The training can be divided into two pillars:
To make a connection between Christians and Muslims.
To strengthen the connection within the family. In marriage or as a role of husband/father.
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.
The sharing lives training courses all have a common basis and are aimed at connecting Christians and Muslims. The main problem is the distance between each other and the withdrawal from each other. That's exactly the opposite of what I want. I am a bridge builder. Then a bridge must be built.
All courses are bridges to get closer to each other, to get to know each other better/ to understand. A self-reflection to get to know your own prejudices that makes that you don’t (want) to understand the other. The courses aim to give you a different perspective of the other, with the intention to connect with the other in share lives together.
This course originated from my dissertation topic: how we as Christians can get closer to Muslims? I discovered that the main obstacles for this are fear and suspicion.. As a result, we withdraw instead of seeking contact. We have a idea about the other, usually a negative one. This usually means we withdraw instead of connect. The same happens the other way around. If you feel unwanted, as many Muslims in Europe experience, you withdraw instead of connect.
I want to connect Christians and Muslims, to meet, to talk. This does not happen if we all stay on our own island, or rather our own island, because we think that is the only safe place. I want to build bridges between these islands.
These give a further deepening to the cross cultural connection between Muslims and Christians.
In addition to building bridges between Christians and Muslims. We also want to strengthen other relationships.
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.