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How to be a Christian Feminist

The Radical Inclusivity Campaign continues. This time we’re gonna learn more about Christian Feminism and Explore how to live and worship as a Christian Feminist!

On August 27 we will publish three videos with presentations about Christian Feminism. We are proud to present four fantastic speakers who all are theologians and women from different generations and denominations.

Check out the presentations on the 27th or when it suits you better! The presentations are going to be available on our platforms, so you can watch them as many times as you’d like. You don’t have to apply to access the presentations.

Following the three sessions on Christian Feminism on August 27, we invite you to join us on two Monday evenings to discuss and explore how to live and worship as a Christian Feminist. The discussion evenings are to be held on September 6 & 13, between 7 pm-8.30 pm CET. Join us to discuss the presentations, share ideas, participate in different exercises and meet others who are interested in Christian Feminism. You have to apply to join these discussion evenings.

By applying, you are given access to an interactive platform with material, questions and exercises connected to the topics in order to get inspired and learn more. You can apply to get access to the platform without having to join the discussion evenings. Remember, you can always change your mind and join the discussion evenings regardless of what you state in the application form.

Each Monday we will focus on two presentations/topics:

September 6 at 7 pm CET-8.30 pm CET

Focus: Christian Feminism: My story & Christian Feminism and Eco Theology

September 13 at 7 pm CET-8.30 CET

Focus: Reading the Bible as a Christian Feminist & sharing ideas on how to be a Christian Feminist

Make sure to apply to join these evenings!
Apply here: https://forms.gle/FmrwoQPELXE5Ps8r6

This event is presented by WSCF-E in collaboration with SCM Sweden (KRISS) and the Swedish Ecumenical Womens’ Council (SEK).

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August 24th, 2021 7:23 pm | Continue Reading
Call for applications: Communication for Social Justice in the Digital Age

Get involved in this ground-breaking symposium addressing digital transformation

Participate in a public dialogue about digital communication, or submit a case study that sets an example for the world: expressions of interest are invited for active participation in a symposium scheduled for 13-15 September 2021.

The symposium, co-organised by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), will focus on the impact of digital transformation on communities and societies. Co-organisers include Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World), Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (Evangelical Church in Germany) and Evangelisches Missionswerk in Deutschland (Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany).

The event will bring together research, experiences from different regions and marginalized communities, expert input on economic and political trends, and ethical and theological reflection as a contribution to the WCC 11th Assembly in September 2022.

The aim of the symposium is to explore the challenges of digital communication with a social justice lens, and to identify opportunities for concerted and collaborative actions with faith communities and among faith, civil society, academic, media and technological organizations.

How to participate

Many people will be able to follow the symposium through livestreamed and recorded sessions. But those who wish to contribute to the dialogue and action planning for the full event, or present a case study, are invited to express their interest.

The symposium will be primarily conducted online, with the programme adjusted for three different major time zones. The debate and action planning in the symposium will be built on thematic presentations and the contribution of three Working Groups working in advance, addressing the major themes of Digital Justice, Public Space and Vision for the Future.

Participation in the symposium will be limited and the intention is to ensure diversity as much as possible in terms of age, gender, geographical location, and different sectors of society.

If you wish to participate as part of the online dialogue and action planning, please fill out this form.

A key part of the symposium will be hearing how communities around the world experience and address digital opportunities and challenges. Organisations, churches, groups, community media and other community networks are invited to share their experiences. This could be in the form of case studies submitted in a variety of formats. Case studies will be included in the background for symposium participants, presented as part of the public resources of the symposium. Several case studies will be selected to be presented during the symposium itself.

To submit a case study, fill out a this form. The deadline is 4 August.

Symposium Programme

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July 19th, 2021 10:52 am | Continue Reading
WSCF-E is looking for a Communications Officer!
Are you passionate about ecumenical, human rights and youth issues? Would you like to be able to advocate on issues that matter to young people across Europe? Are you interested in getting to know WSCF-Europe (WSCF-E) better? If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, then the Communications Officer role is made for you!

We are looking for a passionate person to take up the role of Communications Officer in the regional, Europe team of WSCF-E. As a Communication Officer, you will be working within a team of staff members and volunteers, producing communication materials, delivering communications and supporting the delivery of events and campaigns focused on ecumenical and human rights issues. In particular, you will be working closely with, and be supported by, the Regional Secretary and a responsible lead for communications within the European Regional Committee (ERC).

Responsibilities
- Produce communication and marketing materials, including posters, calls for applications, blog posts, social media posts, articles, flyers, brochures etc.
- Manage the social media channels of WSCF-E
- Manage the website of WSCF-E
- Produce monthly newsletters and other campaigns using Mailchimp
- Produce annual reports and other reporting materials, as needed
- Manage the new WSCF-E website, which is due to be delivered in September – November 2021
- Support the fundraising work of WSCF-E
- Support the Senior Friends work of WSCF-E
- Work closely with the WSCF-E staff and the European Regional Committee to support the delivery of events and campaigns, or any other work needed
- Attend relevant team meetings/calls, as required
Commitment

This role involves working 1 day a week, with the possibility of this increasing to 3 days a week in the future.

Arrangements around working days/hours are flexible and we will agree these with you when joining the team.

Location

This role is home-based and, therefore, involves remote-working.

Some travelling to other countries/cities for meetings or events run by WSCF-E or its partners may be needed, but we would always agree this with you in advance.

Benefits

You will receive a monthly salary, which will be your gross salary (before tax). You will need to ensure that you pay tax on your income, if needed, in your country of residence.

Who can apply

We can only accept applications from persons based in European countries. If you are unsure you would qualify, please get in touch with us at communications@wscf-europe.org.

Required skills & experience
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Organisation skills, including ability to structure content, time management and prioritisation
- Experience with using various social media channels – preferably in a professional setting
- IT literacy – including use of Microsoft Office package (Word, PowerPoint etc.) and online platforms (e.g. Google Drive, Zoom, Slack)
- Experience using Canva or other photo editing/creation tools
- Experience using video editing/creation tools
- Experience using Mailchimp to produce newsletters/campaigns
- Ability to work collaboratively with others and as part of a team
Desirable skills
- Knowledge of, or experience using, WordPress and Squarespace
- Experience working with web developers or developing a website
- Knowledge of the work of WSCF-E (e.g. from attending past events)
If you want to apply for this role, please fill in the application form available here by COP 12th August.

If you have any questions about the role, please don’t hesitate to contact Maria Atanasoaei at communications@wscf-europe.org.
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July 11th, 2021 4:53 pm | Continue Reading
God Male & Female: What Gendering God Says About What We Believe

Dear Friends of WSCF-Europe,

This year WSCF-Europe is exploring gender discourse and the issues pertaining to gendered relationships in our Churches. ‘To what extent does our gendering of God contribute to the issues surrounding these relationships?’ and ‘to what extent does God need to be gendered?’ – are the central questions of our event God Male and Female: What Gendering God Says About What We Believe. These topics will be explored from two perspectives: that of the theologian and that of the pastor.

The event aims to raise our awareness of the Bible’s use of different paradigms and archetypes to describe God, and to acknowledge that the Bible does not limit itself to the use of ‘He/Him’ pronoun. Participants will be supplied with a number of leading questions prior to the event and we will examine how the participant’s attitude has changed after the dialogue.

God Male and Female will take place on Saturday, July 10th, at 11.00 CEST. If you are interested in this event, either from a theological or pastoral point of view, and are ready to look beyond the normalised use of the ‘He/Him’ pronoun to describe God, please fill-in the application form and join us for what is sure to be a stimulating discussion. Do also be sure to look out for our social media posts on this theme, where there will be a short introductory video – see our Instagram and Facebook for more details.

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June 30th, 2021 5:15 pm | Continue Reading
ERA 2021: Call for Delegates
The next European Regional Assembly (ERA) of WSCF-Europe (WSCF-E) will take place between 4-7 November 2021 (exact dates TBC) and will be the first online Assembly that WSCF-E has ever hosted. We are excited to be able to officially invite our affiliated and associated Student Christian Movements (SCMs) from across Europe to designate delegates which can represent their movements during the Assembly.

The ERA is the highest decision-making body of WSCF-E. The ERA gathers bi-annually and consists of representatives from all affiliated and associated SCMs. The tasks of the ERA are the following:
1. To discuss and vote on the organisational and thematic direction of the region for the upcoming 2 years;
2. To elect a new European Regional Committee (ERC), which will serve as the standing committee until the next ERA;
3. To review and vote upon possible changes of the By-Laws, which govern as the constitution of WSCF-E;
4. To renew as a community and to pray together for a common vision.
You can find out more about the ERA in our info pack.

Am I Eligible? Your SCM can nominate 1 staff member and 1-2 delegates to attend the European Regional Assembly. Only the nominated delegates will be able to vote during the Assembly. Affiliated movements can send up to 2 delegates, whilst associated movements can only send 1 delegate. You can apply to be a delegate if you are a member of an associated or affiliated movement – you don’t have to be part of the board/leadership committee of the movement, although you will need their endorsement. To check if your movement is associated or affiliated to WSCF-Europe, visit our website here.

How do I apply? If you want to apply to be a delegate and represent your SCM at the ERA, you will need to fill-in the application form that can be found here.

Deadline: The deadline for submitting your application is 5th September.

Contact: In case you have questions about the ERA or your application, please contact era@wscf-europe.org.

Practical information: Delegates will be required to pay a small participation fee of a minimum of €5 per person. Where circumstances allow it, we would welcome higher contributions of €10, €20, €30 or any other amount that might better suit the needs and circumstances of those participating.

We encourage all our SCMs to nominate representatives and are always trying to go the extra mile to ensure full and diverse representation of all movements, denominations and communities at our events, and in particular at our ERAs.

Organised with financial support from:
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June 3rd, 2021 11:06 am | Continue Reading
Communication for Social Justice in the Digital Age

We are excited to announce the international symposium “Communication for Social Justice in the Digital Age”, which will take place between 13-15 September 2021 (9:00-17:00 CEST each day) and will offer participants a chance to explore new visions for digital justice, public space and actions that will make a difference. The symposium is jointly hosted by WSCF-Europe, the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), the World Council of Churches (WCC), Brot für die Welt, the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the Evangelische Mission Weltweit (EMW). The event will have small face-to-face groups and wider digital participation. An estimated 20 people will meet in Berlin, connecting digitally with small groups and individuals across the regions.

The symposium will offer people around the world the opportunity to reflect on key questions and provide input on the issues of Digital Justice, Public Space and Vision for the Future. Through a pre-symposium process, contributions from 8 regions will be gathered and a conversation will be initiated, which will then be structured into working groups.

The symposium takes place in the run-up to the WCC’s 11th Assembly, which will gather in the German city of Karlsruhe in August-September 2022, and where the digital-technological revolution sweeping the world has been identified as one of the major challenges to be discussed. The symposium aims to discuss and build on communication rights to support the dignity, integrity, equality and freedom of all human beings and their communities.

“This is an opportunity to weigh the potential of digital communications against new problems of ownership and control”, said Philip Lee, general secretary of WACC. “In today’s world, the watch-words are accessibility and accountability. How can we ensure inclusion and justice in the digital landscape?”.

WCC acting General Secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca said: “The digital revolution – which has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic – gives us new opportunities for connection, but also new challenges to our sense of community and even our understanding of what it means to be human.”.

Christiane Gebauer, Chairperson of WSCF-Europe, said: “Having the possibility to communicate digitally brings the world closer together than it has ever been before. This new sense of community requires new common standards and steady reviewing to maintain the dignity of the human being behind the screen. To explore these challenges, to embrace the great possibilities and to find a balance between unlimited freedom and self-restricting for the sake of the other, in this sphere where restrictions are rare, might be one of the biggest tasks of my generation.”.

“The spread of ‘fake news’ and misinformation, online abuse, digital poverty and digital surveillance – are just some of the challenges we are increasingly facing”, said Rainer Kiefer, EMW Director. “Political, cultural and civil society actors are all struggling to respond effectively. What is still lacking is a comprehensive approach, based on social justice, to the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.”.

Such a comprehensive approach will be proposed by the symposium’s unique mix of participants, including church and ecumenical representatives, academics, human rights activists, the media and others, in a myriad of storytelling roles.

“This is a broad group that will emerge with clear results”, said Marianne Ejdersten, WCC Director of Communication. “We will be able to share, with the WCC 11th Assembly and beyond, the actions we can take together to ensure a more just digital future.”.

Information about how you can get involved and attend the symposium will be shared shortly. Keep an eye on our, as well as our partners’, websites and social media channels to find out more.

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April 17th, 2021 1:50 pm | Continue Reading
Feeling Safe in God’s Presence: Positive Steps to End Sexual Harassment in the Faith Environment (Online Event)

However lofty the doctrines faith-based organisations preach, they are human-run institutions. They are never infallible and always infused with power relations. It is evident that there have been cases of sexual harassment in faith environments. Yet, it is not uncommon for victims to be silenced in the name of love, tolerance and forgiveness. Often time, religious groups tend to handle these cases behind closed doors to “pray for it”, instead of seeking legal action. As such, the church is failing to practise what it preaches.

Joy Eva Bohol, Program Executive of the World Council of Churches will share with us her insights on this issue and explore possible ways for improvement.

Date: 16 April 2021 (Friday)

Time: 4pm – 5:30pm CET

Format: Online

Guest speaker: Joy Eva Bohol (Programme Executive, Youth engagement in the ecumenical movement, World Council of Churches)

Apply now: By filling-in the application form available here.

This webinar is part of the Gender and Sexuality Campaign of WSCF-Europe in 2021. The event will be held in English.

The workshop will be divided into two parts. During the first part, participants will hear from our guest speaker, and during the second part, there will be a Q&A and an opportunity for all participants to share their reflections, stories and insights. The first part will be live-streamed and recorded. The second part will not be live-streamed or recorded, given the sensitivity of the topic and the fact that we would like all participants to feel comfortable to share their stories and reflections. We also ask all those participating in the workshop to treat any personal information, stories or details shared during the workshop with confidentiality and not share them outside of the workshop.

For more information about the event or if you have any questions, please contact networking@wscf-europe.org.

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April 9th, 2021 11:18 am | Continue Reading
ERA 2021: Save the date!

We are excited to announce that the planning for our 2021 European Regional Assembly (ERA) has officially started! …and we are even more excited to announce that we now can confirm that it will take place in November 2021, sometime between 4 and 7 November!

In an all-time first, we are also proud to announce that this will be our very first online ERA! The current COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to adapt our ways, but we promise to deliver an ERA that is not your usual Zoom call, and that we will go the extra mile to ensure that all delegates and participants get the right balance of formal and informal meetings and have a good number of comfort breaks in-between.

What is the ERA?

The European Regional Assembly of WSCF-E is the highest decision-making body of the Region! This is where the new leadership team of WSCF-E will be elected, where thematic and structural priorities for the coming 2 years will be decided upon, and where delegates from all our associated and affiliated movements will be informed in detail on what happened during the past two years. The ERA happens every other year and you can find out more about the previous ERA here.

Who can attend?

Delegates from all WSCF-E affiliated and associated Student Christian Movements will be invited to attend the ERA and we are keen that all our movements are represented and get a chance to have their say and get involved in the running of the organisation. We’ve already reached out to our movements to inform them about the need to choose who will represent them at the next ERA, but a formal call for delegates will also be released shortly. If you are a member of an affiliated or associated SCM and are interested in attending the ERA, please get in touch with your local SCM. If you are part of an SCM leadership/staff group and our email communication on this hasn’t reached you yet, please email Luise at links@wscf-europe.org.

What are WSCF-E’s next steps?

We are currently working on a detailed programme and agenda for the ERA. Details on this will be published in the coming months.

If you would like to share with us ideas about your own experience with online assemblies, please contact Christiane at chair@wscf-europe.org. We are happy to learn from each other!

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April 7th, 2021 2:03 pm | Continue Reading
Radical Inclusivity: Digital workshops on Issues of Gender & Openness to LGBTQIA+ Persons
Introduction

Every year, WSCF-Europe provides a range of different activities and training programs. As an organisation, we seek to explore and raise awareness of social justice issues, through different means, and this year’s sessions will particularly focus on issues related to gender equality and LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. In these sessions, we commit to not only increasing awareness around these issues, but also to learning from lived experiences in order to ensure that the notions and practices of equality and inclusivity are fostered first within, and begin with, us.

Our regular training sessions aim to empower young people to ‘be the change they wish to see in the world’. This includes providing young people with practical skills, as well as an overall critical philosophy that inspires and motivates them to think about and respond to these issues. Furthermore, WSCF-Europe wishes to demonstrate that the ‘gulf of hate’ that has opened up between feminists/LGBTQIA+ persons and people of faith can be bridged using simple methods.

By gathering a diverse range of students and speakers, we hope to give a platform to and share knowledge with groups/persons who are often alienated from the faith environment. As an organisation, we accept that we are not a unified, perfect community and wish through this experience to grow and change. We hope that, at the same time that our participants will do, too.

To make this program successful we need YOUR help in different areas.

Firstly, we are looking for Team Members for the individual online workshops. The tasks of these teams will be to participate actively in the regular online team meetings, think about the aims and objectives of the individual online workshops, invite speakers, select participants, help with the promotion of the project, contribute to evaluation and reporting after the workshops and make the sessions successful. You should bring interest in the topics, and ideally some experience in organising conferences online and/or in-person.

With the above in mind, WSCF-Europe has prepared four workshop thematic areas, with the idea being that each one of them will be the focus of one workshop. These are:
- Sexual Harassment
- Theological reflections on identifying God with a gender
- Inclusivity in church
- Christian feminism
Secondly, we are looking for people to support the Campaigns Team, which will be working during the workshop series to communicate the outcomes of the workshops, advertise and advocate. Social media or creative writing skills are desired, but if you are motivated to learn, this can be a learning-by-doing experience, too.

Being a Team Member of the project, WSCF-Europe would offer you the opportunity to:
- Work in a lively international environment, together with other members of the team;
- Experience and develop your skills in managing youth projects – particularly in the areas of planning, delivery, evaluation and reporting;
- Become familiar with WSCF-Europe work and to connect with other Christian students and young people in Europe;
- Contribute with your own knowledge, experience and expertise;
- Develop skills in group work, leadership, workshop facilitation/moderation and management;
- Make connections and friends from all around Europe and have a lot of fun together. :)
Please consider joining us for our campaign and feel free at any time to engage with us on these important issues.

Please submit your application by filling-in the application form available here by 15th February 2021.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Christiane Gebauer, at chair@wscf-europe.org.
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January 29th, 2021 4:52 pm | Continue Reading
Get together with WSCF-Europe

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our way of living and our interactions with each other, but it is no excuse for not trying to stay in touch, even it is more difficult or “not the same” as meeting in-person! We cannot travel or meet each other face-to-face, but we want to stay close to and be there for our movements and members – and that’s why we are starting a series of meetings via Zoom, open to all our movements, members and Friends!

The meetings will be an informal way of meeting each other and spending time together. This is a great way to connect from home, so make sure to spread the word to your friends in the movements (or perhaps a friend that is not a member, but would like to join). We hope you are as excited about these social gatherings as we are!

During the meetings, we will get to know each other, discuss, play, laugh and pray together. So if that sounds like your cup of tea, you are more than welcome to join! Send a quick message to chair@wscf-europe.org, so that we can arrange activities matching the group size and send you the Zoom details. You don’t have to fully commit to joining at this stage, you can also join us spontaneously. Everyone is welcome join – just make sure you have your favorite drink, snacks and a smile ready!

We will meet every other Monday, at 8pm CET, starting on 25th January 2021 (next meetings being on 8th February, 22nd February etc.).

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January 22nd, 2021 8:59 pm | Continue Reading