Greetings from Charlotte,
We had another very strong week for television responses! Mr. Ames' program entitled Armageddon and Beyond broadcast last weekend should bring more than 4,900 responses. This is the sixth week in a row where the response has exceeded 4,000. This week Mr. Meredith and Mr. Ames taped two more programs. Last Sabbath I was able to visit our congregation in Bluefield, West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Ehman were in Statesville, North Carolina, and Mr. and Mrs. Davis visited Walterboro, South Carolina. Several of us were able to attend a lecture on U.S. foreign policy in Europe and the Middle East at Davidson College (just north of Charlotte) given by Anne Applebaum—a journalist who writes for the Washington Post. It was interesting to hear her assessment of America's position in the world—and to note what she does not see.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Minneapolis Family Weekend
The Minneapolis congregation will be hosting a Family Weekend on March 16-18 in Hudson, Wisconsin, just over the frozen Minnesota border! To usher in spring, we decided to go with a tropical motif. So get out your loud hibiscus shirts and join us for a weekend of food, fellowship, dancing and games.
We will start off the weekend with a 7:30 p.m. Bible Study on Friday evening. Combined Sabbath services on the Sabbath will be at 2:30 p.m. followed by a Polynesian dinner and dance. For the volleyball enthusiasts, we will have a gymnasium at our disposal on Sunday, after partaking of a fabulous hot breakfast cooked by the Minneapolis brethren. There is a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $3 for children over 5 years of age for the dinner and of $2 for the breakfast on Sunday.
Local hotels have provided discounts for our group, but hurry as the deadline for discounted rooms is February 16 and space is filling up fast! For more information, please contact Mr. Sheldon Monson at [email protected].
Chattanooga Spring Family Dinner-Dance (please note the time change of Sabbath services)
You are cordially invited to attend our second annual "Spring Family Dinner-Dance" in Chattanooga, Tennessee, during the weekend of March 2-4, 2007. Those who are interested in attending, please contact Ronney or Debra Downs via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 423-622-0574. There will be a Bible study on Friday night March 2, at 7:30 p.m. and the Dinner-Dance will be on Saturday night with dinner served at 6 p.m. The dance will start at 7:15 p.m. Sabbath services have been changed to 1:30 p.m. All events will be held at the Chattanooga Trade & Convention Center. The price for the Dinner-Dance is $32 a person for those over three years of age. The Area Pastor is Mr. Bob League, phone number 615-641-3778. Hotel information will be forthcoming in a follow-up letter.
FEAST OF TABERNACLES 2007
There will be two Feast of Tabernacles sites in Europe this year:
Arklow, Ireland
"Have you ever been across the sea to Ireland?" so the song goes. For those wanting to come to the Feast in Ireland this year you will have the opportunity to see the "Garden of Ireland" as Arklow is called. Traveling either by car or train, Arklow is one and a half hours south of Dublin and still a busy fishing port. You will be able to visit a 6th century historic site, see mountainous landscapes and sandy beaches, enjoy cycling, horse riding and country walks.
Services will be held in the Arklow Bay Hotel, Sea Road, Arklow. One of the reasons this site was chosen is because it offers a good range of self catering accommodations. There are rooms available at the hotel as well. For those who won't have their own transport, we have bookmarked several self-catering venues that are within walking distance of the hotel, but be quick!
Of course the highlight of each Feast is the spiritual food and fellowship. Your Irish and United Kingdom brethren will greet you warmly and provide family activities, as well as many opportunities for simply sharing our common hope.
If you want to see if Irish eyes really do smile, please email Rod King at [email protected] for details.
Venue:
Arklow Bay Hotel
Sea Rd, Arklow
Phone from USA: 011 353 402 32309, from elsewhere: 00 353 402 32309
Room rates for bed and breakfast: ˆ75 ($US 97) per person (weekend); ˆ65 ($US 84) per person (during week); ˆ85 ($US 110) single occupancy rate.
Self-catering accommodations (2 and 3 bedrooms) ranges from ˆ400– ˆ700 ($US 520–910) per week. For a list of contacts, email [email protected]. The current conversion rate is $US 1 to ˆ0.80 cents. Remember, conversion rates will vary.
THE FRENCH FEAST SITE WILL BE AT L'ABEILLE (pronounced "lah-bay")
With simultaneous English translation
The "l'Abeille" vacation resort in the Eygurande village will host approximately 170 Feastgoers for this year's Feast of Tabernacles in France. L'Abeille is located in the Correze department at the crossroads of the Limousin and Auvergne areas, near the Puy de Dome. This naturally preserved area in the heart of France is the land of volcanoes and well-known spring Volvic water and offers many attractions—such as the tapestry capital of Aubusson, castles, spas, dams and lakes—and, of course, delicious French gastronomy, like St. Nectaire cheese, chestnut liquor, wine, jams and honey.
The vacation resort is located in a very peaceful and natural environment, right on the shore of a small lake. It has a small outdoor heated pool and many sport facilities (basketball, volleyball, soccer, petanque and pedalo). Feastgoers will be able to enjoy a Turkish hammam steam bath and Jacuzzi on the premises. We will all stay at the resort and will share three daily meals at the village's restaurant in a family atmosphere. Wine and cheese will be served with lunch and dinner. Full room and board are included in the price. Church services will be held at the resort's main meeting hall and, as in the past, will be held one day in French and one day in English, with simultaneous translation into both languages. Housing is in five or six-bed duplex bungalows. A few mobile homes are also available. Several shops are located about a mile from the resort.
Two excursions to popular sites will be organized during the Feast for a small additional fee. There will also be a family dance and a special evening immersing Feastgoers into the local culture.
L'Abeille is less than an hour's drive from Clermont-Ferrand's Airport; about 4 ½ hours' drive from Paris, Geneva or Montpellier; and about 3 hours' drive from Bordeaux and Toulouse. An airport shuttle will be organized before and after the Feast for those flying into the Clermont-Ferrand's Airport. Fall temperatures in the region should vary between 15-18 °C (59°F-64°F) during the day and between 7-9 °C (45°F-48°F) at night.
The fee for full room and board is 510 euros per adult (12 years old and up) in double or higher occupancy or 620 euros per adult in single occupancy. There is no fee for children under two years of age. The fee for children between the ages of two and 11 is 280 euros. To make reservations or for all other information, please contact Mr. Dibar Apartian by e-mail at [email protected] or, by phone, at (704) 844-1960, ext. 241.
MEDIA
Two Tomorrow's World television programs were taped by Mr. Meredith and Mr. Ames this week. Program #301, "Which Christ Do You Worship?" was presented by Mr. Meredith; it will air on April 15 and will offer the booklet Satan's Counterfeit Christianity. Mr. Ames taped program #299, titled "Five Keys to a Successful Marriage," which will air on April 1 and will offer the booklet God's Plan for Happy Marriage.
January 2007 Sees New All-Time Traffic Record on TomorrowsWorld.org!
Seasonal website traffic patterns usually show January as a below-average month. However, in January 2007, the TomorrowsWorld.org website set an all-time record of 58,947 unique visitors! The previous high was in August 2006, which recorded 58,610. Last year, 28 percent of the people who contacted HQ for a ministerial visit made their first contact with the Living Church of God through one of our websites! This is shaping up to be a breakthrough year for the Living Church of God on the Internet!—Charles Ogwyn
FINANCE
The Living Church of God maintains a fleet of 32 vehicles for the full-time ministry to "feed the flock" throughout the United States. Here are some statistics on the fleet program for the year 2006:
Total fleet mileage 809,488 (67,457 miles per month)
Total fuel usage 45,335 (3,778 gallons per month)
Average price per gallon $2.55
Considering the number of miles driven under all kinds of conditions, it is remarkable that only six car accidents were reported for the year, all of which were relatively minor with no injuries involved. Please pray for the continued safety of our ministers as they travel to serve God's people.—Davy Crockett
COMMENTS
Resolving Doctrinal Disputes: When differences arise over doctrine, how should they be resolved in the Church of God? Some take their questions to their pastors, some write to headquarters, others share their opinions with other members or put their ideas out on the Internet. Some propose casting lots to determine the outcome; others simply start their own church. The Bible, however, provides important guidelines for resolving doctrinal issues. Paul told Timothy that the Church was to be "the pillar and ground of Truth" (I Timothy 3:15), while Peter said that doctrine was not to be determined by individuals (II Peter 1:20). The apostles used these principles to resolve the dispute over whether Gentiles needed to be circumcised to become Christians. When a dispute arose, it was determined that "Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question… so the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter" (Acts 15:13-29). After discussing the matter, the council of elders issued a policy statement that was sent to the churches. The Apostle Paul followed this same procedure several times—going up to Jerusalem to check what he was preaching with leaders at headquarters (Galatians 1:17-2:9). The Scriptures show that these deeply converted men were not about to strike out on their own, preaching their own ideas and doing their own thing. They understood the importance of using the system God designed for resolving doctrinal issues and maintaining unity in His Church. They set us an example to follow.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
NEWS AND PROPHECY—February 8, 2007
"Doomsday Clock" Moves Closer to Midnight! The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which created the Doomsday Clock in 1947 to warn of the dangers of nuclear weapons, advanced the clock to five minutes before midnight on January 17, 2007. It was the first adjustment of the clock since 2002 (after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001). "'We stand at the brink of a second nuclear age,' the group said in a statement. They pointed to North Korea's first test of a nuclear weapon last year, Iran's nuclear ambitions… the continued presence of 26,000 nuclear weapons in the United States and Russia and inadequate security for nuclear materials. But the scientists also said the destruction of human habitats wreaked by climate change brought on by human activities is a growing danger to humankind" (Reuters, January 17, 2007). Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert raised the nuclear stakes on January 25 by stating that Israel was prepared to use military force to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons (Independent, January 25, 2007). The "signs" preceding Christ's return include "wars and rumors of wars" and "nation rising against nation" (Matthew 24:6-7). We are witnessing these events today.
China and Twenty-First Century Warfare. On January 11, China launched a ground-based missile to shoot down one of its own antiquated weather satellites, catapulting the worldwide arms race into space. China's economy depends on sea-borne shipping, yet for decades the United States Navy has controlled the world's oceans—a situation unacceptable to an aspiring Asian superpower. American naval power has been a threat that has prevented China's land-bound People's Army from invading the island nation of Taiwan. In the event of a war, U.S. Navy destroyers could bring China's economy to its knees by turning back all ships bound for Chinese ports. Though it would take decades for China to build a navy able to challenge America, China can "level the playing field" if it can succeed in knocking out America's space-based spy and navigation satellites, on which the military relies. America's conventional military superiority depends on its advanced satellite technology, without which it is just another "kid on the block" (Stratfor, January 23, 2007). The money that fuels China's booming economy and expand its military comes largely from selling manufactured items to the U.S. China, in turn, purchases American securities—which enables America to buy additional Chinese goods. This American dependency on infusions of Chinese capital is fraught with dangers—as the Bible warns that the borrower eventually becomes a servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).
Tuberculosis, a Ticking Plague Time Bomb. More than one-third of the world's population harbors a latent tuberculosis infection, which people can resist if their immune systems are strong enough. Now, more powerful and drug-resistant strains of TB are surfacing and the epidemic of drug-resistant TB is more severe than global health experts have realized. As the United States, Canada and Europe experience massive, uncontrolled immigration from nations ravaged by TB, doctors worry that if the XDR strain of the disease becomes established in North America and Western Europe, it would be the "Trojan horse that will set back ability [of the U.S. and Europe] to control TB for decades" (Time, January 9, 2007). God warns, "if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart" (Leviticus 26:15-16). This is happening today.—Don Davis, Scott Winnail