05/27/2026
ICYMI: (A3) Eniong's Journey of Personal Renewal: From Participant To A3/Philippines National Director
BY REV. ENIONG HILARIO
I am deeply grateful for A3. God has used it in a powerful way to renew my life, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to share my story with you—the same story I recently shared at our 2026 Leaders Summit in Malaysia.
I first experienced A3 as a participant in its very first batch in the Philippines. I still remember attending the orientation and quietly praying that I would be invited to join. There were many people there, so I wasn’t sure what would happen—but by God’s grace, I was accepted.
That season became a real turning point for me.
A Foundation: Being Over Doing
One of the most important lessons I learned through A3 is this: we focus on being before doing. We lead and serve from who we are, not just from what we do. After all, we are called human beings, not human doings. This means our character becomes the foundation of our leadership.
But this kind of growth does not come easily. It requires a process of learning, unlearning, and relearning.
A Place of Healing and Restoration
At that time, I was going through serious challenges in leadership. I was discouraged and honestly close to quitting ministry because of the opposition I was facing.
A3 became a place of healing for me. During the first sessions, I often found myself crying. It felt like therapy. Hearing other pastors openly share their own struggles helped me realize that I was not alone.
Through that community, God restored me. My faith in Him and my confidence in His calling were renewed.
The Power of Community
We often talk about prayer, Scripture, and solitude as spiritual disciplines. But if I may humbly add one more, I would say community is also a spiritual discipline. This is something I learned deeply through A3.
Being part of a loving and honest community truly changed me. It became a key part of my personal renewal. In A3, we practiced reflecting together—sharing stories, insights, and struggles. Those moments brought encouragement, correction, and inspiration. Much of my renewal came simply from listening to others and walking alongside them.
I could relate deeply to our discussion at the Summit about humble curiosity and having a growth mindset. In the context of community, this kind of mindset opens the door for collaboration with people from different theological perspectives and persuasions.
Listening to different insights, reflections, and even critiques helped shape my personal renewal. Gordon McDonald once said, “There is a kernel of truth in every criticism. Find it, and you'll be a better man.” That has stayed with me.
From Learning to Living: The Integration Paper
A key part of the A3 journey is the Integration Paper. At the end of the two-year program, participants are asked to write a paper that clearly expresses how they will integrate what they have learned into their life and leadership.
In our first batch, we called it the Strategy Paper. But over time, we realized something important: this was not just about plans or strategies. It was about a transformed life. That is why we began calling it the Integration Paper.
That shift in language reflects the heart of A3—not simply doing something new, but becoming someone new.
I still have my Integration Paper today, and I return to it often. It reminds me of what God taught me during that season and helps me stay aligned with His direction for my life and ministry.
From Receiving to Serving
After graduating, I was invited to join the working team. My journey shifted from personally receiving renewal to helping others experience it as well. Even as part of the team, we continued learning, unlearning, and relearning. The early cohorts felt very much like a learning process as we continued refining and improving the program.
Even as part of the team, we continued learning, unlearning, and relearning.
Growing and Adapting the Program
In the second batch, we had the opportunity to include women, which was a real blessing.
Then the pandemic required us to pivot from quarterly onsite gatherings to online sessions. It served an important purpose for that season, but nothing truly compares to face-to-face interaction.
By the third batch, we became more intentional. We gathered leaders across different age groups—from their mid-20s to their 50s—and formed intergenerational groups. Each group had a mentor, and I was assigned to walk with young pastors and leaders.
The group I mentored consisted of leaders who were newly married and beginning to build their families. Their needs were unique, but our focus remained the same: shaping character and identity.
Walking with them during that season was a joy. Through sharing, reflection, and prayer, we all grew in wisdom together.
Multiplying Through Community
One encouraging sign was seeing these mentoring groups continue meeting even without their mentors. They had embraced the value of community and peer support.
In my own group, one leader is now applying A3 principles in their youth ministry. I met with 65 young leaders from his church as we explored the possibility of starting something similar for them. This is new territory for us, so we are prayerfully seeking God’s wisdom.
Impact on My Church and Beyond
In our own church, I’ve also begun applying A3 principles. We now hold quarterly training for small group leaders, along with regular mentoring sessions. This has opened our eyes. For a church that has been around for more than 40 years, we are realizing afresh the need for deep learning, unlearning, and relearning.
The impact has extended even further. When I invited pastors from our denomination to join the fourth batch, something unexpected happened—the president of our denomination himself asked if he could join. Even the chairman of the board came along.
This has opened our eyes. For a church that has been around for more than 40 years, we are realizing afresh the need for deep learning, unlearning, and relearning.
Ongoing Work
God is still at work, and many more good things are happening. This journey of renewal continues—not only for me, but for many others as well. I look forward to all that God still has ahead, believing that my best days are still before me, for His glory alone.
Eniong Hilario
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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REV. ENIONG HILARIO\ is a Filipino pastor serving in the Philippines through his leadership at Faith Fellowship–Aurora in Quezon City. He has faithfully preached God’s Word for over 30 years and also enjoys teaching in Faith Bible College. He currently serves as the Co-National Director of A3/Philippines, where he is committed to equipping pastors, mentoring leaders, and helping develop Christlike leadership across the nation. Eniong is married to Sandra, who serves in leadership at Faith Academy MK School in Manila. Together, they are blessed with two teenage sons, Lukas and Benjamin.
