The themes surrounding the training sessions (LINK) are mutual relationships, relationships with Muslims and Muslim-Christians relationships. They are meant to promote intra-religious and inter-religious dialogue between Muslims and Christians.
The training can be divided into two pillars:
To make a connection between Christians and Muslims.
Om de verbinding te verstevigen binnen het gezin, in het huwelijk of als rol van man.
The courses aim to build bridges between the Islamic culture and the Christian culture. They are hands-on courses on overcome boundaries that people have set between each other or between cultures or groups of people in a society. Often because they don’t know each other, don’t want to know each other. or they do not understand each other's language nor understand each other's culture or religion.
In addition to building bridges between believers, we also want to build bridges within personal ones relationships. For that we offer:
The training sessions are a longer process and can be spread out over a number of days, weekend, week or weeks. All training courses consist a number of elements that complement each other and that are supported by power points and video clips. I seek to be an interactive trainer, that makes it a collaboration and requires effort of the student. On most courses, I have written training books.
When you hire me, you get someone who is well prepared and who seeks to teach from the sources of knowledge /biblical foundation. The training sessions are practical and I try to include my own failures and shortcomings. The workouts ask a personal commitment and give a personal development.
Bert led a series of men's mornings at our church. Bert shared Biblical knowledge, but also shared his own lived experiences. The homework was no less exciting: write a letter to your own father and share it with him if possible. A challenge that was a bit outside my comfort zone, but it has given my bond with my father an enormous depth. Bert really guided us in Biblical knowledge and vulnerability, a combination that is not always obvious in these types of meetings. In addition to Sharing Lives, in my opinion it also became Changing Lives.
The course Approaches to Muslims is one of most helpful and comprehensive courses for anyone seeking to learn how to build bridges with Muslims. Students will benefit deeply by the exposure to the rich variety of approaches resulting in their ability to formulate their own approach or approaches to Islam and to Muslims especially in Europe- approaches that are consistent both to the spirit and truth of God found in the Bible. This course is both academically rigorous and profoundly practical. Dr. Bert de Ruiter utilizes substantial academic as well as relevant multi- media, digital resources in teaching this course. As a person, he is academically equipped and he has vast practical experience derived from many years of ministry to and among Muslims.
Bert and Jenny have a disarming style, in which you feel seen and recognized. The examples were always personal, but never too heavy-handed. Instructors who can put themselves in perspective are a real blessing. Especially in the good mix between a smile and a tear, a Biblical admonition and an arm around you. Fortunately, with many assignments that you carried out with your partner and the homework that had to be done during the weekend, it really turned out to be a practical weekend. We realized how precious and fragile marriage really is, a wonderful gift.