world missions

Is it really worth it to go on a short-term missions trip?

September 27, 2024

Many people often wonder about the impact of short-term missions. Some also wonder why one should go when there is much work where we currently are.

While it’s true that short-term missions trips last briefly, the Great Commission calls us to make disciples of all nations. Every small step of obedience is seen by God, and he honors it.

God deeply loves all people from every tribe and every nation. This is why since 1984, our church has been answering His call to go.

By God’s grace, your prayers, and support, we have sent out 700 teams of short-term missioners and 6,000 missioners since 1984. Our church, although relatively small during our humble beginnings, has always had a deep passion for global missions—a passion that stems from an encounter with God’s love.

This year, we are sending out 52 teams of short-term missioners to bless 20 nations.

Our heart in short-term missions is to engage with the locals, share the gospel, support the local church, and ultimately establish an apostolic church in that nation. We believe that these few days will have a lasting impact on that nation and that one day, locals will encounter God and worship Him.

*From Left to Right: English class – a joint effort of our ground team and short-term missioners held in Cambodia in 2019; our short-term missioners praying for a local in Panama*

A number of Filipino-planted churches in Asia have had their senior pastors and full-time ministers reached through short-term missions trips.

Take Leap’s testimony from Cambodia. In 2016, she was invited to an English class organized by our church with our short-term missioners. Leap heard the gospel for the first time in one of these sessions. She eventually made a decision to accept Christ and become involved in our church. Now, she’s preparing to be part of our School of Ministry – World Missions Track for 2025.

*Leap first heard the gospel through our short-term missioners to Cambodia in 2016. She is now preparing to be part of our School of Ministry – World Missions Track for 2025.*

From Leap’s words: “I’m taking my leap of faith to the highest degree that I can get in this lifetime—answering the call of the Lord to make Him known.”

She envisions Cambodia to be a Christ-believing nation one day, and that all campuses and sectors of society will bow down and worship Jesus.

Leap represents the many people whose stories began with someone whose heart is to obey God’s call to go on a short-term missions trip. As we continue this work in the next 40 years, let us be in faith that more local leaders will be raised and that they will impact their nation. God can use many more local individuals like Leap to be a mouthpiece of His love.

More than being citizens of our own nation, we are first and foremost citizens of heaven. Let’s keep praying for more open doors, and for the 25 nations we’re heading to for short-term missions in 2025.

With a Bible and a passport in hand, we are prepared to go and share the gospel with every nation. The Bible helps us to know God better, and the passport allows us to obey Him by loving people from all nations, just as He does.

New Series: From Mission Field to Mission Force

May 17, 2024

We often hear the saying, “There is no growth in comfort,” and we took this to heart from the beginning. We were once recipients of a short-term mission outreach in Manila. If we stayed with a mission-field mentality, we would never become the mission force we are today.

As God empowers us to carry out His mission, let us step out of our comfort zone into the unknown by faith.

May we press on with the same passion, pursue His call to make disciples, and be His mission force for the next 40 years and beyond.

Join us in the next four weeks as we go through these:

Week 1: The Motive—Honor God

Week 2: The Mandate—Make disciples

Week 3: The Manifesto—Change the campus. Change the world.

Week 4: The Mission—Every Nation

You may check the worship service schedules here or by visiting your Victory location’s Facebook page.

A Heart for the Nations: A Ten Days Story

September 26, 2017

Reaching the nations is a response to the Great Commission given by Jesus 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, to the end of the age.”

We are called to make disciples of all nations. This is the reason why we value world missions as a church. We believe that each disciple is called to obey the Great Commission in different ways. Everyone is called to pray for the nations. Others are called to give to our missionaries and mission trips. And then, there are those who are called to go.

One of our Victory group leaders was called by God to pray, give, and go to the nations. Gretchen Sacang was a college student in the University of the Philippines in Los Baños when she encountered some long-term missionaries of our churches in the Middle East. Hearing their stories stirred in her a desire to participate in world missions. She began praying for the nations in the Middle East ever since, hoping that she will go there one day as well.

When Gretchen started working and attending our church in U-Belt, she continued to ask God for an opportunity to go to the nations. As an act of faith, she gave to several mission trips and supported other missionaries. Shortly after becoming a Victory group leader in 2015, Gretchen was given the opportunity to join a Ten Days mission trip to Sri Lanka.

The Ten Days mission program is one our major expressions of world missions in the Philippines. Through this program, selected Victory group leaders are given the chance to serve Every Nation churches in different parts of the world for about two weeks. Reaching other nations through the Ten Days mission trip gave Gretchen a greater desire to go to other nations. She went on two more Ten Days mission trips in 2016. Furthermore, because of her great heart to obey the Great Commission, Gretchen is now on board at Every Nation Philippines as a staff member of the Missions department, where she helps train and send cross-cultural missionaries to every nation.

We are called by God to participate in His work in the nations. Those who pray, give, and go are equally valuable in His kingdom. How about you? How is God calling you to be involved in reaching the nations today?

Know more about our heart for world missions this Sunday as we go through the last week of our All Access series. To give to our Missions efforts, click here.

Papua New Guinea Endures Growing Political Unrest

January 9, 2017

University students from Papua New Guinea started a widespread boycott of their classes last May in protest at Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s handling of corruption allegations. The University of Papua New Guinea’s Waigani campus is considered the epicentre of the protest. The government and the university administration have been urging students to return to class to salvage the remaining months in the school year but the students demand one thing: the Prime Minister’s resignation.

Earlier this month, police opened fire on student protesters marching at an anti-corruption rally in their campus, which injured 17 people and sparked riots in the capital Port Moresby. There are conflicting reports of the number of injured, with an opposition member reportedly claiming that four people were killed.

More violence stemmed from this incident, while looting and rioting have been reported in several parts of Papua New Guinea since the unrest began. The students, who now harbor tremendous distrust towards authorities, demand for the university administration to apologise and guarantee their safety before they relent to go back to campus. After seven weeks of boycott, many students reportedly want to resume classes, but they are not confident they will be safe. The unrest has exposed deeper problems of Papua New Guinea.

Today, there are hopes that there will be reconciliation between the students and leading university officials. Let us continue to intercede for our Every Nation church, missionaries and local contacts in this culturally diverse nation. It is truly a test of faith, boldness, and obedience for our incoming missionaries as they prepare to preach the gospel in this country despite the dangers they may face. We are in faith that God is sovereign in Papua New Guinea and that miracles and transformed lives will continue to unfold.

New Series: Beyond Borders

September 21, 2016

Join us this weekend as we kick off our missions series break entitled, “Beyond Borders”. May each of us see greater value in being involved in advancing God’s kingdom in the nations, and be compelled to pray, give, and go.

See you at a Victory location nearest you! Victory is one church meeting in 29 different locations in Metro Manila. We also meet in different cities across the Philippines.

If you’re tweeting about our series, “Beyond Borders,” please use our official hashtag #BeyondBordersSeries.

See you at our services!

Youth worship service launches in restricted nation

July 4, 2016

As a movement, Every Nation has always given emphasis on making disciples of the next generation. We believe in reaching the campuses because we believe that every student has a chance to change their lives through the gospel, and in the future, positively change the world too.

That is why we celebrate this recent milestone for one of our churches in a restricted nation in South Asia. Last June 30, they launched their first youth service, which is also the first worship service catering to young people that happens on a weekly basis. Typically, churches in this nation can only hold a youth service once a month. Scheduled at 7:30 PM, the service aims to accommodate students after their classes, before they end their day.

We believe that God is opening new doors into the mission field for the next generation. We are in faith that many young people will receive Jesus as their Savior, and will be discipled through these services. Let us intercede for our Every Nation church in this restricted nation as they break barriers and boldly preach the gospel.

Pray for the worship team and other young people serving as volunteers to the worship services, that they may delight in their work and be refreshed as they serve.
Pray for new volunteers and leaders to step out, so that the current teams will be spared from exhaustion and fatigue.
Pray for new preachers among the youth, so that the gospel may be preached in a manner that will resonate most with their fellow young people.
Pray for protection against any kind of attack–be it physical or spiritual–as our missionaries continue to serve in this restricted nation.

Together, we believe that we can reach every student, on every campus, in every nation.

Our Every Nation missionaries in this creative access nation continue to boldly preach the gospel, disciple locals and raise leaders. If you would like to support our missionaries with monthly or one-time gifts, please click here.

Note: The image used here is from a Buddhist temple in Thailand. It does not represent the nation referred to in this missions update.

Sons’ prayer comes true on Father’s Day

June 20, 2016

“I will never forget this Father’s Day,” says 19-year-old Ateef, “because on this day, my father first walked through the doors of our church. It is proof to me that the God I worship is truly a God of miracles.”

Ateef and his brother Masheer attend an Every Nation church in a creative access nation in South Asia. Both students in a prominent university here, they were connected to our church by their uncle Sayeed, who was, in turn, discipled by Kevin, one of our cross-cultural missionaries. Despite the challenges faced by the church–daily blackouts and soaring heat are frequent problems here–the church community is tightly bonded and supportive of its members’ situations. As a result, members like Ateef and Masheer do not hesitate to give of their time and resources; both brothers volunteer for the church’s technical support and ushering teams.

“We really wanted our parents to experience what we are experiencing,” Ateef says. “The warmth and friendship we receive here, feels like family. So we were hoping our family would see and feel it too, and so we prayed quite earnestly for them.”

The entire church joined Ateef, Masheer, and Sayeed, in praying for the brothers’ parents to join them at a Sunday worship service. They prayed daily for a month and a half, which was the duration of time that the two brothers went through ONE 2 ONE. As the two brothers completed the booklet, God prepared a special surprise for them.

“We finished Chapter 6 of ONE 2 ONE,” Ateef says proudly, “and our prayer was for my father and mother to join us at church. Yesterday, June 19, was Father’s Day, and my parents joined us at church! Our prayer came true! It was a great weekend!”

Sayeed, the young professional who invited his nephews to church, was equally excited.

“Even my father joined one of our worship services,” he says. “We are so blessed and encouraged to see how God moves and works on our behalf.” Sayeed is so passionate about seeing more of his countrymen get saved that he has decided to attend the Every Nation School of World Missions in Manila in 2017, much to the delight of Pastor Kevin.

“I recently read Revelation 3:8,” Pastor Kevin says, “and it encourages me very much. It says, “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.'”

The men smile. “We am convinced,” says Sayeed, “that we will see even more people come to know Christ here.”

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Our church in this creative access nation is believing God for a new meeting facility. Because our worship services are being held in the house of one of our missionaries, they arouse the curiosity and suspicion of neighbors and local authorities, who are curious as to why so many people come and go into the house every week. Please join us in prayer for divine protection for our work, favor from the neighbors, and provision for our church.

If you would like to support our ministry here with a one-time gift or monthly gifts so we can secure a new meeting facility, please click here.

Expanding God’s Kingdom in Canberra, Australia

June 13, 2016

In July 2012, Rolando Sulit, a former radio jock more popularly known as Joe d’ Mango, and his entire family responded to an altar call in Victory Greenhills and surrendered their lives to Christ. They went through ONE 2 ONE, and then, eight months after their Victory Weekend, received an email from the Australian Department of Immigration granting them permanent visas for Canberra. They were given three months to prepare for their big move.

Big may be an understatement, because Canberra is located in Australia, which is literally an ocean away from Manila. It would take eleven hours of air travel to get there. Apart from the distance, the transition would affect every aspect of their life. The Sulits prepared to leave their home, their jobs, their loved ones, and their new church family in Victory Greenhills. They were sent off with prayers and well wishes, and the family started their new life in a country unknown to them.

Fast forward to 2016, and Rolando has nothing but praises for God’s faithfulness to his family. From the first day they set foot in Australia, they experienced His sufficient grace. After living contentedly in a small apartment, the Sulits were blessed with a beautiful new home. “We were surrounded by His amazing creation–flowers, trees, fresh air and clear blue skies, animals and birds,” Rolando shares, “It’s just one big beautiful picture of God’s majesty.”

The family knew that it was not just for them to enjoy, but for them to share with other people. They decided that their home would be used to honor God and live out the Great Commission to make disciples. They then started to hold Victory group meetings with Filipinos and Australians in their home, even extending the invitation to young adults and children. Soon, they had to schedule different meetings in different parts of the house because they could no longer fit. More and more people started experiencing God’s blessing through their generosity and hospitality.

“This house has been purposed to advance the kingdom of God,” Rolando declares, “And the Holy Spirit continues to empower us to do this work for His glory.”

The family would take time out to intentionally do ONE 2 ONE to everyone who has opened their hearts and are hungry for the truth. Last 2014, they held their first water baptism right on their backyard with Victory Greenhills senior pastor Dennis Sy officiating. They’re looking forward to another water baptism this year when Pastor Dennis visits Canberra again.

Always looking for ways to connect not just with Christians, but with the rest of their community, the family also reached out to their neighbors who hadn’t heard the gospel yet. They arranged worship nights and events like outdoor Christian movie nights, themed cookouts and food celebrations. “We wanted to show them and make them feel that Christ loves everyone,” Rolando explains, “That He died, not for us to have a religion, but to restore our relationship with His Father.”

Sometimes, the Sulits would get visitors from all over the world. Their friends and family from different Victory and Every Nation locations would visit them and generously offer their time and talent to minister to their community.

This year, Rolando, along with his wife Bing, went back to Manila for four months to study at the School of World Missions with the purpose of equipping himself better as they continue to preach the gospel in Canberra. Having developed a heart and burden for their new hometown, the couple bravely left their daughters and entrusted their Victory groups to the leaders they’ve been discipling.

Last May, Rolando finally graduated from the School of World Missions and he and his wife headed back home to reunite with their daughters and continue their work in Canberra, now that they’re more equipped and refreshed. “Our family would just like to encourage everyone that wherever God brings you, He brings you there for a reason,” Rolando shares, “And if we are obedient, the love of Christ will shine in our lives and glorify the Father, who is in Him.”

Together with their community in Canberra, the Sulits are in faith for an Every Nation church plant in their area. They’re also praying for more workers who have a heart for Jesus to help in their ministry work. As they train young leaders, they are believing that God will empower this next generation of disciple-makers who will boldly preach the gospel, not only in Canberra, but to the rest of Australia. Despite challenges and the occasional homesickness, Rolando knows that their family is right where God wants them to be. “We know that God will finish and put into completion everything that began here in Canberra,” he declares, “We cannot claim anything for ourselves, the glory belongs to Him forever.”

Lives Transformed In Restricted Nation

May 30, 2016

We’re excited to bring you the stories of three people who have encountered Christ in their nation–a country in South Asia with a population that is mostly Hindu. The lives of these disciples show the transforming power of the gospel, no matter the language, the culture or the race.

Sintha used to battle depression, and often felt lonely and aimless. She felt the need to perform to gain other people’s approval. One day, she heard the gospel through our missionaries, and realized that her deepest desires to be selfless and please other people comes from a place that is still self-serving. “I came to the decision to follow Jesus after realizing my need for Him,” she shares. Sintha discovered that it is only through Him that she can have true hope and joy, not through her deeds or actions. Now, she wakes up everyday with a sense of purpose, knowing fully well that there is no other way but Jesus.

Ramyu grew up learning about the gods and goddesses of Hinduism. As a child, he had many questions about his family’s faith that were left unanswered. Until he found the Bible, and started reading it. To his surprise, the questions that he had been asking for so long were answered by the gospel. It was that revelation that made him decide to follow Jesus. “It is only through Him that I understood the love of God, to the extent that He gave His life for me,” Ramyu explains, “no other Hindu gods did that for me.”

Theeba was dealing with unbelief and some trust issues when she experienced a miracle in her life. It was not a flashy showcase of power but an intimate revelation of God’s sovereignty in her life. She heard the voice of God telling her to get to know Him first before she turns her back on Christianity. One day she needed a ride to a prayer meeting, but couldn’t get one because all the public vehicles were full. Theeba became desperate and she started questioning God’s lack of provision. A while late, a bus going to the opposite direction broke down a few meters from where she stood waiting. All the passengers had to get off and the bus had to turn around, allowing Theeba to ride the bus all to herself, and to the destination she’s headed. This small miraculous incident completely overwhelmed her with the knowledge that God loves her. “As I got to know more about Jesus, I began to feel His presence and workings in my life,” she says.

As more locals are reached out in this South Asian nation, let us pray for more disciples to be raised up as leaders. These changed lives are testaments to the work that God is doing in the nations. As this restricted nation continues to open up to the gospel, let us continue to hold the ropes for our missionaries and pray for their safety, provision and protection.

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* The image in this article features K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen, and Chhogori Balti, the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest, but K2 is not found in the nation mentioned in this article. For security reasons, we have changed the names of the locals in this article. If you would like to contribute to our efforts to bring the gospel to creative access nations like this one, please click here.

School of World Missions Gears Up For Graduation

May 18, 2016

The 23rd batch of the Every Nation School of World Missions is set to graduate on May 19 in ceremonies at the Every Nation Building facility in Bonifacio Global City.

Trained by the School of World Missions to effectively engage communities, disciple individuals, plant churches, and train local leaders in their selected nations, the 20 female and 21 male graduates represent seventeen nations in five continents. They successfully completed a four-month curriculum designed to help them live out their calling to serve in cross-cultural ministry.

The Every Nation School of World Missions aims to develop cross-cultural missionaries who exemplify consistent spiritual disciplines and excellent leadership and discipleship skills necessary to engage and adapt to any given culture. Its alumni now serve as pastors, missionaries, and leaders in key ministries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America.

As the 41 graduates of the 23rd batch are sent out to 26 different nations, we are expectant that God will use them to preach the gospel. Please stand with us in prayer for their continued protection and provision, and for God to give them wisdom and understanding as they live out their calling to be salt and light to the ends of the earth.

Nich Walks the Talk with Peakna

July 7, 2015

“When I understood about what Jesus did for me, I just had to share the love of God with her.”

Discipleship is relationship! In this missions story, a young girl in Cambodia demonstrates God’s love to her physically-handicapped best friend.

New Series: Viral

September 26, 2013

Victory as a movement has a heart to disciple not just our culture and community, but also the world. In our new series, “Viral,” discover God’s heart for the nations and the important part we can play in making disciples of all nations.

Here is the list of weekly topics:

Week one: Every Nation
Week two: Every Campus

Watch our “Viral” series teaser video here:

Victory is one church meeting at different locations in Metro Manila. We also meet in several provinces across the Philippines. Join us at a Victory center nearest you. Invite your family and friends to join us, too!

See you at all our services!

Why Should I be Part of the Ten Days Experience?

October 27, 2011

World missions is close to our heart as a movement. We’d like to share a testimony by Ged de Guzman, one of our short term missioners who attended a Ten Days trip to an Asian country a few months ago. Here’s his story.

It was during the ‘Are We There Yet’? series in church when my desire to reach out to the nations started. I realized through this series that there still are a lot of people who haven’t even heard of the name “Jesus.” And as Jesus commands us, we are to go and make disciples of all nations. I felt that I wanted to respond to that call.

During our Prayer and Fasting in January 2011, one of my faith goals is to disciple a person of a different nation. Two months later, I was informed that our church is building a team of short term missioners to be sent out to a mission trip. I believe it was God’s answer to my prayer. So I decided to be part of the Ten Days trip.

It was an incredible experience for my teammates and myself, from the moment we got to the nation until we left the country. May it be simple chat or deeper conversation with the locals, everything was an opportunity for us to share the gospel directly and indirectly to them. One of the instances that I won’t forget was when we met a former non-Christian religious leader who came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Not only is he passionate about his newfound faith, but he is also helping out our church in strategically sowing the seeds of the gospel to his followers.

tendays_cooking — Two of our Ten Days missioners cook up a hearty meal for the locals

Doing discipleship in a different nation is both fun and challenging. To engage in a conversation with the locals, we at least had to know their language, interests, customs, and traditions so as to build rapport and not to cause offense. Once the relationship is built, the locals became more willing to listen and respond.

My Ten Days experience definitely made a great impact in my life. Not only was I able to become part of what God is doing to the nations, I myself saw how God worked in my personal walk with Him through this short-term mission. Moreover, my understanding of the need to preach the gospel to all nations deepened. I can say that through Ten Days, I believed, served, and loved like I never did before. It’s truly a privilege to be used by God for His purpose.

If you want to be part of a Ten Days trip, please contact your local church administrator for more information. Check out our national directory for contact details.

JANUARY 2013 UPDATE: Ged de Guzman is now a Campus Minister serving under Victory Ortigas Youth.