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Newsletter Date
Email: amkool@t-online.hu; Blog: www.annemariekool.org; Skype: amkool
Special Interest Articles
Juliana school
commemorates 90th
anniversary of Hungarian
Children's Campaign
Great openness for mission
among the Orthodox in
Belarus
'Together witnessing to
Christ': Plans for 2010
“Future of Christianity
depends on theological
education”
Highlights
Great openness for mission
in Belarus 2
Crisis, Possibility, Change 3
Future of Christianity
depends on theological
education 3 four o'clock in the
From my mailbox 4 stops. Everyone is with their
From my diary 4 invited to Gábor and Kati's
Personal note 4
Stranger in a strange land
After the First World War,
there was great poverty in
Hungary. Many children
were in a bad way. On the
initiative of Johanna and
Henriette Kuyper, more
than 24,000 children
travelled by train to the
Netherlands to regain their
strength with Dutch host
families. For a time, they
were strangers in a strange
land. Many Dutch families
opened their homes and
actively demonstrated
what Christian neighbourly
love is. They provided these
children with hospitality. A
Young people leaving Hungary
Christmas Eve is very
special in Hungary. After
afternoon, public transport
family. As per custom, I was
home.
A few years ago, we used
to sit around the Christmas
tree singing carols with all
few weeks ago, the
Reformed Juliana School
in Budapest (founded by
Queen Wilhelmina of the
Netherlands!)
commemorated the fact
that ninety years ago, the
first train left for the
Netherlands.
At eight o'clock, 150
children were waiting for
me in the gymnasium.
During a moment of
reflection, we pondered on
the fact that today we are
often regarded as strangers
if we are Christians and live
eight children. Now six of
the eight have emigrated
abroad. The eldest
daughter is married to a
Swede. Four have moved
to London, for work, study
or marriage. In January, the
eldest son, a highly skilled
violin builder, also left with
his family to go to London.
Volume 4, Issue 1 (12)
March 6, 2010.
a life which is dedicated to
Christ. We also considered
what it means in the Bible
to be a stranger (Ex. 18:3),
and that essentially we are
all strangers on the earth.
But also that we are called
to love 'others', the
'strangers' among us (Lev.
19:18), and to practice
hospitality. . Who, today,
are the strangers around us,
whom we are called to
love? For Hungarian
children, these are the
many Romanies, almost
10% of the population.
Gábor's explanation:
Nowadays it's impossible to
get by in Hungary with a
young family without the
financial help of parents.
This situation is not unique.
Daughter Judit came on a
plane from London which
was full of young people
who were going to spend
Christmas with their parents.
 2 TYPE TITLE HERE
1. Two students
“'There is a spirit of
dedication to Christ, a
deep humility in serving
Him and a desire to live
out their faith in society.”
2. Tim Okroev and Alexander
Ogorodnikov
Great openness for Mission in Belarus
There I am at the airport in
Minsk, full of recollections of
the encounters of the
previous days. Together
with more than fifty
missiologists and missions
delegates from the Church
in Belarus, Russia, Bulgaria,
Ukraine etc., we reflected
on the future of mission in
the Orthodox Church.
Some had travelled by train
for more than two days to
be there. There were many
students, with a great
interest to learn about
missions close by or far
away. And then you
suddenly meet Alexander
Ogorodnikov, for whom
you regularly interceded
thirty years ago, because
he was imprisoned for his
faith.
You meet a group of young
people who call
themselves, the
'Brotherhood of
Transformation', who are
trying to find what faith in
Christ means for them.
There is a spirit of
dedication to Christ, a
meekness in serving Him
and a desire to live out their
faith in society. They have
been meeting together for
ten years now under the
leadership of Olga, the
initiator and coordinator of
this consultation. Everyone
tries to apply the faith in
their own way. Valeria Minsk with the blessing of
interviews people who Metropolitan Philaret of
were in the Gulag. Others Minsk.
are following theological
courses through distance The liturgy on Sunday
learning. morning was so different
from a Protestant Church
The problems with which service. Still there was the
the Church is struggling are acknowledgement of the
discussed openly. There is sacrifice of Christ, of the
much recognition. What necessity of the forgiveness
does it mean to witness to of sins, and the common
Christ in an atheistic desire in following Him to
context, to be a missional dedicate our lives to Him
Church in 2010? How can and His service. There was
you help baptised also recognition of the
members who no longer desire for the renewal of
ever come to Church to the Church. Please pray for
comprehend their baptism the young people of
and life in Christ? Belarus. Pray for wisdom in
how to follow-up these
The hospitality and love contacts. Read more :
were overwhelming. As one
of the two Protestants, and www.annemariekool.org.
then a Dutch woman at (search: minsk)
that, there were reasons
enough to feel like the odd
one out, and to be treated
as such. The reverse was
true. One thing pained me:
that I don't speak a word of
Russian! I would like to do
something about that!
The international
consultation, 'Christian
mission in the 20th century:
an Orthodox perspective',
was organised from 4th -
7th February, 2010, at the St
Methodius and Cyril
theological faculty of the
Belarusian State University in
 “Crisis, Possibility, Change” 3

During the winter months, a series of lectures took place

at the Gazdagrét Church under the title, Crisis,
Possibility, Change. The aim was to invite speakers to
make known the results of their research and to help us:
1. not to shrink from courageously facing up to
this multifaceted crisis,
Each meeting was attended by about a hundred
people. Many came to the church for the first time. A
conscious decision had been taken not to make these
meetings explicitly evangelistic. But issues were
discussed from a Christian perspective.

2. but to see which positive possibilities this crisis

provides and,

3. finally, to bring about a change in us, which

prepares us for the future.

At the first evening, a physicist spoke about issues

relating to the sustainability of the earth. Then a brain
specialist came to talk about egoism and social
isolation. Finally, a doctor spoke about the mental state
and the physical condition of Hungarians.
3. Drawing of András Simon

renewal of the Churches. .. and Ecumenism is starting.

Important steps forward
If theological education have also been taken in
systems are neglected …
Future of
4. Spread of Christianity in the development of the
over the following decades Master's programme in
2010 from Atlas of Global
the Church will experience
Christianity
Christianity (2009) Missiology. We are working
a decline in the towards enabling this to
competence of Church start in the autumn as well.
depends on leadership.” (see
www.oikoumene.org).

Theological For years, this concept has We will be pleased to send

Education motivated us at the Mission

Institute to set up
you more information as
soon as this becomes
programmes which link in available. We would also
with the important be happy to hear from you
“Proper theological
missionary challenges of if you are willing to support
education is of strategic
Central and Eastern these programmes
importance for the future of
Europe. financially.
Christianity.” This is stated in
a study about the future of
In the past months, great
theological education. The
progress has been made!
study goes on:
In the new academic year,
an English-language PhD
“Theological education is
programme in Missiology
the seedbed for the
 4 TYPE TITLE HERE
From my mailbox
Peter writes: what struck me
in your presentation was
your fairness and the
courage to speak so open
about this topic in front of
all these delegates. In fact
you have really something
to say and it is a privilege to
have you here in Eastern
Europe.
Today I read also your
article "Leadership Issues in
Central and Eastern
3. With Dóra and Emi on my birthday Europe: Continuing Trends
and Challenges in Mission
and Missiology". Thank you
CIMS is still fully dependent on outside funding.
so much for this. I love it to
If you would like to support the ministry of the Central and Eastern see that you are from the
European Institute for Mission Studies of the Karoli Gaspar Reformed West but you understand
University (KRE) you may send your tax-deductible gifts to: both sides (East and West).
Very often people from the
East don't really have the
courage to say and write
these things and many
people from the West are
not interested to know
them. Can you email me
please this article too,
because I would like to
send it to some friends in
West and East.
Footnote: Among other
things, I was speaking
about how to approach
theological education in a
different way, taking
account of the crisis in the
family and the influence of
this on clergy and students.

The Magi, PO 43, Byron Center, MI 49315

We are pleased to inform you that we are able to process online

Upcoming events
donations (for U.S. residents). Please visit www.themagigifts and 15th March: Lecture at 28th-29th April: Ministry
click on the “donate NOW” link. If you have any questions please international conference at among the marginalised of
call Susan Zuidema, Director by phone at 616-272-4209 or by email Károli University society, with Rev. Arthur
Thangiah, for clergy and
at themagigifts@yahoo.com .
26th March: Mission those working among the
evening in Oud-Alblas for Romany
Please make out your gift to The Magi and indicate on a separate
the catechism classes and
note that this donation is for the KRE/CIMS, otherwise we will not the congregation 11th April: Elections for new
receive your contribution. Please do not write our name on the parliament in Hungary. And
check itself. 12th-16th April: Spiritual so to prayer!
depth in life and leadership
workshop for clergy and For more information and
The Karoli Gaspar Reformed University / CIMS,
Christian workers with Dr Tim to registration: cims@kre.hu.
Kalvin ter 7.II, Geoffrion See also:
P.O. Box 73, www.annemariekool.org
1461 Budapest, Hungary. 20th-21st April: Missiological CIMS courses.
Tel. +36 1 216 20 54/106. working party for doctoral
students from Central and
E-mail: amkool@kre.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
Eastern Europe

28th-29th April: Ministry

. among the marginalised of
society, with Rev. Arthur
Thangiah, for clergy and
those working among the
Personal Note Romany

For more information and

I am getting on really well.
At the end of December, I
enjoyed a 'missionary
birthday', as someone
called my celebration with
neighbours, colleagues
and friends from the
Church. Recently progress
has been made on our
annual plan for 2010,
'Together witnessing to
Christ', and the
construction of the website.
I notice very clearly that I
approach my work
differently than before my
toillness. Living
sign up: out of the
cims@kre.hu
deep conviction of Missio
Dei brings much relaxation.
Our work in the Kingdom is
ultimately God's business.
Through His Spirit, He
enables us to do what He
calls us to do. He calls us to
put our all on the altar, and
transforms us with our weak
efforts into instruments of His
glory. Do watch my blog for
updates?! Thank you for
your support and prayers
for our team (Eph. 6: 10-18).
Anne-Marie