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Thailand and the Church of God

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

Did you know that Living Education runs a Thailand program?

Since 1957, the Church of God has been involved in Thailand, preaching the Gospel, and also opening through doors that focus on educational activities. The current director of Living Education, Mr Jonathan McNair, spent 7 years in Thailand, beginning in 1984, both teaching in the classroom and overseeing the Ambassador Foundation activities. He presented a forum to the Living Education students on the Thailand educational program, first delving into its history and then explaining how the program works now. 

A Brief History:

1957- The World Tomorrow begins broadcasting from Radio Bangkok in Thailand

1968- Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) meets King Leopold III of Belgium, who makes it possible for him to meet Thailand’s head of state

1971- HWA visits Thailand and meets King Bhumibol

1972- Sawasdi Yingyuad was hired as a Thai instructor at AC in Pasadena, California

1973- HWA meets Thailand’s Prime Minister Kittachakorn and gives a presentation in Bangkok

1974- Two AC students participate in an exchange program with Chiang Mai University

1975- HWA starts the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation to conduct cultural, humanitarian, charitable, and educational activities of the Church and AC

1976- HWA makes two visits with Prime Minister Seni Pramoj of Thailand

1979- Thailand’s Supreme Patriarch Ariawongsagatayan visits Ambassador College (AC) and asks Dr. Hoeh for help with refugees in the country. HWA approves the Ambassador College Educational Program in Thailand (A.C.E.P.T.) in connection with Wat Thai Los Angeles

1980- First A.C.E.P.T. group goes to Thailand- Chiang Kong

1982- HWA speaks to over 200 World Tomorrow magazine subscribers in Bangkok; HWA hosts the Supreme Patriarch at AC

1983- Two AC students are sent to Djittabhawan to teach English to monks

1984- One student continues teaching English in Djitta, Pawan, and two AC students start teaching at Wat Sakret/Wat Mahathat

1985- Two AC students start teaching at Chitralada Palace, Thailand, and three students begin to teach at Sathitchula; Thailand’s Queen Siriket visits AC

The Present:

Two years ago, Living Education began to work with our local church leaders to send student volunteers to teach English in Thailand. They served as assistant teachers in an elementary school in the northern town of Maesot, under the supervision of Mr. Htoowah Laybeh, our minister in the area. As part of their two-month stay, they also experience the flavor of Thailand through field trips planned by Mr. Laybeh. 

Final Thoughts

The efforts of our volunteers who travel to Thailand to teach English continues a legacy that can goes back many decades. Through their efforts and the leadership of Mr. Htoowah Laybeh, the church is able to provide a valuable gift to Thai children and teachers, they gain experience that comes from living in a different culture, and they serve as examples of what real Christianity is all about. 

God’s Church Through the Ages

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Dr. Douglas Winnail guided us this past Thursday through the proofs of God’s existence and the hardship God’s Church has faced since Christ’s death. He began by explaining what the Greek root word for church means. The Greek word is “Ecclesia,” meaning an assembly of people, a called-out group. It is not a physical building but a spiritual collection of God’s remnant, His people. Dr. Winnail showed us how to trace the true church through the name provided in the New Testament. He turned to 1 Corinthians 1:2, Acts 20:28, and Galatians 1:13, which all  have this phrase in common; “the Church of God.” Connecting these dots and realizing that God’s true church is called the Church of God is not complicated.

Dr. Winnail then detailed several doctrines that define the Church of God. Mark 1:14-15 says they, God’s early church, preached the good news of God’s coming kingdom. John 14:15 discusses keeping the commandments, and Acts 17:2 clearly shows that the apostle Paul kept the Sabbath day!

What happened to the New Testament church?

Dr. Winnail explained the timeframe of the seven church eras found in Revelations 2 and 3. 

  • Ephesus 1st century-135 AD
  • Smyrna 135-325 AD
  • Pergamos 325-1100 AD
  • Thyatira 1100-1500 AD
  • Sardis 1500-1930 AD
  • Philadelphia 1930-1990 AD
  • Leodecian 1990-present 

He explained events and characteristics from each era. We were eager to receive this since we were just at the Waldensian Trail of Faith learning more about the Thyatira era of God’s church. 

Mission for today

Dr. Winnail closed out his forum by reminding us all, with scriptural evidence, what we are to be doing. From Ephesians 5:15, he emphasized that we need to make sure that we make the most of the time that we have, and from 1 Peter 3:18, he said that we need to be continuously learning and growing. Finally, Revelation 5:10 shows we must prepare to rule at God’s side in his soon-coming kingdom. We are grateful for the history Dr. Winnail provided us with, realizing how important it is for us not to become part of the Laodicean Era. We may be living in it, but we must strive to be Philadelphian spiritually!

Treasure Your Experiences

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What people and things do you value most? How much attention and time do you devote to what you value? How much do you value experiences when you know there is a definite end to them?

Dr. Scott Winnail delivered this Tuesday’s forum to the students on valuing the time we have here at LE and how we should take advantage of this experience. He encouraged us to take the time to reflect on this.

Dr. Winnail began with a personal story about discovering the importance of treasuring our opportunities. While attending university at the age of 20, he described how his attitude was to get through his education and get on with his life. His mentality was to just grind through the classes. It wasn’t until he experienced the loss of a young person in the church and the sister of a close friend that he realized he needed to change his approach. We must savor every moment of life, even when challenging, because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Proverbs 2:1 states, “Receive my words, And treasure my commands within you.” To treasure means to value wisdom deeply. Living Education focuses on the missing dimension in education, the spiritual component. Here at LE, the students have the opportunity to receive spiritual wisdom. Dr. Winnail provided the students with two actions we can take to learn to treasure and take advantage of this experience.

Actions for Treasuring the LE Experience

  1. Jump in fully, and don’t hold back. Dr. Winnail related his experience when he didn’t take an opportunity he was given. When he was on the canoeing staff at church teen camp, the activity lead asked some staff members for help. Dr. Winnail tentatively raised his hand, yet he picked another staff member to help him. Dr. Winnail shared that the lead staff member on the canoe activity got together after the meeting and encouraged him to take advantage of unique opportunities when they present themselves; he should have raised his hand to help more confidently. He shared that we need to take full advantage of our opportunities here at LE and not let our shyness or comfort zone stop us. Ecclesiastes 9:10 describes this principle, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” Don’t hold back. Dr. Winnail then quoted Henry David Thoreau from his book Walden:

“I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.”

Students should leave LE without regrets for not taking advantage of the opportunities presented. 

  1. Guard and manage time wisely. Ephesians 5:5 states, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.” To walk circumspectly means to walk thoughtfully. We should remember why we are here at Living Education—to grow in grace and knowledge. Students must focus on and internalize the material, not just learn to pass the classes. We must also consider how we use our time; do we use our time in a way that reflects our purpose for being at LE?

Final Thoughts

If we value our opportunity here at LE, we will use our time wisely, knowing that tomorrow is not guaranteed, as John 9:4 describes. Dr. Winnail encouraged us to “suck out all the marrow of life” and treasure this experience, which is a privilege. We should try to grow as much as possible and allow God to change us. 

Rules for Better Communication 

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We were excited to receive lessons from Mr. Brent Mitchell this past Thursday’s forum. He began with a personal account from his years at a small state college in New Jersey. He worked with a group on a project, and one of the team members submitted it, yet when they received their grade, they realized the person who submitted it redid the entire project the way he wanted. Mr. Mitchell used this example to emphasize that a team is only as strong as its weakest link, and communication is the key to building as solid a team as possible. 

Worldly importance

Mr. Mitchell shared that 86% of employers say lack of communication is the cause of workplace errors, while 84% of employees report that they rely on managers to convey communication. 65% of divorcees surveyed shared that lack of communication was the leading cause of their divorce. Communication is key when interacting in teams and interpersonal relationships. More importantly, how does communication affect our relationship with God? Like our relationships with those around us, we must work and communicate our relationship with God. We should never stagnate in our relationship with God; we need to grow and communicate; otherwise, we will go in the opposite direction. 

Understanding tools of communication 

As the years go on, more and more resources are at our disposal regarding communicating. The smartphone has changed the playing field drastically, and we are almost always a call or text within reach. An even more recent development is artificial intelligence. We now have predictive text on most of our devices, a form of AI that makes written communication even more accessible. Mr. Mitchell was passionate about using the tools available to us but understood the limitations that they may have. He shared three keys to assist us in becoming better communicators.

  1. Know the limitations of your tools

Being able to call someone long distance and have a conversation with them is a great tool, yet it is different from having a face-to-face interaction with that person. Mr. Mitchell shared that in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18, Paul used letters to communicate with brethren he could not reach but still wished he could have been there in person to fellowship with them.

  1. People are not machines. 

He presented that we need to continue developing our people skills. For centuries, we worked with our hands and then went to work with our minds, but now we are entering an age where we will need to work with our hearts because we are in an age of machines. Robots and artificial intelligence are becoming stronger and smarter, but there is one thing these machines will never develop: human emotion. Mr. Mitchell provided three areas in which we should be growing now.

  1. Cultivate emotional intelligence
  2. Learn to listen
  3. Cultivate the soil of your heart 
  4. Seek Counsel 

Communication is not only verbal, but it can be visual and written. He explained what we wear, our body language, and the tone of our voice, which sends a message about who we are. “Writing things is putting your mind on paper, and you must know how to do that. It’s a powerful communication tool you should focus on developing.” Seeking council can assist us in ensuring that we do not give off a different message than the one we mean by obtaining feedback on how we appear to another individual. It is crucial to seek counsel from someone who provides us with more than the answer we want to hear while simultaneously someone we trust and respect. 

Communication is essential in teaching doctrine. How well can we communicate the doctrine of the church to our friends and family when asked? Can we do it clearly and concisely?

We learned lessons of teamwork and how to communicate as young children, and it is essential to continue growing our communication skills throughout the rest of our lives. As time goes on, we will only come into contact with more and more forms of communication. We are excited to grow closer to one another now that we have a deeper grasp on how we should communicate!

Establish Your Pillars

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In his forum this past Thursday, Mr. Wallace Smith shared a significant life lesson he has learned. He expressed keys that affect us daily, whether conscious or not.

Mr. Smith began by drawing our attention to the fact that there are innate things that we believe and hold dear. These include truths and falsehoods, such as your parents loving you or attending a church service on Sunday.

According to Mr. Smith, these beliefs support a worldview that shapes how we see the world. He went on to say that it is the philosophy through which we see all the things around us, and there are subsets that we should be careful to avoid

Naturalism 

One worldview based on naturalism is dangerous because it states that there is no free will. We should understand that this is not the case – God has created man uniquely, like no other of His marvelous creation, and gifted us with a spirit that allows us to think for ourselves. Denying this fantastic truth results in direct aversion to God’s handiwork. Mr. Smith expounded that people who resonate with this thinking are often double-minded. People like to condemn others when they do something wrong or wicked, yet according to this philosophy, no one has the free will to avoid these behaviors. 

Foundational Pillars 

After discussing the shortcomings of Natural Law, Mr. Smith emphasized his proven principle that served as a solid foundation throughout his life. He stated that we need hierarchical pillars we can use to interact with the physical, emotional, and spiritual world around us. He likened these pillars to Christ being the chief cornerstone or pillar of the church. He shared how, at times, what he held to be pillars of truth in his life have been attacked and damaged, which is why we need to establish absolute truths for our foundational pillars. Having unshakable pillars can allow us, if one of the other pillars is damaged, the time to rebuild it or even stand strong enough if proven false. Mr. Smith wanted to give us an idea of how these pillars could look, so he shared his top three, which he has formed over the years.

  1. God exists 

Hebrews 11:6, and Romans 1:20-21

  1. Jesus Christ is the Son of God

1 Corinthians 15:12-20, and John 17:3

  1. The Bible is God’s Word

John 17:17, and 2 Timothy 3:14-15

This forum brought much out for us to put into action. We are thankful for the warning not to fall into the typical thought processes people follow but to build a Godly understanding of the world around us!

John Wooden and the Pyramid of Success

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Mr. Pomicter addressed the LE students at this week’s forum on Coach John Wooden and the principles of success he used to guide his life and career. 

John Wooden was a renowned coach of UCLA men’s basketball. He helped the team win 10 NCAA Championships and earn various other awards. After winning the 1975 NCAA Championship at 64, he retired and set up youth basketball camps from the summer of 1971 through the mid-1980s.

During his career and retirement, John Wooden taught players how to succeed in basketball and life through his ‘Pyramid of Success’ and seven principles. Coach Wooden always told his players, “The closest I can come to the secret to success is this: A lot of little things done well.” This is where His “Pyramid of Success” comes into play, with each ascending layer of the pyramid dependent on the previous layer of blocks (principles). He based his view of success on seven principles, including helping others, praying for guidance and counsel, and making each day a masterpiece. Some of Coach Wooden’s concepts for success and how to achieve it agree with biblical teachings. In the book “Forgotten Teams” by Pat Williams, he is quoted on page 98 as saying, “You must have faith that all things will work out as they should as long as you do what you should. That doesn’t mean things will work out as we want them to, but if we have faith, things will turn out as they should”. God hears people’s prayers and knows their needs. A person can go to God for help succeeding at work or school, but they must also put the effort in themselves. If a person applies these principles from Coach Wooden, tremendous success should be a result.

Privileged Planet

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The students recently watched the video Privileged Planet for a forum; the following is a summary of the video that will hopefully encourage you to watch it, too.
Privileged Planet by Guillermo Gonzalez describes how unique the earth is regarding its ability to facilitate life and its usefulness for scientific discoveries. The video begins by tracing how man discovered the place of Earth in its solar system and describes the different views held throughout history. Aristotle believed that the earth was the center of the universe, but Copernicus disproved this with his theory that the sun was the center of the universe. Continuing, the narrators of Privileged Planet describe that even though there are physics laws that apply universally, some unique factors make Earth perfect for hosting life. Factors include the earth’s location, the makeup of its atmosphere, and its crust. While humans may try to reason away that these conditions happened by accident, the odds are significantly against this premise. Finally, the discoveries made on Earth about the solar system and universe are described as a consequence of the planet’s unique place in the universe. Albert Einstein is mentioned as stating, “The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.” Overall, Privileged Planet does a deep dive into the history of mankind’s view of the earth’s place in the solar system, factors that make it uniquely suited for life, and the many discoveries made about the space system.

“Should You Work for Yourself? What You Can Do As An Entrepreneur and How to Pitch Yourself”

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Author: Lexi Mitchell| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

“There is something special about being an entrepreneur.”

Students were excited to hear from Mr. Thiel in a recent forum where he shared what he does as an entrepreneur. Mr. Thiel owns M3dia Buy, where he has created online advertisements for over a hundred clients. According to Mr. Thiel, entrepreneurial success is determined by two things: your desires and the market you will serve. In his lecture he reviewed how he started his journey as an entrepreneur, what it takes to be successful, the blessings it provides, and how to become one.

Mr. Thiel described an incident during his childhood where he did not do well in Algebra; however, when he took Geometry the following year, he was very successful. He used this example to illustrate that a struggle in one area does not limit that person from succeeding in another. Later, while studying in college, he started a side hustle making websites, and after 4 years, he earned enough from it to make it a full-time job. Mr. Thiel used his experiences as an entrepreneur to help the students understand what makes one.

Requirements

  • Discipline: An entrepreneur must be able to tolerate discomfort and realize that it is temporary
  • Resourcefulness: A reference to the 5th law of success
  • Self-starting attitude: Ecclesiastes 9:10
  • Love: Love is not the same as passion. Entrepreneurs must love the people or customers they serve, which motivates them and gives them perseverance. 

He quoted Nietzsche, who said, “He who has a will to live can bear almost any how.” 

After explaining what requirements he deemed necessary to be an entrepreneur, he listed the blessings one could receive from this profession.

Blessings

  • Financial: “Self-employed people are four times more likely to be millionaires than those who work for others” (Thomas Stanley, The Millionaire Next Door). A blessing of being an entrepreneur is the ability to put as much effort as you want into a business; the entrepreneur isn’t limited to certain hours they work. Proverbs 10:4 states, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
  • God is your boss: An entrepreneur can create guidelines and policies for their company based on Scriptural principles.
  • There is less pressure to work on the Sabbath.
  • Status: Being an entrepreneur gives a person the chance to make a name for themselves and to be seen as successful by others. Proverbs 22:29 states: Do you see a man who excels in his work?
  • He will stand before kings;
  • He will not stand before unknown men.

Paths to Entrepreneurship

  • Advertise your skills on gig services like Upwork, Fiverr, TaskRabbit, or Amazon
  • freelance/ consulting- get paid for your advice/projects
  • Trade jobs
  • Writer
  • Tech- graphic design, digital advertising
  • E-Commerce- Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop
  • Mobile or doorstep services- delivering service to the customer’s home

Ways to Get Work as an Entrepreneur

Ways to get work include–speaking at conferences, making Google ads, creating a podcast or YouTube channel, and being referred by others for a job on your reputation.

How to Convince People to Pay For Your Idea

Research market interest using tools such as Google Ads keyword planner to check the popularity of the good or service you want to market. Then, test the market by running ads and tracking the sales or calls per ad or creating a webpage.

How to Pitch Yourself

Mr. Thiel described his method for pitching yourself, and it involves two steps:

  1. Write what you’ve uniquely accomplished.
  2. Write what you’re offering that appeals to the self-interest of your prospect.

Mr.Thiel provided an insightful forum on entrepreneurship that encouraged the students to think creatively. Drawing on his experiences as an entrepreneur, he provided them with a roadmap for assessing their qualifications to be entrepreneurs and learning how to become one successfully.

Being The Managing Editor

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Author: Lexi Mitchell| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

In a recent forum, the students heard from Mr. Robinson, the managing editor for the Living Church of God. As managing editor, he is involved in the design and layout of Tomorrow’s World and Living Church News and nearly all of the church’s written and printed content. When God works in our life, He gives us the experiences we need to shape us for later in life. In his current job, Mr. Robinson employs design principles that are a key factor in increasing comprehension for the readers of Church literature.

Experiences Matter

Mr. Robinson stated that God gave him the perfect life experiences to bring him to where he is today. Despite only attending Ambassador College for one year and never finishing his degree, he had already learned the printing trade and used this knowledge to find a job in the field. He was at the right time to witness the technology boom in the print industry. At one of his first jobs, Mr. Robinson typeset business cards. After that, he landed a job at a high-end design agency, where he wondered why he was there since he had never been interested in design. Mr. Robinson worked at a print shop for 12 years before being hired by the Church.

We might have experiences in life that don’t make sense now, or we may be in situations that cause us to wonder, however, Mr. Robinson reminded us of Romans 8:28: 

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

God places us in situations that prepare us for what we will later do. He has a master plan for us, and we must remember that He has a perfect end goal. We shouldn’t be discouraged, even if we are in a difficult situation that leaves us wondering why.

After 20 years of publishing experience, Mr. Robinson was offered a job as the Managing Editor of the Living Church of God. His experiences working in print shops and design suddenly became useful; one of his first projects was redesigning Tomorrow’s World Magazine. Today, design is very relevant to his job. 

The Purpose of Design:

The design organizes and clarifies information to be intelligible to the reader; and conveys the essentials to them.

Principles of Design for a Managing Editor

  1. Structure of elements for a design and create a clear order of visual dominance between elements
  2. The font used and how the text is displayed matters
  3. Selection of color for printing and color theory
  4. Image & Cover Selection

Mr. Robinson provided an insightful forum into how he came to his job as Managing Editor of the Living Church of God and the importance of design. When we are left wondering why we are given a certain experience, we need to have faith that God has a master plan for us and there is a reason. 

Speedreading the Bible

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Mr. Gerald Weston closed this semester’s Living Education Forums program by sharing with the students the benefits of speed reading their Bibles. 

Throughout the hour period, Mr. Weston guided the students from the first chapter of Genesis through first Kings, highlighting key events and people, using a “Bible Speedreading” technique.

“Speed reading” the Bible means not just reading quickly but identifying key events and people that are part of the story flow of the Bible. This exercise provides a grasp of the overall layout of the Bible. While it may not focus on the details, it gives an understanding of where to find them, with a knowledge of the overall framework in mind. 

Mr. Weston concluded the forum by reminding the students that Bibles on cell phones have their place, but a physical copy of the Bible is important to own. A digital version can be handy, but for certain study techniques, like “speedreading the Bible”, it just doesn’t work! He left the students with the reminder to not neglect the practice of studying the Bible – and don’t let the attractiveness of a digital Bible outshine the value of the physical, written word.