Home Office Weekly Update: October 30, 2025
What if, instead of sizing up your problems against your own limited strength, you measured them against the power of God?
From the President...
Post-feast Activities Ramp Up
What a blessing! We as children of God preparing to reign with Jesus Christ, have had the blessing to experience another Feast of Tabernacles. Attendance worldwide was 13,577 at 67 Feast sites and 11 satellite sites.
The autumn festivals proclaim vast prophetic events, future glorious transformations, and global harmony that has yet to be experienced beyond the Body of Christ. The upcoming “Feast issue” of United Newsis a beautiful, color edition filled with unifying articles and festival reports—both international and domestic. I pray you will rejoice in the peace through love that is working in each of us, to develop greater oneness within the God Family.
The ministry and members worldwide have completed an immense effort in planning, coordinating, hosting and serving the thousands of attendees who travelled to unique locations where God placed His name.
Now that we have returned to our homes and personal responsibilities, let's continue looking forward and upward while resuming our work and responsibilities. Here is some of what is happening in the coming weeks:
- Soon United Youth Camps (UYC) will be held in the southern hemisphere where Spring has already begun. This coming week the U.S. UYC camp directors will meet at the home office to begin planning for our 2026 summer camps. All camp conferences begin with a complex set of tasks including developing the camp theme, locations, contracts, staffing, budgets, activities development, camper registration, announcements, articles, etc.
- Many regional church activities are also being finalized including the Winter Family Weekend (both in Cincinnati and the Northwest), various regional family weekends, women’s weekends, young adult gatherings and teen events. We are thankful for all the efforts underway to continue the connections that God initiates through His Sabbaths, festivals and social opportunities to be together.
- This coming week the General Conference of Elders planning committee will begin developing plans and initiatives for the 2026 GCE annual meeting.
- In two weeks, the Council of Elders and key administration staff will gather in Atlanta for a conference aimed at enhancing efforts to create a more effective Strategic Plan model. The Strategic Plan will then lead to effectively setting key goals in the associated Operation Plan, which are then facilitated in the annual Budget. These will in turn be presented to the General Conference of Elders in May for consideration and ratification.
Please continue praying for and working towards oneness within the entire Body of Christ. Let’s be praying for one another and supporting what each part contributes to the growth that is taking place in the Church.
With love and appreciation for you in Christ’s name,
John Elliott, President
From Ministerial and Member Services...
Giant Problems
You can imagine the challenging scene: the Philistine giant, Goliath, taunts the armies of Israel every single day. As he strides across the battlefield, his enormous stature and boisterous threats leave the soldiers paralyzed in fear. Then, the young shepherd boy, David, arrives and the contrast is striking. If David had measured his own strength against Goliath’s, he would have bolted from the battlefield. But that’s not what David did. Instead, he measured Goliath against the strength of God.
At times, your problems can feel just as overwhelming. They loom before you like giants, threatening to crush you under their weight. When you look at the enormity of your struggles, it can seem impossible to overcome. If you measure them against your own abilities, defeat seems inevitable.
But what if you changed the way you think? What if, instead of sizing up your problems against your own limited strength, you measured them against the power of God? The God who created the universe, who is all-powerful and all-knowing, and who has infinite resources at His disposal. Suddenly, those once-giant problems begin to shrink.
This truth is not just for David; it’s for you, too. Your God is greater than any challenge or calamity you’ll ever face. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
The challenge is learning not to let your problems define you. You don’t have to face them alone. When you bring God into your fight by trusting Him, He promises to be with you and to help you overcome. As the Word says, “Do not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself will fight for you” (Deuteronomy 3:22). It’s not by your own strength that you overcome, but by relying on His.
Stan
I’ll never forget visiting Stan after he suffered a stroke. He was just 48 years old—too young for something like that. The man who had always been strong and full of life now struggled just to speak and move his hand. I could see the frustration in his eyes when he whispered, “I don’t even feel like myself anymore.”
Over the next few months, I watched Stan face a giant that wasn’t just physical—it was the fear that his life would never be the same. He worked hard in therapy, pushing himself every day, but progress was slow. Fear loomed large, taunting him like Goliath: ”You’ll never recover. You’ll never be useful again.”
Then one day, a turning point came. Stan told me, “I’ve been fighting this all wrong. “I’ve been focusing on how small I am instead of how mighty God is.” Isaiah 41:10 became his anchor: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you.”
From that moment, something changed. The fear didn’t vanish overnight, but peace began to take its place. Each day, he prayed for God’s strength instead of relying on his own.
Slowly, his strength improved, and his faith became stronger than ever. Months later, Stan told me, “That stroke didn’t defeat me—it showed me how powerful God really is.”
Measuring against God
He was right. When you measure your giants against your own strength, they’ll always seem impossible. But when you measure them against the strength of God, they shrink to their true size. The battle was never Stan’s to win—it was God’s all along.
So, when you face giants—whether in the form of physical suffering, emotional trauma or life-altering challenges—you can find the strength to overcome not by relying on your own power, but by trusting in God’s ultimate control. As Joshua 1:9 encourages: “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
By shifting your focus from your own weakness to God’s power, your problems lose their grip on you. The more you center your attention on Him, the less your problems will dominate. As Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” When you trust in God and allow Him to lead you, you’ll grow spiritually stronger and He will receive all the glory.
And when you overcome your giants, you’ll be able to declare, just as David did, “the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).
No giant is too big for God. No challenge is too overwhelming when you face it with the strength of the Almighty on your side. Just as David defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone, you too have the power to overcome whatever stands in your way—not by your own strength, but by trusting in the One who has already won the battle for you. When you trust in God’s power, His victory becomes your victory. Stand firm in that truth, step onto your battlefield, and face your giants with the same confidence David had, knowing that with God, the battle is already won.
Pastoral Transfers
Ministerial and Member Services is pleased to announce the following pastoral transfers that will take place over the next few months.
- Michael Fike has been appointed pastor for the congregations in Northern Virginia and Columbia, Maryland. He will assume this role when the Fikes relocate to the U.S. from New Zealand, as current pastor, Ray Clore, is retiring. Mike will continue to serve as international senior pastor for New Zealand.
- Marcus Lucas and his wife, Lindsay, will transfer from pastoring the Rome, Georgia; Gadsden, Alabama; and Chattanooga, Tennessee congregations to Florida, where he will pastor the Jacksonville and Orlando congregations upon the retirement of Richard Kennebeck.
- Jason Musgrove and his wife, Tonya, will transfer from Cincinnati, Ohio to pastor the Rome, Georgia; Gadsden, Alabama; and Chattanooga, Tennessee congregations.
We appreciate your continued prayers that God’s Spirit and wisdom guide these ministers and their families in their new responsibilities.
—Steve Myers, Operation Manager, Ministerial and Member Services
REMINDER: Save the Date! Houston Regional Family Weekend
Date: December 13-14, 2025
Location: Camp Lonestar, 2610 Tuwa Rd., Tomball, TX 77375
The Houston brethren are excited to host a joyful weekend of worship and fellowship together in a beautiful nature setting. Special guests Peter and Terri Eddington will be joining us for the weekend.
Sabbath Events 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Group meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Nature walk
- Bible studies focused on deepening our faith
- Sabbath church service
- Campfire fellowship and inspirational stories
- Relaxing canoeing on the lake
- Kids Sabbath activities
- Evening music, games, s’mores and more!
Sunday Events 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Annual cornhole tournament
- Kids inflatables
- Gaga ball, basketball, volleyball, frisbee golf, hiking, canoeing and more
- Group breakfast and lunch
Registration: Details to come soon.
We hope you can join us for spiritual renewal, encouragement, family bonding and fun. This will be a weekend to remember!
—Jay and Jennifer Ledbetter
