Pre-Feast greetings, everybody!
My trip to Alaska went exceedingly well. We had 29 in attendance in Anchorage for the Feast of Trumpets and 28 for the following weekly Sabbath. Some of the brethren had to travel several hours to be there, but there they were with big smiles and hearty appetites, both spiritually and physically!
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Ullerick were in Anchorage for this special time as well, traveling there from their home area of Seattle. We deeply appreciate the excellent service they have given to our Alaska brethren over the years, and we are depending on them to continue to do so. I mentioned to the congregation there that my trip to Alaska has proven to me that it is bigger than Texas after all. Their response to that statement was, "we're thinking about dividing Alaska in half, which would make Texas the third largest state!" I quit mentioning how big Texas is after that.
One another note, our Headquarters office will be closing at 3:30 pm on Friday, September 24, and will reopen on Tuesday, October 12. We hope all of you have an encouraging Day of Atonement and a joyous Feast of Tabernacles.—Charles E. Bryce
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Mr. Dan Hall sends this report: On Hurricane Ivan, the eye of the storm and winds whipped over our home shearing off the top 1/3 of a large water oak—scattering limbs and debris. In addition, we lost a number of shingles from our roof. This seems to be the result suffered by most of the brethren in addition to power outages, loss of telephone service, no water, and difficulty finding gasoline at the local filling stations. Yet, as of this email message, all of God's people are safe—and undaunted by these inconveniences! And, all are in zealous preparation for God's Feast of Tabernacles!
Thanks to all the brethren for their prayers and concern. God has mercifully preserved and protected His people in this area! And, please pass on to everyone that it will be weeks, if not months, before sections of I-10 Escambia Bay Bridge (east of Pensacola, FL) are repaired. If possible, please remind those traveling east or west via I-10 to plan carefully, perhaps checking with AAA or the Florida Highway Patrol, for alternate routes around Pensacola.
Panama City Beach, FL
There will be a meeting of all volunteers (except those in the choir and children's choir) in the Saint Andrews Ballroom at the Marriott in Panama City Beach at 3:30 PM on Wednesday, September 29th. The men who are scheduled to speak should attend the speakers meeting at the same time at the Information Desk. The children's choir is scheduled to sing on Wednesday, October 6, at the Feast in Panama City Beach. Cassette music tapes and printed words will be available at the first meeting of this choir. Look for further details in announcements during the Feast.—Carl Ponder
Cranbrook, BC, Canada
If anyone attending in Cranbrook, BC, has not yet made housing reservations, please consider the convenience of staying at the Town & Country Hotel, where services will be held. The hotel management would truly appreciate it. You can reach them at 1-250-426-6683. There will be an all-volunteers meeting in the Ball Room at 3:00 pm, September 29.—Eldon Davis
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Feast Greetings
This is just a reminder that each site coordinator, or his designated representative, is asked to send his site's Feast greeting, via email, to [email protected]. If possible, please send the greeting before the weekly Sabbath during the Feast (October 2). Greetings will be compiled and then sent to each Feast site, so that the brethren can enjoy news from the various locations around the world.
A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDING EVANGELIST
Dear fellow servants of Christ,
Thank you so much for your love, loyalty and service to God's people. Our Father is truly positioning us for a powerful effort over the next few years. In our Council of Elders phone meeting a few days ago, all of us agreed that we felt certain about God's 7,000-year Plan—and that the first 6,000 years are almost up! So, as I have explained in recent weeks, some really big things will undoubtedly start happening within the very next few years. We need to have a genuine sense of urgency about this—and impart this to the brethren,
Of course, during this coming Feast of Tabernacles, we should concentrate on the Good News that Christ is coming soon, that His Kingdom is real and that we really are being trained, now, for specific positions of authority in His coming World Government.
We need to impart a sense of excitement about the truly wonderful World Tomorrow—and help our youth also realize the blessings available to them as future leaders in that world.
Also, I hope all of you will strongly encourage your people to give generously during this Holy Day period. We need extra funds to get the Work moving at this time. There is so much to do and time is short. So let all of us fervently pray that God will bless these offerings in a special way. And ask Him also to pour out His Spirit on all our festival sites and ask Him to protect these sites from the continuing hurricanes and any other potential dangers—and to protect His people at this time.
Thank you again for your service. I will look forward to seeing many of you at the Feast in a few days. May God's richest blessing be upon you as you walk with Him. Let each of us pray for one another for God's blessing, leading and encouragement during this festival period.
Your brother in Christ,
Roderick C. Meredith