Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope that
you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...
(1 Peter 3:15)

Greetings from Amsterdam!  We’ve had a busy month of ministry.  We hosted our first short-term missions team of the year; we sponsored a series of apologetics seminars called “The God Hypothesis” (www.thegodhypothesis.com); and we coordinated an extended weekend of service projects called “Serve the City” with 30 different projects involving almost 300 volunteers from May 17-20 (see www.stcamsterdam.nl for more details on this exciting initiative that Zolder50 was privileged to lead).  And of course, all of this was in addition to the regular slate of ministry activities that we have from month to month.  To say the least, it’s been a full—though fruitful—month of ministry.

Even so, in the midst of all the ministry activity, I always find that it’s the little things that seem to make the biggest impact.  For me personally, my heart has been freshly stirred in the last month or two toward simple prayer and evangelism.  On a regular basis, I’ve been deliberately starting my days by asking God to help me to be on the look-out today for people with whom I can talk about Him… to find people who are asking the big questions in life… to scatter seeds that God can grow…  And as I’ve been praying, God has been bringing opportunities.  Of course, I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that the more I pray, the more my heart becomes prepared.  Since I’m consciously asking to see God’s hand at work, I’m more perceptive to the opportunities that God brings along.  But even so, as I’ve been asking for God to intervene in my life, I’ve been really seeing how sometimes God will just drop something right into my lap!

There was one day in particular last month, when I was praying early in the morning—before heading out to lead one of the aforementioned Serve the City projects.  That morning I prayed for God’s will in the service project and specifically that He would bring me into conversation with non-believers—but that I wouldn’t have to push my way into it.  However, when the project actually got going that morning, I basically forgot my morning prayer.  I ended up with a strange mix of volunteers on my team:  three giggling American high school girls, one very reticent Bulgarian young man, three older Dutch women who had found out about the project through an article in the local newspaper, and then me and one other guy from Zolder50.  Each volunteer seemed to have very different goals for why he or she was there.  And though we had planned some projects ahead of time; instead, we wasted a lot of time going around on a tour and drinking coffee when we got there —basically killing time because the people at the community center were not ready for us.  Suffice to say, I was pretty frustrated by the way the day was going…

Nevertheless, we started trying to pull things together and salvage something from the day.  The majority of our team went to work in the garden, doing jobs that weren’t 100 percent necessary but which were at least something positive for us to do.  Then as we started to work, God remembered my prayer from earlier that morning (even though I had practically forgotten it)…

While we were sitting on the ground and weeding, a couple of the high school girls started joking about the one girl’s borderline obsessive-compulsive tendencies… And after a bit of listening and casual participation in the conversation, I suddenly felt God’s prompting and before I could even think about it, I blurted out a question:  “So who is really in control of your life?”  It was a very direct question, not at all premeditated, and yet it seemed that the question came from God and subsequently opened the door to some amazing conversation.  While we kept weeding, more and more kept coming out about this girl’s past… her parents’ divorce… her strained relationship with her step-mom… her frustration with her Dad’s move to the Netherlands and subsequent breaking of promises about when they would go “back home”… It was pretty deep stuff!  And then without thinking about it, I was sharing the gospel—talking about giving God control of our lives and our future.   Even as we talked, this girl seemed to be torn between the beauty of the gospel and reminding herself of the fact that she didn’t believe in God.  But I was trusting that God would do His work in her life through our conversation.

And then, just as our great spiritual conversation was dying out, this old woman sitting nearby started cursing at us and telling us to shut up with our stupid conversation in English and death to George Bush and other such ranting and raving.  So I started to talk with her in Dutch and ask why she seemed so agitated.  When I initially walked over to talk with her, she refused to allow me to sit down with her (she said that her religion prohibited it).  But as I responded gently and asked a few more questions, she eased up a little bit and eventually invited me to pull up a chair—and over the next hour her whole manner changed while we talked.  She became very soft-spoken and polite.  She told me about how she had never felt like she fit in anywhere, throughout her whole life, and about her decision (as a Dutch woman) to convert to Islam.  I told her some about what we were doing with Serve the City and why I personally had chosen to participate (my faith in Jesus).  I wouldn't exactly say that I got to share the gospel with this cranky old woman—but I was definitely able to identify myself as someone who had found meaning and hope and belonging in Jesus.  I was able to turn a very negative point of introduction around into something pleasant and warm... And who knows how God might use that someday?

I wish I could say that one or both of these women accepted Christ that day… but they didn’t.  Both conversations died out eventually.  Even so, I definitely felt God at work through those conversations, and as usual I must be content to let Him do what He wants with those seeds (or maybe just fertilizer pellets) that were scattered that day.

What encourages me the most is that I’ve had several other similar experiences over the last month—getting into serious conversations about God with other people as well:  family members at a birthday party for a guy from my home group… A single mom from Elliot’s school… A university student on the steps of the Vrije Universiteit… neighbors at a neighborhood meeting to talk about threats to renters in the area… The opportunities seem nearly endless!  This is what ministry is all about—and this is why I’m incredibly thankful for your role in supporting our involvement with God’s work in Amsterdam.  Thanks so much for everything.  We’ll be in touch…

Eric

Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care,
serving as overseers—not because you must, but
because you are willing, as God wants you to be;
not greedy for money, but eager to serve.
(1 Peter 5:2)

Greetings from Amsterdam!  What a wonderful time of the year we’ve been blessed to enjoy… There’s just something beautiful about the spring.  Here in Amsterdam, the month of April was filled with blue skies, long sunny days, gardens full of flowers, canals full of boats, café terraces full of people… It’s been amazing!  This week, the rain has come again—making us wonder if maybe April’s flowers will bring May’s showers—but even the rain is refreshing in its own way.  Our family’s joy in this season of rebirth and renewal has been compounded by the realization that we are more than half-way through the period of expectation for our third child (a baby boy, we’ve recently learned, due in mid-September).  What more could we ask for?  We’re truly thankful for God’s many blessings—which, it should be said, includes you and the selfless support you provide for our ministry, both financially and spiritually.

At any rate, we wanted to share with you some of the news from the ministry of Zolder50 in Amsterdam.  If you read my blog (www.ericasp.com), you may have already seen a version of these musings, but I was just recently realizing that our church has gone through a rather strange process of “growth” throughout the course of the last year or so.  Now, I know that this isn’t the kind of thing that you’re supposed to put in prayer letters (designed to keep you, our ministry team, informed about all the great things that God is doing in Amsterdam and encourage you toward continued prayer and support)—but the truth is that our church is almost half the size of what it was roughly one year ago.  From a weekly average of perhaps 225, meeting in two separate worship gatherings, packing out a cozy attic space with enthusiastic worshippers... we are currently down to a weekly average of about 125, consolidated in one worship gathering, meeting in a drab multi-purpose room (which is to say that we’re still waiting for our facility issues to be resolved).  It's safe to say that a lot has changed over the course of the last year.

And yet, I can't really think of a time when I've been more excited about the health, well-being, vision, and direction of Zolder50.

Last Friday evening, we hosted a dinner party for the home group leaders in our church, with 20-25 people in attendance (and that's even with a few of the home group leaders not being able to make it!):  all young men and women—the majority of whom are now Europeans—who are taking ownership and leadership within one of the most strategic elements of our ministry in Amsterdam.  And (while it’s kind of sad to say this as if it’s some kind of exception to the rule), for the most part these young up-and-coming leaders seem happy and healthy (not over-burdened), and highly enthusiastic about where we are as a church and where we're going.  From a low point of just three home groups a couple of years ago, we're up to seven home groups—with two of the groups looking to further multiply (for a total of nine home groups) in the not-too-distant future.  We're even talking about sending out our first church plant(s) before long!

Of course, the pattern for our Sunday worship gatherings can be a bit concerning, and we definitely don’t want to overlook this key aspect of our ministry.  However, when you consider that we had to change facilities seven months ago—and as a result of the altered facilities, we had to cut back from two meeting times to just one (which also ended up being the afternoon meeting time, which had always been less populated than our evening service)... the drop-off is somewhat understandable.  Fortunately, we still have new people visiting every week.  We still see non-believers being impacted by the message of the gospel, in the context of a real community of people worshipping in spirit and in truth.  And when it comes down to it, it seems that a significant number of the people who have dropped away in the last year or so were actually those who came to Zolder50 as their second (or third) church service each week—where they could just passively soak in another teaching, bop along to some "cool" worship music, and enjoy the comfortable atmosphere of so many young people who are so genuine and friendly and fun.  Thus, even though we fully realize that we could benefit from restructuring our Sunday worship gatherings a bit and making some adjustments to firm up some of the weaker areas of our ministry (which, encouragingly, we're already working on)—I'm actually not too concerned about the attendance figures for our Sunday worship gatherings, in light of all the circumstances.

More than anything, I'm just encouraged (on a personal level, as well as a ministry level) by groups like our home group leaders.  They feel like family, in a lot of ways.  Whether we're having serious discussions about the future of the church, or making pizzas together, or playing ridiculous games together, or talking about the personal stuff in our lives—I really respect and appreciate these people.  I respect their hearts for God, their hearts for people, and their hearts for the city.  I appreciate their enthusiasm and creativity and wit and wisdom.  I love them as people and as leaders in the church.

In reflecting upon the entire situation, I’ve truly come to believe that our church is “growing” in all the right ways, even (or maybe even especially) throughout the last year of sheer numerical decline.  Our home group system is not the only element of our church that is experiencing such development.  In many ways, we see God developing leaders and people who are willing to shepherd God’s flock, in different ways.  And this lays a strong foundation for future growth (both quantitatively and qualitatively), not just in central Amsterdam—but also in other neighborhoods throughout the city and around the country, in the years to come.  As a result of all this, I feel remarkably encouraged and uplifted.  And I'm grateful to God for his work in growing our church—even if it means growing in a different manner from that which we typically envision.

Please keep praying for us (and with us)!  Rejoice with us in the ways that God is developing leaders; and pray for His continued providence, protection, and presence in the lives of these young people.  In everything, thank you for your partnership with us in this ministry.  We’ll continue to be in touch…

Eric

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some
spiritual gift to make you strong -- that is, that you and I
may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
(Romans 1:11-12)

Greetings from Amsterdam!  We’ve had a busy season of life and ministry here on this side of the Atlantic.  Not only have we been keeping busy here in Amsterdam, but we’ve been doing some traveling as well.  At the end of March, I had the honor of traveling to Barcelona to help represent Zolder50 at the inaugural meeting of the European Church Planting Network (www.ecpn.org).  Then, after just a couple days back in Amsterdam, our whole family flew to Lake Bled, Slovenia, to participate in Great Commission Ministries’ annual retreat for its missionaries serving in Europe.  It’s been fun getting to visit these unique parts of the world and interact with the many unique individuals serving God on the Continent... But it’s also nice to get back into the rhythm of “normal” life in Amsterdam.

Recently rifling through a pile of mail that had accumulated during all the traveling, I came across a hand-addressed 9” x 12” manila envelope with a postmark from Bowling Green, Ohio.  Upon opening the envelope, I found a small stack of loose leaf paper with a cover letter from Matt McClure, a staff member at h2o (the GCM church with which we had been involved prior to moving to Amsterdam).  In his letter, Matt explained the contents of the envelope:

“On February 16, h2o held a Souled Out service at the Ice Arena Lounge.  The theme for the night was ‘A Heart for the Nations.’  As part of our worship that evening, we told the stories of missionaries who once served here, including you.  We printed short biographies and had the students write letters expressing how your commitment to serving Jesus overseas impacts them.  Enclosed you will find the letters written to you.  We pray you are encouraged by the words of these students.  Most have never met you, yet your lives have influenced them...”

As Marci and I read through the hand-written notes, we were strangely warmed by the words from these friends and strangers.  They offered a rare glimpse of the way our ministry in Amsterdam has been used by God.  Like everyone else, we can be susceptible to getting trapped in the realities of our “daily grind” without realizing that we’re actually involved in something cosmic.  Yet through reading the letters from students in Bowling Green, it became evident that our ministry has had an effect on young people not only in Amsterdam—but also on the other side of the world.  And because you play a very real role in allowing us to be here, engaged in this ministry, it seems appropriate that we should share some excerpts of these notes with you.  Like these words from Bryan:

“I admire your sacrifice, your faith, and your trust.  I know at times things may seem hard and it is hard being a world away, but know that your example is being seen every day.  We think of you often and admire all of your example to us.  Thanks for knocking on my door in Kohl Hall and inviting me to enter the h2o family.  Because of your step of faith my life will never be the same...”

As indicated in the text, I actually did happen to have a pre-existing relationship with Bryan.  But, oddly enough, this same message was picked up and amplified by another young woman named Beth, whom I believe I’ve never even met:

“You saw a need, heard from God, and listened.  That speaks loudly to the world around you!  It is so refreshing to me to hear of people stepping out of their comfort zones to fulfill the will of God...”

Another stranger, Sarah, went a step further writing:  “I cannot imagine myself sacrificing like that, but if God calls me to do it I will...”

And Peter wrote:  “I am a sophomore student here, and in a few days I will have been a Christian for three weeks.  Hearing of faith such as yours is truly inspiring... Thank you all for showing me what real, large faith looks like, and more importantly, for spreading His word to those that need to hear it.”

A few of the notes that were included came from people reporting the effect of their involvement in short-term missions trips to Amsterdam (h2o has blessed us with five mission teams in just four years).  For example, Tiffany wrote:

“Going over to Amsterdam in 2005 (on a short-term missions trip) has left imprints on my heart, and has uprooted passions within me that have not dwindled.  God has used your life to awaken a desire for overseas missions in my life, whether that be Amsterdam or somewhere else...”

And Wes wrote:  “When I think of times when God has really spoke to me, high on the list is the 10-day trip I got to spend in Amsterdam.  God made it clear that I could have a mindset for ministry through sharing with people in the parks and seeing the exciting worship at the Zolder...”

One of the last notes from the packet that I got to read was from my dear friend Jason, who is currently serving as one of the campus directors for the ministry in Bowling Green.  He summed up the feelings that had been packed into the envelope quite effectively:

“It’s so cool tonight to see so many young people here in BG thinking of you and praying for you.  This is perhaps our largest Souled Out service ever!  It is truly a testimony to how we feel about you and your church.  We are honored, as a church, that your roots are in Bowling Green.  These young people (myself included) see your example and believe that God can also do big things through each of us.  In a sense, you are still pastoring us—even from so far away...”

Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of all these sentiments—except to simply give glory to God.  It’s hard to believe that our family can still have an impact in a place where we haven’t lived for almost five years... And yet, the irony is that I can so easily observe the way that you are having a daily unseen-though-immense impact in Amsterdam through your prayer and financial support for our ministry.  So let me just say thank you for everything you do to impact our lives and the lives of young people around the world!  We deeply appreciate it!

Eric