Our neighbors have recently become owners of a coffee shop in Amsterdam. They had told us before of their desire to have their own café, but we were a bit surprised when they shared the news of their newest venture. For those that may not know, a coffee shop in Amsterdam is NOT where you go to get a cup o’ joe. It is a café of sorts where one would go to smoke marijuana. Marijuana use was legalized in the Netherlands in the 1980′s and the “coffee shops” have become iconic of Amsterdam culture. What spurred this post was when our neighbors invited us to come visit their coffee shop. My first thought was, “yeah, right. Don’t hold your breath.” But then I began to ponder the question, would Jesus have gone to visit them? Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that Jesus would have rolled a doobie with them. But would He have gone in when invited to do so, had something to drink and chatted with those there? In every culture there are those places that are synonymous with sinful nature, where the sinners eat. How do we interpret the passage in Matthew where Jesus goes to Matthew’s house and dines with all of Matthew’s tax collector buddies and other sinners as they are called?  Are we to remain in our homes and church buildings hoping the broken and sinful will come to us? Perhaps already wearing their sackcloth and ashes? Or should we find ourselves in those places that manifest our sinful natures? Jesus said that He had come to save sinners, not the righteous. Like a doctor who deals with the sick, not the healthy. Would a doctor refuse to enter a coffee shop where someone was dying because he was afraid of catching something or what other doctors might think of his lifestyle? Probably not. Of course, I’m not saying he would hang out in the coffee shop waiting for someone to fall ill. But I don’t think he would shy away from the place when a sick person needed him. So what does this mean in our Amsterdam context?

I think it goes deeper than where we go. I believe it is about letting go. Letting go of our comfort. Letting go of our safety. Letting go of what we are familiar with. I may not necessarily have to go visit my friend’s coffee shop to share Jesus with him. But I do have wade into that aspect of his life. And that is the key. We have to live among the people. Jesus left heaven and glory and “became flesh and dwelt among us”. We are the Body of Christ charged to make disciples of all people. That means more than a weekly service. That means getting in deep in their lives. Up to your neck deep. And it will be dirty. We are all dirty without Christ. Why would we expect anyone else to be any different? Neil Cole once remarked that the seed of the Gospel grows best among some types of people because their lives are filled with a lot of manure!

I think it is great that some churches have benevolent outreaches such as food banks and help with addiction. I want to commend that and I think it is a step in the right direction. But it is just the first step. It shouldn’t stop there. Those programs have the danger of becoming another program in the weekly activities at the church building. There is the danger that we expect the drug addict or the alcoholic to make the sacrifice to come to our place first, rather than us going to their home first. Jesus met people where they were. He still meets us where we are. To share our hope and rebirth in Him with others, we need to meet them where they are. No matter how uncomfortable that place may make us feel. No matter what others may think of us going to that place.

So, would Jesus be found in an Amsterdam coffee shop? I don’t know for sure, to be honest. I don’t think he would have been a regular. But I also don’t think he would have passed by a coffee shop without talking to someone there.

Originally, we had asked if we could set up a small table for our local ministry in the midst of the festivities. Then we partnered up with another local church to do some kids’ activities during the day and Blijburg was so excited that we were coming along to help that they asked if our group and the other church would run the entire kids’ day activities! They’ve even given us full use of the Chapel building. It is amazing to see how God has just flung this door wide open! This is such a great opportunity to get our face out among the people and let them know who we are as well as building a relationship with the owners of such a popular local hangout. We’ll be doing crafts, face-painting, balloon animals, street dance lessons for kids and kiddie aerobics. Blijburg will also be providing a bouncy castle as well! Additionally we’ll be selling orange cotton candy and baked goods. Beyond the kids activities, we’ll have a few books available for those interested in knowing more about God with some contact info in the books for anyone who might want to request a Bible or join a home group.

Please pray for the remaining preparations and details that need to come together beforehand. Pray that our stewardship of this opportunity would be a testimony to those who come to the festival as well as the owners of Blijburg. Pray also that God would give us new friendships with those here that are seeking Him. And pray for great weather and a fun day all around!

Church is not new for Amsterdam. They’ve done it before in all shapes and sizes. In the midst of the storm of new church models and techniques, one thing is constant: people are created to be in relationships. We all long to connect with others. Ultimately, this stems from our innermost desire to connect with God, the One who created us to be in relationship with Him. Relationships are at the heart of our ministry. We don’t believe in merely telling the lost that Christ can change their lives. We live alongside them and show them how Christ is changing our lives. That is what Jesus did. He “became flesh and dwelt among us”. Likewise, as the Body of Christ, we are called to do the same. To love as Christ loved, we must share life with those that don’t know Him.

Evangelism that is relevant.

The message of Jesus Christ never changes. Only through trusting in Christ’s death and resurrection alone can we be reconciled to God and receive eternal life with Him. But how we present that message must constantly evolve along with the culture. What worked with the last generation will not necessarily work with the newest generation. What works with one people group will not necessarily work with another. By learning the stories of the people, we will better understand how they perceive the world. By understanding their worldview, we can share the eternal truth of Christ in a way that makes sense to them. Just like Paul, we become all things to all people so that some may come to know Him.

Discipleship that reproduces.

Jesus told us clearly to go into all the world and make disciples. Every believer is a disciple-maker. The church should be alive and should be reproducing itself wherever it goes. This is our task. As others come to believe on Christ as their Savior, we are to train and equip and encourage them to take up the task themselves. Discipleship is not merely about gaining knowledge, it is about growing into obedience. It is about becoming a fellow laborer in the vineyard.

We’ve divided the city into 5 areas: Amsterdam North, West, East, South, and Centrum. The vision is to have at least one US church partnership for each of the 5 divisions. These US church partners would adopt one of these divisions for 3 years. During these 3 years, the US churches would pray regularly for their adopted zone as well as send teams to prayer walk on site and engage Amsterdammers with the love and hope of Jesus Christ. Our team would connect these US partners with local believers so they can support and be a part of local evangelical initiatives.

The vision for Amsterdam is a God-sized vision. There are many strongholds that the enemy has built in this city. But God is calling laborers to go out into this vineyard from all over the world. Through our obedience to that call, we can play a role in the mighty things He will do in this great city.