Campus News

The Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) builds new bridges with the youth who reside around Kaytikling and other nearby communities in a unique way. APNTS collaborates with Philippine Children’s Ministries Network (PCMN), Visayan Forum, and Microsoft in educating out of school youth with basic computer training, life skills, and values education. This is the basic thrust of the Stop Trafficking and Exploitation of People through Unlimited Potential (Step-Up) Program. Last March 7, 2009, twelve (12) trainers graduated from the Training for Trainers (T4T) program. Some of them are currently establishing their own centers in training out of school youth.

The first graduation ceremony for the Out of School Youth (OSY) took place last April 25, 2009 at the Nielson’s Center for Christian Education (NCEE) building. Twelve (12) young people received their certificates of completion. They also received letters of recommendation from Dr. Cunningham that they could use for possible employment. The program aims to provide employment assistance to the potentially at risk individuals and communities. That is why on April 24, 2009, the members of the Step-Up Committee brought these young people to the Job Fair at SM Taytay. They had the opportunity to submit their resumes and application forms to companies for possible employment. The committee with its director, Dr. Robert Donahue also coordinated with Mayor George Ricardo Gacula for employment possibilities of the out of school youth who are enrolled in the program.

- N. Pettalar

Doug Flemming is the Communication Coordinator for the Asia Pacific Church of the Nazarene headquartered in Singapore. APart from his founding role in Wm Communications on the APNTS Campus, Flemming also served for many years on the Faculty of APNTS. Flemming Recently had the opportunity to return to APNTS to teach for a short-term teaching assignment . Below, Flemming reflects on some of the valuable faith-lessons that he learned.

I’ve been blessed to live in Asia (Philippines and Singapore) for nearly sixteen years and have taught several communication courses at APNTS and other schools during this time frame. Through each teaching experience I am reminded that I still have so much more to learn about Christ, culture and communications. My recent stay at APNTS was no exception. This past February to March, I was invited by Professor Kwon Dong Hwan to teach a new course, “Intercultural Communications” for the experimental AP Global Communications Program. The students (my teachers) were twenty-three energetic Korean, undergraduate students from the School of Journalism and Communications at Kyung Hee University (Seoul). The very context for this course (American professor, teaching in English, to Korean students, studying in the Philippines, on an international campus) offered ample opportunities to experience intercultural relationships.

Through my interaction with these students and the campus community I learned afresh the following concepts:

When we look for the positive aspects of any culture, we can find clear examples of “Christ-culture”. I discovered once again that the “collectivistic” Korean culture in many ways displays the biblical call to community. The KHU students bonded together and helped one another throughout their time here. Even when they weren’t eating Korean food, they still continued to eat Korean style, freely sharing and sampling from each other’s plates. What a great example of community! At the same time, this cultural value made it challenging to engage the students in classroom dialogue. Their reluctance to participate openly in class was simply a reflection of their desire to show humility and deference to the group. Hmmm…that sounds familiar. I think it says somewhere in the Bible to consider others more important than ourselves, doesn’t it?

But in the interest of education, I still was determined to find ways to involve them in the class. So I had to learn and adapt my teaching style. Instead of insisting on individual responses, I found it more effective to allow for group presentations. On another occasion, one of the students (”Bono”) taught me the Korean way to get the attention of my students by saying a well-known Korean phrase. I practiced that phrase and wrote it several times on my lecture notes. And at the appropriate time, when classroom chatter began to increase, I whipped out my new linguistic secret weapon - Pak su se-bun sijak! Suddenly, the students all responded in unison with three claps, and their attention was fully mine. Amazing! Finding the appropriate cultural key makes all the difference in developing productive intercultural relationships.

I also found it very refreshing to have students on the APNTS campus from a “secular” university. We who live and work in the “ministry realm” (i.e. on a seminary campus) need to be exposed to different worldviews and lifestyles that challenge status quo Christian religiosity. Many of the KNU students had very honest questions and doubts about Christianity and religion in general. Interaction with them reminds us that our “Christianese” pat answers don’t work in the real world. We must be able to clearly communicate our faith in culturally relevant terms.

And the best way to communicate our faith is through authentic relationship. For this reason, I was so proud of all those on the APNTS campus who volunteered to be tutors. Over and over again, the KHU students commented at how outgoing, friendly and helpful their tutors were. In spite of some of the obvious lifestyle differences, the campus community embraced the KHU students with genuine Christian love. So, for our Korean guests, I would say it was in the context of these relationships — not course content, text book, or even my wonderful lectures — where the majority of their real learning took place. I am convinced that my students now have a much better understanding, not only of intercultural communication processes, but more importantly of our Kingdom values, because Christ culture is best experienced in Christ-honoring relationships.

So, Professor Kwon, APNTS, and Kyung Hee students…thank you once again for this opportunity to be a learner.

PCMN has partnered with World Hope International’s Anti-Trafficking Program Director ( Asia ) Kristin Wiebe to conduct the training on Hands That Heal, an international curriculum to train caregivers of trafficking. It is  a comprehensive, international written, Christian curriculum designed to train current and future caregivers of trafficking survivors on April 21-24, 2009 at the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary, Taytay, Rizal.

PCMN is an association of Christian organizations and churches that responds to issues of children at risk. It has an on-going program on anti-trafficking in persons in Samar, Davao City and General Santos City. In the last 3 years, 50,000 people received information on anti-anti-trafficking campaign conducted by church leaders in communities affiliated with PCMN. At least 300 children were either rescued, or given aftercare services and prevented from being trafficked.

The purpose of the Hands That Heal Community Based Curriculum:

To provide a community-based curriculum in an interactive educational format that can be used in local communities and churches around the world to:

• Increase the knowledge and understanding of the commercial sex trade,
• Raise awareness of the multifaceted needs of trafficking survivors, and
• Train potential caregivers in introductory transformational care.

Hands That Heal is being used by secular and faith-based universities, churches and community groups to inspire people to engage in the battle against human trafficking and to provide training on how to provide transformational care to survivors of trafficking. The curriculum was developed  by The Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking FAAST, a group of faith-based, non-profit  organizations that are committed to the eradication of trafficking and slavery worldwide. The FAAST curriculum is the result of collaboration among more than 40 academicians and field practitioners from diverse backgrounds and organizations that address the needs of trafficked individuals.

Topics include:

• Defining Trafficking in Persons

• Emotional Responses/Addressing Grief

• Introduction to Biblical Themes

• Spiritual Needs

• Understanding Community Mobilization (CB only)

• Family Issues and Reunification

• Examples of Care/Community Response

• Recognizing Cost as Caregivers

• Culture and Human Trafficking

• Challenges to Transformation

• Common Health Problems

Individuals that will serve as trainers for caregivers and child development workers within their own organization/community group and/or for other organizations/community groups that are responding to local trafficking issues are expected to be participants to this training.

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Chapel message delivered on March 17th, 2009 by professor Dr. Mitchel Modine

Message delivered by Dr. Lee, San-young on March 12th, 2009

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“Tools that Teach” provided hands-on learning for teachers and pastors of the Central Visayas District, Philippines. Rev. Jun Montecastro, chairperson, and the SDMI board invited Luz (Lilian) Tambongco, a MA-Religious Education student at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary or APNTS to conduct a teacher enrichment workshop at Visayan Nazarene Bible College, Cebu City last February 7-8, 2009. Lilian entitled the workshop “Tools that Teach” with sessions covering motivation, “1001 Ways of Teaching”, basic lesson planning, using recyclable materials to create teaching tools using what is available for visuals and object lessons.

Thirty-one participants, grouped together by their churches, worked to develop lesson plans, create visual aids from materials ready-at-hand, and make group presentations of their work during the sessions. Comments from the participants indicated the value of the workshop through becoming aware of the need to target the heart of the learners, the ease of using common things, and the need for other Sunday school teachers to benefit from such a workshop. Rev. Jun Montecastro expressed a desire to conduct a follow-up workshop with Mrs. Tambongco this summer.

Mrs. Tambongco developed this workshop as a project for Instructional Design, a course taught at APNTS in the Curriculum & Instruction concentration of the MA-Religious Education degree. Luz was also a member of the team of Curriculum & Instruction students who designed and wrote a preschool Bible curriculum, “Growing in God Through Love and Obedience” that is soon to be published.

One hundred sixty guests from Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, and the U.S. congregated on November 17 for the dedication service and thanksgiving banquet of the Fairbanks International School of Communication (FISC), as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS).

As the guest speaker for the dedication service, International Board of Education Commissioner E. LeBron Fairbanks, said, “These are big dreams requiring great faith,” referring to the mission of FISC to train pastors, ministers, and media professionals to make disciples.

“Little did I know in 1985 when I began to dream of a communication center on the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary campus,” Fairbanks remarked, “that the vision would develop into such a vital and vibrant center as witnessed today. What has emerged over the past 15 years far exceeds my ’small’ vision. I am fascinated with the strong relationship between the APNTS master of Christian communication degree program and the Asia-Pacific World Mission Communication Center (WMC-AP). Because of this collaboration, the potential exists to dramatically impact not only the Asia-Pacific Region, but also the global Church of the Nazarene in making Christlike disciples in the nations.”

Fairbanks featured WMC-AP and its radio programs as examples of collaboration that were already in place. He added, “Media has an amazing ability to impact people … with either the right or wrong message. So our media developers need to produce out of a knowledge and understanding based in the best of our Wesleyan holiness tradition. Likewise, pastors, teachers, and church leaders must be trained in effective, relevant, appropriate, and culturally sensitive communication media. We give, support, and sacrifice for the International School of Communication because we seek no less than the very best education possible in shaping the emerging servant leaders who understand how to communicate effectively to their present generation.

“Collaboratively and collectively,” he continued, “we want to ensure that well trained, highly qualified, culturally sensitive, spiritually mature, and spirit-filled Christian communicators depart from the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary to pastor our churches, teach in our schools, lead our denomination, and influence media organizations nurtured in the best of the Wesleyan-holiness theological tradition and the best in communication theory and practice.

“Our hope is in a big God who inspires His people to respond to His plans. Our response must be ‘yes,’” Fairbanks challenged.

As the dedication service progressed, the FISC committee, together with the congregation, was led by APNTS President Floyd Cunningham for a prayer of dedication of the school. Professor and FISC Director Kwon Dong Hwan was prayed for afterwards by Gi Hwan Jung of Manila New Life Church.

In order for the event to be more meaningful to the Korean guests, translation equipment was used for those who are major partners of the FISC program. This equipment had been previously donated by another faithful World Mission Broadcast supporter, Bill Levett.

The guests were ushered to the exhibit and tour area as part of the program in order for them to see the projects and facilities that FISC and its stakeholders have already prepared and accomplished for educating the past, present, and future students.

At the FISC banquet in the evening, World Mission Communications Global Director Dave Anderson gave his congratulatory message along these lines as well. “The communications school can be mightily used of God in the making of Christlike disciples and communicators in Asia-Pacific and beyond.”

Captain Jae Jung Jang, movie producer and president of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, also expressed his joy in congratulating FISC for its re-birth and drive to train more Christian media ministers in its state-of-the-art studio. He referred to World Mission Communications-Asia-Pacific as an asset to the media school.

Speaking from the perspective of a businessman, he added, “It is good for the school to be income generating since there are a lot of Korean ministries and businesses who need audio visual outputs that this media facility is capable of doing. It needs prayer to God.” Jang produced a film called Sa Kandungan ng Langit (Heaven’s Cradle), which won awards and nominations in the New York Film Festival. As he spoke, he stated his interest to continue partnering for Christian productions.

Other guests added their enthusiastic comments: “My wife had to go for chiropractic session, but cancelled it and begged for us to be here, and I think it was worth it,” exclaimed Dan Francisco, founder of Acts 1:8 ministries. This ministry reaches out to people for Christ through the use of visual media. Acts 1:8 is developing a partnership proposal designated for FISC scholarship funds.

Malvin Dinlasan of Lighthouse Educational Corp. committed his interest for media partnership and offered dubbing and translation projects for their Bible story videos on the same occasion.

At the end of the evening’s celebration, Anjung, Korea, Church of the Nazarene offered to pay for the banquet cost. They also pledged to finance the construction of an international conference room at the fourth floor of the Nielson Center for Evangelism and Education.

–Jay Mijares for World Mission Communications-Asia-Pacific

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Fairbanks International School of Communication (FISC) of Asia- Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) has continued to develop partnerships in its effort to provide specialized media training and education to churches and ministry partners. Recently FISC collaborated with the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Cultures(ISAAC) which conducted the “BEAUTY for ASHES” writers workshop held last September 4-6 at the Nazareth Hall of the APNTS .

This partnership paved a way in promoting Christian presence in the area of Philippine culture, mission, and development communication. The workshop with a limited number of 24 participants aimed for participants to sharpen their skills and receive mentoring in developing a biblical perspective to writing.

Joined together with a passion to Christian writing, participants received training and mentorship for three days under Dr. Miriam Adeney and Dr. Melba Padilla - Maggay

Adeney, a renowned international speaker directs book writing workshops for Asia, Africa and Latin America. She currently holds teaching positions at Seattle Pacific University, Regent College and Fuller Theological Seminary. She has written five books including Daughters of Islam: Building Bridges with Muslim women and serves as a contributing editor to Christianity Today International.

Maggay is a sought-after international speaker and consultant on culture and social development issues particularly the interface of religion, culture and development. She has received honorary recognition from the most prestigious literary award in the Philippines, the Don Palanca Memorial Awards. Maggay is the president of ISACC, a research and training organization engaged in development, missiology and cross-cultural studies aimed at social transformation.

FISC believes that this partnership with ISACC will bring about more workshop collaborations in the future.

- By Ms.  Emerald Longcop