Greetings from Charlotte,
It is encouraging to report that no members were affected by severe weather that hit the south central portion of the USA or the earthquake that jolted Indonesia just a few days ago. Mr. Hernandez and Mr. Schaubeck have returned from a very successful visit to Cuba where they visited 33 new people. Mr. Rob Tyler and Mr. Rajan Moses are currently visiting congregations in Thailand and Burma. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Shumway have arrived in Barbados and are settling in to their new assignment. Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith has conducted meetings this week, and Mr. Ames and Mr. Smith recorded new Tomorrow's World programs. Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka reports that we have launched the digital version of Tomorrow's World magazine (see announcement below). Last weekend, Mr. Dan Hall and I conducted services and a conference for leaders in North Florida. This weekend we will begin a new series of Tomorrow's World Presentations in five cities: Atlanta, Georgia; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Greenville, North Carolina and Pontefract and Manchester in the UK. It is very exciting to see the Work of God surging forward in multiple areas.—DSW
Church Administration
North Florida Leadership Conference
We have just completed a very informative and educational conference with Dr. Douglas Winnail and Mr. Dan Hall. We covered many topics, including leadership and teamwork, the importance of sound doctrine and keys to personal growth. Forty-three brethren were filled with joy and happiness to hear from these two leaders in God's Church. The brethren in North Florida and South Georgia want to let everyone know that this conference will long be remembered for the love and unity that we all felt from being able to be taught by the leaders in God's Church. Thank you, Dr. Meredith, for doing this for all of us. The good feedback from the brethren is wonderful.—Joe Brown
Passover 2016—Repeat Announcement
Important Notice to All Pastors: In 2016, the Passover Service will be observed on Thursday evening, April 21. 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). The Passover Service recording is the 2015 recording given by Mr. Ken Frank. To ensure timely delivery and to save on shipping costs, we need this information by March 21 for U.S. congregations.
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. U.S. requests need to be here by March 21. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Adirondack Family Canoe Trip 2016
It's time to register for the outdoor highlight of our summer in the Northeast Region! Here are the details...
Arrival: You may either arrive in Albany on Tuesday, July 5, or travel directly to Raquette Lake and meet us at the lake at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6. If you wish to fly into Albany, arrangements can be made to pick you up at the airport. Accommodations at members' homes will be provided on the evening of July 5.
Departure: We will arrive back in Albany on the afternoon of Sunday, July 10. If you plan to fly out of Albany on Sunday, you'll need to arrange for a late afternoon or evening flight.
Cost: Cost is $120 per person, with a sliding scale of $20 less for each additional family member. In other words, the first family member is $120, the second is $100, the third is $80, and so on. Children ages six and under are free. Payment is due by April 15.
Physical Requirements: Although we are encouraging people of all ages to come, be prepared for a physically challenging environment. Sleeping will be in open lean-tos. We will be canoeing in whatever weather conditions we face, and we'll be hiking up a mountain. Everyone who comes will be expected to participate in every activity.
Location: The setting for our activity will be the beautiful Adirondack Park. We will canoe from Golden Beach campground to Tioga Point, where we will set up our base of operations. We'll spend one day training and practicing outdoor skills, then one day in a special challenge activity, canoeing across Raquette Lake to West Mountain. We'll hike to the summit of the mountain, then return to the lake, paddling back to our camp to conclude the day. On the Sabbath, we'll fellowship, relax and enjoy God's creation. Sunday, July 10 will be our departure day, arriving back in Albany in the late afternoon.
Expectations: This is an educational experience. It is not a social activity nor is it a competition. It is designed to bring us closer to God and together as brothers and sisters. We will learn to appreciate God's creation, and practice outdoor leadership skills.
To Register: go to https://form.jotform.com/jmcnairny/adirondack-family-canoe-trip-2016
Questions: Call or e-mail me: 516-724-4452 or [email protected].—Jonathan McNair
Internet Department
Tomorrow's World Digital Subscription Now Delivered to Your E-mail Inbox!
Would you like to receive the Tomorrow's World magazine days before it is loaded to the Web site and days before the print copy arrives in your mailbox? Receive the full-color digital edition delivered directly to your e-mail inbox and "get it sooner" by signing up at www.tomorrowsworld.org/digital. The digital edition contains all of the articles and graphics of the print edition, but also allows for in-article searching, social sharing, and of course you can read it on your tablet, smart-phone or computer at your convenience. We pray that tens of thousands of additional subscribers will sign-up for the digital edition, and as Dr. Meredith mentioned in his recent "co-worker" letter, we are sure that this will be of interest especially "for the increasing numbers who are 'digital natives'—who do most of their reading on a computer or a tab let or even a smartphone."—Wyatt Ciesielka
Feast of Tabernacles
Festival Web Sites
Feast preparations continue to move forward. This week the Festival coordinators are working on their microsites, to prepare them for viewing by the brethren. Each Festival Web site "microsite" is a Webpage that is unique to each Feast site, giving all the information needed to make choices about which site to attend (general information, recreational activities available, hotel and accommodation details, etc.). The Festival Web site "microsites" should be ready to be viewed in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more information about the Festival Web site!
Festival Registration
Festival registration will take place around the time of the Spring Holy Days. The Festival Office will announce the date as soon as possible. When Festival registration takes place, brethren and guests will then have the opportunity to register for the Feast site of their choice. Transfer requests will be determined by the Festival Office, taking into account the particular needs of the sites, including seating capacity. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about Festival registration in The World Ahead!
Ministerial Site Assignments
Ministerial assignments for this year's Feast of Tabernacles have been finalized, and approved by Dr. Meredith. In the next few days, all pastors and elders will be notified of the site they should attend in 2016. Thank you for filling out the preference survey to help this process! Note: International pastors/elders—please contact your Regional Office regarding your assignments for this year's Feast.
Living Youth Program
Online Teen Bible Study Friday Evening
The online Teen Bible Study on Friday evening, March 11, will be on "Ancient Israel—Why God's 'Chosen People'?" 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. (Eastern time) and the chat room will be open for a 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 wonderful 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 "What Makes Man Unique?," can also be found on the Living Youth Web site.
Ohio Teen Camp 2016 – Camp Lazarus Boy Scout Camp – Delaware, Ohio – July 31-August 14
After an extensive five-week search for a new camp facility in which to relocate our Teen Camp in 2016, the decision has been made to hold the Teen Camp in Delaware, Ohio, for one more summer. The dates of camp are as follow:
- Staff arrival – Sunday, July 31
- Camper arrival – Monday, August 1 (not later than 5:00 p.m.)
- Camper and Staff Departure – Sunday, August 14
We hope to relocate the Teen Camp for the summer of 2017. More details to come.
LYC Summer Camps Registration
Registration for the North America camps is open and detailed information is available at camp.livingyouth.org. However, the Adventure Camp in Banff, Alberta, is now closed to further applications for both campers and staff.
Living Youth Camp in South Africa
In December 2015, the fourth Living Youth Camp was held at Camp Discovery, situated in the Dinokeng Conservation Area in South Africa. Sixteen enthusiastic campers from all over South Africa, as well as Swaziland and France, got together for a jam-packed and fun-filled summer camp. A team of eighteen staff members kept the campers busy with outdoor activities such as volleyball, netball, Ultimate Frisbee and Capture the Flag. With the South African summer sun shining bright, water activities soon became the highlight of every day! The campers learnt how to play water polo and were taught about basic water-related rescues and first-aid. Swimming lessons were also provided for those campers who could not swim. Camp Discovery is home to a truly Africa-inspired obstacle course, simply known as 'the Wet Course,' where campers learned various skills employed by African wildlife, including the mud-rolling activities of the African hippo, the rope-swinging of vervet monkeys and, upon releasing the rope, the diving of kingfishers.
This year the camp also held its first dinner dance. In preparation for this much-anticipated event, dance classes and dance etiquette lessons were taught. The gentlemen showed creativity in the impressive invitations they made to invite the ladies, including poems, songs and peacock feather bouquets. When the time arrived, the elegantly dressed ladies were met by their soigné escorts and a fun night of eating, fellowshipping and dancing was enjoyed by all.
Some of the main goals of the Living Youth Camps are to provide daily biblical instruction and to train future leaders. Christian Living classes, Bible Studies and group discussions are important elements of any LYC. A variety of relevant and important youth-related topics were discussed, including dating in the Church, letting your light shine, overcoming difficulties, and facing personal fears and worries.
God truly blessed us with a meaningful and memorable camp where the campers could strengthen bonds and build new ones, have fun, and grow spiritually. Above all, an atmosphere of faith, love and peace was felt throughout the camp, creating a safe and wonderful environment for everyone to enjoy camp to the full. We thank God that we were once again given the opportunity to serve our youth at this camp and we pray that our next camp will be even more successful.—Angelique Minnaar
Living University
Call for On-Campus Students—EXTENDED (U.S. only at this time): For those seeking a unique and exciting learning opportunity, we still have a few open slots for on-campus study in Charlotte beginning in August of this year. On-campus students experience special opportunities beyond online study. Students meet for weekly discussions with many of their professors, including Dr. Germano, Mr. Ames, Drs. Douglas and Scott Winnail, Mr. Ken Frank, Mr. Peter Nathan, and Mr. Jerry Ruddlesden. Weekly Assemblies are presented by many Church leaders based in Charlotte and around the world. Monthly student outings and other social activities are planned and students participate in congregational opportunities unique to the Charlotte congregation and Headquarters, including Spokesman Club, Singles' Bible Studies, Outreach activities, service during Council of Elders and Ministerial conferences, and much more. Quality University housing is ava ilable for both male and female students.
Most of our on-campus students also participate in our "work-study" program—working part-time in different departments throughout the Work and Living University. Student work-study helps defray most living costs. Application to the on-campus program can be made online through the university Web site (www.livinguniv.com). Additional details and requirements can also be found online, as can an estimate of costs associated with on-campus study. If you are interested in on-campus LU study and have questions, please contact us. Currently we can only accept on-campus students who are legally able to live and work in the United States. Our hope is to expand this opportunity to international students in future years. Interested students should plan to complete their applications as soon as possible. Those with no previous college should submit college entrance test scores (ACT or SAT) along with other application materials. You can find out more about these exams through a local high school guidance counselor or local community college or university testing service. Home-schooled students are also encouraged to apply. If you have questions about on-campus study or to find out more, please contact Dr. Scott Winnail at 704-708-2292 or [email protected].
Human Resources
Employment Opportunity: Web App Developer—Repeat Announcement
Are you a Web App Developer? Do you have experience with Drupal, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, Java, Android application development, and/or iPhone/iPad application development, and Linux, Apache and MySQL environments? Are you enthusiastic about Web development, social-media, multi-media, and developing next-generation apps? Are you even more enthusiastic about participating in the greatest Work on the earth at this time by directly helping the Internet Department support the Church's efforts to proclaim the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to the entire world!? If so, and if you are a motivated team-player, and a goal-oriented innovator, then we invite you to submit your resume and apply for our Web App Developer opening. We want to add one more position to our team later this year.
The ideal candidate will either: a) have a Bachelor of Science degree and at least one year of professional experience, or will b) have at least five years of related professional experience. The ideal candidate will be able to cooperate effectively with staff in all Headquarters departments. The ideal candidate will also have a positive, "can-do" attitude and will be creative, but able to stay focused and deliver projects without a lot of supervision. Applicants should be truly dedicated to the Church and to the Truth. A successful candidate will be expected to relocate to Charlotte, and the Church will pay for reasonable moving expenses. We request that only those applicants who live and can legally work in the United States apply for this position. If you are interested in the Web App Developer position, please send your resume to: Human Resources Department, Living Church of God, P.O. Box 38 10, Charlotte, NC 28227-8010. Fax: 704-844-1973; e-mail: [email protected].
Comments
Prove What You Believe! Many assume that simply "believing in Jesus" and "accepting Him in your heart" are all that is required to be a Christian. However, the Bible teaches differently! The Scriptures warn us that false teachers will also talk about believing in Jesus and will deceive many people (Matthew 24:3-5; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4). The Apostle Paul advised Christians to "Test [examine carefully] all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Paul states that our faith should be based on substance (confident assurance, solid ground) and on evidence (proof, information) that can be assembled, examined and understood (Hebrews 11:1), not just personal opinions, sentimental arguments or emotional feelings. Luke writes that the early Christians' belief in the resurrection of Jesus was based on "many infallible proofs" of many witnesses seeing Jesus alive after His crucifixion (Acts 1:1-3). The manuscript of Josephus, the famous Jewish historian in the first century AD, records, "Jesus… [was] condemned to the cross… [yet] he appeared alive to them on the third day" (The Antiquities of the Jews, 18:3:3). Peter emphasized that the apostles were eyewitnesses to the things they were teaching (2 Peter 1:16), and that Christians should be able to give sound reasons for their beliefs (1 Peter 3:15). Paul confidently provided a defense for his beliefs before Roman authorities (Acts 26). If we take time to prove what we believe and understand the evidence upon which our beliefs rest, we, too, should be able to confidently defend and explain what we believe to anyone!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—March 3, 2016
Russia's Growing Global Influence: Russia continues to make strategic moves in the global chess game. Capitalizing on the weakened foreign policy of the United States, Russia continues to seize opportunities to exercise its power and influence across the globe. "More than two decades after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, Moscow is once again seeking to play a major role in the country by boosting military and economic cooperation with Kabul" (Deutsche Welle, March 2, 2016). Russia has also been a key player in brokering the shaky ceasefire in Syria with "Russian airpower" tipping "the scales decisively in favor of the Damascus regime" and Russia (Newsweek, February 12, 2016). Russia's confidence and moves against the West have caused the U.S. to pressure "Denmark and several other European nations to increase defense spending… Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK have apparently taken heed of Washington's message and have announced increased defense budgets for the coming years… and Norway is also considering ramping up its military spending" (Sputnik News, February 29, 2016). Russia's resurgence fits Bible prophecies about a coming Eastern superpower that will "trouble" a European "king of the North" that will lead to a global war (Daniel 11:40-44). This Eastern superpower will boast a huge army and will take part in killing "a third of mankind" (Revelation 9:13-18). Russia could play a leading role in this future Eastern superpower. To learn more about Russia's future, read our commentary, "The Bear's Growl."
China's Pressure in the Pacific: "Australia will increase defense spending by nearly A$30 billion ($21.6 billion [USA]) over the next 10 years, seeking to protect its strategic and trade interests in the Asia-Pacific as the United States and its allies grapple with China's rising power… The announcement riled Beijing, where the Foreign Ministry expressed 'dissatisfaction' with Australia's 'negative' remarks on the South China Sea and its military development" (Reuters, February 25, 2016). In addition, "the Philippines on Monday urged China to respect a forthcoming ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague on a territorial dispute in the South China Sea after Beijing accused Manila of 'political provocation.' China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the waters, through which about $5 trillion in trade is shipped every year. China refuses to recognize the case lodged by the Philippines with the tribunal and says all disputes should be resolved through bilateral talks" (Reuters, February 29, 2016). China's growing power and influence in the Pacific and the bilateral military agreements between the United States and a number of these nations increases the possibility of future confrontations. One of many signs of Christ's imminent return and the end of the age will be "wars and rumors of wars" (Matthew 24:5-8)—which is what we are seeing in the news today. For more on the future of world nations, be sure to read or listen to The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.
A New Leader for Germany? With Angela Merkel's career on the line due to the mounting immigration crisis in Germany and beyond, many are watching for a person who could replace her. Recently, former German economics minister and former defense minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has surfaced once again in the press as a future contender for the chancellor's office. In a recent interview in New York, the Financial Times' chief foreign affairs commentator speculated that zu Guttenberg may be positioning himself for such a run (Financial Times, February 26, 2016). In fact, zu Guttenberg has admittedly been receiving pressure to return to Germany and reenter politics (ibid.). Even German news sources are speculating about his return to German politics (Die Welt, February 8, 2016). Baron zu Guttenberg is known for being tall, good looking, very intelligent and a man of action—not afraid to highlight the limitations of either the EU or the current German chancellor. Bible prophecy reveals that at the end of the age a strong, confident and powerful man will come on the scene and head the German-led "beast" power (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Revelation 13:1-8; 17:12-13). Zu Guttenburg is certainly "one to watch," as even the popular press is now recognizing. For more on the future of the German-led "beast," read or listen to The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor or Soon-Coming Reality?—Justin Ridgeway, Francine Prater and De borah Lincoln-Strange