First reactions to More color in the church

On May 27th we launched our latest project ‘More color in the church’. We are happy with the first reactions to the interactive small group material that we have so much faith in. We may grow together in equality, as a church and as individuals. Grateful that people are blessed.

Below you can read a few reactions from people who have seen and used the material for the first time in recent weeks.

Small group member Anne: “Last night we discussed part 1 of the series as small group. I was positively surprised; how good to discuss this topic together! It immediately got me thinking. I look forward to the next evenings! ”

Pastor intercultural church: “… the material is beautiful in terms of design, working methods and content. … We hope and pray that it will be a great blessing for the church in NL!”

A few reactions from a discussion group that has already taken the first lesson together:

This really gives a lot of (new) insights.
Brings the subject closer by empathizing.
The conversation with Hans and Sara was especially impressive.
What it does to someone when you have to look for new things in a new country your identity.

Have you already ordered the material? It is currently only available in Dutch, but we are already working on the English version. Go to the website of More color in the church and order for FREE!

The three-part interactive Bible study material from ICP -More color in the church- has been included by MissieNederland in the Churches Toolkitfor Remembrance Slavery Past.See how you and your church can reflect on the commemoration year that starts on July 1, during Keti Koti.

For example, there will be a national memorial service on Friday 30 June, led by the Council of Churches in the Netherlands, in the heart of Amsterdam. There are no more seats available in the church, but the service is also being streamed by the EO.

Micha Nederland offers a church package, aimed at organizing a special service (for example on Sunday 2 July) or a theme evening.

Do you want to dive deeper into the theme with your church, in small groups? Then order the free material from ‘Meer kleur in de kerk’, which ICP has developed to help churches start a conversation about themes such as racism, diversity and reconciliation. This allows you to work together in three evenings or over a longer period.

Some initial reactions to ‘Meer kleur in de kerk’ have already been received:

This really gives a lot of (new) insights.
Brings the subject closer by empathizing.
Especially the conversation with Hans and Sara made an impression.
What it does to someone when you have to search for your identity in a new country.

View the complete Church Toolkit for Remembrance of Slavery Past, compiled by MissieNederland here.

Important announcement:
Unfortunately, the ICP Network Day that was supposed to take place on Saturday June 17 will not take place on June 17. Due to a low number of registrations, we have decided to move the day to the next season.

We think the theme is very important and the planned contributions from workshop leaders, employees and artists are super precious. We want as many people as possible to enjoy this and that is why we are giving it another chance in the autumn of 2023.

As soon as the date is final, we will announce it immediately.

For pastors and church leaders, Monday September 18, 2023, Utrecht

Conversation about faith with other believers: open and unprejudiced?

How do you give multicultural faith a chance with your church? Think about it with other Church leaders and interested people during a full-day conference filled with talks and hands-on workshops.

The theme is topical and urgent. About 25% of the Dutch population now has a migration background and there are more than a million migrant Christians in our country. Yet there is still (too) little attention for how you can shape believing together between different cultures in a good way.

In the morning, Prof. Dr. Benno van den Toren will talk about having an ‘open and uninhibited’ conversation about faith with people of other faiths. Pastors Jurjen ten Brinke and Eric Rufyiritana will also talk about the journey of discovery at their multicultural churches: how do you overcome obstacles and get congregants on board with a new vision?

Speakers with and without a migration background lead the seminars of the afternoon program on, among other things, welcoming Christians with a Muslim background, anti-racism and believing together with Ukrainians. Participants are also challenged to think about the (im)possibilities of their own local context.

The conference is organized by: Intercultural Church Plants, Stichting Gave, Stichting Evangelie & Moslims, the Protestant Church in the Netherlands and Stichting Geloofsinburgering.

Practical

• Location: Protestant National Services Centre, Joseph Haydnlaan 2A, Utrecht
• Date: Monday, September 18, 2023
• Time: 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, walk-in from 9:00 am.
• Participant contribution: €39 (tea, coffee and delicious Arabic lunch. Early-bird discount until September 1st: €29. Students €19.
• Bring someone! Mention immediately upon registration: €9.

Information: Esther van Schie, esther@geloofsinburgering.nl, 06 87 34 80 63

Register now for the Network Day in Veenendaal on June 17!

Are you curious about what the Network Day will bring us? We asked Godwin Arhin a few personal questions, so that we can get to know one of the keynote speakers a little better.

1. Can you tell us about your family?

My family currently consists of my wife and daughter and 4 foster children.
We have a nice but busy life and really have to plan everything, otherwise it won’t happen. We love adventure but can also enjoy the silence.

2. Which family tradition is most precious to you?

We think it’s important to eat together!
During dinner we discuss the day and then find out about the fun and sometimes less fun things that happened on the day.

3. In which language do you prefer to worship God?

Preferably in Dutch.
Although I speak English very well, it is still very nice to be able to worship God in Dutch and especially on songs by Eline Bakker. (Jezus overwinnaar)

4. What is your favorite Bible verse?

Job 8:7 And though your past was insignificant, your future will be all the greater.

5. As involved in ‘More color in the church’; what do you hope the material of ‘More color in the church’ will bring about?

I hope that people become more aware of the multi-colored love of God and that we can really love our neighbor as ourselves. For through mutual love people will know and see that we are His followers.

More information and registration for the Network Day in Veenendaal on 17 June