Hello everyone,
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ames are back from a very successful trip to Barbados. While there, Mr. Ames was recognized among the public as being one of the telecast presenters on the local TV station. As God's Work grows, we will undoubtedly have a higher profile in many places in the world. Mr. and Mrs. Dibar Apartian had a good visit to the Los Angeles area last week. He is back, feeling great and fully engaged in carrying out his responsibilities here at HQ.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Mr. Gerald Weston sends this report from Canada: We are seeing new people come along and, if present trends continue, we should see strong growth in 2005. We have had a number of church inquiries from the east side of Toronto and from the London area, places where we would like to begin new groups. Our plans are to hold public Bible Studies there in the next month or two and see how many from these areas will respond.
We have seen a significant increase in television responses since we started broadcasting Monday thru Friday on early morning Vision TV. Previously we were only on Thursday morning. We were not sure how it would work playing the same program five times in a row on the same station, at the same time, and at a terrible time, but the responses have been terrific. Logically, one would think responses would drop off after one or two times, but this has not been the case. We are literally receiving five times the number of responses compared to before! The majority of responses are coming from British Columbia and Alberta, where the program is aired at midnight and 1:00 a.m. respectively, but a large number come from Ontario because of its large population, in spite of airing at 3:00 a.m. All told, the Sunday afternoon airing and the five early morning airings brought in a combined total of 696 responses to the program shown the week of January 2, and 713 to the program shown the week of January 9. These are only the telephone responses and do not include those that came in via the Internet or letters.
Other good news includes the fact that we had 26 baptisms in 2004 and I know of at least another eight who have requested baptism counseling. Also, Mr. and Mrs. Elertson arrived safely with a one year visa in hand. This will give us time to work on a more permanent arrangement. We are all definitely excited about the trends we see in the Work here in Canada.
Dr. Jeff Fall reports on the L.A. Singles weekend: Fifty-eight singles from 15 states journeyed to the Los Angeles area for the winter Singles activity (12/24-12/27). It was so rewarding to see so many singles who traveled so far to spend quality time with other singles of the same mindset. Activities are secondary, but the primary benefit is continuing to form the bonds of friendships that can last into the Family of God.
Our activities included a Friday night Bible Study focused on the subject of "Being a Contented Single" and combined Sabbath services of 193 people followed by an evening of food, games and dance. The Sunday activities included a late morning brunch and collective attendance to the beautiful outdoor wedding of two of our former singles in a park-like setting. Refreshments at the reception were followed by an evening of dance. A trip to the Long Beach Aquarium concluded the activity on Monday, but emails and phone calls continue the spirit of fellowship even today.
Mr. Clyde Skeete reports from Barbados: The enthusiasm of our brethren continues to be great. Two new persons have started to attend services. One who has been receiving literature for some time has determined that it is time to respond to God. The other is tired with mainstream Christianity. Our Godly social activities have been uplifting to God's people. We continue to grow and encourage each other. We need to upgrade our audio facilities for services and we now need to reach out to all those subscribers and potential prospective members.
New Orleans Singles Weekend—attention all singles: How would you like to get away and be with singles of like mind in the Big Easy? The New Orleans area will be hosting a Singles Weekend, starting on Thursday March 24 and ending on Sunday March 27. All singles, ages 18 and up, are invited to attend. The event will include a trip to the famous Audubon Zoo, a river boat cruise down the Mississippi River, a visit to the Aquarium of the Americas, a Bible study, Sabbath services and a semi-formal dance. Bring your appetite, because there will be lots of fantastic Cajun cuisine! The cost of this event is $80, which includes all events and meals with the exception of lunch on Friday. Accommodations are available at a local hotel, which includes a deluxe continental breakfast, for a special group rate. We hope everyone can attend! For more information, please contact Exie Howell at [email protected] or by phone at 504-818-2381; or contact Mr. Rod Reynolds at [email protected] or by phone at 318-346-1471. You can also visit the Louisiana congregations' Web site at www.louisiana-lcg.org for further details on this event.
COMMENTS
Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are just over three months away, but they will be here before we know it—the way time flies these days! It isn't too early to nail down hall reservations, check inventories for Passover supplies and let us know of any needs you have so we can plan accordingly. For instance, will you need the Passover Service tape? If so, please let us know. Since Passover this year is on Friday night, April 22, this makes the first weekend of the Spring Festival season a very busy one. Therefore, some have asked about holding just one service on the First Day of Unleavened Bread. As we have done in the past in similar cases, we will leave that up to the Church Pastor's discretion. He knows the facts locally and is better able to make the best decision about this matter. I have discussed this question with Mr. Meredith and he agrees with this option.
Have a wonderful Sabbath!
Charles E. Bryce