"Time to change"

The ELM's annual reception took place on 14 November in the Ludwig Harms House Hermannsburg. The highlight of the evening was the opening of the new permanent exhibition "time to change".

"Time to change" is the name of the new exhibition in the Ludwig-Harms-Haus, which was officially opened on 14 November as part of the ELM's annual reception. With this exhibition, the missionary organisation is not only giving a gift to itself and its partner churches, but also to the community of Südheide and its guests. The occasion is the 175th anniversary of the ELM, which was already celebrated at an international partner church consultation in September and now also in Hermannsburg with invited guests from the church and community.

"We had considered organising the annual reception in spring," reported Thomas Wojciechowski, Deputy Director of the ELM, in his welcoming address, adding: "But our exhibition wasn't ready yet. It finished an hour ago." The more than 100 visitors were visibly amused by this news, as they had probably not had the impression that everything was not perfectly prepared when they arrived at the reception to the rousing catchy tunes of the Violin Guys, relaxed conversations and the appetising buffet waiting in the background.

"In the event of an accident, it's the first responders that count, at an exhibition opening it's the 'last responders'," confirmed Michael Charbonnier, who developed the concept for "time to change" and organised the set-up, with a smile and included in his thanks all those who contributed to the success as craftsmen*, colleagues* or in their free time and ensured that the new exhibition was "fun", according to Charbonnier's wish. The exhibition also received substantial financial support from the EU's "LEADER" programme. "Time to change" focuses on the 17 "Sustainable Development Goals" of the United Nations, which coincide with numerous goals of the ELM and its partner churches. The exhibition is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (entrance to the restaurant, a staircase leads from the foyer to the first floor).

In his speech, Thomas Wojciechowski gave an example of what the ELM has in common with the SDGs as the focus of the exhibition: "Break bread for the hungry," says Isaiah 58:7. Applied to the contents of the exhibition, this is linked to SDG 2: "No hunger" The same goal is also pursued by projects that the ELM supports in its partner churches around the world. "Life in abundance for all people is the mission of the mission," says Wojciechowski. So what could be better than helping to make the world a better place?

Dr Emmanuel Kileo, Director of the ELM, used his speech to look at the 175-year past, the present and the future. "The beginnings were characterised by determination and dedication, when people set out to take the gospel to distant lands without knowing what to expect. They wanted to share the word of God with other people, build bridges of understanding and grow in faith - not alone, but together," says the theologian. This pioneering work forms the foundation on which the ELM stands today. The missionaries later realised "that mission is not a one-way street, but a road with two-way traffic, a mutual enrichment, a companionship that connects us with people worldwide and reminds us of the power of the Christian community." The church is not self-sufficient: "In a world characterised by conflict and inequality, we as Christians want to make a reconciling contribution," concludes Kileo.

On behalf of the municipality of Südheide, Mayor Katharina Ebeling congratulated the ELM on its anniversary and the new exhibition. The exhibition aims to motivate people to stand up for a good, free and peaceful life. It is an "outstanding and successful project". Following the formal part of the event, there was an opportunity to talk to each other over tasty snacks and, of course, to explore the new exhibition.