n The Action Series!—Part 2

A glimpse into the workings of WS, from a talk videoed for our WS Homes in March 2000

By PeterCM 3301 4/00

Opening Prayers

1. (Mama prays:) Thank You, Jesus! We love You, our wonderful Husband. Thank You for the privilege of loving You. Thank You for the privilege of being in this Family. Thank You for the priceless honor that You've given us to help be some of the feeders of the Family—this precious Family that You've created out of nothing. We're nobodies You raised up to do Your job and Your work in this Endtime. Thank You so much, Jesus.

2. Please bless this time as we come together to hear more of Your plans and Your vision for the work in our WS Homes. We know that each one is dedicated and has given their all. We know You want to reward them with greater vision, greater responsi­bility, and a wonderful sense of accomplish­ment. They've done very well, Lord. And now You're going to help each of us to do even better for You.

3. Help no one to be afraid of that goal, because it has to be by Your power and anointing that we reach it. We can't do anything by ourselves. What has been accomplished so far hasn't been due to ourselves at all, and now we need even more of Your power and more of Your anointing for the job ahead. You've promised to give it, and we know we can accomplish more for You.

4. Anoint Peter as he shares these things with us. Give him the power of Your Spirit to present Your message just as You want it presented, Lord, with the inspiration and anointing that he needs.

5. Help no one to feel afraid or dismayed at any changes that are coming about. You said changes are good for us, and it's true. As we look back into our past, we see that all the changes have been good. Even though at the be­ginning we might not have thought of them as being good‚ as we pro­gressed, You've shown us that they were good for us. In the long run, they were welcome and happy changes.

6. So help us not to immediately freeze when we hear the word "change," but to welcome it, to be thankful for it. Help us to be thankful for the opportunity to grow and take on more responsibility. Now we can be happier and more effective in our ministries. We love You, Lord. Thank You so much, Jesus, for all You do.

7. (Peter prays: ) Jesus, we love You so much. You're so precious to us, our sweet Love and Husband. We're so very thankful for You. We're thankful that we can be together to discuss what You have ahead for us, the things that You've shown us, the direction You want us to take. We want to be able to convey and explain this ­vision to our precious co–workers in WS.

8. Without a vision, the people perish. We want to impart this vision to all so that we'll all know where we're going, where You're heading, where You want us to be in the future. Thank You for the goals You have set for us and the guidelines You've given us on how to reach those goals.

9. Jesus, we're so thankful for everyone in WS. We're thankful for each one who has committed to be here, to further Your work, to help us administer the Word and the organization of the Family. We need each one. We can't do it without them. We can't even think of what it would be like without their help. We know how much the Family benefits from the labors of love of each one of these and we're very grateful for them, Lord.

10. Please anoint me as I share these points and the direction that You have given. I'm not capable of doing it on my own‚ Lord. Help me in my delivery—to say things the way You want them said‚ to express Your Words and vision clearly, slowly, and in a manner that everybody can understand.

11. Help everyone as they listen‚ to hunger and thirst after what You have said. Help them not to fear or to worry, "What change is this going to bring? How is this going to affect me?" Help them all to have peace. Give them faith to know that You do all things well. You will bring about changes, but You will make the changes good for us.

12. We've all gone through changes in our lives, and sometimes they've been difficult. It reminds me of what Dad said about moving: "How like death moving is!" Changes are often a little like death, but they bring about a glorious resurrection, new life, and help us get the job done better and be better servants to the Family. So help each one to be at peace and to look forward to the resurrection. Thank You Jesus!

Reevaluating WS and

Its Modus Operandi

13. A few weeks ago we held a series of meetings about WS. We tried to look at all aspects of WS and the services we provide to the Family—what we do, how we do it, who does what, etc. We tried to question everything, asking ourselves, "Are we doing things right? Are we using the right methods?" We took a hard look at our modus operandi—the way we do things—and why we do them that way.

14. By the end of our meetings, we saw that there are quite a few things that need to change. Some matters we have already prayed about; other subjects still need counsel and prayer. All this is in search of the Lord's will for WS and for ways we can give better service to the Family.

15. That's what we're all here for: We're here to serve the Family. World Services equals servants to the Family. That's our job. We are not the great leaders, the high and mighty; we're the lowly, the servants. We do what we can to make it possible for the Family to do their job. We serve those who are out on the front lines doing the job of witnessing‚ of helping to win and change the world. Your job within WS is important, but it's a service job. It's good to remind yourselves of this, as it helps to keep things in perspective.

16. Many years ago, when I'd been with the folks for about a year and a half‚ I got to thinking I was quite a big shot. I had gotten very lifted up in pride and was acting like a typical novice. This was at the time when the Family first started making and sending home videos to Dad and Mama. It was a wonderful blessing for the folks to see the Family—a real first. It was nice for us on the staff as well, as we didn't have personal contact with the Family either.

17. A group of us were watching one of these videos one evening and I remember making some rather mocking and derogatory remarks about some Family members who were giving testimonies. God bless Sharon (Sara Davidito)—the next morning she let me have it right between the eyes. Pow! "Who do you think you are?" she asked. "How can you say anything derogatory about our precious mission­aries?" I got a well-deserved tongue-lashing which jerked me up. I felt terrible that I'd had such an exalted opinion of myself, to where I actually looked down on those who were on the field preaching the Gospel, who were carrying out the things that Dad was writing about.

18. Let me tell you, Dad understood who the great ones are! That's why he called our front-line Family members "apostles." Sharon was absolutely right in rebuking me. (Thanks, Sharon!) It was exactly what I needed to clearly bring home to me the fact that we in WS are servants of the Family. They're the great ones. They're the ones facing the Enemy on the front lines. We need to respect and love them. Although at times Family members make comments about us in WS that are discouraging‚ still, we're their servants. Servants do their job no matter what their bosses think or say, or how they act. Our job is simply to serve. God bless each of you for your willingness to serve as you have. You've been wonderful.

19. Over these last weeks we have prayed about and searched for better ways to serve the Family. The Lord has given us a number of ideas for changing the way we operate‚ and we want to share some of those with you today. It's not possible to share everything in one meeting, so we'll probably have another meeting or two to get everything across. So if you thought you were going to get all the answers today, sorry, you're not! But you will get some, and they are important.

The Needs of a

Multi–Faceted Family

20. Thank you for sending Mama and me your personal prophecies about whether you should remain in WS, and whether this is your place of service for the time being. We appreciate your taking the time to hear from the Lord about that. It was encouraging for us and we hope the Lord's answers were encouraging for you, too.

21. As we explained in the WS letter which we sent to you in February [included at the end of this GN], and as the Lord has shown us, we are entering into a new era, the era of action. According to what the Lord has said, this will be a time of great change. I'll read you a few snippets from the Letter "A New Era of Greater Works" to remind you of what the Lord said through Dad: "The year 2000 marks the beginning of a brand-new era. … The most significant era the world has ever known … the age of mightier miracles, the era of greater works. … You're going to do the greatest work you've ever done, the greatest witnessing you've ever done, the greatest reaping you've ever done" (ML #3267:18,20,32,83; GN 869).

22. Those are not just fluffy, poetic words. The Lord means what He says! He has said that if we will accept the new anointing by faith and move forward, He will make these things happen. So if the Lord is going to cause us to preach the greatest message we've ever preached and be the greatest witnesses we've ever been‚ if He's going to make this an age of mightier miracles and of greater works, if we're going to have the greatest reaping we've ever had, then things within the Family are going to have to change.

23. Within the Family today we're not preach­ing the message in the greatest possible way, we're not being the greatest witnesses we can be‚ we're not having the greatest reaping possible. The Family is doing these things and doing them well‚ but apparently the Lord knows we can and will do them better! That means we need to find out from Him how we can do them better. We need to make whatever changes are necessary so the Lord can use us to accomplish these great things in this new era.

24. In order for the Family to be in the position where the Lord can use us in these new and spectacular ways, He is going to make changes within all realms of the Family—the general Family, the leadership, and WS. If we, as WS‚ are going to serve the new, advanced, "greatest era" Family, then we must change in order to provide whatever it is that the Family of the future will need. We must be ready to fulfill those future needs, many of which will differ from the Family's present needs.

25. This is quite a challenge! The Family's present needs are huge, and it's a struggle for us to keep up with them as it is. The Family is a multinational, multicultural‚ multilingual, multi-aged organization. We've got 13,000 people of all ages, from 91 different nationalities, in 102 different countries, in 1,400 Homes. As WS, it's our commission from the Lord to serve those Homes, to serve those Family members, and to try to meet their needs as well as we can.

26. But their needs are so diverse! The needs of the three-year-olds are different than the needs of the 20-year-olds, whose needs are different than the needs of the 50-year-olds. The needs of the Family in Africa are different than the needs of the Family in Asia. The needs of the South American Family differ from those in North America or Europe.

27. Some needs within the Family are universal, but other needs must be met in a different way for each culture, country, and situation. It's up to us, as much as possible, to meet those needs. We've been doing a pretty good job, but we want to find ways to do it better.

What's the Job of WS?

Have We Done It?

28. What is World Services' primary re­sponsi­bility? The responsibility which Dad and Mama originally carried, which is now on Mama and me and also on you as members of WS, is to (a) spiritually feed and shepherd the Family‚ and (b) help them do the job of reaching the world with the Gospel. Our job is to help the Family do their job, to feed them spiritually, and to shepherd them.

29. The big question is: Have we fulfilled our primary responsibility? This is what we have brought to the Lord in prayer and have discussed at length during our WS meetings. Have we really met the Family's needs? Have we accomplished our purpose? Have we done a sufficient job? Can we stand in front of the Family right now and say that we have given them the tools for their job?

30. We can always do better, and that's what this meeting is about, but right now we have to ask ourselves: Have we done the job thus far? Have we fulfilled our responsibility? Are we meeting the need? Have we been a blessing?

31. The answer as to whether we have fed the Family, shepherded them‚ and helped them to do the job can be found somewhere within every Home worldwide. Go to a Home's lit cabinet, open it, and look at what's inside! That's the answer! The answer is found in the 3,300 MO Letters you'll see there. Averaged out over a 30-year period, every Family Home has received two new Letters from Dad or Mama each week for 30 years! That's a lot of Word. That's a lot of spiritual feeding and shepherd­ing.

32. The answer is in the outreach tools—the videos, tapes, CDs, posters, tracts, Living Waters‚ Mountain Streams, Activated mags, new books and booklets—a huge variety of out­reach materials and income sources that the Family has available to do their job of reaching the world.

33. The answer is in the childcare publica­tions available to the parents to help them raise, teach, and feed their children spiritually.

34. The answer is in the nine new pubs that have been created within the last five years—the Grapevine, the Zine, the END, Heaven's Library mags, Heaven's Library books‚ LinkUP, BLADE, Eve and Kidland.

35. The answer is in the weekly mailings which have delivered over 800 different pubs to our voting members in the last five years. I won't read the whole list‚ but there were 282 GNs‚ 89 FSMs, 80 Grapevines, 76 WNDs or ENDs, and on and on. The answer's in the 415 pubs that have gone out to our young people and children in the last five years. The answer's in the 1‚271 assorted pubs that have been sent out in the last five years, meaning 21 different pubs sent to each Home each month. These pubs are designed to meet the different needs of the Family—the needs of the adults, the needs of the younger ones and the needs of the children.

36. The answer is in the close to 50 books that were either printed or reprinted and sent out to the Family within the last five years. It's in the 40 new GP books that were produced and printed (not counting reprints) during the last two years. It's in the 25 new videos that were produced in the last five years. It's in the 60 tapes (GP and CM) which were produced during the last five years—one a month.

37. It's in the HomeARC which has been distributed to all Family Homes, making the Word available and easy to use. It's in the computer songbook that has made it easier for people like me who really need that chord transposition. Ha! (I'm forever thankful to you guys who worked on that!)

38. It's in the GP Web site which is the Family's face on the Internet, and a wonderful witness to the world. It's in the MO site, which is developing more and more into a place for the Family to gather in cyberspace. It's in all the publications in local languages that make it poss­ible to witness in Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese‚ Thai, and all the rest.

39. The answer is in the thousands of full-time dedicated missionaries giving their lives every day to preach the Gospel on the difficult mission field, who you help to do the job through your work. The answer is in the one billion pieces of lit distributed to the lost over the last 30 years. The answer is in the 23 million souls won to Jesus during that time.

Our Second Generation

Fulfilling Their Calling!

40. The answer is in our second generation who are fighting the battle alongside the first. Some of you might think, "Yes, but a lot of the second generation have left." That's true, quite a few have left. But let me tell you, I'm looking around and I see a lot of very on–board, hard-working, sold-out, dedicated, second-generation disciples. And they're not only in this Home but in our other WS Homes as well.

41. Our 43 SGA CROs and VSs are top-notch people! In the 25 trips I've made over the last five years, I've met some of the most wonderful second-generation disciples who are on-fire missionaries, tremendous up and coming leaders. I've met them in the CRO offices‚ NPCs, LIMs, Lit-Pics, studios, service Homes‚ ABM offices, and most of all on the mission field.—And I haven't met them all. There are great on-fire young people all throughout the Family. We have young people who have large families and are out on mission fields preaching the Gospel full-time, living by faith, raising their kids, giving their all for the Lord every day.

42. We have hundreds and hundreds of young people who have left the cozy confines of home and have gone to the field, and to some very difficult fields at that. They risk life and limb to preach the Gospel! They work hand in hand with the first generation. We have young people who have seen members of their personal family and close friends leave the Lord's service, but who decided to continue as full-time missionaries. You can't tell me that the second generation isn't fulfilling what Dad said they would be! I've seen it!

43. Sure, we're taking some losses. Every­body has to personally choose whether serving the Lord with the Family is their calling, and some decide it's not—the majority, in fact! What you need to realize is that the greater part of the "first-generation" members who have joined the Family over the last 30 years have also left. Through­­out the 30 years of the Family's existence, there have been about 26,000 people who've joined for a time and then left. When you look at our present population of 13,000 mem­bers, it's plain to see that of everyone who has ever joined the Family, only about 33% remain. That means that 66% have left! That shouldn't surprise you. Serving the Lord full-time in the Family is not easy. It's not meant to be!

44. The Lord has called us "special forces," and we are. We are an elite force of Christians who are called to forsake all‚ to live together, and to dedicate our all to the Lord's service. Just as in the elite forces in the military‚ such as the SEALs or the Army Rangers, only the very best make it. A lot of people try it out, but they don't make it.

45. When you tell me that our second generation isn't making it and that many are leaving, I'll tell you that a smaller percentage of them are leaving than the first generation who have left over the years. We're actually doing better with our second generation than with the first. And those of the first or second generation who have left deserve a lot of credit for sticking it out for as long as they did. They helped to make the Family what it is today. They were part of us, served with us, loved with us‚ cried with us, and prayed with us. Let's be thankful for them and for the years of service they gave to the Lord and the Family.

46. It's a big lie of the Enemy that makes you feel like, "Oh, it's all falling apart. The second genera­tion isn't making it!" I work with a number of you second generation almost on a daily basis, and you're doing great! Many have left, but those who have found the Family to be their calling and have given their life to it are tremendous powerhouses and are fulfilling the calling the Lord gave them through Dad! Amen? Praise the Lord!

Your Sacrifices

Touch Every Family Member

47. I'll go back to the point I was making before: Has WS done its job? The answer to whether WS is fulfilling its commission is found in the fruit of the Family. The simple answer is: Yes, we are doing the job. You should be encouraged by that, because you are doing the job. We're able to feed and care for the Family because of you, and those who have gone before you in WS.

48. Some of you have been serving the Family in WS in this capacity for one year‚ two, three, four, five or ten years. Others have been at it for 15 years, some 20, 25‚ and a few of you for 30 years! Some of you are old-timers, some of you are newcomers, but your legacy—the fruit of your years and the fruit of your labors—is the Family today. All that's been accomplished‚ every soul won, each land reached, the billion pieces of lit distributed, the children's education, the Family's service to others, you have played a part in.

49. You've touched every aspect of every Family member's life. You've been involved in their spiritual training; the training and the education of their children; the production of their outreach materials, which is largely the source of their finances and of their future progress. You've touched the life of every person who has heard or read the message. That's your legacy. That's what the sacrifice of your years has accomplished, whether it's been one year‚ 10 years, or 30 years.

50. Every sacrifice that you have made has borne fruit in the lives of others. You will only understand the tremendous impact you've had on the Family and the world when you get to Heaven. You'll never know what the 23 million souls won by the Family really means, or the unnumbered masses who've been won to the Lord through the billion pieces of lit that have been distributed‚ until you get to Heaven.

51. At that time you'll see that your sacrifice of being behind the scenes; living with some of the same people for five, 10, 20, or 30 years; missing out on personal witnessing; having to sit behind a desk, or cook, clean and care for those who do and for their children will have been very well worth it. You've done the job. The fruit is good and you've been meeting the Family's need.

52. We know this not just because of the fruit that your labors have borne, but also because the Lord said so.

53. (Jesus speaking:) The Gospel is free, but it costs something to pipe it to you. What a true saying! I give My message to all who will come to Me, who seek to hear. But in order to prepare that message, in order to send it forth to those who feed My sheep and reach the lost, in order to put it in the hands of My faithful missionaries who labor in the harvest fields, in order to package it and to put it in a form that is usable, enduring‚ and lasting‚ it costs something.

54. What it costs is your lives. It has cost you giving up your "freedom," your personal desires‚ your personal witness. It has meant descending into the mine to work behind the scenes in order to pull out, polish, and package My Word, My feeding of the sheep. The cost to you, My precious feeders‚ has been great. You have laid down your lives for the brethren. It has cost you your years. It has cost your all, and it will continue to do so.

55. But the years that you have given and the personal cost and sacrifice are nothing compared to the eternity of your rewards. You have done the job diligently. You have impacted the Earth. You have helped to save mankind from the Devil's destruction. You have fed those who give their lives to save the world. You need never hang your head in shame, for you have been My instruments to feed, guide and direct those who have given their lives to Me. You are a success. You have done the job and have fulfilled the commission. I'm proud of each of you and all who've helped to carry this mantle over the years.

56. There is more ahead. The job will increase. The need is growing greater. I am calling you to even greater commitment‚ to greater works, to greater sacrifice, and ultimately to greater reward. (End of message from Jesus.)

WS Staff: Co-Feeders of the Family

57. Praise the Lord! That's beautiful. Thank You, Jesus. On behalf of Mama, and Dad too, we're very, very thankful for you. We just couldn't do without you. You are a part of us. You are co-feeders of our wonderful Family. You help us take care of all our missionaries who are so important to us and to the Lord. We all know they're the really great ones‚ they're out there doing the job; but you have a part in helping to keep them fed and well supplied with the tools they need to do it.

58. Sometimes you may wonder why we try to keep you in shape spiritually and why there's pretty close shepherding within WS. Well, that's why!—Because you're a part of those who feed the Family. Each one of you plays an important role in feeding, shepherding and helping the Family.

59. Maybe some of you think, "Well, I don't directly help the Family through pubs work. I cook. I do childcare. I do staff work." Hey‚ you're part of this team! You're part of WS. We couldn't do the job without you. You play an integral and important part, because you're a part of what makes it happen. You have an equal part in ­every pub that goes out, every soul that's won, and all of the impact that WS and the Lord's Words have on the Family and the lost. It's the same reward because you've done the same job. You've given your all to serve the Family‚ and for that we are truly thankful.

60. A tremendous amount has been accom­plished by your work, sacrifices, hardships, lone­li­ness, willingness to be behind the scenes, and all that it takes for you to be in WS. You're a rare breed, folks, and we're thankful for each of you here now‚ as well as for those who have served with us in the past. You're wonderful! We love you all and we're honored to be able to work with you. You've done great things. You've been part of a great work. You've stuck through the rough times and you've fought through to victory. We hold you in honor for all it's cost you to come this far and accomplish this much.

61. You know it's a miracle when you look around at your WS brothers and sisters and think, "Wow, look at all this stuff we've done together—all these pubs that we've gotten out; all the millions of words typed‚ proofread, corrected and published; the zillions of meals cooked and eaten; dishes washed; children cared for; art drawn and all the rest! Not to mention the gazillions of prophecies we've gotten!" Ha! It's a miracle! The Lord has done it—and He's done it through you! Praise the Lord!

Our Destiny Isn't Guaranteed

62. Though we've got a past to be proud of, yesterday's victories aren't going to carry us into tomorrow. We are faced with the challenges of the future.

63. In the prophecy I read you earlier, the Lord said that we in WS are faced with greater works, greater commitment, and greater sacrifice. That's a tall order! The world is changing, the Family is changing‚ and WS must change if we want to offer the services that the Family deserves. We move into this era of action with great hope and faith in the Lord's Words. He has said that if we'll accept His new anointing, we will be able to accomplish the many wonderful things that He's promised.

64. We have faith that the great things that the Lord has been telling us for quite some time will now begin to come to pass. He's brought us through the days of preparation and now He's moving us into the era of action. Ready or not, here it comes!

65. However‚ while we think of these promises and what's ahead, let's not forget that He also said that we as a Family must make the right choices. We must gain needed victories or He will have to raise up others to do the job, and in so doing‚ leave us behind. Speaking of our destiny, He said, "All is not guaranteed. It's not that you are destined to be My avant-garde Endtime army and there's nothing that could ever change that. Even that promise is conditional, contingent on your obedience and faith" (ML #3257:51, GN 857). Those promises depend on the Family making the right spiritual choices. It depends on us obeying and doing what the Lord says to do. So it's not a sure thing; it requires work on our part.

66. Mama and I are praying and trusting that we, as a Family, will hit the mark. Everyone who signed the CM contract, whether in WS, in our Family leadership, or in the Family as a whole, has demonstrated this same desire to see it through to the end, and we'll do all we can to obey and hit the mark. But there's no guarantee it will happen unless we all make the effort to follow, to do the job, to make the right spiritual choices in our personal lives and in our Homes and areas. May God help us to do it!

Changing the Course of the Family

67. Some of the challenges ahead of us are finding out what it is that the Lord wants us to do in the new era of action, the challenge of passing on that vision through the GNs, and the challenge of implementing that vision. Another challenge is to move the big ship of the Family from its present course to the new course the Lord has for us.

68. It's not easy to get the Family to move in new directions. One GN doesn't do it. A few Grapevine articles or notices don't do it. It's a protracted process, involving giving the mess­age over and over again. It requires numerous GNs, conferring with the CROs‚ holding programs and seminars, experiment­ing, and sharing the lessons learned in testimonies of success. It requires prayer, prayer, and more prayer. It takes prodding, cajoling, demanding, comforting, encouraging‚ and then more prayer. Such a change represents time—lots of time. Then slowly things begin to change.

69. Sometimes you wonder if the change will come, if it will "take." Sometimes you feel like you're trying to roll a huge boulder and you wonder if it will ever budge, if the change will ever happen. But it does. And once it does‚ it really takes off, like a boulder rolling down the hill. It may be hard to get it started, but once it starts it picks up speed and gains momentum and becomes unstoppable. That's how it is with the Family. The Family changes in response to the Word; it just takes time.

WS Has to

Set the Changes in Motion

70. There are a number of changes the Family is going to have to make over the next few years if we are going to get to where the Lord wants us to go. These changes are not going to happen over­night. It's going to take Mama and me sending out a lot of GNs about these changes. It's going to mean a lot of work, meetings, seminars, and visitation on the part of the CROs and VSs. And it means all of us in WS are going to have to be involved in helping to move the Family in the direction of the Lord's choosing. In other words, there's a lot of work ahead of us.

71. It's almost frightening to think about all there is to do, but we have to do it. We have to do it for the Family's sake. We have to do it because it's our commission. We have to do it because we are committed to following the Lord wherever He wants us to go. It's our responsibility to give the Lord's direction through the Word and to do all we can to make it possible for the Family to fulfill the Lord's wishes.

72. Our Family members, God bless them, are good followers. Once we do our part to give the message, once we provide the directions and the leadership, they begin moving. It can be a slow process, but once they begin to move there's no stopping them. They're the best! It's our job to give them the vision through the Lord's messages, and to do all we can in a practical way to help them reach the goal. We must try to make it as easy as possible for them to make the necessary changes, so that all together we can get to the place the Lord wants us to go and fulfill the destiny that He has for us.

73. Part of our motivation should come from realizing that the destiny the Lord has promised us is not guaranteed unless we follow Him closely. If we do follow closely and obey, it is guaranteed. If we uphold our part of the bargain through obedience, both that of WS and the Family as a whole, then our destiny is guaranteed. And that's what we have to do!

74. That must be our commitment, both on the personal level and as the combined force of WS. Our commitment as WS is to wholeheartedly fulfill His commission of serving the Family to the very best of our ability, no matter what the cost or sacrifice.

75. There are huge challenges ahead of us as we enter this new era. We have His promises to stand on‚ but the Lord expects us to do our part as well, for "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20). He expects Mama and me to seek Him desperately about what His direction is for the Family. He expects us in WS to be willing to do whatever is necessary to help move the ­Family in the direction He has shown. Then, of course, He expects the Family to put His wishes into action. All of us must do our part‚ but the Family can't do their part until we have done ours.

The Big Five

76. We enter this era faced with major problems that need to be solved‚ with major new direction that we need to take, and major changes that need to be made within the Family structure. We need to impart a new vision to the Family, to do all we can to help them reach the goals that the Lord has set for all of us. We must find ways to strengthen the education of our children. We must meet the needs of our teens and our young people. We must revamp our leadership structure. We must improve our economy.

77. As you know, a couple of weeks ago we had a number of the CROs visiting us. We prayed about and discussed many different aspects of the Family: where we're at today, where we need to be tomorrow, what needs to be changed, what doesn't, how we can do a better job, what our goals are‚ what the problems and solutions are, etc.

78. When the meetings ended, we wrote all the CROs who didn't attend because we wanted to inform them of what the meetings were about. I want to share with you some of what we said in that letter:

79. We don't see how we can carry on as usual and at the same time make the progress the Lord has promised that He has in store for us. The Family needs to move into the new millennium with more inspiration, greater effectiveness, and clearer direction. Our members need to feel that we are going somewhere, that measur­able progress is being made‚ that there are defined goals and the means available to reach those goals. Our young people want to be part of an alive, progressing, do-something movement. As they look to the future, they want to see the sacrifices they make to serve the Lord count for something here on Earth. They want to be part of a modern organization that is entering the new millennium with the drive and desire to be the very best, which is exactly what the Lord has promised us in "A New Era of Greater Works."

80. Some months back, while analyzing the Family and its needs, the Lord led us to five major areas in which the Family needs to make significant progress in ­order for it to remain a viable, progressing move­­ment.

81. In brief, these five areas are:

1. Leadership

We need to find ways to lighten the load of our present leadership. Our present CRO leadership structure is close to collapsing‚ as each CRO is overburdened, with little foreseeable way to share the load with others. We must therefore find ways to raise up new leadership and to share the leadership load.

2. Vision and goals

As Family leadership, we need to define the goals of the Family and then move the Family to reach those goals.

3. Young people

Our young people are the future of the Family. We need to work to make the Family a place where young people want to be. They need to look to the future and see that if they remain in the Family, they will make a difference. They need to see that the Family as a whole is making a difference in the world, and that they play a vital part in it. We must find ways to make the Family a fulfilling, inspiring, exciting place to serve the Lord, so that they're thankful and proud to be Family members. If we can't, we'll lose them to the System in even greater numbers as the years go by.

4. Education

The education of our children needs attention. While some parents and Homes put proper emphasis on educating their children‚ in other cases the standard of education of our children is not as high as we'd like it to be. We need to work on changing this.

5. Finances

In order to progress in the above-mentioned areas, as well as in other ways, we need more finances at all levels. Thus we must find ways to inject more money into our Family and WS economy.

82. So that's what we told the CROs. There was more to the letter, but the above portion outlined the five major problem areas which we need to solve during the next few years or we'll be in serious trouble as a Family. We counseled and prayed with some of the CROs about these matters, and we'll be meeting with them again in the not–too-distant future because we have to find the solution to these problems. As it was, during the time we had together we basically only touched on three of the five problems—leadership, vision and goals, and finances—and those are such big topics that we'll have to have more meetings on those same issues. We'll also be praying about and discussing the other two topics in subsequent meetings.

The Crushing Load of Leadership

83. One of the most pressing of these five matters, something that we must solve as quick­ly as possible‚ is the crushing load of leader­ship. We need to redesign the leadership structure of the Family so that the load is borne by many and not by just a few. The Lord has given us the beginnings of a plan that will spread the decision-making out on more shoulders and will allow the CROs to focus on only those things they should be doing. It's going to be a major change‚ and one that will require a lot of prayer and planning throughout the year.

84. Leadership and direction are going to be needed to solve the other problems‚ and we must focus on freeing our present leaders from most of their present "table tending" responsibilities so they can invest more of their time, energy, talent and resources in solving the other problems. We also need to free them to engage in more "proactive" work—that is, leading the Homes in their areas in new pushes to get out the message, rather than spending the vast majority of their time solving the Homes' internal problems. We also want to change things so that each leader can focus on the things that he or she is gifted in, rather than having to tend to a little bit of everything simply because everyone passes the buck to them. This will enable them to make greater progress in certain areas rather than just a little bit of progress in a lot of areas.

Mama and I Need help!

85. The very first step we need to make as we face these challenges is to free Mama and me from our "table tending" responsibilities, so we too can focus on the majors. We have too many "minors" landing on our desks which keep us from focusing on the "majors" as much as we need to. We need help now! We must change our internal WS structure so that Mama and I only make the decisions that are our responsibility to make. The decisions that are yours to make need to be made by you. You need to help us bear the weight.

86. You need to take on more responsibility to pray about your ministry, to solve your ministry's problems‚ to find the Lord's direction for the work you do. You can't be waiting on us, or looking to us to find out what the Lord has to tell you about your ministry. Right now we're too busy, and therefore we don't have enough time to focus on the things that we need to give the majority of our time and attention to.

87. First, we are responsible for you as members of World Services. We think about you, we pray about you, we get involved in your shepherding sometimes. We read prophecies about you, receive prophecies for you, and pro­phecies from you. We pray for you when you're having problems‚ we offer advice to your shepherds when you need help, and all that's just on the personal side. Then there's the work side of WS—each pub that goes out and all that that en­tails. The shepherds of WS also need to be shep­herded, encouraged, counseled with, prayed for and all the rest. All of this is just within WS.

88. There are also the CROs who we counsel with, pray for, and try to shepherd at a distance. We are very burdened for the CROs and the huge job they have and the problems they face—and the VSs too‚ who carry many of the same responsibilities. We are concerned about them on the work level and about their spiritual lives, their marriages, their children, their offices, etc., because they write us about those matters too. They need and deserve help, counsel, shep­herding and prayer‚ so they com­municate with their shepherds about these things, and their shepherds are us.

89. Then there are our precious front-line Family members who pour out their hearts and tell us the problems of their lives, Homes‚ and fields. We are concerned about them, pray for them, and seek the Lord for answers for them.

90. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the vast number of things Mama and I feel responsible for. We don't have time to tell of the phone messages, correspondence, publication approvals, business, counsel, com­muni­cations, security matters, and many other questions that arrive on our desks. Of course, we have wonderful helpers who carry a lot of the load, and without them we couldn't even begin to manage. But even with all of their help, we're still way overloaded. This needs to change.

91. This same scenario is replayed in the lives of some of you within WS. Some of you too have so much to do that you hardly have time to pray about better ways to do things. The same is definitely true of the CROs and the VSs. It's not just Mama and I who are faced with the need for more help; it's virtually everyone in leader­ship. Then because the leadership has so many things on their plates, they can't do a ­super good job on any of them, and that becomes a new problem. They get stuck doing many mediocre jobs instead of a few well-done jobs. This needs to change.

A Commitment to Excellence

92. We need you in WS to carry more responsi­bility. We need to push responsibility down to you, give you more authority‚ and hold you accountable for the job getting done properly. We need to give you the necessary tools to do the job. You need to communicate more freely with those both in and out of WS who can help you do your job better.

93. We need to change the way we operate so that the services we offer to the Family are even better than they are now. You need to become more responsible and more prayerful‚ to show more initiative, to be willing to take on more, work smarter, and make fully–counseled-about, prayed-through decisions.

94. As I said earlier, WS is doing an excellent job‚ but we can't just go on business as usual. We're entering a new era which will require new ways of doing things in order to meet today's needs. We must forge ahead with new ideas, new methods and new means. We need to do away with anything that's hindering us from giving the Family the kind of service that they need today. They deserve today's service, to­day's tools, today's pubs, today's counsel, and we need to give it to them. They expect it of us. It's our commission. It's our job. It's what we're called to do—to give them the very best.

95. The Family deserves the best because they are the best! They're the best witnessers, the best soul winners! They're the cream of the Christian crop! They're not Christians who are hoping the preacher is doing it‚ or Christians who are only talking about it, or Christians who are only praying for it! No! They're Christians who are doing it! They're out there every day doing the job, on the mission field, preaching the Gospel, ministering to the needy, saving the lost, healing the sick‚ comforting the suffering. My God, they're a Family to be proud of! They deserve the best. God wants to give them the best, and He's called you to do your best, to give them the best.

96. If God wants to give them the best, then He sure knew what He was doing when He picked you to do it. You guys are excellent at what you do. You do a wonderful job. You've got the qualities, you've got the gifts, you've got the training, and you do great work. But in this new era of action that's not enough. It was okay for before, but now we have to do more! We have to do better. We have to work smarter.

97. We need to be more efficient and more effective to fill the expanding needs of the Family. We don't have the finances or the personnel to expand WS much more in order to meet all of these needs. It's just us, folks! Look around—it's you and a few others. It's amazing how much has been able to happen with just the few people we have in the behind-the-scenes WS Homes. Counting the children, we're only about 100 people in all our WS units. So if we can't bring in lots more people to do the ever-increasing job, then we need to change the way we do things so that we few can fill the Family's ever-increasing need.

98. To give the Family the top-notch service that they deserve, we each need to be top-notch service givers. Each of us needs to make a renewed commitment to excellence in our work. Each of us needs to look at the service we give the Family and ask ourselves, "Am I giving it my best shot? During the time I'm working, am I doing my best? Am I giving enough of my time and my energy? What are my motives for being here? Do I have the same drive to help the Family as they have to reach the lost? They're out there day in and day out, some in places where it's freezing cold, others in places where it's scorch­ing hot, some faced with squalor all around, risking disease, sometimes facing imprisonment and even death to preach the Gospel. They're ­giving their best—am I?"

99. Ask yourself: "When I sit down at my desk to do my work, am I doing it with the same passion, the same dedication, the same fire? Am I measuring up to what they expect? If they were transported in the spirit to my office during my work day to watch me work, would they feel like‚ 'Wow, that guy is really doing a great job for me!'" You have to ask yourself that. Are you doing it? Have you made that commitment to excellence, to dedication?

Spiritual Habits and Work Habits

Go Hand in Hand

100. It's not only in our work that we have to make that commitment; it's also in our spiritual lives. It's not enough in WS to be a super good worker. You do need to be that, but you also need to have the drive to be here wholeheartedly in the spirit. You need to make the same kind of progress in the spirit as you do in your work. You need the same level of dedica­tion to grow and to move forward spiritually as you do in your work. They go hand in hand.

101. It's not enough to do a good job in your work but be dragging your feet in the spirit. Conversely, it's not enough to be really on board in the spirit but to be shirking your work. If you're going to be here, you have to have drive and a passion to serve the Lord in full, both in a spiritual and work-related capacity.

102. This is extremely important, because we are feeders of the Family. You might feel like, "Well‚ I'm not a feeder of the Family, because I don't do a job that goes out to the Family directly. I don't work on a pub." But you serve and work alongside people who do. If you're a drain or a drag in the spirit and it destabilizes other people around you, or if the meals are crummy, the electricity is going off, or you're not giving proper care to the children, that affects the others who do feed the Family. So you're all part of the process of feeding the Family. Each of you has to realize that you have a responsibility to be on board in the spirit, to grow spiritually, to fight for victories in those areas. If you don't, in the spirit it pulls away from where we're trying to go.

103. This is serious business. We're moving ahead. You're going to have more responsibility. You're going to be held responsible and accountable‚ so you've got to strive to maintain a good standard in both your work and the spirit.

104. We need that commitment to excellence on the part of everyone in WS‚ because the only way we're going to get ahead and move forward is if we all do it together. We can't travel this road of progress if some are digging in their heels‚ resisting change, or if we have to carry you spiritually because you aren't attending to your spiritual life, or if you aren't carrying your workload. The only way we're going to get there is if we're all going together. That means everybody, all of us together.

105. We're moving into an unknown future. Mama and I don't know yet what the Lord means when He says that we're going to have "the greatest witness" we've ever had and do "the greatest works" we've ever done. But we want to be ready for it! We all need to be ready—spiritually ready and physically ready.

106. We must surround ourselves with people who are moving forward with us. Every one of us in WS has to be working together, no matter what your individual ministry is. That's the call we're putting out to you today. We're heading toward the future, ready or not, and we need everybody's help to make this happen.

Efficiency, Streamlining,

Managing and Shuffling

107. At the time that you received the WS letter, we also asked you to pray about whether you wanted to continue on in WS. We tried to explain as best we could that change was coming and that more would be required of you. It was pretty explicit. We wanted you to be able to pray knowl­edge­ably about your place in WS, so we tried to tell you where things are headed. Well, you've read that letter, you've prayed and heard from the Lord, and most of you are still here! What a relief! (Laughter.)

108. So you've made the decision to remain. You've made your commitment through your prayers and prophecies and in the notes you wrote to us, and now we're calling in the chips. Each of us is going to have to live up to those commitments. Each person is making a commitment to excellence‚ embracing change.

109. Remember, I'm not talking about change way off in the future. "Oh, look! There's change coming somewhere down the road." This change is coming to your doorstep‚ right now. This change isn't theoretical change. It's real-life, nitty-gritty, on the ground, in your work, in your face, on your job change. Okay? It's going to affect everybody.

110. We're going to streamline our pubs and the way they're produced. That means that the way that you've been accustomed to doing things is going to change. "You mean me?! The pub I'm working on? The way I've been doing it for 30 years?" (Laughter.) You bet!

111. Some people will be asked to have a change of ministry. Most will probably remain in the work you're doing, but the way you do the work will change. This is like, "Hello! Smell the coffee, folks! Change is here!" (Mama: It's not bad, though. It's good change!) That's right. It is good change. All the theatrics and histrionics aside‚ it's good change. Once you get used to it, you'll probably really like it.

112. No changes are easy, let's face it. However, once you get used to it, once you get out of that—dare I say the word—rut of the way we've always done it, once we start getting rid of some of the mindsets that we've had on certain ­issues‚ we'll see that this is a breath of fresh air. We can work smarter, faster, get more done, and give excellent service to the people who deserve it.

113. Because of the increased demands on us to provide further and expanded services, we can't do the job as well as we want or need with our present organizational structure and method of working. We need a modified structure that involves you and others more in the decision–making process within your ministries and within World Services itself.

114. We are working toward a structure that allows for pumping people power more from both inside and outside of WS. We need to streamline our communications so those with certain expertise who are not part of WS can be counseled with more easily. We need their input and we have to make a way to get it. We need some extra personnel, so we're going to start looking for others to help us. Some will be able to move to WS units; others will help from where they are.

115. As I said, you will have more responsi­bility, you will be able to take more initiative, and you will be expected to do so. More is going to be expected of you. You'll be held more accountable for your work.

116. When you know that you are account­able, and that the buck—instead of stopping with Mama and me—now stops at your table‚ it causes some fundamental changes in your outlook. It makes you more desperate to make the right decisions‚ which makes you more prayerful and careful. That's why it's important that you work on your spiritual life too, as you are going to be faced with more responsibility and you're going to have to be prayerful to make sure you handle that responsibility in the right way.

117. We also need to work smarter, to make the best use of our work time. We'll be moving more toward a company structure in regards to our work. You'll probably work in pubs teams. You might be part of a team that's responsible for two or three pubs, and your team will be responsible for the decisions regarding those pubs. You'll also have more structured oversight, with overseers who are checking in to make sure that you're working smart‚ that you're doing the job, that you're making the best use of your time.

118. It's not that we're trying to be mean or in­trusive. We're simply trying to help you use your gifts to the fullest. If you're not especially gifted at managing your time, then having more outside help will make it possible for you to learn better time management. It will make you a better servant of the Family. It will help us to give them the best service we can.

119. Please don't let this scare you or make you feel nervous or bad. Things aren't going to change so drastically that you're going to have to start wearing coats and ties to work! We're just going to try to do a better job. We're going to all get in there together, work together as a team, and get the job done. Here's something the Lord said on the subject:

120. (Jesus speaking: ) Now is the time of change, a time of action, a time of reevaluating, and all things must be looked at, discussed, considered‚ and prayed about. There cannot be the old remaining where I would put the new. So it is with WS and its workers and how much they accomplish, what they accomplish, and how they accomplish it. All these things must be brought into question, and I'm glad that you are doing so, for though your co-workers have been faithful and have put in many long hard hours diligently working at their jobs, I have many new ideas and methods of operation that I wish to impart to you. Though you have been efficient and produced much, I wish to bring you up to a level of yet greater efficiency and production.

121. You can only receive these answers and new ideas as you seek, knock, ask, and are hungry, desiring My fresh new spirit of change and new ways. You must seek Me as to what things must remain and what things must go, so that you can launch out into the new areas of service and pioneering that I ask of you. You must seek Me for wisdom and guidance so that all the services you do provide the Family are fully covered, that they are solid, that no balls are being dropped, and that My children are getting what they need in the areas that I commission you to provide for them.

122. This is the primary focus that you should have—not to try to do a little of everything, but a thorough job of what I ask you to do. It may mean forsaking this or that‚ but in the long run, you'll be better able to focus fully. You will bear more fruit and My children will have their needs met more com­pletely.

123. Your workers have done well, yet there is still more to strive for. You must bring each WS worker up to the level of greater dedication and greater service for My needy missionaries. The missionaries must know that their brethren in WS are here to burn out on the altar of My sacrifice and service, to help those who support them day in and day out. It's the time for everyone to evaluate their work habits and mode of operation, to seek Me for ways in which they can rise to yet greater efficiency, to be sure they are not frittering away any of their valuable time.

124. Although you have given a lot, there is more that you as WS could give the Family, and it will come through greater organiza­tion and through shifting your whole operation in the new direction that I have pointed you in. This will bring great results, good fruits. You must also tune into those [within WS] who are not giving the Family their due, and see that they do so, for as I move ahead in this era of action‚ I expect more of each Family member and I expect more of each WS member.

125. Their place is not solid or sure if they do not have that burning love in their hearts for the missionary. If they are taking advantage of their situation in any way, not pressing in as much as they could be, and aren't doing all they can to be as efficient and productive as poss­ible, then I will not be able to bless them or their work, for time is short and I require more of each one. I'm not asking everyone to work themselves to death, but the motivation and the spirit and the love and the willingness must be there. (End of message from Jesus)

126. Praise the Lord! I'll read another one:

127. (Jesus speaking:) Make sure that you are doing all you can within your units to be efficient, effective and productive. It's good that you are reassessing your personnel, looking at each one and seeing how much "bang you're getting for your buck." You do well at making sure that you're not wasting money and that you're living frugally, but the area you need to zero in on is whether people are being used to their fullest.

128. Some people may be in the wrong ministry and therefore are not producing as well as they could be if they were in a different ministry that was more suited to their gifts and talents. Some people need a little prodding and more oversight, more "meddling" into their work, their work habits, their modus operandi.

129. If you make this clear to people—that you need to be sure that each person is being used to their fullest—then they should understand and not feel their lives are being encroached on if they need more oversight or some fine-tuning. Explain this to people and they will understand. Those who are weak in the area of making the best use of their time know they have this weakness and they will be receptive to more direction in their work. (End of message from Jesus.)

130. The Lord is asking you to remember that you're here for the missionaries. He's asking you to rise to an even greater level of efficiency and pro­ductivity, each of you, no matter what your job is. This applies to those who work on pubs and those who do childcare and staff work. We're all part of the same team and He's asking each of us to really give it our all.

131. Are you willing? Will you make a personal commitment to excellence? Will you do all you can to help us provide even better service to our wonder­ful Family, the front–line soldiers, the missionaries? Will you not only strive to work smarter‚ but to move forward in spirit? All of us must make these commitments if we're going to meet the challenges of the future and help the Family to do the job as we all enter the era of action together.

Footnote to the Family

132. And Family, will you pray for us? The changes we've talked about here are monumental and will take time to implement. Will you have patience to wait for these changes to come about without criticizing? Each of us in WS is doing our very best to provide services to you. We work hard every day, and now we plan on working even harder—for you.

133. We need your help, your prayers, your support and your encouragement. It's hard for your WS personnel to live behind the scenes doing the same jobs day in and day out with very little variety or change of scenery. Some of the FGAs miss their older children and loved ones on the field‚ and some of the SGAs miss their parents, brothers and sisters and peers. Their life becomes even more difficult when they hear of the disparaging things that are sometimes said about WS and its workers by other Family members. When was the last time you thanked them for their service to you? When was the last time you prayed for them? We're all on the same team. We're all working toward the same goals. So please, let's all work together to build the future the Lord has in store for us all. Amen? We love and appreciate you!

134. Finally, here is the letter we mentioned earlier, which we sent to all members of WS about a month ago. In it we express our apprecia­tion for them and their service and introduce some of the changes we've mentioned in the preceding Letter. Please pray for us as we put these changes into effect to make WS and the Family all it can be and needs to be!

To All Members of WS, from Mama and Peter

Dear Loved Ones,February 2000

135. We love you and appreciate you immensely. Each one of you is extremely important to us and precious in the Lord's sight. Your love, support, prayers and faithfulness mean so much to us. When we think about the huge job it is to serve the Family the way we do, we thank the Lord for your faithful­ness, sacrifice, love and loyalty. We couldn't do without you, and the Family wouldn't be what it is today without your help. Thank you!

136. During the past days, we've had the bless­ing of being able to meet together with representa­tives from each of our WS units. It's been a wonderful token of our Husband's love to be able to come together in unity and prayerfulness so that we could reassess our modes of operation in WS and hear from Him concerning ways that we can be more useful to our worldwide Family.

137. From many of the things the Lord has told us in recent months, it's been obvious that with the new year would come many changes. The Lord said that we would see change in ­almost every area of our lives and in the world around us‚ and that things were not going to con­tinue as they had been. He also said that the days of prep­aration were coming to an end, and that we're entering a whole new era—the era of action!

138. We have been desperately seeking the Lord to find out what it is that needs to happen, and what we in WS need to do in order to help bring about the things He's promised.

139. As we looked at our entire WS operation, the Lord showed us that in order to successfully serve the Family in this era of action we needed to address a number of work, shep­herding and security issues. That's what these meetings have been about. We've been looking at WS from top to bottom, going over every facet of our work and mode of operation, asking the Lord to show us how to either build a new machine or to refurbish the old one, or to do whatever needs to be done that will get the wheels in motion and help get the Family moving so that we'll be able to fulfill what the Lord has said He wants to do through us.

140. We want to encourage you from the start that none of you have anything to fear or worry about. Whatever changes the Lord asks us to make in WS or in our lives are always for our good and for the purpose of helping us to be more challenged and fulfilled in our service for Him. Haven't you found that to always be the case? So please don't worry. The Lord loves you and we love you! But because we don't want to fail the Lord, we've had to focus on every aspect of our service for Him—our publications‚ our ministries, our security, as well as the happiness and welfare of each WS worker. This has meant putting everything on the table, being willing to re­evaluate and in some cases forsake old ways of doing things, and move on to whatever new ways or modes of operation the Lord shows us are needed.

141. As you can imagine, we've been bringing a lot of questions to Jesus, and our wonderful Husband has given us some very helpful and instructional messages. In one prophecy, the Lord said, "I've put it in your hearts to think about these major questions, for I'm stirring the pot. I'm causing you and others to take a fresh look at things. We're entering a new era together. … So don't be afraid, but rather look to Me with expectancy. Look to My hand for the changes that I will bring forth—changes that will be better for all, changes that will revitalize My children." So those are the kinds of changes that we can look forward to—changes that will re­vitalize us and make us all happier.

142. The Lord also said, "It's good that you bring these issues before Me, that you bring the ancient landmarks and ask Me about them. … I'm leading you in new directions, telling you to take bold new steps. I wish to blow some fresh air through some of the areas and policies that have been established for a long time."

143. We think you'll be thankful to know that in our prayers and discussions, we've left no stone unturned. We've tried to leave ourselves totally open to whatever the Lord shows us can be changed—not only so that we'll be able to better serve our worldwide Family, but also to find ways that we can make things easier and more inspiring for you, our wonderful WS Family whom we couldn't possibly do without. This has included our home life, schedules, work hours, security guidelines, the blending of some ministries, etc.

144. We're trying to see how we can ­expand in every way‚ through our publications and other ministries, and on and on. We're looking at all the pubs we're producing—whether we need to continue to produce them, if there are any changes that need to be made to them, or whether there are any new publications that are needed to fill a need that is not currently being filled. We're also taking into con­sideration the work­load that the NPCs and LIMs have, and how we can help them sustain their output without reaching burnout levels. We're also looking at our work procedures and communications—both with the Family on the field and within WS—and seeing how they can be streamlined. We're con­sidering changing anything and every­thing con­cerning life in WS—including our work and home life!

145. Of course, whatever changes we make, we want them to be the Lord's changes. We don't want to change anything that shouldn't be changed; we want to find the Lord's perfect will. We don't want to just break everything down and have to build from scratch. But we do want to find the things that would hold us back from doing an even more effective job for Jesus and our wonderful Family.

146. We want to find out what needs to be changed and then determine where the Lord wants us to go and how He wants us to get there. Many of the things that we've been doing have been based on principles that we might need to keep, but just do them in different and better ways for this new day. We need to move forward, and we need to move swiftly, but we also need to move prayerfully and carefully! We've got to find what the Lord wants us to do and then do it, and not drag our feet about it. But we've got to make sure that we're doing what the Lord wants us to do. That's the key!

147. In order to have as much input as poss­ible concerning these important issues, not only have we been blessed with the opportunity to get together with representatives from each of our WS units, but over the next few weeks we'll also be meeting with several of our Family CRO leadership to hear their views as well, concerning how we in WS can be a bigger help to the field.

148. Because there are so many factors in­volved and so many things that we'll need to be praying about in the days and weeks to come‚ we still have many more questions than answers at this point. So although we'd like to be able to share as much as possible with you, there aren't many details that we can give you at this time. We will let you know as much as we can as soon as we can, as the Lord reveals things to us.

149. The main thing we want to explain is that there are going to be changes—changes that will affect all of us. There's a good possibility that many of our modes of operation in each Home and even between the units will change—making some things much easier in our work and hopefully more inspiring on the home front.

150. On the other hand, while we will modify some of our security guidelines and other facets of WS work and life, others will remain in place and in some cases might be tightened. One thing we can state clearly is that the Lord still wants all of WS to remain "behind the scenes." None of our WS Homes will be open in the way, for example, that service Homes or some CRO Homes are, where other Family members and personal relatives know where they live‚ have their phone number, and can visit their house. We've prayed about this and the Lord said that it was not His will for our WS Homes. However, we are looking into ways to streamline our communi­cations with the Family much more so we can give them better service.

151. When thinking and praying about the many changes that need to be made‚ our main considerations have been what will help us to be more efficient and to do a better job of feeding the Family. The Family is fully supporting us and paying for our services. They give their tithes so that we can operate and feed them and provide the tools that will help them to do the job of winning the world. In light of that, some of the questions we've been asking ourselves are:

152. Are we in WS worth it to the Family? Are we accomplishing what we need to be ac­com­­plish­­ing? It's obvious that the workload be­fore us is going to be growing, not getting smaller‚ and we don't want to fail the Family or the Lord. How are we going to be able to do it? How are we going to be able to accomplish so much more for the Lord unless we become more effective?

153. During our discussions‚ it has been necess­ary for us to look carefully at each person in our units and prayerfully consider the work that each is doing. We feel that each of you deserves tremendous commendation—not only for all that you've so faithfully been accomplishing, but for the many sacrifices you've been willing to make in order to stay in WS and do your job. While the majority of our WS workers are carrying a big load‚ it's evident that some changes need to be made in order for all to share the load more equally.

154. In going over the personnel in our Homes and looking at the effectiveness of each one, we all agreed that there has been an imbalance in the levels of overall fruitfulness of our members. In each unit some are having to shoulder much more than their share of the burden‚ to the point of almost collapsing under the load, while others are carrying much less in comparison. Some require very little in the way of shep­herding in their spiritual lives or oversight in their work, while others are very high main­tenance in either one area or the other—and some­times both. Some are quite on board with the direction the Lord is moving in the spirit and apply themselves to living the Word; others, while not working against the moves of the Spirit, have to be somewhat pulled along by their shepherds to progress spiritually.

155. Some show a great deal of initiative and drive—working long hours; praying about their ministries and how to work better, smarter, more efficiently; feeling responsible to do the best they can in their work. Others tend to put in the minimum hours and take much less initiative, resulting in much less forward progress. Some excel in their work and consider that is enough‚ either not realizing or not agreeing that WS needs people who move forward in the spirit as well as in their work, and that just doing a good job on their work is not enough.

156. We are going to do new things in new ways, which means that everyone will have to make changes, carry more responsibility, put more into their work, progress in the spirit‚ overcome both spiritual and work hindrances, and help carry their part of the load in a responsible manner. We need people who are motivated and pushing forward, not standing still or dragging behind. Every member will need to be open to change. Every member will be required to do his or her part. Every member will need to be part of the WS team because they are dedicated to the Lord and their service for Him and the Family, not just because they like a WS career.

157. The changes that some will be asked to make have to do with moving forward in spirit and being willing to jump completely on board with the new weapons. Because our job consists of feeding the Family, it's essential that we maintain a high spiritual standard in order for that to be reflected in the work that we do and the pubs that we produce. Just doing a good job in the flesh isn't going to have the desired results. Worse yet, it could weaken the Family rather than strengthen it, because what we do wouldn't carry the right message‚ tone, spirit, or have the Lord's blessing.

158. Others are on board with the new weapons and are doing their best to pull their weight in the spirit, but need to have more oversight, training, and direct monitoring in order to learn to have the right priorities, work habits, and work ethic.

159. Whatever the case, since the Lord has told us that one of our major goals is to be more efficient in order to serve the Family better, we have to do whatever is needed to reach that goal. And that's what we plan to do, with the Lord's help.

160. In praying about the overall WS work ethic and how to best aid those who need extra help in using their time wisely, we're faced with quite a dilemma. We don't want to have to tighten up and make things more difficult for or further restrict those who are already doing their share‚ or in some cases, much more than their share. We also know that there are many differences between each person in WS—differences in needs, likes, training, experi­ence, and lots of other things. That's good; we need different types of people in order to be able to handle the many varied ministries that WS is responsible for. At the same time, we don't want to have double standards in our Homes. Unfortunately, often the ones who need the most help in knowing how to prioritize and use the Lord's time wisely are the ones who can be most resistant to help and direction when it's given to them.

161. After we looked at these questions and the different issues involved in great detail‚ the Lord showed us that rather than trying to implement efficiency measures which affect everyone across the board, we should instead target those who are weak in their work habits and help them improve and manage their time more effectively. This is part of our WS responsibility, as each Family member who gives their tithe expects that we are using it wisely, and that the people we have in WS, whose job is to serve the Family‚ are doing so both wholeheartedly in spirit as well as in the flesh—getting the job done and not wasting precious time and money.

162. Those who have proven themselves capable of and faithful to redeem their time and have carried a reasonable load without much oversight over the years will continue to manage their own time, for the most part, as they have been. While everyone will have a work overseer and will be responsible to answer to them and have their work and work habits evaluated, a large number of you are able to manage your time and work effectively and need little oversight on your work. There is a smaller number that need help in defining their priorities, but when defined, can do the job with minimal oversight. Others require more consistent oversight, and when it's available they are able to accomplish a lot, but without it accomplish little.

163. To be effective in the Lord's business we need to make sure our workforce is operating efficiently‚ and therefore we'll be implementing measures to help those who need help prioritizing, as well as those who need more consistent oversight and shepherding. What that means is that your work overseers will get more involved in your work, helping you to progress in your weak areas.

164. Although some of you may feel that this further and closer oversight is a negative turn of events or an infringement on your personal freedoms, it's actually something very positive for you personally and for WS and the Family as a whole. Working smarter and achieving more will help to give you the training you need to develop better work habits and thus be more disciplined in your work, helping you to be a more successful and accomplished person who will be happier and more fulfilled.

165. On the other hand, we also know that in order for us to be truly efficient, there are countless other factors besides just priorities and hard work that affect the physical, mental and spiritual well–being and fruitfulness of each of our members. So we're doing our best to look at and prayerfully discuss each area of our lives and Homes and work with open hearts and minds—not just considering the efficiency factor. As we've said many times before and as Dad always taught us, the worker is much more valuable to us than the work. We love each of you and want you to be happy, ful­filled, challenged, fruitful, and going strong for Him.

166. Although the Lord has given us the overall vision and goal that we need to be striving for‚ we don't yet know what the exact final outcome will be. Many details remain undecided or pending due to various factors, including cir­cum­stances and people's personal choices. We do know, though, that there will most likely be major changes made in almost every area of WS. The modes of operation, the decision-making process, the levels of authority and autonomy are being looked at and will most likely be modified. Some publications will be dropped or merged with others, some may become online pubs with no printed copies‚ and some new pubs may be created. Some ministries might best serve the Family—and some people's needs can only be met and situations resolved—if they relocate outside the circle of the behind-the-scenes WS Homes. In short, each of us needs to be open to change, because change is coming, ready or not!

167. The main thing we're sure of at present is that, with the Lord's help, we're going to be reorganizing WS significantly. Some things will probably stay the same, but other things are going to have to change. We may be able to do away with some of our former practices and restrictions, while other things will remain the same or possibly even become tighter.

168. WS' security is always a very important issue and something that we try to re­assess regularly. During this time together, because we were going into the discussions from the angle of efficiency‚ rather than looking at everything from the aspect of how it affects our secur­ity, we were open to completely doing away with the whole WS behind-the-scenes security mind­set and the need for guarding the security of our locations‚ if that was what the Lord showed us was best for the work.

169. As you can imagine, there were many differ­ent points to this important subject that we needed to discuss and bring before the Lord. After prayerful consideration, however, the Lord con­firmed that though there are some things we can do differently which will give us more direct access to the Family and help us to do a better job of feeding them and the world, the need for guarding the security of our main WS operations and its members is in no way diminished. Therefore, we will continue to follow many of the security measures that have kept us and our Family leadership and WS operations safe all these years.

170. We're doing our best to do away with any rules and restrictions that aren't absolutely needed. However, there will still be secur­ity regula­tions and standards that we'll all be expected to uphold‚ just as there are in any successful company, government or enterprise.

171. We assure you that no WS policies will be established without full discussion of every aspect of the issues‚ taking into consideration what the consequences of those policies will mean for you, our WS co-workers—young and old alike. After discussing and going over all the pros and cons‚ we will then bring each question before the Lord, along with every facet of that question. Whatever decisions are made will be based on what Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Leader, shows us to do. Once the Lord gives us His direction and shows us where He wants us to go, that's the direction we'll be moving, and we will expect compliance from everyone who decides to remain a part of WS.

172. We're not trying to force everyone in WS to think a certain way, but as servants to the Family‚ we are commissioned with an important job. In order to do it, we have to be one body and of one mind, united in our goals and understanding of what it takes to get the job done. If anyone doesn't agree with, understand, or want to comply with these guidelines, they are of course welcome to join another part of the Lord's army. That's not a problem. However, in this part of the army there are certain restrictions that are necessary for survival and effectiveness, so that the whole Family can continue to rely on us for their resources. We don't want to let them down or fail them in any way.

173. By the grace of God, this Family is going to be moving ahead. In order for that to happen, we in WS need to continue to progress and grow. We have much more to do than we would ever be able to accomplish on our own if it weren't for the Lord's supernatural help and blessings. In order to receive those blessings and help‚ we need people in WS whose calling and election is sure, and who are so certain of what the Lord wants them to do that they're willing to accept and obey the necessary restrictions, even if they don't like or fully understand them all, simply because of their love for the Lord and their faith in His Word and desire to serve the Family.

174. We need WS members who feel a commit­ment to WS itself and its goals‚ people who don't place prerequisites on being in WS—such as what unit they're in, if they're living with all their friends or not‚ etc. Since we don't have the full scoop from the Lord yet, we can't guarantee these things to anyone, so each of us will have to once again lay our all on the altar. If you make the commitment to remain in WS, then please trust the Lord about these things. You are our mates, our friends, our co-workers, and as such we consider your personal happiness to be very important. In any changes the Lord brings about‚ we will take each detail of your personal situation to Him and will do our best to lovingly care for you the way the Lord wants us to. But the Lord is also requiring greater yielded­ness on your part before He can give you the blessings that come from being in the perfect center of His will.

175. We realize that upon hearing these things, some of you may be hit with worries and fears. We're praying for each of you‚ and we sincerely hope that you'll not in any way allow the Enemy to unsettle your faith or make you feel nervous about what's going to happen or what changes He's going to ask you to make.

176. We would, however, like to ask each of you to please take some time over the next few days to pray and ask the Lord to speak to you concerning His perfect will for you. If anyone feels the desire or calling to have a change and to move on from WS, this would be a good time to prayerfully consider it.

177. Some of you may be thinking that you've received similar letters or talks like this at other times, and that you've already made this decision several times before. While it's true that we've given similar talks and challenges in the past‚ we want to make it very clear this time that many things will be changing in WS and that these changes will affect you in a personal way. The Lord intends to change things, and the need within WS at this time is for those who feel called to work behind the scenes, to serve the Lord and the Family here with a willingness to do all they can to the best of their ability, and to make the sacrifices required to do so.

178. Please understand that while much on the work front will change, there will be minimal changes on the lifestyle or spiritual side. There won't be a loosening up of the spirit, but rather more will be expected of every member. It's important that you understand this as you pray about your place in WS and your desire to move on with us into this new era. We are trying to convey to you what WS will be in the future and the standard that those in WS will need to strive for, both on the work front and in your personal walk with the Lord and spiri­tual state.

179. In order to properly fill the needs of today and tomorrow's Family, WS needs to become stream­lined and operate on the cutting edge, both spiritually and physically. We must have those who are dedicated to the principles of the Word and the Family and who willingly make the sacrifice to forgo many of the freedoms and pleasures that non-WS Family members enjoy. WS members must willingly agree to live within security guidelines that are not generally in place elsewhere in the Family, as well as accept personal shepherding and work oversight.

180. Each of you needs to seek the Lord and hear from Him as to whether this is His calling for your life at this time‚ and whether you're willing to fulfill it. Please prayerfully consider this. If you feel that yours or your children's needs or wants can't be supplied living in a WS Home, then you should consider moving on. There are plenty of service Homes that are open that could most likely use your services if you're interested in working in that capacity. If you're extremely lonely and feel you have no hope of overcoming that loneliness within WS, then please ask the Lord if He has another place where you'll be happier.

181. If you've had trouble moving forward in the spirit, if you have been unhappy and don't feel that you are going to find happiness by continu­ing in WS, or if you have personal situations outside of WS that you feel need your attention and can't be managed from within WS‚ you should sincerely pray about whether WS is the place for you. If you aren't in full agreement with the direction the Lord is leading in either WS, the Family or the Word, then you should pray about moving to another place within the Family where you can sort out these issues without the pressure that exists in WS of being expected to maintain the high spiritual standard necessary because of our position as feeders of the Family.

182. This is a good opportunity for you to ask yourself honestly whether or not you feel that you should continue in WS. If you sincerely feel that you should, then ask the Lord to speak to you and show you the ways in which you'll need to change in order to be able to continue to flow with what He's requiring of all of us at this time.

183. These decisions have to be made between you and the Lord. Please don't let other people's opinions or speculations influence what you decide to do. Get ahold of the Lord, and don't let anyone else sway you one way or the other.

184. When we asked the Lord what He wanted you to pray about and ask Him, bearing in mind that we don't have many concrete details yet to share with you, He indicated that the main point to pray about is whether or not you are called to be in WS‚ and whether you are willing to commit by faith to what's ahead. That would be the preliminary matter to hear from the Lord about and come to some measure of de­cision concerning.

185. Of course, we don't expect you to make your final decision without hearing any of the specific ways in which WS and your life may change, but the Lord wants us all to begin praying and hearing from Him about this, so that He can prepare our hearts and use this opportunity to tell us whatever He wants. Over the next few weeks‚ Lord willing, we'll be sharing more details with you‚ as the Lord confirms them to us. At each new step, please continue to seek the Lord and take your questions to Him. Stay close to Him and you'll do just fine!

186. Remember, there's nothing to fear! Jesus loves you, and so do we. We need you, too. We need you to stay close to Him, full of fighting faith and determination. You've each been a tremendous blessing, both to us and to the work. We don't want to lose any of you. However, with numerous changes in the air and a recommitment ahead for all who want to remain in WS, it's a good time to reassess why you're in WS or whether you feel the Lord is leading you elsewhere. So please spend time with the Lord in His bed of love, hearing His Words of comfort and instruction concerning your life and future in WS.

187. (Note: As brought out above, in recent months all members of our units have been asked to pray about their position in WS. Some members of WS did choose to move on to other offices or fields. The fact that they chose to do so does not mean they're less dedicated or committed. Some had worked very faithfully behind the scenes for years. They simply felt the Lord calling them elsewhere, and this was a decision made between them and the Lord. They've moved on to bigger jobs, to fill a great need elsewhere, and we'll miss them greatly.)

188. In closing, here is a reassuring mess­age from the Lord:

189. My loves‚ do not worry. Do not fear. I hold each of you in the palm of My hand, and I love you so much more than you know. Stay close by My side and allow Me to work out ­every detail of your life. Don't take the worries upon yourself; instead‚ cast them on Me. Let Me sustain you.

190. During times of change, the Enemy tries to get in with worry, fear‚ comparison, negativity, despair, condemnation. Please do not let him attack you in this way. Claim My promises. Find My promises, tailor-made for you, by coming to Me and asking Me for encouragement‚ peace and faith.

191. Yes, I am calling for greater yielded­ness. I am moving, stirring the pot, and creating change. But all the change that I bring about is for your good, not for your hurt or harm. In My great love, I bring change so that you will be happy‚ so that you will be fulfilled, so that you will see once again that I, your Lover and Husband, know you better than you know yourselves, and I provide you with the assuring promise that "I do all things well," and that "all things work together for good to those who love Me." As much as you love Me, My precious ones, you can rest assured that I am working out ­every de­tail for your good. (End of message from Jesus.)

With much love and prayers for you all‚

Mama and Peter