Whether it is language, culture, or music, sometimes differences seem insurmountable. Examples from various church events show how differences can be bridged and how limits need not be an obstacle to congregational life and being there for your neighbour.
The Church’s annual motto for 2024 sounds very similar in Dutch (Bidden werkt) and German (Beten wirkt). The young people from the Netherlands and Germany also became aware of a number of other similarities at the Day of the Youth in Dronten in the Netherlands, to which the Dutch had invited some of their German neighbours. District Apostle Stefan Pöschel emphasised this in the divine service he conducted on 1 September 2024. He called on the young people to help others overcome their differences and contribute to their salvation: “We are not looking at what makes us distinct as individuals, but at what brings us together,” he said, among other things. Putting this into practice is not always so easy, he said. But over the course of the weekend, the young people not only got to know the differences and the different gifts, but also learned to appreciate the similarities and, if necessary, communicated with hands and feet while playing Werewolf together deep into the night. For the divine service, the choir simply sang English songs and the other items on the programme were translated for the small German group. At the end of the weekend, both sides extended invitations to the next Day of the Youth, choral concert, and so on.
A boat tour on the Forggensee
The Forggensee, a lake in Bavaria in Germany, lies close to the Austrian border. The seniors from the congregations of Füssen and Kempten in Germany and the congregation of Reutte in Austria had chosen a perfect day to be together on the lake. On a two-hour round trip, they enjoyed the view of the mountains, the Füssen Festival Theatre, and Neuschwanstein Castle, each other’s company, and some nice coffee and cake on board.
A South American afternoon in Europe
Sranan, English, African, and Dutch music filled the church in Tilburg in the Netherlands on 8 September 2024. The congregation hosted the Suriname Day. Over 160 people, including many of Surinamese descent, had accepted the invitation. The small country in South America is looked after by ministers from the Netherlands. The aid organisation Stichting Corantijn from the Netherlands concentrates its aid efforts in helping people in Suriname. The Surinamese choir Pramisi surprised everyone with swinging gospel music. The joint service was celebrated in Sranan and Dutch, and everyone tried to say the Lord’s Prayer in Sranan. Bishop Ruud Vis and Marion van Berkum, the aid organisation’s secretary, answered some questions about the work of the aid organisation. The lunch familiarised all the guests with Surinamese cuisine. The afternoon showed that there is only one language, the language of love.
Help knows no boundaries
Around 500 inhabitants from the village of Mbikiliki in Cameroon were recently given access to safe drinking water. Thanks to donors at the Church Convention in Southern Germany in May 2024, the aid organisation human aktiv was able to build a water supply system in the village in south-western Cameroon. Despite difficulties during construction—the building materials had to be carted in from the city of Douala 200 kilometres away, and there were hardly any workers on site in Mbikiliki—the project was successfully completed. Stephanie Rastedter from the aid organisation’s office expressed her delight, “More than 3,000 euros were donated for the water supply system. We would like to say a big thank you to all our donors on behalf of the residents of Mbikiliki.”
Music is a universal language
From Switzerland to Germany via South Africa and Argentina and then on to Austria: the youth symphony orchestra has already made guest appearances in several countries, and now Austria was privileged to host a concert. The concert began with the overture from William Tell on 13 October 2024 in the capital city of Vienna. The programme continued with classical pieces by Edward Elgar, Jules Massenet, and Dimitri Shostakovich through to excerpts from musicals such as The Lion King, The Jungle Book, and Robin Hood. In addition, an Argentinian violinist living in Austria played a solo on the violin. The concert ended with standing ovations.