A Fresh Start: What Remains When You Hit Reset?
SPIRIT NOW event unites youth in symbolic exploration of fresh starts
By Julia Otto
A reset button for your own life—and the question of what remains afterward. This was the theme that opened the "SPIRIT NOW" youth service on March 20 at Dorndorf Evangelical Church.
135 young people from the Bad Salzungen-Dermbach church district gathered that evening to explore the year's guiding verse: "I am making everything new."
After a dramatic countdown, Katrin Mang, the district youth pastor, and Nadja Ramisch launched the event with a question: What does a fresh start feel like—and what does it mean in faith?
The service was enriched by music from newly trained youth leaders—recent graduates of the KinderLeiterKurs (Children's Leadership Course)—who played on homemade cajón drums, alongside performances by the youth band "Tehillah."
The newly certified young leaders also received their KinderLeiterCard (KiLeiCa) from course instructor Susann Heiderich, officially qualifying them to work with children in the future.
At the heart of the evening was a sermon by Pastor Martin Weber of Möhra, who emphasized that a fresh start doesn't mean erasing the past entirely: "Like an eraser, traces remain." Painful experiences, he explained, are part of life—and they can help us navigate future paths with greater awareness.
Yet Weber centered his message on God's promise: Everything has "its time and its place." It's about each individual—and the One who walks with them: "God goes with you into the deepest valleys and the highest peaks."
Here lies the hope of renewal: not having to start from zero, but knowing you are accompanied. God offers peace—especially in times of upheaval and uncertainty.
These reflections took tangible form in an interactive activity: The young people wrote down personal worries and burdens on slips of paper, then burned them in a bonfire—a symbolic act of release and the possibility of a new beginning.
The prayers, led by the band "Tehillah," echoed these themes. Afterward, the group moved to the parish hall for conversation and connection.
Youth worker Jana Bersin also announced the next "SPIRIT NOW" service, scheduled for September 25, 2026, at Bad Salzungen Town Church.
As a final keepsake, each attendee received an eraser inscribed with "I am making everything new"—a reminder that fresh starts are possible, even when the past leaves its mark.
