An ex-cattle market, a growing church, and a door only God could open. Read on as Tobias Haslund-Thomsen tells the story of how his church, Haven, landed in one of the most historic buildings in Aarhus.  

‘Since I came to Haven the church has grown numerically. Our old building held 50 people, and the lack of space had become a barrier for the church.’

But the Lord saw Haven’s struggles and heard the prayers of so many, and soon Tobias and his church family were presented with an amazing opportunity: an old building in a prime city location.

‘The building was built in 1865. It was constructed just outside the city walls (though we no longer have city walls) and was used to trade cattle for meat. It was one of the bigger buildings in Aarhus at the time and was made by a famous architect. Then, in the 1900s it was totally renovated, and is now situated downtown, as Aarhus has grown exponentially.’

The building was perfect for what the church needed, and it was clear the Lord’s hand was in everything.

‘The new building can comfortably fit 80 people, and at a push, 100. This gives us space to grow, a privilege we didn’t have before. Haven used to be a church with mostly students. But we now have a number of families with small children and we needed more room for kids’ ministry. We will now get access to two additional rooms, a kitchen and a café, which will allow us to do Sunday school and other ministries as well. The building has other spaces for rental that we might use in due course as the need will arise.

‘The sanctuary is absolutely beautiful and very well suited to be a place of worship.’

The building choice was also very strategic, most notably due to its iconic nature and location. Tobias explains, ‘The building is in a visible spot by a main road in downtown Aarhus. It is a strategic spot, by the marina and in between two major residential areas with tens of thousands of people.’

There are also no other churches in this immediate area, so the need for a community like Haven is especially significant.

Tobias asks that you ‘rejoice with us and give thanks for what the Lord has done and for this wonderful door that he has opened. Many of you have prayed for this, so this is an answer to your prayers as well.’

Please pray for grace and strength for Haven during this next season, that the congregation will grow spiritually, numerically, and financially as they settle into their new building. Please also lift up those who have recently joined the church, as well as the Danish and international communities in the surrounding area.

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