Hearing the word of God and the absolution, receiving blessing, and worshipping God together… These are some the key elements of divine service. And all this is possible virtually, even during the pandemic.

From “lockdown since March” to “divine services almost everywhere” it’s all there. This is how differently Covid-19 is affecting the church life of New Apostolic Christians around the globe. And the solutions are just as varied.

It certainly brought joy to the congregation in Sarrebourg when their countryman and Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider entered the church sanctuary as an unexpected surprise. Such divine services live on for a long time in the heart. It seems that coronavirus restrictions can even have some positive effects every now and then.

Brighter, more modern, with a better overview—this is how the latest edition of the Divine Service Guide presents itself. The most frequently translated publication of the New Apostolic Church is undergoing a relaunch. And this applies to more than just its design.

Not omniscient, but certain of their own superiority. Not omnipotent, but securing and defending their rights with all their might. It is in this way that human beings set a trap for themselves. Paul shows how to get out of it—a letter that warrants reading together.

Participating in a divine service when the neighbours are still asleep … There is a positive side to the Covid-19 pandemic for people who have to work on Sundays. They can join an online service that is being streamed in a different time zone.

Thanksgiving Day commemorates the creatorship of God. This is what the New Apostolic Catechism says. Once a year, a Sunday is set aside for this in the church calendar. But gratitude is something that Christians can show God on all the other days of the year as well, the Chief Apostle says.

“The only thing that lives on in me is my heart, my soul, and my eyes,” Philippe says, who has suffered from locked-in syndrome for 34 years. He gives us a glimpse of his faith, his freedoms, and his very personal bonus programme.

There are members everywhere who are doing what they can these days to ensure that divine services are transmitted via Internet and telephone. There is only one continent from which the New Apostolic Church does not transmit online services.

The English were not only the first to conquer Swiss mountain peaks, but also built churches in the Alpine region on their trips abroad. One of these is today in the possession of the New Apostolic congregation in Montreux.

Actually, the Chief Apostle wanted to be in the United States for a divine service on 13 September 2020, but had to cancel his plans on account of the pandemic. Instead, he held a divine service in the congregation of Thann in France. A small group of 26 people were overjoyed when Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider walked to the altar.

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.

Who knows what will happen the day after tomorrow? Making plans these days seems impossible. But one thing is guaranteed: our Sunday service.

Not every congregation is so fortunate to have its own church. In one congregation in Liberia, for example, services take place on the veranda of the Priest’s house. This is what a young sister from there reports. community has many more compelling stories to offer and reflects the diversity in our congregations around the world.

So far in our series on the sacraments in the church of Christ we have explored Holy Baptism. Now we are moving on to take a closer look at Holy Communion. What is the position of the New Apostolic Church?

Anyone who has grown up with Bible stories will likely still remember very specific images. These may have been beautiful pictures from a lovingly illustrated children’s Bible, or perhaps some especially unsettling pictures that you wanted to look at again and again in fascination as a child. This clearly shows us that telling the stories is not the only important thing.

Thousands of pictures, GPS coordinates, addresses, phone numbers. Bishop Alvin Witten and his wife, Jean, are gathering enormous amounts of data. What is going to happen with all the data and who will have access to it?

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.