Mini church on wheels hits a nerve
Church pews empty, places of worship close - and a XS-Chapel rolls through the streets. The Tiny Church from Paderborn can be rented out. Similar initiatives exist scarcely elsewhere.
The church passes by residential houses, goes through industrial areas, brakes obediently next to cars and motorbikes - and at the roadside causes surprised faces. Many people smile as the Tiny Church with the license plate PB TC 777 crosses paths in north rhine-westphalian Paderborn. A rolling mini-church, which can also be rented - an unusual idea and so far quite rare. Similar initiatives exist scarcely in other places in Germany.
A mobile church with modern technology - what for and for whom? The mobile church with a window cross and the inscription "Tiny Church - The Peace Church" is an attraction. As an initiative of the Kolping School Works in Paderborn, it has a fixed location on a Kolping Estate Farm in the district of Höxter. There, the XS-Church is used for educational work with children and adolescents. It is also open to visitors - for prayers or as a retreat. And the freshly blessed chapel can also be rented. Then comes the TÜV-tested wood-steel construction - 8.10 meters long, 3.75 meters high, and 3.5 tons heavy - on a trailer.
Inside, the Mini-Church is bright, there are seating areas, speakers, a podium for setting up. No altar, no religious symbols, no cross with corpus, everything is deliberately "functional-purist," says Kolping-Bishopric President Sebastian Schulz. The space should be completely different usable. Even one who is not a Christian can "dock." There is color lighting, music can be played, or a "prayer for peace" can be sent to one's cell phone.
From all over the world, a candle can be virtually lit via a QR code, which burns for 72 hours and also flickers on a monitor in the Tiny Church. A bell is also planned. A photovoltaic system is part of the concept. New ways in times of empty church pews and declining membership numbers?
The Archdiocese of Paderborn supports the "innovative idea" financially, speaking of a "future-oriented concept of a church that is on the move and present in the social-church sphere." At the Evangelical Church in Germany, it is said: "Church must be more flexible and present at changing locations." An EKD spokesperson emphasizes: "Communities will become more colorful and diverse, the spiritual needs and expectations of people will be different." The nearness to the people remains essential for church work - and Tiny Churches are "a successful way to make one's way to the people."
Another concept than the baker's cart
In the baden-württemberg community of Ruppertshofen near Stuttgart, there has been a movable mini-church since 2014, as evangelical pastor Uwe Bauer reports. Five meters long, 2.50 meters wide, with a bell and altar. "She is always in use, especially in summer for open-air services," describes the pastor. "It's noticeable: People come less and less to church, but when the church comes to them - to the campsite, to the parking lot, to the lake, then the people are there."
Now, the rolling chapel, Bank, carries 150 people, all of whom are always set up and fully occupied. "The longing for conversations, encounters, community is there." Presbyter Schulz from North Rhine-Westphalia emphasizes: "Small units will become more important." He sometimes attends church services with very few people in large halls. In such cases, there is no proper atmosphere. With the Tiny Church, one touches a nerve. He clarifies: "But it is not a chapel where I can now travel as a pastor and hold services, where there are none." It's not about replacing structures, he says, looking at churches that had to close due to declining membership numbers in Christian churches for years. So, there's no parallel to the bakery wagon that travels across the country because bakeries have consolidated.
Openly Receiving Ideas
The Tiny Church is meant to roll into society without strict guidelines, explains Eva-Klare Kurtenbach, the business manager of the Kolping-School. "We're open to taking in ideas first. We want to give freedom and are excited." One might wish to "introduce certain rituals," such as peace prayers. The little church could also be a resting place at parties, a place for encounters and conversations, or even a venue for a poetry slam. The "lost feeling in the large church" might be alleviated. The Tiny Church visits kindergartens.
"The Tiny Church is a great idea. I immediately said, I want to have it here for a week for the children and their families," reports Michaela Pape, head of the Adolph-Kolping-Kita in Borchen near Paderborn. "There is hardly any physical contact with the church in our society today." Most of the nearly 80 kindergarten children are non-denominational. They eagerly await the visit of the small church. Some of them gather in a circle on pillows. "In this small church, one can reflect on what one wants to do," explains Pape to them. The boys and girls sing loudly, talk about people they love, and light virtual candles on the screen. "I found it very cozy in there," says the five-year-old Tilda.
Is interest in the Tiny Church concept growing? Preparations have been underway in Frankfurt for some time for a Tiny Church that is expected to be completed by the end of the year and put to use in a rapidly growing residential area. "So far, we have had a come-culture - to the church in the village or in the city, which is very present as real estate. We're going out, into the neighborhood," says sociologist George Kurumthottikal from the St. Jakobus Community. "What we're trying out here and might possibly achieve could be applied to other new building areas. We're in contact with many cities."
The Tiny Church, a unique concept in the field of religion and architecture, has gained traction internationally due to its innovative design and adaptability. Visitors from various countries can virtually light a candle within the digital chapel, showcasing the globally connected nature of this portable church.
The XS-Chapel, with its distinctive features and contemporary approach, has sparked interest in other parts of Germany, encouraging the development of similar mobile churches in various regions.
