WHO’S WHO IN THE SICR

Minister Rev. Robert Calvertscotsintchurch@cs.com tel: 010 412 4779

Community Minister / Mamre Rev. Joanne Evans-Boitenevans-b@fi sh.co.uk tel: 010 412 4779

Church administrator Elizabeth Dorn scotsintchurch@cs.com tel: 010 412 4779

Rentals co-ordinator Molly Foster info@sugarnspice.nl tel: 010 412 4779

Organists Jan Hendrik v.d. Kamp kamp@raketnet.nl tel: 010 466 5289Yong-In Yuyiorganist@hotmail.comtel: 06 1914 2219

Choir Anneke Pot Anneke Pot Anneke Pot

Joyful Singers Thomas Besong ttbesong@yahoo.com tel: 06 2205 9748

Welcome team Ineke Aghasomba tessca@hetnet.nl tel: 010 479 3933

RecordingJohn Dossett tel: 0180 524 026

Church beamerAndre van der Velden aavandervelden@casema.nltel: 010 415 83567

Youth groupLubomir Kudlicka Caroline Kudlickatel: 010 4207409Jolanda Griesdoorn tel: 0186 627 074

Sunday SchoolNyomi Cairo lovelync@hotmail.comtel: 010 477 6066

CrecheMercy Ovensehi tel: 010 432 7652 Sylvia Airomwabor tel: 06 274 43999

Secretary to the Consistory Richmond Mensah r.mensah@home.nl tel: 06 150 65598

Secretary to the CouncilStacey Bouwmanstaceybouwman118@hotmail.com tel: 06 4355 4959

TreasurersMaarten Brandsebrandse-scoones@kpnplanet.nl tel: 078 696 9118

Jan Ruigendijk tel: 010 450 7677

Offering envelopesDenis Galloway tel: 0180 410 056

PropertyEwout StoutjesdijkRizal Sebastianproperty_scir@hotmail.com

Financial team Fred Booman fi nancial_sicr@hotmail.com

Social team Gabriella Budai gbbalke@xs4all.nl Jane Stoutjesdijk yotan68@hotmail.com

BookstallGeorge and Wil Ross georgeross@home.nl tel: 0165 556 811

The HeraldMatthew Lane m.jlane3@freeler.nl tel: 010 467 4313Irma Gevers igevers@yahoo.com

Church websiteIrene Bom ibsalem@xs4all.nl tel: 010 265 1703George Ross georgeross@home.nl tel: 0165 556 811

THE HERALDMarch & April 2007

Newsletter of the Scots International Church Rotterdam

CONTACT DETAILSScots International Church RotterdamSchiedamsevest 1213012 BH RotterdamThe Netherlands

Tel 010 412 47 79 scotsintchurch@cs.com Giro 175187Fax 010 412 57 09 www.scotsintchurch.com SKG 699642620

MISSION PARTNERSGraeme and Carol KentOffi ce Addresses: SIM AUSTRALIA - Post Offi ce Box 42, Penshurst, NSW, Australia 2222 SIM INTERNATIONAL - 1838 Gold Hill Road, Fort Mill, SC, USA, 29708graeme.kent@sim.org www.sim.org

The confi rmation class

LETTER from the pastor

My dear friends

A few years ago I went on a course in the south-east of England where I learned two lessons from the business world that I will never forget. The small companies that we visited told us that having a “shared vision” was the key to surviving through hard times. Secondly, some leaders of larger companies told us that even when there is downturn in the market, it is not the time to axe the “research and development” department. Of course, it is tempting to go it alone rather than strive for shared vision or to cut out parts of the company that aren’t making money. I think this is helpful for the Scots International Church. In a community where people are coming and going, we need to keep telling our story and vision so that all may catch it – and, in times of diffi culty, we do not end our efforts to try new approaches.

During 2006 a new approach for this church has been the creation and building of ‘teams’. They are becoming a fundamental aid to the work of the Consistory and Council. They offer an opportunity for those who are single-minded about a certain aspect of church life to become involved. Team-building is an exercise of love. Each team has two co-ordinators. We affi rm what the Bible says (see Ecclesiastes 4) where it says that two is better than one and that a cord of three strands is not quickly broken! So in 2006 we set up the fi nance, property and social teams. In 2007 the pastoral and publicity are beginning to get off the ground. Later this year I hope that two more teams – ministry (all that happens on Sundays) and mission (outreach in the city) will form. They offer a place to use our gifts.

Last month we read from 1 Corinthians in worship. We noticed that the apostle Paul has much to say about spiritual gifts and how to use them. There were big problems in the Corinth International Church. Its members preferred to compete rather than co-operate with one another. There were divisions in the fellowship (chapter 1) and people tried to play leaders off from one another (chapter 3). There was immorality and lawsuits (chapters 5 & 6) and arguments over marriage and food (chapters 7 & 8). I fi nd it interesting that in the middle of talking about gifts that Paul suddenly turns to the love of God. The magnifi cent self-giving love of God that does not seek in return is the basis of community (chapter 13). With such love, we do not compare, complain or compete with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. There are stresses and strains in any real community that make it challenging to work together. We all have need to feel valued, loved and respected. Thank you, all of you, who have served the Lord in different ways with the gifts He has given you in this congregation.

The best leaders are team players. One such person in this church is Andre van der Velden. He has recently stepped down as property convener after many years of service and we

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MARCH01 Licia Dieleman 01 Gifty Dziwhorshie 02 Adje Acquaah 03 Nyomi Cairo 03 Fayola Cairo 03 Mercy Ovensehi 06 Elinore Evans-Boiten 06 Kwasi A. Akomeah 07 Wiah Bestman 08 Emma de Zanger 09 Dorothy A. Kingsale 11 Annemarie Fleming 11 Joanne Evans-Boiten 13 Maxine Fleming 19 Jim Taylor 19 Patrick Ovensehi 22 Deborah Gast 23 Helen Tesema 27 Ian Vollema 29 Martin Asare-Awuku 30 Freddy Nana

BIRTHDAYS - May God bless you

APRIL06 Esinam Dzisworshie 07 Pelle Brits 07 Naomi Hoebel 08 Roberto Raymond 08 Hetty Brand-Boswijk 08 Marco Brand 09 Caroline Kudlicka 13 Olaf de Zanger 17 Gladys Acquah 18 George Ross 19 Emmanuel Asare 25 Osasere Ovensehi 27 Joke Cromwell 28 Robert Ewing

want to say a special ‘thank-you’ to him. He worked with others on the Council and in the congregation to make sure that the growing fabric demands were met. As well as many urgent repairs, Andre supervised the building of a new kitchen, transformed the attic of the old Manse, rebuilt the organ and improved disabled access to the church. He would be fi rst to say that he did not to all these things himself – but without his ability to talk to and draw in others, it would not have happened at all. Thank you, Andre! We need to love and work with one another – just as God does with us in Christ.

Your friend and ministerRobert Calvert

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CONGREGATIONAL DIARY

MARCH 01 Thu 19.30 Special Council meeting (Church)

02 Fri 10.30 World Day of Prayer (Church)

04 Sun 10.30 Worship. Communion, Choir

05 Mon 19.00 SKIN-steering group

11 Sun 10.30 Worship, Sonrise, guest preacher

15 Thu 19.30 Council meeting (Church centre)

18 Sun 10.30 Worship, Choir

20 Tue 19.30 SKIN-Rotterdam (Lower Hall)

25 Sun 10.30 Worship, Joyful Singers

12.15 Prayer service

30 Fri 16.00 Wedding of Daniel & Chantal

APRIL 01 Sun 10.30 Worship, Palm Sunday, Choir

06 Fri 19.30 Worship, Good Friday

08 Sun 10.30 Worship, Easter Sunday, Sonrise

10 Tue 19.30 Consistory meeting (Church centre)

11 Wed 14.00 Mamre board (Church centre)

15 Sun 10.30 Worship, Youth service

22 Sun 10.30 Worship, Joyful Singers

26 Thu 19.45 Council meeting (Church centre)

28 Sat 10.00 Spiritual festival (Library)

29 Sun 10.30 Worship, Children’s choir

12.15 Prayer service

CONGREGATIONAL NOTES

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Thank you to all who came to the AGM – see reports, including some that were not in print then, contained in this newsletter. As we write these notes, preparations are being made for a special Council meeting to decide on how to use our resources and fi x an a budget for 2007.

The Confi rmation class continues to meet in March and April – when it will break into smaller groups to meet with Robert Calvert and Brian Turnbow alternatively. As many as nineteen young people (between the ages of ten and twenty-seven!) have attended and it is expected that many will join the church by confession of faith in May. A reporter from the Nederlands Dagblad was given permission by the group to interview them and make a report of their experience.

The wedding of Daniel and Chantal who recently joined the church will take place on Friday 30th March. You are invited to support them in the church at 16.00. Since Robert is speaking at a conference in Glasgow, the service will be conducted by Rev. Atze van den Broek, a long-time friend of Daniel’s family when he served as a missionary in northern Ghana.

Are you interested in Celtic spirituality? If you have not booked your holiday, you might be interested in a pilgrimage in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Robert Calvert has been organising a Celtic trail with his friend Rev. Jock Stein for 4th to 11th August. If you wish to have more details or a brochure, speak to Robert or to Brian Turnbow as soon as possible. Places are limited and will go on a “fi rst come, fi rst served” basis.

SKIN-Rotterdam, a network for migrant churches, has fi nally become a ‘Stichting’ and been registered at the ‘Kamer van Koophandel’. Both the Scots International Church and St. Mary’s Anglican Church are playing a large part in standing alongside newer migrant churches as well as older Orthodox churches. Also, in recent weeks, Capt. T. Bouwman and Robert Calvert have been attending meetings connected with the new Social Policy Act that may be of benefi t to religious organisations. If you would like to hear more about this or about buildings for migrant churches (or simply meet others from migrant churches), you are very welcome to the public meeting to be held here on Tuesday 20th March.

Sunday worship in April will include a youth service and contributions from a new children’s choir. Easter services include Palm Sunday (April 1st), Good Friday (April 6th) and Easter Sunday April 8th) with the annual Easter breakfast! The main bible texts likely to be used in worship and Sunday School are:March 04 Genesis 15 v. 1 – 18March 11 Psalm 63 v. 1 – 8March 18 Luke 15 v. 1 – 32March 25 John 12 v. 1 – 8April 01 Luke 19 v. 28 – 40April 08 Luke 24 v. 1 – 12

April 15 Acts 5 v. 27 – 32April 22 Acts 9 v. 1 – 20 April 29 Acts 9 v. 36 – 43

Between April 22 and May 20, the minister plans to preach from the book of Acts on mission, the church and the world – and, in particular, on how we in the Scots International Church can contribute in a meaningful way in God’s work today. The special ‘Prayer’ services continue on the last Sunday of every month and will co-ordinated by Kirsteen Allan with others.

Our warmest congratulations to new elders, Mrs. Elisabeth Dorn, Mrs. Kirsteen Allan and Mr. Ato Cromwell, and new deacons, Mrs. Wisteria Cairo and Ms. Molly Foster on their election. It is a while since we had so many women join the Consistory and Council at one time. Please show them your support.

We welcome our mission partner Graeme Kent and former elder Irene Bom as guest preachers on 25th February and 11th March respectively. Graeme is now living in Australia but on his way to speaking engagements in Africa, he stops off in Rotterdam where he and Carol had two spells with the congregation. Irene who is on six month placement in the Bergsingel Kerk as part of her training for the auxiliary ministry will preach on the Sunday when the Presbytery of Europe meets in Gibraltar.

It with regret that we announce the death of Rev. Bill Cant who has died at the age of 85 on 13th February. Bill was a much loved fi gure when he served as interim-minister in 1991-92. A card has been forwarded to Margo, his widow, expressing the sympathy of the congregation.

A spiritual festival is being organised in Rotterdam’s central library on Saturday 28th April. If you want to be involved with an exhibition or musical items, speak with Robert or Brian.

From March 21st a Korean student, Young-ho, will join the church for six weeks as part of his training to work with Operation Mobilisation.

A Big Thank YouThe following message I sent to the Herald to be published in the December issue. But, as computers who make no mistakes can have a day off and as the internet that can be as fast as lightning brings a message that can’t be opened, sometimes the writing does not arrive at the publisher’s screen. However, my message is still the same. After hospital and many tests I am now having therapy for some more months. This is what I wanted you to know.

For all the cards, telephone calls, prayers, fl owers and visits during my unexpected time in hospital in October, I thank you sincerely. They have been – and will be in the future – a real support, not only for myself and Marion, but for all of us. For these “injections” of love, faith and energy we are most grateful. Joost Pot

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Dear friends

One of the subjects all the students training for the ministry at New College have to take is homiletics. Homiletics is the science of preaching.The fi rst lectures we had on the subject taught us that preaching would be challenging. Not because you have to stand up in front of hundreds of people and talk as I thought, but because we live in a world where words are not as important as they used to be.

Though the big gift of the Reformation was teaching people to read the Bible and in that way helping them to become literate, with the arrival of the television, we have become more visual as people. Just compare a newspaper today to one 50 years ago: so many more pictures, fewer words... Look on any computer or mobile phone, and you will fi nd that words have been replaced by pictures: “icons”.

In our worship, in our times of refl ection at home, we should remember that we can also pray, and be with God without using words.

In his lent Resource book “Jesus’ hands and ours” Tony Kidd encourages us to look at hands as a starting point for our time with God. Looking at hands can lead to focusing on God’s creating hands, on Jesus’ caring hands, on his healing hands, on hands that serve, on crucifi ed hands, on blessing hands.When we look at hands from that angle we might recognise God’s presence in our lives, we might fi nd it easier to understand Jesus’ ministry and his love, and hopefully we might get inspired in our own discipleship.

Why not start our Lent refl ections this year by looking at our own hands for:

Christ has no hands but your hands to do his work todayNo other feet but your feet to guide folk on his wayNo other lips but your lips to tell them why he diedNo other love but your love to win them to his side(St Theresa of Avila)

May God bless you all Joanne

NEWS from the minister

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STATUSThe 30th of March will see the premiere of the play Status in our church. For the last year the Mamre project has been involved together with Bewonersorganisatie Cool and Rotterdams Wijktheater creating a play with and about uprooted people. The show itself is meant to be an encounter between people and between cultures. We hope that as such it will enable more understanding for the plight of asylum seekers, undocumented people and other new comers to Rotterdam. It promises to be an experience which I am sure you will not want to miss. The play will be performed until the end of June, for more information about the exact dates either phone Joanne at the Church offi ce or watch the notice board in the church.

CONSISTORY REPORT(Notes extracted from speech at the AGM given by Mr. Richmond Mensah, Consistory clerk)Throughout 2006 we baptised nine children: Elias Moes, Ayla de Wilde, Junior & Lesley Ashu, Olivia Airomwanbor, Sijmen Griesdoorn, Boaz Lane, Ginelva & Denzal Enow. Two funerals of church members – Mrs. Ria Bode and Mrs. Susan Dossett – took place in the church. Four weddings involving our own members took place in the church: Gabriella Budai & Bert Balke, Dyanara Dossett and Michael Rundberg, Heleen Bronkhorst & Gerard van Haendel, and Corina van der Laan & Claude (after their wedding in Khartoum). Fourteen new members joined the church. Congregational activities included Lent bible studies (with the Anglican church), the launch of monthly prayer services, the Covenant service on 18th June and the Autumn Fayre and Car Boot Sale. Social events included a youth event, fashion evening, Easter breakfast, Picnic in the park, an international food festival and the Christmas tea. In the church, SKIN-Rotterdam held three public meetings with politicians, housing offi cials and a professor from Utrecht. The last nationally organised Migrants’Week in the Netherlands was held here on 25th November and attracted over 200 visitors. Visiting preachers in 2006 included Rev. Malcolm Duff (Glasgow), Rev. Michael Stark (St. Mary’s) and Irene Bom. Our organist Christiaan van de Woestijne left for Austria and, when his replacement Devon Howard left for Groningen, we welcomed Yong-In. Erna Booman was elected as a new elder and Anthony Evovo, Lucas Moes and Rizal Sebastian as new deacons. Richmond Mensah became clerk to the Consistory and Stacey Bouwman as clerk to the Council. As a church in the city we were able to serve an interesting variety of student placements. From Seattle in the US, Patrick came in January for three months. From Serbia / Hungary, we had ‘Emmy’ in January, and from Hungary, Gabor in March. Heather Peacock came for ten weeks in June from Scotland and Daniel Manastireanu came in July for three months with his family from Romania. [Postscript – all of them have been in touch and send their love to the congregation. Emmy is now married and works for the Reformed Church youth offi ce in Budapest and hopes to study in Union College, New York, later in the year. Gabor’s large family are well and he is travelling a lot for children’s ministries in Romania and elsewhere. Patrick is back home with his family and Heather has begun another placement. Daniel and Ligia travel to Scotland at the end of February with their children to begin another placement with the Church of Scotland in Glasgow before attending the selection conference for the Church of Scotland ministry.]

Life, Liberty and the PURSUIT of Happiness Martin Luther King Day and a Refl ection on the Parable of the Talents

January 15 is Martin Luther King Day. You might remember from last year. Dr. King was a man who stood for equal rights for all people. All people. Regardless of race or religion or economic background.

In America, we have a founding document called the Declaration of Independence. I sometimes wonder if Dr. King had it in mind as he marched and preached. It says: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness.”. The PURSUIT of happiness. Not waiting for it to be handed to you, but going out and getting it yourselves. Defi ning what you think it is and then DOING THE WORK it takes to get there.

We often hear in church and from the government about the poor and how we should help them - give our money to them, or our taxes, volunteer our time - what our responsibility, as good Christians and good citizens, is to them. It is right to have compassion for people in tough situations. What you rarely hear asked is this: what is THEIR responsibility to the rest of society? And even more important, what is their responsibility to themselves? Whenever I hear people talk about the plight of modern day refugees, I have to think of my grandparents. All four of them fl ed Europe. Here they were persecuted because of their beliefs. They came to America with NOTHING. Nothing. No money - Cunard had seen to that by charging them $100 each for a one-way, third class (steerage) ticket. ($100 was SIX MONTHS WAGES for an average worker in the US then.) No money and only the few possessions they were allowed to bring on that boat. They got off in New York speaking not a word of English. They had little education - they had been required to leave school at 14 because where they lived, they were not allowed to go further. Absolutely hopeless situations, you’d think.

But they did not see it that way. They felt great about coming to America and living in a tenement with no running water and no heat. They felt great about working six days a week, twelve hours a day in sweatshops or behind a push cart. They felt great about learning English as quickly as possible, about taking a citizenship test after only six months on American soil. They felt great because in America no one wanted to kill them and that was a plus. They felt great because they saw the whole country as one big opportunity. They never asked for help. Just a chance, like everyone else, to PURSUE happiness. My grandparents all died poor - not as poor as they had been, but still pretty poor. Every extra penny they earned went for one thing - to send their children to university, to give THEM a chance. I am really proud of them!

What is the responsibility of a poor person, then, to society and to himself? Well, if you would have asked my grandparents, they would have said, “To work hard, not to be

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WELCOME BRIAN TURNBOWIn January we welcomed Brian Turnbow from North Park Brian Turnbow from North Park Brian TurnbowTheological Seminary in Chicago on a six-month placement. Before moving to Chicago to study theology and ministry, Brian lived in Boston for eight years where he was an undergraduate student in social sciences and also worked as a travel agent for a student travel organization. Because his father was in the air force, he and his family moved a lot during his childhood, living in places as diverse as Alaska, Florida, and Thailand. On his own, Brian has also worked as a volunteer for a summer at an asylum centre in Nijmegen, and at a youth camp in Estonia. He is a big fan of Star Trek, having watched every episode of both the old and new series more than once. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, collecting old memorabilia from the former Eastern Bloc, eating Surinamese food, and going to the cinema.

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dependent on others, to take advantage of every chance given you by the country you adopt.” We ALL have the responsibility to contribute to society, not just to be takers - rich and poor alike. That’s part of equality, too. Not being excluded from adult responsibilities. We have the responsibility to ourselves and to the God who made us to work hard, use the talents God has given us and not wait for happiness to fall into our laps. Pursuit is active - it takes work. Not someone else’s but your own. Doesn’t matter what it is if you do it honestly and to the best of your capability. We live in an age of assumed entitlement, but entitlement is not the message of the parable of the talents.

A famous Scotsman, a nineteenth century social reformer named John Stuart Mill, said “A man from whom nothing is demanded which he cannot do, never does all he can.” That is a good summary of the parable of the talents. God gives to each a certain amount: some more, some less. The amount is not the point - it’s what you do with it. Sitting on your butt, waiting for a handout, is disappointing - to yourself, to society and to God. President John Kennedy put it another way: “Do not ask what your country can do for you, ask what YOU can do for your country.” In the words of my very unique grandmother: “What are you doing besides taking up a seat?” You can phrase it many ways. It all comes down to responsibility - fulfi lling it, fulfi lling the promise of your unique talents. That is the crux of the parable. And God asks us not to fail.

Alisa Kasmir

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THE BOOKSTALL ANNUAL REPORT 2006Last year the bookstall had a cash - income of EUR 1.439,95 existing of : Euro Books and Youthbooks 176,80 Bibles/ Children’s Bibles 156,15 Music books 163,00 Life and Work magazines 121,50 CD’s 186,35 Cards 141,05 2nd hand books and CD’s 174,75 Others 68,50 Free gifts Daily Bread 94,35

Special projects : Project L – A and Maureen 24,00 Calendars 2007-02-14 127,00 Fayre (Marmalade) 6,50 Total 1.439,95

We are happy the congregation and the visitors are still interested in the service of the bookstall. We thank all who co-operate with us not only buying but also by bringing second hand books, CD’s cardbags etc. We were glad to be able to send a gift of EUR 100,00 to the council for fund-raising after the Autumn Fayre in September.We hope to be able to continue this service for many years.Wil and George Ross

THE CHOIR report from Anneke Pot, directorThe Scots International Church Rotterdam Choir consists of a very committed and faithful group of singers. We are representatives of the diversity of the congregation in denominational background, nationality, languages, musical tastes and abilities, and also in the fact that some of us are founder members, and others stay with us for shorter or longer periods. In 2006, we celebrated our 25th anniversary with a special Picnic and Praise event in the summer. After many years our choir director Hetty Boswijk stepped down and handed over to Anneke Pot, who was appointed the new choir director by the Consistory as of September 2006. We continue to sing in the worship service twice a month, contributing an introit and an anthem, befi tting the theme of the service, in a wide variety of musical styles. The choir also organised the annual Carol Praise evening service on December 17, 2006.

We do not charge the choir members any membership fees. We have no expenses or income. Choir members contribute on an ad hoc basis for small presents or cards as needed occasionally. The choir librarians, George and Wil Ross, provide midi-fi les and sheet music for the choir and maintain the choir website, without charging the church.We praise from 9.15 to 10.00 am on Choir Sundays in the sanctuary. Anybody who is interested in joining us is very welcome to come along!

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LADIES’ BIBLE STUDY report from Jean GallowayOur Ladies Bible Study Group meets every Wednesday morning at 9.30. At present we are studying the Parables. We enjoy chatting, praying for those who need prayer, and this over a welcome cup of coffee or tea. Any ladies who are free on that morning are most welcome to join us. We are mostly about ten ladies.

Annual report from the JOYFUL SINGERSGreetings in the name of the Lord from the Joyful Singers to you all.During the last year, 2006, the Joyful Singers were very active both in the Scots International Church and outside. The group honoured and sang in all the services it was scheduled for. Sometimes the turnout was not so encouraging, but we kept on with your support. Apart from singing in our church, the Joyful Singers also had a few invitations from the outside. A group of young dynamic and kind-hearted Christians from Middelharnis who were going to Ghana for some Christian work, invited the Joyful Singers to grace their departure. When they returned, they still called out to the Joyful Singers to come join them in a welcome service at Sleeudijk. It was very lovely to hear of their good works in Ghana and experiences. Closely following this outing was the wedding of our friend/former member, Michiel Vermeer in Leiden. Through the church, the Joyful Singers took part in the following:

The Song festival that took place on the Witte de Withstraat The yearly Peace service that was held in the Scots Church The Migrant week conference The social evening organized by the Social committee.

In all of these outings, the Joyful Singers did its best to evangelize through singing and also to represent the Scots International Church honourably. During this year also, the group struggled and is still struggling with the constant departure of its members. In this respect, we want to appeal to all those who have the love for singing to praise God, to feel free to join the Joyful Singers. Bear in mind that there is no bad voice for the Lord. You must not be a professional to sing. In conclusion, we want to thank you all for standing by us during the good and bad times. We want to thank the Almighty God for giving us the voices to sing and ask that He continue to richly bless us all.

Annual report of the SUNDAY SCHOOL (SS) The last week of June 2006 Nyomi Cairo offi cially took over the Sunday School from

Richmond Mensah who had been head of the Sunday School for several years. Since October 2006 the Sunday School teachers use the new SS material called ‘Seasons of

the Spirit’. This year we try out this material and evaluate occasionally. The Bible passages used weekly in ‘Seasons of the Spirit’ are also used by Robert Calvert during the service.

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There are four SS groups and every age group has three (the youngest group has two) teachers who rotate every three months. The music team has its own rooster.

In the oldest group of the Sunday School there are a number of children who are actually too old for the Sunday School (ages 13 to 15 years). There are several reasons why these children do not wish to go to the Youth Group. We will work together to guide and inform these children about the Youth Group. September 2007 they join will to the Youth Group together.

Several children of the Sunday School (especially girls of the oldest group) wanted to form a choir. In consultation with Robert Calvert the youth choir will be singing on the fi fth Sunday in April for the fi rst time. This youth choir will be for all young people who like to sing.

Nyomi Cairo, Sunday School Superintendent

Annual Report YOUTH GROUP – 2006Members & meetingsThe Youth Group (YG) consists of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 23 years. At this moment there are 12 teenagers. Three new members joined the YG. One member left because of age or studying outside of the Netherlands. We also had a teenager from the United States visiting for a couple of weeks. We come together three Sundays of the month. The meetings take place during the service. We think it is very important for our teenagers to get some teaching about God, the Scriptures and other spiritual topics. Teenagers often have many questions which they fi nd diffi cult discussing with their parents or friends. We hope to make it easier for them to discuss these things. In every meeting we read a passage from the Bible and close the meeting with a prayer. One Sunday per month they join the regular service. There are eight teenagers in the Sunday school who are ‘ready’ to join us. We are planning an introduction for them as they feel a bit afraid of leaving the Sunday school.

TopicsIn 2006 the topics during the Youth Group were :- Ten Commandments - Fear

LeadersFor the past fi ve years Willemijn and Dieudonne Gwanmesia were helping us to lead the Youth Group with great joy and enthousiasm. They have decided to move on to run a new group. Willemijn is now leading the Alpha Course. Also Wim Griesdoorn decided to stop leading the Youth Group. We were very happy to introduce Rignalda Fleming as a new Youth Group leader. She started in September and is very keen. Both Wim and Jolanda Griesdoorn and Lubomir and Caroline Kudlicka welcomed another baby boy into their families. We had four meetings in 2006, to plan together for the coming season, to discuss the problems related to leadership and to pray for the Youth Group and their leaders.

Other activities- Bowling- Dinner at Willemijn/Dieudonne- Youth service (nov 2006)

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BudgetFor 2006 : Euro 0For 2007 : We hope to get a budget from the church to be used for Youth Group material/

study books/Bibles, Youth Group outing, training/course YG leaders.

Planning Youth Group for 2007:- Youth Service 15 April 2007- Introduction of new members coming from the Sunday school- Parents evening with YG leaders- Starting with contribution for the YG (used for study materials, books etc)- Training and courses YG leaders for working with teenagers- More social activities with YG

Joland Griesdoorn, Rignalda Fleming, Lubomir & Caroline Kudlicka

Report – SOCIAL TEAMSine the last year’s AGM, the Social team is very active in the Scots International Church. The team has about 10 – 12 members and the co-ordinators are : Jane Stoutjesdijk and Gabriella Balke-Budai.

The purpose of the Social team is to create opportunities where members of the congregation get to know each other, where newcomers have possibilities to introduce themselves and make connections with the older members of the church. Where people can have fun with each other, playing, singing and eating together.

In 2006 three main activities were organised, namely: In March a social (fund raising) evening with a fashion show, a play: Women from the

Bible, dinner etc. In August a picnic organised to welcome the Romanian Manastireanu family In November the International food festival with the Joyful Singers, quiz, dinner etc

For 2007 we have planned four social events, namely: In January a brunch, where especially newcomers are invited to introduce themselves.

The other teams are asked to present their work, their plans for 2007 and to introduce their team members. Our minister, Robert Calvert is asked to present the history of the SIC

12 May: a Fund Raising Social Evening – further information soon 1 July: picnic – further information soon 10 November: Social Get Together Evening – further information soon

If you are interested in joining the Social team, you are very welcome. Please contact Jane Stoutjesdijk/Gabriella Balke-Budai or the Church offi ce 010412 4779.