Greetings from Charlotte,
We hope all of you had a wonderfully inspiring Feast of Trumpets. For good reasons, it does seem as though we are rapidly drawing closer to the reality of what that Feast pictures. We are not there yet, but as Paul wrote, “Do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). As I mention in this week’s video update, this past weekend we surpassed 300,000 subscribers to our main Tomorrow’s World YouTube channel. We do not know what percentage of them engage with us regularly, but we pray that many will. We also see that we often have no way of knowing who knows about us until we are contacted “out of the blue,” as the saying goes. This past week, we received an invitation to talk about prophecy on a podcast—not a major one, but this is another indication that this Work is going further than we might imagine. Whether we will avail ourselves of this opportunity needs some careful discussion, but it is still good to know that we are recognized for what we teach. Have a profitable remainder of this seventh-month Festival season.
—Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
We mistakenly announced that the presentation in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada would be held this past weekend, but that TWP is scheduled for this weekend on Saturday. This will be the last TWP scheduled until after the Feast of Tabernacles. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
New Hymns Posted to MyLCG
You can now access the new hymns on your MyLCG account, where you can find the sheet music, the audio with piano only, and the videos with the lyrics.
The Next World Ahead Update in Three Weeks
Due to the Feast of Tabernacles, the next issue of The World Ahead is scheduled for October 23.
Feast of Tabernacles
Donating at the Feast of Tabernacles Internationally
If you are traveling internationally for the Feast, it is recommended that you leave the majority of your Holy Day offering in your home country. This will ensure that you receive proper documentation for a tax deduction (if your country allows it). Please plan to make the remainder of your offering at the international site you attend, and in that country’s currency. It is time consuming and often expensive for Regional Offices to convert large amounts of cash from one currency to another after the Holy Days. Your attention to these instructions and your use of the preprinted Holy Day envelopes is greatly appreciated.
Final Feast Preparations
Taking Hymnals: Brethren who don’t have a personal hymnal are encouraged to bring one or two hymnals per household from their local congregation to the Feast. For those who do so, please be sure to bring the same hymnal(s) back after the Feast. Also, make sure that all hymnals are clearly marked with the name of your home congregation so that all are returned to where they belong.
Regarding Health: If you are sick at the Feast, please do not pass it on! Please show love by staying in your hotel room or housing until you are well, so as not to allow sickness to spread.
Children and the Feast
Blessing of the Little Children: It is the practice of the Living Church of God to have the Blessing of the Little Children at the Feast. This practice follows the example set by Jesus Christ when parents of small children came to Him and asked Him to bless their children (Matthew 19:13–15; Mark 10:13–16). If you have small children whom you can pick up for this blessing, listen for announcements from your Festival Site Coordinator to find out which day the Blessing of the Little Children will take place. If you have any questions, please contact your Festival Coordinator.
Caring for—and Watching—Your Children at the Feast: Parents have full responsibility for their children at the Feast, including at services. Although precautions are taken and there are activities for children, the Church does not take responsibility for the care of children at Church meetings or events. The ultimate responsibility for the care of children always remains with parents or guardians. Please ensure that your children are adequately supervised throughout the Feast and are fully under your control. Parents should be aware of where their children are—including their teens—and not allow small children to wander unsupervised. Please remember that children are not permitted to run or engage in horseplay at the location of services at the Feast. Children playing near expensive equipment can damage it or injure themselves, and children running among brethren can be a trip hazard, which can be dangerous or even deadly for our elderly brethren.
Children Sitting with Parents: Experience has shown that children, including teenagers, pay better attention and therefore learn more from the messages when sitting with a parent. Therefore, it is the policy of the Church to have children and teens sit with their parents during services, though an individual child or teen may be permitted to sit with a friend’s parents. Obviously, this does not apply to a teen whose parents are not in attendance.
Comments
The Coming Holy Days: We have now begun a new season of observing the Holy Days that picture the culminating events in God’s great plan of salvation for mankind. These days reveal how God is going to put an end to the evils and suffering in this world by sending Jesus Christ to banish Satan and set up the Kingdom of God on this earth, where the saints will reign with Christ for 1,000 years—after which all who have ever lived and died without knowing God’s plan will have the opportunity to learn His way of life. While the world has been blinded to the meaning of the Holy Days, Jesus told His disciples, “It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.… Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear” (Matthew 13:11–17). As we observe these Holy Days, let’s be deeply grateful for the opportunity to understand and prepare to participate in the fulfillment of what they picture.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
The Formation of an “Arab NATO”? Israel’s recent attack on Hamas officials in Qatar has prompted a united Arab response (RTE, September 10, 2025). The Arab nations often possess competing agendas, but this attack and Israel’s subsequent threat to strike Hamas “anywhere” may be prompting increased coordination. Arab nations recently considered the idea of an “Arab NATO” that could form a rapid-reaction force capable of “shield[ing] member states from external threats, particularly Israel” (Middle East Eye, September 20, 2025).
Last week, Arab nations held a summit in Doha, Qatar, to discuss Israel’s recent action and the possibilities of a united Arab response. At the summit, Egypt presented a proposal for a “NATO-style” Arab defense force. Egypt’s proposal was blocked by the UAE and Qatar, and representatives from Egypt and Saudi Arabia disagreed on which nation should lead such an organization, with each seeing their own nations as best suited for the top job. In further discussions, the Gulf states decided to exclude Turkey and Iran from a future combined Arab defense organization. The outcome of this summit, much to the frustration of Egypt, was a relatively toothless statement condemning Israel’s actions and declaring support for Gaza. Just days later, Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense treaty with nuclear-armed Pakistan.
Will the recent summit be the last we hear of an Arab NATO or something very similar? According to Bible prophecy, a confederacy of Arab nations will form in opposition to Israel and the other Israelite nations at the end of the age (Psalm 83:2–8). Eventually, many of these same nations will even fight against the German-led European “beast” power (Daniel 11:40–44). And the actions of this alliance of Arab nations will be both defensive and offensive. The Bible calls this united Arab force that will ultimately emerge the “king of the South.” Major changes are underway in the Middle East and North Africa, and you can learn more about where all this will lead by reading or listening to The Middle East in Prophecy.
The Power of Quiet: Noise has great potential to negatively impact our health and well-being. In 2006, an Italian cardiologist studied the types of music that had the most relaxing effect on listeners (Epoch Times, September 3, 2025). His study directed participants to listen to several types of music, with a two-minute quiet period between each piece. The quiet periods were designed to help listeners’ minds reset and prepare them for next type of music. But the research findings were a surprise. Instead of the quiet period acting as a reset, it actually caused the listeners to relax even more than the most relaxing music. According to the study, the silent pause between musical pieces was “much more effective than the music.”
While noise, even the ambient sounds heard within an otherwise quiet office building, cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones, actual silence lowers these cardiovascular risk factors. The cardiologist who conducted the study observed that silence “may be potentially useful in the management of cardiovascular disease.” A 2021 study demonstrated that lower levels of noise in the workplace created a more productive and less stressful work environment.
One day soon, Jesus Christ will return and set up His Kingdom (Revelation 11:15). The Bible describes many different aspects of His coming reign, and one of them is quietness. The Prophet Isaiah recorded a vision of this coming time of unprecedented peace: “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever” (Isaiah 32:17). This quietness will be a consequence of righteousness—a society living by the Ten Commandments (Psalm 119:172). How different this future society will be from those around us today! You can learn more about the quietness, assurance, peace, and abundance of Christ’s reign on the earth by reading or listening to “What Is the Feast of Tabernacles?” —Scott Winnail and Francine Prater