Zurich. The New Apostolic Church is expecting some 50,000 participants in the event of a European youth day in 2009. The event would consist of three days, including a festive divine service with Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber. The representatives in charge of the youth from each of the European District Churches gathered in Düsseldorf for their first preparatory meeting in mid-March.
The main elements of a possible European Youth Day of the New Apostolic Church in 2009 would include: 50,000 young people and their leaders from all over Europe, a three-day program, and a large festive divine service with the chief apostle. At their first meeting from 13-14 March 2006 the youth representatives of the nine European District Churches discussed the general possibilities for organising such an event. By the end of March the European district apostles will make a final decision as to whether it will be possible to organise a European Youth Day. Possible dates include the weekends of Ascension Day or Corpus Christi 2009.
The host of the meeting in Düsseldorf was District Apostle Armin Brinkmann, president of the District Church of North Rhine-Westphalia. He directs the planning committee on behalf of the European District Apostle Meeting. “At the moment we are looking for suitable locations for the event,” said District Apostle Brinkmann. During a tour of Düsseldorf’s exhibition centre and the nearby LTU-Arena, the participants gained a preliminary impression of the scale of the Youth Day in general, and the exhibition centre in particular.
The remainder of the discussions of the 20 apostles, bishops, and district evangelists from the individual European District Churches centred on a possible program for the three to four-day event, conceivable elements to include in the weekend, groups to invite, and above all, the organisation and financing of the event. Concrete proposals will be presented to the European district apostles for a decision at the end of March.
We will report further.
15 March 2006