Helping the Church to function well

Utilising knowledge

Familiarising themselves with teaching material, understanding the intranet, and improving the quality of statistics at all levels of the Church: these were the topics of a meeting that Guinea’s seminar trainers convened for on 12 and 13 January. The participants, including the three local Apostles, set about improving the various offers of the Church, navigating the Church’s websites and various platforms, activating inactive congregations, and familiarising themselves with the teaching materials. The trainers were to take what they had learned into the congregations and share it with the members there.

Smile please

From the digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera to the smartphone camera: everything was covered at the photography workshop in Klapmuts in South Africa. On 25 February, the budding photographers from the Stellenbosch district were given a theoretical introduction to the SLR camera and practical tips on photography in a church context followed. They covered practical divine service scenarios, such as acts of blessing and group photos and practised their newly acquired skills straight away.

Reading aloud effectively

Interested Bible readers were given speaking lessons in our church in Plauen, Germany, at the beginning of March. As Bible readings are part of the liturgy in various divine services in the New Apostolic Church, Rita Wiesner, who is a freelance actress, invited interested members to a workshop to show them how these texts can be presented in an effective, understandable, and structured manner. First, they looked at the content and structure of Bible texts and where the reader can pick out rhetorical elements such as emphasis, pauses, or volume. Then came the physical part, in which the 27 participants were shown breathing exercises, for example. The actress then gave tips on how to prepare for a Bible reading, followed by a practical exercise in which the participants were asked to do a Bible reading, keeping in mind everything they had learned.

Knowing the doctrine

The local seminar trainers from the Apostle district of Accra in Ghana met with their Apostle Charles Asare and the deputy district rectors in the central church in Accra on 6 March. After an opening prayer each of the participants was introduced. Topics included reviving inactive congregations, the Church’s understanding of salvation, thoughts from the Chief Apostle on witchcraft, the qualities and responsibilities of a rector, administration and organisation, how to deal with sexual misconduct, and how the intranet works. Apostle Asare encouraged the participants to share their knowledge by organising seminars at the local level.

How to set up a business

In accordance with the train-the-trainer principle, Apostle Jean-Luc Tanga invited people to a seminar in Bicipi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on 7 April. In the programme, which has been running in the Fungurume district since the beginning of April and is being conducted by Jules Mwenda and Josian Kisumbule, the 93 participants learned, among other things, how to set up a successful business. Spiritual topics were not neglected either. Together the participants discussed a Bible passage from Joshua 1: 17 and how to prepare for a divine service. The next morning, Apostle Tanga conducted the confirmation service in Bicipi and dispensed a confirmation blessing on 65 confirmands.