you are welcome Here
What to expect when you visit us
Living internationally, you need a place where you can feel support and comfort—many immigrants, expats, travelers, and Slovaks find that sense of home at BIC. None of these labels matter when we gather, only the label as child of God. Come spend an hour with us on Sunday. God’s message is grace and forgiveness through Christ and we are here to live it out.
What is Worship like?
When you enter the Maly kostol, someone will be at the door to greet you with a red worship book and a bulletin indicating the order of worship. Sit wherever you are comfortable; the main sanctuary, the balcony, or behind the glass partition. Some people arrive in their Sunday-best, others prefer to worship casually—come as you are.
BIC's Worship Service is the only English service that celebrates Holy Communion every Sunday. Holy Communion is an invitation to the Lord's table, with Christ as our host, and ALL are welcome.
What is congregational life like outside of worship?
Coffee & Fellowship
After worship, we walk next door to Cafe Next Apache. If you're new, just follow the crowd or ask someone to help you find it. This is something people really look forward to. It's relaxed and casual. People sit together with free coffee or tea and get to know new members or catch up with friends.
We Get Together often to Strengthen our Faith and Serve Others
The congregation gathers many times throughout any given week and is engaged in a variety of other ministries throughout the year.
Worship Space
Check out a 360º view.
The church is called Malý Kostol (Small Church) in Slovak. That’s because it’s a part of the CZ ECAV Bratislava Staré Mesto parish and right next to the Veľký Kostol (Big Church). The Big Church is the Slovak Lutheran Church’s main worship space.
We are thankful for the ministry of the Slovak Lutheran Church (ECAV) and hosting BIC in the Malý Kostol. They also have Lutheran worship services each Sunday for two other language groups: German-speaking (9:00) and Hungarian-speaking (11:30).
Congregation
Singles, families, backpackers, students, professionals, preschoolers, and senior adults. Everyone is welcome.
Bratislava is a very international city, so we are a very international and diverse congregation. We have members from the USA, Canada, the UK, several African countries, and a handful of countries from Europe and Asia.
So if you're new to Bratislava or Slovakia, there will certainly be someone at worship who can answer your new-to-living-in-Slovakia questions.
How to get Here
It can be tricky the first time.
Come to Panenská 26. We’re the yellow building that doesn’t look like a church you’re used to seeing. There are no religious markings and crosses on the outside (there’s some interesting history to that).
Use the small door in the Lycejna alley to enter. If you’re coming from Panenská use the second doors on your left in the alley. It’s all cobblestone, so please watch your step.
We hope this helps you find your way. But if you are a few minutes late because of trouble finding the church, you wouldn't be the first. Come on in. All are welcome.
Leadership
Our pastors have always come from our relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. And although our congregation is always changing, we have a wonderful Church Council that helps in leading the church. Part of the ministry of Bratislava International Church is to support and foster future leaders of the Lutheran Church through the Horizon Internship Program. Each year we also have an intern pastor from the United States.
History
The Bratislava International Church owes its origins to the re-opening of the Evanjelické Lýceum (Lutheran High School). That school, whose history goes back to 1606, was closed during the communist-era and re-opened in September of 1991 as a bilingual Slovak-English institution. The Lutheran Church in Slovakia asked the Lutheran Churches in the United States to provide volunteer English teachers to help with this new start.
At first, informal worship services were held at the school primarily for the teachers and interested students. In 1994, Pastors Twila Schock and William Swanson and Associate in Ministry Lynnae Sorensen were called to further develop the religion department and to establish a weekly worshiping congregation in Bratislava.
Affiliations
Our congregation has close ties to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, receiving pastors and interns from the Global Mission Unit of the ELCA. In addition to this relationship, the congregation functions as a ministry of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession.