Greetings from Charlotte,
This week, Mr. Meredith taped Tomorrow's World program #309, entitled, "The Answer to Unanswered Prayer," which will air on July 10 and offer the booklet Twelve Keys to Answered Prayer.
Last weekend, we held our first Regional Conference of the summer in Joplin, Missouri. We had more than 200 people for a Sabbath service and buffet, and about 65 deacons, elders, wives and others in attendance for the conference. A video message from Mr. Meredith set the tone for the meetings, then Mr. Crockett and I covered doctrinal issues and numerous areas related to pastoring congregations and serving God's people. Comments on the meetings were very positive. One person said, "We have heard so many, many words of appreciation and excitement from those attending." Another stated, "If I had to sum up the conference in one word—BALANCE."
Church Administration
Baptisms
Between January 1 and April 1, 2007, we had 57 baptisms in the USA and 14 in Canada. In addition, we have been informed of 19 other baptisms in Australia, Martinique, Mexico, the U.K., Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago. Last year, during the same period, we had 39 baptisms in the USA and 4 in Canada. We are grateful to God for this harvest and for adding more members to His Church.
Online Attendance
Thank you to all those who have been submitting attendance reports online on the MyLCG section of the Member Resources website (www.cogl.org). We hope that the attendance report form is easy to use and can streamline the work of reporting attendance figures for everyone. Note to Area Pastors and Regional Pastors: You can now go to your MyLCG account to view attendance reports for the areas or regions you serve. Try it out and let us know if it serves your needs and how we can improve the system, as it is still being developed. With the online reporting function available, we will soon be discontinuing sending you by e-mail the attendance reports.
New Zealand Update
Mr. Kinnear Penman reports: I am preparing for an extensive pastoral trip that will take me right down to the south of New Zealand and back, visiting several "new" people as well as nearly all of our members. During April, the Tomorrow's World programme received an average of 122 responses each week. We added 250 new subscribers to the magazine mailing list that now stands at 4,522 in New Zealand. We mailed 1,080 items in April, and these included 49 batches of BSC lessons. Carolyn and I made a second visit to a couple whom I have also invited to attend and they will meet with our Bay of Plenty group.
Caribbean Update
Mr. Paul Shumway reports: On Friday, April 27, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzroy Greeman flew to Georgetown, Guyana. Mr. Greeman gave the sermonette and the sermon on the Sabbath. Attendance was 28. We were pleased to have two new individuals attend with us. The Greemans visited with family and Church members on Sunday. On Monday, they visited a lady and two longtime prospective members from our former association who requested baptismal counseling. We continue receiving requests for literature and visits from our member-sponsored radio program.
Tuesday evening my wife and I returned from a very profitable trip to Jamaica. On the Sabbath, there were 75 present for services in Kingston. After a nice catered meal, all 75 remained for the Living Leadership Course Lesson #5 on "Vision." On Sunday, Mr. Fraser drove us 1-1/2 hours to Mandeville where I conducted a songleading and sermonette seminar for the leading men.
Mr. and Mrs. Dexter Wakefield were in Barbados during the same time. He conducted services on the Sabbath with 71 in attendance. About 60 remained after the meal for the Living Leadership Course Lesson #6 on "Character." Mr. Wakefield also conducted a number of counseling sessions, including baptismal. On Sunday evening there was a special Bible Study which was well attended.
Feast of Tabernacles 2007
Here is the description of one more USA Feast site, as well as an additional note on the New Braunfels, TX, site. Please do not make reservations yet, as the hotel is not yet set up for festival registration.
PADUCAH, KY
Founded in 1827 by William Clark (of "Lewis and Clark" fame), and strategically located where the Ohio River and Tennessee River join, Paducah holds many fond memories for brethren who have kept previous Feasts of Tabernacles in this scenic and charming little town. And it will be the venue for the Feast in 2007 as well. Paducah—the only city in Kentucky with a Native American name—has twenty blocks of its historic downtown area listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its Victorian and Classical Revival buildings were built between 1870 and 1930, and can be fully appreciated while taking an old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage ride. The brick sidewalks of this historic area are lined with trees in front of the many shops offering antiques, quilts and other specialty items. There are also many boutiques, restaurants and unique cafes. Daily services and many Feast activities will be held at: JR's Executive Inn Paducah Riverfront, One Executive Boulevard, Paducah, KY 42001.
New Braunfels Housing Information
Special group rates at numerous properties in New Braunfels have been negotiated for all budget levels. Please wait until the registration date to make housing reservations, as these properties are waiting for this date to release rooms for the Living Church of God group rate.—Phil Sena, New Braunfels Festival Coordinator
Media
Last month marked the second time that we passed the 60,000 mark for the number of people visiting the www.TomorrowsWorld.org website. Although the number visiting the website last month was down slightly as compared to the previous month, the difference was much smaller than expected. Based on previous experience, we can anticipate which months will be high and which months will be low. From January through April, 53,451 pieces of literature have been requested through our website. Thirty-four percent of the literature requests were fulfilled online, at a savings to the Church of $41,067!—Charles Ogwyn
Comments
Truth or Consequences: We live in a world where truth is obscured by "spin" and growing numbers of people distrust statements made by leaders. This should surprise no one, because this is Satan's world (II Corinthians 4:4) and he is the father of lies (John 8:44). God foretold the time would come when "truth is fallen in the street… everyone will deceive his neighbor… they have taught their tongue to speak lies" (Isaiah 59:4, 14; Jeremiah 9:3-5). God reveals there will be serious consequences for lying (Jeremiah 9:7, 13-16) and that "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire" (Revelation 21:8). God is "a God of truth" who desires truth "in the inward parts" (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 51:6). This is why we must remember and follow the ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16), gird ourselves with truth, and learn to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 6:14; 4:15) if we want to be in the kingdom of God (Psalm 15:1-2).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—May 10, 2007
A New French Perspective? Nicolas Sarkozy is the new president of France. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Sarkozy extended the hand of friendship to the United States, "I want to tell them [the U.S.] that France will always be by their side when they need her…" Yet, he mentioned how friends may not always see things in the same way (New York Times, May 8, 2007). Sarkozy is also interested in moving the EU constitution forward—as close to its original form as possible—and has expressed his desire to cooperate with, not alienate, Europe (Yahoo News, May 6, 2007). Mr. Sarkozy's election victory may change the way France has been viewed in both Europe and the U.S. France is an Israelite-descended nation, thus the French are "cousins" to the British-descended peoples around the globe. Prophecies indicate that at the time of the end, Israelite nations will be taken into captivity due to their disobedience to God (Leviticus 26:33, 37-39; Jeremiah 30:2-8, Ezekiel 5:9-13, 34:27-28). Until recently, it was difficult to see how France would be taken into captivity by a European Beast power that she was aligned with. Now that France (via its new President) has made strong overtures toward the U.S., these prophecies appear to make more sense.
More Bees Dying Around the Globe. Billions of bees are failing to return to their hives, as bee populations decline across the United States, Brazil, Britain, several European countries and now Taiwan. According to the Chinese United Daily News, about 10 million bees have vanished on the island of Taiwan. One beekeeper on the island's northeastern coast says six million bees have gone missing "for no reason." Another observed that 40 percent of his hives are now empty. An entomology professor at National Taiwan University said: "pesticides may also be at fault, causing bees to turn 'stupid' and lose their sense of direction, becoming unable to find the way back to their hives. Temperature fluctuations and spreading diseases are suggested as causes of the bees' disappearance" (Reuters, April 26, 2007). In Britain, some beekeepers have lost 50-75 percent of their honey bee populations. Some are calling the current phenomenon "Vanishing Bee Syndrome" (Daily Mail, April 13, 2007). When bees die, farmers lose revenue not only from reduced honey production, but from the failure of crops and orchards that need bees for pollination. In the United States alone, $15 billion in crops annually rely on bees for pollination. Scripture warns that due to our sins, "your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit" (Leviticus 26:20-21).
Australian Drought Nearing Point of No Return? Australia's severe drought conditions are threatening the farming industry and communities that rely on once-rich agricultural production. "Without water, we are basically living in a desert here," said one farmer from New South Wales. That area receives less than 13 inches of rain each year, so it relies heavily on irrigation from the Murray River to maintain lush vegetation that provides feed for cattle. Reservoirs are at record lows, putting a strain on the dairy industry, which consumes nearly 40 percent of Australia's water used in food production. Australia's government has announced that, unless rain comes soon, it will divert to the cities much of the water previously used for farm irrigation. "We are in an absolutely diabolical situation," said a local mayor who is demanding the federal government declare the Murray-Darling Basin in a state of emergency. The Australian Prime Minister has asked the nation to pray for rain. God said, "When I shut up heaven and there is no rain… if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:13-15). –Don Davis, Dan Bennett, Scott Winnail