Greetings from Charlotte,
Mr. Richard Ames traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina, where he held a Tomorrow’s World Presentation for 22 guests (17 in person and 5 online) and 26 members. He is also scheduled to record a Tomorrow’s World telecast today (Thursday) on “The Greatest Friend of All,” advertising the What Is a True Christian? booklet. Follow-up TWPs were held in Missouri and in Atlanta. Dr. Winnail returned Tuesday evening after a trip to the Northeast United States where he spoke in Tannersville, Pennsylvania, and made a number of visits. Mr. Rod McNair conducted a TWP in Knoxville, Tennessee, with the help of Mr. James Meredith during the Q & A session. There were 25 in-person guests and eight online connections in addition to the members. So far this year we have had a cumulative total of 182 online guests and 144 in-person guests at our TWPs. These are not large numbers compared to past years, but a good start as we take steps to move forward coming out of a pandemic.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Appreciation for Years of Service (Deceased Ministers)
Last December, we recognized our evangelists, pastors, and elders who have been ordained at least 50 years, and at least 25 years. In this issue of The World Ahead we would also like to honor those widows whose husbands reached the milestone of 25 years of service before their decease. Though these men are deceased, we acknowledge their contribution to God’s Work in this age, and each of these wives’ contributions, encouragement, and sacrifice in support of her husband’s ministry. Please join us in acknowledging these individuals for their dedication and sacrifice in serving God and His people.
Ordained At least 25 Years:
- Roger (Linda) Allgeyer (USA)
- Karl (Gaylon) Beyersdorfer (USA)
- Rod (Shayne) King (Australia)
- Charles (Nadine) Knowlton (USA)
- Carl McNair (Dorothy) McNair (USA)
- John (Genie) Ogwyn (USA)
- Gerald (Vilma) Shoquist (USA)
- C.B. (Leona) Short (USA)
- Lynn (Louisa) Torrance (USA)
- Bruce (Sondra) Tyler (Australia)
- Pieter (Pat) Van Der Byl (South Africa)
- Keith (Renee Strain) Walden (USA)
Feast of Tabernacles
Site Registration Opens This Sunday, May 2!
This Sunday, May 2, at 12:00 noon (Eastern Daylight Time, USA), all Living Church of God brethren and guests are invited to register for the Feast of Tabernacles. To register, visit the lcg.org website, click the “Members Area” link, then scroll down to find and click on “Feast of Tabernacles” at the bottom of the page, then follow the links to register. OR, you can log in to your MyLCG account and scroll down to find the “Feast of Tabernacles 2021” section on the right and click the “Registration” button. Then follow the links to register. If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact the Festival Advisor for your congregation.
Activity Registration Will Open in Midsummer
May 2 opens up Feast site registration only. You will be able to register and pay for activities when Activity Registration opens in midsummer. Watch The World Ahead for future updates.
Transfer Policy—USA
This year, in the United States, we encourage brethren to attend their assigned site. However, we are allowing a moderate number of transfers on a first-come, first-served basis, based also on the following criteria:
- Available room at the site (Most sites will have a maximum of 350–400 attendees)
- Service needs at the site (Are you willing to serve? In what way? Note it in the Comments box during registration)
- Special situations (Do you have a special health or family situation? Note it in the Comments box during registration)
Transfer Policy—International
The Living Church of God is not prohibiting international Feast travel in 2021. However, if you live in the United States and wish to transfer to a site outside the United States, please check the information on the Festival website carefully, as well as restrictions posted on government websites. Some countries are NOT accepting international visitors (without certain restrictions). Even if the country may be open, some Feast sites are NOT accepting international visitors. If the country and Feast site DO accept transfers, and you wish to submit a transfer request at registration, please also note the following:
- Check carefully any contractual agreements you consider making with hotels, airlines, or others. Make sure you understand any cancellation penalties and acknowledge the risk you are taking, in case travel becomes impossible or impracticable.
- The Living Church of God and the Festival Office cannot guarantee any deposits or payments. If you make international travel arrangements and conditions change between now and the Feast, you are responsible for any lost deposits or payments.
- Do not rely solely on our Feast write-ups, as regulations can change rapidly. Check with government websites for the most up-to-date information.
- International travel may wind up costing you considerable time and money if complications develop. Carefully evaluate your own health and situation before considering international travel.
Living Youth Program
Missouri Preteen Camp
With only about a month before the staff application deadline, planning for the Missouri Preteen Camp is moving into full speed ahead! If you are considering joining us this year at beautiful Lake of the Ozarks State Park and have not yet applied or completed your application, then please do so soon. We are in the process of selecting department heads and need additional staff volunteers in several areas. Each camp activity provides an opportunity to help our youth develop relationships with one another—and even more importantly, with our Creator. We deeply appreciate all those who are able to give of their time and serve our youth in this unique way. See you in August!—Yancy Taber, Missouri Preteen Camp Director
Adventure Camp 2021
This year’s Adventure Camp is an awe-inspiring backpacking trip to the Bob Marshall Wilderness in the Flathead National Forest. “In the Rocky Mountains of Northwest Montana, just south of the Canadian border, lies the 2.4-million-acre Flathead National Forest. With lakes galore, rugged wilderness, wild rivers, over 2,000 miles of trail, campgrounds, ski areas, and year-round beauty, this forest is a premiere natural landscape of the American West” (Flathead National Forest website).
The Bob Marshall Wilderness is “one of the most completely preserved mountain ecosystems in the world, the kind of wilderness most people can only imagine: rugged peaks, alpine lakes, cascading waterfalls, grassy meadows embellished with shimmering streams, a towering coniferous forest, and big river valleys” (Bob Marshall Wilderness).
This year’s Adventure Camp will be a challenging but rewarding adventure that you won’t want to miss and will remember for many years!
Dates:
Arrival: Tuesday August 3, 2021
Departure: Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Applicant information:
Staff: To be considered for Staff positions, applicants must be 21 years of age or older. Staff members selected must have the ability and endurance to hike 8 to10 miles per day carrying 35–40 pounds in a backpack. They must also have a positive, encouraging attitude and have a love for working with teens and young adults.
Campers: Ages 13–20 may apply. Applicants selected must have a love for adventure as well as the willingness to do hard things! We will be hiking several miles a day carrying supplies in our backpacks. Preferential acceptance will be given to those ages 15 and up. If there is room available, we will consider younger applicants.
More details will follow.
Questions:
Questions regarding camp should be directed to Mr. Bill Long, Camp Director: 248-787-3990; [email protected]
Questions regarding the application process or payments should be directed to Jenny Penman at 704-708-2283; [email protected]
Comments
Importance of Mercy: One of the fundamental qualities that Christians need to develop to become like God and reign with Jesus Christ is mercy. Showing mercy involves patience, understanding, compassion, and unmerited pardon. The Scriptures reveal that God is full of mercy and compassion (Exodus 34:6–7) and that He requires us to develop these same qualities (Micah 6:8). Solomon states that those who show mercy, show honor to God (Proverbs 14:31). Jesus taught that the merciful will obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7) and that God values mercy over sacrifice (Matthew 9:13; Hosea 6:6). Jesus also taught that mercy is an important key for good human relationships, and that individuals who have received mercy, but do not show mercy to others, will face serious consequences (Matthew 18:21–35). In human relationships, we are sometimes quick to judge someone guilty by the law, yet, the Apostle James comments that “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). As we strive to develop the mind of God, we must also come to understand the importance of showing mercy to everyone we deal with. In this way, we will be preparing to rule with Jesus Christ in His coming kingdom. Think about how you can show mercy to someone else today.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—April 29, 2021
Meaning in Life Protects Against Depression: Globally, about 4.4 percent of the population suffers from depression, and in the United States that number is nearly double, at 8 percent (Big Think, March 22, 2021). Due at least in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and its collateral impact over the last year, depression is rising around the globe.
However, new research from Brazil suggests an interesting defense against depression. Noting old findings that religious people are less likely to suffer depression, scientists analyzed survey data from over 270 volunteers and found that the positive impact of religiosity was only indirect. The real source of protection against depression seemed to be whether or not the individual’s faith gave them a sense of meaning in life (Trends in Psychology, August 2, 2020). For those who were religious but had no sense of meaning in life, there was no significant protective effect against depression.
The truth about God’s plan and purpose for human life outlined in the Bible makes it clear biblical religion should permeate all aspects of the life of Christians. The true religion taught in God’s word reveals not just a meaning in life, but the meaning and purpose of life and the incredibly positive and exciting future that God has in store for all of humanity. This future is full of hope and can bring you a remarkable peace of mind and encouragement in a world filled with doom and gloom. God has provided a way to fight depression in the pages of the Bible—a book that is viewed as irrelevant by many today. To learn more about the true meaning of life, be sure to read or listen to Your Ultimate Destiny—a free resource that sheds light on the exciting meaning of your life!
Three Dads and a Baby: That is the culture-defying title of a newly published biography chronicling the story of three polyamorous men who decided to engender two children through surrogate mothers (CNN, March 6, 2021). It tells of their court struggle to have all three names put on the birth certificates, in what may be the first of its kind legal parenting situation in the U.S.
Polyamory—groups of more than two people in “committed” sexual relationships—is increasingly prevalent in the United States and around the globe. Some have suggested that polyamory is rooted in the culture shift sought by advocates of “free love” in the 1960s and that modern dating apps, social media, and the portrayal of the lifestyle in twenty-first-century media all contribute to its acceptance.
In a world that has rejected God and His instruction book for life—the Bible—there is no longer a single morality, thus everyone does what is “right in his own eyes,” as in the chaotic and dangerous early days of ancient Israel (Judges 17:6). Today, many have forgotten that the God of the Bible is the one who created man and woman and the institutions of marriage and family. By rejecting God’s instruction book, human beings have perverted what God created to be sacred and special. Scripture also reveals this has happened as a result of the influence of Satan, whom the Apostle Paul called “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). In spite of how well intentioned people may be, prophecy warns of serious consequences for those who fail to live by the laws of God (Deuteronomy 28:15–20; Romans 1:18–32). The prophet Ezekiel also records a powerful warning to modern Israelite nations that reject God and His ways. To learn about this warning, be sure to watch “Ezekiel’s Message Unlocked.”—Scott Winnail, Deborah Lincoln-Strange, and Francine Prater