Apologeet.nl

Introduction

Hello, nice of you to take a moment to read this. At the time of writing, we (my family and I) are living and working as missionaries on Madagascar. This, then, is equally my passion: Telling others about the wonderful news that Jesus died and rose for them! Before this vocation, I studied theology in England, among other places.

It is incredibly important that when a new church is formed, the new leaders receive thorough training in God’s word. Especially in Africa, where people are still very deeply rooted in ancestor worship, you want the Christians to know what the Bible teaches.

Besides evangelism, I also enjoy being involved in apologetics. Simply put: Defending the faith. Many Christians do not know how to handle the critical questions put to them. Apologetics has not been necessary for a long time… after all, everyone believed in the Creator! Today, we see the opposite. People believe in all sorts of things, but no longer in THE Creator. How do we deal with this? What are our answers?

Above, I have mentioned two areas that you can already talk about for many hours, and I am happy to come and do so. But I am also willing to talk about other topics. My experiences are very diverse, and I like to adapt myself in order to enthuse others for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Whether it is for a Youth Group, home group, Dutch Reformed, or Pentecostal service, I look forward to visiting and talk.

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The message

The message I bring is that following Jesus might not always be easy, but it is a great and adventurous way of living. My prayer is that listeners will get warmed up to a committed life to God. In doing so, I adapt to the target audience. This can be predominantly non-believers or all Christians. In both cases, my starting point is God’s omnipotence (all-powerful). I can sow, and it is He who makes something grow in people’s hearts.

Experiences

A great memory is that of a youth event in the United States of America. This was a very diverse group with teenagers. Some sat in the pews every Sunday, while others had joined a street gang. It was a great challenge!

Other venues I have experience with include youth clubs, house groups and other private groups. Furthermore, I have spoken and led services in Evangelical, Reformed and Pentecostal congregations. Each group had a different dynamic. Very briefly, some want a 30-minute sermon packed with Bible texts, the other expects the ‘preacher’ to take care of the whole service and the last group wants to hear a lively testimony.

Inspiration

My source of inspiration comes foremost from Jesus himself, but besides that I can get very excited when I study the apostles Paul and Peter. Furthermore, the English John Wesley (1703-1791) is an amazing man. This preacher began as a devout follower of God’s law and later discovered what truly sets us free. He did not let the ruling church leaders stop him, but followed God’s calling right through everything.

I get my topics from the streets, my own life and further what I see in the news. In other words: I like to discuss what is going on in the world around us.

Programme

I usually tell briefly about myself first (if I haven’t already been introduced). The rest of the programme or talk depends a lot on the setting. Generally, I like to use visual (video, presentation etc.). Again, depending on the audience, I try to actively engage the listeners.

Equipment and expenses

I will bring my laptop, but do not have access to a projector. So it would be handy (depending on the type of talk) for this to be present. Furthermore, I assume there will be a coverage for my travelling expenses (which can be calculated online). The speakers’ ‘fee’ is a different story, so we will have to discuss it in advance.

Now, I am well aware that there are Christians who believe that a speaker should not ask for money (Matthew 10:8). What they may not realise then is that preparing a sermon or presentation takes time. Depending on the situation, this can range from a few hours to several days (in the case of an elaborate presentation). It was therefore not for nothing that Paul wrote to Timothy that those who put a lot of effort into preaching and teaching should be rewarded (1 Timothy 5:18).

Online

Since February 2022, we are living in Madagascar’s capital again. This means we now have a better internet connection. On that note, no need to wait until I am back in the Netherlands, we can now meet up via the digital highway (Telegram, Signal, Zoom, WhatsApp, Skype, etc.). The best way to do this is to get in touch through the contact form below

Questions and remarks with improper use of language will not be answered.

Availability

We hope to go on furlough back to the Netherlands from February 2024 – October 2024.

You’ll find a calendar with the available days on the Dutch version of this page: Dutch

Booked locations