|
The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry NEWSLETTER |
||
|
Nr. 24 – February/March 2004 Editor: Auke Algera Info: newsletter@shelter.nl |
||
|
First semester of Ministry Training School completed |
||
|
Ministry Training School in Action Being a staff member of the Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry always meant that you were serving in a practical way as well as doing evangelism. Although this is still true today, a new aspect has been added to the life of a staff member an official training and teaching program that prepares you for ministry. Henriette van Nes, the coordinator of this new Ministry Training Program, explains what it is all about. The Ministry Training Program has two clear objectives. First of all, we want to provide Biblical teaching and training to aid staff members in their spiritual growth. Secondly, we aim to motivate and equip them better for their service and evangelism in the Shelter hostels. After months of preparation we started the classes at the end of September last year. Twice a week, the staff gets together for half a day of teaching and training. We work hard to combine the necessary theory with practical application. There is room for discussion, sharing, listening, prayer, some laughs and also hard work. The courses that have been given up to now already show a wide variety of topics: Leading a Bible study, Introduction to the Bible, Cross-cultural communication, Evangelism to tourists, homeless people, and refugees, Discipleship, The issue of Suffering in the book of Job, Life of the early Christians in the book of Acts, Prayer, and Missions. Many more courses will follow in the coming months. The response of the staff has been positive so far. With people from such diverse backgrounds (both in education and experience) one can expect that various persons favor different courses. Nevertheless, the great variety of the courses and the relevance for the youth hostel ministry make it a very valuable learning experience for most staff members. We are thankful to the Lord that we can offer this program to our staff and we continue to trust in His blessing. Learn it – Live it – Do it Are you considering serving in the Shelter? And do you wonder how exactly this Ministry Training School combines with the work in the hostel? Take a look at www.theshelter.nl/ministry and find the answers under “Workers wanterd” and “Training School”.
|
Different from the staff meetings? Those of you who have worked with us in the past may wonder, “What about the good old staff meetings on Tuesdays and Fridays?” It is true that these provided opportunities for training and teaching as well. So how is the new Ministry Training Program different from the staff meetings we used to have? Johanna van Stapele (coordinating the new program together with Henriette) gives us an answer. The first difference is the bike ride to our temporary location! We are renting a building in the south of Amsterdam, while we are waiting for our own staff house at the Willemstraat to be renovated. Since the building we are renting is a 30 minutes bike ride away from the hostels, it takes some work every school day to get there. The exercise is great on nice, sunny days, but when the rain pours down some of our staff support the public transport system in Amsterdam! Secondly, both the Jordan and City teams are meeting together! It is nice to get to know each other. As a result, people from the Shelter Jordan come over to the Shelter City more often, and vice versa. Lately a staff prayer event was organized for both teams outside of the regular work and school settings. These are great by-products of the training program. A third difference from the old staff meetings is that we are working on a well structured, good quality teaching and training program. In one way, the staff but also the teachers are guinea pigs in a program that will become more and more shaped into a fitting, equipping program for the hostel ministry. We are looking back on the first semester with thankfulness and with the awareness of things we need to work on. In the classes we will be juggling the following 3 important ingredients: good information, practical relevance, and group discussion. We continue to work enthusiastically on our program for the coming semesters! Fourthly, the times of meeting are longer and the meetings are a bit less informal. The soft couches and the home made cakes are gone! Some of the staff still struggle with sleep though, especially after a morning shift of work and at the end of the day. But good classes are and will be the means for keeping people awake! And so far only one person is known to have fallen asleep during class… well, that is not too bad for a first half year.
|
PRAYER SUPPORT· We were all very much saddened by the sudden death of Marjolein de Haan, wife of the director of our organisation, Martien Jan de Haan. Pray for Martien Jan and the three (adult) children as they have to continue life without her. · Pray for the ministry to the cleaners. That they are not only pleased with their time in the hostel but that the Lord will also bring about a real change in their lives. · We are thankful for the many good contacts at the TEMA Mission conference at the end of December. Lots of people visited our stand and were interest in serving in the Shelter. Pray for sensitivity and obedience to God as many consider a future in missions. · Pray for our staff teams. For unity, good health, and a strong desire to serve and to share the Gospel. · Also remember the Ministry Training Program in your prayers. We had a good start but also have many things to improve and to develop further. SHELTER SHIRT Most of you know the famous Shelter T-shirt with the text of Psalm 91:1 on the back: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Sad that your t-shirt is too old to wear or because you never got one? Not to worry. Now you can order the Shelter shirts on-line (click on products).
|
|
The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry is a Christian evangelism ministry in the centre of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Our goal is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the 30,000 travellers who are staying each year in our two Christian youth hostels: The Shelter City and The Shelter Jordan. The ministry is part of the association Tot Heil des Volks, a non-denominational mission organisation registered in Amsterdam. Internet: www.theshelter.nl/ministry |
||
|
Donations. The work of The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry would not be able to continue without financial support. Help support this ministry! Read more at http://www.theshelter.nl/ministry/donations.html |
||
|
This Newsletter can also be found at www.theshelter.nl/news If you don’t want to receive this newsletter anymore, please reply and write “take me of the mailing list” in the subject.
|
||