Weekly Update

August 19th, 2004

Greetings everybody!

We are happy to report that our brethren in Florida were protected from the massive devastation caused by Hurricane Charley on parts of that state. Mr. Paul Shumway, the Area Pastor, said Sabbath services were held as usual last week and that as far as he can tell the brethren and their property escaped the harm and damage from this storm. We deeply appreciate your prayers which God did answer!

CHURCH ADMINISTRATION

Prayer Request For Our Elder in Jamaica

Mr. Lascelles Fraser writes: Three months ago I fainted and hit my head but there was no skull fracture, however I had to get six (6) stitches to close the wound.

As a result of the fall I had started to hemorrhage slowly, which had progressed to where the fluid had built up on the right side of my brain and about half of the brain space was taken up, thus causing the brain to squeeze to the center causing the headaches. The left side also had built up fluid but not as pronounced as the right side. Surgery was immediately recommended in order for me not to lose my committed skills and motor functions and the only person(s) who would have priority over me would be one with gun shot injuries. The surgery was successful and I was discharged on Saturday, August 14. I will be removing the stitches on Saturday, August 21, and on Thursday, August 26, I will again see the Neurosurgeon. A full recovery is expected but I will have to take it easy for the next six weeks.

Barbados Update

The TW program is bearing good fruit. There is a steady stream of serious requests for literature and church attendance. We will continue to prepare for the bountiful balanced increases God is richly giving. There is a great and constant thirst among the congregation for Godly knowledge and our church library needs expansion. Our prayers over the years has been answered and the Barbados church is on a path of growth.—Clyde Skeete

Canadian Update

Mr. Gerald Weston reports: Income in Canada continues to hold up very nicely. The month of July saw a 15% increase over last year. Expenses have also increased significantly so we are going to be very tight going into the Holy Days. We had 47 at L4T in Hillman, MI, for Sabbath services on July 17. There were 205 in attendance at LYC on July 24, and 209 on July 31.

Feast of Tabernacles 2004

Squaw Valley, California—Dinner and Dance Cruise

Please note the contact number for Mr. Harold Way has changed due to his recent move. Mr. Way's new number is 858-537-9005. If you are a single and interested in attending the dinner/dance cruise at Squaw Valley this Feast, please contact Mr. Way at his new number. Cost for this unforgettable event will be $49 per person (group rate), and includes dinner, dancing, and the cruise. You can also email Mr. Way at [email protected].

MEDIA

New Milestone for Tomorrow's World Television

A new milestone was reached this week for the Tomorrow's World telecast in North America. The 400,000-mark was passed! As of this week, since the telecast started in January 1999, a total of 400,504 telephone calls, letters, emails and Web replies came from TV viewers requesting the Church's free publications and audiotapes.

Presently, the Tomorrow's World program is aired on 160 TV stations around the world. In the United States and Canada, the telecast is broadcast over the air, by cable, and by satellite, into 75 million homes every week. To date, more than 5.8 million households—4.8 percent of all TV households in the United States and Canada—have actually viewed the Tomorrow's World program one or more times. To date, the three presenters, Messrs. Roderick Meredith, Richard Ames and John Ogwyn, have completed 225 original 30-minute TV programs.—Wayne Pyle

New Television Program Tapings

Mr. Richard Ames reports:
The program topics for the August 18 and 19 telecast tapings are:

Presenter Title & Offers Airs
#220 JHO Europe—The Next Superpower?
The Beast of Revelation
Nov 14
#221 RFA Armageddon in Prophecy
The Middle East in Prophecy
Nov 21
#222 RFA Battle for the Bible
Bible Study Course
Nov 28
#223 RCM The Coming Spirit War
Dangers of the Occult (audiotape)
Dec 5
#224 RCM A Tale of Two Churches
God's Church Through The Ages
Dec 12
#225 JHO Will You Go To Heaven?
Your Ultimate Destiny
Dec 19

COMMENTS

There is good news to report about the Living Church of God Hymnal. We are fully engaged in the process of pulling together all of the many components in the project so we can finally send it to the printer for publication. We have a long way to go, so we sincerely ask for your prayers. However, we are well on the way to completion. In order to ensure the best quality we can, we are not going to rush production. This means the Hymnal will not be ready by the Feast but we hope it will be in the printer's hands by then.

Our goal is to distribute it to all of the Living Church of God congregations no later than November of this year, if not sooner. We will keep all of you informed and up to date on the details of this exciting undertaking as progress is made. It looks like we are going to have our own Hymnal at last!

All of the best to you and yours on this upcoming Sabbath day,

Charles E. Bryce