(10.04.2014) It can already be felt here and there: Church Convention atmosphere is already wafting through those congregations which have registered for the ICC action “My church in a box”. In anticipation of meeting members from other congregations, joint discussions and deliberations are being carried out there – with the result that crafting, texting, singing and photographing are being carried out based on the members’ capabilities. With good reason: ultimately the action will open up new connections to other congregations and also offer new contacts for those members who cannot attend the Church Convention. As of late, registration is possible on the Internet site of this action www.my-church-box-icc2014.de. New congregations are registering almost daily.

The idea is simple: every congregation from which someone participates in the Church Convention may fill a shoebox with things representative or symbolic for their congregation. The boxes will be collected and exhibited like in a library to allow you to marvel, browse and discover them at the stand in the Olympiahalle orbital. In a figurative sense, these boxes represent something like the rooms and apartments of the many Brothers and Sisters who permit God’s kingdom to become reality through their faith. The Church Convention motto “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” will be felt and experienced when observing the boxes.

All congregations which bring a box along to the Church Convention will be permitted to select another box and take it back to their home congregation. Following investigation of the contents, the congregations can make contact with each other. Whether the members in the congregations visit or write to each other, whether the youth or seniors organize get-togethers, is completely up to those now possessing a new congregation box. It would be lovely if many interesting encounters and emotions were to result.

Interested congregations can still register for this action up to the end of May. All information and details can be found at www.my-church-box-icc2014.de. One can also see there which congregations have already registered for the action. The ICC will permit all active congregations to experience memorable encounters, new impulses, and the refreshing and invigorating Church Convention atmosphere – already long before it starts.

(04.04.2014) For months already, program items have been collected, evaluated, assigned to halls, marquees, stages and rooms, event times puzzled out, contributors have been consulted, and program plans prepared. And finally it is complete: the program for the International Church Convention (ICC) in the Olympic Park in Munich from June 6 to 8, 2014.

The program comprises a total of 250 individual events (some of which will be repeated) consisting of lectures, workshops, panel discussions, music, and many further contributions from the following topic fields: reflection/rest, topical questions, congregation life, history, society/environment, faith, information, mission, participating/creating, music/entertainment, ecumenism/religion, soul-care, and social concerns/living with handicaps.

An overview of the complete program is provided by the 304-page ICC Guide. This is divided into several sections: on the one hand, sorted according to the starting times of the events with detailed information, and on the other hand as tabular sections sorted according to event location and topic, thus enabling excellent orientation.

Following the collection of material, the graphic design, and translations into English and French, three proofreading cycles were carried out before the Guide was approved for printing. It is currently being produced by a printing company in Cologne/Germany. It is already available in electronic form under the heading Program.

“Of course a great deal of detailed work and concentration was necessary until the Guide was ready, but we had a highly committed team which truly threw itself into the job – I am pleased that the Guide can soon be handed over to the participants”, says Helmut Polzin, member of the ICC planning group and head of the project “ICC Guide”.

The printed version of the Guide will be distributed to all participants who have already registered for the ICC via their Church congregation, per telephone or online at the beginning of May together with the welcome package. In addition to the Guide, the welcome package includes the ICC bracelet as access pass to all events as well as a greeting present.

It will certainly be worthwhile if you intensively occupy yourself with the program in advance. The large number of events means that you need time to read through everything and to decide on which events you wish to visit. The ICC editorial staff have already sifted through the Guide and can give you a number of program tips; these are published under the heading Program and will be extended bit by bit.

The contents of the ICC Guide are now being prepared for the ICC App which should already be available for downloading in April.