What’s new at IPC
September 2024
Sunday, September 22, is Car-Free Sunday in Brussels. From 9:30 am until 7:00 pm, motor vehicles will not be allowed in the Brussels Region, including Auderghem. Accordingly, there will be no church service at IPC on Sunday morning, September 22. But come to worship on Saturday!!
The Apostle Paul writes: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?” How do we examine ourselves? Come to worship this Sunday to hear more!
All are welcome!
Save the Date!
28 September: Men of the Church meet for Bible Study, 9:30 a.m. at Fox.
29 September: Church Council meets by Zoom, 20:00.
4 October: Men of the Church meet at La Terrasse, 18:00.
6 October: World Communion Sunday.
18 October: Men of the Church meet at La Terrasse, 18:00.
20 October: Harvest Festival, after worship.
26 October: Men of the Church meet for Bible Study, 9:30 a.m. at Fox.
27 October: Reformation Day service, followed by a potluck luncheon, 11:15.
24 November: Thanksgiving luncheon, after worship.
1 December: Hanging of the Greens service, 11:15.
15 December: Advent Lessons and Carols, 16:00.
24 December: Christmas Eve candlelight worship service, 17:00.
Any questions?
Our Life at IPC
Welcome!
We have a full program of Choir, Worship, and Fellowship every Sunday, with special events held throughout the year. There are also a variety of educational and fellowship events every week.
Children’s Sunday School is available as needed — children and their teacher leave for Sunday School immediately following the Anthem.
Women of the Church meetings are held monthly on a Saturday morning. Watch the website or the Weekend Watch email for details!
Men of the Church meet twice a month on Fridays for drinks and snacks, and meet one Saturday a month for breakfast.
We celebrated our 100th anniversary all last year. Our congregation began with a series of meetings in 1922, ending in the laying of a cornerstone on November 9, 1923, at a church on the Champs de Mars in downtown Brussels. We are excited to begin our second century!
Mission of the Month October 2024
Oasis Welkom Center
Inspired by the life, teaching and example of Jesus Christ, the purpose of Oasis is to transform communities, and to work with people who are vulnerable and excluded from community.
The Oasis Welkom Project has been one of our mission projects for many years. In the past our donations have helped cover the cost of maintaining a helpline, printing safety-plan flyers, offering language classes in French and initiating support groups for women who have been victims of human trafficking and/or domestic violence. These are all on-going activities.
Many of the beneficiaries are women from Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. This year, for the first time, there has been a big increase in Portuguese and Spanish speaking women coming to Oasis for help. All of these women have migrated to Belgium for a better life, but have suffered abuse from their partners, or husbands once they settled here. Isolation and lack of information about their rights are two major problems they face, due to the language barrier. Without help, they become very vulnerable.
The Welkom Project team, headed by two Thai social workers and a Belgian psychologist, focuses on listening to these women, reassuring them, explaining their options in a language they understand and accompanying them to the different services that can assist them. (police, social services, lawyers, medical services, shelters, etc.). Having someone they can trust, that speaks their language makes such a difference! So far this year, there have been 170 cases of women, victims of domestic violence, who have come to Oasis for help. As you can imagine, it takes time and money to provide the proper care, services, and follow-up for each one. Your donations can help in so many ways-covering the salaries of the staff, cost of transportation when needed for the beneficiaries, initial lawyer fees, temporary lodging in a shelter, and making it possible to maintain the existing programs such as the helpline, support groups and language classes.
Thank you so much for your generosity! All together we can make such a difference!
For information about tax credit for donations of 40€ or more, please contact Nancy.
Read more at https://ipcbrussels.org/mission-of-the-month/