When Our Stories Speak: A Reflection on the DADITAMA SOCCOM Convention

HEART / MESSAGE / PURPOSE – The Why Behind the Mission

Core Message: “We communicate because we have encountered Christ.”

At the heart of all responses is the desire to bear witness to the truth that God is alive, we are His beloved children, and our life experiences—rooted in love, hope, and faith—are living proof of this. Participants feel called to evangelize not out of obligation, but because they are deeply moved by what they themselves have received: healing, inspiration, truth, and purpose.

The repetition of love, hope, and faith reveals a trinitarian spiritual lens:

• Love gives the mission its heartbeat
• Hope sustains it in darkness
• Faith anchors it in trust

This aligns seamlessly with the threefold mission of Christ—priestly (worshipping), kingly (serving), and prophetic (teaching)—as a way of life, not just a task.

Essence: We communicate because we are first loved, and now compelled to love others through truth, healing, and reflection.

MANNER / CRAFT – How We Carry the Message

Core Strategy: “Let our stories speak.”

The most echoed method is personal storytelling—through testimonies, reels, clips, and reflections. There is a clear movement from formal instruction to authentic witness. Participants recognize that bite-sized, creative, emotionally honest content reaches hearts more effectively than rigid formats.

Notably, there is a beautiful integration of modern technology (AI, short films, social media) with sacred tradition (prayer, catechesis, music), signaling a desire for balance between digital innovation and spiritual depth.

Essence: Communication must be rooted in truthful experience, expressed creatively, and wrapped in pastoral sensitivity—not just to inform, but to transform.

NETWORK / LINKAGES – To Whom the Message Is Sent

Core Focus: “This mission includes everyone, starting with us.”

Participants emphasized an inclusive, concentric model:

• Self-awareness (Me) and personal conversion
• Mutual responsibility (You, Us) within the Church and family
• Outreach to others (Them, strangers, youth, peripheries, non-believers)

The repeated mention of family, youth, lay groups, and online creators shows a recognition that evangelization is not confined to clergy or official ministries, but belongs to the whole people of God. There’s a strong instinct toward collaborative, grassroots evangelization that is relational, not institutional.

Essence: The message is for everyone—but especially for those who feel distant or forgotten. We must begin by living the message among ourselves, then bridging outward in humility and compassion.

Overarching Insight

“We speak because we believe. We create because we care. We share because we belong.”

The convention responses reflect a mature, evolving understanding of social communication:

• no longer just about producing content,
• but about building relationships,
• rooted in faith, told through real stories, and reaching the world with mercy and conviction.

This is the pastoral heart of SOCCOM in DADITAMA—faithfully Catholic, creatively expressive, and radically inclusive.

From the Host’s Heart

Being the host for the DADITAMA SOCCOM Convention was not just a privilege—it was a blessing. I was in the unique position of not only holding the microphone but also listening, observing, absorbing the richness of shared mission. And in that process, I realized a few things I carry with me now more than ever.

In this era ruled by algorithms and trends, we can and must exploit the power of the digital space—not for vanity, but for virtue. By liking, posting, creating, and sharing content that is inspirational, reflective, or devotional, we can gently shift the atmosphere of a noisy, often hateful digital world.

This is how we help people realize God’s immense love. This is how we invite them to pause, reflect, and maybe even pray. Digital worship—when done with intention—is possible. Perhaps that is part of our vocation: to bring people to a sacred pause in the digital space, where God can finally be heard.

We journey together, not alone. I truly believe Christianity is one of the few religions that longs for everyone to be saved. And that gives us not just a goal—but an obligation. To save not only ourselves, but to bring others along. To speak truth, not to condemn, but to call back. And in a world that grows harsher by the day, we need to be gentler—especially with those already lost, hurting, drowning in sin or shame.

I admit, I sometimes forget silence. I sometimes forget that the most powerful form of communication is not speech—but presence. It is in silence that we hear God best. Just because we are in social communications does not mean we must always speak. In fact, we must learn to honor silence, encourage it, and even model it. In doing so, we help others find God, not just hear about Him.

In the end, it’s not about digital strategy or numbers. It’s about the soul. It’s about how we help one another draw closer to the One who is already near.