blessed.

  2. Kuya September 30, 2013 at 6:03 PM #

    This makes me excited! The Philippines is in such dire need of sound Theology and non-entertainment centered worship. Do you have a list of Churches that you have been providing training for there? It is so hard to find any theologically sound Churches back home to tell my friends and relatives about.

    • Bob Kauflin September 30, 2013 at 6:23 PM #

      Kuya, I will try to find out some churches to recommend.

  3. Lee Dwinells September 30, 2013 at 7:38 PM #

    We are so looking forward to your arrival and have great expectations for what the Lord will do. Thank you for coming and sharing your wisdom and vision for His people in song with us. We pray God grant you a safe and peaceful journey and that you may be strengthened and encouraged as well by your journey here. God bless!

  4. Rinna October 1, 2013 at 1:44 AM #

    Hi! I’ve been following your blogs for a while, and many of us have been truly blessed by your insights. It’s good to hear that you will be in the Philippines!

    Any chance that you will hold these types of conferences in Manila? We would love to go, but unfortunately Cebu is a hour away by plane :(

  5. Czarkhan Pe October 1, 2013 at 2:09 AM #

    This is great! hope you could also have a conference in Manila..

  6. Elynne October 3, 2013 at 12:26 PM #

    Have been looking forward to this since I’ve heard of it months ago. Looking forward to your team’s arrival and the teaching that we’ll be receiving!! Excited to fly to Cebu and see you all there!

  7. LadyBags October 6, 2013 at 8:15 AM #

    thank u so much for responding to the needs of the churches in my country Philippines.i’m grateful that the Lord has granted me to attend this wonderful event. here’s praying for your safe trip and God’s divine protection. see you thus c0ming couple of days. GoD bLess u aLL! you are indeed a blessing to us!

  8. Paul October 11, 2013 at 4:14 AM #

    Please come to Manila…

  9. LadyBags October 11, 2013 at 9:47 AM #

    i am s0 blessed & spiritually nurtured by your teachings as well as the line-up of songs for the past 2 days of our conference. it has really ministered to our hearts. glory to GoD!He has empowered you in imparting the Gospel to the Phils. GoD bless u m0re!:-)

  10. Vincent R. Leyson October 12, 2013 at 6:40 AM #

    Thank you so much for coming over! We have learned so much in 3 days. You, Devon and the rest of Sovereign Grace has been so much of a blessing to us…

  11. Jan Soriano October 12, 2013 at 10:28 AM #

    Hello Bob & team,

    I was able to attend the conference and was blessed by the Spirit-led worship. It’s been a while since I left our church’s Praise team and went on to other ministries but I can say I was refreshed and reminded to all the more pursue God. Many times the ministry work sidetracks us from knowing and pursuing God Himself; but I am really thankful that because of the event I am again reminded.

    It was also a joy to see Steve Cook — I had hoped to see Vicki. One of their songs penned from the album “Everlasting” was special to my wife and I. The song is “I Bow Down”. Got his autograph though :D

    I was planning to have you Bob sign my “Upward / The Bob Kauflin Hymns Project” cd but waiting from the lines were longer than the time allows so I hope I can have it signed on your concert this coming Sunday in Ayala.

    It was really a delight to have you here in Cebu. May God bless you richly as you continue to serve Him.

    • Bob Kauflin October 12, 2013 at 11:01 AM #

      Jan, thanks for your encouraging words! See you Sunday night!

  12. MacNan October 13, 2013 at 9:19 PM #

    To Bob and the Members of the Team,

    Greetings from the Island of Palawan Philippines. Thank you for visiting our country specially the city of Cebu. You and your team is really a blessings and God’s gift to our country even in a short period of time through “Worship God Conference”

    In behalf of my Church,
    1. Thank you for sharing to us the pure Word of God.
    2. Thank you of the rebuke of not taking lightly of the presence of the Lord.
    3. And thank you also for encouraging us to “Pursue God’s Presence.”

    N.B. May you can visit us also here in our Island of Palawan.

  13. Joey Cortes October 14, 2013 at 6:23 AM #

    Thanks again for coming to the Phils, Ptr. Bob! Hope you enjoyed the “polvoron” :-) Praying for you as you minister in Bohol!

  14. Jan Soriano October 14, 2013 at 10:24 PM #

    Hello Bob & Team!

    Interestingly, a day after you had the conference in Bohol a very powerful earthquake (7.2) struck the island.

    It reminded me of Acts 4:31…

    After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

  15. Carmel Tampos October 14, 2013 at 10:58 PM #

    Gathering together as one body of Christ, communing, fellowshipping, praising God, indeed was a wonderful blessing. Thank you for visiting our country. All glory to God for what has been accomplished.

  16. Tess Valdez October 17, 2013 at 7:14 PM #

    I was in Cebu and Bohol during the conference and symposium and your worship concert that even you were not able to sing because you have no voice yet you blessed us. How are you after the earthquake? Is this the answer of our prayer for revival for the Phil.? I live in Baguio and in July 16/90 there was a devastating earthquake happened. After that there was revival. Christian churches sprouted. I know in my heart that God is answering our prayers. Hope you are now rested after that tiring but blessed experience in Bohol. Hope to see you again here. God bless.

    • Bob Kauflin October 17, 2013 at 10:46 PM #

      We made it home safely, Tess. May God indeed revive his church!

  17. Vivian October 30, 2013 at 1:21 PM #

    Dear Pastor Bob!
    This might be a late post but still we would like to convey our heartfelt thanks to you and your team for heeding God’s call to visit the Philippine churches and hold such Christ-exalting and God-gloriying conference and concert. Indeed when God calls somebody to do His work, all other things are well provided. Praise God for making it possible! We’ve been looking forward for this conference since last year and I personally was so blessed and greatly encouraged by the doctrinally and biblically sound teachings we heard and learned all throughout the conference. Praise the Lord indeed for such passion and zeal for God’s glory in Christ that you and your team had shared with us.
    Your book Worship Matters has also been a source of teaching material that we’ve been using in Church and had been a source of much inspiration for me personally as I endeavor to deepen my personal worship life. We’ve also learned, taught and sang some of your songs already in Church and have deepen our own understanding of the richness gospel through the messages of those songs. So rich in gospel truths
    and absolutely life-changing!
    And your timely visit somehow has prepared many of us of The storm that follows: earthquake. Being filled with so much thanksgiving and praise in our hearts during the conference prepared us for the succeeding days ordeal of our faith.
    God is just so GOOD! With hearts refreshed and filled with The Spirit’s power, we we’re somehow made stronger when the quake took place! God reminded me of the time when we prayed and interceded for our country. I felt as if it was part of God’s answer to that prayer we all offered to the Lord. And believing that many more He would do in the days to come in answer to the pleadings of His people for revival!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Reflections On My Trip To the Philippines - October 24, 2013

    […] In a previous post I shared the background to my recent trip to the Philippines. Here’s a follow up report. It’s long, I know, but this is the short version! […]

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