Who we are · Fabrikstrasse 12, Bern
Christliches Zentrum Bern. The Word at the centre.
We are an evangelical free church at Fabrikstrasse 12 in Bern. Our service is every Sunday at 10 am: we preach through whole books of the Bible, and afterwards we have lunch together.
At a glance
- Church
- Evangelical free church, a Pentecostal church
- Organisation
- An association (Verein) based in Bern
- Service
- Sundays at 10 am, prayer from 9:25 am
- Sermon
- Whole books of the Bible, about 45 minutes, in German with live translation
- Bible
- The Elberfelder, a German translation that stays close to the original text
- Afterwards
- Lunch together, cooked every Sunday
- Children
- Three groups from 6 months to 11 years
Our name
Our name, Christian Centre, means what it says: God's Word is at the centre. We read the Bible as God's Word and live by it, even where it is uncomfortable.
That is why we preach through whole books of the Bible on Sundays. One book is explained in context, section by section. Then we move on to a book from the other Testament. This way we also hear the chapters that are rarely preached on.
As a free church we are independent of the state, and everyone who belongs does so by their own choice. Theologically, we are a Pentecostal church.
Through the whole Bible
One round through the Bible takes about four years. Book by book we go through all 66 books, alternating between the Old and the New Testament. When we have finished, we start again. In 2026 we are in our third round.
On Sunday
We meet in the hall on the ground floor and sit at tables. We begin with worship, singing together, accompanied by the band and the grand piano. Then comes the sermon, which you can follow live in your language. After the service we eat together in the same hall.
What we believe
Eight points from our statement of faith, in plain words.
The Bible
God's Word.
The Bible still speaks to us today. We trust it and live by it, even where it becomes uncomfortable.
Jesus Christ
He is at the centre.
Jesus is truly human and truly God. He died on the cross and rose bodily from the dead. The whole Bible is about him: the Old Testament points ahead to him, the New Testament tells of him.
The triune God
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the one God who exists eternally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God in three persons. He created the world, he sustains it, and he will judge every person.
Salvation
By grace, through faith.
No one can earn salvation. It is a gift of grace and is received by faith in Jesus. It begins with repentance: a person turns away from sin, trusts Jesus and gives him their life.
Baptism
For those who believe.
We baptise people who already believe (believer's baptism). The water saves no one. It shows before witnesses what has already been decided between a person and Jesus.
The Holy Spirit
He is at work today.
The Holy Spirit lives in everyone who belongs to Jesus. He comforts, guides and changes people, and he is still at work today through the gifts of the Spirit described in the New Testament.
Church
Many members, one body.
Whoever believes in Jesus belongs to his church. That is why we meet every Sunday, listen to the Bible together, sing and pray, and eat together afterwards.
Hope
Jesus is coming back.
We expect Jesus to return visibly and set everything right. No one knows when that will be, and we don't try to work out a date.