Magical church service in Emden: Harry Potter meets faith!

Magical church service in Emden: Harry Potter meets faith!

A very special event will be celebrated in Emden on Saturday, November 1st, 2025 - the first interactive service entitled “Harry Potter – Beyond the Veil”. Organized by the Martin Luther Congregation, this service is an exciting combination of film and faith. Led by the Emden pastor Mona Bürger and the Bremen pastor Julia Winter, the event starts at 5 p.m. in the Markuskirche, Jahnstraße 9.

This service addresses profound themes such as death, eternity and courage, in the spirit of a scene from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” in which the character Sirius Black falls through a magical veil into the realm of the dead. The church will be transformed into a Hogwarts-style “Muggle church” that evening. Participants can look forward to various hands-on stations that invite them to marvel and participate, as well as musical performances by the Emden Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Marc Waskowiak.

A feast for the senses

Things get particularly exciting with an offer of sweets from the “honey pot” and delicious magic potions that bring the atmosphere of the Harry Potter world to life. The target group is both long-time Harry Potter fans and curious people, although costumes are welcome, but not mandatory. If you want to add a touch of magic to your Saturday evening, you shouldn't miss this service.

Similar events are now taking over other communities, such as in Vellmar, northern Hesse, where a Harry Potter service recently took place. As Fabian Vogt from the Evangelical Church explains, more and more congregations are using creative formats to appeal to people who cannot necessarily identify with classic church services. These approaches not only support connection to community, but also help one see faith in a new light. “Jesus asked the question about the needs of people,” says Vogt, and he sees parallels between the message of Harry Potter and that of Christianity regarding friendship and love.

A trend with a future

The popularity of such thematic services is increasing, and more and more people seem to be open to creative approaches. An example is the Harry Potter service in Albersweiler, where the church was decorated with electric candles to create a floating effect. There, participants were able to immerse themselves in interactive stations that connected the Bible with Harry Potter. Such services aim to make faith tangible and relevant, especially for the younger generation, who often seek other approaches to faith.

As a highlight, the interactive service in Bremen will be repeated on November 14th at 6 p.m. and thus appeals to an expanded target group. The Diocese of Trier and the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate support such creative formats. Pastor Ute Metzger is also planning new editions of Harry Potter services and is even thinking about other exciting topics such as Star Wars or ABBA. The church should not only be serious, but also bring joy, and that seems to have been achieved perfectly here.

If you want to bring the magical into your everyday life, you should mark November 1st in Emden and be ready to immerse yourself in the magical world of Harry Potter!

For more information, visit the articles from oz online, church-in-hr and zeit.de.