Midweek Meditation: The Spirit of the Liturgy
Elmar grew up thinking liturgy was a dead form of religion. What changed his mind? Read this week’s Midweek Meditation.
PS.: Last week’s Wednesday Email had the wrong link for Klaus’ Midweek Meditation about his ‘burning bush experience’. Please accept our apology and read his text here on the ACF website.
This Sunday: Harvest Festival & EGM
On Sunday, 4th October we will have our annual Harvest Festival to celebrate God for all the gifts he has given us! As your harvest offering, you are invited to bring non-perishable packaged foods which will be passed on to the Freiburg Salvation Army for the amazing work they are doing.
We’re looking forward to worshipping with you and to collecting everyone’s generous donations.
You are invited to attend an extraordinary general meeting, directly after the church service and before coffee on 4th October 2026. The purpose of the meeting is to vote on a resolution that was recently approved by the Church Council and Vereinsvorstand regarding the chaplain’s employment contract. All whose names are on the ACF electoral roll are eligible to vote.
News and Prayer Request from Iris
My dear friends,
warmest greetings from Gaborone, Botswana. I have now been living here for several years. Unfortunately, the reason for this short article is a sad one. I’m sure many of you still have fond memories of Bishop Trevor Mwamba. During our vacancy, he served in our parish for a few months. I remember him as a kind and gentle priest whose sermons touched me with their piety and came from someone who was clearly passionate about literature.
In mid-August, there was some very bad news in the local Anglican church chat group: “Opposition politicians had been arrested in connection with the elections in Zambia. Among them is the 68-year-old, and everyone involved is deeply concerned.”
You can find further information here and here. I wanted to ensure you were also aware of this dire situation. Please keep him, his family and the people of Zambia in your prayers.
Iris Gertschar
Mark Your Diary: Special Events
Upcoming Ecumenical Events in Freiburg
As a diaspora church, we value our connections across Freiburg’s faith community. Here are some ecumenical events happening over the next few weeks—different in style and focus, but all worth your time.
Hagios St. Ursula singing – 1st October, 6:30 pm. Open group singing of peace songs at St. Ursula Church. Monthly on the first Thursday. No musical skill needed—just come and add your voice to the others. About an hour.
Dance Service – 3rd October, 6 pm. “go(o)d moves freiburg” invite everyone to celebrate harvest with movement, gesture, and song at Petruskirche. All ages welcome. Bring something to share for the meal afterwards.
Letting Go and Releasing – 18th October, 5 pm. An ecumenical service with blessing for anyone going through separation or divorce. Held at Thomaskirche in Zähringen. A gentle, honest space.
Faith in conversation with AI – 22nd October, 7:30 pm. What does ChatGPT mean for faith? Two speakers explore the possibilities and limits of AI from a Christian perspective at the Methodist Church. Free; donations welcome.
International Justice Mission (IJM) Meeting – Mon, 5th Oct, 7:30 pm
Some of you may remember a talk that Lauren gave last March at the women’s breakfast about the work of the International Justice Mission, a Christian global organisation fighting modern slavery in many countries around the globe.
On Monday, 5th Oct will be the second meeting of the revived IJM group Freiburg, meeting at our church rooms and led by Lauren. If you would like to learn more or even consider joining the IJM efforts you are welcome to come along. The group is meeting monthly for about 90 minutes.
Intercultural connections: Music, Language & Belonging – Wed, 7th Oct, 5 pm
We’re hosting an event that brings people together around the things that connect us across cultures: music, language, and personal stories. On 7th Oct at 5 pm you are invited to ‘Intercultural connections: Music, Language & Belonging’ as part of the 2026 Freiburg Intercultural Week.
This event aims to create meaningful connections between people from different cultural backgrounds through shared experiences of language, music, and personal stories. Instead of focusing on theoretical discussions, the event encourages participants to actively engage with one another, discovering both differences and common human experiences such as belonging, identity, and communication.
Joint Service at St Ursula Church – Sun, 11th Oct, 10:30 am
On Sunday, 11th Oct at 10:30 am we have the pleasure to join our sisters and brothers of the Old Catholic congregation for our cherished twice-yearly joint Holy Communion service. The service will be led in German and English by clergy from both congregations at St Ursula Church, Rathausgasse 50.
We’re very much looking forward to worshipping together, to sharing in communion, and to celebrate our friendship!
Please note that there will not be a service at our own church location that Sunday.
Save the Date: Upcoming Events
Here’s a very brief overview of other special services and events coming up:
- 10th Oct – What Next? A Young Adults’ Creative Night
- 1st Nov – All Saints Day Requiem Eucharist
- 8th Nov – Remembrance Sunday
- 14th Nov – Young Adults Welcome Night
- 15th Nov – Safeguarding Sunday
- 29th Nov – Advent Sunday
- 16th Dec – Service of Nine Lessons and Carols (8 pm, St Ursula Church)
- 21st Dec – Blue Christmas (7 pm)
- 6th – 9th May 2027 – ACF Weekend Away
Adopt a Sloth (dishes included)
Three new residents have moved into the ACF kitchen: sponges shaped like sloths. After every service, they are up for adoption. Adopt one, and you join a few others for a short kitchen shift: washing up and putting things back in order.
Our three new helpers are Brother Lawrence (who encountered God’s presence while working in a 16th century monastery kitchen), plus the ACF’s patron saints Saint Boniface (patron saint of Germany) and Saint George (patron saint of England and of Freiburg).
Every sloth needs a home, and every kitchen needs a few extra hands. Next Sunday, come and meet them and adopt one. It only takes a little time, and it’s a good way to get to know someone new while doing the dishes.
This Week & Regular Rhythms
This week at the ACF
- Compline
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 9:00 pm
on zoom - Open Café at St Ursula Church
Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 3:00 pm
An open invitation by our friends of the Old Catholic at St Ursula Church, Rathausgasse 50. Pop in for coffee, tea & cake, chats, creativity and board games, and a free tour of the church and crypt (4:30 pm). - Men’s Breakfast
Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 8:00 am
at church - Morning Worship: Harvest Festival
Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 11:30 am
Led by Rev’d Vinod Victor
Bring you harvest offerings of non-perishable food items which we will pass on to our friends at the Freiburg Salvation Army. - Extraordinary General Meeting
Sunday, October 4, 2026 immediately after the service
All whose names are on the ACF electoral roll are eligible to vote. - Singing Group Practice
Sunday, October 4, 2026 after the service
New singers are always welcome!
Click here for the ACF zoom link and here for the ACF calendar for the coming months.
Regular ACF Groups
- Singing Group – practice usually on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month after the service. New singers of all levels are always welcome!
- Wise Ones – gathering of the older ACF members, aged 55+
Coffee Afternoon at Café Schwarzes Kloster, Rathausgasse 48 at 3 pm on 30th Oct 2026
Wine & Cheese Evening at church at 6 pm on 25th Sept & 27th Nov 2026 - Young Adult Group – for young people 18 years+
every last Saturday of the month at 6 pm at the vicarage (Ludwigstr. 6) - Men’s Breakfast
every first Saturday of the month at 8 am at church - Freiburg North Homegroup
Fortnightly on Thursdays at 8 pm – at a private home in Gundelfingen or Sexau.
Check the church calendar here for our upcoming meeting dates. - Freiburg Central Homegroup
Fortnightly on Mondays at 7:30 pm – at a private home near Freiburg city center.
Check the church calendar here for our upcoming meeting dates. - Women’s Prayer Group
monthly on Thursdays, either on zoom or in person at church.
Check the church calendar here for our upcoming meeting dates. - Men’s Prayer Group
every first Wednesday of the month at 7 pm at the vicarage (Ludwigsstr. 6, Freiburg) - ‘Unboxed’ – fun community events
once or twice a months at different times & locations.
Check the church calendar here for our upcoming meeting dates.
To learn more about our regular groups and gatherings click here, and to view & subscribe to the ACF calendar click here.
The pastor is just a call away!
Call, text or WhatsApp Rev’d Vinod Victor on +49-176-46614418 or +91 9447 151017,
or email him at chaplainfreiburg@gmail.com.
Service & Events Calendar
News Archive
Find past news items on the following pages:
- The Anglican Church Freiburg – Our News Archive!
- The Church of England
- The Diocese in Europe and
- Our ecumenical friends in Germany
Supporting the ACF financially
We’re so grateful for your support and prayers for our church. We are independent from any external funding sources, such as German taxes (Kirchesteuer), the Church of England, or other institutions. We depend on the generous donations of our members and friends to cover all our expenses (the minister’s salary, rent, insurances, diocese contributions, …). Unfortunately, our reserves are running low and we need your help to keep going.
We want to continue to serve God and our community with love and faithfulness. That’s why we’re asking you to consider donating to the ACF on a regular basis. By setting up a standing bank order, you can help us plan our budget and resources more effectively. It’s easy and secure, and you can cancel or change it anytime. Thank you for your generosity and God bless you!
Would you like to help fund the work of the ACF?
The best way to help is setting up a monthly direct debit to
Anglican Church in Freiburg e.V.
Sparkasse Freiburg
IBAN: DE29 6805 0101 0002 5119 20
SWIFT / BIC: FRSPDE66
Other giving options, such as online donations, are laid out here on our website.
If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to contact our treasurers at treasurer@anglican-church-freiburg.de or pick up a Donate Flyer from church.
Praying for each other
If you have personal matters that you would like to be included in the public intercessions during our Sunday morning church services, we encourage you to reach out to our chaplain Vinod Victor (see contact details below). Your concerns, joys, and requests can be shared with the congregation, allowing us to support and uplift one another in prayer. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the chaplain and let your voice be heard during our Sunday services.
ACF Safeguarding Policy
As a church community, we are committed to creating a safe environment for everyone, especially children and vulnerable adults. Please find here our safeguarding policy, which outlines our procedures and responsibilities. We ask all members to familiarise themselves with this important document as we work together to promote a safer church.
Most of our volunteers are currently undertaking safeguarding training to ensure we maintain the highest standards of care and protection. A big thank you to everyone who has already done so! If you’d like to learn more about safeguarding training, emergeny contact people, helplines and more, please visit our website here.
If you have any questions or concerns about safeguarding, please don’t hesitate to speak with our safeguarding officers Judith & Ceri, who are here to help and support you.
