Huizen celebrated Neighbours' Day and the churches participated. CGK Huizen is happy to let us share in the enthusiasm and gratitude and sent us this report by Eduard Dozy.
It is Saturday afternoon, 28 September. We, the churches on Gemeenlandslaan and Versa welfare, have organised this day and extensive flyering has been done in the neighbourhood, by lots of volunteers.
The programme starts at noon and ours is the closing, so I have a chance to soak up the atmosphere at the Pniël church, there are already some guests there. We get a look around the church and are told about its construction. After coffee and a homemade treat, I have another 15 minutes to visit the Zenderkerk. Outside, there is pavement chalk drawing and poffertjes baking, and inside there are sandwiches and soup and the children can have fun playing shuffleboard. Inside the church, live music by a group of young people is playing. Here, too, guests have descended and hospitality is enjoyed.
It is now 12.45pm so I quickly go to the CGK to get everything ready. There I see Esther coming and a little later Jos and Jan. We first try to set up a party tent in the garden, which is not quite complete by then, but fortunately this is quickly resolved. Pretty soon, the place is decorated with balloons and flags.
Meanwhile, coffee and other things are being prepared inside. The hosts/women arrive and we can get started.
In the church is a film presentation of who we are as a CGK and what we do, followed by footage of the construction of the church. There is also occasional organ playing by several of our own organists.
Downstairs is a good place to be: each guest gets good attention while enjoying a cup of coffee/tea with some goodies. There are also some evangelism books and bookmarks on the table to take away. Children can decorate stones under the party tent and there is a table tennis table in 'Aan Bakboord'. There will also be ice cream.
Exactly how many people attended, I do not know, but there the guest flow was constant! We look back gratefully on a blessed day.
It was nice to organise this together and to open our doors together. Not as competitors but, despite differences, as brothers and sisters. As one visitor described his experience: 'Not walls but neighbours!'
This day strengthened ties with each other; this is a start of fruitful cooperation in the neighbourhood. We have mutually expressed our desire to organise more activities in the neighbourhood. We are open to suggestions and ideas.
