Hello from Charlotte,
The Work is moving forward at a good clip. Income is solid, the subscription list of the Tomorrow's World magazine has passed 250,000, more baptisms are taking place and God is opening more doors for the preaching of the gospel to the whole world. Some of them may turn out to be big doors too! Mr. Meredith has many more details about all these plans and the growth which is taking place. He will continue to send out this information from time to time to everyone as he sees fit. Thank you for your help and prayers in all of these developments. We know we can count on you to keep up the good work!
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Living Youth Camp
It's hard to believe, but it is already time to start making plans to attend the Living Youth Camp in Michigan, or the pre-teen camps in Missouri and Texas. This year we have made registering even easier: starting Sunday February 13, 2005, you will be able to register online for any of the three camps.
The Web address is www.youth-web.org. Once you are on the main Web site, select from the menu "Living Youth Camp" or "Pre-Teen Camp." Further instructions for registering will be under each of these links. If you do not have Web access, don't worry; you can still register by obtaining forms from the addresses listed on the back of the Jan-Feb 2005 Living Church News.
INTERNATIONAL FEAST SITES 2005
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Experience the Feast of Tabernacles in beautiful Montego Bay, Jamaica. This year the Feast will be held at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, just 10 minutes from the Donald Sangster International Airport.
The Resort boasts 524 rooms, including suites that open into two rooms (billed as triple occupancy). Members of the staff speak English, French, German and Spanish.
Single rates are US$117, double US$162 and triple US$216. These rates are all-inclusive and children 12 and under stay for free; youths 13-19 pay US$60 per person/per night when they share the room with an adult. Attractions include three golf courses, tennis courts and a well-appointed gym.
Please make reservations through the Jamaica LCG Church office at (876) 929-1650 or (876) 920-9078 or by e-mail at [email protected]. If you choose to book directly with the hotel, please contact Ms. Lavern Johnson and mention that you are with the Kingston Living Church of God group to receive these special rates. We look forward to hosting you and your family during the Feast!
Wewak, Papua New Guinea
The Feast of Tabernacles observance in Papua New Guinea will be in the town of Wewak. This is on the north coast and looks out on the beautiful Bismark Sea. It is expected that about sixty local members from all over the country will attend. They would welcome the company of overseas visitors.
Services will be held at the Sepik Surfsite Lodge which is close to the airport and about 5 kilometres from downtown Wewak. Overseas visitors who plan on staying at the Lodge, which can accommodate about fifteen guests, will be housed in air-conditioned or fanned rooms. Services will be conducted in English – though by the end of the Feast visitors will also understand a smattering of Tok Pisin, the local lingua franca.
Visitors will enjoy a relaxing Feast. After-service activities will include swimming, snorkeling, fishing and picnicking. There will also be opportunities to go on a cruise around nearby islands, visit Second World War historic sites, enjoy a traditional sing-sing (dance) and partake of a customary feast cooked in an earth oven.
If you are interested in keeping the Feast with our Papua New Guinea brethren, please contact the PNG Elder Peter Devis by email at [email protected] with a copy to Kinnear Penman at [email protected]
PASSOVER SERVICE TAPE
Those congregations and groups that will be using a recorded Passover ceremony this Spring should use the same tape played for last year's service. Pastors and Video Recipients should locate and play their Passover tapes now to ensure that they are in usable condition. If a new recording is needed, contact the CAD secretary, Deborah Lincoln-Strange at [email protected].—Don Davis
Prayer Requests and Updates
This is an update regarding local elder Mr. Evo Walker, who serves in the Amory, MS congregation. After the by-pass operation last week, Evo's condition worsened. By Tuesday of this week, Mr. Walker had to undergo emergency surgery to correct a ruptured aorta. At first, the doctors were not very hopeful that Evo would make it due to his age and the seriousness of this complication. To their amazement, however, the surgery went better than expected. Wednesday, Evo was doing so well, that the nurses were getting him up to walk a few steps. If he continues to progress, the doctors said he should be home in a week. This is good news and evidence of God hearing everyone's prayers! Evo has commented many times how much he appreciates the concern and prayers of all the brethren—including everyone at Headquarters! For those who may want to send a get well card, his address is as follows: Mr. Evo Walker, 109 Old Robinson Road, Louisville, MS 39339.
In Mobile, AL, Mr. John Burquist, a faithful and long time local elder, would appreciate everyone's prayers regarding his health. Some time ago, Mr. Burquist suffered a stroke leaving him in constant pain on his right side. He has made remarkable progress and is able to walk each day with the aid of a walker. However, the pain makes it difficult for him to sit for very long. As a result, he is unable to attend services regularly. Again, please remember him in prayer. Cards and letters may be sent to his home address as follows: Mr. John Burquist, 3555 Wooley Road, Mobile, AL 36693.—Mr. Dan Hall, Area Pastor
COMMENTS
There are a number of projects here at HQ that are nearing completion, which will be very beneficial to the whole Church. 1) Plans for ministerial transfers and new hires for this year are close to being finalized. Once a few more details are worked out we will announce these decisions to everyone. 2) Arrangements for the Pastors Conference and Workshops are on schedule. The sessions, agenda, and speakers were all approved by Mr. Meredith a few days ago. We will be notifying all of those involved about the details of this conference in the next few days.
3) The Bible Hymnal is at the bindery now. The target date for delivery here at the HQ building is March 9-11. Karl Harmdierks has finished recording the piano accompaniment for each hymn on four CDs. Deric Forrestier and Jonathan Bryce helped greatly in the production of these CDs and we thank these three men exceedingly for their service! We are now going to sing each hymn and record them on four other CDs. About 30 singers from the staff here at HQ completed the first singing session this morning. There will be seven more such sessions, until we finish all 120 hymns.
Once all of this is done, we will send out the new hymnal and the piano and singing CDs to all of the Living Church of God congregations around the world! New hymnals, piano accompaniment (if you don't have a piano player in your congregation), background singing (if you want to use it when you sing)—all of this is coming together and we thank God for His help, and we thank you for your prayers and support.
These blessings highlight the thrilling privilege each one of us has by being called now to help finish the Work of God in this end time. The Apostle Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
Let's keep abounding in the Work of God and let's have a wonderful Sabbath day!
Charles E. Bryce