Around 6,200 people belong to the Protestant parish of Wassertal. Wassertal is a growing small town near Hamburg. As a result, many young families want to fulfil their dream of owning their own home in Wassertal. Despite the many newcomers in recent years, the number of Protestant people is constantly decreasing. The parish is struggling with the fact that more older people are dying than young people are being baptised (demographic change). In addition, many of the new arrivals are not (or no longer) members of the church (people leaving the church). 10 years ago, there were over 8,000 Protestants in Wassertal, but now there are only 6,200. The parish is feeling the effects very clearly as it has less and less money at its disposal, e.g. from church tax income, while at the same time the costs of maintaining the church, parish hall, day care centre and youth centre are constantly rising. More and more people are concerned about the future of the parish.
Thanks to an inheritance a few years ago, the parish now owns a plot of land measuring around 2,500 square metres in Wassertal-East. This is around 25% of the area approved for development by the town of Wassertal.
The parish council of the parish will hold a parish council meeting to finalise what should happen to the parish plot. There are very different views on this in the parish, which are discussed at the public meeting.
Requirements of the town of Wassertal for the development of a development area on the outskirts of the town
The town of Wassertal stipulates that sustainable and climate-friendly use of water and social compatibility must be guaranteed when developing the Wassertal-East area on the outskirts of the town. Rainwater utilisation systems and water-saving technologies must be integrated. At least 30% of the roof areas should be greened. The majority of surface water must seep away. At least 30% of new residential areas must be designated as affordable housing. Communal areas, such as gardens and multi-purpose rooms, should promote social interaction. The construction project must also support forms of housing for different generations to live together and ensure that social infrastructure is available.
Roles
Pastor
Chairperson of the church council
3 parishioners
Bread for the World scholarship holder from Bangladesh
Climate manager responsible for the parish
Chairperson of the building and planning committee of the town of Wassertal
Youth representative Churches for Future – Fridays for Future
Representative of diaconic engagement
1. Pastor
As a theologian, you are responsible for pastoral care and preaching in the Protestant parish of Wassertal. In your work, you are constantly dealing with a wide variety of people. In your discussions with parishioners, you perceive the whole range of attitudes and opinions on the Wassertal-East urban development project. Your aim is to ensure that the parish makes a balanced decision that is both theologically sound and financially viable. You are to support the parish in finding a decision for the development of the area on the outskirts of the city that preserves creation, focusses on social and climate justice and at the same time ensures the economic stability of the parish. In doing so, argue from a biblical and theological perspective. Ensure that all decisions reflect the values of the community and are financially viable.
2. Chairperson of the church council
As chairperson of the church council, you have a special responsibility, as your word carries weight in the church leadership, but also in the entire congregation. Your aim is to moderate the discussion and ensure that all voices are heard in order to reach a consensus-based decision. You ensure that the proposed measures for the sustainable and climate-friendly development of the area on the outskirts of the city are practical and feasible. The focus is particularly on the amount of work involved and the financial resources of the municipality. Your aim is to find solutions that do not overburden the human and financial capacities of the municipality, while at the same time fulfilling the goals of sustainability and climate justice.
3. Parishioner 1: Preservingcreation
You have been active in the church’s environmental movement for a long time. When you think about the future of children and the planet, you often feel anxious and fearful. Your aim is to manage the development of the area on the outskirts of the city that belongs to the church community in such a way that it is in harmony with nature and contributes to the preservation of creation. You are asking for sustainable and environmentally friendly measures.
4. Parishioner 2: Creating of social housing
Your profession is to work with people at risk of poverty. Your aim is to ensure that the possibility of creating social housing is also taken into account when developing the area on the outskirts of the city. You want to find solutions that take social needs into account by supporting housing projects that provide affordable housing for people. You are particularly concerned about social justice and the ‘option for the poor’.
5. Parishionier 3: Focus on worship service
You belong to the ‘core congregation’. You have a fixed place in the church service on Sundays. It is also important to you that the Christian faith has a dominant place in people’s lives. Your aim is to draw attention to the fact that the main task of the church community is to organise and maintain church services. You want to point out that the congregation should concentrate on its core tasks and not be involved in complex building projects. Your aim is to focus the congregation’s resources on spiritual needs and the religious community.
6. Bread for the World scholarship holder from Bangladesh
You grew up in Bangladesh. Your experiences in the small Christian community there have shaped you. As part of a “Bread for the World” scholarship, you are studying theology in Germany and supporting the pastor in Wassertal. Home in Bangladesh, you have experienced time and again how large areas have been flooded, especially during the monsoon season, and how people have had to leave their homes and farms and have lost them. Your aim is to emphasise how important it is to take the forces of nature seriously and to prepare for natural disasters such as flooding. You were pleased to see that Yi Yi Prue’s climate lawsuit at the Federal Constitutional Court was successful and ask for consequences, which will be drawn from this in Europe.
7. Climate manger responsible for the parish
You have been working as a climate manager in the Protestant Church for two years. You have realised that many church buildings in your region are not climate-friendly at all. Your aim is to manage the development of the area on the outskirts of the city in such a way that they are climate-friendly and sustainable. You are committed to measures that minimise CO₂ emissions and protect the environment. You also want to utilise funding opportunities and subsidies from government or private funding to finance the implementation of these measures to promote climate justice. Your aim is to act in an ecologically responsible and economically efficient manner by acquiring and sensibly utilising financial resources.
8. Chairperson of the building and planning committee of the town of Wassertal
In the political community of Wassertal, as Chairperson of the building and planning committee, you are responsible for ensuring that the resolutions of the Wassertal Council are implemented. Your town is very close to your heart and you want your grandchildren to find a Wassertal worth living in one day. Your aim is to ensure that the development of the area on the outskirts of the town is both ecologically sustainable and socially acceptable. You bring the city’s requirements for the development of the area on the edge of the city into the discussion to ensure that water-saving construction methods and technologies, such as rainwater utilisation and the greening of roofs, are used. You are also committed to ensuring that the development of the area takes into account the social needs of the community, such as the provision of affordable housing and the promotion of social integration. Your aim is to find and implement a balance between ecological requirements and social aspects in order to ensure sustainable urban development.
9. Youthrepresentive Churches for Future – Fridays for Future
You are involved in the church’s youth work. You were active in Fridays for Future while you were a student at school. You are now continuing your involvement with Churches for Future. Your aim is to ensure that church takes a leading role in the sustainable and climate-friendly development of the area on the outskirts of the city. You are committed to ensuring that the church actively takes responsibility for climate policy and is recognised as a pioneer in climate-friendly action. In doing so, you contribute concrete proposals on how ecological and sustainable principles can be integrated into the planning and realisation of the building project. Your aim is to position the church as a role model for climate protection and climate justice and to make its commitment to the preservation of creation visible.
10. Representiveofdiaconicengagement
You ensure that people have as many equal opportunities as possible in their lives. This is a part of your profession. To achieve this, it seems essential to you to focus in particular on the poor and socially disadvantaged. The so-called ‘option for the poor’ is the guiding principle of your actions. Your aim is to ensure that socially acceptable and affordable housing is created when developing the area on the outskirts of the city. You are committed to the integration of communal areas, age-appropriate housing and multi-generational living. Your focus is on ensuring that the construction project promotes not only ecological but also social sustainability by offering a variety of housing options for all age groups and social classes. You make concrete suggestions on how these social aspects can be integrated into the planning and realisation of the construction project. Your aim is to strengthen the quality of life and social cohesion of future residents.
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