Christmas is the feast of love. Believers do not only celebrate this feast for themselves, but also want to spread the spirit of Christmas. And this they did with music and toys. Not even hygiene protocols could keep them from passing on Christmas cheer.

“The coming Christ is the goal of our faith,” Chief Apostle Schneider says. This motivates the believer and has an impact on the relationships within our family, our congregation, as well as to our neighbour.

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.

Not even the Pentecost divine service could take place as usual! For the Chief Apostle and many millions of our members, this year was yet another difficult period defined by a global pandemic.

He was born in Wetzlar, Germany, and died in Riverleigh, Australia. A widely travelled and very interesting man would have celebrated his 150th birthday these days. As one of the pioneering Apostles of the New Apostolic Church in Australia, Jakob Dietz had a great impact.

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.

Future can mean the next minute, the next year, or even eternity. This is also true for the future in Christ. District Apostle Peter Schulte from Australia points out similarities and differences.

Lifting up our eyes to the Lord is the best thing we can do when it comes to the deliverance and salvation of our soul. This does not put an end to earthly suffering, but it does bring us salvation for eternity, the Chief Apostle confirmed.

The plight of others is not forgotten even in times of a coronavirus pandemic. This is shown in the 2020 annual report of the aid organisation NAK- Humanitas. Even in this difficult period, its donors did not let the charity down.

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.

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.

Seasons change life cycles in nature. And also in our own everyday life we experience changing phases of cold and warm, darkness and light. How good it is that Jesus Christ accompanies us on our way. Thoughts from District Apostle Helper Frank Dzur (Canada).

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.

Around 100 members in Paris, France are looking forward to the visit of the Chief Apostle on 17 October. The special thing about this congregation: they come from many different countries but are nevertheless connected by the same faith.

In the last edition of community, readers were informed about the findings of the District Apostle Meeting with regard to the matter of gender equality. The second part of this doctrinal article in the latest edition of community will explore what it means to say that mankind has been created in the image of God.

Christian hope is not limited to living as long a life on earth as possible. Christians focus on eternal fellowship with God, which is their future. These are thoughts by District Apostle Helper Robert Nsamba from Zambia on our 2021 motto.