BCI History: Ministries

  • Nov 21, 1992
  • Series: 10th Anniversary

The fellowship time, which followed the worship service on November 21, 1982, ended after the worshippers shared a potluck lunch together. It was the beginning of the Agape Fellowship, a gathering of the worshippers for a buffet lunch, which follows the Sunday Worship Service. It is one of the strongest ministries of BCI and it refused to be abolished when it had become seemingly burdensome and expensive. The persistent “Marthas” of the Church perpetuate it with their labor of love. And because Filipinos love to eat and be in the company of one big joyful family, members gladly contribute toward expenses incurred. Today, it is an occasion for the Church to welcome and get to know the visitors and a time to spend with one another to share the love and joy of the Lord.

BCI, being an evangelistic church, holds a Sunday School for all ages. A special class known as the Pag-ibig (Love) class, which is taught in Tagalog, was initiated sometime in 1983, and continues to the present time. The Sunday morning Worship Service has always been conducted in English. Within the past decade, a Tagalog Worship Service on Sunday evening was attempted several times without success due to low attendance. It was reintroduced on October 4, 1992 after much prayer and planning and has been rescheduled at 9:00 AM preceeding the Sunday School.

The Prieto family’s musical gifts and the musical training of some of the early members introduced a strong music ministry. BCI is no doubt a singing church. The pews emptied out when the Choir would render its anthem in the Churchs’ earlier years because most of the Church members sang in the Choir. The worshipper’s love for music makes it a vibrant church indeed. Children actively take part in making a joyful noise to the Lord as well. The Music Ministry’s biggest events are the Easter and Christmas cantata and caroling at Christmas time. Off-season concerts are also held occasionally. The Choir also celebrates the Lord in music outside the Church when they visit homes for the aged and the blind.

A Wednesday night Prayer Meeting held in the church facility was also one of the first established ministries. It was replaced by the Wednesday night Cottage Prayer Meeting (CPM) in 1986. It is an ongoing ministry held in designated homes where members residing in the area come together to meditate on God’s Word and seek Him in prayer. All CPM groups meet at the church facilities as one body every last Wednesday of the month at 7:30 PM to encourage one another to pray in concert. CPMs have caused an increase in attendance and promoted individual spiritual growth through small group dynamics.

Bible study groups have flourished over the years. In 1983, the Friday night Ladie’s Bible Study Fellowship and the Men’s Prayer Breakfast were initiated on a monthly basis. Other age group fellowships, the Homebuilders and Career Group formed later on, meet monthly as well to comfort, admonish and support one another and glean God’s Word together. A Bible study opens also in the homes of new believers to assist them in their spiritual maturity and to evangelize other family members.

BCI organized the need for a well-developed and strong evangelistic ministry and welcomed Evangelism Explosion (EE) in 1984. Three members were sent to an EE conference for training and they begun their work as trainers when they returned home. Trainers and trainees went out to the field to share the gospel every week in that year. Periodically, Lay Evangelism Seminar and discipleship training, in addition to the EE, are conducted to maintain the ministry of soul winning and equipping. Souls are being won for the Lord and membership multiplies as a result of these ministries.

The first issues of BCI Insignt and Church News, which was later renamed BCI News, were published in 1990 and 1991, respectively. They were conceived to provide members a vehicle to share testimonies on personal experiences, commentaries on spiritual matters, record and disseminate information. In September 1992, the two publications were merged and renamed BCI News and Views.

In 1991, BCI started a Sports Ministry in Basketball, which gradually expanded to include bi-annual bowling tournaments and summer fishing trips. In Summer 1992, Martial Arts was introduced in affiliation with other nationwide Christian Martial Arts organizations. The sports ministries attract people of all ages and provide a favorable occasion to shed abroad the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Other seasonal ministries are the yearly out-of-town retreat known as the Family Camp the week long Vacation Bible School offered in the summertime. During the Christmas season, the Church also mobilizes its Feeding the Homeless Ministry bringing both physical and spiritual food to the indigent people in the area. Ministries relevant to the events of the time are also launched to meet short term needs, i.e. free income tax preparation, Nurses’ Victory Fellowship, etc. BCI always taken the initiative in reaching out and equipping people for the Lord.