Giving a soul to the neighbourhood

It doesn't have a tower, but the Überseekirche is still a church. The meeting rooms in the Hafenpassage residential complex at Konsul-Smidt-Straße 33 are open to all interested parties. The ecumenical project is aimed at people of all ages, different religions, world views, origins and backgrounds. We present the current activities.

Neighbourhood support

Monday is dedicated to neighbourhood help. Volunteers support neighbours, for example with questions about finding a job or a flat, making phone calls to the authorities or filling out forms.

Prayer for peace and for the neighbourhood

Every Thursday at 12 noon, Pastor Nora Larsen invites you to pray for peace and for the neighbourhood. 15 minutes to pause and pray together. At irregular intervals, there are also other spiritual offerings such as church services or a queer Bible study group. Nora Larsen is of course also the contact person for everyone in the neighbourhood when it comes to pastoral care.

Überseewiese

The approximately 11,000 square metre open space is used by the Überseekirche and various stakeholders from the neighbourhood. Volunteers take care of raised beds, create seating, flowering areas and play and retreat areas for children on activity days. A stone labyrinth invites visitors to use it in a variety of ways.

The Portland daycare centre has created a playground on the Überseewiese with swings, a balancing course and a ball sports field. Although it is fenced off, it is open to the public after 4 pm and at weekends.

On Mondays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sofa e.V., the social-pedagogical family and life support organisation, offers the "Play and exercise" programme for all children on the Überseewiese.

The Creative Hub Visionskultur enlivens the Überseewiese (in bad weather the children's library) with various interactive programmes. In the Kids Space, every Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., children can practise circus acts, fold origami figures or try out other activities.

Every Thursday at 4 pm, a volunteer group collects rubbish on the Überseewiese. All the necessary utensils are provided by the Überseekirche.

As part of Days of Caring, companies can get involved in the area in a variety of ways. GEWOBA has leased the open space from WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH.

Children's and youth library Bücherhafen

In September 2022, the Bücherhafen children's and youth library opened in the Überseekirche youth centre. On Tuesdays from 4.30 to 6 p.m., children aged between 6 and 14 can browse and practise reading with volunteers. There is currently a book exchange programme with the Black Children's Library. The book harbour is happy to receive well-preserved children's books and volunteers. On Saturdays, a parents' initiative uses the children's library for a non-religious Arabic course.

Übersee-Kids

On Wednesdays from 4.30 to 6 p.m., the overseas kids (aged 6 to 10) meet in the youth room to play, do crafts, cook and have fun. There will also be an open board game time for children from November 2023, on Thursdays from 3 to 5 pm.

International Meet-up for young adults

Young adults between 18 and their mid-20s come together one Thursday evening a month to exchange ideas in an international context.

FrühstücksFreude

On the third Tuesday of the month, the Überseekirche sets the table for the neighbourhood breakfast in the meeting room. Bread rolls, milk, coffee, butter and eggs are provided. Neighbours bring their own treats to share.

Tischgemeinschaften

Under the motto "Eating in community", table fellowships take place on certain dates, such as the Harvest Thanksgiving of the harbour gardens, but also at Christmas (Christmas Eve). A kale tour with neighbours is also planned.

Holiday programmes

During the autumn and summer holidays, children and young people can take part in various activities and go on excursions. In the summer of 2023, for example, there was a lot of crafting and making under the motto: We're building a city!

Beratung JobKickPlus

JobKickPlus is a new programme. On the first and third Monday of every month, Monika Keiner from the Waller Beschäftigungs- und Qualifizierungsgesellschaft (WaBeQ) comes to the Überseekirche. She advises and supports women (25+) free of charge on starting or re-entering the labour market with very specific, practical and real-life tips.

Martinsclub youth group

The youth group from Martinsclub Bremen meets every fortnight on Fridays from 3.30 to 6.30 pm in the Überseekirche. The young people organise their free time together at the inclusive youth club. Anyone interested is asked to register with Martinsclub by calling +49 (0)421/53747-54 or sending an e-mail to jugend@martinsclub.de.

Actively shaping the Überseekirche

The Überseekirche wants to show what church can look like and how it can function. It is intended to be a place where community is experienced, neighbourhood help is actively practised and the neighbourhood is shaped together - in line with the Bible verse: "Seek the best for the city". Pastor Nora Larsen has been working towards this in Überseestadt since April 2023. The project was launched in 2019.

If you would like to help shape the Überseekirche's diverse programme, have ideas or would like to volunteer, please contact Nora Larsen directly, in person, by email at ueberseekirche@kirche-bremen.de, by phone on +49 (0)421/38 013 110 or by mobile on +49 (0)151/7004 1731.