Greetings from Charlotte,
On the world scene, violence and strife continue to plague nations in the Middle East and Africa and uncertainty clouds the future of the European Union, while heavy storms in the central USA damaged property and claimed several lives and America continues to grapple with national budget issues that appear unsolvable. Here in Charlotte, Mr. Meredith has been writing and holding meetings. Mr. Meredith's Tomorrow's World program last weekend, entitled "The Soon-Coming Utopia," is expected to draw more than 4,700 responses—in spite of a cable malfunction in several eastern states. The previous weekend's program by Mr. Wallace Smith, entitled "The Four Horsemen Ride!," drew 6,522 responses. This week we have some exciting announcements about the Summer Adventure Camp and the Teen Camp in Ohio (see below). We are also very encouraged to see the response to Mr. Meredith's on-line Tomorrow's World presentation that is scheduled for Sunday, February 10 (see announcement below).—DSW
Church Administration
Mr. and Mrs. Adam West have safely and successfully relocated from Minnesota to Britain where Mr. West will pastor congregations around London. Mr. and Mrs. Rick Stafford are now in Texas where Mr. Stafford will pastor congregations in Houston and Beaumont. Mr. Rod McNair is preparing to assume the duties of Regional Director for the Caribbean. Dr. Wil Pierre will assist Mr. McNair and continue his work with French-speaking congregations in the Caribbean. Dr. Scott Winnail will devote his attention to Living University where he teaches classes and serves as Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Jason Fritts have also relocated to Michigan where Mr. Fritts serves as the Associate Pastor of congregations in Michigan and northern Illinois. Mr. Mike Kreyer has also assumed his duties as the Associate Pastor of congregations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Rod Reynolds have relocated to Missouri where Mr. Reynolds will pastor congregations around St. Louis. Mr. and Mrs. Dan Friz have relocated to East Texas where Mr. Friz will pastor congregations in north Louisiana. Mr. and Mrs. Glen Harrison have relocated to Baton Rouge where Mr. Harrison will pastor congregations in south Louisiana. We greatly appreciate the willingness of these families to make changes in their lives so they can serve God's people in these areas.
Passover 2013—Repeat Announcement
Important Notice to All Pastors: This year the Passover Service will be observed on Sunday evening, March 24. Please let us know as soon as possible if any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover Service supplies (bread trays and/or wine trays or glasses) or a copy of the Passover Service recording. To ensure timely delivery and to save on shipping costs, please let us know this information before February 8 for international congregations, and by March 7 for U.S. congregations. In some countries it takes up to eight weeks for packages to reach their destination.
Also, let us know of any scattered members who are unable to keep the Passover with a congregation and who need to receive the Passover Service recording and letter instructions for observing it at home. International requests should be received before February 8. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department at [email protected] as soon as possible.
The World Ahead in print has been discontinued
Headquarters no longer mails The World Ahead (the weekly update) in print. If you were one of the recipients of The World Ahead in print, and you do not have an e-mail address so that you can receive the electronic version, please contact your Pastor for further advice.
Upstate South Carolina Spring Holy Day Weekend—Greenville, SC—March 29-April 1, 2013
The Anderson, South Carolina congregation is pleased to announce the opening of registration for its sixth Upstate SC Spring Holy Day Weekend which is scheduled for Friday, March 29 through Monday, April 1. Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt Ciesielka and their family will be special guests with us for the weekend.
Planned events include: a Friday afternoon bike ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail; a Friday evening opening dinner and Bible Study; brunch and services on the Sabbath; the Carolina On My Mind Banquet and Ball on Saturday night; a picnic and recreational activities, including a 5K road race and softball games, on Sunday; and Holy Day services on Monday, the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. Sabbath services and the Banquet and Ball will be held at the Hyatt Regency Greenville in downtown Greenville, SC. A children's activity will be held prior to Sabbath services.
Additionally, we invite those with musical talent to perform special music for the Sabbath or Holy Day services or to perform appropriate danceable music for the Ball. Please contact us with your proposed performance selection.
We have secured a room rate of $80 per night for guests staying at the Hyatt. Further details about the event, prices of meals, and registration instructions are located at our local Web site: http://lcganderson.org/ (not an official Church Web site). Or, you may contact Manuel Burdette for further information at 864-638-7719 or by e-mail at [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you in Greenville for the best Spring Weekend ever!
Northeast Family Weekend—Repeat Announcement
From March 29 through April 1, the Northeast Region congregations will once again gather during the Days of Unleavened Bread for the annual Northeast Family Weekend. Epworth Camp and Retreat Center in beautiful upstate New York will welcome more than 120 members as they worship God, fellowship, and enjoy meals together. Dr. Scott Winnail and his family will join us as special guests this year. If you would like to enjoy "extreme fellowship" with us as we focus on this year's theme of "Training Camp," just go to www.nelcg.org (not an official Church Web site) and click on the link for "Northeast Family Weekend."—Jonathan McNair
Living For Tomorrow (L4T)—Repeat Announcement
Space is still available for our Spring 2013 L4T program in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. Enjoy five days of fellowship and activities with other like-minded young adults, learning life-skills and building friendships. Dr. Scott Winnail and Mr. Jonathan McNair will host 25 to 30 young adults in interactive classes, discussions and activities from March 25 through March 29. After arrival on March 25, participants will enjoy a relaxing "Night To Be Much Observed," and First Day of Unleavened Bread on March 26. On Wednesday, the theme will be "Breaking the Mold." We will address topics that challenge young adults in our modern culture and put techniques for success into action with the "Catskill Mountain Adventure Challenge" in the afternoon. Thursday, March 28, will focus on the theme of "Relationships Done Right," including finding true friendship, real romance, and becoming Godly men and women. A sock-hop dance will finish the day! On Friday, March 29, the final session will be presented, ending the program at noon. For more information, including details about transportation, cost, etc., go to http://l4tspring2013.weebly.com/ (not an official Church Web site), see our Facebook Event Page at https://www.facebook.com/events/276805965779160/ (not an official Church Social Media page), or contact Mr. Jonathan McNair directly at [email protected] or at 516-724-4452.
Living Youth Programs
Online Teen Bible Study—Schedule Change (Please Announce)
This year we are conducting weekly Living Youth Bible Studies on the subject of the fundamental doctrines of the Living Church of God. Beginning this week, we are moving the study from Sunday evening to Friday evening at 8:00 p.m. EST (USA). If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for one of the online Bible Studies yet, I encourage you to do so. With changing to Friday evening, it is a wonderful way to start the Sabbath day.
This week, Mr. Sheldon Monson plans to cover two more basic doctrines from Hebrews 6, "The Resurrection of the Dead" and "Eternal Judgment." If you're not able to make it (and since this announcement is probably being read on Sabbath, that's certainly a possibility), we make recordings of all of the Bible Studies available on the Living Youth Web site at http://www.livingyouth.org. LCG policies require us to put all the Bible Studies behind a password, so if you need the password, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll be happy to help you access the recordings.
The chat room is open at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) and the Bible Study runs from 8:00-9:00 p.m. You can access this Bible Study at http://www.livingyouth.org.—Josh Penman
LYC Adventure Trip 2013—Yosemite National Park, California—July 9-18
From the moment you arrive in this magnificent national park, you'll be enveloped in the splendor of one of the world's most beautiful natural wonders. Here, sheer granite cliffs rise from the depths of glacier-carved valleys. Majestic waterfalls cascade thunderously from craggy mountain tops. The smell of giant sequoias and wildflowers are carried through the air by the passing breeze. At every turn you'll be awed and inspired when experiencing Yosemite.
The LYC Adventure Trip 2013 includes a five-day backpacking trip beginning near Mammoth Lakes, California with a put-in at Devils Postpile National Monument. (This unusual rock formation ranks as one of the world's finest examples of columnar basalt. Its symmetrical columns tower 60 feet high.) From this location we will embark on our journey into the backcountry and emerge five days later at Tuolumne Meadows – a dome-studded sub-alpine meadow section of the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park.
This Adventure Trip will also feature a full day of whitewater rafting on the Tuolumne (pronounced too-all-o-me). This river is simply California's finest wilderness whitewater rafting! The Tuolumne is a stunning 18-mile corridor, boasting long tantalizing Class IV rapids, wondrous side creeks, and wide sandy beaches for swimming. Rapids such as Rams Head, Steamboat, Cabin, Hell's Kitchen and the granddaddy of them all, Clavey Falls, will stir the blood of any rafter, veteran or novice.
The final day of this adventure will be spent touring and hiking in Sequoia National Park. Home to many of the largest trees on the planet (including the largest tree—"General Sherman"), this park is truly one of the most special places on earth.—Sheldon Monson
This trip is an unbelievable value with a tuition cost of only $450.00. Campers and staff should plan to arrive at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport on Tuesday, July 9 and plan to depart the following week on Thursday morning, July 18, 2013.
This incredible trip is one you will not want to miss! Beginning Sunday, February 3, we will be accepting registrations for this camp at https://lyc.lcg.org. Be sure to sign up soon as this camp will fill up fast!—Sheldon Monson
LYC Teen Camp 2013—Camp Lazarus, Delaware, Ohio—July 28-August 11
The LYC Teen Youth Camp will once again be held at Camp Lazarus Boy Scout Camp located just 18 miles north of Columbus, Ohio. This beautiful camp facility is complete with dormitories, cabins, and tent sites, featuring an outdoor in-ground swimming pool, state-of-the-art archery and riflery ranges, outdoor sand volleyball courts, grassy sports fields, an outdoor amphitheater, a large dining hall and kitchen area, and an old-fashioned wood lodge with a river-stone fireplace and an outdoor log-rail deck overlooking the scenic brook that flows through the property. Our canoeing program is conducted at nearby Alum Creek Lake, located just ten minutes (less than five miles) from the Camp and will include overnight camping/canoeing trips.
Activities will include: archery, campus improvement, canoeing, Christian living classes, dance, flag football, life roles, music, public speaking, riflery, softball, swimming and water polo, and volleyball.
Applications for campers ages 13-18, and for staff members 18 years of age and older, are now being accepted. We hope you'll come to camp and have the summer of your life!
Registration for this camp is open from Sunday, February 3 at https://lyc.lcg.org.—Sheldon Monson
Youth Fund
The Living Church of God is striving to have the best summer camps possible! We seek to have excellent programs offering a variety of exciting and challenging activities at all of our camps. It is our goal to keep the cost of tuition low enough that our young people can afford to attend and the Living Church of God has allotted some resources to help make this possible. However, in our quest to "raise the bar" we would like to purchase additional equipment (i.e. water polo goals, a backstop for softball, some new mattresses, etc.) for the Teen Camp in Ohio, as well as purchase five additional bungalows (small 10ftX10ft buildings) for staff housing. We also would like to continue to offer an Adventure Camp that is second to none, and to have quality pre-teen camps in Texas, Missouri, and West Virginia.
In order to keep the tuition costs low, we could use your donations. If you would like to donate to the Youth Fund to offset program costs that are above and beyond the monies we collect for tuition, you can send a check to Living Church of God and designate the check for the "Youth Program." Your donations will be greatly appreciated. This is considered a charitable donation and you will receive a receipt at the end of the year for tax purposes.—Jerry Ruddlesden and Sheldon Monson
Feast of Tabernacles 2013
Festival Advisors
All Pastors: We are sending out an e-mail to you to select your Festival Advisors for each congregation. Please respond to the e-mail survey and select your advisors by Monday, February 11. Your selection of Festival Advisors is an important step in preparation for festival registration.
Festival Registration
We will soon be announcing the date for online festival registration for U.S. and international sites. Please look for future announcements in The World Ahead.
Mail Processing Department
The year-end contribution receipts were mailed out this week, somewhat later than most years because of machinery malfunctions. You should receive your receipts by the end of next week (USA).—Gaylyn Bonjour
Internet Department
Tomorrow's World Presents: Dr. Meredith online, February 10th!
We want to provide you with an encouraging update on Dr. Meredith's upcoming live, online Tomorrow's World Presentation, which is fast approaching. So far, we have received more than 5,000 pre-registrations, and indications are that this number currently represents around 6,000 individuals! (Many people who registered as individuals have notified us that their entire family or local "church group" plans to watch together.) While the Tomorrow's World television and radio broadcasts (in multiple languages, throughout the world) reach millions every month, and while our Internet and Social Media reach surpassed 110 million impressions last year, what is most exciting about this upcoming live, invitation-based Internet presentation is that based on pre-registration numbers, we estimate that more than 3,500 of these individuals are "new people" —non-members or non-attendees. So, with more than 6,000 total expected, and more than 3,500 of these being new people, this means that God-willing, this event will be the largest, live "public campaign presentation" conducted in the modern history of God's Church! We are also especially encouraged by the fact that hundreds of people have registered from "far flung" parts of the world which we may not be able to reach with an in-person, "local" TWP.
Please pray for the success of this event, that God will bless it so that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God goes out even more powerfully to those whom God will call, and that He will use this effort to call many more co-workers and fellow laborers into the Body of Christ. If you have not registered yet, please visit the following Web page: TomorrowsWorld.org/online-TWP. The live-stream will begin at 3:30 EST, USA on February 10.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Comments
The Power of Forgiveness: One important key for working together smoothly with other people is the willingness and the ability to forgive someone for words or actions that have hurt you. This is exactly what Christians must learn to do. The Scriptures state that we have all sinned, but we can be forgiven because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who died for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 3:23-26). Jesus taught that we must be ready and willing to forgive others who offend us—or God will not forgive us (Matthew 6:12-15). Forgiving others involves not holding grudges or harboring bitterness against others, not seeking to get even, and not gossiping or saying negative or derogatory things about others who have made mistakes or hurt us in some way. This is not always easy, especially when memories, emotions and personal pride are involved—but that is what we are admonished to do if we want to be Christians. Real Christians must learn to forgive. Forgiveness is a powerful tool that makes working together with other people possible—and enjoyable!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—January 31, 2013
Chaos in Egypt: The growing civil unrest in Egypt has prompted the head of the Egyptian Army to comment that political unrest is pushing the state to "the brink of collapse." This stark warning comes from the institution that ran the country until last year's first free election (Reuters, January 29, 2013). Egyptians are rebelling over the power grab by their new, democratically elected Islamic Brotherhood President, Mohamed Mursi. The civil unrest and violence has claimed over fifty lives and resulted in a "state of emergency" being enforced in three Egyptian cities—which has spawned more violence. The fragile new Egyptian democracy is in a tenuous position and the opposition refuses dialogue. Long ago, God prophesied of a future time when Egypt would become weak and divided, "I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; everyone will fight against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst" (Isaiah 19:2-3). Bible prophecies indicate at the end of the age, Egypt will come under the domination of a European king of the North who will gain control of the region (Isaiah 19:4; Daniel 11:40-43). The current strife and internal division in Egypt could lead to the intervention of a foreign power in an attempt to stabilize the region. However, the prophet Isaiah also reveals that eventually Egypt will become one of the leading nations in the coming Kingdom of God (Isaiah 19:18-25). That will be a remarkable day!
Muslims Control Parts of European Cities: Muslims are establishing "microstates" in portions of European cities where non-Muslims are warned not to enter and Sharia law prevails. In Muslim-controlled neighborhoods of cities in England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Sweden, non-Muslim residents and businesses are harassed, police and firefighters are pelted with stones and streets are barricaded to prevent non-Muslims from entering. A sign in East London declares, "You are entering a Sharia controlled zone: Islamic rules enforced." European host-countries have effectively lost control in these areas and are often unable to provide basic public services. These "no-go" areas "are the by-product of decades of multicultural policies that have encouraged Muslim immigrants to create parallel societies and remain segregated rather than become integrated into their European host nations" (Gatestone Institute, August 22, 2011). The take-over by Muslims of parts of European cities has been described as an "occupation without tanks or soldiers" (ibid.). What we are witnessing today in Europe is merely the latest chapter in the centuries-long effort by Islamic forces to gain control of Europe and eventually the world. Bible prophecies have long foretold an end-time struggle between the king of the South (Muslim forces from the Middle East) and the king of the North (a European Beast Power—see Daniel 11:40-44). Moses warned that because of the sins of the Israelite peoples, "the alien who is among you shall rise higher… and you shall come down lower" (Deuteronomy 28:43)—which is what we are seeing today. For more on this important topic, read our article "An Islamic Europe?"
Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean: According to recent research, "Latin American and Caribbean citizens cite crime and violence as their top concern, above unemployment, healthcare and other issues" (CaribbeanNewsNow.com, January 28, 2013). The research highlights the insidious nature of crime and violence. These lawless activities lower property values, reduce the years children remain in school, increase the cost of housing, decrease infant birth weights, reduce child vaccination rates, undermine trust in public institutions, decrease business ownership, and negatively impact gross domestic product (ibid.). Most Latin American and Caribbean nations have had a nominal "Christian" influence. However, in recent decades these nations have "cast off" even those biblical values and they are paying the price for immoral and self-centered decisions. Scripture states, "The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge" (Proverbs 29:7), and, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan" (v. 2). As this region "falls away" from what biblical values it once had (2 Thessalonians 2:3), we see greater suffering than ever before. God speed the day when the "earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD" (Isaiah 11:9) and the righteous finally rule! For more information on this exciting coming time, review our free booklet: The World Ahead: What Will it Be Like?—Scott Winnail and Justin Ridgeway