"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."
-- Augustine of Hippo

Perhaps the most important thing we do at APCH is worship. We come together on the first day of the week, Sunday, resurrection day, to worship God. We also gather for special service for Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

Why do we worship?

We worship God because of the good news, the gospel. Our worship is a response to our heavenly Father for all that He has done for us in Christ. Worship is our response of gratitude to God’s grace. Worship is an offering to God, “a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving” made in and through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Over time, worship shapes us. It shapes who we are, how we think, how we live and act in the world.

What happens in worship?

We sing. We sing because we love God. Augustine said it best: “To sing is the work of a lover.” In one service we sing accompanied by a band with drums and guitars. In other services we sing with a choir and with an organ. What matters most, is that we express our love and gratitude to God in song.

We hear the good news. An important part of our worship service is a sermon. This sermon will explain a passage from the Bible. The Bible is the story of God. The story of God’s search for us. During this sermon you will discover how God rescues, reconciles and redeems us. The Holy Spirit produces faith in our hearts through the preaching of the gospel. Because of this, each week you are invited to accept the gospel promise in true faith. The Word of God not only tells us about the promises of God for us in Christ, it also directs all our living -- what we think, say, and do.

We celebrate the sacraments. At APCH we also celebrate the sacraments of communion and baptism. The sacraments help us see and understand the promise of the gospel more clearly.

Just as water washes away the dirt from our bodies, so our sins are washed away with Christ’s blood in baptism. When we are baptized, the Holy Spirit renews us and we are set apart to live a new life.

In Communion, (sometimes also called The Lord’s Supper) we are reminded that we have been completely forgiven through what Jesus Christ did on the cross once and for all. As bread and wine nourish our physical life, so too Jesus’ crucified body and poured-out blood, really nourish our souls for eternal life.

We pray. When we pray to God, we express our gratitude and our need for Him. We voice our childlike awe and trust that God through Christ has become our Father. We are sure that God listens to our prayer. That is what He promised us in His Word. Our prayers tend to use the language of the Bible. You will hear words like “grace”, “sin”, “confession”, “redemption”, “help, save, provide”, “promise” and “forgiveness.” This is the language of love and growth between believers and God.

We give. Every week we take up a collection in our worship service. We give generously, so that the church can be strong and thrive and so that we can share with those in need. Because of what God has done for us in Jesus, we are eager to do whatever we can, for our neighbor’s good.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
-- Romans 10:17

We provide opportunities for the deepening of your faith. We hope you will continually discover who God is and what He promises you in the gospel. This happens best by reading and discussing what God has chosen to reveal to us, in the Bible.

Through our small groups and bible studies you can uncover what the Christian faith is about. You can ask questions, express doubts and learn together with other people in a safe and welcoming environment. We trust you will enjoy the opportunity to inquire and explore conversations about faith and life.

The goal is simple yet all encompassing: that we develop a deep rooted assurance created in us by the Holy Spirit, through the gospel, that out of sheer grace that comes to us from Jesus, we realize that our sins can be forgiven; we can be right with God and experience new life in Christ. Inevitably, as you read the Bible, you will re-organize your ultimate loves and loyalties. This takes time. We hope you make time for it. That is the seriously joyful business of Christians.

There are all kinds of groups that meet at APCH. Some of these groups meet in homes, sometimes they will meet at APCH. For a complete schedule of our groups please click here.

“With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers (and sisters), as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him.” -- J.B. Phillips translations of Romans 12:1

One of the advantages of living in Holland is travel. Because of our location, it is rather easy to explore all Europe has to offer. Augustine once said “The world is a great book, of which they that never stir from home read only a page.” However, at APCH, we are convinced God did not create you to simply be a tourist. It would be too easy to focus all our money and time and energy on ourselves or on just our immediate family members. We cherish a different kind of life for you. In fact, we actually believe you long for a different kind of life as well……to find your true fulfillment in serving other people. We hope this will become the goal of your life.

Being part of a church is a bit like being part of a family. In fact it is exactly like being adopted into a new family. Christians are adopted children of God- adopted by grace through Christ. As adopted children into the new family, we begin to show that we are thankful to God for all He has done for us so that He may be praised through us.
This means that believers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in all His treasures and gifts. It is our duty and delight to use these gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of the other members. We believe that through the proclamation of the good news of the gospel, the Holy Spirit renews our faith, and fills us with gratitude and reverence so that we do those good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We hope you will soon discover how you can participate in the Mission of APCH. To find out how you can serve and get involved or about special projects we are involved in please click here.

ASSOCIATE PASTOR – APCH

The Hague, Netherlands

The American Protestant Church of the Hague is seeking a full-time Associate Pastor of Worship and Discipleship.

Introduction

For more than 55 years the American Protestant Church of the Hague has served as an English speaking Church home for people from over thirty countries and just as many different denominations. 

APCH exists to WORSHIP (God the Father), GROW (in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ) and SERVE (in the power of the Holy Spirit).

Our worship services reflect our diversity. We have both traditional and contemporary worship services.

We are looking for an associate Pastor who will lead our contemporary worship service, provide day-to-day operational church leadership and share in some preaching and pastoral responsibilities.

Job Description and Qualifications

The Associate Pastor assists the Senior Pastor and the APCH council in carrying out and developing its ministries. The Associate Pastor has primary responsibility for worship leadership in the contemporary worship service, liturgy planning for the traditional services and operational leadership in ministry areas “GROW” and “SERVE.” The Associate Pastor also shares some preaching and pastoral duties with the Senior Pastor.  As an ordained minister, the Associate Pastor is called to lead APCH in worship and the shepherding of God’s people according to the Scriptures. The Associate Pastor shall be thoroughly grounded in and committed to the Christian faith of the Protestant tradition. 

Professional Qualifications

• Ordination (preferred) in a Protestant denomination with strong Biblical and Evangelical convictions
• Master of Divinity preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years experience in congregational ministry.
• Demonstrated musical giftedness and mastery of at least one musical instrument.

• Plan and coordinate worship services in conjunction with the Senior Pastor and the Director of Traditional Music.

• Praise team leadership and development.

• Sunday Morning Worship Leadership.

• Provide leadership in integrating new members into the church, guiding them from WORSHIP to GROW, to SERVE.

• Cast vision for and lead servant leader development. This involves identifying, mentoring and training of all volunteers and ministry leaders.
• Work with staff and council members in a spirit of mutual respect, support, and encouragement.
• Shared responsibilities with the ministerial staff:
• Pastoral care and visitation
• Counseling

• Preaching

• Is a person of mature Christian faith and character with evidence of holiness and wholeness in character and lifestyle, possessing robust emotional and physical health.
• Has vision and a demonstrated ability to plan, develop, coordinate, manage and implement ministry effectively.
• Is a highly motivated person of passion and creative initiative.
• Is fluent in English with evidence of excellent communication and writing skills.
• Has sufficient computer and organizational skills to carry out the ministry with efficiency.
• Has training and experience in the educational ministries of the church.
• Possesses a proven ability to work effectively with diverse cultures.
• Has strong leadership gifts. The Associate Pastor should be able to lead in a variety of contexts (individual, small groups, large groups) in such a way that the gospel of Jesus remains central.