The Chief Apostle described Joshua as a true servant of God and presented him as an example. Here is what this figure from the Old Testament can teach us about our 2023 motto: “Serving and reigning with Christ”.

Threads, chains, and self-control. These are the key words in the article by District Apostle Enrique Minio from South America in which he explores our motto for 2023 and the New Year’s message delivered by the Chief Apostle.

“Serving and reigning with Christ” – that’s not easy to illustrate. Hundreds of young creative heads from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka took on the challenge and presented a kaleidoscope of ideas.

Reigning? Can this really be the ultimate goal of a Christian? Most definitely yes, because this has nothing to do with exercising power over people. The Chief Apostle talks about biblical perspectives for the future and the New Apostolic motto for 2023.

District Apostle Leonard Kolb (USA) ventures a look into the future. He speaks of the divine destiny that awaits Christians in the eternal future after life on earth. But the preparation for it takes place already today.

The crown is a popular motif used to design the 2023 logos. It allows the Regional Churches to illustrate the annual motto “Serving and Reigning with Christ”. But not all designers used a crown to emphasise the royal aspect of this year’s motto.

Jesus can be experienced everywhere: in everyday life, in our congregation, in emergency situations—this is the message the divine services in January will convey. The sermons in January will look at the relationship that we believers have with our Lord Jesus Christ and explore it from different angles.

How can we implement the motto that the Chief Apostle issues at the beginning of each year? Our Spotlight series with contributions from District Apostles across the world gives impulses. The articles are linked on the right.

“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.

The blue shelf in the background is unmistakable. This piece of furniture always appears when a new year begins, namely in the Chief Apostle’s New Year’s address. In a supporting role this time around: a piece of invisible art.

Thanksgiving Day is a day which people on different continents celebrate not only at different times, but also in their very own way. Here is an overview of the beautiful manner in which people praise and honour God.

Divine services are usually conducted twice a week in the New Apostolic Church, and every divine service is special. But some services still have that certain something extra.

Nothing is as constant as change. In a divine service in Mexico on 7 August the Chief Apostle put the focus on old things that must be preserved and new things that are good—impulses that are particularly important at this time.

Being kind and helping people in spite of being treated unjustly by them is not only possible, but it is also an aspect of this year’s motto. District Apostle Edy Isnugroho of Indonesia explains.

Learning to master fellowship takes practice at an early age: children cross borders, students help craft the Church of the future, and a youth summit advertises for the Church with music.

During a pandemic it is important to isolate oneself in order to avert the risk of infection. In our congregational life, however, things look very different: there isolation is a danger, District Apostle Tshitshi Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo warns.

No one can see into the future, except God. But we can all plan for tomorrow. This is something that New Apostolic congregations do by minimising their impact on the environment, by being there for the upcoming generations, or seeing to sustainable development.

Feeling spiritually connected with one another is an expression of the power of the Holy Spirit. Such a sense of togetherness is a question of will and not of limited opportunities, says District Apostle Rüdiger Krause (Germany).