Sick, poor, weak, or simply different? No human being is forgotten by God—whether here or in the beyond. This is something the Chief Apostle makes clear. And what’s more: it is especially for these souls that Jesus is there.

It was so typical of Peter: he was exuberant, hot-headed, brash, and impertinent. And this time he had really dug himself in deep. So why did Jesus later make him the chief shepherd over His flock? Some observations surrounding the question, “Do you love Me?”

The Equator cuts right through the Indonesian island of Borneo. And situated directly on this imaginary line—where there is little seasonal variation in the climate, incidentally—is the New Apostolic congregation of Pontianak.

A good product that costs nothing? Unthinkable in a free market economy. But this is exactly what God offers: His salvation. It cannot be bought, it is a gift. This is what the New Apostolic services in March will be about.

Jesus—from start to finish. This thought from a divine service he conducted in Sweden can be used to caption many sermons of the Chief Apostle over the year 2016. However, in this instance it is not only a matter of gaining victory with Christ, but also of fighting for Christendom.

It has been a year of coming together: mergers between District Churches, reconciliation among apostolic denominations, and reaching out to guests with a service for the departed. Following is a look back over the most important events of 2016…

Whether one is tossed about by storms or drifts away because of the current, there is an anchor that keeps souls from foundering. A divine service on a complicated Bible text, which the Chief Apostle explained in an easy to understand way.

Joy and sorrow are never far apart. Remembering the departed bridges the gap between this life and the afterlife. News from around the New Apostolic world about premières and farewells.

Malawi is the cradle of the New Apostolic Church in Central Africa. George Henwood, the later Apostle, was born here in 1901. He was one of the great pioneers of missionary work and instrumental in building up the church in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider will celebrate the upcoming service for the departed in Blantyre.

Making a guest service out of the service for the departed? Across Europe this will be a first and take place on 6 November 2016. But a congregation in Africa is going even further—and will number more participants in the end than all of Europe put together.

Against cholera, for peace and understanding between peoples—the programmes of the congregations around the world are creative, diverse, and fantastic. It is important that we take on responsibility in society, not only spiritually but also in a concrete and material way.

No other collection of laws has had such a high degree of influence on the cultural history of mankind as the Ten Commandments of God. Here the term ‘commandment’ is a translation of the Hebrew word for “instruction”. The Ten Commandments thus serve as direction and orientation for humanity.

All interested parties are invited: the New Apostolic congregations in the German-speaking regions of the world will be open to the public for a service for the departed on Sunday, 6 November 2016. The preparations are already underway.

Chief Apostle Schneider did not mince his words when he addressed the ministers and their service to God. A ministry is not a rank. A minister’s task in the congregation is to be vigilant and warn the members of impending danger.

Pastoral care is complex and individual. Sometimes it is a single prayer, but often it is a special and close relationship, and continued support. In a meeting of ministers, Chief Apostle Schneider talked about his conception of pastoral care.

Divine salvation is invisible. Christians, however, are to make it visible through their prayers and their faith so that people can recognize salvation. Chief Apostle Schneider invited the congregations to take part in this.

The kingdom of God is not something that can only be found in the future. And seeking it means more than just attending the services. Following are excerpts from a sermon by the Chief Apostle that demonstrate the dimensions and ways we can access them.

“Prejudice” by definition is a preconceived opinion. More often than not it is disparaging, stigmatizing, or discriminating. Prejudices tend to have negative character and are, mostly, unreflected. And yet everybody has them, these treasures that are buried in the dim recesses of our feelings.