Hermannsburg Congregation
The Peter Paul congregation in Hermannsburg serves a multi-lingual community, even though it still retains a strong German character, and so we
communicate mainly in English as the common language understood by everyone we serve. Services are conducted in English and German, alternating every Sunday. Should there however be non-German speakers attending a German service, the Pastor will seamlessly switch to English or Afrikaans for a part of the service to accommodate everyone attending. Festival services, like Easter and Christmas, are usually conducted bilingually. Occasionally we join one of our sister congregations in KwaZulu-Natal for combined services, especially when there is a choir festival or brass band festival. These services are announced well in advance in our bi-monthly newsletter. As in any vibrant congregation, especially in the ELCSA (N-T), music plays an important role and comes in a variety of forms and from a range of sources. We have a brass band, choir and scholar worship team (which supports and conducts regular youth services). Our congregation offers and/or participates in a variety of activities: a weekly youth group meeting, Bible study group, seniors’ communion, prayer groups, youth camps (e.g. Kailager, KT camp, Rüstwoche) and confirmation classes. “Children are the future” goes the old saying, but they are also the present, and so a great deal of emphasis is placed on the children's ministry. This is also a ministry that the congregation promotes strongly especially because of the strong ties to the school. The congregation aims to provide its members with a spiritual home, where they can attend worship services, participate in various teaching forums (e.g. bible studies or occasional courses) and enjoy fellowship with other Christians. In line with the mission statement, these activities are aimed at equipping our members and helping them to grow. Members of the congregation have a number of opportunities to engage in conversation with each other, be it after the Sunday services, at ‘happy hours’ or wherever they may meet each other. While nothing beats a face-to-face conversation, communication also takes place via email, the congregation’s Whatsapp group and the bi-monthly newsletter. Important announcements are read out at the start of every Sunday service. Prospective members are invited to a discussion with the pastor before applying for membership in writing. Guests who are interested in further information can also be added to our mailing list. The Peter Paul congregation in Hermannsburg was founded in 1854, with the arrival of Lutheran missionaries from Germany, initially to serve the missionaries and their families. Over the course of the past 160 and more years, the congregation has stayed relevant, serving the larger community for more than a century as well as being closely involved with the Hermannsburg school. The congregation is affiliated to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Africa (N-T), or ELCSA (N-T). |
Pastor: Rene Risch Cell No: 083 259 1660 Email: hmb.congregation @gom.co.za 
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Church Services:
10 am every Sunday 1st Sunday – German with Holy Communion (with the congregation choir) 2nd Sunday - English (youth service during school term) 3rd Sunday - German (accompanied by the brass band) 4th Sunday - English with Holy Communion (either a 'traditional' or a youth service) 5th Sunday - Bilingual (English and German service) Contact details: 033 815 1299 / 083 259 1660 [email protected] Physical Address: Peter Paul Congregation, Hermannsburg GPS Coordinates S 29,04259E E 30,79258E |