The Challenge of Berlin
How can you reach a city of 3.4 million people with the message of God’s love in Jesus when only 1.5% ever go to church… in a nation and a continent that is often described as “post-Christian”? In past times, Berlin was called “The World Capital of Atheism”! That’s the challenge facing God’s people! “Haus Nazareth” is an attempt to help meet this challenge. It is a pioneer mission and outreach center where non-believers and “not-yet” believers can take a serious look at Christ and receive “honest answers” to “honest questions”.
“Haus Nazareth” is located in the Steglitz area of the city and is about 10 minutes from the Free University. (There are three major universities in Berlin: the Free University, the Technical University and the Humboldt University. Because the Humboldt was in former communist East Berlin, the “Free” University was started in the western section.)
HERITAGE
“We want to help create places from which the bright light of hope shines into the darkness of this world.”
Friedrich von Bodelschwingh (1831-1910)
Historically, “Haus Nazareth” has been a place of integration and dynamic social impact. As a Jewish Foundation for the Blind during the Weimar Republic and as the living and work place of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, “Haus Nazareth” has been a place of community and Jewish-Christian reconciliation. We desire to continue this tradition and spiritual heritage. Based upon our long-term experience and life together with the interdenominational community “OJC” and almost forty years of international missionary life in many cultures and nations, we want to establish a missional community in Berlin. “Haus Nazareth” will be our center for living, work, and study and be used as a place for spiritual formation and training.
What is the Goal?
We are convinced that spiritual community is an ideal medium for dynamic Christianity and that a vital and infectious community is the only way that many today can be persuaded to take another look at the Faith. In such a fellowship, people can discover each other as real and find a place of personal orientation.
The initial target audience will be the academic community, especially lecturers and professors. That is a group of people that is difficult to reach for Christ and almost no one is doing so. This is a very important part of Clark’s calling and an area that he can fulfill, both in view of his life-experience and academic qualifications. It will be important to have an ongoing contact point, a group meeting, for instance, on a daily or weekly basis. We also want to have a ‘fellowship-church’ in Haus Nazareth and begin having worship times, so that thinking people whose hearts have been touched will sense that someone understands them and they can grow in faith until they’re able to start going to an ‘ordinary’ church.
Michael - University Lecturer in Berlin
& member of the “Haus Nazareth” leadership team
For non-believers or nominal Christians, “Haus Nazareth” can be a spiritual home - a place of spiritual “homecoming”.
BERLIN
The World at the door
but only 1.5% attend church.
Our vision is Spiritual Transformation.
Philosophia wants to provide tools, opportunities and community to people in every culture who want a different kind of world and are seeking spiritual depth, dialogue and a transforming vision for society, academia and the church.