Two pioneers: Gudrun and Gabriele design the municipality of Hohenleipisch
Two pioneers: Gudrun and Gabriele design the municipality of Hohenleipisch
Elsterwerda, Deutschland - in the small, cozy community of Hohenleipisch, where tradition and commitment go hand in hand, Gudrun Kießler (70) and Gabriele Neustadt (74) have been working for the local parish for many years. Both are not only long -standing members of the community church council (GKR), but also embody that Hvad is actually in volunteering.
"It is our elixir of life," smiles Gudrun Kießler, who is active in the fifth generation with heart and soul in the church. Her family is known in the village as a contact for church concerns, which gives her and other similarly committed a special role. Her mother and brother also worked in volunteering, and so faith is passed on from generation to generation. Kießler has completed numerous training courses for church work, including that of a community teacher, editor and service manager. These experiences flow into their work in the GKR, because important decisions for community life are made here.
volunteering as the foundation of community life
Volunteering plays an important role in the liveliness of the community. Gudrun and Gabriele regularly meet with other members of the GKR to discuss and coordinate issues such as repairs, changes in community life and construction work on churches and parish areas. Fun and effectiveness are usually not opposites. Every meeting that usually takes place four to ten times a year brings new ideas and suggestions.
The training and participation in this body are crucial for the development of church life. This also shows the importance that the regular exams and possible committees for community work have. "We want to actively shape and bring about changes," says Neustadt, which was elected to the GKR after retirement. She comes from a deep-rooted church family: christened as a baby and confirmed as a school child, she married in the Evangelical Christuskirche in Elsterwerda-Biehla. Now she is involved in preparing services in Hohenleipisch, Elsterwerda and the surrounding region.
Nevertheless, volunteering in the church faces major challenges. The willingness to take over managerial offices has decreased by about 10 percent in the past 20 years, which shows that the acquisition of young talent is becoming increasingly difficult. Even if there are around 8,500 members in large parishes such as the Südstadt church community in Hanover, the number of volunteers have not grown to the same extent. In numerous parishes, it is often only the same hundred that actively act - a development that can also be felt in Hohenleipisch.
Thanks to the support from the regional church, numerous courses and qualifications for young people are also offered to arouse interest in volunteering. The Corona period has also shown new ways of how to organize social and neighborly groups, and the contact between people continues to be promoted.In Hohenleipisch, Gudrun Kießler and Gabriele Neustadt are the best example of how active and indispensable the volunteering for community life is. Their committed nature and family ties not only strengthen local church life, but also show that in the end every voice counts. "We are involved here and are committed to a lively community," says Neustadt.
The GKR has established itself as a place where the cooperation of honorary and full-time employees is versatile and trend-setting in order to master the challenges of the common life of faith. Neither Kießler nor Neustadt withdraw from the challenge - they know that it is important to their commitment in order to continue to actively shape community life and to remain capable of acting in the challenges of the future. As the NDR states, this volunteering is valuable help to keep the community alive and respond to the needs of the members.
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| Ort | Elsterwerda, Deutschland |
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