Spring 2017, no.8 - English Version

SEMBEQ magazine SPRING 2017–n°8

TRAI NED for the multiplication of leaders

Number 3 of 3 on the founding principles of the seminary

TABLE OF CONTENT Recapitulation p.3 | A Word from our President P.4 Breaking the Myths Concerning Multiplication p.5 Multiplication p.6 | News P.10 A Step Further P.12 | Seminar on the subject of Origins P.14 A Practical Example P.15 SEMBEQ and Multiplication P.19 New Microprogram P.21 | Quebec 101 P.22 Special Course P.22

Our dream is to take part in building a province marked by solidarity through a Gospel movement that leads to personal conversions, missional communities, social justice and a renewing of culture throughout Quebec and the Frenchspeaking world.

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WE ASPIRE TO SEE OUR VISION AND EFFORTS DEPLOYED THROUGH THE ULTIMATE MINDSET OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S MANDATE GIVEN TO HUMANITY SINCE CREATION: THAT WE MAY FILL THE EARTH AS HIS IMAGE-BEARERS (GENESIS 1:28) For us, multiplication as a global objective is favorably accomplished through coaching. Coaching, then — even if it may be done in many ways and in a variety of contexts — must be done, in the end, under the authority that God has entrusted to His Church. Therefore, it is this milieu that finds itself privileged for the coaching of Jesus’ disciples, in preparation for their own ministry of multiplication in the lives of others.

SEMBEQ exists to serve the community that aims to make disciples: by the Church, through coaching, and for the multiplication of God’s image-bearers, for His glory, across the Earth.

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A Word From Our President This issue of SEMBEQ Magazine is the third in a series of three on the theme of training. First, we talked about the Church, because SEMBEQ offers Church-based training. We then discussed coaching, for it remains the cornerstone of our training paradigm. This magazine will cover multiplication since our model involves the training of ministry workers who multiply for the purpose of multiplying Churches. Thus, SEMBEQ trains by the Church, through coaching, for multiplication.

I was blessed to witness and experience multiplication firsthand. I have invested in Donald Rodier’s training in the course of my pastoral ministry in Saint-Hyacinthe, and I had the joy of seeing him voted in as pastor before I left the Church. I also coached him when he was part of the “Réserve” program. He has in turn coached Steve Archambault, and the latter is currently coaching Sylvain Lacombe. When each ministry worker is involved in several others’ training, we can see the “multiplier” effect, which far exceeds the result of a simple “addition” of workers.

The primary goal of SEMBEQ is not only to provide courses, but to take part in the multiplication movement for the purpose of ministry. I somewhat understand what our trailblazers must have felt in witnessing the multiplication of their efforts on a larger scale. I wish all would understand how urgent it is to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to train disciples who in turn make disciples for the glory of God, so that they could share a similar feeling.

Jesus prompts us to pray and ask for workers in the Harvest. And the need for workers is critical in Quebec and in all the French-speaking community. We believe in the power of multiplying disciples who make disciples. We have experienced it!

Pray therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he will send us, each and every one of us, wherever he wants us to contribute to his mission.

I hope that this edition will inspire you and will encourage you to think about multiplication in your own context

François Turcotte President

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BREAKING THE MYTHS CONCERNING MULTIPLICATION

1 To multiply does not result in the relief of workload Multiplication rather brings more work, because equipping and training takes time and energy. In order to multiply, one must be committed and available.

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To multiply does not mean to clone oneself Multiplication requires a lot of wisdom to get people to live powerfully for the call of God for their lives, according to their own gifts. Multiplication is absolutely not the same as producing copies of oneself.

2 To multiply is possible even when we see no one in whom we can multiply In order to multiply, we must pray that God helps us to see others’ potential in the Church, and not only that which is obvious at first glance.

To multiply does not mean to lead or to delegate tasks Multiplication does not imply the establishment of a hierarchy of authority. To multiply is to equip people so that they become mature and self-reliant in the performance of certain tasks. It is also to convey to them the multiplication DNA so that they in turn equip others in the same way.

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Multiplication

By Daniel Saglietto

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An ancient design Ever since the creation of the universe, the living world has enjoyed a providential grace allowing it to expand by multiplying on our beautiful blue planet. Benefiting from the unmerited generosity of their Creator, human beings can experience the joys and responsibilities related to their own multiplication, which is the fruit of a union that celebrates the beauty of “otherness” that can be discovered within the marital covenant. This “multiplication” reality should not be reduced to a simple mathematical formula. It is a creative multiplication engineered solely by divine providence which expresses a genuine and ancient design that our human father, Adam, heard from God’s own mouth while he stepped into a newly created garden.

This plan, this fabulous project, was that Man multiplies to cover the Earth and reach to its ends. In doing so, this single being created in the image of God could then radiate, through his descendants, the beauty of God’s glory of which his face was the mirror. God wanted to give birth to an innumerable offspring through this young man and this young woman whom He had just established as vice-regents over His creation.

The Fall Is Not The End The rest of the story we know too well, since it is our daily lot. This young royal couple, prompted by the allurements of an enemy, chose to believe in the illusion of autonomy and in the lie that the creature is worthier than its Maker. But let’s look at

the end of this larger creation narrative, in which the disobedience-and-fall episode was only the second chapter. We then see with wonder that this multiplying design could not be stopped and that nothing could oppose it. Indeed, an innumerable crowd will fill this transformed universe: a multitude singing praise to the Lamb that was slain and to Him who sits on the throne. 1 So, infused with this vision of a glorious and majestic future, our hearts change each of our breaths into deep longings in which we declare, along with the psalmist, that “all the ends of the Earth will “ ... man’s chief end is remember and to glorify God, and to enjoy turn to the Lord, and all the families him forever. ” of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.” 2 And it is only by turning to the risen Christ, who gave his life as an offering to deliver us from the righteous judgment of God, that the words of this Psalm are accomplished.

Multiplication, Worship and Mission The mission of the Church is nothing less than the embodiment of such a narrative.

However, this multiplication story is not an end in itself. It only serves a far greater purpose: worship.3 As the first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism skillfully points out, man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. And it is indeed the glory of God manifested in

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the Son, in his life, his death and resurrection that constitutes the foundation and goal of our devotion and mission. So, this “ ... it is indeed the glory multiplication, which finds its full unveiling of God manifested in the in the person of Son, in his life, his death Christ, being the and resurrection that con- firstborn from among the dead, turns out stitutes the foundation to be the expression and goal of our devotion of our desire to see the knowledge of the and mission. ” Lord fill the Earth, 4 and to see a growing passion for the holiness and glory of God in the hearts of our fellow men.

PROCLAMATION, MULTIPLICATION AND TRAINING In his grace, God has established that such multiplication is accomplished through the fragile clay vessels that we are. In this multiplication endeavour, it is the precious scent of the Gospel of God’s Kingdom in Jesus Christ that we are spreading.

This multiplication translates into the expansion of the Church. The initial template was the early Church as described in the Acts of the Apostles, with a deep emphasis on the proclamation of the Gospel, or in other words, a kerygmatic heart (a heart to proclaim the Good News). In his mission statement given in Matthew 28:19–20, Christ points out that this multiplication effort is expressed by making disciples among all the nations, who will keep and observe his Word. The Gospel, this kerygma of which Christ is the

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center, is therefore both the only medium by which the Holy Spirit liberates and transforms our enslaved hearts, and the only support which ensures the full growth as His disciples. That is why, among other reasons, it is so important today for the Church of Jesus Christ not to yield to the temptation to trade his kerygmatic call for the bowl of lentils known as “social acceptability.”

So, this multiplication is a multiplication of disciples who were begotten by the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of the Gospel. It is this multiplication which gives the Church not only its growth and sustainability, but which preserves its identity.

However, how will people hear if nobody is sent? Moreover, what will they hear if no one takes the time to teach these envoys “how to teach”? For if the mission the Lord gave us is to go among all nations and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded us, who will teach them to teach?

Our desire is still to grow disciples who will make disciples in heart, knowledge and skills. But in order to do so, this multiplying vision requires us to train believers who will become pastors and leaders, who will then both nurture the local Church and train it properly to fulfill such a mandate.

Therefore, our disciple multiplying vision requires and imposes a coherent vision for the training of pastors and leaders as well.

Such training must essentially take place in a Church context, but most of the time, it requires the support of training centers that can provide the theological resources and teaching required for such a journey.

Our desire is to see disciples grow in wisdom, because their pastors and leaders themselves convey the message and grow in such wisdom. As Henri Blocher rightly points out, “wisdom … integrates and adds up the knowledge of God and of his work, considered as a whole (1 Cor. 2:6f.; cf.

Eph. 3:1–12); it assimilates it, ‘digests’ it, so that the wise acquire these living principles within himself. ‘We have the mind of Christ’ (1 Cor. 2:16); these principles then serve as a guide to rule his life”. 5 So, in this context of multiplication, the local Church faces the challenge to grow its members in a deep knowledge of God, linking both relationship and submission within a covenant framework. 6 In addition to stressing the fact that a disciple multiplying vision implies a pastor and leader multiplying vision, the New Testament also encourages us to develop a local Church multiplying vision. Thus, in the same way that each member of the Church is called to be a disciple who makes other disciples (among whom some are called to integrate this multiplication in a theological training context to become future pastors and leaders), the local Church itself must learn to develop a Church multiplying vision to spread the knowledge of Christ beyond its sphere of geographical influence.

a multiplication of disciples, trained and firmly rooted in orthodox theology, to convey the Gospel uprightly and thus take part in its expansion. This is how we will answer the urgent call which the Lord emphasizes when announcing that the harvest, the multiplication, is already ripe, but we need workers… And this is why we need to prepare and equip them in order to send them.

The beauty of God’s design for the Church far exceeds any social endeavor; it is grounded in a creational design and moves towards a future eternal glory. Our desire is that you be participants in this multiplying narrative of incomparable and eternal proportions, always keeping in mind the glorious prospect of the throne of God to which men of all languages flock, the slain Lamb being its brightest jewel.

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Revelation 7:9

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Psalm 22:27–28

3 John Piper rightly points this out by saying, “the supreme purpose of the Church is not missions, but worship. If missions exist, it is because there is no worship. The supreme goal is worship, not missions, because God is supreme, not man. When this period of history will come to an end, and when countless millions of redeemed will bow down before the throne of God, missions will cease. Missions is a temporary need; worship, on the other hand, remains forever.

Worship is therefore both the engine and the goal of the mission.” (Let the Nations Be Glad, translated from the French edition) 4

Isaiah 11:9

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Henri Blocher, Sagesse et connaissance, Fac Réflexion, 46-47 (1999), p. 32.

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Many have often objected, and still argue, that intellectual knowledge is not what builds a disciple, but simply provides cold and sterile facts. But there is a subtle mistake that these people have accepted with regard to the biblical definition of knowledge.

When it is considered in its biblical understanding, “knowledge” is more than a mere intellectual activity, since it includes a practice and submission within a relationship. Indeed, in the Old Testament, “to know” God is not only to be aware of his existence. Knowing God means confessing that He is the Sovereign Lord who requires obedience from human beings, especially from his people, Israel, with whom he has entered into a covenant. (…) The test of true knowledge is obedience; its opposite is not just ignorance but rebellion, the act of voluntarily turning away from God. (Cf. Le Grand Dictionnaire de la Bible, Excelsis : 2004 : 352). Therefore, the New Testament language must always be understood with its Old Testament background.

We must grasp that the multiplying direction throughout the history of redemption has been an organic movement of generations of disciples, pastors and leaders, and local Churches for whom Christ is the source and his Word, the seed. This multiplication inevitably implies

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NEWS Leadership Microprogram This winter, our Leadership Microprogram followed through alongside our cohort students with its second course: "A Leader and His Influence". We are glad to have Louis Bourque teaching over forty students, as he recently completed his Doctorate in Ministry on the subject of Leadership. His thoughts are relevant and fresh for the students who are encouraged to consider the different applications of their influence. We help them identify leadership models to learn from and those to avoid, as well as to think through their own leadership style, which may differ from that of others. Pray with us, that God may lead men and women to have an influence for His Kingdom in each of their particular contexts. .

New YouTube Channel SEMBEQ's mission is to support the local church by offering tools for discipleship and for leadership training. We live in a digital age, and therefore we want to offer resources on platforms that will capture people's attention in places where their eyes are looking and where their interest already is. We have recently launched a YouTube Š channel with the goal of offering resources for the Church and quick news for our friends. We hope to soon be offering material in English as well, so stay tuned by subscribing to our channel in order to receive these updates! !

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Training Women in St. Jerome Made up largely of young families and singles, the Christian community of St. Jerome is very active in terms of training. Their concern is to provide opportunities to grow in the faith to all who wish to. The microprogram for women began in January with the Coaching au féminin (Coaching For Women) course. Eighteen students show visible commitment in their personal development.

It is a blessing to see that these women are laying a foundation for their lives. They invest time that will greatly benefit them in the future.

We Are Grateful for Our Volunteers Even before he retired, Luc Séguin had heard God’s call to serve the Kingdom with his gifts and experience. When he retired at the end of 2016, he decided to offer his time and expertise to serve SEMBEQ. Having worked in management in a hospital setting, he brings with him a lot of wisdom, and he has agreed to help us as a consultant, as well as by performing certain administrative tasks for SEMBEQ’s President. We are grateful for these volunteers who contribute to the training of workers!

Pastors Conference in Minneapolis This past January, we were blessed by the opportunity to participate in Bethlehem Church and Seminary's pastors conference.

We had a booth that allowed us to present our ministry and to tell people about the needs in Quebec. Many people were touched by our reality and most of them didn't even know that over 99% of the population does not know Jesus as their hope for salvation.

We made great contacts and we even hope to see some of them come to visit us soon. Please pray that God may send workers into His harvest! (Luke 10:2) It was also a great opportunity for us to work with our friend Zac, who is helping us by sharing and connecting with people across the United States.

Please contact Zac Diamanti for more information or to invite him to speak to your congregation: ambassador@sembeq.qc.ca SEMBEQ MAGAZINE - SPRING 2016, n°8

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a step further Impact, Thoughts and Encouragement

Last January, 240 people gathered at our “Un pas plus loin” (A Step Further) biennial meeting, to reflect on their involvement in the ministry. During these 24 hours, men and women of all ages heard inspiring stories of pastors and other workers involved in various ministries. They were also moved as ministry workers’ wives opened their hearts to share their experience during two panel discussions for women. All were able to benefit from profound and relevant material as well as good fellowship. Everyone was encouraged to further reflect on this subject. Several participants provided positive feedback: Guillaume, Église de l’Espoir (church), LongueuiL I really enjoyed the way the text was presented by Barton Priebe, on Friday evening. The perspective chosen to address those who, like the Apostle Peter, do not feel they are qualified for the service of God was encouraging. This set the scene for what would be coming next.

Subsequently, the testimony we heard next morning reminded me that God deals with barriers and skills. He equips us for the work he has prepared for us. He does not seek qualified people, but hearts that are available and ready to answer his call.

I was deeply moved by the SEMBEQ presentation that followed. I am open

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to God’s work, and I have always wanted to serve him. I want more for my life and service. I feel engaged by what is happening in the Churches (neighbourhood groups, missions) and by the vision and DNA the Association wants to convey, but obstacles have long prevented me from moving forward. First, I have never felt qualified for the ministry, although I have the desire to be. God gave me success in my work, in which I feel valued. On the other hand, God’s Spirit makes me aware of the fact that all aspects of my life belong to him (even my work which is very rewarding). I am ready to trust him if he wants to use me elsewhere for his glory. I always left a door open to see what God wanted to do with my life. And He has been working in my

heart for many years. He has convinced me to stop running from him and looking for a way out. I realized that God can use me even if I do not feel qualified, because no specific qualification is required. God is able to train me for the work he has planned for me.

God is bringing down many barriers and I now see new ministry options.

Throughout this 24-hour gathering, I was especially impressed with the Association’s vision. I was not aware that there were so many needs in Quebec. I am seeking the face of God, and I want to take part in this wonderful project. I know now that it is possible and I want to make myself available for God to use me as He will.

Anna, Église Ecclésia (church), Saint-Jérôme

Thalina, Église du Plateau (church), Montreal

I was pleased to hear Karl Fortin explain that his secular work was as important as his ministry in the Church, and that he considers his work as part of his ministry.

I really enjoyed this time of collective thinking. It is good, as a believer, to stop and pull away from our daily routine and from everything else in order to listen to God. We read in the Bible that God allowed downtime to address people in a specific way.

I am more interested in the practical aspect of the response to the call of mission in all aspects of our lives. So, I am trying to think outside the “ministry” box as such.

I enjoyed the variety of callings and excellent testimonies, including those of Karl Fortin, Steve Cloutier and Barton Priebe. It is exciting to see this joint reflection taking place, and the Association giving direction as to the mission. I realize there is a lot to be done in Quebec and I was encouraged by hearing what is happening in other Churches.

I was especially impressed by the interview with a ministry couple where both spouses had very different callings.

The wife considered her husband’s ministry as being just that: her husband’s ministry. And she saw herself behind him, in a support role. I see that this is happening to me. My husband will start the Immerse profile, which is his calling and ministry, while I will be raising our son.

I need God to revive my personal calling.

It is no coincidence that if my husband and I are together, God has placed us in

each other’s lives with a purpose. God has called my husband to the ministry and He has something for me to do as well. I have to realize what God’s call is for my life in my own circumstances.

Much to my surprise, God has spoken to me personally during this meeting, and He asks me to pray and seek him. I don’t want to feel I am only standing behind my husband to support him in his ministry.

I also want my life to be a ministry. We sometimes put on hold what God has placed upon our hearts. It is easy to escape through life’s distractions. But God does not forget what He has placed within us, and it will eventually surface. It is up to me to keep the fire alive and to further these reflections.

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SATURDAY septembre 30, 2017 É G L I S E B A P T I S T E É VA N G É L I Q U E e M m A N U E L

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S E M I N A R ON THE SUBJECT OF

ORIGINS P R E S E N TA T I O N S F R O M F O U R I N T E R N A T I O N A L E X P E R T S I N E X E G E S I S A N D B I B L I C A L I N T E R P R E TA T I O N THREE DIFFERENT EXEGETICAL POSITIONS REGARDING THE CREATION ACCOUNT IN GENESIS CHAPTERS 1-2 D E F E N S E O F T H E H I S TO R I C I T Y O F A DA M A N D E V E DISCUSSION

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QUESTION

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U N I Q U E E V E N T , S P E C I F I C A L LY O R G A N I Z E D TO T R A I N CHURCH LEADERS AND T H E O LO G Y STUDENTS

To r e s e r v e y o u r s e a t s o r f o r m o r e d e t a i l s , please visit our website or write us an email.

ORIGINS@SEMbEq.qc.cA www.ORIGINSSEMINAR.cOM

A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE The Multiplying Vision of Haute-Yamaska Evangelical Baptist Church

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he expansion phenomenon now occurring in the Granby region is the result of Jacques Alexanian’s vision to extend the Mission in Quebec through multiplication.

This vision was conveyed to him through the intended purpose of the early missionaries and trailblazers to reproduce and pass the baton. The Church in Haute-Yamaska has inherited this multiplication DNA from the godly men who have been part of its genesis.

Brief History of a Developing Region From Drummondville, to Granby, to Saint-Hyacinthe Mr. Hurtubise was pastor of the Church in Drummondville in the early 1970s. He launched the Jeunesse en Mouvement ministry (later to become JBEQ), which was to bring young people into the mission field to do evangelism. As a result, prayer meetings were started along with a more intentional training of some of the young people,

including Richard Houle, then student at the pre-university school in Saint-Hyacinthe college.

At that time, Mrs. Hurtubise was also helping to develop the first of SEMBEQ’s Church-based courses. Richard Houle, who was then trained at SEMBEQ, started the Saint-Hyacinthe Church in 1977 with a core group consisting of three families from the nearby area, who had come to the Lord through JBEQ. He introduced SEMBEQ’s courses and began to coach some of the young people, including François Picard.

Together, they developed a customized program for servants-in-training. François attended Church-based courses at the local Church and drove to Montreal for intensive courses taught by SEMBEQ, where he met with workers from different areas. In 1981, he was sent to Granby to preach as part of his training.

The Haute-Yamaska Evangelical Baptist Church (HYEBC) materialized in 1983.

François was sent there as a youth pastor in 1987, under the leadership of pastor Serge Pinard, and in turn became senior

pastor in 1991. Each year, he taught a few Church-based coursesinfused with a multiplication DNA, along with his associates.

As part of the local Church ministry, he coached several young men, including the Gagné brothers, Stéphane, Jean-Pierre and Jean-Paul. These three, and about thirty other young disciples, were being rooted in the Word of God and were themselves making disciples. The Granby Church experienced a strong growth and in 1994, François asked his coach, Richard Houle, then pastor in Longueuil, to come assist him. God truly is in control of our destiny!

It was now Richard’s turn to humbly stand under the leadership of his former protégé.

Multiplication Extends to the Surrounding Communities François was leading a prayer group every Wednesday evening in Cowansville. People were being trained by the mother Church in Granby and by SEMBEQ, and were evangelizing in Cowansville. The house groups multiplied to become neighbourhood groups. All of these believers continued to gather at Granby on Sunday mornings.

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Then, the same phenomenon occurred in Saint-Liboire, Waterloo and Saint-Césaire.

François explains that this multiplication was prompted by conferences on revival, mutual encouragement, training, and development of the leaders’ spiritual gifts.

The more mature Christian community of Cowansville was the first to officially become a Church. François left the Granby Church in 2000 to become president of SEMBEQ. And as the wheel continues to turn, Richard Houle became the senior pastor. One of his protégés, Simon Bélanger, was the first pastor of the Church in Cowansville and then succeeded him, followed by François Provencher in 2014.

Transmission of the Multiplication DNA The “Antioch” Church of Granby inherited the multiplication DNA from François Picard, Richard Houle and Serge Gagné during the 1990s and 2000s. François initially set the tone. He often exhorted people with statements like: “Always bring someone with you” and “Who can you train to take your place?” According to Jean-Pierre Gagné, François has always practiced and lived multiplication in an organic way, by modelling its principles. Richard Houle, for his part, introduced a simpler and more effective multiplication structure, focused on the heart and character. With the help of Jean-Pierre Gagné, he built a plan and developed some tools for a process of intentional training of two or three years called “sponsorship.” Jean-Pierre describes this intentional model, designed to multiply disciples, leaders, groups and Churches, “It is a four-link inductive string: multiplying disciples, multiplying cell groups (small groups, house Churches), multiplying by training leaders (with tools for each level, from under-shepherds to workers) and multiplying Churches (by planting).” He then illustrates this principle by a real-life example. Five years after he received, as youth leader, the mandate to integrate the multiplication DNA within this group, 65 young people were being coached in five different youth groups by twelve youth leaders, from whom have emerged elders and other workers, and later on a number of daughter Churches. Jean-Pierre shares, “to live the multiplication, we must set aside activities and events (in my case, this meant limiting my outings, sports, etc.) to focus on intentional discipleship training 16

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by individual relationships or in groups of two or three. Young people receiving good coaching become youth leaders, who become ministry workers who establish Churches.”

Like François and Richard, he advocates the model taught by Jesus, which should be our ministry philosophy: making disciples who will train disciples, by developing a coaching culture. According to Jean-Pierre, to reach a specific community we must consider multiplication in the context of a Gospel movement. There are three key principles to this end: (1) aim at internal maturity in Christ through training and through teaching how to live the Gospel in everyday life, making it relevant to the heart of the protégés by emphasizing Jesus in all areas; (2) convey the intentional purpose of the Mission by being focused outward; (3) practice multiplication by strategically putting some mechanisms in place. Multiplication is the mark of a healthy Church.

Xtension Leadership School What has formed the strength of this Haute-Yamaska community since its beginning, in addition to the commitment of strong prayer warriors among its members, is its ability to offer customized and focused training, based on relationships and affecting the heart, according to the Paul-Timothy model. Over the years, HYEBC has set up the Xtension leadership school to train disciples who make disciples, with a Church planting vision, according to the same paradigm as SEMBEQ’s. Therefore, coaching is a must.

This community has become a successful breeding ground for workers thanks to the coaches’ willingness to intentionally invest in the lives of their protégés. This includes making room for them, enabling them to get out into the field, evaluating their learning process, and allowing them to outperform them. “We take each person wherever they are and we create a personalized training plan, as much for aspiring pastors as for members wanting to be equipped for a particular ministry,” says Norman Charest, president of the HYEBC Board of Elders. Future pastors join a SEMBEQ cohort while other leaders are trained using other intensive, Churchbased courses. Some specially designed courses are based on SEMBEQ’s material SEMBEQ MAGAZINE - SPRING 2016, n°8

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and can easily be adapted to less-educated students. A hundred or more workshops on specific topics (family, couples, finance, etc.) are used in the customized training programs and are given individually or in small groups. New SEMBEQ microprograms which offer specific training also attract many believers.

Xtension Planting Movement “Church planting in this region is the result of the intentional purpose to train pastors and other leaders vested with the Mission and able to transmit the multiplication DNA — in other words, leaders with a Timothy, Paul or Barnabas spirit,” explains François Picard. The passing of the baton and Church planting philosophy according to a well-established plan is systematically communicated to new leaders (elders, ministry or small group leaders, etc.) using courses such as Acts of the Apostles and The Church and Its Mission.

“From the beginning, the goal of the HYEBC multiplication movement was to

train 70 workers and plant 15 Churches in this area,” says Normand Charest. Four daughter Churches have emerged between 2000 and 2007: Cowansville, Saint-Liboire, Waterloo (now being replanted) and SaintCésaire (a missional community consisting of some house meetings still gathering in Granby on Sunday except once a month, where they meet on campus). Two other projects are being implemented, including one in Bromont. Approximately fifteen regional ministry workers are currently being trained and serve in one of these Churches. Norman explains, “This movement is evolving and organic. Its structure is designed to meet the local needs. We are always training new elders for new Church plants or to send them elsewhere. It is for this reason that we call this movement Xtension.”

says Jean-Pierre Gagné. Normand Charest claims that what forms the strength of Xtension is its willingness to contextualize Church planting and training.

In conclusion, the Gospel’s expansion in the Granby region, since the beginning of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Haute-Yamaska, is the fruit of a vision of multiplication that has materialized thanks to the transmission of the coaching DNA in the training of disciples who make disciples, for the planting of new Churches. All this for the purpose of spreading the Gospel for the glory of Christ!

The Xtension movement today is a network of 10 Churches in the Montérégie region who collaborate in an effort to spread the Gospel in the region, through the training of workers and Church planting. “The key to growth is mutual assistance and the sharing of resources,”

(Written by Lise Dionne, in collaboration with Normand Charest, Jean-Pierre Gagné, François Picard and François Provencher.)

by Lise Dionne

(Written by Lise Dionne, in collaboration with Normand Charest, Jean-Pierre Gagné, François Picard and François Provencher.)

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SEMBEQ and Multiplication

by Janick Fortier

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e are frequently reminded of the importance of studying history. We are told that we cannot know where we are going if we do not know where we come from. We are also told that the past predicts the future.

Most of us are certainly in agreement with such statements. Yet, when we make decisions about the future, do we really do it in light of the past? It is easy to see all the work to be done and to get into the action without first stopping to look behind. After all, our current situation is new and requires new strategies. Doesn’t it? So why turn to the past? Admittedly, we must contextualize. Obviously, we have to speak to our current generation and not to the last one. However, what are we going to tell our contemporaries? What will we contextualize? Being the Church of Christ, we still have the same message and the same mission as we did two thousand years ago. Others have preceded us. Let us learn from our history. Let us become established in the legacy we have received in keeping with the Scriptures, and creative in our efforts to reach out to a new generation for Christ!

SEMBEQ’s history is inspiring, for it bears witness to the work of God. Indeed, since 1973, God has been using

SEMBEQ for the advancement of his work right here in Quebec, in this barren land, and we are grateful for all that He did. We recognize that his good hand has been with those who have preceded us.

By looking back and by taking a look at what God has done among us, we can draw lessons for the future. This can help us to better understand where we are today and why we do what we are doing. This also allows us to better focus our efforts for the future. SEMBEQ’s history is multifaceted and the angle under which I would now like to look at it is that of multiplication.

SEMBEQ started in the context of a spiritual awakening.

The number of Churches had exceeded the number of available workers and few missionaries were willing to come to Quebec. Standard seminaries enable workers to be trained quickly, but they had to leave their local Church and even move away for the time of their studies. Worse still, he was not always coming back! Following the advice of wise men and observing different emerging training paradigms in the world, a few men were mandated by the Association d’Églises Baptistes Évangéliques du

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Québec (AEBEQ) to establish their own seminary, namely SEMBEQ. The mission field would be the very environment in which to train the workers it needed.

A lot of work and effort were needed and several got their hands dirty to make this vision a reality. SEMBEQ was going to train workers for our Churches, keeping them in Quebec, and in their own local Churches. Students would meet several times a year to be taught by professors from Quebec and elsewhere and then they would return in their local Churches. This is where they would complete their training by taking Church-based (programed) courses.

In hindsight, we realize that this model has strongly fostered the multiplication of workers, because those who were being trained and taught returned to their local Churches and gave back what they were receiving. They, in turn, became teachers and trainers. Multiplication was occurring.

By studying the Scriptures and seeing the results of training in the local Church, SEMBEQ inferred from this experience that the Church is a suitable environment to train pastors. This model involves major challenges, but it is probably the one that is closest to the Scriptures.

We find an example of this model in the book of Acts.

Indeed, in chapter 11, Paul and Barnabas join the Church of Antioch as leaders, where they undertake a teaching ministry for more than a year. In chapter 13, when the Spirit of God calls them to the mission, we discover that

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the Church has been strengthened and that leaders have been trained and are now able to take charge of the Church. They have worked in the midst of the local Church and have multiplied its leadership by staying within the Church.

The experience of the first few years of SEMBEQ has also highlighted the need to pool our resources, forming a partnership. The latter allows some of us to deepen the Scriptures and to specialize in a specific area, in order to put this expertise to the benefit of the whole family of Churches. The “cooperative-style” operation also reduces costs and increases a sense of belonging and responsibility.

Finally, we feel that by doing this, SEMBEQ complies with the biblical model described in the Epistle to the Ephesians. Specifically, in chapter 4, Paul presents a model of training and growth in the Church context, where the leaders train the saints to do the work of the ministry. The text clearly highlights the fact that it is the saints who are at work. The Church leaders are there to train and equip them. SEMBEQ believes that the multiplication of disciples also brings a multiplication of leaders.

From the very beginning of its history, SEMBEQ has been at the service of local Churches for the multiplication of disciples and leaders.

May God’s good hand continue to act powerfully among us for the glory of his name!

NEW Microprogram Children's Ministry How do we prepare a lesson for a Sunday school class? Does our teaching show children how to don the outward appearance of Christianity or does it open the door to the Gospel in the hearts of this younger generation that grows up among us? What are the fruits of this ministry?

Do we know how to manage this important ministry? What should be the criteria for selecting a teaching curriculum? How to we include parents in children’s ministry?

A lot of questions and challenges surround this precious ministry. It is worthwhile for us to stop to reflect and learn how to maximize our impact, as many oversee this ministry without having been trained properly.

H

ow do you assess children’s ministry in your local Church?

What are its strengths and weaknesses? Do the people involved in this ministry have all the resources they need in order to perform their task well? Are they left on their own? Is God working in the lives of the children of your Church?

What are the purpose and mission of ministering to children in your local Church? Does this purpose match that of the whole Church? What part does this ministry play?

SEMBEQ wants to offer the opportunity to those who want to grow in their service to children to be trained with experienced teachers, who will encourage and equip them for the work to which the Lord has called them. Whether you are in charge of this ministry or are a Sunday school teacher, this micro-program is intended to provide you with the tools to help you progress in your service.

This microprogram includes 4 courses More information to come.

THE MISSION OF CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

(FIRST COURSE)

PREPARING A LESSON THE GOSPEL AT THE HEART OF TEACHING MANAGING CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

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SPECIAL COURsE A Biblical Vision of Poverty and Justice

A

n overview of theological literature shows quickly that the various theological subjects on which we focus are not always proportional to the biblical focus on the same subject. For example, the events surrounding the end of time were often treated with keener interest than the Bible itself bestows them. Some less predominant subjects of the Bible have often received considerable attention.

In contrast, some topics discussed over and over again by the Bible have received very little place in theological literature. The theme of poverty (material or spiritual) is a good example. The current interest in the topic is growing, but we are far from having achieved a balance. We need to reflect and listen to what the Bible has to say on the concepts of poverty and justice. The way in which the subject can sometimes divide us or make us uncomfortable is a good clue of our need to think seriously about it.

As part of its new Chaplaincy program, SEMBEQ has decided to invite an expert on the subject, in order to teach us and increase our awareness about this important biblical theme.

Teacher: Rick Tobias Dates: October 20–21 and November 24–25, 2017 (Friday and Saturday)

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“Dr. Rick Tobias is one of Canada’s best-known advocates for people whose lives are defined by poverty and exclusion. With credibility earned through front-line experience and innovative leadership, he has involved thousands in a vision for lasting change for people and communities.

Since 1983, Rick has served at Yonge Street Mission in Toronto. In 2012, after 23 years as CEO, he took on a new role as Community Advocate.

Rick’s insights and convictions spark commitments in others he meets while speaking, consulting, and mentoring and in 25 years of teaching at Tyndale University College and Seminary. Those moved to act include business and religious leaders, church-goers and secular audiences, students and scholars, social service managers and front-line workers.”

•www.ricktobias.com/about-rick-tobias

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“From the beginning of our ministry among street community in 1993, it has been invaluable to know Rick. In a time when Western middle class values often cloud Christian outreaches to the poor and marginalized, Rick’s insights on God’s heart for the outcast, that shine like a beacon throughout the Holy scriptures, has helped lay a solid theological foundation on which we were able to build the PAX Communauté de Rue ministry. ”

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Duane and Miriam Mansveld

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EDITORIAL TEAM NATHANAËL AUBUT Communications project coordinator Chief editor n.aubut@sembeq.qc.ca LOUISE DENNISS Translator and copy editor Proofreader l.denniss@sembeq.qc.ca LISE DIONNE Executive assistant, Writer l.dionne@sembeq.qc.ca Maxime Giroux Magazine project coordinator m.giroux@sembeq.qc.ca Oscar Hernandez Communications strategist o.hernandez@sembeq.qc.ca BENOIT CÔTÉ Graphic design ARISTIDE THERRIEN Graphic adaptation (English version)

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