It should be something special, Christmas.
Therefore, the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Starnberg has come up with a lot.
Starnberg
- The Evangelical Lutheran parish of Starnberg is responding to the challenges posed by the corona pandemic at Christmas with an unprecedented program.
"I think we will offer people something special," said Pastor Dr.
Stefan Koch yesterday when he and his counterparts Dr.
Anne Stempel-de Fallois and Johannes de Fallois as well as Cantor Ralf Wagner presented the concept.
“I'm really looking forward to Christmas Eve,” he said.
The focus is on the Carolinenhaus and the Maypole Square in Söcking as well as the Friedenskirche on Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße.
Christmas Eve in Söcking
From 4pm to 6pm there will be five “meeting places” between Maibaum and Carolinenhaus, as Stempel-de Fallois said.
There are girls and boys from kindergarten, after-school care and elementary school, who show a small shepherd scene at one station and the rejection of Mary and Joseph looking for a hostel at another.
There are also singing angels, a liturgical place for receiving blessings and the room of adoration with the classic nativity scene.
There should be fire bowls and Christmas decorations.
There is also a large, wooden angel that the confirmation Leo Bartel built with his father Max.
On and with the angel, the participants can have themselves photographed or filmed and the good news spread via social media.
“We rely on area and width,” said Stempel-de Fallois.
“People can visit the locations one after the other.” The hygienic distance of 1.50 meters should be maintained.
In addition, young people from the community and scouts have agreed to take over security services.
"There mustn't be too many people in one place at the same time," said the pastor.
On the Advent Sundays before that, there are already two precursors on the way to the crib.
On the 3rd Advent at 11 a.m., an open-air service begins at the former Schäferplatz an der Linde - with horse and cow, with dogs and rabbits.
Motto: “It's not far to the crib.” And a forest Christmas is planned for the 4th Advent at 5 p.m. - behind the Progress Children's House on the Höhenweg, 300 meters into the forest.
"We follow the star to the crib" is the motto.
Christmas Eve in Starnberg
In and at the Friedenskirche, families and single people can experience almost the whole of Christmas Eve over Christmas.
At 2 p.m., the dwarf service begins in the Protestant parish hall for all children up to primary school age.
This is followed by the children's vespers at 3 p.m.
It takes place in front of the church, where a stable is set up.
Between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., a total of nine services are planned, each of which will take place at three stations both outdoors and in the church.
Station one is in front of the church where there will be a fire.
The second copy of the large wooden angel is said to be there.
Station two is in the church.
The doors open every 30 minutes, so that a maximum of 70 people can enter.
"There we are rebuilding the altar, we are opening it to a crib," said Stefan Koch.
“So we ask people to go to the crib with us.” Meanwhile, the pews have moved to the sides.
Finally, station three is the stable on the church square.
"There we sing 'Silent Night' and 'O you happy' and pray the Our Father," explained Johannes de Fallois.
“Nobody has to wait longer than half an hour,” promised Koch.
Maintaining a distance of 1.50 meters and wearing mouth and nose protection are mandatory.
There will also be a security service there.
But Koch is very confident: “If we had to reckon with irrationality, we would have to skip it altogether.” But that's how he and his colleagues want to prepare a Christian Christmas for all those who wish.
And who knows: "Maybe this concept is a way forward."
Christmas Eve ends with Christmas Vespers at 10 p.m.
Then the pews in the church should be back in their usual place.
More services
There is also a celebration on Christmas Eve in the Percha Monastery of Malta (10 a.m.), the Söcking Monastery in Rummelsberg (2 p.m.) and the Starnberg Monastery in Rummelsberg (3 p.m.).
On Christmas Day, church services are at 9.30 a.m. in the Rummelsberger Stift Starnberg, at 11 a.m. in the Rummelsberger Stift Söcking and at 4 p.m. on the Steininger property.
