United News: August 2006

When the campers got grounded at Hye Sierra this year, it wasn't a punishment.

Last fiscal year 135,000 copies of the Bible Study Course were reprinted, for a total of 1.18 million copies of all lessons printed so far.

Calendar of Events

Only nine days after being established, a special fund-raiser reached its goal to provide $600 for airfare for United Church of God member Mnazakan Poghassjan to attend this year's Feast of Tabernacles in Schluchsee, Germany.

Recently members of the Canton, Ohio, congregation honored three young graduates with a reception after services.

Camp Woodmen plunged into "the Zone" with both feet Sunday, July 2, kicking off its final year at the northern Alabama facilities.

As of June 2006 there were 15,407 subscribers to the weekly www.ucg.org Web site updates, a 44 percent increase over a year ago!

What's New on the Web?

Ambassador Bible Center students gathered together for a LifeNets car wash fund-raiser on Sunday, June 25.

On Wednesday, May 24, 40 ladies, representing the ABC class, home office staff and the wives of some of the home office staff, gathered together to encourage one another in their reading endeavors.

Tom Clark, 43, pastor of the Liberal, Salina and Wichita, Kansas, congregations, accompanied Melvin Rhodes to the West African nation of Ghana in May.

The Braille Bible Foundation provides KJV and NKJV Braille Bibles to blind and visually-impaired people anywhere in the world at no cost.

David Baker and Jeff Caudle (senior pastors serving Southeast Asia, New Zealand and South Pacific) requested that Ministerial Services send representatives of the Leadership Workshops and Ministerial Development Program to conduct seminars and workshops for the Church leadership in the...

O'Neill Regional Park in Orange County, California, was the beautiful setting for a very special Sabbath service.

April 15 approximately 50 women of all ages from the Houston North, Texas, congregation came together to bond, encourage each other and learn about God's Word.

Clay Thornton (senior video producer) and Peter Eddington (Media and Communications Services operation manager) traveled to Australia and New Zealand June 13 through 26 to record material for this year's Feast of Tabernacles sermon video to be titled Life Anew...

A U.S. federal district court in Fayetteville, Arkansas, ruled for a Seventh-day Adventist who sought accommodation for his Sabbath-keeping beliefs.

Distribution of The Good News magazine and other Church literature from within Zimbabwe began in February 2000 after our pastor, André van Belkum, asked if my wife, Primrose, and I would be willing to take up the task, and we...

Sarah Williams, a 14-year-old who attends the Central New Jersey congregation with her parents Angela and Larry Williams, received the following certificate signed by U.S. President George Bush:

On July 2, Justin M. Brunick, the seventh and youngest son of Edward and Claudia Brunick, received his Eagle Scout award, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.

Leslie McCullough was born in Nebraska and grew up in Oregon.

Worldwide Church of God officials announced on June 26, 2006, that it is placing all Dwight Armstrong composed hymns to which it owns the copyright into the public domain.

The work of the Church in Suriname (a country in northern South America that was formerly called Dutch Guiana) used to be administered by the Dutch office in Europe.

The young adults of the East Texas congregation hosted a ladies' tea on Sunday, May 21, celebrating and honoring the women in the congregation as "Women of Character."

Excursions into "the Zone" have been reported at several United Youth Camps (UYC) this summer.

Celebrating Published Authors and Musicians

The Traditional Values Coalition Web site quoted Mario Seiglie's article from the latest Vertical Thought magazine, including a link to the article on the Vertical Thought Web site.

In Canada, income for the first three months of the fiscal year is ahead of budget, while Holy Day offerings are close to what was budgeted.

Brethren from Wyoming and Idaho felt very blessed to enjoy camping and Sabbath services at a beautiful campsite near Granite Hot Springs, Wyoming, June 16 to 18.

As the minds of people around the world focused on the fighting in the Middle East, millions of computer users came across ads offering literature that could help them make sense of the confusing and dangerous situation.

The Education Advisory Task Force met in the Los Angeles, California, area on Saturday evening, June 24, and Sunday, June 25, for a discussion about the Church's education programs.

The Salt Lake City, Utah, congregation will be hosting its annual Ski Weekend Feb. 16 to 19, 2007 (Presidents' Day weekend).

The Beyond Today television program brought in 111 responses in Canada as of July 6.

Tropical Storm Alberto dampened the weather, but not the spirits, at the annual Tampa Bay Family Weekend, June 10 and 11.

Pinecrest Camp completed another successful year in "the Zone"—an atmosphere modeled after the Kingdom of God.

A total of 4.2 million copies of UCG's 32 booklets have been printed since United began in 1995.

Ministerial Services has invited 13 men and their wives from local congregations in the United States , Canada and South Africa to the fifth Leadership Workshop.

Kingsley Mather's visit to the island of St. Kitts Jan. 13 to 21 was very eventful for that small congregation. A young lady, Samantha Smitten, was baptized.

Elizabeth A. Cannon graduated May 5 with a bachelor of arts in English with a minor in history from the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University.