The inaugural morning session commenced with the esteemed Ptr. Joey Crisostomo who started in the ministry at the young age of 21. He delivered a powerful message very near and dear to his heart: how to become a passionate leader. To become one means to have a servant-like character with every fibre of his/her being drawn to God as an offering. The conviction of the Holy Spirit was so powerful reminding us again to remember our first love. Our passion should be guarded and cultivated as it will be the driving force in fulfilling our purpose and calling, an important key to success and making a significant impact that will leave a lasting mark in people’s lives (Romans 12:11, Acts 20:24, Mark 12:30). His passion and love for Christ is very well evident in the worship songs he has written – a sweet aroma that sprung from the heart of a passionate worshipper and servant of the living God. 
After a full day of enlightening and inspiring sessions that fed our spirit, “The Faithfuls” arrived at the banquet hall all glammed up in their beautiful evening dresses and suits. The evening is for them. A scrumptious dinner was served to fill our physical hunger, and yes, it was satisfying! Representatives from different JIL churches rendered song numbers that filled the atmosphere with worship and celebration at the same time. The highlight of the evening was when the most faithful of the faithfuls were recognized one by one as awards and tokens of appreciation (in cash and in kind) were presented by Ptr. Bong and Ptr. Rose Gonzales. The awards/tokens were handed as if we are part of the popular Philippine game show “Pera or Bayong” (money or bag) with our very own JIL twist “Envelop or Kahon” (box) making the evening filled with laughter and excitement as we await the decision of the recipient. This generous gesture is a great reminder that our service to the Lord will never be in vain. It will somehow be appreciated and recognized here on earth as much as it is in heaven. We, servants of God, never find serving as exhausting, but instead fulfilling, rewarding and fun
Day 2 of the Summit commenced with our Sunday Worship and Healing Service. Ptr. Bobot Bernardo delivered a sermon titled “God’s Divine Equipping Program” highlighting three key points: trials, inner struggles and blessings. He described trials and struggles as God’s way of teaching and molding us. It’s His way of preparing us to become somebody He has called us to be. He also lamented that blessings may take our eyes off the one who is the source of blessings. We can lose focus on God with our blessings - the more we have, the more we want, the more we want, the more we worry. His sermon touched members’ hearts and left a resounding impression to everyone that God’s equipping is for the purpose of building our character until we are conformed to His own likeness and image.  The Commissioning Service lead by Ptr. Joey Crisostomo gave way to the Holy Spirit to freely move in His own special way. The presence of the Holy Spirit was so heavy that Ptr. Joey had to skim through his outline to finish his sermon and then the powerful move of the Holy Spirit just took over. The Holy Spirit is there, He is indeed! Ptr. Joey led the delegates in worship for the rest of the service, singing with heartfelt melodies, songs of adoration giving honor to the King of Kings and the Lord of all. The heaven’s door was opened! People were kneeling down in repentance, broken and humbled by the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit. People were speaking, praying in tongues, and worshipping with hands lifted high in full surrender to the will of God, dedicating their lives once more for His service. Some receiving a fresh anointing from the Spirit, clearly seeing a vision from God, receiving prophetic word and fresh revelation; receiving healing in all aspects of their lives, being refreshed, renewed, mended and made whole again, empowered! The Holy Spirit was moving mightily throughout the banquet hall leaving not one soul untouched. JIL Canada East’s faithful generals, great harvest awaits us. We have received from God and we have been empowered by and filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us go and make passionate and radical disciples boldly proclaiming the Word of Truth; declaring that Jesus is Lord all over the world, from this generation and generations to come! Let us be faithful to our calling until Jesus finally calls us to be reunited with Him and the Father - until we are finally home! -- To find a JIL Church near you, click here. Don’t have a JIL Church or Life Group/Bible Study near you? Want to start a JIL Life Group/Bible Study in your area? Click here to message us. To learn more about what we believe, click here. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV by Kathrina Sagabaen A year ago, we launched a JIL Church in Orleans, Ontario Community and little did we know what God was going to do with our obedience. On May 5th, 2019, the JIL Orleans Church celebrated its 1st anniversary. A special event was organized to mark a victorious and spirit-filled anniversary for which was attended by over 300 souls. Children of God, people of JIL Ottawa East, JIL Gatineau, and JIL Orleans themselves celebrated God’s goodness and faithfulness led by the Area Pastor, Ptr. Tara Agpoon and all the other pastor from other Area 1 churches, Ptr. Tony Larracas, Ptr. Judith Abellanosa & Sis. Adelle Hughes. The event was opened with the singing of national anthem of Canada, Philippines and JIL Church Theme song in heaven, "He Is Lord" alongside with the raising of the flags respectively headed by the CYN-YAN Orleans. Following that, was a dynamic pageantry number by the talented CYN and Kids Triune together with the Elyondolus Team as the service started. The JIL Orleans WAN (Worship Arts Network) team led the whole congregation into the heart of praise and worship. Everyone was in their fullest expression of worship standing before God, with praises and Thanksgiving. Our beloved JIL Americas Director of International Operations, Rev. Ptr. Nicanor ”Bong” Gonzales was the guest speaker - sharing a substantial message from the Book of Romans. It was entitled "I Believe In A Great God” (Romans 10:9-10). The preaching gave us the idea or a lesson that in this life, we will have so many pains, troubles and testing - we may choose to be affected or to give up but always remember to choose to believe that there is a Great God who does great things to those who believe that JESUS IS LORD. Following the service, there was a short fellowship wherein everyone was happy and amazed by the performances of talented JIL people as they showcased their adoration to our one and only saviour, Jesus Christ. All hail to the King! Who never fails to astonish us with His unfailing love. He deserves the highest praises and glory. To God Be All the Glory! Last weekend, our two JIL Churches in the Maritime Provinces of Canada celebrated their anniversaries! The weekend started with JIL New Brunswick celebrating its 1st anniversary on Saturday, March 30! This event was graced with 116 people, and 20 first-timers. Present at the event was the Mayor of Moncton, Dawn Arnold, who acknowledged the contributions and the growth of the Filipino community in New Brunswick. In fact, this coming year, Canada is bringing in thousands of Filipino immigrants. The JIL Church is ready to be a lighthouse and a blessing to the thousands of Filipino families being welcomed to New Brunswick. Photos from JIL New Brunswick's First Anniversary JIL Nova Scotia also celebrated its 2nd anniversary on Sunday, March 31, with an attendance of 137 people, including 13 first-timers. Throughout its two years, JIL Nova Scotia has witnessed many give their life to Christ and many go back to serving God. At both glorious events, Ptr. Bong Gonzales, JIL Director for International Operations - Americas, preached the the Word of God with our 2019 declaration, "Proclaiming Jesus is Lord!" Photos from JIL Nova Scotia's Second Anniversary As families all throughout different cities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island have been calling the JIL Church to start Bible Studies in their homes, and as many Filipinos will be immigrating to these towns and cities in the upcoming years, we can truly say that God is doing something great in the Maritime Provinces of Canada!
-- For more info on JIL Halifax, Nova Scotia, click here. For more info on JIL Moncton, New Brunswick, click here. Want to start a JIL Bible Study in your area? Please message us by clicking here. JIL Church is looking to open Life Groups/Bible Studies in the following cities: Chicago, IL Detroit, MI Portland, OR Houston, TX Denver, CO Colorado Springs, CO Do you live in one of these areas? Have family or friends in the area? Let them know that JIL Church is coming there soon! Please get in contact with us by messaging us here, or on Facebook by clicking here. Truly, Jesus is Lord over the United States!
Not even the snowstorm and -15°C weather could stop JIL people from attending the glorious event. Guests came from as far as Toronto, with 118 people in attendance, including 6 first timers from the Niagara Falls area. The church plant is a fruit of faithful workers from JIL St. Catharines, lead by Ptr. Tess Sotto. Known as a natural wonder of the world, the City of Niagara Falls welcomes about 12 million visitors a year.ⁱ The church venue is just a 5 minute drive, or a 30 minute walk from the infamous falls itself. Truly, God has something great in store for the City of Niagara Falls! -- JIL Niagara Falls meets at 5621 North Street at 6pm on Sundays. If it's your first time attending a JIL Church, click here For more information on what we believe, click here Don't have a JIL Church in your area? Want to start a JIL Bible Study/Life Group in your city? Message us here 1 https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/info/media/tourism-research/
At the end of each year, JIL Canada East holds its WIN Summit and a 3 Day Corporate Prayer and Fasting. This event has two purposes: (1) to thank God for what He has done during the year, and (2) to seek Him for our plans and directions in the upcoming year. The Warrior Intercessors Network is the prayer ministry of the JIL Church.
This year's Summit was held in two batches. From November 24-25, batch 1 of the WIN Summit was held in Niagara Falls with 439 delegates from around the Greater Toronto Area and Western Ontario. The much awaited event even drew a member from JIL Aruba, representing and praying for her church and nation. Batch 2 of the Summit was held on December 1-2 in Montebello, Quebec, with over 90 delegates from JIL Churches in Ottawa, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The theme this year was "Breaking The Fallow Ground" based on Hosea 10:12 and Jeremiah 4:3. As the Summit started, we welcomed the Holy Spirit with praise and worship. Ptr. Bong Gonzales gave us an overview of prayer and fasting, and we heard some testimonies of miracles received from God through prayer and fasting in the past, such as: - deliverance from vices - healing of sickness and diseases - removal of sinful desires - miracle answered prayer of having a baby - normalized sleeping patterns - financial breakthrough - supernatural strength and provision during the 3 Day Prayer and Fasting - freedom from people-pleasing and comparison - deliverance and inner healing from oppression. Truly, the God we serve is alive and is still working today! Here are some notable quotes from the WIN Summit 2018: "Do not rob yourself of your best future because you sacrificed your vision. That's why the Bible says to 'guard your heart.'" "Our master is so good that He never sends us empty handed. He has prepared us transformed us, empowered with his likeness and power." "Dapat alalahanin ang first love natin sa Panginoon. (We should remember our first love with the Lord). True love will bring commitment, obedience, understanding, humility." "If we are sure of the first coming of Jesus Christ, we must be 8 times more sure of His second coming." "Jesus is our great example of total surrender." "Indeed, God speaks to His people. Treasure the voice of God." “Realize and understand how much God loves you. In order to go back to your first love, remember what God has done for you."
See the highlights below!
Batch 1: JIL Greater Toronto Area and JIL Western Ontario
November 24-25, 2018 -- Niagara Falls, Canada
Batch 2: JIL Ottawa, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia
December 1-2 2018 -- Montebello, Quebec
From July 16-20, 2018, over 150 children and 80 volunteers were at Vacation Bible School 2018: Hero Central! Based on Psalm 34:14, our kids learned to "seek peace, do good, and go after it!"
VBS 2018 concluded with a Hero Central: The Concert on July 21 at JIL Cornerstone Toronto! Watch the highlights below! by Christine Nicole Aman
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5 (NIV) Our hearts will never stop singing of gratitude, our lips will never cease to bless His Holy name because, the One True God never stops showing His never-ending faithfulness; and it has definitely been evident in Canada’s National Capital. June 9, 2018 marked JIL Ottawa’s 23rd year as a church. What started out in a basement 23 years ago, has now expanded into multiple worship services all spread out in the National Capital Region; and to celebrate, a congregation of over500 souls joined together in unity to acknowledge God’s goodness at Tudor Hall in Ottawa, Ontario. The victorious anniversary started with the raising of the Canadian and Philippine flags as both national anthems; O Canada and Lupang Hinirang were sung. Following that, a powerful pageantry number presented by JIL Ottawa’s Elyondoulos together with Ottawa’s WAN (Worship Arts Network), opened the anniversary celebration. With everyone coming together in one body, the anointed WAN Team, led the whole room into the heart of praise and worship. Love, unity and and joy, saturated the sanctuary as the Spirit of the Living God swept the place with His overwhelming presence. Our very own Director of International Operations of JIL Americas, Rev. Bong Gonzales shared the Word of God, teaching and encouraging each individual that by having a strong biblical foundation (2 Tim. 3:16-17), establishing a faith life (Heb 11:6), using the gifts and talents God has blessed us with (Rom. 12:4-9) and Walking in Christ (Eph 4:1-4) we can all “Be Strong and Do Great Things”. The preaching encouraged each and everyone of us, to continue living our lives with Jesus, as we rely and depend on His Holy Spirit to equip us to complete the things He calls us to accomplish. Following the powerful message, JIL Gatineau and newly established, JIL Orleans presented powerful interpretative presentations. The Children’s Ministry of JIL Ottawa West uplifted the atmosphere bringing a smile to everyone’s face as they offered their own high-energy dance number. Ottawa’s CYN (Christian Youth for the Nations) Triune also ministry offered a special number that combined contemporary, interpretative and hip-hop all in one performance. All the presentations, brought joy to everyone in the room, but above all that; the dance numbers exemplified a dynamic offering of worship, adoration and Thanksgiving to our King. We are amazed because time and time again, God proves Himself to be faithful. His unwavering Love never fails and His glory will continue to endure throughout the generations! We are excited to see what else God will establish here in Ottawa, knowing that He directs our steps and what God has established no man can curse. All the glory, honor and praise belongs to God for ever and ever! by Dillan Agpoon, JIL Orleans “And I also say unto thee… and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 NIV The favour and power of God knows no bounds; and in Orleans, the East-most community in Ottawa, there is no exception. As of May 6th, 2018, a new member to the Eastern JIL Canada family of churches is born; JIL Orleans, headed by Ptr. Tara Agpoon, JIL Area 3 Pastor, and hosted in the facilities of Grace Presbyterian Church (GPC). JIL Orleans looks to reach out and touch the hearts of the people in the community through the teaching of His word and the building of everlasting, Christ-centered, relationships
After establishing its leaders and unifying its congregation with God’s heart, along with the aid of Rev. Mercy Galera to guide and counsel them, JIL Orleans is off to a fresh start and is not limiting what God can do through their lives! Jesus is Lord over Orleans, Ottawa! -- JIL Orleans is located at 1220 Old Tenth Line Road and holds its services at 2:00pm every Sunday. For more info, click here. To find a JIL Church nearest you, click here. Don't have a JIL Church or Bible Study in your area? Message us here. For more info on the JIL Church and what we believe, click here.  |
