Revival in our Church in Chibougamau!
Quebec remains one of the toughest mission fields in North America. With only 0.8% of the seven million francophone Canadians self-identifying as evangelical Christians, it remains one of the most spiritually-needy people groups in all of the Americas.
Our churches (80) in our AÉBÉQ Region are plowing into stony, often hostile, ground.
I recently heard exciting news of a time of spiritual renewal in our most northern church in north-central Quebec. Chibougamau is not necessarily on the edge of civilization, but is definitely next door.
Our church in Chibougamau was a thriving group of believers in the 1970-80s, but, has struggled in recent years with only a very small faithful group seeking to keep the torch lit in this spiritually-dark region.
I recently heard from Pastor Jean-Phillipe Lapierre who pastors in Alma, about 300 kms south of Chibougamau, that a major spiritual break through occurred this past summer.
I’ll let Jean-Phillipe tell you about it:
Last July 21st the church at Chibougamau had the joy of “celebrating” five baptisms, in collaboration with the Pentecostal church which had two more baptisms, for a total of seven baptisms. Two of the persons are brothers in their 40s, who were part of the Sunday School when they were children. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness in drawing souls to yourself after 30 years of sowing. Our brother Christian Laroche and his wife Sylvie Cauchon (Chibougamau) have (had) the joy of seeing their two sons (Patrick and André), and one of their son’s children take some big steps in their faith in Jesus and take part in the life of the church.
Among these new conversions, there was a drug pusher, who was well known in Chibougamau. Another is the owner of a bar (Patrick) along with his wife. They have now put a “For Sale” sign on the bar and they want the building to be sold for some other type of business. Patrick is someone well-known in town and he has already shown that God has gifted him as an evangelist. Among the conversions that God has given him, his meat supplier confessed Jesus Christ last summer.
Recently Patrick gave his testimony at an evangelical church on the First Nations (Indian) reserve, and before some crowds (around 400 persons). He publicly asked for forgiveness for all of the pain that his bar has caused on the First Nations reserve. He exhorted the people not to go to those kinds of establishments any more. The testimony of Patrick was received with open arms in the First Nations community as an evidence of the power of God, real and true. Patrick offered a message of humility and peace, which was welcomed and used power by God. The conversions among the First Nations (people) are multiplying.
- Pray with urgency, dear brothers and sisters! Our church at Chibougamau is being visited on Sundays by the visitors that these new believers are inviting.
- Pray that God will continue to breathe upon the hearts of these new believers so that they will develop a thirst for the Word.
- Pray that the conversions will continue to multiply.
- Pray for the brothers and sisters who have the task of welcoming and accompanying these new (believers) in their early steps in the Christian life.
- Pray that that the bar will now be used for a new purpose to the glory of God. Pray for the two deacons responsible for the church (Danny St Croix and Christian Laroche).
- Pray that God will send a pastor/worker into the harvest at Chibougamau.
I invite you to share this news with many others.
In Brotherly love,
Jean-Phillipe Lapierre
Regional Co-ordinator
Please start praying for our believers in Chibougamau as they continue to reach out to friends and family in their community. And please continue praying for our churches in Quebec as they seek to advance God’s Kingdom in an often difficult mission field.
Some encouraging news is that five Fellowship churches, elsewhere in Canada, have partnered with five French church plants in Quebec this year. Please prayerfully consider your church’s need to discover how you can strategically help more church plants in our largest mission field in Canada. Click on the link here to read how your church can begin a 7x7=1 partnership. Contact me at sjones@fellowship.ca if you have any interest or questions.