The New Apostolic Church in the USA refers to its central churches as flagship congregations. The members of these congregations are drawn from a greater area. The churches offer the space and facilities needed for the religious education of the children, for courses and seminars, and much more. One such flagship congregation has just been dedicated in Denver.
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Photo: NAC USA
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Photo: NAC USA
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Photo: NAC USA
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Photo: NAC USA
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Photo: NAC USA
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Photo: NAC USA
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Photo: NAC USA
Denver Metro is the name of the new congregation. Denver is the capital of the state of Colorado with a population of over 600,000. The metropolitan area of Denver is estimated to have a population of more than 2.5 million. The three New Apostolic congregations of Northglenn, Littleton, and Denver were merged in 2014 already, making it necessary to find a church building that was more central for all the members.
A building was bought and renovated to suit the needs of the congregation. The church was dedicated on 17 April 2016. District Apostle Leonard Kolb, who is responsible for the New Apostolic Church in the USA, handed the new church over to the congregation. Before the actual dedication service, the District Apostle cut the ribbon with the entire congregation gathered in the entrance area to witness the ceremony. He shared some thoughts with the members on a verse from Hebrews: “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.” After the ribbon-cutting ceremony the congregation officially took possession of their new church. While the exterior is modern and functional, the interior is exciting. The fellowship hall and entrance is bright and friendly, lending itself to conversations between members before and after service, and the sanctuary is designed in such a way that it radiates a quiet and holy atmosphere.
A house for God
In his sermon, which was based on April’s theme, namely the Lord’s Prayer, the District Apostle also referred to a special verse in 2 Corinthians 5: “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” He spoke about the many components needed to create a modern yet comfortable space, and how thankful everyone is when the project is completed. However, the focus is on the omnipotence of God, the District Apostle said, because then the new building becomes a space in which we can share the gospel, hear God’s word, and partake in the sacraments.
Worship evening
The District Apostle had arrived in Denver already on Saturday. On landing he was shocked. All he saw was white. Although it had been 20 degrees Celsius only two days earlier, the weekend forecast called for more snow. He spent the afternoon with the rector and the leadership team of the congregation. The real estate team, responsible for securing the new building location, and the transition team, which aided with the move into the new congregation and bringing together the combined congregations, were also included in the afternoon. Saturday ended with a worship evening held in the old church building, which is now owned by another church. The worship evening was filled with music, Bible readings from the book of Psalms, and thoughts of praise that connected to these Bible verses.
Its own website
On a website worth browsing into, the new congregation presents itself as “a collection of New Apostolic congregations in the central Rocky Mountains region (Colorado, Utah, and panhandle of Nebraska).” The congregation is planning an open house for 21 and 22 May 2016 and everyone is welcome.