THRIVE Spring Summer 2023

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Spring/Summer 2023 THE VALUE OF INTENTIONAL, INTENSIVE MENTORING Within our Fellowship, we are fortunate to have three wonderful, hands-on training opportunities at our affiliated Bible Colleges and Seminaries: the Immerse Program at Northwest Seminary and College in Langley, BC; the Internship program at Heritage College & Seminary in Cambridge, ON; and the Cohort program at SEMBEQ in Montréal, QC. Below are encouraging stories of students who have transitioned from school to ministry after completing one of these comprehensive, mentorship-based programs. UP TO SPEED: REGIONAL UPDATES Dr. Barton Priebe, President of Northwest Seminary and College Northwest Seminary and College believes there is a trickledown effect that occurs when mentoring is embraced with intentionality. For Dan Steenson (a graduate from 2019), mentoring has been the basis of his faith formation. From his first moments of belief as a teen to his three years as an Immerse student to his current role as Youth and Young Adults Pastor at Ridge Church, a mentor has always walked alongside him. For Dan, Northwest and Fellowship Pacific’s competencybased Master’s program, Immerse, was a perfect fit. Three mentors – academic, denominational, and pastoral – guided him through instructional seminars and learning experiences. “I was discovering in an academic sense while in the safety and intimacy of life-on-life discipleship,” explains Dan. Dan spent two-thirds of every day working with his pastoral mentor. “If the picture of Christian leadership is to ‘imitate Paul as he imitates Christ,’ then the nature of mentoring must be to live into that truth by creating a structure of godly imitation,” comments Dan. Dan’s pastoral mentor not only embraced this truth but worked to develop a protégé who would be worthy of ‘godly imitation’. This trickledown effect, facilitated by holistic formation as a follower of Christ with specific formation in pastoral ministry, is what success looks like to Northwest.
thrive-magazine.ca thrive / 19 Francois Turcotte, President of SEMBEQ Nicholas Cotnoir has had a strong relationship with SEMBEQ for many years. It was there that he took his first theology classes in 2000 while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering and working part-time at Emmanuel Evangelical Baptist Church (EBEE) in Pierrefonds, QC as a Servant-in-Training. Upon completion of his engineering degree in 2003, he began full-time secular work. When SEMBEQ launched its very first cohort the next year, Nicholas was only too happy to join this group of students, with whom he would take classes and build strong relationships over the next six years. In 2006, he felt God’s call to ministry and left his job as an engineer to become a full-time Servant-in-Training at EBEE. The coaching he received within his church was an integral part of his training, which focused on developing the heart and practical skills in addition to knowledge. He became an elder-pastor in 2009, at which time he also completed his cohort training. Two years later, it was with great pleasure that he completed his undergraduate degree in theology with SEMBEQ, a journey that took over ten years! He decided to further his preaching skills by completing a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching at The Master’s Seminary in Los Angeles from 2018 to 2021. SEMBEQ is part of Nicholas’ DNA. Not only did he complete his undergraduate theological training there, but he now teaches Pastoral Theology and coaches several students, including many from his church. He believes that investing in the multiplication of leaders is not optional. He is also a member and administrator of the SEMBEQ Foundation which helps churches accelerate leadership training through scholarships—yet another way for him to contribute to the training of the next generation of leaders. Godfrey Thorogood, Vice President of Ministry Partners and Internships, Heritage College & Seminary Over the past 40 years, I have witnessed — in my own life and in the lives of dozens of others — the value of a more robust, intentional, and intensive internship for those preparing for vocational ministry. Yes, there is value in a seven- to ten-hour per week internship or a full-time summer ministry internship, but those who are immersed in the ministry of a good teaching church or para-church ministry for two years, full-time, while completing their theological education are better equipped for long-term ministry as a result of their more intentional and intensive internship experience. Listen to the experience of Pastor Andrew Melo, a graduate of Heritage College & Seminary who is now serving as lead pastor of Calvary Gospel Church in Beamsville, ON. During his schooling, Andrew interned at Grandview Baptist in Kitchener, ON and then served as youth pastor. “The two-year full-time internship through Heritage College and FEB Central was instrumental in my development as a pastor. The hands-on church ministry experience allowed me to implement the training I received in the classroom in a reallife, yet protected, context. The internship took me ‘behind the scenes’ of a church and into the lives of its staff and congregants. In two short years, I forged life-long relationships, tested the waters in a variety of ministries, received affirmation from pastors and congregants, and learned the indispensable value of servant leadership. In these ways, the internship provided me with invaluable exposure to ministry that continues to influence my pastoral approach to this day.” At Heritage College & Seminary, our passion is to see our graduates “stay strong and go long” in serving the Lord and His Church.
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