Peter
By Peter A.FM 3577 12/05
GN 1163 FM
(Note: Unless otherwise indicated, the news and stats in this GN are from the time period beginning November 2004 and going through October 2005. Parents, teachers and shepherds, please be aware that this GN mentions Ricky and Angela's deaths, and exercise wisdom in what parts you share with your junior teens, JETTs and children.)
Dear Family,
1. We have made it through another year together. We have another year to look back on‚ and to praise our Lover for all that He has done for us and through us as a Family and as individuals.
2. At the end of each year I think, "Now this was a monumental year—a milestone year!" But then each new year is filled with more battles to fight‚ more challenges to face, as well as the miracles and victories that are the result of those battles and challenges. It's so true that every year gets better when we're serving Jesus—not necessarily easier, but better, as we follow closer, grow stronger, and launch out into new and uncharted territories.
3. This year was certainly a year of "firsts" as we embarked on new endeavors. A lot came our way that was unexpected and sudden, such as Ricky's and Angela's deaths, the Asian tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina. These things affected the Family in various parts of the world‚ but as a result the Gospel has been preached in new ways, and lives have been changed. The Word has gotten out like never before. We are advancing and moving forward!
4. There's been a lot of proactive change in the Family this year, all of which has helped to strengthen us. We now have Steering Councils in all of our FD Homes, composed of Home shepherds and managers. We also have the criteria monitors‚ and you're growing into your roles. We have the coaches in place, which the Lord has promised is key to strengthening the Family. Thanks to all of you who have willingly taken on the responsibility of these positions. You're doing great!
5. A big part of the strengthening this year has been training—the Home Shepherd Training Program, the Coach Training Programs, and the Academy International. And that's not to mention all of the training that the whole Family has been receiving via the many GNs this year, and specifically the series that focused on training, like the "Art of War" and "Training Winning Teams" series. On every front, the Lord is pouring out a tremendous amount of training, and that training is helping each of us to grow stronger.
6. Our MM and FM Family have been making wonderful progress. Even though we've been focusing a lot on the FD Family, as that was how the Lord showed us to start the restructuring‚ that doesn't mean that we have forgotten about you. We love you very much, and are extremely proud of you for the good job you're doing and for the fruit you're bearing, even though you haven't been in the spotlight as much as the FD Family. The Family wouldn't be the same without you!
7. It's been a busy year—busy for you, busy for Mama and me, busy for WS, busy for everyone. There's been a lot to do, and not much time to do it in, and that's because, as I said in one of last year's year–end GNs, we're at war. 2005 has been a year of war, and each of you has been a brave soldier. A lot has been expected of you. You've been fighting the Enemy on a number of different fronts. You've felt tired, you've felt weary, you've even felt defeated at times, but you've kept on.
8. This year has been exhausting physically, but exhilarating spiritually. At times it seemed like we were "troubled on every side" (2Cor.4:8), but you fought on when you were tired and weary. You asked the Lord to give you a second wind and renewed strength and stamina when you felt like you had no energy left. You hit the Enemy head-on when he attacked you and tried to get you to give up. You took each challenge that was set before you and gave it your best shot.
9. You've done your best to learn the ropes of the new structure of the Family, and you who have taken on new roles are learning your roles and striving to be professional in them. There's been a lot to take in‚ a lot to assimilate, a lot to apply. Mama and I know that it hasn't been easy, and we're proud of you for your faith and perseverance. As a result, so much has been accomplished this year. So much forward movement has been achieved. So many new initiatives have been implemented. The Enemy has been set back once again!
10. The changes that the Family has undergone this year would not have been possible without you—without your backing, support, and wholehearted participation. Everything seemed good in theory as we prayed about and planned the various changes, and the Lord had confirmed the plans through the mouths of many prophets, but you were key in bringing it to pass. If you hadn't been behind it all, if you hadn't been contributing your hard work, if you hadn't been putting in the hours, if you hadn't been studying hard, then the Lord's plans would have remained simply good ideas—they would have never become reality.
11. Here's what He had to say about you and the wonderful things you have accomplished during 2005:
12. (Jesus:) I'm proud of you, My wonderful, faithful, pioneering Family! You have taken the "bull by the horns," so to speak. You have taken up the challenges that I have placed before you. You have fought hard and you have fought well. You have exceeded My expectations.
13. You might not presently see all that you have accomplished. You might still be reeling from the "blows" of the Enemy. You probably don't fully grasp how much you have accomplished, what great progress has been made, and the part you played in it all. But don't worry‚ I don't expect you to realize the extent of what has been accomplished this year just yet. I know that in time you will.
14. You see‚ you are each like farmers. I had given you a plot of land to tend to, to nurture and water, and seeds to plant and fertilize, but you had let the evil weeds of the Enemy in. This was the state of your plot of land a few years ago. The weeds of compromise were about to take over your land for good, and destroy all that you had worked so hard for in My service.
15. But then I came along and I saved you. I helped you to pull out all of the weeds. We plowed the land, we tilled the soil, we watered and we dunged. And then I gave you new seeds to plant. This year, you were planting the seeds, My loves. You had fresh soil in which to plant the seeds, and you worked night and day, as fast as you could, to make full use of the time that I had given you.
16. And now you have come to the end of the year, to the end of your planting season, and you feel satisfied, but you do not see much fruit yet. You are beginning to see a few little sprouts shoot up, but you don't see much at all. I promise that in time you will. In time you will see a beautiful crop, because you have obeyed Me, because you have been faithful‚ because you have had patience.
17. The seeds that you planted this year are the changes that you have implemented in the Family, and all of the training that you have received. You do not see the fruit of the seeds yet, and I don't expect you to, but in time the results will be undeniable.
18. Things are still a bit shaky on the Home front. Many of you are still a bit unsure as to whether the new coaches and Steering Councils will work effectively. But you've planted the seeds by faith, you've taken steps by faith, and even though things aren't flowing completely smoothly yet, in time you will see My wisdom. You will begin to see the fruit of the changes in more organized Homes, more fruitful Homes, and happier Homes.
19. The whole Family will be more organized, fruitful, and happy. Everything will be better. Things will change. You will see the results. And you'll be able to look back one day and say, "Thank the Lord that we did all of the hard work to implement these changes! They've sure paid off now." So be patient. Be like farmers. Know that the hard work you are investing today will result in rewards tomorrow.
20. Take heart, My loves. Be encouraged with your progress‚ even if you can't see it all. One year of farming is over, and it's all contributing to the tremendous crop that you will reap in the future. You are investing in tomorrow today. It takes great faith‚ I know, and I will reward your faith.
21. Thank you‚ My brides, for helping Me to make My dreams—and yours—come true. Thank you for helping Me, through so much personal sacrifice and expenditure of strength, to build the Family of the future. (End of message.)
22. (Peter: ) What more can I say? You're wonderful!—A Family to be proud of! Mama and I love you so much! Not only have you helped to implement all of the restructuring-type changes this year, which have been mammoth‚ but you've also continued to witness up a storm.
Souls
23. This year the Family had another banner year of over 1 million souls won! One million is a lot of souls. We outdid last year's total by 11‚000 souls, making a total of 1,122,002 souls for the year. This is the fifteenth time during our 37-year history that the Family has won over 1 million souls in a year. It's also the ninth year in a row that we've won over a million. 2005 ranks as our tenth highest year of souls won in our history. Praise the Lord!
24. Another milestone has been reached: We've passed the 30 million mark, with 30,152,364 souls won to date. Our yearly average over our 37–year history is 815,000 souls a year, or 68,000 souls a month. This year, 2005, we averaged 93,500 a month, the same as last year.
25. Considering all that the Family has been involved with along the lines of restructuring and strengthening, it's wonderful that the Lord has blessed us, again, with one of our most fruitful soul-winning years.
| Souls Won Ranked by Highest Years | |||||
| Ranking | Amount | Year | Ranking | Amount | Year |
| 1 | 1,576,893 | 1982 | 21 | 888,658 | 1996 |
| 2 | 1‚532,049 | 1987 | 22 | 774,980 | 1981 |
| 3 | 1,291,094 | 1998 | 23 | 774‚914 | 1976 |
| 4 | 1,259,927 | 1977 | 24 | 745‚187 | 1994 |
| 5 | 1,250,864 | 1986 | 25 | 744,659 | 1985 |
| 6 | 1,214,257 | 1983 | 26 | 722,080 | 1991 |
| 7 | 1,208‚906 | 1988 | 27 | 616,357 | 1984 |
| 8 | 1,208‚373 | 2002 | 28 | 463,971 | 1980 |
| 9 | 1,196,853 | 1999 | 29 | 424,633 | 1978 |
| 10 | 1,122,002 | 2005 | 30 | 377,716 | 1975 |
| 11 | 1,110,493 | 2004 | 31 | 216,730 | 1979 |
| 12 | 1,099,740 | 2003 | 32 | 142,503 | 1972 |
| 13 | 1,087,919 | 1997 | 33 | 71,357 | 1974 |
| 14 | 1,085,958 | 2001 | 34 | 67‚886 | 1973 |
| 15 | 1,085,112 | 2000 | 35 | 8,041 | 1971 |
| 16 | 999,504 | 1993 | 36 | No records kept | 1969 |
| 17 | 963‚102 | 1995 | 37 | No records kept | 1970 |
| 18 | 962,820 | 1992 | Total | 30,152,364 | 814,929 |
| 19 | 928,464 | 1989 | To Date Total | Yearly Avg. | |
| 20 | 928,362 | 1990 |
Personal witness
26. The Family personally witnessed 5,740,639 times this year, an average of 995 times per adult for the year, and 83 times per month. That ranks 2005 eighth out of the last 10 years. However, even though we personally witnessed less this year than usual, we won more souls, as you saw from the preceding stats. We personally witnessed 5,740,639 times and won 1‚122,002 souls. So 20% of the people we personally witnessed to got saved—1 person out of every 5 personal witnesses. That's an impressive stat—more accurate shooting, with better results!
| Number of Personal Witnesses Per Soul Won | ||||
| Year | Souls Won | Pers Wit | Pwit/Soul | Ranking |
| 2002 | 1,208,373 | 5,930,463 | 4.9 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1,122,002 | 5‚740,639 | 5.1 | 2 |
| 2003 | 1,099,740 | 5,878‚234 | 5.3 | 3 |
| 2004 | 1,110,493 | 6,214‚166 | 5.6 | 4 |
| 1993 | 999,504 | 5‚970,111 | 6.0 | 5 |
| 1999 | 1,196,853 | 7,156,549 | 6.0 | 6 |
| 1998 | 1,291,094 | 7,724,819 | 6.0 | 7 |
| 2001 | 1,085,958 | 7,171,268 | 6.6 | 8 |
| 1992 | 962,820 | 6‚675,958 | 6.9 | 9 |
| 2000 | 1,085,112 | 7,867,097 | 7.3 | 10 |
| 1997 | 1,087,919 | 7,965,086 | 7.3 | 11 |
| 1994 | 745,187 | 5,544,615 | 7.4 | 12 |
| 1995 | 963‚102 | 8,033,198 | 8.3 | 13 |
| 1996 | 888‚658 | 7,475,614 | 8.4 | 14 |
| 1990 | 928,362 | 9,441,300 | 10.2 | 15 |
| 15–year totals | 15,775,177 | 104,789,117 | 6.6 |
Distribution
27. Total pieces of literature distributed in 2005 was 12.8 million. That was quite a bit lower than 2004's 17.3 million. However, in looking at the historical records‚ 2004 was a fairly high year, being higher than the three years previous to it. Nevertheless, 2005's 12.8 million is the lowest number of pieces distributed in the last 10 years. This could be partially accounted for by the fact that the Family is majoring on different types of tools, such as Activated mags, CD cards, etc. For example, last year, 2004, the Family distributed 879,000 Activated mags‚ so this year's 1,209,360 is a full 38% higher than 2004, and 55% higher than 2003. So you have really soared in your distribution of these quality tools. Praise the Lord!
28. For the year, the Family distributed 1.7 million posters, 575,000 tapes and CDs, 87,000 videos, 525,000 books, 5.8 million tracts, a whopping 1.2 million Activated mags, and 2.9 million pieces of other types of literature.
To date stats
• Personal witness: 276 million
• Souls: 30 million
• Holy Spirit baptisms: 13.4 million
• Pieces of lit distributed: 938 million
• Posters distributed: 124 million
• Tapes and CDs distributed: 11.5 million
• Videos distributed: 2 million
Family Home status
29. In addition to the witnessing stats, other news this year is the Family's Home and population status. Last year at this time we had 1,272 Homes, consisting of 395 FD Homes, 149 MM Homes, and 728 FM Homes. This year we have 1,174 Homes‚ consisting of 260 FD Homes, 334 MM Homes, and 580 FM Homes. As you can see, our total number of Homes dropped by 98, FD Homes dropped by 135, MM Homes increased by 185‚ and FM Homes decreased by 148.
30. Some of the decrease in the number of FD Homes especially comes from Homes combining in order to form winning teams. For example, 2004's average FD Home size was 14. The average Home size this year is 18. A 4–person increase over last year's 14 people per Home is a 29% increase in Home size. MM average Home size stayed the same at 7‚ and FM average Home size decreased from 5 last year to 4 this year.
| Home Totals 2004 to 2005 | ||||
| Year | Total | FD | MM | FM |
| 2004 | 1,272 | 395 | 149 | 728 |
| 2005 | 1‚174 | 260 | 334 | 580 |
| Total | -98 | -135 | + 185 | -148 |
| Percent | -8% | -34% | +124% | -20% |
Family population status
31. Starting mid-2005‚ we began collecting the new membership categories of Attached-Missionary Members (Missionary members reporting and tithing to a Home) and Active members. Last year at this time our total Family membership stood at 10,231. This year that has increased slightly by 1% to 10,323 members.
32. Our current Family membership comprises 4,685 FD members, 2,375 MM members (and another 131 Attached-MMers), 2,653 FM members‚ and 479 Active members. In addition, we have 1,043 General members.
| Year | Total | FD | MM | A-MM | FM | AM |
| 2004 | 10,231 | 5,657 | 1,015 | - | 3,559 | - |
| 2005 | 10‚323 | 4,685 | 2,375 | 131 | 2,653 | 479 |
| Total | + 92 | -972 | +1,360 | + 131 | -906 | + 479 |
| Percent | +1% | -17% | +134% | -25% |
33. Last year at this time we had 5,657 FD members, 1‚015 MM members‚ and 3‚559 FM members. That was, of course, before the FD Home size requirements kicked in. And as we surmised in last year's "Restructuring to Strengthening" GN, when we had 395 FD Homes, 147 of whom were under the minimum 6 voting members, we expected the number of FD Homes and thus FD members to decrease, and the MM Homes and members to increase. You can see that that's just what happened, with 135 Homes and 972 members moving from the FD category. So, though our FD membership has gone down by 17%, our MM membership has gone up by 134%, and our FM membership has gone down by 25%.
34. To put it in numerical terms, our FD and FM membership have gone down by 972 and 906 members respectively, while our MM membership has gone up by 1,360 members. We had a net loss in live-in membership of 518 members, but we had a gain of Attached-MM and AM membership of 610. Thus the overall net increase of 92 members. It was a big year of shifting around and finding the membership category where you could best serve the Lord. We are proud of you!
35. An interesting stat is what membership category various members of the Family migrated to. According to our records, of our 5,657 FD members last year, approximately 4,150 who were FD as of October 2004 are still FD as of October 2005. Eight passed on to their heavenly reward; about 1,120 moved to MM (including 20 becoming Attached-MMers); 100 moved to FM, and 2 became AMs. About 143 left the Family altogether. That doesn't account for all of them, but it is as close as we can determine.
36. On the MM front, of our 1,015 MM members last year, 812 stayed MM‚ 88 moved to FD, 54 left the Family, 41 moved to FM, and 1 became an Active member. Again‚ that doesn't account for all of them, but it's all we've been able to calculate.
37. And with our 3,559 Fellow members of October 2004, 2,343 remained FM, 617 left the Family, 426 became MM (including 41 becoming Attached-MMers), 93 became FD, 16 became AM, and 4 passed on.
Generational status
38. While our total membership is 10,323, those living in Family Homes add up to 9,713 (+131 A-MMs + 479 AMs = 10,323). We have generational stats on these live-in members. Of our total 9,713 live-ins of our FD, MM‚ and FM Homes, 3,117 are first generation (32%), 5,908 are second generation (61%), and 688 are third generation (7%)! Thus a full 2/3 of us are second and third generations.
39. We consist of 5,743 (or 59%) adults and 3,970 (or 41%) children. The 5‚743 adults are broken down into 3,117 first generation and 2,626 second generation.
| Adults/Children/Generations Breakdown By Region | |||||||||||||
| All Members - Adults/Children/Generations Breakdown | |||||||||||||
| Region | Total | 1st Gen Adults | 2nd Gen Adults | Children | 1st Gen | 2nd Gen | 3rd Gen | ||||||
| ACTON | 600 | 200 | (33%) | 145 | (24%) | 255 | (43%) | 200 | (33%) | 364 | (61%) | 36 | (6%) |
| Africa | 540 | 142 | (26%) | 160 | (30%) | 238 | (44%) | 142 | (26%) | 339 | (63%) | 59 | (11%) |
| Brazil | 1,314 | 418 | (32%) | 380 | (29%) | 518 | (39%) | 418 | (32%) | 806 | (61%) | 92 | (7%) |
| Eastern Eurasia | 823 | 336 | (41%) | 120 | (15%) | 367 | (45%) | 336 | (41%) | 444 | (54%) | 43 | (5%) |
| India Area | 496 | 160 | (32%) | 125 | (25%) | 211 | (43%) | 160 | (32%) | 310 | (63%) | 26 | (5%) |
| Japan/Korea | 706 | 208 | (29%) | 166 | (24%) | 332 | (47%) | 208 | (29%) | 458 | (65%) | 40 | (6%) |
| Mexico/Central America | 994 | 258 | (26%) | 318 | (32%) | 418 | (42%) | 258 | (26%) | 634 | (64%) | 102 | (10%) |
| Mideast | 197 | 56 | (28%) | 61 | (31%) | 80 | (41%) | 56 | (28%) | 116 | (59%) | 25 | (13%) |
| North America | 1,341 | 431 | (32%) | 415 | (31%) | 495 | (37%) | 431 | (32%) | 809 | (60%) | 101 | (8%) |
| Southeast Asia | 557 | 177 | (32%) | 138 | (25%) | 242 | (43%) | 177 | (32%) | 331 | (59%) | 49 | (9%) |
| Spanish South America | 923 | 311 | (34%) | 233 | (25%) | 378 | (41%) | 311 | (34%) | 570 | (62%) | 41 | (4%) |
| Western Europe | 1,222 | 420 | (34%) | 365 | (30%) | 436 | (36%) | 420 | (34%) | 727 | (60%) | 74 | (6%) |
| Total | 9,713 | 3,117 | (32%) | 2,626 | (27%) | 3,970 | (41%) | 3,117 | (32%) | 5,908 | (61%) | 688 | (7%) |
Members by region
40. Here is a table of our members by type and region.
| Members by Region and Status | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Total members * | FD | MM | Attached-MM | FM | AM | General members | |||||||
| ACTON | 625 | 6% | 223 | 5% | 170 | 7% | 0 | 0% | 207 | 8% | 25 | 5% | 11 | 1% |
| Africa | 560 | 6% | 344 | 7% | 148 | 6% | 5 | 4% | 48 | 2% | 15 | 3% | 71 | 7% |
| Brazil | 1,532 | 15% | 545 | 12% | 369 | 16% | 13 | 10% | 400 | 15% | 205 | 43% | 172 | 16% |
| Eastern Eurasia | 855 | 8% | 574 | 12% | 105 | 4% | 10 | 8% | 144 | 5% | 22 | 4% | 63 | 6% |
| India | 523 | 5% | 278 | 6% | 156 | 7% | 4 | 3% | 62 | 2% | 23 | 5% | 179 | 17% |
| Japan | 715 | 7% | 281 | 6% | 280 | 12% | 1 | 1% | 145 | 6% | 8 | 2% | 71 | 7% |
| Mexico/Central America | 1,067 | 10% | 627 | 14% | 209 | 9% | 36 | 27% | 158 | 6% | 37 | 8% | 86 | 8% |
| Mideast | 202 | 2% | 185 | 4% | 5 | 0% | 2 | 2% | 7 | 0% | 3 | 1% | 101 | 10% |
| North America | 1,358 | 13% | 403 | 8% | 327 | 14% | 11 | 8% | 611 | 23% | 6 | 1% | 52 | 5% |
| SEA | 572 | 6% | 276 | 6% | 154 | 6% | 4 | 3% | 127 | 5% | 11 | 2% | 133 | 13% |
| Spanish South America | 1,036 | 10% | 443 | 9% | 246 | 10% | 26 | 20% | 234 | 9% | 87 | 18% | 50 | 5% |
| Western Europe | 1‚278 | 12% | 506 | 11% | 206 | 9% | 19 | 14% | 510 | 19% | 37 | 8% | 54 | 5% |
| Total Members | 10,323 * See note | 4,685 | 2,375 | 131 | 2‚653 | 479 | 1,043 | |||||||
| * Note: The "Total Members" column does not include General Members. |
41. As you can see, the largest percentage of our membership is in Brazil (with 15%), passing up North America and Western Europe, which were in the number 1 and 2 spots last year. The Americas—North, Central, and South—account for 48% of the Family.
Births and betrothals
42. We had approximately 68 betrothals this year and 201 babies. The 201 babies seems significant, because births had gone down steadily for eight consecutive years‚ from 1996's 354 to 2004's 170, so they seem to be picking up now. To date, we've recorded 14,165 live births.
43. Just as 2005 was a big year for the Family as a whole, with lots of hard work and change, it was a big year for Mama and the GN team‚ but it resulted in lots of New Wine: 61 GNs, totaling nearly 1,500 pages. That's the equivalent of a 28-page GN each week of the year, on a great variety of subjects.
44. At the beginning of the year, we published the renewal "Celebration" Letter‚ with the Lord's commendation to our children, JETTs, and junior teens for having made it through the renewal. That was followed by eight "Shooting Straight" GNs that gave us insight into what our attitudes and actions as disciples should be like, both now and in the years to come.
45. There were also eight GNs containing the "Getting Stronger" series and related addendums‚ Letters which spelled out a major change for the Family—the end of the VS program and the implementation of the coach program, along with the many related details.
46. We finished publishing the board criteria and how-to aids this year, in a series of eight GNs, which resulted in eight more GNs—the five Feast 2004 GNs, with their board workshops, and the three year-end GNs ("Restructuring to Strengthening," "Wartime," and "New Spirit World Power"). That's the fourth "eight," and we hope you "ate" these spiritual meals with gusto and that they provided spiritual strength and inspiration throughout the year!
47. This last year was one which saw a lot of publicity about the Family, often in the form of negative media attacks. The Lord gave us 10 persecution- and media-related GNs to help us to remain strong, to be able to contend for the faith and let our lights shine brightly in the midst of the many distortions and lies.
48. Disaster struck the world this year in both the East and West, with the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in the U.S., and the Lord and Dad spoke at length on these disasters in two new "World Currents" GNs.
49. We began two more new series of GNs this last year: The "Art of War" series, with four GNs on using the spiritual weapons of brotherhood, praise, loving Jesus, and prayer, and the "Training Winning Teams" series, with the introduction and three GNs on the Word, unity, and communication/openness. We also published four GNs related to "The Art of War, Part 3," on loving Jesus: "Our Patient Lover," with questions and answers on loving Jesus, and "Expressions of Ecstasy‚" with words we can use in times of loving our dear Husband.
50. There were also several GNs that weren't related to any series: "Tighten Up" on the education of our children; "How to Establish Home Guidelines" (a post-it GN that followed the renewal); "Introduction to the Persecution Testimonies Project" (another post-it GN, which was followed by 67 of these testimonies received in prophecy, the "Counted Worthy" series); "The Art of Dependence," with much-needed counsel on how to cast our cares and burdens on the Lord; and "What Really Matters to Me," with the big picture about the criteria and Family status.
51. With the launch of the Link magazine this year, Mama and her team were busy contributing to that as well, with new Letters in the "Living Word" section. The four Link Letters published this year were: "Praise = Answers, Solutions, Progress, Power, and Victory," "Jesus' Life on Earth, Part 1," "Quality Word Time, Part 1," and "An All-Out Mission for Salvation." You can look forward to more exciting Link Letters in the year to come.
52. Aside from that‚ there's plenty more to come in 2006, as the Lord's wine vats never run dry. Mama and her team are preparing more parts for the "Art of War" series, "Training Winning Teams" series, "Shooting Straight" GNs, as well as others on the keys, prophecy‚ a new series on our helpers and hinderers, a series of prophecy vitamins, and much, much more.
By the WS pubs departments
53. On the pubs front, this year has been very fruitful, with the WS departments producing 2,762 pages of printed publications (not counting GNs). That figure translates into 18 Grapevines, 11 Grapevine Supplements, 20 Heaven's Library mags, 9 Kidlands‚ 2 Kidz Biz, 17 MLKs, 12 Reflections, 2 CLTPs, 19 Xns‚ 1 LNF, 4 Links (and an intro flyer), 5 ENDs‚ 4 FARs, 15 FCPs, 5 FSMs, 11 Gen-Ups, 2 miscellaneous pubs‚ SWAT‚ and an MM Questionnaire.
54. Some publications appeared online only. These were: MLK 210a, FAR 265-272‚ and OOFCP 1.
55. More key promises have been received from the Lord this year for the children. Many of these are simplified versions of ones from the Key Promise book, while others have been received for specific needs of the children, such as schooling. You will find these on the "Key Promise" cards for the children‚ and the new key promises on page three of each issue of the Gen-Ups.
56. November 2004 saw the end of Kidz Biz as a pub. In April, the FAR made the transition from being a printed pub to being an online-only publication. Link was created this year, with four issues so far. The launch of any new mag is always a team effort, and Link was no exception, with the CGO board being central to the creation of the mag‚ while the WS pubs teams, GN department, administration, office teams and print teams each played their part.
57. The layout and production of the board handbooks was something that the WS pubs teams played a big part in this year. While the board handbooks were created within the boards‚ the pubs teams helped with the editing and compiling of a few of the handbooks, and laid all of them out and prepared them for printing. By the time you receive this GN, the handbooks will be printed and should reach your Home within the first quarter of 2006.
58. There are six handbooks in all: CGO, JT‚ PR, FED, CP, and the Criteria Handbook comprising the criteria from each board, board how-to aids, etc. (There is no CS Handbook, because the CS board focused their energies and attention on creating the Coach Training Program and Home Shepherd Training Program, which effectively serves as their board's handbook.) All together, the board handbooks total 1,560 B5 pages. The handbooks will be assembled loose-leaf in ring binders so that they can be updated and added to by the boards, as needed.
59. The printing of the 15 books in the second book printing was completed in 2005, and distribution is currently underway. The WS pubs teams have also begun work on books for the next book printing, specifically Heaven's Library, Vols. 4 and 5, which contain compiled stories from the Heaven's Library mags for ages 9 on up.
60. This year saw the creation of a WS publication workflow system that has greatly helped to streamline and automate the process that the pubs go through before they are print–ready. As an interesting fact, there are around 20 distinct steps that each pub goes through from the time it comes to the layout department to be laid out till it is sent to the print teams. With 8-10 publications cycling through the department every two weeks, this internal reorganization and streamlining has been a welcome blessing. Although the new system has not been without its glitches, it is a great improvement and timesaver overall.
61. We had a new member join the layout team this year, and another who helped temporarily for the duration of the handbook production, without whom we would never have completed the handbooks while keeping pubs running. Two people who'd helped on pubs moved on to other ministries this year.
62. None of the publications produced this year would have made it to your Homes had it not been for the continual efforts of the following teams: The office teams, who do the processing of TRFs and compiling of addresses and Home information; the print teams who print and send off the mailings to you; the translation teams who painstakingly translate many pubs into local languages. These teams are very important and needed and deserve a lot of the credit for the 21 mailings that were sent to you this year.
By the WS administration department
63. With the launching of the Regional and Shepherding desks, the restructuring of the reporting offices, and the Home review kicking into full gear, it was a busy year for the WS administration team. We have been involved with communications, counseling, ironing out kinks, reassessing procedures, and sometimes re–ironing out kinks connected to these three big changes in the Family's reporting and communications structure.
64. The WS administration team has answered numerous Charter, board, Home review and other procedural questions from the Shepherding desks, Regional desks‚ Regional offices, Regional shepherds, and Homes. Many of these communications were then turned into "Questions and Answers" and were posted on a section of the MO site for the Shepherding desks. Others were sent to the Regional desks and regional board chairs via bulletins.
65. The Charter committee, in conjunction with the WS administration team, put together three Charter addendums, and the Home manager's checklist FSM. Along with the IBCs, we also put together the Questionnaire for Fellow Member Homes Applying to Become Missionary Member Homes.
66. There continues to be progress toward the completion of the third edition of the Charter, which will include all the Charter amendments and Family structure changes to date, and the Family Board Handbook. We are shooting to have this more-than-500-page Family document online for the Family in 2006.
67. We know you have heard the sound of this "trumpet" for quite some time, but it's a mammoth project, especially with all of the major changes that have occurred in the Family within the past two years, besides the fact that those involved in the reworking of the Charter have other full-time ministries as well. We're coming down to the home stretch, though, so please pray for this final stage which will require a great deal of attention to the minute details.—And that at a very busy time. The updated Missionary Member Statutes and the new Fellow Member Statutes are also being finalized to be sent out around the same time.
68. TeleTRF 2005 was released this year—another big project a long time in the works! God bless the TeleTRF team, who worked hard and long to update the TeleTRF program to include a number of important technical changes, as well as accommodating for the boards and the Family structural and membership changes. Some of the major changes in this release were:
1) Support for the different circles of Family membership, including provision for "MM reporting/tithing to Home" and your AM members‚ so they can receive their own mailings.
2) Reporting your Steering Council.
3) New stats.
4) Revised board-appropriate Comments and Suggestions.
5) Better PGP support … and much more.
69. The TeleTRF team has also continued work on the office back-end programs which make the compiling and processing of your reports so much quicker for the office teams. The goal is to help the offices process the information on your reports quickly and easily, a project that will continue over the coming year.
70. WS administration has been working very closely with the reporting offices this year to help fine-tune their servicing policies and procedures, as well as looking for ways to streamline the many business matters that the ROs handle for the Homes.
71. A lot has been accomplished this year, and special acknowledgment and a hearty round of applause must also be given to the hard-working reporting offices, Regional desks, and Shepherding desks, without whom much of what was accomplished this year would not have happened. Many are new to their job, but have taken on enormous workloads to help service the Family‚ and are doing tremendously.
WS administration stats
72. The WS administration team:
• Received about 3,100 messages from the field.
• Wrote and sent out about 2,600 messages.
• Put together and sent out three Charter addendums (which will be included in the third edition of the Charter).
• Wrote, sent and/or posted more than 45 Charter- and board-related Q&As.
Reporting office stats
73. Here's a little reporting office trivia, which we have compiled to give you an idea of how much they do. God willing, next year we will have the stats and progress from your Regional desks as well.
• Emails incoming from Homes via the TRF email addresses: 14‚780.
• File attachments incoming from Homes at the TRF email addresses: 15,812.
• Emails incoming from Homes at the other RO email addresses: 5,485
• File attachments incoming from Homes at the other RO email addresses: 3,575.
• Emails outgoing to the boards and desks: 8,970.
• File attachments and messages sent to Homes: 5,456.
• TRFs processed: 14,329.
• TeleTRF personnel records processed: 37‚096.
• TeleTRF comments compiled: 20,628.
• Processed and sent out mailing info for approximately 31,000 mailings.
Income to WS
74. Total income to WS, including offerings, was slightly higher than last year, increasing by 2.5% over 2004. This compares to an increase the previous year: In 2004, incoming gifts were 20% higher than 2003 (which was probably a result of "Show Me the Money," published at the end of 2003). However, although there wasn't a large increase this year, since 2005 was a year of very big changes in the Family, it's a miracle of the Lord's supply and your faithfulness, obedience, and love for the Lord that income stayed up! Praise the Lord!
75. Tithes increased 5%. Offerings decreased by 24% from 2004.
Major projects funded in 2005
76. —Extra support above their monthly budgets to the VS program during the closing months of the VS program.
77. —Opening of the three final Regional desks. Nine had already been opened and established during 2004. This means that WS has taken on the support of a total of 12 Regional desks over the last two years.
78. —Opening and financing of 12 Shepherding desks.
79. —A lump sum Project Fund was given to each of the six international boards in 2005‚ just like in 2004.
80. —WS invested more into refurbishing two meeting sites in Latin America (CTC in Mexico; Park in Brazil).
81. —The Academy International‚ a six-week training program for leadership, was partially supported by WS‚ with the CS board and the attendees' tuition shouldering the majority of the cost.
82. —WS helped to finance the purchase of computer equipment for many of the new coaches who couldn't otherwise afford them in Brazil‚ Spanish South America, the Mideast, and Southeast Asia.
83. —WS continued to save up for the next Summit and international board meetings.
84. —WS financed over 60 monthly gifts to missionary outreaches.
85. —$72,000 worth of book printing for the year was financed by offerings from the Homes.
86. —In addition‚ WS financed the printing of the Early Bird Readers and the board and criteria handbooks.
87. —WS financed the production and distribution of InfoStore 3.0. With this mailing your Home should have received your copy of InfoStore 3.0. I want to encourage you to install it and begin to explore and use it. As you do, we're sure you'll find, as we have, that it's a fantastic tool that can revolutionize your Word times. Mama and I want to thank all those who worked so hard to make it a reality. We believe it's going to be a great and powerful blessing to the whole Family, especially in this era where we're all becoming increasingly aware of the importance of the Word and the need to study and absorb it.
WS expenses
88. 97% of all the income received by WS during the year went right back out, meaning income was barely above expenses, as usual, this year by just 3%. Here's a breakdown of the expenses:
89. WS publications: 36%. This percentage was about the same as 2004's 35%. This covers the support and production of all of WS, translation and printing units‚ and the cost of the creation, production, and shipping of all WS pubs.
90. Missions: 33%. Up from last year's 30% and 2003's 24%. This 33% includes gifts and budgets to Asia‚ Africa‚ Eastern Eurasia, Latin America, the Mideast, North America, and the Pacific. WS gives missions aid to over 100 Homes and ministries.
91. Boards and Summit: 20%. This is almost the same as last year's 21% and up from 2003's 15%. Besides regular monthly regional board support, WS covered international board expenses, lump sum gifts to the six board project funds‚ partial RS support, and in 2005 WS covered major CS restructuring meetings and expenses. WS also sets aside funds on a monthly basis in a savings fund to have the needed finances to pay for the Summit meetings and the international board meetings.
92. Administration: 6%. This is down from 9% last year and 13% the year before that, and covers the support and costs of the reporting offices, and WS administration expenses.
93. GP productions, Audio/Visual, and Legal/Educational/Other: 5%. This 5% is the same as last year and down from 8% the year before that. This contributes toward the production of all the GP tools and Family CDs, as well as WS travel, educational, legal and media expenses.
By the WS GP department
Activated news
94. There were 22‚390 new subscriptions in 2005. This was higher than last year's stat of 21,845. Thanks to the Activated Incentive Program, Activated subscription stats made a big leap in each region during the months the program was held. (The total number of Activated subscriptions to date is 93,054.)
95. The current total subscribers this year are: 21,933. This is down from current total subscribers at this same time last year, but up from the previous year, 2003, when we only had 19,391 subscribers.
New GP pubs in 2005
• 12 new Activated monthly mags: November 2004 through October 2005 issues.
• Start Early upgrade: Now featuring 2 sets of 25 posters each, one focused on Christian principles and the other on morals—each with the corresponding coloring book included in the package.
• Grandpa Jake's Storybook: Dino Tales series (GP colored version in hardback and softcover formats).
• Activity booklets for all four of the Grandpa Jake's Storybook series—with coloring pages, puzzles, games, and more.
• The Adventures of Trudge and Zippy—a series of three storybooks, geared toward non-Christian audiences.
• 16 new CD cards: 6 for Christmas, 4 for the romantic collection, 4 for the new "thinking of you" collection.
• The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist, and From the End to Eternity—two new books covering Endtime events from the rise of the Antichrist through to the New Earth.
• From Jesus with Love: My Healing Touch.
• Sing with Angels—CD of Christmas carols sung by children.
• Eyes of Love—CD of romantic songs, compiled from the TCDs.
• Fulfillment and Fields of Freedom—two CDs of instrumental music by Mike P. (expanded from the original set of instrumentals released last year).
• Huellas—a Spanish GP CD with songs of love and devotion to the Lord (produced by the Family studios in Mexico).
• More Treasure Attic episodes in DVD format: Our Beautiful World/Around the World in Spanish/English/Portuguese.
Planned and/or in the works
• Treasure Attic: Bible Explorers interactive CD (Early 2006).
• Two CDs with Loving Jesus songs suitable for the GP (Early 2006).
• New improved Activated magazine basic course issues 1-6 (Early 2006).
• Read-along dramas for the four series of Grandpa Jake's Storybook (recorded by Uganda RadioActive team).
• Early Bird Readers read-along CD.
• More Activated mags for kids—not a monthly mag, but a series of "special issues" for distribution.
• CD of comfort songs—for those experiencing troubled times.
• Glimpses of Heaven audiobook CD, including some songs.
• More Treasure Attic episodes on DVD. Next: Little Creatures/Let's Have Fun
• Three new Mountain Streams books: book #6, "Ambassadors of Love," with witnessing Letters, and books #7 and #8 on service and leadership and related topics.
• Get Activated booklets: The Book of Daniel; Marriage.
• From Jesus with Love audiobook.
• More FJWL gift books.
• Evolution comicbook tract (by David Komic).
• Endtime posters and other youthful posters.
• FJWL posters (based on back pages of Activated; larger, laminated style).
• New children's posters (based on Heaven's Library stories).
• Updated Countdown to Armageddon and Beyond Armageddon videos.
By the WS web department
96. The year started off very busy for us as we worked on creating the websites for Ricky and Angela, which took a lot of prayer and counseling to have them hit the mark and carry the right message and spirit. We also wanted to make sure that they were well indexed on the Internet, so that people searching for news about those events would be exposed to our side of the story, which has gone well, thank the Lord.
97. Another major project was getting the CS section of the MOv3 (the newest version of the MO site) ready for the Home Shepherd Training program, the Coach Program, and other CS-related material and initiatives. Since then we've also put up basic board sections for the other Family boards, and much more is coming soon on all of these.
98. The majority of the work done by the web department this year, though, was behind-the-scenes work on the MOv3, continuing to lay the foundation of the programming and the data that will run all the soon-to-be-arriving sections. A lot has been done, and although there is still more to do, you should be seeing a lot of this foundation work paying off in new, better, and faster sections, and a lot more content.
99. And, of course‚ there's the day-to–day running of all of our websites, keeping up with Activated, the GP Family website, putting the new GP products on Aurora's site, and maintaining both versions of the MO site until we're able to move everything over to the MOv3 and phase out the older one, among other things. This keeps us pretty busy, but we're still making steady progress on our new projects, and we hope that this coming year will see a culmination of a lot of the MOv3 work‚ and that it will be a big blessing to you.
Stats
www.thefamily.org
Total visits: 892,979
Daily average: 2,446
Total downloaded: 317.8GB
Total subscription emails sent: 411,603
old.familymembers.com
Total visits: 746,927
Daily average: 2,046
Total downloaded: 1.67TB (terabytes)
Total pubs subscription emails sent: 81,476
Total pubs downloaded: 116,056
Total MP3s downloaded: 517,035
www.familymembers.com
Total visits: 206,462
Daily average: 566
Total downloaded: 153.2GB
Total pubs downloaded: 108,055
Total pubs read online: 357‚412
www.activated.org
Total visits: 156,878
Total downloaded: 16.2GB
www.auroraproduction.com
Total visits: 278‚664
Total downloaded: 15.71GB
www.angela-smith.org
Total visits: 15,874
Total downloaded: 5.06GB
www.rickyrodriguez.com
Total visits: 25,215
Total downloaded: 20.88GB
Family Audio
By the Family music department
New CDs in 2005
• Portrait (LJ #8)
• Heat: Passionately Dedicated to Jesus (TCD #34)
• New GP CDs are reported in the GP department section
CDs coming your way shortly
• Alternative Man (TCD #35 with songs on witnessing)
• Kicking Up a Storm (TCD #36 with songs on discipleship)
100. WS has continued to be very busy, as you can see from the preceding reports. And the departments have just written up the highlights—not mentioning all of the other daily work they are involved with, and other projects that come into their courts. We're one busy Family at all levels!
101. Those in WS have cheerfully weathered a lot of unexpected changes this year, due to the resultant work that the media storm generated, changes within WS‚ filling in for others who were attending meetings or who were on big pushes, etc., for which Mama and I really admire them. Although their work is different than yours is, dear Family, they've been working exceptionally hard this year—and being strengthened, just as you have.
102. We had a few new members join WS this year, and some move on to other fields. We also had three new babies (all girls) born this year, and at the time of writing this, we have three more SGAs expecting.
103. In fact, some people have wondered if we have children in WS. So in case you're interested, here is some info about the wonderful children we have in WS: Most of our children of FGAs are older and don't reside in WS with their parents. However, one FGA couple still has 4 of their 10 children (who are also older) living in WS.
104. We presently have 7 SGA couples in WS with children, and two other new SGA couples are expecting their first child. One couple has three children under the age of 6. Another couple has three children 7 and under. Then another couple has 2 children under the age of 4‚ with one on the way. We also have a couple with 2 children under the age of 3, and another couple with 2 children under the age of 2.
105. In addition to that, we have two other couples with one child, and then two single moms with a child each. That brings our total children in WS under the age of 9 up to 17, with more on the way. Praise the Lord!
106. Mama and I have had an extremely busy, but very good year. Mama's been working very hard on the GNs and other projects, as you read in the "GN News" section earlier. The Ricky and Angela situation also kept us both pretty busy at the beginning of the year, praying about many different things, keeping abreast of the situation, preparing material for you, etc.
107. I've been busy on and off this year with video and audio projects. I filmed two sets of Coach Training Program videos, then recorded the audio for the Home Shepherd Training Program. These were taxing projects that took a lot out of me‚ but the Lord gave me the strength miraculously—thanks to your prayers. Then, toward the end of the year, as you know, I was involved with the Academy International for seven weeks.
108. I'm so thankful to the Lord for giving me the strength for these big projects this year‚ because I know that they were very important for the training and strengthening of the Family. I didn't have the strength within myself, so the completion of each project was a miracle.
109. Mama also worked hard recording the meetings for the Feast for you this year, which you will have a chance to listen to soon. And the fact that she was able to prepare those recordings for you, and read all of that material, is in large part due to your faithful prayers for her over the years‚ and specifically for her eyes. It's amazing the transformation that has occurred in answer to your prayers!
110. Mama's overall health has significantly improved over the last years. When Mama and I first got together after Dad went to be with the Lord, when we lived in Portugal, she was sick and extremely weak much of the time. She used to have to remain in a very dark room all of the time or else her eyes would hurt. She had to wear very dark sunglasses whenever she was in any kind of light. She bled a lot over the years, due to her cysts, which drained her of what little strength she had. Often she would have to be carried to meetings she would have with the Home, because she was too weak to even walk. But she kept fighting and kept serving you, dear Family, despite her frail health.
111. However, in recent years, in answer to your prayers, her health has improved tremendously. She doesn't have to live in dark rooms anymore. She can read sometimes if she needs to, and if the Lord shows her something is important enough for her to use her eyes for it. She can go out and enjoy creation. She can get regular exercise and can travel when she needs to. Her cysts are also completely healed, which is a real miracle! This has strengthened her overall health.
112. All of this is a result of your prayers‚ dear Family! In fact, everything that the Lord has helped us to accomplish this year has been made possible through your prayers. We depend on you, we appreciate you, and we couldn't continue on with the big job the Lord has given us to do without your support in so many ways—not the least of which is through your prayers. Thank you. Please keep them coming!
What's Ahead in 2006
113. (Jesus: ) 2006 will be a year of some strengthening. The strengthening will continue. But the strengthening aspects—the training programs, the rearranging of the Homes, and the physical adjustments—won't be as plenteous in 2006 as they were in 2005. 2005 was an intense year of strengthening and it took a lot out of you, dear Family, a lot out of Mama and Peter, the IBCs, the RSs, and WS.
114. 2006 will be busy. There will be lots to do, as there always will be in your service to Me, but it won't be the same kind of stress—or perhaps I should say pressure. The pressure that I put on you in 2005 to make so many radical changes will not be as great in 2006. There will be fewer changes of the nature that were instituted in 2005, but there will still be strengthening.
115. Much of the strengthening of the Family in 2006 will be as a result of continuing to implement the counsel you received in 2005. You'll continue to work on strengthening your winning teams. You'll continue to work on implementing the criteria. You who have new jobs and posts will continue to learn the ropes. Many changes were made in 2005‚ and the new legislation and structure is in place‚ but it's going to take 2006 for you to really get the hang of how everything works, so that the engine of My work can begin to run smoothly.
116. There'll be kinks to iron out this year. There will be parts of the machinery that will be squeaky and will need oil. There will be things that will need to be adjusted and fine-tuned. There will be a few pieces that will need to be replaced, and other odds and ends need to be fixed. It was like the machine of the restructured Family was put together in 2004 and 2005. You rebuilt the Family, you restructured. And now you've got to let the machine run a bit longer to see how to improve things without making too many major changes.
117. 2006 is a year for making only the modifications that are absolutely necessary. The original design is good. The machine that you have put together with My instruction is good. There will be some minor things that need attending to, things to fix before the machine of the Family is in tip–top working order.
118. This machine of the Family is destined to be a harvesting machine. That's its main purpose. But it's still in the mechanic's shop, so to speak, and in 2006 I'll be giving it the final touches. My vision is that by 2007 you, My Family, will be ready to go more on the offensive. 2005 was a year of strengthening. 2006 will be a year of more strengthening, but also some advancing. And 2007, if all goes according to plan, should be a year of more offensive and proactive action. Of course, much is dependent on how things go this year, on the choices that you make, on how much you are able to do, on how desperate everyone involved is, and how much prayer power is behind the forward movement of the Family. So 2007 should be a more offensive and proactive year. That's what I'm aiming at. That's the goal.
119. If you can solidify your winning teams during 2006; if you can work to be united, happy‚ fruitful, spirit-filled Homes; if you can work to educate your children and make sure they are up to par; if you can build a base of support and minister to kings and queens and contacts and friends; if you can become somewhat stable, living less hand-to–mouth‚ and learn to have more faith for My supply, then by the end of 2006 you should be ready to launch out into new territory, to really hit the Enemy where it hurts—witnessing and saving more of those that he has claimed as his own!
120. One of the reasons that you can't go on an all-out offensive now is that you don't have the finances to do so. Many Homes are not financially stable enough to be able to do whatever I might ask them to do, even things that may not bring in the finances. Many of you are still bound to fundraising methods that work in the short term but not in the long term, and that weigh you down so that you are living hand-to-mouth and don't have time to be proactive.
121. So there are a few main goals for this year, ways that the Family needs to be strengthened—and‚ yes, to also advance.
122. —You must continue to fulfill the goals that I gave you in 2005. You must continue to implement the criteria. You must continue to review and study the Word that I gave you. You must continue to build your winning teams. You must continue to grow stronger in your use of the new weapons.
123. —You must solidify your winning teams this year. Many Homes have gotten bigger, they have joined forces, but many are still unstable. These Homes need to commit. You need to get where you're going and start building a solid foundation that will support you and your Home in 2007‚ when I'll ask you to look outward more, to become more proactive. Of course, the vision for 2007 is dependent on your choices and progress in 2006.
124. —You must continue to strengthen your Homes spiritually. You must continue to strengthen any areas of your faith that are weak, so that you will be stronger in witnessing the meat of the Word. This will be accomplished as you continue to implement the Word that you were given in 2005, and as you absorb and implement the new Word that you will be receiving in 2006. Also, it will happen as a result of you Home shepherds, managers, and coaches getting stronger as you learn more about your jobs and take on your full anointing.
125. —You must not just strengthen your Homes spiritually‚ but also practically. One practical way many Family Homes need to be strengthened is financially. You should be working to reach the rich, and cultivating kings and supporters and friends and contacts who will be able to supply your needs, so that in time you will hardly need to fundraise, but will be able to focus on offensives, proactive measures, and witnessing adventures that may not bring in immediate funds, but that will bring in mighty harvests.
126. Being financially stable—at least much more so than Family Homes are today—is a key to the Family becoming the offensive army of the future that I have promised. Of course, you will never be completely stable financially‚ because you will always live by faith and need to depend on Me. But you should have much more stable incomes, and you would if you would obey the counsel that I have given on how to do so in the "Show Me the Money" series and other Letters. This must be something that you are working toward in 2006, because it's a part of advancing and continuing to be strengthened.
127. —You must continue to be prepared for persecution. When I ask you to become more offensive, to start new proactive initiatives, to actually start to take over the Enemy's territory once again, then you can be sure he will fight. He's not just going to let you walk all over him. He'll attack you, and one way will be through further persecution. So you, My Family, must be prepared for this. This preparation will be spiritual and practical. Practically speaking, being more financially stable will be a help. Having solid supporters, kings‚ queens, friends and contacts who know about the Family and won't be swayed by false accusations and lies is a key. Having the children's education and care up to par will also be a part of your testimony.
128. I know that these things I'm listing for 2006 seem like a lot, but really it's just a continuation of 2005 and asking you to obey in the areas that I have already instructed you in. It's not really new. I'm not implementing new pushes and initiatives. I just want to solidify the progress of 2005 as well as remind you of some of the things from prior years that you have not been implementing nearly enough.
129. Because there are still weak areas in the Family—in finances‚ in education (with the children in some areas), in being prepared for persecution—Homes are still relatively weak. You're stronger than you were before, but not as strong and united as I need you to be. Thus you cannot go on a full-scale offensive yet. If you were to launch a major offensive, the Enemy would exploit these weaknesses and use them to his advantage. You are in a much better position to go on the offensive today than you were a few years ago, but you are still not ready.
130. Just as any commander would not send his men to war if they were not ready, if he did not know they had a mighty good chance of victory, neither would I. I love you, My soldiers, too much to ask you to make a major offensive when I know that you are not quite ready. I know that you need more time to be strengthened. You will advance as you are strengthened, but you are not ready for the full-scale offensive yet. In time you will be, so have patience. It will not last forever, but must last until the time is right, until you are ready to enter a new era‚ until I sound the call. (End of message.)
131. (Jesus:) This past year has been the year of strengthening. Now I take you to the next level—the year of advancing. In this coming year, you will continue to face some ongoing challenges related to the restructuring and strengthening of previous years, but My promise to you is that things will "come together" sufficiently so that you will be able to make definite, visible, tangible steps of serious forward progress—progress that you won't have to take solely by faith, but that you can see and feel and know and witness the fruits of with your physical and spiritual senses. It will be a year in which great advances will be made on many fronts.
132. The Family will fulfill its primary commission as My witnesses and lights shining in the darkness of this world on a grand scale. You will bear much fruit in many areas of your witness—getting out the message, including the meat; winning souls to My Kingdom; winning new members and disciples; strengthening and solidifying your local churches and seeing them prosper‚ grow, and flourish. You will see many that you have been witnessing to become witnesses themselves. You will see many grow and flourish tremendously as you feed them My meaty Words and truths. As you grow in faith, you will see them grow in faith.
133. It will also be a year in which you will see your winning Homes and teams truly and fully take shape. In some cases, building a winning team has been a bit like assembling a huge piece of machinery with thousands of parts. It's not a type of equipment you were familiar with when you got started, and though you have the instruction manual, it's pretty tedious to follow it, and you had to study it really closely and keep coming back to it as you put your giant machine together bit by bit. You get one part in place, then another, then another. You have different people working on different sections, and for the longest time it just doesn't seem to quite be coming together overall, because it's so big, so multifaceted, and complex.
134. But after a while you finally have every piece in place, you have assembled all the sections and fastened them together properly, and then you start it up, the power is released into it and through it, and the machine starts doing its job. Soon enough you find that rather than a cumbersome pile of parts and pieces, you have an amazing and versatile hi-tech machine that is getting so many things done so quickly, and things are much easier overall—and most of all, more is getting done (and more effectively) than before.
135. You will see progress in the lives of your children and young people. Through the focus that has been placed on them through the Home criteria, reviews‚ and boards, areas of their lives that have been either neglected or only minimally maintained will begin to flourish. You will see and benefit from the good fruits of all that you have invested in their lives. You will see many taking their places by your side, fighting with their spiritual weapons, being co-workers and helpers who contribute to and support the goals and victories and progress of your team.
136. You will see yourselves as a body and as individuals become more professional and refined in your use of the spiritual weapons. They have been introduced to you over several years, and in recent times there has been some refocus and more instruction given. You have tried to get to know each one, then tried to refine your use of it, then have been learning to combine them and use them together. It's been a challenging and complex learning process, but by now everyone in the Family has enough instruction and training so that with faith, obedience, and consistency, you can wield those weapons like pros‚ and gain faster and more complete victories in every area of your personal and spiritual lives as a result!
137. These are some of the things you can look forward to in this marvelous year of advancing and forward progress. I will do something substantial in each life, each Home‚ and each area where My Family is devoted, submitted, and obedient to Me. I will pour down blessings that will enhance and solidify your progress and advancement. I will cause you to see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears and touch with your own hands the marvelous fruits of reward—your reward for forsaking, yielding, fighting, changing‚ and obeying.
138. These are things that you have to keep doing on an ongoing basis, and the final and grand reward is reserved for when you come to this side. While you are there on Earth, though, you have both the duty and the privilege to take the battle to the Enemy‚ make advances on his territory, and take over and conquer many territories for My Kingdom and My glory! (End of message.)
139. (Peter:) As the Lord said above, this next year will be a time of continuing to grow stronger and consolidate the victories that we've won over the last years, and we will start to see tangible fruit of the progress that we have made. The Lord called it the year of advancing.
140. When looking at the Family of today, Mama and I are very encouraged at the progress that has been made. We are so thankful for each of you and your sacrifices and obedience that have strengthened you and your Homes. As a Family we are much stronger, we're much healthier spiritually, we're getting in shape to win.
141. This is the year to get really good at the things the Lord has asked of us—namely using the spiritual weapons and being winning teams. Once we hit 2007, Mama and I believe we won't have as much time to be focusing on those areas, because we will be so busy winning the world. This year‚ we will be praying and planning and preparing the materials that we'll need for next year, when God willing we will be able to turn our eyes fully toward the harvest that awaits us, and never look back.
142. So this year we encourage you to study the abundance of the Word the Lord has given and to become proficient in what He's instructing us in. Become experts in the spiritual warfare! Invest in your winning team and make it all that the Lord knows it can be! Continue to implement the criteria! Strengthen your Home financially by obeying the Word the Lord has given on this subject! Continue to prepare for persecution! Work on teaching your children and teens how to witness and shepherd others. Invest in your flock, your potential labor leaders, those who will be able to help us reap the harvest that is coming. We have reclaimed our territory, and we're strengthening our defenses. Next year, Lord willing, we will launch a full attack on the Enemy's territory! By God's grace, we'll be ready. Amen?
RS leadership
143. Mama and I want to give special thanks to your very faithful and sacrificial RSs. In every region worldwide, you have a team of dedicated, loving, and loyal regional shepherds who lay down their life for you day in and day out. They not only help to shoulder the many needs of your region, they also play a pivotal role in implementing the Lord's overall instruction to us as a Family.
144. During the year of restructuring and the year of strengthening, the RSs have pulled double duty. Mama and I sent them many directives and assignments, which they carried out faithfully. During these wartime years, the RSs have carried increasingly heavy loads, and they've often done so to their own hurt. We're so grateful for their help. We couldn't do without them, and we want to commend them for the wonderful job they've done.
145. Eight SGAs joined the RS ranks this year, as we explained in MO site notice #17. The appointment process was set in motion in late September 2005, and these dear ones officially took their post on January 1, 2006. Mama and I are very thankful for their willingness to join the RS body. We need the additional help, and we're happy to see more young leaders being raised up. Thank you, Amy‚ Carola, Claire, David, Esther, Isamu, Nora, and Timothy, for saying "yes." We're sure they appreciate your prayers, Family.
146. Thank you, dear Family, for supporting, caring for, and helping your RSs in any way you can. Most of all, thank you for praying for them. They have an enormous job, and while it's obvious that each RS is a very busy person, they also have a significant amount of desk work connected to their job, which isn't always readily visible. So please do keep them in your daily prayers. They love you and live to serve you.
147. I'll close this year-end GN with some news from the boards, who have been busier than ever serving you and helping to make the Family a better place. Thanks to all of you who contribute to the boards—by either being board members or supporting those who are.
148. You're a Family to be proud of. Mama and I are proud of you, and the Lord is proud of you too. Thank you for helping to make 2005 an unforgettable year. There's been so much progress and many victories won. Our hats are off to you! We love you, and look forward to building the new year with you.
CGO Board Highlights
By the CGO international board
International board
• The Link magazine was launched in August, in English, Spanish‚ Portuguese, Japanese, and traditional and simplified Chinese. As of October 31, 320 Link mailings were being sent to AMs. If you have Active members, please sign them up for Link via your TRF so they can get regular feeding from this inspiring new magazine.
Link reactions
"The Link is tremendous. The first issue was great, with a bit of everything, milk to meat all in one. Actually even the milk was meaty—milk with attitude, munchable milk. As I was reading I was imagining Active members and new Family members of all persuasions also reading it and being introduced to the Word in this great form, while we old–timer persons are being equally fed by the same pub. Terrific!"—David Komic
"Reading this stirs us up as to how to be able to give this deeper message to the sheep—i.e., we need to bring them through the 12 Foundation Stones course so that they can benefit from the wonderful Link connection with Heaven."—Steven and Tabitha
• The first edition of the CGO Handbook was completed, with 305 pages of helpful counsel from the Word and Family testimonies, new and old—with more to come!
• The CGO Home Review questionnaire was finalized (and then updated after the April 2005 review).
• A "CGO practical how-to aid" with checklists was created (posted on the MO site) to help Home shepherds, managers‚ and criteria monitors more easily stay on top of the implementation of the CGO criteria in the Home.
• Nine of the 12 Bridges sections (with 2 to 4 classes in each Bridge) have been completed and posted on the MO site, with the remaining classes to be uploaded within the next few months.
Regional/national boards
• Retreats and training seminars for AMs, GMs, and friends were held in Brazil, India, Japan, Taiwan, Chile, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Russia, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia. Approximately 1,000 AMs, GMs and friends attended these retreats!
• CGO-related meetings/seminars/workshops for the Family were held in Brazil, India, Japan, US‚ Australia, Thailand, Italy, Ukraine, Mexico, Guatemala, China, the Mideast, and Venezuela.
Highlights of some of the CGO boards' projects and initiatives worldwide
• Brazil: Production of three new Portuguese audio CDs for AMs and GMs in Brazil, and a set of four training DVDs, containing classes from the 2004 Witnessers' Seminar.
• Brazil: Launch of the regional CGO site, with training, testimonies, announcements‚ Portuguese witnessing songs and songbooks‚ etc.
• India: Creation of new products for outreach, including a weekly email spiritual feeding course.
• Mideast: Production of localized outreach products as well as material for the Family regarding ministering and relating to Muslims.
• Mideast: The Motivated Volunteer Training Program (MVTP), which has been helping to feed the sheep in the region and bring them a step closer.
• Mideast: Subscription program set up for the Motivated magazine in Pakistan.
• ACTON: Launched an Activated desk in Australia in May.
• Thailand: Apprenticeship program to train young people who have the burden to make outreach and follow-up their main ministry and vocation.
• Mexico: Created a local CGO forum/website, where Homes can download Spanish CGO resources, PowerPoint classes, a contacts database, etc.
• Japan: Witnessing Music Workshops were held to challenge the young people to receive new songs to reach the youth of Japan, resulting so far in 15 new witnessing songs in Japanese.
• US: Roadstock initiative (June through October) in the US helped launch 11 road teams for the summer witnessing months (see www.roadstock.org).
• US: Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief efforts‚ in which over 100 Family members were involved in ministering to tens of thousands of evacuees (see www.katrinareliefhome.com).
• Western Europe: Witnessing ventures at the World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, where 32 Family members from 4 countries distributed 14,000 pieces of lit and won 2,000 souls.
• Eastern Europe: Witnessing ventures at the Pepsi Island Festival in Hungary, involving 44 Family members from various EE countries.
• Africa: The Family Missionary Institute website, incorporating the 12 Foundation Stones as a correspondence course, was completed and is in operation.
• Worldwide, CGO boards organized other united/area witnessing efforts, such as:
—Activated and tool distribution contests initiated in a number of regions.
—Asian tsunami relief efforts (more details below).
—Worked together with the JT boards to make the Activated Incentive Program in their areas a success.
—United area/city-wide events for friends, contacts and sheep, such as: weekly/monthly Activated meetings, Christmas benefits‚ etc.
Tsunami relief project
The Asian tsunami relief effort has been the largest combined effort of its kind that the Family has been involved in to date‚ in relation to the amount of countries that were affected, the number of Family members who helped in the relief efforts, and in the ongoing projects nearly a year later. We found it impossible to collect complete and accurate stats, but following are rough estimates gathered from the India, SEA, ACTON, and Japan regional areas highlighting some of what was accomplished:
—Family members involved with the tsunami relief—either going on site to help with relief efforts, sending materials, witnessing, raising funds for relief projects, etc.—some of which was done by brethren in countries other than those directly affected: Over 300.
—Approximate amount of goods shipped: 217.5 tons.
—Approximate amount of people (not times) who have been ministered to and/or helped: Around 70,000
For more details and specific testimonies of the Family's tsunami relief efforts and witnessing adventures, please see the feature story in Link Issue 2, and GV #181, pg.2; GV #182‚ pg.2; GV #185‚ pg.5,12; GV #188, pg.4; GV #189, pg.4; GV #192, pg.9.
In addition to these testimonies that were published, you can find more under the "Our Worldwide Work" section of the Family website. Some of these testimonies will also be featured in "The Family International Project Highlights" book for 2004-2005.
PR Board Highlights
By the PR international board
Overall stats:
• TV shows/segments: 770
• TV audience: 336,097,901
• Radio shows/segments: 654
• Radio audience: 150,378,800
• Newspaper articles: 335
• Newspaper audience: 149,000,888
North America
The North America PR board focused primarily on the media storm resulting from Ricky's and Angela's deaths, which led to the Family being highlighted across the nation. In response, we produced statements, press releases, rebuttals and 30 live interviews, which were quoted in over 50 articles and 12 TV programs, to a total of over 100 million people. Nevertheless‚ the Gospel is preached!
MyConclusion.com was born in the heat of this battle‚ and proved to be an awesome move of His Spirit that rallied us all to the fray. MyConclusion has 391 posts by our second generation and has been visited over 78,000 times, generating 1,420,617 hits with a total of 57.256 GB downloaded since it was set up in January of this year. Thanks to those who posted. Your voice was heard far and wide, and quoted in many different countries!
Our board also produced a 12-page color PR brochure for North America, and a website as well, at: www.thefamilyna.org. A blog was also launched to document the labors of love of brethren from around the country volunteering for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. See www.katrinareliefhome.com. The board also coordinated the research of two academics who traveled to 15 countries on 5 continents to interview hundreds of Family members for their research. Thanks to all who hosted them and assisted them in their research!
India
We visited with and had PR meetings with 10 Homes in the country. We completed a comprehensive dossier of positive magazine and newspaper articles about the Family's work in India. We made a "PR Resource CD" and a spiral-bound book of the Statements for the Homes. We were able to conduct two classes on persecution prep, legal matters, and accounting at the India CGO seminar. Also coordinated and helped with an academic's stay and research on the Family. We were also involved in helping with the disaster relief efforts after the Asian tsunami.
Southeast Asia
The annual Christmas/New Year concert organized by the Family in Bangkok not only filled the 5-star grand ballroom to maximum capacity, but was also filmed, so that on Christmas morning, millions of viewers across Thailand awoke to see Family children performing on national TV.
The Asian tsunami provided an opportunity for the Family in Indonesia and Thailand to bring comfort and salvation to hundreds of lost and broken people. The PR board is involved in the coordination of the ongoing relief efforts, and PR board members have also participated in at least 20 witnessing and CTP trips. A lot of positive publicity and goodwill has been generated as a result‚ both in the media and amongst the local communities and officials.
We held two seminars this last year, covering a variety of topics from the Ricky/Angela situation and potential effects in our area, implementing the PR board criteria on a Home level, legal issues, desperation and vigilance and applying the concept of the "year of strengthening" to the PR pillar of our Homes. The other regional boards also contributed points to these seminars, and packs of material were made available to the Homes.
In conjunction with the CGO board, we have helped to create two new brochures for the Family in our region‚ as well as a Family calendar and the Heavenly Streams booklet. An academic also visited and was able to have a variety of experiences and research the Family and our work in Thailand.
Africa
Positive steps were made this year in the area of proactive persecution prep. Homes reached top businessmen, city fathers, and government officials as they stepped out by faith to obey the Word and let their "Family International" light so shine before men.
Board members were involved in conferences, two regional and one international, where we were invited to contribute on the Family's experiences as volunteers and missionaries in Africa. These conferences were tremendous witnessing opportunities where we got a lot of positive information about the Family into the hands of those in positions of influence.
Materials produced/sent out to the Homes:
• VCD presentation of the Family and its local projects throughout Africa.
• Updated Africa PR brochure, in both English and French.
• Three-part PR seminar on DVD.
Western Europe
Our board members helped with training seminars and sent out a PR reference CD and other material to the Homes. Progress was made in translating the Family Statements into European languages.
Our proactive work included participating in various conferences and panels—one of which was preceded by a spot on the well-known BBC Radio 4 "Today" program—a Christmas club event, and informational mailings sent out.
Our proactive work here includes advancing the Family's good name as well as promoting religious freedom in Europe, which faces considerable anti-God opposition. To this end‚ we participated in six conferences, passing out our material and speaking personally and in public on these topics.
An increased flow of visitors came to our Family Information Office (Luton) and the Family Europe website, which (so far!) features sections in French, Greek, Polish, Czech‚ Croatian, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch. Meanwhile, almost 90 people have finished the 12 Foundation Stones email program, and we are also regularly feeding 110 WinePressers.
Mexico/Central America
We held seven seminars covering persecution prep, giving an "answer to him that asketh thee," how to handle a knock at the door, how to find a lawyer, and how to engage in good works in the local community. We were involved in a time-consuming investigation, but a positive result was some legal workshops with our lawyers that have proven to be quite beneficial to us.
The PR board was involved in five charity events, the most important being Festiniño, in Monterrey, during which thousands of children received Conéctate mags‚ CDs, and a Christmas present. We are also working on a humanitarian project involving the importation of a container with medical supplies to aid local hospitals and clinics.
Pacific
Taiwan's National PR board held meetings, produced statements in Chinese, 4- and 8-page PR brochures, and updates to the China website. Homes in Sydney and Taipei participated in a sociologist's tour and study on the Family.
In Australia, through the "Change the World" charity‚ and in cooperation with another local charity, three containers of aid were sent to tsunami victims in Sri Lanka. Part of this aid came via the Australian Family's jail ministry, as the State Department of Corrective Services channeled through them US$300,000 worth of goods set aside for disaster relief.
Taiwan PR board members received awards for their flood relief work‚ favorable media coverage, and commendation from the mayor. Their children's performance in Chinese was a good witness. Abe and Mercy's large family continued their wonderful witness to southern Taiwan in a news broadcast, and also a feature that examined their lifestyle and community work.
Eastern Europe
We visited several academics in our area and gave them a copy of a recent scholarly study on the Family and explained about Ricky/Angela. We attended four international conferences this year, and gave a presentation at a Hungarian university to students of the sociology of religion. We also held a PR seminar for PR monitors in Ukraine.
Japan
Much of our work centered on the media storm resulting from the Ricky/Angela tragedy. Six negative nationwide articles were published. The Family Information Center had been set up shortly before Ricky and Angela's deaths, so we were able to effectively counterattack the media storm with rebuttals. Thank God for His foresight!
We translated some of the new Statements and other pertinent information for the media and the Homes‚ and sent out numerous other informational materials to Homes in Japan. The good news is that the articles hardly affected our Homes and work, as our friends and contacts know the truth about us‚ so none of these things moved them.
Mideast
Members in some countries have registered their works as legal entities or placed themselves under other "umbrellas‚" establishing a good standard and relations with authorities. Many articles commended our work here, including personal interviews on our projects from our childcare seminars, clowns, puppets and general work.
Our Family-produced music has been a big hit. We've held large benefit concerts, joining hands with large companies to help raise funds for the poor.
Each area has created more localized tools. Some area projects are now manned almost completely by other part-time volunteers. These include food distribution, collecting donations, physical support of projects and homes‚ manning deaf centers and supporting our multifaceted work.
Most areas are now set up with quality websites‚ PR brochures, and media tools. We have developed some "Profiles" that help us present ourselves and our work from a standpoint that is relatable to the cultures here. Adapting our face and goals to the Islamic fields has been a challenge and has taken much thought and prayer.
South America
An academic doing research on us visited Colombia and Argentina.
We organized persecution prep workshops for the young people, ages 12-17, in Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela, and put together a PR study pack in Spanish.
Our lawyer is writing a book on persecution of the Family in Argentina, and we are finalizing a document to present to legal authorities in Argentina with the truth about what happened to us there. Our lawyer also submitted documents to the Latin America Human Rights organization denouncing the humiliation and mistreatment of our members.
Brazil
We published Brazil's new full-color PR brochure. PR seminars were held in several of Brazil's major cities‚ sharing news, tips, and encouragement for the field, followed by a time for Q&As. A Legal Response Team, composed of three Family disciples who are certified lawyers, was formed to handle legal/persecution issues nationwide, working in conjunction with a PR hotline set up for rapid response.
Filming began for National/International PR videos, covering some outstanding Family projects in Brazil. Some US-based ex-members attempted to stir up trouble here, but in answer to prayer‚ no major negative national media coverage occurred following the Angela/Ricky tragedy. Most ex-members here have friendly relations with the Family.
JT Board Highlights
By the JT international board
This has been an exciting year for the JT board, with victories won on many fronts. There were 119 different camps and events hosted by the regional and national JT boards around the world this year, which have impacted our JTs positively. A big thanks to all of you who participated in JT board endeavors and gave of your time to meet the needs of our terrific JETTs and teens!
Following are a few worldwide highlights of the JT board's accomplishments during 2005:
JT criteria and helps
The JT criteria and Home review questionnaire were finalized at the beginning of this year (and then updated after the April 2005 Home review).
We've heard many positive comments about the JT Feast workshop held during Feast 2005, and we pray that your Home has had the opportunity to follow up on and implement the goals and decisions you made during this workshop.
A comprehensive how-to aid for the Homes and JT counselors was the next focus for the JT board, and we pray this counsel has been a help to you. (See GN 1133.)
JT Handbook
The first edition of the JT Handbook has just gone to press. Over 250 pages in length‚ the JT Handbook features counsel and Word compilations on the following subjects, as they specifically relate to JETTs and teens: shepherding, inspiring discipleship, communication, teaching the Word‚ and administering constructive correction. More sections will follow as they're completed.
The printed JT Handbook will reach you in 2006. However, you can download the JT Handbook today from the MOv3 site. Please take the time to study this handbook; it will greatly help you in your interactions with your JTs, as you help them to become the disciples the Lord wants them to be.
Activated Incentive Program
The biggest happening this year has been the international Activated Incentive Program (AIP). The AIP was an Activated witnessing program, challenging the JTs to get out Activated subscriptions, win souls, teach classes, and learn to love witnessing. Local JT boards organized camps and contests as incentives, as the AIP was tailored to each region.
To date, as of October 2005, the JTs have gotten 5,733 Activated subscriptions‚ have won 24‚627 souls, have taught 1‚717 Bible/12 Foundation Stones classes, and have distributed 66,640 Activated magazines. In short‚ the JTs have exploded in a witnessing revolution and are propelling Activated forward like never before!
Read more about this phenomenon in an upcoming Xn/FSM! JETTs and teens, YOU ROCK!
Family Beliefs Foundation Course, for JETTs
Another main focus this year has been the creation of the Family Beliefs Foundation Course (working title). This is a course with 30 or more parts, featuring multimedia classes, designed to help your region's JETTs gain a comprehensive understanding of our basic Family beliefs. This course will be administered by local JT boards‚ starting sometime in 2006.
Overall, 2005 has been a great year, thanks to our wonderful Husband! We also want to thank each and every JT board member‚ parent, JT counselor, and every disciple who is doing so much for our JETTs and teens. We need you!
A special hand for our fantastic JETTs and teens! Thanks for taking up the torch of discipleship and answering the Lord's call to be some of His Endtime witnesses! You're the hope of the future!
CS Board Highlights
By the CS international board
This year has been a monumental one for our board, with progress made on many fronts. In preparation for the first Home review, our board worked on finalizing the following pubs during the last few months of 2004:
• "CS Home Review Criteria" (GN 1107‚ 24 GN pages)
• "Practical How-To Aid for the CS Board Criteria" (GN 1108, 24 pages)
• "Word Basis for CS Board Criteria" (93 GN pages)
• We also prepared the CS board Feast workshop plan (11 pages)
When praying about what our board's focus for the "year of strengthening" should be, the Lord highlighted the importance of creating training programs for the various shepherding levels within the Family. As such, our focus for 2005 was centered on the following projects:
• Coach Training Program
• Home Shepherd Training Program
• The Academy International (as explained in Peter's MO site notice #16)
• Launch of CS web section (on MOv3)
Coach Training Program
In January/February, the video scripts and supplementary material for the first Coach Training Program seminar were prepared and filmed. Here are some stats:
• 233 GN pages worth of text were presented on the first Coach Training Program videos, or 17 hours of viewing time.
• 37 files of additional reading material (approximately 157 GN pages) were also part of the package.
• Two audio productions (a spirit trip and a loving Jesus audio presentation) were prepared for this seminar.
• It took 35 days from the time the filming began to the day all the packages were mailed off to the 12 regions.
From the end of March to the beginning of May, the first Coach Training Seminar (lasting 7 days) was held in 20 different locations worldwide, with 311 people in attendance.
Work on the second Coach Training Program began in May. Peter filmed a total of 6.5 hours of new material for the second seminar (approximately 80 GN pages of text). Another 35 files (128 GN pages) of additional reading were included.
The second Coach Training Seminar was held within the months of June and July. Approximately 80 people attended the second seminars worldwide. The second seminar (9 days long) was considerably smaller than the first, because the material that was covered in the second seminar was very specific to the coach job, so only those who were going to be appointed to the coach ministry attended these meetings, for the most part.
After the completion of the second seminar, the coaches were appointed, and in July the coach program was officially launched. Some stats:
• There are a total of 76 coaches serving the 262 FD Homes worldwide (3.4 Homes per coach on average).
• That's 31 male coaches and 45 female coaches, or 40 SGA coaches and 36 FGA coaches.
• 59 coaches are married (most with children)‚ and 17 coaches are single.
Home Shepherd Training Program
In March we began on the Home Shepherd Training Program in earnest. There are 18 main topics that the Home Shepherd Training Program covers, each of which features an audio class by Peter. The CS RBCs contributed a whopping 550 GN pages worth of real-life "skin" and examples on the 18 class topics, which provided the foundation for the audio classes. Peter recorded the 18 audio classes over the course of a week (a total of 287 GN pages worth of text), which came to 18 hours of listening.
The Home Shepherd Training Program Letter Links are available to all on the main CS section of the MOv3 and make for excellent devotional reading and personal study. If you haven't yet had a chance to read them, we encourage you to check them out!
MOv3: CS section
Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation goes to the wonderful WS web team for all the hard work, patience, endurance‚ and weeks of tireless problem-solving they put into the creation of this section!
The CS section has 5 access levels:
1. Main page (which all Family members have access to, including you—check it out!)
2. Home shepherd level (which all Home shepherds have access to).
3. Coach level (which all coaches have access to).
4. Shepherding desk level (for Shepherding desk personnel).
5. CS RBC level (information center for CS RBCs).
Shepherding desks in operation
12 Shepherding desks were set up this year—one per region—to assist the CS RBC in handling Charter and shepherding matters from the field. Secretaries and personnel to staff these desks were found and are being trained, and all Shepherding desks are now rolling and learning the ropes of their new job. (Special thanks to WS Admin for handling the setup and details of the initial desk setup!)
We can't fail to mention that many others were involved and contributed to these big projects, especially the Coach Training Program and the Home Shepherd Training Program. We were blessed to receive help from many talented people, both in and out of WS‚ which made meeting these major goals doable!
And thanks to all of you on the field who have written in with suggestions, ideas, and contributions to the CS section of the MOv3. Keep your ideas, questions, and contributions coming! We love you and appreciate you!
CP/FED Board Highlights
By the FED and CP international boards
Through our precious Husband's strength and power, 2005 continued to be a year of many victories and milestones for both the CP and FED boards. Here are some highlights and victories:
International boards
The CP and FED boards worked with the WS pubs teams to compile, and in some cases create, the Home review criteria, the Feast workshops, how–to aids, and CP and FED Handbooks.
The CP board prepared a second set of Word–based Family games for the next color printing project, which will include "The Bible Hunt Game," "100 Souls Game," and "The Endtime Game," and will be sponsored by the board and the funds made available by dear Mama and Peter.
There are still lots of color board game sets available for individuals and families to order. We believe that your precious children will greatly benefit from these beautiful and inspiring games.
The following games are included in the set:
• Nine A3-size Memory Book game boards (which were colored and updated by the CP/FED boards to correspond with the MB2K): Love, Word, Salvation, Prayer, Holy Spirit, Fruitfulness and Giving, Faith, Discipleship, Thankfulness and Murmuring, Obedience, Yieldedness.
• The fantastic Book of Acts Game.
Here's a little recap of the price and ordering information:
• The cost remains US$7 for a set of 10 color board games.
• For more details concerning ordering the color board games, please see Grapevine Supplements #64, 65, and 71.
The CP board has a Memory CD for children in the works. Dear Hannah and Tim in Taiwan are working on this exciting project. These Memory CDs will be divided by age groups and follow the memory plan in the Word Curriculum 2004. Please keep this challenging project in your prayers.
To help our parents and teachers in the educational and spiritual care of our children, we compiled the following Kidland features, with help from our regional boards:
• A Curriculum Comparison Study: Which curriculum course is best suited for your needs? What are the pros and cons of the most widely used curriculum courses in the Family? And more! This comparison study will aid you in choosing the academic program best suited for the home education of your Home's children.
• Co-op Home education: With bigger Homes within the FD Family, these compiled testimonies will help you to face the challenge of effectively and successfully schooling your Home's children despite course differences. (See KL #58 School Days‚ Co-op Homeschooling.)
• A potpourri of ideas for fun communion and fellowship times. (See KL #61.)
• A feature on discipline, "Heavenly Motivators for Kids." (See KL #60.)
• Would you like your children to grow in the spiritual weapon of "AME" [Ask Me Everything]? Do you want them to seek the Lord about their personal development? Here is a compilation of PNP questions to train our children, our young disciples‚ in the main areas of their character development (i.e., spiritual, social, emotional, physical and intellectual). Questions that the children can ask the Lord during their Word and Quiet times. (This is a sequel to KL #51‚ "The Benefits of Quiet Time and Word Time, Part 2.")
The Lord led us to pray about and restructure some aspects of our education program. The first step in this process was for our education program to take on a new name: the Christian Vocational Academy, or CVA.
With the current restructuring of the CVA, we are upgrading the Christian and Vocational courses. The Lord has blessed this initiative with wonderful new helpers who so willingly rose to the challenge to help with this great need.
Regional boards
The ACTON CP RB has set up a website for parents in the Family who have children with special needs. This site will serve as a forum for parents and teachers to share ideas, testimonies, and input concerning special needs children, as well as provide information on different "special needs" categories. (http://www.specialkids.acton.ws)
The NA FED board has constructed an educational website on homeschooling education. This is a regional project, but there is plenty of helpful input for your homeschooling needs wherever you may be. (http://www.educationrevolutions.com).
Many areas have held seminars and training camps for our children this past year. Thank you, dear CP and FED board members who prayed about, organized, and sacrificed to make these camps a reality! A myriad of new Word classes were introduced, some of which were on the topic of character building (by the CP Middle East board), our Family's heritage, and of our Statements simplified for the OCs (by the India CP board). Thank you, dear parents and teachers, for your important contributions to make these gatherings a memorable, feeding‚ and strengthening event for our children—our national treasure!
Videos coming
We are thrilled to announce the making of videos to bring the FED and CP criteria to life! The vision is to document the eight sections of the CP criteria‚ and the nine areas of educational development for our children as outlined in the FED criteria. This will be done via action shots, classes, sample situations, testimonies, pilot schools, sample co–op setups‚ child-friendly setups, libraries, and much more.
Dear Mama inspired this CC video project, and Dad got behind the idea and helped us to put this project into motion. Since he explains it so well, here is a short excerpt from him on this exciting venture:
"Come and see! Watch and see that the standard can be lived! The CP and FED criteria GNs are the standard articulated on paper for the CP and FED pillars‚ and the videos will serve as a 'show and tell.' These videos will feature the Family at large showing that it can be done. It's not going to be only one highly gifted individual showing that it can be done‚ but average Family individuals putting their faith into action, activating the keys of parenting in the training of their children, by putting feet to their prayers, by doing it and obeying the Word, and doing their part to roll away the stone. Seeing via video the Family putting their faith and desperation into action by successfully articulating the CP and FED criteria will be the powerful ingredient that will create a dynamic of success!"
The regional boards agreed that this tool would be a good and needed training mechanism in bringing each topic of the criteria to life. Since then, the RBs have sent considerable feedback outlining contributions, and footage has begun rolling in! Thanks to our dear SEA FED board, it is currently being pieced together and compiled. Another big thank you to our dear MEX/CA FED board, who faithfully worked to contribute many hours of classes to this project.
We would also like to express our appreciation to all of you who have agreed to have your Home, family, or schooling filmed. It will be such a monumental blessing to our Family around the world to see that living the standard of the Word, as outlined in the criteria, is possible. We pray that the Lord will bless you mightily!
Please pray for the editing and fruitful completion of this project.