International News at a Glance

• 18th German Booklet Nearing Completion
• Church in Zambia Doubles
• Portuguese Articles to Be Posted
• German GN Sets New Record
• Article Posted on Swiss Web Site
• U.K. Uses Consumer Brochure Ad
• German Pentecost Offerings Up 31%

18th German Booklet Nearing Completion

A special fund-raiser provided $3,000 to help pay the printing costs for the German version of the 32-page booklet The Middle East in Bible Prophecy. The booklet has already been translated and checked for language style by members of the United Church of God-Germany. It is in the final stages of editing and will be the 18th booklet printed.

Items excerpted from www.ucog.org.

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Church in Zambia Doubles

During the last few months the number of churches and attendance in Zambia has more than doubled. This is as a result of a large number from the Worldwide Church of God requesting to become a part of United. Certain doctrinal changes, especially regarding Sabbath and Holy Day observance, were unacceptable, and their leader, Wilson Nkoma, approached Kambani Banda with a request to join with United.

Mr. Banda held various meetings with their leaders and members, and the result was that they are now worshipping with United. Presently the number of congregations and weekly Sabbath service attendance is more than double all congregations in South Africa.

This has put a huge strain on our elder, Mr. Banda, and also on the budget. Costs for items such as travel, Feast of Tabernacles and youth camp expenses have greatly increased. The home office has been willing and generous in helping us through the annual subsidy to cope with this additional financial burden.

Excerpted from United News South Africa, June 2007

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Portuguese Articles to Be Posted

Plans are to translate and post one Good News article a month on a new Portuguese Web site, www.revistaboanova.org.

“For the first ‘issue’ I am clustering five articles (five months’ work) into one issue and will then post it on the Web,” said Jorge de Campos, an elder who volunteers his time to coordinate the Portuguese work.

“We will also photocopy (black and white) a few for those Portuguese brethren who do not have Internet,” he said.

“I do not want to give the impression that we are starting a full-fledged GN in Portuguese… Possibly we will be there in a few years.”

Mr. de Campos said the major priorities in the Portuguese area are to pray for more laborers, to translate more basic doctrinal booklets and to feed the flock with regular sermons in Portuguese.

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German GN Sets New Record

The May-June 2007 issue of the Gute Nachrichten (German Good News ) magazine was again mailed to a record number of subscribers. The issue was sent to 4,647 readers in 20 European countries, a 14.5 percent increase over May 2006. The UCG-Germany editorial team wrote the lead article on the subject of Germany’s plan to increase the capacity of its daycare centers nationwide.

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Article Posted on Swiss Web Site

A Web site in Switzerland offering advice for women seeking to exit the lesbian lifestyle has requested permission to post an article published in the May-June 2006 issue of Gute Nachrichten. The article will be made available in PDF format, and the reference to the source for the article will contain an active link to the Gute Nachrichten Web site.

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U.K. Uses Consumer Brochure Ad

The Summer 2007 issue of the Consumer Information Centre brochure included an offer to receive Marriage and Family: The Missing Dimension and the May/June 2007 Good News. This issue features a number of family articles. Through June 28, the British Isles office has received more than 1,800 responses.

The last time they used this kind of promotion was in 2004. Since that time an online version has also been developed. The Church pays £3.50 for each response and has capped the number at 2,500 for the present.

After the second Good News magazine a renewal offer will be sent. The third and final magazine will go out with a reminder to those who have not yet renewed. In 2004, 15 percent requested regular issues.

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German Pentecost Offerings Up 31%

On the Feast of Pentecost, 146 people met in six locations in the German-language region: Berlin (8), Dormagen (38), Hamburg (12), Munich (16), Schriesheim (29) and Regensdorf in Switzerland (43). The offering in the German-language region was 8,674 euros, a 31 percent increase compared to 2006. The total offering for the three spring Holy Days was 20.2 percent higher than last year.

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