e should always remember that every church was planted at some point."

For Rudy Dingjan, coordinator and coach of new church plants in the Netherlands Union, it's one of those obvious truisms that can't be repeated often enough.

"Sometimes our more traditional members think of church planting as a radical departure from the way we normally do things, and they're fearful of change," he says. "We've been in our current mode of church so long that we've forgotten that someone--maybe 50 or 75 years ago, or even longer--actually planted the congregation we're worshipping in."

Dingjan serves as a mentor and coach for more than 100 Dutch lay members who have attended annual church planting seminars in northern Europe over the past four summers. With employed pastors stretched thinly over existing congregations, lay members are playing primary roles in planting eight new congregations across the Netherlands Union since 2000--seven aimed at secular populations, and one called UNIEK directed toward unchurched university students.

"Most of our church planters are young adults between 20 and 35 years old," Dingjan adds, "but we do have older adults involved as well. Often the impetus is that young adults want to be part of a congregation to which they can bring their friends to worship with them."

Dingjan sees to it that high-quality training experiences are available at little or no cost to those who feel called to church-planting. Trans-European Division ministerial director Peter Roennfeldt has developed training experiences called CPX (Church Member Exchange) that help participants grasp biblical, theological, and practical insights that will enhance the success of their efforts.

Some of the most successful church plants actually predate the emphasis now under way, and have targeted Holland's growing immigrant populations. A thriving Ghanaian congregation, organized in 1999 with the encouragement of General Conference secretary Matthew Bediako, is profiled by Adventist Review associate editor Bill Knott in the upcoming October 14 World Edition ("Drive-in Church").

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