‘So that people get to know God’

ERF Medien (Germany) has been a national partner of TWR since 1959. Though situated in an unassuming borough in the city of Wetzlar, Germany, inventive ideas are stirring within its walls. Not the kind of ideas that fizzle out over time. These are ideas in action, born out of a burden to share Jesus' life-changing message through media. Ideas that change culture.

As you approach ERF’s media house from the parking lot, before even stepping through the door, you get a sense that you’re in a special place. Through the large windows, front and center, you can see into the prayer room where staff gather regularly. A sleek, illuminated cross shines through the glass overhead.

As you move through each section of the building, the organization’s values are on display. They are even written in the stairwell in bold letters, e.g., verbin-dend (“connective”), nach-haltig (“sustainable”), neu-gierig (“curious”).

The About Us section of ERF Germany’s website (erf.de) makes the organization’s mission clear: “So that people get to know God and he changes their lives.”

One message, many forms

In 2021, ERF Medien Germany revised their logo to include the tagline der sinnsender meaning “the channel with meaning/purpose.” Whether through radio, television, digital media or print, ERF is inviting people into a purpose-filled relationship with God. 

It’s a unifying message. Yet communicating that message authentically to the German public is hard work. Specialists such as sound engineers, camera operators, writers and marketing analysts all gather at ERF’s media house. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art studios for television, radio, live video streaming and production. There’s even a truck fitted with a mobile broadcast studio for recording church worship services across Germany.

While each media form requires experts who know their craft, they share a common goal: to invite people into relationship with God.

ERF’s company culture has benefited from an integrated approach to media. During his time as CEO, Dr. Jörg Dechert has focused on seeing how various media forms can overlap and complement one another. As a result, ERF has become more agile in its ability to transition content from radio broadcasts to podcasts, YouTube videos, social media campaigns, interactive learning experiences, and vice versa. 

A lot happens at ERF’s media house: the bimonthly Christian media magazine ERF Antenne is compiled; the talk show Talkwerk is filmed and aired; the TV show ERF Mensch Gott (“ERF Man God”) is produced; the Bible is made available online through BibleServer.com, and Christian music is broadcast. And that’s only part of the story.

Courage to experiment

The phrase “courage to experiment” stands out in ERF’s values as one that aptly describes the work ethos. Staff members are willing to be innovators and learners.

Horst Marquardt, who served as ERF director until 1993 and played a crucial role in establishing the ministry, said the following:

“There is something mysterious about becoming aware that a plan is being made that doesn’t arise from your will alone. Sometimes it's almost a little scary to imagine that God is giving you thoughts that you would never have thought of yourself.”

Marquardt encouraged ERF staff to take courageous steps of faith for the sake of the gospel.

Similarly, Dr. Dechert encourages Christians to think differently:

“God filled the creation with so many things to inspire us and challenge us – to open us to new questions and perspectives. In devotionals, we [Christians] often repeat the same answers, using the same words. That is not inspiring. I know that an aspect of the Christian faith is keeping things sacred and holding fast to the faith, obviously. But that doesn’t mean I can’t readdress my faith with a fresh view and fresh pictures. I always liven up when someone finds new words and pictures to describe things I’ve believed for decades. It shows me that this faith is alive. It’s not about keeping sacred ash in jars.”

Dechert, who holds a doctorate in physics, described his first encounter with God as an experiment: “I tried out prayer and said, ‘let’s see if something happens,’ and obviously something happened.”

This willingness to try new things is ingrained in ERF Medien’s DNA. Dechert sees the importance of learning from the market — understanding what people see, feel, need and do — and then infusing the hope of Jesus into the natural ways that the German public communicates.

Approachable dialogue

In Germany, the state church, made up of Catholic and Protestant denominations, enjoys government support, while the less popular free church is made up of Protestant groups such as Baptists and Methodists. The people of former East Germany lived under 40 years of communism, resulting in many now growing up as third-generation atheists. Overall, the nation has seen a decades-long shift toward post-Christianity.

Recognizing the complexities of German church culture, ERF staff share a willingness to engage in approachable dialogue.

“Here in Germany, religion and your own spiritual practice are viewed as private,” said Katharina Heiser, marketing developer at ERF Medien. “Generally, if you meet someone for the first time or have a formal conversation, you don’t speak about religion or give your personal opinion about spiritual things. So we have to meet people in their private life. When it comes to media, we have to go to the places where people spend their free time like TikTok or Instagram.” 

Heiser is grateful that she’s able to integrate her spiritual life with her profession, but it wasn’t always that way. “When I started at ERF, it was the very first time I could talk about my personal beliefs in a professional environment,” she said. “It felt strange at first because I wasn’t used to it. But I love it and it’s powerful to be able to combine every part of my being in my daily life.”

Heiser sees media as a bridge between our human needs and the profound content of the gospel. “Most of the people here in Germany are used to cutting off a very profound part of themselves [the spiritual]. They have to negate it, so they are often out of touch with their spiritual needs,” Heiser said.

In our rapidly changing media landscape, Heiser strives to anticipate how modern media will be consumed. She knows how important it is to keep the human connection. After all, the human connection is at the heart of why ERF Medien exists.

Images: (top, banner) The history of ERF Medien (Germany) is creatively exhibited at the media house in Wetzlar, (top, right) ERF Antenne is a bimonthly Christian media magazine, (middle, left) A room where directors and editorial teams sit when producing various TV shows, (middle, banner) Talkwerk is a talk show which hosts artists, authors, musicians and athletes who gather around a table to share their personal stories, struggles and joys, (bottom, right) ERF's media house in Wetzlar is equipped with different types of studios depending on the media format. [Images by TWR]