On June 17, 2023, ICP is organizing a network day for everyone who helps build the intercultural church in the Netherlands. Welcome to ICF Veenendaal, De grote Pekken 3 in Veenendaal.
The theme is ‘Gracism – growing as a church in equality’. A great day with an inspiring program, skilled speakers, powerful worship and various workshops around the theme. A very topical, sensitive and also uncomfortable subject, especially in our churches. But we want to be a church where everyone fits in and where everyone feels welcome. To get there we have to become churches where everything is discussable. Come and join the conversation, grow and enjoy our colorful God and His Kingdom. Bring your teams, visit the day together and grow as a church, learn from each other.
Practical info: ICP Network day ‘Gracism – growing as a church in equality’
Date: June 17, 2023
Time: walk-in 9:30, start program 10:00, end 16:00
Price per person: €22.50 (Money should not be an obstacle to participation, so please contact us if that is the case. Email: office@icpnetwork.nl)
A strong statement by John Piper in his book “Let the nations be glad!” He describes why worship is so important, especially when we are engaged in missionary community building. For as important as we consider our mission, they are a means to an end: “Let the nations praise you, O God; let all nations praise you! Let the nations rejoice and sing for joy!” (Ps 67:3-4).
We would like to invite you to our Worship Vision Morning on April 15 in Veenendaal. View the invitation here:
Quote from John Piper’s book:
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.
Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.”
Worship is the purpose of our missions, but it’s also the fuel, Piper says.
“But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish. Missionaries will never call out, “Let the nations be glad!” who cannot say from the heart, “I rejoice in the Lord…I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High” (Ps 104:34, 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship.”
Let’s put it loosely: Missionaries (or evangelists, or church builders, or followers of Jesus) will never cry, “Let the nations be glad!” if they themselves cannot say from their hearts, “I rejoice in the Lord…I will be glad and exult in thee, I will praise thy name, O Most High.”
If you don’t know the real meaning of worship, if you don’t walk the path of worship to God’s throne yourself, if you have no idea what it’s like to be in God’s presence in worship…or if you just kind of forgot how in worship your heart is first served by God Himself… then how can we lead the nations in that, bring the people to that place, into God’s presence, in His glory…?
Watch this short video and get inspired…
Piper concludes, “Missions begin and end in worship.”
At ICP we have a dream: all nations before the throne of God, in worship, focused on the Lamb. All nations, tribes, languages, colors, backgrounds… One heart, one voice, one Body.
On Saturday 15 April we are organizing a Vision Morning in Veenendaal. A morning for worship leaders, musicians, technicians, pastors, leaders; worship teams who want to delve together into worship in today’s intercultural church.
Last weekend we had the second Training Weekend with 10 intercultural teams participating in the two-year ICP Team Training. In these two years, we meet four times for a weekend to learn and grow as cross-cultural leadership teams. In between these weekends, the participating teams can follow extra lessons and do exercises together via our Online Training Platform.
The theme of this second Team Training Weekend was: ‘Making Disciples’. Very challenging and stimulating…
“What a special time I had. I am impressed by the love of God the Father for me and I have received a renewed passion to pass on this love and that fatherly heart, to distribute it to all peoples. Jesus taught and showed us a lot about living with each other and sharing your heart so that someone else can get to know God through that heart. During the training weekend I became more aware of the fact that I cannot give what I have not first received. And that the genuineness of my heart and attitude greatly helps those around me to receive my message about God. Enough to ponder. And also enough to be thankful for.” (Reaction team member ICP)
We are very grateful that we can organize such a wonderful training together with the permanent trainers and voluntary employees. We are already looking forward to the third Training Weekend. But now let’s reminisce with a few photos.
