Pray for open doors and Pastor Klappert’s safe arrival -message from Iris, Council President

Hallelujah! A real alleluia! … We have a reason to celebrate! The visa application for Pastor Annika Klappert and her husband Tim Büchner was successful. They will arrive on the first available flight – which will be September 8, 2021.

This is the big check mark on our to-do list. We are still struggling through our detour, and not because of the complexity of the reopening scheduled for September 12, 2021 in Covid times. Rather, it is about the uncertainty associated with any attempt at normality. Normality, like coming to our church for a wonderfully prepared service, afterwards spending time with beautifully presented coffee and cake and then going home, filled with the Spirit of God to be able to do God’s work in this world – all that has become so complicated now. Every step needs to be carefully considered and then reconsidered, and even after we have established clear guidelines, we are still living in the uncertainty of the Covid era. Everything can change from one moment to the next.

It so happened that life for my family has become more unsafe in the last few days because we have been doing normal things. A very good friend had an accident and was hospitalized for an operation. When we helped him out, we were exposed to Covid-19 and asked to go into quarantine. Point! All plans are canceled and changed according to the situation. And yet we plan faithfully within our uncertainty.
We want to prepare ourselves to open our doors with patience and love, to support each other in the uncertainty of these Covid times. We will encounter familiar and unfamiliar elements while attending Sunday services.

The front doors will be wide open – and there will be a table in the entrance where you will answer screening questions.

You will see familiar faces – but, wearing masks.

You will hear organ music – but, there will be no singing together.

What remains unchanged is our trust in God, the Creator, and our faith when we “sing”, pray and praise God, as David did in the 69th Psalm in the midst of his desperation: “But I pray to you , Lord, in the time of grace; God, according to your great kindness, hear me with your faithful help. Save me from the mud so that I do not sink. ”

Just as David’s lament transforms from grief and despair to gratitude and praise, so too, will we act.

I invite you to celebrate the arrival of our new pastor, the opening of the church doors, and helping one another in the uncertainty of Covid.

Iris Schweiger, President of the Church Council, September 3, 2021

Preliminary reopening plan
Sunday, September 12th 2021, 16th Sunday after Pentecost:
11:00 a.m. bilingual service in the church

Sunday, September 19, 2021, 17th Sunday after Pentecost:
11:00 a.m. German service in the church

Sunday, September 26th, 2021, 18th Sunday after Pentecost:
11:00 a.m. bilingual service in the church with greeting of the confirmands

You are invited to attend the services when you feel healthy and ready to attend. Registration is not compulsory, but we appreciate it because it makes it easier to track contacts. Please call the church office or register online via Eventbrite. We will continue to broadcast sermons on our YouTube channel to reach people anytime, anywhere. We will no longer offer the Sunday Zoom coffee hours.