Adapted from the Festival Coordinator's Manual
As Pentecost comes and passes, it becomes time to turn our attention to the next Holy Day season. We look forward to the coming Fall Holy Days, which build our anticipation until the arrival of the biggest feast of the year—the Feast of Tabernacles!
What does it take to plan Feast sites? The Festival Office and Festival Coordinators work year-round to plan and prepare for the annual Fall festivals. Site selection itself is one of the biggest challenges that must be addressed in preparing for the largest gathering of God's people in the year. Perhaps you are interested in learning about some of the priorities that go into choosing sites for the Feast of Tabernacles.
Of course, everyone would like Feast sites "in their own backyard." While this is impossible, the Festival Office certainly strives to consider all the factors—and input from brethren—in suggesting sites for Mr. Meredith to approve. Here, are some of the factors that go into a possible Feast site being suggested and approved:
Millennial Environment
In all cases, the prime goal is for surroundings that offer a millennial atmosphere for a spiritual Feast. Environment is very important in selecting a Feast site. Will the site be a desirable place to be for eight days? Does it offer natural beauty or concrete and glass? Does it have natural features that will draw us closer to God's creation, instead of away from it? Sites are often located near national and state parks, scenic views, and beautiful waterways, lakes and oceans to inspire the senses and elevate the spirit.
Geography
The Festival Office looks for prospective sites in areas that are reasonably accessible to the largest possible concentration of Living Church of God members in a specific region. Because of the cost and hardship of traveling long distances, we have striven to plan sites within one day's driving distance to most of our brethren in every part of the country. Also considered are whether a potential site is convenient to major roads and airports and with access by public transportation.
Seasonality
It is sometimes advantageous to find locations that are not necessarily in their peak season—as this affects availability of halls and costs of housing, food and meeting space.
Quality of Facilities
Sites are chosen based on whether the facilities will accommodate the needs of all brethren, especially for those on a budget. The size, capacity, and cost of the meeting space are considered. The presence of appropriate, affordable housing is also factored in.
Longevity
We strive to seek sites that lend themselves to repeated use in succeeding years. While this is not always possible, it is certainly the goal. Ideally, to maximize our time and manpower investment in site development, our preference is to find sites that can serve us year after year.
Limited Manpower and Financial Resources
Limited manpower is a major reason we cannot add Feast sites as quickly as we would sometimes like. We must also plan according to the Church's ability to fund the Feast. Though we strive to keep the cost of running sites as low as possible, there is still a major cost in developing and hosting any new site.
Unity
Opportunities for large numbers of Living Church of God brethren to get together are very rare these days. Many congregations are quite scattered and small compared to the past. Especially in a time such as this, it makes our Festival gatherings that much more special and meaningful.
The environment in which we gather can have a tremendous effect on our unity throughout the entire year. The spirit of oneness, and our commitment to Christ and His Church, will have a major impact on the effectiveness of the Work for the next twelve months.
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Feast Comments from 2006:
As we look forward to another memorable Feast season, we want to share with you some of the memories of the Feast of Tabernacles 2006. The comments below were submitted by Living Church of God members on the anonymous festival surveys, and they emphasize how inspiring and exciting the Fall festivals are to us!
- "The sermons were outstanding. Both my wife and I are very new to the church and the Feast was a learning experience."
- "This was one of the best Feasts spiritually that we have had in 40 years. Wonderful, focused sermons and sermonettes. Very inspiring."
- "This year I noticed the brethren were relaxed, happy, and in a good humor. Not once did I notice anyone angry or hurried or in a bad attitude… Financially, this has been a very hard year for our family. But this Feast, despite the lack of funds, has been the most inspiring and loving Feast ever."
- "Everything I participated in or did on my own was excellent. This was my 20th Feast but my first one in 22 years. (All 19 were at Big Sandy and I never thought anything could compare)."
- "This Feast reminded me of the Feast during Mr. HWA's era."
- "My wife and I have been in God's Church for 23 years—this is our first with Living and it seems like our first one. Thank God and all of you!"
- "Being my first time I have enjoyed every minute."