What should a church in which as many people as possible feel comfortable look like? Christopher Schlicht and Maximilian Bode, the two young vicars, try it out. Not appearing too holy is important to both of them. Therefore, Vicar Max and Vicar Chris do not wear cassocks during services, but opt for denim jackets or flannel shirts. Their dog collars are the only thing that indicates they are vicars during the services.
And those that can’t attend in person can simply tune into the livestream. Neither of them preach from the pulpit because they want to be closer to the people who they invite to their so-called #zuhausekirche (home church). They say to everyone, “You are welcome at our church, no matter who you are or what you do. Just be yourself, that is enough”. While the protestant church in Germany has been working for years on plans to get off the back foot, the two vicars are already at the heart of it and are jumpstarting quirky projects.
“We are simply implementing what we would like to see from the church. And it is working really well!” Christopher Schlicht and Maximilian Bode
