News at a Glance

• Elder Credentialed
• King of the South Lecture Draws 32 New People in Washington
• U.S. Holy Day Offerings Reported
• Singapore Site Replaces Malaysia
• Electronic Contributions Being Studied
• President Gives Hymnal Update
• Staff Members Tour Bulk Mail Center
• Bend Designated as Deaf and Hard of Hearing Site
• Lafayette Hosting Melody of Music
• Southern California Holds Young Adult/ Teen Weekend
• Wild Game Recipe Deadline Aug. 1
• Attention Published Authors and Musicians!
• Calendar of Events
• What's New on the Web?

Elder Credentialed

On May 10, 2006, the Council of Elders approved the credentialing of Randy Duke as an elder. He and his wife, Laurie, are serving in the Cape Girardeau, Missouri, congregation.

[ back to top ]

King of the South Lecture Draws 32 New People in Washington

Brethren in the Tacoma and Olympia, Washington, congregations sent out over 500 letters inviting Good News subscribers in the area to a special public Bible lecture, "The King of the South and the Abomination of Desolation in History and Prophecy."

Fred Reeves, an elder in the area, put together a PowerPoint presentation that led the audience through the somewhat detailed subject. He used history to highlight the accuracy of God's prophecies and to explain how to understand the abomination of desolation. Mr. Reeves said, "The lectures went well. We planted some seeds."

Many local brethren came to serve and benefit from the message and fellowship with the 32 "new people," about half of whom had a Church of God background.

Pastor Rex Sexton said, "These lectures drew the largest response percentagewise that I have ever seen. The subject was specific and timely, plus we asked the members in both church areas to pray and set aside one day to fast, asking God to inspire people to respond."

Two of the lectures were held before the Feast of Unleavened Bread (in Tumwater and Bremerton.) The upcoming feast added exciting conversational material and opportunities to talk about God's Holy Days. The final lecture (Tacoma) was recorded on video for a person who couldn't attend.

Jerry Berg said, "The literature table we set up was well received, the atmosphere was very friendly and the people were happy to stay late and fellowship." Some asked for directions to services and one family contacted Mr. Sexton for a personal visit.

Mr. Sexton added, "It is important that we keep in communication with those that God might be calling. These lectures give people who are interested an easy way to make contact with us and see what we are about."

—Logan Smith

U.S. Holy Day Offerings Reported

The offering reported for the First Day of Unleavened Bread in the United States was $764,048.09, with an attendance of 13,248. This represents a 1.2 percent increase in attendance and a 2.8 percent increase in the offering amount over 2005. Once all offerings that were individually mailed to the home office are processed, this figure should reach $780,000.

For the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, the reported offering amount was $738,648.30, with an attendance of 12,026. This represents a 0.9 percent increase in attendance and a 3.2 percent increase in the offering amount over 2005.Once all offerings that were individually mailed are processed, this figure may reach around $760,000.

—Gerald Seelig

[ back to top ]

Singapore Site Replaces Malaysia

A new Feast site in Singapore is replacing the previously announced Malacca, Malaysia, site this year. Singapore is a modern Asian city-state offering a wide array of cultural, historical and outdoor attractions for visitors of all ages and nationalities.

Local brethren from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore welcome international visitors to attend services with them in the spacious Orchid Country Club in Singapore. All services are conducted in English.

Many brethren also plan to stay at the Orchid Country Club (www.orchidclub.com). The grounds include three swimming pools, a fitness club, tennis courts, a 30-lane bowling alley and an 18-hole golf course. This facility is owned and operated by the Singaporean government and offers reasonable pricing for both Singaporeans and international visitors alike. Various cuisines are offered in the on-site restaurants. Free shuttle bus service connects guests with the efficient Singaporean mass transit system, which operates more than 18 hours a day.

Room rates for the Orchid Country Club are listed in Singapore dollars (S$), including 5 percent goods and services tax (GST). Prices are per room (or suite, as indicated) per night. The current exchange rate is approximately S$1 equals US$0.63 or US$1 equals S$1.58 (www.xe.com).

•Deluxe twin room (one queen bed and one single bed or two single beds), includes breakfast: S$116 (single occupancy) and S$126 (double occupancy). Extra bed is S$37, includes breakfast for one person.

•Deluxe family room (one queen bed and two single beds) for two adults/two children, includes breakfast for four: S$147.

•Deluxe suite (two bedrooms and one living room), includes breakfast for four persons: S$315.

A brief listing of local sites and attractions includes the Singapore Botanical Gardens, Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Chinese Gardens, Jurong Bird Park, Underwater World, Sentosa Island, the Asian Civilizations Museums , the Merlion and the Singapore Science Centre. A wide variety of tourism information is available from the Singaporean Tourism Web site www.visitsingapore.com.

For further information and bookings at the Orchid Country Club, contact Jeff Caudle by mail at P.O. Box 22, Shortland St., Auckland 1015, New Zealand; by phone at +64-9-817 5496; or by e-mail at jeff_caudle@ucg.org.

—Jeff Caudle

[ back to top ]

Electronic Contributions Being Studied

Treasurer Tom Kirkpatrick gave the Council of Elders a brief overview May 10 of preliminary research by a task force into the feasibility and advisability of using an electronic system for contributions to the Church. The Council asked Dr. Kirkpatrick to provide more information at the meetings in August.

—Don Henson

President Gives Hymnal Update

UCG IA President Clyde Kilough gave the Council an update on the new hymnal project May 10. He said it is not likely that the hymnal will be ready prior to this year's Feast of Tabernacles, as hoped. He emphasized that the goal is to "get it right," not to get it fast.

A number of elements of the task remain, including reviewing the 250 hymns submitted by members, correcting mistakes in the current hymnal, reviewing the doctrinal accuracy of all the proposed hymns and producing pianist and song leader editions and an accompanist CD of the new hymnal.

A further update will be provided to the Council in its meetings in August.

—Don Henson

Staff Members Tour Bulk Mail Center

On Thursday, May 18, nine employees from the home office attended a Cincinnati Postal Customer Council meeting, which included a tour of the Cincinnati Bulk Mail Center. The purpose of the tour was to help postal customers better understand why sortation and barcoding help keep the cost of postage down.

The Cincinnati Bulk Mail Center is a huge facility, covering 55 acres. It has 166 dock spaces and over 33 miles of conveyors in the 543,150-square foot building. Cincinnati is sixth in volume of mail processed in the 21 bulk mail centers in the United States.

Home office staff members who attended were Richard Kennebeck and Paul Wasilkoff from the Information Technology Department, and Connie Seelig, Doris Phelps, Emma Kennebeck, Carole Gholson, Janet Treadway, Lina Reid and Larry Perkins from the Mail Processing Department. The tour helped the staff understand the processes the U.S. Postal Service requires in order to receive reduced postage rates.

—Connie Seelig

[ back to top ]

Bend Designated as Deaf and Hard of Hearing Site

The officially designated Feast of Tabernacles site for deaf and hard of hearing brethren in 2006 is Bend, Oregon. Interpreters skilled in oral interpreting and American Sign Language will be available at this site.

If you would like to serve as a notetaker, interpreter or real-time captioner, or if you have questions regarding our services for the deaf and hard of hearing, either at Bend or another site, please contact Mark or Barbara Welch at (918) 247-4325 or mark_welch@ucg.org.

—Mark Welch

[ back to top ]

Lafayette Hosting Melody of Music

This July 4th weekend the Lafayette, Indiana, brethren are sponsoring Melody of Music, a weekend of camping, Christian music and fellowship. A variety of music is being planned, including jazz, folk, rock, country, blues and much more. Some of the other activities include swimming, bike rides, a nature hunt, face painting, horseshoes, checkers and a fireworks display by the owner of the campgrounds.

The chef has been planning a nutritious menu with campers' health in mind, or campers can bring their own food. The Lafayette brethren want their guests to share this event for the 2 1/2 days with a minimum preparation time. Visitors can bring a tent, pop-up, RV or just camp underneath the stars.

A video promo is available on the Web site. Please register on the site at www.mom07.com; by telephone, (765) 404-6509; by fax, (765) 447-7051; or by mail, P.O. Box 5314, Lafayette, IN 47903.

All net proceeds from Melody of Music 2006 will go to LifeNets Developing Nations Scholarship Fund that helps more than 60 United Church of God youth and young adults attend university or finish high school.

Sabbath services on July 1 will be at 2 p.m. A detailed map to services in West Lafayette is located on the Web site www.ucg-lafayette.org.

—Tony Pacelli

[ back to top ]

Southern California Holds Young Adult/Teen Weekend

The Garden Grove, California, congregation will be hosting a summer weekend for young adults and teens on the weekend of July 13 to 16. Activities include a meet-and-greet pool party, beach bonfire, Sabbath brunch/Bible study, followed by services (with guest speaker, Clyde Kilough), open gym night, beach party and a farewell dance. Young people ages 13 to 25 are welcome. There is a $20 per person registration fee to help cover the cost of the weekend meals and activities.

For more information on Southern California's "O.C. Summer Bash," you may contact Aaron Weis at EhsJock14@yahoo.com or DeAnn Weis at Luky2binhb@yahoo.com.

—Aaron Weis

[ back to top ]

Wild Game Recipe Deadline Aug. 1

The Loveland, Colorado, congregation would appreciate more recipes to make their wild game cookbook as complete as possible. All profit will be donated to the United Youth Camp Scholarship Fund. Please contact Tammie Pearce at pearcet@heska.com or write her at 617 N. 1st St., Johnstown, CO 80534. The deadline is Aug. 1, after which the book will be produced with the available recipes.

—Larry Neff

[ back to top ]

Attention Published Authors and Musicians!

We occasionally hear of United Church of God members who have published a book or recorded a CD. Congratulations! These are great accomplishments, and we know many members would be interested to know about your achievements. Though we strive to avoid promoting or seeming to advertise any products, for news and informational purposes we would like to feature the published authors and musicians in a special section of the August United News. Please take a few minutes to answer these questions and send a photograph by July 10.

1. Your Name, Congregation and Pastor's Name.

2. Name of book(s) published or musical recording(s) produced in the last five years (include date of publication or production).

3. Tell a little bit about the work(s) and how it (they) came about.

4. Tell a little bit about yourself (date of baptism, church activities, family, hobbies, etc.).

5. Optional: Comments from one or two Church members about your accomplishment.

6. Web address or e-mail address for more information.

Please send with a recent photo (conforming to biblical standards) by July 10 by
e-mail to Mike_Bennett@ucg.org or by mail to United News, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027.

We reserve the right to use or not use items at our discretion and to edit for clarity and length; 250-word maximum length. Thanks!

[ back to top ]

Calendar of Events

June 10-11: Fifth annual Family Weekend, St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida
(http://ucg-tampabay.org/).

July 1: Creation Seminars on Noah's Ark and Early Man, Toronto, Ontario. Guest speaker: Arnold Mendez Sr. For more information, contact Anthony Wasilkoff by e-mail at anthony_wasilkoff@ucg.ca or by phone at (905) 876-9966 or see
www.ucg-toronto.org or www.amendez.com.

July 2-4: Melody of Music, Lafayette, Indiana (www.mom07.com).

July 13-16: Teen/Young Adult Weekend in Garden Grove, California (Luky2binhb@yahoo.com).

July 20-23: Bluegrass Family Fun Weekend at Sally Buffalo Park near Cadiz, Ohio (www.ucgnet.org/wheeling/bluegrass).

Aug. 5-6: Denver, Colorado, 50th Anniversary (larry_neff@ucg.org).

Aug. 6: Ocoee white-water rafting trip, hosted by Cleveland, Tennessee, congregation. Details next issue, or contact Allen Dance at (423) 855-0868 or at allendance@hotmail.com.

Aug. 21-25: ABC Continuing Education Seminars, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Sept. 3: Second Annual UCG Houston Music Festival.

Sept. 9-10: ABC Continuing Education Seminars, Denver, Colorado.

Oct. 28-29: ABC Continuing Education Seminars, Atlanta, Georgia.

Nov. 4-5: ABC Continuing Education Seminars, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

Nov. 11-12: ABC Continuing Education Seminars, Calgary, Alberta.

Nov. 18-19: ABC Continuing Education Seminars, Morton, Illinois (dates still tentative).

Please send calendar items to mike_bennett@ucg.org.

[ back to top ]

What's New on the Web?

Youth Media

Visit www.ucg.org/youth/videomp3.htm to watch past United Youth Camp and Ambassador Bible Center videos. While you're there, download MP3 files of informative and helpful sermons targeted toward teens and young adults.

Home Office Information

Do you want to know more about the home office? Visit www.ucg.org/about/homeoffice/ to read UCG IA President Clyde Kilough's biography and view a new photo of the home office staff.

Study Papers

Interested in studying a doctrinal topic in depth? Visit www.ucg.org/papers/ for a list of study papers available for download in Adobe PDF format.

UCG Commentary

"The Growing 'Wellness' Revolution"

"End-Time Scoffers Seek to Discredit the Bible"

"Why Did I Find Just One Watch?"

"Half of Africa Is Disappearing"

"Is 'The Gospel of Judas' Believable?"

www.ucg.org/commentary/

Featured Link of the Month

Good Works Program
www.ucg.org/goodworks

If you have questions, contact: webmaster@ucg.org