And the things you have heard me say in
the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable
men who will also be qualified to teach others.
(2 Timothy 2:2)

Season’s Greetings from Amsterdam! We trust that God is an ever-present source of joy and hope to you during this volatile time of the year… As for us, it seems that we can identify a bit more intimately with some of what Jesus, Mary, and Joseph had to go through in Bethlehem, at the time of the original “nativity scene.” Our ministry facilities on the Herengracht are still a bit of a mess—like the lowly stable in which Jesus was born—with sawdust and globs of plaster all around, tools scattered in the various corners, and a chill in the air from the lack of heating installation. As with most renovation projects (at least most Amsterdam renovation projects), things never seem to run quite according to plan, schedule, or budget. Thus, our community is still in “exile” as we await completion of the renovation process so we can move into our new space (please pray with us for an efficient conclusion to everything, hopefully before the end of the year)…

Even so, ministry in Amsterdam is far from stalled. In fact, it seems that we’re gaining momentum throughout this admittedly awkward period of our church’s history!

One of the more significant events from the last month was our church’s first ordination service. On Friday, November 10 (followed by a separate church-wide recognition on Sunday, the 12th), Todd Watkins and I were officially recognized as pastors for Zolder50. Of course, the two of us have been acting more or less in this same capacity for a couple of years already—since the departure of the church’s founding pastor in July of 2003—but it seems that the ordination last month brought some closure to a work that God has been doing in our lives and in our church for the last few years.

Perhaps it would help to explain a bit more of the process by which Great Commission Ministries (and its association of churches) recognizes its church leaders. There is a wide range of practices and procedures for establishing Biblical leadership in churches today—and honestly, it seems that there should be some room for allowance of different practices and procedures among different streams of Christianity—but pastors in the Great Commission movement are recognized primarily on the basis of character development. More than formal education (i.e. seminary), more than vocational choices (i.e. “full-time” versus “volunteer” ministry), more than adherence to a specific set of denominational guidelines—pastors in our church culture are recognized on the basis of practical experience and, most significantly, development of godly character such as befitting church leaders (outlined in sections of the Bible such as 1 Timothy chapter 3, Titus chapter 1, and 1 Peter chapter 5). Thus, in essence, Todd and I were trained and tested through our experience in actually leading the church in Amsterdam over the last few years (together with a more experienced pastor, Joe Dunn, on-site for the first year and then coaching from afar for another year and a half). And as it seemed that the Holy Spirit had given us sufficient grace to develop and lead the church—which indeed seemed to become clearer over the last year or so—it seemed appropriate, for Joe and for the entire congregation, to formally recognize Todd and I for the positions to which God had apparently already raised us. Therefore, the ordination ceremonies in November were a chance for the church to lay hands on us and pray for us, in formal recognition of what God has already been doing in our lives. At any rate, the ordination was a special event for me, personally (it was also neat that my parents could be there to witness the occasion). And, to be honest, I think that the ordination has also had a somewhat subtle, subconscious effect on the church as a whole, as well.

Since the ordination last month, I’ve had several conversations indicating that others have been impacted with the idea that they, too, could be used by God to help lead the church (and new church plants) in the future. In particular, I’ve had conversations with one young man from my home group and two other young men from another home group that I’ve been coaching—all Netherlanders—who have expressed interest, ambition, and availability for playing a more significant role in helping to lead the church (and/or new church plants), developing and learning how to pastor as they go. Going against the natural Dutch aversion to being one of the “tall trees that catches a lot of wind” (an old Dutch proverb, basically reinforcing a cultural value of anonymity), these young men are stepping up to play a key role in leading God’s church in the Netherlands.

Without a doubt, this is something to be excited about! We’ve long recognized that one of the greatest needs in the world today—and particularly in Europe—is spiritual leadership. And it seems in recent weeks that the Lord of the Harvest is being faithful to send out workers into His harvest fields (Matthew 9:37-38)! Please continue to pray with us for this process of leadership development—and particularly the development of European pastors—within our church. And please pray for Todd and me, in our role as pastors for these potential pastors—and for the church as a whole—shepherding these people’s lives effectively, through the power and wisdom of God.

Thank you for everything that you give to make this ministry possible. Your faithfulness and sacrificial generosity remind us of Someone else, whose gift to the world is remembered at this time of the year. We wish you a very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year. Thanks again, for everything!

Eric

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever. Who can proclaim
the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise?
(Psalm 106:1-2)

Greetings from Amsterdam! It’s a season for thanksgiving. No, not Thanksgiving with a capital “T” (the American holiday with the Pilgrims and Indians and turkey dinners and such)—thanksgiving: simply giving thanks, celebrating the goodness of God, and remembering His mighty acts in our lives. Especially here in Amsterdam (where, incidentally, they do not celebrate an official Thanksgiving holiday)—and especially at this stage in our church’s development—we have much reason for thanksgiving.

Just a short month ago, our church was homeless. We were struggling to get ourselves untangled from our old home on the Leidsekade, while simultaneously fighting through the red tape of government approvals and contract negotiations to get into a new place. But now, within the next week or two, we will once again have a roof over our heads—and not just any roof, but the roof of a really unique, truly beautiful, providentially prepared facility on the Herengracht (a beautiful canal neighborhood in the heart of old Amsterdam). Somehow, despite the odds, we managed to find a place that is bigger, more centrally located, more accessible, and significantly less expensive than our former ministry facilities! Truly, we’ve seen God work to meet our needs in very tangible ways over the last several weeks—even during the transition period—and we feel ourselves overflowing with thanks and gratitude for such assurances of God’s care for our community. There are still several elements of the transition that need to be solidified (including exact timelines for renovation and relocation), but we’re encouraged that things are headed in a positive direction. If you want to get more of the details from this transition period, I’d encourage you to check out my weblog: www.amsterdamasp.blogspot.com, where I’ve posted several photos and descriptions of the new facility—and, to be sure, I plan to keep posting more information as it becomes available…

In the meantime, we’ve got plenty to keep us busy! November will be a very active month for our family and for our ministry. In addition to moving the church (which will probably happen somewhere in the middle part of the month), we scheduled in a special seminar (called Ancient Paths) for the first weekend of the month, with a series of follow-up opportunities in the following week—all designed to facilitate recovery from deep emotional wounds and spiritual wholeness among the individuals within our church. We hosted the same seminar last spring, and the response was overwhelmingly positive—to the point that we felt we needed to offer the seminar again this fall, as well as create opportunities for some of the people in our community to be trained as facilitators for other seminars to hopefully be hosted in the future. Therefore, we’re excited to see how God will equip our ministry through the Ancient Paths program.

Also, in the second week of November, our church is planning to formally ordain Todd Watkins and me as pastors (as opposed to pastors-in-training) for our community in Amsterdam. I hope that I can explain more about this in our next prayer letter—but suffice to say, it’s an exciting development on both the personal level and the ministry level… Coincidentally (and, actually, somewhat consequently), my parents will be coming into Amsterdam also in the second week of November. We’re really thankful and really excited about their visit, as such opportunities for family connections do not come along too often (we may even try to pull off a good old-fashioned American Thanksgiving dinner while they’re in town!). In any event, with all of these things stacked on top of each other, it seems the second week of the month will be an eventful one for us.

Of course, it doesn’t end there. In the third week of November, I will be taking a trip to Austria for a conference with other GCM church leaders from across Europe. And finally to close out the month, Marci will be flying back to Ohio to help her Mom and Dad move out of her childhood home and into an old family farmhouse (which is in the process of being refurbished) where her grandparents will also live. So I’ll get some special time with the kids while Marci is busy packing, cleaning, and painting (and hopefully getting some nice downtime with her family too!).

I guess you could say that we’ve got our hands full for the coming month! But we’re excited that it’s good things and exciting things that are filling up the calendar. It’s obvious that God is at work. Therefore, we have much to remember during this season of thanksgiving. We hope that you will be similarly encouraged and prompted to thanksgiving by everything that’s happening here and in your own life as well. And not only do we want to thank God for all His goodness—we want to thank you for your role in making everything possible, through your prayer and financial support of our family and our ministry! Your faithful involvement in our ministry is an amazing blessing for which we are extremely grateful.

We’ll continue to keep in touch. Also, feel free to check the church website (www.amsterdam50.nl) and the “blog” (www.amsterdamasp.blogspot.com) for all the latest information. But for now, that’s it. Thanks again, for everything!

Eric

O our God… We have no power to face
this vast army that is attacking us.  We do not
know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”
 (2 Chronicles 20:12)