For more than 100 years there has been a United Methodist church in Aalborg. In 1996 the old parish ceased to be an independant congregation. Since then the community has been ministered to by Strandby UMC.
In 1999, pastor Charlotte Thaarup wrote to the young people that had moved from Strandby to Aalborg. Aalborg is a city with students, Strandby is a smallcity with 2500 inhabitants, of which 500 are methodists.
The students started to meet, once a month, in the premises of a baptist church for food, fellowship and Bible reading. Due to some problems, the work almost ceased but was re-started in 2005 with monthly gatherings, this time in homes. In 2006 many in the group got a renewed vision for the work that now was moved to a baptist church again. A plan was made concerning the future: How would the group want the work to be like after 3 years?
Charlotte shares:
- Important people moved to the city, for example Peter Uth, who now studies theology. One evening he asked me a crucial question: ”Is this to become a church or a cosy fellowship for people from Strandby?” – After having thought for a while the people in my group said ”a church!”, if possible.
The group started to look for an own place. The vision was a church-café – an pen, easyily available place. Sønderbro 2 was the result.
ActA is the name of the church. This because the group has read the book of Acts together and the two letters AA are also found in ”Aalborg”.
Concerning the mission, vision and dreams of the church Charlotte and the group say:
The vision is to gain courage to be a methodist church in Aalborg, where people come to personal faith and where church rituals are performed.
The mission is to show the love of Jesus to people, through personal example, through solid involvement and open fellowship.
Dreams:
The group plans to do an Alpha-course after Christmas 2010.
Weekend trips – this is something that has been done twice already.
Distribution of Christmas packages (food) – was already done in 2009 with 12 packages. This year 50 packages is the plan.
Worship services (with program for kids) – In 2010 the group started with worship services one Wednesday evening and one Sunday after-noon per month.
Scouts
Café with lecturing
Three members have been welcomed and two children have been baptised in Aalborg.
- We are continually working on being church for those we know – students, youth and young families, the group shares. Each year new people from Strandby arrive in Aalborg. The worship services are relaxed and evangelical. We sing hymns with piano or guitar. We celebrate Holy Communion and the sermon is often in the form of a discussion. We write down prayer-requests and pray for them.
Most of the young people in the group have leadership experience in the methodist church nationally. In Acta we don’t train leaders, we live together and find solutions as we discuss, think and pray together. Decisions are made when we are in unity.
We speak Danish but have contact with a Russian methodist. Our attention has also been drawn to some people from East-Europe and we feel we might have a calling there.
Charlotte says:
- Many years I have believed that Strandby was to plant a church. At one point, I was thinking whether we were to go north, to Skagen, or south, to Aalborg. When the old parish in Alborg was laid down I was sure that it was right there where the new plant was to start. The young people that move to Aalborg would lose their conncetion to the church if they are not taken care of where they live. They are way too valuable to lose. However, if the young people themselves had not expressed a vision for ActA, the work had not been able to continue, in that way it is not my own project. And if not the church in Strandby had seen the church as their project and given financial support to it and if the work had not grown step-by-step, it probably would not have continued. From a human point of view I believe ActA has good chances to become a sound and strong church. So far it is a plant under the cover of Strandby UMC.
Some 17 adults and 5 small kids are so far part of the fellowship. Then there are also about 5 adults and 8 kids that come from time to time. There are other methodists in Aalborg or nearby that could become part of ActA. People in other cities in Denmark have also contacted us and shared about friends they have in Aalborg that could become part of the fellowship. The question is, whether the ActA-people have strength and possibilities to work on these contacts.
Charlotte summarizes:
- One day I was standing in a café that I visit on and off in Aalborg. As I was to pay my coffee I prayed: ”Lord, how are we to reach these people – how are they to learn to know you?” I looked up and saw, through the window, a glass door on the other side of the street where the word ”ACTA” was painted. – I took it as a sign that the church is God’s vessel in reaching the people in the city, thanked Him and wondered why I had not seen the sign before? Some months later I wanted to show the sign to one of the young people. It was not there anymore!! I have not investigated what it stood for and why it suddenly was gone – the crucial was the fact that God had spoken.
Visit Acta at http://metodistkirken-acta.dk/
Camilla Klockars