The Living Church of God holds Feast sites throughout the world.
Here is some information about 2010:
Our final Feast of Tabernacles attendance figures show that more than 8,000 people attended the Feast at 46 sites in 31 countries. The attendance at sites in the USA increased by 7.5% over last year, and the attendance at international sites increased by 3.6%. This amounts to a 5.7% increase worldwide, which is exciting to see. (Living Church of God World Ahead, Weekly Update, October 21, 2010)
Here is some information about those that have been announced from LCG itself (I simply have compiled the information) for the Feast of Tabernacles in 2011:
2011 USA Feast Sites Set!As we pass the shortest day of the year in this part of the world, we are well on our way to planning for the Feast of Tabernacles, 2011! United States Feast sites have been selected and contracts have been signed (international sites are still being finalized). The Feast sites in the United States in 2011 will be:Branson, MOChattanooga, TNCobleskill, NYGlenwood Springs, CONew Braunfels, TXNewport, ORPanama City, FLWisconsin Dells, WILate addition: Santa Maria, CaliforniaListen to the World Ahead and check the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org) for more updates in coming weeks! – Festival Office
LCG later reported:
USA Festival CoordinatorsFollowing is the list of 2011 USA Festival Coordinators and their contact information:Branson, Missouri: Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka, wciesielka@lcg.orgChattanooga, Tennessee: Mr. James Sweat, jsweat@lcg.orgCobleskill, New York: Mr. Jonathan McNair, jmcnair@lcg.orgGlenwood Springs, Colorado: Mr. Rodger Bardo, rbardo@lcg.orgNew Braunfels, Texas: Mr. Phil Sena, psena@lcg.orgNewport, Oregon: Mr. Harold Way, hway@lcg.orgPanama City, Florida: Mr. Jack Lowe, jlowe@lcg.orgSanta Maria or Elsewhere, California: Dr.Jeffrey Fall, jfall@lcg.orgWisconsin Dells, Wisconsin: Mr. Phil West, pwest@lcg.orgFull write-ups on each of these sites will soon be posted on the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org).
LCG also reported:
International Feast Sites
Australia—Victor HarborBarbados—Christ ChurchCanada—PentictonCanada—OrfordCanada—Eastern CanadaFrance—HyèresGuatemala—AntiguaGuyana—GeorgetownHaiti—Port-au-PrinceIndonesia—BatuJamaica—Montego BayKenya—IsibaniaMalaysia—LangkawiMartinique—Sainte-LuceNew Zealand—NelsonNigeria—LagosPapua New GuineaPhilippines—Baguio CityPhilippines—Davao CityPhilippines—Don CarlosPhilippines—MarandingSri Lanka—BentotaSouth Africa—StillbaiTrinidad and Tobago—Crown PointUnited Kingdom—BuxtonVanuatu—Orap
There will probably also be sites, as there were in previous years, in places such as India, Myanmar, Nigeria, Kenya, Columbia, Chile/Argentina, Peru, and possibly Thailand and elsewhere. Somewhere between 40 to 50 (and perhaps more!) sites are expected. For detailed information about some of what was available in 2010, please see the article LCG 2010 Feast of Tabernacles' Information.
UPDATE 05/19/11:
Costa Rica—New Site!This year, for the first time, the Living Church of God will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in Costa Rica. Services will be at the Hotel Brilla Sol, located five minutes from the International Airport. The hotel is located in the midst of a small wooded area and the complex is equipped with everything necessary for a Feast. It has a private hall, pool, comfortable rooms, a restaurant and wireless Internet service. For more information, the hotel’s website is www.hotelbrillasol.com.The cost per day, per person, including breakfast and lunch is USD$35; children younger than 8 years old don’t pay. Free hotel shuttle to and from the airport is available. Please note: Services will be only in Spanish (no translation will be provided. Therefore, this site is open only to Spanish-speaking transfers). For more information, contact Mr. George Schaubeck at gschaubeck@lcg.org or, by phone, at +506-2282-4646. You can also contact Madeleine Lincoln-Strange at mlincoln@lcg.org, or +1-704-844-1970.
UPDATE 06/09/11:
New Argentina Site: NecocheaThe Feast site in Argentina has been changed from San Miguel del Monte to Necochea—a beautiful and more affordable site. The description of this new site is now available at the MyLCG section of www.cogl.org. The Feast will be held at Cabañas del Pinar. The cost per person, including lodging and two daily meals, is USD$270 for the entire Feast. Simultaneous translation into English will be provided. Those interested in transferring to Argentina for the Feast should register at MyLCG and contact Madeleine Lincoln-Strange at mlincoln@lcg.org or at +1-704-844-1970.Armenia, ColombiaInformation about the 2011 Feast site in Colombia is now available at the MyLCG section of www.cogl.org. The Feast will be held close to Armenia, in the Quindio Department, at the heart of Colombia’s coffee-growing region. The cost for accommodations for adults, including three daily meals, ranges from USD$41-45 per day, depending on the room occupancy level. Availably of simultaneous translation into English has not yet been confirmed; therefore, this site is currently only open to Spanish-speaking transfers. If you are interested in attending the Feast in Colombia, please visit MyLCG at www.cogl.org and contact Madeleine Lincoln-Strange at mlincoln@lcg.org or at +1-704-844-1970.
UPDATE 07/14/11:
New Feast Site: Lican Ray, ChileThe Feast of Tabernacles in Chile will be held in Lican Ray, a beautiful and small lakeside town of 3,000, some 500 miles south of Santiago. A more detailed description of this new site will soon be posted to the MyLCG section of www.cogl.org. The Feast will be held at Hotel Becker. The lodging cost per person, per day is USD$26. Three daily meals are USD$22 per day. Translation into English will not be available. Therefore, this site is only open to Spanish-speaking transfers. Those interested in transferring to Chile for the Feast should register at MyLCG and contact Madeleine Lincoln-Strange at mlincoln@lcg.org or at +1-704-844-1970.
Feast Registration by July 31 (Repeat Announcement)We are asking all brethren to sign up for Feast of Tabernacles activities and volunteer services by July 31.This is important so that Festival Coordinators can adequately plan for the activities at each Feast site. If you are having difficulty registering, please see your Festival Advisor. If you haven’t already signed up, please log on to MyLCG (www.cogl.org) and sign up for the activities of your choice. Thank you!
EMAIL UPDATE 06/10/11 on GLENWOOD SPRINGS from Roger Bardo:
Greetings Brethren! The Glenwood Springs Colorado Festival Staff is beginning to gear up to make this year’s Feast of Tabernacles 2011, the best yet! We have reached capacity in our main hall; and are now into overflow space. The site is officially closed to further transfers, with about 400 expected, including a number of "guests."
If you know of any who have not registered yet, but who plan to go to Colorado (family and friends of those already registered or assigned to the site): from this point forward, it may be difficult to accommodate them. We will look at each situation on a case for case basis; but we do not want to over load the site!
The Ramada Hotel will host Church services this year in Glenwood Springs. While we can't assume responsibility for other establishments, if you do stay off site, please check the place out carefully; and do plan to use the "Green Transportation" by parking in the clearly marked public lots next to the Colorado River; and either walking the 3 blocks to the Hotel or just take the bus! It is FREE.
If you do have a need for a roommate; or if anyone has space available for more people in their accommodations, please let me know. We will try to match the needs.
Here is an update on the progress of the Ramada Hotel remolding: by the time we arrive, plans are for our rooms to be redone, including some improvements even to our meeting hall. Unfortunately Expedia has a few conflicting reports out.
Just so all understand, my wife, family and I have stayed at the hotel; and the rooms are furnished with stuffed chairs, a table or desk and chair or similar. We were all quite pleased with the comfortable surroundings. The rooms are clean, modern, and each has a hair dryer, refrigerator, microwave and fresh bedding. The AC worked, although I doubt we will need that, when we are there. The pool area and hot tub were also clean; and the food was good at breakfast.
The beds were excellent! So we will be staying at the Ramada. Beds are my measure of a good hotel. The bathrooms are a little small; but everything worked. We are also at present working with the hotel to "tailor" a breakfast just for us; but even without that, there were plenty of things to eat on the menu. The Hotel has an onsite restaurant and lounge is open from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM on weekdays and to midnight on weekends.
Obviously things change; but the best update I can provide for you is that the Hotel is now undergoing a complete transformation. It will only get better; and more modern. Some rooms that Expedia sold could have been a "true bargain" (which I never saw and I was all over the Hotel); but regardless, we are promised only the remolded rooms. Keep in mind, while the suites are also very nice in their present condition, these will not have the remodeled treatments in by Feast time. The Hotel is over a third of the way finished with the single king and queen rooms, with 2 floors almost done. As well they are ahead of schedule. Plans are to be completed with our rooms by the end of September. The hotel is completely non-smoking.
The Ramada is a comfortable hotel near most everything and convenient to many restaurants and shops in Glenwood Springs. In fact, the ski lift to the Mountain Adventure Park and Caves is about a 10 minute walk from the hotel west; and the hot springs pools & spa, are about 10 minutes walking distance east.
If you are a walker, as I am, you will love it! I was able to walk, to and from the Hotel, by every activity (except the Ranch), crossing over (and back across) the rushing Colorado River (bridge), with mountains all around me, that I could almost touch. All in about an hour and half. The air was so clean, the beauty incredible; and so, it is no wonder, why they want to keep it that way!
Again, if you choose to stay off site: ample adjacent public parking near the Hotel is available for Church Services; but it is on a first come, first serve basis each morning. So for those staying off site, please remember: Glenwood Springs is considered a "green" community. So it is strongly recommended that you plan to use the clean modern frequent public transportation to travel to and from your lodging.
While we anticipate no problems with parking; remember this is our first time in Glenwood. Let's do our best to cooperate, by walking, carpooling or using public transportation when we can, to set the right example.
We are not quite ready yet to start signing up for service duties and the Choir (adult, teen and children's choirs), but we have already started planning this aspect and if you are interested in volunteering for something specific, I will forward your e-mails to the appropriate parties.
Many have also asked about our activities. We plan now to have several major activities: as a western Dinner-Dance with a line dance caller. So bring your western gear and come prepared to kick up your heals!
Also planned is a day at a "Working Dude Ranch" Family afternoon with pony rides, a full delicious lunch served continuously throughout the day time we are there (so no one misses anything) and many activities to keep you busy. The ranch will be closed for our exclusive use all afternoon and is located about 10 to 15 minutes from the main hotel.
Family Day is planned for the famous hot springs pools, mini golf, spa and athletic club facility. Lunch is pizza, salad and drinks. So there will be something to do for everyone!
In addition, there is the mountain Adventure Park and Caves, including cave tours; a guided tour to Aspen Colorado, a Singles evening of fun, Senior's Lunch, the vineyard trail tour into the surrounding areas east of Grand Junction, and of course our Friday evening Bible Study.
Pricing is exceptional for the activities. I am really surprised, much less than I would have expected, for all included, especially for the Dude Ranch experience. So sign up quickly on June 26 when activity registration opens. Do not miss out!
As in previous years, I will keep you posted on our plans as best I am able; or you will be able to check out our Feast Web Site for Glenwood Springs, which we are just about ready to launch.
We are working on a few additional updates and will notify you as soon as we are ready to go. All updated information will be posted on the site as available. You can access it from our local website at: www.swlcg.org by pressing the Glenwood Springs FOT tab.
Again, if there is anything we can help you with, please do let me know. We are here to serve you!
Sincerely,
Rodger L. Bardo
Glenwood Springs CO
Festival Coordinator
Area Pastor AZ-NM
602-910-1086
rlbardo@aol.com
UPDATE 04/07/11: The following USA sites are closed for further transfers: Santa Maria, CA; Chattanooga, TN; Cobleskill, NY; and Glenwood Springs, CO. All other USA sites are still open for additional transfers. Additionally, the following international sites are closed for further transfers: Barbados, Jamaica and France.
Registration information from February 2011:
Two-Phase Registration in 2011!
We are happy to announce the Feast registration dates for 2011! An important change in the system this year is that registration will be accomplished in two phases. Please read the following announcement carefully, in its entirety (this announcement will be posted on the MyLCG website, for reference):
Phase 1: Site Registration—Sunday, February 27: On Sunday, February 27, brethren in all USA and all International congregations will be asked to register for the choice of site. Upon approval, you will then be able to make travel and housing arrangements. At any point after February 27, you may go back online to change your site registration, if you decide to go to a different site. Because of space limitations, some sites will be accepting more transfers than others. We hope having site registration this early will help you all, as you make your festival housing and travel plans.
Phase 2: Activity and Volunteer Registration—Sunday, June 26: The second phase will begin no later than Sunday, June 26. By this date, all activity and volunteer information will be posted on the MyLCG website. Beginning on Sunday, June 26, all brethren are asked to come back to the MyLCG registration website (www.cogl.org) to sign up for your choice of activities and volunteer opportunities. The purpose for having this second phase of registration is to give our coordinators time to have complete activity and volunteer information available on the website.
Full site write-ups for all USA Feast sites are being posted on the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org). International site write-ups are in the process of being edited and will be posted soon. If you need help finding out festival information, please see your Festival Advisor or check with your local Pastor.—Festival Office
While people normally do not need to go to their assigned sites, here are the assigned sites for the USA:
Housing ReservationsFestival Site Registration begins...on Sunday, February 27, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Standard Time (USA). Please wait to make housing reservations until you have registered for your site online, and your transfer request (if transferring) has been approved. Here are the site assignments by state:Branson, Missouri: Congregations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, OklahomaChattanooga, Tennessee: Congregations in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West VirginiaCobleskill, New York: Congregations in Delaware, District of Columbia, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, VermontGlenwood Springs, Colorado: Congregations in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, WyomingNew Braunfels, Texas: Congregations in Louisiana, TexasNewport, Oregon: Congregations in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, WashingtonPanama City, Florida: Congregations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South CarolinaSanta Maria or Elsewhere, California: Congregations in California, Hawaii, NevadaWisconsin Dells, Wisconsin: Congregations in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, WisconsinSonora California Feast Site
Due to unforeseen difficulties we will not be using Sonora, California as a Feast site this year. We are currently in the process of contracting with another site not far from the central California coast that will have a number of interesting attractions nearby. Please do not make any reservations for Sonora at this time... – Festival Office
New Site—Santa Maria, California
Due to an unforeseen difficulty in our plans with our previous California site, we regrettably are having to move to another venue. But as one door closes, another is opening! We are moving the venue to the town of Santa Maria, California, not far from the beautiful central California coast. Festival meetings will be held at the historic Santa Maria Inn, which will also provide very comfortable accommodations. Santa Maria Inn has accommodated us with greatly reduced rates and has family-friendly surroundings with a heated pool, spa, beautiful landscaping, restaurant and pub. Nearby attractions include Pismo Beach, the quaint Danish tourist village of Solvang, and world-famous Hearst Castle. Possible activities brethren may want to take advantage of in this area are winery tours, ATV rentals on coastal sand dunes, hiking trails and horseback riding. A full write-up about this site is available on the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org).
Spanish Interpreters Needed
Several Spanish Feast sites (Mexico and Peru) are in need of Spanish-English interpreters this year. If you have the ability to translate simultaneously between these two languages and would like to volunteer in this capacity at one of these sites, please contact Madeleine Lincoln-Strange at mlincoln@lcg.org or by phone at 704-844-1970.
Some other information that has been announced includes:
Brethren Assigned to Cobleskill and Chattanooga—Please Register by March 20!While most of our Feast sites have plenty of room, some have limited seating, which causes a challenge for accepting incoming transfers. Especially in Cobleskill, NY and Chattanooga, TN,where seating is limited, we need to know how many local brethren will be staying at their assigned site. Dozens of people are waiting to transfer in to these two sites, and we cannot approve their transfer requests until we are sure we have enough room. If you are assigned to Cobleskill or Chattanooga, please register by Sunday, March 20. After that date, we may need to start letting some more of our transfers in. Festival Advisors, if your congregation is assigned to Cobleskill or Chattanooga, please encourage everyone to register by March 20.
Some information that was announced on March 12 includes:
Jamaica and Barbados are now closed and not accepting any more transfers. Regrettably, for sake of space, we have had to turn away more than 80 people from Jamaica. We apologize if this has caused any difficulty, but due to an uptick in interest Jamaica this year, and the limitation of the hall, we simply cannot accept everyone. We are also nearing capacity at Cobleskill, NY, Santa Maria, CA, and Chattanooga, TN. If you are trying to transfer to one of these three sites, we may not be able to accommodate your transfer. The other U.S. sites still have plenty of room!A new Feast site has been added to the website this week: San Miguel del Monte, Argentina.
Argentina would likely be a very nice place to visit.
Here is some information announced in the 3/24/2011 update:
Checking Your Registration StatusIf you would like to view the status of your transfer request, simply log onto MyLCG and go into the registration system. You should be able to see the status of your registration. Notification e-mails are sent out automatically when you complete registration, when your transfer request is approved, or if your transfer request is denied. Regrettably, sometimes the e-mails are blocked by spam filters. If you have received no festival@lcg.org but you did successfully register, you might check the settings in your e-mail service to make sure that festival@lcg.org is an “allowed sender.”Panama City, FL—Bay Point Marriott Resort Housing CorrectionThe following are some corrections to the previous web write-up about Panama City. For those staying at Bay Point Marriott Resort, please note the following items (below) having to do with types of rooms and prices of rooms (this is also posted on the MyLCG website). We apologize for any confusion caused by the previously posted information.“Run of the House Guestrooms ($99), Deluxe Guestrooms-Bayview ($119), Lanai-Bayview ($129). All guestrooms can be selected with two double beds or one king bed and include telephones with data-port and voicemail; high-speed Internet access; iron and ironing boards; hairdryers; refrigerators and coffee makers; color cable TV.Golf Suites (One Bedroom–$139; Two Bedroom—$238). Golf Suites (with view of golf course) can be selected with choice of king or two double beds. Golf Suites include a 32” LCD screen that allow for split screen Internet access and entertainment, new bathroom and in-room décor and unique furniture.”
UPDATE 09/15/11:
Feast of Tabernacles 2011Live video of Feast services streamed from New Braunfels: Once again, there will be a live video stream of daily services and Bible studies from the New Braunfels Feast site for those with Internet access who are unable to attend the Feast. More details will be given in The World Ahead in the coming weeks, but we wanted to let you know of our plans now.
Holy Day Offerings: If you are traveling internationally for the Feast, it is recommended that you leave your Holy Day Offering in your home country. This will ensure that you receive proper documentation for a tax deduction, if your country allows it. You should make an additional offering at the international site you attend, and can plan accordingly. Your attention to these instructions and your use of the preprinted Holy Day envelopes is greatly appreciated.Hymnals: Brethren are encouraged to bring a hymnal (one or two songbooks per household) from their local congregation’s supply after the Day of Atonement for use at the Feast. They should bring back to their congregations the same hymnals, after the Feast, so that an equal number of books is returned to each congregation.
Chemical Sensitivities: We want to remind everyone while at the Feast to be aware of the sensitivities to perfumes and colognes that some of our brethren have. For some of our brethren, because of serious allergies, walking by someone with a lot of perfume or cologne is not just uncomfortable but can send them to the Emergency Room. Let’s use extra care to show love to others in this way at the Feast—please use moderation.Health and Feast Travel: As we prepare to depart for the Feast of Tabernacles, it is not uncommon for God’s people to “push themselves” and compromise their sleep and diet. Many of us try to get multiple tasks accomplished ahead of time (regarding work and school) so that we can attend the Feast without worry. Often this “push before the Feast” results in too little sleep and unhealthy eating habits. Then, when we finally get in the car, on the train, on the bus, or on an airplane, our bodies slow down and we get sick. In past years, this has resulted in some bringing the flu or a cold to the Feast site and spreading it to other Church members. If we do arrive at the Feast feeling ill, for the benefit of our brethren, it is important to avoid fellowshipping and attending services until all our symptoms are gone.
Because of the Swine Flu outbreak a couple years ago, many nations are still operating under a heightened state of alert with international travelers. Some nations even require a “health disclosure” in order for tourists to enter their nation. Tourists displaying signs and symptoms of the flu may be detained by the local government until the flu-like symptoms are gone. For God’s people, this could cause us to miss part or even all of the Feast of Tabernacles while we are detained in local quarantine.For all of us as God’s people, it is essential as we prepare for Feast of Tabernacles travel, to get appropriate rest and maintain a healthful diet filled with fruits and vegetables. Parents should make sure that their children also get adequate rest and eat a very healthful diet before the Feast. For our older brethren, these actions are imperative! In taking measures to stay healthy and improve our health before the Feast, not only will we be more likely to arrive at the Feast “healthy” and not be temporarily detained by the local health officials (if we are traveling abroad), but we will also be physically and mentally prepared to partake of the powerful spiritual food and fellowship that God is preparing for us!
Finance DepartmentHall Rentals: November hall rental vouchers should be faxed or mailed to Accounts Payable by September 30 to ensure processing before the feast.Payments: Please note that our last scheduled day to print reimbursement checks will be Thursday, October 6. We will not be able to print any checks again until Thursday, October 27. Any invoices we receive before October 5 will be paid before the break. Any invoices we receive after October 5 will not be able to be paid until October 27. If you have any questions in regards to specific invoices or payments, please contact Samanthia Kreis in the Accounts Payable Department at 704-844-1960 ext. 2236 or send e-mail to accounting@lcg.org.
Speaking of that site, it now has detailed information on each 2011 Feast site. Go to the following links for information:
Some articles of possibly related interest may include:
Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days? Did they? Did Jesus? Should you?
The Book of Life and the Feast of Trumpets? Are they related? Is so how? If not, where not?
The Day of Atonement--Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians "The Day of Atonement". Does it have any relevance for Christians today?
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Is this pilgrimage holy day still valid? Does it teach anything relevant for today's Christians? What is the Last Great Day? What do these days teach?
COGwriter 2011