Greetings from Charlotte,
Mr. and Mrs. Weston are travelling from Barbados to Trinidad for the family weekend there. Family weekends are also going on in Texas, Alabama, Kansas City, and Charlotte. Dr. Winnail reports that he visited Adelaide this week and will be in Melbourne for the Sabbath. Youth camps have been going on successfully in Kenya and South Africa (see reports below). We are communicating with pastors about plans for distributing the new hymnals, which will be printed soon. Southern California is having heavy rains and flash floods, and South Africa has experienced historic flooding as well (see report below). Please be praying for these activities and for those affected by adverse weather and other serious trials.
—Rod McNair
Church Administration
Report from South Africa
Report from Mr. Christo Botha: “In December 2025, almost all provinces in South Africa experienced above-average rainfall and damaging hailstorms, unlike in previous years. One area received more rain in December than in the entire rain season during the last 100 years or more. Several people drowned and lost properties and possessions during the floods, but as far as we know, none of our brethren were severely affected by these storms.”
Tomorrow’s World Presentations: Year-End Review
Last week, we had one follow-up presentation in Lakeland, Florida, as well as two online French presentations. The online information is not yet available, but we had one new guest and three repeat guests at the Lakeland, Florida event. This week, Dr. Pierre will hold one final follow-up presentation in Lakeland, Florida. This will conclude the Tomorrow’s World Presentations held in the calendar year 2025.
In 2025, we held 219 total TWPs, including initial, follow-up, online, and “presentation series” presentations; these include 157 events held in the United States and 62 held internationally. These presentations collectively drew 2,005 first-time guests and 2,416 total guests. The TWPs for 2026 are already in the works, with 100 presentations currently scheduled and invitations being mailed out for the January events. Thank you to everyone who supports this effort in God’s Work with their time, energy, resources, and prayers.
Men’s Training Camp – Blowing Rock, North Carolina
MTC Blowing Rock 2026 will be held February 13–15 in the mountains of North Carolina. Registration is now open and will close on January 25. You can register at the following link: https://bit.ly/MTC2026. We’re looking forward to another productive weekend!
Living for Tomorrow
Young adults, mark your calendars for L4T 2026! This year, we’ll gather again at Blowing Rock, North Carolina, May 29–31. Stay tuned for more information.
Living Youth Program
LYP Kenya
LYP Kenya is now in its eighth year. This year, 122 campers plus staff have gathered at a new camp venue in Homa Bay in Western Kenya. Participants have traveled from all over western Kenya, Nairobi, and the UK. Daytime temperatures have been in the mid-80s Fahrenheit (around 30 Celsius). Nighttime temperatures have been comfortably cool. This year’s camp theme, “The Wisdom of the Proverbs,” is the same theme used at our teen camps. We have been blessed so far with recorded Christian Living classes by Mr. Gerald Weston and Mr. Peter Nathan. Campers have enjoyed events that include a “getting to know you” activity, a life skills class, football (soccer), ultimate frisbee, handball, dance, and “energizer games.” Attitudes are positive and enthusiasm is high—and the food is “better than a restaurant.” All are thankful for the opportunity to attend God’s camp in Kenya!
LYP South Africa
LYP South Africa is officially underway, as a group of 56 campers and staff mark the start of an exciting and meaningful camp experience. We are blessed to have international staff and campers from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, France, and the UK, adding to the rich diversity of the camp. Mr. Peter Nathan presented the first Christian Living Class, titled “Wisdom: What Is It?” We are also grateful to Mr. Weston, who recorded a Christian Living class specifically for the South Africa and Kenya camps. Each day begins with a Christian Living class on the theme of “The Wisdom of Proverbs,” setting a strong spiritual foundation for all activities. There is great excitement among the teens, and a full and varied program is planned. Events include a team-building activity, “leadership games,” an obstacle course, arts and crafts, woodwork, handball, indoor noodle hockey, soccer, netball, dance, a spiritual education class, swimming, a speech class, a scenic 5-kilometer hike in Bainskloof, a life roles class, and a cookout competition.
The South Africa Teen and Preteen Camps will conclude on January 1. Daily updates are shared on the LYP SA WhatsApp Channel and the LYP South Africa Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lyp.southafrica.
Finance
Year-End Donations (U.S. Only) – Repeat Announcement
Please be reminded that all U.S. contributions dated in December and postmarked on or before December 31 may be tax deductible in 2025, even if we receive them in January 2026. For those who donate online, the deadline for online contributions is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31. Also note that if you plan on taking a tax deduction for contributions, your tax return should not be filed until you receive your year-end receipt for donations. This donation receipt is one of the tax documents the Internal Revenue Service requires you to keep as backup to claim this deduction. We plan to issue year-end donation receipts on or around January 20, 2026. As we close the calendar year for 2025, we want to extend a hearty thank you to all our members, co-workers, and donors for your generous financial support and for your prayers for every aspect of the Work. The harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few, but collectively we are able to accomplish much through God’s blessing. Please continue to pray for God’s guidance in everything that we do at Headquarters and in the local congregations around the world as we begin 2026.
Comments
The Way to Peace: In our world today, especially at the end of December, we hear a lot about “Peace on earth and goodwill toward men,” yet the news is full of reports of violence and suffering. The desire for peace is universal, but that hope has remained elusive for most human beings. While world leaders talk of peace and religious leaders pray for peace—and the United Nations sends “peacekeepers” to trouble spots around the globe—the world simply does not know the way to peace (Isaiah 59:8). However, God’s word reveals that the way to peace is to learn to love and live by the laws of God (Psalm 119:165; Isaiah 32:17). The world will learn the way to peace when Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, returns to this earth and the laws of God are spread from Jerusalem by teachers who are in training now (Isaiah 9:6–7; 2:2–4; 30:20–21). Let’s prepare for that day!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
The Crisis of the Will to Work: Mike Rowe, CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, is sounding an alarm that a fundamental shift has occurred in America’s relationship with work (MSN, November 30, 2025). According to Rowe, part of the crisis facing the United States is about the will to work, and data seems to back up his conclusion. In a recent report, 10.5 percent of American men ages 25–54—roughly 6.8 million individuals—“were neither working nor looking for employment” (CNBC, September 19, 2025). This withdrawal from the workforce represents an increasingly common decision to simply opt out of productive labor.
The figures are dismal. From 1948–2024, men’s labor force participation dropped from 86.6 percent to just 68 percent. For men in their prime working years (ages 25 to 54), participation has dropped from 98 percent in 1954 to 89 percent. More than a quarter of these men report voluntarily not working—all while the U.S. lacks skilled laborers.
What does a nation lose when its able-bodied men abandon work? Work provides more than economic productivity—it provides purpose, dignity, and structure to human life. The Bible speaks clearly of the value of work. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, the Apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” Before sin entered the world, Adam was given the garden of Eden “to tend and keep”—to work in it (Genesis 2:15)! Today’s generations face a choice: Will we value honest work or continue on a path where constant idleness is normal? When the will to work disappears, we risk a crisis not just of economics but of character and purpose. You can learn about the big picture and the purpose for your life by reading or listening to What Is the Meaning of Life?
Is Social Media Making Us More Violent? Violence permeates television shows and movies, and viewers are often able to “disconnect” themselves to some degree from the acts they see, knowing that the violence they watch is not real. However, with video captured easily on mobile devices, people can now watch actual violence, even as it is happening. Does this affect one’s mind differently than the simulated violence of cinema and television? New research suggests that it does.
According to a Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) survey of teens in England and Wales, “Most teenagers have seen real-world acts of violence on social media in the past year—70% of 13 to 17-year-olds reported seeing such content” (November 24, 2025). TikTok and X users reported the greatest viewing of actual violence, and Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram “also have significant numbers of teenage users exposed to violent content” (November 25, 2024). While the average person does not witness violence in his or her day-to-day life, it is possible to be exposed to scenes of real violence every single day if one spends enough time on social media. Thanks to the way algorithms personalize media content, someone who has watched such violent footage can be lured into watching more—and for hours on end. According to the YEF, “16% of children aged between 13 and 17 years old reported perpetrating a violent incident in the past 12 months. Of these, nearly two-thirds (64%) said that social media played a role, including online arguments leading to in-person violence.”
God pays special attention to the person “who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil” (Isaiah 33:15). And when His Kingdom on Earth is established, “Violence shall no longer be heard in your land” (Isaiah 60:18). In a world where it is increasingly difficult to avoid scenes of violence and bloodshed, one must put forth effort to seek that which is good and right (Philippians 4:8). And when we do seek what is good and avoid exposure to evil and violent things, our minds and lives have much more peace. You can learn more by watching “Will War Ever End?” —Scott Winnail, Richard Franz, and Francine Prater