Pastoral care voor mixed couples

Recently ICF Wageningen followed in the footsteps of ICF Utrecht. A group of 12 intercultural couples got together to discuss the marriage challenges of being from different cultural backgrounds.

Claude and Corina Mushikangondo, churchworkers in ICF Rotterdam, led two workshops to help the couples reflect on their situation. The couples did exercises on intercultural communication and discussed how culture impacts men/women roles and money matters (the top two reasons why couples fight). The groups then continue by their own, and decide which topic they want to discuss and how. It is wonderful to see the enthusiasm in the groups. Participants get to know each other in a different way. Couples with a longer track record are happy to share experience with the younger ones.

Some quotes from participants:

“I feel reconnected with other ICF members over food and the word of God. For me this is already serving the families/couples. The topics discussed improved our open communication, and at the same time challenged what I thought we knew”.

“Outstanding is the simple fact of Claude and Corine’s intercultural example – from about as opposite poles as you can imagine, yet in love and ministering together. Fabulous examples of how it can work. And inspiring to any couples trying to see how to grow their relationship.”

“It worked well to discuss the questions about forgiveness as a couple! It’s very special how open people are in the group.”

Are there intercultural couples in your church or community and do you need training and guidance for these couples and/or for your pastoral staff? Then you can invite Claude and Corina. More info? Call Corina: 06-28812666 or request more information via office@icpnetwork.nl

What challenges do we encounter? What solutions are available? How do you work out what God intended when He brought forth the church? Do we really need training for that?

What can go wrong?
Church-being 21^st century; it’s a great challenge in a challenging time! What can go wrong in the process of church planting and church building?

4 breakpoints:
Church visitor: “I didn’t intervene. I couldn’t connect with these people.”
Team leader: “I can’t get people motivated to take their place and work together.”
Church leader: “I have become tired. I may have carried too much alone.”
Outside observer: “They seem to be having a good time together, but it remains a small club and what are they actually talking about?”

The church is a living body; always movement, always growth, always new people and increasingly deeply rooted members. At least, that’s how we’d like to see it.

What does the ICP Team Training offer?
The ICP Team Training takes you and your team through the process of team building and community building over 2 years in 4 weekends and interim guidance. Four important themes are discussed, the themes that help us avoid the above breaking points:

• Go on a mission together
• Making disciples
• Train leaders
• Multiplying the community

Ready to start day 2024
The FREE starting day of the ICP Team Training will take place on April 20, 2024. All participating teams will start their training there, which will run from 2024 to 2026. But also if you are considering participating or if you are curious about ICP’s vision on team training and church planting in an intercultural context, then you are very welcome on that day and in the right place!

Register now for the FREE starting day on April 20 in Voorthuizen!
Or request more information by email. office@icpnetwork.nl
Also check our website for more information. http://www.icpnetwork.nl

Our country is under high tension, especially when it comes to the subject of ‘Migration’. The NBG recently published the Migration Bible. What timing…

For migration theologian Samuel Lee, theMigration Bible is ‘a dream come true’. He is a member of the international editorial team that wrote this Migration Bible, a publication of the Dutch-Flemish Bible Society. “I believe that the Netherlands is the first country in the world to publish an English-language Migration Bible.”

What a contrast to the movement we see in our country. But that is also characteristic of the church, of the message of Jesus and the people who follow Him; against the flow…

Are you curious about the ‘Migration Bible’? Read more via the links below.

NBG presenteert Migration Bible
Eerste Bijbel over migratie komt geen moment te vroeg

At the beginning of September, the Opwekking Foundation came up with something new: a unique and user-friendly platform where you can watch Opwekking videos. Unlimited and 24/7! For ‘Vrienden van opwekking’. Check the website for more information about that.

On the video platform you will find videos of the Pentecost conferences, including services, seminars and concerts from various years, from young people, teenagers, children and the Special People Tent.

Last year ICP also organized a seminar ‘More color in the church’ in the church’ in the big tent of Opwekking. You can also find these recordings on this video platform.

Check the platform here: Opwekking Media

From October 5-7 we had the third Team Training Weekend with 9 intercultural leadership teams in Voorthuizen. A great time in which we learned a lot. Thanks to interesting lectures, in-depth conversations, valuable team time, beautiful worship and pleasant encounters, we have grown and gained more insight into important processes in the formation and construction of our intercultural communities. The theme was ‘Training leaders’ and that starts with ourselves.

We have zoomed in on the Bible book of Nehemiah and the leadership lessons we receive from Nehemiah. We listened to trainers who took us to the heart of leadership and the challenges that our intercultural context brings us. And we enjoyed Alexander Emoghene, pastor of Claypot Church, who got us excited about building a Jesus Church with leaders who grow up in a vision based only on Jesus.

Responses from participants to the question ‘What did you benefit from most?’:

The mutual conversations with trainers and team leaders.

Team time, valuable as always.

Sara and Rien’s stories about leadership. Nehemiah as a practical example of leadership.

Worship evening, reading and meditating on Nehemiah, the practical examples.

Good, challenging questions for our team.

A couple of photos:

More information about the Team Training: Two-year ICP training for teams – ICP Network

Ready for the start day of the new Team training round 2024-2026
The Ready to Start Day will take place in Voorthuizen on Saturday, April 20, 2024. A day for participants of the new Team Training that starts in October 2024. This day is also intended for teams that are interested, but still want to discover whether it is something for their team.

You can request information without obligation via office@icpnetwork.nl