Chaplains Comment:
Heilige Geest Kerk has been a good and blessed home for us as a new congregation. It was a wonderful provision from God and we are thankful for our time spent here. We have met with God and grown as a community. We are also thankful for the good working relationship we have had both with the Roman Catholic Community (who still use the building during the week), and to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, who have worshipped after we have finished.
Our final Sunday here will be on Sunday 15th October.
We look now to God’s next provision – the Nieuwe Erven.
We feel this is the building we have been led to. It will work for our worship and for our children’s work and ministry. At the moment we are making arrangements for a formal agreement to begin when this building is closed.
TACA and myself see this as a temporary situation, and we remain committed to look and pray for a suitable church building. Nieuw Erven is a different venue that which we are used to and so we’ll need everyone’s help to make this a success and a God honouring next step as an Anglican Church. There has been much work done by individuals over the past year, and this is the place we believe the Lord has led us to, and as we know, his plans are good perfect and pleasing.
We have signed a one year contract for Sunday mornings. We have a main building for our corporate worship. And a second building for our Sunday School work. We will continue to celebrate Holy Communion, to enjoy baptisms, to grow as a deep community, as we continue in our pattern of worship services at 0930. And we will not only gather to worship in that secular building – which reminds us of the early church of how for the first 200 years, they did not have dedicated church buildings but worshipped, in many places, in people’s homes – we also seek to become a blessing to the local inhabitants. To be a light pointing them to Christ who, in many cases, they do not yet know, a community of service in the area God has planted us for this appointed time.
Our first Sunday in the Nieuwe Erven will be on 22nd October. A reminder of the venue and where it is :
The address is: Heiligenbergerweg 144, 3816 AN Amersfoort
Their website is: http://www.nieuweerven.nl/
It is 5 minutes walk from the Heilige Geest Kerk.
At the Nieuwe Erven, we will need to do quite a bit of work setting up and taking down. Part of this will need more people willing to join the stewards to form a set up team. Moving chairs, lifting tables etc. Please speak to Patrick or Stefan or Peter if you are willing to volunteer in that way.
Also, we will need each service someone technically trained to set up the microphones, deal with the soundsystem preparations. If you would enjoy offering to help particularly in this way – the more who volunteer, the less times we need to do it – but ideally we need two more people, (two people have already volunteered). Paul-Folkert is happy to train folks as he has been and seen what they have. Speak to him if you are interested.
And, while more people become involved setting up for services, it would help if more people can come onto coffee rotas as it will spread the load, as some who do coffee, will also serve as stewards. We’d also like another person to help Hannah Koolstra with the Big Brunch, as Louise will become more involved in the music led by Maria.
This is a new start in a new place but this is a part of the story of God’s people, as we read Scripture and see the frequent changes that take place. New locations, bring changes, and also new locations can remind us of what is truly at the heart of why we gather and what we are called to be, as part of God’s church. We look forward, in faith, to all the Lord will do in us, through us and around us, in our new home of the Nieuwe Erven.
God’s blessings upon you and upon our move. Revd Grant.