After Winnenden School Shootings - No More Paintball

It came out in the news today here in Germany that lawmakers will tighten the already stringent gun laws as a result of the Winnenden shootings in March. I couldn't help but think of our youth group in Charlottesville, VA (Matt Temple's era) and the days they would often spend playing paintball for "good clean fun."

Winnenden massacre could lead to paintball and laser tag ban

Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090507-19127.html

The German government has agreed to tighten gun laws and ban games such as paintball and laser tag because lawmakers say they “simulate killing” that could spark tragedies such as the Winnenden school massacre.

German media reported on Thursday that lawmakers from the ruling coalition had agreed on a catalogue of measures aimed at clamping down on illegal firearms and better monitoring privately owned weapons.

"We have agreed on reasonable changes that will mean more security without over-regulating hobby marksmen and hunters," the deputy head of the conservative Christian Union parliamentary group, Wolfgang Bosbach, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.

The measures include banning paintball, where players use air rifles to shoot ammunition filled with paint at opponents, and laser tag, a game where players attempt to score points by shooting each other with an infrared-emitting gun.

Violators of the ban would be slapped with fines of up to €5,000, the paper reported.

“The games simulate killing,” Bosbach said.

The move comes two months after 17-year-old Tim Kretschmar killed 15 people, including nine students and three teachers at his old school in Winnenden in southwestern Germany, with a gun stolen from his father’s bedroom. The incident has sparked a fierce debate on gun laws in Germany.

German media reported that lawmakers were also considering barring people under the age of 18 from shooting high-calibre guns at target practice and permitting police to conduct random checks at the homes of gun owners to ensure their weapons are under lock and key.

Other measures would include creating a digital database of firearms as well as biometric security systems to help ensure weapons are used by their rightful owners. In addition, lawmakers would introduce an amnesty for owners of illegal firearms if they turn them in to authorities, reports said

Update on Shootings in Germany

As many of our friends back in the States have heard and seen in TV, there has been a terrible school shooting in Winnenden, Germany - which is only 13 km (9 miles) from our home in Rudersberg. (Click on map for larger image). Although there is never a good place for something like this to happen, it became very uncomfortable -- it's too close to home!

Unfortunately, a 17-year old graduate of the Albertville Realschule came to his alma mater and killed 9 students (eight girls and one boy), three teachers (all female). Eight addtional students and one additional teacher were injured and taken to local hospitals. Unfortunately, the killing didn't stop there and went on in other locations until the police finally shot him. For a detailed account, read here.

We have received many emails and facebook messages regarding our safety. Thank you for your concern! Our kids do not attend school in Winnenden and, subsequently, were safe throughout the entire ordeal. The school officials were notified quickly and took appropriate measures.

As to the best of my knowledge, no one from the Church of God was directly involved in the events on Wednesday. However, we have 5 siblings that attend our church who attended the Albertville Realschule. They even have a cousin who was in of the attacked classrooms and came away unharmed - at least physically.

The pastor of our church in Winnenden has a daughter that was in the neighboring school. (There are four schools in the school complex.) Very quickly her building was locked down and she spent four hours sitting under her desk waiting for the all-clear signal from the police.

There is also a sizeable Assemblies of God church in Winnenden (Volksmission). But I haven't heard any news from their youth group as to how the events have effected them.

School Shooting in Germany - 17 Dead

Many of our friends will have heard about a school shooting in Germany. Most of the shooting took place in Winnenden (about 9 miles from our home) and then he fled to Wendlingen (about 40 kilometers/26 miles away).

The latest count is 17 dead. There are still no official reports on the number of those injured.

Our family is safe. But there are 17 families whose lives have changed forever.

Additionally, we have a church in Winnenden and a second church in Allmersbach that draws youth from the Winnenden school district. It's still to early to know if any of our church folks have been affected.

Germany's holiday food favorites

Often, we are asked what is different about Christmas in Germany. I came across an article that will acquaint you with some German Christmas foods. Below is simply an extract Invited to a German Christmas dinner and don’t know what to expect? Forget about your Turkey with cranberry sauce, say good bye to mince pies and Christmas pudding and embrace these Teutonic holiday specialties.

Germany has a rich and varied culinary Christmas tradition, as well as a huge selection of festive foods making coming up with a definitive list a tricky task. But here, plucked from typical German Christmas fare, are the essential tastes you are likely to encounter.

Grünkohl – kale Held in high regard across the country, kale is likely to accompany whatever slab of Christmas meat is put on the table. The kale gets minced and then cooked in stock with cream, spices and random meat or sausages for a few days. Even though it might sound odd, a whole culture has formed around these healthy greens across the country. You’ll find that everyone has their own secret spice mix to make their kale stew a specialty. Just ask any Oma and she'll swear that the process of reheating the kale gives it its characteristic flavor and texture.

Knacker – bangers Those who have turned their nose up at Grünkohl might find this dish more appealing. In some parts of Germany the traditional Christmas Eve victuals are very basic sausages and potato salad. This all-time German favorite can be enjoyed with a variety of sausages such as Wiener, Bockwurst, or Knacker, which is a smoked, raw sausage, which is a bit like like raw bangers.

Karpfen – carp If your hosts dish up a big fish it is very likely to be carp. Don’t be reserved when it comes to this downmarket fish. While carp is viewed unfavorably in America, its firm, low-fat meat is valued in Germany. The flavor is usually mild, but some people insist that the farm raised variety can have a “muddy” taste. However, carp can often be reminiscent of tasty catfish too.

Gänsebraten – roast goose You can’t live without roasted poultry on Christmas? Well Germans like their holiday bird too. Traditionally eaten with dumplings, red cabbage and the aforementioned kale stew, roast goose might even be the most popular holiday dish in Germany. One benefit is that you avoid the dreaded “dry-turkey” since goose stays juicy simply because it’s higher in fat.

Lebkuchen – German gingerbread Don’t fear if you now think of the rock hard Lebkuchen Herzen (gingerbread hearts) inscribed with icing you didn’t think were actually edible when visiting the Oktoberfest this year. No, this traditional spicy-sweet gingerbread cake is somewhat soft and comes in every shape and taste your heart desires. It is also known as Pfefferkuchen (pepper cake) or Honigkuchen (honey cake), depending on the used ingredients.

Spekulatius This is a spicy Christmas cookie. The biscuit is very thin, crunchy, slightly browned and has some image or figure stamped on the front before baking, while the back. Imagine some kind of slimmed down, spiced up version of shortcake.

Stollen – fruit cake This stodgy fruit cake might look familiar when served up. The heavy, dense, yeasty dough may appear to be solid enough to build a house out of it, but is actually quite low in sugar. Stollen contain all sorts of Christmas goodness such as marzipan, almonds, dried fruit, butter and, last not least a thick sugar coating. Even though small Stollen are available these days, the traditional weight used to be a whopping two kilogrammes!

Marzipankartoffeln – marzipan potatoes You might have noticed already that the German sweet tooth loves marzipan, but Marzipan Kartoffeln are the real deal. They're just what their name suggests. Potato shaped lumps of marzipan dusted with coco and some cinnamon for that freshly harvested spud look. Those sugary little things can only be found in the shops during the holiday season and might pick you up after a boozy and lardy evening. If that doesn’t work, start from the top of our list again and see if another cup of Glühwein does the trick...

Germany's Protestant Church in Decline

Last week, the Protestant State Church of Germany, die evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD), released its statistics from 2007. Overall, the church lost about 1.5% of its membership. However, there are some bigger stories behind the summary statement. First, the number of resignations from the State Church rose by 7.7% in comparison to 2006. In total, there were 131,000 people to turn in their membership. Second, particularly in the former East Germany the dropout rate was very high. The state of Thurigia saw a increase in dropouts from the Lutheran church of roughly 76%. Obviously, other areas of Germany saw some growth of the church - particularly to the south and west.

And what many Americans don't realize is the financial structure of a "State Church". In an agreement between the church and the state, the German government collects a "church tax" from the church members to the amount of 7% of the paycheck which is in turn given to the "state church". In other words, the government helps you pay your tithes. (Not of of your tithes, but it's a good start.) One can opt out of paying the church tax by resigning his/her membership in the state church.

Of course, being a member of a state church has its advantages for the average person. The church provides religious education in the public schools, they perform the weddings and funerals of its members, and offer basic pastoral care to its members. There is a certain social status or cultural identity that comes with being a church member, too. However, an increasing number of Germans have never really understood the Gospel and, subsequently, have no true appreciation for a state church. And then, a very small number of folks have opted for non-State churches like us evangelicals (e.g., Baptists, Pentecostals, and charismatics).

Germany has traditionally two state churches - the Roman Catholic Church and the EKD, both of which receives money from the government based on this church tax.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - Getting Home for Thanksgiving in Germany

Remember the old comedy with Steve Martin and John Candy, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. That's a little bit of what my last trip to Moscow and back was like.

The Trip to Moscow
It began with a beep on my mobile phone during church. Since we were attending a district conference, it was pretty easy for me to step out and listen to my voice mail in which an agent from the airlines indicated that my flight from Stuttgart to Holland was canceled and the trip to Moscow was also questionable due to an oncoming snow storm. Fortunately, I was able to take an earlier flight via Paris to Moscow; but I had to leave church immediately in order to catch the train to the airport. (And at least the train ride was without incident).

Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport is one of Europe's largest airports, but has no train shuttle between the terminals (or halls). Imagine going from Atlanta's (Hartfield's) atrium to terminal E without the automated train. Ironically, in order to go from Terminal D to Terminal E, I had to walk over the local train station (for trains going into the city). However, the police had cordoned off the connecting corredors. The only way around the blockade was to go out on the street and walk around it.

Once on the plane, we waited at the gate for 1.5 hours until they asked us to deboard. Apparently one passenger was not allowed on the plane and they had to find his/her luggage. It was 4:30 am before I arrived at the school in Moscow.

The Trip Back to Germany
My flight was at 9:15. Even though we left the school at 6:15 am, it took us 2.5 hours to get to the airport. Long story made short, a new driver thought he knew how to beat the traffic -- we didn't. Missed my original flight to Paris (and the connection to Stuttgart) and had to buy a replacement ticket. After all, I had to get home for Thanksgiving. The rest of the trip, however, went without incident.

Thanksgiving at ETS-Kniebis
Our family was invited to celebrate Thanksgiving with the faculty and staff of the European Theological Seminary in Kniebis (bei Freudenstadt), Germany. It was a great meal and time together with some American colleagues. However, by the time a picture was taken, our kids were outside playing in the snow (which was about 18 inches deep at the school, located on top of a mountain in the Black Forrest).

German National Assembly

During the last week of October, our family attended the German national assembly in Kirchheim. As is always the case with such meetings, there are good services and seminars. But the really interesting stuff takes place in the hallways and at the dinner tables. This year was no different.

The main guest speaker this year was Dr. Fred Garmon from People for Care and Learning. Fred and I go back many years. He was youth pastor at North Cleveland while I was at Lee. Years later we reconnected at Regent University where both of us did our doctoral work. In fact, we did several projects together or in connection with his church. We even graduated together in 2003.

Fred did a great job teaching/preaching on different aspects of leadership. And it looks like he'll be back with us Europe a couple of time next year. It was really great to spend time with Fred and learn how the Lord has used him in his new ministry. (Go check out there site, some really cool stuff going on!

EBS Alumni Visit Rudersberg

This weekend, I had the privilege of translating an EBS alumnus (the forerunner of the European Theological Seminary). Victor and Nahed Sadek from Egypt were students here in Rudersberg from 1989-1992. Although he is ordained in the Church of God, he works as a chaplain in a German Evangelical hospital in Aswan. And on the weekends he pastors and leads outreaches into minority ethnic areas of Egypt. While in Germany, he visited congregations in Plüderhausen, Allmersbach and Rudersberg. In fact, he particpated in the baptism service in Rudersberg in which his own daughter was baptized.

In his presentation, Victor presented the need of the Nubian people. Just recently they have received the Bible in their own language. Just recently, Victor was able to help the group produce their very first worship song in their native language (and not in Arabic). Ironically, Nubia is a biblical land - for many Christians more commonly known as Cush. Remember - Moses' wife was a Cushite.

German National Pastors Conference

On July 6-9, the national pastors conference for our German church was held at the Theological Seminary in Kniebis. Tom was able to attend most of the conference, although responsibilities back in Rudersberg forced an early depature. The main speaker for the conference is a relatively new member of the Church of God - Professor Dr. Michael Dieterich, who is also the leader of Biblical Therapeutical Counseling in Freudentstadt.

Dieterich is a specialist in personality profiles and therapeutical intervention. The topics he facilitated with the pastors were (1) burnout, (2) marital counseling, (3) and counseling and sexuality. These seminars were complemented by workshops with Erich Schneider (barriers to church growth), Christian Krumbacher (water baptism) and Karl Schneider (church organization).

Of special interest in the discussions was the ramifications of a recent change in German law. For over 100 years, churches were not allowed to marry any couple that had not previously gotten legally married. (Typically, a couple would legally marry on Friday and hold the religious ceremony on Saturday.). The new law now allows churches to hold a religious wedding ceremony even if the couple has not gotten legally married. (And no, the church or pastor cannot marry a couple in the legal sense (juristically) - in contrast to the American practice.)

So, does the church marry a couple that is not willing to make their commitment legally binding? And what about widows/widowers who would lose their spouses pension or widow's pension if they were to legally remarry?

Celebrating July 4th with Kung Fu Panda

Living in Germany, it is not always easy for us to celebrate American Independence Day. After all, it is not a holiday in Germany or any other place in the world. Fortunately, Independence Day fell on a Friday so that our kids could stay up late (i.e., not a school night).

Through the American Armed Forces Radio, I learned that there would be a fireworks display on Patch Barracks which is located on the western edge of Stuttgart. But the fireworks weren't schedule to start until 10:30 pm. (We live so far north that it takes that long to get dark in the summer.) So here was the plan...

The kids and I picked Claudia up from work. We then drove to Stuttgart-Vaihingen where there is an English based cinema that was showing Kung Fu Panda, a fun animated kids film. After the show, we drove the Patch Barracks and found the best spot we could outside of the military base. (Only Dept. of Defense card holders were allowed on base. And we have very few contacts to American community in Stuttgart.) It took us a while to find the right spot. But we did see a good fireworks show that ended just after 11:00 pm.

The June Madness is Over

Earlier I wrote about the European version of "March Madness" (the NCAA college basketball playoffs, for those not familiar with American sports). June has been the month of European soccer. And it was not something that could be ignored by those who hate sports.

Sixteen countries have battled it out over the last four weeks. Last night, the championship game was played between Germany and Spain. Although the final score was 1-0, Spain clearly dominated the game -- consistent with all of their games throughout the tournament.

However, Germany placed much higher than most experts had expected. Italy (the winners of the World Cup in 2006) and France (who placed 2nd in 2006) along with Holland were tipped to be favorites. Spain hadn't won a major tournament in 44 years.

So...last night was the last gathering of our church for a soccer game...until the World Cup begins in 2010.

Germany is Open for the Gospel ?

Currently I am in Moscow for a series of meetings. As a result, I've had little time for creative blogging - and just enough time at night to watch the EuroCup soccer championships.

But this article by Assist News caught my attention. And from my own personal observations, I would concur with the conclusions of the study.

GREIFSWALD (ANS) -- The climate for evangelism in Germany has improved. But a significant proportion of the Protestant clergy still harbor reservations.

The Research Institute for Evangelism and Church Development at the University of Greifswald in Northeast Germany has conducted an in-depth study of the attitudes of Protestant clergy towards evangelism.

Generally speaking the younger generation of theologians in the mainline Protestant Churches has become more open towards evangelistic activities. The institute identifies five types of clergy – from the evangelistic enthusiast to the overall critic.

One type is labeled as “indifferent”. This kind of minister would never take personal responsibility for an evangelistic event, but would be prepared to extend invitations for outside programs like ProChrist.

The “overall critic”, on the other hand, would not be prepared to lend any support. The “enthusiast” organizes evangelistic outreach programs regularly. “Loyal critics” support evangelistic activities gladly, but have reservations about certain aspects like altar calls.

The fifth category is described as “critical evangelists”. Though interested in winning people for the church, they look at evangelism with deep suspicion.

The study was conducted on behalf of the evangelistic project ProChrist. It shows that evangelism is not yet an integral part of the clergy’s ministry. Their main concern is the spiritual care for their flock.

But, as the institute emphasizes, the traditional notion that faith is roused almost automatically through church socialization is no longer reality. All in all, German clergy reveal certain helplessness in spreading the Christian faith.

Nominalism prevails in Martin Luther’s homeland. Although roughly 60 percent of the 82 million inhabitants of Germany are – owing to infant baptism – Catholic or Protestant church members, attendance is low. Four to five percent of the 25 million Protestant church members worship on an average Sunday.

Teutonic Rituals in the Church

Last night, our church here in Germany, Treffpunkt C, conducted a common an old Germanic, Teutonic ritual that celebrates the esoterically geometric dynamics. It is a ritual that, if not checked, can lead to spiritual ecstasy and socially acceptable forms of histrionic personality disorder. Although there is a small segment of the Church in Europe that actively resists any participation in this ritual, many Christians actually encourage their family members to "congregate" and join in the proclamation, "Das Runde muss in das Eckige!" ("The round thingy has to go into the rectanglur one!")

Looking for a comparison in the States, I'm limited to mayhemic fever that sweeps the States in the Spring commonly known as March Madness. Here the main sport is soccer and June marks the beginning of the European Cup - an event that takes place every four years.

32 countries began battling it out this weekend. And of course Germany is competing, too. Last night they played masterfully against Poland, winning 2-0. And our church showed it on the big screen, inviting everyone one to come to a safe, clean atmosphere to enjoy the game. (Hey's it's a lot better than a sport bar!)

Sunday in Geislingen

Yesterday, Claudia, the kids and I spent the day in Geislingen (and nearby Süßen) with Pastors Stefan and Debby Oesterling. (I'm sorry for showing only his picture. I forgot the camera and only could find his picture on the web.) I was invited to speak at the church - and it went well except that my PowerPoint was in Russian (I put the wrong file on the stick). It got a little awkward when they wanted to read the Bible text along with me. Afterward we spent the afternoon at their home enjoying pizza and watching the kids (our three and their three) have fun in the sun.

The Church of God in Germany is about 60 years old (unless you count the "unofficial" work during the Nazi war era). Most of our younger pastors in German are bi-vocational. That is to say, they must work a full-time secular job and spend the evenings and weekends for a church that is not able to pay them a salary. Additionally, many of these smaller churches have been around for a while -- they are not new church plants, but churches in need of a turnaround.

This is also the case with Stefan who works as an insurance agent. While in his mid-twenties, he assumed the pastorate from a retiring minister. And although there were some young couples in the church, there was (and still is) a considerable percentage of seniors in the church.

It was refreshing for Claudia and me to see how the church has grown over the years. Stefan has brought in much change in the church over the years. But he'll be the first to tell you that it has been a slow process that has taken place with the help of the Holy Spirit. And they're facing transition since one of their leading young couples (Chris and Lambrini Lindeman) will move to the States in September.

Cost of living in Germany

Every now and then, I am asked about the cost of living in Germany. So here are a few items using todays exchange rate of € 1 = $1.5745.

• Gas (both diesel and regular benzine) = $ 9.25 / gallon
• Milk (generic brand) = $ 4.58 per gallon
• Bread (German style loaf) = $ 3.62
• Small Combo at McDonalds = $ 7.86

Of course, all of this is relative. After all, I can't drive to McDonalds and fill up the tank if my car is broken and in the shop (which it is). Two weeks ago, we had a leaky hose that caused a loss in the vacuum (in the motor system) that powers the car. Our local garage charged us only about € 80, or about $125. Thought we had it fixed until we had a second leak last week. And now today a third problem has arisen.

Homosexual Memorial in Germany

Germany, and the rest of Europe for that matter, it its contemporary expression of postmodernism is very much into giving "repressed or supressed" voices of the past a platform for the present. The latest minority group to receive such recognition in the German media is the homosexual community.

What follows below is a news story from Deutsche Welle, the major source of German news outside of Germany. In short, it's a memorial to gays and lesbians who were victims of Hitler's Nazism. While you read the story, pay attention to the tone of the article. It will give you a good picture of the spiritual and moral issues facing the church here.

26.05.2008

Memorial for Gays Persecuted by Nazis Opens in Berlin

German politicians will dedicate a memorial in Berlin this week to the tens of thousands of homosexuals persecuted during the Nazi regime. Gay activists say the memorial is long overdue.

Seventy five years ago Nazis launched a series of raids and public book burnings aimed at homosexuals. It was the start of Adolf Hitler’s crusade against homosexuality which saw an unknown number of gays arrested, tortured and murdered by the Nazis.

The subject of Nazi persecution of homosexuals has long been swept under the carpet. Yet a new memorial which opens Tuesday, May 27 will bring the past persecution and ongoing struggles of homosexuals to be accepted in society to the heart of the German capital.

Showing a forbidden kiss

The homosexual memorial will consist of a grey rectangular block some four meters (13 feet) tall. One side will have a small opening through which viewers will see a black and white art film scene of two men kissing.

"A simple kiss could land you in trouble," says the text which accompanies the memorial.

The memorial was designed by the Danish-Norweigan artistic duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset.

The memorial has a prominent place in Berlin's Tiergarten park, half a block from Brandenburg Gate. The monument sits across from the Jewish Holocaust Memorial. Originally it was debated whether homosexuals should be included in the larger memorial before the decision was made to give homosexuals their own monument. But the design corresponds to the Holocaust Memorial's field of steles, a series of concrete blocks of varying sizes.

While the Nazi persecution of the Jews is well known, for many years there was little public acknowledgement of Nazi atrocities towards homosexuals. Estimates put the number of homosexuals arrested by Nazis at about 54,000 with 7,000 being killed in concentration camps.

"It is not easy for a gay man to live in this country and this society. It's important to remember that this society punished homosexuality for 20 years after National Socialism ended," said Günter Dworek of the Federation of Gays and Lesbians in Germany (LSVD), a driving force behind the project.

Gays making strides

Homosexuality remained illegal in Germany until 1969 and was only formally decriminalized in 1994. It wasn't until 2000 that Germany's parliament first passed a resolution acknowledging discrimination had occurred, Dworek said. The decision to fund the memorial, which cost 450,000 euros ($710,000), happened three years later.

The city's current mayor, Social Democrat Klaus Wowereit, announced shortly before taking office seven years ago that he is gay. Wowereit's legendary outing has given many others courage, Dworek said.

"That opened a lot of people's eyes. You cannot simply assume that politicians who already have a career behind them, like Klaus Wowereit, are by nature heterosexual," Dworek said.

Germany also has a law which allows same-sex couples to register their partnerships. Yet many activists would like to see more, including anti-discrimination laws. Neo-Nazi violence is still a very real threat, said Albert Eckert, head of the gay holocaust memorial committee.

"But at last we have a monument to those who suffered and died under the Nazis," Eckert said.

A tribute to Hirschfeld

Eckert said he was also happy that the dedication was close to the birthday and death day of Magnus Hirschfeld, who died in exile in southern France on May 14, 1935.

A Jewish homosexual, Hirschfeld was a medical doctor who dedicated his life to the scientific study of homosexuality and lobbied the German government to repeal laws which outlawed gay sex. The word "transsexual" was coined by Hirschfeld to describe the phenomenon that he argued was a natural extension of human sexuality.

For his work, the Nazis targeted Hirschfeld as an example of decadent Bolshevistic/Jewish influence infecting the purity of the German people, luring the Aryan race into impure and destructive perversity. His institute was ransacked and his books were burned in rallies on May 10, 1933.

It wasn't long before gay men were being rounded up and sent to mental hospitals or concentration camps.

"We have no idea how many thousands died in concentration camps because many were also Jewish or were Communists. We know that many were left in prison after the war when post-war courts upheld the Nazi jail sentences against them," Eckert says. "Anyone who was gay was automatically a criminal. This monument is for all of them."

Making an international statement

The parliament decided on December 12, 2003 to fund the homosexual memorial. It was a nice birthday present for the Green Politician and well-known Gay activist Volker Beck who turned 43 that day.

Beck felt the memorial was especially important because the laws used to prosecute homosexuals continued long after the Nazis had been defeated. And persecution still exists in many countries today, making the memorial as important as ever, Beck said. He cites 80 countries which criminalize homosexual acts between consenting adults and 12 where the death penalty can be handed down.

Beck believes Germany's memorial "sends an important signal that in this country, where in the past (homosexuals) were also systematically persecuted, we now have constructed a symbol against this human rights violation."

But homosexuals are still not fully accepted in society, Beck said. He worries about the refusal of some conservative Christians and Muslims to accept homosexuality. Beck said he doesn't have any problem with the memorial's design, which has come under criticism, particularly from women. The first scene will portray men kissing, but later it will show women.

Dworek said he is "downright happy" with the memorial's design and likes the idea that the kissing scene will switch every two years.

"This will keep the memorial fresh. There is always be something new," Dworek said. "It will be a dynamic memorial."

Pentecost Weekend in Germany

This past weekend, Germany observed Pentecost Sunday and Whit Monday. And although I would love to have spent all of the weekend with the family, we had to share our time together.

I spent most of Saturday hanging out in Schwetzingen, a town just south of Mannheim, with Erich Schneider (our national bishop in Germany) and Douglas Leroy (one of my bosses with Church of God World Missions). It was a beautiful day to take in the Schwetzingen Palace. The palace is here is only a small summer residence of Elector Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria. But it has a large, and very beautiful castle grounds. Then we went to an Italian Eiscafe in Ketsch.

On Sunday, our family attended the "Pentecost Conference" - a gathering of most of our churches from Germany. This year's meeting was held in Waiblingen -- just a 20 minute drive from our
home. The guest speaker was, as you may have guessed, Douglas Leroy. (Did anyone really think that he just came to Germany in order to take in a castle and followed by coffee and cake?) Parallel to our meeting, the kids were in a Kinderlobpreis with Thomas Klein.

Nice Germans - They're serious about humor

Whenever we visit churches in the United States, people often ask what the people in Germany are like. And usually once a year, we receive a letter from some children's Sunday School class asking what life is like in Germany.

My favorite letter came many years ago from Georgia in which the question was asked, "Do they electricity and running water in Germany?" To which I was tempted to reply, "No, but they make Mercedes and Porche."

Germans are not known for their humor. But that's not a true characterization. I just think that they're very serious about their humor. That's partly why I found this video clip with Dana Carvey and Steve Carell funny -- there's an element of truth in it.

Evangelical Church of Germany Rejects Creationism

From Germany, the biggest religious news this week comes from the "Evangelical Church of Germany" (die evangelische Kirche in Deutschland or EKD). This name is the umbrella organization for the "state" churches of the Lutheran or Reformed tradition. In other words, this is the church that Martin Luther gave birth to. (This is not to be confused with the term "evangelical" as we know it in the USA by which many Pentecostals and Baptists describe themselves. )

The headlines read, "The EKD rejects creationism due of theological reasons." Essentially, they contend that any teaching of "intelligent design" is bad science. At the same time, the EKD rejected the "new atheism" which battles against the teaching of the biblical creation accounts. Since the EKD has the right to teach religion in public schools, this debate takes on more meaning.

Presiding Bishop Wolfgang Huber noted that the current debate tends to place one view above the other. However, this "is not in agreement with neiter the knowledge of natural science and theology nor with the 'Evangelical' faith."

So where does the EKD stand? For everything, yet nothing.

Postmodern Ministry Seminar in Germany

Last week, I attended a special seminar on ministry to the emerging, or postmodern generation. It was quite a good conference. I would tell you more about it, but I'll let my friend and colleague Blayne Waltrip do the talking. After all, Blayne did much of the organizing of this conference. Below is an excerpt of his report. (Here is a picture of Blayne, Stefano a minister in Italy, Winfield Bevins from Outer Banks, NC , and Dr. Ed Moodley from Lee University. The picture is from Winfield's blog.)

I am happy to report that the conference on Effective Ministry in Postmodern Culture in Europe was a great success! Tony Lane of the International YCE Department and his team of 22 experts arrived in Germany on Monday, February 11. His team consisted of John and Jennifer Harris from Brunswick, Georgia, Winfield Bevins from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Eliezer and Dorcas Bonilla from San Antonio, Texas, (accompanied by Eliezer’s parents, Antonio and Dora Bonilla), Florin and Michelle Cimpean from Chicago, Illinois, Lance Colkmire from Cleveland, Tennessee, Jenniffer Contreras from the Pentecostal Bible College in Puerto Rico, Irma Hendrix from Atlanta, Georgia, Randy and Dana Holdman from Naples, Florida, Jerry and Leslie Lawson from Cullman, Alabama, Dr. Edley Moodley from Lee University in Cleveland, Mike and Peggy Nelson from Plant City, Florida, Collin Roberts from Leavittsburg, Ohio, and Todd and April Sturgell from Augusta, Georgia. This was truly an incredible team of experts.

The conference began on Tuesday, February 12 and was held for three days. Dr. Moodley opened the conference with a general session on what is postmodernity. Afterwards, there were four other general sessions and several “how to” workshops in several areas of ministry, including youth ministry, children’s ministry, church planting/evangelism, worship, leadership and multicultural ministry. The conference was very well attended. In addition to the many ETS students, there were representatives from the Church of God in Germany, Spain and Italy. In addition, Phil Burton, a pastor from the Ministry to the Military in Kaiserslautern, came with his father, Tom Burton from the Ministry to the Military in London. Tom Rosson, the President of the Eurasian Theological Seminary in Moscow also attended. Some of the team went with a few students to minister at the GospelHouse Church in Kehl, Germany. John Harris preached and the service went very well. John and Tony Lane ended the conference on Thursday afternoon with a closing service, which was very powerful! Every student and former student there were prayed for and blessed. What an incredible three days for the Kingdom of God! ....

I would have to conclude that the conference ... was a great success. Through their ministry, the team was able to impact several nations, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, Serbia, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Zambia, Argentina, and Luxembourg. I am convinced that we will see fruit from this conference for years to come.