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October-november 2016 Bimonthly newsletter Issue 62 The Belgian Evangelical Mission Bld. Lambermont, 158 1030 Brussels - Belgium
BEM Info News from the Belgian Evangelical Mission
Bringing the Gospel Kurt Maeyens, Director for Flanders/German-speaking Belgium The holidays are over. We hope that they gave you a time of rest and refreshment. For the B.E. M. this period gives us the opportunity of bringing the Gospel to those who are seeking. For example, we organised several ‘SportQuest’ outreaches in Flanders – enabling local churches to invite non-Christian young people to discover the Gospel while playing sport.The instructors, all Christians, had the opportunity of giving their testimonies, and their lives demonstrated the love and compassion of Jesus. Discussions flowed and life-stories were shared. Hearts were touched, God was at work. Other churches organised activities for local children with Bible stories, crafts, and fun and games. The love of Jesus was plain to see. At the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth and there He read from the prophecy of Isaiah ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor… Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’ (Luke 4 v.16-20, cf Isaiah 61 v.1) Jesus came to proclaim the Gospel- a message of hope, assurance and unconditional love. But what then is this good news? When God created the world – a beautiful place for Man – and when He made Man after His own image, He wanted to show His love for Man in a tangible and concrete way. He gave Man three important gifts. He gave us responsibility (Genesis 1 v.26) telling us we could rule over all that He had made. He provided for our
daily needs (Genesis 1 v.29) giving us seedbearing plants for our food, And He gave us care and attention, walking daily with Man in the Garden. Through the Fall, when we chose to set our own values, to take care of ourselves, to love ourselves more than God, we were rejecting God’s love. But Jesus said, “I have come to bring the Good News. I have come to give you back true value, care and love.” The Good News is that Jesus wants to restore that broken relationship with God. To proclaim the Gospel – this is our calling as the B.E. M. – that every person in Belgium might be reached with the Gospel. In the coming year we want to be true to our calling as a Mission, to seek His face, to ask Him how to carry out this wonderful mission in Belgium. In the past year we asked ourselves ‘what are we doing now? Is it right? How can we do it better?’ In this postmodern era, how can we reach people with the gospel? For this new school year, we want to think in practical terms about our aims, strategy, identity and training. May we ask you to pray with us about these issues? Pray that we might know His will and His heart so that we might reach Belgium with the Good News of Jesus, His love and His salvation.
BELGIUM SUMMER OF ‘16 N O
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PHILIPPEVILLE Our church choir is preparing a gospel concert, supported by other musicians, which will take place on October 22nd at the Philippeville Cultural Centre. By means of this event we hope to make our existence better known to local residents and to bear witness to our faith through the words of the gospel songs and the stories told that evening. (Ruth Trump)
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A team of m issionaries committed to
♦ ARLON & VIRTON For our two churches here in the south of Belgium, there was no summer evangelistic campaign as such, but rather the continuation of the various activities that are a part of our daily life.We’ve spent time preparing for the annual Heritage Days, (when the churches are open to the public) which this year were on September 10th and 11th. In St. Mard the church is now listed under places of worship in the tourist guide and next year both of our churches will be participating in ‘Luther 2017’ celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. In this way we are taking advantage of every opportunity to maximise our public profile and visibility locally. (André Cools) ♦ THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN GANSHOREN USING THE BEM ANIMATION PROGRAMMES The week of children’s evangelism using the BEM programmes has become a tradition at Ganshoren. This year we had the honour of testing the new programme developed by ‘La Courte Echelle’- ‘SOS Heroes. Discover Jesus as the Super Saviour of our lives!’ The weather forecast was not encouraging (we had hail in July!) but this didn’t stop about fifty children joining us every day, half of whom come back year after year. One lady made hot meals for the entire team every lunch-time. We all worked together for our great God, aiming at being good instruments in His hands. We’re praying about the next step. We would like to do more than one week a year. Perhaps we could start an activity with the mothers of the children from other cultures? We want to be guided by what God has in mind. When something is going well, it tends to become a habit; we forget that God is at work. We want to be open to His leading, depending humbly upon Him. Please pray with us that His Glory might be visible to all! (Catherine Rottiers) ♦ HERSTAL In August, superheroes landed in Herstal! The HQ for the morning was in the Pontisse district, a new strategic place for our team of about 15 members, including people from the Herstal church and some others who came to help. The slow beginning on the first day with just two children did not prevent the group from growing in number to fifteen by the end of the week. Some even came again in the afternoon because they were having ‘too much fun!’ In fact, from 2pm in the afternoons the happy band that was the team had moved on to La Préalle district, now witnessing its sixth year of ‘La Courte Echelle’ programmes. Having ‘conquered’ both children and parents, the superheroes took up the invitation from a local school to participate in their August 21st celebration. It might even be possible for us to use their building to continue our activities throughout the school year! Please pray with us that God will give us the wisdom to take the right decisions concerning this new project (team, programme, frequency, rent). (Ruth Zander)
♦ NORTON HOUSE (BRUSSELS) This summer we welcomed Christians from the United States, Poland, South Africa and Germany. After all our years in the ministry we know that, in return for the time we give our guests, we receive so much more. And that’s why we would not, for the world, miss the mealtime conversations.We heard, for example, the story of the German lady who had never felt herself loved by her parents. Their divorce changed nothing; she found that she could expect no affection from her step-father. She was 24 when, one morning, she decided to put an end to her life. Just at that moment three Mormon ladies knocked at the door. In their community she found the love for which she so longed. It was when she left it ten years later that she met the Lord. Just one testimony among so many others… (Coreen deVaal) ♦ BRAKEL This year we held the seventh ‘edition’ of SportQuest at Brakel. A team composed of four Americans and a South African couple accepted the challenge of reaching out to young people with the Gospel through sport and games. When there was free time one of the athletes gave their testimony and, as every time, the returning participants dared to go deeper in discussions. One young girl came to Christ, explaining through her tears, that she had, for the first time, really understood what Jesus had done for her. Of the 45 young people present, several participate in the meetings organised throughout the year. We are already getting ready for the 8th year when we will be combining the SportQuest and Youth Alpha programmes. Last year we baptised, among others, six young people. It is such a joy to see all these young people in our church, fifteen years after having begun with just our own three children. (Henk van Dorp) ♦ BORGERHOUT This summer, thanks to SportQuest and in partnership with the Children’s Club from the church in Ekeren, the De Burg/Al Jeser project was able to renew contacts with the local children, girls as well as boys. Visiting a grotto, they discovered that Jesus is the hope that encourages us, as when He called Peter to get out of the boat. Christ gives us the strength to love, so that we might bring the Gospel and His light. We hope to repeat this initiative in Borgerhout during the Easter holidays. (Drienie Lombard)
How
to support the work in
Belgium
If you believe in the vision of B.E.M (to preach, to plant, to inspire) you can contribute to the work by sending your gift to: The Belgian Evangelical Mission see info on the back with (if applicable) an indication of the ministry or project you wish to support
Belgium o building Christ’s Church in
Every second month a new episode of the Nortons’ saga on www.b-e-m.org
Summary of the preceding chapters
Mrs. Norton found an office on Buckingham Street while her husband remained in America to rise further interest for their work.
Excerpt from Edith Norton’s journal ndon rs in Lo
n soldie
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It devolved at this time upon Mrs. Norton to secure furnishings for the new office and to see to the installation of electric light and gas. Also the growing work had demanded the engagement of a second secretary (later there would be 8 secretaries). In addition to caring for the mounting correspondence and dictating articles for America, there is noted in her journal daily excursions to the Zoo, the Tower or Mme. Tussauds Wax Works, with visiting Belgian soldiers. Each week she longingly awaited the return of her husband from America and November 29 she records her disappointment at word from him that he would not be returning before January. On the same date she mentions the fact that she, as proprietor of the office, was summoned to the Bow Street Police Court, under Defense of the Realm Act, because one of her secretaries had failed to lower the blinds at the proper hour, so severe were they in those days in face of the enemy air peril. To be continued...
JOB OFFERS French-speaking Belgium
Dutch-speaking Belgium
► two managers for Camp Limauges
► coordinator (M/F) for the Flemish Bible exhibition
► church-planters/pastors
► church-planters/pastors
Belgian Evangelical Mission
BEMOrgOnline
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