Auf der anderen Seite des Grossen Teichs

[Dieter]

Die Frage, ob 'danach' ein Dankgebet (beispielsweise für den Engelschutz, wenn man nicht aus dem Bett gefallen war) angebracht sei, wurde nach meiner Erinnerung nicht gestellt.

... oder daß es vorüber ist ...

[42]

Die Frage, ob 'danach' ein Dankgebet (beispielsweise für den Engelschutz, wenn man nicht aus dem Bett gefallen war) angebracht sei, wurde nach meiner Erinnerung nicht gestellt.

und Antwort: Sehr richtig! Es waere sogar fahrlaessig, diese Fragestellung zu uebergehen. Das Leben ist gefaehrlich, wir muessen dankbar sein, dass uns nichts passiert ist. Haben wir nicht gerade von der Dankbarkeit gehoert?

Durch ein Gutachten wurde bestätigt, dass die Lähmung Folge des Geschlechtsverkehrs war. Die Unfallversicherung der Frau lehnte die Zahlung einer Invalidenrente ab. Die Richter entschieden, es habe sich bei dem mit Heftigkeit vollzogenen Geschlechtsverkehr um einen Unfall gehandelt, so dass ein Anspruch auf Invalidenrente aus der Unfallversicherung gefordert werden könne.
OLG Düsseldorf vom 21.09.1999, Az. 4 U 153/98

Der Beschreibung nach handelt es sich im Folgenden scheinbar nicht um den selben Sachverhalt. Er wurde aber ebenfalls in Duesseldorf verhandelt, und das Datum des Berichts stimmt mit dem Datum des Urteils recht gut ueberein.
http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,44810,00.html

Worueber haben wir vorher gerade noch geschrieben?

[GG001]

Anspruchsdenken nicht gestattet

...Lastly, dear loved ones, let us be cautious of attitudes that can erode thankfulness. One such attitude we might call "entitlement." In Matthew 20, we read the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Some of the laborers, hired early in the day, complained to the landowner because their compensation was the same as those hired later. In effect, they concluded that they deserved the reward of the landowner based upon their deeds. (...)

Brenda hingegen gibt zu bedenken

And let's not forget the rantings of Kraus when the hammer came down on the members who borrowed chairs or tables from the church to use at confirmation parties.

If it weren't for the members' offerings and donations, the church won't have ANY chairs or tables. Isn't it amazing how the brainwashing stopped us from speaking up in the past? Any members out there who are still too "scared" to speak up about the mental abuse, WAKE UP! It doesn't mean you have to leave the church, it means you have the right to speak up. It is YOUR money that pays for it all. Wake up.

Also, the church has a "business division" and a "spiritual division". The business division has nothing to do with God. God doesn't need chairs, cutlery, crockery. God doesn't need money. Speaking up about this has nothing to do with God or being faithful, no matter what has been said in the past. Sure, you offer and sure, it is nice to have a church building and all the right utensils etc. for fellowship gatherings BUT these are part of the business division. That is why financial transparency is so important. The members invest, and even though they can only call themselves shareholders insofar as "spiritual returns" are concerned, it does NOT exempt the church from being accountable or consulting the members on disposing/acquiring assets utilising their hard-earned money. Some might argue that other churches don't either, but I would say it is a case of common decency to do so when members are inconvenienced and caused further hardship. At least provide financial statements showing actual figures, not percentages, and at least rely on members' input before making drastic changes which will result in hardship. Is that too much to ask? Won't that help to ensure that members feel happier to belong and to even give more where they can?

District Apostle Kolb cautions against members feeling "entitlement" in the Fall issue of Visions.

He does?

The brainwashing continues....

Is a distinction being made between "spiritual entitlement" and "any other feeling of entitlement"? Are members not entitled to spiritual care, blessings, comfort, and all that? He will obviously agree with that, so he must be referring to "tangible" things. The church feels itself to be entitled to the members' 10%... is it a one-way street? Can you buy spiritual care?

Aus dem NACboard

Die Verfassungen der Gebietskirchen sind ganz klar. Beispiel aus der Verfassung einer deutschen Gebietskirche:
Artikel 10: (..) Den Mitgliedern - auch ausgetretenen oder ausgeschlossenen - stehen keine Rechte am Vermögen der Kirche zu.

Artikel 13: Die Neuapostolische Kirche <Bezirksbezeichnung hier einsetzen> besteht auf unbestimmte Zeit.
(..) Im Falle der Auflösung der Körperschaft haben die Mitglieder keinen Anspruch auf irgendeinen Teil des Vermögens. Das gesamte Vermögen ist nach Weisung des Stammapostels ausschliesslich und unmittelbar an eine fortbestehende Institution der Neuapostolischen Kirche zur Verwendung im Sinne dieser Verfassung zu übertragen.

[GG001]

Subj: Bibles in church

Date: 2/18/2004 7:25:34 AM Pacific Standard Time
To: peter.johanning@nak.org

Recently on the NACBoard, someone posted that a sister who had brought her "Holy Bible to church to read quietly and refer to during service" was asked to put it away.

What is the official NAKI stand on this issue?

Regards,

Gayle Theilacker
Los Angeles Central Congregation


Subj: Re: Bibles in church
Date: 2/18/2004 11:27:23 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: peter.johanning@nak.org

Dear Gayle,

There is no official stand on that, but surely a divine service is a service - we open our heart and listen to what the priest teaches.

Peter Johanning
Media Secretary NACI

Aus dem NACboard

In LAC for several years the members have been encouraged to bring their Bibles. Time is given in service for members to find secondary references, etc. When DA Kolb was here, he also allowed time for members to find the references. I was just curious if this "practice" is being promoted in other areas.

Glossar: LAC = Los Angeles Central, die Kirche in Pasadena

Interviewer: Es wird also kein größeres Wechselspiel zwischen Gemeinde und Dienstleiter innerhalb des gottesdienstlichen Ablaufes geben, denn die Gemeinde ist im Moment überwiegend Hörer des Wortes?
Dr. Leber: Das ist richtig. Die Gemeinde wird einerseits durch Musik mit einbezogen in den Gottesdienst. Das könnte unter Umständen einen höheren Anteil haben als es gegenwärtig der Fall ist. Es könnte auch – unter gewissen Vorgaben – eine Bibellesung stattfinden. Das wäre eine Gelegenheit, an der sich die Gemeinde bzw. die Geschwister beteiligen können. Das hätte den Nutzen, dass es ein bisschen Unterweisung gibt, dass in der Bibel gelesen wird. Deswegen stehe ich diesen Gedanken ganz offen gegenüber.

"Es könnte auch – unter gewissen Vorgaben – eine Bibellesung stattfinden."
GG001: Unter Vorgaben? Welche denn?
Ebenfalls bemerkenswert: "ein bisschen Unterweisung".

Wort fuer den Monat Maerz:

Word for the month of March: To conclude, I would still like to stress the following: according to the New Apostolic understanding of faith, the Apostle ministry has been endowed with the authority to interpret Holy Scripture. This does not mean that believers will not profit from reading the Bible. But it falls to the Apostle ministry to interpret the Bible, to clarify matters, and to provide instruction in faith. In so doing, Scriptural passages are considered in their context, since overemphasis on individual statements can lead to the wrong conclusions.

"This does not mean that believers will not profit from reading the Bible." Jetzt sind die Nicht-Apostel aber beruhigt. Worin besteht denn nun der marginale Profit fuer den (neuapostolischen?) Leser bis hin zum Bischof? Herr Leber, koennten Sie das bitte erlaeutern? Welchen Mehrwert an Profit hat ein Apostel vom Lesen der Bibel gegenueber einem Nicht-Apostel?

Worin unterscheidet sich die Korrektheit der Bibeldeutung zwischen jemandem, der auf die Ueberlieferungen in den alten Sprachen zurueckgreifen kann und jemandem, der dies nicht kann?

[GG001]

Church-in-a-Box: the wave of the future?

The National Building Office (NBO) for several years has been examining the cost effectiveness of renovating its churches. Increasing number of facilities -- churches that were built as cheaply as possible en masse, that are not up to present day codes, and that were built in out-of-the way places where lower-priced property could be obtained -- are in need of repair and upgrade. The NBO, in the decision making process, has been given the task of determining if the value of the property and its resale potential justify the investment of NAC funds required to renovate. Will there be a diminished return on the investment if demographics shift, and the property needs to be sold?

According to Apostle Hecht, the viability of a congregation and their attendance (less than 50) appear to be additional determining factors for congregations becoming targets for closure or consolidation. In the case of Pensacola, based on the "viability" and "investment" factors, it was determined by the National Building Office that the $100,000 required to renovate and upgrade their facility could not be justified. Apostle Hecht and unnamed Administration Brothers conferred, and without consulting the Pensacola congregation for their input, initiated the process to sell the property in March 2009.

Hence, the sale...

Is your congregations' attendance currently under 50? Is your building in need of upgrade and repair? Is its location tucked in an out-of-the-way place, where resale potential is low?

If so, are you open to "change"? Change such as moving into rented facilities -- storefronts or hotel conference rooms -- as an alternative to a traditional "church"?

In his meeting with the Pensacola congregation on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, Apostle Hecht attempted to alieviate some of the skepticism toward making that change:

I personally found out something that, ah, is quite surprising. And I have three or four examples actually of that and uh, over the past years. Whenever we were in rental facilities, we got a tremendous amount of guests in. People just walk in, they see, they enjoy it. The moment we stop going to the rental facilities and we had our own church building, they went like that. People didn't come any more. And I didn't know why. And it's not just one. I have three or four or five in different parts of the country the same have it. So we realized it is more attractive actually to grow if you go, number one, into rental (unintelligible) or, if you purchase that type of a, of a building, you know, for your own benefit that doesn't, that's not a church.

Concerns about this change in venue were shared by various participants in the discussion, such as the need to set up the room each time for services. This objection was addressed by one of the attendees who remarked that the hotel where they've been holding services on Wednesday nights in the Mobile area does the set up of the chairs and tables each time. He mentioned that they need only set up the "church-in-a-box" that they have -- the chalice, portable piano, etc. Will there then be weddings-in-a-box... or funerals-in-a-box, where those events can take place in outside facilities at the members' expense?

Based on the decline in membership and property values, as well as needed maintenance and upgrades of facilities, can we assume that the "Church in a Box" solution is soon to become the norm for New Apostolic congregations in the U.S.?

Aus dem NACboard

...can we assume that the "Church in a Box" solution is soon to become the norm for New Apostolic congregations in the U.S.?
Oder auch ausserhalb der U.S.A.?

[Tatyana]

Wenn man sich die Altersstrukturen in den Gemeinden so ansieht, wäre es in nicht allzuferner Zukunft eh praktischer, die Gottesdienste direkt in den Altersheimen abzuhalten. Statt Gottesdienste vor fast leeren Häusern zu halten und dann alle Priester ins Altersheim zum Abendmahlsausteilen zu schicken, was dann fast länger dauert als der Gottesdienst selbst.

[tosamasi]

Da gäbe es das Problem der Zentralisierung.
Evtl. müsste die NAK dann eigene Altersheime bauen.
Ganz ernsthaft.

[42]

NAK Nordrhein-Westfalen stellt Pläne für neues Seniorenzentrum vor

Nach wie vor zählen Senioren aber zum Aktivposten der Gemeinden.

http://www.nak-nrw.de/seelsorge/senioren/

[shalom]

Church-in-a-Box: the wave of the future?

…He mentioned that they need only set up the "church-in-a-box" that they have -- the chalice, portable piano, etc. Will there then be weddings-in-a-box... or funerals-in-a-box, where those events can take place in outside facilities at the members' expense?

...can we assume that the "Church in a Box" solution is soon to become the norm for New Apostolic congregations in the U.S.?
Oder auch ausserhalb der U.S.A.?

Zum Hecht im Na-Karpfenteich: …“funerals-in-a-box“ = casket?

shalom

[tosamasi]

NAK Nordrhein-Westfalen stellt Pläne für neues Seniorenzentrum vor

Nach wie vor zählen Senioren aber zum Aktivposten der Gemeinden.

http://www.nak-nrw.de/seelsorge/senioren/

Schön, aber zu sporadisch.