“Here in Berlin, one cannot help being aware that you are the hub around which turns the wheel of history. […] If ever there were a people who should be constantly sensitive to their destiny, the people of Berlin, East and West, should be they.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sermon at the Waldbühne, Berlin, September 13, 1964
Berlin is a center of change and transformation, the second largest city in Europe, known for the Wall, the wars, the art, the music, the creativity, the parties, and the edginess. It is a unique and fascinating city — and it is a city whose destiny we are desperately trying to change.
The Berliner Gemeinde Christi — the Berlin Church of Christ — is seeking deeply faithful, deeply rooted, hardworking men and women to bring a devotion to God which compels them to tirelessly love one of the most skeptical places in the world and to give their heart to a small but faithfully growing campus ministry. Coming to serve Berlin takes a decision to love Germany. We need people willing to do the work to support themselves to be here. You must be committed to learning the incredible German language and to trust God like never before.
The Berliner Gemeinde Christi One Year Challenge is not for the weak-hearted or small of faith, but for those who know that God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power, love and self-control. In cultural transition, you should expect to become totally disoriented and unmoored. Expect long, dark, discouraging winter months and little positive feedback or reassurance from the culture around you. Can you persevere through discouragement, rejection, confusion, doubt and indifference? Berlin is known for being blunt, grey, and under construction, but also for having a mysterious allure that makes her residents pity those who can’t live here and makes foreigners flock to be affected by it.
Here in Berlin, we are working with a hard-packed soil to build a brotherhood of young men and women that reaches this indifferent and self-centered generation. This city is in desperate need of light and love. The people here need people who will get involved and care about them, who will strive to know their language and their culture, and persevere to learn who they are so they can understand their heart and how to bring the word of God to them clearly.
The opportunity here is unparalleled. This is a city like no other, positioned in Europe and in history to be a pivot point of change. Here you will learn from Scott and Lynne Green, who have decades of ministry experience and have trained people to become church leaders around the world. For the past 33 years, the Greens have been focused specifically on reaching some of the most skeptical societies in our world: thoroughly atheistic Mainland China; Seattle, Washington — the most “unchurched” city in the United States; and now Berlin. They believe in building with the “costly stones” and lead a training program focused on the quality needed for building to last.
If this immense need speaks to you and you want to see what God has in store for this incredible city, please contact us so we can talk more! Even if you are not sure about coming to Berlin, we would love to hear from you and to answer any questions you may have. Contact us through our page on Disciple Adventures, or find our table at the OYC Mixer at the ICMC East on July 3, 2015.
We hope that you can join us in the fight for Berlin.
