Learning from Willow Creek? Church Services for Seekers in German Milieu Contexts - Taschenbuch

At the beginning of the new millennium, the topic of evangelism is 'officially' back on the agenda of German Protestantism.1 Church membership has been declining for years in most denominations. In this context, Christianity has often been labelled an out-dated model. But increasingly German churches are looking for new ideas and approaches to reach non-churched contemporaries. Already during the past decade, a significant number of church leaders have directed their views to growing churches and evangelistic models in the Anglo-Saxon world, foremost in the North American context.2 One of the most significant trends born out of these learning relationships in Germany are hundreds of new church services with an evangelistic character. 'They try to approach non-churched people in society by concentrating on specific targets. There is no longer one type of liturgy for everybody, but a multitude of culturally adapted services.'3 When we compare Germany and North America, lifestyles are increasingly similar in many respects. At the same time, there are also significant differences, particularly when it comes to religion. While many churches in Germany are losing ground, overall church attendance in North America is not significantly declining. At the same time, however, similar to Germany, there is a steady loss of Christian knowledge and tradition among the U.S. population, and many mainline churches are losing membership. In its place, a new style of Christianity has been emerging during the last decades, one that responds to fundamental cultural changes that began in the mid- 1960s. . .