Attending the Feast of Tabernacles is a highlight of the year for God's people. The reality of the Kingdom of God should become ever clearer to us each year as we gather together to celebrate our part in God's plan and look forward to the establishment of God's government here on the earth.
The Feast of Tabernacles will not begin until Monday night, October 13, this year, but the Festival Office is at work year-round, helping to prepare a joyous, millennial Feast experience for all the brethren. God has placed His name at a variety of millennial sites this year, as Living Church of God brethren begin to plan their attendance at the 2008 Feast of Tabernacles.
Brethren in the United States have been assigned to a site based on the location of the congregation they attend (not necessarily the state where they live).
The sites and assignments are:
- Branson, Missouri
Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee - New Braunfels, Texas
Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas - Newport, Oregon
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming - Prescott, Arizona
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah - Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin - Sunset Beach, North Carolina
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia
Canadian brethren will keep the Feast at:
- Lethbridge, Alberta
- Orford, Quebec
- Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
International travelers may choose to keep the Feast in Evian, France; Llangollen, North Wales; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and several dozen other sites around the globe.
For some brethren living in the northeastern United States, the Orford, Quebec site may be the closest to their homes. The meeting hall in Orford will have room for about 300 international transfers, so there should be ample space for U.S. travelers who have their passports in order and would like to keep the Feast with their brethren in Canada. Please note that the majority of sermons at the Orford site will be in English, and there will be translation provided for the two French-language sermons. Of course, French translations will also be provided for the English-language sermons there.
Some overseas sites are maintaining their own lists of registered attendees, apart from the MyLCG registration system. Even so, if you plan to keep the Feast overseas, it is important that you register on MyLCG so that we can free your previously assigned space for a potential transfer.
Preparing for the Feast involves much more than saving your second tithe, sending in your tithe-of-the-tithe, making housing reservations and keeping your car well-maintained for travel. It involves time spent in prayer, Bible study and meditation on what the Feast means to God's people now, and what it pictures about the amazing future God has planned for each of His firstfruits.
Truly, God is preparing a great future and a place for each of us in His family. He has called us to learn how to rule and teach this world in the ways of peace and happiness. The Feast of Tabernacles is the best place to train for the awesome events to occur in the days and years just ahead. The Feast gives us a foretaste of the Kingdom of God. Let us all look forward to having the "best Feast ever!"