Greetings from Charlotte,
We are pleased to announce that last week we added 3,159 new Tomorrow’s World subscribers. Mr. Michael Heykoop reports from Canada: “The French-language Viewpoints are on pace to reach 150,000 views by the end of next week, and the French telecast ‘Sept signes identifiant l’Antéchrist’ (‘Seven Signs Identifying the Antichrist’) has surpassed 870,000 views.” Please watch for announcements in these World Ahead updates for job openings here at the Charlotte Headquarters. We are trying to fill several positions in areas where we have been understaffed for some time. Also, take note of the announcement from Mr. Jonathan McNair to any who might consider attending the onsite Living Education program for next year.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Special Livestreamed Sabbath Services for U.S. and Canadian Congregations—November 28 and December 26
The Headquarters Sabbath Services will be livestreamed from Charlotte on November 28 and December 26. All U.S. and Canadian congregations, and other congregations for whom it is practical, are requested to tune in. Services will begin at 1:00 p.m. EST, USA. Livestream access information for November 28 is below, including a phone number for those who do not have Internet access. For those who live in time zones where tuning in to the live service is not practical, or for those who need a translation of the message, a recording and translation will be available later.
We look forward to meeting virtually together!
Charlotte Family Weekend 2020—Additional Information
Hello, Brethren,
The Charlotte, North Carolina, congregation will be hosting its annual Charlotte Family Weekend again this year! The dates for the event will be arrival on Thursday evening, December 24, with departure on Sunday morning, December 27. See the tentative schedule below. Because of state regulations, this year will present a unique version of the weekend that we believe you will still thoroughly enjoy. If you are interested in attending the Charlotte Family Weekend 2020, please take a moment to fill out the pre-registration form which can be found in the link below. This form will be used for planning purposes and is not a full commitment to attend, but enables us to measure interest in the weekend. Your immediate response on the pre-registration form is much appreciated. Unfortunately, due to the governmental COVID regulations, we will only be able to accommodate an attendance of up to 400 brethren, and we are nearing that threshold. We plan to have a firm registration form available next week for those who can commit to attending the Family Weekend.
Rooms at the Embassy Suites Concord will cost $109 (plus tax) per night, and that includes two plated breakfasts. Additional details will be coming soon. We hope to see you here in less than six weeks at the Charlotte Family Weekend 2020!
- Thursday evening, December 24 – Arrival
- Friday, December 25 – Morning seminars / Afternoon activities / Friday night Bible Study
- Saturday, December 26 – Afternoon Sabbath Services / Evening plated dinner / Saturday night Music Show
- Sunday Morning, December 27 – Departure
This year, we are planning a music show in lieu of a dance on Saturday evening. If you’d like to know more about our theme and how you can participate, please email Mr. Chris Pringle at [email protected] for more details.
Cordially,
John Strain
Living Education
Registration for Living Education-Charlotte 2021–22 will open in early January. If you are a young person who is serious about laying a solid Christian foundation for your life, then our nine-month, intensive program could be a key to fulfilling that goal. You can check out our webpage, www.lcgeducation.org/charlotte, for details about classes, instructors, and how to apply. It’s not too early to start thinking about the rest of your life!—Jonathan McNair
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast of Tabernacles 2020 Survey Comments
In this week’s World Ahead, we thought you might enjoy reading a few of the Festival Survey responses from this year:
“This was our very first Feast EVER and the experience was amazing! Because of COVID, it was wonderful spending time with brethren from our congregation and getting to know them better and we absolutely LOVED the daily messages. Coming home, we felt like we had leveled up spiritually, our eyes were open to small changes we saw needed to be made. God definitely knows what He’s doing and we are so blessed to be a part of His Work!” (Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia)
“This year was a blessing. My eyes were opened in such a way that I appreciated things more, like just being able to get to a Feast. It’s not about the location or the accommodations. It’s about just being grateful, thankful, and blessed to be in a place where God chose to place His name, and knowing that He was amongst us.” (Liverpool, NS, Canada)
“This was by far the best Feast that we can remember. There was an unusual amount of love, patience, teamwork, and joy demonstrated at this Feast, to such a major degree that we have not seen before. All the brethren were very generous in their giving and sharing with one another. No one was left out. It was truly an awe-inspiring Feast!” (Florence, OR, USA)
Human Resources
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Comments
Stay Focused on Our Mission: The lessons of history record that mankind and God’s chosen people have drifted off course again and again due to Satan’s deceptive influence. Adam and Eve made wrong choices that sent the course of history off in a wrong direction (Genesis 3). Ancient Israel turned from God and suffered consequences—and modern Israelite nations are heading down this same path. Even individuals called to be saints have turned aside (1 Timothy 1:18–20; 2 Timothy 1:15). Jesus Christ called disciples and raised up His Church to preach the Gospel (Mark 1:14–15; 16:15), to warn the world of the consequences of sin, and to announce events that indicate His return is near (Matthew 24). The mission of God’s Church also involves preparing a people to rule with Jesus Christ as kings, priests, and teachers in the coming Kingdom of God (Luke 1:17; John 21:15–17). To qualify for this challenging and exciting reward, we must avoid being distracted by the trials and temptations of this world (Matthew 13:18–23), and we must remain faithful and focused on our calling and our God-given mission (Matthew 24:13–14; Revelation 3:8–12; 17:14). Let’s each make that our goal!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—November 12, 2020
Cartels Recruit Kids in Colombia: Armed cartels in Colombia have drastically increased their child recruitment activities this year during the COVID-19 pandemic (The Guardian, November 9, 2020). Taking advantage of the increased poverty in some Colombian regions, cartels are offering to pay families up to twice the minimum wage to employ their children in the service of the cartel. “If a community doesn’t have access to running water, education, recreational spaces and other basic elements, then the risk of child recruitment increases…. Militias lure children with promises of cash, mobile phones and motorcycles.” If families fail to comply, the children are often forcibly pressed into the cartel’s service anyway.
Due to the pandemic, thousands of children are out of school with nothing to do, and for many, no online learning options exist. This creates opportunities for cartel recruitment. Governments are in a dilemma as they try to protect children against COVID-19 by keeping schools closed while also trying to protect them from the cartels. Many families are forced to flee certain regions in order to protect their children.
Actions by drug cartels in Colombia and paramilitary bodies such as Africa’s Boko Haram clearly demonstrate a tragic disregard for human life—especially the lives of children. These groups demonstrate characteristics that are exactly the opposite of God’s, who loves children. The Bible reveals that when Jesus Christ returns to set up His Kingdom on earth, “great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13). No longer will children be born into a world where they are “doomed to misfortune” (Isaiah 65:23, NIV). At that time, children will no longer live in fear, because Jesus Christ will have returned and removed the current god of this age (Ephesians 2:2; Zechariah 14:9). As we witness the tragic suffering of children today, we need to remember there is a better time coming. To learn more about the encouraging days ahead, watch “Hope for the Future.”
God Created the Best Way to Feed Babies: A new study from Trinity College Dublin reports on the impact of high-temperature sterilization of baby bottles on microplastics (The Guardian, October 19, 2020). “Scientists found that the recommended high-temperature process for sterilising plastic bottles and preparing formula milk caused bottles to shed millions of microplastics and trillions of even smaller nanoplastics.” One researcher expressed how shocked the team was by the sheer number of microplastics babies consume in a single day. “A study last year by the World Health Organization estimated adults would consume between 300 and 600 microplastics a day,” yet the “average values [for infants using plastic bottles] were on the order of a million or millions.”
Researchers are now studying the impact of all these plastics on the health of growing children. New bottle sterilizing procedures are being developed, and scientists are suggesting the use of glass bottles instead of plastic.
Although a small minority of women are physically unable to breastfeed their infants, this ancient and God-designed practice is still proving to be the safest, healthiest, and most ideal way to feed infants. It is also exciting to be reminded that, despite the wisdom and creativity of ingenious human beings, God’s original designs are always the best (Genesis 1:31)! For more information on other Bible-based health principles, be sure to read Biblical Principles of Health.—Scott Winnail and Francine Prater