Hello everyone,
The Council of Elders meetings went well. Several items of discussion were very profitable and will be implemented in the coming months. The first session of the Pastors Conference and seminars is almost over. Ministers and wives from many areas of the world are enjoying fellowship, discussions and educational material that will better equip them to grow in their service to God's people. Thank you for your prayers for the success of these meetings. Please don't forget to pray for the safe return home of everyone, once this conference is closed.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Living Youth Camp
Camp applications are now available online at www.youth-web.org. Please note that while the application can be completed online, it must still be printed, signed in all the appropriate locations, a picture attached, and then it must be sent in. Filling it in online will ensure that all fields are completed and that we can read the applications. Those who do not have computer access may still order a camp application for the Michigan Teen Camp by following the directions found on the back cover of the January/February Living Church News.
We are starting the camp acceptance process. Teens who have applied for camp should now be checking their e-mails or logging in to the Youth Web site (www.youth-web.org) to check their application status. Those accepted should be receiving e-mails with a link to download their acceptance packets.—Gerald Weston, Youth Director
Living 4 Tomorrow—A Time 4 Young Singles
Living Church of God young adults are invited to attend Living 4 Tomorrow—A Time 4 Young Singles at the beautiful facilities of the Northwoods Christian Camp in Pickford, Michigan. The L4T program is open to ALL singles between the ages of 18 and 30. The fee of $155 US will cover the cost of all lodging, food, and activities. Arrival date is the afternoon of Tuesday, July 12, with a get acquainted cookout scheduled for that evening. Departure date is Sunday morning, July 17. Please visit the LYC youth Web site at www.youth-web.org for additional information and applications or contact Mr. Lambert Greer by phone at 502-228-5917 or by e-mail at [email protected].
MEDIA
This weekend we aired program #246, "Can You Prove God Exists?" which offered an audio CD on the subject. From Thursday through Sunday, we received 1,723 phone calls, and we are expecting the total for the week to reach 2,043.
As of this morning, we have received a total of 497 phone calls from our English call-center since our start-up on April 4. So today we will pass the 500-mark.
We are now on the final count-down to our first half-million phone calls in the United States and Canada. This weekend's call-count brings our accumulative total since January 1999 to 493,392. So, sometime in the next three or four weeks we should receive the 500,000th TV response.—Wayne Pyle
COMMENTS
We are gearing up to keep the Feast of Pentecost on Sunday, June 12. This day pictures a very important step in God's plan of salvation for all mankind. The Apostle Paul kept this festival mentioned in the New Testament in Acts 20:16, "For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost."
Obviously, this annual Holy Day had not been done away in Paul's time, and neither is it done away in our day. There are many themes and lessons connected to this festival. One of the most important ones is that God poured out His Holy Spirit on that day in the time of the Apostles. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit, which emanates from God and permeates the universe, that we are able to grow and overcome in our Christian lives. We cannot do it on our own effort and strength. That is one of the biggest mistakes we human beings often make. We try to endure, understand and grow on our own power—and that attitude and approach will always fail. This is clearly brought out in Zechariah 4:6, "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." However, we should be encouraged by the fact that as we learn to rely more and more on the power of God's Holy Spirit—rather than fail, we will surely ultimately succeed in our Christian lives. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
Have a peaceful Sabbath!
Charles E. Bryce