04/05/2026
May 3, 2026 - We're officially starting a house church here in Capiz!
Prior to Russel stepping up into a pastoral role, 9 years as missionaries taught us SO MANY THINGS. But more than anything else, we felt and we've seen the need for more kingdom workers because the harvest is indeed great but the workers are few.
• Our Mission:
To glorify God through simple, Christ-centered gatherings where believers are deeply formed in Christ and equipped to reach people locally and globally with love and the unshakeable truth of the Gospel.
• Our Vision:
We believe the Great Commission is for all believers. To be a sending base for world missions where every member’s unique calling is honored: whether deployed and supported as a sent missionary, or equipped as a strategic sender to sustain the mission, or actively serving as both.
• Our Story: A People, Not a Building
Our heart for the house church was forged in the Middle East, where we saw firsthand that the church is not a building, but a gathered people. At the time, Russel served as an overseas Filipino worker for the Saudi government, while Catherine lived and grew up in Saudi Arabia for many years.
When we returned to the Philippines, that vision grew even deeper. For nine years, we served as missionaries, and through those seasons, Christ matured our faith in ways we never imagined.
Building on relationships that began years ago, we have spent the last two straight years actively discipling more than 200 children and over 20 family members whom we ministered to... during our early years in missions.
Russel courageously made the decision to step into a pastoral role, officially transitioning our community outreach efforts into a house church movement. Today, as a house church, we deeply value an authentic, intimate community.
• The Tentmaker Model: Working to Give Freely
Following the example of Paul, who partnered with Aquila and Priscilla in their shared craft of tentmaking—and Jesus Himself, who worked as a carpenter—we operate as tentmakers. We believe it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. By taking responsibility for our own livelihood, we open doors for radical generosity that might otherwise remain closed. This intentional approach allows our resources to go directly toward meeting practical needs, maximizing the impact we can make in the communities we serve.
Because of this, we do not rely on external fundraising, corporate sponsorship, or outside financial support. Instead, we direct the professional gifts and skills God has given us toward sustaining our lives and our ministry. We also operate seasonal businesses that provide for our needs without consuming all of our time, allowing us to stay fully focused on our calling. By self-funding our mission, we are able to serve others, modeling generosity that reflects the true, selfless heart of Christ.
• Army of Bold Believers in the End-Time Harvest
We believe that Jesus has already declared victory, promising that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His people (Matthew 16:18). This assurance anchors us as we engage in the spiritual realities of our calling. As Ephesians 6:12 reminds us:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
Because our victory is fully secured by the finished work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are not simply hoping this movement will end well—our full confidence is in Him, and we are standing firm in that triumph.
Our exposure to a gospel-restricted nation in the early years of our faith taught us that the freedom to preach and express our beliefs is both precious and fragile, requiring us to stand as defenders of the truth. Above all, it is our highest honor and privilege to represent the uncompromised Word of God in a world that so often revolves around power, control, wealth, and continuously changing culture/trends.
To God be all the glory!
In Christ's love and victory,
Pastor Russel & Catherine
------------------------------
"We need people who are true followers of Jesus to challenge us, to keep us accountable, encourage us to study the Word of God, pray for us and pray with us, and make us want to do the same for someone else. We must expand not by addition but by multiplication. Discipleship groups must spring up everywhere. Most churches are trying to win converts, but not enough are effectively discipling them. We must go serve them. The world doesn't need more lukewarm church goers. Jesus said in the Great Commission, "Go out into all the world and make disciples." We need more believers who are whole-heartedly following Jesus. That's what the world needs to see. We have to go after them because whoever wants the next generation the most will get them. This culture is aggressively chasing after their hearts and their minds with a view of morality, purpose, and truth that's continually redefined. But God has given us the truth, His Word, the anchor that we hold on to. I pray for you, you not be one in a million, but one of a million. I say, let's go where they are. In the schools, in the ballfields, in the marketplaces, wherever they hang out. We must be there and we must find them. Let's do what Jesus did. Let's go love them with the truth. Let's take them Jesus." - The Forge 🤍
"God's work done God's way shall never lack supply."
"If we can recite correct theology, but don't have love, our heads may be full but our hearts have not been changed."
"They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."
