Home Office Weekly Update: January 23, 2026

From the President...

Becoming a Different Kind of “Wall Builder”

I am consistently amazed at how wonderfully created our bodies, environments and universe are, while at the same time perplexed at how blind humanity is to God’s truth. Yet, we were once there ourselves to some degree.

Imagine our old selves as masons working tirelessly to build a solid wall. The construction of that wall has occupied much of our lives. The wall has been very successful in separating us from any influence laying on its opposite side. It has been a seemingly impenetrable defensive barrier, being too tall to see over and too thick to penetrate with sight or sound. “I touch no One and no One touches me” might describe that separation.

Such a wall isn’t only fantasy. It is the real barrier currently separating humanity from a relationship with God. Isaiah explains its composition like this: “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). Satan constantly blinds and deceives people, who in turn wall themselves off from God being an integral part of their lives.

The Second Temple in Jerusalem had physical walls and barriers. These included the Soreg, a stone wall with warning inscriptions in Greek and Latin, that separated the outer Court of the Gentiles from the inner courts, prohibiting non-Jews from proceeding further under penalty of death.

Paul uses those in an analogy as a spiritual wall of separation from God. “At that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).

How and when will people’s walls of separation come down? The One who became Jesus instructed Isaiah: “And He said, ‘Go, and tell this people: “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.” Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.’ Then I said, ‘Lord, how long?’ and He answered: ‘Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, the houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate’” (Isaiah 6:9-11).

The work of the firstfruits

Little is known of the truth of God today, even though it is all around us. Jesus said of the world, “No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Luke 10:22).

In the midst of this age of separation, God is preparing an early harvest of firstfruits to assist the world after that prophesied devastation occurs. We are offered an awesome opportunity to tear down our walls now, to see and hear in a relationship with God.

Then He turned to His disciples and said privately: “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see” (Luke 10:23). Paul spoke similarly in stating: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation” (Ephesians 2:13-14).

The time is coming when deception will end and truth will emerge. “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness” (Isaiah 29:18).

We have opportunity now to reach a few more firstfruits that God is calling out of society. We need to be shining examples of living the truth in love. Our own reconciliation with God increases as we cease old wall-building activities. Instead of walling ourselves off from God and each other, let’s be about the harmonizing work of loving God and each other (Galatians 5:21-22). We can each become a very different kind of wall builder: “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Thank you for your contribution to our building up everyone in the Body of Christ through the help and power of the Holy Spirit,

John Elliott, President

Final Issue of the Home Office Weekly Update

This is the final edition of the Home Office Weekly Update. A new, weekly edition of Church news will now be presented through United News Weekly, a companion to the monthly printed United News Church newspaper.

Communication with the Church ministry will now be through the Ministerial Communiqué, which will come out on a monthly schedule. We appreciate all that has been done these many years through the Home Office Weekly Update vehicle, and believe these two new Church communication methods will be even more effective.

Sign Up for United News Weekly

To subscribe to United News Weekly, please visit our email updates subscription page at ucg.org/subscribe-email-updates. Choose the “United News Weekly” option. If you are already a subscriber to “United Church of God Members” updates, you will automatically be converted to the new United News Weekly subscription list.

—John Elliott, President

REMINDER: 2026 Southeast Regional Formal Weekend

Registration is open for the 2026 UCG Southeast Regional Formal Weekend! It is Saturday evening, Feb. 28 at the beautiful Del’avant Event Center in LaGrange, Georgia.

The weekend includes a pizza social Friday evening, a special Sabbath, followed by a formal prom that evening. Seniors will have a special recognition right before the dance that parents can join.

We have also planned a skating/arcade/laser tag family activity on Sunday, March 1 prior to departure, so we hope you’ll plan to stay a bit longer on Sunday to allow the teens this extra social time.

Cost for the Prom is $30 per person (ages 12-19).

Cost for the family activity is $25 per person.

Schedule of Events: For out-of-town guests staying at the hotel Friday evening, we will arrange a casual get together with pizza. Let us know if you would like to come (even if you are not staying at the hotel).

Friday night pizza drop-in social in the lobby of the La Quinta Inn and Suites.

• 6:30-10:30 - Pizza delivered at 7:00.

Saturday morning

• 7:00-10:00 Complimentary breakfast served at the hotel.

Saturday afternoon and evening,

• 1:30 - Sabbath Services at Del’avant Event Center – all are welcome.
• 4:00 - Clear Room to set up for dance.
• 6:30 - Senior Recognition – all are welcome.
• 7:30-11:00 - Dance – age 12-19.

Sunday Morning,

• 7:00 - Complimentary Breakfast served at the hotel.
• 10:00 - 12:00 - Starlite Family Fun Center in Sharpsburg, Georgia.

Link to Register: Register for Southeast Formal Weekend.

Link for hotel: Reservations LaQuinta.

Rooms must be booked by 01/27/2026 to receive the discounted rate of $103.70/rm per night + tax.

Dress for the evening is formal, semi-formal or Sabbath attire.

Registration is open until February 14, 2026 but please register ASAP to assist us with planning.

If you have any questions, please contact Matthew Blackwood at (706) 668-0714 or matthew@unlockmath.com.