Conference Theme Student chaplaincy in the Netherlands transformed itself in the last ten years.
Chaplaincies used to be in the frontlines of ecumenical and liturgical experiment, presenting alternatives to the mainstream churches. They were mainly church-oriented.

In the course of a rapid process of secularization, student populations chanced, and only a very small minority of the students has any relation to the churches today. Those who still have such a relation are, for the larger part, evangelicals. There is, however, a large number of Muslim students and an even lager number of students with, sometimes rather vague, religious affiliation.

Apart from that, the developments in science pose difficult and intense ethical and anthropological problems. Because of these developments, being in the frontline of the churches has obtained a new meaning, demanding new methods and alliances.

Chaplaincies now focus on the whole of the student-society and the totality of the academic or high school settings. This means intense dialogue with the Muslim students, participation in the ethical and philosophical debates, and above all- an intriguing search for the spiritual and religious dimensions of student motivation and of scientific research.

All this, calls for the development of a new language to communicate the core business of Christianity in a secular context, which, at the same time, is searching for a spiritual and motivation basis and for new hopes.

This development had been endangered, the last year, by internal problems of the churches. Losing members and money, the churches in the Netherlands tend to formulate their core business in terms of gaining new members and funds. As this is not the central aim of student chaplaincy, the number of student chaplains has been reduced in the last few years and the tendency is downward.

Trying to open up the churches for dialogue without gain, searching for the meaning of post-church Christianity and looking for new ways to fund student chaplaincy, have now become urgent tasks. Though most of us have to perform these tasks with diminishing teams and means, we consider it an exiting experiment.

As student chaplaincies are locally organized and local situations differ greatly, chaplaincies are in very different stages of these developments and trying to realize their intentions in very different ways. This makes student chaplaincy in the Netherlands a very fascinating landscape.

In the meantime, we are also looking for new ways, to set up nationwide activities. In this Conference, we will try to get you acquainted to this searching and transforming group of Dutch chaplaincies.

On Tuesday, of course, we will need time to get used to the environment, the climate, the food and the colleagues. We hope to get settled in together in a playful and relaxing way.

On Wednesday, we would like to show you how interesting the developments in the Netherlands are, in broader aspects of society as well as in religious matters, and to show you in which ways we are handling these developments. We would like to get you to asking yourselves:  What do and what don't I recognize? How would I handle this, and why?  In the morning there will be two lectures by experts who are outsiders to the church and to chaplaincy. In the afternoon, individual chaplains will engage in a dialogue about their personal situations and choices. It will be possible for everyone to meet two of them

On Thursday we will reflect on the theological implications of Wednesdays  input. Two colleagues from abroad and a Dutch theological expert will propose their reactions. In the afternoon, we will confront these questions in less verbal ways. At the end of the day, we will be able to form an opinion on the Dutch experiments and ask ourselves, whether they are theologically and methodologically meaningful also for different settings. In the evening, the Chaplaincy of Delft will present My Motiv. 

On Friday we are longing for something different and we will spend the whole day in Utrecht. In the morning we will be able to visit a colorful specter of projects and activities in the centre of the town. In the afternoon and evening everyone is set free to pursue his or her own ways in Utrecht. Of course there will be ample information.

On Saturday we will try to place our information, experience and reflection in a European context. The theme of this day will be: Identity and difference.  In the morning we will meet our keynote speaker. Chaplains from abroad will ask themselves: what did we find useful, what message would we like to give to out Dutch colleagues, and which symbol could we leave behind for them to stimulate or warn them? We will also be looking for cultural experiences that bind us across Europe. And, of course, there will be a lot of fun, that evening.

On Sunday, after Mass, it is time to return home. We would like to lead you, in this way, step by step through the spiritual landscape of the Netherlands and through the landscape of Dutch Student Chaplaincies, looking around and evaluating. And we hope that you and we will learn from each other to go on with our work in engaged and hopeful ways. .