Over the years, Biblica Canada has had the incredible privilege of seeing God’s action manifested in a thousand and one ways through churches, ministries and, above all, through people who respond to God’s call in their own lives. Recently, our team met with two of our partners who are working with young people. We invite you to discover these two ministries who, each in their own way, encourage future generations to develop their knowledge of the Word and experience it in a powerful way. As you read this article, open your hearts and let God inspire you on how you too can contribute to Biblica’s work across Canada.
Let’s start with Yuriy Derkach’s ministry at Algonquin College, a 20,000-student institution in Ottawa. Yuriy has been working there as a chaplain and teacher for 15 years and rubs shoulders daily with young people from all walks of life. Although these students stem from different churches across the country and different professions of faith, they all have one thing in common: they thirst for the only truth. They are tired of the lies and manipulation that are so prevalent in our world today and have all sorts of deep questions they do not dare ask their church or leader.
In addition to teaching 300 students per semester, Yuriy leads daily Bible studies at the school. The group is growing, and Yuriy sees God at work. The more time he spends with students, the more he notices a real thirst for truth, reflected not only in the questions that students ask, but also in their desire to get their hands on a bible. Focusing on biblical teachings, Yuriy accompanies students on their journey and directs them to the One who is the way, the truth and the life! Biblica Canada recently provided Yuriy with over 300 bibles to help him in the extraordinary work he is doing with young people. Within a few days, all the bibles had been distributed!
Doulos Ministries, headed by Paul Racine, is a ministry active in the Cree community of Mistissini, Quebec. Paul and his team, Pastor Gordon and his wife Mary Jane, work with young people to train, mentor and develop the leadership skills of the community’s young people. Among other things, Doulos offers youth retreats and Bible study programs to help young people grow in their faith. They also collaborate with local churches to organize summer camps for high school students, and offer leadership development programs for older teens and young adults.
Thanks to Biblica Canada’s financial support, Doulos’s team was able to build a mobile Bible-reading application that includes a Cree version of the Bible and is aimed at reaching as many adults and young people as possible. Doulos has big plans for the future! In fact, the group is working on creating a radio program based on biblical teachings that will be broadcast to Quebec’s 10 Cree communities.
For many years, Paul has shared of himself to the community in many ways. He has, of course, invested time, prayer and energy into these young people and Cree communities, but his biggest investment so far is the gift he gave to his friend and pastor, Gordon, a key figure in the community in which they work. Paul donated one of his kidneys to Gordon, who suffered from an illness requiring several hospital visits a week for dialysis treatments, so he could enjoy a better quality of life. Paul’s immense generosity has helped increase community members’ trust in Doulos’s leader and the impact of his work.
You can certainly see why Yuriy and Paul’s actions, done with a heart for young people, help strengthen other people’s faith and inspire their commitment to God’s Word. Biblica Canada frequently receives requests for free or discounted bibles from across Canada. For example, we recently received a request for Bibles translated into Russian to be used by the Russian community in Alberta, and a request for bibles from an abbot working in a Montréal penitentiary.
It is thanks to the financial support of dedicated partners like you that we can continue to answer these requests and see the Word of God distributed across Canada, even in the most remote communities. But that’s not all! With your support, we can also create resources that equip churches and ministries, that sustain initiatives focused on younger generations and allow people to experience the Bible like never before! Thank you for partnering with us on this important work
