Spe Gaudentes
In the heart of Amsterdam

Faith through action


Oudezidjs 100

Spe Gaudentes


Chapel of the ordinari man (Allemanskapel)
The chapel of every day, where everithing begins and ends. A place of community and inspiration. Back to the source. The “Allemanskapel”of St. Joris is the true heart of Oudezijds 100.

Community

As a prayer community we discover that we are all beggars with empity hands, waiting for them to be find. The community comes together for prayer in the Allemanskapel twice daily.

The chapel is the heart of:
A living community, spread over ten houses in the red light district of Amsterdam and the community’s retreat in Friesland. A community where everione has a place with his/her own gifts and questions.

A working community, which seeks to pave a path through the jungle of modern sociery towards the promised Kingdom.

Spe Gaudentes

The centre of Oudezijds 100 is the community Spe Gaudentes: a “happy open cloister” of matrried and unmarried men and women ferm different church traditions. Spe Gaudentes is surrounded by other members of Oudezijds 100, each in his/her own selfchosen function. Oudezijds 100 seeks to give this community life form, in the following activities:

Fatherhouse

A place of hospitality and welcome, a place for coffee and meals:here community is celebrated. This is also the place where we ourselves live and seek our own identity. A place where there is also room for others to share in the community.

Guesthouse (Crisis intervention centre)
The guesthouse offers help to people with different sort of problems – primarily addictions and socio-psychologial problems. The therapeutical method used here has been widely recognised and is followed in many similar centres. Our internal therapy consists of phased guidance ending with a period of supervised living in one of our houses.

There is a créche for children of the community’s inhabitant’s and guests, where observation is also provided for.

Kruispost

A medico- deaconal (first) aid centre. The “Kruispost” assists inhabitants, workers and visitors of the centre of Amsterdam without discrimination. The Kruispost is primarily available for assistance to uninsured, homeless and refugees.

Inloop (General social work)
Adjoining the “Kajuit” (reception) is a meeting area where it is also possible, if desired, to receive professional assistance. Six social workers are available, each with his/her own specialisation. The Amsterdam City Council has given Oudezijds 100 the special task looking after South American women, amongst whom are many prostitutes.

Onderdak (supervised living)
In the same street as the main community houses there are a number of other houses with room for supervised living. Living in the community’s accommodation always aims towards the (re)gaining of independence. The supervised living programme is the logical continuation of the Guest house. In addition, it is possible to go straight into the accommodation, or for those under the Guided living programme to spend some time living with the community.

Maria ter Claesze

The community’s “retreat” is located in the Friesian countryside – a place to get a breath of fresh air!. Two small farms with additional vuildings offer accommodation to youth groups, visitors and guests from the guest housre in Amsterdam.
Bible study weekends are organised at Maria ter Claesze on the theme “Faith, Through Action”, during which we explore the question of the biblical purpose if our daily life in the practice of Word and Deed.

Projects (activities under decelopment)

Bouschrâ

An Arabic scool for the children of North African families This school, which has been recognised by the Ministries for Education in both The Netherlands and Morocco, aims to promote friendship between Muslims and Christians based on their different identities, and thereby to combat fundamentalism.

Kishenyi: (Uganda)
A missionary project for medical and agricultural development in a remote district of Uganda. The project is led in the field by a Ugandan agricultural engineer who grew up in the area, and who has been for a number of years a member of the community spending several periods living at Maria ter Claesze.

Kazan (Tatarstan, Russian Federation)
A co-operative project in the field of social work, treatment of drug addicts, and agricultural development.



Kommunitaire Gemeenschap
Oudezijds 100

Communiteit Spe Gaudentes

Address:
Oudezijds Achterburgwal 100
1012 DS Amsterdam

Tel: 020 – 626 66 34
Fax: 020 – 627 72 83

Stichting Oudezijds 100
Postgiro: 640700
or
ABN Amro bank: 41 36 46 602