We are here in Dresden, Germany, for the Kirchentag festival. 120,000 people expected.
It’s raining a little, and really, really cold compared to yesterday, and everyone is setting up their tents and booths. Makes me think about the Festival of Booths in biblical days.
The Germans are remarkable organizers and this should be an incredible week. I hope to send up a few blog posts from here about whats happening here and in the wider German church scene.
I speak a few times at Kirchentag on the subject of social media and ecumenism. Come along to my sessions if you get a chance:
1. SOCIAL MEDIA. Thursday, 3pm to 4pm
“Tallskinnykiwi: From around the world Andrew Jones reports on his extraordinary blog. In the internet cafe, he meets Tom Noeding from evangelish.de. They talk about Christian faith and social media. Location: (See German guide) EnergieVerbund Arena, Loungebereich, Magdeburger Str. 10 (220/N15/Stadtplan)
2. ECUMENISM. Friday, 3pm to 6pm
Centre for Encounter: Central and Eastern Europe
Ecumenism – That’s my story too. Experiences which give us courage. Story telling salon.
Andrew Jones, global networker, New Zealand
Andrzej Korus, Wroclaw, Poland
Prof. Dr. Konrad Raiser, former general secretary World Council of Churches, Berlin
Dr. Peter Sajda OP, Bratislava, Slovakia
Jalil Schwarz, Friedenskoch Abrahamszelt e.V., Bergheim
Bischop Uland Spahlinger, Odessa, Ukraine
Mateusz Srodon, icon painter and lecturer in Eastern Christianity, Warsaw, Poland
Natallia Vasilevich, director of the Ecumena cultural and educational centre, Minsk, Belarus
Alexej Wassin, Belarussian Orthodox Church, Reutlingen
Moderation: Michael Kaminski, Munich
Dreikönigskirche, Haus der Kirche, Festsaal, Hauptstr. 23 (200 /P15)
Languages: various (table interpretation)