The "Spotlight" series is intended to shed light on all aspects of our "Joy in Christ". This time it is District Apostle Markus Fehlbaum's turn to take a closer look at our annual motto for 2015. He starts off by asking, "What happens when we share joy with others?"

After 34 years in ministry, the longest serving Apostle currently in ministry will take his retirement: Rudolf Kainz—a man of humbleness as well as clear words, filled with vision and initiative, but above all, well-practised in the love of Jesus—will be discharged from active ministry on 15 March in Schaffhausen.

Starting tomorrow, the New Apostolic Church in Spain will turn over a new leaf, so to speak. As of 1 March, the brothers and sisters there will be singing from a new hymnal. The new Spanish hymnal originated from a kind of big sister in a different part of the world.

To radiate joy in Christ, that is the goal of our 2015 motto. Today District Apostle Leonard Kolb (USA) throws light on this multifaceted theme. He asks: How can we be joyful if we only think of ourselves?

Soft yet firm, someone who blazed the trail and someone who guided others on it, that was Chief Apostle Hans Urwyler. Today he would have turned 90 years of age.

Everybody goes through turbulent times, not only the individual believer but also the Church as a whole. God poses the question: “Where is your faith?” Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider gives a number of answers and allows a glimpse of one of the most profound moments of his life.

Whereas the countdown for this year’s Pentecost celebration in Zambia is on, preparations in Germany are only just beginning. The New Apostolic Church in Frankfurt will host the Pentecost feast in 2016. A location with a history …

District Apostle Charles S. Ndandula presents the motto and logo for Pentecost 2015

Munich/Zurich. A divine service from Munich transmitted around the world by satellite—millions of New Apostolic Christians on all continents witnessed the Pentecost service conducted by their Church leader, Jean-Luc Schneider. In the Olympia Stadium in the Bavarian capital alone there were 50,000 believers. In his Pentecost message, the Chief Apostle called upon the believers to become even more active in love for God and their neighbour, emphasising that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Zurich. The divine service which Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider will conduct on Pentecost Sunday on the occasion of the International Church Convention of the New Apostolic Church will be transmitted to over 100 countries on all continents with the help of satellites, fibre optic cables, and radio broadcasters. His sermon will first be interpreted into English at the altar phrase by phrase, and then interpreted simultaneously into over 20 other languages.

The news was given by District Apostle Charles Ndandula that Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider will visit Lusaka, Zambia at Pentecost 2015.

Dortmund/Zurich. “We praise God and give thanks to His servant”—it was with this simple statement that the international leader of the New Apostolic Church, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider, opened Sunday’s divine service in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle. With emotional words he retired District Apostle Armin Brinkmann, who had served in ministry for many years, before going on to ordain his successor, the new District Apostle Rainer Storck.

Zurich. Changes will soon be coming to the structure of midweek divine services in the New Apostolic congregations of the USA. The usual midweek service with its celebration of Holy Communion will in future only take place once each month. District Apostle Leonard Kolb plans to supplement this with non-sacramental divine services, home devotionals, Bible studies, Catechism instruction, musical evenings, and discussion evenings. Concerning this Chief Apostle states: “I really welcome this proposal, as the circumstances of the Church in the USA cannot be compared to those in Europe.”

Zurich. The new year 2014 has a new motto: “Labour in love!” In his divine service on New Year’s Day in Stuttgart, Germany, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider, the spiritual leader of the New Apostolic Church, used the words of the Lord Jesus as an appeal to all Christians to make a special profession of faith: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Zurich. The past year 2013 was an anniversary year for the New Apostolic Church. It was celebrated with numerous national and international events. Having emerged in 1863 from a small Catholic Apostolic congregation in Hamburg, Germany, the New Apostolic Church today numbers over ten million members around the world. New Apostolic Christians gather to worship in over 60,000 congregations. Following are some excerpts from a year in motion.

Zurich. In the early evening hours of this Sunday, 30 June 2013, retired Chief Apostle Richard Fehr passed into the beyond. He is survived by his wife Sonja and his family. In his official notice to the District Apostles, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider informed them that his predecessor in the Chief Apostle ministry closed his eyes peacefully at around 5:00 PM. In mid-July he would have been 74 years of age.

Zurich. “It does me good to know that my predecessor is here. It brings me special joy that our retired Chief Apostle Fehr is feeling better again.” Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider had invited both of his predecessors in ministry to Zurich. He had done so in order to bid an official farewell to his immediate predecessor, Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber—who retired on Pentecost Sunday of this year—from the head office of the Church.

Photo: nacworld