News > North America

Montreal UBF
March 23, 2014

BE STRONG AND COURAGOUS...INHERIT THE LAND

Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.”

I. 2013 Annual Review

There were 2 major themes of growth in our ministry this year. The first one was God’s love. The first prayer topic in our ministry was “Growing and maturing in love”. Thank God for his servant`s direction in Ephesian 3:19 “…and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the full measure of all the fullness of God. The first work of God was among our core co-workers who have loved God and labored together for Him for many years. Problems and sins among us, plus mid-life issues caused our love to be challenged. By focusing on God`s word and loving one another more deeply, receiving and imitating God`s love, he helped us to overcome problems caused by our sins and differences. M. Luke took, for example, the problem of a mother-daughter relationship as if it was his own problem and we all prayed as if it was our own family problem. Then God worked mightily and the co-worker`s mother-daughter relationship and school progress were restored. In this kind of vessel of love, we served campus students and tried hard to focus on inviting new students to Bible studies.

The second way God worked in our ministry in 2013 was through 2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season, correct, rebuke and encouraged-with great patience and careful instruction. Through discipleship, teaching and preaching God`s word, we saw wonderful growth in so many if not all of our young disciples. B. Nicolas grew as a faithful presider of the SWS and volunteered to teach S. Andrew`s son, Joshua, the Bible every other week. B. Marcel was always ready with a testimony and was a good example of readiness to serve the Tyrannus Bible Academies, fishing, group and 1:1 Bible study. B. Lesedi, from South Africa UBF, is doing his PhD at Concordia but he is active with our co-workers in evangelizing the campus and bringing his classmates to Bible studies and special events. With much prayer and engagement B. Alexei and S. Rita`s family came back to regular Bible studies and attending Sunday worship service. This year we were able to invite new students and edify God’s people’s faith through the following Tyrannus topics:

● January: The Emerging Multicultural Church with guest speaker m. Charles Kim from Ryerson UBF who gave us a lecture on “Campus Ministry in Cultural Diversity”. (Galatians 3:28)
● March: The Global Christian News (1 Peter 5:9) (see preview at http://vimeo.com/61392469)
● May: “Something New Under The Sun” (Isaiah 43:19 & book of Ecclesiastes)
● September: “Creation Out of Nothing” (Genesis 1:1)
● Soren Kierkegaard: Fool for Christ (1 Corinthians 3:18 & 4:18)

M. Luke had worked hard very to teach our senior leaders God`s word for many years with rebukes, careful instruction and lots of patience. He recommended S. Andrew as the first coordinator for Montreal UBF leadership succession and all the members agreed to cowork and support his leadership for a four year term. God`s servants S. Mark Vucekovic (NA Co-ordinator) and Dr. Henry Kim (Canadian Director) as well as co-workers from Ottawa and Université de Montréal attended his installation ceremony on December 29, 2013. The fruit of leadership succession to Canadian shepherds came after many years of faithfully preaching and teaching God`s word to lost and sinful Canadian students. At the installation ceremony all people were thankful for God`s evident grace upon S. Andrew and our ministry and we especially thank God for Missionary Luke and Grace’s great influence. Their father and mother-like love and wisdom in caring for all of us, as well as Canadian ministry in general, for so many years.

II. 2014 Vision and Strategy.
The key verse of Montreal UBF for 2014 is Joshua 1:6: “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” Our strategy is not to fall into complacency once M.Luke and Grace Hong`s leadership is succeeded. We are all Joshua(s) and God has entrusted campus ministry to us. He wants us to be successful in evangelizing and inviting new students to Bible study and raising student leaders. Quebec is a secular society with a new charter of values raising walls to religious freedom; there is a river of sin, indifference and confusion between God and the hearts of campus students. By God`s courage and preaching God`s word to campus students and to one another, walls will fall and the rivers will dry up and we will see Christ`s kingdom come to the hearts of many new student brothers and sisters on the campus.

Prayer Topics:
1. Evangelize Montreal campus students.
2. Have many new 1:1s and growing student leaders (20 in 4 years)
3. Bible-based focus for serving all areas of ministry (CBF, JBF, student ministry, etc.)
4. New messengers` preparation spirit with voluntary submission to messenger discipline and training.

One word: Be Strong and Courageous----Inherit the Land

Andrew Christopher/ Luke Hong