Signs of Life from Hungary Volume XII No. 97
Budapest, 24th September, 2005
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart.”
Ps. 27: 14
Dear Family and Friends
Attached to the frame of my computer monitor, I have a card, which I once received from a good friend, with this Bible verse taken from ps. 27 in Afrikaans. “Vertrou op die Here! Wees sterk en hou goeie moed.” It is a great encouragement to me. Will you please continue to pray for the process of change in the Missions Institute?
Sunday
Give thanks for the new students who have started their theology studies at the Reformed Theological Academy in Papa. In the middle of September, a retreat was held on the theme of mission and evangelism. Please pray for the continuing work of the Holy Spirit, so that they will begin this school year with new vision. The sixth year students have begun their year of practical work, for which I am responsible, together with another colleague. Last week we started with a fellowship evening in my new apartment in Papa, where I stay two days a week.
Monday
Give thanks for the summer camp of the Budapest/Gazdagret Church, my Hungarian home church, in July, which was attended by almost 120 Church members (of the 250-300 who now regularly attend the services). Give thanks that the Church is growing strongly under the leadership of the pastors, Rev. András Lovas and Eszter Dani. Please pray for the single people, who are often bearing a huge emotional burden, that they may experience the healing hand of the Lord Jesus.
Tuesday
Hungary is in a state of transition. More authoritarian methods of leadership clash with democratic developments, often causing conflict. As a reaction to joining the EU, there is a noticeable tendency for people to withdraw into their own culture, their own people and their own Church. Please pray for an openness to cooperation with others, even in the Church.
Wednesday
As you know, there are also processes of change going on in the Missions Institute. It is still not clear in which direction the reorganisation will develop. This causes uncertainty, for me as well as for the other members of staff. Please pray for wisdom for the board, and for a spirit of love and reconciliation in the team. Pray especially that the changes will contribute to the strengthening of the work of missionary training of the Churches, and that at the same time reflection on and study of key missiological issues matters and the missiological education of pastors and other graduates will not disappear into the background.
Thursday
Please pray for the students in the postgraduate Masters program, who often combine work and family with study, pray for strength and perseverance in rounding off their Masters theses. Pray also for the plans to start a new program next year. Pray that the hindrances will disappear.
Friday
Give thanks for the many hundreds of people, young and old, who have participated in the courses and conferences of the Missions Institute over the years. Please pray that they will be useful instruments in God's hands, among the unchurched and the dechurched, and also among the Romanies and the refugees. Recently dozens of young Christians from the Middle East have been baptised.
Saturday
Like any other missionary worker, I notice that I am constantly in the midst of struggles and conflict. Please pray for good health, for strength to stand firm in the battle, and for protection. In this time of change in the Missions Institute, I sometimes feel discouraged and disappointed. Pray for much blessing and joy in giving lectures and supervising students, which I enjoy doing so much. Now in particular, your prayers and support mean a great deal.
Yours in our Lord and Saviour,
Anne-Marie Kool
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Signs of Life from Hungary -- 96
Signs of Life from Hungary Volume XII No. 96
Prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest, 18th June, 2005
'Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms... Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.' Eph. 6: 11-12, 14-15
Dear Friends,
When I was confirmed years ago in the small countryside village near Dordrecht, Oud-Alblas, many people shook hand with me afterwards, using the words, “welcome to the battle”. I also remember that those of us being confirmed sang together from Ps. 17:5-6, 'My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call on you, O God, for you will answer me, give ear to me and hear my prayer.'
When we consider the life of the apostle Paul, it becomes clear that on his missionary journeys, he experienced ups and downs. He knew from personal experience what he wrote about to the Church in Ephesus: the Christian life in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus is often a battle: a battle against the principalities and powers, against evil spirits... He calls on the Church in Ephesus to put on the armour of God. In this, he points especially to the importance of perseverance in prayer, even for him personally, 'that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.' (19-20)
Transition
Almost every day, you hear in personal conversations, in discussions on the radio and television, references to the transition which Hungarian society is going through. This transition is often accompanied by a conflict of interests, of retention of power. More authoritarian ways of leadership come into conflict with democratic developments, often accompanied by conflicts between generations. As a response to joining the EU, it is noticeable that some people have a tendency to retreat into their own country, their own nation, their own Church. A new professionalism is blazing a trail, even in the Church, with a call for more efficiency, a stronger orientation towards results, which is of course not wrong in itself. After all, are we not called to be good stewards? But where is the limit? Because of strongly individualist tendencies in society, personal interest, one's own carrier, often takes precedence over the common interest. What does it mean in this situation to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ as a missionary Church? The theatre of the battle is not found in the border area between the Church and the world, but actually within the Church, because this border area often cannot be clearly defined.
It is often pointed out that Hungarian society and that of many other Central and Eastern European countries is in danger of falling apart. How important it therefore is, as a missionary Church of Christ, to have 'the belt of truth buckled round your waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace'. A vast amount of duplicity is ingrained in society, which we would regard as being two-faced. What does it then mean to live in the truth? In the midst of many conflicts, is it not important rather to emphasise the ministry of reconciliation, with God and with one another? I particularly like the Dutch word for Saviour, which is 'Heiland'. It is derived from a word which means to heal or make whole. Christ makes us whole. He is the King of Peace, who brings 'shalom', harmony in relationships.
Speaking of feet which are fitted ...
Following in the footsteps of Christ, with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, often results in suffering. This is the case for many worldwide, even today. In the twentieth century, many people suffered terribly. In recent months, in Hungary as elsewhere much attention has been paid to the fact that it was sixty years ago that the Second World War came to an end.
In mid-April, a shocking monument was unveiled. On the banks of the Danube, close to the parliament building, over a length of thirty yards, there are sixty pairs of shoes, made from cast iron. There are worn out men's shoes, elegant, high-heeled lady’s shoes, and even children's shoes. They are there to commemorate the 20,000 Jews who were shot dead on the banks of the Danube in 1944-45 out of a total of close to 600.000.
Ten years of PMTI
In the midst of these changes in society and the Church, the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies has over the past decade tried to train 'nurses' for the Church, to equip Church members to serve to make society whole, to live a life of testimony 'in the footsteps of Jesus', at home and at work, through a life of compassion and love, to care for one another and for other people. Another focus has been to help (future) pastors, as competent 'doctors', and ‘specialists’ to make a 'correct diagnosis' and to determine the right 'therapy'. On 28th May, we looked back in gratitude on God's faithfulness. In many respects, what has been done in the past years cannot be measured. It is also difficult to point to concrete results. You may wonder whether the work of the PMTI has indeed been effective. One thing is certain: the Lord is going on with His work, and wants to use fragile people like you and me in this endeavour. He calls on us all to fit our feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Personal
In my previous Signs of Life, I told you about the transitional phase in which the PMTI finds itself, in connection with the decision of the board to change my job description. Processes of change and transition take time. This has proved to be the case here too. It is not a simple task to find someone to be the managing director. It is also not yet clear in which direction the reorganisation will develop. It is not always easy to deal with this uncertainty.
Please pray that I may set 'my feet in His footsteps', and also that I will put on the armour of God every day. There are moments when I feel very discouraged and disappointed, in other people, but also in myself. Now in particular, your intercession and concern mean a great deal. Please pray also for the board of the PMTI, for wisdom in taking decisions. For the other members of staff, this is not an easy time either. A number of other sister organisations of the PMTI in Central and Eastern Europe are going through similar processes of change. Please pray for them too!
At the same time, I am convinced that this process is very important, and new paths may open for the future work of the PMTI in providing missionary training for the Church and (follow-up) courses for pastors.
In the meantime, I am enjoying teaching and supervising students. One of the doctoral students has almost finished his study of an important Hungarian missionary theologian. Besides this, it was a great honour for me to take part as an external examiner at the graduation of Rev. Sándor Gaál, head of the faculty of missiology at the Reformed University of Debrecen, at the end of May. Since the Changes, he is the first in Hungary to graduate in the field of missiology. A truly historical moment!
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Anne-Marie
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest, 18th June, 2005
'Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms... Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.' Eph. 6: 11-12, 14-15
Dear Friends,
When I was confirmed years ago in the small countryside village near Dordrecht, Oud-Alblas, many people shook hand with me afterwards, using the words, “welcome to the battle”. I also remember that those of us being confirmed sang together from Ps. 17:5-6, 'My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call on you, O God, for you will answer me, give ear to me and hear my prayer.'
When we consider the life of the apostle Paul, it becomes clear that on his missionary journeys, he experienced ups and downs. He knew from personal experience what he wrote about to the Church in Ephesus: the Christian life in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus is often a battle: a battle against the principalities and powers, against evil spirits... He calls on the Church in Ephesus to put on the armour of God. In this, he points especially to the importance of perseverance in prayer, even for him personally, 'that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.' (19-20)
Transition
Almost every day, you hear in personal conversations, in discussions on the radio and television, references to the transition which Hungarian society is going through. This transition is often accompanied by a conflict of interests, of retention of power. More authoritarian ways of leadership come into conflict with democratic developments, often accompanied by conflicts between generations. As a response to joining the EU, it is noticeable that some people have a tendency to retreat into their own country, their own nation, their own Church. A new professionalism is blazing a trail, even in the Church, with a call for more efficiency, a stronger orientation towards results, which is of course not wrong in itself. After all, are we not called to be good stewards? But where is the limit? Because of strongly individualist tendencies in society, personal interest, one's own carrier, often takes precedence over the common interest. What does it mean in this situation to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ as a missionary Church? The theatre of the battle is not found in the border area between the Church and the world, but actually within the Church, because this border area often cannot be clearly defined.
It is often pointed out that Hungarian society and that of many other Central and Eastern European countries is in danger of falling apart. How important it therefore is, as a missionary Church of Christ, to have 'the belt of truth buckled round your waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace'. A vast amount of duplicity is ingrained in society, which we would regard as being two-faced. What does it then mean to live in the truth? In the midst of many conflicts, is it not important rather to emphasise the ministry of reconciliation, with God and with one another? I particularly like the Dutch word for Saviour, which is 'Heiland'. It is derived from a word which means to heal or make whole. Christ makes us whole. He is the King of Peace, who brings 'shalom', harmony in relationships.
Speaking of feet which are fitted ...
Following in the footsteps of Christ, with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, often results in suffering. This is the case for many worldwide, even today. In the twentieth century, many people suffered terribly. In recent months, in Hungary as elsewhere much attention has been paid to the fact that it was sixty years ago that the Second World War came to an end.
In mid-April, a shocking monument was unveiled. On the banks of the Danube, close to the parliament building, over a length of thirty yards, there are sixty pairs of shoes, made from cast iron. There are worn out men's shoes, elegant, high-heeled lady’s shoes, and even children's shoes. They are there to commemorate the 20,000 Jews who were shot dead on the banks of the Danube in 1944-45 out of a total of close to 600.000.
Ten years of PMTI
In the midst of these changes in society and the Church, the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies has over the past decade tried to train 'nurses' for the Church, to equip Church members to serve to make society whole, to live a life of testimony 'in the footsteps of Jesus', at home and at work, through a life of compassion and love, to care for one another and for other people. Another focus has been to help (future) pastors, as competent 'doctors', and ‘specialists’ to make a 'correct diagnosis' and to determine the right 'therapy'. On 28th May, we looked back in gratitude on God's faithfulness. In many respects, what has been done in the past years cannot be measured. It is also difficult to point to concrete results. You may wonder whether the work of the PMTI has indeed been effective. One thing is certain: the Lord is going on with His work, and wants to use fragile people like you and me in this endeavour. He calls on us all to fit our feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Personal
In my previous Signs of Life, I told you about the transitional phase in which the PMTI finds itself, in connection with the decision of the board to change my job description. Processes of change and transition take time. This has proved to be the case here too. It is not a simple task to find someone to be the managing director. It is also not yet clear in which direction the reorganisation will develop. It is not always easy to deal with this uncertainty.
Please pray that I may set 'my feet in His footsteps', and also that I will put on the armour of God every day. There are moments when I feel very discouraged and disappointed, in other people, but also in myself. Now in particular, your intercession and concern mean a great deal. Please pray also for the board of the PMTI, for wisdom in taking decisions. For the other members of staff, this is not an easy time either. A number of other sister organisations of the PMTI in Central and Eastern Europe are going through similar processes of change. Please pray for them too!
At the same time, I am convinced that this process is very important, and new paths may open for the future work of the PMTI in providing missionary training for the Church and (follow-up) courses for pastors.
In the meantime, I am enjoying teaching and supervising students. One of the doctoral students has almost finished his study of an important Hungarian missionary theologian. Besides this, it was a great honour for me to take part as an external examiner at the graduation of Rev. Sándor Gaál, head of the faculty of missiology at the Reformed University of Debrecen, at the end of May. Since the Changes, he is the first in Hungary to graduate in the field of missiology. A truly historical moment!
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Anne-Marie
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Signs of Life from Hungary -- 95
Signs of Life from Hungary Volume XII No. 95
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest - 14th May, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
'... He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised ... You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses ...' Acts 1:4, 8
Wait, receive power and be witnesses
In the overture to Pentecost, the disciples are told to wait. It is a time of looking forward, waiting and expecting. And then follows the promise: You will receive power ... and you will be My witnesses. These three things: waiting, receiving power and being witnesses belong very closely together in missionary work. I think we often reverse the order, and begin by organising campaigns and programmes to be a witness. Then we pray for the power of the Holy Spirit, and after that, we wait to see if the Lord will bless our plans.
Be ready and willing to do everything, ... to do nothing, ... to become a nobody
Recently I have frequently recalled the words of Chris Davies, an Englishwoman who for years helped in secret (as a “holy spy”) to equip Christian students in Central and Eastern Europe. When I was asked in 1985 to take over part of her work, she entrusted me with the following, 'Be ready and willing to do everything, be ready and willing to do nothing, and be ready to become a nobody.' In the past eighteen years, I have sometimes known times in which I was asked to wait, 'to do nothing', but also times of intense activity, 'to do everything', and times in which I had the feeling that I was of no significance whatsoever, 'to become a nobody'.
Changes
In the past years in which the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies has grown so expansively, there has been little time “to do nothing”. More and more has been put on my plate - teaching duties, supervisory tasks, and also many managerial responsibilities.. Over three years ago, I presented a plan to the board of the Missions Institute with a proposal to transfer those managerial tasks to someone else which were not related to academic matters and training. Last year, the board took the decision to appoint a business manager, but not much progress was made. I am therefore glad that just over a month ago, the decision was taken to appoint me as academic director, responsible only for the academic department of the Missions Institute, for program’s related to missiological education, and that an interim business manager has been appointed in the person of the present chairman of the board. This is an important step in the reorganisation of the Missions Institute. In the coming period, a business manager will be appointed. I am very pleased that in the meantime, the Reformed Missionary League (GZB) has decided to renew my contract for five years. Will you give thanks with me for these decisions, and also for the good discussions with the GZB delegation last month. Please pray especially for the board of the Missions Institute as they take further decisions about the reorganisation.
Please pray that these decisions will mean that the Missions Institute is even better than hitherto able to achieve its goal of training and equipping pastors and Churches to be witnesses 'in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth'. Will you also pray for me in these times of change?
Being witnesses in 'all Judea and Samaria'
One of the high points of recent times was undoubtedly the study trip with about twenty-five students from Hungary and the Netherlands to Vojvodina (Serbia). In this province of Serbia, which until 1921 was part of the great Hungarian Empire, there now live about two million people, of whom about twelve percent, over 200,000 people, are of Hungarian ethnic background. The Hungarian Reformed Church has about 12,000 members. Everywhere you see signs of the recent war, not only in the buildings and the infrastructure, but also among the people themselves. Suddenly the 'land of Milosevic' takes on a face. Here are some responses of the students. A Dutch student writes:
'There are many things which touched me, which I experienced as being special and which were inspiring. One of the things which touched me was the prayer topic, which the pastor of the Church in Piros presented to us, namely not intercession for a project or for the enthusiasm of the Church members, but for the fact that they were often themselves so selfish, that they might have the courage to live closer to the Gospel, and that they might have the courage to pray. Perhaps it is my Reformed point of view, but I found it very special that prayer should be requested for things, for matters, which primarily concern the relationship between man and the Word. It also indicates what is necessary here under the influence of all the ethnic tensions which there are: the power of prayer must be experienced. On the basis of this, people can work towards unity, as was demonstrated in the Baptist seminary. Despite all the differences in background and history, the Bible remains central everywhere. This must (and shall) be the beginning of unity.'
A Hungarian student writes:
'In Belgrade - it may sound rather strange - I was actually jealous of the tiny Church without a church building. I noticed that the minority position of this Church, the shared past which is so full of suffering, the times of testing and the financial problems, have brought them very close together. It was very clearly noticeable that the love, the fellowship and the shared plans are important for them. Personally, I come from a large city Church, in which people hardly know one another, let alone love one another. They have plenty of money, but their spiritual growth often stagnates. This is why I was so impressed by this Church.'
And to conclude, another Hungarian student:
'In comparison with many Churches in Hungary, the small Churches which we visited were in many respects disadvantaged. And yet, they trust in the Lord Jesus, and so they remain standing. It was incredibly good to hear of a Church which, even during the war, was busy extending the Church centre. These people did not give up, but placed their trust in God. I also learned a lot from the pastors. They do not look at the circumstances, at the many difficulties, but look to their work in the fellowship.'
Finally
In two weeks time, we hope to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Missions Institute. Please pray for a good day, on which we can thank the Lord together for everything that He has brought about for the Missions Institute. God is faithful. He will not abandon the work of His hands!
Yours sincerely in Christ, ,
Anne-Marie
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest - 14th May, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
'... He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised ... You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses ...' Acts 1:4, 8
Wait, receive power and be witnesses
In the overture to Pentecost, the disciples are told to wait. It is a time of looking forward, waiting and expecting. And then follows the promise: You will receive power ... and you will be My witnesses. These three things: waiting, receiving power and being witnesses belong very closely together in missionary work. I think we often reverse the order, and begin by organising campaigns and programmes to be a witness. Then we pray for the power of the Holy Spirit, and after that, we wait to see if the Lord will bless our plans.
Be ready and willing to do everything, ... to do nothing, ... to become a nobody
Recently I have frequently recalled the words of Chris Davies, an Englishwoman who for years helped in secret (as a “holy spy”) to equip Christian students in Central and Eastern Europe. When I was asked in 1985 to take over part of her work, she entrusted me with the following, 'Be ready and willing to do everything, be ready and willing to do nothing, and be ready to become a nobody.' In the past eighteen years, I have sometimes known times in which I was asked to wait, 'to do nothing', but also times of intense activity, 'to do everything', and times in which I had the feeling that I was of no significance whatsoever, 'to become a nobody'.
Changes
In the past years in which the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies has grown so expansively, there has been little time “to do nothing”. More and more has been put on my plate - teaching duties, supervisory tasks, and also many managerial responsibilities.. Over three years ago, I presented a plan to the board of the Missions Institute with a proposal to transfer those managerial tasks to someone else which were not related to academic matters and training. Last year, the board took the decision to appoint a business manager, but not much progress was made. I am therefore glad that just over a month ago, the decision was taken to appoint me as academic director, responsible only for the academic department of the Missions Institute, for program’s related to missiological education, and that an interim business manager has been appointed in the person of the present chairman of the board. This is an important step in the reorganisation of the Missions Institute. In the coming period, a business manager will be appointed. I am very pleased that in the meantime, the Reformed Missionary League (GZB) has decided to renew my contract for five years. Will you give thanks with me for these decisions, and also for the good discussions with the GZB delegation last month. Please pray especially for the board of the Missions Institute as they take further decisions about the reorganisation.
Please pray that these decisions will mean that the Missions Institute is even better than hitherto able to achieve its goal of training and equipping pastors and Churches to be witnesses 'in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth'. Will you also pray for me in these times of change?
Being witnesses in 'all Judea and Samaria'
One of the high points of recent times was undoubtedly the study trip with about twenty-five students from Hungary and the Netherlands to Vojvodina (Serbia). In this province of Serbia, which until 1921 was part of the great Hungarian Empire, there now live about two million people, of whom about twelve percent, over 200,000 people, are of Hungarian ethnic background. The Hungarian Reformed Church has about 12,000 members. Everywhere you see signs of the recent war, not only in the buildings and the infrastructure, but also among the people themselves. Suddenly the 'land of Milosevic' takes on a face. Here are some responses of the students. A Dutch student writes:
'There are many things which touched me, which I experienced as being special and which were inspiring. One of the things which touched me was the prayer topic, which the pastor of the Church in Piros presented to us, namely not intercession for a project or for the enthusiasm of the Church members, but for the fact that they were often themselves so selfish, that they might have the courage to live closer to the Gospel, and that they might have the courage to pray. Perhaps it is my Reformed point of view, but I found it very special that prayer should be requested for things, for matters, which primarily concern the relationship between man and the Word. It also indicates what is necessary here under the influence of all the ethnic tensions which there are: the power of prayer must be experienced. On the basis of this, people can work towards unity, as was demonstrated in the Baptist seminary. Despite all the differences in background and history, the Bible remains central everywhere. This must (and shall) be the beginning of unity.'
A Hungarian student writes:
'In Belgrade - it may sound rather strange - I was actually jealous of the tiny Church without a church building. I noticed that the minority position of this Church, the shared past which is so full of suffering, the times of testing and the financial problems, have brought them very close together. It was very clearly noticeable that the love, the fellowship and the shared plans are important for them. Personally, I come from a large city Church, in which people hardly know one another, let alone love one another. They have plenty of money, but their spiritual growth often stagnates. This is why I was so impressed by this Church.'
And to conclude, another Hungarian student:
'In comparison with many Churches in Hungary, the small Churches which we visited were in many respects disadvantaged. And yet, they trust in the Lord Jesus, and so they remain standing. It was incredibly good to hear of a Church which, even during the war, was busy extending the Church centre. These people did not give up, but placed their trust in God. I also learned a lot from the pastors. They do not look at the circumstances, at the many difficulties, but look to their work in the fellowship.'
Finally
In two weeks time, we hope to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Missions Institute. Please pray for a good day, on which we can thank the Lord together for everything that He has brought about for the Missions Institute. God is faithful. He will not abandon the work of His hands!
Yours sincerely in Christ, ,
Anne-Marie
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Friday, April 8, 2005
Signs of Life from Hungary -- 94
Signs of Life from Hungary Volume XII No. 94
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest - 8th April, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
This time a Signs of Life from a 'guest writer', Rev. Bas van der Graaf, pastor in the cathedral of Gouda (yes, where the cheese comes from!) Thank you for your prayerful concern. In the coming days and months it is important than ever to support the work of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in prayer!
A-M
Anne-Marie took her chance to ask someone else to write an issue of Signs of Life. I also view this as an opportunity, because it gives me the chance to compile and share a few experiences. Since Wednesday 30th March, I have been staying in one of the guest rooms at the institute as part of my study furlough. I had at least five reasons for choosing to come here: 1. I wanted to get away for a while; 2. I have been learning Hungarian for a few years and wanted to make some progress in this; 3. I wanted to renew and deepen my acquaintance with Anne-Marie; 4. I wanted to spend a few weeks in a missionary environment; 5. I wanted to be open to the possibilities of doing something in the future in the area of missionary Church development in Eastern Europe. As I write this, I still have a few days to go, but I can already say, I have amply achieved the first four aims, and with regard to the fifth, the desire has only grown. Of the abundance of impressions, I will now mention three.
A special institute
I will not be the first to write this, but it is of great importance to underline and to continuing to underline the fact that the PMTI is a special institute. Undoubtedly it is unique in Eastern Europe, and unusual in Europe. Anyone who knows anything about Church life in the Netherlands will realise that it is certainly not a matter of course that Churches are really missionary-minded. Swallowed up by all sorts of internal affairs in the Church, the missionary calling is often pushed to the background. In the Church in Hungary - because of all sorts of historical factors - this is even more the case. Anyone who spends some time at the institute with this knowledge in the back of his head soon realises how special and how essential it is that there is a think tank, which gives impetus to the missionary calling. I have been impressed by the commitment and inspiration with which the staff is working. I have also greatly enjoyed the splendid library, which not only contains a large collection of missiological literature, but is also a wonderful place in which to 'refuel' for mission. On the other hand, I have understood from the past and the practices of the present that this institute is by no means yet a 'certainty'. It is a gift from above that it has been established here and - amidst the many uncertainties that are simply part of the Hungarian situation - it will have to be maintained from above. I would therefore encourage everyone reading this to remember the PMTI and the work of Anne-Marie in payer.
A special Church
On Sunday 3rd April, I attended a Church service in Gazdagrét, the Church to which Anne-Marie belongs. To my delight, I realised that I was able to follow the essence of the sermon, so this already made the service for me. But I was much more pleased about what I heard and saw. To start with, the building. All the churches I had seen in Hungary and Romania - even the new ones - were traditional in form. This building was different. With its octagonal shape, its beautiful section of stone wall with a cross in it, and the arrangement of the chairs, this church served completely and entirely for the meeting of the Church as a fellowship. And it is a fellowship, this Church. A fellowship in which people look out for one another, but where there is also an openness to the community in which the church is situated. The pastor - András Lovás - gave a wonderful sermon about John 21, in which in a special way, he was in conversation with the Church. Very consciously, he went into particular Hungarian traits, such as not directly referring to problems which we have with others. Based on the pastoral conversation of Jesus with Peter, he showed how different the Gospel is on this point. The whole service breathed an atmosphere of sincere involvement with the heart of the Gospel, and with the specific people of today. I have to say that I got a lot out of this service. Fellowships such as this will be necessary to give a future to the Church in Hungary. And I believe that the PMTI can help in this too.
A special group of students
On Wednesday 6th April, at the invitation of Anne-Marie I gave a guest lecture for a group of students. I shared something about the process of renewal which has taken place in my congregation in Gouda to give form to being a missionary Church. As a result of the large number of people attending the Alpha course, as a Church we were faced with new issues and challenges, which led us into a process of renewal, with all the joys and concerns of this. I have to say that it was a great joy for me to interact with this group of young theology students. They demonstrated a great eagerness to learn and openness to new ways in which God's Spirit wants to go. At the same time, everything makes it apparent that in their (Church) culture, they are not used to acting in the freedom of the Spirit in the world or the Church, or to using their gifts. Undoubtedly, there is still a lot of work to be done here and there are still many opportunities in this. It was precisely this afternoon that I felt the desire growing in myself in the future to share in Hungary what we received in the Netherlands a number of years ago. Of course, this will not be a question of 'exporting' things, but in open discussions stimulating one another to have great expectations of the power of the Holy Spirit, who prescribes ways in season.
Finally
I found it a privilege to spend almost two weeks in this beautiful city (with thanks to my wife, who is taking care of three teenage daughters alone). Hungary is facing huge challenges to discover in the new world after the Wall fell what 'real life' is. At the moment, incredibly many young people in Budapest believe that life is concealed in the mobile phones and all the other blessings of the new time. However, two in five young people regularly contemplate suicide, I was told be an unchurched youth. How will they believe if they have not heard? The PMTI is undoubtedly a link in God's searching love in Hungary.
Bas van der Graaf
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest - 8th April, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
This time a Signs of Life from a 'guest writer', Rev. Bas van der Graaf, pastor in the cathedral of Gouda (yes, where the cheese comes from!) Thank you for your prayerful concern. In the coming days and months it is important than ever to support the work of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in prayer!
A-M
Anne-Marie took her chance to ask someone else to write an issue of Signs of Life. I also view this as an opportunity, because it gives me the chance to compile and share a few experiences. Since Wednesday 30th March, I have been staying in one of the guest rooms at the institute as part of my study furlough. I had at least five reasons for choosing to come here: 1. I wanted to get away for a while; 2. I have been learning Hungarian for a few years and wanted to make some progress in this; 3. I wanted to renew and deepen my acquaintance with Anne-Marie; 4. I wanted to spend a few weeks in a missionary environment; 5. I wanted to be open to the possibilities of doing something in the future in the area of missionary Church development in Eastern Europe. As I write this, I still have a few days to go, but I can already say, I have amply achieved the first four aims, and with regard to the fifth, the desire has only grown. Of the abundance of impressions, I will now mention three.
A special institute
I will not be the first to write this, but it is of great importance to underline and to continuing to underline the fact that the PMTI is a special institute. Undoubtedly it is unique in Eastern Europe, and unusual in Europe. Anyone who knows anything about Church life in the Netherlands will realise that it is certainly not a matter of course that Churches are really missionary-minded. Swallowed up by all sorts of internal affairs in the Church, the missionary calling is often pushed to the background. In the Church in Hungary - because of all sorts of historical factors - this is even more the case. Anyone who spends some time at the institute with this knowledge in the back of his head soon realises how special and how essential it is that there is a think tank, which gives impetus to the missionary calling. I have been impressed by the commitment and inspiration with which the staff is working. I have also greatly enjoyed the splendid library, which not only contains a large collection of missiological literature, but is also a wonderful place in which to 'refuel' for mission. On the other hand, I have understood from the past and the practices of the present that this institute is by no means yet a 'certainty'. It is a gift from above that it has been established here and - amidst the many uncertainties that are simply part of the Hungarian situation - it will have to be maintained from above. I would therefore encourage everyone reading this to remember the PMTI and the work of Anne-Marie in payer.
A special Church
On Sunday 3rd April, I attended a Church service in Gazdagrét, the Church to which Anne-Marie belongs. To my delight, I realised that I was able to follow the essence of the sermon, so this already made the service for me. But I was much more pleased about what I heard and saw. To start with, the building. All the churches I had seen in Hungary and Romania - even the new ones - were traditional in form. This building was different. With its octagonal shape, its beautiful section of stone wall with a cross in it, and the arrangement of the chairs, this church served completely and entirely for the meeting of the Church as a fellowship. And it is a fellowship, this Church. A fellowship in which people look out for one another, but where there is also an openness to the community in which the church is situated. The pastor - András Lovás - gave a wonderful sermon about John 21, in which in a special way, he was in conversation with the Church. Very consciously, he went into particular Hungarian traits, such as not directly referring to problems which we have with others. Based on the pastoral conversation of Jesus with Peter, he showed how different the Gospel is on this point. The whole service breathed an atmosphere of sincere involvement with the heart of the Gospel, and with the specific people of today. I have to say that I got a lot out of this service. Fellowships such as this will be necessary to give a future to the Church in Hungary. And I believe that the PMTI can help in this too.
A special group of students
On Wednesday 6th April, at the invitation of Anne-Marie I gave a guest lecture for a group of students. I shared something about the process of renewal which has taken place in my congregation in Gouda to give form to being a missionary Church. As a result of the large number of people attending the Alpha course, as a Church we were faced with new issues and challenges, which led us into a process of renewal, with all the joys and concerns of this. I have to say that it was a great joy for me to interact with this group of young theology students. They demonstrated a great eagerness to learn and openness to new ways in which God's Spirit wants to go. At the same time, everything makes it apparent that in their (Church) culture, they are not used to acting in the freedom of the Spirit in the world or the Church, or to using their gifts. Undoubtedly, there is still a lot of work to be done here and there are still many opportunities in this. It was precisely this afternoon that I felt the desire growing in myself in the future to share in Hungary what we received in the Netherlands a number of years ago. Of course, this will not be a question of 'exporting' things, but in open discussions stimulating one another to have great expectations of the power of the Holy Spirit, who prescribes ways in season.
Finally
I found it a privilege to spend almost two weeks in this beautiful city (with thanks to my wife, who is taking care of three teenage daughters alone). Hungary is facing huge challenges to discover in the new world after the Wall fell what 'real life' is. At the moment, incredibly many young people in Budapest believe that life is concealed in the mobile phones and all the other blessings of the new time. However, two in five young people regularly contemplate suicide, I was told be an unchurched youth. How will they believe if they have not heard? The PMTI is undoubtedly a link in God's searching love in Hungary.
Bas van der Graaf
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
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