Youth Gathering Kicks off before the General Council

By Amy Eckert

Long before the WCRC’s General Council delegates began to arrive—even before the Women and Youth Pre-Councils landed in Germany—a group of some 120 young adults began a period of worship, study and interaction at a Youth Gathering.

Held in a village northwest of Leipzig, the Youth Gathering at the local Begegnungszentrum Zwochau opened on June 22. The centre included space for lodging, dining, seminars and worship on site, keeping the gathering compact and fostering a good sense of camaraderie among attendees whose ages ranged from 18-30.

Each day began and ended with prayer. Mornings featured lectures on topics such as Degrowth, a political and social movement that aims to curb rampant consumerism; Buen Vivir, a philosophy that strives to improve the physical and social well-being of communities rather than merely the individual; and a discussion of the methods and effectiveness of peaceful revolution. Participants had an opportunity to listen to new ideas and exchange questions and reactions with speakers and one another.

Afternoon workshops ranged from dance and spoken-word poetry to a field trip to a nearby mining site, where youth were challenged to think about the transformation of coal into manufactured goods as a metaphor for the transformed life.

“We discussed how our lives changed when we became Christians,” said Alfred Appiah of Ghana. “We were asked to think back: How did you become a Christian? What happened to your life? What is continuing to happen to you as you live the life of a believer? And how will you transform into the future?”

Sunday evening’s worship service included sacred dance performed by some of the gathering’s attendees and a meditation and painting by professional artist Joel Schoon-Tanis of Holland, Michigan, United States.

The opportunity to meet and share his Christian faith with a diverse group of believers was an invaluable one for Alfred.

“The world was made by God for a specific purpose, and it has been stained by the forces of power and money,” he said. “We can only change that situation when we come together in unity and love. We Christians carry the light of the world. We need to let people see that.”

Alfred thinks the exposure to other Christians will affect him immediately. “Before when I prayed, I was selfish. I prayed for me, for my family. But now I have a new family.”

The Youth Gathering encompassed more than opportunities for study and worship. There was also time built in for fun. One highlight was an evening of Taiwanese culture, featuring music, games and sweets presented attendees from Taiwan. Another expected highlight is the opportunity to present the Buen Vivir concept at a public event on Tuesday, 27 June. It begins with a street performance at 4:00 p.m., followed by a more formal presentation at 6:00 p.m. in the Evangelisch Reformierte Kirche in Leipzig.

Participants will depart for Leipzig—some to serve as General Council stewards and some to attend the Youth Pre-Council—on Wednesday, June 28.