By Bro. Mark Katigbak, BCBP Taguig Chapter
I was born in Makati and raised in Lipa City, Batangas by my two lovely parents who are also BCBP members. My father is a Batangueño from Lipa City and my mother is a beautiful Ilongga from Jaro. In short, I am a combination of sweet and spicy, “malambing and matapang”. I am currently working as an SAP IT Consultant.
Prior to joining the BCBP, I was having an existential crisis and didn’t really know what I was living for. I attended my first breakfast in Taguig and found myself coming back again and again despite the demographics because there was something about the community.
After graduating from the CLP, I learned so much about God that I wanted to give back to the community. I became part of the logistics team for the Breakfast, joined the Music Ministry and was active in all BCBP events and activities. Given the age demographics of my first Action Group, our Mission Head approached me to start a new Action Group to cater to young professionals. Back then, we were only three active members, with the two being children of existing members of BCBP Taguig.
We had our first Coffee Talk in Books and Borders where I was the first speaker. The event was successful, thanks to the joint effort of everyone in promoting and arranging the logistics. Through God’s grace, people kept coming back for more. I didn’t know how I was able to do it but for each Coffee Talk, I was always able to bring first timers. Given my personal background, I was never good at sales and I knew it was God who was making all of it possible. It was not long until the next CLP program and majority of the CLP graduates came from the Coffee Talks of Christ’s Young Professionals or CYP.
With the new members in the CYP Taguig Action Group, the community kept growing. I was so happy and enthusiastic to see more people developing their relationship with the Lord. Being their Action Group leader, I was able to personally witness the transformation they had in their lives when they let God enter their lives. It was not only them. God also worked his miracle in me. There were a lot of hesitations and doubts in being their AGL, but it was my love for God that prevailed and made me go outside my comfort zone to guide the members in their lives and the community.
As time went on, another CLP program was done and our Action Group grew to a total of 16 members in the CYP alone. Some of us were given a chance to attend the Stewardship Leadership Training and I have to testify that it was one of the most powerful trainings that I’ve ever had. It was so powerful that it even led me to prophesy that the CYP community will grow by 5,000 in 2020. I made it a point to conduct my 1-on-1’s with all the members of the Action Group. It was so inspiring to listen to their stories and see them actively living out their faith.
Today, the CYP Community keeps on growing and growing with the guidance of the BCBP Community. With the growth of CYP, we will now be even having our first CYP Sectoral Assembly this year. We now have various Coffee Talks going monthly nationwide starting from CYP Quezon City, CYP Taguig, CYP Makati, CYP Pasay, CYP Greenhills, CYP Camanava, CYP Pampanga and many more on its way. It won’t be long until our community will continue to impact the lives of young people and develop them as Christian leaders of our society. I truly believe in God’s miracles and that God will multiply our members just as how he did with the fishes and loaves of bread by working through us to become fishers of men.
In Matthew 28: 19-20:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Being gathered here today in NAC along with Christian leaders nationwide is so inspiring and empowering. Looking at how this community has grown, we should not stop and even multiply our efforts so that we may reach all nations. The most valuable gift that you can give to a person is to give them an avenue to develop their relationship with God through the community. It enables us to serve others and to grow more than we can ever imagine.
Lastly, I want to share with you that I never really felt lonely all throughout my life even in several occasions where I choose to be alone. There was always Someone who was extending His hand, waiting for me to join in His journey of saving the world. He tells me that the path won’t be easy, it would be the most difficult path that you could take where people can ridicule you, mock you and hate you. He doesn’t tell you if it’s worth it because it’s up to you to decide. The only thing that He promises is that He will be with you every step of the way. His name is Emmanuel which means God is with us.
