God is Moving in Quebec — And Sport is Opening the Doors
If you know anything about Quebec, you know it's one of the hardest ministry fields in North America. It's Canada's most secular province, and the government has been growing increasingly restrictive toward religious expression. For many years, the Church has struggled to find its footing there. But over the past few months, our NASM leader Charles Millette has been watching God quietly and steadily change that — one relationship, one coach, one sports league at a time.
Three Years of Faithful Groundwork
Charles has spent the last three years building trust with pastors, ministry leaders, and denominational leaders across Quebec — people who are genuinely hungry to add new tools to their churches' toolboxes. That patient investment is now bearing fruit in some exciting ways.
A Medical Trip Becomes a Ministry Moment
Back in October 2025, Charles's family found themselves in Montréal for a few days due to a medical appointment for one of their kids. What could have been simply a stressful family errand turned into a God-arranged ministry visit. Charles made the most of it.
He sat down with seven Bible college students and their program director who are preparing for a missions trip to the neighboring province — a French-speaking region with little Gospel presence and even fewer church connections. To help a small local church build relationships with families in that community, they're organizing a mini World Cup on Saturday, May 16. It's a simple, practical idea, but that's exactly the kind of low-barrier, high-impact entry point sports ministry does so well. Pray for that day — that families show up, relationships form, and seeds get planted in soil that hasn't seen much rain.
During that same Montréal visit, Charles also connected with young adults from a church in Sherbrooke who have since launched a training for coaches. Five of them are leading the charge, and they're already dreaming big — planning a summer 2026 initiative that will reach kids, teenagers, and young adults in their community. Even better, they've reached out to another local church about collaborating and co-hosting games together. That kind of inter-church momentum is exactly what we hope to see.
More Doors Opening in 2026
Early this year, Charles connected with the academic dean and camp director at a school in Sherbrooke. Both are exploring a partnership that would use their facilities for in-person coach training — and they're asking how their own students might benefit from sports ministry. That's the kind of institutional buy-in that could multiply impact quickly.
Meanwhile, in Montréal, something grassroots and beautiful has been quietly growing. Three young men from three different churches came together to launch a young adults sports league — soccer and basketball — that has already built a strong culture of competition and camaraderie that honors God. The league is currently made up of believers, but Charles is working with the founders on the next step: intentionally opening it to non-believers and raising up a spiritual shepherd who can protect the culture and keep the mission in focus. This is movement thinking in action.
The Bigger Picture
Underneath all of these individual stories is something Charles has been quietly cultivating: relationships with denominational leaders who are genuinely curious about using sport to make disciples. Together, these leaders represent more than 100 churches across Quebec. If those partnerships develop, the training and resources of the sports movement could reach a scale that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago — in a province where the Gospel has historically struggled to gain traction.
How to Pray for Quebec
Charles has shared three specific requests, and they're worth holding onto:
Zeal and courage for every leader, coach, and young adult who is investing in loving their neighbors through sport.
Discernment and wisdom for Charles as he seeks to deepen these relationships
Denominational partnerships that would open the door for many churches to receive training, resources, and the vision to make disciples through sport.
Quebec is hard ground. But hard ground, when it finally breaks open, can produce an incredible harvest. Keep your eyes on what God is doing there