Greetings from Charlotte,
Dr. Douglas Winnail is scheduled to be in Charleroi, Belgium for the Sabbath, before returning to Charlotte on Sunday. Mr. Peter Nathan is visiting some of our congregations in Africa. Many of our members may not know how large a presence we have in Africa, where we currently serve 51 congregations, with a combined average attendance of 750–800. He will then be going on to the U.K., in preparation for his move there this summer. Mr. Lawdi Ferreira visited Zimbabwe on March 10 and held a Bible Study for 14 visitors and four members. He will be conducting studies in Zambia this weekend. Mr. Jonathan McNair and his team are making good progress preparing the on-site Living Education program and the distance-learning program to start in August. Cyclone Hola hit Vanuatu this month, and has affected our brethren there (see report below).—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Living Education Website—Must Read
Our Living Education website is now up and running. Just go to lcgeducation.org to check it out. You'll find a description of our new program, including our new on-site program in Charlotte. This one-year training course is designed to strengthen our young adults, providing a solid foundation for life. If you know of a young person who is facing the difficult decision of what to do after high school, encourage them to consider coming to Charlotte for the program. One year can make a difference for the rest of his or her life. For more information and to apply to the Charlotte program, go to lcgeducation.org. If you would like to get a glimpse of what we'll be doing for all the membership of the Church through our online program, this will be the place to get the latest! We are building up to our first class, that will begin this summer.—Jonathan McNair
Ministerial Conference in Kenya
On Wednesday, March 7, Dr. Winnail held a ministerial conference in Nairobi, Kenya, with 13 ministers and two wives in attendance. He went through the Sevenfold Commission of the Church, providing scriptures that support each point, and explained why it is important to understand the mission and stay in harmony with it when preparing sermons and sermonettes. He stressed the need for leaders to continue to study in order to teach others. He encouraged the ministers to go over the doctrines and prove each one for themselves, asking the question "Do I believe it?," and also to teach them to the members. He admonished us not to take liberties with God's law, and to stay focused on the "Big Picture." Dr. Winnail also covered seven qualities of a leader, and encouraged us to develop those qualities ourselves, and to look for them in the young men. He also went through the Seven Laws of Success and encouraged everyone to follow those principles, to be well organized and prepared, and to teach others to do the same, for they may be teachers one day. All in all, it was a profitable day of learning and fellowshipping.—Simon Muthama
Effects of Cyclone Hola on Vanuatu
Vanuatu Elder Jerry Sam reported that on Wednesday morning, March 7, the category 4 tropical Cyclone Hola hit the archipelago. About 70 percent of our members live on Malekula, the main island, which was terribly ravaged. Many buildings, trees and village gardens were destroyed. One member's house was completely destroyed, and a prospective member lost some of his roof. Despite the devastation, the members clearly saw that God protected His own people, as none were injured. Food will quickly become a critical need as all the staple foods, such as yams, kasavas, bananas and island cabbage are gone. Fruits plucked from downed trees supplied short-term provisions. The Church has adequate emergency funds and will provide assistance to the brethren as they rebuild. Your prayers for the brethren in their present situation will be much appreciated.
Upstate South Carolina Spring Holy Day Weekend Registration and Payment Deadline
Registration and Payment Deadline: The Anderson congregation is hosting the Upstate South Carolina Spring Holy Day Weekend from Friday, March 30 to Sunday, April 1. Baptized members who wish to arrive early are welcome to join us for the Passover service on Thursday evening. The Night To Be Much Observed, Bible Study, Holy Day services, and the banquet and ball will be held at the Hyatt Regency Greenville in downtown Greenville, SC.
Further details about the event, prices of meals, and registration instructions are located at our local website: http://lcganderson.org (not an official LCG website). Or, you may contact Manuel Burdette for further information at 864-638-7719 or by e-mail at [email protected]. The payment receipt deadline is next week, on March 23.
Charlotte BRiC Weekend—An Opportunity for Singles—Registration Open
Registration for the BRiC Weekend (May 25–28) is now open! This will be a wonderful opportunity for singles in God's Church! Come to Charlotte and be a part of this year's BRiC Weekend. There will be Bible studies, food, dancing, activities, and of course, BRiC Talks! You can register online by visiting charlottelcg.org/bric—password bric. Please register for the weekend and the activities you plan to attend. If you have any questions regarding accommodations, housing with local brethren, or details concerning the weekend, please contact Mr. Jacob Hall ([email protected]) for more information.
Television Department
2017 Responses, and Need for a Few More Telecast "Monitors"—Repeat Announcement
As recently mentioned, God has blessed us to go on NewsMax—a growing, nationwide USA cable TV station, and we thank you for your prayers that God will use this station to reach many more people. We monitor all of our television stations over time, to be "good stewards" of the resources that God gives us to preach the Gospel to the world (Matthew 24:14; Mark 16:15). We monitor all of our various Gospel proclamation efforts (cf. Proverbs 27:23) and add or drop stations or make other adjustments when necessary. In reviewing our television station coverage and responses, we are pleased to note that for 2017, our "cost per response" dropped by about 12 percent when compared to 2016! This means that our television coverage is yielding "more fruit" for every dollar spent. On this note, one of the important ways we know that the telecast is broadcast in the assigned time slot and with good quality is that many Church members volunteer as "telecast monitors" and report to us in the rare event of a problem. Thank you to those who help in this way! If you would like to be a telecast monitor—and especially if you receive one of our big "national networks" such as NewsMax, Angel, CWPlus, Word or Impact in the United States, or Vision (Canada), 7Two (Australia), or CBS Reality (UK), we could use a few additional "telecast monitors." Please e-mail us at [email protected] to let us know if you can and want to help.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Feast of Tabernacles
La Alberca, Salamanca, Spain
This year, the Feast of Tabernacles in Spain will be kept in the same location it was held last year, in the Abadia de los Templarios (abadiadelostemplarios.com) in the beautiful town of La Alberca, Salamanca (www.laalberca.com). This is an excellent Feast site with good weather, good accommodations and a perfect size to share the FOT with 80–100 Feast-goers. We will have services in Spanish and English (alternating daily) with simultaneous translation for those who are not bilingual. Experiencing Spain in a Feast setting is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, available to you this year at this site. La Alberca has been designated as a National Historical Landmark, and is an appropriate place to reflect on human history and the coming Kingdom of God.
Abadia de los Templarios is approximately three hours away from the Barajas International Airport in Madrid. Bus transportation from the airport to the hotel and back will be available.
Following are the costs in euros:
- Price per person per night (double occupancy) including breakfast, lunch and dinner: € 97
- Single supplement (charge to those staying in single occupancy): € 30 per night
- Children staying with two adults: free of charge up to 3 years old
- Children staying with two adults: 50% discount up to 12 years old
- Price per person per bus transfer from airport to hotel and back: € 70 round trip
- Price per person per excursion to Salamanca and Ciudad Rodrigo: € 55 each excursion
Note: Pre-registration must be completed before March 29 to confirm your spot. If your form and a 30 percent non-refundable deposit are not received by this date, your attendance at the Feast in Spain will become subject to space availability. A 30 percent deposit of the total household amount needs to be paid before March 29. Important: The 30 percent deposit is non-refundable.
For further information on pre-registration, please contact Mr. Raul Colon by e-mail at [email protected].
Registration Will Begin April 15—Repeat Announcement
Mark your calendars! Festival registration will begin Sunday, April 15, at 12:00 noon (Eastern Daylight Time, USA). It's easy to remember—that's tax day (in the USA)! At that time—April 15—all LCG members and guests will be invited to register for the Feast site of their choice. Festival registration will be on the Festival website, which you can access at fot2018.lcg.org or by going to lcg.org and clicking on "Feast of Tabernacles." The Festival website is currently open and available for you to peruse, and learn about each of the Feast sites that will be held in 2018.
Test Your MyLCG Account—Repeat Announcement
We encourage all brethren to test their MyLCG account, in preparation for Festival registration. Your MyLCG account must be working for you to successfully register for the Feast. You can test your account by going to the MyLCG webpage (cogl.org) and logging in. If you are not able to log in, follow the help menu instructions. If you still cannot log in, contact [email protected].
Housing Reservations—Repeat Announcement
Please do not make housing reservations before registering for the Feast! Your patience in this regard is much appreciated. And, waiting until registration shows love to other brethren who are waiting to arrange housing as well. Once you have registered successfully (and your transfer request approved, if you are transferring), you are free to arrange for your housing.
Pastors and Elders Festival Assignments—Repeat Announcement
Pastors and Elders: We are still finalizing a few last-minute details—but ministerial Feast assignments should be out soon.
Kauai, Hawaii Feast Pre-Registration—Must Read if Applicable—Repeat Announcement
Thank you to all of you who have pre-registered for Kauai! Many brethren have already pre-registered and been accepted for Kauai and are now looking for accommodations and flights. If you have not received a response e-mail about your pre-registration, please e-mail Brandon Fall at [email protected].
Living Youth Program
Friday Evening Online Teen Bible Study
The online Teen Bible Study on Friday evening, March 23, will finish Matthew 12. 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. To join the study, go to livingyouth.org. For those who are unable to make it to the study, archives of previous Living Youth Bible Studies, including last evening's, covering Matthew 11:1–12:13, can also be found on the Living Youth website.
The Bible Study on March 23 will be the last one before the summer break. Friday evening online Bible Studies will resume on November 9, when we will continue going through the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Some LYP Christian Living classes will be posted online during the summer.—Sheldon Monson
Comments
Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees: Jesus said in Luke 12:1 "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." What about us? Are we men, women, and children of integrity, or do we live a double-life? Do we talk in a godly way around "Church people" but then act selfishly at home, work, school or on social media? Are we like the Pharisees, who put on a good show to those whom they wanted to impress, but in private were full of envy, strife and the works of their own carnal nature?
As we come to this Holy Day season, we must have no illusions about ourselves. We must be honest and open. We must courageously admit where we've fallen short in the past year. And we must throw ourselves on God's mercy and cry out to Him for His help, to go forward! Passover is not the time to show God a list of all our spiritual accomplishments. Rather, it is an opportunity to once again, as individuals and as a Church community, acknowledge our continual need for the precious blood of Christ to cover our sins and give us new life. Thank God for that awesome privilege!
Have a refreshing Sabbath,
Rod McNair
News and Prophecy—March 15, 2018
China Taking Center Stage? With the U.S. and Britain quickly fading from their global leadership positions, China has stepped into the gap! "[F]rom the fight against climate change to global trade rules," China has risen to the level of a world superpower and "the past year has seen its status cemented" (Deutsche Welle, February 15, 2018). Chinese historian Zhang Lifan observed, "The current situation is China wants to be a world leader, at all costs."
The head of the European China Policy Unit stated that China "seems to be the rational actor that's fighting climate change, that is keeping markets open, that is continuing to praise the merits of globalization, which are undeniable." He went on to note, "Of course, most of that is just rhetoric and they're not living up to what they're saying." The EU's top diplomat commented last year after a visit to China, "China and the European Union are global powers: We have a joint responsibility to work together toward a more cooperative, rules-based global order."
So what is China's future, compared to the United States, the U.K. and European Union? While the U.S. and U.K. fade and the EU flounders, will China become the world's sole superpower, picking up the baton that the U.S. and Britain are setting down? The Bible actually provides the answer to this question—and the answer may be surprising. If you want to learn more about China's future, read or listen to "Is This China's Century?"
When Christianity Becomes Illegal: Those who call themselves Christians and attempt to follow biblical morality as they understand it are now among the most persecuted religious groups in the world (Newsweek, January 4, 2018). Sadly, this is increasingly true even in nations where "Christianity" is considered the predominant religion. According to The Weekly Standard, Harvard University's student newspaper The Harvard Crimson recently reported that "the school's Office of Student Life placed the group Harvard College Faith and Action on 'administrative probation' because the group 'pressured a female member… to resign in September following her decision to date a woman'" (March 1, 2018). Ironically, Harvard University was founded by a clergyman and was intended to ensure Massachusetts had an educated "Christian" clergy. Today, Harvard prides itself on its inclusiveness and acceptance of all types of religions and orientations. "Harvard is disciplining a Christian student group for the group's expectation that its student leadership follow basic Christian ethical teaching on sexuality in accordance with Christianity's 2,000-year-old doctrine on such matters." Harvard is one of several U.S. universities where biblical beliefs are being discriminated against under existing non-discrimination policies.
A private Florida condominium complex recently passed rules prohibiting group Bible studies and "Christian music" in its common areas (Christian Daily, March 10, 2018). Some residents submitted a complaint to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development because they believe the complex violated the Fair Housing Act, which allows basically all groups to meet peacefully for their own purposes.
As societies move further away from the biblical morality tenets of morality that distinguished these once-professing Christian nations, those who call themselves Christian are being condemned for their Bible-based beliefs. Through the prophet Isaiah, God warned that the end of the age would see many calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). Sadly, the biblical concepts and principles that Alexis de Tocqueville once observed were a key ingredient of America's success are increasingly being seen as targets for discrimination. How long will this trend continue? For answers, read "The Criminalization of Christianity!"—Scott Winnail and Francine Prater