32,000 Christian teens gather in Arnhem Stadium

Last Saturday 32,000 excited Dutch teens gathered in the Gelredome Stadium Arnhem for the EO Youth Day 2005. Robin, our 13 years old son, was one of them - travelling together with the youth group of our Baptist church. At home we have been watching this event live on national TV. We really enjoyed the great performances by Paul Coleman, Rachel Lampa, KJ-52 and the Newsboys.

32.000 teens gathering in Arnhem's Gelredome Stadium
Some Dutch VIP's came to the stadium and the TV studio and were clearly impressed by the enthusiasm of the teens. The celebrities really had a hard time explaining what it was they were experiencing in and around the stadium. They called it 'a positive vibe' and one of them, popular soap actor Winston Post, compared it to 'feeling butterflies in his stomach'.

Actor Winston Post and TOTP presenter Hanna Verboom

One Christian caller explained to him that this could only mean that he was experiencing Jesus' love at that moment... In the studio Winston Post listened attentively to this explanation, nodded, and just said 'Amen'. Wow - that really touched me! Dutch Top of the Pops presenter Hanna Verboom was also among the visitors. She told that she was raised as a Christian, occasionally visited a church in Amsterdam and was 'on a spiritual journey to discover God'. Search and you will find, girl...

Even Dutch PM Jan Peter Balkenende turned up for this event. I heard that two kids went up to him to ask for an autograph. When Balkenende gave them his signature, they also asked whether they could pray with him. And so they did - right then and there... Praise God for these kids who are not too shy to pray openly with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands - and praise God for a Prime Minister who is neither too proud, nor too embarrassed to join them in public prayer!

I think it is great that so many young Christians were able to share their faith and sing God's praises together. Many TV viewers at home must have been stunned by what they've seen. This was not a dull Christian mass meeting, but a joyful, massive rock concert with great speakers and top quality musicians!

This makes me think of what Martin Smith (Delirious) said:
"This is not a youth movement, this IS the church!"