Serving the greater good

God’s word in human languages

“Lost in Translation?!” is the title of the website with the original image. Since August 2017, the Church in India has been publishing the core thoughts of every Sunday service on their Facebook page. The intention is to help both ministers and members prepare for a rich and blessed divine service experience. The information, which goes online two days in advance, contains the Bible text, main theme, core thoughts, and a summary of what the divine service will be all about.

Since December 2017, these posts have been enriched with eye-catchers: photos of the respective Bible text in one of the many languages which are spoken in India. The image in question was created by overlapping the Bible texts: God’s word in human languages …

The end of an eventful life

Apostle Bishram Pahan from Bangladesh passed away last month at the age of 84 years. His life was not only eventful but also touched many other people’s lives. His father was a Christian pastor, whose success and popularity caused a great deal of envy in the villages in which he worked so that he was poisoned. Bishram Pahan came into contact with the New Apostolic Church in 1978 through a friend. On their way to a first meeting with someone from the Church, the family had a serious accident. Despite a death, being injured, and not remembering why they were actually on their way to Dhaka, they hitched a ride on a truck which stopped right in front the hotel in which Bishop Wiesel was waiting for them.

The family was adopted into the Church and sealed in 1979. Bishram Pahan was ordained as a Priest in the same service. In 1982 he received the Apostle ministry. “Apostle Pahan worked with a great deal of love and enthusiasm for the work of God, and he dedicated his entire life to the Lord,” Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider writes in his circular. The Apostle is survived by his children and grandchildren, among them also Bishop Punuel Pahan. The Apostle’s wife passed away twenty years ago.

A big commitment for the smallest

The New Apostolic Church Southern Germany is helping to build the “Ark” (“Arche”). This is the name of a Christian-oriented child and youth organisation that was founded in 1995 and now operates in several cities in Germany. For several years now, the District Church has been supporting the organisation’s branch in Munich, which has just received another 30,000 Euros.

The Missionswerk (charity) of the New Apostolic Church Southern Germany—which changed its name to “human aktiv” in January 2018—regularly contributes to institutions and organisations that are committed to the well-being of children and young adults. One of these projects is the Starke-Kinder project (“strong children”) run by the association Pro Familia in the region around Schwäbisch Hall, which has dedicated itself to protecting children from violence and abuse. Internationally, Southern Germany supports institutions that provide education and offer children a better chance in life.