Faith, family & finance

Faith, family and finance are the three “F” words that all of us try to keep a good balance in life.

And over at Kape at Salita, the Saturday morning program on DZMM hosted by Brothers Bo Sanchez, Alvin Barcelona, Randy Borromeo and Sister Rissa Singson-Kawpeng, the discussion mainly centers on the importance of the three Fs in our day-to-day existence.

Perhaps, Kape at Salita is the only local teleradyo presentation that speaks freely about money and the benefits every listener gets in handling it correctly. It may sound too conflicting to some to combine faith with money since it has been said many times over that money is the root of all evil and most people are likely to believe in it.

“I think that’s the uniqueness of the show,” began Bo. “Our perspective of money is that money is not the root of all evil. When you examine the Bible it says, the love for money is the root of all (sorts of) evil. Not money. We just want to point out that money becomes evil when you put it on the wrong hands but if you put it on the hands of good people then it does a lot of good.”

According to Randy, many instances in the Bible referred to money as a means to augment the needs of people during those times. “Actually, all of us spend money so it is not possible to put money away in our life. In Kape at Salita, we aim to share how to manage finances correctly because we discovered while spreading the Word of God, na sa pang personal na problema, ang isa na nasa pinakaitaas ay pera.”

Rissa, on the other hand, said the show has a holistic approach. It does not tackle faith alone because “we believe people need not only spiritual growth but also physical wellness and financial prosperity. It says in the Bible, ‘I wish you would prosper in the spirit as you do in your body.’”

Alvin agreed that whatever they tell about money, they always use the Word of God as a reference to teach listeners practical tips in taking care of the family’s finances. In the show, they share knowledge on investing, they share ways on becoming debt-free and they give a tip or two on how insurance works.

“We need to talk about money as it affects almost all aspects of life ­— family, health, fulfillment of dreams — but this should be discussed based on what is taught in the Bible. If not, we run the risk of worshipping money and putting it at the center of our lives instead of using it to serve God and glorify Him,” Alvin said.

He added that listeners and televiewers get to enjoy the show based on the feedback they have been receiving. “That’s why, we always make it a point to keep every topic of discussion interesting. Nagbibigay kami ng mga praktikal na halimbawa at madaling sundan and we really keep it simple.”

Kape at Salita aired its pilot in June 2018 after ABS-CBN News and Shepherd’s Voice Radio & Television, Inc. (SVRTI) with Kerygma Radio inked a partnership to bring the program on air via DZMM. Bo heads SVRTVI. Also known as the Preacher in Blue Jeans, Bo shared that he started giving talks at the age of 13 and fell in love with it. At 14, he was part of their own charismatic prayer community called Life of Jesus that is active until now.

Like Bo, Rissa joined in a charismatic community at the age of 14. She spent 10 years of her life as part of Life in the Spirit seminar. “That’s why, I married late (laughs),” she said and admitted that she has no theology background like Bo and Alvin who both have Master of Theology (degrees). Risa also works as an editor of Kerygma magazine.

Randy attended his very first prayer meeting at 12 years old. He was 14 when someone came to their house to do a pray over. “She’s Sister Ruth and before she prayed over me, she said, ‘You’re gonna be a preacher’ and at that time, I didn’t know what a preacher does. But I took it that 22 years later, I started (attending) a feast in Makati. I don’t have a Master’s (degree) in Theology but I grew up loving God and I could say that serving the Lord is never boring.”

A graduate of Philosophy at the University of Santo Tomas, Alvin was a Christian Living teacher for three decades. He also loves music which greatly helps in his spreading the Word of God.

The four hosts said that DZMM has been a big boost to their advocacy given the fact that they are now able to reach as many people as possible. Apart from the AM radio, cable TV and ABS-CBN TVplus, the station is also active on social media.

(Kape at Salita airs Saturdays, 5 a.m. on DZMM Teleradyo.)