Aglow

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Aglow International is the name of an international and non-denominational Christian association of charismatic nature. It was founded in 1967 in Seattle ( Washington / USA) and - according to its own information - is now active worldwide with around 4600 local groups.

In Germany, the Christian association is known as AGLOW international - Deutschland e. V. registered in the register of associations of the Wuppertal District Court . The association's office is currently in Neuss .

Surname

Aglow is derived from the English adjective aglow ( German  'glowing; radiant' ) and refers to the New Testament Bible passage Romans 12.11  EU : Be burning in the spirit! ( English Be aglow with the spirit! ).

history

At the beginning of Aglow private prayer circle was in the American city Seattle, were among the only four women. Here the idea of ​​a Christian women's movement developed without the narrow confessional boundaries. The invitation to an initial meeting, held in a hotel near the Washington University of Seattle campus , was accepted by over a hundred women. A few months later, local associations with the same objectives emerged in Washington State as well as in other states of the USA . As early as 1970, Aglow had 60 local groups, each of which invited to a women's meeting once a month. The first groups outside the United States were formed in Canada and New Zealand . In 1974 Aglow gained a foothold in the Netherlands , 1977 in Switzerland and 1979 finally in Germany . A first European aglow conference took place in Berlin in 1980, and a second in Hamburg in 1985 . Both conferences contributed significantly to the spread of this charismatic women's movement in European countries.

In 2014/2015 the organization, which was previously only accessible to women, was opened both internationally and in Germany to men.

Teaching

The theology of the organization is largely based on the Apostles' Creed . However, the Aglow members emphasize the inspiration of the entire Bible from the Spirit of God. They also profess the special Pentecostal doctrine of baptism by the Holy Spirit , which, according to this view, manifests itself primarily in the gift of speaking in tongues . In their view the church is the totality of the body of Christ . Confessional barriers only play a subordinate role. Aglow does not see himself as a church or a church substitute. Committed membership in a specific local church is recommended.

Working method, organization and statistics

The starting point of the aglow work is the local small group that is involved in various spiritual, missionary and diaconal areas. It includes people from many different churches and free churches . Catholics also work with Aglow . Important components of these encounters are Bible study , prayer and the planning and implementation of mission-oriented meetings to which friends and neighbors are invited. These events often take place in a rented secular room. In addition to music and a meal together, the evening will focus on testimonials and experience reports from people, who are usually invited to follow-up discussions.

Furthermore, there are so-called aglow @ home groups in Germany, in which men and women meet regularly at home over a certain period of time, talk about personal experiences in faith, exchange personal information and support each other in a Christian lifestyle. Mutual prayer is very important.

In addition, Aglow is involved in various small diaconal projects, for example supporting single mothers, providing practical neighborhood help and offering clothing exchanges.

There are currently around 4600 local groups. They are represented in 172 (in Europe: 40) countries worldwide and are looked after by a total of 21,000 responsible employees. According to its own information, Aglow reaches around 17 million people annually through its offers.

At the national level, the Aglow work is managed by a multi-member board that is responsible, among other things, for the planning and implementation of supra-regional meetings and conferences as well as for accompanying the local employee teams.

Aglow International is currently headquartered in Edmonds, Washington State. The international board consists of 11 people. Six board members are based in the United States and five in other countries.

Publications

  • Aglow Bible Study Books
    • God loves women
    • The word
    • The Holy Spirit and his gifts
  • more publishments
    • Jane Hansen: From the heart of a woman , Kreuzlingen
    • Quin Sherrer: Prayer for our children. A guide for parents, godparents and friends , projection J.
    • Barbara Cook: being woman - being strong (Original: Ordinary women, extraordinary strength )
  • magazine
    • Aglow magazine joy

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Website Aglow international ( Memento from September 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive ); Retrieved June 12, 2009
  2. ↑ Register number VR 3216; The chairwoman of the association, Gisela Schwarzfeller, Kaarst-Büttgen, is registered as authorized representative.
  3. ^ Peter Meier-Hüsing: Religious communities in Bremen. A manual . Marburg 1990, ISBN 3-927165-04-2 , p. 130
  4. ^ History of the Aglow Movement ( Memento from September 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) on the official website of Aglow international ; Retrieved June 12, 2009
  5. ^ Aglow History. Retrieved December 20, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Aglow's Belief Statement ( February 8, 2008 memento on the Internet Archive ) on the official Aglow International website ; Retrieved June 14, 2009
  7. ↑ a b What is Aglow? ( Memento of February 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Description of the task on the official website of Aglow International ; Retrieved June 14, 2009
  8. ↑ https://www.aglow.org/about-us/welcome-to-aglow
  9. ^ Board of Directors. Retrieved December 20, 2019 .