4/14/05
Hello from Headquarters,
Mr. Roderick Meredith has approved the following ministerial transfers:
Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon Monson and family will move from Minneapolis to Milwaukee and he will become the Area Pastor of the congregations in McMillan, Appleton, Milwaukee, Chicago, Peoria and Wisconsin Dells. They will transfer after the Feast, sometime in November of this year. Mr. and Mrs. Keith Walden will move to Minneapolis and he will become the Area Pastor of the congregations in Minneapolis, Merrill, Dubuque and Bismarck. They will transfer before the Feast, sometime in September of this year. We are very grateful that the Monsons and the Waldens have quickly stepped up to fulfill the needs of our beloved brethren in these areas. Their sacrifice and service will be blessed and bear rich fruit without a doubt. We will try to schedule someone else to transfer into the St. Louis area, where the Waldens were previously scheduled to move, in the near future, God willing.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION Update on Barbara Crockett Barbara has been hospitalized since Sunday evening, April 10, 2005 after experiencing complications from hernia repair surgery. It seems that during a laparoscopic procedure on April 5 a hole was made in the small intestine that went unnoticed by the surgeon. Barbara experienced difficulty after being released from the hospital and grew steadily worse until returning to the emergency room on Sunday evening, April 10. Additional surgery revealed the problem and the bowel was repaired. At this point she is slowly recovering, but the risk of infection is great due to the nature of the wound. She is receiving nutrition intravenously and is uncomfortable with all the IVs, etc. She will probably be in the hospital for a few more days barring any further complications. We deeply appreciate the outpouring of concern and the fervent prayers of so many people. It has encouraged Barbara greatly. The prayers of the brethren are certainly making a positive difference in her recovery. Your continued petitions to God on her behalf will be greatly appreciated. Davy Crockett 2223 Annabel Ct Matthews, NC 28105
Missouri Pre-Teen Camp Preparations for the Missouri Pre-Teen Camp were temporarily put on hold because of the sad loss of Mr. Randy Gregory. We have now asked Mr. Larry Solomon to serve as Camp Director in his place and Mr. Solomon has graciously accepted. Applications which have already been sent in will be forwarded to Mr. Solomon, but if you have not yet sent in your application for the Missouri Pre-Teen Camp, please do so right away as time is short. Also, if you were already accepted as a department head for this year, please contact Mr. Solomon to discuss what preparations have already been made. As we are sure you can understand, some changes may need to be made. Any other questions concerning the Missouri Pre-Teen Camp should now be directed to Mr. Solomon at the following address, phone number, and e-mail address: Mr. Larry Solomon 8712 E 170th Place S Bixby, OK 74008-6140 918-366-0611 lsolomon@cogl.org
Living Youth Camp (Grand Teton National Park) The Living Church of God is planning a backpacking trip in Grand Teton National Park from August 3-9. Located south of Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming, this mountain range is unlike any other range in the Rockies. The Tetons rise with stunning abruptness in a row of peaks that tower 1.5 miles above the saltbrush plains. Majestic snow-covered mountain peaks, glaciers, meadows covered in multicolored wildflowers, and an abundance of wildlife are a few things that will make this one of the most beautiful places on the planet. We will be staying in accommodations in the Jackson, Wyoming area on Tuesday evening and begin hiking on Wednesday, August 3. We plan to spend the Sabbath in the wilderness. Following the backpacking trip we hope to go whitewater rafting down the Snake River. Plan to depart for home on Wednesday, August 10. Those who are 15-18 years of age are eligible to apply. We plan to accept no more than 20 applicants this year. If accepted you should plan to arrive in Jackson, Wyoming on Tuesday August 2. You will be required to organize your own transportation to and from Jackson; however, rides will be provided for those flying into the Jackson Hole Airport. You will need to supply your own backpack and zero-degree sleeping bag as well as personal items. Tents, cooking gear, etc., will be supplied. Camp applications are now available for the Grand Teton Backpacking/Whitewater Rafting trip. For camper or staff applications please contact: Sheldon Monson, 713 4th Street Hudson, WI 54016, (715) 386-6898 or by email at smonson@cogl.org--Sheldon Monson, Camp Director
Northeast Regional Meeting of Pastors We enjoyed a very profitable meeting of the pastors in the western section of the NE Region. Present, along with myself and Nancy, were Mr. and Mrs. Eng Monson, Mr. and Mrs. Bob League, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Fannin, and Mr. Burgett. Mr. and Mrs. Dan Friz were unable to attend due to Mrs. Friz’s health. The meetings started at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, March 29, and concluded on Wednesday, March 30 following lunch. Our meetings were held at the conference center of the Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve in Goshen, KY. I opened the meetings with a brief update of the Work, followed by a 45-minute presentation titled, “Captain of the Ship.” The presentation focused on the importance of keeping the overview of your area as the pastor. We then covered in round table format a number of topics submitted by the pastors. A sampling of topics discussed included financial administration, D & R procedures and questions, growth trends, new visits, and recent events in the Work. On Tuesday evening we enjoyed an excellent dinner and fellowship together at the conference facility. Opening Wednesday’s meeting, Mr. Bob League gave a presentation concerning examples of God’s intervention and support in his ministry. This was followed by a continuation of round table discussions. I concluded the meetings with a 20-minute presentation on keeping the balance in your life as a pastor.—Lambert Greer, Regional Pastor
New Bible Hymnals Following is a sampling of the comments about our new Hymnal: We sang from our wonderful, new hymnals on the Sabbath! They are lovely—understated quality—and it is a real joy and delight to have them and use them in praising the great God who has made them possible through the generous sacrifice of many wonderful people. One of our members made a special trip down to Dublin last week so she could pick up the hymnals for the Northern Irish congregation (otherwise we would have been waiting until the Last Holy Day of ULB when we will attend combined services for the Merediths’ visit). A whole team of excited volunteers quickly began to prepare the books for use as we were instructed, as soon as they arrived, and they were ready to be used with great enthusiasm. Please convey our thanks to just everyone there who has had some part in making this “hope” into a wonderful “reality” for God’s people all around the world.—from Belfast congregation
MEDIA Friday morning we received a report from USA 800 that they had received 47 calls Thursday night from AIB Atlanta. Based on this, we estimated a weekly count of about 2,500 replies. However, unbeknownst to us, USA 800 operators had been over-run by phone calls. Many calls ended up going to VRUs (Voice Response Units), which were transcribed later over the weekend. It turns out that 75 phone calls came in—the fourth highest Thursday-night count ever received. If we had this count Friday morning, we would have estimated 3,000-plus responses for this week, instead of 2,500. This weekend we aired program #241, “Who Is the Beast?” which offered The Beast of Revelation (BR) booklet. From Thursday through Sunday, we received 2,560 phone calls, and we are expecting the total to reach 3,060 for the week. The BR booklet was offered in 20 previous TV programs and averaged 1,673 responses per program. The highest response came from program #202 a year ago, which drew 2,923 replies. So, we are expecting this week’s program to surpass this count and be the first program for a BR offer to break 3,000. Most exciting this weekend was the response from our new TV station in Houston, KHWB. Its Saturday morning timeslot at 6:00 am generated 95 calls. This is good for our second week on air. Last week—our first time on air—we received only 15 calls.
COMMENTS As we prepare for the upcoming spring Festivals, renewal is one of the big lessons that emerges. Even in creation, renewal is underway with the onset of spring. According to God’s sacred calendar, now is when a new year begins, April 10 to be exact. Our spiritual renewal is one of the most important things we celebrate and do at this point in time. Hebrews 10:18-23 explains, “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” Notice Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” It is through Jesus Christ, His death and life, that we can repent, be forgiven and get a fresh start in our lives. Now is the time to build our lives on the wonderful meaning and purpose of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. It is high time for all of us to get serious about renewing our commitment to God and about walking in newness of life as a permanent way of life all the way into the Kingdom of God.
Have a happy Sabbath,
Charles E. Bryce
Bob Thiel 2005