Berlin, after the long winter, awakens to life again. The first sun beam is out and you can see people everywhere streaching their faces into the sunlight. Parks, cafés, beach bars and Biergärten

are filled with smiling people spending time with each other. I love to see people connecting, talking, sharing, laughing... Where has everyone been the last couple of

months?! Yet again Summer has begun and this it will be a special one. The weather might not be quite there yethowever it won‘t stop us from having a blast this summer.

Do you remeber those times, sitting around a campfire with your friends, watching the stars in the late summer night sky while someone is playing the guitarre in the background.... Under the slogan „Berlin Campfire“ we recreate this special feeling. But this is not about having just a few moments of fun, instead, it is about building momentum over summer to enjoy it to the fullest and to

build up something that con-tributes to the well-being of our city. How are we going to do this? By sharing hospita-lity and generosity with each other. Every day there are many opportunities to make a difference in someone else‘s life by showing generosity or extending an act of kindness. It can simply start with a „Thank you“ for the lady at the cash register at your local grocery store, or by smiling to the people around you in the tram... As you read through these pages, be inspired to dream what could happen in the summer of 2013.

Berlin is definately the place to be over the summer in 2013!! There is so much opportunity to enjoy life to the max while at the same time making a difference in our city. This magazine is designed to inspire and invite you to be part of „Berlin Campfire“. You will find out more about some great books and music recommendations - your „must read“ and „must listen to“. Also check out the Social Kind-ness section to see how easy it is to have a positive impact in our city. Summer has begun, we won‘t miss a minute of it!

Home

Fire

Generosity

Connection

Literature

Music & Social Kindness

Momentum

We have stepped over the line. The decision has been made:Yes, we have decided to go all in.

We won’t look back, slow down, back away, or be still. Our past is redeemed, our present makes sense, and our future is secure. We are finished and done with low living, small planning, distant devotion, colourless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, small giving, and dwarfed goals. We are all in.

We are not driven by preeminence, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. We don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognised, praised, regar-ded, or rewarded. We now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power. We are all in.

Our pace is set, our gait is fast, our goal is Heaven, our road is narrow, our way is rough,our Guide is reliable, our mission is clear.Yes, we are on mission, We are all in.

We cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.We will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.We won’t give up, back up, let up, or shut up until we have preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for this Cause.

Our colours will be clear for we are not ashamed of the Good News.We are all in.

This is Holy Summer Momentum.

From now on, you’ll be without a home, and you’ll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.

Home is not a building.Home is a truly resting place where

I am known, accepted; where I belong.

That place where the wandering finally ends and the journey really began.

Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm.

For love is as strong as death,

its jealousy as enduring as the grave.

Love flashes like fire, the brightest

kind of flame.

Song of Salomon 8:6

Who is the one that connects the dots,Who is the one that puts it all together?

Collecting and connecting my jagged pieces

– past, present, and future -forming meaning and purpose?

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(1) Leadership: In The 5 Levels of Leadership, John C. Maxwell shows how lea-dership is much more than just a job or title. Leadership involves learning how to in-vest in people and help them reach their full potential. The book takes you on a practical journey along the five levels of leadership starting off from position (people follow you because they have to), over permission (people follow because they want to), production (people follow because of what you have done for the organization) people development (people follow because of what you have done for them) all the way to the pinnacle (people follow because of who you are and what you represent). Maxwell shows you how to master each level and rise up to the next to become an influential, respected and successful leader.

(2) Global Politics: Interven-tions: A Life in War and Pea-ce is the story of Kofi Annan’s remarkable time at the center of the world stage. Annan shares here his unique expe-riences of his forty years of service in his role as United Nations Secretary-General, which include the terrorist attacks of September 11; the American invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan; the war between Israel, Hiz-bollah, and Lebanon; the brutal conflicts of Somalia, Rwanda, and Bosnia; and the geopolitical transformations following the end of the Cold War. Through Interventions, Annan gives a unique per-spective on decades of global politics and reveals how he has always sought to put the individual at the center of every mission for peace and prosperity.

(3) Career: Today’s work world is increasingly compe-titive and insecure, leaving people with questions like: Why am I doing this work? Why is it so hard? And is there anything I can do about it? Timothy Keller’s Every Good Endeavor brings a biblical perspective on the challenges of today’s work world. He makes a point that the Christian view of work—that we work to serve others, not ourselves—can provide the foundation of a thriving professional and balanced personal life. Keller shows how excellence, integrity, discipline, creativity, and passion in the workplace can help others and even be con-sidered acts of worship—not just of self-interest.

(4) Social change: Our times are marked by major techno-logical and social challenges, which are shaping social ethics and the future of socie-ty. In Fascinating Times, soci-al commentator Mal Fletcher reflects on the future social landscape marked amongst others by the impact of new technologies and shifting medical ethics, the long-term effects of recession, the future of media and the press, the changing face of consume-rism and the future shape of marriage. Through a Group Study Guide, a Personal Reading Guide and Online Media Resources, you are invited to receive an in-depth bigger picture of the fascina-ting times we live in.

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(1) Jonas Myrin – Dreams Plans Everything: As a renowned songwriter ori-ginally from Sweden, Jonas Myrin has worked with ar-tists like Natasha Bedingfield, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, Snow Patrol or The Darkness. This year, he received his first Grammy Award. After his debut single “Day of the Battle” – with more than 100.00 sold units – his first solo album is released in June 2013. “I write about what I know and what I see. Love, the past, the future, heart-breaks, mistakes and starting over again. My album is about my journey”. We are looking forward to it!

(2)Hillsong UNITED – Zion: After a two year wait, UNI-TED has released their third album Zion this February. Zion is filled with fresh and electronic sounds as a rein-vention of the expression of modern worship. Behind that lies the realization that God is doing His thing, and He has already done it – He is establishing His Church, and it’s through us. As UNITED’s Joel Houston puts it “The album was birthed out of our cry, God I want to be a part of what it is you’re doing. If that means write a song, we’ll write the best songs we can. If it means serving the poor and those who are hurting, then we’re going to do it better than we’ve ever done it before.”

“Going around and asking for money from others makes me uncomfortable – even if it is for charity. And besides, it would be more effective if I just put my money in”. I was sitting in a café with a friend talking about my church’s fourth annual Fun Run campaign. Taking part in the Berliner Wasserbetriebe Team Staffel relay race, our runners ask people in their everyday life to sponsor them to raise money for a water project supplying clean drinking water to a whole village in a part of this world lacking this basic supply.My friend’s statement made me think about the why behind this campaign. Of course, the obvious reason is to change the lives of the families who don’t have access to clean drinking water for the better. But there is also real potential to see the lives of our sponsors changed.In our part of the world, many people seem to have everything but still feel lack in their life. When you decide to GIVE of what you have, something beautiful happens. Your heart becomes soft and joyful as you focus on what you do have and are able to share with others. Albert Einstein once said: “Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that man is here for the sake of other men”. I truly believe that this is so because we are made in the image of God our Father. And His heart beats for us, His children. So much that He was willing to send His Son to give up His life for us in order to bring us back into a living relationship with Him.So the potential of the Charity:Water Fun Run campaign is that positive change is sparked just as much in the lives of the receivers as in the lives of the sponsors and the runners.

For more on Berlin Connect’s dedication to social kindness involvement, go to http://www.myberlinconnect.de/social-kindness/.

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