the herald - sicr · · 2014-03-07chapter is opening up for the scots international church and...
TRANSCRIPT
The Herald Newsletter of the Scots
International Church, Rotterdam
March and April 2014
IN THIS EDITION:
LETTER FROM THE PASTOR 2
CONGREGATIONAL NOTES 4
CONGREGATIONAL DIARY 9
FLASHBACK TO CAROL SINGING 2013 11
CONTACT DETAILS 14
BIRTHDAYS IN MARCH AND APRIL 15
WHO IS WHO? 16
Page 2 THE HERALD
Dear friends
This is not easy to say but it has
become clear that after almost nineteen years Lesley-Ann and I are about to
move back to Scotland. On 23 March I will preach as sole
nominee at the Steeple Church in Dundee. I believe this to be God’s call. When interviewed in the service by
Richmond Mensah I said we feel that the time is right. This is a step of faith and we hear the quiet voice of God in this. I really did not expect to be here this long!
We have not passed the point of wanting to settle back in our own country. I have been asking God if I should stay
in the Netherlands or go back to Scotland or elsewhere. In October the vacancy of the Steeple Church in Dundee was advertised. After twelve years in Glasgow and almost
nineteen here, I have ten more years before reaching the age of retirement. I think that I am healthy and I would
like to go on as long as possible. The city-centre ministry in Dundee is one of the few
situations that feels right after Rotterdam though we know that it will be very different. We would be going to a smaller and less diverse congregation but where there are
personal connections. Dundee is where I did my first university degree in biology in 1974. The Steeple Church
is where I met Lesley-Ann and is where thirty-six years ago I accepted God’s call to become a minister of the Church of Scotland. I have known all the previous
ministers from that time. Moreover I have lived in different areas and had several jobs in Dundee.
I feel so privileged and honoured to be minister of this congregation. How few have had such a varied
LETTER
from the Pastor
Page 3 THE HERALD
experience. I will always treasure the international ‘mix’
built around the ministry of the Word of God. I know that there are always challenges to face and there is never a
right time to leave. We are not leaving when things are at a low point. This month we are receiving some new members and preparing others to lead worship.
Some will inevitably look for reasons for leaving other than those stated. But there are none. You may ask, “What
have we done that he should leave us?” Previous ministers did not stay long. The right question is: “What did you that he stayed with us?” Your engagement and openness is
what made us to stay. We have been very happy here but that in itself is not enough reason to stay. I am still
healthy and ready for a new challenge. I sense that a new chapter is opening up for the Scots International Church and for us.
It is one thing to say that God guides us but quite another to explain the human factors involved. I hope my words
will help anyone seeking God for their next step. Last month a student spoke to me about whether he should
follow his heart and start a business or follow his parents’ advice and go back to study. For followers of Jesus, knowing the next step is a matter of faith – not simply
because it is convenient, advantageous or what we want.
Your friend and minister
Robert Calvert
Photo right: Interior Steeple
Church
Page 4 THE HERALD
CONGREGATIONAL NOTES
OLD AND NEW FACES
On Sunday 23 February we welcomed Hans
and Roos Stolk, Magdalena Osa’s and
Justyna Glenbocka as new members. Hans
who is a semi-retired business man and Roos live in Capelle and have been friends of the
minister and this church for many years.
Magdalene is a Christian from Nigeria and a
regular attender of the church and bible
study. Justyna, who is from Poland and married to Johan Wagenaar, has a special
concern in supporting young mothers in their
faith.
Afterwards at the Annual General Meeting,
Richmond Mensah, Rizal Sebastian and
Andre van der Velden were elected as
elders and Frans van der Meer and Ediri
Sobotie were elected as deacons. Peace Acquaah was re-elected for a further four
year period as an elder while James Essel
and Anthony Evovo were re-elected for
another four years as deacons. The Consistory
has fourteen elders and Council twelve deacons and together with Irene Bom
(locally ordained minister) and Jim Taylor
(treasurer) we are in a strong position as the
Page 5 THE HERALD
church seeks a new minister in the coming
year.
TRAINING COURSES
As we are well into the course on preparing and leading worship the minister will invite
two persons to assist him and the elder in
leading morning services. Two other courses
on pastoral counselling and public speaking are in the planning stages and could be of
offer after Easter.
Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders and all who work with children are invited on
29 March from 10:00 to 13:00. An
experienced trainer will be coordinate a
session on ‘’communication.’’ This may
include communication with the children, teachers together, parents and teachers,
children together. Everyone will be asked to
reflect on their own needs and the topic is
relevant for all ages. The morning will
conclude with a simple bread lunch.
On Monday nights from 24 February to 12
May, Bob Langdon of the Tyndale
Theological Seminary offers a course on
“New Testament survey”.
In terms of learning languages, if you would
like to learn Dutch, there is a class for
Page 6 THE HERALD
beginners with Harry Jonckheere on
Wednesdays at 10.30. There are still places at the 09.00 group to learn English on
Thursday mornings. More information can be
obtained from Pam Russell / 010 5914959.
WORSHIP
There are two services for this year’s World
Day of Prayer on Friday 7 March at 10.30 in St. Mary’s Anglican Church and at 19.30 at
the Scots International Church. We welcome
friends from Holland Methodist Church, Christ
our Redeemer (Roman Catholic), Wallonian
Church and other churches. The World Day of Prayer is an International Ecumenical Prayer
Movement which brings millions of people in
over one hundred countries together in a day
of prayer each year. This year the focus will
be on Egypt and the service was written by Egyptian women on the theme of “Streams in
the Desert.”
The Joyful Singers, our African rhythm worship group, leads worship on the fourth
Sunday of every month. We look for more
men and women to join – if interested,
contact Esther Abang.
The minister will be away over four Sundays
Page 7 THE HERALD
before Easter. He takes part in a mission
conference in Berlin with another Rotterdam pastor on 9 March, preaches in Steeple Church on 23
March, takes a Presbytery team to visit our sister
church on 30 March and travels with folk from here
and Dundee to visit a family rehabilitation project
in Galati, Romania, over 13 April. After that Robert will be here until he leaves in June. We welcome
Calum McLeod, Jason Pridmore and Arnold
van Heusden as our guest preachers on 9, 23 and
30 March respectively. Services will be led each week with the assistance of two members from the
minister’s class on preparing and leading worship.
PASTORAL
It is with great sadness that we announce the
sudden death at the age of thirty-five of Carla,
wife of Martijn van Horssen, in Bolivia. Carla died
on 15 January after losing her unborn child due to an aggressive bacterial infection. A funeral service
took place on 12 February in the Dutch Reformed
church (de Grote Kerk) in Alblasserdam. Martijn
wrote: “We are facing a difficult time, the truth is coming everyday more closer to us. We feel what
we have lost. A mum, mother, wife, partner, friend,
etcetera, and no words can describe this. The boys
are asking a lot and don’t feel well. We both (me
and the kids) need a lot of prayers to survive this
very difficult time.”
Page 8 THE HERALD
Ionut Grecu, our Romanian Orthodox student
from three years ago writes to tell us that he has been given a parish in a small village in Neamt
county near Iasi. He says… “Send my hugs to
everyone at Scots Church! I miss you guys more
than you can imagine!”
OFFERINGS
The mission offering on the first Sundays in March and April will be given to the Ma Flo
Foundation’s education and support work for
orphans in Cameroon.
Weekly Offering Envelopes are available from the
treasurer Jim Taylor. They are dated for each
Sunday in 2014 and for anyone who would like to
give a regular amount every week. Anyone
paying income tax is entitled to claim back for monies donated to the church and a receipt is
prepared by the treasurer for this purpose.
COMING EVENTS
There will be an “After Work Dinner Show” on Friday 28th March. The dinner is free and starts
at 18:30 with entertainment from 19:30 and with
a break end at 22:00. More information or
suggestions to Molly Foster.
Page 9 THE HERALD
The Garden Wall Mosaic is attracting a lot of
interest and we plan to put it on the wall at Hemelvaart (Ascension Day) on 29 May.
Meanwhile everyone is welcome to the Attic
Studio to work on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 15:00
and Wednesdays from 19:30 to 22:30. Contact
Andre van der Velden at 0653641271 or Wilma
Paton at 0616236652.
For more details, see www.facebook.com/
thegardenwallmosaic
Congregational Diary for March and April
March
Sunday 02 10.30 Worship, Comm.,
Choir, R. Calvert
Tuesday 04 19.45 Council (Lower Hall)
Wednesday 05 19.30 Beta bible study
Friday 07 19.30 World Day of Prayer
Sunday 09 10.30 Worship, Sonrise, C.
MacLeod
Wednesday 12 19.30 Beta bible study
Thursday 13 19.15 Course on leading worship
Sunday 16 10.30 Worship, Choir, R. Calvert
Page 10 THE HERALD
Wednesday 19 19.30 Beta bible study
Thursday 20 19.15 Course on leading
worship
Sunday 23 10.30 Worship, J. Singers, J.
Pridmore
Wednesday 26 19.30 Beta bible study
Friday 28 10.00 After-Work Dinner
Show
Saturday 29 10.00 Sunday School
training
Sunday 30 10.30 Worship, A. van
Heusden
April
Tuesday 01 19.45 Consistory (Church
house)
Wednesday 02 19.30 Beta bible study
Thursday 03 19.15 Course on leading
worship
Sunday 06 10.30 Worship, Comm.,
Choir, R. Calvert
Wednesday 09 19.30 Beta bible study
Sunday 13 10.30 Worship, Sonrise,I. Bom
Page 11 THE HERALD
Tuesday 15 19.45 Council (Lower
Hall)
Wednesday 16 19.30 Beta bible study
Friday 18 1 9.30 Good Friday service,
I. Bom
Saturday 19 10.00 Course on
l eading worship
Sunday 20 10.30 Easter worship,
Choir, R. Calvert
Wednesday 23 19.30 Beta bible study
Sunday 27 10.30 Worship, J.Singers,
R. Calvert
Wednesday 30 19.30 Beta bible study
Flashback to Carol Singing 2013
On Sunday 15th December between the Christmas tea and our Carol Service a large
group of our congregation were joined by
several people from the local community to
sing Carols around the area. The Christmas
tree outside our church gave a lovely background to the group all holding candles
as we began singing. We continued walking
on to the Waalsekerk while the singing and
Page 12 THE HERALD
trumpet sounds of "We wish you a Merry
Christmas" filled the evening air in Cool. Inside the Wallonian Church we were warmly welcomed
and musicians accompanied several Carols,
including some in French. The happy crowd then
walked on to the Fire Station where we were
surprised to see the big garage door shut. Fortunately when we rang the bell they asked us
to
Page 13 THE HERALD
come upstairs to sing because they had just
come back, and had to eat their meal. (As it turned out they had to rush off to
another fire just after we finished singing).
The 6 men obviously enjoyed the musical accompaniment to their meal and were all
taking photographs. Returning back to the
church hall we had warm punch and
mincepies just before going upstairs to our
Carol Service. We are very grateful to Opzoomer Mee for
subsidising the tree, Christmas lighting and
refreshment afterwards and of course it was
Page 14 THE HERALD
lovely to
have an eager
band of
singers and
musicians to
share it all with us.
Thank you.
Pam Russell, photos by Rignalda Fleming and Johan
Wagenaar
Page 15 THE HERALD
CONTACT DETAILS
Scots International Church Rotterdam
Schiedamsevest 121
3012 BH Rotterdam
The Netherlands
Church Telephone: 010 412 47 79
Church Office email: [email protected]
Website: [email protected]
Bank accounts:
ING Bank: NL17 INGB 0000 1751 87
F van Lanschot Bankers: NL79 FVLB 0699 6426 20
Birthdays in March 01 Licia Knoester 01 Gifty Dziwhorshie 02 Adje Acquaah 03 Nyomi Cairo 03 Fayola Cairo
03 Wyatt Kamara 03 Patience Takem 04 Quniten Massicott 07 Gabriella Balke-Budai 08 Emma de Zanger 09 Dorothy A. Kingsale 10 Aletia Baiye 10 Nelly Schonewille 11 Annemarie Fleming 12 Faith Abunum 13 Maxine Fleming 13 Esther Hensen-Gwanmesia 19 Jim Taylor 20 Marie Jose Schonewille 22 Feline Griesdoorn 23 Helen Tesema 24 Kwena Koka 26 Wilma Paton 28 Wyatt Kamara
29 Martin Asare-Awuku 29 Margaret Asemota 29 Molly Foster 30 Jane Stoutjesdijk 31 Eric Schouwink
Birthdays in April 04 Felix Dirk Knoester 06 Esinam Dziworshie 07 Pelle Brits 10 Ian Thomas Calvert 10 Elizabeth Baiye 10 Karen Baiye 13 Olaf de Zanger 15 Tine de Groot 17 Gladys Acquah 17 Frank Knoester 18 George Ross 19 Emmanuel Asare-Awuku 22 James Donald Howe 23 Oritsesegbemi Jethro Stoutjesdijk 26 Michellijne van Putten 27 Joke Cromwell 28 Robert Ewing
Page 16 THE HERALD
WHO’S WHO IN THE CHURCH Mininster
Rev. Robert Calvert
tel: 010 412 4779
Church Administrator
Nicole Chai
(Temporary Thursday )
tel: 010 412 4779
Rentals Co-ordinator
Mavis Fleming
hartenbeer@hotmailcom
06-51709230
Organists
Jan Hendrik v.d. Kamp
tel: 010 466 5289
Nettie Dijkstra
Choir
Anneke Pot
Joyful Singers
Esther Abang
tel: 06 2462 0438
Welcome Team
Steve and Pam Russell
tel:010 5 91 49 59
Recording
Brendan v.d. Velden,
010 7851509
Church Beamer
André van der Velden
tel: 0180 756449
Youth group
Saskia Dorsman
Sunday School
Olaf de Zanger
Creche
Sylvia Airomwanbor
tel: 06 2037 3754
Maaike van der Eerden
Secretary to the Consistory
Bob Hensen
Convenor of the Council
Ruud Witte
tel. 06-22411465
Caretaking team
Convener
Harmen Rebel
06 4503 7551
Treasurer
Jim Taylor
tel: 071 362 5835
Offering Envelopes
Jim Taylor
tel: 071 362 5835
Property
Convener:
André van der Velden
tel.: 0180 756449
Children’s Message
Rev. Irene Bom
Financial Team
Fred Booman
Social Team
Mavis Fleming
hartenbeer@hotmailcom
06-51709230
Esther Abang
Publicity Team & The Herald
Bob Hensen [email protected] Tel: 06 16 808 505 Hank Meldrum [email protected] Tel: 078-6314599 Joy Okojie [email protected]
Bookstall
George and Wil Ross
tel: 0165 556 811
Church Website
George Ross
tel: 0165 556 811
Child Protection Officer
Veronica Leerdam
010 4524230