Jurbise, Belgium

Summer is a time of transition at the International Bible Church, Jurbise, Belgium! Given the number of military families of various nationalities that make up our church community, some transition out and others move into the area. But even with the amount of coming and going, the Lord continues to “add to our number” (Acts 2:47), strengthening the fellowship of believers in this community. Though small in number (about 110 counting children) we are truly diverse in nationality, representing approximately 16 different countries. We’ve chosen to symbolize this diversity in unity by the various flags that surround our auditorium.

Not only is summer a time of transition, but it is also the highlight of our ministry to children. Each year our VBS program reaches approximately 70-80 children in the area. Our theme this year was “Galactic Starveyors,” based off of Colossians 1:15-17. Several children indicated their desire to trust Christ as their Savior, and many others were strengthened in their faith. Our VBS is also one of our primary points of contact with new military families moving into the area during the summer months.

We are blessed at IBC to have our own property which is located in such a strategic position for reaching this community. One of our challenges, however, has been renovating our building in order to meet Belgian fire-safety codes. To meet the need, we initiated “Project Nehemiah” in 2016 in view of “rebuilding the walls.” After months of hard work and financial investment, we are now nearly ready for our final inspection! While there is yet much for this building and property to better reflect the beauty of the gospel, we are so thankful for the gifts received and the pending approval of our fire-safety. More on our ongoing “Project Nehemiah” can be found at http://www.ibc-jurbise.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Project-Nehemiah-IBC-Jurbise-Belgium-Version-1.0.pdf .

David Stevens