Church

This is my church in Brussels. I realise I've not really blogged about it at all. It's called "l'Eglise Protestante Evangelique de Bruxelles" (although I only found that out by looking at what was printed inside the bibles and hymnbooks), everyone just calls it "Rue du Moniteur". The building may look like just another terrace with a Christian bookshop downstairs, but the main meeting room is a full on church with a balcony, massive gold "gloire à Dieu" slogan on the back wall, big pulpit, grand piano and... well... almost pews, but moveable benches anyway. It was quite a surprise the first time I went in! The building is also the Belgian Bible Institute, and where we meet for the central GBU group.

rue du mon website

When I arrived in Belgium I checked out four or five churches, all but one of them french-speaking as I'd decided that would be best. And I've settled here. There's a 'Groupe des Jeunes' (young peoples group) which meets every Friday evening for a meal and a bible study, or once per month soirée film with discussion afterwards (so far watched Gran Torino, The Bucket List, and Prince Caspian). There are usually between 10-17 people of us there, and quite international as there are jeunes from not only Belgium and UK but also France, Spain, Switzerland and Cameroon :)

Churches in belgium only meet in the mornings, which was strange at first but I've gotten used to it now. It'll probably be an effort to re-adjust again when I get back. There are usually about 100 people there at the meetings and the service lasts about 1h45. We have communion every week.

... communion was always a moment of dread for me until about december when the person leading it announced that the cups in the middle are grape juice, and the cups around the edge are wine. (The wine is served in mini cups on circular trays)... I'd always previously managed to get the wine, and I'm not a big fan of wine, especially red wine, and this is about the strongest I've ever tasted! So yes... thankfully I know now to go for the middle!

The pastor is an english guy which makes it easier I think to understand the sermons, maybe it's just his style of preaching, when other people speak I find it much harder to understand and follow.

We sing a mixture of old and new songs, and the church has a choir of about 15 people which 'performs' now and then... they're very good. Proper classical, when I first heard there was a choir I had thought of investigating, but having heard them now... I don't think I'm quite up to standard lol! I had the chance with some of the jeunes before Christmas, to sing in a little group at the front during a service too which was really nice. We sang the french translation of The Splendour of the King (How Great is Our God).

I really enjoy the services, even though I don't always follow them completely, and the people are quite friendly by Belgian standards. It is always the biggests effort though, if I'm being honest, to stay behind afterwards and try to talk to people. A couple of times I have given in and just ran away asap. Which thinking now, explains why one of the other jeunes the other day told someone who asked, that no I didn't "frequente" that church. I was pretty upset/offended because last week when I was a bit ill was the first time I've missed a service there since October, apart from the weekends I wasn't physically in Brussels. But I guess she doesn't usually see me if I sit at the back and whip off straight away... lesson learned.

Was also quite challenged by the study at the groupe des jeunes on friday night from Ephesians 4, talking about the church being the body of Christ. And the guy leading was saying how church is about more than just the service. Which I know, but it is SO much harder in another language to make small talk! It makes it hard to really look forward to going to church, or to enjoy the service, when all the time I'm worrying about having to talk to strangers afterwards in French! Which shouldn't even be a worry because we're all Christians, and like I said... they're really quite nice, friendly people!

*sigh* anyway. that's my church, which I do like very much, but it would be nice if you could pray that I would look forward to going more and not worry so much about having to mingle in french. And that I'd be benefitting and learning and growing from the teaching there. Thank you! :)