An emaciated dog was cowering under a bush and a group of young boys took compassion on the starving animal. Why? A touching story told by District Apostle John Kriel from South Africa.

The idea is not to simply wait for the future, but to prepare for it and shape it. This is the tenor of the New Apostolic motto for 2021. District Apostle Michael Ehrich of Germany explains why.

The past year brought many new challenges. How did we deal with them? Have they managed to distance us from God? What lies ahead of us? District Apostle Kububa Soko (Zambia) answers these questions in his own way.

As a little boy, Enrique learned to ride a bike. Still today he remembers some advice from his father that helped him. Thoughts on our annual motto from District Apostle Enrique Minio, who lives in Argentina.

Spoiled for choice… Sometimes, being able to choose between two alternatives is not easy, especially when it comes to our future. District Apostle Mark Woll of Canada has very clear ideas about this.

The Chief Apostle’s annual motto is a clear call to direct our eyes on a better future. This is the conviction of District Apostle Rüdiger Krause, who lives in Hamburg in Germany.

Whatever 2021 will bring, God will not be stopped in carrying out His plan of redemption for humankind. In the process, every human being has a companion from start to finish: Jesus Christ. From the divine service introducing our annual motto.

Love changes a person, as anyone knows who has ever been in love. Also our love for God changes us. District Apostle Leonard Kolb (USA) explains how in his thoughts on our 2021 motto.

Our motto for 2021 deals with our future, but this future has to be shaped now, in the present, and this is a task that falls upon all of us, says District Apostle Jürg Zbinden of Switzerland.

An Apostle who not only preaches about the new motto for the year, but also converts it into art for his District Church? It can happen—as it did, for example, in the District Apostle Area Western Pacific. But other graphic designers all around the world have also been at work to create new logos for the year.

What makes a good teacher? Oodles of patience, surely a genuine capacity for sympathy, and heaps of energy. When it comes to faith, the role model effect is essential: those who practise what they preach will be remembered for a long time.

Freedom — this is a sublime and precious commodity! There is only one who can provide true freedom: Jesus Christ! "Christ makes free"—this is the motto for the year 2020. The Chief Apostle explains its content in his address for the New Year.

Freedom. Where? When? How? The Chief Apostle and the District Apostles have explored the annual motto from all sides. Here are a few highlights from our Spotlight series to usher out the old year.

How do you define freedom? The determining factors are not always verifiable and objective. Freedom is often just the feeling of being free. Even the man Jesus was torn back and forth in His feelings. District Apostle Peter Schulte, who lives in Australia and looks after the Western Pacific district, explores the subject.

At the beginning of the year, no one could have imagined what the year would hold in store. The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly changed things, but it has not affected our striving for the kingdom of God, says District Apostle Helper John Sobottka from Canada.

Paul und Silas had been arrested and put in jail. Around midnight they began to sing and praise God, while the other prisoners listened. Thoughts on freedom by District Apostle Helper Frank Dzur from Canada.

Seeing who we really are … without others judging us. That is not easy, seeing that we humans are social creatures and therefore depend on the benevolence of others. Jesus opens our eyes for reality, District Apostle Helper John Fendt from the USA says.

From the vastness of paradise to a small labyrinth of selfish goals, from great freedom to close confinement. How man has changed! He could do better for himself, District Apostle Helper David Devaraj from Bangalore in India writes.