This edition of Discovery Meetings for 2006-and the seventh and last of the Saturday sessions-was moving reluctantly to a close. It was late in the evening of April 8, already past 9PM (and as usual past the time to get up and go). The emcee had to interrupt the intense group discussions, the second and final round for the evening that showed no sign of winding down. The murmur of voices continued, even rising a little, as the emcee spoke. (He sounded full of apology himself at having to stop the proceedings.)

The session finally ended on that emotional note felt rather than heard when people who have become friends say goodbye and know they will not be saying hello same time next week. Throats might have tightened with emotion. This could be sensed rather than seen as the last word of official farewell from emcee and DM organizer Deacon Armin Alforque rang through the College of Statistics auditorium and everybody broke into applause…

Chit A., a DM guest with an almost-perfect attendance record, said, "I learned a lot from these sessions and I have grown to appreciate the Bible more."

Alma C., a DM guest who not only came to all seven sessions but also came early for each session, said she highly recommends the Discovery Meetings to family and friends… "For the coming DM, I won't hesitate to invite more souls to attend."

"…Not by bread alone…"
The Discovery Meetings, or DM, are DCBC's evangelistic dinners. We invite our guests to dinner with a presentation and rich discussion hoping they will begin to truly know Jesus as they eat with us, hear what we have to say, and tell us what they think. We do this over seven consecutive Saturdays, each Saturday with a different menu of viands and dessert, of topics, Scripture passages, and questions designed to help our guests learn more than they might already know about Jesus. (So far, we have held one DM a year for five years in a row, and currently our material is based on the Christianity Explored course of All Souls Church in England.)

Food is and has always been an important part of the Discovery Meetings. The DM was at first modeled on the Alpha Course begun in England and now held all over the world. The Alpha Course in basic form places importance on a shared simple meal as part of a session—at the start, before the talk on the chosen topic and group discussions. The Christianity Explored course likewise encourages the breaking of bread to break the ice, so to speak. (Of course, once it reaches Asia—and the Philippines—this policy meets and marries with the hospitality known to run through the people.)

It was our former teaching pastor Minho Song who first developed this offshoot of the Alpha Course during his almost four-year sojourn with Diliman Campus Bible Church. It was given the name Discovery Meetings. It is in DCBC—small church on the one hand and one big happy clan in Christ on the other-where an evangelistic program which includes eating with guests finds a natural home. (Many women—and some men—of DCBC love to cook for their families and friends and by extension for church family and friends. "Pot bless", the humorous Christian variant of "potluck", is a term DCBC has lovingly adopted as its own.)

Pastor Minho Song once quoted to us what someone told him—as believers in relation to seekers, we are but spiritual beggars inviting other beggars to the feast. In those early years of the Discovery Meetings, DCBC might have interpreted "feast" a little too literally. The DM meal was a smorgasbord. One happy hindrance to a simple menu for the DM then was that the motherly cooks and amateur chefs of the church heard the call to ministry and answered with Christian kindness and completos recados. The earliest DM culinary benefactors were Elder Ed Vencio and wife Marlu, who not only opened their gracious home to the DM in the early years, but also graciously sponsored the very first DM dinner—a catered buffet. Among the most recent DM culinary ministers were Piza sisters and brothers Sharon, Joy, Alan, and budding chef, Paul. (Paul did major chef duty for last year's DM, and for three out of four of the sessions this DM.)

Last year, the DM menu was pared down to strictly two viands and one dessert, and this spare pattern was followed this year. And the trend is more and more toward simple home cooking and everyday dishes, still mainly 'pot bless'.

The seventh and last session began with the signature DM dinner (the menu of pork menudo, embutido, and bananas in butterscotch sauce rather more festive than the previous six for being the send-off in the series). After dinner, a worshipful solo number sung by DCBC choir organizer Belle Villanueva introduced the topic…

Praise music live is a happy add-on to the Alpha format with the Discovery Meetings. This happened when the basic pattern came in contact with the Musical Filipino in the Diliman Campus Bible Church. There are at least two former members of the UP Concert Chorus in the congregation (one of whom from time to time sings kundiman on TV), a largely under-graduate praise and worship team, an operatic civil engineer enrolled in the UP College of Music (he is back from touring Europe with another choir).

At times, during the choral offering in DCBC English worship, the seats largely empty because almost a quarter of the congregation sings in the choir. DCBC, choir and all, puts its heart and lungs and creative effort into its cantatas—Christmas and Easter—believing that God will use these mightily to help spread His message. The new DCBC Senior Pastor and his family have now lent their gifted voices and one daughter her gifted hands to all this lifting joyful sound. (There are three pianists in the congregation who have alternated piano duty during English worship, and now DCBC may thank God for a fourth.)

This year (as in years past) at five out of the seven DM sessions, guests were treated to a tempting taste of the musical riches available to them for free—if they attend DCBC English service.

Belle Villanueva serenaded Jesus with "Isang Harana" at the second session, readying the audience for the topic, 'Who Is Jesus?' She sang "He Loved Me" at the third session, hinting at the answer to the question, 'Jesus-Why Did He Come?'

At the fourth DM session, Ervin Lumauag, DCBC choir director, sang "Lamb of Glory" before the topic, 'Jesus—His Death,' impressing the guests with his vibrant tenor. Then at the fifth session, the DM guests were given the full choral treatment. The entire choir, fresh from rehearsals for the next day's worship service, sang, "Were it not for Grace". (This of course was echoed in the topic for that session, 'What is Grace?')

Sadly, there were no musical treats at the sixth DM session where the topic was, 'Jesus—His Resurrection', but the seventh and final session featured a melodic double-blessing. Richie Tanoy, choir regular and soloist, sang "I Lift My Hands to You", but this was later on in the evening yet. Before her, right after dinner, Belle Villanueva sang "Ngayon". This song aimed to move DM guests to make the decision seven Saturday evenings spent learning of Jesus would have helped them to make.

"…By every word from the mouth of God…"
The persuasive lyrics now a hopeful echo, the DM guests for the seventh and last time formed the same groups as at the intro session. Each group was led by one or two DCBC members who by now were old friends with the guests in the group. A group leader wisely steered the discussion so it stayed on course, but still tried to address the concerns of each guest, and as much as possible do all this in twenty minutes. Over coffee and delicious biko cooked by Dave A., one of the guests, each group talked about issues and questions that may have arisen from the previous session.
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As usual, despite the able efforts of the group discussion leaders, the sharing of concerns and airing of views had to be gently and firmly cut short by the emcee for the message proper on the topic, 'What is a Christian?' This was the sixth and final topic in the series (the first session being simply introductory), and the speaker was DCBC Senior Pastor Dr. Isabelo F. Magalit…

DCBC adapted Christianity Explored for the DM mainly because the material is forthrightly biblical. The text clearly speaks to a seeker who would like to find out about the Bible and what it says, and find out more about what it says of Jesus Christ.

This approach exactly fits Diliman Campus Bible Church (a bible-based church that seeks to lead lives to the life lived with and for Jesus as indwelling Lord and Savior). The DM using Christianity Explored takes guests throughout the engaging book of Mark (which some scholarly findings assert might be the earliest written of the gospels, and the one Luke and Matthew are based on).

The six topics chosen (out of the full Christianity Explored series) for this year's DM were handled by Pastor Bel Magalit, who spoke at the second and seventh sessions, and by Elders Mon Rocha, Jess Espina, Ken Villanueva, and Glen Ibañez (third, fourth, fifth, and sixth sessions respectively). The design of the talk for a given session allows each speaker's personality to shine as kindled by the Spirit, serving to shed further light on the material for the DM guests to see. The material provides a framework to be filled in from the personal experiences and insights of the speaker who walks with God. So, while there is complete and helpful text, the speaker is encouraged to prepare his own presentation around the topic and Scripture passage as he is led.

Elder Mon Rocha, at the third session ('Jesus—Why Did He Come?'), spoke about why Jesus came into the world, emphasizing His power and authority to do all that He came to do. Kuya Mon Rocha challenged guests to see themselves as the ones Jesus came for, sinners, rebels against God who have fallen short of God's standard and deserve His anger-just like everybody else. Kuya Mon Rocha is DCBC council chairman, CEO of OMF Literature, and father of four well-brought-up children. He knows something about power and authority and responsibility, but as a Christian he knows about falling short of the standard of God.

At the fourth session ('Jesus—His Death'), Elder Jess Espina brought the audience back in time to those harrowing final hours from Gethsemane to Calvary. The complex detail of his descriptions of the Lord's reactions to what He had to go through was based on the exacting study of Scripture and pertinent medical data. This was accompanied by slides showing vivid scenes like stills from a movie on the death of our Lord. Kuya Jess Espina used this dramatic presentation to emphasize and prove Christ Jesus as fully man and fully God and the only one fit to be sacrifice in atonement for sins once for all. (If Kuya Jess Espina tires of making those impressive slide presentations for the leading engineering firm where he is in upper management, he can always go into making films on the Bible.)

Elder Ken Villanueva, at the fifth session where he presented God's grace ("What Is Grace?"), spoke about someone he knew in high school, a worldly young sinner who thought the world of himself and yet was deathly unhappy-till he came to know Jesus through a friend and by the grace of God. It would have taken the most uncurious mind not to have suspected the truth—that the young man's name was Ken Villanueva. Kuya Ken Villanueva, respected DCBC elder, Dr. Ken Villanueva, respected cardiologist and medical missionary, knows firsthand of what he speaks when he speaks about the grace of God.

Though the youngest and newest of the DCBC elders, Glen Ibañez was many years a DCBC deacon and with wife Frances emceed at many DCBC functions and occasions. He ably took on the task of presenting the topic 'Jesus—His Resurrection' for session number six, his boyish manner an advantage in expressing the joyful nature of the Lord's victory over death.

Pastor Bel Magalit, of course, a seasoned preacher and teacher of the Word of God, talked about who Jesus is based on Scripture and examined the wildly varied perceptions the world has of Him. This was the second session ('Who Is Jesus?'). Pastor Bel Magalit speaks with firm authority but with a kindly manner and simply. One hears in his voice the Doctor of Divinity, the theological seminary professor and past president, the highly respected leader in the evangelical community, the beloved pastor three times over, the medical doctor, and the wise grandfather, all of which he is. Now, at the seventh and final session, Pastor Bel Magalit talked about what it takes to be able to call oneself a Christian.

Pastor Bel Magalit's words gave the discussion groups a lot to talk about (for the seventh and last time). There was also plenty of brewed coffee and biko still to fuel in another way the lively exchange. Two reasons right there why participants were unwilling to end promptly at 9PM...

Ces G., yet another guest with a perfect attendance record, said "Napakaganda and meaningful ang DM… Sana mas mahaba pa…" She enjoyed the DM so much she said she thought not just that there were too few sessions, but that the time allotted per session was much too short. She also suggested that a session begin even earlier than 6PM next time.

It is not unusual to see familiar faces as some people tend to repeat the DM over several years as guests. It might be they want to clarify some points. It might be they notice that they learn something new every time. It might be though they remain unwilling to commit to Him for some reason—they are not quite convinced, there is sin in their lives they cannot let go of—He calls to them still through the DM.

The DCBC Discovery Meetings that we know—and many of us love—to which the church membership in general may invite their family and friends, neighbors, officemates, and household staff, might remain just an annual event with the next one in 2007 yet. However, there are two bright shining spots for two groups of people to look forward to soon after the February-April DM.

For those who applauded on April 8 while fighting back sadness at the thought of ending—those who started as guests and wound up as friends—there is always discipleship and bible study. Most likely, these are the participants who have made the decision for Christ as a direct result of the DM just concluded because God chose to use it to speak to them. At least two bible study groups are open to guests of past DMs, one meeting Saturdays, one Sundays.

And for the members of the Sunset Service and the Dormitory Christian Fellowship (DCF), through which Diliman Campus Bible Church reaches out to the UP student population, a special DM is scheduled in July. A novel early afternoon schedule is planned, so the opener meal—there will be one of course-will be a heavy merienda instead of dinner. There will be music of course with the Sunset Service praise and worship team. There will be talk of Jesus.

The Discovery Meetings of the Diliman Campus Bible Church will only continue if sustained by God for His purposes. May His purposes and His purposes alone continue in the DCBC Discovery Meetings.