God speaks through the extraordinary and the ordinary

For this edition, we were grateful to have Reverend Sjoerd van der Velde share his life story and lessons with us. Sjoerd grew up on a farm in Friesland and, after studying at the teacher training college, began working with Youth for Christ. During that time, he was led in a remarkable way to the Evangelical Counseling Center (EBC), where he would go on to work for twenty years together with his wife Gé. He also studied theology, which ultimately fulfilled his long-standing desire to become a pastor. In addition, he worked as a lecturer in practical theology at the Christian University of Applied Sciences in Ede (CHE). He retired a year and a half ago.

Do you remember when faith first became personal for you?

"Absolutely! I had always been faithful in attending church, but at age 18, I was in a service led by an Israeli speaker whose clear message spoke deeply to me. That’s when I made a personal choice: ‘I want more of this!’ And once you experience faith, you want to share it." "That’s why I joined an evangelism outreach in Delfzijl, where I met a young man struggling with addiction who asked me for help. I took him to the EBC in ’t Harde. They welcomed him—and also asked me to stay and help. I agreed, though I still had a strong desire to study theology."

“Once you experience faith, you want to share it.”

Was there a moment when you clearly knew God was speaking to you?

For this edition, Reverend Sjoerd van der Velde was willing to share his life stories and lessons with us. Sjoerd grew up on a farm in Friesland, and after studying at the teacher training academy, he began working with Youth for Christ. During that period, he came into contact through a remarkable series of events with the Evangelical Guidance Center (EBC), where he worked for twenty years alongside his wife Gé. He also pursued theological studies, through which his long-held desire was fulfilled: to become a minister. In addition, he worked as a lecturer in practical theology at the Christian University of Applied Sciences in Ede (CHE). He has now been retired for 1.5 years.

Do you remember when faith started to come alive for you personally?

*“Yes, absolutely! I had always faithfully attended church, but at one point—when I was eighteen I was in a service led by an Israeli speaker. His clear and direct words deeply resonated with me. That’s when I made a personal decision: ‘I want to go deeper into this!’ And when faith becomes something you experience, you want to share it. That’s why, for example, I joined an evangelism outreach in Delfzijl, where I met a young man struggling with addiction on the street who asked me for help. I brought him to the EBC in 't Harde. They welcomed him but also asked me to stay and help. I did, although the desire to study theology remained strong.”

“When you experience faith, you want to share it.”

Has there ever been a moment in your life when you were certain God was speaking to you?

“I believe God can speak to us in many ways not just one. Through creation, through His Word, and through our life experiences. And sometimes He speaks in a very specific way through events that you later look back on and say: ‘That truly was something extraordinary.’”