Welcome to Community Church
by Taylor & Lydia Whitley, Team Leaders
Let’s go back to July 2013.
It was a sunny day on the Isle of Dogs, just outside London. A young American couple made their way to visit a church which met inside a small internet cafe. The church’s location and worship service were different from what the couple felt accustomed to, yet the people were kind and appeared genuine in their faith. After the service, they chatted with one of the church leaders over cups of hot tea with milk. He generously invited them to his home for Sunday lunch. Apparently, most of the congregation ended up at his home for lunch after church each week.
The afternoon that followed was delightful. The church leader was British, but his church friends came from all over the world. The American couple enjoyed conversation with the eclectic group, as they also enjoyed their second cup of tea with milk that day. Even though everyone in attendance came from a different country or background, they cared about each other like family.
As evening approached, the church leader walked the young couple back to the train station. Since they were visiting London only for a short time, they would probably not see him again. As they hugged goodbye, he said, “Well, if we do not meet each other again, I will see you in eternity.”
That is the day we fell in love with the international church.
We are Taylor and Lydia Whitley. We both grew up in the USA, where we also received our theological training. In 2015, we moved to Germany and have been involved in international churches ever since. An international church is a worshipping community of people from different nations and cultures who are unified in faith in Jesus Christ (and usually share a common language like English too). A city like Berlin is the perfect place for international churches.
After many years of preparation and prayer, we feel excited and thankful to announce a new church start-up in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin—Community Church.
The welcome and hospitality we experienced that day in London years ago inspired us. It gave us a glimpse of the community an international church can offer. Many people in global cities like Berlin live far away from their homelands and families. Almost every person in a big city also experiences loneliness, as they navigate life surrounded by thousands of people each day while not feeling truly seen or known. We understand this feeling!
Community Church will not fix all the issues in Berlin. But we do hope that this international worshipping community will be a place of genuine community, as we walk with Jesus together in this messy but amazing city.
So, welcome to Community Church!
Whether you feel curious about the Christian faith or already believe and trust in Jesus, whether you are new to the city or have lived here for many years, we invite you to take a step of faith and join us. Please feel free to contact us for more information, as we offer our first public event in a few weeks. For more info, click here.