Peace Projects
Jesus Christ preached peace to His disciples. As a result, the church promotes Christian peace and reconciliation in a world that is full of conflicts and aims to encourage its members and churches to pray and perform practical peace work.
Peace prayer meetings
Ecumenical Peace Decade in the churches
Groups and churches in the regional church take part in the Ecumenical Peace Decade every year. They meet from the third-last Sunday in the church year until the Day of Repentance and Prayer in order to consider a Biblically-based topic together and pray for peace.
Reconciliation prayers at the Community of the Cross of Nails
Many churches in the regional church, including the Frauenkirche in Dresden and the Cross Church, are part of the Community of the Cross of Nails. They promote reconciliation among people and nations. People are invited to speak the reconciliation liturgy from Coventry together at regular peace prayer meetings.
Light of peace campaign
The light of peace has been lit every year in the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem as a sign of hope since 1986. This then travels to Vienna by air. Boy and girl scouts in particular have taken on the task of distributing the light of peace on the European continent and passing it on to local churches. The light from Bethlehem has spread from a small flame to a sea of lights in just a few years and gives light to millions of people with its message of peace.
Jesus said: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Peace work
The “swords to ploughshares” peace movement
Peace work has a long tradition in Saxony. The peace and environmental movement known as “swords to ploughshares” and involving people with Christian motives met under the umbrella of the church in the 1980s. It provided important input for the peaceful revolution in 1989.
The Frauenkirche Dresden – a memorial and sign of reconciliation
“Building bridges, living out reconciliation, strengthening faith” is the message from the Frauenkirche in Dresden. It has become an international symbol of peace and reconciliation through the reconstruction process that was supported by people around the globe.
The Frauenkirche provides important input in peace work too. The cross of nails from Coventry (“Cross of Nails Centre”) decorates the altar as a sign of reconciliation and a fresh start. The “Forum Frauenkirche” series of lectures aims to highlight ways of peace and promote tolerance and understanding. The Forum aspires to offer the opportunity for interdisciplinary dialogue with its open and broad outlook. It covers both current political and social issues as well as historical and theological topics. The events are open to all interested parties.
Peace Academy
One goal of the Frauenkirche Foundation is to sensitise young people to peace issues and provide space for creative ideas. Working with partners like the Regional Church of Saxony, the Protestant Youth of Saxony and the Evangelical Church in Germany, it organises the Peace Academy during the Whitsun weekend every two years. This international young people’s meeting attracts more than 400 participants to Dresden from four continents. It deals with questions related to peace and encourages people to look for solutions to current conflicts.