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The sacraments (36): A leap over the church fence?

Some call it the Eucharist, others the Lord’s Supper. For some it is ministers acting in Christ’s stead, for others it is the universal priesthood. For some it is a transformation, for others the body and blood of Christ are joined to the substance. Here it is Christ, there it is a symbol. Although Holy Communion is celebrated in all churches, it is celebrated differently everywhere.

June 15, 2021

confessions congregation

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• doctrine 
• Easter
• Europe
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A man of many talents

Wilhelm Sebastian was a man who was entrusted with special missions. He was barely 25 years old when he was sent from Hamburg to Brunswick to establish a congregation there. One of the special assignments given him is still of importance to the Church today.

June 14, 2021

apostolate

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• Chief Apostle
• Children
• congregation
• divine service
• doctrine 
• ministry
• Music
• Pastoral care

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Online services at a glance

The central divine services that the Church broadcasts are a global and multilingual offer that is independent of time and place and the current development of the pandemic.

June 11, 2021

Chief Apostle

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• divine service
• doctrine 
• Holy Communion
• Music
• sacraments

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Fellowship is both the way and the goal

Training in the fellowship of the believers for eternal fellowship with God: this is how the Chief Apostle understands salvation in Christ and our preparation for it. What this means he explained in his annual interview 2021.

June 3, 2021

Chief Apostle

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• congregation
• District Apostle
• divine service
• doctrine 
• Holy Communion
• Organisation
• Pentecost
• sacraments

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The sacraments (35): Who is allowed to the table and where?

Taking a seat at the Lord’s table—that can involve a lot of hurdles: all Christian churches attach conditions to participation in Holy Communion. Anyone who decides to visit another denomination can easily get tangled up.

June 1, 2021

acts of blessing

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• Chief Apostle
• Confirmation
• doctrine 
• Easter
• Holy Communion
• ministry
• sacraments

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Getting to know the church of Christ

“I believe in…the one, holy, universal, and apostolic church…” Such is the New Apostolic Church’s understanding of church. But what exactly does it mean by that? The sermons in June shed some light on the matter.

May 31, 2021

apostolate congregation

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• divine service
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• ministry
• sacraments

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Pastoral care (12): Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t…

From “I don't need a visit” to “Come over more often”—traditional family visits from ministers are still valued. What is required, however, are more creative ways to get together, as well as a return to more conventional values.

May 25, 2021

congregation

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• society

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The Sacraments (34): Ambassadors of divine initiative

Now that we have answered the what, how, where, and when, we still have to ask the question of who: who is permitted to dispense Holy Communion? And this time, the Christian churches actually all seem to have very similar answers—albeit with differing justifications.

May 20, 2021

apostolate

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• confessions
• congregation
• doctrine 
• Holy Communion
• investiture
• Local news
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Potato slices and Communion

Jesus is the bread of life. This knowledge held a special significance for District Apostle Gottfried Hinz, because Jesus and bread also played a very important role in his life. Today he would have been 140 years old.

May 15, 2021

apostolate

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• Chief Apostle
• congregation
• District Apostle
• divine service
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• Holy Communion
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Spotlight 7/2021: Shaping our future

The idea is not to simply wait for the future, but to prepare for it and shape it. This is the tenor of the New Apostolic motto for 2021. District Apostle Michael Ehrich of Germany explains why.

May 10, 2021

annual motto

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• concept of salvation for the departed
• District Apostle
• divine service
• doctrine 
• sacraments

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An encounter at a railway station sets the course

The New Apostolic Church in Malaysia celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, and it all began with a love story. The story takes us from Malaysia via England to Germany and back again.

May 6, 2021

Asia

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The greatest declaration of love

How wonderful it would be if there were a love that never stops and forgives everything? This is the kind of unconditional affection that people long for. Here is a Good Friday sermon on extraordinary manifestations of love and the human pitfalls.

May 5, 2021

Chief Apostle

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• congregation
• doctrine 
• Good Friday
• history 
• Holy Communion
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• Youth

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The sacraments (33): How often should we partake?

When is the table of the Lord prepared? And how often should believers come to the table? In the past and present of the various denominations, the gamut of when to partake in the Lord’s Supper runs from once a day to once a year—let’s take a tour through some of the churches.

May 4, 2021

confessions

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• congregation
• divine service
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• Holy Communion
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Gratitude: the power that produces fruit

It sounds menacing: those who don’t bear any fruit will be cut down. However, the parable of the barren fig tree is not a threatening message, but a message of joy. Anyone who digs deep enough will discover how the Bible interprets itself.

April 27, 2021

Bible study

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Spotlight 6/2021: Let us stand together as a congregation

The past year brought many new challenges. How did we deal with them? Have they managed to distance us from God? What lies ahead of us? District Apostle Kububa Soko (Zambia) answers these questions in his own way.

April 26, 2021

annual motto

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• apostolate
• Chief Apostle
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• District Apostle
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The sacraments (32): Table manners with bread and wine

What is the real focus of the congregation when celebrating Holy Communion? Fellowship with Christ, or fellowship with one another? The answer is reflected in the manner in which the believers gather for the sacrament and receive the elements.

April 20, 2021

Asia

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• congregation
• doctrine 
• Holy Communion
• sacraments

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He took the helm in the middle of a storm

Suddenly in charge and in trouble. This is what Hendra Tansahsami experienced time and again. As District Apostle he merged the two New Apostolic sister churches in Indonesia. Here is a look back in tribute to a man who would have been 100 years old today.

April 19, 2021

Chief Apostle confessions

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Pastoral care (11): Confession and the quest for relief from guilt

Confession is a touchy subject. It is a highly sensitive and personal matter and often involves unresolved guilt. It is a difficult subject for all concerned.

April 15, 2021

congregation

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The sacraments (31): The sequence according to the menu

It all began as a simple table prayer and developed into a rich culture incorporating many different forms of expression. We’re talking, of course, about the celebration of Holy Communion. Where did it come from and where will it lead? Here are some similarities and differences.

April 7, 2021

Ascension Day

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• Holy Communion
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• sacraments

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At what point does the body separate from the soul?

Whether it has to do with organ donation, euthanasia, or measures to prolong life, modern medicine repeatedly confronts us with existential decisions. Following is an orientation guide from the point of view of the New Apostolic faith.

April 6, 2021

Pastoral care

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Women—the key witnesses at the empty tomb

It is a puzzling case indeed. A corpse is missing. But every last clue has long since crumbled to dust. There are the witness statements, of course. But even some of these are pretty confused. What does it all mean?

April 3, 2021

grieving

+1

• Pastoral care

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Images of women throughout the ages

Woman and man—created equally in the image of God? The question of who, or what, women represent has always been defined by men over the centuries. Only in the modern age has this image begun to shift closer to the original intent of creation. Some excerpts from history will illustrate.

March 30, 2021

doctrine  Europe

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• history 
• sacraments

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Spotlight 4/2021: I choose Christ today, for my future

Spoiled for choice… Sometimes, being able to choose between two alternatives is not easy, especially when it comes to our future. District Apostle Mark Woll of Canada has very clear ideas about this.

March 29, 2021

annual motto

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• congregation
• District Apostle
• divine service
• doctrine 
• sacraments

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The weekly update

Changing YouTube channels and upcoming services on Good Friday… here is this week’s update on the central video services offered by the New Apostolic Church.

March 26, 2021

Chief Apostle

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• congregation
• divine service
• doctrine 
• Good Friday
• Holy Communion
• Music
• sacraments

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Women in the early church

Woman and man—created equally in the image of God? There is no shortage of evidence supporting that women were active participants in the early church. The question, however, is what these facts have to say about the role of women in the church.

March 25, 2021

congregation

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The sacraments (30): Communion under both species

Communion during COVID: it would be a non-starter if we all shared the same wine chalice. So how can the sacrament nevertheless be celebrated “under both species”—that is, with both bread and wine? For an answer, we turn to history—namely that of the New Apostolic Church!

March 23, 2021

acts of blessing

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• Chief Apostle
• Confirmation
• congregation
• divine service
• doctrine 
• history 
• Holy Communion
• sacraments

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don't miss

“Always speak the language of love”

Enrique Eduardo Minio is at work as the “architect of the future” in the southern regions of South America. That is how the Chief Apostle referred to him at his ordination. What does this mean in practice? Following is an interview with both the former District Apostle and the new District Apostle.

July 27, 2016

ministry investiture

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• Chief Apostle
• District Apostle
• doctrine 
• divine service
• congregation
• Youth
• Europe
• America
• Event

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“Do you still remember why I had to suffer?”

Lent and Passiontide… It can feel like pain and sorrow. Compassion is what is called for! At the same time, however, it becomes clear that Christians must never forget why their Saviour Jesus Christ had to suffer: it was for them!

March 1, 2021

Palm Sunday Easter

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• doctrine 
• sacraments
• Holy Communion
• concept of salvation for the departed
• divine service
• Pastoral care
• grieving
• history 

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“Felix Austria”: lucky Austria makes music

The stalls, the boxes, the lower and upper galleries … the Vienna Concert Hall was filled to the last seat. “We invite you to have an encounter with Jesus through music,” Franz Jochum, the musical director and conductor, said to the audience at the beginning of the concert.

June 3, 2017

Pentecost congregation

+3

• Youth
• Music
• New Year

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