Greetings from Charlotte,
Numbers never give the whole story. There was a time when more than 156,000 attended the Feast of Tabernacles in the Worldwide Church of God, but where are they today? That is why we need to be careful not to judge things by numbers alone. But out of that number a remnant of faithful remain and continue to do the Work of God. With this qualifying statement, I want to pass along some numbers that recently came to my attention. Leading up to Passover, Mr. Mario Hernández baptized three in Spain, Mr. Bill Long baptized ten in Michigan, and Mr. Rob Tyler reports three in Brisbane, Australia, and another in Tahiti. There were many others baptized in congregations around the world, but I think these reports are encouraging. Our 30-strong youth choir (aged 5–12, with one or two 13-year-olds) in the Charlotte congregation performed special music this past Sabbath, and I appreciated the fact that they displayed quality by having learned their different parts. Another number that is encouraging here in Charlotte is that we had 16 teens for the final meeting of our Leaders of Tomorrow teen spokesman club. History tells us that not all among these numbers will remain faithful, but some will and will be born into the Family of God at the resurrection.
—Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Second Passover—Must Read
The Second Passover this year is on Friday, May 1, which means that it will be observed on Thursday evening, April 30, shortly after sunset. This Passover is for those baptized members who were unable to take the first Passover due to unavoidable circumstances, as instructed in Numbers 9:1–14. If you have any questions, please contact your pastor.
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Since the last World Ahead weekly update, we have held 24 Tomorrow’s World Presentations, including initial presentations, follow-ups, online presentations, and “presentation series” presentations. All told, these events drew a total of 133 in-person guests. This week, we will hold an online presentation for the Canadian subscriber base and initial presentations in Dothan and Montgomery, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Roseville, California; and Puerto Princesa City, Philippines. We will also hold follow-up presentations in Monterey Park and San Marcos, California; and Columbus, Georgia. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Television Department
TW Digital Media Support Team
If you haven’t already joined the YouTube Hype Squad initiative, now is a great time to do so. This is a simple, practical way to directly support the preaching of the Gospel to the world.
Since launching this initiative in December, our newly published Tomorrow’s World videos are receiving about 30 percent more views on average—that’s more than 3,000 additional views for each video within 30 days of each release. What makes this especially encouraging is that this increase is coming from a relatively small group—only about 500 participants. That means each person’s involvement is having a meaningful impact. Because of these results, we plan to continue this effort through the end of the year to see how it performs over time.
If you would like to take part, simply email [email protected] and let us know you’d like to join the YouTube Hype Squad.
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast Websites Now Live—Must Read
The 2026 Festival site webpages are now live! All LCG brethren and Feast guests can access the Feast site write-ups at https://fot2026.lcg.org.
Feast Registration April 26—Must Read
The 2026 Feast of Tabernacles general registration is quickly approaching! General registration is scheduled for April 26 at 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time, USA). Please take the time to log in to your MyLCG account before then to make sure you know your PIN and password. If you do not have Internet access and need help getting Feast information, contact your local congregation’s Festival Advisor. If you don’t know who your Festival Advisor is, please contact your local Pastor.
Note to Festival Advisors: Please print out and distribute to brethren who need them the site descriptions and registration forms in preparation for Feast registration. You can find these documents by going to https://cogl.org, signing in to your MyLCG account, and clicking the “Registration” button under the “Feast of Tabernacles” banner. Log in to the registration system using your MyLCG credentials, then click the “Advisor Access” link. Alternatively, you can go directly to the Feast registration system at https://fotreg.cogl.org/, log in using your MyLCG credentials, and click the “Advisor Access” link.
Additional Note to Festival Advisors: There will be a Festival Advisor meeting on Tuesday, April 21 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time that will cover the duties of a Festival Advisor, how to register members in your congregation(s), and any questions you may have. To obtain the link to this meeting, please contact your pastor. For those unable to make the meeting, a recording will be sent out afterward.
Festival Registration Problems: Status May Need to Be Updated
Attention Pastors: One of the most common technical difficulties people have in registering for the Feast occurs when their status has not been updated in the Church’s files. For example, those listed as a “Coworker” or “Subscriber” in the Headquarters database will not be able to register. Only those listed as a “Prospective Member” or “Member” can register for the Feast. Please look over your area’s member lists and let us know if anyone’s status needs to be changed. This could especially apply to those who have recently started attending with us. We need the pastor’s notification to change anyone’s status, so please send U.S. status updates to [email protected], or, if outside the U.S., to your Regional Office.
Living Youth Program
Living Youth Adventure Camp
We will be hiking and kayaking through the beautiful wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains. Registration closes May 1 for both campers and staff. Slots are filling quickly, so if you are thinking about joining us, please register now. Visit https://camp.livingyouth.org for more information and to register.
Living Youth Pre-Teen Camps—Missouri, Texas, and West Virginia
Summer is just around the corner and Pre-Teen Camp registration is open for the Missouri, Texas, and West Virginia Pre-Teen Camps! If you have children ages 8–12, be sure to fill out the camp application for the camp that best fits your needs. You can apply by visiting https://camp.livingyouth.org. There you will also find the dates and locations of the camps. Applying now greatly helps the planning process! We look forward to seeing you at camp!
Comments
Job of a Watchman: Through the ages, God has sent prophets to warn His people of dangers ahead. Moses warned the Israelites that if they disobeyed His laws and despised His statutes, they would reap serious consequences (Leviticus 26:14–39). Yet modern Israelite nations are largely ignorant of their true identity and this sobering warning—today, their leaders and peoples are actively promoting values and behaviors that are contrary to God’s laws. Isaiah was told to “cry aloud” and “tell My people their transgression” (Isaiah 58:1). Jeremiah warned that open disregard for God’s laws would lead to the time of “Jacob’s trouble” at the end of the age (Jeremiah 2:19; 30:7, 24). Ezekiel was commissioned to be a “watchman” to warn the house of Israel of their coming punishment (Ezekiel 3:16–21; 33:1–11). That is our mission today. Let’s pray for the strength and help to complete that mission.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
Europe’s Unwilling Youth and the Coming Beast Power: With the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II entering its fourth year, the continent’s security situation is uncertain. Russia has displayed its aggression toward Europe with a variety of assaults across the continent (EU Institute for Security Studies, January 20, 2026), stirring a call to arms throughout Europe. However, opinion polls taken in the United States and European nations in recent years reflect younger citizens’ reluctance to fight (Politico, June 11, 2024).
This lack of enthusiasm comes at a time when defence ministers and NATO generals are urgently sounding alarms about Europe’s military vulnerability. According to a March 2024 Gallup poll, roughly two-thirds of the citizens of the EU are unwilling to fight for their country in the event of war. Much more willing to fight are those European nations outside the EU—where around 60 percent say they would personally take up arms to defend their nation. Leaders of Finland and the Baltic states have implemented conscription, while other nations are at the threshold of reinstituting mandatory civil service or peacetime drafts (Defence 24, December 14, 2025).
But Bible prophecy tells us that a powerful, unified European military force—a beast power—will arise in the end-time and shock a distracted world (Revelation 13:4; Daniel 11:40–44). Today’s reluctance among European youth may seem like an obstacle to that prophesied reality, but history and Scripture remind us that circumstances can change with breathtaking speed. You can glean more insight into these often-confusing current events by watching our recently released telecast “The Three End-Time Superpowers” and reading or listening to our study guide Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!
How Long Can Gulf States Remain Neutral? “Gulf Arab states did not ask the U.S. to go to war with Iran, but many are now urging it not to stop short by leaving the Islamic Republic still able to threaten the Gulf’s oil lifeline and the economies that depend on it” (Reuters, March 16, 2026). While the Arab Gulf states initially expressed support for Iran’s sovereignty against Israeli and U.S. attacks, now that Iran has attacked each country repeatedly, including their energy infrastructures, the nation is becoming the enemy of all. Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center, noted, “At first we defended them and opposed the war…. But once they began directing strikes at us, they became an enemy. There is no other way to classify them.”
Iran has repeatedly attacked airports, oil facilities, ports, and commercial hubs across the six Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates) on the declared basis that they are U.S. allies in one way or another. Yet Gulf states still refuse to be drawn into the war. Each of the six nations may be making the calculation that their contributions would do little to hasten the war’s conclusion while only intensifying retaliation from Iran—but the repeated attacks have prompted these states to encourage the U.S. and Israel to totally disable Iran so it cannot continue to control the Strait of Hormuz and further destabilize the region.
Iran’s repeated actions may push other nations to get involved as oil becomes increasingly scarce and costs rise. As the Middle East powder keg continues to heat up, what should we expect? Will peace always be impossible in the Middle East? You can learn the answers by watching our telecast “Peace in the Middle East?” —Scott Winnail, Richard Franz, and Francine Prater