Greetings from Charlotte,
Dr. Winnail arrived safely in Australia on Wednesday for the first stop in his round-the-world trip. Mr. and Mrs. Weston left Thursday for Barbados. Next week, they will travel to Trinidad for the Family Weekend there.
The shooting in Bondi Beach, near Sydney, Australia, left 15 dead. While Regional Director Rob Tyler reports that no Church members were directly affected, a relative of a member was there and “saw victims around him falling to the ground.” The shooting in Providence, Rhode Island also claimed two lives. We are certainly living in dangerous times. Mr. Jonathan Bueno reports that heavy rains in the Northwest have caused record river levels and flooding. He used the emergency “phone tree” call system to check that everyone was okay. This is a good reminder of the importance of having reliable methods—and backup methods—of contacting each other in an emergency. Please pray for Dr. Winnail and the Westons during their travels, and please continue to pray for one another in these sobering and tumultuous times.
—Rod McNair
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held two follow-up presentations in Lakeland and Brooksville, Florida, which drew 16 guests. We also held an online presentation for the Canadian subscriber base, the connection data for which is not yet available. This week, we will hold another follow-up presentation in Lakeland, Florida, as well as two online presentations to the French subscriber base. On Friday, Mr. Rees Ellis will give an online presentation to the French subscribers in the Americas and the South Pacific. On Sunday, he will give the same presentation to French subscribers in Europe and Africa. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Men’s Training Camp
This year, we are preparing MTC programs for Canada and for the Northeast and Southeast United States. The Blowing Rock Conference Center will again be the site for our Charlotte-hosted MTC, scheduled for the weekend of February 13–15. Registration will begin next week, so mark your calendar now for another opportunity for learning and fellowship.
Living for Tomorrow
L4T 2026 will take place in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. More information will be provided in the weeks ahead, but if you're a young adult, aged 18–30, this is an activity you don’t want to miss!
Television Department
Tomorrow’s World Digital Media Support Team
To join the TW Digital Media Support Team, please email [email protected] and let us know you want to be on the team. When you join, you’ll have the opportunity to help with various digital media projects, including short surveys, small experiments, and other initiatives (e.g., the Telecast, Whiteboards, the Bible Study Course). It is a simple, practical way to help the Work. After the last couple of announcements, we now have over 500 members, but we would love to double that number. In fact, the additional hundreds who have joined seem to have made a positive impact on our current project focused on our TW YouTube Channel. This project will run through March. We look forward to many more joining!
Living Education
Living Education–Charlotte
Are you young and attending God’s Church? Are you looking to learn more about God’s law and way of life? Do you want to know more about why you observe the biblical Holy Days and keep the seventh-day Sabbath? Do you want to more deeply understand your purpose here on Earth? If you are between the ages of 18 and 30, there is a golden opportunity just for you! Living Education–Charlotte is a nine-month program designed for young adults in God’s Church who want to build a godly foundation for their lives. Applications are available now at LCGEducation.org. Don’t miss out!
Finance
Year-End Donations (U.S. Only)
Please be reminded that all U.S. contributions dated in December and postmarked on or before December 31 may be tax deductible in 2025, even if we receive it in January 2026. For those who donate online, the deadline for online contributions is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31.
Also note that if you plan on taking a tax deduction for contributions, your tax return should not be filed until you receive your year-end receipt for donations. This donation receipt is one of the tax documents the Internal Revenue Service requires you to keep as backup to claim this deduction. We plan to issue year-end donation receipts on or around January 20, 2026.
As we close the calendar year for 2025, we want to extend a hearty thank you to all our members, co-workers, and donors for your generous financial support and for your prayers for every aspect of the Work. The harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few, but collectively we are able to accomplish much through God’s blessing. Please continue to pray for God’s guidance in everything that we do at Headquarters and in the local congregations around the world as we begin 2026.
Comments
Satan’s Subtle Devices: We live in a world where neither God nor Satan is real to many people. Yet the Scriptures reveal that Satan is not only real but a powerful influence on individuals and in world events. He is described as a liar, an accuser of the brethren, and a murderous deceiver of the whole world (John 8:44; Revelation 12:9–10). He is referred to as the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). He operates by attempting to influence us toward accusations, anger, criticism, hatred, selfish ambition, envy, rebellion, and vanity, among other pitfalls—the weapons in his arsenal are referred to in the Bible as the “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19–21). Our challenge is to recognize and resist these attacks by an adversary who wants to destroy and devour individuals called to be Christians (1 Peter 5:6–9). We cannot afford to be blindsided by the multitude of subtle devices that Satan constantly aims at us (2 Corinthians 2:11). Let’s also remember to ask for God’s help in these difficult spiritual battles (Matthew 6:13).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
European Children Groomed for Murder: Organized crime is growing in power and effectiveness across Europe. Mafia infrastructure is so entrenched in Belgium that some experts warn that the nation is at risk of becoming a “narco state” (Financial Times, October 27, 2025). And this is just the beginning.
Organized criminal networks now use sophisticated methods to recruit, groom, and train children to commit heinous crimes (Politico, November 21, 2025). According to Europol’s executive director, organized criminals “weaponize the children to torture or to kill.” She also “suggested that children and young people are being used by hostile states and hybrid threat perpetrators as unwitting spies to eavesdrop on government buildings.” Criminals join multiplayer video games and befriend children in group chats. Once befriended, they move children to private chat rooms and pressure them in various ways—sometimes offering large sums of money, and other times threatening and blackmailing them—all while parents are often completely unaware.
Bible prophecy warns that one end-time characteristic of the modern nations descended from ancient Israel is that “children are their oppressors” (Isaiah 3:12). Perhaps this circumstance is one element in the coming fulfillment of this prophecy. Tragically, in nations of Europe—many of which are of Israelite descent—children are being used to oppress society and sometimes their own families. In today’s crumbling societies, children are too often extremely vulnerable to exploitation by criminals. Thankfully, this will not last. God also prophesied that the time is coming, after Christ’s return, when “great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13). You can learn more about the society that will bring peace to all children by reading or listening to The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?
Mud, Microbes, and the Maker’s Blueprint: In a world increasingly paved over and sterilized, Finland’s decision to “rewild” 43 daycare centers may appear unusual, but the Finnish Biodiversity Interventions for Well-being research group sees increased exposure to nature as an important need for children’s health. Scientists have discovered that children exposed to natural biodiversity—such as soil, moss, and forest floor—develop stronger immune systems in just 28 days (Education Sciences, February 16, 2023). Over time, their skin hosts fewer harmful bacteria, their gut microbiomes become healthier, and their blood contains more cells that guard against diseases. More exposure to the natural environment has also been linked to a reduction in symptoms of ADHD, asthma, allergies, Crohn’s disease, and inflammation-related diseases (BBC, October 11, 2022)—remarkable benefits from an environment with dirt, mud, plants, and grass!
Restoring school playgrounds to a more natural state can also remind us that God “formed man of the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7). Human beings were designed to exist and thrive in God’s creation—in fact, He originally placed mankind in a garden. Modern life often treats the natural world as a threat to be managed. When we completely sever our connection to nature—when children grow up without occasionally spending time surrounded by God’s creation—important physical and spiritual benefits are lost. The Apostle Paul observed that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Corinthians 3:19), and perhaps this applies to man’s obsession with sterilizing every facet of his personal environment.
As allergies and autoimmune disorders multiply, more exposure to God’s creation may be an important part of the solution. Reconnecting with God’s creation can both strengthen our bodies and remind us that we are a part of that creation—made from the very soil we walk on. You can learn more of what God has to say about living a healthful life by reading or listening to Biblical Principles of Health. —Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, and Richard Franz