Talking about God at a church isn’t exactly a surprising event, but the Camp Verde Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of only 150 around the world set to hold a special Bible seminar set for Saturday, Sept. 10.
Sponsored by the United Church of God, the Kingdom of God seminar focuses on the church’s interpretation of what the future holds for the world as church members believe Jesus Christ explained in the Holy Bible.
“We’re going to start with the beginning of the world,” said Randy Schreiber, a pastor with the United Church of God who leads a congregation at a Phoenix-area church near 51st Avenue and Union Hills. “But most of the focus will be on what’s to come.”
Schreiber will be conducting the same seminar in the morning before driving up to Camp Verde to conduct the presentation along with fellow pastor Gerald Hoyer.
The seminar is truly a worldwide affair, Schreiber said. The Cincinatti-based United Church of God has congregations across North America as well as in Europe, Africa and the Philippines. Schreiber said that the various churches were going to be coordinating to hold the seminar as close to the same date and time as possible, with slight allowances made for the churches on the other side of the world and/or international dateline.
The seminar promises to strive to stick to “Jesus Christ’s original message of the future Kingdom of God,” something event organizers feel is often overlooked in modern Christianity.
Schreiber said that much of what people can expect to hear about are the “end times,” the end of the world as we know it and the beginning of a new era foretold in Biblical prophesy.
“We’re always looking for new ways to get out message out,” Schreiber said. “We want to tell people what God’s plan for humanity is. Looking at the world today, I think it’s safe to say that we’re in trouble, with all the global crises and wars.”
But the message is more about salvation than destruction, according to Peter Eddington, an operations manager with the United Church of God’s Good News magazine.
“The seminars will help you understand the key signs Jesus gave his disciples about his return and how the Kingdom of God will soon be established on earth,” Eddington wrote. “ … you will learn important ways to live a positive, happy life in the midst of the problems and challenges you face.”
Schreiber said attendees could expect around two 45-minute presentations, with a break in the middle. No one will be asked to join a church, and the event is free for those interested. The event in Camp Verde is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1406 N. Boothill Drive in Camp Verde.
Mark Lineberger can be reached at 567-3341 or email CVEditor@larsonnewspapers.com
