Dominik’s Journey ;-)

Germany’s Uneasiness with the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movement

Today’s Pentecostal and Charismatic movement in Germany is the product of a unique development of very specific spiritual influences and conditions. Over the course of the last 100 years, the movement faced more, longer lasting, opposition than in most other countries. As a result, the movement "presents a complex and diversified picture" with the Pentecostal aspect of it is best seen as "a complex phenomenon rather than … a simple, homogenous "confessional" group".

(more…)

The G12 cell-church model and the Shepherding Movement – similarities and differences in discipleship practices

1. Introduction

In the recent years, a new cell-group model became very popular, which more than any other cell-based system before emphasized a top-down authority structure. Most of the churches adapting this G12 system are comparatively young, and mostly located in South-America. In the 1970s, a quasi cell-based movement called the Shepherding Movement came in the spotlight of secular and religious media. Both, the G12 and the Shepherding Movement, have at its core the concern for discipleship. In both cases, the question is how discipleship is achieved and how much authority is exercised thereby. For Christians that still have vivid memory of the Shepherding Movement and its controversies, the G12 movement looks like a re-incarnation of the Shepherding Movement’s authority structure, which was one of the key reason for the movement’s breakdown. The goal of this paper is to examine both movement’s structures and objectives in discipleship practices and evaluate, if and to what extent the worries and warnings of Shepherding “veterans” are justified.   (more…)

Some stats

• Born in Germany
• Raised in Munich and Berlin
• Lived in Germany, Switzerland and USA
• Studied in Germany, UK and USA
• Married in the USA
• Like watching my pet turtle, a red-eared slider
• Love Apple and hate Micro$oft
• Read a lot of Perry Rhodan
• Enjoy listening to all kinds of music
• Play acoustic and bass guitar
• Drink mostly German beers
• Eat Italian, Mexican, non-vegetarian and non-sushi
• Drive a VW Jetta
• Work as a financial analyst for Siemens AG
• Pray to God the creator, Jesus the savior and Holy Spirit the live-giver of the world

Ok, so whodathunkit. A new blog-journal-write-thingy thing. Aren’t there already enough, you might ask ? I don’t know. You made it here, so I guess, not yet…

In any case, this is gonna be more of a resource archive where I want to publish some of my writings, thoughts and ideas. To a large extent, this is gonna be my personal public archive, just to keep track of things. If you find it worthwhile, good. If not, get the heck outta here :-D

Nah, I’m just kiddin’. Take your time and enjoy.