It all started with an idea ...
Nine Lessons and Carols
Surely it ought to be possible to hold a church service in English once a month for the many inhabitants of and visitors to the City and Region Hannover who come from other countries of the world. The year 2000 in particular, the year of the World EXPO, showed how cosmopolitan and ecumenical Hannover is.
Soon a team got together to undertake the initial planning. “Hannover International Worship” (HIW) was launched in December 2003 with a service at which the preacher was the former Bishop of the Hannover Lutheran Church, Dr Margot Käßmann. Since then, many German preachers with international and ecumenical experience have preached at the services, as have a number of foreign clergy. There is a different preacher every month, which contributes greatly to the diversity and interest of the services.
Right from the beginning, the services have been well attended. They take place at 11.30 a.m. on the third Sunday of each month throughout the year in the Petrikirche at Dörriesplatz, close to Kantplatz in the Kleefeld district of Hannover.
Once a year, usually around Easter, Holy Communion is celebrated. Another annual highlight is the December service - the Christmas Service of Nine Lessons and Carols – which attracts a congregation of well over 300. Petrikirche Church Choir and Gospel Choir regularly make musical contributions to the services, as do other musicians.
The congregation is drawn from the whole of the City and Region of Hannover. The worshippers are a mixture of British, American, German and a number of African nationalities. In this way, the services reflect the growing importance of the Hannover Region as an international location, and at the same time enable foreign visitors and inhabitants of the city to have a bit of the feeling of a home from home, and to establish contact with each other and also with members of the local German population.
Fellowship is further promoted by get-togethers after each service, at which finger food and drinks are served.
Get-together after the service
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