My friend for over a decade, Belinda Uy, invites me every 3rd Friday of the month to attend fellowship at Youth Gospel Center (YGC), and listen to their guest speakers. Meetings are from 7:30 to 9:30 PM, and always feature great speakers who share their expertise and experiences on different wellness topics.

Every Friday of every month, they have a different topic for these talks. There’s a Friday assigned to the study of a certain book in the bible, for example. There are also Fridays for guest speakers whose topics are aligned with their personal mission and vision.

I just feel sad that whenever she invites me to attend, I’m never able to go. The schedule is always in conflict with my own Friday schedule. When the time came that I was finally able to be part of these special Fridays, it wasn’t as an audience member but as a speaker.

I had the honor of being asked by Belinda, way back in April, to speak about etiquette. The session would take place on one Friday in October. She was wise enough to book months in advance to be sure that I reserved the date, and had no excuse to miss it. So, on October 20, I finally got to join YGC.

Here’s some information on this amazing organization. In May of 1954, under the guidance and suggestion of Rev. Calvin Chao, four Chinese Churches jointly organized evangelistic ministries. Rev. Chao then saw the need to maintain the zeal of the full-time dedicated Christians, who average about 10 yearly, in the Nationwide Summer Conferences. Thus, he envisioned the organization of the Youth Gospel Center in the Philippines. The first Board of Directors was established during a Christian Workers Retreat in January, 1955. The Board members were all united and shared the same vision with Rev. Chao, that of organizing youth ministries, especially in areas where churches have not yet been explored.

YGC’s mission is to bring young people to the knowledge of the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, nurture them into Christ’s disciples and direct them to Bible-based Chinese-Filipino churches. Its vision is to be a center for the youth, where needs are met and God’s love, salvation and transformation in Christ are encountered.

Over the years, YGC has been able to lead the youth closer to Christ. Some of these youth have even committed their lives to serve Him fully as pastors, reverends and church leaders.

During my time with YGC, I taught the attendees about Social Etiquette. This is something that they can apply in everyday life. My talk included topics like civility, first impressions, social introductions, gift giving, tech etiquette, male and female etiquette, and dining etiquette.

Apart from my sharing, we also had actual, hands-on activities to make the session more enjoyable. There was a practice introduction session among the participants, and also samples of group conversations.

I was so engrossed in the session that I was  unaware that I exceeded the time limit given to me. It’s so difficult to discuss so many things with a crowd that’s so engaged, in only 45 mins. I praise GOD for the considerate time extension they allowed us. Plus, even if it had gotten late, every one still listened and participated actively. No one stood up to leave even if it was past the target end time!

I was happy to hear positive feedback from the group leader after the session. Overall, the participants were highly satisfied with the session. They believed that the information was useful, practical, and can be used in daily life.

They were grateful to have me as a speaker, and believed that I was knowledgeable on my topic, and confident and skilled in the way I presented. They found the seminar both interesting and entertaining, too. Among their favorite topics were social media etiquette, the proper way to introduce yourself, and how to give a proper handshake.

The participants said that their self-confidence and poise increased, especially when dealing with different types of people. They can now connect better in every  interaction, and feel more respectful and effective.  They are able work more on building relationships within their organization and invite more members.

As for me, I am more than happy to serve and speak at YGC again, if I’m ever given the chance to.

Here’s a sneak peek into what transpired during my session with YGC.

If you need the members of your group to professionally represent your organization’s brand in the way they look, speak and behave, visit us at Radiance Image Consultancy to learn more about our programs and speaking engagement services.