Potters Palace Prayer Ministry
POLICY PLAN 2025 to 2028
Wilt u een versie van dit beleidsplan in het Nederlands? Klik dan hier voor de PDF.
A. Introduction
Before you lies the new policy plan of our Potters Palace Prayer Ministry congregation. For us, creating a new policy plan is a moment to look back and to look ahead. How have we been doing—personally and as a local congregation—and what are the developments in the church as a whole? Where do we want to go? What do we hope for? What do we pray for? What future visions can be outlined for the coming years?
The future of our church. The gospel is not meant for a small group, but is for everyone. The whole world is in God’s sight.
In the footsteps of Christ, the church is called to be present in society, especially in its fringes. To be where people fall through the cracks or drown in loneliness—literally or figuratively. To stand up for vulnerable life. For a creation groaning under exhaustion and pollution caused by us humans. To be hospitable, even when it feels uncomfortable and is costly. Jesus Himself leads us in this. We believe that we may go forward in trust—the future of the church is not solely in our hands; God Himself cares for His church.
How can we be a connecting church for the different generations and our environment, with open eyes to the world we live in? What are the points of attention and challenges for the coming years? You’ll read more about that in this policy plan.
Many of our current activities and organizational structures are functioning well and we want to preserve them. The most prominent points of attention are liturgical variety and the establishment of a liturgy committee, exploring other forms of pastoral care, youth and young families, “Church outside”, sustainability, and acquisition of our own church building. Not everything can happen at once. But with this policy plan, we know what we want to work on, and at the end of the policy period, we will determine what has succeeded and possibly what has not.
New in the policy plan are the core values. Our core values are:
“Involved and Connecting, Multicolored, Sustainable, and Future-Oriented.”
They provide guidance in how we work and help us make choices. They apply to the church organization as a whole and to every individual professional and volunteer. We are accountable to them.
Our wish is that this policy plan doesn’t just get shelved after being adopted. No, our proposal is to review this plan before each church season and consider which developments need our extra attention and effort. This way, it becomes a living document.
The policy committee and the church council (Board members)
B. Mission and Vision
In this section, we outline what drives us as Potters Palace Prayer Ministry, and what we want to stand for as a faith community. We ask the question: What does God want from us and with us? From this question, we formulate our mission and vision.
Our community wishes to live by the phrase: “Where there is a word, there is a way,” with a vibrant community. We want to achieve this with the following vision:
Jesus showed God’s love for people through His life on earth. He demonstrated this through His actions and His words. The attention Jesus had for all people—young and old, rich and poor, healthy and sick, strong and weak, believers and non-believers—shows that God’s love is for everyone.
We are inspired by this message. We want this message to resonate in our words and actions. For 3PM, relationships among ourselves and with the outside world are very important, and part of our identity. Our mission contains everything we believe God wants from and with us. We have formulated three core values.
C. Core Values
Core values form the backbone of every policy plan. In a time of societal changes and shifting religious experience, clear core values are especially important to give direction to the mission and vision of the church. They serve as a moral compass and provide guidance for both the church community and the church council in decision-making.
For the church, core values are both theologically and practically important; they help the church retain its identity and play a recognizable role in society.
Our three core values provide guidance in how we work. They help us make decisions. They apply to the entire church organization and to each individual professional and volunteer. We are accountable for them.
Connecting (For all members) — Multicolored — Future-Oriented
Connecting – For all members
Jesus’ message of God’s love is for everyone—whether they attend church services, are connected to the church, are on the fringes, young or old.Multicolored
Our members come from all regions and have diverse backgrounds.Future-Oriented
From these core values, we share our joy in faith which we celebrate every Sunday in worship. From our commitment to our environment, we act sustainably in all we do.
D. Profile
The Potters Palace Prayer Ministry Foundation congregation in The Hague was established on April 24, 2017.
Thanks to the efforts of professionals and many volunteers, it is possible to offer a wide range of worship services and activities that align with the diverse composition of our congregation. Many of our activities take place in The Hague and surrounding areas, but we also find it important to organize activities in our sister congregations in Africa.
It is heartening to see that the activities we organize are appreciated.
As of 2024, the congregation has 60 members (excluding children and followers). Growth of about 2.5% per year is expected over the next few years, mainly due to our evangelism programs. Looking at membership trends and age distribution, we see that through births, marriages, and new members, the congregation has grown by 70+ members since 2017.
E. Our Pastoral Care
Pastoral care within 3PM (Potters Palace Prayer Ministry) is focused on guiding, supporting, and encouraging church members in their faith and personal lives. This includes both spiritual care and practical help. We believe the church is a community where people support each other and where loving care is central, following Christ’s example.
Pastoral care is not only about helping people in need but also about promoting spiritual growth and mutual connection within the congregation. Everyone in the congregation deserves attention—whether they are young, old, sick, addicted, grieving, or celebrating joyful moments.
Aspects of pastoral care include:
Spiritual guidance: We want to support members in their personal faith journey through conversations, prayer, and counseling—both in times of joy and in times of crisis, illness, or mourning.
Fostering connection: Pastoral care strengthens bonds within the congregation. We want every member to feel seen, heard, and part of the church community.
Accessible care: It is important that pastoral care is available to everyone. Members should feel free to contact elders, pastoral visitors, and pastors when in need of a listening ear.
Support throughout life stages: From birth to death, pastoral care includes all life phases. We pay special attention to important life transitions such as marriage, baptism, illness, and death, but also to young adults and families in their faith development.
The pastoral team consists of our professional pastor Rev. Osei Tutu Thompson, elders, and pastoral visitors who are jointly responsible for visitation and pastoral conversations. Each elder is assigned a group of members to care for.
Visitations: We aim to have regular contact with members who need or appreciate it, and pay extra attention to those in vulnerable situations such as the sick, elderly, or lonely. Visits can be at home, in hospitals, or in care facilities.
Pastoral conversations: These are important for spiritual care—on topics like faith, life crises, or ethical dilemmas. Pastor, elders, and pastoral team offer a listening ear and encouragement through the gospel.
Grief and illness support: Members facing sickness or loss receive special care, including guidance during hard times and attention to bereaved families.
Support for addicted and recovering individuals (Counseling).
We are mindful of equipping our pastoral visitors and volunteers. In today’s world, the church’s role in members’ personal lives is less obvious. This requires more from pastoral workers, so we provide them with training and workshops on pastoral care, listening skills, and recognizing concerning situations.
We are also mindful of their emotional load, as it’s increasingly difficult to find volunteers for this work. Therefore, we will explore alternative ways to organize pastoral care in this policy period.
Responsibility lies primarily with the pastor, minister, and the church council, particularly the elders. They work closely with local elders and members to provide the best pastoral care. Communication is essential, including contact with professionals (GPs, social workers) when needed—with the member’s permission.
The church council and the pastoral team regularly evaluate pastoral care, actively asking members for feedback. We aim to conduct periodic evaluations to identify issues and adjust policy accordingly. This includes exploring new methods of providing pastoral care, such as home groups, coffee & quiet moments, and consultation hours.