Dear Brethren and Co-workers with Christ,
Some of you wonder why we send envelopes with these letters. I hear this from brethren when I visit our congregations, and we hear it from co-workers in phone calls and letters. This is especially true for those who donate online or who donate only occasionally. Sending envelopes that are not needed appears to be a waste.
I understand. It pains me personally to throw away something that is good, but for which I have no use. I can only imagine how hoarders feel! So, why do we do it? Are we not wasting financial resources that you send to us? The answer is, no.
Many brethren and co-workers support Tomorrow’s World and the Living Church of God by means of checks and money orders, meaning that they have to send them by way of the postal system. This requires an envelope, and we try to make it easy for those individuals by providing ones that are self-addressed. Also, the markings on the envelopes assist the post office in sorting and delivery and help us identify the sender. Some people support this Work monthly, others quarterly, others every week. Then there are those who use our envelopes to send us letters or make literature requests. This means more envelopes for some, but not enough for others. We try to reach a happy medium by including one with each letter. We routinely send out these self-addressed envelopes to people who request more of them.
What about those who do everything online and have no need for them? What do they do with unneeded envelopes? I would imagine that some people save them because they cannot bring themselves to throw away something of use. Others simply toss them. We understand that either way it appears to be a waste, but here is why it actually saves money.
We have a small crew in our Mail Processing Department—only four full-time employees and one part-time student. Every year they send out thousands of letters, booklets, Bible Study Course lessons, semi-annual literature offers, Tomorrow’s World Presentation invites, and much more. Last year they processed more than 1,900,000 pieces of mail. This does not include Tomorrow’s World magazines, nor mail distribution from other regional offices. I’m sure no one reading this letter would want to stuff all of these items by hand. To do so, our small crew needs machines. To attempt to accommodate everyone—those who want more envelopes, those who want envelopes but fewer, and those who don’t want any—would greatly slow the process.
And there are far greater problems. To receive special mailing rates requires a minimum number of same-weight and same-size items. Varying the number of envelopes with these letters would mean we would not be able to receive those rates—thus costing us more than sending a relatively few extra envelopes to keep the weight of these letters the same. This is also the reason why you may notice a few blank pages in some of our booklets. We try to harmonize booklet weights into a small number of categories, thus making it possible to send slower-moving booklets along with those that move faster, since they have the same weight. We avoid higher postage rates by qualifying for volume discounts. And those who make the requests receive the items faster. The cost of an added sheet of paper is miniscule compared to higher postage rates.
I hope this answers the questions some of you have asked. I also realize, because I’m the same way, that throwing away a perfectly good envelope may be painful, but frankly, that is the least expensive solution to satisfying everyone’s needs. Thank you for your understanding regarding this.
On other matters, our world is going through turbulent times. We know from Bible prophecy how this will end and we can see geopolitical events are moving us in that direction. We have proclaimed for decades that a German-led combine of “ten kings” (rulers) will give their power over to a charismatic European leader—assisted by a miracle-working false prophet—prior to the return of Jesus Christ to bring peace to our troubled planet. We do not know every twist and turn, but we see Europe stirring and beginning to go its own way apart from the United States. On the surface, it may appear to be a good idea for Europe to live up to its responsibility to defend the continent, but the Bible shows otherwise. This rising Beast will eventually challenge the United States and other powers for control of the world.
Brethren and co-workers, do you realize the times in which we are living? These are momentous times. While the world has always had wars, natural disasters, and pestilences, nations today have weapons of destruction such as the world has never known. Wars today, when a nation realizes that what is at stake is all or nothing, can be fought and won in a matter of weeks, days, or even minutes, rather than years.
But there is the good news, the Gospel, that Jesus spoke of for three-and-a-half years prior to His crucifixion. Next month, you will be receiving a free offer of a DVD presentation by Mr. Wallace Smith regarding the coming Kingdom of God and Christ’s millennial (thousand-year) reign on earth. Don’t ask for it now, as you will be receiving a special letter and card to order it in May. But watch the mail for your offer!
By the time you receive this letter, various religious observances will be over. You will soon be receiving the May/June 2025 issue of Tomorrow’s World magazine, which explains two different paths Christianity and professing “Christianity” have taken. It reminds us that this year marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which a Roman Emperor convened to define “mainstream” Christianity. There is another article explaining the Church behind Tomorrow’s World. The difference between the two paths is stark, but the answer to which way is biblical and which is not is discernible from the ultimate source of truth—the Bible.
The ancient Quartodeciman Controversy (sometimes called the Easter Controversy) is played out once again this April. Should we observe the New Testament Passover, as did Jesus, His Apostles, and first-century Christianity—or should we observe a sunrise service named after a pagan fertility goddess with fertility symbols such as eggs and rabbits? That is an important question that few are willing to face! Are you? If you have not read our booklet Easter: The Untold Story, call, write us, or go to our website TomorrowsWorld.org to receive your free copy. You can even use the envelope provided in this letter. As with all our resources, it is absolutely free of charge.
Brethren and co-workers, we are grateful for your prayers and support. Many of you tell us you wish you could do more to support the Work financially, and you can. God does hear our prayers. Many of you are on fixed incomes and inflation is taking a toll, but your prayers make a difference. Ask God to provide laborers for the harvest, as Jesus instructed us (Matthew 9:37–38). Do we believe that our Savior said this in vain? There are so many scriptures that we could turn to regarding prayer but note Matthew 21:22: “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” And remember, following the execution of the Apostle James, how “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (Acts 12:5). The result? God sent an angel and opened the prison for Peter to escape the same fate as James. So, thank you for your heartfelt prayers, and thank you for all that you do in support of this end-time Work of God!
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston