Living Stones

In December we always enjoy the people that make the month so special: Shirley’s birthday brings to mind how we met and our many adventures together, our wedding anniversary speaks to how we have grown together, Stephan and Natalie’s wedding anniversary is the very next day (it has already been 5 years) and Christmas brings us together with all sorts of family. So we share meals and moments and enjoy the end of the year looking forward to the beginning of a new year.

As January approaches we shift our focus to new and continuing activities. What is exciting about these moments is how we see God working in us all together to do His will. Shirley and I welcomed 2018 with members of the church from Eindhoven and otherwheres. Later in the month we held our first Wednesday singing on a Friday and decided to make a meal of it. We met with 22 people from our congregation in Maastricht and the church in Liége to share together and sing – in whatever language possible. It was great to see how ‘Aunt Nel’ (as we call our sister from Maastricht) made such an effort to fellowship, even though she can speak no French or English and they could speak no Dutch. The 3rd Wednesday of the month found us singing again, this time at our monthly singing in Eindhoven.

As the year progresses we will be working on various projects that include members from around the Netherlands and Belgium. At the end of the month we hold our annual Ardennen Bible Camp meeting and Family Day. Much has changed down at camp because of a generous legacy from our sister from Brussels. In February there will be time at the Advanced Bible Study Series (ABSS) in Germany and I will work further on a mentoring program with a brother in Haarlem. March will bring a new song workshop for the Dutch-speaking congregations – learning new songs and encouraging members to sing by offering tools to sing and lead singing.

Buildings in Belgium are made of brick – stone by stone. Each stone matters. Peter understood this image well and emphasizes how we all are being used to build this temple of praise for our Lord. Let yourself be used, wherever you are, together with those around you, for a building of praise.

As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5