Greetings everyone!
Before leaving for his trip, Mr. Carl McNair told me not to forget the weekly report on his behalf. When I asked him if he had anything in particular in mind, he simply said, "Just be nice!" A difficult task but I will do my best! Of course, one way of being nice is to give good news, and we have plenty of good news this week.
MEDIA
IRELAND - Dr. Meredith approved the offer from a new radio station in Ireland. Details will follow, but from every indication on hand, our broadcasts will air once a week, every Thursday, at 9:00 p.m.
INTERNET IN EUROPE - For the last few months, we have been very busy in Europe establishing Living Church of God Web sites in different languages. You can type www.mondedemain.org for the FRENCH language, and www.weltvonmorgen.org for the GERMAN. Many articles and other information are offered in both languages. In the near future, we are planning a DUTCH site, soon to be followed by a CZECHOSLOVAKIAN one.
The SPANISH language site www.mundomanana.org is under development. Mr. Mario Hernandez is anxiously waiting for it. After returning from his recent Mexican visit, he reported, "On Sunday December 3, I gave a live broadcast explaining the approximate time of Christ's birth based on the Bible indications. I offered a cassette. It has been the most requested in 19 months. The rest of the day, I spent interviewing 5 more people. I have interviewed 10 persons in my last two visits. None of them had ever heard the Truth of God before. Out of the ten, nine are ready to start attending services."
As for Aaron Eagle, among other things, he is busy saving money for the Work. (Can there be anything nicer, Mr. McNair?) "The mail industry is facing dramatic changes, reported Aaron, especially in the international sector. Through acquisitions or strategic alliances, large international postal authorities (primarily Deutsche Post) are striving to increase their influence on the worldwide postal system. As postal companies restructure their services to "get more in line" with the competition, Mr. Gaylyn Bonjour and I are analyzing these changes so we can do the Work more effectively and provide greater support to our Regional Offices.
"Moreover, the Mail Processing Department (MPD) has begun putting two tapes offered on the Tomorrow's World program on a single cassette. This will reduce postage and production costs while allowing MPD to fulfill requests from two programs in a single mailing."
Of course, the Editorial Department also has nice news to give. To quote Bill Bowmer,
"Most all of you should by now have received your copy of Dr. Meredith's new booklet, 'Restoring Apostolic Christianity' which the Mail Processing Department sent to member households last week. As of last Thursday, with activity documented from the nation of Qatar (on the Saudi Arabian peninsula), the Church Web site had been reached by at least 110 countries."
FINANCE
Here is more good news — from Mr. Fred Dattolo, our treasurer: "We are very thankful that income for December, through Wednesday Dec. 20 is 14.2% ahead of last December! Year-to-date is about 11.5%. If the next couple weeks are as strong as we expect, we could finish the year with a 12% increase over 1999. We like to recognize significant milestones and on Monday, December 18, we processed our 100,000th donation, just a little more than two years since donations started coming in to LCG. (We should note that a check designated for more than one fund counts as a separate donation to each fund. E.g., a check for first and third tithe is counted as two donations).
"As a reminder to everyone, any donation with a December dated check and December postmark will count as a year 2000 donation and will be receipted as such, even if we receive it in January. However, any donation with a December dated check and a January postmark must be counted as a January 2001 donation, according to the IRS. The postmark overrides the date on the check."
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Finally, some last minute news: Dr. Meredith has scheduled our next Council of Elders one-day meeting for Tuesday, January 23, 2001. We will plan our first meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the conference room here at LCG headquarters. Only those within driving distance to headquarters will plan to attend-otherwise attendance will be via telephone hook-up. Please e-mail Dick Ames or Carl McNair for agenda suggestions.
Before closing, let me add that there is more good news to give but-remembering the CAD director's admonition to me to be NICE-I will let him share it with you next week. (By the way, Mr. McNair, did you know that the recent European Union summit took place in the city of NICE-same word, but the French pronounce it differently!)
AU REVOIR, and have a wonderful Sabbath.
Dibar Apartian