church.today

How to get Sunday School to the children

The new Sunday School teaching material is ready and is to be introduced everywhere. But in Africa this is not quite as simple as it may sound. This is what the District Apostle Meeting Africa is currently talking about.

15 11 2019

Acts of blessing Africa

+9

• Chief Apostle
• Children
• Confirmation
• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Doctrine 
• Europe
• Organisation
• Pentecost

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“Everyone is to know: we will not tolerate this!”

The New Apostolic Church strongly condemns violence and sexual assault. A clear signal is now coming from South Africa. Yesterday the District Apostle Meeting Africa dealt with this issue.

14 11 2019

Africa

+7

• Chief Apostle
• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Organisation
• Pastoral care
• Society
• Youth

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Ministry (11): Perceiving whom God has destined for a ministry

Decisive is the will of God, but first of all humans have to perceive His will. Here are some answers to the question of how the ministry comes to its bearer.

07 11 2019

Chief Apostle

+5

• Congregation
• Doctrine 
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Pastoral care

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Ministry (10): What advantages does the reform entail anyway?

It is far more than an exercise in theological principles or structural management: the reform in our concept of ministry has some very concrete benefits—for Church leadership, for the ministers, and for every individual member of the congregation.

24 10 2019

Chief Apostle

+8

• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Organisation
• Sacraments

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“We will work together as a team”

Kububa Soko is the new District Apostle for Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. In the interview he shares some of his experiences to date and talks about what he will be concentrating on in future.

22 10 2019

Chief Apostle

+6

• District Apostle
• Doctrine 
• Easter
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Organisation

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It is only by God’s call that a person becomes a person

Is man like God or similar to God? What does it mean when we read that man was created in the image of God? Easy questions—difficult answers.

14 10 2019

Bible study

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Not in your room …

Recognising and addressing the needs of others, praying together, and making music together to praise God—this is the weekly programme of many Christians. They are out and about to make a difference.

11 10 2019

Africa

+10

• Apostolate
• Charity work
• Congregation
• Denominations
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Local news
• Ministry
• Thanksgiving Day
• Youth

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Ministry (9): Adapting ministry to the times

Can the Apostles just go ahead and do that? Are they even allowed to reorganise the ministerial structure? Not only are they allowed to do so—they must! Read on to find out why they did so in the first place, and where the limits are—ministry between the past and the future.

10 10 2019

Chief Apostle

+9

• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Doctrine 
• Holy Communion
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Organisation
• Pentecost
• Sacraments

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“Here I am”—be creative

Creativity needs room. After all, ideas need to be able to develop and grow. This is not always easy. In fact, sometimes it requires persistence. However, when a good result has been achieved everyone is happy.

04 10 2019

America

+5

• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Europe
• Event
• Youth

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The return of Christ—our daily plea (2/2)

A belief that inspires, yet at the same time it presents us with certain challenges. “How should we talk about the return of the Lord?” Chief Apostle Schneider asks, and gives some tips.

03 10 2019

Ascension Day

+3

• Chief Apostle
• Divine service
• History 

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The return of Christ—our firm belief (1/2)

God is omnipotent, eternal, and triune. For centuries this belief has been described in detail in the various creeds. Faith in the return of Christ can even unite today’s Christians.

02 10 2019

Apostolate

+9

• Chief Apostle
• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Holy Communion
• Holy Sealing
• Ministry
• Sacraments

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Ministry (8): Messengers of Jesus

Not every gift requires a ministry in order to unfold. And not every duty requires a ministry for its implementation. This is always a question of the respective duty—and there are some clear distinctions here.

17 09 2019

Baptism 

+10

• Chief Apostle
• Congregation
• Denominations
• Doctrine 
• Holy Communion
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Pastoral care
• Sacraments
• Youth

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Team player rather than lone wolf

Shared leadership and collective decision-making: that is the programme in the New Apostolic Church. And this is not only the way things work in the International District Apostle Meeting, but rather also in the various governing bodies of the District Churches.

13 09 2019

Congregation

+6

• District Apostle
• Doctrine 
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Organisation
• Youth

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Teachers: connected to God and the server

The digital age does not stop at the church door. It is quite apparent when ministers and teachers have modern technology and technical support at their fingertips. Current examples from Canada and Europe.

03 09 2019

Acts of blessing

+8

• America
• Confirmation
• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Europe
• Social commitment

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In the service of Jesus

A familiar hymn urges: “Of service be to Jesus” and goes on to admonish listeners to be “a fit tool in His hand”. This is a question of what individual Christians can do—both for themselves and for others—even without an official ministerial mandate.

31 08 2019

Acts of blessing

+12

• Chief Apostle
• Confirmation
• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Organisation
• Pastoral care
• Pentecost
• Youth

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Is being holy even possible?

People are people—and all of them have their faults and weaknesses. Period. This is true for everyone. And yet faithful, believing Christians are also described as the “communion of saints”, or “the community of the saints”. How do these disparate concepts fit together?

29 08 2019

Divine service

+4

• Doctrine 
• Easter
• Holy Communion
• Sacraments

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Preventing violence and sexual assault

It is a burning social issue, and it doesn’t stop at the doors of the church either. Nevertheless, everyone is to know that the New Apostolic church condemns violence and sexual assault in the strongest possible terms. Such actions are violations of human personality and dignity.

15 08 2019

Charity work Congregation

+7

• District Apostle
• Doctrine 
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Organisation
• Society
• Youth

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It has been an honour

When the District Apostle Meeting was in session, he always sat in the first row, there where the Spanish-speakers sat. Because although he is the District Apostle of Brazil—where Portuguese is spoken—he speaks Spanish and is a native of Uruguay. A man with many talents is retiring.

03 08 2019

America

+11

• Apostolate
• Chief Apostle
• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Easter
• Europe
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Organisation

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When communion is not a foreign concept

A lively and active Church always produces surprising news. This week we look at an architectural prize, an additional Bible reading, and a full-time position for a youth worker.

26 07 2019

Acts of blessing

+13

• Bible study
• Confirmation
• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Easter
• History 
• Organisation
• Pastoral care
• Seniors
• Social commitment
• Youth

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Ministry (4): The heritage of the New Testament

Institution, nature, and authority—Jesus Christ is the source of all elements of ministry. Really? What about the order of the various ministries? The New Testament has three answers to this question—at least.

23 07 2019

Apostolate

+7

• Asia
• Congregation
• Doctrine 
• History 
• Holy Communion
• Ministry
• Sacraments

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He went out of his way to love people

Chief Apostle Richard Fehr, his successors say, was an innovative thinker—someone who was very forward-looking. Under his direction many regional churches came into being across the world. Today he would have been 80 years old.

15 07 2019

Africa

+8

• Asia
• Australia / Pacific
• Chief Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• History 
• Ministry
• Profile

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Ministry (3): A matter of authority

What exactly is a ministry permitted to do? Anything that is part of its authority: where do these powers come from, and what purpose do they serve? The answers to these questions constitute the focus of part three in this series on the New Apostolic concept of ministry.

10 07 2019

Apostolate Congregation

+5

• Doctrine 
• Holy Communion
• Ministry
• Organisation
• Sacraments

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The concept of ministry in a nutshell

The concept of ministry is on every channel: in addition to the latest issue of community , the Divine Service Guide and nac.today are busy explaining the most current doctrinal statements—sometimes more exhaustively, and sometimes more succinctly. Here is the abridged version for those who are in a real hurry.

03 07 2019

Apostolate

+15

• Baptism 
• Chief Apostle
• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Holy Communion
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Organisation
• Pastoral care
• Pentecost
• Retirement
• Sacraments
• Youth

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Ministry (2): The key to understanding

The divine and the human (or the all-too-human) are joined together in ministry. How are these entities supposed to fit together? We gain insight into this question by looking at the model behind it all, namely Jesus Christ, who not only defines ministry by way of word and deed, but also by way of His nature.

27 06 2019

Doctrine 

+6

• Holy Communion
• Investiture
• Local news
• Ministry
• Pentecost
• Sacraments

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Faith is there for everybody

New Apostolic congregations in Africa and Europe are right in the middle of public life. There are congregations who open their doors for the public, others who invite people in for discussions, and those who walk through the streets with a brass band to create awareness.

21 06 2019

Acts of blessing

+10

• Africa
• Confirmation
• Congregation
• Denominations
• District Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Europe
• Event
• Youth

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One Pentecost and five international messages

Pentecost 2019 will enter New Apostolic history as a feast of internationality. Hardly ever before have so many impulses of such international significance been aired. Here are some of them to re-read.

15 06 2019

Acts of blessing

+17

• Africa
• America
• Apostolate
• Chief Apostle
• Confirmation
• Congregation
• District Apostle
• Divine service
• Doctrine 
• Event
• History 
• Investiture
• Ministry
• Organisation
• Pastoral care
• Pentecost
• Youth

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don't miss

Unity in diversity. The Church in conflict?

When cultures clash. Do Africans have to become more European or Europeans more African? Do those who are more conservative have to become more progressive? Or the other way around? The answer can be found in the Bible.

31 01 2024

Chief Apostle District Apostle

+10

• Doctrine 
• Divine service
• Congregation
• Pastoral care
• Organisation
• Europe
• America
• Africa
• Australia / Pacific
• Society

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When decision-makers should abstain

What if a conflict of interest arises for a member of the Church’s governing body? The Board of Directors of the New Apostolic Church International (NACI) broached this controversial question recently and set down guidelines.

24 01 2025

Organisation

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NACI is working on an e-learning program

The New Apostolic Church would like to offer its ministers better training opportunities—and on a global level, at that. It is for this reason that the New Apostolic Church International (NACI) is working on an e-learning program. Following are some initial insights. 

19 12 2024

Ministry Divine service

+2

• Pastoral care
• Media

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