Brian Turnbow, Scots International Church, Schiedamsevest 1213012 BH Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Tel: +31.(0)6.4343.7649

Maart/March 2007Volume 1, Issue 1

Report from Rotterdam

Every Wednesday at 10:30am, the doors to the church are opened, and by the time lunch is served at 1:00pm, the tables are filled. Those who come are refugees from the “hot spots” of the world. Some are seeking asylum in the Netherlands from intolerable political and economic circumstances in the countries they’ve left behind. Others are caught in the cracks of the government’s administration and have been told they have to go back to their countries of origin but have chosen to remain in the Netherlands in a kind of limbo. Some are even from the newer European Union countries, having arrived in the Netherlands believing job opportunities would be better than in the former Eastern Europe only to find that the restrictions placed on them effectively shut them out of the workforce.On any given Wednesday at the Mamre Project’s “drop-in,” we see people from Poland, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands Antilles, Ghana, Cameroon, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and a host of other places. This is often the one time in the week when asylum seekers can come, leave behind the worries of daily life, and simply have a time of fellowship with each other before re-entering the realities of the world outside. Some are life-long Christians, some are from other faiths, and some are of no faith.Why “Mamre?” It all started at a city mission conference in 1996. Many of the churches represented were faced with the issues of the ever-increasing number of migrants. It was not always possible to offer them hospitality or to help them with their questions. This realization and frustration were at the roots of the Mamre project. The Old Testament story of Abraham encountering three strangers under the oaks of Mamre was chosen as an

Under the Oaks of Mamre

The Alpha Course at the Scots International Church

image encapsulating a ministry of hospitality.

One of the first projects I took on when I arrived was coordinating the Alpha course with Willemijn, a Dutch church member here. Alpha is a basic introduction to the Christian faith begun at a church in London and now found all over the world. We begin with a meal, watch a video on a topic ranging from “Christianity: Boring, Untrue, and Irrelevant?” to “How Can I Make the Most of the Rest of My Life?” and have some discussion. A small group – of mostly Dutch speakers – gathers each Friday night. Since we are an international English-speaking congregation, the videos are in English with Dutch subtitles.Discussion is often lively and guests are not hesitant to offer their opinions! We are already looking forward to running the course again, perhaps on a wider scale. In a city like Rotterdam where half the residents come from another country, its quite likely that many would find an English-speaking Alpha course appealing. Please continue to pray for us as we discern the best way forward.

Brian and Joanne, coordinator of the Mamre Brian, way back in the summer of 1999,

Carla is a fairly new member of our church from Bolivia. She married a Dutch man and they settled here in Rotterdam a couple of years ago. She is one of the group of people who gather on Wednesday nights for the “Pure Gold” Bible study that I’m leading, a walk through the whole of the Scriptures in about 11 weeks.“Back in Bolivia, I was attending church regularly, but it was really

Carla’s Story

Please pray that the remainder of the funding I need for my time in Rotterdam will come through (approximately $3,000) as of this writing. You can download contribution forms from my website at rotterdam2007.wordpress.com

Pray for wisdom and discernment as I begin

Prayer Corner

Brian TurnbowScots International

ChurchSchiedamsevest 1213012 BH Rotterdam

The Netherlands

Phone:+31.(0)6.4343.7649

E-Mail:bturnbow@northpark.e

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Blog:rotterdam2007.wordpr

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disconnected from my faith. Its only since I’ve been here that I feel I’ve really started to grow. Every time I come to the Bible study I learn something new. For the first time in my life I feel like I’m really growing as a Christian!”Carla’s story is not unlike others in the congregation who’ve come to Rotterdam from far away places, only to discover a newfound faith, or a re-discovery of an old one in this international congregation. Please keep Carla and the other

seeking a ministry position beyond my time here in Rotterdam

Remember those who seek refuge in the Netherlands from all the broken and torn places of the world, particularly those who will be repatriated to their countries of origin

Thanksgiving for all of you who have supported me with your prayers and your finances!

Continue to pray for the

Project, during a fellowship time with a young friend at a refugee center