When we think of Christmas we often imagine a snowy wonderland, white-capped mountains, and frozen lakes. If not from personal experience, then from pop culture. However, given the global mood, this is a never-never land. Behind the façade, Christmas looks different.

He led the New Apostolic Church out of a crisis and brought it forward. Chief Apostle Walter Schmidt would have celebrated his 130th birthday today. Lest we forget, here is a look once more at how he managed to deal with the situation.

God’s blessing, grace, and glory are so magnificent that humans have difficulty grasping it all. Thus for anyone who is willing to receive Christ, the following principle applies: “Widen your heart, widen your mind and your frame of mind.”

Zero tolerance. This is the stance taken by the New Apostolic Church towards sexual abuse and assault. And this is what Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider made clear at the conference of the District Apostles in Zurich, Switzerland.

In many parts of the world, the third Covid wave still has a firm grip on society, but it cannot keep believers from building on their mutual bonds in the congregations. Here is some good news from congregations around the world.

Covid-19 is still keeping the world on tenterhooks. There are also other areas where help is urgently needed. Sisters and brothers around the world are committed to doing what they can.

Confirmation events, youth conventions, youth meetings. Many young people are getting together in spite of the pandemic to have fun together, experience their faith, or to do good. Here is a look at those who are helping to shape the future of the Church.

Do not marginalise or pass judgement, but look at the soul, the Chief Apostle urged recently. Reality, however, is sometimes different. This is Sandra’s experience. Her problem: who she loves and how others feel about it.

In 1960 a high school student from Germany wrote to the US Shipping Line in Tokyo. Eleven years later, the first New Apostolic congregation was established in Japan. This year, the New Apostolic Church celebrates its 50-year anniversary in Japan.

“There is no place like home.” This is something that many people have discovered also in terms of online services. If you cannot be together with the members of your own congregation, you can draw joy from the plurality of languages and personalities.

There is so much that competes for our attention, and we have to set priorities… But what really matters? Here is an answer from Chief Apostle Schneider. The new issue of community also features aspects of the Church’s teachings, people who share our faith, and congregational life around the world.

This is what Jesus said and thereby described the road the New Apostolic Church still wants to take today. Children are to get to know Jesus and His gospel and to feel at home in the Church. Here are some examples how this can work.

The Covid-19 pandemic has left its mark particularly in the field of charitable and humanitarian work. This is shown in the financial report for 2020 that human aktiv, the aid organisation of the New Apostolic Church Southern Germany, recently presented.

What are refrigerators and women’s sanitary products doing in the church? They help members in earning money or help adolescent girls in better understanding menstrual hygiene. These are just a few examples of what the Church does to help its members.

Disasters hit the poor the hardest! Unfortunately, this is all too often true. The past months have shown that disasters increase poverty there where people have always been poor. Some thoughts on World Humanitarian Day.

Figuring out the correct dates of his life is a challenge. But then the pioneers of those days had more important things to do than writing down numbers for posterity. What matters is the spiritual legacy: Apostle George Henwood Mkandawire would have celebrated his 120th birthday in a few days.

Some look back with gratitude and joy and have happy memories, others look ahead hopefully as they face special challenges. Here is a look at some of the activities in our congregations around the world.

“Why?” is one of the most common questions. Sometimes one asks out curiosity, other times it is out of sheer despair. Here is an excerpt from a sermon on how to deal with the unexplained.