Sept./Nov. 2018 - Issue 71 - trimonthly magazine - P206948
R LPH Magazine of the Belgian Evangelical Mission
Long live community
Created for community p.2 Does church = community ? p.5 moto-connexion, a mobile community p.7
Made for community Living together in community is so important… and you’re asking me to write about it? I’m Kees van Velzen, an only child of parents who’d always wanted a big family. In fact they only had one son, - that’s me, born eleven years after their marriage. So what could an only child possibly have to say about the importance of togetherness, about community? Following my conversion, it was the most wonderful discovery to find that I had now become part of the biggest family in the world: I had millions of brothers and sisters. Wherever I come and go on the earth, they’re there. And so every place where Jesus is known as Lord is a bit like home to me. Of course, living in God’s family is not always restful, but I couldn’t go on living without it. The Bible is full of community. Clearly we were created to live in community. There are many examples that illustrate this. Take, for example, the passages that compare the Church of Jesus to a body. We need each other! Or again, when Jesus in His high priestly prayer desires our unity so ardently. But I want us to look at Proverbs 30 v.24-28, which speaks of the wisdom of the little creatures. Why does the Almighty find it necessary to refer to ants and locusts in the words of Agur, son of Jakeh? And what can
RALPh MAGAZINE
Kees van Velzen
editorial
I tell you about the IQ of these little creatures that would make sense to you? Well, we’re told that they are particularly wise. They were made that way by God, and He uses them as an example. In order to overcome their weakness and bring down many strong adversaries, they work together! Ants have an incredible system that betters the processing power of a computer: they plan well ahead, look after their nest and food supplies and work relentlessly to achieve their goal. Biologists can’t stop talking about this amazing system that enables ants to track down food by scent and convey it to the nest. Sometimes they carry a weight many times heavier than themselves. Not for nothing does Solomon write ‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!’ Proverbs 6 v.6. And finally, the locusts. They ‘have no king, but they advance together in ranks.’ No king; what a lesson for us! One locust on its own is not very impressive, but it’s another story when they all work together! They can literally bring down kingdoms. But wait a minute… We do have a King and His Name is Jesus. By putting ourselves at His service, by working together in community and following Him, we too can bring down ‘kingdoms’ so that His Kingdom might increase!
refers to Ralph Norton. Ralph and his wife Edith founded the
Belgian Evangelical Mission in 1918. The BEM has a desire to bring the Gospel to the Belgian population. This magazine keeps you posted on our work and our workers.
Editor Kurt Maeyens Painting (cover page) Wendy Bartel Subscription Trimonthly magazine - free Subscribe/unsubscribe: information@b-e-m.org
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Production Quality Dots B.V.
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News in brief
Welcome
Bijbel-Expo 2018
Géraud & Elsa Graf
Over the last 13 years the Bijbel-Expo has welcomed 45,000 visitors in Flanders. Before the summer, in Tienen, there were 760 visitors. Their experiences were positive, as the visitors’ book testifies – ‘The exhibition exceeded my expectations. The history was interesting and relevant. Thank you!’ and again ‘We had a thrilling journey through time and covering different inventions. Clever use of modern technology! It spoke to me.’
Married since 2012, Géraud and Elsa Graf spent several years working with young people before joining the Geneva Bible Institute (IBG). For two years, as part of their course, they worked in France on a church-planting project. There they discovered the necessity of reaching out to people where they are, of showing them love and of sharing their lives. This is a dynamic that Géraud and Elsa hope to find in Belgium where God has opened the doors for them to spend two further years of training in the BEM mission post L’Autre Rive in Gembloux.
We are URGENTLY seeking a coordinator (M/F) for the Expo. All the info is on our website. It would be such a shame to have to close the Expo for lack of staff... www.b-e-m.org/the-bem-you/opportunities/ coordinator-bible-exhibition/
Autumn 2018
BijbelExpo Lummen from the 24th September to the 5th October Hoogstraten from the 10th to the 24th of October www.bijbel-expo.be
Kurtis & Julia Diederich Kurtis and Julia Diederich, members of the Navigators USA network, are joining the mission post in Gembloux for two years of training in the development of an alternative integrated local community. Apart from improving their French language skills, they will take an interest in different aspects of the local ministry as well as the philosophy and strategy behind the Gembloux community. Eager to participate in the spread of the Good News in our country, they’re very happy to be becoming part of the BEM family. Kurtis and Julia will also represent the Navigators in Belgium. RALPH | 3
We all need community
On July 5th, the media relayed the findings of the 2018 National Happiness Survey for Belgium, conducted in collaboration with the University of Ghent. The headlines focussed on the most striking finding: “Belgians are suffering from loneliness more than ever before.” Nearly half the population feels lonely, suffers from isolation or a lack of real relationships with other people. Astonishingly, it’s the age groups between 20 and 34 years old (54.5%) and those between 35 and 50 years old (53%) who suffer the most! And the researchers encouraged decision makers to suggest spaces for meetings and interaction, saying that ‘someone with one good relationship has up to five times more chance of being happy.” We read in Genesis 2 v.18 that the Creator had already declared ‘It’s not good for man to be alone’ before introducing man to his counterpart, woman. And all through Scripture, God seeks to bring together scattered men and women to be a people united around Him, a flock
that He will lead, a family for whom He is the Father. He even sent His Son, Jesus, to gather in the sheep that have strayed away, to offer adoption to His rebellious children, to integrate living stones into the building He’s constructing, each of us becoming active members of His Body...
our organised programmes, but also of our spontaneous, improvised interrelations. As for “those who do not belong to the family of God”, Jesus saw them as sheep in need of a shepherd, but also as sheep in need of a flock, as children astray in need of a family.
In our individualistic society, we tend to insist so much (perhaps too much) on the personal character of salvation, on “my decision for Jesus”, and as a result we can lose sight of the community dimension. Of course, there’s the church, but church is much more than a club for individual Christians, an institution that can count up its registered members, or those who are baptised. We’re the family of God (Ephesians 2 v.19). We cannot escape this. Our behaviour should show it, not only in our relationships with each other, but also as we interact with those who are outside the church. All of our activities, our structures, everything about our life should stimulate, facilitate, and encourage the life of the community. And this not only true of
So here we have one of the great paradoxes of our time: our contemporaries are suffering more than ever before from loneliness and isolation, while at the same time massively rejecting the option of the church as the answer to their basic need. However, it really is the Christian community that God has designed as the ideal setting for growth and flourishing together. It’s up to us to rediscover, to live and to reflect this family dimension of our communal life, above and beyond the institutional character of church, with more simplicity, more authenticity, and fewer cumbersome structures. That is the call, both for ourselves and for the world.
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Eric Zander
Red. Lifestyle/Belga, « Les Belges plus que jamais en proie à la solitude », La Libre (5th July 2018) Idem
hannut a church that is community Launched in 2014 on the model of its ‘big sister’ in Gembloux, the objective of the church community in Hannut is to be an expression of the Body of Christ. By engaging on the ground with its immediate neighbours,
Béatrice met Jesus at 19 in her native France and has lived in Belgium since the beginning of the ‘90’s. Three years ago, she joined the community of L’Autre Rive in Hannut on the advice of her family. Touched by the welcome she was given, she appreciates the style of the morning services, the teaching and the fellowship. Rahel has always been part of a church; she was first taken to church by her parents, then she attended from personal choice. A few years ago she discovered that the parents of her daughter’s school friend were leading a brand new Christian community in Hannut. For two years the family came occasionally to the Sunday services at L’Autre Rive while still attending the church where they’d been members for over 10 years. In 2016, they decided to join the Hannut church, where their sincere desire to follow and serve God is evident.
l’Autre Rive is choosing to live amongst local people. The church is inviting local inhabitants to journey with Jesus in the heart of a group, and offering them the opportunity of participating in their community life.
up of people who, despite their differences, all have the same objective. Being part of a community implies personal investment and sharing with others in order to go forward together towards a common goal. Like the flame that keeps the coals burning, this environment is helping Rahel to stay ‘on fire’ for God. She can do her part, being challenged, encouraged and exhorted by the Word of God and by other members of the community. She can find people with whom she can share and pray for the things that touch her deeply. In L’Autre Rive, community life is not just about Sunday gatherings or weekly meetings. It’s demonstrated through shared lives, having a meal
together, building friendships. It’s seen in their support for local events, such as the 24 Hours Puzzle Championship, an international event that takes place every year in Hannut. And community is not just for adults either: young people can meet friends of the own age with the same outlook on life, who also want to follow God. Fortunately the sort of community life to which both Béatrice and Rahel aspire, is not the exclusive domain of a small number of Christian groups. Indeed, both had already experienced community in varying degrees in their former churches. Sometimes though, it just takes putting these ‘little bits of community’ side by side and let ting them develop.
Béatrice defines ‘community’ as a space where you’re welcomed, heard, and able to share. It’s a place where you can create relationships, and friendships, where people support each other, where you just enjoy being together. This dimension of becoming a family together is essential.
For Rahel, for example, sharing and serving together makes more sense in a local environment, and sometimes you need patience before seeing results. Spending time with others and getting involved in the same task together helps to put in place an atmosphere conducive to the creation of relationships and the growth of community. As for Béatrice, she underlines the importance of keeping an open mind, caring for others, of showing them goodwill and wisdom.
For Rahel, a ‘community’ is made
Eunice Parodi RALPH | 5
the edith column
Wendy Bartel
Frankly, I did not expect that learning a second language would influence such a broad spectrum of my life. Neither did I expect that learning a second language would change the way I use my mother tongue. When I moved to Belgium two years ago, I was excited to learn all about this new culture. I immediately tried to immerse myself in my new French-speaking world. Even before I was fluent, I chose to function (awkwardly at best, in the beginning) as much in French as possible. My habits also slowly changed, and I am now a beautifully complicated mixture of American, Canadian, and Belgian. What I love about having another language in my head, is the way it broadens my perspective of the world, as well as enriches my capacity to express what I experience. There are new expressions available to me, new ways of describing things, and it feels like an adventure. However, sometimes in learning these new things, I forget which language something originated in or how we would express something in English instead of French. The expression «petit à petit l’oiseau fait son nid (little by little, the bird makes its nest)» seems so natural to me that I was convinced that it was an expression we had in English too... which a friend of mine gently told me is not the case! I also used to be great at spelling, and now I make many mistakes trying to remember which the English or French spelling of words is. Even the autocorrect on my smartphone is confused and is no longer reliable! Recently, I had to explain to my sister what I meant by the way in which I used the word “normally”. Often my Belgian friends tease me about forgetting how to say things in English and it makes me laugh. I never would have guessed my mother tongue could be affected so quickly. The journey has been enjoyable, and I am looking forward to what our Creator will continue to do with the colorful patchwork masterpiece He is making me into. I will never be fully American, Canadian, or Belgian, but will always be composed of pieces of each of them. Forever imprinted on my heart are the friendships and memories of experiences shared with people from all these places, like treasured pieces of cloth that don’t take away from who I was, but rather add to a more beautiful and complex artwork. RALPH | 6
Interview
Riding, journeying, following and sharing Ten years ago two BEM missionaries launched Moto-conneXion, an alternative community that combines a passion for motorbikes and an interest in spiritual journeying. In practical terms, this means a monthly bike trip that includes time for discussion and sharing around the Gospel, having
a meal together, laughing a lot and prayer. Believers (from different backgrounds) and non-believers alike meet up and share their experiences and their discoveries in a way that enriches one and all. RALPH met up with Patrick and Christine who’ve participated from the very beginning.
Good to meet you, Patrick and Christine. Please tell us a bit about yourselves.
Do you find this kind of ‘community’ in Moto-conneXion?
We have three children and two grand-children. Patrick is a truck driver and Christine a civil servant.
C. In a sense, yes. All these elements are there, with in addition, very strong friendships, because there are fewer of us.
So you’re passionate about motorbikes?
This ‘community’ – is it something you find essential for your daily life and your spiritual journey with God?
P. I’ve always loved motorbikes and I’ve almost always had one. In fact, even when I’m not out on the bike, the simple fact of having one at home makes me feel happy. C. I love motorbikes too, but I preferred to wait until our children had grown up before going out on the bike. As soon as our youngest was 16, I began to accompany Patrick. What do you like about Moto-conneXion?
C. I need to be in fellowship with Christians to feel good and to grow in the Lord. In addition to life in my local church, our bike trips help me to get away and to admire God’s creation. We’ve so much beautiful countryside in Belgium, you have to get out and admire it! P. I don’t attend church. But with Moto-conneXion, I’ve found a way I can follow God.
P. I like Moto-conneXion for its diversity. We come from different places and churches, from different communities. I like the way it’s run and the way we approach the Word of God. C. I like Moto-conneXion for its community aspect. We all feel at ease with each other and we get on well. Not all of us are committed Christians, but we respect one another. How would do you define ‘community’? C. As far as the church is concerned, I think of it as a place where everyone can participate actively in the life of the community, even during worship. It’s possible to do church in a different way – less formal, and more personal.
Interview: Eunice Parodi RALPH | 7
1919 - 2019 100 years of the Bem Next year the B.E.M. will be celebrating its centenary. We want to do this in several different ways throughout the year. One of the high points will be on Saturday 11th May 2019. And who better to tell us about it than Matthias Valenta, the leader of the working group organising the day? “What a privilege for the B.E.M. to be able to look back over 100 years of history! There are so many reasons for us to thank God for His blessings; so many individuals who’ve taken part in the proclamation of the Gospel in Belgium. On Saturday 11th May 2019, we’ll all come together with hearts full of thanksgiving as we look back at what the Lord has done. On that day we also want to look to the future. God still has great things in store for Belgium.” Preparations are well under way. It promises to be a day full of blessings, a day that’s challenging, exciting and varied. So please make a note of the date of 11th May 2019 and plan to be with us if you can! We’re going to begin our centenary celebrations with an act of remembrance at the tomb of the Nortons in Evere on December 22nd 2018, just a few days after the 100th anniversary of the arrival in Belgium of Ralph and Edith Norton on December 19th, 1918. The exact address for the commemoration is Avenue du Cimetière 159, 1140 Evere, and the ceremony will start at 10h15 am. Kees van Velzen will lead us in a short meditation and then we’ll unveil the renovated memorial stone. Other events are in the pipeline. You’ll be hearing about them soon. donation@b-e-m.org United States BEM Inc PO Box 2255 Buford , GA 30515 Tel: 001 404.248.7868 USBEM@bellsouth.net Lisa_rob_clark@bellsouth.net Bank info: Routing: 061000227 Account: 2000127122209
United Kingdom Belgian Evangelical Mission – UK PO Box 617 Epsom, Surrey KT17 9JQ Bank account: CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ Sort code: 40 52 40 Account Number: 00008831
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