There is no shortage of activities at Barnabas Church in Apeldoorn. A lot is also happening in the missionary field. And yet this church was the first church within the CGK to start the missionary learning trajectory Focus. Not to do more or to do everything completely differently, but to start doing the existing activities with a more missionary approach. A member of the project team, a congregation member and the pastor explain how the Focus programme works in Apeldoorn.
Participation for all
'We wanted to strengthen our missionalism and make it a more central part of the congregation,' says Rev Arjan Witzier. In an advisory meeting with deputies for evangelisation, IZB's Focus programme turned out to best match the desire in Apeldoorn. 'Focus strengthens what is already alive in the congregation.'
Robin van Olst, the leader of the Focus team is enthusiastic. 'The nice thing about Focus is that it has many elements. You can participate in very different ways. There are separate materials for different groups. For example, the youth use different booklets than the circles.'
Talking about your faith
The circles or discussion groups are central to the Focus programme. The Barnabas church already had a number of circles, and when Focus started, a few more circles were started. After some hesitation, Ms Beitske van der Maas-de Roos also decided to join. 'In the discussion groups you share with each other, that's a regular feature. That is nice. You don't usually talk about your faith so easily, this is very enriching.'
The discussion groups are deliberately small. 'Focus teaches you to talk about your faith in a safe environment, so that you can do so in an environment where it feels a little less safe,' explains Rev Witzier. 'The questions are not coercive or critical, it's all very friendly and gentle. Above all, you are encouraged to be yourself.'
Beitske confirms that a sense of security in the group is important. 'You are mostly very personal about your faith. You are sometimes given food for thought. Then very personal things can come up. Safety to share things is a condition for the group, you have to be able to do that in your own way. Even with non-believers, you share your faith in your own way'.
Personal growth
The Focus Track consists of six blocks and each block includes four themed services. The whole trajectory takes two years. Apeldoorn is now on the third block, which means it is almost halfway through. Has the congregation changed in that time? 'We really don't become a very different congregation because of Focus,' Rev Witzier puts it into perspective. 'Taking a congregation along for a longer time brings change slowly but surely, with the emphasis on slowly and surely. Missionary thinking is affected in a positive way.'
Beitske and Robin also do not see any major changes in the congregation, but do notice personal growth in the discussion groups. People learn to enter the conversation and so conversations arise that weren't there before.
Witnesses in everyday life
A Focus Course is meant for the whole congregation and in Apeldoorn, most actually participate. 'The method generates little resistance because basically it just addresses the basics of faith. People don't feel they have to do anything,' observes Rev Witzier. 'Church members are encouraged to come together on Sundays to nurture their faith and then take that into their daily lives by being Christians in their own environment. The approach is very practical. We do not launch all kinds of extra activities that cost a lot of time and energy and require a lot of volunteers. That is not the intention of Focus.'
Living faith gets even more alive
The Barnabas church is positive about this pilot, which is supervised by the IZB and missionary consultant Rev Jelle Nutma. 'The Focus Programme is definitely recommendable. Very strong about the concept is the combination of the topics in the circles and in the Sunday services. That gives an interesting interaction, it has added value to look at the same subject from different angles,' Robin thinks. Beitske adds: 'It really is an enrichment for everyone personally and for our congregation. I hope it will bear fruit. The baseline measurement already showed that we have a living faith in our congregation and that will only become more vibrant now.'
Focus in the CGK
Apeldoorn-Centrum is the first congregation within the CGK to follow the Focus Process. They are guided in this by missionary consultant Rev Jelle Nutma. About the choice of this trajectory, he says: "Unlike the missionary learning trajectory we offered to teams from local churches, this is a trajectory in which the congregation as a whole is included.
Focus in your municipality
Want to know more about a Focus Pathway in your municipality? For information on the content, visit www.izb.nl/focus and contact missionary consultant Rev Jelle Nutma, at j.nutma@cgk.nl
