Life Church Salzburg

Church Name: LIFE Church Salzburg

Church Location: Judengasse 13. SALZBURG

Church Service: Sunday 4:30pm

What do we need to know about you?

My name is Franz Guzelnig, I’m 62 years old and married to Burgi. We have 4 grown

up kids and 9 grandkids, the 10th just arriving. Since 1996 I’m senior pastor of LIFE-

Church Villach. I built this church but also helped founding and growing other

churches at the same time. For quite a while I was senior pastor of LIFE-Church

Klagenfurt and currently, since fall 2023 of LIFE-Church Salzburg.

How did you become the pastor of LIFE-Church Salzburg?

LIFE-Church Salzburg has been through a challenging journey. Before me it was pastored temporarily for two years by Gianni Gaeta. I always felt connected to Salzburg especially since I preached there several times. I love the city

and I love the people. As soon I could transfer the Klagenfurt’s pastorate to a

young couple, I took the opportunity to come to Salzburg. My work as a Pastor in

Villach takes about 60% of my time and 40% I’m in Salzburg. I’m not living there but

I’m riding back and forth on the train often. One ride takes about 2 hours and it’s easy to. handle. Our team in Salzburg is very strong and consists of several experienced elderly Christians. We are a great team.

How do you describe LIFE-Church Salzburg?

We are very hospitable! There’s food after every service. We have a gift to host,

invite and receive people. There’s genuine friendship. We are a smaller church, the

core about 20 to 25 people. Some of our services have a greater attendance of

about 30 to 40. A “LIFE-Story-Service” will attract up to 60 people. We are

reaching evangelistically into the city. We want to win new people for God’ Kingdom

not other Christians. We have so many churches in Salzburg but our heart is to reach new people. Our Vision is to reach younger folks and train and establish leadership.

On the long run we are looking for younger leaders here in Salzburg. I’m so blessed

here!

What do you love about being a pastor and founding churches together with LIFE-

Church?

I absolutely love to work with new people. Planting churches means to be on the

move evangelistically and reach new people. It means to disciple them, and teach them all. This is what Jesus commanded us to do, as it is told in the Great Commission.

We started in Villach with about 5 to 10 people, and now we count 150. It has been

built up through the years. That’s my goal for Salzburg, too. Enabling growth for the

people and the church and put forth leadership. In LIFE-Church Austria we have the

Vision to plant a Church in every district city. My desire is to stay as a co-worker in

that process.

Right now, my focus is Salzburg because it’s an important city. Salzburg is widely

known all over the World second to Vienna. Salzburg is a cultural hub, take Mozart or

“Jedermann”, This is a Christian play actually, about a rich guy who asks for the meaning of life after confronted with death himself. Salzburg is visited by many tourists too. And we are living right at the boarder to. Germany which makes the City even more attractive. To sum it up: We need a strong

LIFE-Church here in Salzburg. That’s what we are working on.

My Vision

My vision for Salzburg is exactly LIFE-Church’s Vision.

We want that people get to know God, reaching out to the unchurched.

We want to lead them into discipleship, so they can experience freedom, find their calling and finally make a difference in the world.

My vision includes all generations meeting in our church. I desire that whole families are getting saved, and young and old find their home at church. My vision is all generations interact with each other.

Salzburg needs a strong LIFE-Church and we will continue to work for it.