IDC 2025 Brings Discipleship Insights Among Chosen Uplift Cares Beneficiaries

It was a valuable learning and fellowship experience for some UPLIFT Cares beneficiaries – consisting of select Uplift Plus scholars and GoViral leaders – who were able to attend Intentional Discipleship Conference (IDC) 2025: “Love and Truth: Inseparable,” held at the CCF Center last January 23 to 25!

As they listened to plenary speakers and participated at workshops throughout the three-day conference, they took home various meaningful insights that they can apply in their discipleship journeys, helping transform their families and communities. They expressed their newfound takeaways and inspired others in their walk with God, through their written reflections.

Uplift Plus Scholars’ Reflections

Mila Abadinas, a third year college student taking up information technology, shared that in her second time attending IDC, she felt always grateful for the opportunity to hear messages from the people whom God has used to minister to others. For her, it brought the same feeling of fulfillment and renewed experience, reminding her of important truths.

Abadinas’ main takeaway from IDC 2025 was about learning on how we can serve as God’s instruments, reaching the lost and discipling others by lovingly declaring the truth and truthfully demonstrating love.

“To do this, we must live a life fully devoted to God. It starts with having a humble heart and a willing spirit to submit and obey Him joyfully. The journey won’t be easy; there will be pain, sacrifices, doubts, and struggles. But our focus should always remain on Jesus, no matter the season we’re in,” she wrote.

As she reflected on this, she has ingrained her lessons in her heart.

“It starts with building a deep relationship with God. Everything Jesus demonstrated is what we are called to follow. The key to discipling and journeying with others is through meaningful relationships. The deeper these relationships grow, the more we will care enough to uphold the truth with courage and extend love with compassion,” she wrote.

Christian Keith Arreglo, also an information technology student, said that reflection on key lessons with practical application guided him through such a spiritual journey with crystal clarity and sense of purpose.

“Perhaps the most important thing I have learned is the call to self-examination as the footing of discipleship. It has been both humbling and enlightening in taking the time off to examine my thoughts, actions, and motivations. The same thing in 2 Samuel with King David is that he began to like the idea of knowing his wrongs,” he wrote.

Arreglo wrote that cultivating a mind open to the truth, though difficult to accept, has really been transformative. And it was during prayer that he received this anchor, which shows guidance and light in the midst of the process.

“To confront [others] about their actions when it directly impacts our relationship is uncomfortable. But I have come to understand that it is actually possible for difficult conversations to make trust stronger and relationships firmer when conducted with kindness and wisdom,” Arreglo wrote.

Pollyn Ibañez, who is taking up business administration, wrote that as Christians, it is our duty to admonish; pointing out whenever we notice others’ blind spots lovingly. She remarked that truth without love is “judgmental condemnation,” while love without truth is “hollow sentimentalism.”

“We are called to be a ‘Nathan’ for others, speaking the truth in love, encouraging repentance, and looking after their spiritual being. We also need to have a response like David’s, we must admit our sin, accept responsibility, and of course, be willing to accept the consequences,” she wrote.

Ibañez wrote that she became emotional when plenary speaker Chip Ingram said that we should never give up on people because God never gave up on us. She also loved what Pastor Peter Tan-Chi said, “We must never compromise on God’s truth. Sometimes, we love people so much that we are willing to adjust our theology for them.”

“As servants of the Lord, we are called to reflect Christ in every situation, responding with love and gentleness even in challenging times. We are the ‘living Bible,’ representing Jesus wherever we go. Our actions, words, and behavior should reflect His love and character in all settings – at church, work, school, or home,” Ibañez shared.

For PJ Morales, participating in IDC 2025 has been one of the most transformative experiences that he ever had, as it deepened his spiritual growth and molded his approach to discipleship.

“What drives me forward is the pursuit of creating a culture that's accountable and prayerful, not just in me but among the people whom I lead as well. I will be able to guide the people toward solving problems proactively because vigilance towards early warning signs of spiritual struggles will open up, grow, and transform the atmosphere,” Morales wrote.

Morales also shared about the “MRI” principle, consisting of modeling, relationship, and intentionality.

“I will commit time to building relationships with whom I am discipled – actively listening to struggles, celebrating their wins, and journeying alongside in trials,” Morales wrote.

During the conference, he also witnessed the value of speaking the truth in humility, compassion, and desiring restitution than judgment as Nathan was with King David.

“In summary, through IDC, I have been taught a lot regarding discipleship, all of which emphasize truth and grace, vigilance, scriptural love, community, and intentionality. I am committed to creating a discipleship journey in all areas, glorifying God and changing lives as it walks closer to advancing His kingdom,” Morales ended.

For fourth year student Neil Piamonte, the IDC 2025 conference revealed to him that we need to show both love and truth in how we act, the role of giving advice, and how we can grow as people and leaders. To really be close to God, we need to take the first step toward Him and away from the lies that we tell ourselves.

“This journey means looking inside ourselves and being ready to face the false things that hold us back from growing spiritually. By recognizing these lies, we can get closer to having a real relationship with God. The conference also talked about how important it is to teach our families. Leaders in the home should take responsibility for guiding their families, and it’s very important that we learn how to do this well,” Piamonte wrote.

Piamonte remarked that a lot of us hold back from giving advice because we are scared of confrontation, feel like we are “not good enough,” or just do not know how to do it. However, he added that it is important to take on this responsibility because it helps us grow and be accountable to one another.

“The things I learned from the Intentional Discipleship Conference 2025 have helped me understand how love and truth are connected. By living out these ideas in our lives, taking charge of teaching our families, and being open to personal and leadership growth, we can create a community that is more loving and truthful,” Piamonte ended.

GoViral Leaders’ Reflections

Mark Anthony Arcibal, a GoViral leader at CCF Payatas, wrote that it is a blessed and awesome experience to be part of IDC 2025. He added that truth and love are inseparable virtues, much like the union of a man and a woman in marriage.

“Speaking the truth without love can lead to prejudice. Conversely, if we only talk about love in an effort to avoid being canceled or rejected without expressing the truth, then our love becomes shallow and filled with compromises. We must strive to speak the truth with love,” he added.

He also learned the process of talking to someone in sin, a pattern that Nathan used to speak to King David about his sin and scheme (2 Samuel 11-12). He wrote that we are to check our hearts to see if we have judicious judgment on a particular person, and consider whether the sin is critical and many will be affected. It is also important for one to speak the truth with love in a timely admonition, and ask himself or herself if he or she is in authority to do the correction.

“Lastly, the most important aspect of the process is the dignified delivery. We need wisdom from God for the proper words and delivery,” Arcibal wrote.

Rose Ann Tubice, a fellow GoViral leader at CCF Payatas, shared her takeaways from the sixth plenary session of IDC 2025, where Pastor Peter Tan-Chi spoke about leadership and being a discipleship group member.

“It is hard to accept correction from someone, especially when you see many shortcomings from him or her… But I realized that he or she might be being used by the Lord to correct me and [show] how to improve myself and learn how to receive it with love,” Tubice wrote partially in Filipino.

She also learned how to be a Nathan to others, especially to her family, which is very important for her. “Being a Nathan to others is a blessing, and having a Nathan in our lives is so much blessing.”

With their valuable takeaways from IDC 2025, it is our fervent prayer for them to continue to speak the truth in love in serving as a salt and light in their homes and communities!

To volunteer or partner with us for our educational initiatives or community development activities, you may send us a message on our social media accounts or send us an email at sponsorship@upliftcares.com