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By establishing local churches (according to God’s leading, but not systematically).
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Publishing and selling books, pamphlets, audio teaching cassettes, musical cassettes and CDs.
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A magazine: “Puissance de l’Evangile” (Power of the Gospel).
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The creation and support of ministries dealing with abandoned, handicapped or mistreated children.
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The establishment of Christian schools.
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The free provision of literature, medicine, clothes, etc. to churches in poor countries.
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The teaching of leaders (male and female) by the Bible school and correspondence courses “Lumière(s) Des Nations” (Light(s) of the Nations).
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Spreading the Gospel by new and non-traditional methods.
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Teaching seminars open to leaders and Christians of all denominations.
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Participating in works that bless the Jews and Israel.
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Raising up an army of intercessors.
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Giving the opportunity, to those who desire, to participate financially in the work (eg. Via the ‘One Hundred club’).
WALKING TOGETHER
When a person decides to join a local church he chooses to place himself under the authority of the pastor according to the doctrine that is preached and taught. Indeed, the Bible states:
“Can two men walk together without being in agreement?” (Amos 3:3)
Via these pages, we want you to know the doctrinal points which are preached in the framework of “Souffle Nouveau”, the mentality in which we want to grow, the charter which unites the leaders and ministries within the movement, and the code of ethics which serves as a reference for itinerant ministers and those who receive them.
The “SOUFFLE NOUVEAU” way of thinking
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Everyone working in a ministry must serve the Lord motivated by a profound love for both lost souls and God’s people, selflessly giving of him/herself within the limits of a balanced family life.
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We place great importance on serving as a couple, believing that a strong church is made of strong couples. We insist on the depth of the relationship which must be developed by couples who are members of assemblies associated with “Souffle Nouveau.”
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We believe that women are called equally as men to exercise each and every ministry.
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We believe that children, young people and old people are called to rise and be used in the power of the Holy Spirit.
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We attach no importance to the manner in which people in our midst dress or wear their hair etc. We teach Christians not to judge by appearances, tastes and colors while still preserving the dignity and decency which are appropriate for God’s people. We have come to the conclusion that imposing rules and regulations of this kind has caused more harm than good to the gospel’s message and have unnecessarily burdened Christians under religious yokes. Furthermore, many prejudiced opinions come from certain bible verses misunderstood when taken out of context.
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On the contrary, we believe that everyone is different and has their own identity. Christ did not come to rob people of their personalities, but to enable them to fully develop their identities. “Where the Sprit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Following the Lord doesn’t mean losing your identity, but finding it.
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We denounce every religious facade, spirit of control or traditions built on bad interpretations of the Scriptures, which enslave the people instead of freeing them because we do not believe the Holy Sprit works this way.
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Our goal is not to “have a big church” (even if we believe God wants to bring in a large number of souls) but to have in our midst the people God has called to be there. Some people will develop better in a different framework corresponding to their call.
- Our evangelism campaigns and seminars etc. are done for Jesus Christ and the body of Christ and not just for the churches and ministries of “Souffle Nouveau.”
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We believe it is important to new Christians choose themselves where they want to go to church, without being pressurised.
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We want to maintain peaceful ties with other churches and ministries in spite of our differences in points of view, in so far as it depends on us.
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We insist that people do not criticise other churches and ministers, even those with whom they may have had “difficulties” prior to joining us.
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We insist that no member will strike back (“blow for blow”) in relation to any criticism which might be directed towards the work, the ministers or the members. On the contrary, that everything be done to return good for evil.
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One of the roles of this work is to heal and restore those who have fallen in the ministry, recovering their anointing and God’s calling in their lives (Galatians 6: 1-2).*** Therefore we choose to disregard those things in their pasts that have been sincerely repented of.
- We ask, nevertheless, that ministers of “Souffle Nouveau” live a sanctified life of consecration, purity of words and deeds.
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No minister associated with this work has the right to continue to minister in this framework if motivated by pride or money or if having severe problems (for which he/she is responsible) in their marriage or relations with other people, severe personal problems, etc.
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Anyone having a personal vision that has been recognized and included in the “Souffle Nouveau” work is solely responsible for heading up their vision. They will not be oppressed in their vision by their leaders as long as they stay within the framework of “Souffle Nouveau’s” vision. Each one is responsible for their vision.
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That said, every ministry using the structure and name of “Souffle Nouveau”, implicating by their financial administration the legal responsibility and reputation of the work, must be accountable to the leadership of Claude and Julia Payan and to the leadership team concerning their faithfulness to remain within the principles and mentality expressed in these pages.
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Every person departing from these principles must separate themselves from this work, which refuses to endorse or approve individual visions operating on other principles. This is how we understand mutual submission.
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Every person joining (or functioning as a minister in) this work is asked to be sure that they themselves are in agreement with the ESSENTIAL framework. NON-ESSENTIALS are open to discussion in a sprit of exchange and peace
OTHER DOCTRINAL POINTS
When one speaks of doctrine, we are referring to many points which correspond to important subjects. Our future can be changed according to what we choose to believe about some key subjects in the Word of God. Several of these points have already been addressed; here are some others, starting with what we feel is most important :
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We believe that God is a good God who loves His creation and has a destiny for each one of us.
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We believe in Christ’s sacrifice. The is the foundation that unites us with other Christians throughout the world. Jesus is the Son of God, who came in the flesh to die for the sins of the world, He is risen and calls all people to turn towards Him. We believe He is the only way, the truth and the life !
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We believe that the return of Christ is near for the total establishment of His kingdom,the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment.
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We believe in the reality of heaven and hell which are real places.
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We believe that the devil and demons exist and that they are the cause of all the evil on this Earth, but in Jesus Christ we have authority over them and their works.
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We believe that one becomes a child of God, a Christian, via the unique experience of being born again. Nothing can replace this experience. It is not by being a member of a church, nor the particular form of baptism, nor by our good works that we are saved but only by the power of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
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We believe in baptism in water by complete immersion reserved for people of an age to believe and decide for themselves.
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We believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit accompanied by signs of prophecy and speaking in tongues. .
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We believe in the gifts of the Spirit and in the regular use of them.
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We believe in the free expression of the Sprit during our services, in different forms, which may be noisy or quiet according to the moment: songs, declarations, “new wine”, dance, etc - every expression at the right time.
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We believe in the importance of sanctification : We believe that Christians must not live in sin of any kind. Putting one’s life in order is essential to staying in a church.
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We believe in the importance of taking care of one’s family : spouse, children, relatives. Serving God means taking care of those God has given us..
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We believe in the importance of prayer. It is a priority.
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We believe in the importance of praise and worship.
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We believe in spiritual deliverance : a Christian may need to be delivered from one or more powers of darkness (demons) who inhabit him. Simply, a balance is to be found: every Christian is not inhabited by powers of darkness. The manner by which we deal with them is important. (We refuse certain unbalanced practices in our midst: inner healing which never ends and practices which lead people to stay in their past instead of helping to propel them ahead.)
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We believe that divine healing is for everyone ! This is because at the cross, Jesus also bore our sicknesses and infirmities. God wants to heal! (We are by no means opposed to consulting doctors who, we believe, have also been established by God to fight against sickness.)
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We believe in prosperity. God wants to prosper us and provide for our needs and those of His church ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES AND GLORY IN JESUS CHRIST following the Biblical principle of the law of sowing and reaping.
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We believe in the diversity of tastes and colors. Differences are a gift from God. We have the intention of cultivating them at “S.N.” We believe that uniformity limits the work of the Holy Spirit.
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We believe in the importance of the vision of the Body of Christ, to be in service to the Body of Christ, composed of all born-again believers, before being in service of a work.
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We believe that the church is made of living stones rather than a building.
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We believe in the government of the church by a pastoral team which has, at the head, a primary pastor. (We believe in a balance between the fact that there is always an authority, without it becoming tyrannical but on the contrary being open with humility to a large number of counselors.)
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We believe in raising up ministries ; the five apostolic ministries and all the others to work as a complementary team.
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We believe that everyone is called to serve God in one form or another : children, young people, old people.
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We believe in the importance of training ministers. “The harvest is great and there are few workers.”
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We believe that the church must be concerned about Jews and Israel. She must pray and work to bless Jews and Israel. A Christian cannot be anti-Semite or anti-Zionist. We believe that the Church has not replaced Israel and, in parallel with the plans He has for the Church, God still has plans for Israel.
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We believe that the fact of being for the future of Israel must not make us take a position anti-Arab, because God loves and has a future for all peoples.
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We believe that it is a priority to give help to the needy and protection to the weak.
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We believe it is good to be submitted to the authorities of the country and our region (as long as they uphold justice).
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We believe in the importance of the missionary vision : one mission of the work “S.N.” is to go to THE NATIONS and touch them.
CHARTER FOR MINISTERS (MEN AND WOMEN) OF "SOUFFLE NOUVEAU”
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The primary motivations of my service are as follows:
- The love of God
- Love and compassion for souls
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I will work to maintain these things in me while walking in faith, in humility, with an upright heart, acts and language.
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I will make every effort, on the one hand, to be a man or woman of peace insofar as it depends on me. I will abstain from answering slanderous words with the same, from entering into controversies of churches or pastors. I will avoid speaking ill of people even at home.
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On the other hand, I will resist those who are unjust and seek to put the people of god under useless yokes, without being in the least intimidated: I banish the fear of man. I will resist wicked people, those who do not repent, and will remove them from the assembly if needed.
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I will be merciful, which is to say I will forgive readily.
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I will help those who are under my responsibility in bearing with them and lifting them up. I will work to avoid getting angry.
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I will exert no pressure or manipulation on people. I will not interfere with their private life.
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I will respect the personality of each person as well as their tastes. I will be careful to avoid any judgments based on personal appearance.
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I will preach only if I have something to say, otherwise I will give my place to someone else or change the direction of the meeting.
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I will not preach on the basis of my moods or personal frustrations, past or present.
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I will exercise hospitality and consider it a holy obligation to help the less fortunate, the widow and the orphan.
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I will avoid various temptations : sex, money, and anything which satisfies my ego. I will avoid spending too much time with someone of the opposite sex. I will be prudent concerning money and will not accept money as a motivation to go preach in an assembly or pray for people. I will in no way favor the rich to the detriment of the poor.
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I will maintain my marriage in the spiritual, emotional and sexual domains. The good functioning of my family will be a priority. I recognize the order of importance of these things: my relationship first with God, then with my spouse, next my children, and finally the church and the ministry.
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If I deviate from these principles, I want the other leaders to correct me. If I am obstinate in these deviations, I want them to remove me from my position.
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If my life ceases to be in order for too long, I will momentarily withdraw until things are back in order.
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I will make it a priority to listen to the Holy Spirit and will take the time to understand His plans for me.
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I will not proceed according to what I see but according to the personal directives God has given me, confirmed by others. Thus, I will act based on what I believe.
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I will be of those who “uncomplicate” life and “uncomplicate” others, de-dramatizing situations and not allowing useless fear or worry to take root.
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I will maintain friendly relationships with other ministers of Souffle Nouveau. in mutual respect and complementarity. I will reject every spirit of competition, jealousy, etc. I will rejoice at the success of others. I will make every effort to be “on call” for everyone.
CODE OF ETHICS FOR MINISTERS WHO VISIT CHURCHES AND FOR CHURCHES WHO RECEIVE MINISTERS
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FOR MINISTERS WHO VISIT CHURCHES
