ONE STEP FURTHER

 

The weekend of the 20th and 21st of January 2017, the pastoral team at Terrebonne-Mascouche Evangelical Baptist Church participated at the event “Un Pas Plus Loin” (One Step Further) organized by SEMBEQ, the French seminary in Montreal.  The goal of this conference was to talk about the realities of the call to ministry in the local church.  So we invited many couples and young people from our church in order to edify and encourage them as they face the potential call to ministry in the church.  To achieve this goal, there were different speakers during the conference who shared their personal journeys through which God called them to ministry, either full time or part time.  The principal speaker, Barton Priebe, also opened the Word of God to show us the potential obstacles that we may encounter along our paths that could prevent us from responding to God’s call for our lives.

As for me, I really enjoyed the conference for many reasons.  First of all, I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the whole team of local church leaders as well as our guests that we invited to come along with us.  We prayed together, shared our reflections, and we got really excited about God’s call on our lives.  Certain people that we invited are already engaged in different leadership ministries in the church but others are still searching for God’s call for them in the church. It was very interesting to see all the interactions as we are all working to reach a common goal: finding the will of God for our own lives.  It is clear that God has a unique plan for each one of us and it’s very encouraging to explore that with other members of our church who all have different stories and experiences.

I believe strongly that God called me to ministry in Quebec during my second year at New Brunswick Bible Institute.  I was on break for Canadian Thanksgiving and Gilles Lapierre gave a special presentation on the spiritual condition of Quebec, notably on the lack of workers in the ministry. It was then that I had a profound conviction that if God allowed me to pursue my theological studies, it was for the goal of setting me apart for the ministry in Quebec.  The conference “One Step Further” made me really reflect on the fact that it is only by the pure grace of God that I get to be in ministry here in Quebec.  By myself, I don’t deserve to be used by God.  If there is any good in me, it comes only from Him.  I am not qualified to advance the Kingdom by my own strength; it’s God who qualifies me and gives me the tools necessary to accomplish His will.  What an important and necessary reminder! I am very grateful that God called me to ministry, but I never want to lose sight of the fact that none of this is possible without His grace!

In closing, the most remarkable moments were those that we spent in the company of young men who are sincerely considering if God is calling them to ministry.  I really enjoyed getting to know these three guys more who have a heart for ministry in Quebec.  Who knows, maybe they will be Pastors in Training one day. One thing is for sure: this conference has opened their eyes to the grandeur of God’s call to ministry and to the blessings that we can enjoy when we respond to His call for our lives.  I can’t speak for them, but I want to continue to maintain a link with them and continue to encourage them to the mission field in Quebec.  I consider my role as being a help to them in discerning what the call of God is for their lives.  Will they have a pastoral role? The role of a deacon perhaps?  No matter what role they will have in the church, I want to help them do what God is asking them to do in the church.  I believe sincerely that there is no greater joy than to know that we are doing what God has called us to do.

And you, is the will of God clear to you in what your role is in the church? Is God calling you to an influential position? If the answer to these questions is not entirely clear, don’t wait for another conference like “One Step Further.”  Talk to the leaders in your church as well as people you are close to.  Pray about the possibility of being a part of a leadership role.  Is the position of leadership in the local church a necessary objective for everyone? I don’t believe so, but what’s important is doing what God is asking of you, even if it means making sacrifices.  The church suffers when those who are called to be leaders don’t respond to the call.  Consider going one step further in your reflections about the call of God for your lives.  You will not regret it and He will not abandon you in the process.

David Archambault

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