Greetings from Charlotte,
This week Dr. Meredith presided over a very profitable Council of Elders meeting. He cited progress in the Work so far this year: an 8.3 percent increase in Feast attendance (10,289) over last year, a 5 percent increase in income, a Tomorrow's World magazine circulation now over 470,000. We had an average Church attendance of about 9,100 in September of this year and a worldwide increase in average attendance of more than 3 percent so far this year. In 2014, we made 55 Tomorrow's World Presentations that drew nearly 2,500 visitors, Living University has approximately 220 students enrolled this semester, and Internet contacts from the world continue to climb. Reports from Regional Directors and Pastors reflected these positive trends. Discussion topics included manpower needs, dealing with emerging social issues including the spirit world, viewing habits of young people (Internet) vs. older adults (TV), and several doctrinal issues. During the Council meeting Dr. Meredith stressed the importance of staying close to God and working together in unity to finish the Work. Your prayers for the Council meeting, for God's people and for His Work are deeply appreciated.—DSW
Church Administration
Tomorrow's World Presents in Midland, Texas
The Midland congregation hosted a Tomorrow's World Presentation on Sunday, November 9. We were delighted to have 16 new people, with a total of 38 in attendance. Our visitors listened intently and seemed to be fully engaged in what was explained. I gave Part 1, entitled "After Armageddon: Five Keys to End-Time Prophecy." After a short intermission, Southwest Regional Pastor Rodger Bardo presented Part 2, giving a very powerful and dynamic presentation on "The Mystery of God's Holy Days." Visitors enjoyed the finger foods provided by the brethren and asked many questions as they fellowshipped for almost two hours afterward. They took home many of the booklets that were available. Four of the guests indicated that they want to return for services this coming Sabbath and three said they want to be baptized. It was truly a great day!—Gary Stein
2014 Charlotte Family Weekend: Update
The Charlotte congregation will be hosting its annual Family Weekend in less than six weeks! Arrival will be Wednesday, December 24, and departure will be Sunday, December 28. Bible Studies, Sabbath services, a dinner-dance and seminars will once again be held at the Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel. Plans are set for a full day of sports tournaments and games on Thursday, December 25. On Friday morning there will be seminars for teens, young singles, mature singles and married couples, followed by an activity in the afternoon. More details will be available on the Facebook page. Registration for the activities and sports tournaments should be open by the middle of next week. To register, log on to the MyLCG page and click on the registration tab.—Jim Meredith
Kansas City Regional Family Weekend
Clear your calendar for Friday, January 2 through Sunday, January 4, and bring the whole family to the Kansas Regional Family Weekend.
Registration is now open at lcgkcweekend.org (not an official LCG Web site), where you can find all the details about the weekend.
The Friday night Bible Study and Saturday activities will be at the Hilton Garden Inn in Independence, Missouri, where rooms are available for $79 per night. This rate begins Thursday night, January 1 and is available through Sunday night, January 4. Call the hotel at 816-350-3000 to make reservations and say you are with "LCG" to receive the discounted rate. Hotel rooms will include up to four free, hot-breakfast vouchers per room at the onsite restaurant.
Housing with brethren is also available, but limited, so please register soon if you require accommodations.
Events will include a Friday night Bible Study, Sabbath morning seminar and mid-afternoon services. Sabbath dinner will be a Hereford House catered meal serving your choice of beef brisket or grilled chicken. Cost is $15 per person for adults and $10 per child 10 years old and under. The maximum dinner cost for each family is the price of four dinners—$60 for four adults or teens, or $50 for two adults and two children. If you are not planning to eat with us, we request a $5 donation per person (up to $20 per household) to help defray the costs of the weekend, if you can afford it.
For dinner and Saturday evening, we invite you to don your finest formal attire for our black-tie extravaganza. (Sabbath wear is acceptable, too.) The theme of the evening is "Roll out the Red Carpet." Dinner will be followed by an entertainment program unlike any we've done before… more details to come. Don't miss it! The evening concludes with a formal dance.
On Sunday, we are bringing you an all-new line-up of activities. The day will begin with a thrilling and memorable Big Family Games for people of all ages in God's "family" to enjoy. Sign up your team of 12 to 20 participants of all ages as we challenge you in a multitude of contests including athletics, trivia, problem solving, and more. After the Big Family Games, the afternoon will offer a basketball clinic for the youngsters, a volleyball clinic for those 11 and up, one hour each of Men's Basketball, Women's Volleyball, and Co-Ed Volleyball, as well as children's activities throughout the day.
Please visit our Web site for additional details and be sure to register right away so we know to expect you. Please join us as we "Roll out the Red Carpet!"—Michael Keesee
Internet Department
New "Tomorrow's World News" Webcasts!
We are excited to announce new "Tomorrow's World News" Webcasts now available on the Tomorrow's World Web site (http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/webcasts) and on YouTube. These will be timely, brief video commentaries on important news items of prophetic and Biblical importance. We intend to produce a few each week, so be sure to check the Web site regularly.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast of Tabernacles Review and Stats—2014
Our final attendance numbers are in for the Feast of Tabernacles, 2014. This year, God blessed the Living Church of God with a very upbeat, positive and inspiring Feast, from all reports. We were happy to see new brethren and guests attending with us for the first time. Overall attendance was 10,298, which is an increase of 8.4 percent over 2013, and the first time we have broken the 10,000 mark for the Feast in either GCG or LCG. The Living Church of God conducted 53 Feast sites in 32 countries in 2014. Nine Feast sites in the USA and Canada provided live phone or Internet connections for shut-ins in their area. We are hoping to increase that number in 2015. We had three ordinations at the Feast. Our coordinators distributed 5,540 Ivor Fletcher books to brethren at the Feast—we hope you are enjoying your copy!
The Festival Coordinators and the Festival Office have been going through the surveys, and appreciate everyone giving feedback on their particular site. Many brethren have commented on the powerful sermons, encouraging fellowship, godly and family-centered activities, and excitement of the focus on the mission of the Church, as relayed in the Feast film. Positive comments as well as constructive criticism are extremely helpful as we strive to make the Feast more pleasing to God, and more reflective of His coming Kingdom on earth. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out the survey! Stay tuned for news and updates about the Feast of Tabernacles 2015 in coming months!—The Festival Office
Selected Feast Survey Comments:
"The speakers have been on fire and the congregation filled with zeal."
"The feast was very good. Sermons were inspiring and good. I promise to share what I have learned to others who did not attend and I will try very much to live by what the ministers of God have exhorted me in my life."
"There was unusual warmth and love among the whole group—great activities—appealed to all ages."
"Even though the country is under a Socialist and Military Government we are allowed to worship our God freely and we can celebrate God's Feast of Tabernacles happily and joyfully. All members, old and young, enjoyed the Feast equally." (Myanmar)
"Activities are nice and everything, but what really makes a good Feast is the spiritual food and quality of fellowship, which this year was great."
"An inspiring example was set by one of our young attendees. She was told by her university lecturer to 'choose between God or university' as she would not be able to sit her exams if she attended the Feast. She courageously chose God and was blessed by being able to sit her exam after the Feast. She said the Feast was a wonderful experience, as it truly was for each and every one of us."
"This is the best dance I have ever seen – you can talk, you can see, the music is great, at the perfect audible level on the dance floor, and everyone is dressed appropriately!"
"We heard message after message which taught God's truth plainly and unapologetically."
Living Youth Program
The online Teen Bible Study on Friday evening, November 21, will be on, "The United States and Britain in Prophecy, Part 4," presented by Mr. Sheldon Monson. If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for one of the online Bible Studies yet, we encourage you to do so. It is a wonderful way to start the Sabbath day.
The Bible Study runs from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. (EST) and the chat room will be open for one half hour before and after the study. You can access this Bible Study at livingyouth.org. We hope as many of our youth as possible will join us for this opportunity for godly fellowship and learning. For those of you who are unable to make it to the study, archives of previous Living Youth Bible Studies, including last evening's on "The United States and Britain in Prophecy, Part 3," can also be found on the Living Youth Web site.
Living University
Living University—Registration for Second Semester
Registration for second semester classes is now underway! The Spring Semester (fall in the Southern hemisphere) will begin on Wednesday, January 14 and you may register anytime between now and January 14. Those who have never taken a Living University course will need to enroll in the University first, and then register for your selected course(s). This semester, along with many of our traditionally offered spring classes, we will be offering four completely new courses. Watch for these in the weeks to come. The following are brief descriptions of several courses being offered next semester. A complete listing of second semester courses can also be viewed on the Living University Web site under the link "Spring 2015 Schedule." To make application to Living University, to register for courses, and to find out more, please visit the www.livinguniv.com Web site. For additional information, please contact Mrs. Michelle Broussard at [email protected] or 704-708-2294.
THL 110B—Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course
This is the second in a two-semester course that serves as an introduction to the Bible, its message, and its implications for successful Christian living. First semester topics focus on the Scriptures, the nature of God, biblical prophecy and God's plan for humankind. Second semester topics focus on practical Christian living and the building of living faith. This course will help students demonstrate a basic understanding of biblical concepts regarding history, theology, prophecy and Christian life. This course is offered without a tuition charge. Students pay only the $35 USD technology fee.
NEW! ACCT 252—Using Accounting Information
This course introduces the use of the accounting information to manage, measure, and improve the performance of a business enterprise or nonprofit corporation, and to make decisions about future operations. Emphasis is on managerial accounting concepts for external and internal analysis, reporting and decision-making. In this class students will learn how to analyze and interpret transactions relating to managerial concepts including product-costing systems. This course is part of our Certificate in Business Studies program.
ANTH 220—Sociocultural Anthropology
This course introduces the nature of human culture from a global perspective. Emphasis is on cultural theory, methods of fieldwork, and cross-cultural comparisons in the areas of ethnology, language, religion, and the cultural past to produce a holistic and global perspective of humanity. In this class, students will develop enhanced global awareness including an understanding of basic cultural processes. This is a required class for both the ATh and BTh degree programs.
Comments
Signs of the Times: The acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage are emerging as defining issues in modern Western societies today. People and organizations that attempt to resist these social trends are branded as closed-minded and hateful, while those who accept and promote these revolutionary ideas are viewed as progressive, non-judgmental, broad-minded and even loving. However, many in our modern societies are turning a blind eye to very sobering lessons of history. The Bible reveals that God destroyed the pre-flood world because "all flesh had corrupted their way on earth" (Genesis 6:12). God then destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their wicked ways—of which homosexuality was a major reason (see Genesis 18 and 19). Yet, today, these same perverted behaviors are once again being promoted as acceptable and normal by misguided theologians, congressmen and other leaders who have chosen to ignore conservative judge Robert Bork who warned in his book Slouching Towards Gomorrah that these perverted behaviors are contributing to America's decline. Progressive leaders today remain unaware that Moses foretold that Israelite nations would become "utterly corrupt" and turn away from God "in the latter days" (Deuteronomy 31:29). We need to recognize the significance of what is happening around us and earnestly pray, "Thy Kingdom Come."
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—November 13, 2014
Will God "Surprise" the Pope? In October, leaders of the Catholic Church held a two-week synod to discuss homosexuality, divorce, remarriage, and homosexual couples (Reuters, October 19, 2014). The goal of the synod was to enable the Roman church to develop more definitive doctrinal revisions on these family-related issues. During the synod, which was filled with heated debate, the pope commented "God is not afraid of new things. That is why he is continuously surprising us, opening our hearts and guiding us in unexpected ways" (ibid.). The pope also cautioned synod attendees to beware of "hostile inflexibility, that is, wanting to close oneself within the written word, and not allowing oneself to be surprised by God" (BBC, October 18, 2014). Catholic religious writer John Thavis stated, "Pope Francis clearly placed the Church on a new path, toward an evangelizing style that is less focused on doctrine and more willing to invite people in, no matter what their status" (Reuters, October 19, 2014). The Bible reveals that God loves all people, but it plainly states that God does not love the sins of people and that He instructs sinners to stop sinning (John 5:14; 8:11; Colossians 3:5-10; Revelation 21:8). The Bible also indicates that God is predictable and not full of surprises. God states about himself, "I am the LORD, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). The New Testament states, "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). While Christians should not "hate" anyone (Matthew 5:21-24), the Church of God must avoid adopting the increasingly sinful perspectives of human reasoning. For more information on characteristics of God's true Church, be sure to read our booklet Where Is God's True Church Today?
Churches Healing Ancient Breach! Anglican and Eastern Orthodox church leaders continue their efforts to mend long-standing differences. "For more than 1,500 years, a theological row has festered to become one of the biggest and bitterest schisms in Christian history. While the two wings of the faith may never be fully reconciled… the boil was lanced this week. The ink is drying on a document that brings together the Anglican Communion and its counterparts in the Middle East in an agreement on the nature of Christ. Fifty years of negotiations in venues from Cairo to Woking have resulted in a statement that could begin to heal centuries of wounds around the heart of Christianity" (The Times, November 1, 2014). Bible prophecies have long foretold that the daughters of the Roman church would begin to make their way back to their "mother" at the end of the age (Isaiah 47:1-8; Revelation 17:1-6). This "historic" accord between Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox churches is part of a spreading accord between the fragmented "daughters" that came out of the Roman church. The prophesied return to Rome will continue as Christ's return draws near. For more on this topic, read our article "A Return to Rome?"
Anglicans Look to Rome: "Anglicans are increasingly looking to the Vatican to take the lead in standing up for Christians around the world, a prominent bishop has said" (The Times, November 1, 2014). "In an address to the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, a body set up in 2011 allowing Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop Nazir-Ali said the Holy See was the main voice defending Christians under threat." He further noted, "The Catholic Church has both a great opportunity and also a great responsibility" and he also called for "boots on the ground" to protect Christians in places like Iraq (ibid.). Bishop Nazir-Ali's comments highlight two important issues. First, many in the once-separate Anglican Church are increasingly looking to the pope and the Roman church to lead and protect Christians around the world. Second, many are now calling for the Roman church to promote the use of force to protect threatened Christians (ibid.). This is in conjunction with a recent Vatican summit that reaffirmed the need for military action against ISIS (Christian Post, October 6, 2014). The Catholic Church has a history of using force against non-Catholics. End-time Bible prophecies indicate that a prominent church, supported by her returning "daughters," will once again perform or encourage military actions against its enemies (Revelation 6:1-2; see Revelation 13). World events appear to be moving in that direction (Revelation 17:1-6). For more insight into this important topic, be sure to review our booklet on The Beast of Revelation.—Scott Winnail, Ron Ramsingh, Chris Sookdeo and Sue Bennett