More than 300 guests attended the celebration in Bern. The Christian vision of the early days remains the same, but editor-in-chief Florian Wütrich called for courage in navigating the new context of AI.
In Bern, 330 guests attended the 25th anniversary celebration of Livenet.ch. / Photo: Mirjam Zurbrügg, Livenet.
The Gurten, a well-known hill in the capital of Switzerland, Bern, 330 guests joined the celebration of the media project Livenet.ch, a source of news, testimonies, interviews and debate founded in the year 2000.
“From the very beginning, the vision was to show Christian life and pass on the faith”, says founder Beat Baumann, looking back. This direction has not changed with the daily website now, under editor-in-chief Florian Wüthrich.
Tens of thousands of contents have been published in these years on all kind of topics, from personal testimonies to report on socio-political issues, local initiatives of churches in Switzerland or cultural reviews.
Livenet, published in German language, has over 20,000 followers on social media, including a strong presence on YouTube, where they publish much original content.
After a time of worship led by the band ‘Columbus’, Livenet president Marianne-Streiff (a former Member of the Swiss Parliament) said she was “delighted that we are able to celebrate the 25th anniversary here on the Gurten today and marvel at what God has done in these 25 years”.
She expressed her thankfulness to the founders of a project that started strong in a time when the internet was starting to explode. “They had this vision, they moved forward tirelessly and courageously, they persevered and developed Livenet so that we are where we are today”.
[photo_footer] Marianne Streiff at the 25 anniversary event of Livenet. / Photo: Mirjam Zurbrügg, Livenet. [/photo_footer] The day was marked by the words from 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 3. “It is about hope and about thanking God for sending Jesus to us on earth as our living hope. Hope is what we need most in today's world”.
‘Sent’, a spoken word artists, described the media project as ‘a young adult’ and alluded to the biblical calling to respond to the beatitudes of Jesus in Matthew 5.
Keynote speaker at the anniversary and author Thomas Härry compared Livenet to an oak tree, which after 25 years has an average height of around twelve metres and a trunk diameter of 32 centimetres.
[photo_footer] Thomas Härry at the 25 anniversary event of Livenet. / Photo: Mirjam Zurbrügg, Livenet. [/photo_footer]
“When Jesus compares us to trees, one thing is particularly important to him, and that is the fruit”, said Härry. He went on to say about Livenet: “You are part of the body of Jesus Christ in this world. A piece of the puzzle in God's big picture for this country. I think it's brilliant that you don't allow yourselves to be monopolised by individual groups or people. You give a voice to a wide variety of people and causes. In doing so, you are not only doing good for the country, but also for yourselves! So stay as good and as widely networked as possible!”
Livenet technical director Thomas Wiederkehr and online editorial director Rebekka Schmidt gave an insight into Livenet's 26th year. “What a privilege it is to be able to design a website for Jesus”, said Rebekka Schmidt, looking ahead. “We have noticed that many people who don’t know Livenet yet come to us via search engines. We want to make it easier for them to find what they are looking for”.
The portals will be modified accordingly in the near future to make it even easier for new readers to navigate the topics.
[photo_footer] Guests of the event in the Gurten hill near Bern. / Photo: Mirjam Zurbrügg, Livenet. [/photo_footer]
Founding president Daniel Suter was bid farewell after 25 years, as was Dora Rufener, who, through her work as head of email counselling, has brought hope to thousands of people over the years together with her team.
The latest idea, however, was the unveiling of a new edition of the Bible. This is an edition of the Gospel of Mark from the New Geneva Translation. “We have the rights to print 5,000 copies”, said Florian Wüthrich happily. 1,000 of these were handed out at the Gurten event for distribution.
[photo_footer] Editor in chief presenting a Bible version to distribute, at the 25 anniversary event of Livenet. / Photo: Mirjam Zurbrügg, Livenet. [/photo_footer]
This edition of the Bible has a contemporary layout and is ideal for passing on. It has gold edging to symbolise its valuable content. Livenet and the Foundation for Sustainable Living in Belp are convinced that the Word of God is exactly what is needed right now: “There is a new hunger for the Word among young people in other countries, but it is also spreading more and more to us. And I believe it is a Bible that can also be given to young people”, said Livenet managing director Flo Wüthrich.
Wüthrich’s closing words were guided by the motto: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” He picked up on the image of Grübel from the book ‘The Mouse Strategy for Managers,’ who stays in the old cheese supply for safety reasons while the other mice and dwarves reach out for something new.
Commenting on the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence, he added: “What is happening now is extreme and rapid: Google is already providing summaries, so you no longer need to read the articles. What does that mean for our work? It turns everything upside down again. Newsrooms are panicking. We’re going to see fewer clicks through the traditional channels”.
[photo_footer] Live music at the Livenet 25 anniversary event. / Photo: Mirjam Zurbrügg, Livenet. [/photo_footer]
“We have to go out and try things, not be afraid. Take this question with you and think about its consequences: ‘What would you do if you weren't afraid?’ We are always driven by fear. That’s why the lion theme is important to me! Let’s have faith in God! We have to try something new in these times. I hope we don't miss the boat. Take a step forward, be bolder”.
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