"We've given up a lot to be here. Is it worth it?" Mr. Tkach asks and answers in his Personal.
Our labors and sacrifices are not in vain, Mr. Tkach writes. Our efforts will be rewarded--even sacrifices we made because of doctrinal misunderstandings.
Jesus says that whenever our motive is right--when our labor and sacrifice are for his name's sake--we will be rewarded.
Mr. Tkach discusses the rewards God promises us, and notes that belief in rewards is part of the Christian faith, and that it is right to hope for rewards.
Rewards are definitely not the only motive of the redeemed children of God, but it is part of the package God has given us, and this hope motivates us when life is difficult. Page 1.
Regional pastors and wives met at church headquarters in Pasadena for their second conference this year, July 28 to Aug. 1.
Joseph Tkach, Mike Feazell, Dan Rogers, Bernie Schnippert and Charles Albrecht led the discussions.
They discussed dealing with counterfeit revival in our fellowship; the criteria for ordaining elders; ministerial ranks and titles; the role of the regional pastor; and denominational process.
Mike Swagerty, regional pastor in Sacramento, California, said: "We broke new ground in what the distinctives of our denomination will be, and yet allow each congregation to be flexible in how it operates within those distinctives." Page 3.
Denice M. Orr, a minister's wife for 24 years and managing editor of Connections, the church's newsletter for ministers' wives, comments on submission.
She writes of the Christian responsibility to fill our lives with submission to Christ.
Jesus' presence in us and our submission to him is the foundation of our lives.
Submission is something we all choose to do, to Christ, to the laws of the land, to our friends, to our parents, to our mates.
This approach does not diminish the leadership of a husband. His Christlike example of love, diligence, strength, faith and peace can make a mighty contribution to the family. Page 4.
In Window on the World Randal Dick discusses the commissioning of ministers in the German-speaking area.
The commissioning took place during a visit by Mr. Tkach to Wuerzburg, Germany, July 27.
At the end of the worship service, Mr. Tkach and John Halford, European regional director, commissioned several members of the German-speaking churches to the pastoral ministry.
Mr. Halford emphasized that there would be no difference in ranks between the pastors, that all are ministers of Jesus Christ, but they have a different kind of function or task in the church.
Mr. Tkach said that the church had come to understand that Ephesians 4:11 is not referring to ranks or a hierarchical order, but rather to spiritual gifts.
Santiago Lange was commissioned to the office of director of the Worldwide Church of God in Germany and Austria.
Elsewhere in Europe, the church in Estonia was host to a public Bible lecture conducted in Tartu, Estonia, Aug. 7 by Carl Fredrick Aas, regional pastor in Scandinavia. One hundred twenty-five people attended. Page 5.
The daily average mail income for July was slightly less than $119,000.
This is the lowest month so far and is marginally less than the budgeted daily average of $122,000.
Nonetheless, the daily average for the year is $128,882, slightly above our yearly target.
It is critical that income pick up for August and for the rest of the year as we have come to expect and plan for. Please pray that income climbs upward again. Thank you for your continuing support. Page 10.
Aug. 19, 1997, WN, page two
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