Empowering Families: Highlights from the Family is a Gift Empowerment Sessions
Family is at the heart of our charism as a community. On January 19, 2025, during the Feast of the Holy Child, CFC hosted the Family is a Gift Empowerment Sessions and Speakers Training at the UP Bonifacio Global City. The event aimed that future leaders of the CFC community be uplifted and be enriched with practical wisdom and spiritual knowledge on emphasizing the profound impact of faith and holiness upon the family’s day-to-day concerns.
The blessing of Inspiration
During the Holy Mass, Rev. Fr. Joel Jason, the CFC Spiritual Adviser, shared that, “the children are our hope. We measure our success in the manner that we take care of our successors, our children. Let us take care of our children by taking care of the family.” He then explained three ways to rear children in grace, wisdom, and favor before God—like how the Child Jesus grew up in Nazareth.
Fr. Joel added, that every family should become “a treasure chest of wealth”—not just material wealth but spiritual wealth. Family should also be “a school of wisdom”, an accumulation of experience that can only be acquired from the elderly. And family should be “a temple of worship”, just as Mary and Joseph ensured that the Child Jesus was attuned to the home of the Father by visiting the temple regularly.
CFC affirmed this homily by presenting its Family Ministries’ upcoming events—such as the conferences for Handmaids of the Lord, Youth for Christ, and Kids for Christ—through a series of promotional videos. During the opening worship, Bro. Bong Bernardo from CFC Australia exhorts in proclamation that “We are so blessed that God has inspired us, through our families to aspire for togetherness and unity, to have a Spirit of gratitude and thankfulness, and to share our mission with others so that they can experience transformation.”
What family is all about
CFC Chairman/President Joe Yamamoto and his wife, Mila, set the stage for a day of learning and fellowship, emphasizing that, “We must remember that our work of family renewal is an opportunity to bring light to other families currently confused by the worldly perspective of what family is all about.”
He continued, “We are meant to love God, but we are led to believe that we are to love ourselves first… and this threatens what it truly means to be human. However,” he reiterated, “there is nothing we cannot overcome if we believe in and embrace the power of God’s love, and live according to His plan. We must keep in our hearts the mission He entrusted to us.”
Sis. Mila recounted CFC’s calling to restore God’s plan for the family, as she said, “As CFC members, we live this calling; it begins with us. We must rejoice in this mission He gave us and take courage. As a community of family evangelizers, our call requires us to have a deep reflection on how the world is and commitment to make God’s plan happen.”
The CFC International Council, through its members Bboy and Rachel Arguelles, gave a brief background of Family is a Gift and the expectations around its advocates. “As you go through the day with prudence and humility,” they said, “open yourselves to be joyfully empowered; just receive, receive, and receive. Because the Holy Spirit will surely be with you once you are ready to give.” They also reiterated how the program was part of God’s work for families today, and empowered attendees with His promise revealed in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Families in the modern world
For the first session entitled “Let’s keep talking”, Manny and Grace Panagsagan, CFC Africa Mission Head emphasized the importance of open and honest dialogue in maintaining intimate family relationships. As former Heads of CFC Family Ministries, Bro. Manny and Sis. Grace shared insightful Bible passages about communication, such as ‘Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.’ (Psalm 19:14) and ‘If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.’ This means, listen before you speak.’ (Proverbs 18:13) “This means”, the couple affirmed, “that every word that comes out of our mouths must glorify God.”
After fellowship lunch, SFC International Coordinator Cap Porticos led attendees for the afternoon praise. “We are to bring the Lord’s strength and light,” he said, “to those who are struggling to be truly Christian families in the modern world.” He acknowledged the many challenges they faced in their journey with the Lord, and shared that, “we need the courage to do our battle. That is why we need to return to Galilee. We know that Galilee is more than just a physical place: it represents a spiritual encounter with Jesus.”
Abundance with God, the Giver
For the second session entitled “Marital Money Matters: Save. Spend. Stake. (SSS)”, member of the CFC International Council Bong Arjonillo and his wife, Carol, addressed the crucial topic of financial stewardship within marriages, offering practical advice on trusting in God’s provision, focusing first on living in alignment with His purposes.
“Money is a gift from God. But,” Bro. Bong warned, “we can oftentimes be so blinded by the gift, that we forget the Giver—and we forget to be grateful to the Giver.” Indeed, we are often consumed by the worries of daily living: what to eat, what to wear, or how to make ends meet. Yet Bro. Bong assures that when we center our lives on His kingdom and seek to be holy, God promises to provide for our needs. “This is not an invitation to neglect responsibility,” he said, “but a call to reorder our priorities, and put God above all else. When we trust in Him, we discover peace, purpose, and the abundant life He offers.”
“The Giver matters more,” Sis. Carol added and explained how money was a gift that the Lord, in His generosity, allowed us to have and use. And for couples, surviving the ‘for richer, for poorer’ part of their wedding vows began with understanding that God had a plan for their finances. “God desires our abundance,” Sis. Carol concludes, “which is not necessarily financial. Rather, what will bring us and our family closer to Him. We need our basic needs to be met, but we should prioritize our relationship with God first.”
The family vision, and the vision for families
For the final session entitled “Defining Your Family Vision,” Rommel and Layle Ancheta, CFC Kuwait Country Coordinators, encouraged attendees to empower families into creating a clear and purposeful vision for their future, where their family goals aligned with their faith and values. With their extensive experience in pastoral work and media communication, they shared their journey of leading CFC’s Young Couples and Family is a Gift program ten years ago, despite being young couples themselves and unsure of where such service would lead them.
“We were the actual recipients of the family vision,” Rommel shared, “and all the teachings that we are having, and it actually improved our lives.” “Where you are is exactly the vision ten years ago,” Layle said. Their family is a living testimony of how Family is a Gift teachings could impact other young couples in their marriages, child-rearing, and in their relationships with other young couples.
For the attendees who have not considered their family vision yet, “Continue to be faithful,” the Anchetas said. “The Lord is not done with you yet. His work will happen with or without us; we simply must be faithful while we are anointed today.”
An insightful Q&A session allowed participants to seek further guidance from the speakers. CFC Bukidnon’s Cris Dalio concluded the program with a reflection of the day’s learnings and led attendees into praying for grace and wisdom “for this great work”. “As You commission us,” he prayed, “we ask the Holy Spirit to give us the fire in our hearts to serve more and to see the importance and need of this work in Family is a Gift and its programs.”
As participants left the event, they carried with them a renewed sense of purpose, a deeper understanding of their mission, and the tools for strengthening their families. Indeed, the wisdom gained from the sessions will undoubtedly ripple through their lives, fostering stronger, more loving, and faith-filled communities.
Here’s to many more years of empowering families and spreading the message that family is a gift!
— UGNAYAN News Online