The last Encounter God Retreat for the first half of 2007 has been set on June 29 & 30, 2007 at the Villa Narcisa Vinoya Resort in Labrador, Pangasinan

The EGR Pangasinan Network will have a break in the conduct of EGR for a month or two before scheduling another EGR.

This means that if you are itching to attend the EGR, you should better register for the June EGR or you will have to wait until August or September to have your Encounter experience.

The EGR is open only to those who already accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and who have gone through the pre-encounter lessons.

Registration fee is PhP500 which includes your post-encounter booklet. You may register through your pastor or contact Pastor Charlie Loranza at 09203290415.

See you there.

The EGR Pangasinan Network conducted its 4th Encounter God Retreat (EGR) last May 18 & 19 at the Villa Narcisa Vinoya Resort in Labrador, Pangasinan.

This month’s EGR drew 83 delegates from La Union, Pampanga, Zambales and Pangasinan. The delegates went through activities and experiences that have them encounter God powerfully.

Everyone present in the sessions could not miss the manifest movement of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the delegates as they were led to experiences that delivered them bondages, ignited them to fiery Christian living, and redirected their spiritual journey.

There were also a number of pastors who humbled themselves as delegates and they were treated with clear and exciting vision casting together with the other delegates.

The next EGR is scheduled tentatively on June 22 & 23, 2007 at the same venue.

EGR babies, share your personal experiences here. Click on the COMMENT button below and let your testimonies challenge others to join the next EGR. Be careful not to share the messages and activities. Share only your personal experiences.

It may have been a nice win for the Pretty Boy, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. but his being the pound-for-pound king was nowhere to be found in his split decision victory against an aging but game Oscar dela Hoya.

What Pretty Boy promised to be a pretty entertaining night of excellent and action-packed boxing show turned out to be a catch-me-if-you-can cat-and-mouse exhibition that didn’t really deserve much of the bucks that the spectators, both those in the arena and in the comforts of their own homes, painstakingly paid for.

What we expected was an explosive bout but all we saw was a forgetable match and a lot of the blame must and should be laid down on the persona who is given the venerable descriptive “pound-for-pound king of boxing”.

Expecting a theater full of excitement and thrill, the audience found themselves in a boring and disappointing lecture room of how to be a good boxer.  Dubbed as “The World Awaits” it turned out to be “A World of Wastes”. 

There has to be a shakeup in the pound-for-pound lists and the major change should be to scrap the name Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in the top spot.

This Postman, together with some of the gallant male brethren of the Solid Rock Bible Congregation (SRBC), conquered the mountains of Baguio City yesterday.

Riding off in protection of the Almighty and on their reliable two-wheeled motorcyles, The Postman and company trekked up the climbs and winds of the famous Marcos Highway on the way to some of the fave tour sites of the city of pines.

Our first stop was the Tam-awan Village in Quezon Hill.  The village was featured in the telenovela “Asian Treasures” where Angel Locsin and Robin Padilla play the role of treasure hunters.  Just beside the Tam-awan Village is the small museum named Arko ni Apo, a museum of mixed arts which include painting, sculpture and landscaping.  There are also records of past history.

From the Tam-awan Village the group trooped to the Strawberry Farm where they got a taste of the strawberry ice cream and a view treat of the wide and flat strawberry fields.

The group struggled to find the next stop, the Mines View Park, but once there the riders zeroed their eyes in on the view of the mine fields and the throng of humanity that tried to inch each other out in the small view deck.

It was lunch time when the pack of riders decided to have a break in the heart of the city, the Burnham Park where they were treated to a Baguio version of inihaw na bangus, pochero and pinakbet.

The SM Mall had a feel of our tires.  We paid a visit to my brother Jereny at the Ace Hardware Shop where we also bought some motorbike stuff.

But it was there where we learned a hard lesson–a traffic rule violation ticket.  We were about to go home when we noticed that our plate numbers were forcibly taken off.  We searched our bikes and we saw our respective violation tickets inserted into the joints of the bikes.  We were charged of resting the bikes in a no parking area. 

We had to report to our apprehender and he required us to pay PhP100 each.  Good thing we had some money left to pay for the violations!

The riders then swooshed away to Marcos Highway and ran down at speeds of up to 80 kph.  The thrill of riding down the tortuous slope was exhilarating.  The day was capped with a sip of brewed imported coffee and bread in the residence of Pastor Raul Reyes.

With The Postman and Pastor Raul in the conquest of the Baguio mountains were Pastor Charlie Loranza, Jun Pandoy Fernandez, Jonald Paragas, Lester Onza, and Randolf Fajardo.

The Solid Rock Bible Congregation (SRBC) based in Samat, Bugallon, Pangasinan, Philippine Islands has steadily grown since its adoption of the G12 Vision.

Before the entry of the G12 vision into the church, the average Sunday Service attendance could not even muster a consistent 70 in its 29 years of existence. There were Sundays that we could only number 40 warm bodies in the church.

But since Pastor Charlie Loranza, SRBC head pastor, instituted the G12 Vision in September 2006, the Sunday Service attendance started to rise and since February 2007, we have recorded an average of more than 100 every Sunday.

Seeing that the G12 Vision is working wonders in the church, the SRBC leadership decided to expand the floor area of the worship hall. Pastor Charlie challenges everyone to give to the planned expansion and a number of brethren put in a total of PhP55,000. Of course, that amount is not enough so the other brethren are being encouraged to give to a growing and working ministry.

We are targeting a goal of 120 regular attendees in June, the month of the church’s anniversary, especially now that we have around 40 members who have gone through the Encounter God Retreat (EGR), the fruit-triggering phase of the G12 Vision.

Here are some pictures of the ongoing expansion of the church.

This is a shot after the first week of construction.

This shot is taken after the second week of construction. Pastor Charlie talks to a sister on the foreground.

This shot is taken right in front of the church facade.

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The 3rd Encounter God Retreat (EGR) went on smoothly last April 20 & 21 bringing a total of 83 delegates going through a life-changing, soul-inspiring and spiritually rejuvenating encounter with God.

The experience was as hot as the summer sun that heated up the retreat when the delegates composed mostly of youngsters trooped to the front of the session hall every time there was praise and worship.  Even the elderly men and women joined the boisterous crowd of young Christians dancing and singing for the Lord God Almighty.

They were challenged to be fruitful, which is the very expectation of the EGR experience, and they responded with a resounding “Amen!” 

The 83 delegates came from the provinces of La Union, Pampanga, Zambales and Pangasinan. 

I extend my congratulations to the staff, ministers, marshalls and pastors who put their efforts together for God to move in the lives of the delegates.

The 4th EGR in Pangasinan will be on May 18 & 19, 2007 at the same venue, the Villa Narcisa Vinoya Resort, Labrador, Pangasinan.

EGR babies!  Share your experiences here!  Let other people know what happened to you in the EGR and invite them to attend the next EGR!  But please, don’t share the messages and activities.  That’s our secret!  But you are all free to share the miracle that God has done to your personal life.  Click the “COMMENT” button now!

The EGR Pangasinan Network will be holding tonight the regular overnight prayer meeting (OPM) for the upcoming Encounter God Retreat (EGR) on Friday and Saturday.  The prayer meeting is done to consecrate every person, place and thing pertinent to the conduct of the EGR.

Leading the charge in the spiritual battle to make Christians fruitful and active is Rev. Charlie Loranza, the incoming director of the EGR Pangasinan Network.  Joining him are pastors coming from different parts of Pangasinan, Zambales and La Union.

Please pray with us, especially if you are already an EGR baby.  Do continue to intercede for the success of the 3rd EGR at the Villa Narcisa Vinoya Resort in Labrador, Pangasinan.

It was in the same venue that a relatively unknown Manny Pacquiao became a sensational hit when he stopped the legendary Baby-faced Assasin Marco Antonio Barrera.  Since then, the name Manny Pacquiao has echoed to every corner of boxing gyms and other circles as the new sensation in the sports called Sweet Science.

Jorge Solis knew that name too well and the Alamodome was probably what he most preferred to be the venue where he would be giving Pacquiao a dose of his own medicine.  He was aware of the legend of Pacquiao and of his stature as a nobody in the sport although he owned an excellent record.  But when they suddenly touched gloves started hitting each other, Solis realized it was not meant to showcase his own version of spectacular boxing.  He became just another one of the unlucky Mexicans of which Pacquiao has been making mincemeat of.

Spoiled Dream

Jorge’s dream of making it big in the pugilistic sport did not come true and only the brief moment of which his name was attached to Pacquiao’s that he could claim the pride of being known.  After the fight, he still remains a nobody in the world of boxing and there may be longer years before he comes back and stamps his name again in a world class fight.

Deceiving Records

Jorge Solis’ record of 32 wins without any loss was deceiving.  One thinks who the men he fought.  Were they boxers of bystanders?  There was admittedly some kind of quality in the way he fought.  He made Pacquiao a little off the rhythm in the first four rounds.  It was evident, however, that he has not fought anyone in the mold of Pacquiao.  He may not even stand a big chance against Barrera or Marquez with the way he performed.

Political “Buffer”

Michael Buffer may have convinced himself to make a change in the way he introduced boxers especially when he learned that Manny Pacquiao is not just fighting in the boxing ring but also in the political ring.  His insertion of the descriptive “congressional candidate” in his announcement of Pacquiao suddenly made him more of a campaigner than an announcer.  In whatever way you see it, that was Pacquiao’s political “Buffer”.

Cerebral Fighter

Let’s talk about Pacquiao now.  At this point in his career, Manny Pacquiao has learned the importance of using the brain as ferociously as he uses his speed and power.  What I saw in the Solis fight was a Pacquiao that decided to teach than to entertain.  He taught Solis a lesson in boxing that you cannot just brag about records.  He, however, didn’t put in the drama of a world class performance.  He didn’t have to anyway because Solis turned out to be not a top level opponent, so he decided to give himself the benefit trying to figure out how to dispose of the Mexican.

Boring Greatness

With all the many names, both well-known and obscure, that Manny Pacquiao has dropped to the canvass, one may not already have the kind of excitement leveling up when Pacquiao was just trying to build his monumental success in boxing.  He is a great boxer right now and unless there is one marquee name that could pose a grave threat to his greatness, every great performance of Pacquiao from now on will just be met with a cold but positive boredom.

Uncertain Future

After the fight, Manny mentioned names he likes to face next but mentioning their names and facing them in a fight are two different things.  His promoter’s legal squabble with the Golden Boy Promotions remains a stumbling block to his megabuck rematch with both Barrera and Marquez.  Let’s see what will happen in the next future for Manny.

Days before Manny Pacquiao tastes the mysterious menu named Jorge Solis, some concerned parties cannot help to air their apprehensions.

They are wary of Solis’ record and Manny’s abbreviated training regimen.  The numbers of Solis are impressive however you criticize his opponents.  Even a level-headed boxing guru knows that it is not easy to dispose of more than 30 mediocre opponents.  To see a boxer with that record, in all honesty, it’s not very hard to be impressed.

The fighter in Solis is apparently tough, learned and strong.  With no loss to blemish his record, one would understand why some Pacquiao fans are worried.

Their worry is even aggravated by the kind of seriousness that Manny seems to show over the coming bout.  They see a Manny Pacquiao who seems to take Solis lightly.

It should be noted, however, that Pacquiao knows the stakes heavily lined for this fight.  He knows that if he doesn’t perform to the people’s expectations, he might lose important votes for his congressional bid in General Santos City. 

He knows that if he loses to Solis, he will have to suffer the ignominy of losing to a lesser known boxer, much like what Barrera went through when he defeated the Baby-faced Assasin in the same place where he will meet Solis. 

He knows that history will repeat itself and this time, he might be the agonizing victim, not the glorified victor. 

He knows that a bad ending in the Solis fight will decrease his stock as a fighter and will probably lose not just glory but also money in his potential fights in the future.

With these things clearly etched in his mind, do you think Manny Pacquiao will prepare in the level of mediocrity and give Jorge Solis all that he painstakingly earned over a long period of time?

Pastor Charlie Loranza, head pastor of the Solid Rock Bible Congregation is now an ordained minister of God. Last March 18, 2007, on the occasion of his 36th birthday, Pastor Charlie received the ordaination blessings from no less than the first bishop of the FIFCOP Mission, Bishop John Tayoto.

Bishop John Tayoto explains a point in his message to the Solid Rock Bible Congregation members on the occasion of Pastor Charlie Loranza’s ordination.

Members of the SRBC listen intently to Bishop Tayoto’s inspiring delivery of God’s message.

Pastor Charlie and his flock look intently to God’s messenger, Bishop John Tayoto.

Pastor Jess Paragas (holding the folder), associate pastor to Pastor Charlie, reads the Board of Trustees’ Letter or Recommendation for the ordination of Pastor Charlie.

Bishop John Tayoto explains the seriousness of the ordination process as he prepares to pour the oil of ordination on Pastor Charlie.  Pastor Joel Maneclang, associate pastor to Pastor Charlie, holds the microphone for the bishop.

Bishop John Tayoto pours the oil of ordination on the head of newly ordained FIFCOP pastor, Rev. Charlie Loranza.

Newly ordained FIFCOP pastor, Rev. Charlie Loranza is speechless as he looks at the surprise gift (a 150cc Motorstar motorcycle) of the SRBC church on the occasion of his birthday and ordination day.

Pastor Charlie reacts with a wide and heartfelt smile after he realizes how much the church he serves and the God he loves have blessed his untiring service.