Food, warm blankets, and water are things that people need. But there are people who lack even the barest necessities, and then it is good if a modern-day Good Samaritan is aware of the need and acts.

He was not the first to hold this office, but the first with to bear the title. Chief Apostle Hermann Niehaus was born on 28 July 1848, 175 years ago. This is the story of the man who turned individual New Apostolic congregations into a church.

Did the New Apostolic Church really ordain only men as ministers until last year? What about the Deaconesses who were active in Europe, America, and Africa for a period of eighty years? Here are some facts and figures to give an initial picture.

Hairdryers are doing overtime, hammers are banging away, and heads are spinning: the church building in Parkwood in South Africa has been converted into a skills development centre for disadvantaged young people. And they learn far more than technical skills there.

The story has a happy ending: “Never forget that no matter what happens, now is not the end of the story,” says the Chief Apostle. Blessing can, however, be experienced already before that as the story of Joseph shows us.

Young people all over the world are active and committed. In Germany children made chocolates to bring joy; in South Africa young people pitted their wits against artificial intelligence. And to keep it that way, there were workshops in Argentina for all those who want to help and inspire young people.

It was mainly in Africa that the Chief Apostle ordained new Apostles in the first half of 2023. But there were also two ordinations on other continents: one in America and one in Europe.

For a long time Finland was a blank spot on the New Apostolic map, until an Apostle remembered his childhood dream. This weekend, the Finnish brothers and sisters are excited to have the Chief Apostle visit them.

“If we want to preserve what we have, we will have to change many things,” was the guiding principle of Chief Apostle Richard Fehr, who died ten years ago today on 30 June 2013. Many of the innovations today can be traced back to his initiative.

Reaching out to all people in order to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ: the mission of the New Apostolic Church is not least a question of communication. What is the best way to do this? Here are some answers from three different continents.

Switzerland will now also receive a District Apostle Helper. He has been designated to succeed District Apostle Jürg Zbinden. This is the fourth such assignment in a short period of time. The designated successor is a Swiss national and already works for the New Apostolic Church Switzerland.

It was the emotional finale of an inspiring Pentecost service: the anthem “Spirit-renewed” was the final piece and the musical highlight. Read on to find out where the piece comes from and how it was created?

Not only the ministers and those who have functions in the Church are committed, but members of all ages. Everyone contributes their gifts be it in making music, knitting for the less fortunate, or by sharing advice with others.

In preparation for their mission to the moon, astronauts had to prepare for a near-zero-gravity environment. Training for this on earth was very complex and expensive. How much time and energy do we invest in preparing for our future mission, Joseph Opemba Ekhuya from Kenya asks in his Spotlight article.

In the end, it was only one link that changed: after almost three years, our Friday list of online services is no longer necessary, thankfully. Here is a look back on an eventful period.

How did the Pentecost service get to the various congregations? In very different ways. And some, like the Democratic Republic of Congo, made a celebration of their own out of it.

“Trust in the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This was the appeal made by Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider in the central Pentecost service he conducted in Cape Town in South Africa. For in this way, believers are equipped with everything they need to reach their goal.

The Chief Apostle also sang along, but only during the opening hymn. Then he left the stage to the choir, orchestra, and the children’s choir for the 2023 Pentecost concert. During the last piece, the audience was allowed to sing along once more.