The fall season holds immense meaning for members of The Restored Church of God.
They assemble to observe the Feast of Trumpets—the Day of Atonement—the seven-day Feast of
Tabernacles—and the Last Great Day.
These annual holy days, commanded in Scripture, picture important prophetic events.
God refers to these days as “a shadow of things to come.”
The Feast of Tabernacles convention foreshadows the time of God’s government ruling the
earth.
It involves members traveling great distances to gather together at locations where God
has placed His name.
They hear God’s Word preached from His ministry, and enjoy fellowship and activities.
Well I think it's so very important for God's people to attend the Feast because it's a
wonderful time for us to come together.
People from all different parts of the country, all different parts of the world in some cases.
We can come together, hear many messages, fellowship and what better time to do it than
at God's Feast.
The Feast of Tabernacles is a wonderful time of remembrance, as well as an ecstatic time
for learning.
It's a chance for brethren to really experience what the Kingdom of God will be like.
It is a special time to learn more about God, to focus on the Kingdom and to spend time
fellowshipping and being together.
To come to the Feast and to be able to get together with people of like mind, and then
to be able to celebrate and have meals with brethren—absolutely wonderful.
This year, North American sites included Lake Ozark, Missouri—Safety Harbor, Florida—
St. John, New Brunswick, Canada—Flagstaff, Arizona—
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho—
and the Church World Headquarters
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
Many other beautiful sites were available for international members.
God wants His people to keep the Feast to “rejoice before the LORD,” as well as
to “learn to fear the LORD…always.”
The 2018 Feast formally began with Pastor General David C. Pack’s Opening Night video
sermon.
Mr. Pack delivered other powerful messages during the days that followed.
The first was live streamed over the internet and accessed simultaneously by Feast sites
in 10 time zones.
The other messages were recorded and immediately post produced for distribution.
Members found these messages to be life-changing.
The Feast is uniquely beneficial for Christians for the sheer amount of spiritual food it
contains.
During the rest of the year, members assemble weekly for Sabbath services.
At the Feast, services are held every day.
This allows for many helpful biblical subjects to be covered.
Special music performances make up another inspiring component of services.
The documentary video Behind the Work 2018: A Grain of Mustard Seed had its premiere at
the Feast.
The film showcased the growth of the Church and Work over the past 19 years, while drawing
parallels with the way God’s Kingdom will begin.
Each day of the Feast offers opportunities for members to fellowship together.
Since they are scattered throughout the world, the chance to interact with so many like-minded
individuals in one place is priceless.
Mr. and Mrs. Pack also appreciate spending time with members at the sites they visit.
From this Feast, I noticed that a lot of people seem to have a more of a family feeling.
We have more meaningful conversations and that's really a unifying effect.
What I look forward to most about the Feast, not only this year, but every year, is getting
to see the brethren.
Getting to see their growth.
That's always a lot of fun.
The friends and the relationships you develop at the Feast of Tabernacles this year will
hold through to next year that you can meet them and then go further and develop deeper
bonds, deeper friendships, deeper relationships.
Social events held at each site include Family Day, an afternoon of stimulating games and
activities; a Seniors Luncheon, in which those with senior experience are honored and entertained;
and a Dinner Dance, where an elegant meal and lively dancing are enjoyed.
The Headquarters site also features a tour of the campus.
One thing I look forward to every year is spending time with the brethren.
And we had a beautiful day for the land tour this year.
We had about 40 or 50 people out walking the campus on a beautiful sunny day.
It was about 70 degrees.
And the opportunity to spend time with brethren here on God's Headquarters Campus was a special
experience.
My favorite activity at the Feast is the Dinner Dance.
It's a chance to be able to fellowship with people in a formal environment, be able to
see people dance, enjoy, see the kids, all of those aspects that come together in the
Dinner Dance.
The other event that's a huge hit at the Feast is Family Day.
Unlike the Dinner Dance, which is that formal, very controlled environment, everyone lets
their hair down at Family Day.
You see the kids running and playing and games and you realize the Church of God is a family,
not just the ministry and the lay members, just everyone is together as a family and
really Family Day means bring your families, but also at the same time it's showing the
Church is one as well.
Families are able to just compound the time that they can spend together.
They have an entire eight days of various and balanced activities, a time to come before
God in worship, and a time to go out and enjoy the various facilities that are at every Feast
site, restaurants, activities.
One of my favorite elements of the Feast of Tabernacles is an opportunity to spend time
with my family, out in nature and getting to enjoy God's creation.
Serving others is a vital element of true Christianity.
The Feast provides countless opportunities to do this.
Each site is led by a coordinator, who is supported by assistant coordinators and other
department heads.
This is a time where everyone can serve in as many ways as they can.
Especially this year, you know, many had a chance to wear multiple hats and things worked
out really well and it's always good to be able to serve.
It makes the Feast more special.
The stage crew looks, they just look like a ballet.
They do everything so beautifully, so precisely.
People have an opportunity to serve other people.
And some of the most joyous times are actually times spent serving.
This is my second year as choir director.
There's something about putting together a song and working together as a group to really
let out something beautiful for everyone to experience.
They've signed up to serve and they're learning from those who have been here before.
They're learning the lessons of service that service isn’t a burden.
It's absolutely a joy.
That's an element that makes this the most special occasion that a human being could
ever attend.
Various teams perform important duties to help ensure this large-scale event is run
smoothly.
These include the stage crew—setup crew—registration—ushering—security—choir—sound—photography—videography—and more.
Some of the best memories of this Feast have been connecting with people who I haven't
seen in several years.
The hugs and the tears and it's just when you know somebody and then you don't see them
for a while, and then you get to see them at God's Feast.
It is indescribable, and the love among God's people.
It is just very special.
It's the fruits of God's Holy Spirit working within a group of people that have the same
understanding, the same goal, the same drive, and the same motivation to be a giver, not
a getter.
And to let God's love flow from them to the person who is in need.
And when you've experienced that, you want to be a Feast of Tabernacles attendee 365
days of every year, if you could.
The Feast of Tabernacles is the highlight of the Christian year.
It offers a unique spiritual boost for God’s people, motivating them to continue pursuing
their ultimate goal of entering the Kingdom of God.
The experiences they share at the Feast—hearing the Word of God, building bonds with one another,
singing praises to God, and so much more—offers a foretaste of the tremendous joy awaiting
them in God’s Family.
To learn more about the Holy Days, and how you can be involved in this festival next
year, visit rcg.org.