United Brethren Enjoy Feast at 62 Sites - United Church of God

United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationNewsAt a GlanceContinued from page 1includes the four fall Holy Days) is a 3percent decrease. It is helpful to analyzethat number. The first two Holy Day offerings(Trumpets and Atonement) actuallyincreased over last year, by a combined 1.6percent. The last two fall Holy Day offeringsdecreased by a combined 7.6 percent.Based on reports we have received fromvarious Feast sites around the world, wehave noted that there was an increase overlast year in offerings from U.S. memberson Tabernacles and the Last Great Day invarious international sites of almost thesame amount as this decrease collected inthe U.S. Feast sites. More U.S. memberstransferred to international sites, and moreof their Holy Day offerings were collectedin those sites.So, overall, the income of the Churchis growing this fiscal year at a rate, morein line with the historical growth rates ofthe last 10 years (between 2 percent and 4percent). We pray that if it is God’s will, theincome will pick up in the coming monthsto closer to the 7 percent growth rate of thelast two fiscal years. The needs are alwaysgreat, and we know that it is in God’s powerto provide more than we even ask. Butwe must ask, for we are told that “ye havenot, because ye ask not.” The prayers of themembers along these same lines are muchappreciated and needed.Tom Kirkpatrick, treasurerElder OrdainedOn the Feast of Trumpets, Sept. 13,Grant Chick was ordained an elder. Heand his wife, Kim, serve in the Durban,South Africa, congregation.Richard Rand RetiresA special presentation was made duringSabbath services on Oct. 13 in West PalmBeach, Florida, to Richard Rand, who isretiring from the full-time ministry aftermore than 38 years of service to God’sMember Profile: Dottie SeifertDottie Seifert grew up in a smallOhio town, and was very involvedin the Presbyterian church. She evenplayed piano for services and youthchoir when she was in grade school!“From the time I can remember, Iwanted to be a missionary,” she said.She married young and “grew upbeing a housewife and mother.”A Calling Full of SurprisesIn 1967 she remembers her dadtelling her about a religious programwith no prayers or organ music, andshe was intrigued.“I still clearly remember asking,‘Do you suppose they are preparingfor the second coming as John theBaptist did the first?’” From thenon she and her husband, Dave (whodied in May 2006), began listening toThe World Tomorrow broadcast andordering all the literature that wasadvertised.“We worked diligently on the correspondencecourse, and when we got tothe lesson on baptism, Dave decidedhe wanted to be baptized, but I wantedNovember2007Vol. 13, No. 9to see what we were getting into, sinceI felt it could mean our lives. So, sincewe knew of no minister in the area,in 1968 we headed out to Pasadena,camping in our Apache trailer.“We found out that without counselDave could not be baptized norcould we attend services, but we wereexcited to find there was a churchin Columbus, Ohio. We were soimpressed that we came back throughBig Sandy.”When they arrived home, theywrote to ask for a visit from a minister,and “waited and waited and waited.Finally, in 1969 we were invitedto services.“I remember our daughter, Debbie,asking, ‘Is there anyone in this townthat believes like we do?’ To our boysJohn and Mike’s surprise, they founda classmate at the door greeting themat our first service.”A Life of ServiceSince the ministers had seen herpiano on their visits, Dottie almostimmediately began playing for servicesand has continued for the 38years since.She has also contributed her musicaltalents at the Feast and to the UCGhymnals, which have included twohymns she composed.“Uppermost in my mind has beenthe question I asked my dad 40 yearsago, so preparing the way [for Christ’sreturn] has been a top priority in mylife. When the home office moved toCincinnati, Dave and I loved beingable to be involved in the work. SinceDave died a year ago May, it is stilluppermost in my mind. I love to go tothe office and be involved, especiallyin the GN mailings and ABC.”Looking over the years, Dottie Seifertrealizes that her early dream hascome true. “I truly have become a missionary,an ambassador for Christ.”Words of AppreciationLinda Stiver, wife of Randy Stiver,pastor of the Columbus and Cambridge,Ohio, congregations, said: “We first metDottie Seifert at a Feast in Bend, Oregon,several years ago. Now that we areFORWARD! Translating Desire Into Serviceby Mike BennettWhat a wonderful Feast! Weare so thankful that God givesHis people the rejuvenationand the renewal of our visionthat we need to withstand theharsh realities of our presentworld. Reports from aroundthe world point to a refreshingFeast, clearly picturing thetimes of restoration Peter andall the holy prophets proclaimed (Acts 3:19-21).Many of the reports you’ll read in this issue also highlightthe spirit of service felt at Feast sites around the world.People pitched in to help in whatever way they could tohelp make it a joyous Feast for everyone.One thing about service, though. Some of the mostneededtypes of service require special skills that not everyonehas. Such service opportunities fall to those who haveprepared in advance. We see this in our summer camps,where first aid, lifeguarding and other key skills are in highdemand. We see it in our congregations, where those whocan find their way around a sound system or a piano aresorely needed. And we see it at international Feast sites,where skilled linguists perform an invaluable service.Those of us English-speakers who have visited ourbrethren in non-English-speaking countries know thebond of the Spirit that transcends languages and borders.But many of us also know the frustration of wanting tocommunicate at a deeper level than buenos dìas, bonjouror guten Tag. That’s when we beckon those amazing peoplewho’ve made the effort to learn another language.My hat is off to those servants who have pushed themselves,stretched themselves and expanded their abilityto make a difference by doing the hard work involved inmastering another tongue. I am particularly amazed bythose willing to take on the Herculean mental gymnasticsinvolved in simultaneous translation of church services.Many Feast sites could not function without interpreters,Dottie Seifertserving in the Columbus and Cambridgecongregations, we have had the opportunityto get to know her even better.“What a joy to work with such apositive, multitalented individual,always serving wherever needed fromlocally to the home office. It seemsDottie doesn’t need sleep—she’s soenergetic for God’s work. And she’sa family lady too—she always keepstabs on her extended Church and personalfamily.” UNIf you would like to recommenda member to be featured in “MemberProfiles,” send an e-mail tomike_bennett@ucg.org.but that doesn’t make their feats any less amazing.Joel Meeker, who serves the French-speaking areas ofthe world, learned his French in school and through theimmersion of being sent to serve in France. He tells ofhis first time interpreting for services, when he was asked,not to translate a sermonette, but a sermon—and by fastspeaking,long-preaching Gerald Waterhouse, no less!Though Mr. Meeker, and the other international Feastcoordinators, sometimes stretch their translators, they trynot to stretch them that much!Who will help brother communicate with brother atthe Feast next year? Who will be the interpreters at theFeast in five years? Who will help preach the gospel toall nations, tribes, peoples and tongues before Christreturns? Will it be you, your children or grandchildren?Learning a language may not seem like a spiritualendeavor. But planning ahead to prepare to servemore in the future is certainly a godly approach.Blessed are the prepared, for they will be ready toserve. UNMission Statement: The mission of the Church of God is to preach thegospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God in all the world, makedisciples in all nations and care for those disciples.United News (ISSN 1088-8020) is published monthly except April and October by the United Churchof God, an International Association, 555 Technecenter Drive, Milford, OH 45150. © 2007 UnitedChurch of God, an International Association. Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproductionin any form without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals Postage paid at Milford, Ohio 45150,and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post publications mail agreement number 1487167.Editor: Peter W. Eddington Managing editor: Mike Bennett Copy editor: Becky BennettUCGIA Council of Elders: Robert Berendt, Aaron Dean, Robert Dick (chairman), Bill Eddington,Jim Franks, Roy Holladay, Clyde Kilough, Victor Kubik, Richard Pinelli, Larry Salyer, RichardThompson, Leon WalkerPresident: Clyde KiloughDoctrinal reviewers: Roy Demarest, Bill Jahns, Arthur Suckling, Chuck ZimmermanScriptural references are from the New King James Version (© 1988 Thomas Nelson, Inc.,Publishers) unless otherwise noted.Subscriptions: United News is sent automatically to members of the United Church of God and is freeto all who request it. Your subscription is provided by the generous, voluntary contributions of membersof the United Church of God, an International Association, and their coworkers. Donations are gratefullyaccepted and are tax-deductible. To request a subscription, write to United News, United Church ofGod, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027, or to one of the international addresses below.Jim Franks presents plaque toJudy and Richard Rand Oct. 13Church. Jim Franks, Ministerial Servicesoperation manager, presented Richard andJudy with a beautiful clear crystal plaque tohonor their many years of faithful serviceto God’s people.Mr. Rand thanked everyone for thekindness and consideration shown in thisspecial recognition. He added that he wasSee “News at a Glance,” page 32Address changes: POSTMASTER—Send addresschanges to United News, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati,OH 45254-1027International addresses:AFRICA & ASIA (except as listed below): United Church of God, P.O.Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027, U.S.A. E-mail: info@ucg.orgAUSTRALIA: United Church of God–Australia, GPO Box 535,Brisbane, Qld. 4001, Australia. Phone: 0755 202-111 Fax:0755 202-122BRITISH ISLES: United Church of God–British Isles, P.O. Box705, Watford, Herts. WD19 6FZ England. Phone: 020 83868467 Fax: 020 8386 1999CANADA: United Church of God–Canada, P.O. Box 144, StationD, Etobicoke, ON M9A 4X1, Canada. Phone: (905) 876-9966,(800) 338-7779 Fax: (905) 876-0569 E-mail: info@ucg.caCARIBBEAN: United Church of God, P.O. Box 541027,Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027, U.S.A. E-mail: info@ucg.orgEAST AFRICA (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda): United Church ofGod–East Africa, P.O. Box 75261, Nairobi 00200 Kenya. E-mail: kenya@ucg.orgFIJI: United Church of God, P.O. Box 11081, Laucala BeachEstate, Suva, Fiji.FRENCH-SPEAKING AREAS: Église de Dieu Unie–France,127 rue Amelot, 75011 Paris, France.GERMANY: Vereinte Kirche Gottes, Postfach 30 15 09,D-53195 Bonn, Germany. Phone: 0228-9454636 Fax: 0228-9454637 E-mail: info@gutenachrichten.orgITALY: La Buona Notizia, Chiesa di Dio Unita, Casella Postale187, 24121 Bergamo Centro, Italy. Phone/Fax: (+39) 0354523573. E-mail: info@labuonanotizia.orgMALAWI: P.O. Box 32257, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi. E-mail: malawi@ucg.orgMAURITIUS: P.O. Box 53, Quatre Bornes, Mauritius.E-mail: mauritius@ucg.orgThe NETHERLANDS: United Church of God Holland, P.O. Box93, 2800 AB Gouda, The Netherlands.NEW ZEALAND: United Church of God, P.O. Box 22,Auckland, 1015, New Zealand. Phone: 0508-463-763NIGERIA: United Church of God, P.O. Box 2265, Somolu, Lagos,Nigeria. Phone: 01-8113644. E-mail: nigeria@ucg.orgPHILIPPINES: United Church of God, P.O. Box 81840, DCCPO,8000 Davao City, Philippines. Phone: (+63) 82 224-4444 Cell/Text: (+63) 918-904-4444SCANDINAVIA: Guds Enade Kyrka, P.O. Box 3535. 111 74,Stockholm, Sweden. E-mail: sverige@ucg.org.SOUTH AFRICA (and Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho andSwaziland only): United Church of God, Southern Africa,P.O. Box 2209, Beacon Bay, East London 5205, SouthAfrica. Phone/Fax: 043 748-1694.SPANISH-SPEAKING AREAS: Iglesia de Dios Unida, P.O. Box541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027, U.S.A.Phone: (513) 576-9796TONGA: United Church of God–Tonga, P.O. Box 2617,Nuku’alofa, Tonga.ZAMBIA: United Church of God, P.O. Box 23076,Kitwe, Zambia. Phone: (02) 226076. E-mail: zambia@ucg.orgZIMBABWE: United Church of God, Zimbabwe, P.O. Box 928,Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe. Phone: 011716273E-mail: zimbabwe@ucg.orgInternet access on your computer:The United Church of God, an International Association,has a home page on the Internet’s World Wide Web. Theaddress http://www.ucg.org gives you access to generalinformation and news about the Church, issues of The GoodNews and United News, as well as our booklets. The addresshttp://www.ucg.ca accesses the Church’s Canadian Website, http://www.ucg.org.au the Australian Web site,http://www.labuonanotizia.org the Italian Web site,http://www.goodnews.org.uk the British Isles Website, http://www.ucg.org.ph the Philippines Web site,http://www.ucgeastafrica.org the Kenya, Tanzania andUganda site and http://www.ucg-rsa.org the SouthernAfrica Web site.

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 Australia Has Record Increase in Good Newsby Ruth RootThe 2006/2007 fiscal year was a recordyear for media efforts in the United Churchof God in Australia. We were able to add17,536 new Good News subscribers to ourmailing list, representing a 168 percentincrease over the number of subscribersadded the previous year, and a 54 percentincrease above our projected maximumnumber of new subscribers planned forin the year.The increase was made possible bysome very cost-effective advertising,which brought in subscribers for a recordbreakinglow cost of $3.99 (Australian)per subscriber.Naturally, this number of new subscribersalso meant a significant increase in theworkload at the Australian office. Thetimely employment of a media assistantin June of 2006 and additional part-timehelp in the mailing department enabledthe office employees to cope with theadditional, but encouraging, increase inworkload.Every Household ReachedDuring 2006/2007 some form ofprint advertising was distributed to everyhousehold in Australia and, because over11,200,000 advertisements were distributed,some households would have receivedmore than one print advertisement offeringThe Good News magazine and abooklet. We are sowing these advertisementsthroughout Australia and, with thehelp of your prayers, God will accordingto His will, grant the increase by openingthe minds of those whom He is calling (1Corinthians 3:6).Visits to the Australian Web site alsoincreased by 83.6 percent for the year, withnearly 300,000 people visiting the site in2006/2007.Advertising to GN ReadersOne of the most important target audiencesfor advertising and development arethose who have already come into contactwith the Church. A comprehensive subscriberdevelopment plan has thereforebeen developed.• Monthly literature offers: For the pastyear we concentrated on maximizing theimpact of our monthly literature offersthat are mailed with every magazine andbooklet. Some of these ads were rewrittento make them more effective and, beginningin June 2007, we began to test the useof color monthly literature ads.• Bible Study Course: Another goal forour Good News readers and for those whovisit our Web site was to encourage theirenrollment in the Bible Study Course. Wedid this by advertising the course to TheGood News subscribers twice a year onthe address sheet when it was mailed. Forthose who visit our Web site, we developedand advertised an interactive BibleStudy Course quiz that attracts an averageof over 200 visits a week.• Bible Study Course renewals: In 21months we have been able to increasethe Bible Study Course renewal rateafter the third lesson from 19.1 to26.7 percent. Some of the strategiesemployed to accomplish this included atest with every lesson of the Bible StudyCourse that was mailed as a hard copy,referring Web visitors to the interactivetest on our Web site and followingup those who did not renew after thethird lesson with an additional renewalreminder and an offer of sermons onaudio CDs. UNDetails for Stirling, Scotland, Feast 2008 AnnouncedAnother successful round of GoodNews public Bible lectures was held inNew Sourth Wales, Australia, thanks to theprayers and team effort of the brethren.A letter was sent to those who becamesubscribers to The Good News before2007. The subject was “Does HumanityHave a Future?” In the address Bruce Deanexplained the wonderful, inclusive plan ofsalvation that God has for all humanity, assymbolized in the Holy Days.The first meeting was held in Canberraon July 28. We sent out 333 letters and welcomedseven visitors.The second letter was sent to 840 people.The lecture in Newcastle was heldAustralian Media Statistics 2006/2007New Good News Subscribers for 2006/2007 17,536GN Distribution as of June 30, 2007 35,700New subscribers, 2006/2007compared to 2005/2006 168%Web Site Visits (July 2006:13,904; June 2007: 25,523) 83.6%Over 11,200,000 households were reached with print advertisements.(With 6.5 to 7 million mailboxes in Australia, some households wouldhave received more than one ad.)The Feast site for Stirling in Scotland2008 is nearly full. We will start a waitinglist for later applicants so if you havenot yet visited www.ucg.org.uk/feast2008and registered, please do so immediately(including those who initially e-mailedtheir details). You should receive an e-mailconfirming that the initial sign-up processfor registration was completed successfully.Before the end of February 2008 youwill need to (1) book your accommodationand submit the details, and (2) transferthe recommended registration fee of £20(US$40) per adult of 18 years old andabove. The fee will be used to cover Festivalexpenses such as the hire of the AlbertHalls and other facilities. Those unable togive as much may give less, and those ableto give more will make up for them.After February we will contact those onthe waiting list to see if they would like tocome, replacing those who did not completethe above two-part process.Accommodation OptionsServices will be held at the Albert Halls,Albert Place, Dumbarton Road, Stirling,FK8 2QL. We have been able to arrangesome good discounted prices with themanagement of a couple of hotels nearby.Bookings should be made directly withAustralia Holds Good News Bible LecturesAug. 4, while the presentation in Gosfordwas Aug. 12. Ten new people attended theNewcastle lecture (two more attended thefollow-up Bible study) and six Good Newsreaders visited us in Gosford.Upon arrival each visitor received awelcome pack that included the bookletsWhat Is Your Destiny? and God’s HolyDay Plan, information about the Churchand literature available, the pastor’s businesscard and two handouts.The one-hour meeting included a shortPowerPoint presentation with photographsgiving an overview of the Church.It included church life and activities, youthcamps, how other congregations aroundthese hotels quoting the “United Churchof God” conference. .There is a variety of self-catering apartments,guesthouses, bed-and-breakfasts,hostels or other hotels that may be bookedthrough the local tourism organization“Visit Scotland.” Please see its Web sitewww.visitscotland.com or telephone +44845 22 55 121. Visit Scotland charges a £3(US$6) booking fee for all bookings thatit makes. Other holiday accommodationWeb sites may also be found by searchingon the Internet. The Youth Hostel is cheap,has a lovely view and is five minutes fromSee “Scotland,” page 21the world are supported and the internationalscope of the Church.The plan is to present these lectures inWollongong and in several other locationsin Sydney over the next nine months.Ambitious Public BibleSeminar Planned for BrisbaneAlso on the drawing board are moreextensive public Bible seminars with internationalguest speakers. This is plannedfor Brisbane around June 2008, and Melbourneis also being considered.The tentative plan is to advertise the seminarwidely to GN and WNP subscribers andto also target the general public. UNNewsAt a GlanceInternationalTrips and InternetAds in French-Speaking AreasJoel Meeker returned safely from a longpre-Feast trip through the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda,Cameroon and Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire).Problems with Air Ivoire (his reservationwas inexplicably canceled) prevented himfrom making his planned visit to Togo tovisit brethren there. One new member wasbaptized in Ivory Coast.Future travel plans for Mr. Meekerinclude visiting the brethren in Martiniqueat the end of this year, making another longtrip through Africa, including more leadershiptraining seminars, in January-Februaryand visiting our brethren in FrenchEurope during the Spring Holy Days.We are currently adding approximately100 new subscribers to Bonnes Nouvelles(the French title of The Good News) eachmonth using an advertisement for theFrench version of the booklet Why DoesGod Allow Suffering? A second ad is currentlybeing prepared based on the bookletWhat Happens After Death? which wasprinted just before the Feast. The ads arespecifically targeting France, Belgiumand Switzerland, though French-speakingpeople all around the world have access tothe Bonnes Nouvelles Web site.Members in Swedento Distribute 2,000BrochuresThe three members in Sweden wantedto do something to help preach the gospel,so after discussing this with their pastor,Victor Kubik, and with Media and CommunicationsServices employees PeterKira and Paul Spenser placebrochures advertising Church literaturein mailboxes in their area of SwedenEddington and John LaBissoniere, theydecided on distributing brochures in theirlocal areas.Two thousand “Are We Living in theTime of the End?” brochures were availableand promptly sent to them from thehome office by Greg McCloud. A coverletter was written and translated into Swedishand put inside the brochure offering atranslated Good News article on the endtime by Gary Petty, the Swedish bookletVägen till Evigt Liv (The Road to EternalLife), as well as the Are We Living in theTime of the End? booklet and a subscriptionto the English Good News.A large percentage of people in Swedencan read English, especially those under40, but the letter and translated literatureare designed to reach those who cannot.The members have just started to placethe brochures in mailboxes in their areas(an accepted method of distribution inSweden), and prayers are requested for thesuccess of this effort.Paul & Kira Spenser and Solveig HammarElder Ordained inCanadaDavid Campbell, a member of the Vancouver,British Columbia, congregation,was ordained into the ministry of JesusDavid Campbell, center, was ordainedSept. 27 at the Feast in Kelowna.From left, elders Rainer Salomaa,Joe Sheperd, Mike Erickson, DavidCampbell, David Palmer, Dennis Lukerand Don HooserChrist on the opening Holy Day of theFeast in Kelowna. Mr. Campbell, at age 41,is one of the youngest ministers in Canadaand will serve as an elder in the Vancouverand Vancouver Island congregations.He was born in Bellshill, Scotland, andraised in Vancouver. He attended AmbassadorCollege, graduating in 1989. Heattended the Leadership Workshop at thehome office in 2005. He currently works asa consultant for a marketing company.The Campbell clan has a 43-year historyin the Church of God beginning in Scotland.His father and mother were originalmembers of the first Radio Church of Godcongregation in Scotland in 1964.David Palmer3.75 Million AustralianHouseholds toReceive BSC OfferDuring the next six months, the UnitedChurch of God–Australia plans to offer the12-lesson Bible Study Course to 3.75 millionhouseholds in Australia. This will bethe first time the BSC has been offered as“first contact” material in Australia.The course will be offered on the Internet,through card decks, a Yellow Envelopedrop, member letterbox drops, a Reader’sDigest ad reaching 954,000 and a couponad that will reach 2 million households.Conservative estimates are that between7,000 and 7,500 people will enroll.

United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationPresident Visits Congregations in Zambia and Malawiby André van Belkum andMorgen Kriedemann“Can this really happen?” “Do youthink he will actually visit us?” “Whywould our president want to visit with usin such remote, out-of-the-way places?”These were some of the comments madeby members when it was announced thatUCGIA President Clyde Kilough wouldbe visiting congregations in Zambia andMalawi.In August the visit became a reality,creating a great deal of excitement amongmembers in these countries. During the13-day tour, the president visited all thecongregations in Zambia (except oneextremely distant church), and the twocongregations in Malawi, traveling manyhundreds of miles by road in order to reachremote congregations in rural areas.The visit began Aug. 14 when Mr.Kilough landed in Johannesburg, SouthAfrica. The next day Morgen Kriedemann,pastor of the Johannesburg church,and his wife, Joleen, took the president ona tour of Pretoria, the capital.That evening Mr. Kilough conducteda Bible study for the Johannesburg congregation.There were 72 in attendance.“Are we ready to rule?” and “What willwe teach?” he asked. He gave examplesof complex problems facing areas such asBangladesh and sub-Saharan Africa andthe Arab-Israeli and Irish conflicts. Theseare some of the issues we will confrontat Christ’s return, and there will need tobe solutions. Learning to live God’s waynow will be one way we will be equippedto face and solve these challenges in theMillennium, he said.Visiting ZambiaThe next day, Aug. 15, we took an AirZambia flight to Lusaka, the capital ofZambia. Mr. Kriedemann and André vanBelkum joined Mr. Kilough on the flightand for the visit to both countries. Thereto meet us at the airport were a number ofmembers, including the regional pastor forZambia, Kambani Banda, and his wife,Shirley. Members presented each of uswith a colorful bouquet of flowers, makingus feel welcome to their country.From the airport we proceeded directlyto the home of the Banda family, where aBible study had been planned. The themeof Mr. Kilough’s study focused on anunstable world filled with sorrow, waitingfor the children to come to its rescue.At this time we are pilgrims, but once apilgrim puts his roots down in this world,he is no longer a pilgrim. After the studywe sat around in the garden and enjoyed asumptuous meal prepared by the ladies.We were joined a little later by Mikeand Primrose Mukarati who manage ouroffice in Zimbabwe. It was a joy to seethem as we were able to discuss the perplexingcircumstances our members arefacing in that country. We were also ableto hand over relief funds collected by thecongregations in South Africa, which willbe used to assist the members there. Theycontinue to face hardships most of us canhardly imagine.It was interesting that, on the same dayMr. Kilough arrived, presidents from countriesof SADC (the 14-member SouthernAfrican Development Community) gatheredin Lusaka for their annual conference.Armed soldiers were stationed about everyquarter of a mile along the route from theairport into the city. As soon as one ofthe leaders arrived, the entire route wasblocked off and all cars ordered to stopnext to the road. Earlier in the day ShirleyBanda waited about an hour for one of theheads of state to pass.Friday morning we managed to reachthe main shopping complex, only to bedelayed for over two hours when the mainaccess and exit points to the main roadwere blocked off. When we noticed policevehicles with sirens blaring and blue lightsflashing, we realized a head of state was ona mission somewhere.However, after our delay we visited twoChurch families in their homes. The firstwas a widow, Rebecca Chipembele, andher granddaughter, Alice Banda. Theirhome was located in a suburb where roadsformed a narrow track of deep potholesand ruts, a challenge to both vehicle anddriver. We were ushered into her home,which consisted of a living room, kitchenand a bedroom. Our conversation wasabout the Church and how she managedto get to services on the Sabbath. Outsidein the street a loudspeaker blared away,making it difficult at times to hear.From there we visited another family,Lynos and Brenda Ngwenya and their children,Nathan, Amos and Leah. The wholefamily stayed in one room, the bedroomseparated by a curtain hung from the ceiling.It was an honor for us, more than forthem, to be in these members’ homes andhear their dedication to the ways of Godunder the most trying of circumstances. Onour way to our next destination, we weresobered as we contemplated the commitmentand devotion of these members.Sabbath in MumbwaSabbath day dawned, and we departed tovisit congregations in the Mumbwa province.Combined services for Kasumpa,Nalubanda and Nalubanda North churcheshad been arranged. First we stopped at thevillage of a member and headman of thatarea, Jerrison Shacoonga, his wife, Nice,and their seven children. Then we visiteda newly completed church hall sponsoredby the Good Works program.After visiting Lloyd Chifwepa and familyand a widow, Mrs. Maninga, we left forservices. Along the way we stopped at aclinic and handed over medicine suppliedby LifeNets. This clinic helps our membersin the area, as only qualified medicalpersonnel are allowed to administer certaindrugs. LifeNets supplies the medicineand when members get ill (especially withmalaria) the clinic staff members administerthe medication. We noticed patientsin the wards curled up under blankets,starring at us, some with looks of sadnessand resignation in theireyes.On arrival at Nalubanda,we weregreeted with a song ofwelcome, sung withthe usual harmony so pleasing to the ears.During the service Mr. Kilough stressedthe importance of us striving for the Kingdomof God, not putting our roots downin this society. “Seek first the kingdom ofGod,” he said, but not forgetting to alsoseek His righteousness.Attendance of 122 was the highest onthe trip. The service took place in the newhall constructed with the help of the GoodWorks Program. (A third hall is presentlybeing built in Nalubanda North.)One highlight was the church choir.Their singing is spontaneous and inspiring.After services we all sat around andenjoyed a meal of lechwe (an African antelope),ground and cooked maize, chicken,goat meat and vegetables. By then it wasdark, and in the lights of a motor vehicleMr. Kilough was presented with a giftof a clock mounted on a copper map ofZambia.The journey back was over a bumpyroad, with the usual potholes that made ourvehicle thump along. It took us two hoursand five minutes to do the 65 kilometersback to our lodge. We stopped twice tostretch our legs. On the entire journey backto our lodge in Mumbwa we only cameacross two vehicles.Sunday in MapokoThe departure was early for our nextcongregation visit at Mapoko. Fortunatelyit was only about an hour’s drive from ourlodge. Along the way we picked up a fewmembers. On arrival at the hall, membersgreeted us with the usual welcome songand lined up to greet the president. Thehall was a mud structure with a thatch roof.Attendance was 78.Mr. Kilough emphasized 1 Peter 2:9stressing that as we are a holy nation, weLeft, visiting Rebecca Chipembele and hergranddaughter, Alice Banda, in Lusaka. Above,Clyde Kilough speaking in Mufulira, Zambia,with a translator on his right. Right, André vanBelkum, Kambani Banda and Cherry Pringle inthe office where Mr. and Mrs. Pringle managethe distribution of The Good News and handlethe incoming and outgoing mail for Zambiaare required to live every day as the peopleof God. He also referred to James 2:5,showing that God decided to choose thepoor of this world, rich in faith, to be heirsof the Kingdom He has promised to thosewho love Him.After services and fellowshipping, wetraveled a short distance to visit membersin their homes. First we visited threewidows who are regarded as successfulfarmers. They showed us this year’s cropsof maize and cotton. Their village consistedof thatched bungalows that servedas bedrooms, a separate kitchen for mealpreparation and structures for chickens,goats, sheep and pigeons. We noticed thatnone of the sleeping quarters had doors butmerely a cloth strung in front of the opening.Crime is not a problem in the area.After visiting the village of anothermember, we returned to the village ofthe leading member, Jonathan Katapya.We sat under the shade of a mulberry treeand enjoyed a meal of stewed goat meat,braised guinea fowl, maize meal and vegetables.We left Mapoko with memberssinging and waving farewell. We returnedalong a road that was badly eroded andpotholed. Fortunately it was only for eightkilometers until we reached the main roadto Lusaka, which had been resurfacedwith financial backing from the Swedishgovernment.Mufulira and the Copper BeltNext morning we left Lusaka on afive-hour drive to the north of Zambiain order to visit the congregation atMufulira.The road was rather busy especiallywith trucks transporting equipment toand from the copper mines in the region.Along the way we came across the wrecksof five accidents.We went to the home of Derrick andCherry Pringle, who manage the distributionThe Good News and handle all incomingand outgoing mail of the Church inZambia. Much appreciation was expressedby Mr. Kilough for the voluntary work thePringles and others like them from aroundthe world perform in serving the Church.That evening we enjoyed the hospitalityof the Pringles and sat down to a deliciousmeal prepared by Cherry Pringle.The next morning we attended theMufulira congregation. It is located in theCopper Belt, referred to as such becauseof the copper mines located there. Alongthe way we came across the usual taxis,many with religious slogans printed on therear window, such as “Only God knows”and “Each man for himself, and God for usall.” The attendance was 78.Mr. Kilough mentioned that humangovernments over the centuries have notsolved the problems people face, nor providedstability or hope. However, God’sKingdom will not only last forever, butprovide the solutions to human problems(Daniel 2:44). He mentioned that everyday we have an opportunity to live righteouslyand allow God to train us for aposition of rulership in His Kingdom. Oneof the main reasons people fall away is thatthey lose the vision of the Kingdom, andwe should not be distracted from our goalof entering the Kingdom of God.On our trip back, we met the usualpolice roadblocks (which are numerous onthe roads of most African countries). Howeverthe police were civil and courteous.Most of the day Wednesday was occupiedwith a meeting of 10 men from thelocal Church. Mr. Kilough covered variousaspects of leadership in the Church.He stressed that any position in the Churchshould not be for personal gain but forservice to others. Allow God to use youin whatever niche He places you, eventhough the spotlight may not be on you,he said.Thursday we departed on our returnjourney to Lusaka.Traveling to MalawiOn Friday, Aug. 24, we departed forLusaka airport and checked through customsand immigration, only to be toldthat the flight to Lilongwe, Malawi, wasdelayed.While waiting at the airport we noticedan airport staff member reading The GoodNews. A broad smile spread across his faceSee “President,” page 5

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 United Youth Corps: International Projects for 2008United Youth Corps Projects for 2008!All United Church of God young adults (high schoolgraduates and older) are welcome to apply to serveand tour in these unique areas of the world! Dates andapproximate costs are included below. Be watching forannouncements in your local congregations in Decemberfor detailed fact sheets about the projects andan application. Be sure to visit the United Youth CorpsWeb site at www.ucgyouthcorps.org for detailsabout the United Youth Corps—its mission andgoals, past projects and future plans!Amman, Jordan/Israel ProjectThe summer of 2008 we plan to sponsor a six-week program for up to 12qualified young adults to serve at a youth camp in Jordan, tour Israel andparticipate in an archaeological dig in Israel for four weeks. This will be a greatopportunity to learn about the Middle East, serve and experience a part of theworld that makes the Bible come alive! This United Youth Corps project willlast six weeks (mid-June through July) and cost each participant about $4,000.Ghana Youth CampIn the late summer of 2008 the UnitedYouth Corps will help sponsor fourqualified young adults (two men andtwo women) to help staff the summercamp in Ghana. All UYC volunteerswill serve as activity instructorsin conducting a youth camp forolder UCG teens. Experience onstaff of United Youth Camps ispreferred. Meals and lodging will beprovided. Some travel time beforeor after camp for sightseeing andvisiting brethren will be scheduled.Yellow fever vaccination, use ofantimalarial medication and a medicalexamination will be required. Theproject will run from Aug. 6 to20 and will cost each participantapproximately $1,500.Nigeria Youth CampIn the summer of 2008 the UnitedYouth Corps will help sponsor up tofour qualified young adults to helpstaff the summer camp for teensin Abeokuta, Nigeria. All UYCvolunteers will serve as activityinstructors, and the activities willinclude volleyball, soccer, rockclimbing, computer appreciation andcrafts. Experience on staff of UnitedYouth Camps is preferred. Meals andlodging in Lagos and at the summercamp will be provided. Yellow fevervaccination, use of antimalarialmedication and a medical examinationwill be required. The project will runfrom Aug. 11 to 27 and will cost eachparticipant approximately $2,000.Kenya Youth CampIn the winter of 2008 the United YouthCorps will help sponsor up to four qualifiedyoung adults (two men and two women) tohelp staff a camp for older teens in Kenya,East Africa. All UYC volunteers willserve as activity coordinators and assist ascounselors. Experience on staff of UnitedYouth Camps is preferred. Meals andlodging will be provided. All participantswill stay in tents at the camp. No vaccinationsare required but the use of antimalarialmedication and a medical examinationwill be required. Participants will havean opportunity to visit some of the localcongregations of UCG and enjoy a two-dayAfrican wildlife safari. The project will runfrom Dec. 10 to 24, 2008, and will costeach participant approximately $2,300.Philippine Youth CampIn the early summer of 2008the United Youth Corps willhelp sponsor four qualifiedyoung adults (two men andtwo women) to help staff thePhilippine summer camp.The camp will be held atEden Nature Park in Davao,Philippines. All staff andparticipants will be stayingin tents and meals will beprovided at the camp. UYCvolunteers may choose toarrange to tour parts of thePhilippines before or afterthe camp. The camp willrun from April 27 to May 11and will cost each participantapproximately $1,200.“President,” continued from page 4when Mr. Kilough showed him his namein his American passport and also pointedout his name in the GN staff box. We tooka photograph of Mr. Kilough sitting nextto this individual. What made this situationmore unusual was that the GN was originallysent to a subscriber in Indiana.Wherever we met with the members,they expressed their appreciation to Mr.Kilough for taking time to visit them,especially in the far-flung, more-difficultto-reachlocations. The visit to Zambia,even though tiring and strenuous at times,Left: “Imagine my surprise to walk into the smallairport waiting room in Lusaka, Zambia, andfind a man reading a copy of The Good Newsmagazine,” Mr. Kilough wrote. Airport employeeBen Makungu was eagerly reading the magazinesomeone had passed on to him, and was alsoquite surprised to meet Mr. Kilough. Above, Mr.Kilough meets brethren in Blantyre, Malawi.was most successful, and weexperienced few problems anddifficulties along the way.Malawi Leg of the TripThat evening our 50-seater prop airplanetoucheddown in whatis described as“The Warm Heartof Africa.” Thepeople of Malawiare exactly that:Warm and friendlyand nowheremore so than inthe Church.A relativelysmall country(118,484 squarekilometers) with apopulation of 12million, Malawiis the eighth poorestcountry in theworld. Unemploymentis high. Theaverage incomeof a laborer is $50per month; andthat of a civil servant, $150. Here we findbrethren, dedicated and supportive of thework of God, faithfully paying tithes everymonth from the little they have.We were met at Lilongwe airport byelder Gladstone Chonde and driven byambulance (supplied by LifeNets) to ouraccommodation.Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi. Thereon Sabbath morning Mr. Belkum and Mr.Kriedemann accompanied Mr. Kilough toservices held in the clinic run by GladstoneChonde and built by LifeNets. Fifty-sevenwere in attendance. After the customarysong of welcome by the congregationfor him, Mr. Kilough presented the messagecentered not only on seeking God’sKingdom, but also seeking His righteousnessnow in our lives. He quoting from thehymn: “I have held back my feet from theways of this world.”Early the next morning, we were drivenby Sam and Esther Chilapora in anotherambulance donated by LifeNets (by thisstage we were questioning whether wewere ill but unaware of it) 352 kilometerssouth to the city of Blantyre where ourother congregation is situated.Along the way we stopped off at theBalaka Medical Centre attended to by Dr.Chilapora and his wife, a qualified nursingsister. This clinic, too, was donated byLifeNets and opened by Victor Kubik onOct. 7, 2003.That same Sunday afternoon, after sixhours of travel from Lilongwe, a Biblestudy was conducted, attended by 71.Mr. Kilough was welcomed at the doorin the typical, warm Malawian fashion;presented with a bunch of flowers by ayoung girl and a boutonniere by one of theyoung boys.Again, Mr. Kilough’s message focusedon the miracle of our calling, God’s comingKingdom and the vital need to maintaina strong vision of it in the forefront ofour minds (Proverbs 29:18).At the end of the study, one of the members,Tielmans Chirwa, on behalf of theBlantyre members, presented Mr. Kiloughwith a fine painting of an African village.This was given, it was said, as a reminderof where he had been and an invitation tocome back again soon.Next morning we departed to the airportto fly back to Johannesburg, SouthAfrica. At the airport Gracious Mpilangwesaid that Malawi had been greatly blessedby Mr. Kilough’s visit. We were equallyblessed, if not more so.So ended 12 days of travel throughZambia and Malawi. It was tiring andexhilarating, eye opening and humblingto share in the faith and dedication ofour brethren in this part of SouthernAfrica. UN

United UnitedNews News September/October November 20072002 United Church of God, an International AssociationUnited’s Financial Statements Again Reflect God’s Blessings■ Independent auditorsgive financial statementsa clean bill of health.The fiscal year sawthe mortgage on thehome office paid offand expenditures forpreaching the gospelincreased 17 percent.by Tom Kirkpatrick,TreasurerWe have included on thistwo-page spread the auditedfinancial statements of theUnited Church of God, anInternational Association,for the fiscal year endingJune 30, 2007, along withthe auditors’ report and asummary of key financialindicators, takenfrom the statements.The audit firm ofClark, Schaefer, Hackettand Co. of Cincinnati,Ohio, onceagain performed theaudit, and issued an“unqualified” opinion,which is the desirable kind toreceive.These statements reflect anotheryear of operations during which theChurch has been blessed with stableincome and sound operational controlof expenditures.During this year, the Church paidoff the 15-year mortgage on the homeoffice facility in Cincinnati (after fiveyears). At the same time, the Churchhas now maintained its reserve position,as mandated by policy.Expenditures for preaching thegospel grew by 17 percent, in a yearwhen total income increased 7 percent.We are grateful to God the Fatherand the Head of the Church (JesusChrist), giver of all good gifts, for providingthese increases and results. Ourgratitude and appreciation, of course,also extends to the faithful membersof the Church and others who supportits work through their faithfulness ingiving tithes and offerings.As always, we solicit the prayers ofall who support the Church, that Godwould give wisdom in the managingof its financial affairs. UNFiscal Year 2006-7 Fiscal Year 2005-6Cash and cash equivalents $7,313,322 $7,120,528Total assets 11,631,525 11,314,464Total liabilities 1,237,428 2,441,220Unrestricted net assets 10,379,118 8,855,762Total income 23,368,688 21,907,466Change in net assets 1,520,853 931,759Financial statements continue on next page

United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationNewsAt a GlanceMediaMedia Meetings ShowStrategic Promise“The past couple of weeks have indeed beenbusy, but also filled with promise,” said LarrySalyer, Media and Communications Servicesoperation manager. He was describing the MediaSteering Group meetings in mid-October thatwere held the same week as the interviews withstrategic planning consultants (see page 1).“These two different projects were quite compatiblein that the media group has come to the placeof trying to organize all of our previous brainstormingand analysis into meaningful direction for ourmedia efforts. The ideas and proposals presentedwill eventually make their way into the media planand the overall Strategic Plan of the Church.”Mr. Salyer said he sees promise in the commitmentto improve “our effectiveness in doingthe work we have been called to do. There was agreat deal of energy and enthusiasm in both [setsof meetings]. Change takes time, of course, andwe want to be thorough and wise in whateversteps we choose to take.“I just read in Newsweek that their major overhaulof their Internet presence took them ninemonths, many meetings and much disputing. Weare looking at upgrading our own Internet identity,knowing that it may be a long-term project.Other elements of our media plan will comealong more quickly.”Beyond Today production meetings with presentersand staff were held at the home office at the endof October. This year, some of the time was spentconsidering “various approaches to all of our videoproducts, including television,” Mr. Salyer said.“Your prayers are really appreciated, as Christis the one who will give us success in these venturesas we submit to His will.”Good Neighbor HelpsAdvertise Good NewsOn Sept. 1, 2007, distribution of 320,000 GoodNews “take one” subscription brochures beganon 2,000 attractive Good Neighbor literaturedisplays located at the entrances of major supermarketsand discount stores, including Wal-Mart,A&P, Safeway, Kroger and many others. Thestates and number of stores are:Arizona 90 Missouri 78Arkansas 1 Nevada 16California 81 New Hampshire 3Colorado 45 New Jersey 60Connecticut 18 New York 53Delaware 11 Ohio 73Florida 1 Oregon 38Illinois 377 Pennsylvania 279Indiana 186 Rhode Island 1Kansas 9 Tennessee 3Kentucky 2 Texas 120Louisiana 14 Vermont 6Maryland 87 Virginia 8Massachusetts 14 Washington 48Michigan 172 West Virginia 2Minnesota 33 Wisconsin 71There is also an outlet in Washington D.C.During the past few years, brochure distributionon supermarket displays has proved to beone of our most effective advertising efforts.This year, four new subscription brochuresare being offered, including The Book of RevelationUnveiled, Jesus Christ: The Real Story,What Happens After Death? and Marriage andFamily: The Missing Dimension. Each colorfulbrochure offers a booklet by the same title and asubscription to The Good News.As always, your prayers for God’s blessings onthis important ad campaign are much appreciated.“The Debt Trap” ProgramFeatured on Debt SiteA debt consolidation Web site has a link tothe Beyond Today program “The Debt Trap” onYouTube (www.3debtconsolidation.com/videos/debt/the-debt-trap.html).“These kind of links happen a lot with ourBeyond Today videos, but this one is rather interestingin that exact quotes from our program arehighlighted,” said Peter Eddington, Beyond Todaydirector. “Good advertising for Beyond Today!”Another NewspaperRuns an Article on BTThe religion page of the Aug. 30 Richfield, Minnesota,Sun-Current included an article about theBeyond Today program. Titled “New Cable Program,”the article described the program as “Biblebased”and gave the dates, times and channels onBeyond Today featured in Richfield Sun-Currentwhich Beyond Today can be seen in the area. It alsolisted the program titles for September.The article was submitted by local sponsorBarbara Lee, and included a phone number andthe Web address for Beyond Today.Beyond TodayReaching 100th WeekNov. 11-17 will mark the 100th week of airingthe Beyond Today video program. The programto be broadcast that week will be “European Viewof Prophecy” hosted by Darris McNeely.There are currently 152 Church member sponsorswho supply Beyond Today video programsto 186 cable-access channels across the UnitedStates. The total number of responses so far is16,617 (through Oct. 13).Contributors: Peter Eddington, John LaBissoniereTour of Greece Planned for 2008 Spring FeastDuring the 2008 Days of UnleavenedBread, the education travel program willoffer a biblical study tour of Greece. Wewill focus on the travels of the apostlePaul and his letters to the Corinthians,examining the meaning and symbols forthe New Testament Passover and Daysof Unleavened Bread.The dates of the tour are April 16-25,2008. The tour will leave the UnitedStates for Athens on Wednesday, April16. Participants from other regions ofthe world may be able to reach Athensvia a Thursday departure. Membershave the option to extend their stayin Athens to observe the final day ofUnleavened Bread.Director of Education ProgramsDavid Register and Ambassador BibleCenter instructor Gary Antion and severalother elders will accompany the10-day study program.The tour will begin in Corinth wherewe will observe the Passover, weeklySabbath, Night to Be Much Observedand the first Holy Day. The secondhalf of the stay in Greece will provideopportunities to see Sparta, Olympiaand Athens.The daily schedule will featuremorning orientation talks, specialsessions on history and background,on-site lectures, scripture readings,guided tours and application discussions.Participants will stay in superiorfirst-class hotels and travel via motorcoach. In addition to Paul’s teachings,the travelers will learn about the Hellenisticworld of the first century andGreek language and its cultural influenceon the world today.Other educational highlights of thetrip include: geography of Greece,in-depth study of the city of Corinth,Greek and Roman ruins, architecturalmuseums, the Peloponnesian Peninsula,the rise of Alexander the Great,the Peloponnesian wars, Olympia andGreek mythology and the history ofOlympic games.The following hotels are reservedfor the trip: Kalamaki Beach Hotel–Corinth, Best Western Hotel Europa–Olympia and Divania Palace Acropolis–Athens.We will need a minimum number ofparticipants to operate the tour and theextension. More information on costand the extension will be announcedsoon. To obtain more information call(800) 858-6999, e-mail your requestto Info@travelgallery.com or visitwww.travelgallery.com.David Register“Winter Family Weekend,”continued from page 32ball, volleyball, speedaway, rock climbing,indoor tennis, indoor swimming,flag football, cardio center and weightroom, organized children’s games,dances and two musical jam sessions.There will again be a family funfair with games and rides such as firetruck slide, first down, mechanicalbull, moon bounce, obstacle course,putt-putt, twin spin, Velcro wall, zingswing, and many more. A family noveltyOlympics will also be held. Cardsand board games will be available forcheckout at the sports facilities.Due to the increased attendance, wehave added a brand-new, state-of-theartbasketball facility to our venues thisyear. This will allow for many morevolleyball courts as well as basketballcourts. Please note that the volleyballwill be held at Mid-America SportsCenter while the basketball will takeplace at HOOPS, a separate facility.We will be using two other sportsfacilities for additional activities aswell as the Clarion Conference Centerfor even more.DancesThis year’s teen dance theme is“City Nights,” a night out on the town.The dance is for ages 12 to 19, and thedress is semiformal wear.The theme of the young adult (ages18 to 39) dance is “Black, White andBling.” The dress for this dance issemiformal or formal. Cost for thedance is $6 and can be paid in advanceor at the door.The theme for the family dance thisyear is the ’80s. Prizes will be givento those who come dressed in theirbest ’80s outfit. Nothing offensive orimmodest, please, and no shorts ortank tops. If you do not come dressedin ’80s style, the dress is nice casual—nice jeans or better.On Monday night you can take inor participate in a bluegrass/countryjam session or a rock-and-roll concert.This year the rock-and-roll jam sessionis being upgraded to consist ofalready rehearsed groups playing a setof music. If you have a band, or a groupof people who can put together somesongs between now and this event, contactMark Winner at mark_winner@ucg.org. You will be asked to submit alist of five to 15 songs you would liketo play, along with the band members’names and possibly a demo tape. Thedeadline to sign up for this is Dec. 10.Registration NeededAs always, we need you to help makethis a successful event. Please taketime to register in advance at www.ucg.org/familyweekend. This helps usplan for each activity, as well as givesus volunteers to make sure we have allthe help needed at each venue.For those participating in sportingevents, the early registration feeis $15 per person or $45 maximumper family of four or more. The deadlinefor early registration is Dec. 14.Any registrations after that date can betaken, but the fee will be collected atthe door and is $20 per person or $50maximum per family of four or more.Anyone who cannot register online,please pick up a copy of the onlineregistration form from your pastor.The venue for wall climbing is aseparate fee of $10 per person for afour-hour time block.After much discussion, we havedecided to share the cost of the refereesfor the men’s basketball gamesthis year with those participating inthe games, so anyone participating inmen’s basketball will have an additionalfee of $5.Hotel ReservationsThe main hotel and conferencecenter is the Clarion. Our secondaryproperty is Holiday Inn Hurstbourne(same exit).• Clarion ($40 + tax) (866) 246-2021 or (502) 491-4830.• Holiday Inn ($45 + tax) (502)426-2600. This property will hold yourreservation with a nonrefundable onenight deposit.If you haven’t already, call now andmake your reservations.For more information on “Singles inthe Middle” activities, please contactJohn Dean jdeanpe@yahoo.com or(828) 243-6669.We do encourage parents not tosend their teens without appropriatesupervision for their own safetyand protection.Continued updates can be found atwww.ucg.org/familyweekend.Mark Winner

10 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationFestival coordinator Kingsley Mather,who is also the regional pastor of theCaribbean, gave a resounding sermonon the world tomorrow. Later thatsame night, the Ministry of Tourismin the Bahamas held a welcome receptionfor attendees at the Weston Hotel.Carmeta Miller, senior manager atthe local tourism office, welcomedthe delegates to the islands of theBahamas. International brethren got ataste of Bahamian music and dancing,along with Bahamian finger foods.On Friday night, the second day ofthe Feast, a good number of young-Freeport, Bahamassters attended the teen Bible studyconducted by Bill Johnson from NorthCarolina.The highest attendance at the Feastwas recorded on the weekly Sabbath,Sept. 28, when 386 personswere counted. On Sunday, memberswatched the Feast video, and later thatafternoon, a planned snorkeling triphad to be postponed due to inclementweather. The weather was not toocooperative during the first half of theFeast, as it rained just about every day.The rain eventually tapered off duringthe latter half, and the brethren wereable to resume all planned outdooractivities with beautiful sunshine.Sunday night also saw a numberof individuals getting together for theyoung adults’ Bible study.On Monday night, members enjoyeda very entertaining and enjoyable Talent/FunShow. Many commented thatit was the best fun show that they hadever attended.Tuesday, after services, Feastgoersenjoyed the Family Fun Day on thebeach at the hotel where youngstersand adults alike participated in a numberof events and games.On the Last Great Day, Thursday,Oct. 4, two services were held, andmany brethren were able to enjoy agroup luncheon together between services.A lot of the brethren commentedthat they truly enjoyed the Feasthere in the Bahamas, both spirituallyand physically, as there were manyinspiring messages. Some memberseven stated that they would returnif the Feast were held again in theBahamas.Daniel McKinneyBarbadosThis year the Feast in Barbados washeld at Southern Palms Hotel on thepicturesque South Coast. The weatherwas hot and sunny with only the occasionalshower.The members attending representedthe Caribbean islands of St. Kitts, St.Thomas, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobagoand Barbados, as well as membersfrom Canada and Mr. and Mrs. RichardPinelli from the United States. Thehighest daily attendance figure was 64on the Last Great Day.The Feast went very well with Mr.and Mrs. Pinelli spending the first halfwith us. As the only minister in Barbados,Mr. Pinelli had more than his shareof speaking. He gave the inauguralmessage as well as the main messagesfor the first four days of the Feast andadded the offertory message on the firstHoly Day for good measure. All of themessages were applicable, thoughtprovokingand inspiring.Festival Youth Instruction bookletsspecially prepared for the different agegroups were handed out at the Feast.The two main activities were bothwell attended. One was a scenic bustour of the island, with a number ofstops for those who wanted to takepictures or just enjoy the scenery. TheFamily Day picnic was held at DoverBeach with a specially catered mealfor those so desiring and the remainderof the time spent swimming in thesea, lying in the sun, playing in thesand or sitting in the shade of a treewatching the sea.Since the Pinellis attended the restof the Feast in St. Lucia, our messagesfor the second half of the Feast consistedof MP3 sermons, the Festivalvideo and two days where we joinedthe Jekyll Island Feast site for thewebcast.On the Last Great Day everyoneattending enjoyed the speciallyplanned midday meal at the Feast sitehotel.All of the comments on the Feastwere positive, with attendees sayingthey had a great time and some statingthat they were already planningto come to Barbados next year. OverallGod blessed us with a fantasticFeast—great messages, great physicalblessings and especially great attitudes.We truly were one family.Stephen CrosbyBoliviaCoroicoThis year 34 brethren, includingchildren, kept the Feast in the beautifulRio Selva Resort in the small townof Coroico, in the district of Nor-Yungas,Bolivia. The town is located only60 miles north of La Paz, the capital.The hotel is an excellent facilitywith nice rooms, beautiful gardensand several swimming pools. Thefacilities we had this year only showa small part of what God will give uswhen He establishes His Kingdom onthis earth.Physical food was very abundant,with every meal buffet-style. Becauseof the tropical weather of the regionwe also had all kinds of fruits available.The hotel is located between twomountains, next to a river of crystalclearwaters. In this paradisical placeGod put His name to keep the Feast.The group was small and very unitedand harmonious.From the beginning of the Feastwe all felt God’s blessing and protection.For example, the climate forthe place is very hot under normalcircumstances, but during the Feastthe weather was very comfortable.Another example is that the road thatconnects Coroico to La Paz used to bea dirt road, but just before the Feast itwas paved!It was also very inspiring to knowthat we had a person for whom thiswas his 42nd Feast, and we also had ababy girl who was 42 days of age.A couple from Australia took threedays of different flights to get to theFeast site. In spite of such difficultiesgetting to the Feast, everyone had veryCoroico, Boliviahappy faces when they arrived andduring the whole Feast.The spiritual food was very balancedand abundant. To me, the amazinggrace of God is so great to give thespiritual success in all Feast sites at thesame time around the world. That isreally inspiring. God is always fulfillingHis promise to put His name in theplaces He chooses. Because of that, itis only logical that we as His instrumentsdo our very best to collaboratewith our God to make a success ofevery Holy Day.Fermin NainBrazilMaloca de MoscouThis year 58 brethren, includingchildren, kept the Feast of Tabernaclesand the Last Great Day in Maloca deMoscou, in the northern part of Brazil,near the border with Guyana.Again we kept the Feast in the samefacilities built by Church members tokeep the Sabbath inside the reservationthe Brazilian government gave toour community.Most of the brethren attending theFeast were from the village. However,we also had a family who came fromGuyana to keep the Feast with us.That was a wonderful event, since wedo not have many visitors because ofdistance.The United Church of God gaveus the funds to rebuild the roof of ourmeeting hall, which we did before theFeast, so we had the blessing to haveour meeting hall renewed.This year we also noticed a lot ofinterest in the Church of God amongmore members of the community,which shows the kind of good examplethe members of God’s Church areshowing to the community in general.Some of the attendees mentioned theirgreat desire to become members of theChurch of God through baptism.We had a very profitable and happyFeast. The group was very unitedand satisfied with the messages. Wehad social activities every day afterservices where all had the chance toparticipate.We hope more brethren can visit usfor the Feast next year.Roberto Mathews da SilvaBritish IslesShorefieldLights, cameras, action! Thesewere the buzzwords that greeted the123 brethren attending theFeast in the British Isles.We were encouraged tobe lights to the world inShorefield Holiday Parkand beyond. Camerasreminded us that as wetook our pictures, Godwas also watching andrecording as He makesup His family album, theBook of Life. Action representedeverything wedid for the duration of theFestival.The particularly spiritually richand encouraging sermons were complementedby a variety of specialmusic and two Bible studies. Onestudy for the young adults on thesubject of relationships was presentedby our main speaker, Paul Suckling,visiting from the United States.The subject for the second study wasPaul Suckling speaks in Shorefield, Englandthe throne of David, presented byTonbridge member David Jardinewho has enjoyed unique access tothe House of Lords. The study wasaccompanied with pictures showinghow our identity as Israel is literallywoven into the fabric of British governmentbuildings.We also were provided with a wealthof tours to places of interest in the surroundingarea. These included SalisburyCathedral and Portsmouth withits historic dockyard, which includesAdmiral Lord Nelson’s flagship HMSVictory. Also available was a trip tothe Isle of Wight, with a visit to QueenVictoria’s residence, Osborne House.The weather was kind, mainly dry andmild.Socials (with opportunities to performfun show items) and a children’sparty completed a full package ofactivities and fellowship opportunities.A great Feast, both spiritually andphysically, was enjoyed by all, withthe hope that a future return to thisexceptional venue will be made soon.Frank JarvisCameroonDoualaThis year 42 people attended theFeast in Douala, the economic capitalof Cameroon. Thankfully there wereno rains heavy enough to perturb anyFestival activities, contrary to whatone would expect in Douala duringSeptember and October.Brethren came from differentregions of the country, includingBélabo, Nkoteng, Eséka and Yaoundé.Several brethren from outside Doualawere not able to attend due to health orfamily problems. We were able to getexcused absences for the students, sothat they were all able to participate inthe whole Feast.Most brethren stayed in the churchhall complex, where we have severalnew dorm rooms built for this purpose.This expansion has been madepossible thanks to local participation,and to help from the Church internationally.We listened to MP3 sermonssent to us specifically for the Feast,and we were able to view the Festivalvideo as well.Sunday night we had a talent night,which was preceded by a Bible quizprepared in two parts, one for childrenand another for adults, under thesupervision of Messrs. Mabout, Bikoéand Ndjock. Among other numbers,the talent show included skits and traditionalCameroonian dances.Thanks to our brethren elsewherewho sent us the assistance to makepossible this wonderful Feast of Tabernaclescelebration!Moïse Élisée Mabout

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 11CanadaCollingwood, OntarioThe Feast was held in a new locationat the Georgian Manor Resort nestledbetween the colorful Blue Mountainsand beautiful Georgian Bay. The resortserved the 250 in attendance perfectly,with the auditorium just the right size(the room temperatures were too hot,too cold and just right!). Access to thevarious meeting rooms gave us flexibilityfor other activities and helpedthings move smoothly.Brethren came from several U.S.states and Canadian provinces andterritories. About 35 percent of ourattendees were American brethren,Collingwood, Ontario: Staffing theinformation table on Youth Day (photoby Robbie Guzman)and about the same percentage werein Collingwood for the first time.The weather was picture perfect andthe warmth of the people was evidentthroughout the Feast. An added touchthis year was the Feast of Tabernacles,Collingwood 2007 buttons designedand made by one of our local members.Many wore them into town, givingthe locals a glimpse of what wewere there for.Activities were well attended andour annual boat luncheon cruise wasa great success again this year. TheFamily Day barbecue enabled timeoff site to relax and enjoy a game ofvolleyball while the kids enjoyed theplayground and treasure hunt. Therewas time to fellowship and get to knowone another a little better. Our seniors’lounge was a big hit, providing our“Gold Members” an opportunity tofellowship over a cup of coffee/tea andmuffins on several mornings beforeservices. One of the ladies from theOttawa, Ontario, congregation madesome lovely cards that were signedby as many as possible and sent backto those unable to attend this year’sFeast.The children enjoyed this year’stheme of “Seek First the Kingdom.”The lessons taught by the ladies gaveadded meaning and excitement to theirFeast experience.The messages were inspiring andencouraging, as we were given a snapshotof God’s coming Kingdom. Thespecial music and choir were upliftingand the children’s choir stole the showas always.Donations to the local SalvationArmy food bank gave us the opportunityto share God’s blessings with theless fortunate in the area for the CanadianThanksgiving weekend.The Last Great Day buffet lunchwas at full capacity and gave us allone last chance to fellowship beforeleaving for our separate destinationslater that evening. Everyone left forhome with a renewed focus on God’sway of life as we anticipate the futurefulfillment for all mankind.Dennis HorlickKelowna, British ColumbiaSituated in the moderate climateof Canada’s Okanagan Valley, whereapple orchards and grape vines dot thelandscape, Kelowna, British Columbia,was once again a UCG Feast sitefor 2007, with a high attendance of384 of God’s people.The theater stage was embellishedwith beautiful decorations includingtowering white pillars encircledwith lights, wonderfulflower arrangements and aprojection screen for the lyricsto the hymns, as well asPowerPoint presentations forsome of the messages.One of the highlights of theopening day was the ordinationof David Campbell whowill serve as an elder in theVancouver, British Columbia,area.Each of the messages reemphasizedthe importance of livingGod’s way now, with a vision of thefuture when Christ returns and sets upGod’s Kingdom on this earth.Youth day once again had a specialtheme, “living water” (John 7:37-38),and dozens of stuffed animals addedto the setting. The animals were givento young children after services.Sedro Woolley, Washington, pastorDon Hooser and Howard Davis ofPortland, Oregon, not only providedthe songleading during the eight days,but also closed the Feast with verymeaningful messages on the LastGreat Day.This year’s Feast video presentationfrom the home office, “Threshold of aNew Age,” received extremely positiveresponse.Kelowna, British Columbia,children’s choirKelowna is also one of the Feast sitesthat webcasts services, and we had anumber of individuals and groups thatconnected to us from various parts ofCanada and the United States.Special music, including the KelownaFestival Choir under the direction ofJim Brandenburg of Calgary, Alberta,made the Feast even more special.Activities included a seniors’ luncheon,family dance, Family Dayconsisting of a penny carnival plus apotluck meal, Festival Youth Instruction,young adults’ seminar and activityat a local orchard where they hada lunch and were given a wagon ridethrough the orchard, a ministerial dinner,a teen bowling/pizza evening, avolunteer reception, a collection forthe local food bank and a teen study.David PalmerMoncton, New BrunswickA joyful Feast of Tabernacles washeld again this year in Moncton, NewBrunswick. Thirty people gatheredfrom the Maritime Provinces, the NewEngland states and three from westernCanada. Although we were small innumber, a special warmth among thebrethren was evidence that Christ wasamong us just as He promised in Matthew18:20. We also enjoyed warmthoutdoors as the weather was unseasonablywarm, and we had only onemorning of rain.We were pleased to have Mr. andMoncton, New Brunswick, getacquaintedmealMrs. David Metzel from the Cincinnati,Ohio, area keep the Feast with us.Mr. Metzel spoke to us on three occasions.He encouraged us to build ourrelationship with God by walking withHim each day and to develop a changein heart available to us under the NewCovenant. For the remainder of thesermons, we joined the webcast fromJekyll Island, Georgia. Having themwelcome us certainly made us feel apart of their Feast.As a little group, we soon becameas one big family andspent a great deal ofour time together,sharing home-cookedmeals and buildinga bond of brotherlylove.Our activitiesincluded a boat tripinto the Gulf of St.Lawrence, includinga meal on the boat. Wesaw two bald eaglesand had our boat visitedby many inquisitiveseals. Near the Bay of Fundy wewatched the surging 21-foot tide coverthe ocean floor at The Rocks. Wetoured a local winery, tasting the differentgrapes on the vine, learning thewine-making process and samplingthe finished product.The ladies gathered for an afternoontea at the home of one of our members.We were encouraged to share ourthoughts on having a year of growth,encouragement and food for thought.Everyone offered to help throughoutthe Feast, and we all worked together.As one member said, “We talked allthe way home about how great theFeast was physically and spiritually.Our Feast was the ‘best Feast ever’ inmany years.”Gary SteevesRegina, SaskatchewanRegina is a remarkably clean, expansivecity standing squarely on the greatgrassy plains of Saskatchewan. It canbe cold in winter, but was remarkablysunny and warm throughout the eightdays of the Feast. Much desired raincame the day after the Feast, as wewere leaving.This year 71 brethren enjoyed closeknitcompany in a relaxed atmosphere,with good humor spicing the entireFeast. The Regina Festival Choraleprovided music every day and led usin the hymns.Messages covered a wide range ofsubjects, from catching the vision towhy there isn’t a secret rapture, fromlongevity to wisdom and fromreluctant Jonah to the remodelingof Adam in psychedelicpink plasticine!This year we cut back on theactivities and had more fellowshiptime with the use of thehall 24 hours a day. We did ourtraditional early Thanksgivingmeal on Saturday evening,with turkey and all the trimmings.After the meal a Chileangroup came in and did fivedifferentdances from thevarious regions.The seniors’activity was atthe Regina FloralConservatory.George Carterread a poem andKen Graham did ashort study on theword immediatelyand how it fits intoour lives.The last groupactivity was themeal between thetwo services on the last day. Lunch ofsoup and sandwiches was set up for usat one end of the hall, so we just got upand walked to the other end of the hall,ate and fellowshipped.A special treat again this year wasthe blessing of children. Tracy Bertramhad a baby boy just before theFeast.One of the visited sites was the newRegina, Saskatchewan: Lloydand Helen Teetaert at the RCMPHeritage CentreRCMP Heritage Centre just openedthis summer. For the past 134 years,the Royal Canadian Mounted Policehas been an integral part of Canada’shistorical and cultural landscape,helping to form and protect this greatnation and playing a significant role increating the Canadian identity.We sang the song “God Be WithYou” at the end on the last day, due tothe meaning in the song and how it fitthe occasion.Lloyd Teetaert and George CarterSt. John’s, NewfoundlandThe 2007 Feast in St. John’s was a successfrom beginning to end. With a topattendance of 45, a family atmosphereprevailed all the way through. God’s handwas evident in the fellowship, the speakingand all the other activities. A spirit ofunity and cooperation was evident fromthe opening service to the afternoon serviceon the Last Great Day.The weather was cloudy and coolduring the first half, but during thefinal four days we were blessed withsunshine and warmer temperatures.People who have experienced manyFeasts commented that it was thebest Feast ever. All activities werewell attended, with good fellowshipevery day. The staff members at thehotel were very cooperative, andwere pleased to have us there againthis year. The staff gave a gift of $50to LifeNets, which was increased bydonations from Feast attendees.The St. John’s site was blessed tohave people from several U.S. states,a couple from mainland Canada andSt. John’s, Newfoundlandeight people from London, England,as well as local brethren.Those who were visiting the St.John’s area for the first time couldn’tseem to get enough of the beautifulscenery around the coastline and wereamazed at the friendliness of the localpeople with whom they came intocontact. Many feel that it is a uniqueplace to hold the Feast.Four elders and other speakers gavevery inspiring messages that werethoroughly appreciated. The sermonsand sermonettes consisted of very relevanttopics such as learning to fearGod, reasons for keeping the Feast,self-worth, encouragement to not lookback, how to have peace of mind in ananxious world and many other wordsof encouragement.Sam Parsons served as director ofthe 10-member choir, which sang twopieces. A few individuals contributedspecial music as well.Family Day was well attended. Alunch of sandwiches and soup wasserved, after which most people took

12 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International Associationadvantage of a sunny afternoon toexplore the coastline. Afterwards, asing-along was held followed by adelicious roast beef dinner. After dinner,a dance was enjoyed by many.The video was considered by manyto be the most inspiring ever.A variety night was hosted by Mr.Parsons, who did a good job of gettingeach person off to a fine start. Itwas a fun time and well attended.Overall, in the opinion of this writerand of many who attended, the Feast inSt. John’s was a physically and especiallya spiritually rejuvenating time.David SmithChileLican RayIn the Lake District of southernChile and in the shadow of the snowcappedVillarrica volcano, 220 brethrengathered to celebrate the Feast thisyear in Lican Ray.The Feast was held in the facilitiesof the tourist complex El Conquistador,where the brethren stayed incharming wooden cabins with chimneyssituated among the greenery ofthe native trees and the sound of thelocal fauna.Though temperatures oscillatedbetween 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit,we were blessed with sunny skiesand the warmth of the brethren.Under the coordination of the pastorSaul Langarica, who was there withhis wife the first half of the Feast, thebrethren were spiritually rechargedby the messages on topics such asthe Millennium, family relationships,prayer and lessons from Solomon,among others.Services were enhanced by the specialmusic provided every day by soloperformers and choirs, including onecomposed of children and another ofsenior citizens. The Feast also providedLican Ray, Chile (photo by ReneFigueroa)an opportunity for the brethren who livein more isolated regions to fellowship.At the end of the first Holy Day, wewere treated to a lively and colorfulesquinazo, a truly festal welcomingwith folkloric dances and songs sponsoredby the local brethrenWe also enjoyed a trip to the Vergarathermal baths, one of many inthe Villarica National Park. Otheractivities included a boat ride on LakeCalafquen, a family dance, a party forthe children, soccer games (whichChileans are passionate about) and atalent show where local dances andmusic took center stage.The senior citizens were honoredwith a special tea party, and the womenover 24 years of age were honoredwith a special breakfast. The membersof the Spokesmen’s Club also honoredthe ladies with a formal dinner andinspiring speeches in one of the restaurantsin town. Every afternoon, familiesinvited each other to their cabinsto an once, a customary gathering toshare tea, pisco sour, food and goodconversation.One of the highlights of the Feastwas the opportunity to welcome intothe Church of God five new brethren,who were baptized by Jaime Gallardo,an elder who serves the brethren in thesouth of Chile.The Feast site in Chile had a lot tooffer: history, folklore, lakes, volcanoesand beautiful scenery. But it’smost wonderful ingredient was thewarmth, friendship and hospitality ofthe brethren. We highly recommendChile as a Feast destination, but thisrecommendation comes with a warning:You can’t be allergic to hugs andkisses. The Chilean brethren take toheart what Mrs. Langarica likes to say:If you are coming to Chile, you haveto “let yourself be loved.”Eloy and Gladys ValdesColombiaIt was a very inspiring Feast in anice family environment. Our highestattendance was 87. This is less than inother years because our Ecuadorianbrethren, who used to come here, wentto Mendoza, Argentina, this year.Eduardo HernandezDemocraticRepublic of theCongoKinshasaFor the second time in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, newmembers of the United Church ofGod observed the Feast of Tabernacles.This year 33 people attendedthe site at the Santa Maria au Bancsite on the outskirts of Kinshasa, thenation’s capital. With God’s help wespent the Feast together in brotherlylove and friendship.We appreciate the assistance givento us to allow us to observe the Feastonce again. Each day we listened tosermonettes and sermons on CDs.These helped us to better understandthe plan of God. We also had extratime for prayer and to meditate on thethings we were learning.The ladies prepared the meals inthe common kitchen, and we enjoyedthe physical abundance as well as thespiritual.On the Last Great Day an Antonov26 airliner crashed shortly after takeoffinto a crowded market and on somehouses in the Kisangani neighborhoodonly three kilometers (less than twomiles) from us, killing at least 51 peopleand burning many more. This wasthe seventh deadly plane crash thisyear in the DRC, which has accountedfor half of all African plane crashesin the last decade. The brethren werevery saddened by this accident, butalso thankful for God’s protection,and for the comforting knowledge wehave of His plan for humanity.Jacob Pembelongo, Justin Tshikuma-Manengaand Joel MeekerEstoniaWe kept the Feast in two locationsin Estonia. The first half was in Estonia’ssecond largest city, Tartu, wherewe’ve usually held the Feast. The secondhalf was on the largest island inthe Baltic Sea called Saaremaa.Our high attendance was 40 peoplewho came from Estonia, Latvia, Sweden,England, Scotland and the UnitedStates. The weather was unseasonablywarm, with the fall colors reachingtheir peak. It couldn’t have been nicer.On Saaremaa we stayed at a spa hotelwhere we had access to pools, spasand massages. We ate there as well asheld our services.Sermons were given by JohnnieLambert, Victor Kubik and PaulSpenser. Sermonettes were by BryantLambert, Michael Kubik, Gail Allwine,Howard West and Paul Spenser.Every day we had special music thatEstonia: Above,the Robert Schultzfamily from Smiltene,Latvia; right, AlyssaKubik checking out the menu at aGeorgian restaurantwas organized by Karen Allwine.Several commented about the depthand biblical content in the Festival andits content as it related to the historyof Europe.Our only disappointment was thatone of our Karen refugee families thathas been resettled to Finland fromThailand was not allowed entry intoEstonia at the last moment because ofa change in laws regarding refugeestraveling. They had not had personalcontact with any members in twoyears.In all the sermons and sermonetteswe focused on God’s coming Kingdomand our need to be prepared.Our small attendance helped us allget better acquainted and bond withone another. The Feast in Estonia wasa wonderful event—some commentedthat it indeed was the best one in content,inspiration, scenery and fellowship.We were very happy to welcome anew family of six in Latvia who havejust started keeping the Sabbath andHoly Days. They came for the first andlast days of the Feast.With the continuing growth of readershipand new contacts in Scandinavia,we may be moving the Feast in theBaltic region to Sweden in two years.Victor KubikFijiSuva, Fiji, groupSuvaThe small group of UCG membersin Fiji—comprised of four baptizedadults and five preteen children—keptthis year’s Festival in Suva, the capitalcity of this small South Pacific islandnation.Services were held daily at the SaritaFlats, where two of the three familiesthat make up Fiji’s UCG membershipwere accommodated. Our highestdaily attendance figure was nine.Unlike previous Feasts where familieswere accommodated separately,staying together at the Sarita Flatsthis year provided an excellent familyenvironment where we were able tofellowship, cook and share meals, aswell as do many things as a family.For the children, the accommodationarrangement added great excitementto their Feast experience asthey had eight straight days toenjoy each other’s company, play,joke and share exciting activitiestogether. They especially enjoyedgoing through the preteen Sabbathinstruction program. It wasencouraging to realize some of thethings they now know about Godand His wonderful plan for mankind.The absence during the Feast ofone of our beloved members—Mrs.Walesi Toloi who died April 28—wasobviously felt by all ofus. In memory of herservice to the Fijianchurch, the group tooka trip to her burial siteon the morning of theLast Great Day. Whilewe stood around hergrave, in the midstof thousands of othergraves, I briefly sharedwith our small groupGod’s wonderful planand promise of the resurrection.We all cameaway uplifted, knowingthat we would meet our loved onesagain in God’s Kingdom.The highlights of the Festival were,of course, the meaty messages thatwere brought to us through the sermonCDs. Without exception, all messageswere very stirring and encouraging.To God’s small family in Fiji, ClydeKilough’s Last Great Day messagetitled “I Must Be There” struck a verypersonal note. The recent loss of someonedear to all of us and our trip to thecemetery early that morning providedthe appropriate environment—mentally,emotionally and spiritually—tosoak in and absorb the encouragingmessage of hope from God on thatday. What a great way to end a greatFestival.We all must be there!Emori ToloiFranceCollonges-la-RougeOne hundred six brethren fromseven countries observed the Feast inCollonges-la-Rouge, named one ofFrance’s most beautiful villages. Celebrantslodged, dined and attendedchurch services and Festival activitieson the all-inclusive site. Bucolicsurroundings, warm fellowship andpleasant weather gave a welcomeforetaste of the world tomorrow.Highlights of the Feast this yearincluded encouraging and stimulatingsermons and sermonettes, including amuch-appreciated Last Great Day sermonby Church treasurer, Tom Kirkpatrick,on the exciting symbolism ofthe day.During Family Day, many visitorslearned how to play pétanque, asouthern-French ball game perfectlysuited to fellowshipping, and Frenchmembers from the Caribbean island ofMartinique shared martiniquais horsd’oeuvre pastries and tropical drinksthey had specially prepared.Coach excursions visited historicand cultural sites, such as the medievaltowns of Rocamadour and Sarlatla Caneda, the prehistoric cave paintingsat Lascaux and the picturesquevillages of Beaulieu and Curemonte.A local folk-dancing troupe performedone evening, and the talent show wasan especially high point of the Feast.The francophone members heldtheir annual association meeting onenight, and participated in two eveningBible studies prepared especially forthem, taking full advantage of theirrare moments to all be together.This site in Collonges-la-RougeCollonges-le-Rogue, France: French-speakingbrethren at one of the Bible studieshas been reserved once again for theFeast of Tabernacles 2008. Why notjoin us?Joel MeekerGermanySchluchseeThe Feast in Schluchsee, Germany,this year was a wonderful timeof rejoicing and looking forward to

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 13God’s Kingdom. There was a recordattendance of 217 people from 14countries all gathered together in theBlack Forest region of southern Germany.Following the festive openingservice, the youth handed out refreshmentsto everyone.The activities included a children’sparty and ninepin bowling, go-kartingfor the teens, a film evening (GodDoesn’t Gamble), a dance eveningwith music provided by Enrico &Mario, a ladies’ brunch and a farewellparty the evening of the Last GreatDay. There was a seminar titled “BeMindful to Entertain Strangers.” Ayouth outing to ride the “Rodenbahn”down a nearby mountain was a greathit—imagine sliding down a railedtrack at 40 to 50 miles an hour for 2miles of twists and turns!Most of the spiritual food centeredon the positive future God’s governmentwill bring to humanity. Germanlanguagebrethren appreciated theopportunity to speak to a Council ofElders member, guest speaker RobertBerendt, in their native language.The translators enabled everyone toSchluchsee, Germany: Paul Kiefferspeakingreceive and understand the messagesvery clearly.The sightseeing trip this year wasto Rottweil—the oldest town in southwesternGermany. It is a small townof about 25,000 that was founded bythe Romans in A.D. 73 with traces ofhuman settlement going back to 2000B.C. From there we went to BurgHohenzollern. We had a guided tourthrough the Hohenzollern Castle,which is the ancestral seat of the Prussiankings and German emperors aswell as the Swabian branch of theprinces of Hohenzollern.Most days saw a morning fog in thevalley clear off to allow clear, sunnydays. The local people were friendlyand polite, making visitors feel comfortableand welcome.All in all, the setting in Schluchseewas millennial with its peacefulbeauty, only outdone by the warmthof the brethren sharing their hope forthe whole world’s future.Dan and Fern BerendtGhanaSunyaniAs Australians visiting the Feast inGhana, my wife, Ruth, and I sum upour experience as very enjoyable andchallenging.Ghanaians are a very friendly,peaceable people, and they are generouseven with limited possessions. It isnot hard to imagine them really fittingin well in God’s Kingdom.We had the Feast in Sunyani, eighthours by car from the capital, Accra.Ghana is experiencing a rising levelof prosperity and the best governmentit has enjoyed in its modern history.However, there are many challengesfacing the government in cleaningup corruption and providing law andorder with wisdom and justice for allpeople (Isaiah 9:7).There is a feeling of stability, andwe felt safe walking the streets andon the beach. But even though life isbetter, it is still very stressful and challengingfor our brethren.The Church helps subsidize thecosts for faithful members and otherswho want to attend the Feast. This yearbrethren in America personally puttogether handmade children’s Biblebooks, sets of colored pencils, sharpenersand coloring books, which thechildren and their parents really lovedand appreciated. Ghanaian childrenare so beautiful. The memory of themtugs at our heart strings.Melvin and Diane Rhodes havebeen serving our brethren in Ghanasince the late 1970s. They have takenon the challenge over three decades,experiencing famine, times of shortages,malaria and other debilitatingsicknesses. It was apparent to us thatthey have a deep love, affection andunselfish dedication to serving God’speople in Ghana.We came to see firsthand the challengesthey face, and we were very saddenedto say good-bye to our brethrenand the Rhodes at the end of the Feast.It is especially wonderful how Godis calling and inviting many peoplein Ghana to take on the challengeof repentance, growing in grace andSunyani, Ghanaknowledge and becoming a convertedson or daughter of God.They, like all in the Church, long forthe return of Jesus Christ and His gloriousgovernment to this suffering earth.Ken MurrayGuatemalaAntiguaEach year, we say “this was my bestFeast.” And surely it was for all of uswho had the opportunity of being atAntigua, Guatemala. The highestattendance was 674.The weather was fabulous, withmuch sunlight and little rain, and thefellowship was the ingredient thatseasoned all the activities. We had a“Family Dinner” where we happilyshared food and the beginning of theSabbath with all the brethren.We also had a ladies’ breakfast, withmore than 200 women who enjoyeda pleasant and varied program. Otheractivities included a “golden age”breakfast, a Family Day barbecue,Ladies’ Night and a very folkloricTalent Show.But what motivated us more werethe sermons and sermonettes, focusedon the Kingdom of God, and the specialmusic with the participation ofgroups of all ages.Clyde and Dee Kilough shared thefirst half of the Feast with us, and Leonand Reba Walker attended the secondhalf of the Feast at Antigua.At the end of the Feast there weretears, smiles of happiness and bestwishes to be strong and to look forwardto the next Feast of Tabernacles,at the place that God will choose.Luis Mundo TelloGuyanaLethem, RupununiTotaling 36 in number, brethrenfrom Guyana, Brazil, Dominicaand the United States assembled inhumble surroundings to give praiseto God on the first day of His Feast.The visiting members from theUnited States and God’s faithfuldeacon from Dominica, Max Victor,truly added an international flavorto this year’s activities. It was mostheartwarming to gather like this, andeven the heavy downpour of rain duringthe lunch break did not dampenthe warmth that was being shared.Each day was eagerly anticipated.The spiritual food was rich and greatlyappreciated. The sermons and sermonetteswere inspiring and upliftingwith one special one reminding usthat we “must be there.” There was anabundance of fellowship after each serviceand lots to eat. The children thoroughlyenjoyed themselves and couldnot decide which day was the best.The fun day was an immense hit withall involved. Chess, Pictionary and computergames were all going at once. Thering toss, however, proved to be a delightto all who tried it for the first time.The visitors were instrumental infacilitating the teen Bible study andthe preteen Bible study, which thechildren all appreciated. One fact thatstood out was the sharing and servingattitude shown by the youths.Lethem, Guyana (photo courtesyTim Joyner)The highest attendance was 36 andon the Last Great Day we had 32 present.The weather was good throughout,with some cooling showers forthe first three days.Having visitors to Lethem frominternational areas is one way Godshowed everyone that we are trulyone Body and of one Spirit. Thismade for a truly memorable Feastfor not only the local brethren but forthose who chose to observe the Feastin a smaller area.Gary AtkinsonItalySabaudiaBrethren from the United States,the United Kingdom, the Netherlands,Sabaudia, ItalyAustralia, South Africa, Nigeria, Italyand Latin American countries gatheredfor the eight days of the Feastin Sabaudia. The highest attendancewas 362 (including children).We were a small but enthusiasticgroup of God’s people enjoyingheartfelt sermons, delicious foodand Christian fellowship with oneanother. We were living proof thatlanguage need not be a barrier to gettingto know and love one another inJesus Christ. We are already lookingforward to next year’s Feast withmany other brethren visiting us fromabroad. Your Italian brethren wouldlike to express their heartfelt thanksto all those who celebrated the Feastof Tabernacles with them in Italy thisyear.During the Feast, God added twomembers to His Church, one from theUnited States (Sally Wright) and onefrom Italy (Manuel Finazzi). We givethem our warmest “welcome” to thefamily of God.During the eight days of the Feast,the weather was wonderful. We participatedin cultural tours to famoushistorical places like Pompeii, Romeand the Vatican museums. It was historycoming alive beforeour eyes. We also hadmemorable social activitieslike the talent show,the Family Day on thebeach and the eveningdance for the enjoymentof all Feast participants inChristian fellowship.The Arrivederci sectionof the Feast was very moving.Many brethren fromoutside Italy have alreadywritten to us in appreciation.Yet we are the oneswho have to sincerely express ourgratefulness for your brotherly presence,friendship and support. Thereare not adequate words to thank allthe non-Italian brethren who haveserved and contributed in variousways to make the Feast truly memorableto God’s glory and honor. Andof course, we thank all Feast participantsfor their generous offerings tohelp us in publishing the truth in Italya little more widely. We give a heartfeltthanks to all indeed.Carmelo AnastasiIvory Coast (Côted’Ivoire)La MéThis year 33 people observed theFeast in the littlevillage of La Méin Côte d’Ivoire.The Feast wastruly wonderful.Not only did werejoice physically,but the spiritualmessages,the sermonettesand sermons thatwe heard on MP3CDs were verystrong meat andhelped us to discover different aspectsof the wonderful world tomorrow andto better understand the attitudes weneed to have. Our offerings totaled21,850 francs (about $40).Thanks to help from our Americanbrethren, we were able to eatall our hearts desired. On the menuwere mutton, rice, fish and couscous,to name just a few dishes. The childrenwere delighted to receive theirpresents on the first day of the Feast,including some candy.We were saddened that BertineOulai could not be present since heryounger sister died just the day beforethe Feast. Bertine had to travel to be withher family in the time of mourning.Sunday during the Feast, the youngpeople played a friendly game of maracana(local name for soccer/football).Team A beat team B by four goals totwo.We say “thank you” to all ourbrethren who helped us make this awell-organized and abundant Feast.Paul Tia

14 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationJamaicaMontego BayOnce again Jamaica’s second cityand acknowledged tourism capital,Montego Bay, hosted the Feast of Tabernaclesat the Holiday Inn SunspreeResort. There over 350 brethren fromAntigua, Barbados, Canada, the UnitedKingdom, St. Kitts-Nevis, the UnitedStates and, of course, Jamaica, gatheredto experience a foretaste of God’smillennial Kingdom. The highest attendancewas 351 on the first day.Our heartfelt thanks go to both localand visiting pastors who provided arich panorama of life in the Kingdomthrough their inspiring sermons andsermonettes, lavishly illustrated withpersonal experiences and anecdotesthat brought home the messages sorealistically. The Feast video was alsowell received, as Europe continues toplay a critical role in prophecy, whichMontego Bay, Jamaica: Elders andwives Vernon and DeLee Hargrove,Paul and Sandra Fisher andLeeford and Carol Burkeis of great interest to the Church as wewatch and pray.Special music from the 32-strongFestival choir, a youth ensemble, achildren’s choir, a duet and a soloenhanced our worship. Then therewas a young adult Bible study, a teenBible study and a “tiny tots” instructionclass to supplement the lessonsfor the period.Scheduled group activities includedthe family fun day, which wasalmost rained out, but proved quitesuccessful as the hotel staff arrangedindoor games until the rain abated.The teams of Judah and Israelresumed their “rivalry” with beachgames, ending with volleyball and awin for the house of Judah.The evening before, the young adultsheld a dinner-dance, which, from allaccounts, was a success. Another eventwas the family fun or talent show—oneof the favorites of all age groups. Thisyear showcased a variety of songs,poems, instrumental pieces and a skit,giving lots of laughs.The weather held for the trip toOcho Rios, which featured the notto-be-missedDunn’s River Falls. Thelast day of the Feast climaxed with acatamaran snorkeling cruise throughCaribbean waters, ending in time tobegin the Sabbath.The Last Great Day was made evenmore special by the lunch hosted bythe overseas brethren. Then there wasthe closing service preceding tearfulgood-byes and promises to continuenew friendships formed betweenpeople who already share a commonand eternal destiny.Madge ThompsonJordanJust over 100 “Ambassadors forPeace” enjoyed a fun-filled, educationaland spiritually inspiring Feastin the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.The Jordan site had a real internationalflair, with the following countriesrepresented: Canada, France, Germany,the Netherlands, the UnitedKingdom and the United States.The millennial-themed messagesenhanced the biblically significantlandscape of this site and the missionto be “Ambassadors for Peace”in Jordan, to the world and for God’sfuture Kingdom.The Feast featured a number ofnew additions to the itinerary thatwere very popular with the Feastgoers.Most popular was the additionof two nights in Aqaba on thebeautiful Red Sea. Many snorkeledand scuba dived, whileothers just rested and relaxedat the beautiful IntercontinentalHotel located right on the Gulf.The Feast also included a tourof the mystical and ruggedlybeautiful Wadi Rum desert. Thetour included aggressive fourwheeltours in the desert, a visitwith the Bedouins of the areaand a lunch in a traditional Bedouintent. The Wadi Rum tour cameafter an inspiring day of hiking andtouring in Petra and an overnight stayat the Crowne Plaza Hotel overlookingthe foothills leading into the RoseRed City.The Feast also featured two inspiringoutdoor services at Pella (theplace of refuge for the early Churcharound the time of the fall of Jerusalemin A.D. 70) and a sunset serviceatop Mt. Nebo on the last day of theFeast. The messages reflected lessonsJordan: Petra on camelbackfrom the biblical history surroundingthese meaningful sites.New this year was a visit to thearchaeological site of ancient Sodom,known currently as Tall el-Hammam.This site is very close to theDead Sea, where the Feastgoers hada chance to float and relax with a nicegroup lunch.Every day provided a new experienceand opportunity for growth asan “Ambassador for Peace.” Whilestaying in Amman, as a part of learningmore about the region and what itmeans to serve as an ambassador, thegroup heard an interesting and intriguingpresentation from Akel Biltaji,former personal advisor to H.M. KingAbdullah II on interfaith cooperation,economic development and tourism.The presentation was followed by arobust Q&A session that would havegone on for hours if not cut short.After the Feast, nearly 60 of theFeast participants went on to an excitingand interesting tour of Israel led byDarris McNeely. The tour included thetraditionally fascinating and inspiringlocations of Jerusalem and the Seaof Galilee region. It also added newsites such as Masada and the plains ofMegiddo, and many new sites in andaround Jerusalem. We are hoping tooffer an Israel II tour in the future thatprovides totally new locations to visitfor those who have gone on our standardIsrael tours in the past.Cory and Colene EricksonKenyaLake NaivashaImagine a beautiful lakeshorewith a backdrop of distant mountains,with wading herons, divingpelicans, brilliant kingfishers andLake Naivasha, Kenyahippopotami in papyrus rushes.Step back under the giant canopyof majestic yellow acacia trees alivewith monkeys, fish eagles and stunningmulticolored birds. Fill thegrassy shade with 75 tents and thebuzz of 200 of your brethren, andyou are most welcome here at theFeast in East Africa!Located on the lush and livelycoastline of Lake Naivasha, Kenya,the Feast this year was our most specialFestival yet. Eight internationalsjoined members from Kenya, Tanzaniaand Uganda for the most inspiringand enjoyable Feast that any of us canremember.The messages were inspired andactivities included daily services,Bible studies, seminars, cinemas,swimming, outdoor games, a tour ofa unique geothermal-electric plant,a hike to an authentic Masai village,a visit to Joy Adamson’s Born Freehome and a walking safari amongAfrica’s great animals.Our brethren experienced theirfirst time tenting in true “temporarydwellings” and enjoyed it thoroughly.God provided us with perfect weather,great food and excellent evidenceof the fruits of His Spirit. Next year’sFeast will be held here as well. Forcomplete details, send an e-mail toKenya@ucg.org.John ElliottMalawiA month before the Feast, PresidentClyde Kilough visited Malawi,Malawi (photo by Timothy Kamiyala)and his message on focusing on thehorizon (Christ) stirred the brethrenand set the stage for the wonderfulFeast to come.When the Festival kicked off with113 campers at Nkopola Lodge onthe palm-dotted Malawi lakeshore, atropical breeze fanned the memorablespiritual banquet.Malawi pastor MorgenKriedemann opened theFeast saying, “We rejoicein Christ’s salvation,” andhe emphasized the factthat we “will teach theworld when God’s Kingdomrules the earth.”Daily attendanceincreased, reaching itspeak of 133, including33 children, on the fourthday.The local weekendpaper published Blantyre elder ElifaziSalawila’s interview about theFeast.Mr. Kriedemann gave a sermon on“Africa in Bible Prophecy.” JuliusKachali, who with his wife, Patricia,kept the Feast alone at theirnorthern Malawi home forseven years, summarizedthe sermon this way: “Theminister encouraged us,‘continue obeying God.’”The children’s choirprompted Mr. Kriedemann tocomment: “Children’s choiris a contribution we alwaysappreciate. Their innocencetouched my heart.”At a talent show, threeyoungsters (ages 11 to 13) recited theentire chapter of Zechariah 14. Mr.Kriedemann also expressed appreciationfor their effort.Mr. Kriedemann and his wife,Joleen, left for the Uvongo, SouthAfrica, Feast site after four days inMalawi.Goat meat tasted delicious at anevening barbecue. A group also tookan outing by bus and viewed crocodiles.In a sermon, Mr. Salawila elaboratedon tithing principles. Later hehinted that, for better convenience,a neighboring Mlangeni resort willhost the Feast in 2008.The brethren in Malawi receivedgreetings from well-wishers includingMr. and Mrs. Bill Jahns, Mr. andMrs. Victor Kubik and cards fromchildren and brethren from severalareas.The Kriedemanns also delivered aconsignment of children’sclothes donated by a familyin South Africa anddistributed their toys.Elder GladstoneChonde passed on greetingsto Malawi from widowedMrs. Winnie Ross(who left Zimbabwe, andis now in South Africa).Exuberantly, the pilgrimsreturned to theirrespective homes in hiredbuses and cars.Nicholas MbicholoMalaysiaSemporna, Sabah“Happy Feast of Tabernacles andLast Great Day!” was the usual joyousgreetings echoed from the happyfaces of the Feastgoers in Semporna,Sabah, Malaysia, as they celebratedGod’s commanded festivals in theirown area.Semporna is one of the most remotetowns in Malaysia, a predominantlyMuslim country. Semporna is located563 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu,the capital city of palm oil rich Sabah,the eastern state of Malaysia.Semporna is the home of a smallgroup of members of the UnitedChurch of God under the care of FloranteSiopan, the pastor in the Visayanregion of the Philippines.This year six families from Sempornaand other nearby towns ofSabah came to fellowship, worshipand praise God together. The highestattendance was 31.The brethren enjoyed the FamilyDay outing. The weather was perfect,and everybody seemed excited to goSemporna, Malaysia: Family Dayat Madai Forest Reserve (photo byIan-ian Bernal)to Borneo Paradise Resort, 127 kilometersaway from the Festival site.The resort is known for its exquisiteview of nature, and fishing highlightedthe day.The next stop was at Madai ForestReserve, a tourist attraction maintainedby the Malaysian government.The brethren enjoyed seeing somelarge, 300-year-old trees. Everyonewas excited to pass through a hangingrope bridge tied to the trunks of trees

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 1530- to 50-feet above the ground. OurFamily Day outing ended with a visitto an exciting waterfall.The brethren in Sabah were blessedwith many children; four babies wereborn in the months before the Festival.By the end of the Feast theywere spiritually blessed and greatlyencouraged as they all learned theimportant meaning of the celebrationand looked forward to the day whenwhat the Feast foreshadows becomesa reality.Raul VillacoteMauritiusMauritiusThis year was the first officialMauritius Feast site for the UnitedChurch of God. Last year the Mauritianbrethren stayed together in a selfcateringapartment and kept the Feastby watching sermons on DVD. Theywere all very excited to have a hall,visitors and an official site this year.There were 20 in attendance onaverage and Peter Hawkins, UCGcoordinator for the British Isles, wasthe Festival elder. Visitors traveledfrom America, South Africa, NewZealand, England and the neighboringisland of Reunion. Serviceswere held in English,with a couple of recordedFrench sermonettes. Therewas also a small Mauritianchoir. We were gladto preview the wonderfulfuture ahead throughsermonettes and sermons.The Feast video addedsobering thoughts of dangersahead, but also helpedus to appreciate ourbrothers and sistersliving in Europe.Mauritians are verywarm and friendly,usually smiling, chattingfreely and makingyou feel like anold friend—and evenmore so the brethren.Most people onthe island speak very good English,with their first language being Frenchand/or Creole. The weather is wonderfulat Feast time—warm, but nottoo humid, with the occasional briefcooling shower.Highlights of activities at the Feastincluded a day tour around many siteson the island, a visit to the famousPamplemousses Botanical Gardens,a shopping trip to the commercial huband the market at Port Louis, a dinnerat a hotel where we all ate together,snorkeling in the crystal clear oceanand exploring the beautiful endlessbeaches. Other available activitiesincluded viewing marine life in glassbottomboats, underwater submarinetrips, sailing, paddle-boating, waterskiingand many more. I especiallyenjoyed a six-course lunch hosted bysome of the Mauritian brethren.The brethren on the island areso few in number, but they have anurgent desire to preach the messageof hope to the 1.2 million people onthis tropical Indian Ocean island.They hope that God will call newmembers and open doors for gettingThe Good News magazine to as manyas possible. We would love to returnagain to the warm people of Mauritius.Claire GordonMexicoAcapulcoGod did it again! Acapulco, Mexico,2007 has to have been our bestFeast ever! The warmth and loveamong the brethren was evident.Daily Bible studies and serviceswere held for a total of 565 brethrenfrom Mexico, the United States,Canada, Chile, Guatemala andother international areas. As a visitingmember from New York put it:“Both the children’s and adults’ Biblestudies before services every day keptthe scriptural midnight oil burning.”Mr. and Mrs. Leon Walker attendedthe first half of the Feast in Acapulcoand, although they are no strangers tothe members in Mexico, their visitsare always very much appreciated.Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Kilough arrivedfor the second half, thus making thisyear’s Feast in Acapulco an extra spe-Acapulco, Mexico: Left,Leon Walker speaks;above, Larry Roybal andtalent show participantscial occasion. Membersenjoyed the opportunityof meeting the Kiloughsand were very impressed to hear Mr.Kilough conclude one of his messagesin Spanish. Members enjoyed takingpictures with them and expressedhow honored they all felt with theirvisit.Sermons were very inspiring.Many brethren particularly enjoyedthis year’s Feast film. They wereespecially encouraged by the faithand diligent work displayed by ourEuropean brethren and ministers.Special music from the musicallytalented brethren was especially goodthis year. A unique bilingual choirwas formed where language barrierswere lost among harmonious notesand voices. However, in spite of themany talented brethren’s best efforts,they were unable to compete withthe Mexico City children’s choir,which captivated our hearts as theysang about the creation while livelycartoon images were displayed in thebackground. What a joy it was for allof us to see, hear and learn from themouths of babes.Some Feast activities included afamily dance, a day at a water park, achildren’s day with a dolphin show, awomen’s tea and conference, a seniorcitizens’ sing-along, a talent show, adinner-dance activity for the youthand a visit to the famous Acapulcodivers—a dinner show that many visitingbrethren said proved that men inAcapulco really can fly.Next year Acapulco will onceagain host the Feast. Both Mexicanand international brethren will bestaying together at theCrowne Plaza Hotelwhere, no doubt, Godwill once again make itour best Feast ever!Larry RoybalNewZealandTaupoA record number of140 brethren from NewZealand, Australia andthe United States held the Feast ofTabernacles in Taupo. Services wereheld in the recently refurbished SuncourtConference Centre, locatednear the shore of Lake Taupo in thecenter of the North Island.The day before the Feast the activevolcano Mount Ruapehu, situatedabout 45 kilometers (about 30 miles)from the Feast site, erupted. Althoughthe eruption was minor, traces of thelahar (mudflow) were visible on thesnowcapped cone of the volcano.Ken Giese’s opening night messagecovered an overview of manymillennial prophecies, setting thetone for speakers that followed. Thisincluded an excellent PowerPointpresentation by Phil Sandilands aboutGod’s creative power as reflected inthe universe, contrasted by some ofthe smaller and more unusual creatureson planet earth.Activities included a popular youthand young adult Bible study and awell-attended Saturday night dance.This was followed by a Feast dinnerin the fittingly named MillenniumResort overlooking the lake. A “50years and over” luncheon held in awinery restaurant near the Huka Fallswas also very well attended.Many visitors took the opportunityto visit the nearby town of Rotorua,renowned for its geysers, boiling mudpools and thermal activity. Some ofthe more adventurous teenagers andyoung adults braved the country’shighest bridge bungee jump, dropping80 meters (260 feet) into theMokai Gravity Canyon, while a fewothers went skydiving from TaupoAirport.The early spring weather variedfrom mild days of brilliant sunshineto a few days of cooler temperatureswith showers. Judging by the commentsfrom our Australian and Americanbrethren, the location and thevenue of the Feast, combined withthe inspiring messages and warm fellowship,made the Feast an outstandingevent.Art VerschoorNigeriaAiyetoro, Abeokuta,Ogun StateThe Feast of Tabernacles 2007in Nigeria was anticipated witheven more enthusiasm than usualbecause of two special blessingsGod provided: 1) Members wouldbe together for 10 days, includingthe weekly Sabbath after theAiyetoro, Nigeria: First UCGwedding in Nigeria.Feast, and 2) the first wedding in thehistory of the United Church of Godin Nigeria would take place duringthe Feast!The Feast site was at AfobajeHotels, located in the quiet, picturesquerural town of Aiyetoro (whichtranslates as “A Peaceful World”) onthe outskirts of Abeokuta in the southwesternpart of Nigeria and capital ofOgun State, 74 kilometers (46 miles)north of Lagos.On the morning of the first HolyDay, attendance was 100. Thisincreased to 115 by the third day asmembers delayed for various reasonswere able to join us. The highestattendance was 118.The brethren heard very inspiringmessages. The messages encouragedus to continue enduring till the end,focusing on the true vision, that inspite of our “Moses moments”—periods when we allow our weaknessesand doubts to come to thesurface—we can overcome. GodAlmighty is working in our lives toequip us for the work He has calledus for, as we yield to Him. We areawaiting the time when Christ willbring peace to this troubled world,removing corrupt leaders and blessingall who have been faithful tobecome sons and daughters of God!Brethren also heard a very encouragingand inspiring sermon on “Africain Prophecy—the Glory to Come!”We received almost two dozengreetings from Feast sites around theworld, and that greatly enriched thefeelings of being part of the familyof God. Services were also enrichedwith special music by the FestivalSenior and Children’s choirs withtheir inspiring and uplifting songs.God blessed us with excellentweather, sunny days and cool nights,with a little rain to cool the weatheron some days when otherwise itwould have been too hot. The settingwas ideal for fellowshipping. On thefamily fun day, we had talent shows,a “rope bridge” activity, volleyball,soccer and a Bible bowl for preteens,teens and adults!One of the high points of the Feastwas the weddingof OludayoDanielOgundipe andF u n m i l a y oKudirat Rajion Sept. 30,performed bythe Nigerianelder, OludareAkinbo. Itwas the firstwedding since UCGstarted in Nigeria.Fred Kellers, thesenior pastor, kept commentingon how peacefulthe Feast was thisyear. At the end of theFeast, members were sadindeed that they wouldbe going back into theharsh realities of dailylife in Nigeria, but wereencouraged by the messagesand joyful with the extendedfellowship and for being given theopportunity to have a foretaste of theMillennium.Oludare AkinboPeruHuanchacoThe picturesque seaside village ofHuanchaco, located on the Pacificsome 350 miles north of Lima, wasagain this year’s Feast site for thePeruvian brethren. Although theweather was cooler than expected,the warmth and hospitality of theFeastgoers and the meaningful spiritualfood (not to mention the excellentphysical feasting) kept everyonein a joyous mood.The highest attendance during theFeast was 217; and everyone, fromthe oldest to the youngest, was ableto participate in most of the activities,whether scheduled or spur-ofthe-moment.One baptism addedanother member to the Body duringthis year’s Feast.Very informative and apropossermons were delivered by ManuelQuijano, Wilfredo Sáenz, GeraldKliewer, David Nunn and Guy Burke.Equally effective sermonettes weregiven by men representing the Lima,Huaraz and Arequipa congregations.Beautiful special music offeringswere presented by choral groups orsoloists, also from the above-namedchurches.

16 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationActivities included two dances,a children’s party, a beach party, atalent show and the Peruvian Night.Other hosted events were dedicatedto the ladies, the seniors and the teenagers.Unofficial but well attendedadditional activities included toursof local pre-Inca archaeological sites,walks along the seawall and beach,general sightseeing and shoppingforays into town for leather goods,jewelry or alpaca sweaters.The management and staff of HostalBracamonte—the venue for theFeast—were very attentive to theneeds and comforts of those attending.As a result, a very friendly andfamily-like relationship developedbetween the attendees and hotel staff,which made the Feast that much moreenjoyable for everyone.Great sermons, warm fellowshipand a looking forward to God’s Kingdomwere hallmarks of this year’sFeast in Peru. As we headed homespiritually rejuvenated, some werewondering how next year’s Feastcould possibly top the 2007 Fiestade Tabernáculos in the Land of theInca.Alec SurrattPhilippinesBaguio CityBaguio City once again was one ofthree UCGIA Feast sites in the Philippines.For the seventh consecutiveyear, it was held at the conference hallof the Ang Ating Tahanan grounds ofthe Girl Scouts of the Philippines.The opening night message wasdelivered by the pastor for Baguioand Dagupan City, Eriz Dizon. Wewere once again expecting a lowerthan the previous years’ attendance ofonly about 80 to 90 for this year dueto a number of families of brethrentransferring to other Philippine Feastsites. But we were very pleasantlysurprised to see the number exceedingour expectations again, as theattendance reached its highest on thefourth day of the Feast at 121!Quite a number of those keepingthe Feast with us for the first timeturned up at the Baguio Festival site.Some were new people attending theFeast for the first time and some werefrom our former association.This year’s Festival video featuringour brethren in prophetic Europewas well appreciated by the brethren.This has strengthened their faith inthe scripture that says “we have also amore sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter1:19, King James Version).The Festival Show this year washeld on the fourth day of the Feast.It featured folk songs and folk dancesfrom different areas around theworld, like Israel, Latin America,Hawaii, Hungary and Italy, as well asa good number of Filipino songs andfolk dances. Native Filipino musicwas again performed by our smallrondalla composed of a numberof brethren playing native stringedinstruments similar to the mandolincalled bandurias and octavinas andaccompanied by a guitar.Because of the rains, most of ouractivities were held indoors, buthardly anyone was bothered by therains as the activities were enjoyedby young and old alike.Among the other Festival activitieswere the youth day and Family Day,as well as the seniors’ night where,for the second year, the teens andyoung adults organized themselves toserve a special dinner for our seniors.There was also a film showing anda “videoke” in the evening after theFamily Day.With all thefine fellowship,enjoyment andthe spirituallyinspiringmessages weBaguio City, Philippines: Above right, young dancers in the Festival Showreceived during this Feast, everyonepresent felt they experienced a greaterdegree of unity among the brethrenat this Festival site. Indeed, this Feaststood out as the best so far in manyyears.Rey EvascoDavao CityThe Davao City Festival sitehosted 400 attendees this year,including 20 overseas guests fromAustralia, Canada, New Zealand,the United Kingdom and the UnitedStates. Included in this count is JohnCafourek (and his wife, Sandra) fromSalem, Oregon, who volunteered asguest speaker for two Philippine Festivalsites this year.Starting with the opening nightservice featuring the Festival video,the momentum of spiritual messagesand other activities moved on toinspire and edify, even as we wereblessed with bright and good weatherthroughout the Feast.Afternoon activities includedtours, livelihood workshops onvarious trades, fun-filled activitiesfor children, challenging events foryouths and singles, a relaxing seniors’social, an eventful family sports daywith appetizing fruit festival and anenlightening Bible study with Q&Aon the Sabbath afternoon.Other evening activities includeda fellowship and acquaintancenight, a family dance night,a Church leaders’ dinner (inappreciation for their help inserving the 17 active congregationsscattered in Mindanao)and a colorful and entertainingvariety show. New and muchappreciatedfeatures this yearwere the Practical ChristianitySeminars, with an evening eachdevoted to married couples, singlesand youths.Due to some generous donations,this Feast again featured specialblessings such as a free daily lunchfor all, with roasted calfon both the first and lastday, breakfast food itemsdistributed to all familiesand individuals twice,and children’s coloringbooks and other giftitems given away duringthe course of the manyactivities.Our list of spiritualhighlights included theblessing of three infantswhose parents live inremote regions and the baptisms offive individuals: Ricardo and DaisyGepanaga, Teresita Zayas, RamilBartolaba and Geruel Ortega. We alsohad five ordinations for deacons andtwo for deaconesses—Manuel andBetty Valdez, Gem and Sarah Nagtalon,Merlito Tonog, Osias Eturaldeand James Presbitero.Most say that the Feast this yearwas again blessed by God to betheir greatest thus far. One overseasguest who attended in Davao thisyear wrote: “Just want you to knowthat I had one of the best Feastsever, and there have been 38 in [mylife].”Edmond D. MacaraegIloilo CityThis year, 138 people, includingchildren, attended the Feast at PuntaVilla Resort, Iloilo City, Philippines.Davao City, Philippines: Children receive gifts during Youth Day (photoby Cheryl Rogers); above right, international visitor Bridgette Sextonjoins the girls’ team during Youth Day (photo by Meryl Macaraeg)For eight days the brethrenexperienced a glimpse of theworld tomorrow when the meaningand significance of the festivalswere explained thoroughly byassigned speakers discussing theevents that are still future but sureto come. Given much focus wasthe coming Millennium when theKingdom of God will be establishedby Jesus with His saints, people Hehas called, chosen and who haveremained faithful until the end. Thepicture of the world tomorrow wasvividly portrayed from the Bible.We were privileged to have JohnCafourek, a pastor from Oregon,visiting for the Feast. He gave threeFestival messages and a Bible studyon the afternoon of the Sabbath. TheFestival video, Threshold of a NewAge, was greatly appreciated by thebrethren. That video gave the brethrena clear idea of what to expect inIloilo City, Philippines: FamilyDance and Entertainment nightthe near future as much of the Bibleprophecy discussed is being fulfilledright before our eyes.Many of our visitorswho attended and experiencedthe Festival forthe first time in Iloilocame from as far as NewZealand and the UnitedStates. Some have familiesin the Philippineswhom they invited toshare in the rejoicing withGod’s people and also tolearn the wonderful truthand plan of God for mankind.Different uplifting activities wereheld in the afternoons except for theSabbaths. Activities like the FamilyDay and the Youth Day were especiallyenjoyed by all the brethren. Games,camaraderie and food—including awhole ox that was roasted and sharedby everyone—were much appreciated.The entertainment during theFamily Dance Night was a doubletreat, as performers gave their besttalents for the enjoyment of the audience,after which everyone shared thefloor for a night of dancing.United Church of God memberscontinue to reap praises from theresort’s management and employeesfor their orderliness and good behaviorfor the whole Feast.This year’s Feast was one of thebest Feasts ever for God’s people inthe central part of the Philippines.The brethren eagerly look forward tonext year’s festivals.Florante SiopanPortugalCosta da CaparicaThe picturesque and quaint littlefishing village of Costa da Caparicawas the scene of the Feast of Tabernaclesin Portugal. The United States,Australia, England, Italy and Portugalwere among the countries representedby the 110 who attended thisyear’s Festival.Inspirational messages includedthe meaning of the Feast as a timewhen God will heal and restore allthings, our relationship with God,humility and our necessary preparationto one day be able to inheritGod’s Kingdom.Brethren were able to enjoy thesights and sounds of the surroundingarea of Lisbon. A night of typicalPortuguese food and music (knownas Fado) was enjoyed by all. Anafternoon tour through Lisbon, Sintra,Cascais and Estoril showed Portugalat its best. Our stop in Cascaisproved to be both scenic and funas members had the opportunity toview Boca do Inferno (“Mouth ofHell”) and to shop at a handicraftCosta da Caparica, Portugal: ThePortuguese brethrenmarket. Our last tour included a tripthrough the Arrabida Mountains.Castle viewing, wine tasting and

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 17observing the manufacturing of tileswere among the highlights of theafternoon.Senior citizens enjoyed a privatelunch in a typical local restaurantwith fresh fish and other delicacies.Later in the afternoon the familiesand children enjoyed a number offun races and sand castle building onthe beach.“Just a perfect site; you get toknow everyone,” remarked HiroumiMirigan. “A wonderful Feast; reallyenjoyed the tours,” said Mike Cook.“Loved the serving attitude of people,the ladies’ breakfast and the flowers,”added Jan Cook.We all gathered on the beach, afterthe final service on the Last GreatDay, to watch a beautiful sunsetand to say our good-byes. John Foxreminded us of the scripture abouthow the whole world will be fullof God’s knowledge, as the waterscover the sea.Viva Portugal!Kathy de CamposRwandaMuhaziThanks to generous help receivedfrom our brethren, the Rwandanbrethren spent a wonderful Feast ofTabernacles 2007 in Muhazi. Attendancewas 80. We had everything weneeded to rejoice! Upon our arrivalon Wednesday, we were warmly metby the government administrator whohad signed the authorization for us tokeep the Feast here. The administratorhappens to be the brother-in-lawof our deacon, Mr. Sibobugingo: avery positive start!Muhazi, RwandaThe spiritual food was rich. Mr.Sibobugingo and Mr. Mundeli, theelder in Rwanda, gave translationsof Festival sermons that had beensent to us previously on CDs. Especiallyappreciated were the openingmessage by our pastor, Joel Meeker,and other sermons Mr. Meeker hadgiven on “they shall not learn warany more” and his Last Great Daysermon on “the importance of reconciliation.”Festival activities included ourannual meeting of the United Churchof God–Rwanda association, a familyday during which each father gavea news update about what had happenedin his family during the pastyear and a talent show that includeda poetry reading by Mrs. EtienneRutamujyanye and a demonstrationof how to knit and crochet by Mrs.Pélagie Mundeli.At the close of the Feast, themilitary commander of the regionhonored us with his visit and volunteeredhis aid to help us find an evenmore affordable Festival site for thefuture!Jean-Marie MundeliSt. LuciaScott Smith, an usher at the Feastin St. Lucia, commented to ArnoldHampton, Festival coordinator:“First, let me thank you for a job welldone. My family and I had a mostenjoyable Feast. The quality of themessages was the most significantpart for us. The lack of a ‘hurry upand wait’ agenda left more time forSt. Luciaspiritual messages and to get to knowour brethren. The facility was A1, thestaff friendly and professional.”The exotic location at the southerntip of the island, the family-orientedatmosphere and the daytime supervisedfacilities for kids made CoconutBay an ideal site for the Feast.Brethren attending the Feast hereincluded 11 from St. Lucia and 12from Barbados, with the remainderfrom the United States. Attendeescame from as farnorth as Massachusetts,as far south asFlorida, as far eastas North Carolinaand as far west asWashington state.Attendance variedfrom a low of 96 forthe first service to ahigh of 114 on thefifth day.Mr. Hamptonopened the FeastWednesday evening with a messageabout the sanctity of the Feast.He continued the spiritual aspect ofthe Feast by speaking about Isaiah’svision of the world tomorrow onthe first Holy Day. On the third dayDavid Jackson spoke about our calling,admonishing that Satan is out todestroy us because he knows whatGod has in store for us.The Feast video featuring end-timeEurope in prophecy was played onthe fourth day. Other speakers contributedmessages on topics such asour relationship with God, not beingconformed to this world and dwellingin unity, with some messages directedat the age range of preteens andyoung adults. On the sixth day RichardPinelli explained how the Millenniumwill grow on the world andgave the final sermon on the meaningof the Last Great Day.Tricia Merring, from the Orlando,Florida, congregation, taughtthe preteens about friendshipusing the example of Davidand Jonathan. The eight preteensmade friendship braceletsand Feast cards. She alsotaught a two-part lesson onthe Ten Commandments. Theteens helped the preteens withall their activities including thepreteen choir, which performed onYouth Day, Oct. 1.One of the two scheduled activitiesfor the Feast included a five-hour boatcruise from Soufriere to Castries andback. Brethren enjoyed the breathtakingbeauty of the twin Pitons WorldHeritage Site in Soufriere and an hourof snorkeling. The other activity wasa land tour back to the Soufriere area.Brethren visited the beautiful BotanicalGardens and the Sulphur Springsdormant drive-in volcano.The Coconut Bay managementwas very impressed with the conductof the United Church of God. PamelaRobinson, assistant sales manager,commented: “The group was wellbehaved, not demanding, nice andpleasant. The best group we have everhad.” Marjorie Cunningham, reservationsmanager, noted: “Your groupwas very orderly, a real pleasure towork with. Management received nocomplaints from the staff about anyof your participants. We would liketo have you all back.”Kelland BarthelmySingaporeFine tropical weather and warmlocal greetings welcomed 95 attendeesto the Orchid Country Club innorthern Singapore. This was nearlytriple the attendance of 2006.Eleven countries were represented:Australia, Canada, Indonesia,Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand,the Philippines, Scotland, Singapore,Thailand and the United States. OneAsian-American couple returned tothe Singapore site for the first time in20 years. It was a joyous reunion withso many old friends.Services are conducted in Englishat the Club, a landmark featuringcolonial architecture, manicured golfcourses and modern sports facilities.Gorgeous orchids adorn the entirecomplex. Most brethren stay at theFeast venue itself, sharing meals,tranquil lake views and engagingfellowship throughout the Feast.The Orchid Country Club is alreadyreserved for the Feast in 2008.Singaporean brethren are gracioushosts and happily share their lovely,modern city—including great restaurantsand cultural locations. ActivitiesSingaporei n c l u d e dthree banquetsandtrips to avariety ofinteresting places: Little India, ChinaTown, Botanical Gardens, the colonialdistrict and Arab Street.One group walked along a wetlandnature trail in northwest Singapore,observing water monitors, tropicalbirds, snakes and other wildlife in anatural mangrove swamp. Anothergroup toured the local Tiger brewery,followed by an Asian-European banquetand karaoke evening.Since most Asian brethren meetfor services just once a year in thisregion, it’s a special time for catchingup with friends and meeting internationalbrethren. They share lifeexperiences and become spirituallyrejuvenated for another year in theirscattered areas. Eating, laughing andfellowshipping—sometimes late intothe night—is truly a highlight of theSingapore site.Sermons by visiting ministerBruce Gore and other elders encouragedeveryone to envision the challengesand realities of actually establishingthe Kingdom of God on theearth. During the last service of theLast Great Day, Mr. Gore encouragedus to be exemplary and courageousChristian soldiers in our spirituallives over the next year in the nationswhere we reside.Jeff CaudleSouth AfricaGeorge, South Africa (photo bySteve Serfontein)GeorgeThis year 139 brethren from fourcontinents enjoyed a happy and profitableFeast in George. Meetingswere held at the Moreson Children’sHome Conference Centre, givingbrethren the opportunity to makea very generous donation towardthe disadvantaged children residingthere. The Children’s Home houses100 children ages 3 to 18 years whohave been placed thereby the MagistratesCourts because theirhome environmentis either dangerousor abusive. The staffmembers were mostgrateful toward thebrethren and invitedus to come again nextyear.Situated at thefoot of the OuteniquaMountains, theconference center provided just theright atmosphere for fellowship andservices. Church children, of whichthere were a record number this year,were able to play safely on the lawnsunder the trees before and after services.The guest speaker, Britton Taylor,gave everyone much spiritual food forthought. Once again the Feast experiencefocused us all on the wonderfulfuture God has in store for mankind.Organized events after services weremost enjoyable and a credit to theorganizers.Daily attendance at services wasmost encouraging and remained constantright until the closing prayer onthe Last Great Day. At the farewellbraai (barbecue) an atmosphere ofreluctance to return home was quiteevident.Stan BothaUvongoAn inspiring Feast of Tabernacleswas once again experienced at Uvongoon the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Approximately 150 brethrenfrom around South Africa, Zimbabweand Canada celebrated the eight days,focusing on the coming Kingdom ofGod.The average attendance for theeight days was 142 with the highestattendance being 154.The overall theme was “A Foretasteof the World Tomorrow” and remainingfaithful through a clear vision ofthe coming Kingdom of God.Neil Becker gave two sermonsbefore leaving for the George Feastsite: “Pioneers in the Millennium”and “Humanity Will No Longer Bein Bondage.”We were blessed to have as guestspeaker Britton Taylor and his wife,

18 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationDonna, from Fort Worth, Texas.They were able to spend thefirst few days of the Feast inGeorge and the final part of theFeast in Uvongo. We appreciatetheir contribution to a spirituallyrewarding Feast of Tabernacles.Mr. Taylor’s sermons focusedUvongo, South Africaon being “Called, Chosen and Faithful”and on the Last Great Day a verymoving sermon, “If You Didn’t Getto Say Good-bye.”Morgen Kriedemann and his wife,Joleen, arrived on Monday eveningfrom Malawi where they had keptthe first few days of the Feast. Mr.Kriedemann’s sermon gave a graphicaccount of “Africa in Prophecy andthe Glory to Come.”Many of the brethren commentedon the exceptional Festival video,“Threshold of a New Age.” Allagreed that it was very timely, captivatingand well presented.All too soon it was time to say ourgood-byes and return home to digestall that we had learned during theeight days of the Feast.Neville SmithSri LankaBeruwelaMembers from Sri Lanka onceagain kindly hosted brethren fromBeruwela, Sri Lankaaround the globe, including India,Kuwait and the United States, to celebratethe Feast.The location was the Club Palm GardenHotel, located in Beruwela, whichis 35 miles south of the capital city,Colombo. Beruwela is located on thesouthwestern coast of Sri Lanka alongthe beautiful, soft-sanded shoreline ofthe Indian Ocean. Thirty attended, severalfor their first time ever.The Club PalmGarden is a lovely,very reasonableresort hotel on theocean front, withfine and friendlyservice and deliciousassortedfoods. Membersdined together,with mealsincluding finevarieties of SriLankan favorites,along withIndian, Italian,French, German,Britishand Americanfoods. Flavorfulfresh fruits,and a wideassortment ofdelectable dessertswere alsooffered. And, of course, an item SriLanka (formerly Ceylon) may be bestknown for around the world, fine tea,was always available. In fact, tea andother tasty snacks were also providedin the meeting hall each afternoon.Members shared a feast of fellowship,being together for most parts ofeach day, and growing together as partof God’s family. That was indeed oneof the greater joys of being togetheras a small group, and interacting witheach other on such a regular basis.Family Day was held out on thewarm, sunny beach, with brethrensharing their skills in balancing freshlimes on the spoons adroitly held intheir mouths, attempting to avoid losingthe ocean water held in spongesthat were passed over their heads orbetween their legs as teams tried to fillsoda bottles with whatever remainedat the end of the line, and tugging orbeing tugged “in peace.” The warmocean waters were also enjoyed bymany.Other activities included a funfamily dance, with local and internationalmusic, and a talent show inwhich members fromeach family participated.Quite a few alsojoined together for akaraoke night.The spiritual feastincluded messagesfocused on God’sawesome plan hereon earth, the Kingdombeing established byJesus Christ and ourawesome calling toserve Him in doingso. It also includedmessages on stayingfocused on what theFeast is all about, lessons we can learnfrom Israel’s 40 years in temporarydwellings, the Holy Days and harvestseasons, what the family will be likein the world tomorrow, preparing forthe Kingdom of God and the way todeath and the way to eternal life.As the Feast ended, the membersfelt closely bonded together, lookingforward to the time when all wouldbe brought back together again.David EvansTogoKpaliméThis year 73 people from Togoand Benin celebrated the Feast at aschool complex in Kpalimé, Togo.The Feast was problem-free in everyway, with none of the complicationsthat can happen so easily in this partof the world.Each morning we had church servicesthat included sermons recordedin MP3 format especially for theFeast. During the eight days, wealso had several Bible studies, Biblegames and a cultural and folklore evening.Our opportunities to fellowshipwere most enjoyable. That we couldeat until full three times a day for alleight days was a wonderful physicalfeast for us. The offerings were verygood this year, reaching a total of78,500 francs (about $150).Thanks to our brethren in otherparts of the world who sent us theassistance we needed to be able toobserve God’s Feast under goodconditions.Kossi FiaboéTongaMu’aThis year 24 brethren attended theFeast of Tabernacles in the KingdomMu’a, Tongaof Tonga. “Teamwork” was the mainemphasis of the Feast this year, whichled to a very successful and blessedtime for everyone.We were blessed with wonderfulweather throughout the Festival. Theservices were blessed by powerfuland inspiring sermons along withsome great activities that everyoneparticipated in and enjoyed.The ladies stepped up this yearand hosted most of the activities,including a rare opportunity to watchour children perform our traditionaldances.It’s always a highlight of theFeast when we have our Feast ’umu(which involves cooking our foodin an underground oven). We alsohad a Family Day, held at one of thebeautiful beaches on the island. Weall had a great time, especially thechildren.This was one of the most memorableFeasts that we have everobserved. Not only were we blessedphysically, but we also grew spiritually.Heamasi Ta’ufo’ouUnited StatesAnchorage, AlaskaAfter a three-year break, Anchoragewas once again host to the Feastof Tabernacles this year.Local brethren from theAlaskan congregations welcomedalmost 700 people totheir state of natural beautyand incredible wildlife. Godprovided a number of days ofbeautiful weather, enablingthe brethren to enjoy thespectacular fall mountainscenery while benefitingfrom a great spiritual Feastof inspiring sermons andChristian fellowship.While a number of attractionsand restaurants were open duringthis “late season” for Alaska, ahighlight for the group was the AlaskaRailroad trip. This chartered tourtrain furnished the Church with lunchand a snack bar during a six-hourtrain trip from downtown Anchoragethrough the Turnagain Arm to themajestic Spencer Glacier. The tripwas enhanced with sightings of baldeagles, beluga whales, Dall sheep andmoose along the way!At the annual family dance, thebrethren were treated to a 45-minutepresentation on the aurora borealisby one of the premier Alaskan photographerswho hasdedicated his life to thepursuit of documentingthis unbelievablephenomenon.There were alsoopportunities to visitMartin Buser’s (threetimeIditarod champion)dog-training center,take a personal tour ofa native Alaskan Heritagecenter, hike at anyof several glaciers thatsurround Anchorageand even take a plane ride aroundthe Chugach Mountains, Knik Glacieror the 20,320-foot majestic Mt.McKinley!Anchorage, Alaska: Train tour of theTurnagain Arm and Spencer Glacier;above right, Becky Horchak andHeidi Hanisko flying over ChugachMountainsAll in all, returning to “the LastFrontier” to observe God’s specialFeast of Tabernacles was a wonderfulexperience for all—and we lookforward to returning in 2010!Douglas HorchakBend-Redmond, OregonThis year’s attendance was thelargest since the first two years thatthe Feast was held in Bend/Redmond.Attendance was steady andconsistent (peaking at 1,137 on openingday) despite cooler than averageBend-Redmond, Oregon: Lostleopard returns! An announcementwas made when this stuffedanimal went missing. Imagine thislittle girl’s joy when she woke up tofind him back!temperatures and the threat of rainthat never materialized.The weather forecast called for rainthroughout the week, including an80 percent chance of a major stormon Sunday with a half inch of rain.We asked everyone to pray about theweather, and during services on Sundaywatched a live satellite picture ofa large storm front heading toward usthat moved to the north less than 20miles away and bypassed the Feastsite. One weather forecaster remarkedthat despite rain all around, it was likethere was a large protective “bubble”over Central Oregon.We logged from 50 to 100 cybercastconnections daily, including aconnection viewed by a group of 33members in Phoenix, Arizona.Many commented that the messageswere especially good thisyear. The Feast video also receivedmany favorable comments.A widerange ofactivitieswas availableforteens, singles,youngadults ands e n i o r s .Our familydance and fun showwere very wellreceived and attendedby more than500. We were alsotreated to a specialwestern concert bythe popular BooherBrothers, wellknownto manyFeastgoers from their performancesat the family’s now-closed DiamondB Chuckwagon. Family Day washeld at a children’s museum, whichhad many hands-on activities, and afun center with go-karts, miniaturegolf, bowling and indoor games.About 800 pounds of food and$1,700 cash were donated to the localfood bank.Larry J. Walker

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 19Branson, MissouriExcitement was in the air asChurch members gathered in Bransonfor the Feast of Tabernacles.Everyone seemed to be anticipating avery inspiring Feast, and they weren’tdisappointed. Messages were verypowerful, painting a clear picture ofthe Kingdom of God while emphasizinga sense of urgency in our commission.The Feast video was generallyconsidered as the best yet.The weather was beautiful, withmoderate temperatures allowing allto appreciate the beautiful surroundingsin the Ozarks.Attendance remained exceptionallystrong throughout the Feast. Ourhigh attendance was 1,425—virtuallyfilling the auditorium. Averageattendance for all 10 services wasmore than 1,350—over half of thosebeing transfers from another Feastsite. Brethren dwelling together in awonderful spirit of cooperation andpeace added to the success of thisFeast.In addition to regular services andthe Bible study, we had four seminarson marriage and family that werealso popular. The children were veryenthusiastic about the Festival YouthInstruction.The Senior Citizens’ luncheon,always a big draw, was attended by370 people. Teens were able to enjoya beautiful afternoon at Table RockState Park with activities such asflag football and volleyball, as wellas pontoon boat rides. Singles tookadvantage of several opportunitiesto get together in the afternoon andevenings.Members were very excited to gettheir personal copies of the new hymnal.You could see people eagerlyleafing through it to see what “new”hymns were added. At this Feast,there was an outstanding spirit ofexcitement, support for the work ofthe Church and contentment amongall of those attending.There were at least three othergroups meeting for the Feast in andaround Branson, so we had visitorsthroughout the Feast. This Feast was,once again, one of the best—thanksto our Father in heaven.Mike BlackwellCincinnati, Ohio/NorthernKentuckyThe most frequent comment heardfrom our members during and afterthe Feast in Northern Kentucky was,“This Feast exceeded our expectations.”This was the second year God’sFeast of Tabernacles was held in theCincinnati/Northern Kentucky area,with over 600 in attendance this year.The weather was warm throughoutthe Feast, and the warm and enthusiasticatmosphere among the brethrenwas described by many as “electrifying.”Fellowship was lively, andmembers were willing and eager tobe involved in serving.A number of enjoyable activitiesadded to the joy of the Feast. Againthis year members took advantage ofthe opportunity to tour the Church’shome office. The Family Day activitywas held at the Cincinnati MuseumCenter, where several options wereavailable to choose from, includingthe Cincinnati History Museum, theNatural History and Science Museum,a special display about “RealPirates” and an Omnimax Theaterfilm with breathtaking scenery of theAlps. A senior citizens’ lunch waswell attended, and teens and youngadults toured the newly opened CreationMuseum.Cincinnati, Ohio/Northern KentuckyAnother popular attraction duringthe Feast was the opportunity tosee the musical My Fair Lady at theAronoff Center in Cincinnati. It wasexceptional!The highlight of the Feast wasthe excellent sermonettes, sermons,Bible study and seminars we weregiven. God’s inspiration was evidenteach day as we received instructionfrom His Word. Some of the staffat the Drawbridge Inn (the facilitywhere services were held) took theopportunity to sit in on some of theservices. They mentioned tome that they were impressedwith both the messages and thespeakers. The staff also told methat the Church people were thenicest group they have workedwith, and they commented thatthey loved seeing the little childrenall dressed up.The children who were presentprofited from the FestivalYouth Instruction and sharedtheir experience by displayingtheir Festival artwork,which depicted examples of howlife in today’s world will be drasticallychanged in the world tomorrow.Members delighted the children bydonating enough stuffed animals tocover several tables, allowing eachchild to choose a favorite animal totake home from the Feast.The special music was beautifuland uplifting; and as always, thechildren’s choir was a delightful addition.Many commented on the factthat even the congregational singingwas especially spirited. Our supplyof new hymnals dwindled quickly asmembers eagerly took advantage ofthe opportunity to receive a personalcopy.God greatly blessed our Feast, andmembers returned home spirituallyuplifted and rejuvenated.Lyle WeltyEscondido, CaliforniaThis year 833 brethren assembledtogether in the lovely Performing ArtsCenter of Escondido to hear encouragingand uplifting messages regardingthe gospel of Jesus Christ and theKingdom of God in all its fullness.Larry Greider opened the Festivalby encouraging us to “Enter Intothe Rest” of God’s plan and way oflife as portrayed by this festival. JimTuck encouraged those assembled toappreciate their calling as pioneerscalled at a special time. Randy Schreibershared a two-part series on theimportance of “Connections” withinthe Body of Christ, both to God andman. Robin Webber concluded thisyear’s Festival experience by encouragingthe audience to “ForeverSurrender to the EverlastingGospel” (Revelation14:6-7).The special nighttimeBible study featured JimTuck addressing the subjectof biblical prophecy regardingthe Antichrist and relatedevents preceding the secondcoming of Christ. Mr. Webberconducted a two-partafternoon World News and Prophecyseminar on “Jerusalem—Past, Presentand Future.”The Escondido Feast site experiencedeight straight days of gorgeousautumn weather, with the temperaturehovering around the high 70s.This city lies in an interior valley ofNorthern San Diego County. Within30 to 40 minutes of each direction,you can either be headed into pinecladmountains, on a sandy beach,touring the major attractions of SanDiego or walking through the vineyardsof nearby Temecula. Each yearnearly 40 to50 percentof our peoplestay inthe nearbybeach communitiesof Oceanside or Carlsbadand commute to services.While metropolitan San Diego hasworld-class attractions, the primaryattraction at the Escondido Feast siterightfully remains the Festival activitiesthemselves and the brethren, whoplunge in to “keep the Feast” in all itsaspects. Throughout the course of theweek, our people were able to experienceyoung adult and teen drop-insocials, a teen beach party at Oceansideand a senior citizens’ banquet.The most popular event continuesto be the old-fashioned Family Daypicnic at nearby oak-shaded FelicitaPark that brings all the brethren ofGod’s family together, no matter howJekyll Island, Georgia: Webcasting in progressold or young, to experience in typethe peaceful harmony of the wonderfulworld tomorrow.Robin WebberEscondido, California: Song service; inset, stuffed animal giveaway(photos by Steve Ferguson)Jekyll Island, GeorgiaJekyll Island was the scenic, peacefullocation for some 1,300 brethrenwho enjoyed messages that focusedon the positive changes to society thatwill occur during the coming Kingdomof God.The high attendance was 1,335on the weekly Sabbath. For the firsttime, we provided a webcast of services,and there was a high of 170Internet connections.Attendees had a full slate ofactivities including a Bible study foradults, one for young adults, one forteens, Festival Youth Instruction, aslide presentation of last year’s biblicaltour of Turkey, a special Sabbathbrunch at the Jekyll Island ClubHotel, a golf tournament and a bustour to St. Augustine, Florida. Therewere also social activities for singles,young adults and teens.Two additional activities that wereespecially well attended were a familydance and Family Day at the SummerWaves Water Park. Because theFeast was earlier on the calendar thisyear, the water park was still openand we were able to rent the facilityfor our exclusive use.Although the weather turnedwindy and rainy toward the end ofthe Feast, we were able to successfullycomplete all of our scheduledoutdoor activities. The winds calmeddown and the sun came out on theLast Great Day. Weatherwise, it wasa great ending to a great Feast.David TreybigKerrville, TexasThis year 720 brethren kept theFeast in the beautiful hill country ofKerrville, Texas. We were blessedwith gorgeous fall weather and pleasantsunny days that enhanced allthe outdoor activities. Many of thebrethren stayed on site at the Inn andenjoyed fine meals, additional fellowshipand an easy walk to services.The conference center lends itself toinformal fellowship, so many brethrencame early and stayed late gettingacquainted and sharing experiences.The hill country is an outstandingsetting for outdoor and familyactivities. Brethren staying in rentedhomes were able to host groups informally.All who attended the ChurchsponsoredFamily Day barbecue andthe country-and-western dance eveningcommented on the fun of beingtogether in a relaxed atmosphere. TheFestival Choir and the Children’sChoir provided outstanding musicthis year, along with special instrumentaland solo selections.The sermon speakers focused onthe themes of family and leadership.Many of the brethren commented thatthe messages were helpful and righton target. Jim Servidio’s opening nightmessage on the Psalms of ascent andhis last sermon on “doing somethingwith what we have heard” made great“bookends” for the other messages.Gary Petty spoke about wrestlingthe “beast inside us” and Ken Treybigtalked about specifics of godlyleadership. Tom Damour discussedthe majesty of God’s voice in theuniverse. Bill Jahns encouraged us toplan for the days ahead. Roger Fosterdescribed the Millennium from thebook of Isaiah. Jack Hendren spokeon writing the law and why Godwill resurrect the “rest of the dead.”Don Ward’s Last Great Day messageaddressed personal responsibility andleadership.The Feast in Kerrville was outstandingthis year, and we all left withgratitude for God’s blessings.Jack Hendren

20 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationLancaster, PennsylvaniaThe Willow Valley Resort andConference Center played host to theFeast in beautiful Lancaster, Pennsylvania.The beauty of the PennsylvaniaDutch Country provided a millennialsetting for the brethren, with beautifulautumn weather throughout the eightdays. A representative of Willow Valleywelcomed the Church prior to theopening night’s message.The spiritual food was fantastic,as many of the sermons captured theLancaster, Pennsylvaniaessence of the Feast, andour great potential andresponsibility after thereturn of Jesus Christ.The teen and young adultBible studies centered on relationshipsand how they are establishedfirst in the family and carried outsidethe home later in life.Services were held in the PalmCourt of Willow Valley, and theresort contained two fine restaurantsthat made it convenient for the brethren,especially the seniors, to extendfellowship without leaving the facility.The vast majority of the brethrenlodged at Willow Valley. The attendanceduring the Feast remainedsteady, with the highest figure being1,129 on the weekly Sabbath.As far as activities, our Family Daywas a huge success. We were blessedwith a beautiful day and spent theafternoon at D.F. Buchmiller Park,which was entirely rented to theChurch for four hours. Children’sgames, volleyball, face painting andother activities were enjoyed by all.That evening, the Church gatheredtogether in Palm Court for the FamilyDance. All ages were again represented,and Don McCoy playeda wide variety of music and evenincluded party games such as musicalchairs.Over 600 brethren once again madetheir way to the Sight and Sound Theatre,this time to see the production ofIn the Beginning, featuring the eventsof the creation week including thecreation of Adam and Eve. Anothertour to New York was also heavilyattended as Feastgoers viewedthe Broadway show, Mary Poppins.Willow Valley also provided free bustours of the area, and each tour datewas filled to capacity.Several other highlights at the Feastincluded receiving the personal hymnals,and signing cards that would besent to brethren unable to travel to theFeast. Long lines of excited brethrenwaited patiently to receive theirhymnals and to sign over 50 greetingcards.With all that Lancaster and WillowValley have to offer, many verbalizedtheir desire to return to the locationin 2008.Todd O. CareyPanama City Beach,FloridaThe Feast this year in Panama CityBeach, Florida, went exceptionallywell in spite of a “Bike Rally” thatwas in town for the first half of theFeast. There were some complaintsabout the noise levelat times, but overallthings went very well.This year marked oureighth year to keep theFeast of Tabernacles inthe tropical setting ofbeautiful Panama CityBeach. The weatherwas picture perfect,with clear skies,emerald-green watersand sugar-white sandybeaches.Almost 1,700 brethrenwere fed an outstandingspiritualbanquet about God’ssoon-coming Kingdomand how we will finallybe rescued from Satan’s world. Thiswas one of the “best Feasts ever” interms of “meat in due season.” Therewere many favorable comments thisyear about the Feast DVD. The subjectwas so timely and appropriate;many said it was thebest presentationthey had ever seen.The special musicwas exceptional andthe performance onYouth Day of thePanama City Beach, Florida (photosby Don Daugherty)56-member Children’s Choir wasdelightful.We had 165 youth attend the bowlingand skating activity for our teensand 212 seniors attended the luncheonheld in their honor.We all left Panama City Beach spirituallyand physically rejuvenated.Harold RhodesSteamboat Springs,ColoradoThis year was one of our warmeryears for the Feast at SteamboatSprings. It snowed twice, both timesduring the night, but mostly on themountain behind the SteamboatGrand Resort Hotel, which hosted theFeast. Those Texans who wanted toplay in the snow only needed to drive15 miles up to Rabbit Ears Pass, andthey could throw all the snowballsthey wanted!The auditorium was crowded, asit usually is. High attendance cameon the first Holy Day, with 704. Abit of sickness brought the numberdown through the week, but it neverSteamboat Springs, Colorado:Festival Youth Instruction (photo byScott Ashley)dropped below 618. Opening nightwas 562. Spirits were high and everyoneseemed very responsive and supportive,even more than the norm. Anumber of comments were made inappreciation of specific messagesdelivered.The fun show was a big hit onceagain, but the family dance was alsoquite popular. We added a barbecuein the park before the fun show thisyear, and it was attended by about300. Howelson Park was a beautifullocation for this, and HowelsonLodge, a rustic and historic venue,was able to seat two-thirds ofthe group. It didn’t matter onthat particular day becausethe weather was beautiful.Since potential mountainweather problems make itdifficult to have a regularfamily day, we plannedboth ice skating and bowlingfor the teens. And thepreteens had their bowlingday as well. It’s great towatch 4- and 5-year-oldswith a bowling ball. Thegutter guards helped a lot!The seniors always seemto enjoy the lunch andactivity. This year therewere 113. They enjoyed abit of entertainment, followedby a helpful addressfrom Wilbur Berg.The eight days zipped by, as theyalways do, but we left SteamboatSprings with high spirits.Larry NeffWisconsin Dells,WisconsinMore than 1,300 brethren enjoyedinspiring messages, wonderful musicand beautiful weather during theFeast of Tabernacles in WisconsinDells. Temperatures remained in the70s throughout the Feast, with a littlerain only in the late afternoon or eveninghours.High attendance was on the firstHoly Day with 1,398 attending services.The spiritual food was excellentand included messages focusingon Christ’s perspective on the Feast,the vision of the Feast, the importanceof healthy marriages, the refreshingrain pictured by the Feast, threeimportant questions for youth, wagingpeace, how Christ is the Light ofthe World and what the Church needsto know about judgment.Throughout the Feast, brethrenhad the opportunity to sign handmadecards that were sentto more than 80 shut-insunable to attend the Feast.Brethren gave generouslyto help fund scholarshipsfor youth camps in thePhilippines and LatinAmerica and to provideassistance to Youth Corpsvolunteers working atsummer camps in Africaby donating at the GoodWorks concert featuringthe Myers Brothers.Hundreds of brethren enjoyed thebig band sound of live music at theFamily Dance and, as an entry “fee”to the dance, contributed food for thelocal community Food Shelf.Wisconsin Dells,Wisconsin: Signingcards for shut-ins;right, at the FamilyDance (photos byJoe Jacoby)God truly blessedus with a joyful Feastof Tabernacles inWisconsin Dells.Michael HaniskoZambiaNalubandaIn 2007, we moved back to Nalubandabecause Paray’s Game Farm,where we kept the Feast for the lastNalubanda, Zambia: At the sports day, men try tothread cotton through the eye of a needle as partof a relay racetwo years, increased their charge byan astronomical 57 percent.Attendance was a record 310, a104 percent increase over last year.This number increased because ofthe large group of people that camefrom our former association in late2006. We all ate together and stayedin tents. Feeding 300 people from onekitchen was no small challenge, butsurprisingly we managed.André van Belkum, the chairmanof the South African national council,and his wife, Elize, spent the last fourdays of the Feast with us and deliveredinspiring sermons describingand pointing members to the Kingdom.He lost his voice on the LastGreat Day. After the morning meetingMr. van Belkum and KambaniBanda blessed 32 infants betweenthem! Members appreciated Mr. andMrs. van Belkum’s presence becauseof the difficulties they put up with.The highlights of the Feast were abaptism and the Family Day.On the second day of theFeast, cattle rustlers stole sevenanimals (financed by LifeNets)from our Church members. Thiskind of depressed the mood at theFeast, and a prayer request wasmade. Happily, just before theLast Great Day, God intervenedand the animals were recovered,some 60 miles away.Wilson NkhomaZimbabweLake ChiveroThe Feast of Tabernacles inZimbabwe was once again heldat the Lake Chivero NationalPark, 25 kilometers outsideHarare, capital city of Zimbabwe.The Feastgoers werepicked up from a designatedplace in Harare by abus that was hired for themby the Church. The meetingwas characterized bywarm greetings and hugging.At the Feast site therewere some more greetingsand hugging with those whohad not come in the bus buthad found their own way to the Feastsite.The weather was very good, withoccasional cloud cover and on oneoccasion there was a shower at night.Breezes blowing across the lake addedto the cooler weather throughoutthe Feast.The minister responsiblefor Zimbabwe,André van Belkum,was there, accompaniedby his wife. Hegave very encouragingsermons the first fourdays of the Feast, afterwhich he proceeded toZambia where he andhis wife spent the restof the Feast.In Zimbabwe the economicsituation is verydifficult, and becauseof that there is scarcity

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 21of many things. Shops are characterizedby some empty shelves. Thebrethren are not spared from thesehardships. However, the Feastgoerswere greatly blessed by voluntarycontributions from brethren in SouthAfrica and from Hobart, Tasmania,on the other side of the world. Withthese donations the Church was ableto purchase two sheep and three goatsthat were slaughtered for the FamilyDay and the daily consumption of thebrethren.There was also the challenge ofelectricity being switched off all dayand then switched back on at about 9or 10 at night. This resulted in ChurchDVD messages not being played atall. The last two days were the worst,with electricity not coming on at alluntil the end of the Feast.All these setbacks did not dampenthe spirits of the brethren. One daythe brethren spontaneously startedsinging “His Mercy Never Fails” justbefore the start of the church service.A few days later it was interesting towatch little children with hymnals intheir little hands imitating the adults,singing “His Mercy Never Fails”!One of the highlights of the Feastwas the baptism of three peopleby Mr. van Belkum. They are TendayiMawire, Matilda Gorondo andOnesimo Maraza. There were twovisitors from Zambia, James Mfulaand his 16-year-old son, David.Mr. Mfula gave a very upliftingsermonette and would have givenanother one had he not been forcedLake Chivero, Zimbabweto return to Zambia midway throughthe Feast due to his son’s persistentillness. A phone call revealed thatonly Mr. Mfula attended the rest ofthe Feast in Zambia. David did notrecover enough to attend the rest ofthe Feast with his dad.The highest attendance was 39, ascompared with 32 the previous year.The offering on the first day wasZ$5.3 million and on the Last GreatDay it was Z$9.6 million.This year some brethren wentfishing on the lake and caught quitea lot of fish. Even though many ofthe fish were relatively small, theyadded to the enjoyment of the Feastand supplemented their food supplies.In many ways this was indeeda very happy and blessed Feast,and our most sincere and heartfeltthanks go to our brethren in SouthAfrica and Tasmania for their donationsthat went a long way in makingour Feast that much more enjoyable.Please join us in praying forour country, for God to improve theeconomy.Harris HlazoLettersNew HymnalI am really impressed with and gratefulfor the new hymnal, as I’m sure youare. Many, many thanks to the lyricists,composers, arrangers and all the manypeople that contributed to the selection,reviews, design and publicationof the songs, including Steve Myersheading up the big team. Thank you toUnited Church of God for doing thisand providing us with such a wonderfulhymnal.I’m pleased with everything aboutit—the choice of selections, the beautifullayout and printing of each page,the cover, the thorough commuicationat the bottom of each page making itclear who composed the music andthe source of the lyrics, the verse at thetop, and… I was surprised and greatlypleased to see that it has several differenttypes of indexes—interesting andvery helpful!Don HooserSedro Woolley, WashingtonThanks for Cards, Calls,Tapes, etc.I truly want to thank so many formaking my stay-at-home Feast time sopleasant. The cards, phone calls and thegiant card with so many messages.The sermon tapes were all excellent.I could never let everyone knowhow I was blessed by them. There werenotes, etc., from most states.Ruby SealeTexasFeast Brochure; ParentingArticlesThank you for the Feast brochure.Even though I have grown up goingto the Feast of Tabernacles and lovedoing so, the articles were very helpful.I appreciated the one on appropriatetips. In order to be lights in the worldat the various sites we go to, this will bea great tool to have as a Christian.Thanks again for all the preparation andtime the coordinators and others involveddo to make it so nice for everyone.Thank you for putting Nancy Capo’sarticles in both United News and TheGood News. They can hopefully be a helpto parents, aunts, grandparents, etc.Colorado“Lessons From a Bridge”Thanks for the superb article fromGregory Dullum on “Lessons From aBridge” [September/October 2007 UnitedNews, page 11]. Lots to think about!MichiganThe New Covenant BookletA surprising and pleasant gift came inthe mail, The New Covenant—180 pluspages, nine chapters. We have passedit around to all of us in the family.My mother would get bookletson very important subjects like thisdecades ago before the 1986 death ofMr. Armstrong.All the workers there are in ourprayers. We know all of the membersof Christ’s Body are in your prayers.AlabamaWorld News and ProphecyRegarding World News and Prophecy,I really enjoy “This Is the Way,” but allthe articles are interesting and helpful.It’s good to have a nonpolitical, biblicalperspective on news items and to seewhere current events fit in prophecy.EnglandResearching ChristmasI just wanted to write to tell you thatyour magazine is wonderful! I found itonline by accident. I was doing someresearch on Christmas being a paganholiday when I came across an articleabout the same thing in your magazineonline. I was glad to see that there werepeople publishing the “truth” about theholidays that we all grew up with generationafter generation.My mother thought that I had lost mymind when I told her, almost two yearsago, that I would no longer decorate myhouse for Christmas. She had just aboutforgiven me for not wanting my son (whojust turned 6) to have an Easter basket.Now I tell her that I am denying him aChristmas tree? It was like she thoughtthat I was abusing him by denying himChristmas. Then she thought, are you aJehovah’s Witness? I said of course not,but I am following the word of Christ, soyou should support me.Long story short, she doesn’t give mea hard time much anymore, but she stilldoes not understand it. All around meprofessing Christians are participatingin pagan rituals, and they see nothingwrong with it. I had a conversation witha friend of mine who is a Christian andproud of it. Even she is reluctant to letgo of the silly traditions that we do thatare actually against God’s Word becausethey were made for other gods.But the power that tradition hasover some people is really scary. Theywould rather risk being disobedient toGod than be “different.” But we aresupposed to be different. I feel like eventhough I have only had my eyes openedin the last three years, that no one else isseeking the truth. And sometimes evenwhen the truth is there for them to see,they would rather rationalize it away.Now I don’t want to sound like Ithink that I am the perfect Christian,because I am not. But I just wish therewas some way to help others to be ableto accept the truth and stand strong in it.Your magazine shows me that there areothers out there telling the truth eventhough it is not favorable. Thank you.Internet“Amazing Discussions!”I absolutely love this Web site. Afriend and I lead a Bible study for someof our fellow high school friends. ThisWeb site has been a great source forus. We have had amazing discussions!Thank you so much for making all ofthis available to the public!InternetSabbath and EvolutionI’m a science teacher (biology andchemistry). After reading many GoodNews magazines, I was shocked tofind out I have followed and practicedungodly practices. Now my main worryis which day one has to observe basedon the Fourth Commandment. Should Ialso continue teaching my students aboutevolution as the syllabus requires?InternetLetters to the Editor: Lettersmay be edited for length and clarity.Comments and suggestions arewelcome. Please let us know if youwould like your name printed. Mailto: United News, P.O. Box 541027,Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027 or e-mail mike_bennett@ucg.org.“Scotland,” continued from page 3the hall (www.scottishhostels.co.uk).In Stirling city center, the first two hotelsare within walking distance of the AlbertHalls. These rates are not available throughtheir Web site booking form.1. Stirling Highland HotelThis four-star hotel with leisure facilitiesis within walking distance of the busand train stations and the Albert Halls; itis located on a sloping street just belowStirling Castle.Address: Spittal Street, Stirling, FK81DU; phone: 01786 272727; fax: 01786272829; e-mail: stirling@paramounthotels.co.uk;Web site: www.paramounthotels.co.uk.For the period of the Feast, rates are:• Bed-and-breakfast package, doubleoccupancy, £69.50 per person per night.• Bed-and-breakfast package, singleoccupancy, £127 per person per night.• Dinner, £15 supplement for adults andolder children.• Children under 12 can select from thechildren’s menu with charges as taken.• No supplement for children added toa room; but there is a £15 supplement forthe family rooms as there are only four ofthem.2. Golden Lion HotelThis three-star hotel is also within walkingdistance of the bus and train stationsand the Albert Halls; it is a gentle walkto the Albert Halls and is located close toshops and restaurants in the city center.Address: 8-10 King Street, Stirling,FK8 1BD; phone: 01786 475351; fax:01786 472755; e-mail: enquiries@thegoldenlionstirling.com;Web site: www.thegoldenlionstirling.com.For the period of the Feast, rates are:• Bed-and-breakfast package, doubleoccupancy, £90 per room per night ( i.e.two people).• Bed-and-breakfast package, singleoccupancy, £65 per room per night.• Dinner £10 supplement for adults andolder children.Please ensure that you check that thehotel is giving you these rates, as at thetime of writing we do not have the quotationin writing.3. Stirling Management CentreThis three-star hotel, part of the Universityof Stirling, is set amid 300 acres ofbeautiful parkland and is a short bus journeyfrom Stirling city center.Address: University of Stirling, Stirling,FK9 4LA; phone: 01786 451666; Fax:01786 449940; e-mail: smc.sales@stir.ac.uk; Web site: www.smc.stir.ac.uk.For the period of the Feast, rates are:• Bed-and-breakfast package, doubleoccupancy, £45 per person per night.• Bed-and-breakfast package, singleoccupancy £75 per person per night.• Dinner £22 supplement for adults andolder children; bar suppers from £7.4. The Dunblane Hydro HotelThis hotel is certainly impressive inits facilities and in its setting. It is about7 miles from the Albert Halls, and themanagement is prepared to arrange busesat the times needed for travel to and fromservices. Alternatively you may use yourown transportation, bus, train or taxi.Address: Perth Road, Dunblane,Perthshire, FK15 0HG; phone: (+44)1786826643 (when calling, quote“UCG”); e-mail: Reservations@dunblanehydrohotel.com;Web site: www.dunblanehydrohotel.com.There are 206 bedrooms at £65 perperson per night, which includes dinner,bed and breakfast, based on double ortwin occupancy (£50 single supplementand a minimum length of stay of fivenights).How Do I Submit MyRegistration Fee?The recommended £20 per adult maybe sent using credit or debit card at www.charity-choice.co.uk to United Churchof God–British Isles. Just click the red“search” button, and enter either the charitynumber 1079192 or the name “UnitedChurch of God.” We are looking intoproviding a PayPal account as anotherfacility.Additional information about tours willbe sent in a few weeks by e-mail to thosewho have registered. UN

22 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationOverwhelmed With Grief: Losing My Only Son!■ Nothing seems goodabout grief or the trials thatbring it on us. But in themidst of a horrendous loss Ibegan to see the connectionbetween grief and love—and God.by Allen StoutMy son was a chip off the old block, soto speak. I had loved to explore and hadspent time in Alaska and thought abouthomesteading up there—an aunt anduncle and grandfather did just that.As a boy, Michael was always exploring,building tree houses, learning toshoot, hunt and fish. He loved to be outhiking, swimming, canoeing, waterskiing, ice skating, downhill and crosscountryskiing, and he loved flying whenI would take him up in AmbassadorCollege’s Piper Cub in Big Sandy, Texas,where I worked.He was not so inclined when it cameto school and church, but neither was Igrowing up. But he was never openlyrebellious—he just had other prioritiesthat were more important to him. He hadacquired some health problems growingup—chemical toxicity due to exposureto formaldehyde fumes from buildingmaterials in a new home we built—whichprobably favored the outdoor lifestylethat he loved.At my encouragement, he tried somecommunity college studies, but when anopportunity to take a survival trainingcamp came along, Michael jumped at it.He made much of his own survival gear.After his mother died, he decidedto head north to Alaska. He landed atWrangell in the southern panhandle areato explore and practice his survival skills.Michael made friends and picked up varioustemporary jobs, including working ona fishing boat, which he said almost sankbecause most of the crew was drunk.He was faithful to write home and toothers about his experiences. He appliedfor a job with the Forest Service and wasplanning to buy land and settle in thearea.Michael also began to spend moretime studying his Bible and began to askmany questions in his letters. I began tothink about taking a trip up to visit himthe coming summer of 1995.Missing!But in February, I received a call fromthe sheriff’s office in Wrangell, Alaska,notifying me that Michael was reportedmissing in the Alaskan wilderness, andthat they were sending out a search partyto find him. He had been out practicingsurvival skills in the wilderness. I wasdeeply concerned and asked many topray for his safety.A friend of Michael’s, who took suppliesand mail to him at a wilderness cabinevery month or so, had reported himmissing on his trip out in February.The friend, a Forest Service employee,had gone to the cabin where they were tomeet. He searched for him, but did not goout to Michael’s survival camps. Some ofMichael’s letters gave accounts of closeencounters with huge Alaskan brownbears that had raided one of his camps, sothis was of no small concern.Bad NewsI was praying that he would be foundsafe, but when I heard back from theWrangell sheriff’s office about a weeklater, the news was not good.The search party had found him somedistance from the cabin deep in the frozensnow-covered woods in a clearing on ahill overlooking abeautiful river valley.He had beenthere for over amonth. I will sparethe details, as it wasdifficult to impossibleto determineexactly what hadhappened.I was overwhelmedwithemotion and grief,such as I had neverfelt before. I wasfully expecting tohear good news,but I also knew thechances he was takingexploring andtrying to surviveon his own in theAlaskan wildernessin the winter.He was my only son, almost 27 yearsold, just beginning to reach for his dreamsand also seeking to understand God’sWord. I was especially hopeful to be ableto be a spiritual guide to him in his questto know God.Grief is an intense emotional feelingof distress and suffering of the heart forsomeone you love. It is only natural togrieve for those you love and over sucha loss, especially close family, childrenand friends you want to share the futurewith or share in the joys of their happinessand success.Going Through GriefThe grievous news of my son’s deathcame as I was beginning to prepare for thePassover that spring. In my grief I soughtto understand and console my feelings asI was reviewing more deeply the meaningof the spring Holy Days and of God’ssacrifice of His only Son for us.As I considered my love and concernand the grief I had for my son, my onlyson, I began to realize that we don’t grievefor those we don’t love, and the more welove someone, the more we grieve. Truemature love (Greek agape) is a sincere,deep outward concern for others. Grief,whether outward or inward (not all showtheir grief outwardly), therefore, could beconsidered a measure of our love.I considered the one who has the greatestlove, which is, of course, God. “ForGod is love” (1 John 4:8, 16)! Jesus said,“For God so loved the world, that Hegave His only begotten Son, that whoeverbelieves in Him should not perish,but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).Considering also, if we grieve forthose we love, how much more doesGod grieve for us, whom He created tobe His own children to share His lovewith (Hebrews 2:5-11; 1 John 3:1-3)?And how much more does God grievewhen we go astray and when we suffer(Hebrews 2:9, 14-15, 17-18; 4:15)?Parables of the lost sheep, the lost coinThe author and his son, Michael, with a trophy Michael won for hishomemade kite in a kite-flying contest in Big Sandy, Texas, in 1977.and the prodigal son reveal feelings Godhas toward us. “I say to you that likewisethere will be more joy in heaven over onesinner who repents than over ninety-ninejust persons who need no repentance.“But the father said… [when his lostson returned repentant], ‘Bring out thebest robe and put it on him and put a ringon his hand and sandals on his feet. Andbring the fatted calf…and let us eat andbe merry; for this my son was dead and isalive again; he was lost and now is found”(Luke 15:7, 22-24).How Much More Does GodGrieve?If I was overwhelmed with grief formy only son, how much more did Godthe Father grieve when He allowed Hisonly begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to sufferand be crucified and die for our sins? Godthe Father has loved Jesus Christ for alleternity (Luke 1:30-35; 3:21-22; Ephesians3:14-19; John 1:1, 14; 3:16).As I began to consider how muchgreater God’s love is than mine, I beganto understand how much more He lovesmy mother, my wife, my son and daughtersand all mankind—and me—thanI ever could. The apostle John revealedthat Jesus came to demonstrate God’slove for us:“In this the love of God was manifestedtoward us, because that God has sentHis only begotten Son into the world, thatwe might live through Him.“In this is love, not that we loved God,but that He loved us and sent His Son tobe a propitiation for our sins” (1 John4:9-10).We love God only because He firstloved us (1 John 4:19). Some might ask,why then doesn’t God prevent us fromchoosing the way of sin and death? Whydid God allow Adam and Eve and thatgeneration before the Flood to be temptedby Satan and to choose the way of eviland death?The answer, of course, is that the onlyway God couldcreate godly characterin His childrenwas to giveman the freedomof choice. But Godis not negligent toteach man the lawsof life and blessingsor to warnmankind of theconsequences ofsin and evil (Genesis2:16-17; Deuteronomy5:31-33; 6:1-9; 7:7-15;8:1-20; 28:1-2,15;Ezekiel 18:4).Character hasto be tested andproven; thereforeGod allows mento be tested, evendeceived, and tochoose, disobey and suffer the consequencesof sin to prove for themselvesthat God’s Word and His laws are true,righteous and absolute (Genesis 3:1-6;Deuteronomy 4:8; 30:1-20; Jeremiah17:10; Matthew 5:17; Romans 7:10-12).God is grieved when we choose theway of evil, suffering and death (Genesis6:5-6; Deuteronomy 30:15-20). But Godwill not take away our freedom to chooseand suffer the consequences. However,God, in great love for us, planned beforethe foundation of the world that JesusChrist would come down and give Hisown life to redeem man from sin anddeath (1 Peter 1:18-20).So how much does God love us? Jesussaid, “Greater love has no one than this,than to lay down one’s life for his friends”(John 15:13).The apostle Paul wrote, “Scarcely for arighteous man will one die; yet perhaps fora good man someone would even dare todie. But God demonstrates His own lovetoward us, in that while we were still sinners,Christ died for us.“…having now been justified by Hisblood, we [and our loved ones] shall besaved from wrath through Him.“For if when we were enemies wewere reconciled to God through the deathof His Son, much more, having been reconciled,we shall be saved by His life”(Romans 5:7-10).Because of Jesus Christ’s sacrificefor the sins of mankind, all will havea chance for salvation in a resurrection(1 Peter 1:13-21; Romans 5:6-11; John 5:21, 25, 28-29; Revelation20).Jesus Christ’s Example ofLoveWhen Jesus (from the HebrewJehoshua, meaning “the Eternal whosaves”) came to this earth as the Son ofMan, He saw the grief and emotionalpain of others and had great empathyand expressed grief and wept for them(John 11:30-36; Hebrews 2:9-18;4:15). If you have lost a loved one,know that God also grieves with you. Ilearned from my experiences that Godfelt my pain and grief, and He gave memuch comfort through His Word andSpirit (John 14:26-27; 1 Thessalonians4:13-18).Jesus was “despised and rejected bymen, a Man of sorrows and acquaintedwith grief…“Surely He has borne our griefs andcarried our sorrows; yet we esteemedHim stricken, smitten by God, andafflicted.“But He was wounded for ourtransgressions, He was bruised[Hebrew daka, “beat to pieces,break, bruise, crush, destroy, humble,smite”] for our iniquities; the chastisement[Hebrew musar, “punishment,correction, discipline, instruction,chastisement”] for our peacewas upon Him, and by His stripes weare healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5).As an example of His love for us(Matthew 5:17-19; John 13:34; Romans13:8-10; 1 Peter 2:21), Jesus greatlyhumbled Himself by giving up Hispower and glory with God the Father tobe born as a human, and became obedientto death, even the most humiliatingdeath of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8;Hebrews 2:9-11, 14-18; 12:2-3), thatwe and our loved ones could be reconciledto God and raised up again to lifein a resurrection (Acts 24:15; Romans6:5, 23).And when He was suffering on thecross, He prayed to God for those whohad forsaken Him and those who werecrucifying Him, “Father, forgive them,for they do not know what they do”(Luke 23:34).How great is God’s love and the griefHe has for us to offer His only begottenSon to suffer and die for us to pay for oursins (Colossians 1:19-23; Hebrews 2:9-10)! And how great is Jesus’ love to giveHimself as a sacrifice for us (Hebrews2:14-18)! UNAllen Stout attends the Portland,Oregon, congregation.

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 23The Problem With Victory■ Today’s ambitiouspursuit of excellence canbe a double-edged sword.There’s much we canlearn from a man Jesusconsidered great.by Steve McNeelyConsider the natural humanresponse to the pursuit and overtakingof excellence. Even BenFranklin recognized the dangerwhen he wrote:“In reality there is perhaps noone of our natural passions so hardto subdue as Pride. Disguise it,struggle with it, beat it down, stifleit, mortify it as much as one pleases,it is still alive, and will everynow and then peep out and showitself. For even if I could conceivethat I had completely overcome it,I should probably be proud of myhumility.”In America we are obsessed withbigger, better, faster, farther, more,more, more! As we stoke our ambitions,strive to reach our full potentialand grow, the big question is:How will we handle success?There is a proper sense of pridethat should ride along with accomplishmentsthat come from sacrificeand hard work: pleasure, satisfactionand suitable self-respect.The opposite, dark side is all toofamiliar in people who becomearrogant, haughty, lordly, insolent,conceited, overbearing, disdainful,pompous, contemptuous, patronizingand scornful.These are not talents God islooking for in His servants. Fortunately,God left us with positiveexamples to temper our quest. Oneis found in the story of a man whowas called the greatest.His Name Was JohnBefore his birth, John’s parents,Zacharias and Elizabeth, hadaccepted their fate to be childless.Zacharias was a priest and, accordingto the ancient practices, rotatedfrom his home to serve in the temple.While alone in the temple performinghis priestly duties, Zachariaswas visited by the mightyarchangel Gabriel.Zacharias was afraid with goodreason. Not many humans receivelegitimate heavenly visits. Gabrielcalmed Zacharias’ fears, eloquentlyprophesied the miraculous birthof John and foretold of John’s special,divine mission. Gabriel alsogave instructions that John was tobe separated from birth, likely asa Nazirite (Luke 1:15; Numbers6:1-21).John’s destined greatness in thesight of God was to begin whenhe was sanctified, filled with theHoly Spirit even from Elizabeth’swomb.Zacharias remained unconvinced,so Gabriel struck him mute.Apparently this helped Zacharias’unbelief, so he went home aftercompleting his duties at the templeand soon after his aging wife,Elizabeth, became pregnant. ForZacharias and Elizabeth, as withAbraham and Sarah, this was amiracle.In due time, Elizabeth gave birthto a baby boy. At the ceremonialeighth-day circumcision, Zachariasfollowed Gabriel’s command andconfirmed his son’s name. Immediatelyhis tongue was loosened sohe could speak, praising God. People,as people do, wondered whatthese strange happenings meantand what was in store for this infantwhose entry into the world was sopeculiar.No doubt remained in Zacharias.He clearly understood his son’smission in life to be a prophet of theMost High sent in advance to preparethe way for the Messiah (Luke1:76). John was surely taught thisdiligently by both parents from thetime he could understand.Not much is mentioned aboutJohn’s upbringing. Perhaps John’selderly parents died when he wasyoung and, being different, hewanted to separate himself further.However it happened, John was ledto avoid civilization and ignore hisbirthright duty to begin serving inthe temple. Instead he lived in thedesert.It is here we must focus on avital point about John’s life. Eventhough he knew he had been calledspecifically by God for some specialpurpose, John waited in thewilderness until clearly told whatto do. It was not because John wasafraid to act. We shall see that hiscourage got him killed. John simplyrefused to take upon himself somethingthat was not ordained to be,or to move before God’s time wasright. Yet John continued in a stateof perpetual preparation. He grewin the desert and became strong inthe spirit (Luke 1:80).John’s patience and diligencewere rewarded. God’s infinitewisdom, taking into account thecascading waterfall of events thatwould flow from a single dropin time, knew the perfect minuteto call John to action. Somebodybrought the word of God to John.Perhaps Gabriel returned and gavehim instructions from the AlmightyGod.It is also notable that John didnot come up with his own doctrine.A messenger from God taught Johnto baptize with water for the remissionof sins (John 1:33). The lessonfor today is that humans shouldbe very careful about claiming adivine assignment or revelation.History shows that even those withlegitimate calls approached withcaution and in most cases had to beconvinced to take the job.When called to act, John’s ministrybecame very successful. Hispractical preaching resonated withthe common people as he powerfullyadmonished young and old,rich and poor, weak and powerfulwithout favor or fear. John built alarge following and his messagecontinued to reverberate for yearsafter his untimely death (Acts18:24-28).Yet John embraced his roleand position knowing from thebeginning that “he was not theone” and that he was destined todecline (John 3:30). Lacking whatwe today would dub the essential“competitive spirit,” John rejoicedin the ascendance of his “Cousin.”John didn’t let his rigorous selfdisciplinedeteriorate into selfrighteousness,nor did he becomeproud of his humility.Like his countrymen, Johnlooked for the Messiah who wouldbaptize with the Holy Spirit (John1:33). John’s faith was rewardedwhen he fulfilled all righteousnessby baptizing the Son of God.As Jesus stood up and the riverwater streamed down His back,John saw the Holy Spirit fly downupon the Christ like a dove. Thenhe announced, “Behold, the Lambof God that takes away the sins ofthe world” (John 1:29).Yet John was human. Fromprison he sent emissariesto enquire of Jesus if Hewas, indeed, the Savior. Itwould be understandableif John felt that thingswere not turning out as heonce imagined, for a weakruler had tossed Johninto prison for offendinghis second wife with thetruth.The villain, HerodAntipas, was the son ofan evil king, Herod theGreat, who divided hiskingdom into four parts.Herod Antipas was placedover Galilee while one ofhis half-brothers, Philip,inherited the northeastpart of his father’s kingdom.Somehow, Antipasgot embroiled in a sinfulaffair with Philip’s wife,Herodias, divorced hisfirst wife, and remarriedthis new woman.John, true to his consistent,outspoken, relentlesspursuit of truth, openly chastisedHerod and his bride for their unlawfulmarriage. We may borrow froma phrase and say, “Hell hath no furylike a woman rebuked in public.”Herodias’ malevolent heartwas not appeased when Antipasthrew John in the dungeon, andshe patiently waited for an openingto wreak her vengeance. Herodmust have secretly known Johnwas right, but he feared his wife.By and by a birthday party and thefolly of a drunken king gave her theopportunity she coveted.At once dull with alcohol andstimulated by the exotic dance ofHerodias’ daughter, Herod foolishlypromised to give anythingin return for her sensual entertainment.The alluring dancer ran toseek her mother’s advice.“Tell him you want the head ofJohn the Baptist on a silver platter,”replied the mother. This requestjolted Herod out of his drunkenrevelry, but saving face in front ofnotables, for him, outweighed righteousjudgment. John was beheadedby a royal executioner. Thegruesome trophy was presented onsilver while John’s headless bodysprawled in the cell where endedhis divine ministry.News of John’s death deeplymoved Jesus who offered highpraise in eulogy: “He was the burningand shining lamp, and you werewilling for a time to rejoice in hislight” (John 5:35). “For I say toyou, among those born of womenthere is not a greater prophet thanJohn the Baptist; but he who is leastin the kingdom of God is greaterthan he” (Luke 7:28). That is theultimate greatness we seek.How Will We HandleSuccess?The ambitious pursuit of excellenceis double-edged. On one sidewe should prepare to lead by continuouslydeveloping character andreaching for precious potential inthis life and the life to come. Theother edge is just as sharp: Handlesuccess with extreme caution.Like many chosen heroes of theBible, John the Baptist’s fate wasa violent, bloody, untimely death.This is not the American dream.Too often the human response tosuccess sprouts even in the Body ofChrist: bigger, faster, farther, more,more, more!How can we find the balance tosharpen both edges of the blade?Perhaps there are frontlets weshould bind before our eyes to temperour relentless pursuit. Perhapswe should always ask ourselveshard questions and not shy awayfrom truthful answers about ourown ambitions. Victor Hugo wrotein Les Miserables, “Who knowshow easily ambition disguisesitself under the name of a calling,possibly in good faith, and deceivingitself, saint that it is!” We mustnot deceive ourselves.• Can you and I prepare with allour might, seek excellence andsimultaneously be still and sereneknowing we might not get to applyeverything we’ve learned rightnow?• Can you and I develop a patientperspective that lets God’s peaceovercome any frustration? There isa great sense of calm that accompaniesdiligent effort tempered by thehumility to wait on Christ.• Can we resist the temptationto set ourselves up as teachers—even if we are qualified and see anopportunity to seize (James 3:1;Hebrews 5:4)?• Can you and I, for the sake ofunity, take a back seat even whenwe think we are qualified to drivethe bus? Much honor is reservedfor those few—and regrettably it isdifficult to name but few—who assist in elegant transitionsto their own hurt.• If we think we have discoverednew knowledge, dowe have the temperance, theforbearance, the restraint towait on God?• When—not if, butwhen—someone makes amistake, do we have theself-control, fortitude andcourage to purposely allowourselves to be defraudedand thereby imitate JesusChrist (1 Corinthians 6:7)?Napoleon Bonapartesaid that great ambition isthe passion of great character.Machiavelli rightlyobserved that ambition isso powerful a passion in thehuman breast, that howeverhigh we reach, we are neversatisfied. Healthy ambitioncan spur us toward rightgoals.Conversely, unsatisfied,purely human ambition willdull our blade and blunt our spiritualgrowth. We should take inventoryof our pride and humility. Ifthe ledger shows we are focusedon ourselves and what we want—beware, pride and unhealthy ambitionare at the door. If our heart,like John’s, is humble, we will say,“Not my will, but Your will, Father,be done!”So seek God’s help to prepare diligently.Build godly, righteous character.Seek to fulfill your unique,precious, God-given potential.But remember, victory can begethuman problems, so handle successwith extreme caution! UN

26 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationWhat Is Faith?What is faith? Obviously it is something beyondwhat we can describe in physical terms. Faith is trustin God, but to what level? Is it the faith when we firstcome to the knowledge of God’s truth? Is it the faithwe come to when we are pushed beyond our comfortlevel in matters of health or jobs or obedience to God’slaw? Is it faith to know completely that we are in God’shands, no matter the outcome of any given situation?You may have heard the story of the man who felloff a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the waydown. According to the story, the following conversationensued:“Is anyone up there?”“I am here. I am the Lord. Doyou believe Me?”“Yes, Lord, I believe. I reallybelieve, but I can’t hang onmuch longer.”“That’s all right—if youreally believe, you have nothingto worry about. I will save you.Just let go of the branch.”A moment of pause, then: “Isanyone else up there?”We can laugh at situations such as that because weare not the man hanging by the branch on the side ofa cliff.In Hebrews 11:1 we are told that “faith is the substanceof things hoped for, the evidence of things notseen.” None of us has seen God directly, but as theyears increase in our walk with God, we do see Him,don’t we? We see Him in healings, in strength forkeeping God’s Word, in the peace of mind and trustin Him that we gain in our everyday lives.In 1 John 4:18 we are told that perfect love castsout fear. Humanly speaking, we want that fear to begone now! And yet, it is obvious as well that we don’thave perfect love. Faith is also staying the course soGod’s love in us can be perfected and fear can bediminished.One night a house caught fire and a young boywas forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on theground below with outstretched arms, calling to hisson, “Jump! I’ll catch you.” He knew the boy had tojump to save his life.All the boy could see, however, was flame, smokeand blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid toleave the roof. His father kept yelling: “Jump! I willcatch you.” But the boy protested, “Daddy, I can’t seeyou.” The father replied, “But I can see you and that’sall that matters.”Faith is not merely your holding on to God—it isGod holding on to you. He will not let you go (Deuteronomy31:6)!God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power,love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Each weekwe can grow in faith. Each trial can add to our trustand reliance in God. Each year we should be able tolook back and see God’s hand guiding, supporting andencouraging us.The answer to my earlier questions is “yes.” Faithis all of those things and more. Faith is allowing Godto live in us to change us into a son or daughter ofGod—no matter what this physical life brings.Dan DowdPastor of the Milwaukee, Oshkosh and WisconsinDells, Wisconsin, congregationsSweet Peaches or SourLemons?Once upon a time, there was a peach pit. Someonehad eaten the peach one hot summer day and tossedthe seed into the nearby woods. The soil was dark andrich, and the seed harbored itself there as it slowlygrew into a slender, young peach tree, bearing few butdelicious fruits.How many times do we unknowingly plant seedsfrom the fruits of the Spirit? Maybe someday we’llfind they have grown into strong, sturdy young trees!More important, are we planting seeds from sweetpeaches or sour lemons?Though I personally believe in thinking positive,how about we think of a few biblical lemons? Therewas Nabal, first mentioned in 1 Samuel 25:2-3 whereit says, “Now there was a man in Maon…and the manwas very rich… The name of the man was Nabal…the man was harsh and evil in his doings.”Later in the story God “struck Nabal, and he died”(1 Samuel 25:38). God clearly does not like such sourlemons. But let’s remember some good that cameout of the story of Nabal. In verse 3 it says, “and thename of his wife [was] Abigail.And she was a woman of goodunderstanding and beautifulappearance.” How did a girllike that get stuck with a guy likehim? Perhaps at some point thelemon looked a lot like a peach!But let’s also note that lemonscan become peaches, like inActs when Saul the persecutorwas converted and became Paulthe apostle—talk about a reallygood peach!But what if we have a personal lemon? In Revelation3:12, Christ promises us, “He who overcomes, Iwill make him a pillar in the temple of My God… Ishall write on him the name of My God and the nameof the city of My God, the New Jerusalem… AndI will write on him My new name.” What a time tolook forward to while we “overcome” our personallemons!We need to toss peaches into the world, not lemons.We are told in 1 Timothy 4:12 to “be an example to thebelievers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith,in purity.” You never know who is watching, but wedo know God sees all things.Psalm 1:1-6 says, “Blessed is the man who walksnot in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the pathof sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but hisdelight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law hemeditates day and night. He shall be like a tree plantedby the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in itsseason, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whateverhe does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but arelike the chaff which the wind drives away. Thereforethe ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinnersin the congregation of the righteous. For the Lordknows the way of the righteous, but the way of theungodly shall perish.”What seeds do you leave behind—sweet peachesor sour lemons?Amanda RuppYoungstown, Ohio, congregationMy Baby ThiefMy unborn baby has taught me spiritual lessonsalready. One of these is about anticipation and faith.I never realized that the most difficult part of thewhole pregnancy would be the last couple of weeks,and not necessarily because of the aches and pains.But not knowing when our little one will appear hasbeen exhausting.You see, there have been signs for weeks—I havebeen having contractions for 19days now, the baby has droppedinto the right position, and themidwives have said manytimes, “any day now.” My husbandand I go to bed thinkingsurely the baby will come inthe night, and wake up everymorning eagerly anticipatingour new arrival that day. Therollercoaster ride of excitementand uncertainty has tired us out.And we have discovereda new danger—getting overly excited too soon canleave us without the energy when the time actuallycomes. Yet, the bags must be packed and ready in thecar, the cell phones kept by our sides at all times, andwe no longer venture more than 30 minutes from thebirthing center—just in case.What spiritual lesson has this taught me?I am reminded that we all are eagerly anticipatingChrist’s return and all the joy that will bring (aftersome necessary “childbirth pains”). We have seensigns that the times are coming, but we cannot knowexactly when. He will come “as a thief in the night”(Matthew 24:42-44; Luke 12:35-40).In the meantime, we must balance our zeal andexcitement with being in it for the long haul; we mustmetaphorically have the bags packed and in the car,always on the ready, yet living our lives day-to-day thebest we can while we wait. We must go to bed everynight and wake up every morning with that same hopeand prayer—and yet not lose faith or energy when itdoesn’t happen yet.In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, Paul writes that Christ willreturn as a thief in the night and as suddenly as laborpains upon a pregnant woman, and that we should notlet this event overtake us unaware. My husband and Icannot wait to meet our little one, who surely is comingsoon; even more should we be eager to meet ourSavior!Kirsten NelteTacoma, Washington, congregationCovetousness Lurks onthe Wal-Mart ShelvesThere are so many items in a Wal-Mart store thatpeople see that make them say to themselves, “I needthat! I want that!” This leads them to try to find a wayto get the items, even if they don’t have the money.Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet.” Butpeople go as far as to use the money that should be setaside to pay their bills, and that shouldn’t be done.Luke 12:22-24 reminds us that God provides uswith our needs. Jesus Christ also said, “Take heed andbeware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consistin the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke12:15).This world is filled with all kinds of things to want.We will have to say no to many of them. God wants usto learn contentment and not fall into the trap of covetousness.When we find something we really want, wecan carefully consider it, plan and save and then buy itwithout regrets—or covetousness.Joel FrittsSpringfield, Missouri, congregationHow to Stay in the FaithForty years ago this July, my wife and I were baptizedinto the Body of Christ. Many of the peoplethere, friends and ministers alike, are no longer in thefaith. They have chosen to give up on God’s way andrejoin the world. Some of you have also stayed thecourse as long or even longer. What can we pass alongto those who have come into the faith later and who arewondering, “What has kept you faithful?”I was asked this very question and three pointscame to mind:1. Keep your eyes on the Kingdom.Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God”(Matthew 6:31-34).Early on, I heard a sermon about how wecan block out the sun with a dime if we hold itclose to our eye. Likewise, we can allow problems,which compared to the Kingdom of Godare miniscule, to block out the vision of God’sKingdom. The gospel is of the Kingdom. TheSabbath and Holy Days point to—and our hopeand the hope of the whole world is—the Kingdom.Nothing, no offense, no problem, no trial,no doubt can be allowed to block that vision.2. Keep your hand on the plow.Jesus said that no one who puts his hand to the plowand turns back is fit for the Kingdom (Luke 9:57-62).We must be doing the work, having our hearts, ourprayers, our tithes and offerings in the work of theChurch, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of Godto the world and serving in the local congregation. Ifwe are an active part of the local church, we build thatsense of belonging, community and family that bindsus together. Like a threefold cord, we are not quicklybroken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).3. Keep your feet planted firmly on the Rock.Never forget, Christ is the Head of the Church. Peoplehave problems—always have, always will. Christwill always work it out. The work will succeed. As Hetook care of things in the past, so He does today. Thosewho rely on Him, trust in Him and stand on Him willnot be moved. We must build our house on that Rock(Matthew 7:24-27).Jesus told us in Revelation 3, “I know your works…you have a little strength, have kept My word, andhave not denied My name… Because you have keptMy command to persevere, I also will keep you fromthe hour of trial… Hold fast what you have, that no onemay take your crown. He who overcomes, I will makehim a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall goout no more” (Revelation 3:8-12, emphasis added).We must keep our eyes on the Kingdom, our handson the plow and our feet planted firmly on that Rock.Knute JosifekLos Angeles, California, congregationRenew Your MembershipWhen Cindy turned 40, her sister gave her a specialgift, a membership to a health club. She did want to gether body back in shape, after all. She had tried workingout at home in her living room watching workoutvideos, but it was too easy to get distracted or put it off.Cindy knew that she needed the help and encouragementof the staff and other members to keep her ontrack.At first Cindy was gung ho, went three times aweek, lost 10 pounds and even started cycling withsome of the friends she made. When the gym changedmanagement, two of her friends got a better deal atanother gym, and a third bought a Bowflex. Cindydidn’t feel as motivated to go anymore.She would show up once or twice a month just toappease her conscience. But she didn’t go out of herway to get involved, take classes or meet more people.The weight started creeping back on.Even though she often felt better after her workout,she usually didn’t feel like making the extra effort. Lifegot busy and excuses came easy.How many of us have signed up to be members inGod’s Church only to lose interest after a while?We need to be involved and active in our membershiplike a member of a gym needs to be:• Just because you’re a member of a gym doesn’tmean you’ll become fit and lose weight. You have toactually go and exercise.• You can’t just show up and watch other peoplework out and expect any results.• It takes active participation and sometimeseffort.The Church is essentially our spiritual health club.We are all members of the Body of Christ, fitly joinedtogether. When a hand goes missing, the whole bodyfeels its loss. The missing member loses out becauseshe doesn’t fulfill her potential or fulfill her role as aninspiration and example to others.As I’ve watched several Cindys slowly let theirmemberships expire, it occurs to me that the hole theyeach left behind was never filled. I’ve experiencedphantom pain from the loss ever since.We are all needed by our brothers and sisters in theBody of Christ. If we’re not available to help each other,we’re not fulfilling our roles as members. If we don’trelate our tests, trials, blessings and miracles, we’re notbuilding the bonds that hold the body together.So, let’s renew our membership!Jennifer HoyerColumbia, Maryland, congregation© 2007 JupiterImages Corporation

28 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationMay 27 for the Sherman,Texas, congregationand all their guests.The youth presented aplay for us in the morningservice called “Covenantat Mt. Sinai.” Thesetting consisted of threepalm trees and a smallbrown tent, huge rocksZachary and D.J. Cartwright playMoses and Aaron as the Shermanyouth perform “Covenant at Mt.Sinai” (photos by John Lusk)and boulders, then a tall Mt. Sinai.With programs, the audience followedthe two acts of the play, including joiningin with the children of Israel whenthey sang “Praise God’s Name.” Thefirst act was Exodus 15, when Mosesand Israel thanked the Lord for deliverancefrom Egypt after crossing the RedSea. Miriam, played by Jessie Brock, ledall the women in a beautiful circle dancewhile everyone sang. The other womenwere portrayed by Makenna Brock,Mara Efimov, Rhianna Cartwright,Kate Ledbetter and Kaela Pierce. ZacharyCartwright did an excellent job in hispart as Moses.Act two was Exodus 19 and 20 whenIsrael was camped in the wilderness ofSinai. Aaron (D.J. Cartwright) remindedhis sons Nadab, Eleazar and Abihu(Cooper Pierce, Braydon Brock andWiley Brock) of the lessons God wasteaching His people.Joshua (Justin Brock) told everyoneto “remember” these important HolyDays. Aaron spoke of obedience toGod’s voice and keeping His covenant.Moses prepared the people, and theystood at the foot of Mt. Sinai, hearingsounds of loud thunder and all heardthe Lord’s voice (read by Bill Cooksey)from Exodus 20:2-17 and 19:5. Afterthis, Moses returned from the mountaincarrying the Ten Commandmentson tables of stone. Then the Israelitesshouted together, “All the words theLord has spoken, we will do!”Many displays were placed aroundthe meeting room, including two wheatloaves, pictures, maps, scripture handouts,harvests and festivals charts, fruitbaskets with fruits-of-the-Spirit postersand various bright blue flower arrangements.For the younger children, there wasa display of Pentecost pictures to color,Moses books to look at and small stuffedanimals to select from. Several puzzles,covenant and commandment lists wereavailable for the older children to choosefrom.For special music, 10-year-old GinnyMorris from Dallas played a wonderfulpiece, “Whirling Leaves,” on the piano.Our attendance for the day was a recordbreaking108, and everyone thoroughlyenjoyed the children’s play, the finesermons and messages, the happy fellowshipand confirming the promisestogether from our wonderful Father andHis plan for us!Pam ChambersNorth Carolina BidsFarewell to theHaeffeles, Welcomesthe KelleysAt the end of August and into the firstof September, three congregations inNorth Carolina have had to bid farewellto longtime pastoral team Mr. and Mrs.Jim Haeffele, and they have then welcomedto their first pastorate, Mr. andMrs. Ron Kelley.The Haeffeles first came to NorthCarolina when they were transferred tothe Greensboro congregation in 1989.Following the formation of the UnitedChurch of God in 1995, Mr. Haeffelestarted congregations in Greensboro andHickory, North Carolina, and Roanoke,Virginia. The circuit was eventuallychanged to include the three congregationsin the western half of North Carolina:Asheville, Hickory and Greensboro.Each of the three congregations inNorth Carolinacongregations saygood-bye to JimHaeffele (above) andwelcome Ron andNancy Kelley (right)North Carolina bid aspecial and heartfeltfarewell to Jim and Lois Haeffele,thanking them for their love,service, instruction, encouragementand friendship. Followingthe final Sabbath of Aug. 25, theHaeffeles moved on to southernFlorida where Mr. Haeffele will serve asthe regional pastor for Florida, as wellas pastor of the Miami and Fort Myerscongregations.Following right on the heels of the Haeffeles’departure was the warm welcomingof Ron and Nancy Kelley. Each congregationcarried out potluck socials to alloweveryone a chance to meet and becomeacquainted. The Kelleys, from Ohio,brought their exuberance and kindness,and Mr. Kelley got to work right awayby playing piano accompaniment for thesong service and by encouraging everyoneto use their strengths and talents to build onthe foundation previously established.Lee Dolby“Making the RightChoices for GodToday” Women’sSeminar Held inOregonLadies of all ages andbackgrounds came togetheron March 15 to 18 to attendthe 2007 Women’s Retreatoutside of Canby, Oregon.The group filled the rooms ofCreating 145 blankets for the ProjectLinus charity; special music at theWomen’s Retreat in Oregonthe Riverfront Lodge at Canby GroveChristian Camp and Conference Center,a hall that was conducive to muchlaughter and fellowship and gave theweekend a Feastlike atmosphere.Friday night began with a satisfyingdinner and good conversation at thenearby dining hall where friendly staffwere attentive to every need. Afterwards,the group assembled for eveningseminars examining the lives and lessonsof Eve and Mary, and the contrastingeffect of their choices, which wereled by Dyanne Dick and LeeAnn Lukerrespectively. Throughout theweekend, the messages focusedon lessons we can learn fromOld Testament women and thechoices they made.The Sabbath weather was beautiful—filledwith abundant sunshine.At a morning church service,Dennis Luker gave the firstsplit sermon on lessons fromProverbs 31 and Robert Dickgave the following messageabout choices. An ensemble ofladies sang an uplifting piecefor special music.Breaks in between mealsand messages gave ampletime for visiting, perusing the table offavorite photos each woman was askedto bring, resting and/or exploring thegrounds. Becky Hornor led an afternoonseminar relating the story of Hannah andhow each of us can deal with depressionin our own lives or in the lives of ourloved ones. An afternoon table discussioninspired interaction and critical thinkingabout how each of us can make the rightchoices for God in our present society.The evening panel presentation, whichincluded some moving personal storiesshared by Nicole Graham, Lila Lumpkin,Sharon Browning and Patty Sexton, wasa highlight for all. Each woman describeda pivotal point from her past that changedher life and perspective forever. Crafting,card making and lots of chatting filled therest of the evening and extended well intothe night.Sunday began with a continentalbreakfast and a video presentation fromthe home office.The rest of the morning was filledwith a children’s blanket project for thenonprofit organization known as ProjectLinus. Under thedirection of TerriWerner, groupsof women collaboratedto cut,tie and organizethe creation of145 blankets forcharity.After all thathard work, everyone sat down to adelicious brunch and the last round ofshared stories and conversations beforethe cleanup and the good-byes began.Although it was a whirlwind weekend,it was also a refreshing one as bonds offriendship were built and strengthened.Debbie WernerFive GenerationsAttend DaytonBetty Wagle’s story began in 1953when her late husband, Victor Wagle Sr.,started listening to Hebert W. Armstrongon WCKY. Mr. Wagle put a piece of tapeStanding: Suzie Grady, Victor Wagle;seated: Betty Wagle, Adrianna SueHutchison and Amanda Hutchison(photo by Carolyn Pacleb)on the big clock in the living room. Hewanted their children to know exactlywhen it was 8 p.m., the time for everyoneto gather each night to hear Mr.Armstrong’s radio broadcast.The family started attending churchin Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1963, and Mr.and Mrs. Wagle were baptized in March1964. Their son, Victor Wagle Jr., wenton to raise his own family in the Church.Their granddaughter, Suzie Grady,also raised her son, Ben, and daughter,Amanda, in the Dayton, Ohio, congregation.Amanda has been performing vocalsolos for special music since she was alittle girl. And now she has given Mrs.Wagle another reason to rejoice. The newbundle of joy, great-great-granddaughterAdriana Sue Hutchison, arrived Nov. 29,2006. She weighed 7 pounds 11 ouncesand measured 20½ inches long. So beginsthe fifth generation!Carolyn PaclebCongratulations,Graduate!Caity KovatchParent: Christy KovatchCongregation: Canton, OhioHigh School Accomplishments: CaityCaity Kovatchwas on the Honor Roll and participatedin Key Club for two years, InternationalClub for two years and choir for fouryears.Church Activities/Hobbies/Interests/etc:Caity enjoys attending summercamps every year (Camp Heritageand preteen Camp Buckeye). She likessports—especially tennis, softball, swimmingand soccer—summertime, workingout, running, music, guitar and piano.Plans After Graduation: Caity’s plansare to attend college this fall, majoring inbusiness and/or marketing, and to attendABC in 2008.Favorite Scripture: “The Lord gaveand the Lord has taken away; may thename of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21,New International Version).Volunteer FirefighterTalks to SabbathSchool ClassOn Aug. 11, Oconee County, Georgia,volunteer firefighter Neil Boss gave theJefferson, Georgia, Sabbath school class ademonstration in fire safety. He explainedto the children what to do in case of a fireand asked interactive questions.Since small children might be afraid,he helped local teen James Mann dressup in his fire suit to show them what areal firefighter looks and sounds like.He then gave out stickers and coloringbooks.Neil Boss, who attends with his parentsand siblings, has been an outstandingexample both in his community andhis local congregation.Judi Mann

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 29Artist DiscoversLate-BloomingPassionHuntsville artist featured in paperPeggy Montano, a member of theHuntsville, Alabama, congregation, wasfeatured in an article in The HuntsvilleTimes on March 28 by Gregg L. Parker.The article began:“While many artists first becameinterested in art during childhood, PeggyMontano discovered art as her passionwhen she was left with an empty nest.“After her children left home, Montanotook lessons from talented instructors,studied books and videos, and visitedmuseums and galleries to learn ‘how thesecreative people made their inspiring art.’”The article mentioned that she wasthe featured artist for April at the ClayHouse Museum.“The Huntsville Art League, HuntsvilleMuseum of Art, Leeds Art Center, WindRiver Artists’ Guild of Dubois [Wyoming],and the Red River Watercolor Society juriedshow in Fargo [North Dakota], havedisplayed her work. ‘Huntsville SketchBook,’ sponsored by Huntsville BotanicalGarden, includes a painting by Montano.“Recently, she had a painting accepted inthe Energen…Art Competition.” Thoughshe was not one of the top five winners,her oil painting titled “Paint Rock Valley”was purchased by one of the company’svice presidents to be displayed at EnergenPlaza, the company’s headquarters in Birmingham,Alabama.“To view her artwork, visit www.artistcolony.net/peggymontano.”Peggy Montano and her husband,Joseph, a deacon in United, have beenmarried 57 years.Joyce DunscombeFort Worth andColeman TeensTake TripThe Fort Worth and Coleman, Texas,teens recently took a four-day trip to SanAntonio, Texas. They, along with theirchaperones (Dave and Lori West andBrian and Laura Anderson) arrived atthe Alamo KOA Campground Sundayafternoon and set up camp. After dinnerwe got off to a great start with a series ofget-to-know-you games.The next morning started off brightand early with breakfast, prepared bythe teens, which was followed by aCompass Check presented by DaveWest titled “Expanding Your Circle ofFriends.” After the Compass Check,it was a short drive to Six Flags FiestaTexas, which is both an amusement parkand a water park. It was a full day of funfor all and was capped off that eveningby a laser light and fireworks show.The next day the Compass Checkwas presented by Brian Anderson onthe subject of “Spending Your TimeWisely.” Then we set off for a secondfull day of activities at Six Flags FiestaTexas. Thanks to a 30-minute downpour,which cooled things off andcaused a large number of people to leavethe park, we enjoyed our remaining timeand left exhausted and ready for a goodnight’s sleep.The final day of our tripthe Compass Check waspresented by Dave West onthe importance of not judgingothers before getting toknow them. After packingup our belongings, we droveto Austin, Texas, to visit thestate capital. We ate lunch atthe oldest German restaurantin Austin and then walkedto the capitol building for atour.After the guided tour ofthe capitol building, we were encouragedto stop by the visitor galleries ofthe Senate and House of Representativeschambers. We were taken by surprisewhen we stepped into the House ofFort Worth and Coleman, Texas,teens visit state capitol building inAustin (photo by Brian Anderson)Representatives just in time to witnessthe governor of Texas, Rick Perry, givingan introductory message as Phil Wilson,the new secretary of state for Texas,was about to take his oath of office.As soon as the ceremony concluded, wefinished our exciting four days of activitiesby driving safely home. In addition tohaving a wonderful time, the teens in thegroup made some new friends, strengthenedexisting friendships and came backwith lots of exciting stories to tell.Laura Anderson and Dave WestBismarck HelpsWith Third AnnualLifeNets TriathlonThe North Dakota Chapter ofLifeNets sponsored the third annualLifeNets Triathlon, held at the MandanCommunity Center on Aug. 26, 2007.The night before the event the Bismarck,North Dakota, United Churchof God held a dinner at the PizzaRanch Restaurant, where LifeNetspresident Victor Kubik showed histhanks for their efforts in the planningof the event and for the volunteers whowould be at the triathlon the followingTracey Freije, Victor Kubikand Pam Redline with cake;right, July 4th LifeNets floatday. The congregation is 29 strong, butwith prayers and hard work, all helpedin some way to make the event a success.Church members Tracey Freije,Barb and Vern Hoover, Gladys andLevin Rieger, Dave Fisher and LeeAljets helped to man the concessionsand grill hamburgers and hot dogs.With over 80 participants there thatday, as well as family members, theconcessions stand was busy throughoutthe day. Members from the congregationalso made baked goods tosell at the concessions stand. Lyla VanOrman provided her voice for singingthe national anthem to begin the race.Member Rod Freije helped in trafficcontrol at one intersection for the bikeroute to ensure the safety of the participants.Along the running path weremembers Ralph and Pam Redline andMark Halverson. Pam also handledparticipant registrations with the helpof Barb Schulz, as well as riding thebike path with the younger childrenwho took part in the event.Younger members Marie Freije andBritton Redline helped to patrol thetransition area as well as run the resultsto the command center of the race sothat the times could be compiled.Mr. Kubik and Bismarck pastorHerb Teitgen teamed up with a ladyserving on the triathlon committee toparticipate in the Olympic distancetriathlon team event.It was a busy day, but a very gratifyingday as well. This year’s eventgrossed $3,900, with the net proceedsgoing to LifeNets projects locally andinternationally.Next year’s triathlon will take placeAug. 17, 2008.Tracey FreijeInland NorthwestLadies Have 10thRetreatA record number of ladies gatheredtogether, once again at Camp Giffordon beautiful Deer Lake, Washington,for the Inland Northwest Ladies EducationSeminar. There were at least 70 whoattended on the Sabbath, May 19, andslightly less for the rest of the weekend.This was our 10th retreat! The caretakers,who serve us at the camp, presentedus with a cake in honor of the occasion.This year’s theme was “FruitfulBranches,” and we had a number ofgood presentations by the ladies. OnFriday evening we were given a list ofvarious interests of each of the attendees,with the goal of figuring out whowent with what interest. It was a greatway to get around and meet everyone.Saturday, Dennis Luker gave the sermonon the Proverbs 31 woman, bringingin the spiritual perspective on thesubject.In the afternoon,JoyceIiams presentedan interestingspeech onour spiritualgrowth andspoke on thespiritual potential we all have and how itdevelops in different ways throughout ourlives. She used a comparison of the careand nurture of grape vines to show theseconcepts.Val Deininger presented a warm talkabout going to our sister when we havea personal problem with her and thebest ways to deal with the situation.Bev Pronishan discussed the path tospiritual growth and how we need to taketime out to think about these things andmeditate on just where we are spiritually.Once again we had a tea party andtea cup exchange for our Saturdayevening meal, followed by a fun gamedesigned to help us all get to knoweach other better.Sunday morning we heard fromNancy Corbett, Kristina Crane andNancy Czech on the things that havehappened in each of their lives to helpthem develop spiritually. Our finalspeaker was LeeAnn Luker, who usedthe story of Cinderella to show us howto prepare to be brides of Christ.Many ladies brought their homemadeitems to display, and we hada good showing of different talents.Even though the weather was cool, itwas a pleasant and warm gathering forall who participated and, as always, welook forward to next year.Nancy CzechCobie Visser: 90Years “Young”Jacoba Kamminga, known to familyand friends as Cobie, was born Nov.14, 1917, in the province of Friesland,Holland.In 1938, on June 7, she married MartinVisser and they had four children,Anneke, Janneka, Berend and Jimike,who were all born in Holland.The Visser family emigrated to SouthAfrica in 1953 where Martin Visser wasemployed as a fitter for SASOL. Thefamily relocated to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)in 1959 where Martin workedfor a large cement factory on the outskirtsof Bulawayo. He managed a“small-holding” where the family lived,grew vegetables and kept a few cows.Cobie Visser, pictured here at theFeast in Uvongo, turns 90 this monthMartin then purchased a dairy farmin the Queens district northeast of Bulawayoand in 1964 their son Berendanswered an advertisement in the Personalitymagazine for The Plain Truth.He received the magazine regularlyand passed it on to his parents, whoalso became subscribers.In 1967, daughter Anneke andher husband, Oliver Bean, attendedAmbassador College in Bricket Wood,England, where they were also able toexpand their musical talents.Then in 1968 Martin and Cobieattended the Feast of Tabernacles forthe first time at Scottburgh, on thesouth coast of Natal, South Africa.Two years later they were baptized intheir farm reservoir.The farm was sold in 1980 and theymanaged the farm of a Church member,Keith Keogh, at Nymadlovu,northwest of Bulawayo.Cobie has faced many trials duringher life, and she remembers in particularbeing attacked on two occasionsin the farm store. Although the storecame under fire and was riddled withbullet holes, she escaped unharmed.Once she was confronted by a highlyvenomous Mozambican spitting cobrathat spat venom into her eyes. This wasan extremely painful experience, butafter being anointed, she recoveredwith no damage to her eyes.In 1993 Martin and Cobie returnedto South Africa to have access to bettermedical facilities.Cobie has been widowed for someyears now and lives with her daughterAnneke, also a widow, at Ramsgateon the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal.Their home is close to the UvongoFeast sites, so she is still able to celebratethe Feast each year.Cobie is still in good health and isproud of her 12 grandchildren and ninegreat-grandchildren.Jubi Jones and Reg BrinkSabbath SchoolClasses in St.Louis Area Enter“the Zone”On Sept. 8, children in the Sabbathschool classes in the St. Louis,Missouri, area entered “the Zone.”Invitations were sent out to each childSee “Local Church Updates,”page 31

30 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationAnnouncementsBirthsAaron and Linda (Aguilar) Farnon ofthe Stockton, California, congregation arehappy to announce the birth of their secondchild, Noland Aquila Farnon. He wasborn on Oct. 7, 2006. Noland weighed 9.2pounds and was 22 inches long. Big sisterNoland Aquila FarnonDalyce is enjoying teaching him a fewbaby signs along with nursery rhymes.Noland enjoys music, especially drummingon toys, and playing with woodenpuzzles.Victoria Talbott with big brotherAddison and big sister ZoëKirk and Kristine (Williams) Talbott ofthe Garden Grove, California, congregation(soon to be Austin, Texas) are ecstaticto announce the birth of their fourthchild, Victoria Tegan Talbott. “Tori” wasborn Aug. 20, 2007, and weighed in at 8pounds even and 20 inches long. GrandparentsJean Talbott of Dallas, Texas, andRichard and Marty Scholz of Worchester,Massachusetts, are looking forwardto seeing their new grandchild soon. Herbrother Addison and sister Zoë had highhopes for a younger sibling, and so farneither have been disappointed.Thad and Kim (Hemsley) Roemer,along with their son, Nathaniel, are veryhappy to announce the birth of EmiliaEmilia Paige RoemerPaige. Emilia was born March 19, 2007,weighing 6 pounds 7 ounces and measuring18 inches long. She is happy and doingvery well. Emilia is the third grandchild forboth sets of grandparents, Dave and PatHemsley from Dayton, Ohio, and Earl andCarol Roemer from Anchorage, Alaska.Maribel and Charlie Larkin of the Williamsburg,Virginia, congregation are veryhappy to share the joy of the birth of theirIan Sebastian Larkinfirst child, Ian Sebastian. Ian was born onDec. 31, 2006, weighing 7 pounds 1 ounceand measuring 20½ inches in length.He is the first grandchild of Alfonso andConsuelo Herrera Alonso of the Lima,Peru, congregation and Charles and JaneLarkin of Westerly, Rhode Island. Ian isa very happy and curious niño who takesgreat pride in keeping his parents up lateat night.Ron and Lori (Lambert) Holloway arepleased to announce the birth of their secondchild, Mason Joe Holloway, born Feb.1, 2007. Mason weighed in at a healthy 8pounds 10 ounces and was 21 inches long.Big brother Jackson is Mason’s biggest fan.The family attends the Elmira, New York,Mason Joe Holloway with bigbrother Jacksoncongregation along with proud grandparentsJohnnie and Hazel Lambert.Jeffery and Tzintziki Kramer arepleased to announce the birth of their son,Johnathan Justus Kramer. Johnathan wasJohnathan Justus Kramerborn on May 1, 2007, weighing 5 pounds15 ounces and measuring 19½ inches long.The family lives in Phoenix, Arizona, andattends the Phoenix Northwest congregation.They are enjoying every minute oftheir first child.Brian and Rebecca (Olmstead) Babcockare pleased to announce the birthof their daughter, Rylie Claire, born July6, 2007. Rylie is the fifth grandchild ofAudrey and the late William Babcock ofthe Huntsville, Alabama, congregationand the ninth grandchild of George andthe late Carol Olmstead of the Chicago,Rylie Claire BabcockIllinois, congregation. The Babcocksattend the Minneapolis, Minnesota, congregation.Hannah Jordan Rose ParadaJosé Roberto and Barbara (Nickels)Parada of Auburn, Washington, are happyto announce the birth of their first child,Hannah Jordan Rose Parada. Hannah wasborn June 7, 2007. She weighed 6 pounds11 ounces and was 19 inches long. Hannahis the first grandchild of proud grandparentsJosé and Teresita Parada of San Salvador,El Salvador, and the second grandchildof Shirley Nickels of Battleground,Washington, and the late Richard Nickels.Hannah has a gentle spirit and loves meetingnew people. She is fourth generationin God’s Church on both her mother’s andfather’s sides of the family.Mike and Amy Wood of the TerreHaute, Indiana, congregation are veryhappy to announce the birth of their secondgrandson, Beau William Mishler.Beau was born Aug. 30, 2007, and heBeau William Mishlerweighed 8 pounds 3 ounces and was 20½inches long. Proud parents are Bryan andAmanda (Wood) Mishler. Beau is theirsecond child. Luke, age 22 months, is nowa big brother.WeddingsDale and Twila Yates of Zephyrhills,Florida, are pleased to announce the MayStephen and Stefanie McNeely20, 2007, marriage of their daughter, StefanieRuth, to Stephen David II, son ofSteve and Mary McNeely of Hawkins,Texas. Set against the backdrop of abeautiful blue lake and the sculpted HollisGardens, the outdoor ceremony wasco-officiated by the bride and groom’sgrandfathers, Jack Fike and MeltonMcNeely, both elders in the UnitedChurch of God. The maid of honor wasStefanie’s longtime childhood friend,Ashley D’Antonio, also of Zephyrhills.The best man was Stephen’s high schoolfriend and former bandmate, Mark Demiglio,of Denton, Texas.After an elegant reception and dinnerhosted by the Yates in the stately MagnoliaBuilding, the couple was off to Cozumelfor a relaxing week of honeymooning.Stephen and Stefanie currently live inTyler, Texas, where they both work whilefinishing their degrees in teaching andnutrition respectively.AnniversariesHugh and Gloria (Aguirre) Hardenmet at college and were married in Fallon,Hugh and Gloria HardenNevada, Aug. 25, 1957. Their childrenand the Boise, Idaho, congregation celebratedtheir 50th anniversary with an horsd’oeuvres reception Aug. 25, 2007.Gloria spent 24 years in the elementaryeducation field. Hugh worked for GeneralElectric as a mechanical engineer until1962 when they moved to the Boise areato assist Hugh’s father in his well-drillingbusiness. They bought out the well-drillingbusiness in 1972, and Hugh and Gloria stillrun it. They have always worked togetheras a team.Hugh and Gloria were baptized in 1968and have attended and faithfully served inthe Boise congregation ever since. Theylove their church—and all the peoplewho work so diligently in serving in thatarea—very much.They have four children: Lorindaand Jim Springer and grandson Jim C.of Sacramento, California, and granddaughterKimberly and her husbandKyle Mullen of Corvallis, Oregon;David and Lorrye Harden and grandsonBrandon of Bonney Lake, Washington;Becky and Mike Bennett and granddaughtersHeather and Erica of Loveland,Ohio; and Talitha and Steve Ulsbergerand grandsons Ryan and Jared ofBonney Lake, Washington.They are very proud of their childrenand grandchildren. They appreciate all thelove and kindness shown by their familyand wonderful friends.Bob and Janice Wilmoth were marriedon June 22, 1957, in Newport, Kentucky.Janice and Bob WilmothThe Cincinnati East, Ohio, congregationsurprised them with a cake and punchsocial to commemorate their 50th weddinganniversary.They moved from Kentucky to Warren,Michigan, in 1960 when Bob hired onwith Remington Rand Univac. He workedon large-frame computers for 35 years.Bob worked the afternoon shift andlistened to Mr. Armstrong on WCKYradio on the way home each evening.They began studying the literature thatwas offered and requested a visit from theministers. They were invited to church andwere baptized together on Jan. 29, 1967.Bob was ordained a deacon in 1971 andJanice was ordained a deaconess on theNight to Be Much Remembered in 1977.Bob and Janice had one daughter,Linda Sue (deceased), and three sons,Robert (Shawnn), Joseph (Joanne)and Matthew (Michele). They have 14grandchildren.Irene Ferguson, Janice’s mother, wasa member of God’s Church for 31 years.She died in April 1999.On Sabbath, June 30, 2007, the Elmira,New York, congregation was pleased tohonor John and Carolyn Stachina for their

United Church of God, an International Association United News November 2007 3150th wedding anniversary. The Stachinaswere married on June 29, 1957. The congregationgave them a card and a beautifulcake to recognize their years of weddedJohn and Carolyn Stachinabliss. The Stachinas brought in a photoalbum of then-and-now photos markingtheir wedding and a party that their childrenhad given them.Mr. and Mrs. Bill Norrod of the SanAntonio, Texas, congregation celebratedtheir 60th anniversary on April 4, 2007. OnMarch 31 most of Bill and Mary’s familywere able to make it from California, NewYork, San Antonio and Austin, Texas, tohelp them celebrate this special occasion.After services Gary Petty presentedthem with a beautiful oil lamp, a gift fromthe congregation. And everyone enjoyedthe delicious cake baked by Ruth Millerand finger food prepared by ladies of theBill and Mary Norrodcongregation. For special music Roy Peersang “How Great Thou Art.”ObituariesJune M. Myers of Spokane, Washington,died at the age of 75 on Aug. 2, 2007,after a long battle with heart disease andCOPD. Born June 5, 1932, June wasraised in Caribou, Maine, with eight of hersiblings. She lived in many places teachingballroom dance for various Church of Godgroups for over 40 years. She is survived byone brother, Edward Bouchard, age 71, ofCaribou; and four children, all in the faith:April Nelson of Spokane; David Overstreetof Tampa, Florida; Drew Overstreetof Sacramento, California; and ShawnWeisser of Wytheville, Virginia. She hadmany grandchildren who she loved veryJune M. Myersmuch and they loved her. She remaineda faithful member of God’s Church overmany years. We will miss her.Doyle Reid Smith, 84, of the Greensboro,North Carolina, congregation, suffereda stroke on April 4, 2007—duringthe Days of Unleavened Bread. Althoughhe experienced some ups and downs, evenreturning to attend church services for atime, he never fully recovered. He died onSunday, Sept. 30, 2007—during the Feastof Tabernacles.His life began in 1922 in Golden,Mississippi, in a family of tenant farmers.He served during World War II inEngland, France, Germany and Austria.He survived a spent bullet in the front ofhis helmet and bullets all around whenhe was removing mines from the roadfor the tanks to get through. He believedthat God was saving him for a specialpurpose.After his discharge, Mr. Smith graduatedfrom Auburn University with a degreeDoyle Smithin industrial management, and he wasoffered a job in Winston-Salem, NorthCarolina. There he met his wife of 48years, Janice. They were married in 1959.Later in life he went back to school andreceived a second bachelor’s degree, thisone in social work.Mr. Smith received God’s calling in1969 and was baptized in 1970. He wasordained a deacon at Pentecost in 1998and served God and the Church faithfullyand tirelessly. He was involved in manyChurch activities and, with God’s help,remained ever faithful to his calling.In lieu of a formal funeral, the familyhosted a Celebration of Life in his honorat the VFW hall in Winston-Salem onOct. 7. The celebration featured manyof his favorite things, including BigBand music, champagne, chocolatechip/pecan cookies, mixed nuts and hisvery favorite thing he did so well, whitechocolate-covered pecans.Mr. Smith is survived by his wife,Janice; his two daughters, Tracy Gurleyof Austin, Texas, and Wendy Smith, ofRocky Mount, North Carolina; and onesister, Nina Jean Tidwell, of Meridian,Mississippi. He is also survived by histwo foster-daughters, Margie DeSoto ofConnecticut and Mary Velasco of SanFrancisco.Jody F. Haas, age 90, died quietly athome Sept. 25, 2007, after a prolonged illness.A native Texan, Jody was born Jan. 6,1917, in Flatonia, Texas. Following graduationfrom high school, he was employedas a butcher for Joe M. Huffington’s JMHSupermarkets. He served his country asan Army staff sergeant in World War II,in charge of food preparation on trooptrains.In 1943, he married his wife of 64years, Geneva (Jenny) Millet, returnedhome to Houston and, with two partners,purchased JMH Supermarkets.Jody served as president of the companyand, for many years, Jody and JMHwere well known in West Universityfor hometown appeal and personal service.He also helped run a cattle ranchin Sealy, Texas, which supplied beef forthe store’s meat counter.Jody and Jenny’s two children, Jackand Gale, and two grandchildren, Joe andBeverly, formed the focus and center oftheir lives. Jody served as a deacon in theChurch for many years, with service andgenerosity becoming the hallmarks of hisfamily’s involvement in the Houston areacongregations.Jody was preceded in death by his parents,Joe and Lillie Haas; his three brothers,Walter, Ervin and George; and his daughter,Gale Haas La Fleur. He is survived byJody F. Haashis loving wife, Jenny; his son, Jack; hisgrandchildren, Beverly and Joe La Fleur,and Joe’s wife, Elaine; and son-in-law,Gerald W. La Fleur.Graveside services were held Sept. 28,2007, at Memorial Oaks Cemetery.Mel Williams, a member of the Churchof God since 1955, died Sept. 22, 2007.His first love was serving his fellow brethren.A deacon since 1968 and an eldersince 1976, he served in Long Beach,California; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Kingman,Arizona.He and his wife, Patricia, moved toPahrump, Nevada, in 1993. They weremarried for 51 years.Also surviving him are sons, Jim andhis wife, Debi (Dennis), of Pahrump;Michael and his wife, Jeannette (Fricke),of Mabton, Washington; daughters, JulieBuettner and her husband, Marcus, ofLakewood, California; Angelea Wackettand her husband, David, of Pahrump; sonin-law,Scott Hamrick; 14 grandchildren;three great-grandchildren; and brother,Marv Williams.Mel WilliamsPreceding him in death were daughterEva Lyn, brother Kenneth, sister Virginiaand parents Cecil and Evelyn.No services were held, as he is waitingto see all his friends and family with a realcelebration in the Kingdom of God.Announcements: Members arewelcome to submit announcementsof the births, engagements, weddings,significant anniversaries (25, 40, 50,60, etc.) and obituaries in their families.Please include a self-addressed envelopeif you would like photos returned. Mostitems are 50 to 100 words and shouldnot exceed 250 words. Please e-mail(preferred) or give them to your localpastor to forward to United News.“Local Church Updates,”continued from page 29and the kids were invited to find “theZone” at church services on Sept. 8,the first day of the new Sabbath schoolyear. Church services are held eachSabbath in Shrewsbury, Missouri, andFairview Heights, Illinois, pastored byVince Szymkowiak. Letters were sentout to the parents prior to the start ofclasses explaining that the theme forSabbath school this year is “Enteringthe Zone.”The concept of “the Zone” has beenused at UCG camps for our teens fora number of years. In the letter Mr.Szymkowiak sent out to the parents, hestated, “Briefly, the Zone is the oppositeof the temptations and negativitythat our young people face in today’sworld. The Zone is ‘what we perceivethe World Tomorrow under Christ’sleadership would entail.’”As the first classes came together,Mr. Szymkowiak asked God’s blessingson the classes and Mrs. CarolSzymkowiak explained to the childrenwhat the Zone is, adding that the Zoneis to also be “a safe place for friendshipsin the Church to develop.”Each timeclasses areheld, alllevels comeFairview Heights, Illinois, Sabbath school: front row:Lindsey Barnes, Ava Helwig, Ethan Burrow; middle row:Tegan Groom, Trishton Morgan, Noah Helwig, BethanyHolman, Clark Burrow, Liam Groom; back row: EmmaGroom, Jeremy Barnes, Gabe Helwig, Mallory BurrowSt. Louis, Missouri, Sabbath school: front row: teachers DianneBonfili and Debbie Indelicato, Zack Poole; middle row: AaronEhlen, Alex Poole, Ronan Adkins, Mikaela Gannon, HeatherGoodwin; back row: volunteers Breanna Ehlen, StephanieMoonier and Chrissy Hallows, Bradley Schlosser, Ethan Adkins,Katie Adkins, Molly McCoy, Eli McCoy, Mr. Szymkowiaktogether for prayerand then each classgoes to its classroom. The childrenwere all given an “I’m in the Zone”button and a Zone membership card,plus a tote bag and notebook to use fortheir classes.The children are very excited aboutentering the Zone, and it looks like a verypromising year for the Sabbath schoolclasses this year here in the St. Louisarea. We expect that the Zone will be agreat place for our kids to learn about Godand His Son, Jesus. Maybe our childrenwill carry the Zone with them and it willexpand and expand and expand!Shelby FaithLocal Church Updates: If yourcongregation’s news and events arerarely covered in United News, whynot check with your pastor and writesomething for him to send in? We’relooking for 100- to 300-word articlesand photographs with captions. Pleaseinclude a self-addressed envelopeif you would like photos returned.Include the author’s and photographer’snames and your phone number.Please double-check the spelling ofnames. Please e-mail (preferred) orgive the material to your local pastorto forward to United News.

32 United News November 2007 United Church of God, an International AssociationNewsAt a GlanceContinued from page 2retiring, but not going into seclusion. Hewill remain in the area and offered to helpin whatever way he could to continue toserve the Church. He stated that it hasbeen an honor to be involved in God’sministry for the past 38 years.The Rands’ warmth and friendlinesshave been much appreciated by the membersof the West Palm Beach, Miami andFort Myers congregations. We wish themwell in this new phase of their lives andthank them for their fine examples ofChristian living.Roy DemarestHome OfficeRelocation UpdatePresident Clyde Kilough wrote in theOct. 25 Ministerial Services Newsletterand Journal: “We are currently in the midstof a feasibility and due diligence study on aproperty for possible purchase in the northDenton, Texas, area. As with all such studies,it involves collecting a large amount ofinformation, ranging from environmentalto engineering reports, and working withcity and county planners. Once completed,we will be able to give the Council ofElders a thorough report in mid-Novemberso a decision can be made about goingahead with the purchase. We will keep youupdated as to the progress.”Ski Weekend Setfor Jan. 19 to 21Once again, the Salt Lake City, Utah,congregation will host its annual WinterSki Weekend over the Martin Luther KingJr. weekend, Jan. 19-21, 2008.Come and enjoy warm, family-orientedfellowship, a beautiful bracing environmentand experience some of the greatestsnow on earth at historic Park City, Utah.The weekend begins Sabbath morningwith two seminars from 10 a.m. to noon.Light refreshments will be served betweensessions. Attendees are responsible for theirown lunch, and many local restaurants arewithin 2 to 3 miles. Sabbath services willbegin at 2:30 p.m., to be followed by a potluckmeal provided by the congregation.After skiing, another potluck meal will beprovided Sunday evening.All events will be held at the same locationas in years past, the Cottontree Innin North Salt Lake City: 1030 North 400East, North Salt Lake, Utah; reservations:(800) 662-6886; phone: (801) 292-7666;fax: (801) 296-9664. The motel is locatedoff the Woods Cross exit on I-15 (exit 315),just north of the 1-15/1-215 intersection.The room rate at the Cottontree is$73.76 including tax—the regular rate is$99. This includes two queen beds and afabulous continental breakfast. The Cottontreewill also allow multiple people,i.e. sleeping bags, in the room.The skiing event will occur Sundaymorning. At this time, we are still workingto confirm group pricing for lift tickets.You can count on approximately $65.Be prepared to make payment Saturdayevening. Skiers will also be responsiblefor meals while skiing.As always, the earlier we hear fromyou—and the more people we have signup—the better rates we can lock in.For more information and/or to register,please contact Jon Pinelli, the pastorof the Salt Lake City congregation, by e-mail at jon_pinelli@ucg.org.Dallas to HostYoung Adults’Presidents’ DayRegional WeekendDallas, Texas, will once again be hostto the young adults’ regional event to beheld over Presidents’ Day weekend fromFeb. 15 to 18, 2008. The theme for nextyear’s event will be “Men and Women—Being the Best You Can Be!”Events will include a Friday eveningmixer, seminars for both men and womenfeaturing special guest speakers on Sabbathand Sunday morning, a dance onSaturday evening, as well as other activitieson Sunday afternoon.Details—including a registrationform—can be found on the Web at www.ucg-dallas.org/ya. Please check this siteoften as more information will be updat-■ 2007 Feast Sermon Video.If you were not able to watchthe Feast video “Threshold of aNew Age”or would liketo watch itagain, it isavailableonline atwww.ucg.org/sermons/■ Archived Feast Sermons.Listen to archived 2007 Feastmessages from Jekyll Island,ed as we finalize plans. For questions orcomments, please send an e-mail to sandilands@tx.rr.com.Doug HorchakDec. 15 Deadlinefor ABC 2008ApplicationsAmbassador Bible Center is stillaccepting applications for 2008. Thedeadline is Dec. 15, 2007.As of Oct. 23, 32 students have beenaccepted. Because of lack of facilities, wewill not accept more than 60.We currently have accepted twice asmany men as women. That is a first forABC! Normally, we have more womenthan men apply.The changes we made last year willcontinue this coming year. We added theFoundations of Faith class that covers theproofs of God’s existence, the proof of theauthority and origin of the Bible and thebasics of salvation and faith. We have alsoadded an optional speech class for publicspeaking and confidence development.Orientation will be Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008.The first day of classes is Monday, Jan. 7.If you need an application or moreinformation, you may write: ABC, P.O.Box 54992, Cincinnati, OH 45254-0992. Or simply go to www.ucg.org/abcand download an application. You maye-mail us at Gary_Antion@ucg.org withBend, Kelowna and PanamaCity Beach by visitinghttp://feast.ucg.org■ Booklets in Audio Format.The following booklets are nowavailable in MP3 audio format:The New Covenant: Does ItAbolish God’s Law? and God’sHoly Day Plan: The Promise ofHope for All Mankind. Visit www.ucg.org/booklets/ to access theaudio Web page links.■ UCG Weekly Commentary.any questions you may have. Or you maycall (513) 576-9796 and ask to speak toDavid Register (director of EducationPrograms), Ralph Levy (registrar) orGary Antion (admissions officer) aboutany ABC-related information.Please hurry, because the Dec. 15deadline is approaching quickly. We lookforward to hearing from you.David RegisterCaribbean CruisePlannedThe Los Angeles, California, and Chicago,Illinois, young adults and singleshave arranged a four-night Western Caribbeancruise aboard the Celebrity Century.The cruise will depart Thursday, Feb.28, 2008, from Miami, Florida, with twoports of call—Key West, Florida, andCozumel, Mexico—along with a full dayat sea to enjoy the group activities on theship. For more information, call TravelGallery at (800) 858-6999 or visit the Website www.travelgallery.com.Rick JohnsonCalendar of EventsNov. 5-7: Regional pastors’ meeting,home office.Nov. 10-11: Twin Cities Women’s Conference,Minneapolis, Minnesota (www.ucgstp.org/womensconference).“Droughts, Floods and Wildfires:What Should We Do?”“National Memorial Days forSlain Peace Officers”www.ucg.org/commentary/Featured Link■ BeyondToday.www.beyondtoday.tvIf you have questions or comments,please contact: webmaster@ucg.orgNov. 11-13: Northwest Region ministerialconference, Portland, Oregon, area.Nov. 17-18: ABC continuing educationclasses in Allentown, Pennsylvania.Nov. 17-18: ABC continuing educationclasses in Spokane, Washington.Nov. 26-29: Canadian National Councilmeeting, Toronto, Ontario.Dec. 1-2: ABC continuing educationclasses in Oakland, California.Dec. 3-4: Senior pastors/associate seniorpastors annual meeting, home office.Dec. 11-13: Council of Elders meeting,home office.Dec. 21-25: Winter Family Weekend,Louisville, Kentucky (Friday eveningthrough Tuesday late night).Dec. 23-30: Challenger II–Rock Climbingprogram, Tucson, Arizona.Dec. 23-25: ABC continuing educationclasses in Portland, Oregon.Dec. 24-25: ABC continuing educationclasses in Louisville, Kentucky.Dec. 27-Jan. 1: Winter Camp, Montello,Wisconsin (gary_black@ucg.org).Jan. 19-21, 2008: Winter Ski Weekend,Park City, Utah (jon_pinelli@ucg.org).Jan. 18-20: Women’s Enrichment Weekend,“Becoming Women of Courageand Compassion,” Garden Grove,California, area, www.ucg-gg.org (lookunder events-photos).Feb. 9: Family Dance, Receptions Eastgate,Cincinnati, Ohio (FouchB@greatoaks.com or cincywd@fuse.net).Feb. 15-17: Young Adults’ Presidents’Day Regional Weekend, Dallas, Texas(www.ucg-dallas.org/ya).Louisville Winter Family Weekend AddsSeminars and Sports VenuesMake plans to set aside Dec. 21 to 25 and join 2,000 of your closest family and friends forfour days of education, fellowship, fun and games. We’re excited this year to once again offeraffordable housing and excellent sporting venues for what promises to be another memorableWinter Family Weekend. It all begins with a Bible study on Friday evening (Dec. 21) at 7:30followed by a dessert reception and it ends at midnight on Tuesday night (Dec. 25).Periodicals Postage Paidat Milford, Ohio, and atadditional mailing offices“Building Godly Relationships,” Plus ABC and WNP SeminarsThe educational theme of this year’s weekend is “Building Godly Relationships.” No lessthan 25 U.S. pastors will be giving presentations throughout the weekend. Resident ABCfaculty will also be giving two full days of continuing education and we will be offeringanother day of World News and Prophecy seminars, a first for this event. Both babysitting andSabbath school classes will be provided on the Sabbath during the seminar time frame.Sports and ActivitiesThis year you can choose to participate in any of the following sports and activities: basket-See “Winter Family Weekend,” page 8