December 6, 2012 Member Letter

December 6, 2012

Dear Brethren,

Unity is often discussed these days but rarely seen at any level of society. Here in the United States during the recent election, at the very top level of our government the president was accused of dividing the nation and creating what is being called class warfare. One can debate what part President Obama played in the division compared to other government officials and political parties, but there is no question that our nation is divided.

I am sure it won’t come as a surprise to anyone that God wants us as Christians to be different from the world around us. We are expected to cooperate and get along. In Psalm 133:1 King David wrote, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” In spite of the best of intentions, why is unity so hard to achieve? Shouldn’t this be high on every Christian’s list of life priorities?

The primary reason for so much division and conflict in the world today is the presence of a spirit being who is committed to disruption and division. Satan is real, and he works hard to create chaos, confusion and division. Christ said he was a “murderer from the beginning,” that there was “no truth in him,” and that “he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

In the midst of a society that has overwhelming division, lack of truth and destruction of human lives, God expects us, as Christians, to be a beacon of light (Philippians 2:15), preaching a gospel—literally “good news”—of hope! As a Church, we must warn the world of the imminent return of Jesus Christ, and we must care for those whom God will call. Yes, we believe God will yet call more people. Scripture shows us that the work of “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10) will continue right up to that return and then beyond during the Millennium.

We have seen many good things happen in the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, during the past 12 months. Personally, I don’t believe for a moment that any of them happened because of our great planning, wisdom or ability. We give God the credit and the glory.

During the annual meeting of the Ministerial Board of Directors (MBOD) this past week (Dec. 3-6), we heard exciting news about plans for next year. Clyde Kilough, operation manager for media; Doug Horchak, operation manager for Ministerial Services; and Leon Walker, international liaison, presented their operation plans to the MBOD. We also heard a most encouraging report from our treasurer, Jason Lovelady, along with a proposed budget for 2013. After three days of discussions, the board unanimously approved the strategic plan, the operation plans and our organizational budget. These documents will be sent to the elders and shared with everyone in the next couple of weeks. I want to share a few items with you from these recent meetings.

With a better than expected income for 2012, in 2013 we will be investing more funds into our media efforts for preaching the gospel and into Ministerial Services to provide care for the brethren. Our media budget was increased by 70 percent over the 2012 figure, and Ministerial Services will be investing in new programs aimed at developing leadership within the local congregations and “feeding the flock” in a more effective manner.
Media has plans to complete the new video studio/media center downstairs in the main office area at the Allen location. As soon as this is complete, we will have the capacity to produce much better video. We will be able to improve our current video productions: In Accord, commentaries, sermons, Bible studies, Bible classes and seminars.
We plan to develop e-booklets for people who are looking for more in-depth material. We may also be able to use printed versions to engage those who demonstrate a more serious interest in understanding God’s truth.
You will see in the next few weeks a revamped member website and a new website connected to LifeHopeandTruth.com. The new site will explain in more detail who we are—the organization behind LifeHopeandTruth.com. It will explain more about the Church—the structure of our organization, our Fundamental Beliefs, how to contact a minister and where our congregations are located. The member site will be the “go to” site for member information and spiritual food—sermons, Bible studies, One Accord, FI Online, Feast and camp information, Young Adult Leadership Weekends, and so forth.
We will be training new ministers to replace those who will be retiring in the next few years. We have already launched a new ministerial development program for 2013 that is called the Focused Mentoring Program or FMP for short. With six couples from around the U.S. participating in the very first year, we anticipate this program will grow and bear good fruit. Each couple will meet regularly with Ministerial Services to discuss important leadership topics, and they will be required to take 150 hours of classroom instruction from Foundation Institute instructors over the Internet. We will also be exploring ways to adapt this program to international areas, where the need for ministers is even greater.
We will be investing more time and funds in the Young Adult Leadership Weekends (YALW) to provide younger and better prepared leaders for each and every congregation.
Since almost half of our Church membership is outside the U.S., we will invest more in the international areas in 2013. With the appointment of an international liaison (Leon Walker), we now have a structure to more efficiently address the needs from an international perspective.
Foundation Institute will continue its development, with plans for expansion. We are now accepting applications for the 2013-2014 academic year; and if you are able to attend these classes, I don’t think you will be disappointed. While we are now producing FI Online, you will never be able to fully replicate over the Internet the experience of personally attending Foundation Institute.
FI Online has been a huge success, involving between 1,500 and 2,000 brethren from around the world (more than 33 nations). Next year we will offer more online classes; and as we learn how to use this medium more effectively, we hope to someday develop a full online course of instruction for those who will never be able to come to Dallas for the nine months of Foundation Institute classes.

All these plans are possible because of the generous donations from all of you, along with your prayers and a willingness to work together and support a common cause. We expect a great year ahead filled with many new initiatives. As the world gets darker and more divided, God’s people should stand out even more as a beacon of light, displaying the unity that is characteristic of true Christianity.

Since it is God who does the calling, what can we do to assist in the work ahead? The one thing all of us can do is to create an atmosphere in every single congregation that is positive, uplifting and dedicated to pleasing God. It requires that we all refuse to give way to the petty issues that can upset us and that we avoid the twigs of doctrine that sometimes divide us.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:12-13 that the very purpose of the Church and its structure is “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith.” The fruit of God’s Spirit is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). If each congregation is known by this description, how great will that be? Can we be stepping-stones for God’s way of life instead of stumbling blocks? Can we display the unity that we know is pleasing to God instead of the division that is seen all around us in this world’s society? Of course, we can! But it will require work and staying close to God.

I can’t tell you how exciting it was to discuss all these plans (the above is only a summary) for next year with the MBOD and to see their enthusiasm for getting on with the work of preaching the gospel to the world and caring for the brethren.

Thanks to all of you for your help and contribution to this work. And, above all, thanks to God for His blessings and the many opportunities that lie ahead! We are small and limited by our resources, but we must never limit God and what He is capable of doing if we are all willing to work together for a common cause!

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Jim Franks