All generations are actively engaged

Youth Days in Africa and Europe

Young people from France, French-speaking Belgium and Luxembourg met in Strasbourg in France over the Easter weekend. Over the weekend, the young people also had the opportunity to meet and get to know District Apostle Helper Stefan Pöschel. The youth weekend got underway with the Good Friday service conducted by Apostle Jeannot Leibfried. The Saturday was filled with various activities such as ice skating, a boat tour, workshops, and a choir practice. In the evening, the youth group from Paris performed a musical, which focused on the weekend’s motto “My faith is my joy”. District Apostle Rainer Storck came to conduct the Easter divine service, which he based on Mark 9: 23–24. Fun activities such as canoeing, karaoke, and a scavenger hunt were on the programme for the afternoon. In the evening, after a quiz organised by the Algrange-Metz youth group, it was time to say goodbye.

A week earlier, the brothers and sisters from the District Togo 1 had gathered in the congregation of Gakpoto in Togo for a divine service, to pay tribute to the retiring Apostle Komlan Abalo and to get to know the new Apostle Ablam Degbe better. After the divine service, Apostle Abalo was interviewed by a group of young people. He was asked about his regrets, what he had been able to achieve, and what had impressed him most during his time in office. The young people also put a number of questions to the newly ordained Apostle Degbe, which he answered gladly.

Help with an important stage of life

Since June last year, the New Apostolic Church Southern Africa has been offering those who wish to get married an opportunity to talk to a marriage preparation counsellor. Volunteers from the Southern Cape who would like to train as marriage preparation counsellors came together in Knysna on 25 March for training. The training session was presented by the Family and Marriage Society of South Africa (FAMSA). At the start, Apostle Gerome Mintoor welcomed everyone. Some of the focus areas of the workshop included the rationale of this training, marriage and divorce statistics in South Africa, and relationship myths. The counsellors-to-be were equipped with skills and knowledge (tools) to prepare couples for marriage, assist troubled couples, and promote balanced healthy couple relationships.

Warm winter fuzzies

The NAC Bikers Association invited the senior sisters from the Valhalla, Sinoville, and Rooihuiskraal congregations to a high tea at the Sinoville congregation on 22 April. The senior sisters had been working on a knitting project for nine months to provide warm winter clothing for the less fortunate. The bikers wanted to donate these items to various safe houses and institutions for the coming winter season. In April then, in good time for the beginning of the winter season in South Africa, 218 jerseys, 63 beanies, 56 scarves, as well as 13 ponchos and 74 blankets—and much more—were ready to be distributed. The bikers invited the sisters, whose baby this idea was, to the high tea to meet the representatives of the institutions.

Serving and reigning – what does that mean exactly?

In Colombia, the Sunday School, Religious Instruction, and Confirmation teachers approached the subject of serving and reigning at the end of March using the story of Elijah and Ahab. The children learned that serving Christ also means obeying God, that is, allowing ourselves to be guided by His will. The teachers advised the children that they should follow Jesus’ example and let Him reign in their hearts. And serving with Christ means worshipping, praising, and glorifying God and proclaiming the gospel. Drawing, handicrafts, and role plays helped the children in the congregations of Bogotá, Cali, Cúcuta, Medellín, and Neiva to understand the subject better. They are now fit as far as our 2023 annual motto is concerned.