Parish life
The Sunday worship, mornings in Preußenallee and evenings in the Marienkirche, is the central focus of our parish life. After the service there is time to meet each other over coffee and most often a group of people share a meal afterwards.
Also during the week several activities are organised at church and at people’s homes througout the city. Activies include Bibly studies, Lent courses, evenings of meditiation and prayer, a spiritual journaling group and occasional retreats.
Our Congregation
Our congregation is very international, with roughly equal numbers of British, North American and German natives, and smaller numbers from African countries and the rest of the world. It is the nature of a modern capital city that many members stay only a few years but almost all make good, often life-long friends and find valuable fellowship and fun during their time at St George’s.
Parish activities
Bible study
It is remarkable how many new insights you get when you are studying the Bible together. During the year St George’s organises a bi-weekly Bible Study, where we focus on a certain aspect or book of the Bible. Recently we have studied the book of Genesis using the book by Gerald West, Genesis, The People’s Bible Commentary, as guide. One of the participants writes:
The little book accompanied me on daily bus rides across the city, bringing the stories of Genesis alive and throwing a new light on those I thought I knew so well. Never before had I conceived of the story of Adam and Eve as “collapse of communication”, for example. Each little section ended with a stimulating prayer or suggestion for reflection.
Meditation and Prayer
On Tuesday evenings we alternate between two types of meditation and prayer evenings.
Every second Tuesday we meet for a Taizé style worship of singing and silence in the main church. This type of prayer comes forth from the ecumenical Taizé community in Burgundy, France. Frère Rogies, founder of the community said: “We should speak as little as possible in church”, and we try to live that out in these services.
The other Tuesdays we explore passages of the scriptures with and meditate on them with the aid of music and song. We let the text speak to our soul and this enables us to discover new truths in the scriptures
Youth work
Children’s Church
At the Sunday morning service the children have their own special activity. They leave the church during the singing of the Gloria and return before the Communion.
We usually focus on the same readings or theme that are used for the service. We try to learn something from them and have our own worship with prayer and a story with the children. There are many different ways to do apart from this: sometimes we learn a new song; we play out the Bible story of the day or we make something to be shown in the Church.
If you would like to know more about what we are doing, if you have children who would like to join Children's Church or if you would like to help, do contact one of the Children's Church team members or clergy.
Acolyting
Children who would like to stay in church are invited to help serving at the altar alongside the clergy and servers: carrying candles, receiving the elements and collection and holding the Gospel book. Children who are interested in joining them to find out how the liturgy works and to experiencie the service from the other side of the altar rail are invited to contact the church office.
Pre-school children
During the morning service, parents may take restless toddlers to the Church Office. Here you can follow the service by loud speaker.
CLERGY
The Pastor of St George’s is the Revd Christopher Jage-Bowler, who is British; the Assistant Priest, the Revd Dr Irene Ahrens, is German.
Both Priests are always happy to have a chat or to help in any pastoral matters – just contact the Church Office.
Tel 030 304 1280
Email: St George’s Anglican Church Berlin
The Reverend Christopher Jage-Bowler
Born Northampton. Boarding school in Rutland (and semester in New England). Studied Geography at Nottingham Tour guide for Moet et Chandon in France. Trained as a teacher at Oxford. Student welfare officer on Study Abroad programme for American undergraduates in London. Studied Theology at Cambridge (and semester in India). Ordained in Bristol Cathedral and served curacy in suburban Bristol. University Chaplain in Bristol with responsibility for a church rejoicing in the name of St Michael's the Archangel on the Mount Without. May 1997: appointed Pastor of St George’s. Married to Kerstin, two sons Frederic (born 1994) and Louis (born 2001)
The Reverend Dr Irene Ahrens
Born in Berlin 1940. Studied in Bonn, Berlin and Elmira, N.Y., USA – art history, archaeology and English and American literature (PhD in 1969). Married to a diplomat, two children (one dies in motor accident 1980) Worked in London from 1984 as freelance illustrator, becoming in 1987, art director with Saatchi and Saatchi. 1984 came to Christ through Holy Trinity, Brompton. Studied theology at London Bible College, Kings College London, and South East Institute of Theology, London. Ordained Deacon 1994 to serve as honorary curate in two churches in Kew/London:Ordained Priest 1995. Continued in Kew until end of 1999. Ignatian Spirituality Course in London to train as spiritual director. Since 2000 Assistant Pastor at St George’s. Married to Gustav since 1988.
Music
Choir
Choir rehearsal is held Sunday mornings at 9:00 at St George's Preußenallee.
Ecumenical relationships
St George’s in Berlin has excellent ecumenical relationships with other Christian Churches and enjoys the friendship and support of its local neighbours. It is especially close to the Old Catholic Church and Lutheran Churches in the city and leads a monthly evening service in the Dresden Frauenkirche.
St George’s is member of the Cross of Nails Fellowship and is increasingly involved in reconciliation and also inter-faith work, participating in the Ecumenical Council Berlin-Brandenburg and the International Fellowship of Foreign Churches. There is a small peace chapel in the main St George’s Church.