FAQ
On this page you will find answers to frequently asked questions about the City Church and about faith. You can go directly to the questions about faith by clicking here.
About the church
What is Citykirken (the City Church)?
Citykirken is a modern and active free church in Aarhus West that has existed as such since 2010, when three free churches in the city merged. The church has around 500 adult members and a multitude of children and youth.
How are you different from the Church of Denmark?
In general, you can say that we relate to the Church of Denmark (Folkekirken) as an independent school to public schools (Folkeskolen). We are self-financing and not subject to the structure or liturgy of the Church of Denmark. A free church will typically be more contemporary in its expression and the members often more involved as it is usually a more active choice to attend a free church.
Where do you get money from?
From voluntary contributions. Some of the church's members give a fixed monthly amount or a percentage of their income and we take collections in connection with our services for everything that takes place inside and from the church. For some of our social projects, we of course also apply to funds and the like.
Do you have to be a member to go to church?
Not at all. You can come to any activity in the church, regardless of whether you are a member or not.
How do you become a member?
Every six months we have a membership course, JOIN, which explains what kind of church we are, our vision, values, theology and structure. In addition, you must have a conversation with one of our priests. The only requirement for membership is that you are a Christian and can accept what the church stands for (you don't have to agree with everything).
How do I join the church?
The easiest thing is to show up at a church service or other relevant event. After all our services we have a "connection point" that can help with further information.
How do I make friends in church?
The best way to get to know new people is by either joining a smaller group (we call them city groups) or joining a team. Here on the website, you can see some of everything that is going on and usually also who to contact to become part of it. Alternatively, you can write/call the church office.
Can I join a smaller group?
Yes, we have so-called "city groups", which are a kind of church in mini format, where you meet privately during the week. We have groups for all age groups and spread all over the city - see more HERE.
Where is Citykirken?
Why are you called Citykirken?
We don't just want to be a church for us who use the church on Sundays, but for the whole city. We love our city and pray and work for it to do well.
What do you offer?
The City Church is a diverse church and therefore there are activities for all age groups and many interests - see the overview HERE.
Can my kids come?
They certainly can. On Sundays we have a children's church (Mango) during the service and during the week there are gatherings for all age groups - see more HERE.
Are you accessible for the disabled?
Yes, we are wheelchair accessible and have accessible toilets on the ground floor.
How are you organized?
We are an independent free church with roots and relations in the Apostolic Church and the Pentecostal Church (now Mosaic). We have a pastoral team, a leadership team and 2 supervisors attached to the church. In addition, we have an annual meeting where we vote on the approval of accounts, budgets, possible clerical appointments, etc.
Weren't you Pentecostal once?
Yes, the Pentecost Church used to be located at the address, but in 2010 it merged with two Apostolic Free Churches in the city and became Citykirken. We actually dissolved the three churches and started over with the question "What should church look in 2010?".
What do you do about social challenges?
We believe in the importance of Christianity not only in words, but also in action. That is why we reach out with the means and abilities we have as a church. Among other things, we work with the homeless in the city center and manage family networks in Aarhus West - see HERE.
Are you perfect since you believe you can help everyone else?
We absolutely are not, but we believe that God loves every individual and has plans for them and put gifts in them. Therefore, we have no solutions ourselves, but we believe God has them for everyone and it is Him we want to point to.
About faith
Who is God?
"God said to Moses: “I am who I am.” And he said: “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”" (Exodus 3:14 ESV)
The slightly longer answer is that God is the one who created the whole world including you, your great-grandfather and your great-great-grandchildren. He Himself is uncreated – the self-existent cause of everything. He created you and knows you better than you know yourself. In fact, He sees all versions of you – the one you are with your friends, your grandmother and when no one is looking, but also the one you once were and the one you have the potential to become.
God is also the one who showed Himself by becoming human in the form of Jesus, who rose from the dead for your sake and mine, so that we can live an eternal life with Him. Through Jesus, God sees you as completely pure and without sin when you have discovered and accepted Jesus as your savior. Because He sees all of you – through Jesus – He loves you completely unconditionally.
Why are there three gods with you (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)?
As mentioned, the Trinity consists of three people: the Father, the Son (also called Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. You could say that they each have their own role in the Trinity. The Father created the whole world. Jesus saved us when He gave His life for us on the cross. And the Holy Spirit is a kind of companion that we can bring with us in our everyday life. The Holy Spirit is God on the inside, someone we can feel and listen to if we pay attention and spend time getting to know His "voice".
Together they form an entity that is both one and three at the same time.
What/who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the part of God that is closest to us right now. God on the inside, if you will. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit was to guide, comfort and strengthen us. It lives in every Christian and wants to be our friend and counselor. If we spend time with God and the Holy Spirit, we can learn to know His "voice" from our own internal voice. In this way, He can guide us in everyday life as well as difficult situations.
We also believe that He wants to do the same through Christians today as Jesus did when He physically walked the earth - to set people free, teach, guide and heal the sick.
It is also the Holy Spirit that allows us to speak in tongues – a way for your soul to speak directly to God in a language that only God understands. If you would like to try speaking in tongues, we would love to pray with you.
How do I become a Christian?
You have to give up 🙂 Essentially, Christianity is about surrendering and realizing that we don't know what is best for us. There is a God who created us and wants contact with His creation, but there is something between us - we fall short. The good news is that Jesus came to earth to show us what God is like and to create direct access to Him. Therefore you must give your life to Him and say "I surrender, come and be Lord in my life". Then you can have a brand new beginning. The Bible compares it to being born again! If you would like help establishing contact with God, please contact one of us HERE.
What do you believe in?
Our confession of faith is the Apostles' Creed as known from the Church of Denmark and most churches around the world. We have formulated our vision based on the Lord's Prayer, where Jesus teaches us to pray "thy kingdom come" and "thy will be done". We exist to be part of that. We believe this happens best when we receive and pass on God's love.
What does God say about sexuality?
God created man and He created our sexuality. At the same time, He has told us how it is best lived out – in a committed, lifelong relationship between one man and one woman. This is not how the majority of Danes live out their sexual lives and we do not interfere in that as a church, but at the same time we would like to point to the ideal in which sexuality was created to thrive, because we believe it is the optimum for us humans.
What do you think about politics?
God has put in place structures both in society and the church, which can be used and abused. We believe we are called to be a blessing to society, both directly and indirectly, and will therefore also support the authorities and pray for them. We are not affiliated with any political parties and probably have members from all parties in the Danish parliament.
What is sin?
It is a difficult word for many, but could perhaps be better translated "when we miss the mark", "when we fall short" or "our imperfection". Therefore we are all sinners, but Jesus came with His perfection to make the best barter in history. He took our sin and we received His righteousness.
What is love?
God is love. He is the source of love itself. But Christianity is not primarily about charity. It is about God's unconditional love for us and when we experience it, it "overflows" to those around us, fortunately.
What is faith?
Faith is trust. Not something uncertain or shaky, but relational. When we come to God, we must trust that He is there, that He wants something good for us and that He will answer us.
Why is there evil and suffering in the world?
We all feel that the world is not as it should be – something is wrong. That is precisely the message of the Bible. We (as humanity) have rebelled against God and got what we wanted - a world where we decide for ourselves. But that is not His ideal. He longs to be invited back into it and show what He really meant it to be. That is why we pray "thy kingdom come" and "thy will be done".
Why do you baptize adults?
In short, because it is the original Christian baptism. Jesus and the first disciples baptized only people who had chosen it themselves and it was a kind of public "confession" of being a Christian. That is why we don't baptize children either, but we have a "child blessing" at our church services, where we pray for God's care and protection for the infant and its parents.