When music calls the tune

There is music everywhere: the one language that all New Apostolic congregations around the world speak is the language of music—both in the divine services and on stage.

Tackling a new project

The New Apostolic Church in the Netherlands is working on a new hymnal. The current hymnal has been in use for a long time and needs to be updated, the District Church says. This applies to both the content of some of the songs as well as the language used in the texts.

One important component of the new hymnal will be songs that are used internationally during transmission services such as on Pentecost, for example. The District Church also has to clarify which songs will be taken over from the current hymnal. A preliminary study is currently underway in order to determine whether this is a viable way forward.

The next step will be to examine which new songs will be taken over from other, non-Dutch, hymnals. The work is still at an early stage, it says on the website: “The revision process is very labour-intensive and will take a long time.”

Day of the Youth in Accra

The opening ceremony of the Accra Youth Camp 2019 (Ghana) started off with a bang: acapella music, an instrumental quartet, a salsa dance performance, and the solo performance of a flutist.

The special thing about this youth camp? It lasted four days, and the programme was extensive. The youth provided music and drama, and shared their experiences in various career fields. Apostle Benjamin Ohene-Saffo spent time with the youth in an open forum, where he responded to many questions concerning the doctrine of the New Apostolic Church.

The final event and the highlight was the joint divine service of 750 young people from 20 districts. Apostle Ohene-Saffo based his sermon on Psalm 139: 14: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”

New release of the Music Companion Website

When the distances are far, the Internet offers shortcuts. The New Apostolic Church USA has just released its New Music Companion Website. The offer is primarily aimed at conductors and worship leaders. The website features articles on music and worship-related topics, training for conductors and worship leaders, worship evening examples, suggested music and websites, music, recordings, and audio-visual slides and material. “We will be adding new features and content to the website on an ongoing basis, so please check the site regularly for updates,” the District Church says .

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Andreas Rother
09.08.2019
International, Music, Congregational life