Winter 2015, no.3 - English Version by SEMBEQ MAGAZINE

SEMBEQ magazine winter 2015 - no. 3

M I S S IO N

COM M UN IT Y How to continue your legacy to future generations P. 18

Gospel austerity P. 13 Immersion training program P. 14 MAGAZINE SEMBEQ

TABLE OF CONTENTS 03

a word from our director

news

missional communities paradigm

Gospel austerity

IS TO TAKE PART IN BUILDING A PROVINCE MARKED BY SOLIDARIT Y THROUGH A GOSPEL MOVEMENT

LE ADING TO PERSONAL CONVERSIONS,

immersion : program and students

how to continue your legacy

upcoming courses

M I S S I O N A L S O C I A L

C O M M U N I T I E S , J U S T I C E ,

A N D A R E N E W I N G O F C U LT U R E

visiting SEMBEQ

Quebec 101

T H R O U G H O U T

Q U E B E C

AND THE FRENCH-SPEAKING WORLD.

EDITORIAL TEAM NATHANAﾃ記 AUBUT Communications project coordinator Chief editor n.aubut@sembeq.qc.ca LISE DIONNE Administrative assistant Writer l.dionne@sembeq.qc.ca DANIEL HENDERSON Director of Development Writer d.henderson@sembeq.qc.ca OSCAR HERNANDEZ Communications strategist o.hernandez@sembeq.qc.ca 2

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A WORD FROM OUR DIRECTOR

often feel alone in the mission to share the Gospel with those around me. The task is bigger than me. It is a great comfort and blessing from God that I could learn about missional communities as a strategy for reaching those around me with the Gospel. A missional community is a group of Christians who decide to serve together with a mandate to bring the Gospel to a specific people and place of whom they feel burdened. Working in community allows each person to put their strengths and giftings to work to serve a specific group with a specific burden. The love which is manifested to one another and is offered through their service shows the love of the Christ to the group they are trying to reach while opening a door to share the Gospel. Our third magazine will familiarize you with missional communities. The Scriptures abound with principles which encourage us to be working together, serving one another, and unity in diversity. We must learn how to apply these truths to our mission to be witnesses for Jesus Christ. Paul put it so well when he said : “one sows, another waters but it is God who gives the growth.” SEMBEQ wants to equip leaders who will be able to encourage the development and growth of missional communities. It is with this goal in mind that SEMBEQ has developed new microprograms which consist of 4 courses that present different approaches and various principles which will move and equip Christians to share the Gospel. Gospel 360 (Évangile 360) is an evangelism program which has been specifically developed to equip young people 16 years and older. Also in the Immersion track, one of the competencies which the student must acquire is leading missional communities. I also present the concept in my course The Church and its Mission (L’Église et sa mission) as one of the strategies to help the church be present in Quebec.

As 2015 comes to a close, we rejoice in how God has blessed our strategic efforts that we have developed through prayer and reflection. This has led us to develop various training tracks which will better serve the church. The Immersion track allows students to be trained through his local Church during four years of intensive training. The microprograms of four courses equip believers in specific areas: eldership, youth ministry, women’s ministry, and many others. The Lord has also brought new people to join SEMBEQ’s team. They come with skills that are important to help us complete our mission. Sylvain Paradis joins the team as Project and Training Coordinator and Nathanaël Aubut as Communications Coordinator. This year, again, by the grace of God, SEMBEQ has been able to fulfill its missions of helping churches to train their members and their leaders. To God alone be the glory!

Please continue praying that God will provide the Church in Quebec with 200 vocational pastors, 200 elders, and 200 women equipped to serve.

François Turcotte Executive director

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NEWS THE GOSPEL COALITION — TORONTO We had the pleasure to have a kiosk at the Ontario chapter of The Gospel Coalition. Francois had the opportunity to present our mission and our financial needs to the pastors and conference attendees. These connections, both of prayer and financial support, will help us reach our objective of training 200 vocational pastors.

STRESS, WORRY, AND ESCAPE A CONFERENCE WITH DAVID POWLISON On November 21st, SEMBEQ hosted its biblical counselling conference with 550 people in attendance and many more through web streaming technology. SEMBEQ regularly hosts conferences but the conferences related to themes of biblical counselling are by far the most popular. We were edified and encouraged by what David Powlison and Mike Emlet taught and we are eager to see the fruit of the labours throughout our province. Along with the 550 people in attendance, there were churches streaming the conference in Drummondville, Gatineau, Québec, Beauce, St-Jérome, Magog, Saguenay, Lac St-Jean, and Baie Comeau. We are thankful for the reach that SEMBEQ’s ministry is able to have thanks to technology.

FRENCH VIDEO SERIES: THE GOD WHO IS THERE by D.A. Carson

SEMBEQ collaborated with Évangile 21, the French division of The Gospel Coalition, in order to create a video series about a God who reveals Himself. It is encouraging for us to see resources being made in French for the advancement of God’s kingdom. If you understand the language or if you want to share them with a person who does, you can find these videos at : sembeq.qc.ca/ledieuquiestlavideo.html

Would you join me in praising God for the investment that has been made in SEMBEQ to help us reach the province with solid biblical teaching? Also would you prayerfully consider supporting further expansion of our ministry, by helping us equip our classroom with the technology needed to offer high quality streaming to students across the province?

Contact Daniel Henderson for more info : d.henderson@sembeq.qc.ca

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YOUNG WOMEN IN TRAINING What a joy it is to see a growing number of women that are engaging in personal training. Here is the testimony of Stephanie, one of our beginner students: “ I must admit that, at first, I was hesitant to sign up for a course with SEMBEQ, because I wasn’t sure if it was actually for someone my age (24). I was pleasantly surprised. The training was concrete, encouraging, stimulating, and very applicable. It was motivating to learn with all these women and I am looking forward to the next session! ”

RESEARCH SEMINARY On September 10th, SEMBEQ had its Masters Research Seminary. This course was introduced by Patrick Murphy (Director of the Masters Program) with an explanation of what distinguishes SEMBEQ’s Masters program from others. SEMBEQ’s Masters programs exists primarily to train and men and women who will serve the church through teaching and SEMBEQ, or in their local church while becoming a resource for the Church in Quebec. There is also a strong emphasis on the collegiality that will be developed through mutual prayer and friendship.

THE BIRTH OF A NEW COHORT

WANTS TO SEE + SEMBEQ200 WOMEN

TRAINED TO SERVE ACCORDING TO THEIR CALLING

TO SEE + SEMBEQ WANTS 200 ELDERS TRAINED FOR MINISTRY IN OUR CHURCHES

Please pray for these men and women as they engage in complex theological study in order to serve the Church in Quebec.

SEMBEQ is excited to announce that a new cohort will be birthed beginning January 2016 in the Montreal region. It will be called the "Cohorte Delta".

EMBARKING ON HIS MASTER’S STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT Our current registrar, Janick Fortier, is embarking on his master’s studies in Old Testament. A well-respected scholar, Daniel Timmer, has agreed to be his tutor for the year to come.

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VISIT IN ST-JEROME As part of SEMBEQ’s mission of helping churches train their leaders, SEMBEQ’s leadership takes time to visit churches to preach and meet with people to talk about the different ways SEMBEQ can help train leaders. Recently, Francois Turcotte and Daniel Henderson has the opportunity to visit Église Ecclésia in St Jerome, Quebec. This is an exciting church plant that is located in the heart of the city. This church also has an aggressive vision to becomes a center for training leaders to see churches planted throughout Quebec. After the service, Francois and Daniel had the opportunity to meet with 12 leaders from the church who had many questions regarding the various training tracks and how these could be integrated into the life of the church. There is even one young man who prayerfully considering embarking on our new Immersion program.

+ WANTSSEMBEQ TO SEE 20 ANTIOCH

CHURCHES EQUIPPED FOR TRAINING

VISITING CHURCHES François Turcotte has had the opportunity to visit many church this fall in order to help equip them to choose the training path which will help help them to train their leaders. We want to help churches develop an adequate plan tailored for their context and their needs. We are open to visiting any church that would like to learn more about SEMBEQ’s training programs and we can help them train their leaders. Along with preaching during the Sunday morning service, we also gather key leaders and those interested for a dynamic discussion over the challenges which the church faces in making disciples and how SEMBEQ can help.

Please pray for this church as they prayerfully consider their strategy for training the next generation of ministry workers for Quebec.

DAILY PRAYER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL IN QUEBEC At the beginning the school year, François Turcotte asked the staff to pull out their phones and set a daily alarm for 11AM. The purpose of this alarm is for us to stop what we are doing and take 5 minutes to prayer for the work of the Gospel in Quebec. When God has something very great to accomplish for His church, it is His will that there should precede it the extraordinary prayers of His people... and it is revealed that, when God is about to accomplish great things for his church, He will begin by remarkably pouring out the spirit of grace and supplication.

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Would you join us in crying out to God at this time each day?

When did you last hear anyone praying for revival, praying that God might open the windows of heaven and pour out his Spirit? When did you last pray for that yourself? I suggest seriously that we are neglecting this almost entirely. We are guilty of forgetting the authority of the Holy Spirit... When God sends revival he can do more in a single day than in ﬁfty years of all our organization. That is the verdict of sheer history which emerges clearly from the long story of the Church. (Martin Lloyd-Jones)

MISSIONARY FAMILIES IN QUEBEC

One of our great joys is helping connect missionaries whom God sends to Quebec with Antioch Churches* in the region of Quebec where they want to serve. We rejoice in the successful integration of the Bretz family in Riviere-du-Loup. Our prayer is that this family would be a helpful resource for the church there in their mission.

Indeed, in order to accomplish the work in Quebec, we need to see workers raised up not only from within Quebec, but also from outside the province. On a recent ministry trip to France our director of development, Daniel Henderson, met with a young man and his family who upon hearing up the needs in Quebec were overwhelmed and compelled to come serve here with his family. In response to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call, he brought his family to Quebec for 3 weeks in order to meet with leaders and discern where God was leading them as a family.

This vision trip resulted in Daniel getting connected with a church in the West-Island of Montreal to serve and be trained. He is serving as a pastor-in-training and is expecting great things as he begins serving and learning in this new community.

SEMBEQ WANTS TO HELP WITH THE INTEGRATION OF MISSIONARIES IN QUEBEC

Would you join us in praying for more men to be burdened for the lost in Quebec?

Daniel has experience teaching Greek in a seminary in France, and will bring that experience to serve SEMBEQ. Daniel Saglietto is married to Marie-Claire and has three children: Emma, Benjamin, and Ethan.

JOINING IN ADVANCING THE CHURCHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MISSION WORLDWIDE It was a great joy for us to serve a Russian association of Baptist churches by helping them to train their leaders and pastors to becomes coaches who will then be able to coach their leaders in training. The needs are numerous! We would also like to help local churches in Algeria to do the same thing, since they are seeing God work mightily and the need to train pastors is great. We are trusting God to provide someone to serve this work.

* Churches that are healthy, on mission, and are playing a key role in training, fully partnering with our church association and its seminary.

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MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES

thoughts and testimonies

Since it is the goal of SEMBEQ that pastors and elders become trained to lead their communities towards the mission that God has given us, we asked a few current leaders to share with us their thoughts on the matter, as well as some of their experience. What is a missional community, in your own words? How is it possible to live in that mindset on a daily basis? What are the joys and challenges of being on mission?

Here is the testimony of communities that are trying to live out their principles, without pretending that they have it all ﬁgured out.

At our church, we have formed groups of 20-50 people who define a target mission; such as, welcoming visitors to the Church, community service, ministering to a group of individuals sharing common interests (youth, for example), etc. Each group is

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structured with five leaders: an evangelist keeping members focused on the mission (ideally the leader of the other four); a shepherd providing discipleship training in the group; a prayer leader, directing people towards intercession; a teacher who provides training as needed; and a host that takes care of the meetings’ logistics.

To become more intentionally missional is not simply adding evangelistic activities to our schedule, but rather adjusting the way we live every day

as a parent, friend, neighbour, colleague and citizen of our community. The development of relationships with people remains an essential prerequisite to present the Gospel. A good way to optimize our time is to intentionally include others in our activities: eating lunch with colleagues rather than alone, find a walking buddy or exercise partner, taking time to greet our

neighbors and pray for them, carpooling with companions for leisure or work, visiting the same places (grocery shop, coffee, etc.) to develop a burden for specific people and cultivate relationships (visit the same cashier and chat with her) . Be ready to get out of our comfort zones and trust God. It is he who does the work, from the time when we make ourselves available and where we allow Him to direct our lives. Please pray for our missional leaders. Many believers have at heart for lost souls and their communities need leaders to lead them to reach their neighbors for Christ.

JONATHAN LABELLE

missional community is a community on mission, as the name says. It is composed of a group of believers who not only take care of each other, but will also pour their love on their neighborhoods, their communities, their networks of contacts, and their cities. Missional communities have their foundation in the Gospel which is proclaimed and demonstrated in concrete actions. Demonstrating the Gospel in service, without proclaiming the Gospel in word, reduces the church’s work to a secular community project which does good, but does not advance the expansion of the Kingdom. Proclamation without action reduces the Gospel to a theoretical concept which may seem hypocritical. The biblical basis for mission is found in Matthew 28, where Jesus commands us to go and make disciples. Often, Christian become paralyzed, hesitant to go on mission, because they feel a lack of skills or qualifications to do so. Like us, Jesus’ disciples did not always feel ready for the mission, but Jesus still sent them. The Spirit of God was ahead of them, and accompanied them and led them, just as He does for us. A community on mission goes through much trial and error, is made up of imperfect people who are learning, and builds relationships while growing more into the likeness of Christ.

SEMBEQ IS WORKING TO EQUIP + CHURCHES FOR THE GREAT MISSION

RICHARD HOULE

After seeing J’aime mon voisin at work (see Issue 1 of the SEMBEQ magazine), two municipal organizations have approached our church for help to serve the community. This helped us identify the specific mission where we would serve. Since these organizations approached us, we have the opportunity to discuss openly with them and enter into their lives. While serving, it is important that we show respect to those whom God has sent us, and those whom we serve while being authentic and sharing our faith in word and action. Together, we are learning to adjust our lifestyle around the people and places where we serve.

The mission is God’s work and the Church’s work. It is diﬃcult for someone on his own to be on mission, which is why Jesus sent out his disciples in groups. The church is a body composed of members who complement one another. Clarifying the mission of one's church helps orient the various works and activities of that church, whether its goal is to encourage believers, train leaders, or to serve the community.

KARL FORTIN

issional communities are characterized by the desire to intentionally serve together in a specific mission to a specific people. This desire orients activities traditionally seen in the church towards the mission to make disciples. Along with meeting together, Christians will serve the community and their neighbours, and be actively involved in the mission of the church.

It is normal for a church to hesitate and to be nervous about the idea of becoming a missional community. Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him. The Good Shepherd is always trustworthy and cares for us. Before he asked us to go on mission, he gave himself for us, he emptied himself ... to undertake the rescue mission of the Father. The conviction of the unfailing love of God for us can only feed our growing love for God, for our mission, and for others.

missional community maintains communion with God through the study of the Word and prayer, and by following the example of its leaders. Its members develop authentic fraternal bonds and edify each other through frequent contact. Through this, we want to make disciples, share the Gospel, and take part in regular community service. In our Church plant in LaSalle these principles have translated into a weekly gathering, vulnerability, and serving the community, namely, the elderly. We have a ways to go, but we feel we are going in the right direction. Many biblical texts put an accent on the “one another” which serves as the base for missional communities. The Word of God also puts an accent on prayer, hospitality, spiritual gifts, and good works. In Titus, which was written to a church planter, we have a great example. I think that limiting ourselves to only Church gatherings is not suﬃcient to accomplish the biblical mandates that were given to us. In my opinion, when someone desires to be involved in a missional community, he must count the cost, though. In order to be active and on mission, there will be a change in priorities. Investing in the community requires giving of one’s time and resources to developing friendships and loving people. In this context, success looks different, and we must measure success by faithfulness in order to avoid discouragement. MAGAZINE SEMBEQ

C H U R C H yes, but

WE ARE THE C H U R C H 10

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YANICK ETHIER

other and choose a specific mission field after identifying a need. The concept of missional community comes from a realization that it is easier to break down barriers between the outside world and the Church if it decides to love its neighbors radically as Jesus did.

missional community gathers members from the same church around the missionary mandate. It is an intuitive response of Christians to individualism and the accelerated pace of modern life generally centered around a small family unit. It also helps us return to the community-shaped life of the early Church. Missional communities developed from the small group model, but goes a step further by adding a missional aspect to its mandate. More specifically, a group of believers live more closely with each

We will be exposing people to the Gospel by the love we have for one other as well as the love of God, through our service. The Church has traditionally encouraged people to evangelize, but often in isolation, while service communities promote collective learning and the spontaneous sharing of the Word. At our church in Longueuil, we present our small groups with easily achievable projects in the city. Our goal is to make disciples of the people we serve and of those who serve with us. One of the projects is to work at a food bank located in the church, two nights a month. The energy used to talk with people is as good as that expended to serve customers because ultimately we want to lead them to salvation in

related prayer requests Pray that the intellectual assent of many may become a real fire that burns in their hearts, leading to action.

Jesus Christ. The small groups of Christians, which are supplemented by non-believers, meet on other occasions during the month to pray, share testimonies and fraternize around a good meal. If a Christian does not pray for the training of disciples in his Church, and does not participate himself in this work, he is not a healthy Christian. This is because he is missing the mandate given by Jesus. Helping a believer make disciples is progress in sanctification. The best way to help the believer reorient his life and to develop a missionary consciousness is to get him involved in a group who understands that Christians must live the Gospel as a community. A pastor who wants to help the church in this direction can get involved in a missional group from another church for a few months. The field experience, which goes beyond concepts that can be learned in a book, reveals that the missional community is not a new idea, but our true calling.

We have a great need for leaders in the harvest, leaders that are well trained by their pastors and their elders, in the context of their local church, in order to lead the people that are ready for the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work.

If the pastors and elders realize that they are the first missionaries in their church, their community will tend to take the same steps and go in the same direction. MAGAZINE SEMBEQ

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE NEEDS FOR THE GOSPEL IN QUEBEC? ARE YOU INTERESTED IN MEETING WITH US AND GIVING YOUR CHURCH A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS TO A LEADER AT SEMBEQ? WE ARE AVAILABLE TO VISIT YOUR CHURCH TO PRESENT QUEBEC AND SEMBEQ’S MINISTRY.

We are available for either Sunday School, Sunday Morning, or Sunday Evening service, or for anything else you may have in mind. We also have the option to screen a movie entitled, “Deliberate Shipwreck” which vividly depicts the spiritual climate of Quebec in which SEMBEQ is working. Our hope is that our visit will help to encourage the people in your congregation to gain a greater awareness of Quebec as a mission field, and open their eyes to ways they can serve and pray for revival in our land. Contact d.henderson@sembeq.qc.ca for more information 12

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GOSPEL AUSTERITY by Daniel Henderson

usterity. When Quebecers hear this word often what comes to mind is negative. Students in Quebec seem to be in a perpetual mode of planning Anti-austerity demonstrations often without even understanding what they are protesting. Like these students, most of us do not actually know what austerity is, but the media and the student protests lead us to believe that it must be a very bad thing. Simply stated, austerity is a term to describe an enforced or extreme economy. It means living a simplistic lifestyle and reducing excess spending. When the government puts austerity measures into effect, it means that they’re going to be cutting back on spending in order to help balance the budget and lift the province out of debt. But, I believe that, in light of our urgent Mission, Gospel austerity should be central in the lives of Christians. Life is war. However very few people think that the war we are in for souls is greater than WW2. Few people believe that Satan is a greater foe than Hitler or that this conflict reaches to every country, city,

and every human heart throughout the globe. How many of us are mindful that the casualties of this war don’t just lose an arm, or a leg, or even see an end to their life on earth? They lose everything, including their own soul, and enter a hell of everlasting torment.

WHEN WE TRULY EMBRACE THIS REALITY, WHICH IS BEST DESCRIBED AS “WAR TIME LIVING,” WE WILL BEGIN TO REORIENT OUR TIME, OUR AGENDA, AND OUR CHEQUEBOOK AROUND THE MISSION.

the war. In a simple lifestyle, however, you wouldn’t fiddle around with aircraft carriers. Instead you would just move to the middle of nowhere, or become a monk. During war we must always ask ourselves, “How can my life count to advance the cause of Christ?” Sometimes this means moving to a specific area of the city in order to reach a certain people group. Or maybe it means sacrificially supporting a missionary or ministry so that they can be well equipped to advance their part in the Great Commision. That is how we will live when souls are at stake! It means you might not eat out as often, or you might buy a used car so that you can support that mission. The alternative, which we all fall into by default, is to just go with the flow. Everybody gets their toys: bigger house and car, more clothing, more electronic gizmos, etc., without even thinking about how the mission effort is advancing.

This does not mean that we are to live simply, or be cheap. During war, we build aircraft carriers which cost billions of dollars and outfit them with the best technology available in order to win

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NEW INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM 14

IMMERSION, IN A NUTSHELL For the last forty years, SEMBEQ has worked with the Association of Evangelical Baptist Churches of Quebec in the training of their leaders. Throughout the years, SEMBEQ has sought to grow and adapt in order to better serve our churches. With the objective of responding to the urgent need for ministry workers, SEMBEQ is pleased to be adding a new training program : Immersion. The Immersion program is the adapted version for Quebec of a new training programme called Immerse, which was developed by Northwest Baptist Seminary, in the Pacific region of our church family. Immersion is a program that allows us to offer a Master of Divinity, with the necessary structure to train a leader, full time, over a 4 year period. In Immersion, the knowledge, the competencies, the character, and the experience that characterize exceptional leaders will be transmitted and developed in the context of a healthy local church and with the supervision and help from a team of experienced and engaged coaches.

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Immersion communicates to students the required competencies to become a full time ministry worker. The practical side and the theoretical side of ministry are developed in the context of service towards his people. In Immersion, it is actually not as much of the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knowledge that is evaluated, but first and foremost his capacity to do ministry work. The Immersion program depends on a strong partnership between SEMBEQ, the Association, and the local church where the student is serving. Each student is assigned three coaches: one from each of the mentioned groups. Together, these three organizations work to identify and recruit the students, to develop an eďŹ&#x192;cient program, and ultimately to support the newly graduated students by recommending them as a pastor, a church planter, or an evangelist in a church from our Association. A financial partnership is also put in place to help the students study full time.

Please pray that God will provide the resources needed to support these students and that this new training program will contribute to the vision of equipping 200 new ministry workers.

The Local Church is the context in which the student is immersed. This context allows the student to learn the work of ministry while being supported and supervised.

THREE PARTIES INVOLVED IN THEIR COACHING

SEMBEQ, as a church-based seminary exists to help churches train their leaders. To accomplish this goal, SEMBEQ provides the resources and the training programs needed to help churches in their mandate of making disciples of all the nations. The Association of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Quebec is a family of churches who mobilizes their collective strengths and resources to stimulate growth, to train leaders and to plant new churches.

FOUR PARTNERS WORKING TOGETHER

Faithful partners commit to “adopting” a student during his program. SEMBEQ seeks to provide each student in this program with a scholarship for 1/3 of his living expenses and tuition.

SEMBEQ WANTS TO SEE 200 NEW PASTORS FULLY TRAINED

In order to effectively train the student’s head, heart, and hand, we find

Would you consider helping us see 200 men trained for the ministry? Would you consider adopting a student during his studies? Your support allows him to graduate debt free and serve in Quebec without restriction.

For more information, please contact d.henderson@sembeq.qc.ca

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IMMERSION ST

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TUDENTS

2 015

ADAM LACHARITÉ GIROUX

In my case, I was already studying part-time with SEMBEQ, but now, my studies will be more intensive and directly related to my Church. The accelerated rhythm will allow me to serve full time in the Church much sooner. I chose the Immersion program because I love the integrated approach, the 3-coach structure that ensures the development of my qualifications for ministry, and the partnership between a supporting partner group, my church, and SEMBEQ. It is my desire to be part of the 200 pastors that SEMBEQ wants to see trained in the next 10 years for service in Quebec, whether it be by taking part in a church plant or by serving in an existing church. I rely on this scholarship to be able to study full time while serving my church in Longueuil, since it’s impossible in this context for me to also have a side-job. In my case, I believe that this intensive program will have a greater impact in my life than studying part time, and my church will reap the benefits as well. The experience will therefore be mutually enriching.

RONALD HONDERMANN

Born in Peru, I arrived in Canada in 1988. Two years later, I became a Christian in a Spanish-speaking Baptist church in Montreal, by the grace of God. I am now married and father of four children. God led us to the Evangelical Baptist Church of Rosemont, where we currently serve in various ways. I am on the Elders Committee since 2010 and I had joined the 2014 cohort with SEMBEQ. As a church, we have a vision of growth for the years to come, and this implies the addition of new servants. God has pressed upon my heart to be trained in theology in order to serve full time, which is my first motivation for the investment of taking part in the Immersion program. By deepening my knowledge of Scripture I will be able to practice ministry of the Word. I yearn for the gifts that I have received to be benefitting the Church, and I want to serve with the strength that the Lord gives me. This training will allow me to continue working full time in my church during my studies. I myself will benefit from the accompaniment of my three coaches (Association, SEMBEQ, and Church), to whom I am accountable. The SEMBEQ scholarship, which is actually a portion of my support, allows me to provide for my family’s needs during my studies, since I can’t be working full time to be paid at the same time as working intensively in the Church.

SERGEI LI

My church and I had already thought about trying to plan out a more intensive ministry program for me when SEMBEQ suggested the Immersion pathway for obtaining my training. We saw it as the ideal solution. I was evaluated by a group of potential coaches and I was selected to be part of the first cohort. I am at a good place in my life to be taking on this level of studies and in this format. I really appreciate that Immersion allows me to stay in the midst of my church in Terrebonne-Mascouche during my years of training. This way, I may serve and grow with my community and witness its own growth as well. I feel a calling to start a new church. As part of the church-planting vision of my current local church, I see the possibility of taking part in one of these projects, or teaming up with another church planter, in the region of Montreal or wherever God shows me after these four years. In order to study full-time, and at the same time serve in my church, I need the support that is offered by the scholarship. Working elsewhere, while following this intensive training program, would just not be possible. My church is financially investing to cover part of my living expenses and SEMBEQ’s scholarships contribute to yet another portion. I must also build a support team of people willing to commit to holding me up in prayer and by supporting me financially. I am learning to develop a partnership with my donors. Receiving full support will relieve me of this burden and will allow me to devote myself fully to this project.

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HOW TO CONTINUE YOUR LEGACY TO F U T U R E G E N E R AT I O N S Today, Quebec is considered the darkest mission ﬁeld in North America, with Evangelical Christians comprising only one half of one percent (0.5%) of the population. THE NEED FOR GOSPEL-CENTERED, BIBLICALLY FAITHFUL CHURCHES TO BE PLANTED IS URGENT. TO WORK TOWARDS ACCOMPLISHING THIS TASK, SEMBEQ HAS PUT TOGETHER A PLAN TO TRAIN

200 PASTORS 200 ELDERS 200 WOMEN ACCORDING TO THEIR CALLING. Your gift to the foundation will provide scholarships to students working in SEMBEQ’s cohort or Immersion program. These scholarships allows students to focus more time on their studies and be equipped for ministry sooner. But, no matter what you choose to support—or how much you choose to support it—you can be sure that your gift will make a difference to seeing the Great Commision fulfilled in Quebec.

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EXAMPLES OF GIVING Many people have thought about supporting a foundation, but have thought that it was only for the super wealthy (Like PK Suban). However, here are some ways you can continue your legacy to future generations by helping SEMBEQ train the next generation of leaders

BEQUESTS

LIFE INSURANCE

Frank and Suzanne wanted to leave a legacy gift for the SEMBEQ foundation, but they also wanted to retain control of all of their assets until they died in case their life situation changed. So they decided to leave a bequest for the SEMBEQ foundation in their wills. This gave them the satisfaction of providing for SEMBEQ when they pass away, while also lessening their estate tax through a charitable tax credit.

John and Ellen wanted to leave a legacy gift for the SEMBEQ foundation but they didn’t have a lot of accumulated capital. So they purchased a life insurance policy and made the SEMBEQ foundation the owner and sole beneficiary. Their premium payments are considered a donation by the Canada Revenue Agency, so the charitable tax receipt helps diminish their taxes now, while also providing for the training of ministry workers in Quebec in the future.

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES

CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST

Laura was a widow who needed the money from selling her house to provide herself with a fixed income. With the help of her financial planner, she invested in a charitable gift annuity, which would provide a guaranteed (fixed) income payment to her for as long as she needed it, and the balance would be donated to the SEMBEQ Foundation when she passed away. The immediate charitable gift receipt lessened her income tax now, and by removing some of her wealth from her estate to set up the annuity, she also decreased her anticipated estate taxes.

Martin and Chloe wanted to help their adult children put their grandchildren through university, but they wanted a portion of their estate to go towards SEMBEQ ministry. So they set up a charitable remainder trust that would provide (variable) annual payments to their children for a set period of time, after which the principal in the trust would go to the SEMBEQ foundation. The income to their children was largely tax-exempt, and the capital gains that accrued on the stocks held within the trust wouldn’t add taxes to their final inheritance.

CHARITABLE LEAD TRUST

SECURITIES

Yanick wanted to support SEMBEQ now, but ultimately, he wanted all his assets to be divided between his four kids. So with the help of his financial advisor, he set up a charitable lead trust. It provided annual (variable) payments to SEMBEQ until his death, and after his passing all the capital would be transferred to his kids. This provided charitable tax receipts now, and minimized the estate taxes so his children could receive a larger inheritance.

Many years ago, Sam had purchased $6,000 $ worth of a publicly-traded stock that was now worth $10,000. $ He’d been thinking for a while about making a gift to SEMBEQ — so he gave the stock directly to the SEMBEQ foundation. Because he gave it to a registered charity, he didn’t have to pay the capital gains tax, and the large charitable gift receipt resulted in considerable savings on his income tax. In the end, the donation of $10,000 $ cost him less than $5,000 5,000.

For more information please contact d.henderson@sembeq.qc.ca

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UPCOMING COURSES

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT We will have the privilege of receiving Dr. Robert Hiebert, an Old Testament scholar from Trinity Western University, to teach at SEMBEQ in April 2016. During this course, students will be exposed to different approaches in Old Testament theology studies. The themes and key passages from Hebrew Scripture will be studied and analyzed, all while keeping an eye on the meaning and the impact of this “first testament” for a Christian today. In order to ensure a sound understanding of New Testament theology and of the Gospel, it is of prime importance that we understand the soil in which it has grown and developed. The roots of the Gospel go back to the very beginning of the revelation. Date : 26-28 April 2016 Place : SEMBEQ but also available by webdiffusion

THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 9-16 We are glad to be receiving again Dr. Douglas Moo, in order to complete the study of Paul’s letter to the Church of Rome. According to many, Dr. Moo’s book on Romans is one of the best commentaries to this day. He is both scholarly and accessible. He has excellent simplification capabilities. He explains the most complex concepts in the most simple way. Whether or not you have taken part in the first part of the course, you are warmly welcomed to take part in this teaching, either at SEMBEQ or by webdiffusion. Don’t miss out! Date : 7-9 mars 2016 Place : SEMBEQ but also available by webdiffusion

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We would like to personnally invite you to come experience SEMBEQ.

VISIT MONTRÉAL INTERACT WITH OUR STUDENTS MEET WITH OUR LEADERS BENEFIT FROM ONE OF THESE GREAT UPCOMING COURSES

Please consider our invitation to visit us in Quebec. Come see for yourself what God is doing here.

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QUEBEC’S FLAG Although each province in Canada has its own flag, the "Québécois" see their flag as a national symbol. In Quebec, the flag is prominent even over the Canadian flag. In government oﬃces, you will only see the Quebec flag on display while even though there is a Canadian flag in our National Assembly, it is in a room which is no longer used for oﬃcial business. Unlike other Canadian provinces, the battle over the flag in ingrained in our history. Up until 1948, Quebec’s flag was the Union Jack. Maurice Duplessis, a conservative nationalist adopted the current flag in order to unite the Quebecois and express their belonging to the French Culture. The white cross in the flag, reminds us of our Catholic heritage, while the fleur-de-lys remind us of our French origins. The flag is an important part of our culture and this sentiment comes out in full-force during demonstrations and our National Holiday (St Jean Baptiste Day) As we look at the flag, we can be reminded that God loves the Quebecois so much that He sent his only begotten Son, and that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life!

Would you join us in praying for the Quebecois who travel to Florida each year? Pray that they would have encounters with Bible believing Christians and might hear and believe the Gospel.

SYMBOL OF PRIDE 22

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DGuebec 101

FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT OUR PROVINCE WINTER Although many Quebecois joke that winter lasts 6 months out of the year, they are not far from the truth since the first snowfall usually happens October, and the last snowflake falls at the end of April. Along with the snowfall comes the cold weather. Winter is a hard time for many lower income families as heating costs can be expensive when it -30c (-23f) and you want the inside temperature around 21c (70f). Although it is freezing cold, the Quebecois take advantage of the snow to enjoy life. There are many winter activities and festivals which bring people together. The heavy snow also means frequent opportunity to ser ve your neighbour and engage in spiritual conversations. FLORIBEC QUEBECOIS IN FLORIDA Because of the cold winters some Quebecois migrate to Florida for the winter. Floribec has been part of the collective imagination of the Quebecois for nearly 50 years. Over time, a movie, a novel, advertisements and news reports played an important part in establishing the greater Miami region as the destination of choice for Quebec tourists. Floribec began as a result of tourism

and it later evolved into a transnational community. A f ter v isiting southeast Florida, some Quebec tourists decided to take up permanent residence there and to make their living providing services in French to other Frenchspeakers. Motels, restaurants, convenience stores, lawyers, and other services for winter residents appeared, creating a Floribecois community, where the lifest yle and economy were largely based on the ever-present Quebecois tourists, visiting for a week or for several months. The result was a French-speaking community outside Quebec, distinct from other Frenchspeaking communities in North America.

POUTINE If you live in Canada, you know what poutine is. For readers in the United States, poutine is not the name of one our Prime Ministers. Poutine is the name given to a combination of french fries, cheese curds and gravy…despite what you are thinking...It is very good! Poutine originates from Quebec, but is sold in the rest of Canada. It has also been picked by most-major food chains; Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Pizza Pizza, Harvey’s and much more. Many small Casse-Croûtes (Snack Bars) in Quebec have many variations of poutine on their menu. This usually involves adding bacon, sausage, ham, or changing the type of gravy…the possibilities are endless. Many people stereotypically believe poutine is the national dish of Quebec. Although we are proud of this culinary creation, most of us only eat it once in awhile. Most Quebecois enjoy Sushi or Thai Food as typical fast food. So if you find yourself in Quebec…Please find a small Casse-Croûte and try it! Consider visiting SEMBEQ at the same time. The staff would love to introduce you to this delicacy at one of our favorite poutineries, La Banquise.

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9780, rue Sherbrooke Est MontrĂŠal (QC) Canada, H1L 6N6 514.337.2555 / / www.sembeq.qc.ca

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