Forum Summary: Reviewing Tomorrow’s World “Whiteboard”

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Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 2 min.

This week, in a Forum that took on a different form from that of the lecture-type sessions we normally have,

the Living Ed students had the opportunity to visit the Tomorrow’s World studio, where we started our tour in the control room. The students were given a brief overview of the different pieces of equipment and were introduced to the staff members who work with all of these devices. At that point, the students were given a chance to become part of the creative process by providing feedback about a Tomorrow’s World Whiteboard video currently in the development stage.

The Whiteboard video the students were shown was titled “How Jesus Taught His Disciples to Pray.” Once it concluded, the students were encouraged to make suggestions about how to improve it. Our comments addressed topics ranging from where in the video the Tomorrow’s World logo should appear to how often throughout the video the graphic of the hand should be shown writing what is being said. We also spent quite a bit of time discussing the various major platforms that the Church could utilize, in order to preach the Gospel to a wider variety of demographics. The students were quite eager to offer their opinions, and Mr. Michael DeSimone, Manager of the Television Department, and Mr. Jake Hall, Lead Editor for Tomorrow’s World, were just as happy to hear them.

In the end, the opportunity to review one of the Whiteboard videos provided a very interesting experience for the students. It was much appreciated by Mr. DeSimone and Mr. Hall, as they were able to receive feedback from the student body on how to improve these videos, as well as engage in some discussion regarding which platforms would be most effective for continuing to preach the Gospel. Even reviewing a video helps the Work, and it was a great opportunity for all of us.

To access all published Tomorrow’s World Whiteboard videos, check them out here on the Tomorrow’s World YouTube channel.

Assembly Summary: Activist for God

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Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

“What I do is an answer to a prayer. I wanted a hands-on feel for what the work was really doing.”

These are some of the opening words to Mr. Lehman Lyons’ recent Assembly lecture. He summarized some of his work history, which ties in with what he does in the Living Church of God today. He has a background in business, though he started his career in a grocery store before being hired by a moving company. Once his employers found out where he was from, they offered him management of an agency forty-five miles from where he grew up in South Carolina. While there, He learned the whole spectrum of what happens in a moving company.

In 2001, the Church hired Mr. Lyons to work in purchasing. He was hired because the Church, headquartered in California at the time, was moving across the country to North Carolina. Due to his prior moving experiences, he was able to offer expertise that most members did not have, and helped the Church save massive amounts of money.

Purchasing

Mr. Lyons’ corporate title is Buyer. He is responsible for purchasing anything that the Church needs, looking for deals that will get the best quality things at a responsible price. Mr. Lyons encouraged us to pray for open doors for the Church, saying that God can bring the money into the Church and multiply it to do His Work.  

Mr. Lyons’ work often takes him outside of the Headquarters building. While most Headquarters employees mainly work with each other, Mr. Lyons’ main line of work necessitates working with people outside the Church. He expressed that, since we need to find favor in the eyes of the people with whom we do business, another thing we can pray for is “vendor favor.”

Mr. Lyons is also responsible for the fleet, which comprises the automobiles that the Church has on its property as well as the ones that it supplies the ministers in the field. The Church purchases these vehicles and handles their fuel cost and maintenance, buying automobiles through Enterprise and paying the bills on time. Mr. Lyons also handles the transportation of visiting ministers to and from the airport.

Activists for God

“I look at my job as tending and keeping,” Mr. Lyons said. He supervises the maintenance for the HQ building, which was a blessing from God through the donations of the members. Mr. Lyons described the HQ building as one of the biggest benefits the Church has, because it would be way more expensive to rent a building. The Church also owns houses that it has purchased in Matthews, North Carolina, the maintenance of which Mr. Lyons helps oversee.

Mr. Lyons closed his lecture by saying that he is an activist advocating for the cause of the Church. He mentioned to the students that we are already a part of the Work, being in the educational program and engaging in the work-study opportunities available to us. He asked all the students to join him in striving to be a vital part of the Work of God.

Student Life: A Trip to Valdese

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Author: Caanin Fausone | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 2 min.

On Wednesday, November the tenth, this year’s LivingEd students took a trip down to the storied and historic Waldensian Trail of Faith located in the small-but scenic town of Valdese, North Carolina.

There, they had the opportunity to learn about some of the brethren who kept the true teachings of Christ alive in what can only be called an especially dark time for the Church of God. This trip not only served as an opportunity to learn some interesting things about our spiritual forefathers but also was very helpful in supplementing Mr. Wayne Tlumak’s Biblical Doctrines class in which he explains the different eras of the Church of God. At the “Trail of Faith” itself, the students had the chance to see firsthand what set God’s people apart from the apostate believers of the Thyatira era. Seeing the documented debates of when to keep the Sabbath as well as the storied discourse over whether to keep Easter or Passover was especially interesting. 

Another important aspect of this trip was seeing just how the Waldensians lived, forced to worship in caves and being more than just persecuted for their faith, but in many cases laying down their lives for what they believed. It was really eye-opening to see the liberty we so freely enjoy in many parts of the world today be desperately fought for by devoted people of faith who came before us. Though the Waldensians eventually did succumb to the protestant dogma that swept through Europe in the 1600 and 1700s, their desire to do what they believed was right no matter the consequence is an admirable quality no matter the time or era. 

After seeing all that the exhibit had to offer the students went a short way down to a local park in the Valdese area and enjoyed a relaxing walk to an old water mill and the babbling stream that used to run it. All in all the trip was an educational, enlightening and enjoyable experience and I’m sure it will have a lasting impact moving forward throughout the year.  

Forum Summary: Four Keys to Successful Decision-Making

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Author: Ryan Price | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

When we’re young, there are so many unknowns to face.

We make decisions every day of our lives, and God wants us to develop the capacity to make good decisions as part of our training, whether the decisions involve spiritual questions or the physical decisions that impact us in so many unexpected ways. Sound decision-making is one of the primary lessons we are to learn in this life. In this week’s Forum, Dr. Jeffrey Fall shared with the Living Ed students four key principles to good decision-making.

Key 1. Get the Facts

Sometimes, you won’t have all the information, and making a poorly informed decision can end in disaster. If we gather all the facts, we get more pieces of the puzzle, which will give us a clearer picture of the situation. As an example, in Joshua 24—at the end of Joshua’s life—Israel had to make a decision. There were those who were loyal to God, those who were attracted to the Canaanite gods and customs, and the majority who hadn’t yet decided. God, through Joshua, laid out the facts—how He had led them from Egypt and intervened on their behalf many times. Joshua 24:16-18 shows us that when faced with the evidence, Israel made the right choice in this case.

Key 2. Seek Counsel

As human beings, we have a tendency to “go it alone” and try to figure things out for ourselves, yet Proverbs 11:14 shows us that counsel is an important part of decision-making. When we receive good counsel, it can open our eyes to aspects of the decision we might not have seen before. Seeking counsel may not come naturally at first, but when we do so, we embrace God’s way of passing on spiritual insight to us. However, we need to be careful to seek counsel from the right sources. As Psalm 1:1 tells us, we should avoid seeking counsel from the ungodly.

Key 3: Set Your Priorities in Order

Not every priority should hold the same value as we make decisions. God expects us to discern the weightier matters of the law and ask ourselves, “What would God’s highest priority be in this situation?” Our goal is to set our priorities in line with His priorities. For instance, while the Sabbath is a day of rest, we go to Services because being with our brethren and learning more about His way is a higher priority than just physically resting. As 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us, we are to be “rightly dividing the word of truth”—setting our priorities in the right order.

Key 4: Ask God for Directions

Even when we have the facts and have received proper counsel, the right decision won’t always be obvious. Going to God in prayer is a valuable decision-making tool, as is fasting about the decision. In Isaiah 58:1–11, God promises that He will guide us continually if we do our part. Fasting over a decision and asking God to show us His will brings nothing but benefit to us. Even if God’s answer to our question is no, we can take comfort in the fact that He knows what’s best for us.

We will make countless decisions throughout our lives; God won’t do it all for us. He’s teaching us the principles of proper decision-making. As we go through life, we can have confidence in these principles designed by our Father. He is seeking children who can make successful decisions, and He is always looking out for our best interests.

Forum Summary: Should you become an entrepreneur?

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Author: Ryan Price | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

Mr. Michael Thiel is an entrepreneur in advertising, currently writing ads and marketing in about ten industries.

For this his forum, Mr. Thiel gave a presentation on aspects of entrepreneurship and what it takes to become an entrepreneur.

What Does an Entrepreneur Do?

To become an entrepreneur, you must first have an idea for a product or service of some sort. Even if you lack total confidence in your idea, you can test it out, and if it works, knowing that it does will motivate you to move forward. 

But if it fails, you can still analyze and learn from the failure. Progress is achieved by acknowledging your failures, reflecting on them, and learning from them. If you can do this, failure will have no effect on your ability to succeed—it will only help pave the way. 

Requirements of Entrepreneurship

Once your idea is set in motion as a business, you will engage in two types of work as an entrepreneur: Productive work that benefits or furthers your efforts to build your business—such as getting clients, making products, etc.—and  “unproductive” activities that might not get you more work, but still need to be done, such as accounting, filing taxes, etc. Beyond that, here are two things to keep in mind in order to be successful as an entrepreneur: 

  1. You must love it! To keep your business alive, you must love either what you do or the market that you serve. That will be the source of your motivation to keep going—you can’t just be in it for the money. This motivation will help you persevere through difficult times. 
  2. You must be flexible. You may have an idea that may not be marketable or doesn’t have a market at all; if you can’t sell your idea, but still stick to it no matter what, you’re heading for failure. Flexibility is key—sometimes you may need to try another idea or market to find success.

The Pros and Cons of Being an Entrepreneur

There are some downsides to entrepreneurship—you’ll have to pay higher taxes in the form of self-employment tax, you won’t be given health insurance or no paid time off, your pay will not be guaranteed, and everything that goes wrong will be your fault. Also, if you promise a customer something, it will be up to you to see it through, no matter what. 

On the flip side, there are many perks: you won’t be pressured to work on the Sabbath, you won’t have to worry about job security, you will often be able to work from home, your travel will be tax-deductible in certain cases, you will get all the proceeds directly, you will be able to say no to work you don’t want to do, and you will be able to become known for your work. 

If you can meet these requirements and stick with it, then, as Mr. Thiel said, you will have an overwhelming chance of turning your idea into a successful business.

Assembly Summary: Why are you here?

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Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 6 min.

Mr. Dexter Wakefield opened his lecture with something Mr. Armstrong used to ask on Holy Days and Sabbaths: “Why are you here?”

Mr. Wakefield stated that we have quite a few reasons for being here—some excellent reasons and others that may not be so excellent. We may have primary, secondary, or even tertiary reasons as to why we are in the Church of God and in Living Education. Mr. Wakefield referenced 1 Chronicles 28:9, saying that God knows the intent of the thoughts of our heart, which goes deeply into our psychology. 

Mr. Wakefield then asked a challenging question: “Why do some people leave the Church?” He revealed that, over the years, he has seen that those who leave the Church have lost their reason for being in it. If something happens that troubles or challenges us, having the right reasons for being in God’s Church can remind us of what we stand for. Examining our reasons for being in the Church, in order to prioritize the right reasons and become aware of the weak reasons, can strengthen our devotion to the Body of Christ.

Some Weak Reasons for Being in the Church

  • I want to avoid the tribulation. Mr. Wakefield mentioned that some people may think that they will simply attend Church services when things get rough in the world—but “that’s an illusion.” It is going to be much harder to come to services then than it is now.
  • I want to be a Philadelphian: If you have a small doctrinal disagreement that makes you feel more Philadelphian than another person, you might start to consider that other person Laodicean. Mr. Wakefield believes that true Philadelphians do not worry about being Philadelphian—rather, they are occupied with God’s truth and the Work. He went on to compare prideful people—those who think of themselves as Philadelphian while looking down on other members—to the practice of Judo, in which a small person is able to throw a larger person. The idea in Judo is not to resist the attacker, but to pull them farther in the direction they are already going and then throw them off balance. Satan does the same with a prideful person; that person can be easily deceived.
  • I want to avoid the lake of fire: While it is good to have a bit of fear for the lake of fire, it should not be a primary reason for being in the Church. People who have an irrational fear of the lake of fire can be easily deceived and manipulated. Yes, we want to make sure we are not sinning willfully, but if avoiding the lake of fire is a person’s entire motivation, that person will be tripped up once doubt comes in.
  • I want to get salvation: This is a great motivation to have, but when it is the only one, it may lead to a begrudging attitude toward the commandments of God. If someone has no love for the commandments, they may go along with an unbiblical change in doctrine that challenges the commandments. This is exactly what happened in the Worldwide Church of God. By contrast, God’s people learn to love His commandments and obey them from the heart.
  • The Church is where my friends are: In John 15:12–17, we are commanded to love each other, and it is fine to want to be with our friends—but that should not be the main reason we are in the Church. If it is, and a friendship ends or a friend leaves the Church, our own reason for being here will be demolished.
  • I want to be in a loving environment: If this is the primary reason for a person staying in the Church, that person will leave once another Church member offends them. It is good to be in a loving environment, but our reasons for being here must be stronger than that.
  • I want intellectual stimulation: The problem with this reason is that those who are motivated by it always want to hear something new. Mr. Wakefield referenced Acts 17:18–21, explaining that we should go deeper in the truth, not move on to a different “truth.” He mentioned he has seen individuals spending quite a bit of time on the Internet looking for a new doctrine that contradicts the truth. Spiritual growth results not from always learning new “truth,” but in changing our hearts and our character.
  • I want to be where a particular minister is: God provides spiritual services to his children through his true ministers and those who serve under those ministers. Everyone has their personal preferences, but if one minister is someone’s main reason for being in the Church, what happens if that minister leaves? We must remember that Christ does the Work and ministers occupy an office that Christ works through. We must also consider our brethren around the world, some of whom only see a minister a few times a year and have to rely on video sermons. Their reasons for being in the Church can be instructive to us.
  • I’m comfortable here: Currently, many find attending with the Living Church of God to be stable and comfortable, but what happens when we have turmoil? After all, we will be hated during the end times. “If your priority is comfort and stability in the Living Church, then the end times are going to be tough for you,” stated Mr. Wakefield. Satan will focus his activities where God’s work and truth are.

Strong Reasons for Being in the Church

  • I want to obey God and seek His Kingdom first: If we have genuine love for the real God and the truth revealed in His word, we will be rooted in a desire to stay amongst those who share that love.
  • To learn the truth of God: Many eras of God’s Church did not have all of the truth and understanding that we have in the Church today. We must evaluate what is most important to us. The truth has been challenged in various times and it will be challenged again, so we all need to maintain a solid understanding of exactly what the Bible teaches.
  • To be part of the Work of God: Christ is accomplishing through His Church the Work of proclaiming the Gospel of God’s Kingdom to the world, and we must recognize where that work is being done. In Ephesians 4:14–16, we are taught that we all have an important part in what the Church is doing.

It is important for us to consider our primary reasons for being in the Church, making sure that those reasons are strong. Wherever Christ is, His truth and His work will be, and this can serve as our guiding beacon. If we consider carefully why we are here, we can develop the conviction to stay with God’s truth and His work.

Assembly Summary: The Enemy Knows You

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Author: Ryan Price | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 2 min. 30 sec.

In his assembly, Mr. Cristian Orrego warned the Living Education students about the many ways Satan tries to distract us from the truth.

He advised them to be aware of these influences and to be careful not to fall into the enemy’s tangled web of deception.

Two Options

We either live God’s way of life, or we let Satan trap us in his web of deceptions. There is no in-between. We all have personal desires and dreams, and yet, even more fundamentally, we have an innate desire for eternity, as is revealed in Ecclesiastes 3:11. This is why mankind has always searched for the purpose of his existence—something to fill the emptiness inside him. Yet this emptiness can only be filled by God or Satan—so with what are we fulfilling these desires?

The Magnitude of the Deception

Satan has had a lot of experience dealing with the human family. He knows our needs as well as our wants, and can use these fleshly desires to manipulate and deceive us. There are many ways he accomplishes this, and one of them can be seen in people today: God is being replaced with evolution in the minds of many. What does this leave for anyone to hope for? This can only produce a feeling of emptiness and hopelessness. In response, people turn to materialism and hedonism. If we remove God from our lives, the enemy will fill that spiritual emptiness with evil.

The Standards That Matter

We all need to examine whether the one who rules our minds is God or Satan. The enemy can and does use the examples of celebrities, peers, fictional characters, and social media influencers in his attempts to lead us away from following Christ’s example in our lives. In many subtle ways, the prince of the power of the air tries to distract us from what we should be doing every day—spending time with God and living our lives according to the standards He sets for us. If our minds are preoccupied with ideas and examples that are against the law of God, we will perish.

God’s way leads us to eternal life, to the materialization of our dreams, to true social justice, to a real and solid purpose for our existence, and to true freedom. Only His way will lead us to the Kingdom, and that kingdom is the only place where we will find all that we long for. If we are tired of evil and injustice, then we need to always live according to the word of God with the help of His Holy Spirit, putting aside the shallow, selfish, and vain path that leads to death.

Assembly Summary: 25 Biblical Stress Relievers

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Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

For his assembly to the Living-Ed students, Mr. Stafford addressed the topic of stress.

He informed the students of some ways in which people show stress, such as headaches, crying, and irritability. He also stated that every human being is customized—none of us are “normal,” and we all experience stress differently. This being so, we each must be aware of what is stressful for us and learn to control how we react to those stressors. 

25 Ways to Avoid or Manage Stress in Our Lives

  1. Set priorities. What are the most important things in your life? Considering this question carefully and prioritizing what is important to us can keep us from letting unimportant things stress us out (Matthew 6:33).
  2. Exercise. This is a hard habit to develop, but the effort is well worth the stress relief exercise has been proven to provide.
  3. Always have a plan B. We are not certain of everything that is going to happen in this life, and our original plans, whatever they are, might not work out.
  4. Smile and rejoice: No matter how tough life gets, there is always something to rejoice about.
  5. Do everything in moderation (Philippians 4:5).
  6. “Let go and let God.” Remember that certain things are out of our control. (Philippians 4:7; Hebrews 11:1)
  7. Think godly thoughts (Philippians 4:8).
  8. Have proper nutrition. For example, reducing unnecessary sugar in our diets can relieve stress. (Genesis 1:12; Daniel 1:12)
  9. Avoid negative people (1 Corinthians 15:33).
  10. Unclutter your life (1 Corinthians 14:33; Luke 8:14).
  11. Forgive yourself (Matthew 6:15).
  12. Be grateful for life. When we think about it, every day we spend being alive is a good day (Ephesians 5:20).
  13. Whatever it is, do it today; don’t procrastinate (Isaiah 55:6; 1 Corinthians 14:40).
  14. Focus on the positive (Philippians 4:8).
  15. Be responsible for your feelings, rather than blaming others or considering yourself a victim of external circumstances.
  16. Remember that you always have options. (Deuteronomy 30:15; Romans 8:28) It’s not what happens to us, it’s how we deal with it.
  17. When appropriate, give hugs (1 Corinthians 13:13; James 2:8).
  18. Remember that stress is an attitude, it’s a choice. Mr. Stafford suggests to examine what you’re stressed about, and ask yourself, “Does it matter enough to die?” (Deuteronomy 32:29)
  19. Take everything one day at a time (Matthew 6:11, 34).
  20. Have a supporting network of godly friends (Hebrews 10:25).
  21. Don’t try to fix others (Philippians 2:12).
  22. Don’t get too little sleep—or too much (Proverbs 3:24; 6:9).
  23. Talk less, listen more (James 1:19).
  24. Study the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15).
  25. Pray (Romans 12:12; Luke 18:1–8).

If we apply these methods of dealing with stress, we can become able to manage the difficult situations that life presents. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, God will continue to teach us how we are to live and how to deal with whatever faces us.

Forum Summary: The Future is in God’s Hands

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Author: Ryan Price | Student, Living Education – Charlotte 2021/22

Estimated reading time: 2 min.

For the forum this week, Mr. Gaylyn Bonjour addressed the topic of the future, asking, “What are you going to do six months from now?

You don’t know, because you don’t know what the world is going to do.” We face an unknown future, and we don’t always have control over what happens in our lives—but when we involve God, He guides us in the direction we should go. 

Mr. Bonjour used the story of Job as an example; he asked, “Do you think Job knew what was going on when he was going through all his trials?” What happens to us isn’t as important as how we handle it—that’s what really counts. Physically speaking, we can’t plan for much in this life. Yet, spiritually, we are gifted with an understanding of God’s plan, and with that, we can prepare for the time to come.

Life’s Unexpected Turns

Life will often take us in directions we don’t expect. Take Moses, for example; he didn’t expect to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. And look at David; he was just a simple shepherd, who couldn’t have known he would become the greatest king that Israel would ever have. Life happens, and we have to make the best of the opportunities that God brings us. 

Mr. Bonjour read from an article entitled “Following Christ at Any Stage of Life” by Mr. Davy Crockett III: “Life passes through stages, and our activities and our understandings change with the seasons of life.” As we mature, our perception changes. Things that are important to us when we’re young will likely mean less to us when we’re middle-aged. We are constantly learning, and we are ultimately a product of what we go through. Mr. Crockett’s article continues, “At each stage of life, we learn new lessons that are unique to that phase of our existence. We understand things at age 30 that we could not grasp at age 20.”

Stick with God and Things will Work Out

Sometimes, bad things will happen to us even when we haven’t caused them. There are problems and disappointments in everyone’s life. Yet it’s been said that “character is built in the crucible of adversity.” God allows bad things to happen to us so that we can build His character. We are facing an unstable world, and none of us really know what next year might hold—but if we let God guide us, no matter which way the world goes, we can be confident in His perfect will.

Assembly Summary: The Suppression of Males in Israelite Society

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Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte 2021/22

Estimated reading time: 3 min.

Mr. Stuart Wachowicz started his lecture by referring us to his Tomorrow’s World Viewpoint video “Do Schools Discriminate Against Boys?”

He then went on to mention the prophecy given in Isaiah 3:12: “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.” This serious warning is one of many prophetic scriptures about the fall of Israel at the end of the age. 

This prophecy is descriptive of social conditions, and one of the issues it highlights is children being our oppressors. Mr. Wachowicz stated that children being our oppressors can be seen one of two ways—childlike or unwise leadership in society, or literal children oppressing society, such as children bringing their parents to court. 

“Women Rule Over Them”

The other element of this prophecy addresses women ruling the nation. One of the things we see happening around us is the suppression of males in society. “Do Schools Discriminate Against Boys?” shows that Dr. Jim Dueck, former deputy minister of education for the province of Alberta, Canada, examined the marks of twelfth-grade students in a classroom setting versus the marks of the same students when they were graded “blind”.  Dr. Dueck found that the marks given to the male students when thon those tests were generally higher than those given by teachers to the same students when they knew who they were. He also found that for female students, the opposite was true. 

These results led him to the conclusion that female students’ academic marks are being deliberately inflated. Scholarship eligibility is based on teacher-given exams, and this leads to a disproportionate number of scholarships going to female students; women make up a sizable majority in universities, especially in professional facilities in North America. 

The Bible prophesied these events over 2000 years in advance. Mr. Wachowicz drove his point home by showing a snippet of an interview by Mrs. Diane Watts titled “The History of Feminism and its Impact on Men,” where she explained the origin of the feminist movement. Interestingly enough, the feminist movement started as an effort to get women out of factories and back to their families—until Betty Friedan insisted that women in the home were living in “comfortable concentration camps” and that men were their oppressors.

How This Affects the Church

“Why is this significant to us in the Church of God?” Mr. Wachowicz asked. It is significant in terms of the people to whom we must preach the Gospel and give a warning. Many in modern Western nations have values and mindsets very different from those that were commonly held twenty years ago. 

Mr. Wachowicz closed his lecture by stating that “perhaps prophetically, we are over the tipping point where it is very difficult for our society to recover, and only God can do that for us.” He left us with some questions to consider: How do we preach the Gospel to a population that is so influenced in this manner?  Eighty percent of youth in Canada are unaware of any characters in the Bible and are even less aware of the Bible’s instructions. This is the environment that activists are striving to establish; they are seeking to eliminate knowledge of the past, so people will have no reference with which to analyze the present. This is the world in which God’s Church must preach the Gospel.