A big hello from Charlotte!
We are sending out the update early this week, because the office will be closed Thursday and Friday for the July 4th long weekend. It will be nice for the hard-working office staff to have a break and change of pace.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Mr. Meredith has decided to reschedule the Ministerial Conference from November 17-20, 2003 to sometime in late February or early March 2004. This will allow us to budget for all the ministers to attend if they are able—not just the full-time men. There are other considerations as well, but we wanted you to be aware of this change and note it on your calendar and in your planning.
Spokesman Club
We have started a Spokesman/Graduate Club here at HQ. Our first meeting was held last Sunday, and it got off to a great start! I hope Clubs can be started in more and more congregations because of the good fruits they produce.
Prayer Request
Mr. Raul Reyes, one of our Elders in the Los Angeles congregation, has just been diagnosed with cancer. Please remember him often in your prayers, asking for God's intervention on his behalf.
From Finance
Mailing addresses—When sending in tithes and offerings to the Work, please use: PO BOX 3810 Charlotte, NC 28227-8010.
When sending in business mail such as hall vouchers or Minex, please use: 2301 Crown Centre Drive Charlotte, NC 28227-7705.
Hall vouchers—When faxing hall vouchers or other faxes intended for Accounting, please use fax number 704-841-1922. Also, please check the ministerial Web site (www.cogl.org, Church Administration link) for updated forms including hall vouchers. If you do not have access to the Internet, please call Bonnie Bonjour at 704-844-1970 ext 231 and she will mail you copies of our current forms.
From Legal
The new fax number for Legal Affairs & Risk Management is 704-844-1976. All items needing to be faxed to legal should be faxed to this number. The e-mail address is [email protected].
Feast of Tabernacles
FESTIVAL ASSISTANCE
By now, all of the ministers should have received Festival Assistance forms to be used by those who will need assistance to attend the Feast of Tabernacles this year. Please announce this at Sabbath services this Sabbath and note that the deadline to have them back to us, properly filled out and signed by the Church Pastor, is August 22, 2003.
To all Ministers and Video Group Hosts
SERMONS AVAILABLE ON DVD
We are currently attempting to expand the number of DVDs available to replace the VHS video tapes that are being sent to the congregations and video groups. The cost to ship DVDs is much less than video tapes, and blank DVDs cost less as well. This will be a great savings to the Work. Our eventual goal is to virtually eliminate video tape altogether and have DVD as our main media format for the sermon videos. The picture quality of DVD is much better than VHS tape, and the DVDs are not subject to the damage that can be caused by demagnetization during shipping. Also, DVDs do not wear out, and they take up very little space for storage. We understand that if a congregation or video group does not already have a DVD player available, one would need to be purchased. DVD players can be found in popular department stores for about $60 to $70.
Sermon DVDs will be available on a first come/first served basis at this time. In order for the Work to transition toward this economical and high quality media format, we need your help and input. Please contact Church Administration to begin receiving DVD sermons, when they become available, by calling 704-844-1960 ext. 220 or by sending e-mail to [email protected]. Please be patient, as it could take a few weeks to make this switch.
INTERNATIONAL
Canadian Update – Mr. Jacques Secours
Here in Montreal and Quebec, things are fine. It is really moving in Quebec City and people are really all zealous for the Work. By the way, I really appreciate the reasons for the July 12th fast. Indeed they are very proper ones and it will be beneficial for all including our Creator even though He could do it other ways. But asking Him in humility to be the ones is something He will rejoice of I am sure. Not too many group leaders thought of this, I am sure, because you have to be humble enough and see the vision to do so. I am happy that Mr. Meredith thought so. I agree 100% with him and will support him the same way 100% also.
Philippines Update – Mr. Rod McNair
It's been raining a lot in western Mindanao – Mr. Tex Benitez reports that brethren from Bogabongan braved the rain and hiked three kilometers to the highway with their children and babies, to take the bus for Sindangan for the recent combined Sabbath service. The attendance was 73, followed by potluck after services.
Mr. Gideon Benitez reports that many in his area are sick with fever and flu, during the rainy days. He and his son were sick for six days with flu, coupled with chills. He also mentions that we have a prayer request for Mrs. Eden B. Dandan, a member living in Kaswaugon, Lanao del Norte (the war-zone). She is requesting prayers for her blood clot in the right side of her stomach. She is quite sick—please be praying for her. Cards and letters of encouragement can be sent c/o Mr. Gideon Benitez, P.O. Box 5417, Iligan City 9200.
COMMENTS
As a reminder, I am including part of Mr. Roderick C. Meredith's recent letter to the brethren announcing the upcoming Church-wide fast.
"After praying and meditating about all of this—and after conferring with several members of the Council of Elders—I want to announce a Church-wide fast for the Sabbath of July 12, 2003. The purpose of this fast is to humble ourselves before God, to seek His forgiveness for our weaknesses and our lethargy, and to beseech Him to help us, to use us, to guide us and to empower us to be able to reach out to our peoples and especially to our former brethren much more effectively!
"In Jesus' name, I ask that all ministers, churches and video groups announce this fast and support it in every way. I exhort all of you brethren to begin to seek God in a more urgent way to intervene, and to empower His Work as never before. And I hope that—in a special way—each of us may try to reach out to a number of our former brethren and encourage them to return to the Truth, to return to the true God and His ways. We need to "pray our hearts out" that God will begin to re-open their minds, have mercy upon these confused and sometimes disillusioned former brethren, and bring back these "lost sheep" to Himself!" (June 17, 2003 Member Letter)
Drawing close to God together with prayer and fasting, means that He will draw close to us. James 4:8-10 "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."
One of the things the whole Headquarters staff is doing, to draw closer to God and each other, is to gather in the executive suite area every Monday morning to start the work week with prayer. Mr. Meredith or one of the other Evangelists leads us all in a brief prayer to our Creator asking for His guidance and blessing, and then we hustle off and get busy.
All of us need to set aside more time to focus on our relationship with God. I hope this coming Church fast will set in motion an intensified zeal throughout the Church that will never level off or stop.
Have a wonderful weekend and please drive carefully!
Charles E. Bryce