The Quebec Reality
7.5 million people live in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is a distinct society in North America, set apart by language, passion, creativity, a strong cultural and historical identity; this unique people are distinct from a religious and a spiritual perspective as well. Quebec ranks number one in Canada for child poverty, suicide, divorce, unwed live-in couples and illegitimate birth. The Quebecois is the largest unreached people group in North America. Less than 1% of the French speaking population is Evangelical. There are less Evangelical Christians in Quebec than in Cuba.
The society in Quebec is post-Catholic and yet anything that is not Catholic in Quebec is seen as a cult. There are over 1000 spiritual organizations and cults; 20% of all books sold in Quebec are new age books. In radically rejecting the Catholic Church, the spiritual search of the Quebecois became very eclectic and non-religious. Post-modernism is more advanced in Quebec than in any other society in North America.
Today there is less than one evangelical church for every 11,000 people! To have a church for every 1,500 people, over 4000 new churches would need to be planted.
“This is why we are here. Our hearts have been desperately breaking since 1985 when we first came to Quebec on vacation. We are not content to let things remain the way that they are. We are here to take back what the enemy has stolen”.
The Fontaine’s are FMI Associate Missionaries and were sent out by their home church, Grace Capital Church in Pembroke, NH. They also served as the Founding Pastors of The Lake Church in Tilton, NH until their assignment to Quebec. Several churches in the Northern New England Foursquare District, Foursquare Missions International and personal friends and family support them. They are fully licensed Foursquare pastors in both the U.S. and Canada and consider it a real honor to represent the Foursquare family in Quebec.
Daniel & Lauren live in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada which is about 35 miles north of the Vermont border. They relocated from NH in June 2005 and have obtained Permanent Resident status. They are currently in the process of obtaining their Canadian Citizenship! They are focusing on evangelism and discipleship in their community and have gained the respect of many as they continue to love their neighbors and serve them in practical, physical, spiritual and everyday needs.
Daniel & Lauren will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in October of 2009. Their oldest daughter Emily and her husband, Matthew live in Virginia and will celebrate their 2nd wedding anniversary in November. Their youngest daughter, Meagan relocated back to Concord, NH in the spring of 2008 to attend college and will be finished this Fall. Please continue to pray for their family and for the people of Quebec.