Getting excited about church

International Youth Convention in Germany: The International Youth Convention 2019 will take place at the exhibition grounds in Düsseldorf (Germany). But how do you get there? Many have asked this question. Once you are at the Düsseldorf airport or the main railway station, or even somewhere in the vicinity, getting to the exhibition grounds is easy and free of charge. The organisers of the IYC 2019 have reached an agreement with Rheinbahn Düsseldorf that participants of the International Youth Convention can use buses, trams, and the subway free of charge. A combination ticket, valid on all four event days from 30 May to 2 June, will be printed on the back of the participants’ passes. The transport association Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) includes the Ruhr area, the Lower Rhine area, parts of the Bergisches Land, and the North Rhine-Westphalian capital of Düsseldorf. Free public transport applies on all VRR services in second-class compartments.

For further details please go to the IYC website.

Divine service in Burundi: Divine service in Burundi: Chief Apostle Schneider’s visit to Burundi from 1 to 3 March was also a big and joyous event. The congregations had been looking forward to it and preparing for it for quite some time. It was, after all, the first visit of a Chief Apostle in the country. And on top of that it was the divine service for the departed, which he conducted on 3 March in Bujumbura, the national capital. Some 1,500 believers attended.

Burundi is a landlocked country in the African Great Lakes Region. It is bordered by the Democratic Republic Congo in the west, Rwanda in the north, and Tanzania in the east and south-east. The Church in Burundi is part of the District Apostle Area DR Congo South-East, under the leadership of District Apostle Tshitshi Tshisekedi. The approximately 2,000 New Apostolic Christians in the country are cared for by 224 ministers. Apostle Lambert Ntahimpera is responsible for the district.

Day of the Youth in Uruguay: In South America too, there was a great deal of excitement and delight at La Caballada, a huge recreation property in Colonia del Sacramento. Guests of honour from Europe were Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider and District Apostle Wolfgang Nadolny from Germany). Six hundred young Christians from the hosting country, plus several youth members from the neighbouring countries of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile were there.

On Saturday morning, 16 March, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider and his party were exuberantly welcomed. There is a plenty of space at La Caballada for all kinds of events. The programme started with a parade. A dinosaur from prehistoric times, Joseph from the Bible, Martin Luther, and Christopher Columbus made a live appearance to music, while images were projected on a screen. Another scene recalled the founding of the New Apostolic Church in 1863. The parade ended with a glimpse into the future: “Maranatha” it said there in big bold letters.

In the afternoon the Chief Apostle took questions from the young people. Then the Chief Apostle was asked to plant a tree on the property. It was a special and emotional moment, and a symbol for future joy.