Young people's church service in Freinsheim: Together for peace!

Young people's church service in Freinsheim: Together for peace!

On August 17th at 5:30 p.m. the Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul in Freinsheim will be the scene of a special event. For the first time, young people are organizing an ecumenical service that is specifically intended for their age group. Hannes Kellermann, a 14-year-old confirmation candidate and co-organizer, took the initiative together with another 5-8 young people to organize this special celebration. This creative idea came about after a performance by his band “The Jokers” during the Christmas service, and now the time has finally come for them to make their dream a reality. Hannes' mother, who is involved in the community, also supports the young people in their project. The program is worked on in several meetings, during which, among other things, stories are read out, quiz questions are asked and video clips are shown. The band will also perform live.

The central theme of the service is peace. “Praying and forging peace” is the goal of the event. Pastoral advisor Marcel Ladan takes on a supporting role and offers the young people support. He is hoping for numerous visitors and even more exchange among those present. There is great anticipation for the event and the young people have already created posters and promoted the event among their friends.

When peace is the focus

As part of this event, a familiar biblical impulse is given to encourage visitors to the topic of peace. “Then they forge plowshares out of their swords…” is integrated as a central quote in the greeting and the introduction to the service. The prayer for peace in the world will offer participants special suggestions on how they themselves can contribute to a more peaceful world.

The service will be accompanied by songs such as “Where People Forget Each Other” and “Like a Celebration after Long Mourning”, which will support the entire framework of the service. The reading from Romans 12:9-18 will not be missing and calls for love, peace and to do good. A famous story about a king inviting artists to paint peace will further reinforce the content and make you think.

A community project for peace

The preparations for the service are focused on what is to come Ecumenical Peace Decade, which will take place from November 9th to 19th, 2025. This action encourages people to actively seek and promote peace, whether in personal relationships or in society. Parishes have the opportunity to use materials related to this decade, which offer suggestions for designing prayer services.

The service in Freinsheim is therefore not just a local event, but part of a larger commitment to peace. Despite all the anticipation and nervousness, the young organizers are committed to their goal: to set a common example for peace and to show that young people also have a voice that should be heard. With the support of adults and the tireless efforts of young people, this service will go down in the history of Freinsheim.