March 2004 Contents

Bernie Schnippert, church treasurer, announced the sale of the church’s east campus property Feb. 11 to Sares-Regis Group, a Southern California developer, for an undisclosed sum. Sares-Regis Group plans a transit-oriented urban village for the property. Page 5.

Pastor General

Jesus often said that God is merciful, writes Pastor General Joseph Tkach. But he also said, in a statement that can send chills up the spine, “If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Page 6.

Reconciliation

A.C. Green, former all-star forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Office of Reconciliation Ministries, were hosts for a conference on racial reconciliation Jan. 18. Page 9.

Church Administration

Dan Rogers, superintendent of U.S. ministers, announced a restructuring of U.S. districts to reduce costs. He also announced the retirement of Guy Engelbart and Gerald Schnarrenberger as district superintendents. Page 10.

Youth Ministry

The adoration of Christ is an essential part of the foundation of all Christian ministries (youth ministries included), writes Ted Johnston.

This foundation is present in ministries where Jesus is clearly presented for who he is (Christ the Lord). Page 16.

Window on the World

The Worldwide Educational Institute is a small school in Sri Lanka sponsored by our church, writes John Halford.

The principles of success class teaches young men and women, many of whom are from Buddhist families, the underlying values of the Christian way of life. Page 22.

Financial Report

Member donations and regular income for the first month of the new year are holding steady when compared to the same month in 2003, writes controller Ronald Kelly. Page 24.

Bible Study

Throughout Romans, Paul argues that God counts us as righteous through faith in Christ, writes Michael Morrison. We have an obligation to fight sin—not in order to be saved, but because we are already children of God. In the last part of chapter 8, Paul turns our attention to our glorious future. Page 25.

WCG national conferences,
retreats and cruises set for 2004

PASADENA—Church Administration announced its nationally sponsored events for 2004.

This year the denomination will host eight regional conferences as well as four worship and fellowship events. The denomination will sponsor two cruises and a land tour (see page 28), as well as eight Spiritual Enrichment Program (SEP) camps for youths (please see our web site, www.wcg.wn/youths for further camp details).

This year’s regional conferences focus on creating the balance necessary for healthy, disciplemaking churches. Sessions will cover ways pastors, leaders and members can provide a friendly and supportive disciplemaking environment in their congregations. Attendees will work through an implementation process for guiding congregations through the priorities of winning the lost, building up believers and equipping workers.

the Song in Your Heart?” and will also lead a session on what God is doing through denominations. Dan Rogers, superintendent of ministers, will present “Building a Disciplemaking Environment in Your Church” and “Balance

for Growing a Healthy Church.” Additionally, several breakout sessions will be conducted during the course of these Friday to Sunday conferences.

the box on page 3. The registration fee of $25 per person includes a workbook and all handouts and materials for the event. For more information

about a particular location, please check out our web site at www.wcg.org/events or contact your pastor or the coordinator listed in the box.

SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE—Ministers
and members gather in Covina, California,
April 3 to 6, 2003. [Photo by Thomas C. Hanson]

2004 Conferences
Creating Balance in a Growing and Healthy Church

Our fall fellowship and worship retreats this year have been scheduled for September and October in four locations across the country. These events will be inspiring times of renewal for members and friends, and the dates and locations are listed in the table below.

The April issue of the WN will include a registration coupon that can be completed and mailed in along with your registration fee. The coupon will also be available on our web site at www.wcg.org/events along with additional details about each location. We look forward to these 2004 events, and we pray that they will be a time of equipping, renewal and encouragement for our members.

Church sells east campus property

The following article is based on a press release the WCG sent to the Los Angeles Times and the Pasadena Star-News.

PASADENA—The Worldwide Church of God announced Feb. 11 the sale of its east campus property in the Old Pasadena historic commercial district to Sares-Regis Group, a prominent Southern California developer, for an undisclosed sum.

Bernie Schnippert, church treasurer, announced the sale to employees that afternoon.

Sares-Regis Group plans to meet with the city to discuss its plans for a transit-oriented urban village that could include for-sale and rental homes.

The sale will allow the church and its development team to concentrate their efforts on completing the entitlement process for the west campus portion of the Ambassador campus planned development. The Ambassador campus is designed as a residential neighborhood that blends historic homes, gardens, new community infrastructure and the potentially reopened Ambassador Auditorium.

“The sale of the east campus is good for everyone involved,” Dr. Schnippert said. “The church is happy that we can continue our religious mission to focus our resources on our nearly 600 pastors and 800 congregations around the world.”

Bill Montgomery, spokesman for Sares-Regis Group, said: “We are very proud to have reached this agreement with the Worldwide Church of God, and are eager to develop the east campus with a project that meets or exceeds the high architectural design and landscape standards that make Pasadena such a special place. It is exciting to play a bigger role in this extraordinary community.

“The project we envision will help ease the housing shortage, and complement the exciting and vibrant Old Pasadena with an urban village neighborhood that is an easy walk to two Gold Line [light rail] stations,” Montgomery added. “We are just getting started in defining the scope of our project. We look forward to working with the City and community as we create the new plan.”

Dr. Schnippert agreed: “The property is in good hands. Utilizing their community planning and development experience, Sares-Regis Group will bring a new vision to the east campus parcel.”

Sares-Regis Group is one of the leading developers, managers and builders of residential and commercial real estate in the Western United States. The company has acquired or developed about 36 million square feet of commercial properties and more than 18,000 apartment and residential homes since its inception.

The Worldwide Church of God assembled more than 100 separate parcels of land over the past 50 years to build the 48-acre Ambassador campus, which has served as its international headquarters and the Pasadena campus of Ambassador College.

In acquiring these properties, the church was able to save many significant historic structures and gardens from likely demolition. The campus is widely recognized for its magnificent landscaping, historic homes and the Ambassador Auditorium. The church’s development plan includes the preservation of the significant homes and gardens, and the potential reopening of the Ambassador Auditorium.

With its belief in preserving the best of Pasadena character, the church created the Ross Grove historic landmark district to include five single-family homes on South Orange Grove Boulevard that had been part of the campus. Those homes, examples of the old Millionaires Row era of Pasadena, are now being sold to the public with the protections afforded by the Ross Grove landmark district.

Something Worth Thinking About
By Joseph Tkach

It's Hard to Forgive

Jesus often said that God is merciful. But he also said, in a statement that can send chills up the spine, “If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:15, NRSV).

Do we have to forgive everyone? Apparently so—yet no one does it perfectly. We don’t do anything perfectly. So how can we ever hope for the Father to forgive us?

After a brief romance, George and Judy married. After an equally brief marriage, Judy walked out on him, crushing his ego like an eggshell on a railroad track. Even 10 years later, George has deep scars from his wound. Is Judy’s “sorry, but I want to move on” an apology? Is there ever an acceptable apology for that sort of betrayal?

Bob was the youngest child in a family of seven. He “borrowed” all of his parents’ money and lost it in gambling. He’s broke now, and the older siblings have to take care of the elderly parents. How can they forgive Bob, when they are still suffering from what he did?

Or perhaps you know someone like Susan, Chris or Karl. Susan was abused by her stepfather, and 30 years later she still struggles with a distorted self-image. Chris was paralyzed in an accident caused by a drunk driver. Karl was left an orphan when his father committed suicide. The sinners are dead, and can’t repent or apologize. Can these victims forgive the people who caused them such pain, or would that trivialize the sin?

What other choice do we have, though? If we hang on to anger, it will eventually eat us from the inside out, like acid in an iron pot. We will become bitter, ulcerated, depressed and unpleasant—we add to our own damage and pain.

Anger raises our blood pressure and hurts our heart. For our own health, we need to forgive—but it’s hard to forgive.

“Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’ ” (Matt. 18:21-22, NIV).

Imagine that someone in the church has hurt your feelings, and the person says “sorry.” And he or she does it again, and says “sorry.” And it happens again, and again you hear “sorry.” And again, and again, and again. At what point are you going to say, “I don’t think you’re really sorry?”

Maybe the person isn’t sorry, but Jesus says to forgive them anyway, even 77 times. Try saying “I forgive you” that many times! It might be good therapy.

Jesus said “forgive,” not “forget,” and there is an important difference. Jesus has not forgotten who betrayed him, or deserted him, or ordered his execution, but Jesus does not harbor grudges about it. He wants those people to accept the forgiveness that he offers—he died for them as well as for everyone else.

(When the Bible says that God does not remember our sins any more, it is not talking about forgetfulness—it is using the word remember in the sense of taking action on something. Ex. 2:24 is an example of this meaning of “remember.”)

Jesus then told a parable that explains why we should forgive: “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents [an enormous amount] was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt” (Matt. 18:23-25).

"The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go." We can't pay our debt, but if we ask for mercy, God will give us more than we ask.

The king represents God, of course, and the debt corresponds to our sins. We are totally unable to pay for our sins. Even selling ourselves into slavery would pay only a small fraction of the debt. We can’t work our way out of this one.

“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go” (vs. 26-27).

We can’t pay our debt, but if we ask for mercy, God will give us more than we ask. That’s what the kingdom of God is like.

(As an aside here, we can see that the servant didn’t have a totally accurate understanding of God’s grace. He asked for mercy, but still thought he could do something to repay his debt. That’s like a lot of Christians today, who don’t really believe they are forgiven unless they have done some kind of penance. Yet God forgives them anyway, even if they don’t understand how sweeping his forgiveness really is.)

So far, so good. It would be a great parable if Jesus just stopped right here. But Jesus did not stop here, and the second part of the parable makes me squirm a little. But I have to remember that Peter’s question is not whether he is forgiven, but whether he has to forgive others—and this is the task that we frequently face.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded” (v. 28).

The first servant was determined to pay off his own debt by collecting every cent he could. A hundred denarii was a significant amount, but it was only a tiny fraction of the 10,000 talents. But every penny counts, the servant must have thought, and he even used a little violence to underscore his determination to collect.

Christians today do this as well. When they think they have to earn God’s respect through obedience and good works, they look down on people who aren’t trying as hard as they are.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back’ [which is what the first servant had said to his master]. But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt” (vs. 29-30). He wanted the man’s relatives to cough up the money to get the guy out of jail. He was playing hardball in a desperate attempt to gather enough cash to impress the king with his sincerity.

“When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ” (vs. 31-33).

This chapter is about life in a community, not just between one person and God. This is a small reminder in this parable that our actions affect other people, and that we should encourage one another to give mercy, just as we have been given mercy.

Now here is where the parable turns into a warning: “In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (vs. 34-35).

Shocking!—Jesus represents God as taking away the forgiveness he once gave, and inflicting punishment, knowing quite well that the man will never be able to “pay back all he owed.”

But Jesus is not attempting to tell us about the nature of eternal punishment—he is simply presenting this as a warning, with terms appropriate to the parable, that we must forgive others not grudgingly, but from the heart.

But is Jesus laying on us an impossible burden? It is easy to say “you are forgiven,” but it is difficult to mean it in our heart. Aren’t we still angry at the injustice that was done to us? Don’t we still hurt when we think about it? Don’t we still want the person to be punished for what was done? What are we to do with the vial of bitterness we have accumulated in our thoughts?

If this parable had been longer, maybe it would have gone something like this: “And the wicked servant said, ‘O my king, you are right. You have been patient with me; I should be just as patient with my fellow servants. Please do not throw me in jail. Have mercy on me again. I will forgive the people who ask me for mercy.’ And the king said, ‘You are forgiven.’

“And the wicked servant went out and found a woman who owed him 50 denarii, and he demanded to be repaid within a week. The woman was exceedingly sorrowful, and sold herself into slavery to pay the debt. And since she did not ask for mercy, none was given.

“The other servants found out about this and reported it to the king, and the king was angry and called the wicked servant in again, saying: ‘You wicked servant! I forgave your huge debt because you asked me to. Can you not see that the poor woman wanted mercy even though she was afraid to ask?’ Therefore I will throw you into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“The wicked servant then said: ‘O my king, you are right again. If you forgive me this time, I will sell some of my possessions to redeem the woman from slavery.’ ‘Well done,’ said the king, ‘you may go.’ And the wicked servant went out and straightway forgot what he had promised.

“And he was reported to the king again, was threatened with punishment again, asked for mercy again, and was forgiven again. And I ask you, how many times will the king forgive—seven times? Nay, he will do it seventy-seven times. That is what the kingdom of heaven is like. God is even more merciful than what he tells us to be.”

In other words, God even forgives our imperfect attempts at forgiveness, as long as we look to him for mercy.

The better we understand that we are forgiven, the better we can forgive others. That does not mean thinking (as the wicked servant did), “Thanks for your patience; I will still try to repay all that I owe.” If we have that attitude, then we still overestimate our abilities, and we will still expect people to pay all that they owe us—groveling for everything they’ve done to us.

But the truth (which the wicked servant could have known, if he had listened carefully) is that when God forgives us, we are forgiven. There is no debt to repay. There’s nothing to work off, no penance to perform, no need to prove how sincere we were this time. It’s forgiven—it’s gone.

Another point from the parable that will help us forgive others: We have been forgiven an enormous debt; the sins that people commit against us are much smaller. Even if someone beats you to a bloody mess and nails you to die on a cross, God has forgiven you more than that. Perhaps you find that hard to believe, as I do, but this is the point of what Jesus is saying, and he has earned the right to say it.

Forgiveness does not mean that we pretend like nothing ever happened. It does not mean trusting a swindler with money, trusting a wife-beater to not get abusive again, or appointing a child-molester to be a youth pastor.

Forgiving does mean that we do not harbor grudges, we do not seek vengeance. It means letting go of our need to get even. It means praying for our enemies. It means seeing ourselves in their shoes, knowing that God has, for the sake of Christ, forgiven us all our sins too. No groveling required. God does not want us to sin again, but his mercy lasts forever.

God wants us to forgive, and he knows that it’s hard. He wants us to obey him in everything, and he knows that we don’t. That’s why our salvation does not depend on our performance, but on the righteousness of Christ. Our salvation does not depend on our performance in keeping the law, or in having enough faith, or in forgiving as well as we ought. In all these areas, we are sinners who fall short of the glory of God.

Our salvation depends not on us, but on Christ, and on our connection to him. He is the one who forgives with the sincerity and frequency that is required, and when our lives are hidden in Christ (Col. 3:3), God attributes Christ’s perfect obedience, including his perfect forgiveness, to us.

God wants us to forgive others because he forgives us. He forgives us far more generously than 77 times. The point is that we are to realize our need for mercy, look to him for mercy, depend on his mercy, and instead of harboring our hurts and nursing our grievances, we need to ask him to help us begin to forgive.

In this world of sin and ignorance, offenses are inevitable. We’ve all been hurt. What’s the worst thing that has happened to you? What resentment do you carry? For our own good, we need to let our resentments go. Jesus will help us—that’s something worth praying about.

A.C. Green, ORM conduct
reconciliation event

PASADENA—A.C. Green, former all-star forward for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, and the Office of Reconciliation Ministries were hosts for a conference on racial reconciliation at Ambassador Auditorium Jan. 18.

The event was titled “Removing Walls/Building Bridges.” Among the 300 to 400 in attendance were church, community and political leaders.

The event began with a 20-minute slide show on civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., highlighting his work as a Christian minister. Bermie Dizon, pastor of the Pasadena NewLife and Los Angeles churches, coordinated the slide show.

“Many people use Dr. King to support various causes, but forget that he was first and foremost an ordained Christian minister,” Mr. Dizon said.

Bernard K. Melekian, Pasadena police chief, spoke on “Learning to Live and Work Together in Our Cities.” He said we have made progress since the days of Dr. King, but that we still have much to do.

Mr. May introduced a film, Masters of Invention, which highlighted inventions by African-Americans, and then explained four steps to reconciliation: confession, change, reconciliation and restitution.

*Confession: acknowledgment of the hurtful actions of my people or myself toward other people or categories of people.

*Reconciliation: expressing and receiving forgiveness, and pursuing intimate fellowship with previous enemies.

*Restitution: attempting to restore what has been damaged or destroyed, not reparations.

Green, who openly professed his Christianity during his days in the NBA, introduced a film called the Final Solution that he co-produced. The film was on the life of Gerrit Wolfhaardt, a white South African paramilitary member who renounced his racist ways. Mr. Wolfhaardt is now a Christian minister in the United States and works in racial reconciliation causes. His son, Thabo, 26, lives in Los Angeles and attended the conference.

The event closed with a question and answer session conducted by A.C. Green and Mr. May. Area WCG members served as ushers. The Los Angeles Times and the Pasadena Star-News covered the event.

Church Administration announces
changes to U.S. church districts

Dan Rogers, superintendent of U.S. ministers, announced a restructuring of U.S. church districts that became effective Jan. 1. The primary reason for restructuring is to reduce the cost for providing district level ministries to U.S. churches, including the services provided by district superintendents.

With restructuring, the number of districts is reduced from 13 to 11, necessitating various boundary and district name changes (see map). Church Administration also announced that Gerald Schnarrenberger and Guy Engelbart no longer serve as district superintendents. Both have retired from the employ of the church (see articles page 11).

With the reduction in the number of districts, the district superintendents will focus their efforts on training and coaching shepherd-leaders in their districts. Their primary emphasis will be the development and supervision of church pastors. The detailed responsibilities of the district superintendents are set forth in the new Church Administration Manual now posted at www.wcg.org /lit/church/manual

To prepare the district superintendents for this training-coaching emphasis, they have been certified by Sonlife Ministries to conduct the Everyday Commission and Everyday Commandment seminars. Each seminar includes four to six hours of instruction related to a Christian’s calling to be a disciplemaking follower of Jesus Christ.

Mr. Rogers conducted these seminars at the regional conferences in 2002 and 2003. Pastors interested in hosting one of these seminars in their areas are encouraged to contact their district superintendent.

Following are the U.S. church districts with their district superintendents. You may contact your district superintendent at the e-mail address noted.

U.S. church districts with their district superintendents

Guy and Penny Engelbart:
touching lives for Christ

SPANAWAY, Washington—Guy and Penny Engelbart have served in the WCG ministry for nearly 43 years. They met at Ambassador College in the fall of 1959. Penny had lived with her family in the San Fernando Valley, 20 miles from the campus. Guy came from Nebraska, where his family had a farm. Guy became a WCG member in 1957, and Penny in 1959.

Guy graduated from the Bricket Wood, England, campus in 1961, and then returned to the United States for a baptizing tour. In October of that year, Guy and Penny were married in Big Sandy, Texas, after which they were sent to Chicago to begin their ministry.

Over the past 43 years they have served in such cities as New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Wichita, Kansas; Denver, Colorado; Cleveland, Ohio; and Tacoma, Olympia and Bremerton, Washington.

Guy and Penny raised up WCG congregations in Baltimore; Washington, D.C., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Besides pastoring, Guy has been a district superintendent on three occasions.

In 1964, while serving in the New York City area, their first son, Karl, was born. Karl presently lives in Cleveland and owns his own courier service. Their second son, Kevin, was born in Wichita in 1970. Kevin lives in Olympia and works for the Intel Corp.

As a pastor’s wife, Penny’s primary focus through the years was the women of our church. It was her heartfelt desire to see women take a more active role in what had been a male-dominated church. She is deeply thankful for the changes in our denomination, understanding the love and grace of Jesus, and how much women can give in service to him.

Guy and Penny were asked to retire from the full-time ministry in January. Presently living near Olympia, they will continue to help and serve the Body of Christ in whatever way they can. Guy is now assisting Ken Williams in the Northwest district, and also manages the family farm in Nebraska.

Guy and Penny are thankful to our Lord for the opportunity to serve in the WCG ministry all of these years, and to be used as vessels in touching the lives of many wonderful people for the sake of Christ.

Gerald and Connie Schnarrenberger:
new phase of life

COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho—Gerald and Connie Schnarrenberger have been actively serving in the WCG for more than 40 years.

Connie’s mother and aunts started listening to the church’s radio broadcasts in the early 1950s. Gerald and Connie both began to attend the church’s worship services in the late 1950s; Connie in 1958 and Gerald in 1959.

Gerald came into the church while in the U.S. Air Force. He had trained to be a pilot and was awaiting transfer to Randolph Air Force Base in Texas for advanced pilot training when he became convicted that a Christian should not fight in the military. He used his Air Force training to good advantage over the next 18 years as he taught flying; mainly multi-engine and instrument piloting. During that time, his main vocation was business management, including training course development.

Connie worked in the garment industry for more than 15 years, where she was manager for both pattern grading and pattern making departments. She also taught pattern grading, which is changing clothing patterns to the various sizes.

Gerald was serving as an elder when he was hired into the full-time ministry in 1985. He went to church headquarters in Pasadena, where he served in the ministry, took classes at Ambassador College and helped develop the SWIFTNET in-home WATS telephone system. While living in Pasadena, Connie worked for PTM and member files.

In 1987 Gerald was assigned to serve in pastoral ministry in Minnesota churches. They have served churches in Ohio, Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota and Illinois.

In 1994 Gerald was asked to come to Pasadena to serve in Church Administration; first in Family Ministry, then the Deaf Department. After the church made its major doctrinal changes in late 1994 and early 1995, he served as Church Administration office manager. For the next few years, he and Connie made numerous visits to U.S. churches. He has also worked with ministerial personnel policies, transfers and hiring.

In 1998 he was asked to take on additional duties as district superintendent of the Rocky Mountain district. He and Connie then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, so they would be central to the district. Until retirement they continued to attend each regional conference and serve in a ministerial personnel capacity as well as visit pastors and churches in the Western United States.

Since retirement they have moved to Coeur d’Alene to be closer to their children and grandchildren, who all live in eastern Washington and western Idaho.

“Retirement doesn’t mean not working, it just ushers in another phase of life,” Gerald said. When Dan Rogers, superintendent of U.S. ministers, announced Gerald’s retirement at the Orlando, Florida, conference in December, he said that “retirement didn’t mean less work, just less pay.”

Gerald continues to serve the church by writing the church’s Ministerial Manual and is developing a new discipleship course for the church. He will also continue serving in other capacities. His schedule is just a little less hectic now.

Fairfax members prepare shoeboxes
for Operation Christmas Child

FAIRFAX, Virginia—Members of the Living Hope Christian Fellowship, the Northern Virginia WCG congregation, prepared 70 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

This project has been an annual tradition for the congregation, and each year more boxes are sent than the year before.

Our congregation has been supporting Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child project for the past six years. Some of the children insert handwritten letters into the shoe boxes to possibly establish a penpal relationship with a receiving child.

One of our children, Lauren Hart, received a letter from a Ukrainian girl, from the previous year. The letter was written half in Ukrainian and half in English and included a picture of the child. What a blessing to know that you have made a difference in the life of a child thousands of miles away.

This annual project is a great way for the members of our congregation to fellowship and work together to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to children around the world. Sherry Bellamy.

Tyler children put on Christmas play

TYLER, Texas—Tyler members were entertained by the children of the congregation Dec. 20 with a play titled One Silent Night.

The play told the story of Jesus’ birth and included several holiday songs that focused on Christ. The play was organized and directed by Sandy Farnsworth and Sandra Adair, children’s church teachers. Janalee Swisher.

Robert and Judylyn Ferrer
lead worship at service in Vienna

VIENNA, Austria—Robert Ferrer, a native Filipino, and vice consul of the Philippine Embassy in Vienna, and his wife, Judylyn (both members of the Vienna WCG congregation) were the worship leaders at an interdenominational Filipino worship service in Vienna on Dec. 6.

The worship service involved six Filipino churches in Vienna. More than 400 mostly Filipino Christians and several guests attended the “Worship Together 2003” inter-church worship service at the Donau City Kirche. The service was opened by a youth musical praise number with mime and rap.

It was followed by two hours of praise and worship music accompanied by a live band and a 20-member choir.

The six churches are: Vienna Christian Fellowship, Vienna Christian Center Filipino Fellowship (an Assemblies of God congregation), Grace Church Filipino Fellowship (a Baptist congregation), Jesus Is Lord Church, Christliche International Gemeinde and the Weltweite Kirche Gottes (Worldwide Church of God).

Preparation for the event involved more than a dozen committee meetings and five months of regular practice of a combined worship team. The worship team came from the various worship teams and leaders of the six churches. Mr. and Mrs. Ferrer were the worship leaders. Mr. Ferrer also gave the main message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

“Many of those who attended praised God for the miracle and the opportunity to have a family reunion with friends from other churches who were previously estranged,” Mr. Ferrer said. “It was the perfect example of how different churches, with various temperaments, ways of doing things, and various gifts of the Holy Spirit, if inspired by God and working together in unity, could glorify him.”

Guests commented that it would be possible to involve other international evangelical congregations in a similar project in the future.

Ambassador College of Christian Ministry

Ambassador College of Christian Ministry provides practical, quality training in Christian ministry and is a valuable source of informative and stimulating Christian studies through both credit and audit programs. You can study online right here with

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The Associate of Christian Ministry program is designed to equip men and women for more effective and informed service in the work of the gospel.

The program is denominationally accredited and recognized by the Worldwide Church of God.

Ambassador’s Associate program also welcomes non-credit students who wish to undertake study of selected classes for personal interest and development without the need to undertake assessment.

We invite you to tour our web site at www.ambascol.org and contact us if you have any questions.

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Lessons From the Bible

The Gospel of Mark, Lesson 15
Mark 2:18-22

A Lesson About Old and News

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the

disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins” (Mark 2:18-22).

The primary fast of the Jews was the Day of Atonement, one of the seven annual solemn assemblies of the Law of Moses. The Pharisees also fasted on the second and fourth days of every week. Apparently, the disciples of John were doing something similar. (The Pharisees didn’t have disciples in the same sense as John or Jesus. The term “disciples of the Pharisees” might refer to anyone who followed the example of the Pharisees.)

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

Although such fasting was not part of the Law of Moses, by Jesus’ day it had become an important expression of the Pharisees’ meticulous devotion to the ceremonial law. To the Pharisees, if Jesus’ disciples were not fasting, then it called into question their piety, sincerity and devotion toward the ceremonial law. Further, it called into question Jesus’ attitude toward the ceremonial law. Jesus had already healed on the Sabbath, and his disciples had already been noticed picking grain on the Sabbath and eating without the prescribed ceremonial washing. Add to that the lack of fasting, and the Pharisees must have found this upstart rabbi increasingly troubling.

After Jesus was gone, fasting would have a place in the Christian community. It would remind believers of their dependence on God, of their need for God’s mercy, and of the power of God for the salvation of those who believe the gospel.

Until then, Jesus’ disciples had no reason to fast. In the Bible, fasting is a sign of disaster, or a voluntary abasement during times of great stress or trial. But the presence of the Son of God on earth with his disciples was a time of joy, not of sorrow. The time for sorrow would come later, when Jesus was murdered and taken away.

In any case, fasting in the manner of the Pharisees, as a sign of their devotion to the ceremonial law, was incompatible with the new covenant Jesus was inaugurating. For Jesus’ disciples, fasting while Jesus was with them would have been like sewing a new piece of cloth on an old garment—it would have been incompatible.

Jesus’ point was that the old has gone, the new has come. The two are not compatible. To put new wine in old skins ruins both the skins and the wine. New wine requires new skins.

Today, it’s still easy to try to pour the new wine of the gospel into the old wineskins of the Law.

Grace doesn’t come easily to us. We like to have a way of measuring where we stand with God. The gospel tells us simply to trust God that he loves us and has forgiven all our sins for the sake of Christ. But we often want something more tangible than that. We want something we can sink our teeth into.

So we run back to the Law. The Law provides a way of measuring where we stand with God. If we avoid sexual sin, for example, and lying, and stealing, and murder, then we can have a firmer basis for feeling that God isn’t mad at us. If we don’t use crude language, if we don’t watch entertainment that has sex and violence in it, if we help others, if we don’t miss church, and so on, then we can rest easier about our relationship with God. Of course, these are good behavior patterns, part of the way we naturally desire to live when we have fellowship with God.

But even when we’re successful in behaving well on the outside, a deeper problem remains. Doing good things doesn’t solve the problem of our alienation from God. Our pride, our selfishness, the sin in our heart of hearts, is still there. And every once in a while, when our guard is down, what we really are inside squirts out to remind us that we’re still sinners. Then we can either pretend we’re not really that bad, or we can admit to ourselves what we’re really like.

Fellowship with God is not based on the Law. It is based on God’s faithfulness to his word of grace.

God told Israel: “I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed” (Malachi 3:6; compare Deuteronomy 4:31). God’s free determination to do as he pleases is what gives us a positive relationship with him. He tells us through the words of Jesus in John 3:17: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John wrote, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). He did not write, “God is justice.” If God were after justice, none of us would survive. But God has determined to dispense grace rather than condemnation. We are told, “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). How grateful we can be that God is the way he has chosen to be!

God’s devotion to us is the basis of our fellowship with him, devotion that God has demonstrated through Jesus Christ.

When we’re really honest with ourselves, we know that despite constant trying, we still sin. Where does that leave us? We can either work harder and harder to keep up the whitewashed façade of personal righteousness, or we can turn it over to God and trust him to forgive us and make us righteous. If we take God at his word, then we can rely on him to do in us and for us what he says he has.

Faith gives us rest. It transforms godly living from a duty, from a way of proving ourselves, to a joy, to a way of taking part in the good life we can have with God in Christ (referring not to physical abundance, but to spiritual contentment, to the inner peace only God can provide, which is worth more than physical riches).

Pikeville spearheads youth outreach

The Pikeville congregation is the thrust behind a youth outreach planned this summer in conjunction with several other churches. Events will take place every Friday night in the Pikeville City Park during the month of July from 8 to 10 p.m.

Activities will vary nightly and include local youth bands, testimonies, dramas, messages and comedy.

Tim Brassell, pastor of the Norfolk, Virginia, church, is tentatively scheduled to speak Friday, July 16. JULY JAM is geared toward reaching the youths in the community for Jesus. For more information contact Mike Stewart at mike.stewart@wcg.org Debby Bailey.

Disciplemaking ministry foundations (part 3)

The adoration of Christ

CANTON, Ohio—This article continues a series exploring six essential ministry foundations—key characteristics of youth ministries that cooperate with the Holy Spirit as he develops young disciplemaking followers of Jesus in and through the church.

Last month we discussed the first of these foundations—an atmosphere of love that leads to the development of grace-based disciples. This month we look at the adoration of Christ that leads to Christ-centered disciples.

One of my favorite Christmas hymns, “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” invites people to “come and behold him,” Jesus—the One who is “born the King of angels.” The hymn then invites our response: “O come, let us adore Him—Christ, the Lord!”

The adoration of Christ is an essential part of the foundation of all Christian ministries (youth ministries included). This foundation is present in ministries where Jesus is clearly presented for who he is (Christ the Lord) and where the appropriate response of worship is both invited and facilitated. Note, however, that the adoration of Christ involves far more than mere programs or tasks—it’s a life-style of active participation in the Holy Spirit’s ministry to and through the church.

During the evening before his crucifixion, Jesus spoke openly with his followers concerning the Spirit’s ministry in their midst. He promised to send the Spirit to be with them and in them as their Counselor or Comforter (John 14:16).

The Spirit’s ministry would be focused on Jesus: reminding his disciples concerning Jesus’ teachings (14:26), testifying about Jesus’ person (15:26) and thus bringing glory to Jesus (16:14). In these and other ways, the Spirit would develop the disciples by granting them a proper concept of Jesus, which would lead them to adore him as their Savior and Lord.

A youth ministry has the privilege and joy of joining with the Holy Spirit in this ministry through the church on behalf of children, teens and college-age young adults.

A youth ministry does so, in large part, by providing ministry environments where the adoration of Christ is placed front and center. Such environments are the fertile soil in which the Spirit grows Christ-centered youths.

But what does the adoration of Christ in a youth ministry setting look like? How can pastors, youth ministry leaders, youth ministry workers and parents provide environments where Jesus is fully seen and openly and consistently adored for who he truly is? Consider the following ideas and principles.

The adoration of Christ will grow within youth ministries where the group’s leaders, workers and parents are openly passionate for Christ and share that passion with the youths. This is vital to understand, because the adoration of Christ is more caught than taught.

Teaching about adoring Jesus is essential, but a youth minister’s life-style that models open and unashamed devotion and passion for Jesus is far more powerful. The group will tend to reflect what the leaders model.

If you work with youths, let your life be connected to and grounded in Christ. Let me encourage you to cultivate that connection—to spend time with Jesus, to adore him in times of prayer, time in his written Word (Scripture) and time worshiping him together with other Christ-followers. In such times let the Spirit fill you with the Father’s adoration for his Son Jesus.

As you are filled with that adoring love, it will overflow to the kids in your group. They will adore Christ along with you—particularly if you include them with you as you show adoration for Christ in ways that are meaningful to them.

The adoration of Christ involves more than getting a youth group to chant, “we love Jesus, yes we do.” It’s great to openly and enthusiastically express love for Jesus, but you can’t simply tell a person to adore Jesus and expect it to happen. The adoration of Christ flows from a personal encounter with him. And a primary place for such an encounter is in the message of the gospel—the good news of what Jesus has done for us that we might have forgiveness and eternal life with God. We effectively focus on the gospel as we personally embrace and then effectively teach the following gospel-centered truths:

Who God is. The adoration of Christ flows out of a proper concept of Christ—a biblical

understanding of the glory and majesty of who Jesus Christ is in his union with the Father and Holy Spirit. The more we appreciate who God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is, the more we will worship and adore his priceless gift, Jesus, the one and only Son of the Father.

Help your kids to know this God in age-appropriate ways. Introduce God to them as the One who is infinite, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, good, merciful, all wise, faithful, just, gracious, loving, holy and personal. Help them to know him as Creator, Sustainer and Savior. In your teaching, praying, worship and discussions, focus on the majesty of God.

What God has done for us. The adoration of Christ intensifies as one begins to grasp the magnitude of what this awesome God has done for us—we who are undeserving sinners. Paint a vivid picture for your kids of all that God has given us by grace in and through Jesus Christ.

Look at Colossians 1 and 2 for examples. There we learn that God has qualified us to share in an eternal inheritance, has delivered us from evil, has redeemed us, forgiven us, reconciled us, presented us to the Father as holy, works through us with his power, has made us complete and alive with Christ and has cancelled our debt to God.

As we relate the essential truths of the gospel of Jesus to the real lives of our kids, they will rejoice—they will adore Christ. Lead them to that place, and they will be transformed.

Who we are in Christ. The transformation that we want to see in our kids flows not from mere behavior modification focused on obedience to rules, but from the kids’ union with Christ and their understanding of who they are in him. That understanding leads them to adore Christ in their whole being—including in their behavior.

Certainly youth leaders, workers and parents struggle with the misbehavior of some youths. What teen group leader has not spent many sleepless nights agonizing about group members who are involved in drug abuse, illicit sex or other God-dishonoring, dangerous behaviors?

Certainly youth ministry leaders should have basic codes of acceptable behavior in the group, and parents need the same within their homes. But more than codes of behavior, we need to help our kids understand that, as followers of Jesus, they are new creations.

In Christ, kids are forgiven and released from the enslaving bondage to sin. They have been given new freedom, through the Holy Spirit, to live in newness of life. This life transformation is supernatural and is rooted in a relationship with Jesus that is grounded in the worshipful adoration of Christ.

Want better-behaved kids? Then lead them to understand who they are in Christ—to experience the sheer joy of knowing Jesus—and thus to adore him. Do this and the Spirit will transform their hearts and minds—and new, Christlike behaviors will follow.

(For a good study on who we are in Christ, I recommend the publication “Thirty-Three Things That Happen at the Moment of Salvation.” It can be ordered from Sonlife Ministries at www.sonlife.com or by calling 1-800-770-4769. The cost is $3 for each copy, plus shipping.)

Jesus may be adored anywhere, at any time. But one of the responsibilities of youth ministry leaders and workers is to provide appropriate spaces (times and places) where youths are focused on adoring Christ. One of the best tools for creating such spaces is worship entered into through music.

Music is the heart language of youths in our culture. And for most Christian youths, worship music is the preferred language for adoring Christ. Christian worship music provides a powerful and biblically appropriate way for young disciples to adore Christ—fully engaging their bodies and minds. Music that is passionately Christ-centered and Christ-adoring leads young worshipers into the Lord’s presence where they are filled with the Father’s love for Jesus and God’s love for them.

To the tool of worship music may be added the spiritual discipline of prayer. Teach young disciples to pray together—to praise Christ and pour out their hearts to their Heavenly Father together. Getting rid of timidity in group prayer takes time for some, but it is my experience that most soon learn to open up. A key here is to provide a non-threatening, loving environment (see last month’s article on creating an atmosphere of love in your youth group).

Another powerful tool for leading youths to adore Christ in worship is to involve them in the dramatic reenactment of the main events of Jesus’ life. By reenacting Jesus’ birth at Christmas, for example, young people are drawn into the reality of Jesus’ self-giving through the incarnation and thus experience more fully the magnitude of his sacrifice on their behalf.

One more idea about providing spaces where youths can adore Christ: take them into nature, where the glory of their Creator may be seen and experienced. How about a float trip down a beautiful stream (caution: wear life vests), or a Discovery Weekend in a rural camp? When Jesus is lifted up in such environments, adoration flows.

Much more can be said about providing an atmosphere characterized by the adoration of Christ. It’s not about a set formula, but these are some ideas and principles that work.

In closing, let me encourage each of us to ask ourselves a couple of key questions: Do I adore Christ? Do I express that adoration openly so that I’m adding to an atmosphere of the adoration of Christ in my congregation, family or youth group?

Let me encourage all of us to develop a life-style that answers yes to both questions. As we do so, we’ll be contributing to the building of congregations, homes and youth groups where Christ is openly adored. In doing so, we will be making a positive contribution to Jesus’ disciplemaking ministry on earth, walking in step with the Spirit, to the glory of our Heavenly Father.

North Carolina
Discovery Weekend April 2 to 4

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina—Come make new friends and visit with old ones at North Carolina’s Discovery Weekend at Camp Chestnut Ridge near Chapel Hill, April 2 to 4.

Food, games, chapels and praise and worship will fill the weekend. Register by March 1 to receive the early bird rate of $40. Registrations after that are $55. Visit www.carolinacamp.com and click on Discovery Weekend or contact Shane Bazer at 1-919-461-9900 for more information.

Discovery weekend set for St. Louis, Missouri

ST. LOUIS, Missouri—Gate Way to God welcomes youths ages 12 to 25 to attend a discovery weekend March 19 to 21 at Revive Us Again Christian Retreat Center in Dittmer, Missouri.

Activities will include praise and worship, skits, breakout sessions, a block party, various games, volleyball and basketball (weather permitting) and a dance.

For more information please contact Pastor Karl Reinagel at 1-314-839-0363 or send e-mail to him at karl.reinagel@wcg.org Visit their web site at www.gatewaytogod.org for registration information and forms.

Teens have Discovery Weekend in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana—“God Wants to Rock Your World!” was the theme of this year’s Discovery Weekend at Fontainebleau State Park Jan. 2 to 4 in which 79 teens and adults participated.

Friday night, Jan. 2, began with a praise and worship service led by Travis Washington, a teen from the Baton Rouge church, followed by some mixer games.

Guest speaker Jeff Broadnax, pastor of the Clarkstown, New Jersey, and Middletown, New York, churches, gave the opening message on how “Jesus Keeps It Real.”

Saturday began with more praise and worship after which Pastor Jeff spoke on how “Jesus Keeps It Relevant!” explaining that there isn’t anything Jesus doesn’t understand about our world and the stuff we carry around with us.

After lunch, several of the youths gave testimonials relating how God had been working in their lives. One boy spoke of his experience of getting in trouble and going to jail, but now God was giving him the strength to avoid wrong choices and focus on him. The youths then broke into groups and prayed for one another.

After lunch, Pastor Jeff gave a message titled “Jesus Keeps It Right Now.” The Baton Rouge youths then performed a play called “Mama Grace’s Family,” an inspiring story about a single mom with several children and the challenges they face. They ultimately realize the importance of loving and supporting one another and relying on God. Stan Duhon, a Baton Rouge youth, wrote, directed and played the lead role. The play included several song and dance numbers.

A banquet and dance took place Saturday evening, and on Sunday morning several New Orleans youths performed a dance routine to the song “Awesome God.” Pastor Jeff then gave the final message on “Your Response: Now What or So What?”

Bobby Dees, a college student from the Mobile, Alabama, church, then spoke on what he felt God had laid on his heart as the weekend progressed. He talked about the struggle of maintaining your enthusiasm following inspiring events such as Discovery Weekends. It is always difficult to not get bogged down in our everyday problems, and keep our focus on Christ.

He encouraged the youths to not give up even when they feel they have messed up. God will not condemn them but always loves them and is ready to help them overcome their daily struggles. Joy Cryer.

Orlando youths visit
Holy Land theme park

ORLANDO, Florida—The New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Orlando sponsored a youth activity to the Holy Land Experience in Orlando on Oct. 26.

Twenty-three people, including 12 members of the youth group, visited the theme park filled with biblical history. Some of the highlights included a live dramatization in the Garden Tomb, viewing of an indoor model of Jerusalem, petting goats and eating ice cream overlooking the Scriptorium, which houses a collection of biblical artifacts. Riccinni Beloso Banham.

Erica Lively named
homecoming queen

MAGNOLIA, Arkansas—Erica Lively, a senior at Magnolia High School, was chosen as homecoming queen Nov. 11.

Erica attends the New Beginnings congregation in Texarkana, where she sings special music for services. On one occasion she was asked to sing for President Bill Clinton while he was in office.

She is president of the Future Business Leaders of America organization (FBLA) in her high school, where she is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a member of the National Honor Society and plays on the school tennis team.

Her parents, Paul and Karen Lively, and her sister Emily, along with her grandparents, Sammy and Mary Crabtree, all attend church in Texarkana.

Window on the World
From Randal Dick, superintendent of missions

A glimpse of the past
shows the way to the future

WATTALA, Sri Lanka—The Worldwide Educational Institute (WEI) is a small school in Sri Lanka sponsored by our church.

It is on a quiet street in Wattala, a suburb of Colombo, the capital. (The island nation of Sri Lanka is on the other side of the world to most of you reading this. If you dug a hole straight through the earth from Dallas, Texas, you’d come out close.)

It was founded in 1986 as the Waterfield Institute and was first located in the central highlands at Nuwara Eliya. When the church had to withdraw funding and close the institute in 1995, past and future students, their families and local church members were deeply disappointed.

Many graduates, including some from member families, had obtained outstanding employment and were given the gift of a fulfilling future because of their training at the institute. Under the auspices of the Australian Office and with the encouragement of the Colombo church, then-Pastor Bharat Naker and Joe Piotrowski, Waterfield director, responded to the widespread feelings of dashed hopes by creating a plan to keep Waterfield alive by charging manageable tuition fees. Two years later the institute moved to Colombo so it could operate less expensively out of the church’s own building.

Today the institute, renamed the Worldwide Educational Institute, has about 80 students. Most are of school-leaving age, the equivalent of freshmen and sophomores in a U.S. college. The institute offers three- and six-month certificate courses and a one-year diploma program.

The focus is on developing effective English language skills. Sri Lanka’s national language is Sinhalese, but English is still the language of business and commerce.

WEI also has classes teaching business skills, including word processing and marketing. The principles of success class teaches young men and women, many of whom are from Buddhist families, the underlying values of the Christian way of life.

WEI students develop a confidence and a polish that gives them an excellent foundation for higher education in the world of work. The institute has developed a reputation for excellence, acknowledged by Sri Lankan Airlines, which has contracted with WEI to provide training classes for their employees.

Robert Reeves, an Ambassador graduate, is principal, and Spencer Cramer is director. Mr. Cramer volunteered to serve WEI after his retirement from a local company.

In this largely Buddhist country, WEI shines its light not with overt evangelism but by example and by modeling and reinforcing those values that reflect the teachings and beliefs of the Bible. Sri Lanka has been wracked by a vicious civil war for the last few decades. More recently, a cease-fire has been negotiated and hopefully will hold. But there are also growing signs of anti-Christian sentiment.

In a number of rural areas, Christian church buildings and some pastors have been attacked by militant Buddhists who see the growing number of conversions to Christianity as a threat to the traditional structure of the village communities and the well-being of the Buddhist religious community—even though only eight percent of the population is Christian.

In this challenging environment, our school at Wattala represents an intelligent and thoughtful way forward. WEI offers a priceless education to the young people of this beautiful and emerging nation. The greatest challenge it faces right now is financial—to keep it affordable for Sri Lankan families while maintaining the standards.

WEI and our congregations in Sri Lanka ask for your prayers and are grateful for your concern.

We thought you would like to read the graduation address by graduating diploma student Denishiya Fernando. She explained what WEI meant to her—and hundreds like her.

There is a saying “a person who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything”—and I was such a person.

In school, I did not get good grades except for maths and Tamil. I did not participate in many school activities, because I was shy. I wanted to, but I didn’t. I thought that I was useless because nobody thought that I could do anything. I was very unhappy with myself.

I tried taking many English classes, but they didn’t help me improve at all. But one day I made up my mind to face up to challenges without running away from them.

As you all know, finding the right place to learn English is not easy because there are so many places being advertised. But thanks be to God. He directed me to the right place—WEI.

I was very scared during the first few days at WEI. Everything was new—faces, the environment and doing all my subjects in English. Although I was very scared, I said to myself, “I am going to continue whether I like it or not.”

In the first few days, I made a lot of mistakes when I spoke English. I was shy and thought my classmates and teachers will laugh at me.

But you know, not only did they not laugh at me, they also encouraged me to be brave and keep trying.

I was surprised because for the first time nobody condemned me because I made mistakes.

My teachers at WEI never gave up on me. They constantly encouraged me to believe in myself; to believe that I’m an intelligent person; to believe that if I try I can achieve.

Life at WEI was not easy. We had to work very hard—midterm test, final test, projects, assignments, speeches, pop quizzes, outreach activities, talent show are some of the things we had to do. Some days I thought, how can I do all these? But I managed.

It was also during this tough time I was able to make many good friends. We had to do projects and activities together. It also helped me to learn life skills like how to work with people, how to work in teams, meeting deadlines and so many other things.

Today I stand behind this podium proud of what I have achieved: from an F in English, I managed to get the highest grade at a test in class; from being shy and scared, to being a confident and mature person; from running away from responsibilities to taking on challenges.

WEI is like a beacon that gives direction to the ships in the deep ocean. So thank you very much for directing my life and the lives of these young men and women sitting here today. Thank you for turning my life around. Thank you for giving me a hope and a future.

May God bless you and help you continue to change the lives of many more young men and women.

Update From Finance & Planning

Off and running in 2004

PASADENA—It seems like just yesterday that we were concerned about the so-called Y2K scare that loomed over the start of a new millennium. But that scare came and went without any significant impact and here we are starting 2004. As they say, “Time flies.”

Member donations and regular income for the first month of the new year are holding steady when compared to the same month in 2003. This year, total January donations came in at $1.38 million, while last year contributions were right at $1.30 million. So we seem to be off to a fairly good start, although sometimes the early days of a year can be misleading, so we are also cautious.

As we have been reporting the past few months, we have established a goal this year of maintaining a balanced budget—meaning our church-related expenses should not exceed our church-related donations and income. I’m happy to report that we have achieved that goal for January by keeping our expenses under that $1.38 million income level. It probably won’t be that easy doing the balancing act every month, but it is a challenge we must successfully meet.

Last month I reported in fairly great detail the annualized expenses for 2003. It’s too early in the year to have an accurate analysis of our income vs. expenses for 2004, but we will keep you posted as we go through the next couple of months. For that reason, our Finance & Planning report this month is a bit shorter than usual.

As always, we appreciate your generous donations during these rather tense years of transition. But one thing is at least clear, we are nearer now to the implementation of our new financial model than ever. And we pray that day will be soon.

In the meantime, I cannot over- express my gratification at your patience and ongoing support. Your consistent donation pattern is essential to the financial health of our church and to our long-desired future reorganization as we focus our attention even mo