Quebec Alive moments

In Quebec Alive Moment #23 we highlighted the Cohort program.  One aspect which was presented was the formal classroom teaching which is generally held one Saturday each month from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.  This allows for approximately seven hours of instruction.  Currently there are five cohorts being held in five different locations in Quebec.  This past Saturday all five Cohorts were meeting.  One was held in Gatineau (1st picture) which lies across the border from Ottawa.  They are studying Church History under the teaching of Stephane Gagne (Moment #15), who has come up through SEMBEQ’s training and is currently finishing his Master Degree in Church History under the guidance of Dr. Michael Haykin.  Stephane is the pastor of the Evangelical Baptist Church of New Life of Lanaudiere in Joliette, QC.  There are currently five members in this Cohort.  Traveling about four hours east, there was a Cohort in Sherbrooke where Normand Joseph is teaching a course on Homiletics (Preaching) to a group of ten Cohortists.  Normand is one of the pastors of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Gatineau.  There also was a third Cohort meeting in Granby, about 90 minutes east of Montreal, which was being taught by Rene Frey, who is the pastor of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Rosemont in Montreal.  Rene was teaching the course, Introduction to the Bible, to twelve Cohort students who began the Cohort in September 2007.  The last two Cohorts are less than thirty minutes from the SEMBEQ offices.  One is across the river in Laval.  This fourth Cohort (2nd picture) is composed of eleven members who are in their fourth year of the program.  This past Saturday they were being taught on Evangelism by Noel Morissette (Moment #45), who is the pastor of evangelism at the Evangelical Baptist Church of Terrebonne-Masouche.  The fifth Cohort, composed of nine students, was held at the Rosemont church (3rd picture) and taught by Philippe Bonicel.  Philippe is the pastor at the Evangelical Baptist Christian Church of the Jesus Island in Laval.  He was teaching on Hermeneutics (Bible Interpretation).  You can see that there was much teaching going on this past Saturday and each of the instructors is also a pastor of a church affiliated with SEMBEQ.  Through the ministry of SEMBEQ, the Lord is providing students and teachers from the local French Baptist churches in preparation for reaching out to the lost and discipling the saints.  Praise the Lord for His faithful provision.

Previously we have written about the coaching process (specifically #53, but many times within other Moments) in SEMBEQ’s ministry and how it is foundational to passing on what has been entrusted to us.  The coaching process is modeled after the manner in which Paul prepared Timothy for passing on what Paul had entrusted to him.  In 2 Timothy 2:2 Paul writes to Timothy, “And the things which you have heard from me…these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  This model of taking someone under your wing for the purpose of helping them pass on what has been learned is what directs SEMBEQ.  Just as Barnabas, though only for a short time, initially took Paul under his wing (Acts 9:27, 11:21-30, 13:1-3), Paul then took Timothy (Titus and others also) under his wing and, as we read in 2 Timothy 2:2, Timothy was encouraged to continue the process with others who would do likewise.  Over the past nine years the Evangelical Baptist Church of Saint-Hyacinthe has seen four generations of “Timothies”.  As senior pastor of the church, Francois Turcotte (pictured far left) took Donald Rodier (next to him) as his Timothy and coached him in the understanding of God’s word, the aspects of effective ministry and the development of a godly character.  During the years that followed, Donald began to take on more, and Francois less, of the pastoral ministry.  Two years ago Donald became the senior pastor of the church, while Francois became more involved with SEMBEQ (see Moment #10) and now is full-time with SEMBEQ.  A couple of years ago Donald took Steve Archambault (next to Donald) under his wing as a pastor-in-training and is coaching him in the manner he was coached by Francois.  Recently Steve has begun to coach Dave Laliberte (far right) as the youth leader.  Each of these men is in the process of passing on what they have learned to his “Timothy” and since each of them still continues to be coached, there is always something more to pass on.  This process is not only for men, but women are also coaching other women in the same way.  This process is practiced in many of the churches associated with SEMBEQ and the mindset of looking for “Timothies” directs many leaders.  Praise the Lord for the practice of 2 Timothy 2:2.

Last week (Moment #55) we shared a 1969 prayer asking God to do what was necessary to bring the Gospel to Quebec and to specifically ask for one new worker and one new church each year of the 70s.  In Quebec Alive Moment #48, we mentioned a group of women (pictured) from Trinity Baptist Church in Nashua, NH, who have coupled with some pastor’s wives in Quebec as prayer partners.  Recently, Lois Tessier (Moment #47) shared some of the answered prayers with this group and others who have also been praying.  Some of the answered prayers are given here with follow-up requests.

There was answered prayer for the formation of a Flamme (women’s group) sub-committee that would help promote support for the pastor’s wives.  The committee has been at work over the past year and encouraging results are being seen.  There is definitely more communication between these women.  Please pray for the committee as they organize a discussion forum on their website for pastor’s wives and as they organize a 24-hour conference for pastor’s wives this spring.  Pray for wisdom for Lois Tessier and Nathalie Turcotte as they answer the questions and comments on the forum.

There was answered prayer for women whose children have drifted away.  Over the past months there have been several accounts of young people who have come back to the Lord and who are rebuilding broken lives.  Please pray that the churches will have much love and discernment as they welcome these young people back into their midst.

There was answered prayer for more resources in French.  The Lord has closed the door as to having material translated and has given the idea of writing our own material more adapted to the needs and culture of Quebec.  Please pray that the right people will be found to write Bible Studies for pastor’s wives that will be used of God for His glory. 

There was answered prayer for support for the couple’s needs and we thank the Lord for SEMBEQ’s sensitivity to this need.  They have addressed the question in their coaching with the pastors.  Also, the weekend conferences for couples have helped.  Please pray for our couple’s weekend in February and for Pierre Denis and Francine, who are the speakers and who will be counseling in the afternoon.

There was answered prayer that pastor’s wives might acquire skills to help them support their husbands.  This year marks the beginning of a new program for women called “Formation Priscille” which will help a great deal.  Please pray for Monique Saulnier as she looks after the registration and is preparing to teach the course on the “Philosophy of the Christian woman“.  Pray also for the whole Flamme committee which is working with SEMBEQ for this training and for other initiatives taken in the past year.

These answered prayers demonstrate the power of prayer and its primary importance in proclaiming the Gospel and encouraging the saints.  Thanks for your past, present and future prayers.

In Acts 6:4, the Apostles stated what their priorities needed to be. “We will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word (NKJV)”.  Paul tell us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).  So the need for prayer is tantamount as the means to calling on the power of God for ministry.  In the recent biography, Servant for Jesus’ Sake (see Moment #37), of the ministry of her husband Bill Phillips, Blanche shares that in the Spring of 1969, a small group of workers met at Camp des Bouleaux to seek the Lord’s direction for evangelism in Quebec.  The work of the past 32 years had produced 542 people attending a French Baptist church in Quebec.  It seemed like so little had been accomplished for the Gospel.  So with tears flowing they prayed the following:

“Lord, here we are weak and really not knowing how to handle the open doors before us.  Lord, change us, unglue everything in our strategies, our priorities and our organization if that is necessary.  Please take absolute control of our lives in order that we may in no way hinder your plans from being realized in Quebec during the coming decade.  Lord, whatever, whenever, wherever, however…we want you to take control.  Quebec desperately needs Christ.  We beseech you to give us at least one new worker and one new church every year during the 70s.” (page 101)

The Lord heard their prayers and saw their humble and teachable hearts.  He gave them not 10, but 39 new workers and not 10, but 35 new churches in the decade of the 70s.  Prayer still needs to be the first step in all we do for the Lord.  May we still have humble and teachable hearts as we raise the needs of Quebec to the Lord.

Benoit Lavergne is the senior pastor at the Evangelical Baptist Church of Trois-Rivieres, a city located about half-way between Montreal and Quebec City and with a regional population of about 135,000.  The church has an attendence of around 350 and is very active in home Bible studies (over 80% involved) and reaching out to the community for Christ (see Quebec Alive Moments #18, #34 and #35).  One of Benoit’s passions, along with his wife Christina, is ministering to couples, particularly in the realm of marriage counseling.  Benoit has taught a SEMBEQ course for several years on The Taylor-JohnsonTemperament Analysis, which is a widely used personality assessment for individual, marital, premarital, and family counseling.  Most recently, he has been burdened to look at marriage counseling from an emotional perspective as well as an intellectual perspective.  Benoit states that, “this type of counseling deals not only with head issues, but also with heart issues, and ultimately heart issues bring us to a deeper relationship with Christ and with our spouse.”  Several years ago Benoit was exposed to the counseling principles of John Regier, which developed into the Caring for the Heart Ministries located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This pastoral approach of biblical counseling deals with three main problems: (1) emotional issues resulting from emotional, physical, sexual or spiritual abuse; (2) spiritual problems resulting from pride, bitterness, rebellion, temporal values, hypocrisy, or moral failures; and (3) spiritual strongholds resulting from activities which allow the enemy to influence people, such as involvement in the occult, drugs, etc.  Using biblical principles and the Holy Spirit, the counselor assists the counselee to resolve these problems by truly giving everything to Jesus in prayer and trusting in Him to heal the heart, which will bring freedom from sinful habits and make him whole.  Each of the pastoral team at Trois-Rivieres has taken the week-long counseling session with their spouse, and Benoit and Christina have gone through a five-week training session.  The week-long counseling session was quite an eye-openner for Benoit and Christina as they dealt with heart issues they did not know existed, yet influenced the way they thought and responded to their own feelings and those of others.  Benoit shared that the process has made him more compassionate in dealing with others.  Benoit is now using what he has gained from this training in his own counseling time and pastoral ministry.  Christina is doing likewise.  Benoit is encouraging his leaders to take this same training so they can apply the same prinicples used by Caring for the Heart Ministries. 

In May 2010, Mr. Regier will be coming to Quebec for two week-long Caring for the Heart Ministries conferences in Quebec.  The first will be in Terrebonne-Mascouche and the second week will be in Trois-Rivieres (same conference) with the Ministere Coeur a Coeur du Quebec, which is the French version of Caring for the Heart Ministies.  Both weeks will be open to the general church members.  Benoit is very excited about sharing the principles used by Caring for the Heart Ministries with other people in Quebec.  Again, these principles have changed the way he deals with people he counsels and also the way he relates with his own wife and family.  Pray that God may use this conference to help people know themselves and others better by having a deeper and more trusting relationship with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Information concerning this ministry can be found at www.caringfortheheart.com.

Last week’s Moment featured Gilles Lapierre, who has and still is wearing many different hats.  One of the most significant responsibilities he has had is in the realm of coaching: the development and implementation of the training process of coaching, the teaching of the coaches, the oversight of the coaching process, and the actual coaching of many proteges.  The Fall 2006 issue of Quebec Alive featured this coaching process, a process which is fundamental to the training philosophy of SEMBEQ.  Given here is a short summary of that issue.  Coaching is a structured training plan for the development of future leaders by experienced leaders in the local church.  It is a relational process where a mutual trust and understanding exists between the coach and the protege, and the protege has a teachable heart that hungers to be more like Christ.  The coach has a willingness to take his protege under his wing, spending time with him and training him with words, experience and example.  Gilles Lapierre summarized the process by several key principles. (1) The local church has the responsibility to train the next generation of leaders. (2) Even though the process involves a mutual personal relationship which grows with time, the actual coaching process is unidirectional, that is, the coach passes on his wisdom, knowledge, experience and example to his protege. (3) The process has a precise intention of improving the spiritual maturity and growth of the protege. (4) The process has a precise content of wisdom, truth and application for the Christian walk. (5) The process is passed on by experienced leaders.

This process of coaching has produced much fruit.  What Paul exhorts Timothy to do (2 Timothy 2:2) is what is being observed through this coaching process.  Just as Paul coached Timothy so that Timothy could coach others, who in turn would also coach others, we are seeing those who began to be coached are now coaching others, while still continuing to be coached themselves.  A few comments about the coaching process from students being coached will illustrate the value of coaching.

Hugo Ethier (picture 1, left with coach Gilles Lapierre) states that his coach “has the right to tell me everything he sees concerning my character.  At the same time, I feel free to ‘be myself’ and to pour out all my emotions or thoughts.”  Jean Sauvageau (picture 2, right with coach Gilles Paquin) states that, “I have never before been able to live such a life of learning and training and I really see it as a privilege.”  Finally, Donald Rodier (picture 3, left with coach Francois Turcotte) states, “coaching enables the Christian worker to live experiences helpful to his development in ways useful to his ministry [while being] supervised by his coach for adjustments and necessary correction.”  We all need those “adjustments and necessary corrections” and SEMBEQ’s coaching process is designed to accomplish that in its students.  May the Lord continue to bless the coaches and students alike.

Last year Gilles Lapierre (seen here teaching a course on Leadership) took on the responsibility as the General Director of the Association of the Evangelical Baptist Churches of Quebec.  As the General Director, he oversees the various activities involving the 83 French Baptist churches in the Association.  One of his responsibilities is overseeing SEMBEQ’s relationship with the Association, while at the same time continuing to be part of SEMBEQ.  Gilles was very active in the ministry of SEMBEQ prior to becoming the General Director.  He developed the process and training of coaches, coached several young men, taught SEMBEQ courses and provided much leadership within the seminary.  He also presented conference/teaching on SEMBEQ’s coaching process in Europe.  Since taking over as the General Director he has cut back much of his work with SEMBEQ, but still oversees the coaching process and teaches some classes for the Cohort.  About 80-85% of his time is related to being the General Director and 15-20% is related to SEMBEQ.  Also, he is very involved with his local church, where he once served as pastor.  Currently he is coaching 3 men in the church, helping with the finance process, serving as an elder and preaching once a month. 

God prepared Gilles well for wearing so many different hats.  Gilles and his wife, Irene, were married in 1974 and settled in Chibougameau, where he worked as head nurse at the local hospital and a local health service center.  They were among six Christian families who started an Evangelical Baptist Church and in 1983 he became its pastor and began working on his theological Bachelor degree through SEMBEQ, which he received in 1990.  In 1993 Gilles became the pastor of the Agape Baptist Church in Montreal.  He trained and coached David Dupuis and passed the pastor’s baton to him a few years ago. Gilles remains an elder at this church, which has merged with another church and is now called the Evangelical Baptist Church of East of Montreal.

Gilles is a born leader/administrator, but the Lord has also given him a loving, caring, understanding and compassionate heart, ready to comfort and challenge simultaneously.  This was clearly seen this past Fall when SEMBEQ’s first Cohort completed its 6-year commitment of study, character development and ministry ability.  The students and their wives were in complete agreement about the vital role Gilles played in each of their lives.  When understanding and compassion were needed, Gilles provided.  When reproof and challenge were needed, Gilles also provided.  All done with love.  Pray that the Lord continues to use Gilles as He has done in the past, with whatever hat he is wearing.

Shortly after the Christmas posting of Quebec Alive Moments (#50) we had a problem with our server and were unable to update our articles until now.  We, at SEMBEQ, hope your Christmas time went well and that the New Year has had a good beginning also.  We look forward to sharing with you more this year about the work our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is doing in Quebec, particularly through the ministry of SEMBEQ.  We have 5 cohorts which have begun the new year and, hopefully, the Lord will provide another cohort in the Quebec City region this Fall.  Our Gatineau Cohort (pictured) finishes its six-year commitment this year and we praise the Lord for the fruit He has provided in and through this group.  A few of the courses being offered this year by guest speakers are (1) Marriage and Family Counseling, February 22-24, by Dr. Bob Lehman from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, (2) Job and Ecclesiastes, March 14-18, by Professor Woody Lewis from the Geneva Bible Institute, (3) Acts of the Apostles, May 31- June 3, by Dr. D. A. Carson from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and, (4) History III - The Times of Revival, December 6-10, by Dr. Michael Haykin from Southern Theological Seminary.  These are just a few of the many courses being given this year and there will also be several conferences during the year. Additional information can be found on the main website of SEMBEQ.  We praise the Lord in advance for all He will do in Quebec.

On a sadder note, our hearts go out to Haiti as it copes with the devastating earthquake last Tuesday.  There are many Haitian people in Montreal and most have family and friends in Haiti and much is still uncertain about the welfare of many of them.  One church, which we have highlighted several times, has been directly affected. It is Montreal-North, which has most of its nearly 150 members composed of Haitian people. Some have been informed of the deaths of family and friends, others have received good news of survival, while many of them still do not know the status of their loved ones.  Pray for God to minister to each person affected by this devastating earthquake.  May God be glorified.

As you have come to realize through this year’s Moments, the Lord has been working in the Province of Quebec.  We at SEMBEQ praise our Lord for His provisions of prayer, financial support, workers, vision and direction.  We praise our Lord for the many people who provide us with encouragement through their interest and concern for the ministry of SEMBEQ.  We have seen many maturing in their walk with Christ, with men and women desiring to commit themselves to a life that is Christ-centered, working in envangelism and discipleship.  However, there are still challenges before us.  With more expansion of the cohort, church-based courses and leadership training, and communication needs, there comes an even greater need for staff, organization and funds.  We know that our Lord will provide all that is necessary.  As we complete this year and enter the next, will you please pray for 100 new donors committing themselves monthly or yearly, a office receptionist, a secretary for the registrar, at least 10 new students for a planned cohort in the Quebec City region, wisdom in the rewriting of our church-based courses, and someone to take charge of these courses.  Thank you!  May the Lord bless you abudantly this next year.

From all of us at SEMBEQ, Merry Christmas!  Joyeux Noel!

A couple of months ago we had a pastor from Brazil visiting and since Terry Cuthbert, a SEMBEQ leader who is responsible for preparing pastors for church planting and evangelism, grew up in Brazil, he was asked to share what his father’s ministry was in Brazil and the impact it had on him.  Some of what Terry shared is given here.  In 1954 Melbourne Cuthbert and his wife Dorothy left Hamilton, Ontario and traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and plant churches.  They took with them their 18 month old son, Terry, their 6 month old, Allan, and they had 3 more children during their ministry in Brazil.  At that time, there was no evangelical presence in Sao Paulo, so the need for the saving grace of Jesus was everywhere.  After a couple of years of language training, Mel, as he was called, began to preach the Gospel and after two years the Lord used his faithful service to raise up a healthy congregation so that Mel was able to leave and begin to plant another church.  This process was repeated over and over again.  Each time the congregation produced between 120-150 people, with leaders who were able to carry on when Mel and the family left.  The existing church helped fund the new plant by helping to purchase a new piece of property on which a portable facility was erected.  The whole Cuthbert family was involved in the ministry of the church.  As Terry grew he became more and more involved and as a teen-ager he worked with other teens.  Typically, each Sunday afternoon was devoted evangelism and during the evening service the young people were responsible for counseling those who responded to the salvation invitation at the end of the message.  Terry saw dozens of people from all walks of life experience the transforming power of the grace of God in their lives. This left an indelible mark on his own life.

After having been involved with his father’s church planting ministry, Terry came to Canada for college and received a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada.  He was able to have his education provided through the ROTP program.  As a navigator, his five-year service commitment with the Canadian Armed Forces landed him in northern Quebec where he began Bible Studies that led to the planting of two congregations in the town where he lived.  Terry’s father had taught him well.  After his work with the military and several years of theological training, Terry served as associate pastor of a reproducing church in Quebec City.  After serving as the first regional director of the Association of the Evangelical Baptist Churches of Quebec, he became the President of the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada.  A few years ago he returned to Quebec to serve as the Director of Church Planting with a special emphasis on the city of Montreal.  As noted earlier, he also works with SEMBEQ in preparing pastors for church planting and evangelism.

Fifty-five years after Terry’s father began the planting of churches in Brazil (which now has 39% evangelical presence), a church in Brazil had a burden for people in Quebec and sent Pastor Almeida and his family as church planting missionaries to help plant churches in Quebec.  This brought him in contact with Terry and, amazingly, with Mel himself, since the church this Brazilian pastor is now attending in Hamilton, Ontario is the same one Mel attends in his “retirement”.  The Lord is so awesome.  Sending a Canadian to Brazil to spread the Gospel and plant churches and then a half of a century later sending a Brazilian to Canada to do the same is truly amazing.  Praise and glory to God!.