Every day the Chief Apostle prays for persecuted Christians. And one of the countries he has in mind is Nigeria. This coming weekend he will celebrate a divine service in Nigeria, a country being ravaged by Boko Haram, a militant Islamist group.

The journey to Kazakhstan had already been scheduled long in advance, but the question as to whether Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider would indeed be allowed to conduct the divine services that had been planned remained open to the very last minute. The reason: strict legal regulations.

“The stranger is your neighbour!” This was one of the core messages from Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider over the past year. And—even in times of terrorism and war, waves of immigration, and xenophobia—this also remains our mission for the new year.

Youth development of a different kind, generational change in leadership, and a celebration of faith with a whole lot of “paaaahhhhh”: such was the year 2015 in Africa. The continent with the most New Apostolic Christians in the world opens our series of annual reviews here on nac.today.

Grief is a process, also in Paris. In the wake of the bloody attacks, people continue to come to the sites of the attacks to pay their respects to the victims. The central congregation of the New Apostolic Church in Paris is close to one of the locations. How are our brothers and sisters coping?

Whether friend, stranger, or enemy, every single one of them is our neighbour in the biblical sense. Jesus Christ demands that we love them. How is that possible? Answers from a divine service by the Chief Apostle …

“It can never be said that the Apostle was a coward. I risked everything to help in the quick movement and furtherance of the Church work.” These words were written by the Chief Apostle’s right hand: Apostle Heinrich Franz Schlaphoff. Fifty years ago today he passed away.

Lit tea-lights in the shape of a heart in Luxembourg, flowers and a “Pray for Paris” banner in Germany: the terror attacks last Friday in Paris have left people in shock, especially in Europe. But the District Apostles are also directing attention beyond Europe’s borders, to other parts of the world.

He was a wise master builder in a double sense. He was also one of the first Apostles to be appointed as a District Apostle Helper. Apostle (ret.) Leonard Ernest Kolb (USA) has passed away. He was 82 years of age.

Together Sudan and the South Sudan form a very large region in the eastern part of the African continent. District Apostle Klingler from Hanover in Germany cared for the 6,000 New Apostolic Sudanese Christians for twenty years. The administrative and pastoral care of the members in Sudan will now be assigned to the District Church of East Africa.

The month of November in the northern hemisphere is cold and dark. There is an autumn mood, the leaves are falling, and the nights are long. It is the month of the more quiet church festivals. nac.today takes a closer look.

District Apostle Noel Edward Barnes will turn 66 this year. He is responsible for the New Apostolic Church Cape and is approaching retirement age. In view of his pending retirement a District Apostle Helper will be commissioned: Apostle John Leslie Kriel. The congregations in the District Apostle Area were informed about this last Sunday.

The monsoon season is nearly over. But even then, the people still have to cope with the devastation left by the earthquakes in April and May of this year. On the long path towards normality, Nepal is still at the very beginning. So is the village of Sipapokhare, a village situated in the Himalayan foothills. The following report is from our nac.today correspondent Christy Eckhardt.

“Serve the Lord with gladness.” This is nothing new. What is new, however, is a whole catalogue of requirements and practical help given by the Chief Apostle. Following are excerpts from the recent divine service that he held for the ministers in Europe.

The Church is building a hospital, Apostles are working on growing together, and young people are occupying themselves with the Catechism—here is a look around the world from Africa to Europe to South America.

Three active Apostles in a row have passed away in the past few days on the African continent. Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider paid tribute to their commitment to the now grieving congregations.

“He was a young and deeply faithful man of God with vision,” District Apostle (ret.) Brinkmann describes his friend and companion, Sukami Landu Ronsard, the first Angolan Apostle. He died on 27 August 1989 at the age of 31 in an ambush by rebels. Thirty years ago to the day, Apostle Ronsard was ordained as an Apostle.

How do New Apostolic Christians in other parts of the world live their faith? Today, nac.today takes you to Papua New Guinea in the south-western Pacific Ocean.