Welcome to the website of Bijzondere Noden, or in English: the Relief Board of the Netherlands Reformed Congregations (RBN). RBN is the diaconal ministry of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation, a Christian, Calvinist denomination with about 107,000 members.
From church to church
As a Christian organisation, we deem it crucial to take a twofold approach. On the one hand, we provide practical assistance in order to improve the living circumstances of our beneficiaries. On the other hand, we always seek for opportunities to share the Gospel. We do not only want to bring hope in difficult circumstances, but we most importantly want to share the message that there is everlasting Hope in Jesus Christ.
We aim to conduct our work from church to church. Our funds are generated by local, Dutch reformed congregations. We always seek for possibilities to spend our funds through the mediation of local churches. In case there are no churches in a certain region, we aim to collaborate with organisations who have taken up the responsibilities of the church. In this way, our projects not only support those in need, but also contribute to strengthening the local churches.
Our focus
RBN supports projects that focus on one of our three core themes:
Emergency relief
Providing relief assistance in emergency situations
Long-term relief
Contributing to structural, longer-term relief projects
Persecuted church relief
Supporting and encouraging persecuted Christians.
Hands of the church
Our church acknowledges the Bible as the inspired Word of God and accepts the three forms of unity (the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dordt and the Heidelberg Catechism) as their main creed. RBN is also called the ‘hands of the church’, for it aims to contribute to relief projects. Whereas the local deacons conduct this work on a local scale, RBN acts on their behalf on a larger, international scale.
RBN has received its mandate from the general synod of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation. The board members of RBN are appointed by the general synod, to which they report their activities. The board members have appointed an office staff, which is responsible for all daily activities, such as communication with partner organisations, informing churches, fundraising and administration.
Contact
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