Training

One of the joys and challenges of our work in Belgium and the Netherlands is working with young people and those wanting to learn more. The body of Christ is just that - a body. The church is made up of all sorts of people and God can use us all in many ways. Buut we learn from each other how we can be used to help others. That is part of what we are doing, helping to train and mentor others to become leaders and helpers. 

This past weekend we offered a day of training for those wanting to work with the Bible camp. It was Inspiration for Aspiring leaders, so we called it “Breathe”, knowing that it is the Holy Spirit who prepares us and forms us in our tasks. Last year we held this day at the church building in Antwerpen because that was more central, easier for people to reach. But we have wanted to hold it at camp itself so that the prospective leaders can see in person what they are working with. So this year we met down at camp. We are thankful to be able to do this with good colleagues (Luk Brazle). 

It was great to see the willingness of these few young people to learn and be aware of the responsibility of leading a team for a week of Bible camp. This is a time of reaching young hearts with the truths from God’s word and putting those into practice every day for a week before they return home. It is a time when many young people from the churches in Belgium and the Netherlands see friends from around the country or make new friends. This is all facilitated by good camp leaders. 

We are also helping to mentor some of our couples and singles in Maastricht. We meet on Mondays to study and talk about situations in leadership. On Wednesday afternoons we have a Bible study in English for some of our young people where they can ask questions and get honest answers. It is exciting to see how the members of the congregation are maturing in Christ and stepping up to new challenges in their daily Christian life. 

In April we will also be taking part in a First Aid course for those who work down at the Bible Camp. This is another aspect of learning and teaching. The Red Cross will offer the course and we are thankful for the various people who will attend, including several from the church in Maastricht. We are learning how to use the spiritual muscles God has given us and feeling the challenge of using those abilities and trusting in God’s strength and leading. 

(Here are some more pictures of the training day at camp.)

Planning for Camp

This past weekend I was blessed to sit down with about 20 people to evaluate and plan camp. We wanted to see what had gone well this past summer or needed changing and also look forward to the coming year. In 2025 we hade full or almost full camp weeks all summer. Shirley and I were blessed to help run the oldest group this year and I helped with the Family camp week as well. Next year it looks like I will be helping with the youngest group again. 

The exciting thing about Ardennen Bijbel Kamp (ABK) is how much the church members from around Belgium and the Netherlands are invested in it. There is an amazing mix of younger and older people who help each other plan and run the various camp weeks. These are memory-making times for so many young people who then also go on to help others make the same kinds of memories in their lives.  

In 2026 we will have 3 new camp leaders, people who have stepped up to a challenge to help others. It is exciting to see how this happens and to see the courage of those who step up. A young brother with a growing new family will lead the teen group, assisted by another young couple with a new baby. In the Fall a young man will lead his first Fall Camp after having helped this year in various camps. And in the Spring, when we meet to work on camp, a brother has stepped up to be present and help direct the efforts while our usual leader for that week has to be away. 

In the meantime there are all sorts of new teams forming. Bible camp is a place where people can put their talents to use helping others. It is a place to learn how to lead and how to help. It is a place to help young people and families grow in faith in the Lord, learning in practice what God tells us in His word. I am so thankful that we get to be part of this effort and working together with these people. 

Sowing seeds

A lot of what anyone sharing the good news of Jesus is comes down to sowing seeds. Although I have never been a Gardner and certainly do not have a green thumb, I can understand when Jesus talks about a sower sowing seed in a field. But there are many different ways to sow. 

One of the things that is true about this picture is that it requires some perseverance and plenty of patience. I feel like I am pretty good at the first, but I have definitely had to learn the latter through the years. I, like many in this life, want things to happen quicker and to be visible. But God works with lives. And lives develop through time. My life in Christ did not just spring into being, although I had a moment of birth, for sure. But God has taught me, formed me and shaped me through the years and all of the experiences He has given. 

This is also how things are with the people we are working with, the people with whom we share this wonderful news of a new life in Jesus Christ. We do not always see immediate change. Although often some change is more visible by some than by others. That is now down to us. God gives the growth - we sow the seed. 

Some of this sowing has to do with what we say, talking about our life in Jesus and about how to meet Jesus. Many of the people I have worked with started by learning about the Bible and how to read it. Although many people, certainly here in Western Europe, will say that they know about Jesus, most have never read the Bible. Most see the Bible as a large book written in the past which tells some weird stories and also has some stuff about this Jesus. 

I have always tried to teach people that the Bible is a remarkable library. It is not a book, but a library of books, a compilation of all sorts of different literature. This helps many understand immediately that it must be read in a different way than a book would be. But I emphasize that it is a remarkable library - a collection that could not be possible if it did not come from God. 

Besides helping people see what kind of library they have at their disposal, I take time to help people learn how to read the Bible so that they can get to know who Jesus is. It is in the Bible that we truly get to meet Jesus and see what he really said and did. Unless we go to the Bible, we cannot say that we know anything about this Jesus.

This is one of the things that I have done throughout the years with some of the Catholic kids in our villages. Years ago our colleagues were asked if they would help with the local Catholic confirmation kids. Our colleagues are known in their village as the people who know the Bible. So through the years we have tried to make sure that these kids-becoming-adults (12-13 year-olds) are not only presented with the Bible, but are taught and shown how to read it. We try to take away a bit of the mystery and strangeness and teach them how to become familiar with what is there. 

In the coming month I will be able to revisit some of this teaching when these kids organize a reunion. We are interested to see where they are now and to remind them of how good God can make our lives, remind them that at a time in their lives they made a choice. We would like them to remember this choice and consider an even more momentous choice for their lives. 

We will also begin another course of “Getting to know Jesus” in the neighborhood of where we meet in Maastricht. We never know how many people will be interested or challenged by such a course. We invite people and know that God is calling those who are ready at this time to hear. Then we try to not only pass on the information, but to live the true life that Jesus gives us so that people can see that the seed actually bears fruit. 

We have no idea how long we might need to wait to see if any of this seed grows in the hearts of the people around us. We may never see the fruits in that sense. But we trust the grace and might of God in doing what He is doing. I may not have a green thumb (or green fingers as they say in Dutch), but I know that God is the one bringing growth and He is truly mighty. 

The youth these days

This past Sunday we were blessed to visit the congregation in Rotselaar where I preached. I the past we would visit this congregation regularly on a Sunday afternoon to practice singing. We have always had a good working relationship with the congregation and have a good relationship with many of the members in other capacities. This includes Bible camp. 

Many of the kids we have had come through Bible camp are now young people or even grandmothers. One of the sisters on Sunday was showing off her granddaughter. She mentioned that she herself was only small when she first went to camp with us as directors. And now she herself is a grandmother. It is amazing how quickly the time flies. 

But this of course also means that her kids are old enough to have kids of their own. Her son was also at our camps through the years. He was first a camper, then a counselor and then an assistant director and planner for the youth. Now he is also a father. His little sister has also been helping as a counselor in the last few years. It is exciting to see how people grow up. 

And yet, not everyone who came through camp has remained faithful or followed the Lord. There were a few people at the meal after services yesterday who came through camp, but are no longer attending or doing anything with their faith. This is hard to see and we continue to pray for all of the kids we work with every year. 

We pray that as they grow up into young adults, fathers and mothers, even grandmothers, that they hold onto what they have learned from the people around them. We pray that we, and all the people we have in a team for a week of camp, are good examples for all of the campers who attend. We know that a week of camp is only a week, but can mean so much more. We also know that our example needs to continue far past that week of camp. 

Bible camp was immensely important in my spiritual growth, but it was not the only influence. We hope and pray that we can continue to be a good influence not only for the kids at camp, but the kids in our congregation in Maastricht and the adults we have contact with every week. This past week we celebrated the graduation of one of our kids from the kid’s class to the adult’s class. He received a Bible and we all prayed over him. He joins two other young men in the congregation. Later this year we will graduate a young lady.  

We all were kids once. People were an influence on us as well. Now we want to be those people who are a good influence for the kids around us. Do you remember who was an influence in your spiritual life? How can you be that person to the young people around you now (no matter how old you are)? 

Growing in grace

It is always exciting to see kids grow up. If you have known them for a long time (like since they were a baby), you see them learn to talk, learn to p[ay attention, start going to school and all the rest. You also see them grow in stature. Luke says Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). That  is wonderful to see in our young people. 

One of our young men is just 13 but is almost (almost, not yet, you see) taller than I am. We check every week when we see one another. But it is also good to see how he and the other young people in the congregation are growing in knowledge and wisdom as well. We want them to know and understand the wonderful grace of our loving Father. And this is not just with our youngest ones. It is also good to see our older teens and 20 somethings growing. 

As mentioned before, we have a games day every 2nd Sunday. This is not digital games, but board games. It is a great time to be together, talk together and have fun. It has been fun to see the group that usually stays - it is a cross-section of the congregation. There are a few of us older folks, the young Ukrainian couple and some of the younger teens. This reinforces our family, helping us to get to know one another better.

It has also been great to be able to get together with our English speaking members. There is a group of 20-somethings who all speak English (and some are learning Dutch). We get together for a Bible study on Tuesdays when it works for all to be there (about every two weeks). This is a group of Ghanians, Ukrainians and Americans. It is wonderful to see their hunger for the word of God and their discussions about God’s will in their lives. 

We started a few weeks ago with showing some video’s on Sunday after services for the younger guys who are interested in some scientific evidences and discussions about God. This group sits in a corner, glued to the screen and the words being shared. Then there is a lively discussion afterwards. It is great to see. 

This Friday we will hold our first Friday singing again. The last time this has been with a smaller group since the French-speakers have not been able to come. But it is still nice to be able to learn new songs. I recently translated three songs from English to Dutch and hope to get them recorded soon so that others in the congregations can learn them and use them. I was also able to write two new short songs based on Bible texts - one was for the Vacation Bible Camp, the other for our youth day. The first has already been recorded and is online. I hope to get the other up fairly soon as well. 

Next weekend, just before we head out for our quick US trip, we will hold another Thank Walk. This is an opportunity to meet the neighbors, share the beauty of thankfulness and just know and see how beautiful God is in His nature - even around the building in the city. Our building is on the edge of the city, so there are several nice walks. And as the weather gets better (although it is still mostly rain now), the walks show even more beauty. 

With each of these activities, it has been so good to see the various members of the church growing in wisdom and grace and favor with God and man. We are so thankful for the way that God puts family together, forming us into His body, able to do amazing things with His Spirit. I am reminded daily of our theme this year: “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household… “ (Eph. 2:19)

Planning for the future

Ardennen Bijbelkamp (Ardennes Bible Camp in English or ABK for short) has been active in Belgium and the Netherlands since 1965 when a group of brothers and sisters bought land in the village of Solwaster, n9t far from the tourist town of Spa, Belgium. In all those years dedicated brothers and sisters have made good use of the location and the ever increasing facilities to spread the gospel, train up young men and women and have a place of growth for the churches in both countries.

My first contact with the camp was in 1981 when we first visited during a campaign from York College. In the two years I worked as an apprentice for evangelist Jim Krumrei (1982-1984) I helped as a counselor, teacher and organizer of camp activities. When we returned to Belgium and the Netherlands (in 1991) we jumped right into working with every opportunity we could at camp, including Fall camps, summer camps or maintenance of the grounds and buildings.
At some point I also stepped into a role helping design curriculum and then into a position on the board. ABK is an association set up with the various congregations in the Netherlands and Belgium. The association, with members and a board, helps to run the camp administratively and meets every year for a formal meeting in January. This year was no different except that we had a change in the board. This is a big thing, because the board has been the same for quite some time.
The president of the board is my colleague, Ruud Verheijen. He has noticed his health causing him some problems the last years and, looking to the future, knew that it was time to pass the baton. So he stepped down and we welcomed a new board member this past weekend. Robin Huyghebaert has been active in camp activities since he was 16 when he planned the first Winter Kamp. He also keeps up the website and directs camp regularly.
At this formal meeting (which is held in an informal manner, as you can see in the picture), we looked at how things went in 2023 and looked ahead to 2024 and further. We discussed one of the difficult decisions we have had to make in raising prices. Camp has always been focused on making sure that all can attend, and thankfully we can still do just that - even while raising prices.
It was exciting to have several of our young people at the meeting who are also very active in camp and youth activities. There is a dedicated group of brothers and sisters throughout the congregations who remain interested and active in ABK. This year we look forward to the normal camp weeks (3 youth weeks and a family week) as well as 2 VBK weeks (for 8-14 year-olds) in the Spring and Fall, a normal Fall weekend and hopefully a new camp week for 20+.
We are also looking at some major changes in the facilities as one of the first actual buildings will be demolished and replaced by a better building which will house new bathrooms and rooms for the team members who come to help run a week at camp. Although the renovations will not begin this summer, we hope that they will be finished by next summer’s camp weeks.
Camp remains an important part of mentoring, training, encouraging and teaching young people and all members of the congregations in Belgium and the Netherlands. In the beginning years it was also used extensively by the French-speaking churches. We continue to pray that this will return. In the meantime we are thankful that the French-speaking churches are still able to attend the Family Day organized every September. This year the congregation in Maastricht is organizing this special day at camp.
What are some of your memories of Bible camp? What place did Bible camp take in your spiritual formation? 

Interested in photos from camp? Look here. (Choose a year to look at and click the green button. Check out 1983 for fun.)

A flexible year

This past year was a time to be flexible and see how God could use each and every moment. We all like to plan. To know what is going to happen. But we have all learned that this is not always possible. It may not even be desirable at all times. Often it is simply good to see what is coming and be able top ‘roll with the punches’. That is what this year looked like at various times. 

In January we were still planning on getting to the US for our regular Home Assignment. We try to get back every three years. The last time was in May-July 2019. But the world changed a lot by the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020. Our plans for returning to the US in the Spring of 2022 was looking more and more unlikely as travel restrictions were still in place. So we started looking at planning a Fall trip. Since we do not travel with the boys (2016 was the last time we traveled with Sean, and that was only for part of the trip), we can choose different moments in the year. 

In spite of those plans being changed, some of our normal activities continued: weekly studies, singing evenings each month in Eindhoven and Maastricht, As the year continued, corona restrictions lightened and we were able to make more concrete plans. A lot of this had to do with our summer Bible camp weeks. This would be the first year in a while that we would be able to hold a Family Camp week and everyone was looking forward to that. 

The congregation was also experiencing quite a few changes. In March we welcomed a group of Ukrainians in the congregation and looked into how we could help in this refugee crisis (including looking at how to use camp). We suddenly had more people to care for in the congregation, but we also had to look st how to do this (including translation, housing, helping). A year on, two of these young Ukrainians are getting married in 2023 and have been a strong part of the church here. 

We were able to hold in-person events as the weather cleared up and brought sunshine. This included our yearly gathering in The Hague where we included the various Ukrainians spread across the Netherlands and Belgium. We also planned and took part in various activities in other cities, trying not only to make refugees feel welcome, but looking at how God could use us all together. 

After great summer Bible Camp weeks, we started looking seriously at our plans for going to the US in the Fall. By this time prices were rising everywhere. Travel restrictions were still not completely clear, so we made the decision to move our plans to 2023. Trying to fly and drive for 2 months visiting family and church family from the East coast to the West and all through the Midwest was proving to be a challenge. 

Still, when we saw that Shirley’s sister’s health was not doing well at all, it was important enough to plan a full week (plus travel days) to visit and see if we could help in any way. We didn’t really think or plan that much. We simply looked at what was possible, asked for guidance and help and went. We are so thankful that God has put us in a position to be able to do just that. 

The year has ended with plenty of great activities with a congregation that has grown very close through a year of dealing with change and learning to trust. We react to challenges with trust in God and being active with one another. This is what we are looking forward to in the coming year as well. 

It is not easy to consider being gone for a full two months. This means leaving people and plans behind. But we know that these plans, if they are in God’s hands, are well-cared for. We know that the church is Christ’s church. We know that God can do far more than we ever even imagine or plan. So we will try to make our plans for visiting the US in May-June 2023 as well as continuing normal activities and being ready to develop any new opportunities that God presents us with. Please keep these things in your prayers. We will update you with our possibilities in the coming months. 

God blesses us every day, each year. We are so thankful that, no matter where we are, we know that He is in control and is able to use us mightily for His will and to His glory. Thank you for walking with us this past year. We look forward to hearing from you, seeing you and working together in any way possible in this coming year.