Baarn, 26 July 2022
Dearest sister, brother, young person,
Easter felt like a new beginning to us, and possibly to you too. Now, exactly 100 days later, we like to look back on this first period. We have said to each other many times how special we find it to be allowed to do this work. And we are impressed by the way in which you have given us a place in this wonderful Society.
In the past 100 days, we have listened, seen, thought, done things for the first time, doubted and searched. In conversations, we have heard your desire to be more involved in the steps we envisage and to be more informed about what is going on. In this letter, we address a number of questions you have asked us.
What has priority?
The corona measures do not lie very far behind us. In almost every Community, people are looking for ways to reconnect with each other. We hope that the district meetings we have experienced together (or that are still to come) will contribute to this. We have noticed that some sisters, brothers and young people have begun to look differently at their apostolic nature and at the place of the Community in it, during the corona period. New needs have arisen. How can we, in addition to the familiar and often dear ones, also provide new possibilities that contribute to the important pillars of nearness, delving and inspiration? Let us make even more use of the rich variety of knowledge, talents and experience that we have together to discover new possibilities. There is room to do new things!
The discussions so far also show that it is necessary to slow down every now and then. In the sense of: pausing to consider the movement we are making, talking about the why and the wherefore, listening to each other, delving together, etc. We want to respond to this desire by not constantly thinking up new things. There is already incredibly much available.
The request has often been made to communicate well. I am sure you know that this is a timeless question and that it is an illusion that one could reach everyone with all information. In addition to making information available, it also requires the recipient to adopt a curious and inquisitive attitude. There is so much to find. Take a look at the web pages on apgen.nl, for example. But of course, we and all our staff in Baarn and in the Communities are committed to involving you as best we can.
What remains the same?
The essence of our work remains: bringing love, light and warmth to the world. And in doing so, our religious-humanistic values continue to be our footing. We illustrate this in the video ' Simplicity, direction and variation’ which we show at the district meetings. You can also read about it in our first Weekly Letter ‘Kiezen voor eenvoud, richting en variatie’ (Choosing simplicity, direction and variation).
Will the Weekly Letter remain?
Yes, the Weekly Letter will remain. The Weekly Letter is for us an important element of our apostolic identity. From time immemorial it has been used as a source of inspiration for our Services. For us it is above all a personal letter to you. A reflection that may also serve as nourishment or source of inspiration for other meetings. Please feel free to search for it, to experiment with it.
When will you be visiting my Community?
We would like to work in a demand-driven way and be of service to what you need to experience inspiration, delving and a sense of community. This can be in the form of a Sunday Service, but also in other types of gatherings. For example, one of us attended an afternoon for the elderly in Enschede and a music inspiration day in Amersfoort, we attended the youth’s Proeverij in Nieuwegein and planned visits to pastors’ meetings. In principle, we mostly do the visits independently. The fixed frequency of visits (which was often once every three years) will in principle be abandoned.
We will ask the pastors if they find this question-oriented way of working helpful. Do you have any questions or suggestions on this subject? If so, please contact your district carer before 1 September. We will then look at how we can work things out next year.
How can we reach you?
You can e-mail us at nziere@apgen.nl and/or mvanderwal@apgen.nl. Mail can be sent to: Apostolisch Genootschap, For the attention of: N. Ziere and/or M. van der Wal, Postbus 116, 3740 AC Baarn. If you write to both of us, in principle one of us will respond. If you would like to speak to one of us personally, please make an appointment via info@apgen.nl.
200-day letter
In the coming period, we will continue to look closely at what needs to be done. We want to retain what is of value and use opportunities for further development. On 3 November, we will be 100 days further on. A good opportunity to share our thoughts with you again by means of a similar letter.
With warm regards, your
Brother Marten van der Wal
Sister Nanda Ziere
Simplicity, direction and variation