Van 13 tot 15 mei is het ICF kerkkamp in de Hollandse Boerderij in De Meije (De Meije 63). Op zondag is de kerkdienst NIET in de Ontmoetingskerk, maar op de Hollandse Boerderij om 10:00. Welkom om daar mee te doen, ook al ben je er niet bij tijdens de rest van het kamp. We zien uit naar een mooi weekend met elkaar!
Our church service will be held on Sunday 12 September at the surf lake in Reeuwijk (Reeuwijkse Houtwal 2). Adults and children are baptized and children are dedicated. The service starts at 2 p.m.
Welcome!
During this season of Advent we remember God who wants to live with us here on earth. The birth of Jesus is a strong proof of this. We, as ICF Gouda, want to encourage one another to live with God and with each other. This Advent Calendar can help you do this. Every day there is a little activity – feel free to join in!
The church should be a safe place. In fact, if you need to feel safe somewhere, it is within our own “ICF municipality”. The responsibility for that safety lies primarily with the leadership of the church. At the same time, each member is also responsible for safety within the congregation. Especially when it comes to children and adults in vulnerable situations.
Unfortunately, sexual abuse or transgressive behavior can also occur within church relationships. Sometimes obvious, but sometimes also very subtle because of a look, a comment or someone comes too emphatically close and thus crosses your boundary.
If you experience something unpleasant within the congregation, try to talk about it with someone you trust. As difficult as it can be to discuss this, don’t get stuck!
Herma Koopman: tel. 06-17067995
e-mail: vertrouwenspersoon.vrouw@pkngouda.nl
Pieter van Boven: tel: 06-17158195
e-mail: vertrouwenspersoon.man@pkngouda.nl
An (anonymous) report can also be made to SMPR.
More information can be found at:
https://www.protestantsekerkgouda.nl/start/vertrouwens Persons/
Welcome at the church service of ICF-Gouda:
For the offering, click on this link or scan the QR code:
On March 12, the Dutch government decided that all meetings with more than 100 people should be cancelled. That means that even Church services with more than 100 people cannot take place. For most of the churches in Gouda this has big consequences. Many of their services are cancelled. We as ICF-Gouda have usually less than 100 people who attend the services on Sunday. We have decided as ICF leadership team to let the meeting take place and not to cancel it. We are following the advices and instructions from the PKN. For their advice you can read in Dutch on their website.
In addition to the broadcast via Kerkomroep, we will also broadcast the service via Youtube so that you can also be connected at home to the ICF in Gouda .:
Almost the whole world is involved in the Corona crisis. There are a lot of worries and questions. But let us not lead by panic or fear. It is also good to follow the advices from our government and act wisely. I ask everyone to pray for our governors, people that work in health care or involved in the fight against the Corona virus. Pray also for the victims of the virus and the people who are affected by the decisions that are made to fight the virus.
On Sunday 10 November, Simon en Zo will be performing another theater piece with us! It is a play for the whole family and invite friends to come along! This time they will play the show “Finally at home” spoken in dutch. The show will start at 14:00. Lemonade, tea and coffee is ready for you from 13:30. Everybody is welcome!
Below an introductory text for the theater piece “Finally home” that Simon and Zo will perform.
Once upon a time there was a father who had a son and a daughter. He loved them very much. One day the son said to his father, “Father, may I have my share of the inheritance, because I want to make a journey to a distant city, to the city of the lights”. His father gave him his share and he left. When he got there, he lived carefree and enjoyed every day, until he ran out of money. And if you have no money in the city of the lights, then all the lights go out. There was a famine and there was no food left. The son fled to the desert. There he found a job with a pig herdsman. He sent him into the field to feed the pigs. The son was so hungry that he started eating the pigs’ food. More and more often he thought of home. One day he decided to go back. Back to his father. Back home. And he went, but not only …
If you already want a taste, click on this link for one of the songs that goes with the show.
Maarten Blom will officially start with us as pastor after the summer vacation. The confirmation service is scheduled for 8 September. Maarten will introduce himself in the next Newsletter. We are grateful to God for Maarten and his family and we look forward to having a good time together.
Everyone is welcome from 13:30. The service will start at 14:00. See you then!
Gouda – On Thursday 28 March a joint meeting decided to appoint Maarten Blom as the new pastor for the ICF Gouda. After an encouraging process, the leadership team is grateful that Maarten can start as a pastor in September.
Nomination
The General Church Council of the Protestant church of Gouda and the Leadership Team of the ICF have taken over the unanimous nomination of the selection committee. Maarten Blom has thus been appointed as the new pastor for the international community in Gouda. The activities for the GZB will be completed by Maarten in the coming months so that he can start on 1 September.
Process
After the goodbye to the previous pastor, the procedure was started by drawing up a profile and a vacancy. The ICF was surprised by the many responses and good candidates with whom wonderfull meetings were held. Ultimately, the selection committee unanimously decided to nominate Maarten.
Albania
In the last years, Maarten, together with his wife Gerdien and their children, have lived and worked in Albania as a church planter on behalf of the GZB. They look forward to being part of the ICF community as a family and building the community together.
