Pressing On!

These are former and current YPG members. 

As you can see they work at different 

departments at the church.

Some of them, according to their faith, will move 

on and work on the altar one day.

The others will continue growing and developing in order to 

advance God's Kingdom through their talent.

How about you? 

Can God count on you somehow?

Will He find in you the dedication and 

devotion to invest in His work?

Luke Castro

YPG National Coordinator

A Pastor's Reward

You'll read below a message I received on my Facebook page from an assistant. This is what a pastor wants to hear. Nothing else matters.

Disciples

Hey Pr,

Its been a long time. Hope you and Mrs. Raphaela are doing great. 

Pr. I was thinking about the day I was raised as a collaborator, I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one heck of a surprise. The Sunday after that great WWG night vigil and you took me to see Bp Julio straight after the morning service. It was a blessed day for me.

But what really sticks in my mind is what happened later that day, when you called the 6 of us who had been raised on or close to that day onto that block in the middle of the auditorium during the youth meeting and you asked everyone to pray for us and then us to pray for them. Its blessed Pr - all 6 of us are still very much in the faith:

Asst Catherine - who is out of all of us the only one still in VYG FPK and is still making the difference, she has many responsibilities and as you'd expect is who probably all the girls look to as an example when they enter the youth group.

Asst. Patricia - discreet as ever but still a blessing, taking photos, working with the magazine (which is now weekly again) God is using her so much I'm sure, maybe more than she realises.

Asst Venice - If I'm not mistaken, she was and still might be the deputy of the Kidzone throughout the UK. A strong woman of God this is clear for all to see, not from the position but character wise and everything else.

Asst Linborn - married now as you know, and blessing the church in the Love team and I think baptism group.

Pr Chris - of course Chris is now a Pr! Enough said really. Imagine how many will be blessed through his life and with his testimony...

Myself - well am finally about to finish Uni and of course am still very much fighting the good fight, here in Oxford and at our newest branch in Hackney where I moved almost 2 years ago now.

You're probably wondering why I'm telling you all this Pr. But I read something yesterday from the book of Mark and Jesus was telling the parable about the kingdom of God being like the growing seed. 

(for quick reference/reminder -http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+4.26-29&version=NKJV)

This is truly the work of God Pr - to make disciples. I have very little experience but even I have been able to see that sometimes its easy to make it about numbers, to make it about the church looking full or whatever. But when we toil and toil and work and strive to make disciples, though there may be few (only 6 of us I mentioned here) we do a work bigger than we can imagine, and effect souls we may never meet through that worker we raised.

I know we are by no means at the end - the true victory is making it to the day we get to meet our Lord face to face.

But Pr, thanks for being used by God to make disciples out of us. How can we forget you?

May God continue bless you and your wife and your ministry ABUDANTLY.

Davi Nzuruba, UK

Interesting conversation...

I had an interesting conversation with a youth who is a member of our youth group in the UK. I worked with him for about 2 years when I was there. He found me on line on skype and decided to chat. Here is the conversation in it's entirety. 

P.S. - (I used 'youth' as a fictitious name in order to preserve his identity)

Youth: Hi Pr. Luke

Luke Castro : Hey, how r u doin?

Youth: Im very well thanks, and yourself?

Luke Castro: Doing good.

Luke Castro : How is it going over there?

Youth: How's America?

Luke Castro: Big.

Luke Castro: Different from UK.

Youth: Lol

Luke Castro: Lot's of work. Need workers for the harvest. Inerested?

Youth: I don't understand.

Luke Castro: Well, maybe it's because it isn't for you then. Got it?

Luke Castro: I misspelt a word at the end of the question: INTERESTED?

Luke Castro: Rephrasing: Lot's of work. Need workers for the harvest. Interested?

Youth: I'm interested.

Luke Castro: Okay.

Luke Castro: Do you now what I mean now?

Youth: I think i've got it.

Luke Castro: Tell me then.

Youth: Are you talking about doing the work of God?

Luke Castro: No.

Luke Castro: I'm talking about going places where no one else dare to go in order to save the lost souls.

Luke Castro: Still interested?

Youth: Meaning on the altar?

Youth: ?

Luke Castro: No. Read the last comment again. Meditate. Ponder.

Luke Castro: You wouldn't find people like that on the altar, would you?

Luke Castro: Yes, being on the altar is part of it, but not the centre.

Youth: Thats true!

Luke Castro: So...

Luke Castro: Only those who had a true encounter with God dare to go to these places, without any restriction, completely selfless.

Luke Castro: Is there still any possibility or it sounds to hard for you now?

Youth: I'm interested.

Luke Castro: Okay. Let God see that then.

Luke Castro: Make it evident. Don't just say it. Live it. Breath it.

Youth: Thank you.

Luke Castro: Stop living according to what you feel like doing and begin doing what He wants you to do.

Luke Castro: If you stick to that then we'll meet soon.

Luke Castro: God bless you.

Youth: Thanks pr you too.

Luke Castro: You're welcome.

Luke Castro: Nice talking to you.

Luke Castro: Bye for now.

Youth: You too pr.

Youth: Bye.

Got the hint? How about you, what would you do after having a similar conversation?

Pr Luke Castro