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Believing with Taylor Swift: Church service for young fans in Fußgönheim!
Church service in Ludwigshafen am Rhein with songs by Taylor Swift on June 18th. Young people allowed to preach and sing along!
Believing with Taylor Swift: Church service for young fans in Fußgönheim!
The Protestant parish of Fußgönheim is surprising people with an innovative service that will take place on June 18th and has the motto “You Belong With God”. A fresh touch is introduced here with traditional elements: seven songs by Taylor Swift form the musical heart of this special celebration. Pastor Wolfram Kerner (54) plans to make the service lively with the help of the LightBand, which emerged from youth work. The expectations are high: Initially planned with 100 seats, the capacity can be expanded to up to 200 visitors in order to do justice to the community of around 1,800 members. Communication between generations is also promoted in this format, as the focus is clearly on young people. The Rheinpfalz reports about this special event, which is not only a first for the community.
The special role is played by Lilian Kerner (17), who appears as a preacher, while her father, Pastor Kerner, remains in the background to provide support. This decision shows the intergenerational aspect that is intended to enliven the community. The singer Paula Safferling (18) carefully put together the selected pieces and has been an active member of the community for around ten years. Singing and dancing along are expressly permitted, which guarantees a relaxed atmosphere. To promote the communal experience, the song lyrics are projected. The license fees for the songs are covered by a framework agreement with the Evangelical Church of Germany, which enables them to be carried out in a relaxed manner without any legal hurdles.
A trend that is spreading
The idea of a church service with modern pop music seems to be inspiring more and more congregations. Pastor Mixtacki in Mittweida also initiated an open-air service in which the focus is on the connection between Taylor Swift's music and biblical stories. Over 100 guests of all ages took part and experienced how this celebration not only focused on music, but also on stories about strong women from the Bible. A successful combination that received positive feedback from the community. “I learned a lot,” explains Julia Siling (21), one of many Taylor Swift fans who found access to the church in this way. MDR informed about the successes and the interest that such formats arouse.
The trend of using pop music in church services reflects the growing enthusiasm for modern forms of music. Tine Wiechmann, professor of popular church music, emphasizes that there is a development in Germany that is promoting the exchange of different musical styles in church music. Church music should not only enable an encounter with God, but also create an inviting, atmospheric environment. If pop culture elements are integrated into the service, it becomes possible to also appeal to younger generations and get them excited about religious content. Katholisch.de presents this perspective.
The congregation's approval is overwhelming, and Pastor Wolfram Kerner is already thinking about planning similar services with music from other artists in the future. This makes it clear: the balancing act between tradition and modernity is mastered in Fußgönheim with a lot of passion and an open ear for young people. Services like these are not only a sign of the times, but also show that the Gospel can be told in a language that everyone can understand - and that, after all, is the goal of every good sermon.