Messages from Francis: Church Planting and Discipleship Lessons from the Philippines

Ashland Watson
1 hour ago
7 min read

A 10-day journey that showed me what's possible when the local church becomes family

When I stepped off the plane in Manila on November 7th, I had no idea what the next ten days would teach me about ministry, sacrifice, and what it truly means to empower the local church.

Our Mosaic Founder, Mark welcomed me with the warmth I've come to expect from this partnership, and immediately I felt the joy and hospitality that Filipinos are known for. Even the Mall of Asia looked like a city celebrating Christmas, months before December!

After a night in Manila, we flew to Tabaco City and dove straight into ministry. The Filipino food felt like home (rice with everything!), and Mark made sure I experienced some special treats at various local restaurants.

Then the typhoon hit.

When Storms Reveal Character

The flooding came fast. Homes were damaged. Families connected to our ministry were affected. And yet, what I witnessed in those moments revealed something profound about the Filipino people.

They are resilient in a way that transcends circumstances. They kept positive attitudes, grateful hearts, and joy that couldn't be shaken. It was as though they were making a bold declaration of unwavering faith:

"God has been faithful before. He will not fail us now."

This wasn't manufactured optimism. This was faith lived out in action.

Ministry That Looks Like Jesus

As I spent time observing how the local church operates in the Philippines, I discovered something beautiful: discipleship is woven into everyday moments. It's intentional yet subtle. Jesus is shared naturally through:

Meals around the table - At the Dream Center, young men are transformed as they eat together, play, joke, laugh, and pray. Community is built one meal at a time.

Feeding programs for vulnerable children - One local church feeds nearly 100 kids monthly. Most of those children eventually become members of the church. And the program? It's run by the youth, demonstrating incredible ownership and leadership development.

Home-to-home encouragement - The local church has a plan to regularly visit their people, both church members and those in the community, including the sick, single moms, widows, and poor. What a powerful tool to share Christ's love!

They embody this truth so well:

"Preach the Gospel and use words when necessary."

The church remains the solution for the needs in their communities.

Jesus always started conversations from a seemingly non-judgmental place, the woman at the well, Zacchaeus, and so many others. That's exactly what I saw happening here.

The Dream Center

The Dream Center is more than a building. It's a place of refuge, education, hope, community, and family.

Children who once lacked opportunity are now:

Leading worship in church
Teaching younger children
Serving in administration
Growing into strong, purpose-filled young adults

They have been prepared, and now they are taking leading roles in the ministry.

What struck me most was the deep sense of ownership these young adults have for the Dream Center.

I watched them clean, visit, and hang out in a place they all consider home. You could see the pride each one takes in the space. Several will eventually work there after college, some already do.

The church next door now enjoys firsthand the results of years of patient discipleship. The worship team, media team, and youth leaders are made up of young adults who first came as children hungry for hope, belonging, and a future.

What a testimony of patience, love, and long-term vision! This is what it looks like to plant seeds and see a forest grow.

Lessons from The Sherman Family

Mark and his family demonstrate tremendous faith daily. They left the comfort and conveniences of the United States to move to the Philippines. Together we experienced that typhoon, and while we were safe, the aftermath was challenging.

Power was cut for days. No internet for the entire time I was there meant so much couldn't be done easily. They were just coming out of a season where the whole family had been sick.

They're homeschooling and raising children far from home, which has its challenges. I am so proud of the girls and how they are building community with their friends.

Life was challenging back home where they were surrounded by family and familiarity. The reality is, it's more challenging now. I honor them so much for obeying the call!

Through it all, they remain anchored in God and hold on to the call in their life.

What impressed me most about the Shermans' ministry strategy is this: they prioritize local church empowerment over personal spotlight. Their approach is strong and sustainable.

It looks like:

Building relationships that lead to empowerment
Empowering local leaders
Strengthening the local church
Supporting growth, not replacing it

One powerful thing I saw: they are present. Present with locals after the typhoon. Present at the Dream Center with young adults. Present at the local church. Present when the church visits their people.

It is important for us, and more people, to rally behind them, pray for them, check on them, support them, and cheer them on in this great call.

The Ministry Strategy: Impact That Multiplies

The Dream Center focuses on touching the community by first meeting real needs. From there, relationships grow, leading to opportunities to meet Jesus. The good news is not pushed but creatively and intentionally proclaimed.

They serve unique groups and needs:

The forgotten children without sponsors or support
Belonging by providing a space where everyone is welcome
Education by providing internet, books, and mentorship to those who would otherwise lack access
Daily fellowship through ongoing conversations that disciple those who come
Ownership as the youth and community care for the space as their own

This is out-of-the-box discipleship. Parents come to support their children's schooling, and relationships develop. They can see that the motivation is not just to get them saved but to meet real needs.

This is love in action.

Meet real needs → Build real relationships → Share Jesus naturally

A powerful model of evangelism.

Learn more about the work in the Philippines Here

Philippines Center for Planting Churches

PCPC (Philippines Center for Planting Churches) is a 10-year vision now being fulfilled. There will be 8 new church plants in the next year. These churches will be:

Supported and trained for 2 years
Empowered toward sustainability

This carries our heart so well: we are better together! I loved this because it's what true empowerment looks like. Find someone with a heart for their community, rally behind them, provide training and support, they will change the world.

This is kingdom expansion done with vision, wisdom, and accountability.

Personal Takeaways for Tanzania

My time in the Philippines sparked something in my heart for what God can do in Tanzania.

Here's what I'm taking home:

Cultivating a sense of belonging and ownership in ministry is key to success. Love is loud even when unspoken, it is a powerful tool of evangelism. Pastors should rethink evangelism strategies.

Sometimes it doesn't take much to be generous or meet a need. It takes a willing heart. We have a Swahili saying:

"True giving comes from the heart, not the amount in the pocket."

The local church is the hope and solution for the world. We need to continue inspiring and encouraging the local church in Tanzania to start where they are. Transformation of their communities will require a plan, vision, and so much love that results in making sacrifices.

Community transformation starts small but with a concrete vision and plan, it can be realized.

Every meal and gathering can become ministry when led by the Holy Spirit to engage in conversations that creatively lead to Christ.

Hope grows where Jesus is introduced through real care.

It showed me what God can do when the church becomes a family.

Dreams for Tanzania

Inspired by the Dream Center, we believe God can help us create a multipurpose community center:

A space for vulnerable children where they can visit, play, have a meal, and be discipled
Mentorship and leadership development
A table where everyone belongs
A place where Jesus is revealed through love

We want to continue doing what we do and grow a team who have a sense of ownership. Like Jesus, we want to meet needs in the process of sharing the good news. We want to creatively come up with sustainable models of touching our communities.

We want to:

Dream boldly
Plan intentionally
Execute faithfully
Reproduce models that work
Empower the church to touch its own people

And maybe even encourage every family in Tanzania to plant a tree again, just like the green beauty I saw in the Philippines!

Key Leadership: Francis & Vickie Njogu

Francis and Vickie lead the way in Tanzania. They have been there since the very beginning and have played a central role in every outreach, VBS, seminar, training, and so much more.

Together they keep in touch with and encourage all of the pastors Mosaic partners with, a network that has grown under their leadership from just a few to more than 36 churches throughout the Kilimanjaro region (as well as more in Mwanza and other parts of the country).

They love capturing stories of what God is doing in Tanzania and consistently reaching more people for Jesus.

It has been a joy to watch them grow as a couple, as parents, and as leaders. We are thrilled to see how God continues to use them to change lives all over East Africa and beyond.

Learn more about our work in Tanzania here

Your Partnership Matters

Cross-cultural ministry like this only happens because of faithful partners who pray, give, and believe in what God is doing through the local church.

From the mountains of Tanzania to the islands of the Philippines, the same truth remains: when the local church is empowered, entire communities are transformed.

Thank you for making moments like this possible. Every prayer, every act of generosity, and every gift helps fuel what God is doing—one student, one story, one community at a time.

If you feel moved to give to the work Mosaic is doing in Tanzania and the Philippines, you can learn more about joining The Circle here.

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