CHURCH PLANTING IN THE NETHERLANDS

HUIS TER HEIDE, THE NETHERLANDS [ANR] - "The church planting core
teams in the Netherlands are totally committed," reports Peter
Roennfeldt, Ministerial Association and Global Mission Director for
the Trans-European Division, who spent five days visiting with
pastors, planters, mission leaders and core teams of new church
plants in the Netherlands. "The leaders of the Netherlands Union of
the Seventh-day Adventist Church have worked carefully to ensure
there are people in place to coach and encourage each church planting
team."

"Uni&k" is a café church being planted to reach Utrecht students.
With a small team of core leaders they are accomplishing a lot:
fostering two small groups, conducting a weekly seeker worship
service, and presenting a major monthly Friday evening worship
opportunity. As well as this, some have a wide circle of friendships
with unchurched people.

"This is also true of the Almere Buiten church planting team. What
this team, coordinated by Gertjan Knopper, is doing is impressive.
They have a weekly worship service for unchurched people, foster a
strong children's ministry and now have two small groups," says
Roennfeldt. Marissa and Selma are fostering a prayer ministry and are
both very active in sharing with other mothers in the community.

Stennet Ross is planting another church in Almere, mostly reaching
people who have migrated to the Netherlands. He is a very experienced
church planter and the group has grown rapidly.

The Jabes church planting team is working in Herleen, in the south of
the Netherlands. This is a very committed and very missionary minded
team. Each month they present three different Saturday programmes for
their unchurched community. Led by Paulo Smit and encouraged by their
pastor, Paul Daniels, the Jabes group present a theme day (a seeker
event addressing a relevant theme in a creative way), a video-film
day and a puppet programme for the community children. "I joined the
Jabes team, their friends, 15 unchurched mums and their 20 children
for their puppet day," says Roennfeldt. "It was a lot of fun and
friendships are being built."

"Saturday morning I was at the Tilburg church plant and that evening
Rudy Digjan, Paul Daniels and I spent a couple of hours with Frensly
Panneflek and the core team leaders," says Roennfeldt. "It is very
encouraging to see what is happening." This church plant started in
April 2002 with about 35 people. Now around 60 attend church each
Sabbath. There are 85 people who attend at various times and half are
unchurched people.

A group from the Leeuwarden church are committed to establishing
small groups, fostering social service work in their community, and
putting in place a new worship opportunity for their friends.

[ANR Staff/ANR]