More in Common Than I Thought
Ever since the day I hit Berlin soil on September 12, 2013, my mind and soul have been whirring. In every moment there is something new to process, to take in, to experience, to pray about, to understand. Whether it be learning the German language, understanding one of many cultures in Berlin, discovering our team […]
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Fulfillment
It’s ironic that the quest for a better life often draws people to the city, yet the result of so many diverse people living close to one another isn’t exactly neat and orderly. What lies beneath this chaos? A shared desire for fulfillment – good health, security, justice, career aspirations, prosperity and even a level of […]
Waves of Ownership
Kerstin knows that life isn’t always smooth sailing. With her publishing and coaching company, Down to Earth, she provides Christian alternatives to New Age solutions for those who find themselves in stormy seas. When she turned 30, she heard a lecture about parenting that spoke to her. She realized that even though she was single, […]
Believing Walls Will Fall
Sunday marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. As I celebrated with my family at the balloon release that evening, I realized that many things that are normal today would have been considered a utopian dream a quarter of a century ago. That I as a “Wessi” (a guy from West […]
Fully (Not Forcefully) Engaged
Being a part of Charrette means being fully engaged in the city. We are called to be active citizens. We don’t force ourselves on the city, but we do act with authentic passion, as we seek positive change. This poem by Rainer Maria Rilke expresses this hope better than we can. I believe in all […]
Trek7 + Serve the City = Partners for Change
For the second consecutive year, Trek7 partnered with Serve the City. Serve the City is a Christian volunteer movement that started a decade ago in Brussels and has spread to more than 90 cities on three continents. Christine, who coordinates Berlin’s Serve the City efforts, says that STC tries to make it easy for people […]
Four Surprising Facts About Berlin
Movies Berlin has more movie theaters per capita than any other German city with 97 theaters (visited by more than 12 million visitors annually). Volunteers Involvement in civil groups, community organizations and public forums has grown over the years. It is estimated that one in four Berliners take part in volunteer service. Parks Berlin has […]
A Call for [More] Collaboration
More than 180,000 people move from a rural area to a city every day. In the next four decades, one out of every two people will move from the countryside to the city. This global migration will generate challenges beyond our comprehension – challenges that will stretch us to collaborate with others well beyond our […]
Is My Heart a Living System?
In a recent presentation to our team, the speaker, Bianca, challenged my thinking. She asked us: How is a city different from a toaster? Admittedly, the city is clearly not a toaster. It is not a piece of machinery but an integrated system of many organic systems – including its people. Characteristics of a Living System […]
Words Have Feelings, Too
“It’s not the word’s fault,” my German teacher said, as he explained to us why you shouldn’t say the word Führer. “When someone says it [Führer], this is all we think about,” he said, drawing a toothbrush moustache on his face with his index finger and making the “Heil, Hitler” gesture. In the dictionary, Führer […]