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Forum Summary: So Little for the Mind

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 15 seconds. 

The Attack on Modern Education and the Implications for the Living Church of God

Mr. Stuart Wachowicz, evangelist and regional director of the Canadian office, spoke about the degenerating educational system of the Western world. For 200 years, the Anglo-Saxon countries led the world in education. Now, Israelitish nations exhibit increasing illiteracy, poor grasp of geography, math, and other basic subjects, and are trailing behind China and India. Also, more police are being stationed in schools, mental health workers are required, and there is an increase in drug-related disabilities.

Mr. Wachowicz described the origin of our educational philosophy and why it’s a problem for our country and a concern for the Church.

In her book, So Little for the Mind, Dr. Hilda Neatby explained that a man named John Dewey introduced progressivism into the educational system in the early 20th century. Dewey taught against direct teacher instruction and held that students should not have to be subjected to testing. He deeply resented God and religion in the classroom and believed that permanent truths should not be taught. According to Dewey, Mr. Wachowicz explained, “society is always changing, and morals must change with it.” This ungodly philosophy has since been adopted by schools across America and Canada.

“Whenever you run into an idea that seems to defy common sense or logic and yet is growing, I would suggest it is a spiritual issue.”

Today, in Canadian schools’ curriculum, there are only 20% of the knowledge objectives of 1970. Standardized assessment is reduced or non-existent, and “discovery learning,” where children construct their own learning, rules the schools.

Why is this important?

In the 17th century, the King James Bible was translated and made available to the English people. Mr. Wachowicz said, “England became the only place on earth that had a Bible in almost every home.” This brought literacy and a “huge, cultural advantage in education.” Then, the principles of the Bible were present in every home. “Israel has squandered the blessing—exactly what Esau did when he sold his birthright for a bowl of soup,” Mr. Wachowicz said.

The first implication for the Church is that our declining educational system is evidence of a curse.

“When you turn away from God and reject truth, one of the first casualties is wisdom.”

Second, we need to understand that we are preaching to a Biblically-illiterate population. “Fifty percent of youth in Canada may not have seen a Bible.”

Mr. Wachowicz expressed his belief that Israel is “past the tipping point.” He concluded in Ezekiel 2:3-6, “…whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Yet our speaker encouraged us, “We need to do our part in helping them understand right and wrong.”

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

Assembly Summary: God, the God of ______ (Your Name)

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 37 seconds.

Seven years ago, Mr. Jake Hall came to Charlotte to attend Living University. Mr. Hall now works in the TV and Media department as Camera and Video Editor. In his assembly, he asked us, “What is the most important assignment for you to complete here at Living Education?” The answer is: building our personal relationship with God.

Mr. Hall used the story of Jacob as a parallel for the stage of life we students are in. In Genesis 28, Jacob leaves home and begins the adventure of a lifetime. Before this, he had known God, as the “God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac” (v. 13). Now, he begins his journey to come to know God for himself. Living Ed students are at that point right now. Mr. Hall gave us two points to know God personally.

First, know that there are blessings and curses for obeying and disobeying. “Observe these consequences in your life.” Mr. Hall encouraged us to learn from these consequences and come to know God in our lives.

Second, know that God is your helper. “I remember how challenging LU was… I was challenged in ways I hadn’t been before in life.” He advised us to go to God for help, because, when we ask God for help, we build our relationship with Him.

Just like Jacob, we are embarking on our quest to know God as our God, not the God of our parents or anyone else. Mr. Hall concluded with Genesis 33:18-20. Jacob—or Israel by now—bought some land and built an altar, calling it, “El Elohe Israel.” This means, literally, God, the God of Israel.

“God was no longer the God he knew of, but the God he knew personally.”

Living Ed students are at the same stage in life as Jacob was when he left home on his quest. Over the next few months, Mr. Hall exhorted us to allow our Creator to become God, the God of _____ (insert your name).

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

Forum Summary: Festival 2020 — Like No Other

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 11 seconds.

This year, total Living Church of God Feast attendance increased 1% over last year: 11,183 members were able to worship God online or in-person.  Those who couldn’t attend in person (30% of the total) were able to connect to online, streamed services. Some governments, like Quebec, Canada, Victoria, Australia, and Trinidad and Tobago shut down gatherings, making it impossible for brethren to meet in person. 91% of members in Latin-America kept the Feast online, and, in the Philippines, members could only meet locally. Yet, according to surveys, Festival 2020 was unforgettable and meaningful to many brethren—even in some surprising ways.

Mr. Rod McNair, Assistant Director of Church Administration, gave a behind-the scenes look at the Festival Office and the Feast of 2020.

Over 10 years ago, the main Feast registration webpage was custom-built by a Church member.  The registration website encompasses “an incredibly complex process,” according to Mr. McNair. The site incorporates members’ login information, accommodates the transfer process, and grants separate festival coordinator access. Sites are chosen and contracts are signed sometimes years in advance. The transfer approval process ensures attendance is in accordance with the contract.   

Planning for each year’s Feast of Tabernacles is a constant, year-long project, only made more challenging by COVID-19. But what made this Feast stand out for members?

First, many were just glad to be there. This simple appreciation was a common theme in the festival surveys.

Second, there were unexpected blessings. Assigned seating brought ease of access, local speakers were given opportunities, and several new members attended the Feast. Anointings and common illnesses were even down.  Some few brethren did contract the COVID virus during the Feast, but most had mild symptoms.  Thankfully, those with more severe symptoms are recovering. 

A third reason is a shift in the focus of the activities. To limit large groups, Feast schedules were more relaxed and most activities were planned individually. Many enjoyed this change and took advantage of the free time to be more well-rested and focused during services

Finally, the role of technology was significant. Streaming technology benefited thousands of members in an unprecedented way. Mr. McNair says, “As a Church, we are better placed now than a year ago to be able to connect online.”

“This was by far the best Feast that we can remember.”

Florence, OR.

Every year, we seek to have “the best Feast ever.” But the feeling from the quote above was representative of many who responded to the Feast survey. Mr. McNair gave us a glimpse of how the Festival Office operates every year and how the Feast of 2020 was “a feast like no other.”

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

Assembly Summary: Invest in Your Pillars

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 16 seconds.

What Are Your Pillars?

Mr. Wallace Smith is the Executive Editor for the Living Church of God. Mr. Smith asked us what pillars we use to support our worldview. We all use a particular perspective to process everything in life. But the edifice of our worldview is constructed upon fundamental beliefs. Like the columns of the Parthenon, our beliefs support our worldview.

Mr. Smith warned us that we often build our worldview subconsciously. He joked, “Sometimes, my thoughts have a mind of their own!” If we are not intentional about constructing our worldview, we will eventually find our columns to be cracking under pressure. Then we have to tear down those inaccurate beliefs. Mr. Smith told us that we need to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). If we have the right worldview, we can correctly process the many thoughts that flow into our minds. “Your worldview shapes the environment in which your thoughts flow.”

Some columns can crumble and the roof will not collapse. Others are so fundamental that when they break, the entire complex falls.

Mr. Smith gave us three pillars that we need to support our worldview:

  1. God exists
  2. Jesus is the Son of God
  3. The Bible is the inspired word of God

On these three convictions, a Godly worldview is established. Mr. Smith inspired us to invest in these pillars now when we have the time and the resources. “In the future, if your pillars are strong, you can support others when their worldview crumbles.”

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

Forum Summary: “Quitters Never Win”

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

Estimated reading time: 1 min. 35 sec.

Mr. Dan Hall, the regional pastor of the southeastern U.S, attended his first Feast of Tabernacles when he was fourteen. Mr. Hall’s parents were called into the Church in the 1950s. He recalled, “During that early time, it was a rare thing for people to leave the Church.” But some people do leave the Church. Why?  

He began with a quote from Vince Lombardi, professional American football coach: 

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” 

 Since the beginning, Mr. Hall explained, Satan’s modus operandi has been to incite doubt in God’s people and cause us to give up. Yet, we must learn to hang on. In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to cross the Antarctic continent. The story goes, after pack ice crushed the Endurance, he and his entire crew survived under brutal conditions for almost two years before reaching safety.  “What did Shackleton do that caused people to hang in there?” He kept hope alive for his men.  

A Dealer in Hope

Mr. Hall quoted Napoleon Bonaparte, “A leader is a dealer in hope.” A past leader, the Apostle Paul, shows us this in Hebrews 10:22-23, “Let us draw near with a true heart… Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.”  We were reminded that if Mr. Armstrong or Dr. Meredith had given up, many of us would not be in God’s Church today. Our leaders can inspire hope in us. They remind us that there’s “only one way to grow and that’s forward.” 

Mr. Hall concluded, “It’s not a matter of who gets to the Kingdom first, we’re all going to be together as a family… I want to encourage you to be winners and not quitters because quitters never win.” 

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

Assembly Summary: Know Those Who Labor Among You

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

Estimated reading time: 3 min. 35 sec.

This past week, Mr. Gerald Weston gave a “This Is My Life” style assembly. He began with 1 Thessalonians 5:12, relating Paul’s admonition to know and understand where our leaders are coming from. To help the students know him better, he told the story of his life.  

Early Life

Mr. Weston moved nine times by the time he turned fourteen; his father served in the Air Force. Living at the Vandenburg Air Force Base in California during the Cold War, he said, “If there ever was a war, I would be sitting at ground zero.” Mr. Weston “grew up in the shadow of the bomb.” ICBMs were regularly tested at the base. Mr. Weston’s father helped develop MIRVs, and his squadron loaded nuclear weapons onto aircraft.  

As a young man, Mr. Weston was in the Boy Scouts, the Civil Air Patrol, and Search and Rescue. He played baseball, football, swam, and ran track in high school. When he was fifteen years old, a friend on his bus gave him The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last; he finished reading it that evening. As he read more literature, his interest in the Church grew—as did his parent’s disapproval. Mr. Weston listened to The World Tomorrow on KGO San Francisco, with his hand on the dial—ready to switch stations should they walk into his room. He began to keep the Sabbath at the local library, finishing his work around the house earlier in the week to do so. Following the food laws was a challenge in his household; on one occasion, his father was not pleased when he refused to eat the pork spare ribs his mother had made. He said, “It was touch and go every time we had unclean meats for dinner.” 

From College to the Ministry

Finally, in 1964, he moved out to attend Ventura College. “The first thing I did was call up the minister.” After attending for only one Sabbath, he kept Atonement and then observed his first Feast of Tabernacles. The following year, Mr. Weston went to Ambassador College. He came to know Mr. Armstrong as a student in his “Principles of Christian Life” class.  Mr. Weston explained that he could not claim to be close to him personally. “He wouldn’t know me today,” he said, “But I do know how he thought on many different things.” Mr. Weston met his wife at Pasadena when she transferred from Big Sandy. Then, after graduating AC in 1969, he was hired to serve in the ministry.  

On March 11, 1995, nine years after Mr. Armstrong’s death, Mr. Weston gave his last sermon in the Kansas City congregation of the Worldwide Church of God. He asked three questions: Why are there such massive changes? Where is it heading? What should we do? After getting fired from the Worldwide Church of God ministry, he looked for where God was working and found Dr. Meredith continuing the Work in the Global Church of God. “That’s where the Work was being done and the flock was being fed.” He explained to us that we may one day have to make a decision that will affect the rest of our life and beyond—a choice between following our friends or following the truth.  

Over the years, Mr. Weston has lived in Houston, Texas; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Monroe, Louisiana; Michigan; Asheville, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Canada; the U.K; and finally, Charlotte, North Carolina. As a pastor in the Worldwide Church of God, he and his wife served at the youth camps in both Minnesota and Texas. In Global, he was asked to assist at the camps in Missouri and North Carolina. Then, from 1998 to 2008, he served as director of the Living Youth Camp in Michigan. 

Mr. Weston advised us to learn from history and people’s perspectives to understand what happens today. He encouraged us to “know those who labor among you.” 

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

Forum Summary: An Unshakeable Core

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

“What if everything changed instantly?”

Mr. Phil Sena, pastor of several congregations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, presented the students with this question at the beginning of his forum. He explained that at some point, our lives will become drastically more difficult than they are now. “You may not want to live through the “beginning of sorrows,” but you cannot change the times in which you live. You can control your response.” 

Esther was a young woman thrust into a situation entirely out of her control.

Yet, she rose to Mordecai’s challenge. “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place” (Esther 4:14). She didn’t run. Esther became “one who influences positively,”—Mr. Sena’s definition of a good leader. After seeking the people’s and God’s support, she made her choice: “I will go to the king… If I perish, I perish!” (v. 16)

Mr. Sena stated that a leader’s ability comes from “an unshakeable core.”

We build our core by making decisions. God used Esther to do His Work—to deliver His people. “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (4:14) Mr. Sena explained that a young person’s example has far-reaching implications. “You represent the Kingdom.”  

We don’t have control over the times in which we live, but we can control our response. Mr. Sena inspired us to learn from the story of Esther: accept the challenge, become a leader, do God’s Work. 

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

Forum Summary: “Dating, Courting, Attraction, and Engagement”

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

Est. reading time: 1 min. 30 sec.

Mr. Paul Kearns, an area pastor in New Zealand, introduced himself by relating to the students his experience as a Living University student at the regional Church office in Adelaide, Australia.

He said his experience was, “one of the greatest periods in my life.” With the LU motto of “Recapturing True Values” in mind, Mr. Kearns redefined dating, courtship, attraction, and engagement.  

Dating, Mr. Kearns explained, is not “a dirty word”…

but a “non-romantic opportunity to serve somebody of the opposite sex.” Through dating widely and avoiding pairing off, young men and women serve each other and learn.  

In today’s world, courtship is an old-fashioned, meaningless term.

Courting occurs when two people date exclusively towards engagement. This stage requires maturity to cope with the emotions that accompany it. Mr. Kearns shared a piece of advice he had received from Mr. Bruce Tyler, “The right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing.”  

Mr. Kearns asked, “Should there be attraction in dating?” 

Attraction, the force by which one object attracts another, is a physical pull in the world around us. For us, attraction should not be the motivator in dating; serving should be. In courtship, while attraction is good, there should be more that attracts us than looks. 

Mr. Kearns concluded with the term, engagement.

This stage should not be a “cooling off period” in which we re-evaluate the deal—it is a formal decision to marry and a stage of relationship God treats seriously.  

By redefining these terms, by God’s standards and not our society’s, Mr. Kearns hoped to help the students recapture true values in their relationships. 

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

Assembly Summary: Living a Life of Creativity

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

Est. reading time: 1 min. 17 sec.

“How much have you exercised creativity in your life?” Mr. Jonathan McNair asked in today’s assembly.

We watched a YouTube video of Ben Folds, singer-songwriter and record producer, build an orchestral piece in ten minutes inspired by a random sentence in a brochure. This is the ability of a single individual working with 120 musicians to create unified, harmonious sound out of practically nothing.  

Mr. McNair then took us to Genesis 1. The creativity of God uses elements of design, power, beauty, and sound mechanics. God constructed the systems of our world through His creative genius—from vast environments and specific ecosystems, to different animal species and their complex social behaviors. But as we saw in the Folds’ video, we have inside us this desire to create. 

“Have you asked God to help you develop your creativity? If you haven’t, you need to ask—not just for playing video games or entertainment but for a productive, creative skill God can leverage in your life in service to others and for your own good.” Mr. McNair said emphatically, “It doesn’t happen magically.”

He gave three principles to apply to develop this:  

  1. Use proven patterns 
  2. Get the little things right 
  3. Work in harmony with others.  

If we live a life of creativity, we exercise a quality of God Himself—a quality placed in us for the very purpose of creation. 

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts

Forum Summary: Initiative and ‘Getting the Job’

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2020

Est. reading time: 1 min. 36 sec.

Mr. Michael DeSimone, Manager of Broadcast and Digital Media for Tomorrow’s World, gave the first Forum after the students returned from the Feast. He presented four major steps to stand out to employers and “get the job”. 

The first is preparation. “Put it on paper” Mr. DeSimone said. Write down your skills and your professional goals—who you want to work for and how much you aim to make. Without this preparation, people follow “a recipe for failure.”  

The second step is securing the interview. A resume only places you in a stack of applications. You can gain recognition through several well-timed “connections.” Only 1–2 % of applicants make a follow-up call after sending their resume. But this one small bold step increases your chances of a job offer from one out of 254 resumes sent to one out of only 15 resumes sent. “You have to stand out to get the job.”  

The third step is mastering the interview. Practice interviewing; understand the company for which you want to work. Mr. DeSimone also stressed the importance of the first two minutes of the interview; in that time, the hirer can see how you will fit into company culture over the next decade. Your body language, eye contact, and manners all influence their first impressions.  

The final step is negotiating compensation. Our speaker emphasized there should be no money-talk until the position is yours. “You need leverage in negotiation.” 

The initiative is the job-seeker’s—the onus is not on the hiring manager to drive the process. Waiting for somebody else’s initiation is, Mr. DeSimone says, “a sure way to not get the job.” Mastering these steps will make you stand out from the other candidates and help you get the job. 

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts