01: Eglise Nouvelle Vie (New Life Church), a charismatic megachurch in Montreal, is making a name for itself due to its rapid growth and large size.
Canada has megachurches, but the existence of such congregations in Quebec is far more rare, due to the secularism and predominance of Catholicism in that province. There are only 300 evangelical churches in the province, but the Nouvelle Vie has managed to grow from 60 to 2,200 since its formation in 1993.
Eighty percent of its members are said to be newly converted Christians. The contemporary and short services, ministry to the poor and youth, use of cell groups and lay leadership are cited as factors in the church’s growth (characteristics that are not present in many of the old-style evangelical churches in the province). The church has already begun four new churches with more than 200 people attending each one.
(Source: Christian Week Online, March 19)
02: Western televangelists and other foreign Christian broadcasts (not to mention scores of Islamic networks and shows) have long attempted to beam their messages to TV viewers in the Middle East.
But SAT-7 represents a more indigenous Christian broadcast ministry to the region. The satellite network is based in Wayne, Pa., but its mission is to “provide support to the indigenous Christians of the region.” Programs are created, scripted and produced by indigenous Arabic Christians and the network works in partnership with Middle Eastern churches.
The network is also considered unique because its programming seeks to be politically, socially and religiously sensitive to Middle Eastern society in contrast to Christian programs from the West that are typically dubbed into Arabic. The ministry is endorsed by Campus Crusade for Christ, the Baptist General Conference, as well as several members of Congress and the British Parliament.
(Source: Washington Times, March 13)