A Pastoral Journey Towards Peace: The Work of the German Christian Help Centre in the Context of Non-Formal Education

Abstract

This work presents the Christian Help Centre (Help Center e. V. Christliches Lebenszentrum, hereafter referred to as PC) of the German Evangelical Christian Life Aid Community (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Lebenshilfen, hereafter referred to as the ACL), the story of its foundation, the concept, and the stages of pastoral care in the context of non-formal education. A group of PC guests (young people aged 18–26) find themselves in a critical situation in their lives, where their value system has been eroded and they cannot cope with life's challenges alone. The pastoral journey aims to help the young people to understand their problems, to know themselves and to discover the meaning of life. It is a process of inner development that changes the way we look at the values of life. A Christian worldview, through this unique prism of experience, not only influences personal growth and individual change, but also leads to a transformation of relationships with oneself and others. Young people who choose this path often face the confrontation between science and faith. The dialogue between science and faith in pastoral care is an opportunity to see these two fields as complementary rather than competing. This path offered by the PC encourages people to combine critical thinking with spiritual growth and helps them to deal with lifeʼs difficulties in various aspects. The aim is to show that it is possible to create the conditions for constructive and open dialogue, and that pastoral care, as an inner journey and a process of search, is one of the means of encouraging people to seek peace. PC helps young people to discover themselves as valuable members of a community.