News at a Glance

• GNmagazine.org Continues Rapid Growth
• Treasurer's Report
• Strategic Planning Process Moves Into Action Phase
• ABC Update
• Youth Corps Jordan Project Update
• Transfer Announced
• ABC Alumni: E-Mail Address Updates Needed
• Address Change for Kerrville Activities
• Bend Dinner Train Details Announced [See PDF Version]
• Space Still Available at Bahamas Site
• Jacksonville 40th Set for Sept. 13
• International Mail Clerk Job Opening Announced
• Associate Editor Job Opening Announced
• Calendar of Events [See PDF Version]
• What's New on the Web?

Note: For charts and graphs mentioned, see the PDF or printed versions.

GNmagazine.org Continues Rapid Growth

In the four years since the redesign of the Good News magazine Web site, GNmagazine.org, we've seen extremely encouraging growth. Please see the bar graph below that highlights this growth by fiscal year. It shows that from the 2004-2005 fiscal year through the 2007-2008 fiscal year, we have grown from just 310,455 annual visitors to more than 2.31 million per year!

The Internet presence of the Church is a very significant tool in preaching the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations. In addition to GNmagazine.org, we also have several other very key pieces of Internet real estate at verticalthought.org, beyondtoday.tv, wnponline.org, ucg.org and thisistheway.org. With several sub-domain sites, like members.ucg.org and abc.ucg.org, plus content in almost all the major languages of the world, we're setting a good foundation for an even stronger Internet presence.

Please pray for God to grant us ever increasing coverage and exposure in our gospel efforts around the world.

—Peter Eddington

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Treasurer's Report

We ended last fiscal year with a total income amount of $23,478,000. While this was 6 percent under what was projected, it still represented an increase in income of approximately 2 percent over the previous year. Expenses for last year were $24,878,000. If you add back the capital purchases made this past year, specifically the land purchase in Denton, Texas, of $1,600,000, we had a net income over operating expenses of approximately $200,000. In addition, we ended the year with an unencumbered cash balance of $5,907,000. This represents 12.54 weeks of cash reserve. While this is encouraging, we still anticipate our cash balances to temporarily drop below the desired 10-week cash reserve level between now and the fall Holy Days.

For the month of July, the first month of the new fiscal year, mail income was $1,478,000 compared with $1,468,000 of last year. This is good news when compared with May and June results. At the same time, however, because we ended last year with less than anticipated income growth, we will need to see a greater level of income growth this year, that of approximately 4 percent, to hit our budgeted number of $24,500,000.

—Jason Lovelady

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Strategic Planning Process Moves Into Action Phase

As the new fiscal year began in July, the administration and staff at the home office continued busily working on the next step in the strategic planning process, said Treasurer Jason Lovelady. This step is developing the action plans needed to achieve each of the strategies approved by the General Conference of Elders in May. (See the Strategic and Operation Plans in the June United News, pages 8 and 9.)

According to a handout from the contracted strategic planning facilitator, Leadership Strategies, action plans detail the specific steps to be taken to implement a strategy. They state what will be done, by whom and by when.

Leadership Strategies is scheduled to meet with the administration in October to further educate and assist the administration in this process, Mr. Lovelady said. In addition, Leadership Strategies will also further educate and assist the Council and administration during the Council meeting in December in how to properly monitor and assess the implementation of the plan.

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ABC Update

ABC graduation weekend activities take place Aug. 9 and 10. We have 31 graduating students this year. We have found that this size class is much more ideal for the student/faculty ratio and the facilities we currently have.

We are also gearing up for the new nine-month ABC program that begins Sept. 7. So far we have accepted 17 students, and we have a few applications in the vetting process. We anticipate having a smaller class for this transition year as we move to the nine-month program.

—David Register

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Youth Corps Jordan Project Update

The five volunteers for the 10-month United Youth Corps project in Jordan gathered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Aug. 1 for a three-day orientation meeting before leaving for Jordan. Cory Erickson, an elder from St. Paul, Minnesota, is the project manager. He conducted the orientation after a welcome from Clyde Kilough and David Register.

The volunteers are Lewis and Lena VanAusdle from Ohio, Zach and Emily Smith from Ohio, and Tine Banda from Texas. Four of the five volunteers are ABC graduates. They will be leaving for Jordan in mid-August and return next July. (For more details, see "United Youth Corps Volunteers Announced," July 2008 United News, page 1.)

—David Register

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Transfer Announced

Jim Franks, Ministerial Services operation manager, announced that Ken and Kathy Giese are transferring from Houston South, Texas, to Sacramento, California. Mr. and Mrs. Giese have been in Houston since 1996, and also served in Houston in the early and mid-'80s. He has been the regional pastor in the South Central Region since 1996 as well. "He will be replacing Joe Horchak as the pastor for Sacramento and Reno [Nevada]. Joe and Jackie Horchak will continue living and working in the area as the associate" Mr. Franks wrote in the July 31 Ministerial Services Newsletter and Journal .

"At the present time we do not have a replacement in Houston for [Mr. Giese], nor have we made a decision on a new regional pastor. Jim and Judy Servidio will be asked to take on the responsibility of pastoring the South congregation if we don't have a replacement when the Gieses actually move," Mr. Franks wrote. Mr. Servidio is pastor of the Houston North congregation.

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ABC Alumni: E-Mail Address Updates Needed

David Johnson, Ambassador Bible Center alumni coordinator, is trying to maintain an up-to-date listing of the e-mail addresses of all former ABC students. "Since e-mail is the only way we can effectively communicate with alumni, we really need updated addresses," he said. "We currently have 369 former students on our listing, but we know some of those e-mail addresses are no longer valid. On June 17 we sent a message about the new ABC video. If any alumnus did not receive that message, it's probably because the e-mail address we have is not current or correct."

Alumni who did not receive that June 17 message can update their address by e-mailing the alumni coordinator at david_johnson@ucg.org.

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Address Change for Kerrville Activities

The address listed for the Kerrville Festival activity ticket order form in the recent Festival Site Activity Announcements brochure has changed. The correct address is: Festival Activity c/o Laura Richey, 2083 Wimpole Ct., Roanoke, TX 76262.

—Britton Taylor

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Bend Dinner Train Details Announced

The Crooked River Dinner Train, mentioned in the Bend-Redmond, Oregon, section of the Festival Site Activity Announcements brochure, has provided more details. They will add a Wednesday train to the schedule for Oct. 15 if at least 65 passengers from the United Church of God are able to commit to this train. Boarding begins at 6 p.m. The train will leave at 7 and return at 10 p.m.

The discounted rates are $70 per adult aged 13 and above, $65 per senior and $39 per child (aged 3 to 12). Meal choices are beef, chicken or vegetarian.

Please make reservations online at www.crookedriverdinnertrain.com or call (541) 447-4485, and be sure to include UCG in the name on the reservation (example, UCG Smith, Jim.) This will be the only way to insure that you receive the discounted rates. Other dates, open to the public, are also available at regular rates.

—Larry Walker

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Space Still Available at Bahamas Site

We are still taking reservations for the Feast at the beautiful Westin and Sheraton Our Lucaya Beach and Gulf Resort, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas. Brethren can request a Festival transfer package from Kingsley Mather at kingsley_mather@ucg.org.

—Kingsley Mather

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Jacksonville 40th Set for Sept. 13

Jacksonville, Florida, will be celebrating its 40th anniversary as a congregation on Sept. 13, 2008. Members who formerly attended in Jacksonville are invited to attend and share in this celebration. David Mills, the first pastor, will give the main message on that day.

If you would like to attend this special occasion, please contact Drexel Shiver at sharonshiver@yahoo.com for details.

—Roy Demarest

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International Mail Clerk Job Opening Announced

Larry Salyer, Media operation manager, has announced an opening for a mail clerk to handle international mail at the home office in Milford, Ohio.

The international mail clerk is responsible for tracking and maintaining the database of literature requests and other related requests from areas outside the United States.

Potential employees must be baptized members (in good standing) of the United Church of God. Applicants must be able to work with and protect confidential information and demonstrate a good knowledge of world geography and a familiarity with international language styles, preferably in Spanish, Portuguese, French or German (names, streets and various terms). Being bilingual in Spanish or Portuguese is a plus. Applicants must also have excellent computer and typing skills.

High school degree or equivalent and one to two years' related experience and/or training in above average to advanced computer skills is required. Experience with databases, Web-based applications, e-mail and general office duties is essential.

For more information about the position, please contact human_resources@ucg.org.

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Associate Editor Job Opening Announced

Larry Salyer, Media operation manager, has announced an opening for associate editor for United News. Managing Editor Mike Bennett is taking on additional job responsibilities, creating the need for this position.

The associate editor will copyedit and lay out United News, as well as assist in the coordination, production and editing of United Coworker News, the Festival Planning Brochure, the United Youth Camps Magazine, the Festival activity brochure and World News and Prophecy.