“The rainbow is very beautiful when you see the different colors in harmony with each other. A red rainbow is not a rainbow… Likewise, a church alone does not have a monopoly on the truth; the truth is a person, Jesus. Churches praying together in an area give the world a better view of who Jesus is.” It is driven by this conviction and by the need to live unity among Christians (John 17, v.21) that Laurent Gerber has been involved since 2018 in developing the JC2033 vision in Quebec.
Getting to know each other better among Christians
Evangelical pastor, member of the YWAM Lanaudière team, this native of Switzerland has set up an inter-church committee of six people, whose desire is to see the Church seek to know God and make it known. But to be a witness for the world, it is already a question of deepening the bonds between Christians: “We want together to discover the meaning of the resurrection in our own churches. We also rejoice in the “good times” (beautiful moments in Quebec) experienced in the different communities, celebrate successes, intercede for each other, create festive moments and visit each other to get to know each other better,” explains Laurent Gerber. Who also wants to include a representative of Native Americans and a social worker for people with intellectual disabilities on the committee.
A significant event
On October 24, the committee experienced a first event, with the sending of a Catholic couple as JC2033 ambassadors for the diocese of Joliette and for the Charismatic Renewal congresses. On the program for this celebration, a family mass with a dynamic worship group followed by a short message from the bishop of the diocese, Mgr Louis Corriveau and Laurent Gerber. The celebration was filmed, in order to be broadcast in different Catholic parishes to sensitize them to the vision of JC2033. The committee also plans to organize a “sugar shack*” meal for Easter 2022, to celebrate the joy of the resurrection and that of being with family. "There will also be a pilgrimage between churches to get to know each other better," adds the pastor.
Offering the world a united Church
Born into an Evangelical family, Laurent Gerber attended a Reformed Church as a teenager and then an interfaith group of young people aged 16 to 24. And it was alongside a Catholic priest that he learned to accompany people at the end of life. Today, he sees himself as a builder of bridges. It t is thanks to the good relations established with Catholics, members of the Chemin Neuf Community, with an Anglican in charge of Campus pour Christ or even a Methodist pastor that this committee JC 2033 Quebec was constituted. "That we can be contagious and offer the world and our neighbour, the gift of a united, loving, helping and passionate Church for God., rejoiced Laurent Gerber.
Sandrine Roulet
*Traditional family meal in Quebec, when the thaw announces spring and it is possible to harvest maple sap to make the famous maple syrup.
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