In light of the ongoing global circumstances and the continued challenges affecting travel and stability in the Philippines, we have made the difficult decision to adjust our plans for the June 2026 ICHE conference. Rather than gathering in person this year, we will host two one-hour virtual meetings on June 10, 2026, to accommodate participants across different time zones. Further details regarding these virtual meetings will be shared in the coming days. While this is not what we had hoped for, we believe it is the most responsible path forward under the present conditions. We remain grateful for your understanding flexibility, and continued partnership, and, with hope, we look forward to gathering together in person in Manila in 2028. May God grant you His peace and steady hope, even as we walk through uncertain and troubled times in our world today.

Important update about the ICHE/CCCU conference in Manila 2026.

A lot of men say “nobody” when asked who they call at their lowest—not because they’re strong, but because they’ve tried before and it didn’t go well. Real relationships take time (sometimes 400 hours) and risk—but they’re worth it. Start small. Talk to someone.

Services — ICHE Network

ICHE Conference 2026 | June 9–11 | Philippines
Theme: Integration — exploring faith & learning, student formation, AI, and environmental sustainability in Christian higher education.
Join us in Mariveles, Bataan.
Register: www.ichenetwork.org/events

Register today at forms.gle/7Zt2AxvmLgHT...

I'm always excited about Jesus quoting Isaiah 61 in Luke 4. I love the list of promises on how he's going to impact the world. Only recently have I realized the main controversial take of that day is he applies these actions as including people from places like Sidon & Assyria.

I wept at a novel because genealogy helped me feel my ancestor's stories. Our past isn't dead; it's a story waiting to be heard.

As followers of the way of Jesus, our invitation is not to escape to heaven, but to make heaven a reality wherever we are in the present moment. We’re invited not to escape a broken world for heaven, but to be people who are transforming the present world to be more like it. Benjamin Corey, Unafraid

Read it for free here: ac.upd.edu.ph/acmedia/zgal...

Saw this meme the other day I remembered I had written on this idea from the Filipino idea of "for the boys."

When you pledge allegiance to empire, it spits you out a broken person. When you pledge allegiance to Jesus, he makes you a new person.

An orange shirt is more than a symbol. It's a theological call to action. My reflection on truth, reconciliation, and the gospel. #OrangeShirtDay #TruthAndReconciliation

An orange shirt is more than a symbol. It's a theological call to action. My reflection on truth, reconciliation, and the gospel. #OrangeShirtDay #TruthAndReconciliation

Would that I had learned earlier that testimony stems from lived experience rather than mere academic knowledge.

Exegetical or topical? Doesn't matter. God always meets us through his word regardless of the process we use to approach & present it! I've been a preaching thru James off & on this year. Every time I find myself in the text. Every time the text is significant for community.

Heard an idea from my colleague Renz yesterday while discussing church. He came up with this concept of "Church as a whole." By that he meant the church not as a series of groups of different sectors, genders, age groups but as one. Wow! Mindblown.

I thought evil's only end was punishment. I was wrong. The Bible shows a surprising path of infiltration and redemption.

What if “I’m only human” isn't an excuse, but your God-given purpose?

God doesn’t have a policy of isolation. God doesn’t have a policy of keeping out those who are bad and keeping in those who are good. Rather, God reaches out to those who are outsiders to bring them in...

Ang Kagubatan ay patunay ng Diyos, na ipinapakita sa kalikasan. Mga nilalang nagsasabi ng Kanyang kabutihan. Tungkulin nating ipahayag ang testimoniya sa Kanya, kahit may kasalanan.

In the Bush’s vibrant beauty, nature’s testimony reveals God’s glory. Each rustling leaf & bird call tells a divine story beyond human judgment. Amidst sin and chaos, the challenge is to engage with creation, amplifying its chorus, or let it fade in silence.

Looking forward to this. Christian HEIs -- Let us know what you need to move forward!

Bears, Babylon, and Grace: Where God Meets Us in both the Wild and the Civilised Civilization and wilderness coexist, but can churches remain fortresses? History warns against boundaries yet urges connection. Amidst modern distractions, God operates everywhere, transcending our…

“We don’t bring God to them; our task as people entering the world is to share our experiences with the God they already know.”

From the archives – Bears, Babylon, and Grace: Where God Meets Us in both the Wild and the Civilised

michaeljfast.com/2025/05/24/b...

Following up on BGCC Celebration 2024: How Jose de Mesa’s Hermeneutics of Appreciation provides a practical way for Canadian churches to engage society Canada is no longer a Christian stronghold; it’s a mission field, teeming with opportunities to reconnect with faith. As new immigrants, especially Filipinos, infuse life into dying churches, we mu…

Remembering the needs of home challenges us to be mission-minded.

“Canada is now a mission field & as Jesus’ followers we need to approach it as such.” — How de Mesa’s Hermeneutics of Appreciation provides a practical way for 🇨🇦 churches to engage society

michaeljfast.com/2025/05/17/f...

Theology should never remain on the page. Whether I’m teaching a seminary class in the Caucasus or preaching to a handful of men in Quezon City, I keep returning to this question: What kind of people does the gospel form?
#TheologicalEducation #GlobalChurch #ChristianLeadership

As a Pastor, must one of my goals be to bring someone up behind me to take over?

ICHE Manila 2026 Conference Information Gathering We are planning a conference with the International Council for Higher Education to be held in Manila in June 2026. Part of those plans include finding out what our needs are as Philippine and South E...

SEAsian Christian HEIs. Please fill up the form to help plan the ICHE Manila 2026 conference to advance the cause of Christian scholarship & develop sustainable & integrated models of higher education that reflect biblical faith through learning & service.
forms.gle/y77ie31ctAZK...

“Then he will judge disputes between many people and settle arguments between many nations far and wide. They will hammer their swords into plowblades and their spears into pruning shears. Nations will never fight against each other, and they will never train for war again.”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬ ‭GW‬‬

“Sya ang magja-judge sa mga tao, at magdi-decide para sa mga bansang malakas at malayo. Mamartilyuhin nila ang kanilang mga espada para gawing pang-araro, ang mga sibat nila, gagawing pangtagpas ng ani. Hindi na maglalaban-laban ang mga bansa, di na sila magte-training para sa gera.” — MICAH 4:3

Beneath the lifeless facade of Soviet-era concrete lies a vibrant resistance to conformity. Individuality blossoms as residents personalize their bleak spaces, offering glimpses of life amid uniformity. Is it Georgian faith that infuses hope into this stark landscape & defeats oppression?

Bears, Babylon, and Grace: Where God Meets Us in both the Wild and the Civilised Civilization and wilderness coexist, but can churches remain fortresses? History warns against boundaries yet urges connection. Amidst modern distractions, God operates everywhere, transcending our…

Civilization & wilderness coexist but can churches remain fortresses? History warns against boundaries yet urges connection. Amidst modern distractions God operates everywhere transcending definitions. Join God's mission, discover grace in chaos & share your journey.
michaeljfast.com/2025/05/24/b...