December 2018 - Issue 72 - trimonthly magazine - P206948
R LPH Magazine of the Belgian Evangelical Mission
Editorial - INTEGRATION p.2 integration in practice p.5 testimonies - reflecting Jesus p.7
editorial
Integration
Willy Fraipont
Three years ago in Liege, we moved to a new neighbourhood! We’re now much closer to where we “work”. But I always insist that our work is actually a ministry, although it does have its commercial side (unfortunately books do cost something). But for us the Bookshop has always been a means of spreading the Word of God, but it’s also a beacon: a light in the darkness, a place where those seeking God can find answers. For us the new values put forward by the BEM have acted as a catalyst and a challenge. Integration – yes, it’s true we’ve been members of the local Shopkeepers’ Association for some years now, but we have to acknowledge that most of the time we’re inside our four walls waiting for people to come in. So why not go out and find them? Or better still, go out and get involved in their lives! Near our shop is a café where you can just go along to meet people and chat. About fifty people go there regularly to talk about what’s happening in their lives, eat together and have fun. Since we started going along and joining in, we find ourselves saying hello to more people we pass on the street. At the bus stop, a lady looking at the timetable greets me warmly. “Hallo, Willy, I’ve seen several things I want in your shop; I’ll drop in later...” We looked round our neighbourhood to see what we could manage to get involved in. Why don’t you do the same? It
RALPh MAGAZINE
could be one of your hobbies, gardening for example, helping with the food-bank or anything else that’s going on where you live. Creating opportunities to demonstrate Jesus first of all, and then giving a word of testimony as and when appropriate. Shouldn’t that be the natural out-working of God’s life in us? Another great place to meet children and their parents is a homework club. Becoming integrated in your neighbourhood – what does that actually mean, if not getting involved with their lives, being like them as much as you reasonably can, loving them, and being there for them? And, if you do have to say no to certain things, be ready to give your reasons calmly and respectfully. Paul says, “… I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” 1 Corinthians 10 v.33. At the end of this magazine the Mission is challenging us all to integrate more– so why not take up the gauntlet? It’s an opportunity to change the way we look at those around us and to try living among them in the name of Christ. It can be just as simple as that…. #BEMintegrationchallenge
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.
Contact Bd Lambermont, 158 1030 Brussels - BELGIUM Tel: +32(0)2/241.30.15. E-mail: information@b-e-m.org Website: www.b-e-m.org Facebook: Belgian Evangelical Mission Privacy We protect our subscribers’ privacy: www.b-e-m.org/declaration-vie-privee_meb_final (FR)
NEWS IN BRIEF Expressé Working with others for the Lord, what could be more exciting? Serving coffee, smiling, praying silently, being able to give a word of encouragement or share a little of the truth, just what’s needed at that moment….. being able to love others whilst respecting the rhythm of their spiritual journey. Would you like to pray for EXPRESSÉ, or to support us financially? The café will soon be ready to open, but we still need your help to cover renovation costs and for the purchase of furniture and machines. It’s equally urgent that we find a co-worker who’s available at least four days a week. Might you be ready to join this exciting adventure? Then don’t hesitate! www.expresse.org
expresse.gosselies@gmail.com
Jon & Stephanie Howard
Benny & Berit Raemdonck
They’ve left Arizona for Hannut! JON AND STEPHANIE HOWARD are finally able to make their long-held dream a reality: to be overseas missionaries. In October 2007 they visited Germany, Austria and Belgium in collaboration with Kontaktmission, and they fell in love with our ‘flat country’. However, they had to wait ten years before they were actually able to ‘cross the pond’. “We thought we’d be coming to Belgium with four young children, but the Lord decided we’d be bringing four teenagers. We’re here for at least two years, but we’re thinking long-term. We have so much to learn and many concepts to re-think. We want to be His disciples in Hannut.”
On September 3rd, BENNY RAEMDONCK joined the B.E.M. Public Relations Department in Brussels. Ever since their marriage Benny and his wife, BERIT, have longed to serve the Lord. “When I heard that the B.E.M. were looking for someone to work in Public Relations, I didn’t hesitate for a second! Several of the tasks listed in the job description have been hobbies of mine for years. It’s such a blessing to be able to do all that for the Lord,” explains Benny. “What’s more, I’ve arrived at very exciting time: I’ll be able to see B.E.M.’s new vision taking shape. I’m so thankful to be able to contribute an attractive visual presentation of the new vision to the world.”
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Integration
Just before he was arrested, a few hours before the Cross, Jesus prayed this magnificent prayer (John 17) for his disciples, and also for us, “those who will believe in me through their message”. This is, in fact, the only time that he mentions us specifically. And we’re touched that his last thoughts before his ultimate sacrifice are for us, praying for our unity with God and with each other. But it’s also the only time when Jesus prays ‘negatively’. He insists on what he’s not praying for, as if to avoid any misunderstanding with the Father, as if he is highlighting the risks inherent in this unity which is nonetheless so vital. “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world” (v.15). Jesus is fully conscious of the danger of our seeking this unity by cutting ourselves off from the world, by building a wall around us to protect us from the Enemy who governs this world. And we fall so easily into this trap. Our lives and our churches so often resemble RALPH | 4
fortified castles in which we take refuge. We’re aware of our responsibility to reach the lost with the Gospel and we attempt from time to time to make an incursion into enemy territory. But we’re not taken seriously and our impact on the world is often very limited. And society itself adds another barrier by relegating personal faith to the private sphere, and our community life to ecclesiastical structures which, though they may be officially recognised, are seen as disconnected from real life. However, if Jesus reminds us in his famous prayer that we don’t belong to the world (v.14 and 16), he underlines that we’re here on purpose, not just by default, but according to his call: “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” (v.18). Like salt that penetrates and adds savour, on condition that it comes out of the salt-cellar, Jesus calls us to integrate into this world in order to let it taste the flavour of the Gospel. Following
the example of Jesus, the Word made flesh, the Light coming into the darkness of the world, we must also ‘let our light shine before men, that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven.’ (Matt. 5 v.16).
“We’re meant to be in the world, not just by default, but according to His call.” Instead of inviting those who are outside to scale the impossibly high walls of our churches, let us go out and re-integrate into society around us, showing God’s love by our good deeds. Just as Jesus came to us, let us go to them, and become part of their world. Then we will make our Gospel believable. Then our words will resonate and make sense. Eric Zander
100th birthday book Henk van dorp To celebrate the centenary of the BEM, we thought we’d publish a ‘100th birthday book.’ Henk van Dorp has been doing lots of research into the archives of the BEM and he’s collected many stories into a book which he’s calling ‘Uw woord is de waarheid / Ta parole est la vérité’. (‘Your Word is the Truth’). It will be published in French and Dutch in May 2019. (Sorry it’s not available in English!)
The book takes us step by step through 100 years of evangelism and church-planting by the Belgian Evangelical Mission, an organisation founded in 1919 by an American couple, Ralph and Edith Norton. Every important phase of the Mission’s history is covered. Many personal stories are told. ‘UW WOORD IS DE WAARHEID / TA PAROLE EST LA VÉRITÉ’ not only makes its own unique contribution to the history of missions in Belgium, it also points to the greatness of God and shows what He can do through or-
dinary people. The price of the book is €24.95. Orders from Belgium and the Netherlands received before March 1st 2019 will be sent post free! The Brussels office is happy to accept orders from other countries but you will have to pay the postage yourself. You can reserve your copy via our website: (Dutch) www.b-e-m.org/nl/uwwoord-is-de-waarheid/ (French) www.b-e-m.org/fr/taparole-est-la-verite/
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DEC 2018
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FEB 2019
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May 2019
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SEP 2019
12-15 NOV 2019
COMMEMORATION RENEWAL CELEBRATION OPENING REFLECTION
An anniversary in 5 chapters ... #SAVETHEDATE at the grave of Ralph and Edith Norton - 10.30am KERKHOF VAN BRUSSELLAAN 159, 1140. EVERE
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Begin February 2019 the unveiling of the new face of the BEM
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Christian Centre - 10.30am - 6.30pm Waterloosesteenweg 47, 1640. Sint-Genesius-Rode
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The new office - 10.30am Romboutstraat 7, 1932. Sint-Stevens-Woluwe
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symposium (by invitation only) near LEUVEN
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I AM A POSTER, TAKE ME OUT !
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COMMEMORATION
A hundred years ago, on December 19th 1918, Ralph and Edith Norton arrived in Belgium and declared ‘The Belgian Gospel Mission has arrived!’ (later ‘The Belgian Evangelical Mission’). We want to celebrate this anniversary with a memorial service as we remember with gratitude what God did through these faithful servants.
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CELEBRATION
You’re all invited to a great BEM family day to celebrate the faithfulness of God over the last 100 years of Gospel work in Belgium and to dream about what He has in store for the new BEM.
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The BEM centenary is the spring-board for the re-launch of the mission with a renewed vision but also a completely new look…. So watch this space! Follow us online and on social media.
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OPENING
After the rue du Moniteur and then Boulevard Lambermont, the BEM offices will be moving to a splendid building close to the Brussels ring road, a building that has great potential for the development of our new projects. We want to celebrate this inauguration together!
REFLECTION
But after a century of evangelism and church-planting in Belgium the challenge is still enormous! And change never stops in today’s world. The BEM is reinventing itself in order to face the challenges of the contemporary world, but it cannot stop there. Our deliberations and our innovations will be continuing. Up to a hundred people involved in church-planting movements in the Western world will be sharing their experiences during a unique symposium.
HERITAGE & INNOVATION Born out of the darkness of World War1, the BEM remembers its founders in those black and white early photographs, and is proud of the legacy left by all those men and women dedicated to bringing the Gospel to the people of Belgium. In a century of existence, ‘The Mission’ has always sought to renew itself and to diversify, in order to continue to be effective in reaching out to all the inhabitants of Belgium. Today more than ever the BEM, in full-colour, is embracing innovation in order to promote the advance of the Gospel!
RENEWAL
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Christel
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hristel used to love her well-paid job, but then she became bored with it. She was demotivated, she had to take sick leave, and she finally gave up the job, convinced that God was calling her to do something else. But rather than sit around and do nothing, Christel joined the local Red Cross volunteers. She was meeting people, felt useful again, became part of a new social network and found herself better integrated into the local community. Then came the question of finding a new job, but still with the aim of reflecting God where He would lead her. Christel and her husband were convinced that part-time work would be ideal for her. Then came a miracle from heaven – a suitable job right in the heart of their town, being advertised as full-time, suddenly became part-time! For Christel, the key to integration is not so much that a Christian should be working locally as a volunteer or in a professional capacity, but that their local church should also be part of local life. If the ‘open’ meetings of her community were to take place in a public venue that everyone knew, it would be easier to invite outsiders to come and meet their neighbours, who happen also to be disciples of Christ. Today, with the support of her family, Christel is carrying on her work of listening and coming alongside the people she encounters. She has certainly found some opportunities to speak about God and to invite others into her community, but she knows that everyone’s journey is different. But she is able to do her bit, however small it may be.
Drienie
Angela & Reiner
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s she thought about different ways of proclaiming the Gospel in a multicultural society, Drienie carried out a survey in the area of Borgerhout in 2001. The results led her to move there in 2004 so she could be better integrated in the local community. And in 2010, she created De Brug/Al Jeser (DBAJ), (The Bridge) a project that now occupies her full-time. DBAJ is a meeting-place based around culture and faith. The organisation serves as a bridge between different cultures. It’s about going out to meet other people with the aim of building long-term relationships. Everyone is welcome! DBAJ brings people together and proclaims the Word of God. Drienie does this by organising multicultural meetings for ladies, film evenings, bible studies and much more. “Like Jesus, we want to be part of people’s daily lives. We hope to be the means by which they meet Jesus,” she explains. “Our organisation seeks to be integrated into society as much as possible. We take part in various activities in the town; we participate in volunteer work and often collaborate with secular organisations. Integration is about living amongst people and sharing their lives. It’s also about being honest, taking the time to listen and accepting everyone for who they are.” For Drienie, 1 Thessalonians 2 v.8 sums up this approach, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”
ngela and Reiner have been church-planters for 18 years. Their new project is based at Heusden-Zolder and even before the BEM announced its new vision, being integrated locally was important to them. Their motto is Close to God and close to people. “As volunteers for the local soup kitchen, we meet a lot of people. This enables us to integrate into society and let God’s light shine out. It’s an open door into society.” Reiner tells us. Angela and Reiner hope to gather the people they meet into a Christian community close to God and people.” We want to love God and our neighbours by bringing the missionary message of Jesus to Heusden-Zolder in a way that is relevant to them.” “If we want to integrate more, prayer must be our first reflex. We need to ask God where He wants us to get involved in society. Actually, in the beginning we wanted to join another church, but God led us to Heusden-Zolder” continues Reiner. “To start to integrate, try beginning to meet some of the obvious needs of your neighbourhood. Choose something you like so you can share your passion. Find others in your church who are ready to start shining God’s light outside. Meet up from time to time to pray together, to encourage each other and share experiences. “
Eunice Parodi/Benny Raemdonck
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the edith column
Annette Hartman
Integration!?! Have I become Belgian by now? This is a live issue for me as someone from Holland who’s been trying to integrate into the Belgian culture for the past 18 years. I only have to open my mouth and someone says, “You’re not from here, are you?” just when I’m doing my best to fit in. But I can’t hide my nationality, my accent is different. Of course I use Flemish words, or they wouldn’t understand me. As far as Dutch people are concerned, I’m speaking like a Flemish person. But people here have a good laugh when I tell them that! I’ve recently joined the Board of the Kooikerhondjes Breeders’ Club (it’s a breed of small spaniel-type dogs, originally from Holland). And so I’m discovering how things are done in the world! I’ve begun attending patchwork classes with a group of Flemish ladies and I’m really enjoying it. These ladies all look out for each other: yes, it’s a kind of community. For them, patchwork is a real passion; it’s their life, whereas for me there’s much more to life than that. My priority is to live with and for the Lord. In the village where we live, I volunteer in the office of the local ‘Child and Family’ medical centre. That’s where I’m reminded of my limitations as far as using French is concerned. More and more non-Flemish speakers are coming to live in this little Flemish village on the edge of Brussels. But here too, I feel like a ‘foreigner’, because I will never be Flemish either. I am not of this world, but I am in this world. With all these different cultures, I often feel as if I’ve landed up somewhere on the other side of the world. But this brings its own opportunities, doesn’t it? If you have a flair for languages you probably feel this too…. But in following Jesus, real integration happens just when I’m not consciously trying to integrate, when God takes me where He can use me. For example, in 2005, when I was in hospital with ovarian cancer, I was able to share the gospel with others in the ward. With the weak, I had become weak. 1 Corinthians 9 v.22. Or, in the park, where I walk my dogs every day, God brings across my path people with whom I can share the gospel. And even people with whom I can pray. After that I’m literally ‘walking on air’. God uses me with all my limitations to further His great plan. The Lord is good, in every situation. The art is learning how to recognise it. So, what does integration mean to me? ‘God, please use me, however You want, because You brought me here to share Your Gospel!’ RALPH | 6
Christel, Drienie, Reiner and Angela… and so many others. Ralph has been meeting some of these brothers and sisters who are “shining out” the light of Jesus close to where they live. So it’s over to them to answer the following question:
« As board games enthusiasts, my wife and I belong to two local clubs and benefit from the use of an internet site where people can organise board game evenings at home. In this way we’ve been able to create a network. We hope, at the same time, to be able to show His love to those we meet in this way. » Evert, Kortrijk
« We do our best to be good neighbours locally. On a regular basis, we pick up rubbish in the street. We do have a garden, but we sometimes choose to play with our children in front of the house so we can get to know those around better. » Kim, Kortrijk
« I’m retired and I hate doing nothing. For the last few weeks I’ve been working with a local organisation helping youngsters who have problems with their schooling, and I’m also part of a local welfare service. In addition I’ve joined the list of volunteers at the nearest hospital. » Paul, Zinnik
« I’m one of the ‘Clean up’ ambassadors for our area, which I consider a simple way of serving the borough and finding opportunities to talk to people. For the last three years the Philippeville church has also participated in the ‘Big spring-cleaning weekends’ initiated by For a cleaner Wallonia. » Stephen, Philippeville
Interviews : Eunice Parodi/Benny Raemdonck
How do you reflect Jesus on a daily basis by getting involved in something in your neighbourhood ?
« For the last few years, I’ve been organising football matches, and today our group includes non-Christians as well as church people. This is not evangelism as such, but the non-Christians can see that we’re not totally disconnected with their world. » Dries, Aalst
TESTIMONIES « When we moved house recently, my wife and I received a welcome package from the local Population Department. It contained a great deal of info about the town. This included a book describing a very interesting project – inviting people to share their talents with others. We signed up that very evening! » Thomas en Lente, Dendermonde
« We’re ambassadors for Christ. Everything I do on a daily basis, I do in the name of Jesus and for Jesus: For example, talking and doing crafts with children traumatised by war, giving a hug to a mother who’s weeping for her sick daughter, accompanying my friend to hospital when she’s afraid of going there alone. “Whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did it for Me. » Sarah, Brussels
« We want our family to shine out where we live. For us, it’s important that our home is a place where our children’s friends feel welcome when they come to play, and where all the local children can come. » Davy & Vanessa, Leuven
« In the local paper, I read that a local choir was looking for more members. I’m a musician and I love to sing. As I want to meet new people in our region, I signed up. I can’t wait for my first concert. » Karl, Eupen « I’ve been an active member of the Arlon ‘House of Culture’ for years now. This gives me the opportunity of getting to know my neighbour in the entertainment world, of discovering what people enjoy and, of course, of exchanging ideas. I’m often surprised. » André, Aarlen
TOO MANY « BLANK ZONES » IN BELGIUM? Join the INTEGRATION network. Quick! Turn the page!
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#INTEgration Get on board !
Being a reflection of Jesus where you are doesn’t have to involve big changes. Christel would suggest that we just ask God, “Lord, am I where you want me to be?” and accept His answer, however unlikely it seems to us. You can also just take the initiative and contact local organisations that are looking for volunteers. Google ‘volunteering’ + your locality to find them. The Christmas period is fast approaching - a time when there’s always so much going on in the way of volunteer efforts, so why not join in? You can share your stories with us on your favourite social media using the hashtag #BEMintegrationchallenge. Let us know what you’re doing to reflect Jesus where you live. Right up to January 31st we’ll be collecting your stories to go onto the BEM Brussels Facebook page so we can all share them.
#BEMint
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Let’s get together and start a movement of integrated Christians, full of God’s love, ready to reach out to our neighbours! f
HELP! I’d like to join in, but I don’t know how to get involved: www.b-e-m.org/en/hashtag/
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