HÉRAUTS (tr. HERALDS) is an annual conference organised by GBU Belgium for Christian students who are at university or in secondary/high school (17 years old or older). The purpose of the conference is to motivate and equip students in their mission for Jesus in order to help them make him known to others.

GBU Belgium is an evangelical organisation whose main aim is to see students know Jesus and make him known to others. Groups of students from different backgrounds are encouraged and equipped to do this with the help and guidance from staff and the support of local churches.  For more information about GBU, click here (in French).

The goal of HÉRAUTS is to encourage International and French-speaking Christian students with faithful and pertinent teaching from the Bible, so that they would be more deeply rooted in the gospel, committed to following the Lord Jesus, and equipped in their mission to spread the gospel and make disciples.

The conference is in French (apart from one workshop which will be in English this year), and we provide direct translation into English via an application and your own personal headphones. This enables us to serve International students who are studying in Belgium and surrounding countries, as well as other Belgian students whose first language isn’t French. This is something that we are passionate about.

Someone famous recently said on X that AI will probably soon be more intelligent than any human being. While this shocking statement primarily concerns the technological revolution underway, it also expresses rather well the profound desire of a humanity that rebels against God: find a way to be as powerful as him (cf. Genesis 3:5), and even to get rid of him!

How should Christians think and live in such a context? How can we guard against this desire for omnipotence to which so many of those around us aspire, while at the same time being effective witnesses of Jesus? How can we bear faithful witness in a society that, for the most part, regards Jesus and the cross as anything but powerful?

By delving into parts of Paul's letter to the Romans, together we will see where true power lies, what its purpose is in God's plan for humanity, and what role we have to play in that plan.

Sharing my faith at work? Seriously?

Killjoy, uptight, moralistic, narrow-minded, naive, gullible, crazy... If my colleaugues find out I am Christian, that’s what they’ll think of me. It would be the end of my reputation! So, to dare sharing the gospel? I’d better keep it to myself, no need to rock the boat. And even if I wanted to, how would I go about it? No, it's too complicated and risky. Forget it!

That's often what we tell ourselves, and what we imagine our future colleagues to be like. But what if reality were different? What if people were more open, more curious, more interested than we think? And what if they really were? Join our workshop to find out!

Note: this workshop will be given directly in English.

Have you ever thought about what gifts and skills that God has equipped you with?  Have you ever thought about how you might use these to help grow God’s Kingdom? 

In this session, we will be discovering how our God given resources can be unsuspectingly powerful when invested in a powerful thing (the gospel!) and considering some practical ways in which we can each use our skills, talents and resources to support growing the kingdom through evangelism.

Do you feel sick to your stomach when people talk to you about evangelism? Do you avoid talking about faith with your friends in case they ask you difficult questions? Are you afraid to talk about your faith (or even talk at all!) with strangers?

The call to witness of Christ and what he has done for sinners can seem beyond your strength. In this workshop we'll share our experiences and what we've learned from the Bible about how to be witnesses for Christ when you're not comfortable in social situations.

Through this workshop we aim to equip you, encourage you and help you deal with guilty feelings so that you feel motivated to share the good news of Christ, relying on him!

Are you a leader in ministry (pastor or youth leader)? Do you find it difficult to help the Christians you serve to be faithful witnesses of Jesus to those around them? This workshop is for you!

Before being exalted, Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20). But how will this be fulfilled? Through the efforts of the evangelists alone?

No, the New Testament teaches us that every Christian is called to be a witness of Christ (cf. 1 The 1:7-8, Col 4:5-6, 1 Pet 3:14-16). And we, pastors and youth leaders, as teachers and shepherds, have a vital part to play! As Paul teaches us in Ephesians 4.11-16, we are called to train and support Christians to be more faithful and effective witnesses.

In this workshop, an experienced evangelist and trainer will encourage and equip us to better fulfil this role... and it will be an opportunity to exchange invaluable experiences and advice… and to pray for each other!

HARRY NOËL

Harry, 44, a former lawyer who was transformed by his encounter with Jesus Christ, is passionate about proclaiming the gospel, especially to young people. Trained at the Geneva Bible Institute (IBG), he dreams of seeing future generations follow Jesus with joy. Married to Elisa, father of two, he lives in Paris near the “Place de la Nation”, where he planted a church in 2017 with a dynamic team. His vision: a local church in every neighbourhood so that everyone can discover God's grace on a daily basis.

Orchidée laurent

Orchidée grew up and studied in Belgium. At some point during her teenage years she was baptised, but it wasn’t until she turned 21 that she understood what it meant to be a true disciple of Christ, both in her church as well as in all areas of her life.

Today she is a happy and grateful wife and mother, and works as an occupational and organisational psychologist. She has worked and continues to work in different sectors/structures and with different types of people, and mainly as a teacher and researcher (thesis) at universities and colleges. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and going to the cinema.

Cranston Watts

Cranston is originally from Scotland and became a Christian whilst he was a student at university in Durham, northern England.   After many years living in London, where he attended a church where he led a small group and was on the church council, Cranston recently moved to Oxford with his wife Olivia and two young children, Mae and Henry.    When he is not working as an accountant or chasing around after his kids, Cranston loves being outdoors and particularly running and cycling.

THomas & rosie geronazzo

Thomas grew up near Charleroi, where he studied Catering. After his conversion, he studied at the Brussels Bible Institute (IBB). He is now a pastor of an evangelical church in Herstal.

Rosie grew up in England and came to Belgium after her studies. She now works part-time for IBB.

Thomas & Rosie have been married for 14 years and have three children (Abi, Ezra and Lily). When they have a bit of free time, they like to go for a coffee, go for a walk in the Haute Fagne region of Belgium, or eat pizza in front of a good film!

Marc Van de Wouwer

Marc is 65 years old. He is married and has 3 children. He is a retired Police Commissioner. He has been an international evangelist for the last 39 years. He is the author of several books, a church elder in Liège, the president of the JONAS association, and is passionate about Jesus Christ and communicating the gospel.

good to know

We provide booklets for you to take notes, so all you need to bring is a Bible, a friendly smile and whatever you need to buy fantastic Christian books which we sell at reduced prices (you can pay by card or cash)! These books are carefully selected to be as relevant and edifying as possible, and they are very kindly subsidised by various publishing houses and donors. Make the most of it!

The conference offers direct translation into English for participants who would like it. This enables us to serve International students and leaders as well as other Belgian students whose first language isn’t French.

In order to receive translation, you will need download the LiveVoice application on your phone (click on relevant button below) and bring your own headphones. Please indicate on your sign up form that you would like translation so that we can make sure that everything runs smoothly for you.