Churches and Christian groups across Switzerland are marking Ascension Day with outdoor services aimed at reaching people beyond traditional church settings, including gatherings at an airfield and motorcycle events, according to reporting by Swiss Christian outlet Livenet.ch.
One of the best-known events is taking place at Bleienbach Airfield near Langenthal in the canton of Bern, where the local Reformed church scheduled an Ascension Day service inside an aircraft hangar on May 14.
Pastor Pius Bichsel told Livenet.ch the setting was chosen deliberately to connect the Christian celebration of Jesus’ ascension with the experience of flight.
“Ascension Day and flying have always had a connection,” Bichsel said. “The takeoff of an airplane when you are sitting inside it is still something special. And the Ascension of Jesus is also something special.”
The service is being held in a hangar owned by aviation company Dätwyler, surrounded by vintage aircraft. Organizers also planned music from the Bleienbach youth brass band and a reception supported by the local Aero Club.
Bichsel said the service regularly attracts people from the surrounding region who might not normally attend church.
“Unfortunately, attending a regular church service has gone somewhat out of fashion, but a special location attracts many people,” he told Livenet.ch. “And the message is really the same.”
The pastor said former jumbo jet pilot Willy Kämpfer played a key role in organizing the event. Bichsel also reflected on his own interest in aviation, saying he once enrolled in a pre-flight training course before being ruled out because he wore glasses.
Motorcycle-themed services are also drawing participants in several parts of Switzerland this spring.
The Christian biker group “Jesus Wings” organized a motorcycle service in Trimbach, in the canton of Solothurn, featuring live music from the band “Highway Rebells” and a sermon by pastor Stephan Maag focused on the theme of “heartbeat.”
Bruno Hasler, president of Jesus Wings, compared heartbeat to faith, saying both are essential for life.
Maag, who has participated in motorcycle blessing events for several years, described bikers as a distinct subculture shaped by values such as freedom, authenticity and a connection to nature.
“I think motorcycle riders are an exciting and cool subculture,” Maag told Livenet.ch. “A handshake means something. It is authentic, real, unpolished.”
He also said many riders seek God’s protection because of the risks involved in motorcycling.
“Riding motorcycles is dangerous,” he said. “There is nothing better than being able to ask for God’s blessing from above.”
Jesus Wings is also involved in charitable activities beyond motorcycle events, including a Red Cross blood donation campaign scheduled for June 27-28 at Glaubenberg. The group also organizes annual motorcycle outings for people with disabilities.
Meanwhile, in Grenchen, a motorcycle blessing service was held for the first time this year at Eusebius Church, according to Livenet.ch.
The event was organized by parish pastoral worker Thomas Wehrli, himself a motorcycle enthusiast. Wehrli said the idea emerged after a near-accident while riding through Germany’s Black Forest region last summer.
“A car took my right of way,” Wehrli recalled. “You think along, think ahead, but you know there is an area that cannot be controlled.”
He described the blessing service as an opportunity for riders to place their journeys before God in a personal and practical way.
During his research, Wehrli found there are at least 20 motorcycle blessing events held across Switzerland, reflecting a broader effort by churches to engage with communities through shared interests and outdoor gatherings rather than traditional sanctuary services alone.
