Thank you, Dresden! See you in Hamburg.
Thank you for coming to Dresden in June 2011 and thank you Dresden for being such a wonderful host to the Kirchentag. We hope to see you again for the 34th German Protestant Kirchentag in Hamburg from the 1st to 5th May 2013!
"…there your heart will be also" was the Kirchentag theme in Dresden, taken from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:21). Jesus asks: to what is your heart committed? Treasures in heaven or on earth? What is really important in life? For what and for whom does your heart beat? Is your heartfelt conviction one of a good life for everyone, a healthy environment, a world of peace and justice? Each and every one of us has been given a sense of responsibility in our heart. When we recognise that we are ourselves loved by God, then we are able to pass on this love with all our heart.
At Kirchentag, everyone is invited – not just Protestant Christians. The 2011 Kirchentag in Dresden counted 120,000 fulltime visitors who celebrated a great festival of faith together. Discussions about political issues and controversial forums about the future of our world took place. The huge event was diverse and international, thoughtful and joyful!
"A mixture of a University summer school, a Bible convention, Taizé, a synod meeting, the Edinburgh Festival, a brass band festival for 500 bands, an Ideal Homes exhibition and a cup final – all rolled into one and all went on at the same time …" That’s how one participant from Great Britain has described Kirchentag, a phenomenon that is hard to define or compare with anything else. It is a unique event and a tremendous experience.
