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August 1998
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U.S. regional pastors and international regional directors gathered for meetings in Pasadena June 22 to 25 "I'm pleased to say that we had plenty of open and frank, yet respectful, discussion on the subject of our annual worship calendar," said Pastor General Joseph Tkach.
"From those discussions and from subsequent communication has come what I believe is a Spirit-led official position on the subject," Mr. Tkach said.
"It was agreed and decided that the Worldwide Church of God will provide increased flexibility in worship by accepting the incorporation of the traditional Christian festivals into its annual worship calendar." Pages 3 and 4.
PersonalOne strength of our as a denomination has been a high regard for Scripture, and we have a biblically literate membership, Mr. Tkach writes in this month's Personal.
We have been forced to study doctrines in depth. We went back to the book time and again to see whether these things were so. We wanted to prove all things.
I don't have statistics, but I am confident that WCG members, on the whole, know a lot more of the Bible (especially the Old Testament) than the average American Christian does.
I also see that many evangelical Christians are lacking in biblical knowledge--even according to the estimates of evangelical leaders. The Christian world's lack of biblical knowledge is a serious need.
So a need in the Christian world is a strength that our church has. This is an area in which we can help the Christian community. Page 7.
Liturgy has become a hot topic in the church these days.
Liturgy is simply the pattern or program of worship chosen by a church. It includes the gospel-related topics, themes, forms, symbols, styles, seasons and days that help facilitate effective worship for that particular church.
In other words, liturgy refers to the whole set of seasons, days, tools and methods we use to worship, celebrate and enjoy God.
We must learn not to condemn one another over the seasons and days on which we decide to worship.
We are all free in Christ to worship during whatever seasons and on whatever days we find fitting and appropriate.
As Paul wrote to the church in Rome: "He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God" (Romans 14:6). Pages 8 to 11.
The Big Sandy youth ministry was host for a True Love Waits worship service May 23.
During the service the parents and congregation committed themselves to supporting the teens in their promise to remain sexually pure until marriage.
It began with a commitment to godly courtship the young people made at an Acquire the Fire Convention in March.
True Love Waits is an international campaign designed to challenge teens and college students to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. Page 19.
Treasurer's ReportThe Pentecost offering totaled slightly more than $1 million. As with the spring offerings, the Pentecost offering came in ahead of budget and gave a welcome boost to finances, which were beginning to flag in the heat of summer.
The daily mail average for June finished at almost exactly the same level as May, at $107,700, but this was again short of the revised annual budget of $110,000 per day. Page 22.
PASADENA--U.S. regional pastors and international regional directors gathered for meetings in Pasadena June 22 to 25.
"I'm pleased to say that we had plenty of open and frank, yet respectful, discussion on the subject of our annual worship calendar," said Pastor General Joseph Tkach.
"From those discussions and from subsequent communication has come what I believe is a Spirit-led official position on the subject," Mr. Tkach said.
"It was agreed and decided that the Worldwide Church of God will provide increased flexibility in worship by accepting the incorporation of the traditional Christian festivals into its annual worship calendar.
"How this flexibility is applied may vary from region to region internationally and from congregation to congregation in any given region.
"Congregations are free to meet on any combination of the festivals. A number of U.S. congregations have expressed their desire to celebrate only the Christian festivals and to no longer meet on the seven annual festivals, while other congregations prefer a combination of festival occasions."
Church Administration provides guidance for pastors on how to work with their congregation's preferences on days of worship.
"Celebration of any particular festival is not mandatory for membership, of course," Mr. Tkach continued. "We realize that for any number of reasons, sometimes personal and sometimes cultural, some members may decide not to participate in certain worship occasions, whether traditional Christian festivals or the seven annual festivals we have traditionally celebrated.
"We think it is important for our members to have that freedom, and I pray that our members will learn not to judge one another in these matters. We must preach Christ and live Christ."
John Halford, European regional director, said: ""It was encouraging to see that we could grapple with some real, and potentially divisive, issues that affect our various regions in a spirit of unity and mutual understanding."
Thursday, June 25 the Connections and Women's Ministry Department conducted the morning session.
Kay Persky led praise and worship, followed by a dramatic presentation. Joyce Catherwood described the anguish of the women who were with Jesus at the time of his crucifixion. Beth Mears portrayed the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed.
Susan Reedy, as Jesus' mother, recalled events from his life and relayed a mother's grief. Kay Persky then sang "He's Alive" to conclude.
After the presentation, Tammy Tkach spoke on "Women: Past, Present and Future." She discussed the role of women in the New Testament church and how the principles of the new covenant have empowered women in their service to the church today.
Then guest speaker Kathleen Hart, chaplain to student wives at Fuller Theological Seminary, talked about realities of the ministry, and how to finish well as ministers and wives.
The U.S. regional pastors and international regional directors had separate meetings June 26.
Then the international regional directors met in Palm Springs June 29 to July 2 to discuss international governance and worship calendars, as well as spending time daily in small group prayer and worship.
Speaking of the annual worship calendar, the pastor general continued: "When we gather for worship, it should be to celebrate what God has done in Christ and to worship the Lord of our salvation.
"We have come to see that the Christian festivals are designed and geared to celebrate the life and saving work of Christ, while the seven annual festivals were designed and geared to celebrate the deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
"However, we also realize that Christ can be preached on any occasion. We must learn to respect the feelings and preferences of one another.
"Worship, in fact, is our response to the immeasurable grace and goodness of our heavenly Father. Let us not mar it by harboring judgmental attitudes toward one another.
"Instead, let us follow the teachings of Romans 14 and accept one another, realizing our brothers and sisters are celebrating to the Lord the festivals they prefer. That is just one of the many ways Jesus calls upon us to love one another the way he loves us."
 Tammy Tkach |
 Joseph Tkach |
 Kathleen Hart |
 INPUT--John Halford, Eiuropean regional director, makes comment on worship calendar during conference. |
The Worldwide Church of God provides flexibility in its annual worship calendar. A Christian annual worship calendar must be designed to celebrate and rehearse God's great saving act in Jesus Christ. It must provide meaningful and inspiring occasions to focus on and give thanks for the grace of God as expressed in the biblical teaching and record of the incarnation, death, resurrection and return of Jesus Christ.
In order to provide added focus on the incarnation, death, resurrection and return of Jesus Christ, the church is providing increased flexibility by accepting the incorporation of traditional Christian festivals into its annual worship calendar. The application of this flexibility may vary from region to region and congregation to congregation.
1. For personal or cultural reasons, some members may choose not to participate in certain celebration occasions. In the spirit of Romans 14, the church accepts this and makes no judgment.
2. The Lord's Supper may be held at various times throughout the year. Some congregations choose to observe it with footwashing once a year during the Crucifixion and Resurrection season.
By Ruth L. Rebollido
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines--One of the eight cell groups in Cagayan de Oro is called the Bugo Cell Group.
It meets weekly at the home of Ed and Betty Rebollido in Bugo district, about 16 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro City proper. Its first meeting was April 2 with three families in attendance.
The goal of the Bugo Cell is for Jesus Christ to be in its center ministering to members through other members, and as community relationships develop, cell members are to reach out to others in the neighborhood.
Through friendship evangelism, Mr. and Mrs. Rebollido, facilitators of the group, prayerfully invite neighbors to the weekly meetings.
As a result, four new families are now attending the Bugo Cell in addition to the initial group. These four families have also started attending WCG worship services since then.
The Bugo Cell group had an ice-breaker outing June 12. Thirty-nine new people and 10 WCG members participated in a beach outing. They were audience to the baptisms of four individuals who claimed freedom in Christ during the country's centennial celebration of freedom from foreign domination.
It was a moving experience to see God's hands in using this small group to bring people to Christ.
The Bugo Cell Group is now meeting regularly in four houses around the neighborhood. Wonderful things are happening.
God has blessed this group in numerous ways. Cell members, through personal testimonies at meetings, speak of the love, mercy and power of God.
One couple, two of the four who were baptized, now normally start their day singing praises to God and reading the Bible, which was not their previous practice.
Their teenage daughter also commented that her prayer of being led to Christ was answered. She was baptized earlier, after attending a WCG summer camp.
Truly, God's Holy Spirit is present and working in our cell groups. God is using this tool to call people to salvation and to membership in his body.
As Mr. Rebollido commented: "God has spiritually strengthened our cell group. Members are becoming closer to each other; nurturing and praying for one another; sharing joys and sorrows; and have a close relationship with God and his Son, Jesus Christ."
The Bugo cell conducted its first full church service June 28.
 BAPTISM-Pastor Johnny
Logrono (right), assisted by Ed Rebollido (second from lift) and Percy Macabasa (left),
baptizes Sita dela Pena June 12. |
 CHURCH GROWTH-Thirty-nine
people, in addition to 10 members, attended a Bugo Cell outing. Shown here is part of the
group. [Photos by Louie Concepcion] |
The Big Sandy congregation is offering a cookbook with more than 450 recipes for $11.
A portion of the sales will be donated to the Red Cross Weather Disaster Fund.
If you would like to order one or more cookbooks, please make your check payable to Big Sandy Women's Ministry and mail to Cookbook, Box 866, Big Sandy, Texas, 75755. Please do not send cash.
Please be sure to include the quantity, your mailing address and your phone number.
By Jim Herst
Tuesday, July 7, British troops evacuated my parents, Fred and Jean Herst, from their home on the Castlemara housing estate in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, following four days of some of the most vicious rioting in the history of the fighting there.
Police officials believe that the Protestant Ulster Defense Association (UDA), an illegal paramilitary organization, is responsible for much of the violence in this otherwise scenic coastal town 10 miles north of Belfast.
The UDA does not support the new peace agreement and is trying to sabotage it by sending hooligans to the streets to riot against police.
My parents' house is at the entrance to the estate which, unfortunately, has been the focal point of the disturbances.
The trouble began the evening of Saturday, July 4, at the beginning of the Protestant Orangemen's week of celebration.
More than 100 rioters faced off against the police, directly in front of my parents' home.
Fortunately, my mother was able to make it out. She moved in with my sister, Sandra, who lives a couple of miles away in a safer neighborhood.
But my father and brother, David, stayed on to protect the property. What made matters worse is that my brother is a reserve police officer, and the rioters knew this.
Some of them charged the house, threatening him with obscene comments. The situation deteriorated Sunday night when the rioters erected barricades and burned more than 20 cars and buses throughout the estate.
They also continued to pound the police with a barrage of rocks and petrol bombs. But the worst violence occurred Monday evening, when the mob started to throw homemade blast bombs (a lethal mixture of nails and explosives).
Four of the bombs hit my parents' property. One exploded just a couple of feet away from their living room window, knocking both my father and brother to the floor. Thankfully, neither of them was seriously injured.
About 3 a.m. Tuesday, a few of them propped open the letterbox in the front door and rammed through a petrol bomb. It ignited in the hallway. My brother, who was sleeping at the time, was awakened by the smoke alarm. He ran downstairs and smothered the wall of flames with a fire extinguisher.
An hour later, a rock smashed through the large bay window at the front of the house. At that point, David called police headquarters and requested evacuation assistance.
Mum and dad are grateful that God brought them out safely, and with all their belongings intact. But mum is particularly traumatized at losing the home that our family has lived in for more than 30 years.
They have been faithful members of the church since 1960. Despite this horrific trial, their faith in Jesus Christ remains undaunted.
Personal from
Joseph TkachIn the July WN we discussed the importance of the ministry of the word--the need for our pastors to study diligently, teach and preach with a biblical foundation.
This month, let's follow up with further evidence from the pastoral epistles, and with thoughts about how we may apply this in the WCG.
Paul had preached the gospel, raised up churches and corrected doctrinal errors. He had trained assistants by having them accompany him on his travels. When the end of his life neared, he gave instructions to the next generation of church leaders.
In these letters to Timothy and Titus, he also tells us an important responsibility that church pastors have:
* "Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching" (1 Timothy 4:13).
* "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (verse 16).
* "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:2-3).
* "You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1).
Clearly, doctrine is important in the church. We need solid teaching, based on accurate study of Scripture. We do not need anyone's pet theories, but teaching that has been tested against the ideas of other faithful Christians. Solid teaching doesn't necessarily make us feel good. Solid teaching sometimes challenges our comfort zones.
As we know, our understanding of Scripture wasn't always right. That is why in-service education for our pastors is so important for our future.
We are using materials produced by well-respected evangelical seminaries. This informs our teaching.
We do not agree with the textbooks and classes on every point, but we are covering the major bases. It is only through study that we can avoid factual mistakes such as saying that Constantine changed the Sabbath to Sunday, or that he was the main supporter of Trinitarian theology.
We don't want to preach errors, and the only way we can stop doing so is by learning--and pastors, like all teachers, have to learn much more than they teach. Pastors have to study a subject for many hours before they can preach one sermon.
They have to ensure that they are speaking from a solid foundation, not one constructed of generalities, personal experience and opinion, what we "have always believed," supported by a few verses taken out of context.
Scripture is the standard of truth. That is why we must strengthen our foundation in Scripture.
We emphasize the value of expository sermons, sermons that stick to one passage of Scripture. Such sermons help ensure that we are doing justice to the context of the verses. They also provide a model members can use in their study of Scripture--to take a passage and study it in depth.
Now some thoughts about the future of the WCG.
Why are we here? Why has God brought us on the journey he has? Where are we now in the body of Christ? What role can we play? What is our niche in the Christian community?
None of us has the complete answer, but I would like to share a thought. On one hand, I see that one of our strengths as a denomination has been a high regard for Scripture, and we have a biblically literate membership.
We have been forced to study doctrines in depth. We went back to the book time and again to see whether these things were so. We wanted to prove all things.
I don't have statistics, but I am confident that WCG members, on the whole, know a lot more of the Bible (especially the Old Testament) than the average American Christian does.
On the other hand, I see that many evangelical Christians are lacking in biblical knowledge--even according to the estimates of evangelical leaders.
Many Christians come to a knowledge of Christ and accept him--and that is good, so far as it goes--but many do not grow much in grace and knowledge. Doctrine is important--and the Christian world's lack of biblical knowledge is a serious need.
So a need in the Christian world is a strength that our church has. This is an area in which we can help the Christian community--indeed, we are already providing an educational service in our publications and resources.
As time goes on, perhaps we will find additional ways to contribute in a meaningful way to the work of God's kingdom. This might be in formats we are used to, such as booklets and Bible study courses, or it might be in other formats, such as audiocassette tapes or computerized lessons. It remains to be seen.
But no matter how we might eventually serve the Christian community and the unsaved world, we already have the responsibility to teach our own members, to preach the gospel, to invite people to accept their Savior and to worship him with joy.
By Randal Dick and J. Michael Feazell
Liturgy has become a hot topic in the church these days.
"Excuse me, but what's a liturgy?" you ask.
Liturgy is simply the pattern or program of worship chosen by a church. It includes the gospel-related topics, themes, forms, symbols, styles, seasons and days that help facilitate effective worship for that particular church.
In other words, liturgy refers to the whole set of seasons, days, tools and methods we use to worship, celebrate and enjoy God.
Now we all agree that God doesn't want his people to fight about when to worship him. In fact, all our worship should be a source of unity and joy in the power, love, glory and grace of God.
Yet, so often, our choices about when and how to worship our God and Savior become a source of division and controversy. You know the issues: The Holy Day keepers don't like being in the same church with the Advent Month and Holy Week keepers, and vice versa.
While some members don't mind attending everything the church offers, and some simply avoid the days that are not meaningful to them, others get angry just knowing any ground is being given to the "other side."
In this article, we'd like to present a few basic principles related to worship that might help us all to lay down our weapons and give each other some space about when we choose to worship our great God who loves us all.
The first thing that might help us get some perspective is to understand that worship is a human response to God--who he is, what he has done and what he is doing. It is an active, often spontaneous, celebration of God's work through Christ. In worship Christians are participating in Christ's work of human redemption.
New Testament liturgy is the recurring patterns of worship that developed among the first century Christians. It developed as the disciples rehearsed and remembered Jesus' death and resurrection by meeting together to participate in the Lord's Supper and to baptize new converts.
These events were discussed, read about in the Scriptures, rehearsed and reenacted in an atmosphere of prayer, singing of hymns, thanksgiving and praise.
As we learn to obey Jesus' command to love one another, we also learn to appreciate and respect our cultural diversity. Jesus values human culture and human customs because he values humanity.
Our cultural lenses, as it were, are a necessary part of who we are. Consequently, the forms or styles we prefer for worship are necessarily shaped by our particular culture, and rightly so.
As we view life through our particular cultural lenses, we tend to look upon other ways of doing things with suspicion, distrust, ridicule or even fear. Our culture tends to shape our values, and our values govern how we draw our conclusions about what is good and what is bad.
When we come to faith in Christ, God purifies our hearts. He softens our hearts toward others. He gives us a new commandment--that we love one another.
To love one another does not require that we must abandon our unique cultural values. It means we must learn to respect the cultural values of others, without feeling threatened ourselves.
Of course, if a particular cultural value is sinful, we must abandon it. But most of our cultural values are not sinful; many are neutral and many are quite compatible with godliness in Christ.
Culture, of itself, is not evil. Our unity in Christ affirms and purifies culture; it does not do away with it! When Jesus returns, we are told in Revelation, men and women from every tribe and tongue and people and nation will form the kingdom of God.
God works with us in the context of our respective cultures. He is the author of human freedom, and he enjoys the rich tapestry of human diversity and cultural variety. God hates sin, but he does not hate culture.
It is sin that corrupts and spoils culture, not culture that causes and produces sin. Because there is sin in every human, there is sin in every culture. As God's people, Christians should turn away from sin in their respective cultures, but they do not need to turn away from their culture to embrace someone else's culture.
At the same time, no particular cultural form is an absolute. In other words, we must not think that just because a cultural form we especially like is not sinful and has a certain value in worship, therefore it must be used in worship at all costs. To make any cultural form essential to worship is to make the opposite mistake from discarding all cultural forms.
We must be free to use cultural forms in worship, while also remaining free not to use a particular cultural form. We must not allow any form or style of worship to become an end in itself. We worship God, freely using forms and styles of worship; we don't, however, allow ourselves to become slaves to those forms and styles.
Silly as it sounds to have to say it, God is just as comfortable communing with Filipinos in a Philippine culture as he is communing with Arabs in an Arab culture, Indians in an Indian culture, Danes in a Danish culture, Mexicans in a Mexican culture or Latinos, Anglos, African Americans or American-born Chinese in a United States culture. And God loves the worship of his people regardless of its cultural flavor and style.
Our congregations do not need to have the same songbooks, the same musical instruments, the same style of body movement or even the same days on which we worship in order to be united in Christ. Our unity comes from our faith in Jesus Christ and our mutual love for one another, not from worshiping in the same way and at the same times in every congregation around the world.
Each culture may have different symbols that are meaningful to them. In many cultures, for example, the cross is a fitting symbol of Christian faith, while in certain other cultures it may not be, because of its widespread use in that culture as a symbol of something else.
In many cultures, the Christmas season is a fitting celebration of the birth of Christ, while in certain other cultures it is not, because it has become so entrenched with local spiritism rituals.
As a congregation matures, it develops an increasingly deeper participation in the Incarnation of Christ through its worship and liturgy. That means the members of the congregation are growing in love for God and in love for others. And that means they are becoming less and less likely to condemn others for being different and for doing things differently.
It should be obvious that the more we love God, and the more we worship and honor him, the less we would tend to condemn our brothers and sisters in Christ who prefer to worship him on days and in ways different from those we choose.
But it isn't obvious, is it? We tend to condemn it anyway. And Christians always have. Less than 25 years after Jesus' death, Paul addressed this issue in his letter to the Romans.
"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls," Paul writes. "And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand" (Romans 14:4).
Such instructions are necessary for the very reason that Christians do tend to have a spirit of condemnation toward others. Paul continues in verse 10: "You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat."
What does this have to do with liturgy? Just this: We must learn not to condemn one another over the seasons and days on which we decide to worship.
For example, if a congregation in the United States decides to worship on Sunday, then congregations in Europe and South America do not need either to 1) feel they must immediately do the same thing, or 2) get angry and upset that the U.S. congregation has made this decision.
Likewise, if a congregation in South America feels it should not get involved in local Christmas customs, then congregations in the United States and Canada do not have to feel their South American brothers and sisters are being disloyal to Christ.
We are all free in Christ to worship during whatever seasons and on whatever days we find fitting and appropriate.
As Paul wrote to the church in Rome: "He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God" (Romans 14:6).
Can we let this principle rule our attitudes toward one another? If our brothers and sisters in other congregations are gathering to worship the Lord, then surely we should not get upset about the particular choice of days on which they do so.
Let's take it one step further. In any given congregation we have fellow believers who want to worship on the seven annual holy days as usual, as well as fellow believers who want to worship during the traditional Christian festival seasons.
How do we treat one another? Are we angry and judgmental? Are we considerate and patient? Do we try to understand and appreciate the feelings of those who differ from us? What is the real value of worshiping on any day at all if the fruit of our worship is judgmentalism and condemnation?
Within the essential and central framework of Christian orthodoxy there is much room for diversity.
We have unity in the worship of the Lord, the faithful observance of the sacraments (the Lord's Supper and baptism) and the faithful proclamation of the Word.
We have diversity in the styles and forms we use in administering the sacraments, proclaiming the Word and worshiping the Lord. The Holy Spirit makes us one in Christ, and our diversity in how we express that unity is a gift of God.
Each congregation in its unique setting in the world must take up its own task, with the help of the Holy Spirit, of filling cultural forms with Christian substance.
Choices about symbols, order of meeting, styles of music and prayer forms, and choices about seasons and days, must be the responsibility of the local congregation under the pastor's guidance within the broad and general guidelines provided by the denomination and the regional offices.
The annual worship calendar of the Worldwide Church of God allows for flexibility. Congregations are free to gather for worship during those seasons and days that are most fitting for their circumstances and situations.
The key is, they are functioning within denominational guidelines (that means there are limitations), and they are not compelled to make the same choices as other Worldwide Church of God congregations (that means there is significant freedom within those limitations). At the same time, congregations are expected to respect the choices made by other congregations.
We realize these issues are complicated. The fact is, some of our members worship on the annual holy days given to Israel for wrong reasons: they believe it is a sin not to observe them.
Many of these members also believe it is a sin to worship during traditional Christian festivals. They feel sullied or dirtied, as some have put it, having to belong to a church in which there are people who celebrate Easter and Christmas.
They are upset that the Worldwide Church of God no longer forbids or avoids these days that they continue to view as sinful, and some of them are praying that God will put everything back the way it used to be.
However, there are others who worship on the seven annual holy days simply because it is their tradition and custom. They associate pleasant memories with the festivals. They are glad they can worship Christ in a new and meaningful way and see their holy day tradition as one means to that end.
Still others have completely redefined the holy days as an especially relevant way to celebrate Christ.
On the other side of the issue are those who do not want to belong to a church that holds any kind of meeting on the Israelite holy days.
Many of these have a keen sense of having been freed from the legalism that characterized the way our church understood these holy days, and they want to steer completely clear of them.
They cannot understand why the church would continue to allow for worship on these days when their observance was a major source of our spirit of exclusivity and our misunderstanding of the gospel.
Others don't mind the church having meetings on the holy days, as long as attendance is not mandatory and as long as meetings are also held during the traditional Christian seasons.
Others do not plan to remain with the Worldwide Church of God if it continues to permit worship on the annual Israelite holy days.
These factors and others like them make the liturgical calendar a hot topic indeed. There is no solution that will please everyone.
The goals of the Advisory Council of Elders, the international regional directors and the U.S. regional pastors in formulating a denominational position paper on the annual worship calendar are 1) faithfulness to God, and 2) denominational unity in the light of his Word (see position paper page 4).
That is why the calendar provides flexibility within an overall biblical framework. Congregations will be free to formulate their own local liturgical calendar within this denominational framework, taking into account the needs and preferences of all the members.
Whether we can handle such freedom is yet to be seen. Can we have diversity in this way and yet remain united in our faith in Jesus Christ and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit? Surely we can. Whether we will is a matter of choice.
God loves all his children, but his children still struggle with the challenges of working together in love.
May we join together in prayer that as we assemble for worship God will lead us into a closer walk with him and with one another.
The Advisory Council of Elders approved the following document May 21. Advisory Council of Elders members are Mr. Albrecht, Dean Blackwell, Carn Catherwood, J. Michael Feazell. Herman Hoeh, Ron Kelly, Richard Rice, Bernie Schnippert, Norman Smith and Joseph Tkach. The document in effect does away with the former designations of ministerial ranks (evangelist, pastor, preaching elder and local elder). All ordained ministers hold the ecclesiastical rank of elder.
Denominational leadership
President/Pastor General: Chief executive and chief ecclesiastical officer of WCG.
Denominational administrator: Category descriptor only. Specific titles are consistent with each person's responsibilities, such as operation director, manager, supervisor.
Superintendent: Chief pastoral administrator.
Regional director: Administrative head of non-U.S. regions.
Regional pastor: Supervisor of senior pastors.
Congregational leadership
Senior pastor: Administrative head of one or more local churches (may or may not be salaried by the church).
Associate pastor: An elder who is assistant to a senior pastor in a line capacity.
Assistant pastor: An elder who is assistant to a senior pastor in a staff capacity.
Ministry leader: Leader of a particular ministry in a local church under the supervision of the senior pastor or his designate. (Examples: leaders of seniors ministry, women's ministry, youth ministry, counseling ministry, children's ministry, young adults ministry, Christian education ministry, church life ministry, singles ministry, facilities coordination, care ministries.)
Notes:
1. All ordained ministers hold the ecclesiastical rank of elder.
2. Elder status may be conferred only by denominational authority and through sanctioned ecclesiastical ordination.
3. Only elders may perform certain sacerdotal functions of the church, including baptisms, ordinations, weddings, funerals and anointing with oil. The sacerdotal function of baptism may also be performed by lay members, but only under the ecclesiastical authorization of a senior pastor.
4. Not every congregation will need or have every level of congregational leadership.
5. Ministry leaders may or may not be elders.
6. Denominational administrators may or may not be elders, depending on the circumstances and demands of responsibility.
By Randal Dick
Superintendent of Missions
There is a decided increase in
interest in mission in the WCG compared to the past.
This is a healthy trend, as it indicates a return to the core of Christ's command that his people go into all the world and make disciples.
We receive letters from people asking how they can get involved in fulfilling the Great Commission. In response, I will try to provide a framework for us to view the Great Commission, 1998 and beyond.
The first and possibly most important principle is, forget what you thought you knew about mission.
Let's start by defining what we mean by mission. Mission is not about missionaries, and it does not have a human origin. It is a shorthand term for what we used to call the plan of God. The only mission that will succeed is Christ's stated mission that he came that all flesh might be saved.
When we talk about mission, we are saying, how can my life be used by Christ to further his stated mission?
Another defining principle is that mission is not about institutions, it is about response. The unbeliever is the object of Christ's attention. Mission takes its shape by us responding to the needs of the unbelievers Christ has targeted for salvation. Every Christian is in the most real sense of the word, a part of mission.
Mission has no boundaries. Mission at home is just as important as mission abroad. In fact, our cities are becoming such cultural melting pots that most sizeable cities are in need of cross-cultural mission.
We live in a time unparalleled in the history of the Great Commission. It is estimated that of all the people who have been saved, 70 percent have been converted since 1900.
Of those, about 70 percent have been saved since World War II. Of those, more than 70 percent have been brought to Christ in the last 10 years.
This illustrates fast-paced developments in world mission. This also helps us see why we have to forget most of what we thought we knew about mission.
There are many different approaches to mission. Entire books are devoted to providing a catalog of the thousands of mission agencies in the world today.
Some are large, some small. Some are denominational in nature, others are ministries that seek the support of Christianity as a whole.
Some are Western based, others are homegrown in various parts of the world. Some are effective, some are to be pitied. More importantly, some mission efforts benefit the unbeliever, and some are really there to benefit the missionary.
How can one make sense of all the confusion? Is there an approach that surpasses the others? I believe there is a better way, and that Christ is escorting the WCG on a journey that includes learning this "better way."
Can we as a fellowship think in terms of significance? This is not easy.
One church growth researcher estimates that 70 percent of U.S. churches think in terms of survival, how they can exist and pay the bills.
Twenty to 25 percent think in the success mode. How do we pay for the new building? How do we reach our goals? Only 5 to 10 percent are in the significance mode, thinking how their church can make a difference, not only for themselves but for Christ's global purposes.
I think we have learned to pray that God's will be done in our lives. Can we pray, "Lord, how do you want to influence this generation, and what part would you like us to play"?
Mr. Tkach and I were inspired by the way our little fellowship in Medicine Hat, Alberta, thinks.
I'll share a portion of their letter:
"We are a home fellowship group that meets every Wednesday night in Medicine Hat. Although Medicine Hat is around 65,000, we are only four in number.... For two of us who cannot travel, our fellowship group is the only church we get.
"Our membership is composed of three ladies and me, a 45-year-old single man. Our eldest member is a lively 74-year-old who has just had heart bypass surgery. Our host is a retired widow, a co-worker, who has never attended a WCG service.
"Our fourth member operates a small Greek restaurant with her husband. We are not blessed with a lot of time, money or abilities, but we make do with what we've got.
"We want to be faithful to the fellowship to which God has called us and to do our part for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We want not only to increase the size of our group, we want to reach people with the gospel. We examined what we might do."
We must all think and operate in the significance mode--like the folks in Medicine Hat--to appreciate the better way.
Not all approaches to fulfilling the Great Commission are equal. Certain approaches are more effective than others.
You may ask how one can determine which approach is better than others. The answer is, by their fruits. Jesus' No. 1 desire is reconciled people--he wants to save people and have them become active, mature Christians.
The approaches to mission that result in maximum numbers of saved people growing in Christian community, with the least amount of effort and expense, are the better way.
Mission leaders I talk to cannot believe the incredible opportunity that presents itself to the WCG. This is because we have such a scope of relationships worldwide.
Also, we have no baggage or infrastructure that ties us to an archaic and relatively ineffective approach to mission.
At the same time, world mission leaders are calling for the Christian community to reconsider the biblical model of mission.
This is not motivated from a desire to return to an old way. Rather, the principles undergirding the apostolic approach to mission are as valid now as ever.
Here are a few reasons to consider:
1. Paul could mentor multiple churches over great distances because he could get around easily. He did not have to establish an expensive base of operations at each location. The same is true today.
2. Paul's approach to mentoring develops local leadership in the best and fastest way possible. It involves teaching and equipping, followed by implementation and evaluation.
3. Traditionally, churches are formed and members are added. However, when using apostolic principles, leaders are developed and under them, churches multiply.
I will conclude Part I of our discussion of mission by citing an example.
Ten years ago, a missionary group went to Mexico City to plant a church. After eight years they were pleased to have a church of about 300 members. This would be considered an effective traditional church plant.
It required three U.S. missionary couples and about six to eight single missionaries, some part-time, to support the mission.
Consider the costs of such an undertaking. It is nearly impossible to maintain an expatriate family internationally for less than $50,000 a year.
Also about 10 years ago, a man named John Kelly also undertook to plant churches in Mexico City.
Like the apostle Paul, he sought for three individuals into whom he could pour everything he had learned over the years. He found his Silas, Luke and Timothy and spent time mentoring them. His costs were small compared to the group above.
At the end of eight years, about 680 churches had grown from the original three.
Several examples of this approach are working in our own fellowship. They are fledgling, but bearing good fruit. I'll tell you about them next time.
 NEWLY BAPTIZED MEMBERS--New members in Lubumbashi, Congo. |
 BANGLADESH--Mission participants use bicycles to preach gospel in villages. |
By Tonia Weik
KHUST, Ukraine--Four WCG members joined two other WCG members already in Ukraine for a summer mission project.
The four are Todd Couch from Mara, British Columbia, Douglas Hall, San Jose, California, Kristy Henderson, Cottonwood, Arizona, and Carrie Fields, Bristol, Tennessee.
Since last September, Craig Shrum and I have been teaching in Khust. We took what we learned and organized a summer mission program in Khust, a continuation of the summer program that has taken place since 1994.
Over the past year, we've learned more about short-term mission work. With help from other Christians who have worked in similar areas, we made improvements upon past programs. An effective mission prepares its team members and organizes itself according to local culture and attitudes.
With the support of our brothers and sisters in Watford, England, pastor Andrew Silcox commissioned Craig and me and asked God's blessing on the summer mission during the May 23 worship service. It helped to put everything in the proper perspective: God is the one leading this mission, and we're thrilled to be working for him.
To prepare the group, we organized orientation meetings in Borehamwood, England, before leaving for Ukraine. The team arrived May 25, and meetings began May 26.
Team members received details about the program they would work on: English classes, Bible classes, praise and worship meetings for young people, English-Russian hymn sings, a Prayer for Ukraine small group, viewings of Christian videos, a discussion group for graduating students and other activities.
We also discussed cultural traditions in Ukraine. For example, Ukrainians pride themselves on their hospitality, and team members needed to prepare themselves for what to expect in a Ukrainian home, such as removing your shoes when you enter someone's home, standing when you pray before a meal and being greeted with a kiss on the cheek.
We also talked about religious customs and some differences in worship between Christians in Ukraine and Christians from Western cultures. Such customs include kneeling during prayer at church, praying out loud and women covering their heads at church.
We spent some time discussing language. We went over basic Russian words, the alphabet and began working on a Russian Christian song we could sing at church.
Music is an important part of Ukrainian culture and an important part of the summer mission. Team members were prepared to sing at church services in Khust and with their students at English hymn sings.
We also discussed different beliefs they would encounter. However, it was important to emphasize that despite any variance in understanding, we all have the same core beliefs: Jesus Christ came to earth, died for us and rose again. God sent his Son because he loved us, and out of love for our God, we serve him. Those are the things that bring all Christians together all over the world.
Part of our service in Ukraine would also include teaching English to young people. So, we talked about what to expect from students and how to build good relationships with them.
Our job as teachers is not just to teach English and then go home. Instead, it's to build friendships with our students, listen to them and help them build better relationships with God.
Before leaving for Ukraine, we got together with other brethren from the Watford congregation for a prayer meeting, led by George and Sueann Henderson.
 MISSION PARTICIPANTS--From left: Todd Couch, Craig Shrum, Douglas Hall, Kristy Henderson, Tonia Weik and Carrie Fields. [Photo by Brenda Plonis] |
The Festival Office in Pasadena announced the following local Festival sites for 1998. Local Festival services will take place in other areas too. Please check with your pastor.
All services will be conducted in the WCG building at 3205 S. Garland (Highway 34 and Garland).
Thursday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.: social hour.
Friday, Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.: registration.
Friday, Oct. 9: 7:30 p.m.: worship service.
Saturday, Oct. 10, 10:30 a.m.: worship service.
Saturday, Oct. 10, 1:30: recreation specials at Super Bowl.
Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m.: Celebrate Christ Seminar.
Sunday, Oct. 11, 10:30 a.m.: worship service.
Motels
Best Western Riverside Inn, 3333 Ramada Rd., Highway 34 and Locust Street. Phone: 1-800-422-3485. One mile east of WCG building.
Make reservations directly with motel. This is the closest motel. We have a block of rooms reserved with the Riverside Inn. Just mention that you are with the WCG.
The flat rate for a room is $50 plus tax regardless of the number of people. Reservations need to be made before Sept. 24. Reservations made after that time will be available for the same price, but may not be in the same block of rooms.
Midtown Holiday Inn, 2503 S. Locust. Phone: 1-800-548-5542. Flat rate $59. Mention WCG.
Super 8 Motel, 2603 S. Locust. Phone: 1-308-384-4380.
Howard Johnson, 3021 S. Locust. Phone: 1-888-900-4101.
At Super 8 and Howard Johnson you will need to negotiate your room rates.
Grand Island, Nebraska registration form
Name
Phone
Address
No. of adults
No. of teens
No. of children
Please return this registration form as soon as possible to: Walt Boyll, Feast coordinator, 4410 Avenue E, Kearney, Nebraska, 68847. Phone: 1-308-234-1492. E-mail: pawboyll@digitalis.net
The theme for the three-day Festival in Orlando will be The Fields are Ripe for the Harvest.
Worship services will be Oct. 9 to 11 on Friday evening, Saturday morning and Sunday evening at the historic John Knox Presbyterian Church, 118 Par St. in Orlando. (Attendance capacity is 400 adults; 150 children).
Contact: Steve Schantz, Box 410352, Melbourne, Florida, 32941-0352. Phone 1-407-253-4538.
The Pasadena congregations, including the Spanish congregation and New Life Fellowship, will be hosts for Festival worship services in English and Spanish. Come and Celebrate Christ with us!
The Pasadena mini-Feast site will be the Fine Arts Recital Hall and Science 111 at WCG headquarters.
Worship services will be:
Oct. 4, Sunday, opening night: 6 to 8 p.m., English only.
Oct. 10, Saturday, 10 a.m.: English and Spanish.
Oct. 11, Sunday, 10 a.m.: English and Spanish.
Oct. 12, Monday, 10 a.m.: English only.
Child care will be provided. Planned activities are catered and potluck lunch on weekends; workshops on weekend afternoons; and communion.
The registration fee is $20 for each person or $50 for each family. If you plan to attend the Pasadena site, please request a registration form from Bermie Dizon, Festival coordinator, or Susan Earle at Pasadena Church Office, 300 W. Green St., Pasadena, California, 91105. Phone: 1-626-304-8170 or 1-626-304-6137. Fax 1-626-304-6159. E-mail: Bermie_Dizon@wcg.org
Feastgoers will have to take care of their own housing needs. We can provide a list of hotels, inns and motels in the area if requested.
San Antonio, with its historic surroundings and southern Texas hospitality, is planning a mini-Feast site to celebrate Jesus Christ.
Services will be conducted Saturday, Sunday and Monday Oct. 3, 4 and 5; and on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Oct. 9, 10, 11 and 12. Spanish translations will be provided.
Activities will include a river walk evening with a meal served on a riverboat, a family day in the park service, a children's night activity, a dinner on the grounds and praise and music services.
For more information call Frank Parsons at 1-210-521-6766 or e-mail him at frank_parsons@wcg.org
A mini-Feast will take place in Van Buren Friday, Oct. 9, to Sunday, Oct. 11.
Services on Friday will begin at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at 2 p.m. Services on Saturday will be followed by a barbecue dinner, and then a Saturday evening praise and worship service at 7 p.m. A Sunday worship service will begin at 10:30 a.m.
Services will be at 1445 Clyde Cates Rd., Van Buren. For more information please call Dean Frantz at 1-918-427-4635 or Don Thurman at 1-918-654-3604.
The Great American Gospel Fest (GAGF) will take place Oct. 9 to 11. GAGF brings harmony to churches, and builds goodwill among races by celebrating our love of God through music.
It is an amateur music competition for soloists, duets, quartets, gospel singers, praise worship bands, contemporary Christian artists and choirs of all sizes.
An entry fee is charged for performers selected to compete: $25 for soloists, $50 for duets and quartets, $75 for musical groups larger than four members, $100 for choirs of 24 or less, and $125 for choirs of 25 or more.
Entry fee money goes back into trophies and cash prizes. Interested parties should send an audition tape by Aug. 31 to Paul David Kurts, 2705 North Center St. No. 45, Hickory, North Carolina, 28601.
The Oasis Praise Band seeks individuals with camera experience to videotape a praise and worship musical Oct. 10. Call Rex Danyluk at 1-818-409-9397.
By Jannice May
Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5 to 7, my husband Curtis, regional pastor for the Southwest region, and I will present a three-day conference to which all ministers' wives (salaried or nonsalaried) are invited.
Wives of ministers will hear from Kathleen Hart and Jan Johnson. Kathleen is chaplain for student wives at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena. She teaches and counsels ministers' wives on a weekly basis. She and her husband, Arch, give seminars to couples in ministry around the world.
Jan Johnson has been a pastor's wife and a lay pastor's wife. She is a conference speaker and author of Enjoying the Presence of God and other books.
Several workshops on topics relevant to being in ministry are scheduled, as well as tender love and care from the conference organizers. We want the wives to feel loved and appreciated while they are at the conference.
With a little creativity and ingenuity, perhaps some could help send their minister's wife (for some areas, there may be more than one) to this conference that will lift her spirits, encourage her in her ministry and equip her with resources to help her continue on her journey with the Lord.
Fees for the conference include an early registration fee of $50 (after Aug. 15 the registration fee will be $70) and hotel cost (including meals) will be $80 quadruple, $107 triple, $142 double and $284 single for three days and three nights.
For more information contact Jannice May at 1-626-304-6138.
Ladies, are you ready for a weekend of inspiring music, uplifting messages and joyful fellowship with your sisters in Christ from throughout the southeastern United States?
Do you long to be refreshed--to be renewed, restored and revived--in your spirit, heart and body, and in your relationship with our Lord and with each other?
If so, then you are invited to the Atlanta area for the Times of Refreshing summer conference for women Aug. 15 and 16 at the Carroll Tech Conference Center in Douglasville, 20 miles west of Atlanta on Interstate 20.
We expect to keep the cost for the two days at $50, which will include some meals. Housing cost will be extra.
Make plans to join us for this weekend and bring your daughters (from age 13), your mother, sisters and friends.
For more information contact Faye Bates, 6135 Queens Rd., Douglasville, Georgia, 30135, phone 1-770-949-5673 or e-mail pastor Don Madlena at donald_madlena@wcg.org
The Women's Ministry Support staff has initiated a new computer forum for women's ministry.
It is open to anyone who wants to exchange information or just keep up with women's ministry. It will be in digest mode, so you will receive one message that will include all messages sent that day.
To add your name to the list, please send a message with your e-mail address and request to Maria Stahl, our administrator, at this address: stahl@centuryinter.net.
As we share our ideas and experiences, we hope iron will sharpen iron, and this will be beneficial to all who are interested in women's ministry.
By Jackie Thomas
CLEARWATER, Florida--Women, Arise and Renew the Spirit is the theme for a women's retreat Nov. 6 to 8 sponsored by the Clearwater women's ministry.
Remember that first love, when we first came into the church? We want to catch that feeling again for Jesus Christ and pass it on to our families and congregations.
Come join us at The Christian Retreat, 1200 Glory Way, in Bradenton, 20 minutes outside of St. Petersburg. It has acres of beautiful vegetation, waterways and sports facilities.
Registration is Friday, Nov. 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. Finger foods will be served at 7, before a bonfire and sing-along at 9.
Saturday starts with a morning session of worshipful music led by a church band. Then, Tammy Tkach will speak.
After lunch we have scheduled a one-on-one Walk With God on the retreat grounds for one and a half hours.
The afternoon session will be led by Sheila Graham. Saturday evening will include a voluntary prayer session.
Sunday will be devoted to worshipful music and workshops.
A registration fee of $35 is required no later than Aug. 31 to reserve your space. After Aug. 31 the registration fee is $50. Those registering will receive an information packet.
Name:
Address:
Home phone: Work Phone:
Registration fee of $35 due by Aug. 31.
Housing Information
Per person accommodation (due Sept. 22) in addition to registration fee.
Please check one
$115 single (one in room) $70 triple (three in room)
$80 double (two in room) $65 quad (four in room)
Prices include three meals a day (one on Sunday).
I will be sharing a room with the following attendees
1) 2) 3)
Please match me with others who need a roommate.
Indicate if special considerations are needed
wheelchair or back problems
hearing impaired (sign language interpretation will be provided)
Spanish staying in area longer arriving late
Please make checks payable to Clearwater Church Activity Fund and mail to Lorna Peterson, 10077 82nd St. N, Largo, Florida, 33777. Canadians and other international guests, please use international money order.
The deposit is nonrefundable but transferrable.
By Becky Lasch
BUFFALO, New York--About 80 women from nine WCG church areas met at Christ the King Seminary near Buffalo, June 19 to 21, to celebrate God's love.
Sheila Graham of Women's Ministry Support Services and Susie Dick of Church Administration International encouraged us in our walk with God and uplifted us to the reality of his personal love.
The women felt God made a difference in their lives by shining his love them and so blessing them.
Audrey Leitner and Mai Rykob [Photo by Sue Larison
Audrey Leitner and Mai Rykob
[Photo by Sue Larison]]
The Ottawa Women's Ministry invites you to a one-day women's conference Sunday, Sept. 13. Tammy Tkach, Sheila Graham and Mique Smith will be the guest speakers. Joseph Tkach will speak to the Ottawa congregation Saturday, Sept. 12.
The conference will be at the Chateau Cartier Hotel. The cost for the conference, including a catered luncheon, will be $30.
Seating is limited, so it is recommended that those planning to attend send in the registration form at right and make hotel reservations as early as possible.
Rooms are available at the Chateau Cartier Hotel under the group reservation code WCG 0911. Call the hotel at 1-800-807-1088.
A list of less expensive hotels and a map can be sent to you. For more details, call Linda Rabey at 1-613-445-0740.
Limited housing is available in members' homes. Please provide your housing requirements as soon as possible when sending in your registration form. We hope you can join us for a day that will inspire, encourage and strengthen you in word and song.
The Ottawa Women's Ministry
Name
Address
City Province or state
Postal Code
Registration fee $30.
Please make check or money order payable to Ottawa Women's Ministry. Send registration form to Angie Davidson, 985 Fieldown, Cumberland, Ontario, K4C 1B9, Canada.
This is an all-day conference, and registration fee includes a luncheon.
Final registration -- Aug. 15.
Note: Registration fee is transferable but not refundable.
By Ray Meyer
KANSAS CITY, Missouri--The 1998 WCG men's ministry leadership conference is set for Kansas City Sept. 12 and 13.
Its purpose is to help men experience spiritual health and growth, develop Christian leadership and promote men's ministry in the WCG.
The conference will take place at Adam's Mark Hotel (located at Interstate 70 & Blue Ridge Cutoff at Sports Complex).
A men's Home Improvement seminar will take place Sept. 12, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Salvation Army MoKan Camp and Conference Center.
The rest of the conference will be at 16200 E. Highway 40, Kansas City, Missouri, 64136.
The cost is $60 per person, which includes Saturday night lodging and four meals, dormitory style units (spacious and air-conditioned).
If anyone wishes to stay in a motel instead of at MoKan Camp, an appropriate refund will be granted.
A commitment and $25 deposit is due by Aug. 17.
What to bring: casual dress, towel, sport togs if desired, Bible, notebook, a willing heart and lots of enthusiasm!
Recreation options: hiking, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, billiards, tennis, swimming pool. (Time for recreation will be limited).
If you have any questions call Ray Meyer at 1-816-734-4025.
Saturday, Sept. 12
8:30 to 9:30 a.m.: Registration for Men's Home Improvement Seminar at Adam's Mark Hotel (I-70 & Blue Ridge Cutoff at Sports Complex) 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Home Improvement Seminar (lunch included).
The Men's Home Improvement Seminar is an interdenominational event sponsored by City Gates Ministries.
The seminar will deal with issues men wrestle with, and focus on spiritual commitment, renewal and also evangelism.
Presentations will be made by prominent speakers, and a member of the Kansas Royals baseball team will make an appearance.
3 to 4 p.m.: Check-in and registration at MoKan Camp.
5 to 6 p.m.: Dinner at Old Country Buffet (Highway 40 at Noland Road).
7 to 8:30 p.m.: worship service, Men of Faith, Men of Courage.
Sunday, Sept. 13
7:30 to 8:30 a.m.: Breakfast.
8:30 to 9 a.m.: Praise, worship and prayer.
9 to 10: Session 1: The Greatest Danger to a Man's Success.
10:15 to 11:45 a.m.: Session 2: Testimony Treasures.
1 to 2 p.m.: Session 3: No Man Is an Island, Still!
2:15 to 3:15 p.m.: Session 4: Hot Topics, Hard Topics--Answering Questions and Questioning Answers.
3:15 to 3:45 p.m.: Wrap-up and communion.
Kansas City, Missouri, Sept. 12 and 13
Name
Address
Phone
Church area
Pastor
Deposit: $25 (check or money order) due Aug. 17. Please make payable to LCAF Kansas City North. Balance is due upon arrival.
Mail to Ray Meyer, Box 28183, Kansas City, Missouri, 64188
Confirmation will be sent upon receipt of registration form and deposit.
For more information call Ray Meyer at 1-816-734-4025.
Confirmation receipt (to be mailed back to you)
WCG 1998 Men's Ministry Leadership conference
Name:
Address:
This acknowledges receipt of registration form and $25 deposit. Balance due upon arrival.
Received by
By Debbie Townsend
BIG SANDY, Texas--The Big Sandy youth ministry was host for a True Love Waits worship service May 23.
During the service the parents and congregation committed themselves to supporting the teens in their promise to remain sexually pure until marriage.
It began with a commitment to godly courtship the young people made at an Acquire the Fire Convention in March.
True Love Waits is an international campaign designed to challenge teens and college students to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. The campaign was created April 1993 and continues to be coordinated by the Baptist Sunday School Board.
Forty-two denominations and various Christian student organizations are actively carrying the True Love Waits challenge to students.
Many valuable resources are available to assist in implementing a True Love Waits program. The family worship plan was laid out for the parents in an easy to understand fashion, so even if they had not conducted family worship they could be successful.
In an effort to bolster them in this endeavor, the youth ministry led the teens through a six-week study using a book by Lane Powell titled Holding Out for True Love.
Each week the youths read a chapter in the book, then went through group learning activities the following Saturday to reemphasize the key points of the chapter.
The book, a service of the Baptist Sunday School Board, takes the students through the process of understanding how important they are to God and his plan for their relationships with the opposite sex.
The theme for the course was set in the first chapter with the good news that, "You are a person of worth created in the image of God to love and be loved."
Dr. Powell spent the rest of the book convincing the youths of that fact and encouraging them to use the power God gave them over their feelings. The main scripture used throughout the lessons was 2 Timothy 1:7, "For the spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, His Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control" (Good News Bible).
At the end of the book, the youths are encouraged to interview their parents to learn more about them and their teen years.
As a continuation of this theme, the parents were encouraged to conduct a True Love Waits family worship in their homes.
The True Love Waits worship service gave the teens a chance to share what they were doing with the entire congregation.
Two teens gave testimonials on why they felt a program like this is important. Brandee Kennebeck said the lessons helped her deal with the pressure to have a boyfriend.
She told the congregation: "At school everyone thinks you are weird if you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend. This program helped me feel complete and secure without being attached to someone of the opposite sex."
Michael Ritsema shared how he had been strengthened in his commitment to sexual abstinence by the reminder that he is doing it so he can receive "the blessings God has for us if we wait."
The congregation stood and recited a litany showing their support for the youths in the commitment they had made and promising to support them in their walk.
Sharon Gutierrez set the stage for the commitment ceremony by sharing with the congregation the Jaci Velasquez song, "I Promise."
Then Bill Kelley, a youth ministry leader, called the youths and their parents to the stage for the ring ceremony.
Parents and youths recited commitments together while parents placed plain gold wedding bands on the teens' left ring fingers.
Fifteen youths pledged: "Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate and my future children to be sexually abstinent from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship."
Since that day, another six youths have made this commitment at home with their families. The youths were encouraged to wear this ring until they take it off to put on their wedding ring. Mr. Kelley suggested they give the commitment ring to their spouse as a symbol of their faithfulness.
After services, the congregation shared in a cake and punch reception at which many of them showed their individual support for the young people.
Next year the youths plan to take the True Love Waits challenge to their peers at high school and college campuses. The national True Love Waits campaign culminates around Valentine's Day each year. To find out more about getting involved with this program call 1-800-LUV-WAIT.
By Bernie SchnippertGreetings from what is now (finally, after a wet winter) a sunny Southern California.
Speaking of sunny, I can start this month's report on a more or less bright note (although I will later share some cloudier news).
The Pentecost offering has been tallied and totaled slightly more than $1 million. As with the spring offerings, the Pentecost offering came in ahead of budget and gave a welcome boost to finances, which were beginning to flag in the heat of summer. Thank you for your generosity! Perhaps you can tell when you read my articles that my moods vary with the income, and since we have been in a downtrend for the past few years, I am not always the most bubbly person around.
However, the festival offerings have been solid, even though less than last year in total, and the support you show by them has helped me lift my lip off the ground and has given me something to smile about.
Now to the daily mail income, which has been a bit more overcast than the sunny festival offerings.
The daily mail average for June finished at almost exactly the same level as May, at $107,784, but this was again short of the revised annual budget of $110,000 per day. As a result, the year-to-date average dipped below the $110,000 threshold to $109,871.
We are fast approaching the heart of the summer, and July and August have historically given everyone in the Finance and Planning area some heartburn and Maalox moments.
True to past experience, the first few days of July this year have been a bit disappointing, to say the least, with July's daily mail average starting out at $75,000 per day.
Nevertheless, we expect this situation to improve now that the July 4 holiday is behind us.
On a related note, thanks to our Computer Information Services department, we can analyze the giving patterns of each local congregation more closely than in years past.
A couple of interesting statistics emerge in regard to per person giving on both the local and national level. Although only 14 of our congregations have seen an increase in the number of individuals donating to the church this year compared to last year, 78 congregations have actually contributed more money than last year.
In other words, per person giving is higher this year than last. This same theme emerges on the national level. Although total contributions are down about 12 percent compared to last year, per person giving is up almost 13 percent.
Once again we are reminded of your commitment and love for your church home, and thank you, loyal contributors, for your continued, generous support, particularly through the lean summer months.
However, since in the end we are receiving less income than last year by a fairly wide margin, we are impressed with the fact that for income to rise, total number of church attendees must probably also rise.
Many members have requested information on how best to make a gift to the WCG, either during their lifetime or upon death, through wills, trusts or other means.
If you want to receive information regarding such gifts, the Legal Department is available to aid you in this regard without cost or obligation. Please write to Legal Office, Worldwide Church of God, Box 111, Pasadena, California, 91123.
The Legal Department regrets that, because of the variance in laws of other countries, such legal information is only applicable to residents of the United States and Canada. However, in regard to other countries, the Legal Department will furnish whatever limited information it may have.
By George Kackos
BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania--"I'm not saved by how I feel, but it sure feels good!"
This is what we sang and felt during the Impact America Crusade with evangelist Lowell Lundstrom, June 28 to July 1.
It was the first major evangelistic crusade in the Lehigh Valley in 24 years. And our Bethlehem congregation was at the forefront of the event.
On opening night, pastor Stephen Roser, local chairman of Impact America, told the crowd of 2,000: "It is unprecedented what is happening in the Worldwide Church of God. They have been one of the greatest supporters of this event."
Leading up to the event, several of us attended pre-events to prepare for personal evangelism and involvement in the crusade.
These included Team in Training, which identified spiritual gifts, Circling the Valley in Prayer, Christian Life and Witness Course and Counselor Training.
The crusade was filled with praise and worship. It was led by The Lundstrom Singers and band and nightly guests, The Couriers, Billy and Sarah Gaines, Jaci Valesquez and John Schlitt.
They served a wonderful banquet of music. "It was inspiring because you could feel God's love," said Cara Purcell, a member of our Teens in Christ youth group.
In his opening message, Mr. Lundstrom said: "God's problem is not with the sinners. It's with the righteous who are indifferent to the hell-bound." Then he encouraged us to reach out--really reach out--to the lost.
He finished his message, as he did each night, with a call to dedicate to Christ. Seventy-nine responded.
On the second night, he talked about the certainty of Jesus' return and the need to respond to it as righteous sheep, not goats.
His third night message was "Five Proven Ways to Raise a Successful Family." He advised the lost: "Give your heart to Jesus. Try him for six months. If you don't like how it is going, you can get your sins back."
The final night was youth night. John Schlitt, lead singer of Petra, moved the audience with singing, and Mr. Lundstrom preached that Jesus is Lord. Many--more than any other night--were moved to dedicate or rededicate themselves to Christ.
Lewis and Margaret Hoffman, who served as our church representatives, enjoyed the experience.
Lewis said: "I was impressed by the miracle that happened to the Central Assembly of God Church. A year ago they prayed for a man who only had hours to live and he was healed. At the crusade, his whole family came to Christ."
Margaret added: "I was amazed at the number of young people who accepted Jesus Christ and the joy that filled the arena. It was a festival atmosphere every night."
Iris Knerr who took her granddaughters to the Kids Tent with Ed and the Peanut Butter Express said, "Brother Ed brought Jesus to life for the kids with his use of songs, puppets--Charlie and Too Tall--and lots of action."
A highlight for me was counseling a young Hispanic man who rededicated his life to Jesus. His humility and resolve touched me deeply. Praying with him and his African American brother-in-law filled us with a special feeling of oneness in Christ.
As a local church, we've learned a lot about sharing the joy of salvation. We look forward to future opportunities to encourage people to "Try Jesus for six months."
George Kackos pastors the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, church.
By David Gilbert
The Body--Being Light in Darkness, by Charles Colson, Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas, 1992
Where is the one true church? Surely all these churches can't all be right. Which one is the right one?
These are questions many people entertain when they first become interested in Christianity. They see the squabbling, bickering and doctrinal wars among those who call themselves Christian and sometimes search for a group that seems above the fray.
Having been a member for nearly 30 years of an organization that claimed to be God's one and only true church, I found Chuck Colson's book The Body to be a refreshing refocus on the differences between the visible church and the invisible or universal church.
Rather than take the narrow view that somewhere on this earth is an esoteric organization of believers that has all the right doctrines and all the right practices and is therefore the true church, Mr. Colson takes the broader view that the recruitment of members of the church is universal, yet the church is broken down into visible fighting units, like denominations or governmental structures.
While sometimes we view the development of denominations as a bad thing, Mr. Colson points out that God can turn a less-than-perfect situation for his own good purposes.
Because there is so much diversity within the Christian community, a wider range of people with varying understandings and views can be reached for Christ.
While God is not the author of the confusion in Christianity, nonetheless, he can use it for the furtherance of his kingdom.
Mr. Colson is careful to acknowledge that though everyone born from above is part of the universal or invisible church, a mark of such a person's salvation is their involvement in a healthy part of the visible church or church particular.
Mr. Colson also points out that there is a tension between the universal church and the visible church.
Too often throughout history, the visible church has only coincidentally resembled the invisible church. That's because all humans, and thus all human institutions, have been influenced by the fall of Adam.
While we see the biblical model of a church "without spot or wrinkle," reality checks are in order.
Indeed there is a difference between the church of faith and the church of fact. The church of fact is in a constant struggle to be the church of faith. There are times when the church apparent is frustrating, disappointing and downright sinful.
Yet those are times when Christians should not despair, but strive even more for the unity of the faith and focus on the essentials of salvation.
Chapter Seven: The Sin of Presumption, is particularly insightful. Whenever someone begins to think that his or her way is the way, then presumptuousness lies at the door.
Mr. Colson writes on pages 86 and 87: "The belief that there is but one method or formula by which to enter the kingdom is what we call the sin of presumption: presuming to know the mind of God and to program by human means who is or is not secure in the faith and hence in the church....
"When we regard our own methodology as normative, we eventually question the faith of those who do not conform to it. This presumption, so contrary to biblical teaching, is a major cause of the disunity that plagues and cripples the witness of the church.
"And it is all the more dangerous because it often begins with the noblest of motives: the desire that others will experience what we have.
"Unfortunately, it can soon become harshly judgmental and can even result in writing off entire denominations or traditions."
It is painful for me to realize that our fellowship and I myself at one time called any Christians not in our group "Christians falsely-so-called" and their churches protesting daughters of the harlot of Revelation or other such disparaging nomers.
It was a perverse form of gnosticism--if you had the right understanding and did the right things based on that understanding, then you were part of God's elect.
Thanks be to God Almighty, who took us by scruff of the neck and, as it were, said, "Quit treating your brothers and sisters that way!"
And thanks be to Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice is big enough to cover even this horrible sin of exclusivity.
Of course, Mr. Colson warns that we must be discerning. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. Not every organization that claims to be Christian is following Christ.
The answer is to become less judgmental but yet be discerning enough to recognize and flee from apostasy when we see it.
Various words are used to illustrate different truths of the gospel. In our previous study, we looked at the word justification, which comes from a law-court setting, and redemption, which comes from a financial setting.
But salvation involves much more than those words can convey. Scripture also uses several other terms. In this study we will examine some of the words that describe our relationship with God and Christ.
1. Before we had faith in Jesus Christ, we were alienated from God, cut off from him. Whether we thought of ourselves in this way or not, we were his enemies (Col. 1:21). But now, as a result of Jesus Christ, what are we? Verse 22. How has this peace been achieved? Verse 20.
Comment: Reconciliation is a relationship term. It is another word-picture for the gospel, since reconciliation means to make peace between those who used to be enemies. The gospel tells us that we, who were once enemies of God, are now his friends.
Actually, we are more than friends--we are loved as children and heirs--but the word reconciliation helps make the point that we used to be God's enemies, and have now been set right through Jesus Christ.
2. How was our reconciliation achieved? Rom. 5:8, 10-11. Does this reconciliation mean that our sins are not counted against us? 2 Cor. 5:18-19. Does our message, the good news we preach, include this concept? Verses 19-20. How is reconciliation possible? Verse 21; Eph. 2:16.
Comment: God made Jesus, who was sinless, to be sin on our behalf. As Paul explains elsewhere, he paid our penalty for us--he died for us. He was the perfect sin offering, and the result is that in him, "we might become the righteousness of God."
This is astonishing news: Sinners can become God's righteousness through Jesus Christ. Jesus' death on the cross makes it possible for our sins to be forgiven, for us to have peace with God, for us to be counted righteous with him, in right relationship with him.
3. What family metaphor does Paul use to describe our new relationship with God? Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5-6. What are the implications of this status? Rom. 8:17; Gal. 3:19; 4:7.
Comment: In Rom. 8:15, the Greek word for sonship, as seen in some translations, means adoption. The picture is that God has chosen us to be in his family, even though we had no right to be there. There are two thoughts here: 1) God has chosen us and 2) we will be given an inheritance from him.
In the ancient world, wealthy landowners who had no children of their own would adopt people (sometimes adults) to be their heirs. Paul is saying that God has chosen us as his children for the purpose of being his heirs, so that we will share with him in all the goodness of the universe.
When we are in Christ, when we identify ourselves with him, when our life is hidden in him, then we share in his rights as Son. We have all the legal rights of children, and we are heirs with Christ of all things (Heb. 2:6-11).
Normally, children do not inherit property until the parent dies. But this is not possible with God, so the analogy falls short at this point.
In salvation, the truth is the other way around: it is the children who must die before they can inherit the property! The old self must die, and the new person must be created in Christ. Through faith, we become united to Christ. We share in his death (Rom. 6:3-4) and will also share in his resurrection to eternal life (Rom. 6:5; Eph. 2:5-6; 2 Tim. 2:11).
The word adoption points us to the fact that we have a great inheritance. It also reminds us that God has chosen us, selected us, elected us for his purpose. We are set apart for holy use--the meaning of the word sanctified. We are holy ones--the meaning of the word saints.
Because of what Jesus Christ has done for us and is doing in us, our lives are completely different, described in new ways. As Paul says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:17). Now let us look at one more word-picture of how new our lives are in Christ.
4. Another biblical image of our relationship to God is not as adopted children, but as direct descendants, children born in the household of God. Did Jesus describe our need for a new birth? John 3:3-8. Has God now given us that new birth? 1 Pet. 1:3. What does God use to give us this new start in life? 1 Pet. 1:23; Jas. 1:18; Titus 3:5.
5. Do those who accept Christ become born of God? John 1:12-13; 1 John 5:1. Are we his children? 1 John 3:1-2. Does John stress the need for someone born of God to forsake sin, to live a new way of life? 1 John 2:29; 3:9-10; 4:7; 5:4, 18.
Comment: These verses use the Greek word gennao, which usually refers to the birth of a child. In a few verses, it has the more general meaning of "produce." Here are some verses where the word clearly means the birth of a baby: Matt. 2:1, 4; Luke 1:57; John 16:21; Rom. 9:11; Heb. 11:23.
In James 1:18, a different Greek word is used, apokueo, which comes from apo, which means "from," and kueo, which means "to be swollen" or "to be pregnant." Apokueo means to get something from a pregnancy. The meaning is to give birth, to bring forth. James 1:18 says that God "chose to give us birth through the word of truth." Through the gospel, God has given us a second birth, a spiritual birth.
Jesus, John, Peter and James are all using the same analogy: that Christians are born again, with a new start in life, with a family like relationship with God, in which we call God the affectionate term Abba.
Scripture describes Christians as already-born babies and children (1 Cor. 3:1-2; Heb. 5:12-14). Shortly after Peter tells us that we have been born again (1 Pet. 1:23), he tells us to desire milk as eagerly as a newborn baby does (1 Pet. 2:2).
We are to have a new source of life and a new way of life. The stress is on newness--our new nature as children of God. Our new life is energized by the Holy Spirit and guided by the Holy Bible.
We have examined several biblical words that describe our relationship with God. But physical things can only partially describe spiritual truths. The spiritual meaning of salvation is more profound than can be captured in legal terminology, financial ideas, or friendship or family terms.
All of the terms describe something true about the good news we have in Jesus Christ, but the complete truth is better than any of these terms can convey. Eternal life with a perfectly good God will be better than we can currently describe.
It is sometimes said that Christianity is not a religion--it is a relationship. Of course, in sociology, Christianity is correctly classified as a religion. When people say that Christianity is not a religion, they are making the point that our faith is not just a list of things we do for God, not just a series of rituals, not just a set of behaviors--it is an interactive, personal relationship with God.
God does want us to do certain things and to have certain behaviors, but the greatest commandment of all is to love God with all our being (Matt. 22:37-38). Our relationship with him is to be characterized by love. He has already shown us his love for us; we are to respond with love for him.
Our obedience and our behavior should be motivated by love. We are to seek God and desire him; we are to be eager to do his will. God does not want a reluctant obedience (motivated perhaps by fear), but a willing desire to be more and more like his Son. Eternal life with God will be a blessing only if we enjoy being with God.
Scripture describes an interactive relationship with a personal God. He has a personal concern for each of his children, tells them of his love, leads them in what he wants them to do.
In response to God, we love and speak to him in prayer, and want to please him. He responds to us, and we respond to him. It is a personal and interactive relationship for each of us.
The intimacy of this relationship is shown further by the fact that God lives within us (sometimes expressed as the Father living in us, sometimes as the Son living in us and sometimes as the Holy Spirit living in us). When we accept Christ as our Savior, God gives us his Spirit to live within us. Whether we put it in these words or not, we are inviting God into our lives, to establish a relationship that will last forever.
Eternal life involves knowing God and knowing Jesus Christ (John 17:3). To "know" a person means more than knowing about them--it is a relationship term. Faith is also a relationship term, since it involves not only belief but also trust. Our relationship with Christ is not just a servant-master relationship, but a friendship (John 15:15).
God is our Father, and Jesus Christ is our Brother. Christ's love for his people is compared to a husband's love for his wife (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:21-33). These analogies help us realize that God wants a close relationship with us--a companionship closer than the best marriage, closer than the best friendship, closer than the best parent-child relationship.
Everyone, Christian or not, has some sort of relationship with God. Some people are like slaves who have run away from the master, some are like children who have run away from home. Some try to act as if God did not exist; others openly resent him. The relationship is characterized by the word enemies.
The good news is that God does not want us to remain as enemies--he wants us to be his children, his friends, who love him dearly. He wants this so much that he sent his Son to die for us, so that we might be reconciled and given a new start in life, in which we have invited God into our lives to lead us and reshape what we are, so that we become more and more like him, better prepared to live with him in his kingdom with joy forever and ever. This is the good news of the kingdom of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the message of salvation.
Michael Morrison
AZUSA, California--Following are comments Russell Duke, director of the Ambassador Center at Azusa Pacific University (APU), received from WCG students. The Ambassador Center begins its second year in September.
As a participant in the first year of the center, I was thrilled to be a part of a new era in the history of the Ambassador tradition.
As a graduate of AU, I appreciated all that AU and our fellowship contributed to my higher education. Now that I am at Azusa I know I can receive an excellent education and still maintain a connection with the legacy of the WCG within the context of the larger Christian community.
The center provides a hub of friendship that is familiar--we all grew up in the WCG. I am glad Dr. Duke is here to provide advice from someone who knows where we come from--he grew up in the WCG as well.
All this provides a safe atmosphere that gives us the strength and skills to go out into other communities.
We can learn from the Azusa community, and from our interaction with WCG congregations, how to be real Christians interacting with the real world.
With the diversity of majors and people here, I have been able to broaden my perceptions of the world and mature in many areas.
I hope more young people can come and experience the campus life,
quality education and real-world training that APU provides.
This is all bolstered by the spiritual commitment emphasized by the school motto: "God first." That is what is most comforting to me.
Ben Martinez, graduate student
Major: Master of Arts in Religion
I am excited about how great my past year at APU has been.
After the closing of Ambassador, I wanted to find another Christian university to continue my education. APU exceeded my expectations. It was easy to see Christ on this campus. The people here have a joy in their faith and the desire to express it in all aspects of their lives.
Prayer is an integral part of school life. Before the start of class, we pray. This gives a connection between the students and teachers. Not only do we relate to each other as students to teachers, but we also relate to each other as fellow Christians.
We also have chapel every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This past year some chapels have changed my life.
One of my greatest blessings was the chance to sing in the Bel Canto Ladies Choir. At the end of the school year, we had a two-week tour that took us to Northern California and Oregon.
Singing Christian songs and being able to share this message with congregations of different denominations was to me a remarkable testament of the incredible body of Christ.
The Ambassador Center gives me a connection to Ambassador University. The Ambassador Center helps to maintain the heritage we have within the larger body of Christ.
After the closing of Ambassador, it was a great comfort to know that
its message of hope lives on in 
the Ambassador Center.
I would encourage all students in the WCG to look into APU as an option for continuing their education. It has a great Christian environment with challenging academics. It would also provide the chance to become involved with the Ambassador Center and all the exciting things in store for its participants.
Rhonda West, Senior
Major: English
Without the Ambassador Center I would not be able to go to a
Christian university. Only by the help of God, through his people, was I able to study at
this fine institution.
I come from a poor home, and it has been my dream to attend a Christian university. May God bless all of you who have prayed for and supported this work. Thank you for showing God's love and grace.
Amy Carlson, Senior
Major: Music Education
My experience at APU last year was a great growing experience.
I was able to straighten my faith and better understand the love
Jesus Christ has for us.
The people at APU are great, and everyone is friendly just as they were at Ambassador. It is easy to get involved in many activities where you can go with your friend, meet new friends and have a great time.
The number to call for information on APU is 1-800-TALK-APU.
Domenick Picinic, Junior
Major: Graphic Design
For information on how to apply to Azusa, write to Russell Duke, Ambassador Center, Azusa Pacific University, Box 7000, Azusa, California, 91702; call 1-626-815-3874, or visit the APU website at http://www.apu.edu
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania--Harrisburg members celebrated the 35th anniversary of their congregation June 13 and 14 at the Marriott Hotel.
Pastor General Joseph Tkach spoke at the worship service June 13. This was the first time a WCG pastor general preached in Harrisburg.
Before the service, Mr. Tkach met with many of the brethren, including John Kreidich, who had been a boyhood friend when the Tkaches lived in Chicago, and his parents.
Mark Hardway led an inspiring praise and worship service that included a performance by the children's, teen and Gospel choirs singing, "Aleluha, Praise Jehovah."
Former pastor Jim Rosenthal spoke on the history of the Harrisburg congregation, and Tom Pickett, the current pastor, spoke on the congregation's future.
Mr. Tkach then gave his sermon titled "Love in Any Language" from 1 Corinthians 13.
The 309 in attendance included members from the following areas: Lancaster, Reading, Lewisburg, Wilkes-Barre, Bethlehem and Huntington, Pennsylvania; and Baltimore, Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland.
During the worship service, Peter and Charlotte Whitting, who pastor the Frederick and Cumberland, Maryland, and Strasburg, Virginia, congregations, received their 25 year watches and a plaque for their service in the WCG.
That evening a dinner and dance took place at the Marriott. Charles Bardell, a deacon, reminisced about the early years of the congregation and introduced several original members, including his 90-year-old mother, Sara Cathryn.
Sunday at noon, the celebration continued with a fried chicken buffet lunch at the Lower Allen Township Community Park.
 LONGTIME SERVANTS--Pastor General Joseph Tkach presents 25-year plaque and watches to Peter and Charlotte Whitting, who pastor the Frederick and Cumberland, Maryland, and Strasburg, Virginia, congregations. [Photo by Sue Leschke] |
 Tom Pickett |
 Joseph Tkach |
By Jon Kurnik
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania--The Pittsburgh church became the 23rd WCG congregation in the United States June 7, 1958.
June 6, 1998, 181 members met to celebrate our 40th anniversary at the First United Methodist Church building that we now share for weekly services.
Bernie Schnippert, WCG treasurer, gave the first message, reminiscing about growing up in the Pittsburgh congregation, and sharing with us some financial news.
Dave Orban, now pastor in Longview, Texas, gave the second message, sharing his memories of being pastor here from 1984 to 1991. His main message was titled, "Ministers of Reconciliation."
The service was followed by a meal served in the social room downstairs.
After the meal, we played audio and video tapes and read letters from past members and ministers here including Larry Omasta, Brian Hoyt, Roger Ludwig, Vince Szymkowiak, James and Margie Friddle, and Don and Sue Lawson.
John Kurnik pastors the Pittsburgh and Indiana, Pennsylvania, churches.
SHERWOOD, Arkansas--The Sherwood congregation began a daily evangelistic radio broadcast June 15.
"It seemed like doors opened to us, and the Holy Spirit kept pushing us, so we obediently went ahead." said pastor Gene Griffin.
The program, called Reaching for the Prize, airs Monday through Friday from 10:15 to 10:30 a.m. on KAAY, 1090 AM. KAAY is the most powerful Christian radio station in Arkansas, with 50,000 watts, and covers all of Arkansas and parts of six surrounding states.
Mr. Griffin records the five sessions at home with a musical introduction and ending. Then Larry Ashford, a newly baptized member who got the radio broadcast started, takes the tapes to the radio station.
"Please pray for the messages we will be giving over the air, and that God will use this to add to his harvest," Mr. Griffin said.
The congregation advertises its Sunday worship service after each broadcast.
OSLO, Norway--Livets Kilde, which means fountain or source of life, is the new title of the Norwegian magazine. This edition has been published since 1984 under the title of Den Enkle Sannhet, which literally translated means The Simple Truth.
During the last few years, however, we have come to understand that the truth is not always simple and that the title implies that we have the answers to all questions.
We feel the new title expresses the truth the magazine is endeavoring to express--that God is the life-giver and source of every blessing. God wants us to be happy, to have peace and love; he wants to give us eternal life.
He also teaches us how we should live. Life, truth, abundance, salvation, love and peace--these are some of the major concepts expressed through the new title.
Being a Worldwide Church of God publication, the magazine will continue to represent the views of the church.
The 20-page Norwegian magazine has a color cover and middle pages, while the rest is in black and white, to keep down production costs.
The magazine is a labor of love. The writing and translating, proof-reading and graphic design are done on a voluntary basis. Only one person is employed part-time to produce the layout and coordinate the translation and production of the magazine.
Readers cover 20 percent of production costs, while the church in Scandinavia covers the rest.
Our goal is to produce a magazine that is so helpful that readers will be willing to cover 80 percent of printing and postage costs, while the church covers 20 percent for those who cannot afford to donate.
The Norwegian edition has a print run of about 3,000 and is published six times a year with copies going to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Greenland.
If anyone in the United States or elsewhere would like to subscribe, or would like more details, please contact the Scandinavian Department, Worldwide Church of God, Box 111, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, WD6 1LU. e-mail: livets_kilde@wcg.org Carl Fredrik Aas.
MURFREESBORO, Tennessee--Sixteen Murfreesboro members completed a small group training seminar in May developed by Carl George.
The goal is to equip members to both nurture one another and facilitate evangelism through small group ministry. Participants completed two segments each week, which enabled them to complete the nine-week program in five weeks.
SPRINGDALE, Arkansas--On May 22 the Fayetteville, Arkansas, church, teamed up with Immanuel Church and Vineyard Christian Fellowship in presenting Bring Back The Glory--a concert featuring the Life Action Singers.
The program consisted of a multi-media presentation with a fervent plea for spiritual revival among God's people.
Immanuel Church, pastored by Michael Halliday, was the sponsor and host of this event.
Prayer support was organized by Vineyard Christian Fellowship pastored by Duke Lancaster.
The Fayetteville WCG congregation produced promotional support, which included press releases, direct mail and radio and television announcements.
These three churches, in the spirit of revival, have engaged in a united effort to reach the community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. All three churches meet in the Immanuel Church building, which they hope will eventually be renamed The Christian Celebration Center. The names of the separate churches will be featured on a lighted marquee.
Bring Back the Glory is a lively musical and dramatic presentation that vividly portrays the biblical basis of spiritual revival. It extends a dramatic call to each viewer to become a catalyst for revival in their homes, churches and communities. The program ended with each person praying for a renewal in their hearts, churches and community.
Pastor Terry Warren said: "My wife, Madeline, and I hosted two of the singers overnight. This gave us the chance to share the story of the WCG's doctrinal reformation. Other members had similar opportunities.
"I'm always moved by the positive impact our story has on other people," Mr. Warren continued. "The lessons our church has learned are of value to people everywhere--Christians and the unsaved.
"We met one woman at the revival who left the WCG more than 20 years ago. She has since been unattached to any organized church body. The next day, Saturday, she attended our WCG service and remarked what a wonderful and uplifting contrast it was to what she remembered in the past. I believe God is initiating a spiritual healing in her life as a result of this experience."
Of the audience, about 150 people were nonattendees of the three host churches. Among the attendees were Orin Paris, director of the area Youth With a Mission (YWAM) outreach and father of Twila Paris, the contemporary gospel singer.
PASADENA--A new Sunday worship service started in Pasadena July 5. The congregation is pastored by Eric and Pat Shaw.
This brings to six the number of congregations meeting in Pasadena. Traditional, contemporary, Spanish and teen churches meet on Saturday. In addition to the new Sunday congregation, New Life Fellowship, made up mostly of Filipinos, meets twice a month on Sundays.
Edward Faulk conducts National Day of Prayer serviceOBERLIN, Ohio--Edward D. Faulk, pastor of the Lorain, Ohio, congregation, conducted a National Day of Prayer service May 7 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Oberlin.
Six other ministers participated. Charles Mayle, Christian Missionary Alliance, gave the opening prayer.
He was followed by Santo Davila, Crossroads Christian Center (prayer for the nation); Al Sprague, First United Methodist Church (prayer for the state); Kevin Colema