Meetings and workshops around the world

The media hub of the New Apostolic Church

Starting in 2019 all teachers in the European congregations and church districts will have access to Sunday School teaching material online. Photographers, editors, and graphic designers in the districts and administrative offices will soon have access to a central media hub that stores images and graphic logos. Public relations representatives who need posters, flyers, or invitation cards can simply send a print order that complies with our corporate design via a web2print system.

These and additional applications from the current planning phase make clear that the New Apostolic Church is taking a decisive step in the area of digitisation with this new media hub. A centralised system that allows for many new applications, but also links the existing infrastructure of the various European District Churches, offers many advantages.

Public relations managers and IT people from the European District Churches were able to inform themselves about the current state of development and the requirements at a conference at the end of January at Bischoff Publishers in Germany.

Introduction of Sign Language for divine service transmissions

Representatives from the European District Churches met at Bischoff Publishers at the beginning of February. The District Apostle Meeting passed a resolution back in 2016 that makes it possible for Sign Language to be transmitted during divine service broadcasts. The congregations that have receivers will be equipped with the required technology. The experts met to discuss what is required so that this can be implemented.

Also on the agenda was the existing encoder technology for IPTV. In addition to classic satellite transmissions, the Church-owned publisher has also been broadcasting divine services via IPTV (Internet) for more than ten years. The equipment for this has been in use since 2007. New high-performance equipment will be purchased. The advantage for the congregations: once installed, twenty-four language channels can be transmitted even with IPTV transmissions.

Projection devices and screens were presented at the meeting as well. The representatives from the European District Churches were able to get an idea of what is available in terms of equipment. They were also provided with important information with regard to future church construction and renovations: which cables are needed, which technology is used.

Workshops for journalists and choir leaders in Africa

At the end of January, editors met for a workshop with the retired Bishop Eric Ampadu at the Church offices in Accra in Ghana. The objective of the workshop was to sharpen the members’ skills in effective and efficient reporting. The Bishop took the participants through ten relevant topics including objectives and principles, how to send a clear message, the Five Ws, creating an article for the Internet, appropriate titles, and the importance of pictures in publishing. Three exercises were undertaken in small groups.

The leading choir-masters from the New Apostolic Church in Ghana met for a two-day workshop. District Elder Wolfgang Oehler from Germany conducted the workshop, which included topics such as scales, reading music, dynamics and expression markings. The seminar included role plays and hands-on demonstrations so that all were able to take an active part.

Annual general meeting in South-East Asia

This past week, District Apostle Urs Hebeisen met with the Apostles from his working area. It was his last general meeting with them. Invited to the conference in Bali were all the leading ministers of the District Church. On the agenda were various topics ranging from Church strategy to pastoral care and doctrinal teaching. Evangelist Reinhard Kiefer, the theological consultant of the international Church leadership, was also at the conference and conducted a workshop.

During the conference, the Philippine Apostles attended a workshop in which they were taught to play the angklung.