Lunch With Old Friends

The picture is of Julius and Eilleen Fabregas and their family. Yesterday (December 26) our family was invited to lunch at their home.

Our relationship with Julius and Eilleen dates back to 1987 (19 years ago). Back then Julius was working for his family’s linen manufacturing and export business. Eventually he and Eilleen felt a call to go into ministry. In 1990 they planted what is now our church in Cebu City (Victory Christian Fellowship – Cebu) later to come back to Manila to start a non life insurance business (HisCor), a business that his wife Eilleen continues to run to this day.

Eilleen hails from Pontevedra, Capiz, Western Visayas where her family has been (and still is) in the seafood business since I’ve known her. As such we feasted on serious tiger prawns and crabs yesterday.

Since 1993 Julius and Eilleen have been reaching out to artists in small groups. In 1997, Julius pioneered a ministry dedicated to reaching, training and making disciples of artists. Today that ministry is known as talentsinC (for talents in Christ). Quietly making in roads in the lives of actors, producers, directors, writers, painters, photographers even production crew.

Among those who have actively participated in the ministry are: Barbie Almalbis, now Honasan (who is also from Capiz), Cito Beltran, Steve Cad, Dennis and Marjorie Padilla, Piolo Pascual, Connie Reyes, Donita Rose, Jordan Sebastian and many others.

talentsinC has since grown into a movement of artists who reach out into campuses to raise a new generation of performers. There is no quantifying what the impact of this growing movement has on the youth and society. My suspicion is it is huge given the influence that media personalities have.

The simple truth is disciples make disciples who make disciples. Church goers are religious people who don’t really do anything. Disciples do not just go to church but build it. Jesus Christ put it simply: “Go and make disciples” not go to church. Can't make one unless you are one. This is how transformation will come. There are no quick fixes – just simple ones.

To view pictures during the lunch at the Fabregas’ visit:
http://joeybonifacio.multiply.com/photos