Summer’s faith: What are you doing this summer?

Blog by Anne-Marie Dane

Proverbs 30:25 the ants – they are not strong; but they already stock up in the summer.

Summer is just around the corner. For some, the holidays may have already started. Others are putting the finishing touches to the end of the season and are already making preparations for the new season.

What are you going to do this summer? Are you going to rest? And what does that look like for you? Or do you already have all kinds of plans for next year that you want to work out and prepare? Did you have a good year and will you look back with gratitude? Or was it a year to quickly forget and are you looking for ways to… forget?

In Proverbs 30, 4 types of animals are mentioned that are called ‘the least’, but also ‘the wisest’. The ants are mentioned first. They are not strong, but they build up a supply in the summer. The Bible calls that wisdom. And according to Proverbs 6:8, they gather food in the summer and stock up at harvest time. Harvest time; the harvest is collected, usually in the months of July and August, our summer.

If we are wise, we use the months of July and August to bring in food to build up a supply. How?

Jeremiah gives us the golden tip in his ‘complaint’, which can be read in Jeremiah 15:16.
Whenever I heard your words, I took them as food. Your words gave me deep joy, for I belong to you, O Lord God Almighty.

We can take in God’s words as food. That is good for our hearts and bodies, the Bible says. In Proverbs 4:20-23 we read:
20 My son, pay attention to my words, and obey my declarations.
21 Keep them always before your eyes, keep them in the depths of your heart.
22 They are life for those who accept them, strengthening the whole body like medicine.
23 Of all that you guard, especially guard your heart, it is the source of your life.

Here you can read that it should not stop at ‘paying attention to God’s words’. The call is to heed his statements. That means that we follow his words, respect them, obey them.

Perhaps this summer is a good time to take in God’s words as food to build up a supply for the next season, but also to think about how you can follow His words. What can you really do in the next season to put His words into practice? Do your priorities need to change? Does your agenda need to be organized differently? Do you need other contacts for this? Could your vision be sharpened?

Interesting questions, which may yield difficult answers. Maybe you need to dig a little deeper into your heart, thoughts, emotions, dreams and experiences. And here too, God’s Word can be helpful to you. Heb. 4:12 teaches us:
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the touch of soul and spirit, and bone and marrow, and is able to divide the conceptions and thoughts of the heart.

Take time regularly to let God’s Word separate what needs to be separated. So that it becomes visible what the next season needs, what you need and what the church of Jesus needs to flourish. And to stock up. There is great wisdom in that!

By Your light we see light

Blog by Anne-Marie Dane

Psalm 36:10 For with You is the source of life; byby Your light we see light.

We are always working on color at ICP. We believe in the power of a colorful church. We look forward to unity in diversity, because we believe that God becomes more visible to the world. Revelation describes how all kinds of different peoples stand before the throne of God. It is striking that they are all dressed in white. That doesn’t seem so colorful… Until you consider the science of colors. God has made something in His creation in a brilliant way, so that it becomes visible how diversity is necessary to see God in His fullness.

Color is light
According to science (of physics), color is a light phenomenon. You see color because your brain ‘reads’ signals from your eyes when your eyes perceive light.

Black is not a color, it is the absence of light. A ‘black’ night sky is only black after it has become less and less light during the evening.

And white is not a color either. White light is light in which no color can be seen, but in reality it contains all colors. If you shine all visible colors of light with the same intensity on a white surface, or look at it directly, you will consider it white.

Why white light?
And why would we actually want to see white, from a spiritual perspective of course? We don’t necessarily want to see white. We want to see Jesus. For Jesus is the light. We want to see light. Instead of darkness. As John 1:4 says: In the Word was life and the life was light for men. And as Psalm 36:10 says: By Your light we see light.

In Matthew 17 you read how Jesus is with Peter, James and John on the mountain where they meet Moses and Elijah. Before their eyes Jesus changes form. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as the light. The disciples offer to honor Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, but God intervenes and makes it known that only Jesus deserves all the honor.

Another physics fact: The only light that is truly pure white is unfiltered sunlight.
Like the light radiating from Jesus’ face.

And creation (and its laws of nature) teaches us that we need ALL colors to see true white light.

The spiritual perspective
If, with all the diversity that there is in our people, we shine with the same strength (read: from unity) on a white object (read: Jesus), or look at Him ‘straight’ (in Spirit and truth), you will really see Him see Him as He really is.

It works both ways: we want to live in Your light, because through Your light we see light. And the light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not prevail against it. And we want to come together in your presence with all colors and look at You, because through all that diversity, we see the real, complete image of the Light of the World, our Lord Jesus. The unfiltered Light, the purest form of white, which only arises when all colors participate.

Tyndale and ICP get to know each other

ICP and Tyndale Theological Seminary have started the first discussions in which rapprochement is sought and cooperation is being worked on. Tyndale is an international institute, located in the Amsterdam region, where preachers and missionaries are trained. To this end, Tyndale also looks for (English-speaking) internships and ministry opportunities for their students. Within our ICP network, we look for places where these students may be able to serve.

Last Saturday, June 8, Tyndale’s graduation ceremony was held. It was a beautiful moment where we were able to see the fruits of this wonderful training. For ‘high potential leaders’ within our ICP network who may be considering a theological education in English, Tyndale is certainly a good option. Possible financing of the training and further details can also be discussed.

Feel free to write to us if you have someone in your community who might benefit from this. Please also let us know if you have room for English-speaking interns.

Send an email to office@icpnetwork.nl

Book tip: Love between two cultures

How does it affect your relationship when your partner comes to the Netherlands for you and has to develop roots here? How do you deal with overly helpful Dutch parents? Or with discrimination by the in-laws? How do you raise children between two cultures?

Corina Mushikangondo-van der Laan takes you into the everyday practice of intercultural couples and illustrates patterns and pitfalls. She also draws on her own marriage to Congolese husband Claude. She is a certified EFT relationship therapist and specialized in intercultural relationships.

Want 5 euros off her book? Then, before it comes out this summer, send an e-mail to corinavanderlaan@hotmail.com.

National Safe Church conference on November 12 in Veenendaal

On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the Veilige Kerk foundation is organizing the first national conference. Under the theme ‘Safe Church – a hopeful perspective’, the organization wants to take a big step forward together with church leaders, Christian organizations and church workers to prevent abuse in churches and involved families.

The conference will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in De Basiliek, Veenendaal and admission is free. Participants only pay a contribution towards the costs of lunch and drinks. Reservations can be made on truetickets.nl/veilig.

Program
In addition to joint parts, the varied program consists of various workshops in which participants can work on their own or explore a specific theme in more depth. During the main program Rinke Verkerk – author of ‘Het hele dorp wist het’ – shares her experiences about the role of bystanders in sexual abuse. The chairman is a TV presenter and author Marleen Stelling. In the period leading up to the conference, we will continue to add the names of people who will participate.

Workshops
During two rounds, participants can choose from seven different workshops, such as ‘Getting started with the step-by-step plan’, ‘Vulnerable leadership’ by Oeds Blok, Transgressive behavior in the Bible by ministers Almatine Leene and Jeroen Sytsma, and an introduction to Bystander Training.

Information and meeting
Various organizations present themselves on the spacious information square that are working to combat inappropriate behavior in churches and families.

More information about the Safe Church Foundation can be found on the website Veilige kerk.

May 28: Info Webinar ICP Team Training 2024-2026

Our two-year Team Training starts again in October 2024 with the first training weekend. A two-year training for intercultural leadership teams that are just starting out or want to grow. More information about this training can be found here.

On Tuesday, May 28, we will organize an information webinar in which all information will be discussed and questions can be answered. Register here for this webinar if you have any doubts or specific questions. Email: office@icpnetwork.nl

I am registering for the information webinar on May 28

Read previously published articles about the ICP team training 2022-2024 here and discover what this training can do for you and your team.

Review of Team Training Weekend 4

Take big steps with Team Training!

Why the ICP Team Training?

Review of Team Training Weekend 3

Terugblik ICP Teamtraining Weekend 2

Terugblik 1ste Teamtrainingsweekend

June 14, 2024 – ICP Regional Lunch

On Friday, June 14, ICP NL is organizing a regional lunch in The Hague.

Our regional lunches are intended for pastors and pioneers who are building intercultural churches and want to join others in this particularly beautiful and challenging mission.

The regional lunch involves:
Meeting
Exchange
Encouragement
Reflection

This time we are guests of Reverend Beppie Wessels of the NGK The Hague – the Havenkerk, a dynamic community in the colorful Schilderswijk.

We meet, share from our local ministries and there is time for prayer and encouragement. We have invited a speaker who will give us short and compact information about the theme ‘My Church, Our House’.

As a leader or driving force you have specific challenges and responsibilities. Let us support, build up and encourage each other in the Spirit of our Lord!

INFO:

June 14, 2024

11:30 – 14:00

Om en Bij 116, 2512 XP DEN HAAG

Sign up FOR FREE: office@icpnetwork.nl

Review of Team Training Weekend 4

The last weekend of the two-year ICP Team Training took place from April 11-13. We have enjoyed the entire journey and look forward to the fruit that will come from it.

With ten teams we started a special journey in October 2022. After two years we got to know each other better, we laughed and cried and we grew together and individually.

As ICP we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to walk with the teams. It is an honor to see up close how God has His hand above and below and in His church and His workers. It is humbling to see how people dedicate their time and energy with heart and soul to God’s church.

To the question “What benefited you most?” These responses included:

  • • ‘The combination of the inspiring lectures and the meeting/discussion with your own team.’
  • • “The diversity of the speakers.”
  • • “On the constructive lessons about who God is, both personally and for the team and the church.”
  • • ‘Speech and team building. Closer as a team. Lots of time together.’

We endedthis round of Team Training with confidence. God finishes what He started.

The next Team Training is already planned. The training will start in October 2024 with Weekend 1 in Voorthuizen. Do you want to know more? Contact us.

Or register directly for the INFO webinar on May 28.

View the photos here!

Take big steps with Team Training!

The new ICP Team Training (2024-2026) starts with an introduction day on April 20! Register via office@icpnetwork.nl if you want to participate or if you want to take a look first. The team training is intended for intercultural leadership teams and suitable for all kinds of different phases. Whether you are starting a new church plant or you have been on your way for a while and are looking for depth and development, the ICP Team Training has an impact on your team and on the walk you take together.

Please contact us personally

“I wouldn’t know how Taste! would have looked like without the Team Training, because we made great strides during these weekends.” (Pieter-Jan Rodenburg, Taste! Delft)

Read here how the ICP Team Training helped the Taste! team! Delft:. Pieter-Jan tells:

It is difficult to overestimate how much ICP team training helps us as Taste! have meant. Before we joined the ICP training, we had gone through a similar process; in the Navigators LEF variant. Even then we discovered how valuable it is to get away from everyday life for a weekend and have the time to focus on the question: where do we want to go? And how are we going to do that?

Every weekend we received building blocks that help us as Taste! have formed. We received solid input, which helped us take steps that we would not have taken otherwise. For example, the decision to focus more on prayer. A very practical result of this is our ‘pray and thank you’ app, which occupies a very valuable place in our community.

Or the step of asking all residents of the residential community to taste Taste! to let your church be. That was a big step for us at the time, but team training taught us that it was good and important to take that step and how we could best do it.

And we have also grown as a team. The time you spend together, the conversations you have, the relaxation, the praying together: it has made us as a team become who we are. Especially in turbulent times, the team training sessions were oases to connect with each other and with God.

I wouldn’t know how to Taste! would have looked like without the team training, because we made great strides during these weekends.

I want to know more about the Ready to Start Day on April 20
I want to know more about the ICP Team Training 2024-2026

Review Regional lunch March 5

On March 5, ICP organized a regional lunch at Blend Bloemhof in Rotterdam. It was a wonderful time with 14 people in which we were also able to learn more about intercultural marriage. Corina Mushikangondo is putting the finishing touches to her book about ‘love between two cultures’. A beautiful, challenging and extremely important topic for the churches within our network.

Read here some experiences of pastors and pioneers who participated in the regional lunch:

“For me it was a meaningful meeting because I met some people from other churches in the network… I also found the introduction to the theme of ‘intercultural marriages’ useful, even though I have known Corina for some time and have heard her speak about it before. . There were also some new insights for me…”

“It’s a nice way to meet each other from different municipalities. I also found the theme very appealing and the way it was presented was nice. I am very curious about the book. I am grateful that I was able to attend this lunch and will definitely do it again.”

“Delicious lunch, very well organized! And it’s still cool to meet different pioneers. Very inspired by Corina and looking forward to her book. Definitely worth the drive to the cool Blend. Thanks.”

ICP organizes regional lunches throughout the Netherlands. For example, a lunch is planned for Friday, June 14, 2024 in Zwolle. Other cities will follow. The regional lunch is a great opportunity to meet leaders from all kinds of churches.

Would you like to know more about upcoming regional lunches? Then please contact us.

Collaboration Micha Netherlands and ICP

Micha Nederland and ICP will work together to discuss themes such as equality and inclusion in churches.

In 2023, ICP launched ‘More color in the church’; free interactive material for small groups on the themes of racism, diversity and reconciliation. View the website here and download the free material.

Following this project, Micha Netherlands and ICP decided in January 2024 to work together on this joint mission:How can we start the conversation about social justice church-wide?

As churches we can mean a lot in our society. We can be a witness of Christ and spread His message in many ways, not only with words but also with our actions. Social justice is a theme that challenges us as the ‘church of today’ to take our place, practically live out our hearts and faith and make a difference in the world, near and far.

We believe in ‘together’ and are very hopeful about the fruits that this collaboration with Micha Nederland will produce.

Want to know more about Micha Netherlands? Check out the website…

Want to know more about ‘More color in the church’? Watch a short information video here.

Church Tour 2024-2025 ICP Worship

Book a worship leader + one hour of equipment for free between April ’24 and April ’25…

Since 2021, ICP has been working with Paul Hagayi, a Congolese worship leader with a lot of experience, talent and passion when it comes to worship in intercultural churches. ICP has developed a worship training together with Paul that helps intercultural worship teams to grow in worship in their own local context.

This season, Paul (in collaboration with ICP) makes himself available free of charge to lead worship on Sundays in intercultural churches, preferably in collaboration with the local worship team and the congregation.

This is what Paul himself says about it: “This year from April 2024 to April 2025 I would like to encourage churches to go to the heart of worship. I am therefore freely offering my services as a worship leader to come and worship with the congregation during one of the Sunday services.”

Paul can independently provide worship during the service, but can also work together with the local team and in doing so inspire and encourage not only the congregation but also the worship team.

After the service he is available to discuss intercultural worship with the worship team. We are also available at ICP to inspire, support and encourage.

Paul: “We can talk about how to worship with people from different cultural backgrounds; share our experiences and learn from each other.”

Would you like to know more about the possibilities, dates and concrete content of this Church Tour? Please contact Anne-Marie Dane (ICP), anne-marie@icpnetwork.nl

Celebrate the worship team!

An experience to share: the birthday party of the worship team of ICF-Noord in Rotterdam…

It may sound crazy, but I had never experienced it before. Typical Dutch down-to-earthness perhaps… If anyone believes in the importance of worship in church, it is me. But it had never occurred to me to celebrate the birthday of a worship team. While celebrating someone’s birthday we honor the value of someone’s life and pay attention to someone we consider important. All good reasons to celebrate the birthday of a worship team. Suddenly it is very clear.

In ICF-Noord in Rotterdam I attended the second anniversary of the worship team on January 25. It was a special evening in which ICP allowed me to inspire the team and in which the ICF-Noord team taught me something new and encouraged me. So WIN-WIN.

Why worship?

We talked about what it takes to experience unity and unconditional acceptance in a diverse group of people. In worship you will find the place where you can learn to see yourself with the eyes of God. There is no room for awkward self-consciousness, which often leads to shame and insecurity. Self-awareness creates distance instead of connection. It is the core problem that arose in the garden of Eden. There man became aware of himself, his own nakedness. The result was that man hid from God, but also from others and perhaps even from himself. When we look at ourselves, we all find reasons to keep our distance…

Worship is the place where God offers you safety in His presence and where you are fully focused on Him. Where shame will not color your face and where uncertainty has no right to speak. When you look at your environment from that place, your view is determined by God’s love and unconditional acceptance. Then you are so connected to God that you are better able to connect with others. No matter how different the others are.

Why celebrate?

Found on the internet: “Birthdays are important because they give the birthday person a day to feel special and notice how much the people around them love them.”
Yes, the worship team should feel special and should certainly notice that the congregation loves them and is grateful for their service.

And do you know this statement? “What you pay attention to grows.” Yes, the team in ICF-Noord is also a testimony to this. Take care of these people, give them space to develop. Celebrate with them exuberantly that they are special and that they have grown. Sometimes the best way to celebrate is with a feast and a real birthday cake!

Why should you surround worship and the worship team at your church with attention and care?

Here you can read what a local worship leader and the pastor experience.

Carlos (worshipleader ICF-North Rotterdam):
Well, the team evening on the 25th was a reflection of the commitment of the leadership of the worship team and the church to nurture unity amongst us, especially because we are a very diverse church. It is also a way to show the importance of the worship team in everything we do. That’s why I think it’s important for church leaders to consider worship as a core element in everything that is done in the church. Because through worship we are able to serve the lives of other people, reinforce what is taught in the Bible, and create an environment for prayer and the moving of the Holy Spirit. In addition, worship is a great way to nurture fellowship and to represent each other’s culture.

Fred Kappinga (Pastor ICF-North Rotterdam):
Our worship team celebrated its two-year anniversary. ICP has coached our team from the start and now Anne-Marie came to inspire us again. She always knows how to strike the right tone for us, through her rich practical experience and her noticeable love for the heart of worship.

View the message on the ICF-Noord website here . The ICF worship team turns 2!

Are you also interested in attention, support or training for your worship team or for the congregation or for leadership, and are you looking for tailor-made advice? Then you can contact ICP by email: office@icpnetwork.nl

Here you will find more information about ICP-worship and what we can do for you:

More info on worship training

March 5 Regional lunch in Rotterdam

The next ICP regional lunch is already on the agenda: mark it down and make time for it!

Love between two cultures

Regional lunch on March 5, from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM in Rotterdam (Blend BLEND Bloemhof)!

What can you expect?
The theme is: “Love between two cultures.”
There is a special guest.
A new book is presented.
There is time for meeting and connecting with others.
There is room to share expertise and experience.
It is a place for encouragement and worship.
And of course a delicious lunch is also planned!

Registration

You can register via office@icpnetwork.nl or call 010 304 2019.
We look forward to seeing you!

ICP regularly organizes a regional lunch for pastors, pioneers and church leaders in our network. Would you like to know more about previous regional lunches? Click here…ICP regional lunch is highly recommended! – ICP Network

Intercultural Marriage and Marriage Pastoral Training

Why should a church invest in guidance for intercultural couples? In this article, learn about Claude and Corina Mushikangondo’s training and the experiences of fellow pastors within the ICP network…

In recent years, Claude and Corina Mushikangondo have provided training and workshops on the Intercultural Marriage Relationship and Intercultural Marriage Chaplaincy to pastoral workers and intercultural couples at various locations within our network. They are experts themselves 😉 and both have a lot of heart for God’s multi-colored church. Corina has completed her training (EFT) and is working on a booklet about Intercultural Pastoral Care with mixed couples.

ICP believes that the relationships and marriages in our churches are important and valuable to families and to the church. In an intercultural marriage the challenges can sometimes be great and then we can help each other. We would like to encourage all pastors and pioneers to pay attention to intercultural marriages and the care of this precious covenant between people.

You can contact Corina without obligation (tel. 0628812666) to investigate what she can do for you in this area.

We asked two pastors, who have worked with Claude and Corina, to tell us why as a church you should want to invest in this training?

Response from ICF Utrecht (Pastor Jasper de Kok):

We experienced this as very positive. Claude and Corina visited us once and organized one separate session from a distance. At this first session there were 15 intercultural couples present, at the second ten or eleven. This mainly concerns Dutch-African and Dutch-Asian couples. It helps them a lot to just discuss it and find mutual recognition.

Claude and Corina guide this in a very nice way. It has really had a blessing effect in our church.

Response from ICF Rotterdam-Zuid (Pastor Coen Legemaate):

It seems obvious to me why other churches should also invest in this. You can do so much at the front end of problems… It starts with the fact that by participating in such a training you indicate to each other that you consider each other worthy..

Contact office@icpnetwork.nl or call Corina (0628812666) for more information.

Donkey Mobile App has a connecting effect

The rumor is going around that the mobile phone can never be banned from our earthly lives… 😉 and that as a church in the 21st century we can use what God offers us to make Jesus visible on earth.

This means that we are open to all opportunities to grow towards unity, to connect with each other, to connect in a way that shows that God truly loves everyone and does not exclude anyone from His family.

Donkey Mobile offers an app for churches that contributes to these goals. A virtual place where you can stay up to date with church news, where you can find schedules, have conversations, make appointments and meet new people. There are already a number of churches within the ICP network that use the Donkey Mobile app.

In ICF-Rotterdam-Zuid they recently started using the app, but the response is already very positive.

Rev Rev. Coen Legemaate of ICF Rotterdam-Zuid said the following:
“I am very happy with the first two weeks. It is beautiful to see how brothers and sisters motivate each other and share their lives. Thanks to Donkey Mobile for all the guidance and many blessings in everything that comes!”

Would you like more information about this app for churches or do you have questions for pastors who are already using the app? Please contact us at office@icpnetwork.nl

Also check out the Donkey Mobile website for more information or to contact them.

“More color in the church” now also available in English

Interactive Bible study for small groups ‘More color in the church’ is now also available in English! FREE! A way to talk to each other in your church about racism, diversity and reconciliation. Take up the challenge and take steps together to grow as a church in equality and unity.

Interactieve Bijbelstudie voor kleine groepen ‘Meer kleur in de kerk’ is nu ook in het Engels beschikbaar! GRATIS! Een manier om in jouw kerk in gesprek te gaan met elkaar over racisme, diversiteit en verzoening. Ga de uitdaging aan en maak samen stappen om als kerk in gelijkwaardigheid en eenheid te groeien.

Bekijk het materiaal van Meer kleur in de kerk in het Engels

Review of online training ‘7 keys’

In November and December 2023, the online training ‘7 keys for intercultural community building’ was given by Hans, Michele and Patrick (ICP core team members). In seven evenings, seven keys were discussed that are important to open closed doors that we sometimes encounter when working with interculturality and community building. What wealth we have in God’s Word, in each other, in experiences and lessons learned in practice.

Read here what participants experienced. What is their feedback on the training? What insights were important to them?

Some reactions from participants

Easily accessible, available online. Being able to exchange many practical experiences.

Put the shoe on the other foot. Think out of your comfort zone.

Very informative, good to look back later and delve deeper into the topics. The different practical experience of others is very helpful.

Even as a seasoned worker there are always new things to learn. If you are new to this kind of work there is a need to be aware of these things or become aware of them.

It is valuable to take this course to discover interculturality in all its diversity. Especially for those who have not experienced or experienced much. On the other hand, you also learn how unique every person is, regardless of which country they come from.

Our ICP team member Patrick participated in the training and also taught two of the seven online lessons. This is what he said afterwards about his experience with the training:
The seven keys course provides new insights that are important in an intercultural context. You learn by sharing with each other and trying to apply the keys provided in your daily life. Recommended for people who also want to make the transition from mono to multi (inter)cultural.

7 keys training 2024

We have plans for training in the coming season. We hope to make the online training available via our Online Training Platform, which is already used by the students of two-year Team Training. We also want to publish a booklet in which the keys are described and explained. Keep an eye on our website and social media for more information about this.

Also view our current range of training and materials on the website…

Itzinya Community Event January 11

Be inspired beyond borders! The Itzinya Community builds bridges between enterprising Dutch people and migrants with entrepreneurial blood. Itzinya connects, inspires, trains and contributes to a society in which newcomers also flourish.

The next Community Event will take place in Rotterdam on January 11. A fascinating speaker who will update you on a relevant topic, migrant entrepreneurs who tell their own story, live international music and a snack to chat with each other at the end.

More information and registration: Laat migrant-ondernemers groeien – Itzinya Rotterdam