In both faith and life, everyone must find his or her own way: an elaborate film by young people from Eastern Germany—which missed its premier, not once, but three times—tells of precisely this experience.

The time between birth and death is filled with different experiences. There are many stops along the way through life: coming and going, becoming and passing away, first and last—all of this comprises life.

Travelling to individual countries can certainly be strenuous, especially if the responsible District Apostle has announced his visit to congregations that are quite distant from one another. It is on just such a weekend in Colombia and Peru with District Apostle Leonard Kolb that Bishop Manfredo Stegmann reports.

Looking back and taking stock — all on our own or in a larger circle instead? “Let us do this together in the congregation,” said Chief Apostle Schneider. An invitation to take thought and give thanks.

God excludes no one. He does not reject anyone. Quite the contrary: He helps, supports, accepts… God is a God for you, your friends, and even your enemies.

From a human perspective, limitless freedom is unachievable. The only limitless freedom that exists is through Jesus Christ. Following are some thoughts on the annual motto for 2020 from District Apostle Rüdiger Krause (Northern and Eastern Germany):

By their very self-definition, Christians are not lone warriors. And this is also shown again and again in the course of every subsequent week. On all continents, and in many thousands of congregations.

What would a person be without hope? That is why it is crucial to know what to hope for! Straight from the Chief Apostle: “The Holy Spirit nourishes our hope in eternal life. We wait for the return of the Lord and hold fast to this hope in trust and love.”

What do you mean: God is righteous, when things go so well for some and so terribly for others? Where some are elected and others are not? How does it all fit together? The answer is: “There is grace for all.”

Retired Shepherd Christoph Müller has a very special perspective on the celebration of Holy Communion. This is because many of the chalices containing the wafers originate from the workshop of the master metalworker.

Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider kicked off the year 2020 with a divine service in Neuchâtel, the French-speaking capital of the Swiss canton of Neuenburg. His core message: “Christ makes free!”

John the Baptist prepared the way for the arrival of the Messiah—today the congregation prepares the way for the return of Christ—two core statements from the Fellbach sermon conducted by the Chief Apostle. And he also went on to explain how it all works.

A single thought brought to life in many cultures—the diversity of logo ideas for the 2020 annual motto “Christ makes free” is as colourful as life itself. What stands out this time: many of the designers have given the motto graphic wings.

“We must be careful to ensure that this does not happen to us,” appealed Chief Apostle Schneider. A sermon about pitfalls that is nevertheless encouraging — and not only for ministers.

“Estância Fazendinha” (little farm): this is the name of the leisure park operated by Shepherd Rodolfo Mucha and his wife Analice in southwestern Brazil—and wherever possible, they do so in harmony with God’s creation, which is especially beautiful here.

Right at the start of the New Year, the international Church leader will travel to Angola. There are two unfamiliar stops awaiting him in Nzagi and Dundo, two cities in the north and northeast of the country, respectively. Here are some impressions.

A new year brings new reasons for gladness. Will 2020 be an “acceptable year”? Yes—because grace means we are permitted to experience fellowship with Jesus Christ. And there is always so much grace with Him—enough for everyone.

The New Year had already begun at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, 31 December 2019—relative to Coordinated Universal Time: UTC + 14—while the corks only began popping in London on Wednesday, 1 January at 12:00 AM. And it’s all because of the International Date Line!