Doing good makes people happy! (2) Music, heroes, and small gestures
“It’s time to do good!” Our 2025 motto inspired brothers and sisters around the world. Three stories tell how much of an impact a trombone, a song, or a chocolate truffle can have.
The sounds of commitment
Gerhard Hendriks actually belongs to the congregation of Slangrivier in South Africa. However, he travels a lot for work and therefore attends divine services in Napier, around 130 kilometres west from his home congregation. And Gerhard is very musical. He plays the trombone and is a choirmaster.
“He has decided to make good use of his free time,” Pieter van der Berg reports. He not only assists with the organ during divine services in his host congregation but also offers music lessons to the brothers and sisters. And the best thing about it: his initiative has had led to the revival of the orchestra.
Photo: Pieter van der Berg
Sweet testimony
An Advent concert took place on 7 December 2025 in the congregation of Albisrieden in Switzerland. In preparation for the concert, Heidrun and Herbert Reif had an idea for the invitation cards. They enjoy going for walks and often strike up conversations with people because of his great love of animals. Why not take advantage of any opportunities that might arise?
Heidrun Reif extended the invitation in postcard format by adding the divine service times on the back, signing her name, and adding a greeting. Then she rolled up the card so that a wrapped chocolate truffle fit in the middle.
Whenever they went for a walk, they would take several of the invitations with them. And there were indeed opportunities to hand them to fellow walkers.
Photo: Heidrun Reif
A little big hero
In the congregation of Karlsruhe-Neureut in southern Germany, there is a boy who is different. “He is different because he cannot do a lot of the things that I can do,” explains 72-year-old Hans-Joachim Rink. The boy can neither hear nor speak, let alone walk. Nevertheless, “He has a wonderfully positive personality.”
For Rink, who is a musician, the boy is a role model. That is why he wrote a song for him: “My little big hero”. Together with another local musician, Kevin Karl, he set the song to music. In August 2025, the song was performed at a concert in a retirement home in Karlsruhe:
“In my hero’s life, many things are not important, things that we often attach great, sometimes too great, importance to,” the text reads. “He sees the world through different eyes, from a different perspective.”
Photo and video: Hans-Joachim Rink
And what is your story or action related to our 2025 motto? Please send all submissions, including a description and photos or, where applicable, video links, to the following email address: [email protected]