No distance is too far

From island to island

Large open ocean areas lie between the Philippine islands that District Apostle Edy Isnugroho visited in the company of Apostle Samuel Tansahtikno at the end of June to the beginning of July. Five divine services and two meetings with the ministers took place in Leyte, Bohol, and Cebu, which are spread over three different islands. The highlight was the service for the departed on 2 July at our central church in Cebu.

Pastoral care behind bars

“I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me.” This passage from Matthew 25: 36 inspired Siyabonga Ndongeni, Xabiso Stwayi, and Khayalethu Vaaltein, three Priests from the Nobuhle district in South Africa, to visit members of their congregations who are in correctional facilities. On 3 June the three ministers visited the members doing time in St Albans Correctional Services.

Music knows no handicap

“Come, now is the time, we worship, give Him your heart, come as you are and worship” was the opening piece of a concert given by the choir Faktor G in Trier, Germany, at the beginning of June. And that was meant literally, because Faktor G is an inclusion project in which young people with and without handicaps make music together. Despite the summer heat, a large audience had come to hear the choir. There was also a YouTube livestream. And to cool down and motivate the singers, the conductor distributed Factor G flags, which the members of the audience used as fans to keep themselves cool during the concert.

Women’s conventions in Africa

New Apostolic women from Togo and Nigeria gathered for women’s conventions, lasting three days.

The first gathering took place in Togo, where hundreds of women from the five congregations of District 3 met in Dapapong. There were lectures, panel discussions, devotions, and singing. Apostle Kloutse Kossivi Edoh conducted the closing service for the sisters.

The next convention was in Nigeria, where sisters from 16 districts gathered for a Sisters Fellowship from 7 to 9 July. The focus was on seminars, workshops, and health talks, and medical checks took place. Apostle Oscar Nwanza conducted a special service for the sisters in our Ikeja central church in Lagos.

“Now is the time”

New Apostolic young people from all over Germany overcame denominational barriers at the recent German Protestant Church Congress. The 38th congress took place over a long weekend at the beginning of June in Nuremberg, Germany. The service started at 11 a.m. in the packed St Lawrence Church. The musical accompaniment was provided by a choir of 85 young people from all over Germany under the direction of Gerrit Junge and accompanied by Sigi Hänger on organ and electric piano. “Now is the time” was the motto of the Church Congress and the young people also performed the official anthem of the 38th congress, “It is high time”..

Various events also took place under this motto, some of which the New Apostolic Church was involved in. A presentation on our expectation of Christ’s return was given by Apostle Matthias Pfützner during a panel discussion on the apocalypse. And Apostle Arne Herrmann, who is responsible for Nuremberg, conducted a divine service for the young people of the project choir and guests and urged them to use the time available in the spirit of Christ and to do good.