Marc's Short Messages

Just wrote a prayer focus on global church planting for a network that communicates with 250.000 intercessors. Cool.

Karolien joined a network meeting of Trans World Radio. She's currently investigating the possibilities of using radio and podcasts to disciple children in prayer.

What makes a political speech 'historic'? Why is Obama's rethoric resonating with the emerging generation? Excellent documentary on VPRO television yesterday.

Several years ago we tried to form a fellowship group with the handful of Christians we were able to 'detect' in our direct ACA apartment block in Overvecht, but this didn't shape up due to lack of real connection. Tonight Karolien invited new people that we hadn't met yet and we all enjoyed the fellowship and the open prayer time. What a difference it makes when people are called to an area and want to seek the peace of the city.

Our boys joined a discipleship group for kids at our former church. It's fun to see them get hooked to do their own Bible reading and discover things about God for themselves.

This year the Dutch commemmorate the 500th birthday of John Calvin. Protestant newspaper Trouw runs a Calvin Test, where one can determine his 'C-factor' - how calvinistic am I? I scored 44%, which means I have some calvinistic traits, but don't let that spoil my life. ;-)

Before hitting the road, Andrew is 'setting free' the 150 emerging church books on his bookshelf, which is an admirable act in itself, as he has been collecting them for years. Not sure if I could do that, though on the other hand: why keep in words what you've already incarnated?

Kudos to Czech artist David Černý for his satirical artwork 'Entropa', created to mark the occasion of the Czech presidency of the Council of the European Union. It's healthily provocative.

Last weekend Karolien was on a retreat, and I took the boys on bicycle to the local Apple store. David, our whizzkid, figured out in no-time that the iMac has an in-built camera and other fun applications. More on his weblog. We also helped with moving the Overhoop community, went to the polder to enjoy the last ice and watched Robinson Crusoe.

For more than two weeks we're enjoying exceptional winter weather. Due to global warming it was already 12 years ago that skating championships could be held on natural ice. I took this picture at Fort Jutphaas, close to my office.

In the Dutch edition of Joel News I published a report on Matt Helland's experiences with Life Transformation Groups, a discipleship method that Neil Cole developed for simple church planters.

Did some cleaning and painting in the Overhoop community. About ten Christians from the Overvecht group will share three linked apartments to form a community of hope in this part of our neighborhood. These pics show how it looked like.

"Adventure is what comes after Advent," says Tallskinnykiwi Andrew. "It's an activity that comprises risky, dangerous and uncertain experiences." He's hitting the road for a full year with his family, travelling and living in this truck. "We feel God leading us to launch out once again in a more radical way than we have done for many years. We have given notice at our apartment and are fixing up a truck so that we can live in it full time and get to all the places we feel God wants us to ARRIVE at. We expect to be in at least 20 countries in 2009 and will be tracking what God is doing there, as well as finding and encouraging the next generation of missional entrepreneurs." More here.