“This was the first time that I could travel into this part of the province of North Kivu,” Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider wrote. And that is saying something, because for many years he travelled throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo as District Apostle.

Things got off to a turbulent start. But step by step the New Apostolic Church has put order into its sacraments for the departed. Once the practical part had been brought into line, the theory followed suit. Here is the history in fast-forward mode.

Where does God live and how does He reveal Himself to us humans? This is an age-old question—and one that not only interests children—for which there are many answers. Some of them will be explored in the New Apostolic divine services in August.

Music creates bonds. This is something that four choirs and orchestras from France and Germany can testify to. Here is an excerpt to mark World Friendship Day on 30 July.

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.

It was “a Sunday like no other” in the Stade Martyr in Kinshasa, where the national football team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo usually plays. That is at least how the Chief Apostle felt about it. More than 35,000 young people had come to see and hear him.

Young people in Bolivia cleaned up a local park. In Africa and Europe ministers got together to learn how to deliver better sermons. And in Sierra Leone, Apostle Braima Saffa dedicated three churches in one day.

“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.

Can the departed receive salvation too? The question is as old as Christianity itself. The answer of the New Apostolic Church is not even all that new—and nevertheless, it is unusual. Here is the story of how the sacraments for the departed came to be dispensed.

The service was about Adam and Eve, about Jesus Christ and the bridal congregation, and about the marriage feast in heaven. “This marriage is kind of complicated,” the Chief Apostle remarked during the service and began to explain.

The bricks travelled 40 kilometres from Hamburg-Borgfelde to Doosthof. These were the first bricks that were owned by the New Apostolic Church. Almost 80 years later, these historic bricks still adorn a church building.

One hundred and forty-one days into the Russian attack on Ukraine, the solidarity of the New Apostolic congregations in Europe is still huge. Private individuals, congregations, and aid organisations are doing their best to help.

The New Apostolic Church has known divine service transmissions for years, usually for special occasions. Since March 2020 though, the churches worldwide have been broadcasting on a weekly basis, in some cases even several times a week.

Some 17,000 people are still grappling with the aftermath. The deadly flood in the Ahr Valley in Germany last year killed 133 people and destroyed or damaged thousands of homes. Ulrich Thurau, who has been rector of the congregation of Sinzig since 1998, reports the following.

Weeds, pesky critters, and no support: young plants have quite a few problems to deal with. This image translates into our faith. What can we do so that the divine seed can germinate within us? Here is a workshop on pastoral care from a divine service by the Chief Apostle.

Feeling spiritually connected with one another is an expression of the power of the Holy Spirit. Such a sense of togetherness is a question of will and not of limited opportunities, says District Apostle Rüdiger Krause (Germany).

Worldwide, Covid made getting together in the congregation almost impossible. Now that the restrictions have been relaxed, people are excited that they can finally see each other again and do things together.

A hundred years ago it would have been unthinkable: divine services via phone-in, on television, via satellite, or the internet. Today divine services are just a click away. Quite a lot of work goes into this to make it possible.