The second volume of a two-part resource has been published to help Dutch churches engage with younger generations.
The Samen Jong in de Praktijk (“Young Together in Practice”) workbook was officially introduced by Sabine van der Heijden, a researcher at the Christelijke Hogeschool Ede, Saskia de Graaf-Bakker of MissieNederland, and Rozamaryn Orsel, aged 24, who was recently named the “Young Theologian of the Netherlands” for 2025 to 2026.
A launch event for the book with 200 participants took place on Feb. 13 at the Christelijke Hogeschool Ede in Ede, Netherlands. The event was organized through collaboration between MissieNederland, the Christelijke Hogeschool Ede as venue and academic partner, Kerkpunt, and the Theologische Universiteit Utrecht.
Martine Versteeg-ter Veen, director and general secretary of MissieNederland, told Christian Daily International that the Samen Jong book was published because evangelicals in the Netherlands saw that many churches struggle to be communities where all generations truly belong — and as a result, many young people leave the church.
“The book is based on the Growing Young research from the United States but contextualized for the Dutch church,” she said.
“It is unique because it focuses not on youth ministry in the traditional sense, which often centers solely on young people, but on church community development. The core question is: How can we become a church where all generations flourish and grow as followers of Christ?”
This approach develops intergenerational ministry as a distinct discipline within practical theology rather than simply expanding youth ministry, according to Versteeg-ter Veen.
“Since its launch in 2022, hundreds of churches have taken up the challenge of cultivating the core values that help churches welcome younger generations and enable all generations to flourish.”
Versteeg-ter Veen listed these core values: taking Jesus and his gospel seriously; prioritizing younger generations and their families; loving young people; being a warm community; giving meaningful responsibility within the church; and being a church that is good news for the world.
“The new book results from a Professional Learning Community in which 11 churches, together with several organizations and universities, explored how these values work in practice,” she added.
“Over more than a year, they learned together — discovering what helps, what does not, and why. The book presents the outcomes of this action research.”
Xpeditie 3.6.0, a Dutch non-profit platform helping families and churches navigate faith education in modern and practical ways, moderated the launch event, which also marked the retirement of CHE lecturer van der Heijden.
The day focused on the “five stages of appreciative church building” to help churches integrate younger generations into their communities. Samen Jong means “Together Young” in Dutch, and the workbook builds on the initial theoretical “green book” launched in June 2022.
Orsel said on social media that she felt enthusiastic about the launch of Samen Jong and its implications for Dutch congregations.
“In the first book (the green book) you learn to look at your congregation from a new perspective: being an intergenerational church,” Orsel wrote. “A place where young and old spend time together. In practice, however, it can be challenging.
“You probably know examples from your own community. Maybe you are in a church where young people rarely attend services. Or perhaps you are in a church with strong youth programs, but the question remains: how do young and old stay connected?
“This book is about building a culture that values others — a culture where adults can model faith for younger generations by seeing and hearing them. It is also a culture where older members can learn from young people and the gifts they bring.”
The Samen Jong movement identifies six key principles for intergenerational health: prioritizing the message of Jesus, empathizing with today’s youth, taking young people seriously in leadership, fostering a warm community, prioritizing families, and being good neighbors to the local community.
Xpeditie 3.6.0 described the launch as “a beautiful day” on social media, noting positive feedback from attendees and the value of networking.
“We enjoyed moderating the day and guiding participants through the program in a creative and varied way,” the organization posted. “Using the Bible story of the spies from Numbers, we added depth to the discussion. As a church, like in the Bible story, you are on a journey together. Do you focus on the giants and obstacles, or do you see the great fruits? Do you dare to stand with the confidence of Caleb and Joshua that God will provide? We held a meaningful ritual with grapes, symbolizing the fruit God gives.”
The launch of Young Together in Practice was a major highlight, exploring practical priorities for ministry and what works in intergenerational church life.
During the symposium, Xpeditie 3.6.0 hosted a workshop titled “The Service with All Generations,” examining how connections between generations are essential in church contexts beyond simply meeting together.
“We ended the day with a celebration, marking the retirement of Sabine van der Heijden,” the organization stated. “She has been a remarkable contributor to young people and churches in the Netherlands. Fortunately, she continues her work — as she said herself: ‘now I really have time for Young Together.’”
One point became clear during the book launch: the vital importance of young people’s participation in church life.
“Hundreds of churches in the Netherlands are embracing this philosophy,” added Xpeditie 3.6.0. “It was a privilege to collaborate across organizations for the Samen Jong initiative. Together we are stronger and can serve the church in meaningful ways. That truly invites further work.”
