Greetings from Charlotte,
I mention in this week’s video update that we had about ten ministers at our Texas Teen Camp, which ended earlier this week. To be more precise, we had an even dozen—some employed by the Work and others serving as unpaid elders. You may wonder why we have so many, and I think it will be helpful to explain.
Having ministers at our camps gives us the opportunity to pass along values and traditions that we have built into these programs. Some people think of camp as a time for young people to have fun, and if they have fun, they are more likely to stay in the Church. This is wrong thinking. Parents strive on a daily basis to teach their children a godly way of life, and camps are helpful in reinforcing these values of courtesy, of thinking of the welfare of others, of treating others with respect, of the golden rule—the way of give as opposed to the way of get. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, and ministers have a part in supporting parents in teaching these biblical values. Camp is also an opportunity for the ministry to get to know and work with member volunteers and to instill in their minds the mission of our camps. Not everyone understands why we do things the way we do. At the Feast this year, we will take all of you into our thinking during the Behind the Work video.
Another benefit of camp is that members and teens see the ministry outside of services—setting up chairs, washing dishes, sweeping floors, and doing custodial work, in addition to teaching classes. Our camps provide real-life workshops to engage with members and children. Please remember to pray for our camps—and for all the other programs the Church provides in its mission to preach the Gospel, warn the world, and feed the flock. We are more than the “Camp Church of God.”
—Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held three initial presentations—in Blue Ridge, Georgia; Jacksonville, North Carolina; and St. Helier, Jersey, United Kingdom—and one follow-up presentation in Roanoke, West Virginia. These presentations drew a total of 27 individual visitors. This week we will hold two follow-up presentations in Blue Ridge, Georgia; and Plymouth, England, United Kingdom. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
Sermons for Those Unable to Attend the Feast in Person – Repeat Announcement
Attention Pastors: Because some members, for legitimate reasons, are unable to attend the Feast of Tabernacles in person, the Church provides access to Feast sermons by various means.
Many Feast sites will offer livestream or telephone connections to those assigned to that site. This is the preferred option. Though not a substitute for being present at the site, these connections give access to live Feast services, including prayers and hymns.
Prerecorded Feast sermons will also be available for brethren who are unable to attend in person and for whom the livestream or telephone connections are not feasible. The prerecorded sermons will be published online—one per day—throughout the Feast:
- English-language Feast sermons will be posted at https://members.lcg.org
- French-language Feast sermons will be posted at www.eglisedieuvivant.org
Additionally, links to these prerecorded Festival sermons will be emailed to pastors in advance of the Feast. Before the Feast, you can forward that email to the members in your areas who are not attending in person.
We request that as many as are able access their assigned site’s Feast sermons by livestream or telephone or view the prerecorded sermons online. However, if there are brethren in your areas who cannot take advantage of these options and need to receive physical sermon disks through the mail, please send us their names and addresses before the following deadlines:
- The deadline for international requests for prerecorded Festival sermon disks is August 15. For those in regions with slow postal service, please send in your requests as early as possible in order for the sermons to arrive before the Feast.
- Requests for recipients in the U.S. must be received by August 29.
- If possible, please do not wait until the deadline to send in your requests.
Festival (Second Tithe) Assistance Requests—U.S. Only – Repeat Announcement
Attention U.S. Pastors: The deadline to submit Festival Assistance Request forms to the Church Administration Department is Friday, August 1. All forms should be properly completed by the members requesting second tithe assistance to attend the Feast this year. Then Pastors should first review the application to ensure it is complete and then write their recommendations/comments on the forms before submitting them to CAD. The forms are available to ministers on the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org). —Festival Office
Comments
Are You a Team Player? Just as Jesus chose His disciples to help preach the Gospel, God has called us to be part of a team. Effective team players have skills and perspectives that can be identified and learned. Christian team players must be focused on the same goal—the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)—and work together to preach the Gospel to the world (Mark 16:15). They avoid saying or doing things that offend others (1 Corinthians 10:32). They are forgiving (Matthew 6:14–15). They focus on the positive (Philippians 4:4) and look for ways to serve others and contribute to the mission of the team (Matthew 20:26–28). Effective team players learn to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) and are able to defuse tense situations with calm words (Proverbs 15:1). They don’t make negative comments about or sit in judgment of other members of the team (James 4:11), but they are teachable, willing to listen and make adjustments to achieve the goal (Matthew 7:1–5). They appreciate that a team is made up of individuals with different talents and abilities, just like the body has different parts with important functions (1 Corinthians 12). Good team players learn to love their neighbors (Matthew 5:43–48). Jesus’ disciples had to develop these vital qualities—and so must we. Let’s all strive to be more effective team players!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
The Complexities of the Milky Way: Scientists have predicted that our Milky Way galaxy may host more than 100 faint satellite galaxies—far beyond the roughly 60 that have already been cataloged—using cutting-edge dark matter simulations and new mathematical models (Live Science, July 14, 2025). The idea of hidden galaxies was presented recently at the Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting in Durham, England, and gives us a glimpse into the Creator’s divine hand in the universe around us.
While astronomers are just now discovering that these hidden galaxies may exist, the Bible reveals that God “counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name” (Psalm 147:4). Each unseen galaxy speaks of God’s infinite knowledge and wisdom. As these satellite galaxies come into view, they testify to a Creator who ordains even the smallest wonders. King David, who also contemplated the stars, wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Astrophysicists theorize that dark matter halos—invisible to the eye—sculpt the cosmos, guiding every galaxy’s formation and path. In such powerful but silent influences, we glimpse the hand of our Creator and the divine order shaping all things. The real possibility of hundreds of hidden galaxies serves to deepen our sense of God’s creative power. To learn more about the God who designed and created the universe, you can read or listen to The Real God: Proofs and Promises.
The Destructive Power of Marijuana: For decades, marijuana advocates have touted how supposedly safe cannabis or marijuana is for recreational use, even in the face of many studies showing otherwise. This mistaken approach has led many states and nations to decriminalize its use. Yet, even as usage expands, new research findings continue to build a powerful case for the many dangers of this psychoactive drug. A study from the University of California, San Francisco, for instance, shows that “chronic smokers of marijuana have poorly functioning blood vessels similar to chronic smokers of tobacco” (LiveScience, June 3, 2025). While this may not seem surprising, the study’s lead researcher, Matt Springer, also warned of the negative health effects of marijuana edibles (brownies and gummies), noting, “THC edibles also appear to be associated with this problem.” Cannabis use is also associated with increased risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Marijuana has been proven to be an addictive drug that negatively impacts memory, learning, attention, muscle coordination, and reaction times. It damages the lungs and is linked to social anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Its use is also linked to decreased male fertility. Among pregnant mothers who use marijuana, it is linked to lower birthweight in babies, “which puts the baby at risk of having a harder time eating, gaining weight, and staving off infection. Cannabis use also increases the odds that a baby will be stillborn” (Maine Department of Public Safety, June 2025). Ultimately, THC makes marijuana a psychoactive drug—meaning that it alters brain function and interferes with one’s thoughts and emotions.
Marijuana use, like drunkenness from alcohol, results in intoxication. The Bible clearly states that drunkards—those seeking intoxication—will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10) and teaches that the body is the “temple” of God’s Holy Spirit (v. 19). Such strong admonitions make it clear that we should not put dangerous substances into our bodies that will destroy them. While proponents of recreational marijuana use proclaim its virtues, the facts reveal that it is a dangerous and destructive drug. To learn more, you can read or listen to Marijuana: What They Aren’t Telling You. —Scott Winnail, Richard Franz, and Francine Prater