Düsseldorf. The District Apostles from across the globe came, at the end of 2017, to see where the International Youth Convention (IYC) 2019 is going to take place. Many will be sending delegations to help in creating their presentation booths. Documentation of the occasion is captured in a video.

30,000 visitors, sleeping arrangements for 25,000, 2,300 helpers and 360,000 litres of drinking water: these are some of the key figures which Apostle Franz-Wilhelm Otten revealed to the District Apostles. In the Esprit Arena he was able to show the heads of the international Church districts the magnitude of this major event. Apostle Otten is one of the managing directors of the company, IJT 2019 Düsseldorf gGmbH, commissioned by the New Apostolic Church to organise and run the International Youth Convention 2019.

First info and more details

The visitors were next given some preliminary information by Apostle Otten: more than 25,000 sleeping spaces will be made available for all participants in the halls. In addition, the entry fee will include the provision for all meals. Everyone will be able to satisfy their appetites on the premises from Thursday until Sunday.

The package which each participant will also receive will include entry to all events, as well as a greetings packet with a t-shirt and scarf. Further details on the entry fee will be published shortly.

Hall no.6 – “Hall of Encounters” and central meeting place

Following the introductory information was a sight-seeing tour of the event’s premises. It was focussed on the stadium and Hall no. 6. The latter will be the place in 2019 where people can meet each other - the “Hall of encounters”, and where the international presentation booths of the district Churches and District Apostle regions will be found. Cafés in the hall will give visitors the chance to stop and linger. The youth can also set up their own booths or displays here in this hall.

Memories were recalled during the tour of the European Youth Day 2009, which was also held in the same location. Some of the District Apostles were there as well in 2009; Michael Ehrich, from Southern Germany, and Rüdiger Krause, from Northern and Eastern Germany, for example.

Programme contributions required

The youth have had the opportunity, since October 2017, to submit their own contributions for the Youth Convention. It is the wish of the planning committee that as many programme items as possible are planned and implemented by the young people: from music to plays, lectures and workshops, to prayer gatherings. Youth groups and organisations are also able to register booths. The document to register is now available in German and English.

The District Apostle regions will be putting their ideas together in the coming weeks as to how each district Church can present itself at the International Youth Convention. The African district Churches are considering combining into one larger booth. Each European district Church, with its representative countries, will be providing its own booth in the Hall of Encounters.