Songs & Laughter from the 'Preacher in Blue Jeans' and Company

Whoever declares he has no room for comedy in his life must surely be kidding.

Even modern medicine has had studies backing the biblical wisdom, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." A hearty ha-ha, in other words, can work wonders on both the body ("reduces blood pressure") and the soul ("allows you to take your trials and tribulations less seriously").

Which brings us to "BoToks" as a timely way to de-stress. Promising equal amounts of songs, laughter and inspiration, "BoToks" (as in "Bo talks")-you could also say a pun on the pricey but only six-month-thingy cosmetic procedure to rub out nasty frown lines-is poised to be a concert like no other when it takes place on Nov. 21, 7:30PM at the Grand Convention Center just by its sales pitch: "you'll laugh so hard all your problems would go away."

But this kind of concert should not come as a surprise for those who have had the opportunity to listen to the "Preacher in Blue Jeans" Bo Sanchez, that is. This youthful lay evangelist, who has been preaching since he was 13, has packed up venues and fired up the faithful during talks nationwide and overseas, prompting one article in a national daily to pronounce him as the closest thing the Catholic lay community has to a rock star. We were told that his schedule is booked till 2008-that is how widely he is in-demand.

You'll be amazed that a bulk of the audiences of this 40-year-old father of two actually comprises of young people. He makes his approach cool and hip by sharing the gospel, his faith and love of God with anecdotal aplomb, self-deprecating humor and lotsa tales of genuine poignancy.

Best-selling author has gone multi-media

Starting out as the publisher and main writer of Kerygma, the no. 1 inspirational magazine in the country today under his media ministry Shepherd's Voice Publications, Bo has gone on to pen best-selling books such as You Can Make Your Life Beautiful, Thank God He's Boss, You Have The Power To Create Love, Fill Your Life With Miracles, Simplify And Live The Good Life, Simplify And Create Abundance, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future, and How To Find Your One True Love, which is currently no. 1 bestseller in National Bookstore. The latter amusingly negates the many myths embraced by singles, particularly Christian women, such as entrusting all the choosing of a lifetime partner to divine intervention.

Since Bo in private is also a micro-entrepreneur, one of his favorite topics is financial literacy-from debt-management, saving, investing, to business-as he believes that "our poverty is hugely a product of people's very low financial I.Q."

Bo makes no secret about his desire to share all these to more and more people, and when I first met him two years ago, his dreams included a radio and television show. Today, the founder of such organizations as Anawim, a special home for abandoned elderly, and Light of Jesus Community and Light of Jesus Counseling Center, has gone multi-media. He has a weekly TV show and a daily radio program: Kerygma TV airs every Wednesday, 11:30 PM on RPN-9 (which replays on CCTN) while Gabay sa Biblia sa Radyo on Radio Veritas, is from 4-4:30AM on weekdays and 6AM on Sundays. Recently, he began blogging on www.bosanchez.com.ph and has formed a virtual community, www.kerygmafamily.com, that if you sign up (it's free, by the way) you can access his daily reality TV show "Preacher in Blue Jeans," (one episode featured an interview with Julie Gandionco, the founder of the phenomenal Cebuano company, Julie's Bakeshop); his audio and video teachings, advance previews of his books, the monthly Kerygma magazine, an exclusive KerygmaFamily newsletter, three choices of daily Bible reflections and live counsellors to assist you anytime.

And the dreaming never stops. He hopes to expand the Kerygma Feast, a monthly huge gathering held from Luzon to Mindanao (here, it's every first Monday at the Grand Convention Center), where there's "mass, live worship, dynamic preaching and prayers of blessing" that he and other LOJ members lead. He wrote in his blog: "We have a problem: We were limited to one geographic place. How could we reach other cities of the world without the need for me to bi-locate like Saint Padre Pio? Even with dynamic Kerygma Preachers with me, we can't cover even the major cities of Metro Manila-much less the Philippines or the world. So here's the plan: By next year, we'll be organizing satellite FEASTs in different cities and parish churches all over the Philippines-and the world. How? Through the Internet, we'll be video-streaming the talk in the FEAST. There'll be a little delay, but our goal is to make the broadcast as clear as possible."

Meet the K-Preachers

"BoToks" started out as his birthday concert in Manila last July, but so successful had it been that it has to be brought here and in other cities in Visayas and Mindanao. He will be joined by the K-Preachers-a band of wisecracking and music-loving individuals with just as inspiring life stories to tell. Here's what the profiles tell about them.

Once a lost star and self-centered insecure teen movie idol, ADRIAN PANGANIBAN is now a star reborn, as he uses his singing and acting talent to spread Christ's gospel through the Oasis of Love Community where he is an elder.

ALVIN BARCELONA, on the other hand, is a singer-songwriter, businessman and walking miracle. The former front act of the legendary Freddie Aguilar, Alvin is the vice president for Abiva Publishing House, one of the oldest textbook publishers in the country; a school owner; author of "Nakita Ko...Unang Bugso," published by Shepherd's Voice Publications, Inc. and most significantly, a powerful preacher of God's Word.

ARUN GOGNA has been dubbed one of the funniest and most effective lay evangelists today. He's also a fulltime Theology professor at the College of St. Benilde, De La Salle University-that's teaching to a classroom of college students by day, and preaching to crowds by night. Because he's naturally funny, he successfully weaves into his stories theology, doctrine, scholarly studies and papal statements and biblical analysis.

JON ESCOTO was already leading a prayer group at age 16. For sometime he served as one of the leaders of Christ's Youth in Action. Today, he is a sought-after trainor and corporate consultant and a K-Preacher frequently invited to give retreats and recollections to communities, companies and school administrators and staff. He also sits as Mission Director of FAMILIA (Family Life Apostolate).

Lay evangelist OBET CABRILLOS is serving in different Charismatic Communities for 15 years now. He's the elder of The Friends of Jesus & Mary Community and of the Sto. Nino Apostles of Love Community; adviser of Philhealth Charismatic Community and Servi Dei Marriage Encounter Community; and member of the Catholic Lay Evangelization (CLAYE) and Good Shepherd Marriage Encounter Community. He also works as the records officer in the Land Bank of the Philippines.

RISSA SINGSON came to know the Lord in a personal way when she was in her early teens and has since served in various ministries-from preaching to tri-media. Today, she is editor of Kerygma magazine, the Philippines' No. 1 Catholic inspirational magazine.

Ticket prices for "BoToks" range from P100, P250, P500 or P1,000, with a FREE seminar on Preaching, Worship and Leadership by Bo Sanchez and the K-Preacher for the P500, and P1,000 tickets. Proceeds of the concert will go to the mission work of the Light of Jesus Community, Anawim Scholarship Fund for poor children, SVP Radio and TV projects and the Kerygma Gawad Kalinga Village in Montalban, Rizal. Tickets are available at LOJC Center Mabolo (tel. no. 412-8142), House of Praise Ayala (tel. no. 231-2971), Kerygma Books and Hymns BTC (tel. no. 416-2171) and Kerygma Books and Hymns J.Y. Square (tel. no. 231-7267).