Living Faith Evang ElischE KirchE Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz 2 Living Faith Evang ElischE KirchE Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz 2 Contents 2 3 Preface 5 i n life and Faith Facts and Figures Faith 9 The History of Berlin-Brandenburg 75 Church Service 9 The History of Silesian Baptism 01 Upper Lusatia 46 Confirmation 11 The EKBO Record Office 76 Weddings 11 Deaneries and Dioceses 86 Funeral 31 The Evangelical Church and the Protestant Social Services at Words and action one Glimpse 96 Parishes 71 Organisation and Structure 07 Mission 02 Finances and Budgeting 27 Pastoral Care and Counselling 22 Church Tax 75 Children and Young People 42 Joining Our Church 87 Religious Education 62 Adresses and Schools and Universities 82 Publishing-Information 08 Theological Studies 23 The Protestant Academy of Berlin 43 Church Services Office 63 Women and Families 83 Art and Culture 14 Church Music 74 Evangelical Social Services 84 Ecumenical Relations 05 The Domkirche, Berlin 4 5 Preface Churches are God’s houses for humankind. Our regional church comprises both the By entering them, we leave our everyday federal capital and areas sparsely populat- world and enter an atmosphere of silence ed, like the Prignitz and Silesian Upper Lusa- and concentration. Churches are God’s tia. Church buildings will be found at houses for humankind – even if there is no Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, at the hamlet of divine service conducted. This is done in an Thomsdorf in the region of Uckermark, at affectionate way: The Word of God is inter- Cathedral Island in the city of Brandenburg preted for every one of us, and in the com- or at the park of the summer palace Sans- munity of Bread and Wine we can once souci in Potsdam. In the middle of our life more trust in life. Thus, every church serves they serve as a sign for the comforting cer- as a sign that God invites us to discover life tainty faith offers to us. together with Him in individual contempla- The brochure »Living in Faith, Believing in tion, in common celebration and even in Life« wishes to show you the wide-ranging everyday’s world. offers of the Evangelical Church of Berlin- I would like to pass on this invitation to you: Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia. The The Evangelical Church celebrates con- booklet provides a short introduction into ducts divine services on Sundays and on ecclesiastical life, informs you about the numerous special occasions. It accompa- various fields of activity and serves as a nies people in important moments of life useful reference text, containing figures, such as birth and confirmation, marriage facts and key addresses. and funeral. The Evangelical Church offers I would be pleased if you got to know our pastoral care and counselling. Education church. It creates open spaces for you to and faith belong together. Parishes run day meet God. nurseries and accompany young people through their youth ministry. Children and My best wishes to you! young people are taught in Evangelical Yours faithfully, schools. The Evangelical Church is commit- ted to adult education as well. The Protes- tant Social Services care for people who are in need of help. The Evangelical Church also takes a share in art and culture. And it Bischop Dr. Markus Dröge looks beyond regional matters at the ecu- menical ambitions of the global community of Churches. Bishop Dr. Markus Dröge 6 IN LIFE AND FAITH 7 In Life and Faith St Matthew Church, Berlin 8 IN LIFE AND FAITH 9 We are loved and accepted by God, regardless of our achievements Faith Church Service Christian faith means trusting in the grace Divine Service unites people living in the of God, preached by Jesus and witnessed same locality with a celebrating community. through His life and death. Therefore faith On the one hand the service draws up on a does not primarily mean believing in dog- centuries-old tradition of faith, on the other mas but it rather is a lively relationship with hand it is determined by the people holding God in Jesus Christ. Faith imparts the cer- it and giving a particular shape to it. The tainty that we are beloved and accepted by heart of the service is about celebrating the God – regardless of what we do or achieve. presence of God. We meet Him when hear- Therefore, faith becomes the foundation of ing words from the Bible, when commonly our life. Everyone who receives love is able partaking of the Lord’s Supper, singing and to pass it on – moved by the Holy Spirit faith praying. The sermon expounds the mes- is revealed through love. sage of the Bible for our time. The service is concluded by saying the blessing God ac- The basis of Christian faith is the Bible. companies us with. Above all we owe our faith to the witnesses who tell us about God in the books of the Old and the New Testament. The confes- sions of Early Christianity and the reform- ers have shaped our faith as well. They can be found in the hymn book of the German Protestant churches. 10 IN LIFE AND FAITH 11 The Domkirche, Berlin Baptism Confirmation Weddings Baptism is the sacrament of the beginning: Of course, grown-up people can be bap- First of all, confirmation intends to streng- At the wedding service a man and a woman When people are baptized in the name of tized as well to become members of the then the individual believer through the invoke God’s blessing for a successful the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Evangelical Church. Adult baptism is pre- blessing of God und his »yes« to baptism. marriage and make a promise of marriage they confess their Christian faith und ceded by talks with our clergymen and Young people are thus encouraged for their before God and the congregation. The cer- become members of the Church. So they clergywomen. The talks serve to deepen life’s journey that is also a journey guided emony focuses on love and forgiveness, entrust their life to the protection and guid- the faith of the person to be baptized and by God. The Creed belongs to confirmation. which are vital to a marriage based on the ance of God. Through baptism God promis- enable him or her to provide comprehensi- Therefore young people get to know essen- love of Christ. Both the congregation and es His closeness and His devotion to every- ble information about what he believes. tial beliefs in confirmation class and seek the couple pray for their common journey one’s life with all its ups and downs. Since Adult baptism includes confirmation. together for something strengthening their through life. The sermon delivered in this the promise of God concerns our whole life, lifes. Confirmation class is the time of a sin- service draws on the wedding motto that is many parents have their children baptized gular community experienced during confir- to guide the couple along their common fu- soon after birth. Parents, godfathers and mation trips and various celebrations. ture path as a biblical motto. The prepara- godmothers vicariously confess the faith Through confirmation young people are giv- tory meeting with the pastor prior to the their children shall grow into. Thus, baptism en the right to take Communion, to act as service deals with expectations connected is also a celebration of joy and of gratitude godfathers or godmothers, to have a church to the beginning of the marriage. The proce- to the life given by God. wedding and to elect the parish council. dure for the service is set and the biblical marriage motto is chosen. In this context questions concerning the formation of the marriage will have to be clarified if one of the partners does not belong to a church or if he or she is a member of a non-protestant denomination. Church marriage is preced- ed by civil marriage. 12 IN LIFE AND FAITH 13 Funeral The death of a person is a turning point for all After the mourning ceremony the deceased who have been close to him or her. The cer- is laid to rest in a coffin or urn. The Christian tainty that no one will be forgotten by God funeral gives confidence to the family at a and that God’s judgment on human life ex- moment when everything seems to have ceeds any human judgment conveys deep changed. comfort to us. All people mourning their loved ones are promised: Our deceased loved ones are in the good hands of the Lord. The funeral service appreciates the life of the deceased and strengthens our faith that we will rise from the dead in Christ. We can trust that God imparts a new existence to our de- ceased loved ones. Georgen Parochial Cemetery, Berlin 14 WORDS AND ACTION 15 Words and Action Service on the Occasion of the First Day at School St Paul’s Church, Berlin-Schöneberg 16 WORDS AND ACTION 17 Young people and those young at heart live and celebrate their faith together Parishes 1.357 parishes form the centre of the EKBO’s The parishes are places where people be- life. According to the Grundordnung – the longing to different generations live and Church constitution – they are responsible celebrate their faith. Doing local church for proclaiming the Gospel in word and work always means doing social service deed. They are managed by parish councils. and offering society a humane culture that These councils consist of elected parishion- is based on the belief in God. This is ers and of the clergymen and clergywomen.