NEWS OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF GOD, AN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION • P.O.Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027 (513) 576-9796 Vol. 18, No. 8
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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2012
Pray, “Thy Kingdom Come,” Change the World! ■ The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the coming Kingdom. Jesus also gave a preview of the Kingdom to three of his disciples. We can use the Feast like they used the memory of the transfiguration as a tool to overcome in our lives. by John Ross Schroeder, Milan Bizic and
Jesus told us to pray, “Thy kingdom come” (King James Version). This is the most important thing you can pray for because it’s asking God the Father to make His Kingdom a reality. And for three of our brethren, Christ gave a special vision of that Kingdom, which helped them through their entire lives. Every one of Christ’s disciples has expected the Kingdom to come in their lifetimes. Take Paul for instance. He only realized the Kingdom wouldn’t come during his lifetime only a few years before his death. If you had lived in Europe when a third of the population died of the black death, you could have been forgiven for thinking that Christ were about to come back right then. It’s both right and necessary to hold on to this hope; after all, it’s what we’re asking for when we pray, “Thy kingdom come!”
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Mitchell Moss
of his other friends die gruesome deaths. He then watched as many brethren were taken in by false doctrines, falling away from the truth. At the end of his life, he lived imprisoned on an island, isolated from his brethren. Jesus knew they would need special encouragement to endure these trials to the end of their lives. So He showed them a brilliant vision of the Kingdom He will bring when He returns. Whenever they hit on hard times, they could think back to that vivid scene to carry them forward.
Previews of Coming Attractions The transfiguration of Jesus was like a movie preview. Peter, James and John Describing the Transfiguration Mark’s account describes the image for were given the awesome privilege of seeing a “sneak-peek” of the Kingdom when us: “His clothes became shining, exceedJesus took them up the mountain and ingly white, like snow, such as no launtransfigured Himself before their eyes derer on earth can whiten them” (Mark (Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28). 9:3). Maybe you remember the old deterThey got to witness the glorious spiritual gent ads on TV that promised our clothes existence we’ve all been offered to be a would be “whiter than white” if we use their product. The transfiguration really part of. These three were privileged to see this was whiter than white—purer than the vision, but they didn’t know how seri- driven snow, “as white as the light,” as ously trying their lives would become. Matthew’s parallel account adds (MatJames, the brother of John, would be thew 17:2). Matthew adds another important detail: martyred early (Acts 12:2), and Peter would follow in his steps about 30 years “His face shone like the sun” (MatUNITED STATISTICS later. John lived to see them and many thew 17:2, emphasis added throughout). INSIDE UNITED NEWS News From Around the World…………………2 Forward! Separating Salvation from People …………………………………… 3 Profile: Connie Sipes……………………… 3 United Church of God, an International Association
When John later had the incredible Revelation of Christ, He described His facial appearance as “like the sun shining in its strength” (Revelation 1:16). Other biblical passages tell us that this is the ultimate potential of every Christian. The prophet Daniel said that “those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament. And those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3; compare 1 Corinthians 15:41-43). Jesus said: “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:43). Look at what the three disciples saw next: “And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus” (Mark 9:4). The significance of Moses and Elijah being there is that it showed James, Peter and John that God’s faithful people will share in His glory—and what they will look like in the Kingdom of God. Both Moses and Elijah appeared “in glory” just like Jesus did. Those two great prophets—and all the righteous saints who endure to the end—have a future of eternity. Please see page 5
From the Council: More for Less………………4 International News……………………………5 Camp Reports Hye Sierra, Latvia, Northwest……………… 6 Jamaica, British Isles…………………… 11 Camp & Challenger West Photos……………7-9
AT A GLANCE ABC 2013 Welcome Picnic and Orientation Great Successes The 14th year of Ambassador Bible Center is off to a wonderful beginning. It all kicked off with a picnic on Sunday, Aug. 19. Games and get-to-know each other activities were planned and supervised by the the alumni, concluding with a country dance and sing-along. The delicious meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, corn on the cob, biscuits and iced tea and a dessert of sarsaparilla floats added to the theme of “Pioneering for Success.” Randy and Linda Stiver and the alumni are to be thanked for their successful efforts with this project.
AT A GLANCE
Please see page 13
Preteen Camp Ironwood Report…………… Announcements………………………… Challenger West Report…………………… Local Church Updates…………………… The News in Photos: ABC Class of 2013……
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news from
AROUND THE WORLD Spring 2012 Round of KOG Seminars Draws Dozens of Visitors in Bolivia by Mario Seiglie
news from
Raúl Machicao, our elder in La Paz, Bolivia, finished the second Kingdom of God seminar in La Paz on May 19. They had 38 new people attending the seminar, which was given at the Plaza Hotel in La Paz. They had a total of 54 people, and at the end of the presentation, the new people applauded. They had an active Q&A session afterwards. Many requested more literature, and some subscribed to The Good News in Spanish for the first time. The members commented that this second seminar, with the PowerPoint presentation translated into Spanish, was more effective than the first. The seminar was sent over the Internet where a number of subscribers and members were able to view it. This has been very encouraging for the Bolivian brethren. To the right are some photos of Raul Machicao giving the seminar and of the attendees. UN
Raúl Machicao
AROUND THE WORLD
Raúl Machicao on stage presenting to the audience of visitors and brethren at the Kingdom of God seminar in Bolivia in May. Many members and subscribers also watched via an online webcast.
Nearly 40 visitors came to the seminar, which resulted in a standing ovation at the conclusion, as well as many new Good News subscriptions and literature requests.
Encouraging Report from Zambia by Victor Kubik
of God. They built their own church building. From the United States we have just helped provide benches with backs for them. Now they are joined back with us. Aaron Dean and Larry Darden will be visiting speakers at the Feast of Tabernacles there this coming year. Out west from the capital city, Lusaka, we were able to finally sink a much needed borehole, which is now on the property of one of our deacons, Maxwell and his wife Joyce Kasakabantu. They live in an area where it was hard to find water. The water table is low and the ground hard and it is very difficult to get drilling machinery into that part of Zambia’s interior. Previous attempts have been unsuccessful. While we wanted to attempt to drill a borehole, the cost was high and results uncertain. Our women spent consider-
able hours each day carrying five gallon buckets of water on their heads for their families. But success came Sunday evening, July 22. Wilson wrote that the drilling rig arrived in Nalubanda North, where Maxwell lives. Maxwell was lying sick with malaria, but recovered because of the excitement when the community came to watch the drilling on Sunday afternoon. They watched a drilling miracle unfold before their very eyes. A crowd of about 100 people came to witness what they had ridiculed before. They now witnessed what had been promised in April 2012 taking place. Maxwell and Joyce were all smiles and the whole community rejoiced with them, as it was a miracle for all of them to benefit from. It took the drilling firm two hours to
strike water, install the casings and the hand pump. They were done by 6:00 p.m., including the concreting. Everything took about five days to do. We avoided the Sabbath in between. Wilson said that this was “evangelism in action!” The financing for this project was done through LifeNets, which received a grant from a previously unknown Sabbathkeeping church in the state of Washington. They sent $7,000 to express appreciation for the work LifeNets has done in Ukraine and to request that a borehole be sunk in Africa. They also asked for a sign to be on the well with scriptural references to water and its spiritual implications from Isaiah 55:1 and John 4:13-14. Wilson’s e-mail included many other encouraging details, including baptisms and other good news. UN
Wilson Nkhoma
A few weeks ago, I received a few very encouraging e-mails from Wilson Nkhoma, one of our two pastors in Zambia. Wilson was able to come to the General Conference of Elders meeting in Cincinnati this past May. Geographically, Zambia is about the size of Texas and located in South Central Africa. According to the United Nations, it is the fourth poorest country in the world. We are happy to say that we now have more than 400 people meeting in nine congregations throughout the country. Wilson Nkhoma just visited the previously neglected northeast provinces about 600 miles northeast of where he lives and baptized 15 people. For several years people from these areas just met on their own under the name United Church
Wilson Nkhoma at the GCE in May 2012.
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Brethren at services in Zambia. UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
United Church of God, an International Association
Profile: Connie Sipes It’s a fact that there’s always an extraordinary person to meet and learn a few lessons from. Connie Sipes is one of those people. Mrs. Sipes currently works as the food services manager at the home office in Cincinnati, Ohio, preparing food every day for employees and Ambassador Bible Center students. Throughout her life she has come to learn a few very important lessons. “Enjoy this physical life; it can be short, but keep your focus on the goal of eternal life. Life is made up of relationships—people in your life should matter over things and to-do lists,” she said. Mrs. Sipes was born on Apr. 6, 1968, to Carl and Esther Avara in Smithers, British Columbia, Canada. Her parents moved to Canada after losing their 3-year-old daughter Shirley to encephalitis (swelling of the brain). Mrs. Sipes’ parents were given literature from the Church about what happens after death. After studying it, her mom became convicted and began the correspondence course immediately. She was baptized right before Mrs. Sipes was born. When she was 3 years old the Avara family moved back to the United States. Just like many teens, she was also hooked on camp. Her first camp was in Orr, Minnesota, and she worked at the Big Sandy camp for several summers after that. She was determined to go to Ambassador College, but she was put on a waiting list. The summer after her senior year of high school she went to camp at Big Sandy like normal, but packed her things as if she was leaving for college. She met with some of the faculty of the college, and by the end of the summer she was accepted to stay and attend college that year. During Connie’s first year of college, she
NEWS OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF GOD, AN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION • P.O.Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027 (513) 576-9796
worked in the food service department and met a young man named Jim Turnblad. They were married on May 28, 1988. A couple years later, Mr. Turnblad returned to school to finish the fouryear program. During his senior year in 1993 he was diagnosed with kidney failure and had to be on dialysis. Mrs. Sipes continued to work at Ambassador College as a secretary. In 1995 when the atmosphere at the college was changing and Jim’s health worsened, they moved to Minnesota to be close to his family. Mr. Turnblad’s brother gave him the best gift ever: a new kidney. Life was good in Minnesota, and Connie and Jim were planning on adopting their first child. But in December of 2001 Jim was diagnosed with Lymphoma, a complication from the transplant. He died Feb. 25, 2002. Connie made one of the hardest decisions she ever had to make and stopped the process of adopting the child they had planned to adopt. Connie’s coworkers and Church family stepped up and took care of her. In 2003, her pastor and his wife, Steve and Kathe Myers, introduced her to a farmer from Michigan named Mark Vreeland. They were married in Rochester, Minnesota, on Jan. 15, 2005. Mr. Vreeland had two children, Andy and Rachel, who were teenagers at the time. Mrs. Sipes greatly treasures the relationships she has with each of them. In the spring of 2007, Mr. Vreeland was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer.
September-October 2012
At times the cancer would recede and he could continue working, but his employees would pick up the slack when he couldn’t work. In the fall of 2008 the cancer spread to his spine and put so much pressure on it that he couldn’t walk. Doctors did emergency surgery to relieve some pressure, but after a long, valiant struggle, Mr. Vreeland lost that physical battle in October of 2008. In 2010, when Mrs. Sipes was trying to figure out what to do with her life, she planned to attend ABC. A local elder introduced her to a rancher from Amarillo, Texas, named Tim Sipes. They were married on Mar. 20, 2010, and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to attend ABC together. They attended the first semester and were then both hired into full-time positions by the Church. She was hired as the cook for the ABC program, and he was hired as the building manager. Mrs. Sipes says she enjoys this new venture, especially so because of the relationships she has been blessed with. UN
FORWARD! Separating Salvation From People AARON DEAN FORWARD! Financial Services
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Operation Manager
What makes some seemingly dedicated people leave the Church? I have been asked this question before by members who have seen many brethren and even ministers fail. Having spent much of my life at the heart of the work, some have asked me, “Why are you still here?” I think it comes down to something my dad said when I graduated college and was asked to work on the Church’s Gulf stream jet: “Be sure and separate salvation from people.” What he knew was that I would witness some things that would build my faith; but I would also see and hear things that could discourage and tear down my faith. Indeed no Christian’s life is without its pitfalls, but we expect them to be attacks from the outside. While ready to face the world, often we are not prepared for problems from the inside. People who meet United Church of God, an International Association
with us each Sabbath at church—brothers and sisters whom we trust and love— sometimes might not show godly character in word or deed. And we can tend to expect more Christlike behavior the higher the position a person is in. But when an offense happens involving someone in a visible position, what do we do? Many take sides, deny the action happened or make excuses, blaming others as the cause. They might reason that someone in that position certainly couldn’t have done whatever the offense was. Emotional reactions like these may leave one at peace with themselves, but if they find out later that a knowingly wrongful act was committed or they were lied to, it’s very easy to become disillusioned. They might leave the faith or go searching for a more perfect church—usually to find that the next one is no better than the last. Every good biblical character sinned, except Jesus Christ. He never sinned and kept all the commandments. But even He was accused for drinking wine, talking to sinners and disregarding men’s rules of Sabbath observance; and some people became offended by these accusations. To let someone else’s perceived mistake—or
actual mistake—put us in a wrong attitude is to let someone else “take our crown” (Revelation 3:11). We must work to control our own thoughts and actions. Seek truth and prove all things before reacting emotionally. “Work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Our salvation rests on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone. If we pray for wisdom and react spiritually, we will make progress toward separating our salvation from other people’s mistakes. And in the process, put Christ—our hope of glory—in us (Colossians 1:27). UN
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
Vol. 18, No. 8
United News (ISSN 1088-8020) is published monthly except April and October by the United Church of God, an International Association, 555 Technecenter Dr., Milford, OH 45150. © 2012 United Church of God, an International Association. Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals Postage paid at Milford, Ohio 45150, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post publications mail agreement number 1487167. UCGIA Council of Elders: Carmelo Anastasi, Gary Antion, Scott Ashley, Robert Berendt, Bill Bradford, John Elliott, Mark Mickelson, Darris McNeely, Melvin Rhodes, Mario Seiglie, Donald Ward, Robin Webber President: Dennis Luker Media and Communications Services manager: Peter Eddington Managing Editor: Mitchell Moss Copy Editor: Milan Bizic Intern: Amanda Boyer Doctrinal reviewers: Arthur Suckling, Chuck Zimmerman, Gerald Seelig Scriptural references are from the New King James Version (© 1988 Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers) unless otherwise noted. Subscriptions: United News is sent automatically to members of the United Church of God and is free to all who request it. Your subscription is provided by the generous, voluntary contributions of members of the United Church of God, an International Association, and their coworkers. Donations are gratefully accepted and are tax-deductible. To request a subscription, write to United News, United Church of God, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027, or to one of the international addresses below.
Mission Statement: The mission of the Church of God is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God in all the world, make disciples in all nations and care for those disciples. Address changes: POSTMASTER—Send address changes to United News, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027 International addresses: AFRICA & ASIA (except as listed below): United Church of God, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027, U.S.A. E-mail: info@ucg.org AUSTRALIA: United Church of God–Australia, GPO Box 535, Brisbane, Qld. 4001, Australia. Phone: 0755 202-111 Fax: 0755 202-122 BENELUX countries (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg): P.O. Box 93, 2800 AB Gouda, The Netherlands. BRITISH ISLES: United Church of God–British Isles, P.O. Box 705, Watford, Herts. WD19 6FZ England. Phone: 020 8386 8467 Fax: 020 8386 1999 CANADA: United Church of God–Canada, P.O. Box 144, Station D, Etobicoke, ON M9A 4X1, Canada. Phone: (905) 614-1234, (800) 338-7779 Fax: (905) 614-1749 E-mail: info@ucg.ca CAMEROON: United Church of God Cameroon, BP 10322 Béssengue, Douala Cameroon. OTHER FRENCH-SPEAKING AREAS: Église de Dieu Unie–France, 127 rue Amelot, 75011 Paris, France. CARIBBEAN: United Church of God, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027, U.S.A. E-mail: info@ucg.org EAST AFRICA (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda): United Church of God– East Africa, P.O. Box 75261, Nairobi 00200 Kenya. E-mail: kenya@ ucg.org GERMANY: Vereinte Kirche Gottes, Postfach 30 15 09, D-53195 Bonn, Germany. Phone: 0228-9454636 Fax: 02289454637 E-mail: info@gutenachrichten.org ITALY: La Buona Notizia, Chiesa di Dio Unita, Casella Postale 187, 24121 Bergamo Centro, Italy. Phone/Fax: (+39) 035 4523573. E-mail: info@labuonanotizia.org MALAWI: P.O. Box 32257, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi. Phone: +265 01 660 851. E-mail: malawi@ucg.org NEW ZEALAND: United Church of God, P.O. Box 22, Shortland St., Auckland 1140, New Zealand. Phone: 0508-463-763 NIGERIA: United Church of God, P.O. Box 2265, Somolu, Lagos, Nigeria. Phone: 803-323-3193. E-mail: nigeria@ucg.org PHILIPPINES: United Church of God, P.O. Box 81840, DCCPO, 8000 Davao City, Philippines. Phone: (+63) 82 224-4444 Cell/Text: (+63) 918-904-4444 SCANDINAVIA: Guds Enade Kyrka, P.O. Box 3535. 111 74, Stockholm, Sweden. E-mail: sverige@ucg.org. SINGAPORE: United Church of God, P.O. Box 535, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia. SOUTH AFRICA (and Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland only): United Church of God, Southern Africa, P.O. Box 36290, Menlo Park, 0102, Pretoria, South Africa. Phone: (+27) 12 751 4204 Fax: (+27) (0)86 572 7437. E-Mail: RSA@ucg.org SPANISH-SPEAKING AREAS: Iglesia de Dios Unida, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027, U.S.A. Phone: (513) 576-9796 TONGA: United Church of God–Tonga, P.O. Box 518, Nuku’alofa, Tonga. ALL OTHER SOUTH PACIFIC REGIONS NOT LISTED: United Church of God–Australia, GPO Box 535, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia ZAMBIA: United Church of God, P.O. Box 23076, Kitwe, Zambia. Phone: (02) 226076. E-mail: zambia@ucg.org ZIMBABWE: United Church of God, Zimbabwe, P.O. Box 928, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe. Phone: 011716273. E-mail: zimbabwe@ucg.org Internet access on your computer: The United Church of God, an International Association, has a home page on the Internet’s World Wide Web. The address www. ucg.org gives you access to general information and news about the Church, issues of The Good News and United News, as well as our booklets. The address www.ucg.ca accesses the Church’s Canadian website, www.ucg.org.au the Australian website, www.labuonanotizia.org the Italian website, www. goodnews.org.uk the British Isles website, www.ucg.org.ph the Philippines website, www.ucgeastafrica.org the Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda site and http://south-africa.ucg.org the Southern Africa website.
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From The COUNCIL More For Less ■ From teleconferences to audio CDs, the church is making every effort to get more out of the money given by God.
From The COUNCIL
by Melvin Rhodes
The Council of Elders regular quarterly meeting in August was a milestone. For the very first time our four days of meetings were held by videoconferencing. We had tried this earlier as a one-off experiment, but this time it was all week, with very few hitches. Our constitution and by-laws state: “Regular meetings of the Council may be held subject to appropriate call and notice at such time and place as the chairman shall fix. Regular meetings shall be held once every three (3) months during the calendar year.” Our intention is to meet via videoconferencing twice a year—every February and August. Our May and December meetings will still be at the home office. This will mean considerable savings for the Church. Meeting this way is more challenging due to time differences. We all agreed to meet at 4 p.m. Eastern Time each day, as this works for most with minimal difficulty. The home office staff involved stays after 5:00 p.m. (we finish by 8:00 p.m.). Bill Bradford in Brisbane, Australia, has to rise early as our meeting begins at 6:00 a.m. in his time zone. Meanwhile, Carmelo Anastasi in Italy has to stay up late as the meetings begin at 10:00 p.m. Central European Time. But the savings are well worth the effort.
Dealing with Economic Realities As the Great Recession continues, the catchphrase is heard more and more often: Do more for less. That’s our slogan as we constantly look at ways to be more cost-efficient. As the economy worsens and prophesied-end time events get closer, we aim to increase our efforts at preaching the gospel. At the same time, we have to constantly be seeking more ways to economize. Both the Council, which sets the budget, and members of the administration are working on ways to cut costs—to do more for less. We are cutting out all unnecessary trips. Some of our staff have used their own frequent flier miles for business travel just to cut expenses. At the same time, international travel has been cut dramatically. Some areas are being served with the help of non-salaried elders who can visit at their own expense or go to places 4
As the economy worsens and prophesiedend time events get closer, we aim to increase our efforts at preaching the gospel. Both the Council and members of the administration are working on ways to do more for less. on business. Full-time ministers are paying for their wives when they go along.
Media and Communications Services Saving Money Media and Communications Services continue to increase efficiency with the limited resources they are given to work with. Perhaps the biggest area that allows this is Internet technology. We are able to broadcast the message of the Kingdom of God to every person on the planet who has access to an Internet connection or a smart phone. This allows us to potentially reach billions of people at a tiny, tiny fraction of the cost of print and other electronic media. The overarch-
ing challenge with the Internet though, is bringing the gospel message to the fore—having it rise above the clutter of so much information on the Internet. In more practical areas, the media department has two envelope inserters that save hundreds of man-hours every month in fulfilling our tens of thousands of monthly literature requests. Since 1999, various fulfillment houses around the world have handled 34.5 million pieces of mail for us, but at the home office our dedicated media staff have sent out 4.9 million pieces that are unique requests that require special handling. Our insert machines bring great efficiency to this part of the job. One great area of savings in duplica-
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
tion, postage and labor, is that of our sermon CDs and DVDs. Since switching from the old audiotapes and videotapes, our production costs are about one eighth of what they used to be. This is because eight sermons can be put on one MP3 CD and four sermons on one DVD. This shows how new technology can be used to the Church’s advantage. Plus, now we can make these important sermon messages available for listening and downloading off our website for almost zero distribution cost to our viewers and listeners. Of particular interest to me when I visit the home office, is our state-of-the-art video editing software that allows one person to do what it took 20 people to do not much more than a decade ago—to produce a professional, half-hour television program with engaging content and graphics that can be broadcast around the world.
God Will Meet Our Needs We are all working at being better stewards of the resources that God gives us. With little prospect of the economy improving in the short-term, we are going to have to keep on economizing—learning to do more with less. At a time like this, when many in our society are borrowing or using credit cards on the assumption that things are going to improve, we feel this would be grossly irresponsible on our part. There is no guarantee the economy is going to improve, and many economists and economic journals show it’s only going to get worse. Proverbs 22:3 reminds us to look ahead: “The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble” (Basic English Translation). We cannot ignore the increasing signs of a spreading global slump, which will affect the United States, as well as every other nation. We must “take cover”—do whatever is necessary to protect the best interests of the church organization in order to continue to fulfill our two-fold mission of preaching the gospel and preparing a people. We have every confidence that, if we do our part, God will provide our needs in preaching the gospel to the world. While we have to economize when it comes to how we spend money, we do not want to economize in preaching the gospel. It’s our intention to go through the doors that God opens for us. As the apostle Paul wrote, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). UN United Church of God, an International Association
Pray, “Thy Kingdom Come,” Change the World! Continued from page 1
were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son...’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed” (2 Peter 1:16-19). We weren’t there to share in the experience with our three brothers in the faith. But their vivid memory of the vision and God’s inspiration led them to write about it for our benefit. We truly have a great cloud of witnesses in our Church family history, each child of God leaving a legacy of experience that we can learn from.
Just like Peter, James and John we need to keep the vision of the Kingdom close to our hearts.
21:1-3). When we’re sad, depressed or frustrated, thinking about the eternal, magnificent Kingdom of God can help boost our perspective to see things more like God sees them.
A Voice From Heaven Mark continues his story: “And a cloud came and overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying ‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!’” (Mark 9:7). Peter never forgot this incredible experience: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we [Peter, James and John] made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
weekly Sabbath.
program and for Kingdom of God Bible Seminars.
cific expertise or interests also remains to be addressed.
Regarding print advertising: Opportunities do exist, both nationally and locally. It is unlikely that we will be able to afford print advertising at present.
Finally David Fenney commented that in all that we do on behalf of the United Church of God-British Isles, we must never overlook that we are representing the Kingdom of God. That Kingdom is what we preach, teach and live; it is our hope, our motivation and our inspiration. The Kingdom of God will remain our highest aspiration.
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mal experience as human beings. Go read the first three chapters of Ezekiel. Now think about facing the glory of Almighty God in its full splendor. It’s terrifying to even consider, but so inspiring to think that we have that power living in us in the form of God’s Holy Spirit. Even though Peter didn’t realize what he was saying (Luke 9:33), perhaps in the back of his mind was the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast is a preview of the Kingdom, just like the vision he and James and John saw. The transfiguration was a vision that helped them endure enormous trials. Likewise, the Feast can help us look forward to God living with mankind (Revelation 5:10; 20:4-6;
Partakers of the Divine Nature Just like Peter, James and John we need to keep the vision of the Kingdom close to our hearts. When they fell on hard, painful times, they could think back to the vision Jesus gave them. They were strengthened by that promise and the clear picture they had of that awesome future. When we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, think about and soak in the meaning of every day. Make new friends and strengthen old relationships with all the brethren—the saints who we’ll live with forever. Carry that feeling through the year. No matter what happens, we can think about the “times of refreshing” that God will bring to the earth when Jesus returns (Acts 3:19). Remember the power and splendor of God in His glory. Think about being partakers of that divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Look forward to the time when we can live in peace with our God and with our brethren, like Peter, James, John, Moses and Elijah. UN
The Significance of the Tabernacles Pick up the story again in Mark’s account: “Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah’—because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid” (Mark 9:5). “Greatly afraid” may be an understatement. Every person in the Bible who ever came into contact with the spirit realm reacted the same way. After Ezekiel saw God’s awesome and powerful, magnificent throne in a vision, he was stunned for a week (Ezekiel 3:14-15). It’s a dimension completely alien to our nor-
INTERNATIONAL
Several small-scale trials of linking congregations using Skype have proven successful and will continue.
UCG British Isles 20122013 Business Plan At the 2012 Annual General Meeting held on Aug. 19, chief executive officer David Fenney began his presentation of the business plan for the year ending June 30, 2013, with an observation: Good News circulation in the British Isles is at its highest-ever level—as is its associated postage cost—and Church attendances are holding up and growing in places, presenting increasing challenges for how to use the financial resources God’s blessed them with. Here are notable excerpts from his report.
INTERNATIONAL
Church/Local Congregations/ Work of the Ministry
Seven out of 11 of our congregations meet each weekly Sabbath. As a longer-term goal, we would like to have all of our congregations meeting each United Church of God, an International Association
The United Church of God presently has six elders supporting the Church throughout the British Isles. The ministry continues to place a high priority on progressively identifying, developing, training and encouraging additional leaders within our congregations.
Proclamation
Regarding Google advertising for The Good News, specific booklets and the Bible Study Course, we will need to consider how and when to resume advertising to maintain and grow our circulation lists. Our constraints are likely to be financial. The UCG.org.uk website requires ongoing updating so that it continues to appropriately represent the United Church of God in the British Isles and more efficiently supports our members, both here and overseas. Advertising within our own mailing lists: The subscriber mailing address carriers for the GN, UN, VT and the BSC will continue to carry no-cost ads for related topics, for the Beyond Today TV
For the next round of Kingdom of God Bible Seminars in October and November 2012, we will be holding seminars again in London, Dublin, Douglas, Stirling and will be adding Sheffield and Ballymena to the list.
Administration
Office workload remains a cause of concern, and steps are being taken to address this situation. Our editorial workload is also being monitored for further development. Additional volunteer writers and reviewers are already working alongside more established personnel. Specific office issues to be addressed this year include the need for enhanced off-site backup and storage of our key files and the need for collaborative working on our key files by personnel working in different locations. A “skills database” for members to offer their services in areas of their spe-
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
David Fenney
Update on the Work in the Philippines On May 17, 2012, the Toronto congregation had an opportunity to listen to Edmond Macaraeg give a firsthand report about God’s work in the Philippines. He was accompanied by his wife Lorna as well as 15 friends and family members. Mr. Macaraeg enthusiastically greeted his audience and mentioned the need to learn about the brethren who live on the other side of the world who are also members of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13-14) and about Please “International News,” page 14
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Camp Report: Camp Hye Sierra Sequoia National Park by Ed Dowd
On July 1-8, Camp Hye Sierra 2012 was held in the majestic pine forests of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central California. This year there were 77 campers and 76 staff (and nine junior campers) who came together for a fun-filled and spiritually rewarding week in the Zone. The skies were a wonderful blue with perfect daytime temperatures followed by pleasantly chilly nights, which sparkled with God’s amazing display of the stars—all thanks to God for literally chang-
ing the forecast. The mornings began with a flag raising ceremony, blessing on the day and a compass check, which helped to focus everyone’s outlook for the day. Following throughout the day were fun-filled activities including fishing, dance, volleyball, archery, team building, basketball, speedaway and capture the flag. New this year was a hiking program that began with a tour of the giant sequoia trees. Included in the hike was seeing the second largest living tree on earth, the Gen-
eral Grant Tree. The three-and-a-half mile hike ended at a huge 300-acre lake, where campers were able to kayak and expand their comfort zone through an adventure course. The evenings wrapped up each day with free time, Christian living classes followed by intimate question and answer sessions and the perennially favorite nightly campfire. Dorm skits and two dances rounded out the evening highlights for the week. All in all, the days and evenings were filled with fun, games, laughter, camaraderie, challenge and
Camp Report: Latvia Cesis, Latvia by Pam Redline
After excited discussion last fall at the Feast in Estonia and much planning, hard work and prayer since then, the very first United Youth Camp in Eastern Europe finally happened! On July 15, 2012, campers and staff arrived at the beautiful Raksi (pronounced rawkshee) Resort in Cesis, Latvia, about one hour from Riga. Activities immediately got underway as campers met their counselors and the staff began preparing for the evening activities, which included a very vibrant bunco game to aid everyone in getting acquainted. Each morning began with a wonderful breakfast of traditional Latvian food. This was followed by compass checks, which included subjects from setting goals and anger management to remembering to say, “Thank you.” Each evening prior to dinner, Christian living was presented by Herb Teitgen or Johnnie Lambert. They presented in-depth subjects, such as the importance of
knowing the Ten Commandments and why we keep the Sabbath. Question and answer sessions were also included. One evening the young female staff met with the boys dorm to discuss the proper way to demonstrate respect for the opposite sex. In turn, the young male staff met with the girls dorms to discuss the importance of modesty and proper decorum around young men. The scriptural references were from Matthew 7:12. Camper ages ranged from 5 years old to 16. Staff consisted of many of the campers’ parents, which added to the family atmosphere of camp. Staff were invited to join in any of the activities provided at camp, such as a rafting trip along the Gauja River, situated in the territory of the Gauja National Park. This region is famous for sightseeing throughout Latvia. It is a quick and quiet getaway from the large cities. The Raksi Resort is known for the llamas, alpacas, sheep and camels on the property. The animals wander freely about the resort.
Llamas could also be taken on a walk. While the majority of the campers and staff took advantage of the rafting trip, the remainder were scheduled for one such walk. This involved each child being assigned their own llama to guide on a trail hike. Commands were taught to each person in order to properly guide the llama. The animals enjoyed frequent stops along the trail to snack on succulent leaves while many of the young campers enjoyed picking wild blueberries and strawberries along the route. Other camp activities included American football and speedaway. These became fast favorites at camp. Also volleyball, badminton, hiking, canoeing and photojournalism were offered. Because the campers were so very new to the traditions of camp, the arts and crafts class was used as a time to introduce and then create Sabbath notes. This was also a very popular class, and many cards were handed out to recipients on the Sabbath after the traditional hymn sing. Evening
Rockaway Beach, Oregon Coast At Northwest Camp this year, 108 enthusiastic campers, 59 staff and seven “minicampers” enjoyed a week of fun and challenging activities, while learning more about God’s way of life through our theme for this year, “Calling, Honor, and Faith.” The campfire story and the dorm parent discussion at the end of each day is also about the theme of that day. The program is designed to imprint the lessons each day in the mind of everyone at camp. United Youth Camps are not activity camps with some Bible teaching thrown in. They are instead a Christian living program where themes and memory verses for each day are the subject of the Christian living class, and then illustrated in each activity during the day. Northwest Camp takes place at Camp Magruder, located on the beach at Rockaway Beach, Oregon. The beauty of the Oregon coast is spectacular, and our host prop6
relationship building. All of the events of the entire week contributed to immersing our campers in a positive godly environment, grounding them in the Zone and providing them a well-needed reprieve from the negative influences of their world. Thanks to all of the teens for demonstrating a level of faith that continues to amaze us all, and thanks to the staff and minsters for all of their selfless sacrifice. Most importantly, thanks to God for blessing our efforts. UN
July 15-22
Camp Report: Northwest Camp by Rex Sexton
July 1-8
erty features almost a half mile of beach on the west and a clean lake on the east. The setting must be seen to be appreciated. We awakened each morning to an ocean mist that burned off by mid-morning, letting the sun shine for the rest of the day. While most of the nation suffered with triple digit heat, temperatures at camp were in the high 60s. Water temperature in the lakes was somewhat warmer than in previous years, making the swimming classes and water skiing even more enjoyable. We had four girls dorms and three boys dorms this year. The team spirit of the dorms encouraged participation by everyone. Every camper tried water skiing or wake-boarding, and most were successful. Other activities included beach volleyball, basketball, archery, kayaking, softball, speedaway (a combination of soccer and football that I have yet to figure out), swimming and beach activities. The ocean waves were higher this year, making
for longer rides on the boogie boards and skim boards. In arts and crafts, the campers made their own kites to fly on the beach. Wednesday evening’s talent night was a showcase of guitar players, piano players and vocalists. The talent among our young group of musicians is excellent. Some of the dorms even put the memory verses to music and sang them as they were walking between activities. Words cannot express how much we appreciate the staff here at camp. This year we had many staff changes due to health conditions and circumstances. As a result, about a third of the staff were either new or had to be moved to new responsibilities. All of the staff members worked hard and were conscientious about doing the best job possible. The Camp Magruder management marvels at the quality of our staff and the fact that they all volunteer their time to come here and serve God’s teens. We simply cannot thank these servants
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
activities included a two-part Bible treasure hunt. Evening flex time allowed for variety show preparation, which included skits by each dorm based on the Bible hero theme for the week. The boys dorm presented a modern version of Boaz in which he was an oil baron and Ruth was working for him on the rigs. The girls dorm presented Eve and how things should have been handled in the Garden of Eden. The lessons of the week that were gleaned from the Bible themes were well presented in the skits. The week of activities and close interaction offered excellent opportunity for all to build from the uncertainty of new surroundings and people to solid friendships by week’s end. All of us were very sad that camp had come to an end. The American staff who shared this journey all stated they wish to return next year to continue to build on the great camp that has begun in Latvia. UN
July 22-29 enough. God’s protection and blessing was obvious as we experienced no serious injuries or sicknesses. Thankfully, the one staff member who was not extremely busy was our camp nurse. A main focus of our Christian living program for this year revolved around the truth that God is calling these young men and women to be a part of His Kingdom. David Holladay presented the final lesson on Friday with the theme “You Can Make It.” The sermon on the Sabbath used a PowerPoint presentation to teach “Your Place in God’s Kingdom.” All week the staff worked hard to illustrate and teach that our youth are called by God, and with His promised help, can make it to the Kingdom of God. Reflective of what many campers expressed on their survey forms, a 17-yearold girl camper wrote, “I have a deeper understanding of what it means to be called by God and how to answer it.” UN United Church of God, an International Association
Hye Sierra
Clockwise from top left: a girls dorm at archery; dorm 3B jumping on the dock; staff member on lifeguard duty; campers and staff having fun at the dance; campers playing basketball.
Latvia
Clockwise from top left: campers and staff crossing a streambed; one staff member with a camper on the river; a boy camper pets a llama and tries to feed it some vegetation; a female staff member with a camper guiding a llama; one female camper; a male camper looks on at the llamas grazing. United Church of God, an International Association
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
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Northwest
Clockwise from top left: girls playing volleyball on the beach; Andrew Kovanis, Christopher Tomes and Zach Pate; Patty Liams, Megan Goethals, Lauren Pate and Deanna Hendrickson; campfire on the beach as the sun sets; G4 girls kayaing on the lake; Kathleen Kelly on the Big Swing.
Jamaica
Clockwise from left: Stephanie, Indeera and Tiffany Bissessar pose for a mother/daughter camp photo; Camp Jamaica 2012 campers and staff; Chuck Smith and Joemel Smith share a laugh during team-building games; campers wave for the camera before an afternoon swim at Secret Falls; cooling off in one of the many waterfalls.
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UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
United Church of God, an International Association
British Isles
Clockwise from top left: Jonathan is tagged by staff member David Elliott with Torshi-Ann and Michelle in the background; Sarah’s turn to bat in the rounders match; Ester teaching Zumba; tug-ofwar (girls against boys—the girls won!); group photo taken after services on the Sabbath; Jonathan scaling the climbing tower.
Challenger West
Closewise from left: Kayla Weiner pauses on a rock face with a delightful view of the upper meadows; participants enjoy a beautiful view of Rock Lake; Corey Gennaro, Tim Charles and Chris Tomes show the large—and delicious—trout they caught; the group poses for a photo at the start of their hike in the Fitzpatrick wilderness. United Church of God, an International Association
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
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Preteen Camp Ironwood
encourages teens to get involved, and the welcome to join us for the 12th annual teens contribute and give in many out- Camp Ironwood experience. The friendstanding ways. The teen activities were ships, camaraderie, living, working and coordinated by Brian and ReNae Shaw. playing together (all according to God’s The dates for next year’s camp will be laws) is an experience that those who mendous blessing of allowing us to use July 21-24. Campers, teens and staff are attended will not soon forget. UN the camp for 11 years. Evening activities included game night, campfire, novelty olympics, horse-drawn wagon rides and a treasure hunt. Each day started with Christian living classes for the youth and teens and a morning Bible study for the adult staff. The classes were led by Shawn and Beth Cortelyou, Brian and ReNae Shaw and Dave and Jolinda Schreiber; Julia Benson assisted. The children learned the Ten Commandments through hand motion and were taught the meaning of each commandment. A deeper meaning of the Commandments was taught to the teens. Jelly (a puppet used in the video “Jelly Learns the Ten Commandments”) paid a surprise visit. His guest appearance was a highlight for the young campers. The children also learned the Ten Commandments through a song taught to them by choir director Jeannie Patton. Each activity coordinator was encouraged to work the commandments into their lesson plan to reinforce the theme throughout the camp. After a full day of activities, the teen staff gathered for some fun and recreation with each other. They enjoyed an evening swim, ultimate Frisbee and a dance the last night. The teens worked hard and enjoyed Clockwise from top left: John Myers and son Christian; Sarah Weatherby, Madison Sauke and the interaction with both the campers and Katie Spain enjoying lunch together; Counselors Eric Schmidt, John Myers and Jacob Greider with fellow staff members. Camp Ironwood the boys in Dorm 2B; Lilly Whitehead cooling off in the pool.
Stewartville, Minnesota by David Schreiber
At Camp Ironwood this year, 54 young campers aged 5-12 (and two mini-dorm participants) enjoyed four days and three nights of fun, adventure and learning in a godly atmosphere. Also attending were 33 enthusiastic teens (ages 13-19) who volunteered their time to serve as staff. They assisted in the activities and as assistant counselors for the campers. They were also all assigned to a dorm to become that dorm’s “big sister” or “big brother” for the week. Lastly, the camp was staffed with 37 amazing adults who gave up vacation time, left work and other priorities to give their time, energy and passion to make sure every child enjoyed a camp experience founded on God’s way of living. This year’s adult and teen staff were amazing, and the teamwork and enthusiasm was at an all-time high. This was the 11th year that the United Church of God held a pre-teen camp at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch near Stewartville, Minnesota. The facilities are outstanding and work well for the campers to experience a variety of activities. Children enjoyed horseback riding, swimming, field games, climbing wall, indoor games, zip line, team challenge activities, archery, arts and crafts, nature and exploring. New this year was “campus improvement,” a way for campers to give back to the campgrounds for the tre-
July 22-25
Announcements
Alexander James Moulton
Births
Anna Sarah Rothenbacher 2012, at 4:25 a.m. Big brothers Joseph, David and Lucas are delighted by this new addition. The Rothenbachers attend the Indianapolis, Indiana, congregation. Anna is the fourth grandchild of Gary and Gerda Hopkins of Mondorf, Germany, and the eighth grandchild of Steve and Joan Thompson of Irving, Texas.
William and Rosanna Moulton and their daughter, Addison, of Johnstown, Ontario, are pleased to announce the arrival of Addison’s first little brother! Alexander James was born May 18, 2012, at 2:01 p.m. weighing in at 7 lbs. 11oz. The Moulton grandparents of the Ottawa, Ontario, congregation and the Salva grandparents of the Worcester, Gabriel and Michelle Vautour joyfulMassachussetts, congregation are all very ly announce the birth of their son, Joshua happy. Xander brings smiles and cuddles Pierre, born on July 23, 2012, at 6:04 to every uncle and aunt in both families. p.m. Adorable little Joshua weighed in at 7 lbs., 10 oz. and 21.26 in. long. They are Carl and Grace Rothenbacher are so thankful to God for blessing them with pleased to announce the birth of their this precious little miracle and give thanks daughter, Anna Sarah Rothenbacher. for all the prayers and support throughout Anna was born at home on Friday, Apr. 20, their journey. 10
Joshua Pierre Vautour
Gary and Claudia Loo
Anniversaries
Gary and Claudia Loo celebrated their 50th anniversary with their spiritual and physical families in Southern California on June 30, 2012. They shared anniversary cake with their Eagle Rock, California, brethren after the Sabbath, and in the evening, hosted their family to a restaurant dinner. They were married on June 30, 1962, in San Francisco, California, and after moving back to Honolulu, they were baptized in June 1965 by C. Wayne Cole. They have six children and nine grandchildren; three of their children attend the Eagle Rock UCG congregation, along with their spouses and one grandPlease see page 12
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
Harold and Jeanne Schneider United Church of God, an International Association
Camp Report: Jamaica Mammee Bay, Jamaica by Oninie Brown and Mary Smith
“You are the light of the world. A city set upon a hill cannot be hidden…Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” So began Camp Jamaica 2012. This theme was emphasized every day for the duration of a most memorable camp week. There were 22 enthusiastic campers who let their lights shine and lived in “the Zone” in beautiful Mammee Bay, Jamaica, on July 23-27. Campers and staff hailed from the Caribbean islands of Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, and from the United States. Each day began with a Christian living class immediately after breakfast. Other classes offered throughout the week included true masculinity, true femininity, sermonette building (girls assisted guys with sermonette preparation; each guy presented the four-min-
ute “sermonette”), resume building/job interview skills (including an on-camera “mock interview” with each camper) and computer skills. In addition, campers and staff had the opportunity to let their lights shine by picking up garbage along both sides of the one-and-a-half mile stretch of road in front of the camp property. There was also ample opportunity for fun and fellowship among the campers. Included was plenty of pool-time, a “water balloon extravaganza,” football, team-building games on the beach and a movie night. An unexpected delight was a hike and swim at Secret Falls, a beautiful and private set of waterfalls, rope swings and bluffs to jump from into clear, blue pools of fresh water. The sudden rain shower, which turned the hiking trail into slippery goo, did nothing to dampen the spirits of this group of teens. On the final evening of camp, camp-
July 23-27 ers and staff participated in a talent show. Performances included dance routines, poetry reading, skits, singing and even one stand-up comedian. It was amazing to see the creativity and talent displayed by our young people. Everyone enjoyed an evening of entertainment and laughter. David Linn, a member from Vero Beach, Florida, served as camp chef. He was assisted by Joyce Morris from Ocho Rios and Oininie Brown from Kingston. Together, they performed the feat of turning simple ingredients into Jamaican culinary delights (along with a few meals of good old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches). All the staff members cheerfully pitched in on kitchen cleanup, proving the old adage, “Many hands make light work.” As camp came to an end, there were many tears. Old friendships had been strengthened and new ones forged. This
Camp Report: British Isles Great Hucklow, Derbyshire, England by David and Barbara Fenney
This year’s British Isles Summer Camp was held in Great Hucklow, Derbyshire, England, between July 27 and Aug. 5. This year 16 children and teens (11 of whom had never attended previously), together with nine adult staff and various occasional visitors, attended camp. Campers, who ranged in age from 7 to 17, came from Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Teamwork and the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) were the twin themes of all
the activities. In addition to the usual sports, games and outings, there were several team-based activities, including one at the more formal dinner on the last evening, when each dorm presented a skit or song related to their experiences at camp. With limited numbers and facilities, the group was able to experience indoor and outdoor games, team-building and challenges. Major expeditions away from camp included swimming and bowling in the nearby city of Sheffield
and “Go-Ape,” a forest adventure course consisting of rope ladders, zip-lines, rope bridges, trapezes and swings. In addition to being a personal challenge, the course also illustrated the maxim that there are times when each of us is indeed “our brother’s keeper.” Each day included a study of God’s Word, with every evening ending with hymns and a prayer. The prayer was often given by one of the campers, as was the blessing on the meals. Acts of service at camp included set-
Challenger Report: Challenger West Wind River Wilderness, Wyoming by Matthew Fenchel
The Challenger West leadership program for young adults completed its third successful adventure in the Wind River Wilderness area near Dubois, Wyoming, on July 15-23. The program had 14 participants (maximum capacity) and four staff: Matthew and Lisa Fenchel and Andrew and Tiffany Beattie. There were originally five staff members, but Mr. Mickelson suffered a heart attack during the scouting trip the previous week. However, he insisted that the “mission go on” without him. The Challenger staff and participants were thrilled that Mark and his wife Michelle could at least join them for the kick-off dinner, prior to heading up the trail. The program consisted of backpacking, camping, rock-climbing, orienteering and fishing at 10,000 feet in altitude. United Church of God, an International Association
The purpose of the program is to mentor spiritually committed young adults in biblical leadership and service. The physically, mentally and spiritually challenging environment is a deliberate part of the program; it is designed to develop the characteristics needed to face the “steeper trails” of life. Each day began with a compass check, focusing on orienting our spiritual compasses towards “true North,” willingness to sacrifice for others, and serving those in the greatest need. Each day ended with studying one chapter in the book of James, which emphasizes going onto perfection through faith. The program was blessed with an outstanding group of young adults from across the United States. They threw themselves into every aspect of the program, accepted the challenges and
enjoyed the successes of perseverance. They were an excellent example of teamwork and looking out for each other. The Beatties located a premier rock-climbing site that had never been used in the program before, and the six routes proved to be worthy of all effort. Weather was delightful, and the scenery was spectacular. Fishing at the south end of Ross Lake was excellent; most of the fish caught were 16-20 in. in length. They made for a very tasty Friday evening dinner and Sabbath morning brunch. Camping at this end of the lake was nearly “Millennial,” with waterfalls coming off glaciers and towering mountainsides. We were blessed with much drier weather than in years past, which kept the mosquito count down to “barely noticeable.” The downside though, was that no campfires were allowed in the back
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
opportunity was not taken for granted. Many of these teens are the only ones in their local congregations. They rarely get to fellowship with other teens, other than at the Feast of Tabernacles. They were extremely appreciative of this opportunity; it was a joy to watch them as they soaked up every moment of time together. Special thanks to staff members Stephen Woodson, who brought his video/ sound equipment all the way from Miami, Florida, and Clark and Holly Earls, who volunteered their time and travelled from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Thanks also to the Nashville, Tennessee, congregation for their labor of love in raising money to help with camp expenses. Most of all, thanks go to the United Church of God for making it possible, to our Father and to our Elder Brother Jesus Christ for providing their blessing and protection on Camp Jamaica 2012. UN
July 27-Aug. 5 ting the tables for meals, clearing away afterwards and washing up. Everyone assisted with the clean-ups mid-week, before the Sabbath and on the final morning. One former camper who had arrived for the last weekend proved invaluable with helping to stow away the bedding that had been used during the week. Services were held on both the Sabbaths that fell within the nine days of camp. On the second, a trio of young ladies presented a song for special music. UN
July 15-23 country (Mrs. Fenchel and Mrs. Beattie did convince the forest service to allow us to bring one citronella candle!). We were also treated to several moose sightings (including calves) wallowing in the bog a short distance from the campsite. The program finished with an eightmile hike from south Ross Lake back to the trailhead, and then a delicious dinner of venison and antelope goulash prepared by Susan Berg, wife of Dubois pastor Wil Berg. Mr. and Mrs. Berg once again—as they have done for many years—hosted the staff during the scouting week and provided critical base-camp support to the program in the months leading up to departure. The initial feedback from all participants was very positive, and we look forward to offering an even better adventure in 2014! UN 11
Announcements Continued from page 10
son. After living and working in Southern California for 23 years, they moved to Havana, Florida, to develop a small nine-acre mini-farm and to assist the Tallahassee congregation. They helped to organize the original Eagle Rock congregation in March of 1995, and they participated in the first church in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1968. They presently serve in the Tallahassee church. Their hobbies are farming, landscaping, construction, fishing and woodwork. Mr. Loo is still
a registered civil engineer in Florida and California. Phoenix East, Arizona, member Jeanne Schneider and her husband Harold celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Apr. 12, 2012. Jeanne was born in Tacoma, Washington. She first came to the Church in 1968, although since she was wearing a mini skirt and makeup, she was gently asked to leave. After she let her hair grow out and her mind settle, she returned in April
of 1969 with her four children in tow, and she was baptized that same month. Jeanne and Harold moved to Tempe, Arizona, in 1996, where they still reside. They have traveled as much as possible, especially to see their children and grandchildren in the state of Washington. They have four children ages 51, 49, 44 and 41. They spent their 50th anniversary by renewing their vows with their children, grandchildren, other family and some old friends.
Announcements: Members are welcome to submit announcements of the births, engagements, weddings, significant anniversaries (25, 40, 50, 60, etc.) and obituaries in their families. Please include a selfaddressed envelope if you would like photos returned. Most items are 50 to 100 words and should not exceed 250 words. Please e-mail (preferred) or give them to your local pastor to forward to United News.
Local Church UPDATES Columbia, Maryland, Seniors Honored
Marriage Seminar Given in Denver, Colorado, Congregation
The Columbia, Maryland, congregation honored 12 senior citizens from the congregations in Columbia, Maryland, and York, Pennsylvania, at the third annual senior dinner, served after church services on the Sabbath of Apr. 28, 2012. The Sabbath school participants, ranging in age from 4-12, performed two songs for the seniors before the start of the meal.
Local Church UPDATES
A few of the ladies in the congregation prepared the dishes, and some of the youth and ladies, dressed in white dress shirts and black pants and skirts, served a delicious meal of beef and chicken with rice pilaf, green beans and a salad of greens. Fruit sorbet and chocolates were served to complete the meal. Each senior was given a coaster designed by the children in the congregation, painted with their artwork with a “Fruit of the Spirit” theme. Don McCoy, pastor of the Columbia, Maryland, congregation addressed the seniors, reminding them of how important their example is to the younger generation. Rhonda Diggins
First Annual Women’s Weekend in Atlanta Congregation The United Church of God Atlanta and Buford, Georgia, congregations hosted their first annual women’s enrichment weekend on May 18-20, 2012. The theme of the weekend was “Women of Strength, Courage and Commitment.” The weekend was held at the Homewood Suites Hotel in Kennesaw, Georgia. There were 48 women from across the United States who attended the event. The weekend began Friday afternoon with a welcome and get-to-knowyou session. A number of ice breaker games were played to help the ladies 12
On June 9, the Denver, Colorado Springs and Loveland, Colorado, congregations hosted a marriage enrichment seminar conducted by Randy and Kay Schreiber of Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Schreiber began the day with a sermon on oneness, noting that God’s instruction in the opening chapters of the Bible are for a man and woman to leave mother and father and be joined together as one in a new family. He described how in marriage two people join together to create a new entity— no longer you and me, but us.
The group of seniors in Columbia, Maryland, and the young adults who served them.
learn about one another. Sabbath services were held the following morning. Uplifting special music was presented by Katie Collins and Lori Schroeder, and an encouraging sermon was given by special guest Dennis Luker. Immediately after services, participants enjoyed a delicious salad bar lunch. Following lunch, presentations were given by Wendy Englehardt and Angela Beam. Saturday evening concluded with dinner and a topics and discussion session.
For further information regarding registration and specific costs for this event, visit the Atlanta, Georgia, United Church of God website at http:// atlanta.ucg.org after the 2012 Feast of Tabernacles. Sarah Aust
Mutual humility and giving are what makes that new entity work, just as those same qualities make the collective body of the Church work, he emphasized. We sacrifice of ourselves to help the marriage (and the Church) grow, and a purpose of marriage is to help the individual spouses grow. He ended his message by noting how we react to differences and disagree-
On Sunday morning, presentations were delivered by both Martha Sappington and LeeAnn Luker. The weekend ended on a high note with the ladies sharing the spiritual lessons they learned from the presentations and each other. A big thank you goes out to all the women who helped make this unique event a special weekend for women of like beliefs. It was evident that everyone who attended the weekend developed a deeper love of God’s truth and built closer relationships with one another. Mark your calendars! We are pleased to announce that a date for next year’s women’s enrichment weekend has already been set for Apr. 13-15, 2013.
The women’s weekend in Atlanta included many activities, including this get-to-know-you activity.
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
United Church of God, an International Association
Randy Schreiber on stage teaching at the marriage seminar held in Denver in June.
Audience members look on as Randy Schreiber presents his part of the marriage seminar held in Denver in June.
ments is key to maintaining oneness in marriage—that our reactions will either keep oneness or kill it.
support, real-life examples, projected graphics and audience exercises and feedback.
After the service and following a lunch of sandwiches and fruit, the Schreibers presented the marriage enrichment seminar built around the themes of commitment, sacrifice, love, trust and tools. Over the next few hours they explored each of these themes in considerable detail with scriptural
In the discussion of tools at the end, Mr. Schreiber discussed several of the tools the United Church of God is developing to help members in the area of marriage. This seminar, he noted, is the first of several scheduled around the country to be hosted by interested congregations. we need to have the attitude of Christ (Philippians 2:5-8) with the humility to enable all to grow in knowledge and character.
AT A GLANCE
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The following day, Monday, Aug. 20, we opened orientation with a welcome by Gary Antion and a prayer by Peter Eddington. Kathy de Campos and her able volunteer helpers put together a notebook binder with pertinent information for the ABC students. Lanyards in purple and gold (school colors) with “ABC Ambassador Bible Center” on them held the name tags of each of the students and faculty members.
AT A GLANCE
After Mr. Eddington briefly explained the media class he will be teaching and his duties, he was followed in succession by Steve Myers, Darris McNeely, Connie Sipes, Frank McCrady, Aaron Dean, and then a break. Concluding the morning presentations were Randy Stiver, Gary Antion, Chris Stewart and Ken Shoemaker. Each presenter briefly informed the students of the classes they will be presenting and their duties so that they might know what to expect over the next nine months. The 36 students in attendance listened to UCG president Dennis Luker as he encouraged them to have “Attitude Before Character.” He challenged them to make the choice of having a positive attitude as he explained the difficulties presented by a less-thandesirable attitude. He concluded that United Church of God, an International Association
The students then broke for lunch and an opportunity to fellowship with the home office staff over desserts prepared by Mrs. Sipes. The afternoon concluded with a tour of the office by Janet Treadway and a meeting with Mr. Shoemaker for those interested in joining the ABC Chorale. We look forward to another exciting year of teaching and learning from the words of life in God’s Word.
The Schreibers and Frank and Sonja McCrady of Dayton, Ohio, will be the ones conducting the seminars (Mr. McCrady is coordinator of the marriage seminar program). Congregations interested in scheduling a marriage enrichment seminar should get in touch with Mr. McCrady at frank_ mccrady@ucg.org. Scott Ashley
to see a great attitude of sharing and openness from our teachers. It was an attitude that was contagious. The United Church of God has made it a point over the past 11 or 12 years (they lost count as to when exactly it started) to invite a small group of men and women who have been serving their local congregations to a leadership seminar for “continued education.” In other words, it was a shot in the arm to help us be better servants and leaders. It reminded us of what those words
Local Church Updates: Send us news and events from your local congregation! Check with your pastor and have him forward what you write. We’re looking for 100- to 300-word articles and photographs with captions. Please include a self-addressed envelope if you would like photos returned. Include the author’s and photographer’s names and your phone number. Please double-check the spelling of names. Please e-mail (preferred) or give the material to your local pastor to forward to United News.
mean and gave us practical ways to help our fellow Church members and pastors. The members of the class consisted of deacons, elders, non-ordained members and their respective wives. They came to Cincinnati for this threeday event over Sabbath, Sunday and Monday to attend classes and lectures, eat meals together and participate in question and answer sessions. It was during one of those relaxed, intimate Q&A sessions with UCG’s administration (men like Dennis Luker,
See page 15 for photos from the welcome picnic and orientation. Gary Antion
Leadership Weekend: Catching the Vision The rain was the only thing that stopped us from chatting until midnight in the parking lot. Present were three generations: a couple in their 70s, a father of two in his 40s and a bachelor in his 20s. We stood around enjoying each other’s company long after they closed the doors to the home office where we had attended the seminar earlier that day. As the parking lot lights turned on and the sun set in the overcast sky, we talked on—about ‘59 Chevrolets, the Church, leadership and prophecy. We were glad we were invited to Cincinnati to meet each other; but more importantly we were excited
A group of the leadership weekend attendees chatting during a break.
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Victor Hou of San Diego at the leadership weekend in Cincinnati.
Victor Kubik, Gary Antion, Aaron Dean, Randy Stiver, Roy Holladay and a few others) that one of my fellow classmates asked this question, which I will paraphrase: “We really appreciate all the great information and sessions and the amazing attitude that you guys are approaching the work of the Church with, but how can we explain this attitude of Christ-like service to the church at large?” See, this idea of leading like Christ did—of having a heart that is okay with having power and greatness taken away (Philippians 2:6) and finding the next opportunity of service—is a different focus than what we previously concentrated on in our part of the Church of God. But the answer to the question about how to get this atti-
INTERNATIONAL
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God’s work there (1 Thessalonians 1:3).
INTERNATIONAL
The Church there is able to preach the gospel and prepare a people with the guidance and support of the elders, the acting senior pastor for the area, Earl Roemer, and the dedicated office staff. The use of special equipment such as a video camera and a DVD duplicator has been an asset to the work there. Mr. Macaraeg shared different strategies that the Philippine area uses to preach the Gospel such as mall exhibits, public lectures, radio programs, the Kingdom of God seminars and the promotion of The Good News on the Internet and by including a message on The Good News wrapper for the subscriber to refer the magazine to three of their friends. The radio program, providentially, was able to obtain a great time slot when one of its listeners, a former subscriber of the German Plain Truth, asked to run the broadcast on his radio program from 9:00-9:30 p.m. The office handles the distribution of 18,101 magazines, including approximately 6,000 magazines for other 14
George and Robin Rusnak receive the completion certificate of the leadership weekend.
tude across is pretty simple. It starts with us. It starts with you. It would be silly not to acknowledge the trust problem that the Church faces with the turmoil we’ve all experienced. There was talk about how things were not always handled correctly both recently and throughout Church of God history. There was talk about the impossible situations so many found themselves in—with no good choices. But there have also been many good examples of God’s Spirit working through men and women to teach us over the years. We know there are some whom we can trust. Generally, we trust those we have relationships with—the people we know, the people who have
shown the fruits of the Spirit. So if you know one of the folks who attended this year’s seminar, ask them what they thought about the spirit and knowledge that was taught during the weekend. What we heard was wisdom from men who have seen the best of people and, unfortunately, the worst of people, too. But they’re not bitter. Instead, they encouraged us that what is most important is our own relationship with God. And that relationship should build in us the theme of this year’s seminar: “The Stuff of Leadership—Christ-Like Service.” Each one of the 60 attendees (34 men and 26 women, representing different
congregations in 13 U.S. states, two Canadian provinces and the countries of Chile and Colombia) were incredibly encouraged, and I now have several new friends across the world. But what we also have are the seeds of an encouraging and contagious hope that we are heading in the right direction in how we are to lead and serve. My fellow classmates were a small sampling of the many people who help every Sabbath and every Holy Day all across the world. My prayer is that we all catch that vision of heading to the Kingdom of God in a way that emulates the way Christ led. Jason Nitzberg
Asian countries. Hence, when the cost of mailing was to be tripled due to an increase in pages and weight, a letter was sent to the postmaster general for consideration. The reply received was favorable but had two conditions: that they should receive a copy of every issue of the magazine and that the Philippine post office seal should be printed on the wrapper of the magazine with the inscription “Philippine Post: a partner of The Good News in its mission to spread the gospel worldwide!” Weekly Sabbath services are provided to 19 church congregations as well as an additional nine video groups. The Philippine Church also provides DVD sermon distribution, United News Philippines, Sabbath school programs for the children, an annual United Youth Camp, leadership programs, Ambassador Club for men, flower arrangement for women and, during the Feast of Tabernacles, Bible studies and forums that give opportunities for scattered members to have their questions answered. There are two Feast of Tabernacles sites—in Davao City and Baguio City—with around 450 and 125 in attendance, respectively. The Church also helps the brethren and students be excused from their work or school on the Sabbath since these exemptions are provided for in the Philippines Constitution. In addition, the labor code also mandates the following: “However the employer should respect the preference of
Edmond and Lorna Macaraeg.
employees as to their weekly rest day when such preference is based on religious ground”. This labor code provision was promulgated in the 1970s when Herbert Armstrong requested that his good friend and late secretary of labor, Blas Ople, incorporate it in the labor code to help the brethren in the Philippines. The legislation was also adopted by the Department of Education, exempting “personnel and students belonging to religious groups where Saturday is their rest or church day,” that they should not be required to attend seminars, examinations, special classes, trainings and other school activities
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
on Saturday. Two difficulties that the Church has encountered are translation of messages into different dialects during the Feast and transportation due to distance and road conditions. Even visiting some brethren becomes impossible due to road conditions. A vehicle with limited slip differential makes traveling difficult road conditions possible. In conclusion, Mr. Macaraeg referred to Romans 12:2 to illustrate that we need to pray for one another knowing the trials and challenges each member has in this world. Sixto Yap United Church of God, an International Association
The News in Photos:
Welcome, ABC Class of 2013
Clockwise from top left: Sarena Fenger, Bryan DesJardins and Derrick Slocum playing Bible Taboo; Joe Wright trying to rope a hay calf; Joseph Huante and Claudio Sierra during the get-to-knowyou activity; Caleb Kinsella during the first week of class; Travis Mez, Kody Kinsella, Cortney Bose, Alyssa Archer and Isaac Nelson at the vintage-style photo booth; David Kovalchick putting on his bandana; Jaime Diaz acting out Daniel while his group acts as lions for a photo during one activity at the picnic; Isaac Nelson hands Tim Sipes the microphone to introduce himself at the picnic. United Church of God, an International Association
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What’s New In MEDIA? ■ Beyond Today Airing Schedule
Title Living in Modern Babylon You Are What You Eat Christ’s Second Coming: When Predictions Fail Christ’s Second Coming: Can You Believe It?
Host
Airing Period
Darris McNeely
Sept. 9-15
■ Live Wednesday Night Bible Studies www.ucg.org/live-bible-study/ Tune in every other Wednesday night to the home office live Wednesday night Bible studies via webcast. Since beginning last winter, the presenters have covered the pastoral epistles and the book of John. They are currently working through Revelation.
the ultimate solution?” This special edition of Beyond Today features a slightly different format than the norm. Host Steve Myers did an afternoon of on-the-street interviews in downtown Cincinnati on the day following the Colorado movie theater shooting. He asked participants for their ideas and opinions on why tragic events like that happen, what the causes are and what would it take to stop things like that ever happening again. In the studio, the entire program is shot with a Featured Link panel discussion between the three presenters. In■ Beyond Today Episode “When Evil Walks In” terspersed in their discussion is footage from the www.ucg.org/beyond-today-program/ interviews shot downtown. christian-living/when-evil-walks The literature offered is the Ten Commandments “We live in increasingly perilous times. No place is booklet. safe from violent, tragic events. But why? What is
What’s New In MEDIA? Steve Myers
Sept. 16-22
Darris McNeely
Sept. 23-29
Steve Myers
Sept. 30-Oct. 6
■ UCG Web Presence Expands
On Sept. 4, Internet manager Aaron Booth reported the following stats for UCG Web activity: 44,842 total Facebook fans. 30,380 total Twitter followers. 945 videos posted on YouTube. 2,195,629 video views on YouTube. 208 Bible FAQs posted. 575,989 Bible FAQs views. 611 e-mail campaigns (This Is the Way, UCG Weekly Update, GN Newsletter, WNP E-news) sent. 802,267 clicks to our websites generated by e-mail campaigns. 200,407 booklet downloads from Apple’s iBook Store. 50,680 booklet downloads from Amazon’s Kindle Store. 1,469 Good News iPad app downloads. Beyond Today episode “When Evil Walks In” Periodicals Postage Paid at Milford, Ohio, and at additional mailing offices NEWS OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF GOD, AN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION • P.O.Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027 (513) 576-9796
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Sept. 8 or 15: Kingdom of God Bible Seminars Sept. 17: Feast of Trumpets Sept. 26: Day of Atonement Oct. 1-8: Feast of Tabernacles Oct. 2: Focused Education Seminars, Branson Feast Site (see page 10) Dec. 10-13: Council of Elders Quarterly Meeting Dec. 21-25: Winter Family Weekend, Cincinnati Dec. 24-30: Winter Camp, East Troy, Wisconsin Dec. 25-Jan. 1: Young Adults Travel Opportunity
UNITED STATISTICS
CORRECTION Editor’s Note: In the article titled, “It’s Up To You…” in the August 2012 edition of United News, one sentence could have caused confusion and given an incorrect impression. The sentence had been accidentally edited to read: “God dwelt with men in the flesh and taught about a direct, personal relationship with Him as our Eternal Father and Elder Brother.” What Mr. Berendt originally wrote was, “God dwelt with men in the flesh and taught about a direct, personal relationship with our Father.” We apologize for any confusion or misconceptions this sentence may have caused.
United News Print Runs 15,000
14,000
13,000
FESTIVAL YOUTH INSTRUCTION BOOKLETS ONLINE
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12,000
11,000
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The Feast lessons for the teachers to use for teaching the children at the Feast are now available online. Also, the Feast books for children are listed there as well, which you will have to download as the hard copies have already been sent. The address is http://feast.ucg. org/youth-instruction. We hope this will be helpful to you and our thanks go to Randy Schreiber for the teen/ young adult study material and to Kay Schreiber and her Phoenix helpers for working on the youth lessons. Have a wonderful Feast! Gary Antion
UNITED NEWS September-October 2012
United Church of God, an International Association