Where the church meets the secular world

International Zoom exchange between volunteers and church staff about contacts with people and organisations outside their own congregation.

How can churches and their members network in "their" locality? How can they enter into dialogue with people who have no connection to the church? And what can church activists in Germany possibly learn from Christians in other countries - and vice versa? These questions were the focus of an international, English-language Zoom event organised by the Ev.-luth. Mission in Lower Saxony (ELM) entitled: "Anything meaningful in there?" - The (unknown) Church in the neighbourhood.

Guest speakers Rebecca Ntuli from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA) and Stephan Gensicke, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover in Lamspringe, presented the situation in their congregations. Rebecca Ntuli, who belongs to a congregation in a suburb of Durban, reported on numerous activities that are mainly carried out by volunteers: a contact point where people with a wide range of problems and questions can turn to, a soup kitchen, clothes distribution, services for the homeless, orphans and elderly people. This brings the church into contact with a wide variety of people. Establishing contact with other congregations, on the other hand, is more difficult, says Rebecca Ntuli and attributes this to the fact that young Pentecostal congregations, for example, are often made up of people from other African countries, which brings with it cultural and language barriers. "Nevertheless, we are all Christians," says the Protestant, who works as a carer in the city of Durban in South Africa, which has a population of 3 million.

"I'm a little envious," admits Stephan Gensicke after this statement. It is much more difficult to get volunteers in German churches. "Germans have so many other things, church is only a small part of their lives," says the pastor. Nevertheless, there are small successes. He makes many home visits, for example to senior citizens' birthdays, offers event church services, including as part of the town festival and, more recently, a faith course. They also try to keep young people in the church after their confirmation. Many have the goal of completing a course to become a youth group leader, which they try to facilitate.

One experience stands out from his report: Gensicke, who himself worked as an ELM employee in South Africa for a while, draws a thoroughly positive balance after an attempt to motivate people through intercultural encounters. He travelled to South Africa with a delegation from his church. "Those who experienced it are very involved - for example in the parish council - since they have seen what is possible," he says.

Following the statements from South Africa and Germany, there was an opportunity to ask questions. A participant from Ethiopia reported on the situation of the church there. Here, too, they take care of the social and health problems of people in their immediate neighbourhood.

One German participant was "really impressed" by what church members are doing in African countries. But there was also positive feedback from South Africa, particularly with regard to the format: "I benefit greatly from this exchange," said one participant. Dr Joe Lüdemann, ELM consultant for South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini, who initiated this series of events together with his colleague Kurt Herrera, consultant for international church development, emphasised the aim of the discussion: "We want to talk about success stories, but also about failures."

The series will continue on Saturday, 14 February 2026, online (Zoom in English) at 15:00 with the topic "And so we fasted and sought help from our God in this matter. .." (Ezra 8:23) - Is fasting a helpful element of being a Christian?