Greetings from Charlotte,
There was a powerful reminder this week of how much humanity needs the future the Holy Days reveal. Last Tuesday marked the 30th anniversary of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, in Ukraine. Death tolls are still debated, ranging from 4,000 to one million. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced or sickened by this worst nuclear accident in history. Many still live on contaminated land today. Only God's plan provides hope for those affected by Chernobyl and countless other tragedies that are the story of human history.
As we keep the Holy Days, many from the Charlotte office have been travelling, including Dr. Meredith to Houston, Mr. and Mrs. Ames to Michigan and Ohio, and Dr. Winnail to Northern California. All told, we are blessed to have 238 ministers conducting Holy Day services for 375 congregations spanning the globe! And as we keep these days, the Feast of Tabernacles is not that far from our minds as well. Festival registration for the Feast of Tabernacles will begin this Sunday, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (USA). Let's pray for each other all over the world during this powerful and moving Holy Day season.—RMc
Church Administration
Second Passover
The Second Passover this year should be taken shortly after sunset on Saturday, May 21. This Passover is for those baptized members who were unable to take the first Passover due to unavoidable circumstances. The biblical instructions regarding this ceremony are found in Numbers 9:1-4.
Please Don't Mark Our E-mails as Spam—Use "Unsubscribe" Method Instead
In addition to offering the Co-Worker letter electronically for many years, we have recently added e-mail versions of LCG Member Letters and the Tomorrow's World magazine. One of our responsibilities, as an organization, is to be a good "digital citizen," and this includes requirements such as honoring "spam complaint" requests—which we do. One of the unexpected consequences that we have found as a result of launching different digital subscriptions is that the vast majority of "spam complaints" that are submitted about us are from Church members. This was surprising, since we don't send out unsolicited electronic mail and we always operate on an "opt-in" basis. With that in mind, we would like to request that if you no longer want to receive an e-mail subscription from us, please utilize the "unsubscribe" option included at the bottom of the message, rather than simply marking the e-mail as spam or moving it to your spam or junk file. This has two benefits. First, it doesn't negatively impact our reputation as an e-mailer. Second, when you report us as spam, your e-mail address is black-listed by our system so that we can't accidentally send you e-mails again in the future. However, with systems like MyLCG and Festival registration, we need to be able to responsibly send you e-mails regarding the Feast and other activities you may attend. Thank you very much for helping us serve you better and protect our "digital citizen" reputation.
Television Department
Telecast Monitors Wanted—Repeat Announcement
Do you want to help the Work provide quality Tomorrow's World program coverage in your area? If Tomorrow's World airs in your local area, then you may want to consider becoming a Tomorrow's World monitor. All you need is to watch the telecast in your area, a phone number and an e-mail address. If you are interested in helping in this way, then e-mail Ryan Dawson at [email protected].
Internet Department
Roku Advertising Update!
As has been mentioned, we are currently advertising the Tomorrow's World channel on Roku. So far, this advertising has been very successful! Our current Roku advertising has produced rapid growth in our channel viewership with more than 650,000 "ad impressions" over the last few months and now more than 37,000 total installs! We are also now in the top five percent of more than 880 religious channels on Roku, which makes it much easier for people to find us. Although our many powerful commercial television stations and networks, such as WORD, WGN, VISION, CW-Plus, CBS stations in the UK, 7 Network in Australia, and others continue to be extremely powerful avenues to reach people, this Roku advertising is very important to help us reach thousands of new people who may not otherwise find us on network or cable TV. Many of those Roku viewers are requesting booklets and signing up for the magazine, so even during this advertising campaign, our "cost per response" with Roku is extremely competitive, and lower than many of our commercial television stations. If you own Roku, please be sure to install the Tomorrow's World app, and give it a "5-star" rating. This helps with our rankings.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Thankful for Growth!—Repeat Announcement
The Church maintains dozens of Web sites, social media pages and other Internet initiatives in order not only to reach people around the world, but to also "engage" people and encourage them to download booklets, sign up for the Tomorrow's World magazine, watch telecasts on various platforms, etc. We are very thankful for the "Internet growth" that God has given us, and we pray that He will open more doors and increase our effectiveness even more so we can truly reach the entire world with the Good News about the coming Kingdom of God. The following stats may be encouraging, and we thank you for your prayers that our impact will grow even more.
- In addition to many millions of views, there are more than 11,000 subscribers to our English-language YouTube channel, more than 18,000 subscribers to our Spanish-language YouTube channel, and more than 2,000 subscribers to our French-language YouTube channel. In addition to millions of views, many of these people are watching and sharing telecasts and Webcasts.
- There are more than 160,000 "fans" for our English-language Facebook page, more than 38,000 "fans" for our Spanish-language Facebook page, and more than 118,000 fans for our French-language Facebook page. In addition to reading Tomorrow's World content, many of these people are also sharing content with their online friends and family.
- More than 48,000 people follow our English Twitter account.
- We are also very thankful that our Roku advertising is helping us reach a big and new audience around the world. We are doing some Roku advertising and have "moved up" in the Roku rankings to be at around 41 of more than 880 total religious channels on Roku (the top five percent). This is great, and is helping us reach a big new audience. Also very encouragingly, we are seeing very good preliminary data regarding people contacting us and requesting literature from Roku, as well as AppleTV and Amazon FireTV.
- The Tomorrow's World digital magazine has successfully launched (you can sign up at TomorrowsWorld.org/digital).
- Our weekly News & Prophecy e-zine has climbed to over 20,000 subscribers and our other e-mail digest circulations are now over 11,000.
The above does not include our many other Facebook or YouTube pages or other Web sites in other languages such as Dutch, Afrikaans, German, or various other "LCG" or "Living Youth," etc., Web pages. We thank you for your prayers about these, and all of our Internet and other media initiatives.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Feast of Tabernacles
2016 Festival Registration Opens on Sunday, May 1!
Festival Registration is scheduled to open on Sunday, May 1, at 12:00 noon EDT (Eastern Daylight Time, USA). At that time, you will be able to register for the Feast site of your choice. You will also be able to indicate any volunteer service opportunities you would like to sign up for at your site. See new Feast site videos and find out information about each of the sites that are being planned for 2016 by going to the Festival Web site: fot2016.lcg.org. (You can also access it by going to the Living Church of God Web site, lcg.org, and clicking on "Feast of Tabernacles.")
If you do not have Internet access, please contact your Festival Advisor to print off information for any site(s) you are interested in attending. If you do not know who your Festival Advisor is, please check with your local pastor.
Please do not make housing reservations until you have registered and been approved for your choice of site.
U.S. Congregations and Feast Site Assignments:
To find out what Feast site your local congregation is assigned to, consult the following list:
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Alabama: Athens, Birmingham
Georgia: Blairsville, Braselton
Indiana: Indianapolis, Terre Haute
Kentucky: Berea, Louisville
North Carolina: Asheville, Sylva
Ohio: Cincinnati
South Carolina: Anderson
Tennessee: Chattanooga, Clarksville, Crossville, Etowah, Knoxville, Nashville
Virginia: Bristol
West Virginia: Bluefield, Logan, Ripley
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Florida: Jacksonville
Georgia: Atlanta, Macon
North Carolina: Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Raleigh, Statesville
South Carolina: Walterboro
Virginia: Norfolk, Richmond, Williamsburg
Lake Conroe, Texas
Louisiana: Shreveport
Texas: Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Big Sandy, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, Lufkin, Midland, San Antonio, Temple, The Valley
Mount Snow, Vermont
Connecticut: Danbury
DC: Washington
Delaware:
Massachusetts: Auburn
Maine: Waterville
Maryland: Baltimore, Salisbury
New Hampshire: Tilton
New Jersey: Cranford, Hammonton
New York: Albany, Brooklyn-Queens, Buffalo, Corning, Plainview, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse
Pennsylvania: Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Tannersville
Rhode Island: Providence
Virginia: Winchester
Osage Beach, Missouri
Arkansas: El Dorado, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Harrison, Little Rock, Mena, Russellville
Iowa: Des Moines
Illinois: Peoria, Springfield
Kansas: Chanute, Wichita
Missouri: Columbia, Joplin, Kansas City, Rolla, St. Joseph, St. Louis, Springfield
Nebraska: Omaha
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City, Tulsa
Tennessee: Memphis
Panama City, Florida
Alabama: Montgomery
Florida: Fort Lauderdale, Lake City, Ocala, Tampa, Pensacola
Georgia: Columbus, Thomasville
Louisiana: Baton Rouge, Ferriday, Lafayette, Monroe, New Orleans
Mississippi: Columbus, Jackson, Laurel, Ocean Springs
Puerto Rico: San Juan
San Diego, California
California: Banning, Concord, Fresno, Garden Grove, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego
Nevada: Reno
St. George, Utah
Arizona: Phoenix, Prescott Valley, Tucson
Colorado: Colorado Springs, Denver, Grand Junction
Nevada: Las Vegas
New Mexico: Albuquerque, El Paso/Las Cruces, Santa Fe
Utah: Blanding, Layton
Wyoming: Casper, Saratoga, Thermopolis, Wheatland
Seaside, Oregon
Alaska: Anchorage, Homer
California: Eureka
Idaho: Boise
Montana: Helena, Great Falls
Oregon: Portland, Myrtle Creek
Washington: Richland, Seattle/Tacoma, Tonasket
Traverse City, Michigan
Iowa: Dubuque
Illinois: Chicago
Indiana: Fort Wayne, Knox
Michigan: Kalamazoo, Lansing, McMillan, Traverse City
Minnesota: Duluth, Minneapolis
North Dakota: Bismarck
Ohio: Akron, Columbus, Lima
Wisconsin: Appleton, Merrill, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells
South Dakota:
Living Youth Program
Online Teen Bible Studies Suspended During Summer Months—Repeat Announcement
There will be no live online Teen Bible Studies through the summer months, although the Bible Studies given at the Adventure Camp and the Ohio Teen Camp will be posted during these camps. In the meantime, archives of previous Living Youth Bible Studies can be found on the Living Youth Web site at livingyouth.org. The regular online Teen Bible Studies are scheduled to resume on Friday evening, October 7.
Texas Preteen Camp 2016—Staff Applications Deadline Is May 1
Applications to serve on the staff of the Texas Preteen Camp must be submitted by midnight, Sunday, May 1. Anyone applying after this deadline will be accepted only if space allows. Staff assignments will be distributed by the end of May.
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 3810, Charlotte, NC 28227-8010. Fax: 704-844-1973; e-mail: [email protected].
Finances
Online Donations
Great news! The Church's Web site is rolling out its new Online Donations page, which should be easier to use and result in lower processing costs to the Church. Just click on the "Donations" links at the bottom or side of the TomorrowsWorld.org or LCG.org home pages. In addition to the new Online Donations Web page, we expect to have the Recurring Donations feature of the Donations page ready to use in a month or two.
The bank charges the Church a small processing fee for each transaction, and the new banking arrangements associated with the new Online Donations page will result in a considerable reduction in these banking costs. We appreciate the good work of our Internet, Accounting and IT staff in making this possible.
Online donors may want to know that of the methods of online payment we offer—ECheck/ACH, credit card and debit card—the ECheck/ACH results in the lowest bank processing fee. In addition, compared to opening and recording mail income, processing online donations is more cost-effective for the Headquarters accounting staff, since it saves significant administrative time.
We greatly appreciate all that God does for His Work through the faithfulness and generosity of our members, co-workers and donors, more and more of whom are using the Internet to make donations.—Dexter Wakefield
Comments
Puffed-Up Pastries
What do doughnuts, croissants, cinnamon rolls, and other pastries have in common? They all contain yeast or other leavening agents which release gases. The resulting gases produce air pockets in the dough. The air pockets make them "puffed up." They make them soft, light, fluffy… and wonderful! But being puffed up spiritually isn't so wonderful, is it? Throughout the book of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul warned five different times against being puffed up. He wrote to the Corinthian brethren during the season of Passover and Unleavened Bread, and used this concept to deliver a powerful message.
We have been commanded to avoid leavened products during these days (Exodus 12:14-15). But why? To teach us a valuable spiritual lesson. The flat, deflated "bread of affliction" (Deuteronomy 16:3) eaten during these days is a reminder that we are learning a different way. As we keep the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, let's take note of the lessons we've learned during this year's Feast of Unleavened Bread. And let's make sure we are putting away being puffed up—and instead are putting on the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), which is humble, teachable and without pride.
Have an encouraging and inspiring Last Day of Unleavened Bread,
Rod McNair
News and Prophecy—April 27, 2016
Attempted Sacrifice on Temple Mount: "Police detained seven Jewish men suspected of planning to sacrifice goats in the Old City of Jerusalem on Friday in honor of the Passover holiday… Two of the young men were picked up on Friday morning on their way to carry out the sacrifice" (Times of Israel, April 22, 2016). "They were arrested on account of 'behavior which was bound to break the peace,' Police said in a statement" (Arutz Sheva, April 22, 2016). "The Return to the Temple Mount movement is outraged by the arrests. 'The restraining orders of the Israel Police will not prevent us from the right and duty to offer a Passover sacrifice during this time,' they said" (ibid.). Bible prophecy has long indicated that daily sacrifices will again occur—and will be suddenly stopped—as we approach the end of this age before Jesus Christ returns (Daniel 12:11). Something will need to change to permit the resumption of sacrifices to occur peacefully. This could include laws or treaties in the Holy Land that give greater worship rights to all groups on the Temple Mount. The future of the Holy Land is both fascinating and frightening! For more insight into this explosive issue and what is to come in Jerusalem, watch our telecast "Jerusalem: City of Peace?"
Apocalyptic Prediction by the UN: "Robert Glasser, the special representative of the secretary general for disaster risk reduction [of the United Nations], said that with the world already 'falling short' in its response to humanitarian emergencies, things would only get worse as climate change adds to the pressure... He also predicted a rise in the number of simultaneous disasters. 'As the odds of any one event go up, the odds of two happening at the same time are more likely. We'll see many more examples of cascading crises, where one event triggers another event, which triggers another event'" (The Guardian, April 24, 2016). "Glasser pointed to Syria, where years of protracted drought led to a massive migration of people from rural areas to cities in the run-up to the country's civil war" (ibid.). Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ prophesied that major disasters including wars, disease epidemics, earthquakes and famines would erupt in the last days (Matthew 24:3-8; Mark 13:4-8; Luke 21:7-11, 25). The Bible also foretells a tremendous loss of life from these impending disasters (Revelation 6:3-11). It is sobering when the predictions of knowledgeable world leaders begin to resemble the same world disasters that are prophesied in the Bible. For a positive view of what is coming in the future, watch "Is There Any Hope for Mankind?"
Germany To Command Dutch Military Units: Europe's long-term goal of a European Army is gaining momentum. "The German and Dutch armies and navies are poised to 'merge', creating the nucleus of the European Union's longed for pan-EU military force… The German government has revealed that Dutch and German land armies and navies are set to move towards 'closer integration', with two Dutch units already coming under German command. Last month the Dutch 43rd Mechanised Brigade was subsumed into the German 1st Armoured Division, following the takeover of the Dutch 11th Airmobile Brigade by German command last year" (Breitbart News Network, April 20, 2016). In December, the EU announced a proposed "European Border Force and Coast Guard" that "would have the right to intervene in countries deemed unable or 'unwilling' to control their borders", essentially giving it "the right to take control of a country's borders without its consent" (International Business Times, December 16, 2015). The German action to absorb and command Dutch military units (at the approval of the Netherlands)—along with the control of national sovereignty—is a foretaste of what Bible prophecies have long foretold. In the years ahead, "ten kings" in Europe will give up their sovereignty to a political-economic-military "beast" with ties to a revived Roman Empire (Daniel 2:41-43; Revelation 17:12-13). This superpower will be "dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong" like nothing the world has ever seen (Daniel 7:7, 23-27). Events in Europe are beginning to resemble ancient prophecies that will lead to Christ's return. For more on this topic, read our informative article, "Coming: A 'United States of Europe'!"—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, Deborah Lincoln-Strange, Chris Sookdeo, Justin Ridgeway and Brenda Fulford