Announcements for May 22, 2014

Foundation Institute Update

From Dave Johnson: Foundation Institute, Center for Biblical Education, has just completed its second year of operation with a graduation ceremony this past weekend for the 16 students of the 2013-2014 academic year.

Graduation weekend began with a dessert social at the Foundation Institute classroom on Friday evening, May 16. Most of the students, their families and guests, and several staff members from the headquarters office were able to enjoy a casual evening of fellowshipping. Those guests who had not visited the headquarters office were able to tour the facilities and classroom.

At services on the Sabbath, one of the graduating students, Courtney Hall, gave the sermonette on the importance of using what we have been given and took time to thank the Dallas congregation for its hospitality and support during this past year. Church President Jim Franks followed with the baccalaureate sermon, covering the importance of having a clear vision of where we need to go and being able to apply the knowledge we have gained to accomplishing that vision. Following services, the students and faculty gathered outside the meeting hall for class pictures.

On Saturday evening the students and guests gathered at the Plano Centre for dinner and the graduation ceremony. Clyde Kilough, Student Affairs officer, delivered the keynote address, drawing upon his recent trip to Jordan and Israel. He used the metaphor of a pencil to encourage the graduates to strive to become tools God could use to write the future of the Church. Ralph Levy (academic officer) and David Johnson (admissions officer) then presented the graduates with their formal completion certificates. The students presented gifts of appreciation to Dr. Levy and Mr. Johnson as their primary instructors, took a few more class pictures, and then visited with friends and family for the remainder of the evening.

While a few of the graduates will remain in the Dallas area, most of the students will be returning to their home church areas, eager to help out wherever needed as well as to continue their education.

We have currently completed the first round of acceptances for the 2014-2015 academic year, and we are reviewing a few more applications. In order to plan for the next year, we have asked that applications be submitted by May 31. We are able to consider applications submitted after that date, but it makes planning and preparation more difficult. Please encourage any who may be thinking about applying to submit their applications as quickly as possible.

We are looking forward to the Continuing Education seminars scheduled for July. We still have room for a few more people in each session, so please let those who might be interested know that they need to contact us right away if they still wish to attend.

Our thanks to the brethren for their prayers and continuing support for Foundation Institute.

Camp Announcements

Camp registration. Hey everyone, it’s just about camp time! Registration opened two months ago, and this summer’s deadline for many camps is May 31. You only have a few more weeks to register, and we’re eager to see your online registration!

As a reminder (one which your confirmation email message will point out), registering online only starts the process. We still need you to mail the appropriate camp director(s) a current photo of yourself, the signed signatures and releases document (remember, parents must also sign for any camper or staff applicant who is a minor) and the check for any fees. These must be received by the camp director before he can finalize your acceptance at camp. We’re eager to see lots of accepted campers and staff members, so browse on over to http://camps.cogwa.org, complete your online registration and mail back the needed documents!

By now, you should have seen the 2014 Camp Video in your local congregation. If you happened to miss it for some reason, you can find it at the camp website. Come join us at camp for a great time with peers of like mind while we explore the topic of “The Narrow Path: Accept the Challenge.”

Special staff needs. We still need a few specialized staff members for a couple of our camps. The Sequoia (California) teen camp is in need of a nurse and possibly a certified lifeguard. If you have the necessary credentials and would like to help by giving of your time in a majestic setting in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, please register now! As well, the Chattahoochee preteen camp in Georgia is also in need of a certified lifeguard.

Camp scholarship assistance. To enable as many campers as possible to attend this year, we are once again offering partial tuition scholarships to any who need the financial help. We can only provide assistance to those attending one camp—typically the closest one. If this would help you be able to attend this summer, please contact the camp director and ask him to send you the scholarship form.

Summary of April PCD Activity

From Cecil Maranville: We replied to one urgent request by phone and sent out 182 emails in addition. (Thirty-nine of those were written by Mike Bennett, who pitched in to help me catch up on the backlog.) That figure is news in itself, as the previous highest monthly total we had was 115. The high number reflects a large backlog, as well as a large number of new emails.

Responding to the growing number of requests from members and ministers alike for more information on how a question is answered, I will report some in more detail. The downside of this is that I will summarize fewer questions, lest the report grow too long.

One question we probably all always ask ourselves is whether we are getting through to the public with our message. Here’s a sampling of emails that illustrates that we are. Two people asked about baptism, one wanting to know how he could be baptized and the other wanting to know more information about it. A person requested a copy of COGWA beliefs, explaining that he is looking for a church that worships on the Sabbath, and asked if he could become part of our church. Someone with previous COG experience asked if COGWA recognizes baptisms performed by WCG offshoots.

A person responding to the Daily Bible Verse Blog wrote that he wants to give his life to God and asked for guidance. Another wrote about her dedication to the Fourth Commandment, explaining she is looking for a church to attend and to fellowship with people of like mind. A person asked for practical examples of how to seek the Kingdom first when faced with challenging life situations. Another contact asked to be able to observe the Passover and festivals with us. A woman from South Africa asked if we have a congregation in Pretoria. Lastly, we received an additional “thank you” message about the Daily Bible Verse Blog and a general note of appreciation about the website itself from a Protestant pastor.

We received six to 10 emails about the 10 Commandments, including one that asked where the original script could be found. (There actually is a full copy in the Dead Sea Scrolls.) One person asked for advice on how she could “redraft the commandments in positive form.” We tactfully avoided commenting that God seemed to think the form He chose was a good one. We did explain that the “you will not” phrase common to the commandments is not negative, but rather that it gives positive direction for life. We encouraged the individual to read two articles in particular that emphasize the positive nature of the commandments (“Go and Sin No More” and “What Are the 10 Commandments?”).

A few people took us to task for giving “the wrong list” of the commandments, referring, of course, to how the Roman Catholic Church (and perhaps others) combines the first two commandments and divides the last commandment into two separate ones. These questions gave us an opportunity to explain that the Bible is our source, mentioning the fact that even the Bible used by the Roman Catholic Church translates Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 in the same way the King James Versions do. It comes down to a matter of choice on the part of church leaders to present the commandments as they do. We explained that we “agree to disagree” with those who choose other ways to state the commandments than the Bible does.

A single woman wrote that, because she is single, she assumes the Seventh Commandment has no application for her. We responded that each of the commandments is a statement of principle, rather than a narrow statement of law in the sense that most human law is; and that there is an intent behind each commandment. We directed her to our article on the Seventh Commandment so that she could see the many ways it applies to singles, as well as to married people.

No matter how clearly an article is written, it does not get through to everyone who reads it. After reading our article “Was the Sabbath Changed to Sunday?” a person responded: “So, the Sabbath day is and always has been Sunday? Right? Day of rest!” At least by writing to us, the person invited us to correct the misunderstanding. (It remains to be seen whether the person got the point from the email, having failed to get it from the article.)

A father who sees himself as being without prejudice set about to educate his family on all faiths. To accomplish this, he has been inviting elders from various faiths into his home to explain their religion. Instead of making things clearer, his family is more confused than ever, and he asked for our advice. We pointed out that it would take untold years for his family to be able to hear from representatives of the countless faiths (and the related branches of those faiths). We explained that there’s a difference between knowing in general what the faiths of the world believe (a laudable concept) and guiding his family to understand the one true faith (a necessary concept). We introduced to him the idea that Jesus promised the one true Church would still exist, and we directed him to articles that can help him pursue this study if he chooses to do so.

A person asked what the Bible says about managing one’s death and whether the Bible says a person should attempt to live as long as possible. Reading between the lines, we assumed this individual is seeking advice about whether to take medical treatment (which may prolong life) for a serious illness, injury or aging. We explained that we assumed he was not speaking of committing suicide and directed him to the article on the subject. Explaining how we took his question, we answered that it is a personal decision whether to take conventional or alternative medical treatments that might possibly prolong one’s life. The Bible does not make that decision for us. We encouraged the individual to consider the ramifications of his decision upon family and friends, as well as to balance quality vs. quantity of life. We directed him to information about the purpose of life, emphasizing that this present life is temporary for everyone and that each of us needs to concentrate on preparing for the life to come in God’s Kingdom.

Another counseling situation involved a woman living with abusive, alcoholic partner. Although unmarried, they have had children together. There has been violence, and she had to do have him removed from her home. She would like him to recover and be able to preserve the family. She wanted to know if he would ever see where he has gone wrong and if they would reunite. We told her that there is no way to know with certainty what would happen; but that unless the man turned to God with all his heart, there frankly is not much likelihood of the change that is necessary. Yet we affirmed that God could indeed help the man change, even though he faces a difficult struggle. We encouraged the woman that she made the right decision to put the children’s and her safety first and that she should continue to do so. We cautioned her about the typical cycle of “charm and repentance” that an alcoholic puts on after a cycle of abuse, telling her that she needs to wait until she sees fruit of change for a long enough time to be certain that it is genuine. We directed her to one of our new articles on what to do when a relationship turns toxic, as well as to articles about the Seventh Commandment, living together outside of marriage and overcoming alcoholism.

Lastly, readers of these reports have come to expect a glimpse at some of the more unusual questions that we receive. One email writer asked for the scripture that mentions “the great white bear from the north.” A person wanted to know if the name “Harris” is Jewish and, if so, from which tribe(!). We were asked to confirm that the Bible divides the stages of a man’s life in three parts: birth, marriage and death. Someone wanted to know whether the Bible mentions the speed of light. Another asked us to list what the prophets were forbidden to do, “beginning with an x or ex.” And someone wanted to know whether the disciples had walking sticks with them on their journeys.