Acts 2:42-47 tells us of key characteristics of the earliest church. Alongside the marks of teaching, worship and the Lord's Table there was the outstanding demonstration of love for each other. "All believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods and they gave to anyone as he had need."

By now the news of the after effects of the 7.0 earthquake in Haiti is beginning to move our hearts to compassion for the millions of people affected by this most recent in a long run of disasters.

We are anticipating two important phases for our AGC response to this disaster.  Phase 1 is Humanitarian aid and relief; Phase 2 Rebuilding

First and foremost, please rally your people to prayer for Haiti. The evangelical church in Haiti is strong but needs our help. AGC Haiti is now approximately ten churches and growing. They need our prayers.

Our Haitian AGC pastors and families in Quebec need our prayers and support as well. Many have still not heard from their families to know that they are safe. Some have lost their family homes in Haiti. All of us are affected by this disaster. I know that we all want to help.

It is too early to say what the best long term recovery strategy would look like. We are already working with our Haitian pastors to assess the damage and to formulate a longer term rebuilding strategy which is our Phase 2 strategy.

That said the more urgent need is for disaster relief and humanitarian aid (Phase 1). The millions affected need food, water and shelter. One of our sister partners is World Relief Canada and we are suggesting that immediate aid be channelled through them. 

The following has just come in from World Relief....

"There were reports of extensive damage to buildings in the capital, including a hospital that reportedly collapsed,” says Laurie Cook, CEO of World Relief Canada, “An eyewitness at the scene reported that the city was “just gray with dust.” Many thousands of people are going to be left in a desperate situation and in need of our assistance.”

Haiti, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, has suffered from several major disasters in recent years, including deadly hurricanes and floods.

World Relief Canada urgently needs your support for the need in Haiti. To donate online go to http://www.wrcanada.org/donate or call 1-800-567-8190 toll-free."

You may have alternative agencies that you know and trust. World Vision is another such agency that our office would recommend. The important thing is to give, and to give as soon as possible, to trusted agencies that can be on the ground in Haiti to bring this urgent care.

Over the next weeks AGC will lay out a Phase 2 plan to help our sister AGC churches in Haiti to rebuild and to do ministry. Please consider how you might plan to support these initiatives. 

In summary, these are the action steps:

1. Pray for Haiti, our AGC Haiti churches and for our Haitian families in Canada
2. Phase 1…Give immediate humanitarian support to the agency of your choice (we suggest World Relief)
3. Phase 2…Prepare for further communication for the rebuilding of AGC Haiti but please begin to set aside funds for the rebuilding phase.  Funds for this project can be sent directly to the AGC office for “AGC Haiti”.

Please contact our office should you have any questions. Thanks for being the Body of Christ in action. Let us know what you are doing so that we can share this with others for mutual encouragement.

Our Haitian brothers and sisters in Canada and Haiti need our Acts 2:44 acts of love right now.

Blessings,

Bill Fietje

President , AGC of Canada

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At the beginning of another year of opportunity to serve and to proclaim we stop to give thanks for the blessings of God in 2009. God has given to us many new pastors and churches over the past twelve months and our prayer is that we will see many more new ministries and churches this year as well.

We continue to press home the need to focus on our vision of “being a movement of healthy reproducing churches”.

Did you know that just a few decades ago a person could be arrested in Canada for preaching the gospel publicly? Where you ask?… in the province of Quebec! As we pray this month let’s focus on our AGC ministries in Quebec. The pod cast this month features an interview with Wesley Peach director of the AGC Quebec work. This month we will get to know more about Wes, the ministries in Quebec and the great need for passionate prayer to be made for the region.

Of the 23 churches in Quebec 10 are Creole Haitian, 7 are French language, 5 English and 1 Spanish speaking. In addition Wes covers two French speaking churches in Ontario. Wes and his wife Priscilla also church plant as well as teach. All this makes for a very busy and demanding schedule. The Peaches represent a number of our pastors who are also missionaries. In the case of Wes and Priscilla they are members of CrossWorld who have a passion and call to minister in hard to reach places. After 50 years of faithful hard fought gospel witness there is still less than 0.5 % of the population of Quebec that would call themselves evangelical Christians. The percentage across the rest of Canada would be closer to 19 % including all brands of Christians including Catholics who would be called evangelical. This comparison shows the great need for continuing ministries in Quebec and it all begins with persevering prayer.

God bless the work in Quebec and may God bless the AGC of Canada as we go to prayer this month.

Blessings,

Dr. Bill Fietje, President

Au début d’une nouvelle année remplie d’occasions de servir et de proclamer l’Évangile, arrêtons-nous pour rendre grâces à Dieu pour Ses bénédictions au cours de l’année 2009. Dieu a pourvu de nombreux nouveaux pasteurs pour nos ministères et a permis l’implantation de nouvelles églises au cours des douze derniers mois et notre prière est que nous voyions la naissance de beaucoup d’autres nouveaux ministères et églises au cours de l’année qui s’annonce.

Nous continuons d’insister sur la nécessité de nous concentrer sur notre vision, à savoir « être un mouvement d’églises saines qui se reproduisent ».

Saviez-vous qu’il n’y a pas si longtemps de cela, une personne pouvait être arrêtée au Canada pour avoir prêché l’Évangile en publique? Où vous demandez-vous?...Dans la province de Québec! Dans nos prières ce mois-ci, élevons nos ministères de l’AÉÉ situés au Québec. Notre bulletin de nouvelles ce mois-ci relate une entrevue faite avec Wesley Peach, directeur de l’AÉÉ pour le Québec. Ce mois-ci, nous apprendrons à mieux connaître Wes, à en savoir plus sur les ministères au Québec et sur la nécessité de prier passionnément pour cette région.

Des 23 églises de l’AÉÉ situées au Québec, 10 d’entre elles sont haïtiennes et utilisent le créole comme langue, 7 sont de langue française, 5 de langue anglaise et 1 de langue espagnole. En plus, Wes s’occupe de deux églises francophones en Ontario. Wes et son épouse Priscilla enseignent et s’occupent aussi d’implantation d’églises. Tout cela les occupe énormément et fait en sorte qu’ils ont un horaire très chargé. Les Peach font partie d’un certain nombre de nos pasteurs qui sont aussi missionnaires. Dans leur cas, ils sont membres de Cross World, organisme qui a une passion et un appel pour évangéliser dans les régions difficiles d’accès. Après 50 ans de travail acharné et fidèle pour répandre la bonne nouvelle de l’Évangile, il n’y a quand même que moins de 0.5% de la population du Québec qui se considère chrétienne évangélique. Le pourcentage dans le reste du Canada serait plus près de 19% en incluant tous les types de chrétiens, y compris les catholiques qui seraient considérés comme étant évangéliques. Cette comparaison reflète le grand besoin de développer des ministères au Québec et tout cela commence par la persévérance dans la prière.

Que Dieu bénisse le travail qui se fait au Québec et que Dieu bénisse l’AÉÉ du Canada suite à nos prières ce mois-ci.

Bénédictions,

Dr. Bill Fietje

Président