Leave the miracles to others. Today’s ministers have the mission to teach and preach the gospel to everyone and in all circumstances. At a recent divine service for ministers, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider reminded them of their tasks.

“Indigenous” is a term that means “native”. The UN also speaks of autochthonous peoples, a reference to the descendants of the original population. The United Nations’ International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed on August 9th each year to raise awareness.

It was a veritable treasure chest: constructed of acacia wood, richly adorned with gold both inside and outside, hung on two carrying poles, and closed with an exquisite lid. All of this alone would suffice to make it extremely valuable—to say nothing of the contents!

No one can see into the future, except God. But we can all plan for tomorrow. This is something that New Apostolic congregations do by minimising their impact on the environment, by being there for the upcoming generations, or seeing to sustainable development.

The New Apostolic Church in the USA is preparing to write a new chapter in its history. In little over a year, District Apostle Leonard R. Kolb (born 1956) will retire. His designated successor is to be assigned as a District Apostle Helper this coming Sunday.

“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.

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.

Ministry without authority? That won’t work. Ministry without a mandate? This happens more often than one might think. One is universally valid, while the other is bound to circumstances. And yet the two are closely interconnected.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The baptism of John or the baptism of Jesus? Is there a difference? Yes, a big one and once upon a time this difference played an important role. The one baptised with a baptism of repentance, the other one with a baptism of salvation.

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).

Vicarious baptism is a biblical pillar that supports the New Apostolic Church’s conception of salvation for the departed. An episcopal council is said to have forbidden it. This is how the story usually goes, but it is not quite correct. Here is the background and how it came to the decision.