Weekly Update

February 10th, 2022

Dear Brethren,

The last two years have been challenging. Some of you have lost friends and loved ones, and many of us have experienced varying levels of sickness. Our hearts and prayers go out to all who have suffered losses. Thankfully, most of us have survived and stayed out of the hospital.

While the coronavirus is different from a flu virus, many experts draw some parallels to the 1918–20 flu pandemic, which came in waves and took the lives of 50 to 100 million people worldwide. Major cities experienced a deadly fourth wave, extending the pandemic into the third year. As for coronavirus in 2022, we have seen a sharp spike in cases here in Charlotte from what appears to be the Omicron variant. While it is unpleasant, members are getting through it, many now have some natural immunity, and cases are dropping. This seems to be the situation elsewhere—a sharp spike followed by an equally quick drop. Individuals will no doubt come down with one variant or another this year and in the years to come.

After discussions here in Charlotte, we have made some decisions. We will continue to respect the laws of the land and local venue regulations regarding masking, but where allowed, the pastor, in consultation with his Regional Pastor or Regional Director, may determine what is the best course of action given local circumstances. This means that in many locations around the world, masks will be optional for part, or all, of our services, and snacks and/or congregational meals may be permitted. We still encourage social distancing for the time being, and it is essential for anyone with symptoms of any sort of potentially contagious illness, or recent exposure to COVID, to stay home. Those with underlying conditions should feel free to continue wearing masks, but we recommend that they be properly fitting masks of the type (such as the N95) that offer real protection. If someone feels he or she needs to continue wearing a mask for any reason, no explanation is needed. We must not judge one another!

Thank you for your cooperation these last two years. Not all decisions were perfect or popular, but you understood God’s instructions about deciding matters of controversy. Some of you subordinated your will to keep peace within the Body of Christ. I especially want to thank those of you in this category.

As a result, we observed the Feast of Tabernacles for two years—most meeting in person—and as far as I know, while we had a few cases of COVID during or after the Feast, we did not have a single death from anyone attending one of our sites. Our largest outbreak was at our summer camp in Texas where masking and social distancing were not realistic. Despite having to end earlier than planned, the camp was a welcome break for all our young people who attended.

I believe God has blessed us because He saw our willingness to follow His instructions about solving controversial issues (Deuteronomy 17:8–13) and saw us acting prudently—not tempting Him (Proverbs 22:3; Matthew 4:6–7). And His mercy was upon us despite our shortcomings (Psalm 136). Yes, some of our members have died from this virus and some may still succumb to it, but it appears this current variant carries less risk than previous ones. COVID is not over. Please do not throw all caution to the wind, but let us move forward with faith and courage and let us thank God for His protection and great mercy toward us these past two years.

Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston

Church Administration

75 Tomorrow’s World Presentation Guests Last Weekend

We are now full-speed into the 2022 TWP calendar year! Last weekend, six TWPs were conducted (initial presentations in Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Sacramento and the Bay Area in California; and follow-up presentations in Big Sandy and Tyler, Texas), with a total of 75 guests attending. Ten presentations (initial and follow-up) are scheduled for this weekend. A total of 290 guests have attended TWPs so far in 2022. Thank you for your prayers that God would inspire those He is calling to attend these important events!

Ministerial Move

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Shumway are returning to the United States this week, after serving congregations in Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana, and Brazil for six years. Mr. Shumway will pastor the congregations in Statesville and Kannapolis, North Carolina, beginning March 1, and he will continue to oversee those Caribbean congregations, ably assisted by local elders in those areas. Mr. Rick Stafford is the Regional Director of the Caribbean.

Passover 2022—Repeat Announcement

Important Notice to All Pastors: In 2022, the Passover Service will be observed on Thursday evening, April 14. Please let us know as soon as possible if any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover Service supplies (bread trays and/or wine trays or glasses) or a copy of the Passover Service recording and letter instructions (available in English, French, and Spanish). Passover Service recordings for 2022 were made by Mr. John Strain in English, and in French by Mr. Yvon Brochu, translating a 2021 Passover service by Mr. Rod McNair. To ensure timely delivery and to save on shipping costs, we need this information before March 18 for U.S. congregations. International requests should already have been sent in.

Also, please let us know of any scattered members who are unable to keep the Passover with a congregation and who need to receive the Passover Service recording and letter instructions for observing it at home, and whether they will need a CD or a DVD. International requests should already have been sent in and U.S. requests should be here before March 18. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department at [email protected] as soon as possible. These dates take into consideration the slowdown of mail service in some places because of the pandemic.

Living Education

Men’s Training Camp—Texas

For the first time, our Men’s Training Camp program will be coming to Texas! Camp Cho-Yeh, just an hour north of Houston, will be the site of this year’s first MTC. The program will begin on Friday evening, March 18, and conclude at noon on Sunday, March 20. The cost for the two nights, five meals, and priceless education will be just $125. Since the time is short to finalize our program numbers, those who are interested in attending need to register right away. Login to MyLCG for more details and a link to register. All men, ages 16 and up, are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Mr. Rick Stafford at [email protected].—Jonathan McNair

Television Department

Updated Request: We’d Like a Lot More Input About the Telecast—Repeat Announcement

Thank you to all those who have responded so far! However, we’d like to get even more input, and are opening up the pool. If you have been attending Sabbath Services with the Living Church of God for two years or less and normally watched the Tomorrow’s World telecast prior to attending services, we would like to hear from you. We are making improvements to the telecast and would appreciate your feedback. If you are able to help us, please email Deborah Stephenson at [email protected] or call her at 704-708-2263 and she will set up a convenient time.—Mike DeSimone

Digital Media Department

New Look to LCG Website!

We are excited to announce that this week we released a major update to the LCG website: lcg.org. We’ve made these changes to better serve the thousands of people (non-members) who visit the site every month to learn who the Living Church of God is and what we teach. We also designed it with the intent to grow “organic search traffic” to the site as a result of people who have not yet heard of the Living Church of God but are searching on Google for material on topics like the Sabbath and the Holy Days. This roll-out represents Phase 1 of the website’s upgrade. We’re now turning our attention to Phase 2, which will include curated material from sermons and articles that will help visitors understand even more what the Church is about and the truths we cherish.

Our Editorial, Information Technology, and Digital Media Departments have worked very hard on this upgrade. We hope it can be one more step in serving those who are learning the Truth for the first time, as well as any of those who have been gone for many years and are now searching for the Truth again.

Just a reminder, all the material we publish for members, including all sermons, Living Church News articles, and other updates can be found on our members website: members.lcg.org.—Mike DeSimone

Feast of Tabernacles

2022 Feast of Tabernacles Registration: Sunday, May 15

General Feast of Tabernacles registration is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 15. The U.S. Feast sites and coordinators are listed as follows:

Living Youth Program

West Virginia Preteen Camp Registration Open Sunday!

We are once again planning our Preteen Camp for 2022 in Princeton, West Virginia, at the 4-H camp. Arrival will be Sunday, July 31 and departure Friday, August 5. Activities this year will include canoeing, archery, arts and crafts, dance, field sports, and more. Campers should be ages 8–12 and families with 8–12-year-old children are welcome. Older sibling-campers who are teenagers are also welcome. We are also looking for staff to support the camp in activity areas such as counselors, kitchen, dishwashing, laundry and other areas. Deadline for application is Tuesday, May 31, 2022. If you have questions, please contact the Camp Director, Dr. Scott Winnail ([email protected]; phone: 1-240-707-6280). For further information including camp fees and to apply, please go to our website https://camp.livingyouth.org.

Registration Continues for Teen Camp in Texas

Registration for Teen camp this summer in Athens, Texas, is continuing. If you haven’t done so already, you can find more information and register for it at https://camp.livingyouth.org. You can contact Jenny Penman at the LYC Office at [email protected] or 980-254-0132 for any assistance with registering for the camps.

New Content at the Living Youth Website

We are happy to announce that LivingYouth.org is now featuring regular content for Church teens, to be updated several times a week. Content will include posts from multiple writers, videos, and podcasts, as well as links highlighting articles and sermons in other publications, selected for their particular relevance to teenagers in God’s Church. We hope LivingYouth.org will become a regular, helpful, online destination for youth in the Church and their families, and your prayers and feedback would be appreciated.—Wallace Smith

Comments

Are You a Team Player? God has called us to be part of a team. Effective team players have skills and perspectives that can be identified and learned. Christian team players must be focused on the same goal—the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and work together to preach the Gospel to the world (Mark 16:15). They avoid saying or doing things that offend others (1 Corinthians 10:32; Matthew 18:6–7). They are forgiving and able to overlook slights and insults (Proverbs 10:12; 17:9). Team players don’t criticize or sit in judgment of others; instead, they make sure their own lives are in order (Matthew 7:1–5; James 4:11). Effective team players have learned to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and they treat others gently, respectfully, and are willing to listen (James 1:19). They appreciate that the team is made up of individuals with different talents, and they let other team members know that they are appreciated. In short, good team players have learned to love their neighbors. Let’s all strive to develop these vital qualities.

Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

News and Prophecy—February 10, 2022

German Links to Israel Growing: Israel will buy three specially designed, German-made submarines, in a deal worth three billion euros (Deutsche Welle, January 20, 2022). The agreement, with delivery expected nine years from now, includes spare parts and a training simulator to be built in Israel. Germany will cover part of the cost of the project through a grant to Israel.

While Israel has invested heavily in German imports, now Germany is investing heavily in Israel (Deutschland.de, December 30, 2021). In addition to the sub deal, a new accord between the two nations was recently signed that will bring €850 million of German investment into Israeli industries, including defense companies. This accord has been years in the making. Many German high-tech and automobile manufacturing firms maintain research and development centers in Israel, and in 2021, several Israeli start-up companies collaborated with German firms. The relationship between the two countries appears to be deepening.

Why is this growing German-Israeli partnership noteworthy? Bible prophecy reveals that, at the end of the age, a three-and-a-half-year period known as “the times of the Gentiles” will occur, in which non-Israelite nations will control and “trample” Jerusalem (Luke 21:24). These growing German-Israeli ventures could add to future justifications for German-led European nations to intervene in events involving Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. To learn more, be sure to watch our telecast “The Dangerous ‘Times of the Gentiles.’”

Fertilizer Prices, Smaller Crops, Less Food: The Wall Street Journal reports that rising fertilizer prices around the globe are impacting farmers everywhere (January 21, 2022). While having a devastating effect in developing countries, no one seems immune. In Texas, for example, fertilizer prices have risen by more than 80 percent since last year (KXXV News, January 20, 2022). Fertilizer prices now make up 30 to 35 percent of operating costs for farmers, and the rising prices are beginning to make crops too expensive for buyers. As a result, farmers are reducing the amount of crop they plant. Smaller crops mean smaller yields and, ultimately, less food for consumers.

The Wall Street Journal highlights the scope of the crisis: “Fertilizer demand in sub-Saharan Africa could fall 30% in 2022, according to the International Fertilizer Development Center, a global nonprofit organization. That would translate to 30 million metric tons less food produced, which the center says is equivalent to the food needs of 100 million people.” Lower fertilizer use ultimately impacts food production, food quality, and food availability, raising the prospect of global hunger. Even worldwide employment rates are impacted by the state of agriculture—and therefore, the fertilizer crisis.

Bible prophecy states that one of the signs of the coming end of the age will be famines and food scarcity. While some of this shortage will occur through droughts and war, some portion of these shortages could also be brought on by a lack of access to the chemicals that farmers have long depended upon to vastly increase crop yields. We are told to watch for the signs of the end of the age (Mark 13:35–37), and one of the signs could be a decrease in food availability. To get more details about this vital topic, be sure to read or listen to our free booklet Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return.—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, and Joe Brown