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Staunen! – A new European Methodist Festival

In 2003 and 2007, two big events took place in Potsdam (Germany) and Bratislava (Slovakia). Several hundred participants from Methodist churches all over Europe experienced how these festivals aroused a feeling of enthusiasm and shared identity. In 2018 a new festival will be organized – and it already takes shape.

Within the North Germany Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, «Staunen!» is already well known – in 2015, this multi-day event inspired and encouraged many people of all generations.

A number of things will be the same, when from May 9-13, 2018, a new «Staunen!» event will take place: the venue will once again be the Dünenhof near Cuxhaven (Germany); there will once again be a colorful program with Bible studies, workshops, leisure and excursion opportunities, as well as plenary events. What is new is the fact that this event is organized in cooperation with the European Methodist Festival – and those responsible for «Staunen!» hope that this European cooperation will make the event even bigger and more colorful. Up to 1’000 people of all generations and from many countries all over Europe are expected to participate in this festival.

The program will be multi-lingual, and it shall include younger and older Christians who do not only come from different countries, but who live out their faith in very diverse religious, cultural, and social environments. The «Staunen!» leaders have begun quite a long time ago to advance the logistic and program-related preparations – with commitment, creativity and the joyful willingness to take over responsibility so that people can start to register for the festival on March 1, 2017.

«You have set my feet in a spacious place.» It is the prayer of many people that this theme, chosen for «Staunen!» 2018 will not only be experienced at the sight of the wonderfully beautiful scenery at the North Sea. Rather then, the participants, as parts of an international and cross-generational community, will hopefully be touched by God in a new way, and they will hopefully be blessed and sent into their respective environment to make a difference in the life of others.

Source: Staunen! / Retired Pastor Karsten W. Mohr / Urs Schweizer
Date: November 16, 2016