Based on the memoirs of Sister Maria Lucia de Jesus, and thousands of independent eyewitness accounts, The 13th Day is a dramatic retelling of the supernatural experiences of three shepherd children nearly a century ago.

According to Joseph Porillo, in order for the future generations to thrive and avoid tragic mistakes, children today need better examples of leadership.

The Church of God’s benevolent relief organization, Operation Compassion, is already assisting in relief of victims in Sumatra, Indonesia following a devastating earthquake.

A Church of God pastor in Portland, Maine tells of a miraculous series of events which allowed his church to recover stolen items.

St. Kakumba Chapel in Uganda has grown from 500 to 5,000 members since Pastor Medad Birungi replaced stale traditions with Pentecostal vibrancy.

A British evangelist is challenging Christians in the United States and around the world to return to the teachings of Christ when it comes to mission work.

A Christian attorney suggests that a ruling Tuesday by the California Supreme Court legitimizes discrimination against individuals who claim their religious convictions prevent them from providing certain professional services.

The Church of God’s Operation Compassion is making an appeal to individuals, churches and organizations to respond to the recent floods which have devastated the Philippines and the United States.

ATLANTA, GA — Two realities that inspired the Great Commission meeting are that many local congregations in the U.S. do not report any conversions during the year and a large percentage are not involved in any meaningful way with World Missions.

Local church leaders from throughout the United States and numerous foreign countries gathered at the Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta on September 14 and 15 for the first of two Symposiums on the Great Commission to focus on the primary mandate given by Christ to the church.

Four speakers challenged church leaders to hear and respond to the last words of Christ, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all people.” General Overseer Raymond F. Culpepper called for Church of God members to become missionaries, conscious of a need to share the gospel with people in their neighborhood and people around the world.

Culpepper was joined at the podium by General Director of World Missions Douglas LeRoy, who reported that in the past year, 396 new congregations were initiated outside the U.S. and more than 400,000 have been converted.

The general overseer cited statistics about the declining percentage of U.S. church attendance that predicts a national rate of only 10 percent by the year 2025. He challenged pastors to a Great Commission vision that would aim to turn that statistic around.

Three other preachers addressed the attendees, Niko Njotorahardjo, pastor of the 200,000-member Gereja Bethel congregation in Jarkarta, Indonesia; Ana Rut Diaz, pastor of Oasis of Love in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Loran Livingston, pastor of Charlotte Central Church in North Carolina.

Two realities that inspired the Great Commission meeting are that many local congregations in the U.S. do not report any conversions during the year and a large percentage are not involved in any meaningful way with World Missions. The symposiums aim to call the church back to these vital ministries.