Recently, our barges have been renovated. They are now up to current standards and have both received a new certificate. They could continue to navigate our waterways for years to come BUT… the old generator needs to be replaced – total cost 15000 Euros. So, can you come on board? Could you help us keep the barges afloat by taking part in the purchase of a new generator? Please send your gifts with the indication ’For the new generator for the barges’. Send your gifts by cheque to the following address:

United Kingdom
Belgian Evangelical Mission UK
P O Box 617
EPSOM KT17 9JQ

United States of America
BEM, Inc.
PO Box 2255
Buford, GA 30515

We are surrounded by the signs of the universal disease of sin; if society is going from bad to worse that is because of an incorrect diagnosis and because of ignorance of the cure. I am reminded of the doctor on holiday who, on the beach, noticed the early signs of cancer of the skin on a holidaymaker. She went up to him quietly and, introducing herself, insisted that the person see a specialist when their holiday was over. In the same way, we cannot keep quiet because we have the answer- the remedy is Jesus, the Saviour- this is the Gospel of Salvation which has been entrusted to us. Now is not the time to keep quiet; we know that the remedy works, don’t we? Hasn’t Jesus transformed our lives? Haven’t we been given the blessing in place of the curse? How can we not share this with others?

So let’s begin to be witnesses – yes, I used to be sick, but I didn’t know what was wrong with me. It was not easy for me to acknowledge my sinful state and need of pardon. But I have found both the Healer and healing. So let us share with this sick world the message of the Cross – ‘by His wounds we are healed.’

Annie, how did you become a Christian?
At the beginning of the 80’s, after a separation, I met Christians who were on a summer evangelistic campaign with the theme ‘There is hope’. It was organized by the Evangelical Church of Courtrai. I began to take part in the discovery studies and to go to the Sunday services. Six months later, I was baptised.

How did you come into BEM?
One day, at the church, they asked for volunteers to help in the Bookshop every Monday morning and I responded. I enjoyed it so much that I began to spend more and more time there. When the Bookshop couple, Rolf and Ellen, were leaving for Holland, they asked if I would take on the ministry. After interviews with BEM leaders, I was given the green light. That was 20 years ago and my enthusiasm has never waned.

What do you enjoy most about your ministry?
I enjoy enormously the contact with customers. In fact, I enjoy all of it, except the I.T.! Every day, the Bookshop door is pushed open by folk who just want to talk, but that doesn’t stop us having books to sell!

When will your ministry come to an end? What will you do next?
I am due to retire on May 1st 2012. First I will be take a ‘sabbatical’ – time to catch my breath and think about my health, and then I hope to become active again, to be more involved in the church and foster contacts created over the years. Latterly, because I have been busy in the Bookshop, I haven’t been able to do so.

What will you miss and what will you not miss?
I will miss the contact with people, and ‘my’ home library. In the shop I read edifying Christian books and, in my spare time, novels. What I will not miss is the responsibility for the Bookshop: I have had to carry that alone for several years.

Anything anecdotal to share with us?
In Courtrai I am known as ‘Annie van Het Goede Boek.’ Someone once asked me if it was my family name! It can happen that someone comes into the Bookshop to look at the postcards, but leaves ‘because of the texts.’ And it can happen that we sell the crosses just because there is no figure of Christ on them. This often leads to discussions on faith in the Risen Lord.

What, for you, is the most important part of the ministry?
For me the best part is that folk who are seeking God are brought into the Bookshop; they readily buy several books. Sometimes we are able to see the fruit of those who come to the Lord and who join a church.

Annie’s departure will more or less coincide with the Bookshop’s expected move next year, probably in the spring. The town authorities having decided to construct a new complex at the current site, the Courtrai church will be building new premises for its own activities and for those of the bookshop. Jona and Sara Govaert, the young couple currently in training, will be taking over the ministry from June 2012. So there will be new workers and a new building but the vision remains unchanged – to share the Good News through literature.

It is the 21st day of the 7th month, the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Not everyone is in a celebratory mood. For some the new Temple is not as they had foreseen. The rebuilding is laborious and dogged by conflict. Even the construction work is not going as expected. Then here comes the prophet Haggai, sent by the Lord, to confront the people with this question, “What do you think of the new Temple, is it up to your expectations, do you think it has a future?” Of course the Temple did not fulfil expectations: they had imagined it otherwise, it should have transcended the old Temple. Since the Lord was on their side, He should have shown their enemies what He – and His people- were capable of. But that hadn’t happened and it was difficult to believe that this would ever change.

The prophet Haggai was not sent by God to discourage the people. On the contrary, he had declared – ”But now be strong…and work….Do not fear…I (the Lord) am with you…I (the Lord)will…” (1) The message is clear and simple: don’t be discouraged by what you see or by what you are going through, turn your eyes on Me, the Lord, your God. The epistle to the Hebrews teaches us that none of the great heroes of faith of the Old Testament saw the fulfilment of God’s promises.(2) Nevertheless, they remained faithful and persevered in obedience. God used some of them to accomplish great things, others went through deep troubles, but all were a blessing to the people.

Was this what you expected? Never forget that our vision, our expectation, is Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.(3)

Wilfried Goossens

(1) Haggai 2 v.4-5
(2) Hebrews 11 v.39
(3) Hebrews 12 v.2

B.E.M.’s field of action is Belgium: a Belgian mission for all the inhabitants of the country. However, at first sight, this may beg the question –why choose this small kingdom, with its resolutely Judeo-Christian tradition, and its fervour for the defence of freedom of thought and religion? In the 16th century when the Reformation was gaining ground throughout Europe, bibles in different languages were printed in Antwerp. Alas, the persecutions of the Counter Reformation resulted in the flight of thousands of individuals, leaving behind abandoned towns: others chose to return to the Roman Catholic Church. For more than 400 years, until the Second Vatican Council in 1962, the personal reading of the Bible was forbidden. At the end of the twentieth century, faced with an increasing spiritual choice, many moved away from the Church. Today, Belgium is just like other western countries- a postmodern society where everyone is free to devise his own religion. In this ‘spiritual supermarket’, the Church of Jesus Christ is weakened, marginalised, reduced to a minority. Faced with such a challenge, the Belgian Evangelical Mission is reaffirming its original vision- to reach all the inhabitants of Belgium, to take the gospel to every generation and group of people, to plant churches in each town and village and to become a source of inspiration to the general evangelical community.

ONE VISION, VARIOUS STRATEGIES

Usually, we adopt a strategy that we could call ‘military’, i.e. priorities are set according to the number of inhabitants and existing churches. The planting team may be pioneer or sent out by a ‘mother-church’ looking to implant a ‘daughter-church’ in the region. In both cases events are organised aimed at confronting those invited with the message of the Gospel. Those who show interest are followed up and taught spiritually so that they can be integrated into the new community while the evangelistic activities are pursued. Once a nucleus has been formed, we usually look for accommodation suitable for all the activities of the group. Despite everything, a relative marginalisation of these young churches, can be seen, the relationships being created on the edge of society. We all know that today, for better or worse, tolerance has become the international watchword. There are positive consequences- an open search for spirituality, for relationships and the desire to belong to a community. On the other hand, it can be observed that, even if the religious institution gives an impression of being out of touch, the concept of faith is seen in a different light. Is the Church finished? Can it have a real impact on society, being in the world without being ‘of the world’? Is it possible to live this authentic New Testament church life (NB The NT does not give much detail) to which many of our churches aspire? Perhaps you will find part of the answer in looking at ‘L’Autre Rive’ (Other side), our mission post in Gembloux.

Eric Zander

In September 2008, the first worship service was organised in the public hall of the C.P.A.S. (+/- the Belgian equivalent of the Social Services). In the beginning this was repeated monthly, then twice a month, with the addition of more informal meetings in homes, always at the weekend. The Sunday service begins with a breakfast which is an integral part of the meeting, as explained by Eric, “In our Latin culture, we talk all the time; we love to do so, especially over a good meal. When you are with friends, you look at each other, and everyone participates. We endeavour to maintain this climate of dialogue so that the whole community can feel at ease while discovering and exploring God’s message. For example, we have made the liturgy into an instrument of coordination that takes us on a spiritual journey together. The decoration we use for our meetings is designed as much from the artistic point of view as from the point of view of the ‘sacred’ atmosphere it can help to create. We take our inspiration from what is going on in the world and the current trends. This is much appreciated by those who used to consider the Church as out of touch.

With a Sunday attendance of between 25 and 45 participating adults, L’Autre Rive is developing beyond expectations. Friends who were not Christians three years ago have stayed and been converted, wavering Christians have been reaffirmed; marriages, baptisms and presentations of infants have taken place. The church also has the particularity of having no midweek meetings,“ We want our people to live out the Gospel where they are so we encourage them to spend time with their families and in their neighbourhood, to be witnesses who are walking with Jesus. And for that you need to take the time! This community that has chosen to build itself by means of its network of relationships, without using occasional evangelistic events, is now finding that folk arrive without apparent links to the group. These are individuals who are seeking and who have been brought by word of mouth. Also, at the invitation of the C.P.A.S. old people’s home, l’Autre Rive now organises a monthly service for the residents, using a liturgy adapted to their age group and background (mainly Catholic). Parallel to this cultural integration there is the need for us to be a living presence in society. Both as a community and personally, the members are encouraged to be involved socially both locally and more generally. Eric is part of several non-religious associations and the church plant is recognised by the local council.

Now that the church includes nearly fifty people and in order to maintain the existing dynamics, Eric and Anne are hoping to hand over the leadership to a local team working under a supervising group and then, why not, to start a new project somewhere else.

Moto-conneXion cannot really be defined as an evangelistic organisation, but rather as a new and parallel kind of Christian community, in which people are linked by their passion for motor bikes and the desire to go on with Jesus.

Dates and places for upcoming events:

* Sunday 8 October 2011, Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) leaving from Huy
* Sunday 6 November 2011, a loop ride in Walloon Brabant leaving from Ottignies
* Saturday 10 December 2011, our traditional evening meal to end the season

For more info see: www.moto-connexion.be (in French)

And what do we do in return? What sacrifices are we prepared to make? What do we give him? A few thoughts here, a few meetings there, a little time for reading the Bible and prayer…. Then we go our own sweet way. The inadequacy of our response must be staring us in the face! Are we not ashamed to do so little for the One Who has done so much for us?

And yet, Jesus asks that we give everything! He asks that we give up our egoism and love Him above all. He asks that we renounce all that we possess, that we follow His example. He asks for love translated into a life that seeks to please Him in our thoughts, our plans, our attitudes and our actions. He asks that we offer our bodies as living sacrifices.

And He is worthy of receiving such a sacrifice. It is only right! And when we do so, two things will happen: firstly, we will know as never before the deep joy of pure happiness – our experience of God and His love will be enriched and we will never regret it. Secondly, those around us will finally understand that what we believe in is both absolutely true and profoundly fulfilling – and they will be touched, not by what we say, but by the kind of lives we live.

In the 18th century, the life of Count Zinzendorf was turned upside down by a painting of the Crucifixion carrying the inscription – ‘All this I did for thee; what doest thou for me?’ This challenge launched Him into missionary work: may it motivate us equally to contribute what we can to the work of evangelism. Jesus gave everything for us, how can we not give everything for Him?

This summer the children of Forest on the outskirts of Brussels and of Herstal near Liege encountered Carrot-top, the little boy who takes you on all his adventures. Step by step they discovered the God’s plan for their lives – and even learnt a few words of English! There was a change of scene in the Marolles (Brussels) and in the French town of Dunkirk! It was monkeys in the jungle who taught us that sin is a real danger leading to death. Happily the wise giraffe was there to remind us that the Way of Salvation is to be found in Jesus. He can change us inside. Finally, in Ganshoren, young and old embarked on a trip around the world. Everyone, no matter what their colour or language, no matter where they live, can meet with Jesus Christ. He wants to change our lives and transform our human relationships.

One disappointment however: the activity planned for Seneffe at the end of August had to be cancelled at the last minute due to lack of team-members. Who will go and share the Good News with those children? Do you have a heart for the younger generation? Why not join us for these activities (usually organised during the school holidays)? The harvest is great in the ‘field’ of children; pray that God will send workers (Luke 10 v.2). God wants to reach these little ones: the Church sometimes forgets this.

Mission trip to Romania

From July 2nd to 13th, our group of ten went to Olanesti (Romania). We covered a total of 4,741 km and spent 56 hours in the minibus: a long journey which was an adventure in itself. We had two priorities; one was children’s evangelism. In the public park, on various occasions, we organized singing, face painting, balloon sculpture, football matches etc. We also organised three days of bible studies for the children. Our other priority was evangelism among the gipsies (in the afternoons for the children and in the evenings for the young people). We were greatly moved to see the poverty and dirt in the village. Thanks to monetary gifts from Belgium, we were able to give each child a small parcel. One day, we organised a programme in a little village where we distributed food parcels and were able to buy a small piglet for one very poor man. If you could have seen his face!
As well as evangelism, we carried out several practical tasks. The team helped with the preparations for the landscaping of the garden and grounds of the local church. We thank God for our fantastic team and for all these blessings. An unforgettable trip…

All the photos are on the website: – www.zendingsreizen.com

In Herstal

From 16th to the 18th August, Carrot-top visited Herstal. The morning programme took place for the first time on the Emile Muraille estate. In the afternoons, for the tenth year or more, we were in Liers. We thank God for this wonderful opportunity of presenting the gospel to the children of the region and we continue to pray that the seed planted will come to fruition.

In Brakel

Our community was much encouraged by the arrival of a South African team which had come to join us for August and September. In August, for the second time, we welcomed SportQuest, with its vision of proclaiming the gospel to young people using sport. Our September campaign will be a special one marking the 10th anniversary of our mission post of Brakel. It began just ten years ago as a daughter church to the fellowship in Geraardsbergen. The Lord is faithful; He has built His church in Brakel and we give Him the praise. Finally, this year we will again be participating in the shoebox appeal thanks to which we have already made many good contacts.

Bijbel-Expo 2011

In Gent, the collaboration of several denominations has borne fruit: visitors from various backgrounds were astonished to discover that the Bible is still the most widely read book in the world. Two teachers were inspired to hurry over to our Gent bookshop to buy some reading matter. On leaving the exhibition, a self-styled evolutionist spoke of a change of mind. A Moslem lady came a second time just out of curiosity. On the final evening, those who had worked on the project came together to praise God.

In May, we were in Hasselt accompanied by two South African Christians. An enthusiastic group of students, future teachers, told us that they had learnt a great deal. One class from a secondary school found the exhibition a superb preparation for their up-coming exam (their teacher had based the questions on the content of the Bijbel-Expo.)

But, in order to keep the wind in our sails, we need new team-members for the maintenance of the barges and that of the Expo, The latter often needs to be dismantled, moved and set up again. Pray that God will send both volunteers and full-time missionaries for this extraordinary ministry.

You’ve never visited the Bijbel-Expo? Don’t miss seeing it in Keurne (October) or in Furnes (November)! We are impatiently waiting for bookings from the churches for 2012 and 2013 – an opportunity not to be missed!

SportQuest

For the twelfth consecutive year, a group of Belgian and American sportspeople went to Aalst for a week of youth evangelism using football and dance – the young people of the evangelical church ‘The Crossroad’ were very enthusiastic about the campaign. But how do we explain this success? How does it come about that teenagers, who start the week on the defensive, end it with tears in their eyes? It all comes down to love and friendship. Love gives young people the attention they need: love takes the time to listen to their story. Love gives them encouragement and reminds them of their real value. They soon start asking – ‘Why are you doing this for me?’ To which we answer ‘Because God loves me and I want you to know this love. God loves you too, look at what the Bible says’. These conversations change lives: a few years ago a young man gave His heart to the Lord during the SportQuest week … today he is a member of the team and is sharing the message of love in his turn.

It was in 1988 that Ger and Linda Smit took over the Bookshop in Hasselt. Their dedication and especially Ger’s love and knowledge of the world of music were much appreciated by the customers. But his love for God’s Word was not eclipsed: he led bible studies and preached in various churches. In 1993 Ger and Linda moved to the Netherlands to a pastorate.

In 2004 they returned to Flanders and the Goede Boek bookshop in Leuven. Again Ger visited many churches to preach and to speak of how Jesus had changed his life. He was in the pulpit whenever possible up to six weeks before he left us.

Ger’s deep conviction and trust in God remain with us all as an example that we will not easily forget. Linda will be carrying on her ministry in the Leuven bookshop. It is BEM’s prayer that she and all the family might know God’s comfort and strength.