Village Groups: Everyone gets “a chance to speak”
Thematic plenary sessions of at the Thirteenth Assembly in Kraków, Poland, are followed by discussions in 24 Village Groups. They offer space to engage further with the Assembly theme.
Each village group at the LWF Thirteenth Assembly brings together about 20 participants in discussion about the Assembly theme. Photo: LWF/Jeremiasz Ojrzyński
An opportunity to be heard, village groups help shape the overall Assembly message
Village groups are an “integral component of the LWF Assembly. Everyone in the circle has a voice and gets a chance to speak,” said Dr. Minna Hietamäki, member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and leader of Village Group 11.
Dr. Minna Hietamäki from Finland is leader of Village Group 11. Photo: LWF/Jeremiasz Ojrzyński
The 24 different Village Groups meet three times during the Assembly, with each made up of about 20 participants. Moderated by church leaders from across The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), they provide a space where everyone can speak freely, express themselves and share experiences from their context.
The groups bring together participants from the different regions that make up the LWF. “It provides a vital opportunity to get to know people from churches in other countries,” said Hietamäki.
Village Groups meet following the thematic plenaries and allow the participants to reflect together on the theme of the day. The session on 16 September followed immediately after the thematic plenary session, “One Spirit.”
Bishop Gilbert Filter, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church) chaired Village Group 10. “We looked at how the body of Christ can serve the society and community; and how it can make itself visible to the society, inspired by the Holy Spirit to love and care,” he said. The village groups, he noted, provide an important opportunity to raise questions, share insights, understand who we are as a church worldwide, and learn from each other.
In Village Group five, for example, discussion focused on inclusion of youth in the church and supporting them in ways that help utilize their gifts.
Bishop Gilbert Filter, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church) chaired Village Group 10. Photo: LWF/Jeremiasz Ojrzyński
“It is so wonderful to see how [the theme One Spirit] connects us from different countries and cultures,” said Robert Kitundu, delegate from Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. He noted the sharing of knowledge and skills within the village groups helps build a sense of unity among participants.
Robert Kitundu, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Photo: LWF/A. Kinyanguli
Cynthia Harases, Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia. Photo: LWF/A. Kinyanguli
Cynthia Harases, delegate from Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia, found the village group discussions, “fruitful and informative.”
Village groups are meant help shape the overall Assembly message. Each group has a reporter who records the reflections and submits a report at the end of each session to the Assembly message editorial committee.
