ECCEN (European Conference for Christian Education in the Netherlands) organise conferences for school leaders and teachers of Christian Schools across Europe, drawing together different cultures, nationalities and professions within Christian education.
ECCEN is committed to playing an active role in bringing together all the individual threads of Christian education to foster knowledge, promote the exchange of expertise and to strengthen each other for the future.
The reason why we organize these conferences:
- Christian education has a powerful biblical message of hope which can make a vital contribution to our society;
- The place of Christian education in our countries is under increased pressure;
- There is a great demand for solutions to an increasing number of social problems;
- Cooperation in Europe on educational issues is becoming more important.
ECCEN is organised by the following organisations:
Driestar Christian University
Driestar Christian University for Teacher Education (Gouda) is a centre of knowledge for Christian education (University for Teacher Education, Educational Advice Centre and Management Advice Centre). Further information is available at: www.driestar-christian-university.com
Jacobus Fruytier Scholengemeenschap
Jacobus Fruytier Scholengemeenschap (Apeldoorn) is a Christian school for secondary education. Further information is available at: www.jfsg.nl
VGS
VGS is an organization (Ridderkerk) that supports boards and governors of Christian schools in the Netherlands. Further information is available at: www.vgs.nl
EACE (European Alliance for Christian Education)
EACE represents and unites Christian and evangelical schools, students and parents across most European countries. These schools provide exceptional value-based education rooted in Christian principles. The aim of EACE is to make this clearly understood by the European institutions, both in the European Union and in the Council of Europe. Further information is available at: www.eace.education
Target group
Various European school leaders, school policymakers, consultants, politicians and other people who have a leadership role in education are kindly invited to participate in this European Conference. The conference will be in English.
We hope to encourage and equip every participant in his or her role for the benefit of Christian education. During the conference there will be a lot of time for knowledge exchange, sharing faith and much more. We hope and pray that after this conference everybody will return home inspired and strengthened by God.
We accept the revelation of the triune God given in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and confess the historic faith of the gospel therein set forth. We here assert doctrines which we regard as crucial to the understanding of the faith, in line with the apostolic creed. We hope and pray that this issues in mutual love, practical Christian service and evangelistic concern:
- The sovereignty and grace of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in creation, providence, revelation, redemption and final judgement.
- The divine inspiration of Holy Scripture and its consequent entire trustworthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
- The universal sinfulness and guilt of fallen mankind, making him subject to God’s wrath and condemnation.
- The substitutionary sacrifice of the incarnate Son of God as the sole and all-sufficient ground of redemption from the guilt and power of sin, and from its eternal consequences.
- The justification of the sinner solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ crucified and risen from the dead.
- The illuminating, regenerating, indwelling and sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit.
- The priesthood of all believers, who form the universal Church, the Body of which Christ is the Head, and which is committed by His command to the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world.
- The expectation of the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ, in power and glory.