The dead are not truly dead—at least not for God. For God there is no dividing line between life on earth and life in the hereafter. That is what Christians believe, and that is also what the Bible states. Here is an overview of how sacramental acts are dispensed for the dead.

When asked how a Christian receives the Holy Spirit, the New Apostolic Church’s answer to the question is: through Holy Sealing. Our sacramental understanding and its points of reference in the Bible and in church history are detailed below.

Did you know that District Apostles are also authorised to ordain Apostles? This has always been the case, but in the year 2021 many District Apostles had to actually make use of this authority because the Chief Apostle was prevented from travelling as a result of the pandemic.

“Thank you for being there! I have no idea what is going to happen in the future, but I do know one thing: God is faithful! He will be with us. Do not fear.” It was with these words that the Chief Apostle concluded a remarkable divine service in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

District Apostle Pablo Alfredo Bianchi from Argentina would have turned 100 years old this 24th of January. From the very first time he ever set foot into a New Apostolic congregation, the rector thought of him as a gift from heaven.

From a spontaneous flash of inspiration to the regulating apostolic hand: this is how the Catholic Apostolic Church developed its sealing. The theological foundation only developed over time—and not always uniformly.

Now that we’ve covered the question of what, it’s time to tackle the question of who: expanding on our understanding of the concept of ministry was also high on the Church’s list of things to do in 2021. And some initial answers have indeed been found since, along with a detailed roadmap for the rest of the journey.

Should one get vaccinated or not? There will be no official statement from the New Apostolic Church on this. Just as little as on eating meat or not, or driving combustion vehicles. The Chief Apostle explains why in his weekly circular.

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.”

It happened in 1840/41: the apostle unity fell apart and so did the masterplan. The charismatic movement had to reinvent itself as a church. Here is the background to sealing in the Catholic Apostolic Church.

What exactly is the mission of the Apostles? Not only did the District Apostle Meeting discuss this question, but the Chief Apostle devoted an entire service to it. For in the answer lies the principal commission given to all believers.

The fall session of the District Apostle Meeting has ended. Prominent topics were our concept of ministry, biblical authorship issues, and a new Guide for Ministers.

Jesus came to deliver us from evil. When He left, He instructed the Apostles to spread His message everywhere. And today every single Christian has been sent by Jesus to testify of His love.

Always so many changes! There is hardly any other church that has developed so far in such a short time. For many, the reaction to this is: “I can’t even recognise my own Church any more!” And yet others are happy about the changes. How are we to deal with this?

How does the believer receive the Holy Spirit? The Bible remains ambiguous and leaves quite a few gaps with respect to this question. Answers begin to develop of the early church. And this foundation stands to this day.

Mysteries are generally very popular. Many people find it stimulating and thrilling to know things that are not known to everyone else. But ultimately, all mysteries will be revealed in the light! This is also the case with our faith, says Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider.

Whether it is considered a rite, a sacrament, or merely a side effect of baptism, the churches have very different ways of understanding how a Christian receives the Holy Spirit. And this diversity of perspectives has a tradition that goes back nearly 2,000 years.

It seems as though the whole island is excited about the upcoming weekend: the Chief Apostle will be conducting a divine service on São Tomé and Príncipe. The thought is not so far-fetched, considering that nearly ten per cent of the population is New Apostolic. The Church has not even existed there all that long…