The Netherlands - Christian Aid Mission

Partner with Local Missionaries in the Netherlands

Located in the 10/40 Window

Netherlands

Once a bulwark in the Protestant Reformation, the Netherlands has a population that has become largely secular at a time when devoted Muslim refugees have streamed into the country from the Middle East. One survey found 25 percent of the Netherlands population is atheist, 31 percent agnostic and 27 percent ietsist, i.e., believers in an undetermined, impersonal, transcendent reality.

According to the Joshua Project, 42.6 percent of the population identifies as non-religious. While 46.9 percent of the population identifies as Christian, most are adherents of historical churches with little regard for the Bible (making up 52.4 percent of those who identify as Christian) and Protestantism (32.3 percent).

Meanwhile, refugee flows and birth rates have swollen the Muslim population to 7.8 percent of the Netherlands’ population. Among unreached or under-reached people groups in the country, there are 301,000 Moroccans; 113,000 Syrians; 301,000 people from Turkey; 92,000 Algerians; 66,000 Iraqis; 162,000 Berbers; 1,100 Tunisians; 2,200 Bosniaks; 145,000 east Indians; 76,000 Kurds; 1,500 Islamic Malay; 40,000 Iranians; 41,000 Somalis; 3,200 Tajiks; and 3,300 Muslim Eritreans.

Arabic immigrants from the Middle East are working as local missionaries among both the Arabic-speaking refugees and the native Dutch. They have planted three churches among refugees and other Arabic-speakers from Syria, Iraq and Egypt. Workers are proclaiming Christ to the unreached, discipling new believers, training Arabic and Dutch evangelists and church leaders and providing aid to needy refugee families. They also organize special outings for the refugees where they share the gospel.

The local missionaries undertake evangelistic outreaches to youth and hold special events for Christian young people. In a society where prostitution is not only legal but highly visible, and marijuana is legal for those over 18 but readily available for those even younger, workers put an emphasis on helping young Christians grow in their faith.

Sources: Joshua Project, Wikipedia, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam survey

17.1 million

Population

4.01%

Evangelical Population:

102

People Groups:

Unreached People Groups:

How to Pray for the Netherlands

Pray that young people and new Christians would withstand worldly pressure from friends and relatives within a highly secular society.
Pray the Holy Spirit would draw refugees to Christ and open their eyes to His saving sacrifice and grace.
Pray that former Muslims would remain steadfast in the face of threats and other pressures from Muslim friends and relatives

More stories from the Netherlands

Help Purchase a Sound and Translation System in the Netherlands

A local ministry that leads three Arabic churches needs assistance purchasing both a sound and translation system for church use. “This is very important because many are interested in attending the Arabic church in the Netherlands,” the ministry leader said. “We need a translation system to translate into many languages in one meeting, and we need microphones.” Donations of any amount will help with the $5,468 total cost. Pray for new believers as they seek Christian fellowship.

Comfort Those Struggling With Loss in the Netherlands

A Muslim man became disillusioned with Islam and chose to become an atheist. But this caused his wife and children to leave him, and later, he was forced to flee his home country after a member of a strict Islamic group shot him. Eventually, he connected with missionaries in the Netherlands and learned about Jesus. He gave his life to Christ, but he still struggles with the grief of losing his family. “As a church, we support him and pray for him and his children,” the ministry leader said. Your donations of $25 or $50 support missionaries as they evangelize the lost.

Assist Missionaries With Outreach in the Netherlands

A Christian from a MENA country was shot because of his faith, but he survived and managed to make his way as a refugee to the Netherlands, where he was given shelter at a refugee camp. Local missionaries met him and now support him, especially through prayers for him and his family, who left him because of his faith. "He is really an example for the people around him because he always is talking about Jesus who saved him," the ministry leader said. Your donations of $34 or $68 assist missionaries in their support of refugees.

Help Bring Christ to Refugees in the Netherlands

A Muslim refugee from Syria came to the Netherlands after concluding that his wife and children, kidnapped by Islamic State terrorists six years prior, were no longer alive. “He would cry a lot and feel very guilty because he could not help his family,” the native ministry leader said. “He also was battling with hate, and he hated Islam, hated the Koran.” A local Christian worker told him how God cares enough to sacrifice His Son, and the refugee put his faith in Christ. He recently learned that his family is alive, and workers are helping to arrange for them to immigrate. Donations of $35 or $70 are sought for outreach to refugees. Pray for provision for workers at three Arabic-speaking churches.

Help Power Gospel Outreach in the Netherlands

A Shiite Muslim family in Iraq under threat from the Islamic State fled to the Netherlands, where a worker with a native Christian ministry shared the gospel with them. They began studying Christianity and asking questions, and over time they accepted Christ. “Their lives changed completely, and their faith started to grow,” the ministry leader said. “Now they are every week involved with Bible study.” Workers visit camps and invite refugees to their meetings, where they pray for them and tell them about Christ’s death and resurrection, and they also share the gospel on social media. Donations are sought for such outreach. Leaders request prayer for wisdom from the Holy Spirit.

Encourage Believers Who Face Hostility in the Netherlands

When native missionaries shared the gospel in a refugee camp, two Muslim refugees were excited to learn about Jesus and what He did on the cross. They decided to give their lives to Christ and began to attend church services and Bible study each week. “We are thankful that we are able to visit refugee centers,” the ministry leader said. “We share the gospel with many Muslim people and give them New Testaments.” But new believers from a Muslim background face many dangers, and missionaries continue to pray for their protection. Your donations support important gospel work among refugees. Pray that the Lord watches over those who put their faith in Him.