Gemeinde Freizeit Blankensee

Well the weekend was booked a couple of weeks in advance, non of us knowing what would lie ahead. It was a group of 65 (adults and children) coming together to spend a weekend together, despite many of us not ever spending time together, let alone an entire weekend. To throw a curveball in there, there was the forecast for a huge winter storm to come in while we were there. Which could mean that our weekend church retreat could turn into a week long nightmare. From the time we set off till long after we arrived the snow continued to come down which meant it continued to pile up higher and higher.

At first of course there was the slight awkwardness there. That awkwardness of getting to know new people, trying to figure out how everyone fits together and of course trying to figure out where we fit into the whole picture. There was of course the introvert side of me which wanted to go into a corner and only talk to the people I new, however I knew that was definitely not a positive thing and would not assist this "coming together" weekend. It was also slightly awkward being on a Church Retreat for 'our' Church Plant that we had absolutely nothing to do with the planning. On one side it was amazing to sit there and not have to lead or organize anything. But then on the other side was the struggle of, what do I do then?

On the second day, there was a beautiful scene outside that had everything blanketed in a soft covering of white. During our free time in the afternoon we headed to the small towns 'castle' gardens. The castle was definitely not much to write home about, however the gardens provided a perfect backdrop for some winter pictures. As we continued to walk more and more gathered with our group. As we entered the amphitheater on the premises, a small snowball fight broke out, in which all had a blast.

Michael the pastor of our church plant explained why we as a church exist and gave a presentation on how we can come together as very different individuals to learn from one another and to grow together as one body. Over the weekend some hard conversations took place and different challenges came to light, reminding us that the church planting work here is not yet finished; however we are definitely moving forward. The weekend concluded on Sunday with a church service including communion. It was humbling to see all of these different people in different phases of life and faith putting their differences aside and coming to focus on one thing--the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. This is why we are here. It was one of the most beautiful things we have seen while in Berlin. The beautiful snowstorm outside made everything white. While the work of the resurrection was making everyone, despite our faults and sins, just as white.