Non-traditional church projects


The IEEG and the Social Sciences Institute (SI) of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD Hannover) are responsible for the evaluation of the programme "non-traditional church projects" of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany. The church funds new ways of being church and this supports experiments in unusual contexts and at unusual places. Encouraging fresh starts at the established church initiated the programme - a visitor increase, vibrant services without permanently appointed church staff, youth churches becoming centres at the local area and previously unapproached target groups hear the gospel. This starts go beyond the typical paradigm of the established church, and the non-traditional church projects intend to support and adapt these movements to other regions and social areas. Since fall 2015 the Evangelical Church in Central Germany supports 15 projects with 2.5 mio. Euro and professional and legal assistance for 5 years. Projects which will be funded have to meet the following requirements:

1. They have to show the potential to develop a new way of being church (communio sanctorum - koinonia);
2. They go beyond the paradigm of the established church regarding at least one of the following features: parish, pastoral office, church building;
3. They have to reach the non-churched (missional - martyria);
4. They adapt to the context and serve the context (diakonia);
5. Volunteers work in positions with high responsibility;
6. They are not funded by church taxes (diversification);
7. Spirituality has a central position (liturgia).[1] 

Whether or not this projects reaches their self-defined goal successfully is evaluated by the IEEG (Greifswald) and SI (Hannover).

Contact

Kolja Koeniger

Carla J. Witt

Michael Herbst