Looking forward to seeing you there.

We have had a good summer this year here at West Island. While as always we face the summer attendance slump we maintained an average Sunday attendance of 112. We’re looking forward to having everybody back home and in service again.

This week we will be welcoming Bro. Brent Isaac to the church family here at West Island. Bro. Isaac is a 2010 graduate of Northeast Christian College who will be working with us in several different capacities. Brent is from Listuguj, QC and came to know Jesus through the ministry of Bro. Mike Noel and the church in Campbellton, NB. We look forward to having Brent as part of our team!

On Monday, the Post editorial board contended that Montreal’s Loyola High School should not have the right to opt out of a Quebec government-sponsored ethics and religion program — despite a court ruling allowing it to do so — because it receives public funds.

The argument seems fair on the surface: The assumption is that as a religious school, Loyola is somehow outside the public sphere and therefore should be grateful for whatever public support it gets. But what the editorial fails to recognize is that public money does not mean secular money.

Funds that end up in the government’s coffers come from all sorts of people, including religious people, who pay taxes like everyone else. Why should those religious taxpayers be beholden to non-religious taxpayers?

There is an increasingly common notion in our society that religious people need to stand in a corner and behave; that their stake in society is somewhere on the fringe and the “rest” of society occupies some sane middle ground. There is a knee jerk assumption that the values transmitted by the state are always superior to those taught by those who hold religious values. But this is merely a heavy-handed tenet of the state religion called secularism.

Finally, there is an assumption in society that only religious people can be intolerant and that the state is always neutral. But that is beyond naive. Secularism has become as much a theology as religious teaching. And in a fair society, there should be room for both, not just one.

National Post
clewis@nationalpost.com

This article was published Tuesday on the Post’s op-ed pages.

Charles Lewis writes about religion for the National Post and is the editor of Holy Post

Congratulations to all of our 2010 Graduates!

• Ashley Hemmings – Lindsay Place High School
• Dominique Thornhill – Vaudreuil High School
• Jared Grant – Centennial High School
• Jhoanna Batulan – John Abbott College
• Joshua George – Vanier College
• Kendon Williams – Vanier College
• Charlotte Thomson – Northeast Christian College
• Tyrone Goodridge-Czernon – McGill University

In Quebec City 42 people gathered together in the Centre Victor-Lelievre for a time of worship. Some good contacts were made and there was a wonderful spirit of praise and worship.

On Saturday evening it was the inaugural service for the International Church on the South Shore. Just over thirty people, including the Purpose Institute team were present for the service which was held at the Quality Suites and Hotel in Brossard.

Thanks to those from the West Island who were able to be in attendance and show your support for this new church plant!

And excerpt from an article in a recent issue of “First Things” says:

“Young people who have been exposed to pornography are more likely to have multiple lifetime sexual partners, more likely to have had more than one sexual partner in the last three months, more likely to have used alcohol or other substances at their last sexual encounter, and—no surprise here—more likely to have scored higher on a “sexual permissiveness” test. They are also more likely to have tried risky forms of sex. They are also more likely to engage in forced sex and more likely to be sexual offenders.”

However, pornography is not a problem confined to the young. It infects every age group and no longer is confined to males (if it ever was).

You can read the rest of the article here.

PENTECOST SUNDAY.  We firmly believe that from Easter to Pentecost Sunday (the 50 days of Pentecost) that there is a special "window" of grace and outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord.  Therefore, we always seek to take advantage of it, having special drives, goals, services, rallies, etc.  Below is a picture of some receiving the Holy Spirit this past weekend:

In Sectional services in the Central District: over 210 were reported receiving the HG Saturday - that’s just in Mexico City.

In the local Church that I Pastor, in the heart of Mexico City, we had: 14 receive the Holy Spirit in the services on Sunday, but a total of 82 since Easter Sunday!

In Mérida, Yucatán: In a Pentecost Sunday Rally over 132 received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, where Brother Martín González is Pastor - he is also the Vice President of the UPCM. 

CENTRAL DISTRICT CONGRESS.  Last March 16, 2010 we had our Central District Congress (a one-day District Rally) with over 2,800 in attendance and 186 received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Also, 19 were baptized in Jesus’ Name.  Pictured below is that event:

CENTRAL DISTRICT GROWTH.  In our last Monthly Pastors’ Meeting (the first Monday night of each month), the Pastors of the Central District reported a total of 230 baptized and 186 received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit during the month of April 2010.  Those Pastors’ Monthly Meeting are a time of inspiration, reporting, collecting Ministerial Tithes, Offerings, etc. 

       Rejoice and give thanks with us.  To God be the glory!

The UPC of Mexico has its National Convention every two years, the next one will be in the "Palacio De Los Deportes" (Sports Palace) in Mexico City, July 29-31, 2011.  We expect over 15,000 in attendance at that Convention.  Why not plan to come and be part of the Revival In Mexico?

The services were marked with a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit with Evan from West Island being one of the 108 who received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Congratulations Evan!!

Cindy and I returned to Montreal for our morning service here at West Island – and what a great group there was for a holiday weekend. Following the service we drove to Belleville, arriving just in time for the evening service – another great time of praise and worship.

Thanks to Sis. Joanne, Sis. Cindy and all of those who helped make Youth Convention 2010 a resounding success!.