Welcome, my name is Mathieu ten Dam from the Netherlands. I am called to ministry to children with athletic desires, dreams, and goals. Children from homes with the financial means and especially children without the financial means to participate in sports or another active lifestyle. IAM Ministries to Children is my ministry where we learn, evolve, and adapt. To further my education, IAM currently studying at the Christian Leaders Institute to earn the Life Coach Minister certification (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT IAM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel. IAM hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14 KJV)
My Story
As an only child, I grew up in a loving Christian home in the Netherlands. My father was a Judo instructor, and my mother was a full-time Mom. I accepted Christ when I was around six years old. My parents guided me well in this exciting process. While growing up, I served as an altar boy in our local St. George basilica in Almelo.
I went to high school in the United States to pursue my dream of becoming a professional athlete. Further, I received a full athletic scholarship at Purdue University, which made me a young adult. I learned about life and cultural differences at a young age: Dedication and resilience, serving, leadership, sacrifice, raising support, helping and loving others, community welfare, team building, life skills, becoming a role model, making mistakes, and so much more.
After receiving my Bachelor of Arts, I moved back to Europe as a professional athlete and played for the Dutch national team. Playing for transactional and transformational coaches has formed me into the person who IAM today.
Called to Minister to Children
Victory and failure, championships and injuries, happiness and disappointment, faith and fear shaped me along the way. My ministry passion is attending to children with (athletic) desires, dreams, and goals. They are a blessing to be around. My spiritual growth came from working with them as a trainer/coach. The future is within them. They are eager to learn and look for a leader to follow.
The book of 1 Corinthians is a letter Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, a city in Greece. He told them, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!” (1 Corinthians 9:24 NLT) Paul set a destination and knew precisely where he was going. He had a goal. That goal gave him direction. Paul defined his path, but not everyone can do so. It is easy to run and get lost if one does not know the finish line.
Guidance on Their Journey
That tends to happen to children who haven’t defined a clear path for themselves or do not get the proper guidance from home. So IAM asking God to guide me to positively impact the development process of these children and young adults and serve from the inside out through transformational coaching while including spiritual development in an open and transparent culture. In an environment where it is safe to make mistakes or be different.
While developing their athletic abilities, they can connect with God deeply and meaningfully to find their path to success while having fun. My community has many children with athletic dreams, desires, and goals. The mission field is enormous. I pray that with guidance from our Lord and Savior, IAM can make a difference in the life of these children. “But with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 KJV).
My Beloved Wife and Children
During my travels, I met my beloved wife, Olga. Together we have six children. Three children, Darnell, Caitlin, and Brandon, from my previous marriage, in which I had many shortcomings as a father and a husband. We have two children, Matfey and Aleksandra, from my wife’s first marriage. Today, I praise God that Olga and I found each other and that He is giving us a clear direction to move forward. We look back and learn from our mistakes to strengthen our family while building our future.
Our son Marcus passed away in 2012, which gave us much grief. However, we understand that he is smiling down on us from heaven while blessing our efforts to guide and teach our own and others’ children through our inside-out and transformational teaching and experience.
We embrace Christ in our everyday life, marriage, and family. We learn and try to lead by example. Together, we attend Redemption Church Netherlands in Almelo, where we found a great community of Christians from which we learn. We are blessed to be connected and look forward to creating and helping grow our church community in the name of Jesus. Where this will lead us, we don’t know. However, we will enjoy the journey.
My Vision and Study at CLI for Life Coach Minister Certification
Through the IAM method (Inspiration, Activation, Motivation) that I developed, IAM becoming a mixture of a teacher, life coach, pastor, evangelist, small group leader, and athletic skills specialist. Therefore, IAM currently attending CLI to earn my Life Coach Minister certification while continuing my work as a teacher/coach, loving father, and caring husband.
Thank you for reading my profile, and let’s connect. May God guide us on our journey to become fruitful Christian Leaders. May He bless you and keep you safe.
Register a Study Account
Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform and the Programs offered, including:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- College Degrees with the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Find out more about women in ministry here
