“Together in Christ” is not free, but it gives infinitely more strength than it costs. To close the year, we look back on the different aspects emphasised by the District Apostles in the Spotlight series reflecting the 2022 motto.
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Photo: INA Sud América
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Photo: INA Sud América
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Photo: NAC Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe
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Photo: ENA RDC OUEST
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Photo: ENA RDC SUD-EST
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Photo: NAC Canada
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Photo: NAC Canada
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Photo: NAK Westdeutschland
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Photo: NAC South East Asia
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Photo: NAC South East Asia
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Photo: NAC Western Pacific
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Photo: NAC Southern Africa
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Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider issued the motto in his New Year’s address and took a closer look at four levels of togetherness.
- our fellowship with the triune God
- our fellowship in the divine service
- living together in fellowship
- the fellowship of the living and the dead.
“Working together in Christ means giving and taking, accepting the neighbour, and overcoming everything that separates or could cause a divide. Learning from one another and praying for one another are also part of this,” wrote District Apostle Jürg Zbinden from Switzerland in the first Spotlight article of 2022.
For District Apostle Michael Ehrich from Southern Germany “Together in Christ” above all means “to be aware of the fellowship we have with the Lord, and to harmonise our own inner disposition with His. The best way to achieve this is to take Christ as our model”.
District Apostle Enrique Eduardo Minio from South America pointed out: “We have God in common, who has given us a promise that leads to a hope. This goes beyond our nationality, language, or culture. The promise is that Christ is coming for us, and we all wish to be worthy so that we can partake in His return.”
District Apostle Michael Deppner from the DR Congo West expressed a wish to the brothers and sisters: “May we continue in this unity: with Christ and with one another in the congregation. It is a real greenhouse for our future.”
District Apostle Leonard Kolb from the New Apostolic Church USA put the focus on empathy. “Empathising with our neighbour in their condition will make a difference,” was his closing appeal.
“If we want to have fellowship (walk) with Christ (the Light) we need fellowship with one another and to share in His body and blood,” was the central thought in District Apostle Mark Woll’s (Canada) article.
Unity, humbleness, following, gratitude, kindness, and prayer were the themes addressed by District Apostle Kububa Soko from Zambia. Jesus Christ is our model in all of these things. “He is the focal point, our example, and we must emulate Him,” the District Apostle says.
District Apostle Joseph Opemba Ekhuya from Kenya talked about the efforts being made to build up the church of Christ. “The challenge for 2022 is therefore how we as the body of Christ can stick together as desired by our head Jesus Christ.”
District Apostle Rainer Storck from Western Germany looked at the difficulties of reconciling the interests of all brothers and sisters. His advice: “Those who live in Christ are attentive and responsive to the needs of their neighbour and share in each others’ joys and sorrows.”
District Apostle Rüdiger Krause from Northern and Eastern Germany: “I urge all of us to have and maintain fellowship with one another in Christ. This is a question of will and not of limited opportunities. This is the only way we can follow the example of the first Christians.”
District Apostle Tshitshi Tshisekedi from the DR Congo South-East wrote: “Alone and isolated we run the risk of feeling more guilty, thinking that no one can understand us or that our evil is greater than that of others. But by actively engaging in our congregation, we will realise that others do not judge us, on the contrary, they sympathise with us and Jesus is at the centre of everything, ready to forgive us.”
The last Spotlight article of the year 2022 was written by District Apostle Edy Isnugroho from Asia. He wrote about brothers and sisters who experienced the value of the fellowship of the faithful. “They confess that they have obtained the strength to remain faithful to the Lord and grow in faith from living together in fellowship because their brothers and sisters in faith were able to understand them and sympathised with them.”