UCG has released their latest Council of Elders Report.
Review of Strategic Plan—Bob Dick
Bob Dick, as the chair of the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, led the discussion in reviewing the current Strategic Plan. He began by going over key terms and discussing the creation of S.M.A.R.T. goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.
UCG, after 20 some years realizes they need some corporate goals. It took them that long to figure this out? Using Jelly as your public face does not help matters much either.
The importance of having goals that can be measured was addressed. If you have a goal that can’t be measured then it is time to change your goal. You want your goals to be measurable. The challenge is to know what can be measured and what cannot. Sometimes it takes years to accurately assess a program. Mr. Dick encouraged the Council to get a copy of the United Way book on “Measuring Program Outcomes,” which is a good resource that can be found online.
UCG has also realized they need to focus on the speaking quality of their ministers, the quality of their TV program and most importantly, the quality of their Feast sites. Apparently, the speaking is so bad that they need fancier and fancier sites that people will find more attractive than the speaker.
The Council then began to discuss what the strategic issues of the UCG are right now. Some of the strategic areas discussed included youth education, engaging the young adults, quality of speaking, quality of the Beyond Today program and the quality of Feast sites.
Mark Mickelson commented that on the church website the people are already telling you what they like by the sermons they download. The problem can come from rewarding loyalty instead of quality of the message. The brethren listen and discuss the sermons they like.
Scott Ashley mentioned we have to acknowledge what we can control and what we can’t. We can control how many BT magazines we put out, but we can’t control the response.
UCG, for some reason, believes they are soon to be persecuted for their messages. When have they ever preached anything controversial? When Jelly gets more viewers than sermons, that should say a lot! Besides, UCG is of the opinion that it really doesn't matter in the long run. Noah preached as he built the ark for 100 years and no one listened so why do we need to worry?
Mario Seiglie commented that we can’t always look at outcomes. The Church is to preach the gospel, and it won’t always be popular, but it must be done. Noah was a preacher of righteousness for 100 years while building the ark with no response, but to God he was a success.
The world is in such horrible shape that UCG needs to hone their message to the critical urgency they seem to think they have.
Dr. Ward mentioned the importance of discerning the times and looking at strategic planning from a certain worldview. We need to hone our messages to the critical times in which we are living with a sense of urgency.
UCG is building new recording studios where they will film their new awesome messages!
Preview goals and plans for the future of Beyond Today video and the use of the new video recording studio—Victor Kubik
President Kubik began the presentation by mentioning the need for and the current conditions of our public proclamations. This is not a new conversation. The modern Church has always been one of public proclamation. We are always to be seeking God’s will and seek what God want us to do. Currently we are strong with our video, Internet and content online. We aren’t talking only about television, but video for cell phones, Roku and other streaming devices down the road. He then turned it over to Peter Eddington for further detail.
Mr. Eddington, as media operation manager, then went through explaining the current state of the media department’s video content, what is being done, and future programs that are being looked at. He explained that video content has the opportunity for first contact, and leads different types of people to God.
The media department is looking to create more video and stronger video. Currently we have the following programs:
four-minute dailies—which supply personal contact daily
four-minute short films—we encourage church members to share them on social media
28-minute television programs—which are currently airing on broadcast and cable television and streamed online
Future programs could include the following:
20-minute podcasts—popular for driving time
25-minute live presentations—with space for a live studio audience. Eventually have BT live daily with a live studio audience as well.
50-minute documentaries—The goal is to establish BT as a quality brand that can be trusted. These will be on specific biblical topics through the use of captivating storytelling and engaging visuals. Produced every 18 months or so.
A Church of God program that can be trusted, now that is a novel concept!
About 25 percent of the media department’s time is spent supporting our ministry and congregations with sermon packs, camp videos and other services.
23 comments:
UCG does not preach any strong message! It's all baby pablum
This is the way they choose to edit their activities and the failures of their movement and to attempt to re present and justify them? They blew that technique by their 1975, and their 3-5 years, and the more specific dates set by Pack, Weinland, and others. They failed the math test by failing to realize that it's not based on math. But, HWA needed a hook to create a sense of urgency. The story of Noah would not have provided any urgency whatever, because most people don't even live to be 100 in our times. But, give them their Noah, I guess.
Do they now think that the end will come in the 2030s?
BB
They can try to re-package their message all they want but it is still the same O.T. legalism that is outdated and to most appears to be "Jewish". It is like trying to sell an old rusted out car by giving it a cheap pant job just to sell it.
One problem with the Noah scenario. People didn't pay attention to Noah for 40 years and then stop paying attention when his first prophecy about the ark proved to be a failure.
"Currently we are strong with our video..and content online..Roku and other streaming devices"
Roku must be more crowded with kooks that the streets of 1st-century Jerusalem!
Just reading the topics and comments made by men in this meeting brings back sitting through so many "meetings" to "do the work." Glittering generalities with noble goals that never went anywhere. Endless comments and opinions signifying nothing. I am so grateful for getting out of it all with some real lifetime left to do what I wanted to do.
Love this:
Mario Seiglie commented that we can’t always look at outcomes. The Church is to preach the gospel, and it won’t always be popular, but it must be done. Noah was a preacher of righteousness for 100 years while building the ark with no response, but to God he was a success"
As long as we go fishing it seems, and never catch anything, the Captain of the boat will still think we are great fishermen with our empty freezers. In the case of the ministry and church, the fishing trip is sponsored by people on shore and as long as they keep donating to the expedition which catches no fish for anyone, they can continue to not catch fish and the Captian will continue to think they are excellent fishermen.
ugh.....
Love the idea that Noah was 600 years old when he entered the ark. Maybe these guys have a lot longer to fish than they think.
People will believe anything! The very idea that an organic body lasts hundreds of years is ludicrous to begin with. Just natural wear and tear and occasional accidents would reduce it to a slightly quivering mass of protoplasm in a fraction of that time, especially in an age dominated by hard physical labor with a minimum of tools. There's no evidence for such long lives anywhere in the archaeological record. Quite the contrary. Anybody who made 50 was extremely lucky. Only the rich and privileged lived longer. I'm only 83, have one artificial knee already, and the other is deteriorating. Most of my teeth are artificial. I've had a hernia repair. Etc. Every day, I notice less energy than I had a short year ago, and I now back off from things I didn't give a second thought to just five years ago. Get real already! Yeah, I know. I once was dumb enough to fall for all that but I've since gotten a little more rational. I just had to sit down and do some real thinking.
I suspect pre never happened as advertised Noah ages were ten times reality for some stupid reason in the text
John 15 v 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. For much of the history of COGs, Christ was sitting in the back of the bus. The focus on the Armstrongs, the Law, the Sabbath and Holy Days didn’t bring a balanced message of becoming like Christ, His examples of love, mercy and grace.
Things are better now in UCG are far as balance but not with every minister. Some are still stuck in the old cultish attitudes. But at least the idolizing of the ministers and preaching end time fear religion is gone.
John 16 v 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. Jesus said his message wouldn’t sell to the world.
It doesn’t help when your congregation is so small, old and spread-out. Also with Google any new person will know the legacy of the Armstrongs. I’m still in despite knowing of these past mistakes and character flaws only because I believe and have verified the basic doctrines as being true.
The old growth came from the intriguing voice and message or GTA being on radio all across the US. But it had a major mix of end time fear and speculation that wasn’t the real Good News. But as we saw, it was built a house on sand.
Allen, congrats on the 83. I have heard that the reason we don't live longer than we do is that our cells only replace a limited number of times and this could be changed, something like turning a switch on or off. I remember when I was in my late 40's I felt in some ways better than a 20 year old, maybe stronger and definitely wiser. I think the period of time between say 30 and 55 would be expanded for hundreds of years. I have heard scientists discussing that humans could live much longer in healthy bodies with a few cell/dna changes, of course they haven't discovered this yet, and we know the downhill slide in our later years.
Just think of some animals, the rat only has a lifespan of maybe 3 years, whereas the bat can live to be 30. Similar size animals. Some birds have very long lifetimes too, yet the dog who is so smart starts falling apart after 10.
Jelly needs a woman in his life! May I suggest that she be named "Peanut Butter".
SMART gaols? This is the overpaid management trying to justify their existence.
I doubt that most of their members realise that they are not being spiritually fed at all. Hearing the same material over and over is not spiritual food, since a meal can only be eaten once.
It's only the odd member who's a book reader who comprehends this.
Allen c Dexter
I think you're limiting God. People living to a thousand years meant the aging process would be much more gradual. A 500 year old would be physically like a thirty year old today. Accidents, injuries and loss of teeth would have been a problem though.
"[Bob Dick] began by going over key terms and discussing the creation of S.M.A.R.T. goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. ...If you have a goal that can’t be measured then it is time to change your goal. You want your goals to be measurable...Mario Seiglie commented that we can’t always look at outcomes. The Church is to preach the gospel, and it won’t always be popular, but it must be done. Noah was a preacher of righteousness for 100 years while building the ark with no response, but to God he was a success."
So, the upshot of all this is that UCG wants to use the scientific method to figure out how sell an anti-scientific agenda. But as Seiglie points out, if "success" is defined by the opinion of your imaginary friend in the sky, then maybe it's time to get a new goal? Oh, but they can't...unless they're talking about...oh but they wouldn't dare...not after they've denied it so vociferously in the wake of the COGWA debacle, not unlike Tkach Jr...or should we be reading between the lines here, that this is what Bob Dick is talking about doing?...
"Scott Ashley mentioned we have to acknowledge what we can control and what we can’t. We can control how many BT magazines we put out, but we can’t control the response."
And it's a good thing for everyone that UCG has incompetents like Ashley at the helm. When a salesman is asked about his failure to meet sales goals, if he says to his boss that he can't be held accountable for nobody wanting to buy from him because he can't control other people's response, he'll get told that he needs to find another line of work, because he's not cut out for sales. While I freely acknowledge that there's virtually no market for Armstrongism's horrendous doctrines which definitely puts them in a predicament, the fact that UCG's top brass is so readily comfortable foisting responsibility off onto their prospects for failing to meet their sales goals is one small failure for UCG, one giant leap for mankind.
However, I certainly do want to wish them the best of luck putting lipstick on the pig with their shiny new recording studio. Never before will the turd of Armstrongism have been polished to such a high gloss.
"It doesn’t help when your congregation is so small, old and spread-out."
As I scrolled through the thread, I misread that initially as "...your congregation is smelly, old..."
'I think you're limiting God. People living to a thousand years meant the aging process would be much more gradual. A 500 year old would be physically like a thirty year old today. Accidents, injuries and loss of teeth would have been a problem though."
I trust science, which includes archaeology. Your god and that Bible are total fictions, and when I finally realised that fact, clarity of vision set in.
Laugh at the miracles in the bible all you want, but you are missing the point. None of the miracles in the bible make any sense unless you believe in miracles. The point is why do people believe that THOSE miracles really happened? Any why will some people disregard ANY miracles no matter the source?
"I trust science."
Yeah, but I've known enough scientists to know they are as full of crap as most other people, like the people who wrote the bible. So, you are on thin ice, whether you believe in the bible or in "science".
Hey, Trot, do you ever do anything other than ramble?
"Yeah, but I've known enough scientists to know they are as full of crap as most other people, like the people who wrote the bible. So, you are on thin ice, whether you believe in the bible or in "science"."
Examples please. When science hypothesises something that turns out to be wrong, they correct it immediately. Religions will kill your ass and feel righteous about doing so if you dare to even question their nonsense. Thankfully, up to now in this country, they've had to be content with shunning and disfellowshipping, but I'm not so sure that won't change. Time to put up!
Comment was made saying that Bob Dick was: "...discussing the creation of S.M.A.R.T. goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. UCG, after 20 some years realizes they need some corporate goals..."
The United Ass. is and has been for some time in a spiritual rut, virtually going nowhere since they began. When United started they knew they needed and desired mammon to come into the organization. So, they needed to show they were accomplishing something, so they came out with a magazine and planned for an upcoming Feast (way back in 1995). They needed to get something into the hands of the brethren so it would look like they were accomplishing something beneficial, but they are stagnant...as time has been showing.
And goals!?????? What would Jesus Christ think about setting goals.....like them SMART goals? Here's a hint:
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
How smart are the United Ass.'s goals? How does one set smart goals when Jesus Christ told those who would become part of God's Church to: "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself?"
It still appears that the United Ass. is driven by another spirit, as United preaches another Jesus and another gospel from what Jesus preached. And those in the United Ass. continue to look forward to their made-up Mickey Mouse Millennium with their Jesus reigning on planet earth for 1,000 years.
Time will tell...
John
Interesting. When I demand examples for dogmatic statements, the silence gets deafening.
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