Greetings y'all,
On July 28 and 29, Mr. Meredith taped the Feast of Tabernacles opening night message and the Last Great Day sermon. This Monday, he wrote the Tomorrow's World Editorial for the Nov-Dec issue. He is also making arrangements for his upcoming trip to California and for the Feast of Trumpets. Tomorrow, he will be taping the closing message for the Behind the Work film—the cherry on top of the sundae! Next week, both Mr. Meredith and Mr. Ames will be "shooting" TV programs. Your prayers are greatly appreciated for the tapings.
Final arrangements are well underway for the upcoming Pastors Conference—this year's third and last session—that will be held from August 22-26. It will be the largest of the three conferences. We expect to have visitors from the Philippines, Australia and Canada. As for the Feast of Tabernacles, things are going well, and all of us are anticipating with great joy the opportunity to once again be together in the four corners of the world.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
From the New Director of CAD
Greetings from the UK,
It was a bit of a surprise to receive a call from Dr. Meredith to come to Charlotte to discuss the appointment to be the Director of Church Administration. I was just getting used to living and serving "on the other side of the pond." It has been a special privilege to spend the last four years getting to know and work with our very dedicated brethren in Ireland, the UK, Europe and Africa. I will leave this part of the world with warm memories and mixed emotions, but I am looking forward to working at Headquarters.
As the world hurtles toward the end of this age, the Church of God faces a series of unique challenges—learning to work together as a team to preach the gospel and warn the world, learning to relate together as a family of Christians loving our neighbors and being lights to the world, and preparing to rule with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God. Let's stay focused on these biggoals and not get sidetracked on petty personal issues, or narrow individual doctrinal crusades, or Monday morning quarterbacking about how the church should be run. These are devices that Satan is using all too effectively today.
When people are moved and responsibilities are changed some are elated and others may think the sky is falling. Yet Jesus Christ said He would build His Church and it would continue to exist and function (Matthew 16:18). God has repeatedly promised His servants that He would never leave us or forsake us (see Genesis 28:15; Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5). We need to remember these fundamental truths. I certainly appreciate and hope to build on the foundations that have been laid in CAD by Mr. Carl McNair and Mr. Charles Bryce. I am looking forward to assisting Dr. Meredith and working as a team with Mr. Apartian, Mr. Ames, Mr. Crockett, the staff at Headquarters and with the Regional Directors, Regional Pastors and the Pastors, Elders and members in the field. We are all in this together. Your input is welcome and your prayers and patience will be appreciated.
As individuals called to be part of the Church of God we have been given some awesome opportunities—our minds have been opened to understand Truths of God that have been hidden from the world (I Matthew 13:11-16; II Corinthians 2:6-16). We have been called to recapture true values and to help prepare the way for the return of Jesus Christ (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 17:11). We have the incredible privilege to qualify to be among the firstfruits that God will use to establish His kingdom on this earth (James 118). Let's strive to be faithful, productive and malleable instruments in God's hands as we learn to cooperate together to do His work—and let's never forget the words of our Savior and Elder Brother who said, "to whom much is given…much will be required" ( Luke 12:48).
I trust that you will all have a profitable and inspiring Sabbath.
In Christian Love,
Douglas S. Winnail
Living Youth Camp—Wyoming
A great adventure and challenge is under way out west! Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon Monson are leading 22 staff and Living Church of God youth through the Grand Tetons on a backpacking and whitewater rafting trip. It will be exciting to hear all about it when they return next week. In the meantime, please ask God to bless this rugged wilderness trek for the good and safety of all involved.
Living Youth Camp—Michigan
My wife Kathryn and I enjoyed our recent visit to the Living Youth Camp in Pickford, Michigan. We were very impressed with the facility, organization and administration, and the educational and positive environment of the camp. Approximately 190 attended the camp, including 100 campers, 20 high school workers and 70 adult staff and family. Activities included canoeing, flag football, Frisbee football, archery, dance, media (including a daily video news presentation), speech, Christian living, and life skills (including plumbing for the boys, sewing for girls and health principles for all). The sewing class even presented my wife and me with a gift of polka-dotted pajamas—a sample of their sewing project.
From the all-campus "morning motivation" to "evening reflection," God's way of life was practiced and emphasized. What a wonderful opportunity for our youth to enjoy a more pure culture, experience positive peer interaction, and learn Christian character to cope in today's challenging world! Several remarked that they were enjoying a "Feast-like" atmosphere. We especially appreciate the many adult volunteers who sacrificed two weeks from their work and vacation to serve the youth of God's Church. Mr. Gerald Weston, director of LYC, will report more extensively on the camp in the September-October Living Church News.—Richard Ames
Visit to Alaska
I returned home on Sunday from my trip to Alaska that proved to be extremely profitable. I left last Monday, and stayed for five days, returning late Saturday night. I was able to make eight different visits (in person or by phone), driving about 500 miles to see brethren in some of the isolated areas (south to the Kenai Peninsula, north up to Hatcher Pass) as well as conducting a funeral and holding Sabbath services. We had 28 on the Sabbath in Anchorage, with several people visiting from Washington and Montana. Two visits during the week were baptism counseling sessions; one was with a brand new prospective member who is in the military and working through that situation (not yet attending). Overall, I am very encouraged to see the conviction and stability of most of the brethren.—Rod McNair
Festival Information Online
We have received requests from our members for information about the various Feast sites, such as housing options and availability, etc. This information is now posted on the LCG members website at www.cogl.org. As the Feast nears, some of the hotels/motels that have rooms blocked for our members will soon release those rooms, limiting their availability and increasing the price. For example, in Rapid City, SD, the hotel will not hold the rooms blocked for our group beyond August 15. If you are planning to attend the Feast in Rapid City and need housing, please refer to the members website for a list of hotels, including prices, etc. Other questions regarding the Feast of Tabernacles should be directed to your local Festival Advisor or the Festival Office in Charlotte.
COMMENTS
Many people don't know the difference between making excuses and giving reasons. Well, the reason for my writing these few lines today is to make an excuse for the mistake I made in last week's Update. Imagine! I misspelled Solomon's name as "Salomon." A few people called my attention to it with no other comment. Here is my excuse: In French, Solomon is spelled with an "a," not with an "o." The same is true in Spanish—the mother tongue of my secretary. These are poor excuses, you may say, and not good reasons. You are right, but they are helping me write this week's Update. How about you? Do you sometimes admit your faults by making excuses—or by giving reasons? Consider for a moment Christ's parable of the Wedding Supper, when someone told Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" Christ revealed that those who were invited to His wedding turned down the invitation by making various excuses—thinking them in their own minds to be good reasons (Luke 14:18-20). Christ rejected their excuses. You know the rest of the story. Here is my dilemma: Am I writing all this as an excuse or as a reason for my questionable misspelling of Solomon's name?
Y'all have a delightful Sabbath,
Dibar Apartian