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 LETTER from the Pastor 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
Page 3 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Wednesday 05 19.45 Council (Lower Hall) Friday 07 19.30 World Day of Prayer Sunday 09 10.30 Worship, Sonrise, C. MacLeod Wednesday 12 Thursday 13 19.15 Course on leading worship Sunday 16 10.30 Worship, Choir, R. Calvert
Page 10 Wednesday 19 Thursday 20 19.15 Course on leading worship Sunday 23 10.30 Worship, J. Singers, J. Pridmore Wednesday 26 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 Thursday 03 19.15 Course on leading worship Sunday 06 10.30 Worship, Comm., Choir, R. Calvert Wednesday 09 Sunday 13 10.30 Worship, Sonrise,I. Bom
Page 11 Tuesday 15 Wednesday 16 19.45 Council (Lower Hall) Friday 18 1 9.30 Good Friday service, I. Bom Saturday 19 l 10.00 Course on eading worship Sunday 20 10.30 Easter worship, Choir, R. Calvert Wednesday 23 Sunday 27 10.30 Worship, J.Singers, R. Calvert Wednesday 30 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 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 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 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 CONTACT DETAILS Scots International Church Rotterdam Schiedamsevest 121 3012 BH Rotterdam The Netherlands Church Telephone: 010 412 47 79 Church Office email: scotsintchurch@cs.com Website: scotsintchurch@cs.com 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 WHO S WHO IN THE CHURCH Mininster Rev. Robert Calvert scotsintchurch@cs.com tel: 010 412 4779 Church Administrator Nicole Chai (Temporary Thursday ) scotsintchurch@cs.com tel: 010 412 4779 Rentals Co-ordinator Mavis Fleming hartenbeer@hotmailcom 06-51709230 Organists Jan Hendrik v.d. Kamp J.kamp15@chello.nl tel: 010 466 5289 Nettie Dijkstra Nettydijkstra@live.nl Choir Anneke Pot Joyful Singers Esther Abang esabang2011@yahoo.com tel: 06 2462 0438 Welcome Team Steve and Pam Russell srussell@tiscali.nl tel:010 5 91 49 59 Recording Brendan v.d. Velden, 010 7851509 Church Beamer André van der Velden aavandervelden@casema.nl tel: 0180 756449 Youth group Saskia Dorsman sdorsman@hotmail.com Sunday School Olaf de Zanger zanger@online.nl Creche Sylvia Airomwanbor tel: 06 2037 3754 Maaike van der Eerden Secretary to the Consistory Bob Hensen atobobhensen@hotmail.com Convenor of the Council Ruud Witte tel. 06-22411465 ruudwitte@planet.nl Caretaking team Convener Harmen Rebel rebelharmen@gmail.com 06 4503 7551 Treasurer Jim Taylor tel: 071 362 5835 Offering Envelopes Jim Taylor tel: 071 362 5835 Property Convener: André van der Velden aavandervelden@casema.nl tel.: 0180 756449 Children s Message Rev. Irene Bom ibsalem@xs4all.nl Financial Team Fred Booman financial_sicr@hotmail.com Social Team Mavis Fleming hartenbeer@hotmailcom 06-51709230 Esther Abang esabang2011@yahoo.com Publicity Team & The Herald Bob Hensen atobobhensen@hotmail.com Tel: 06 16 808 505 Hank Meldrum meldrum@xs4all.nl Tel: 078-6314599 Joy Okojie okojiejj@yahoo.com Bookstall George and Wil Ross georgeross@home.nl tel: 0165 556 811 Church Website George Ross georgeross@home.nl tel: 0165 556 811 Child Protection Officer Veronica Leerdam veronicaleerdam@hotmail.com 010 4524230