Youth Contributions: Income from our youth is holding up well. Normally, after school starts, the youth contributions to the Church drop off sharply. This year the figure is continuing to hold at five to six thousand dollars per week. This week a total of 143 letters contained $5,900.00, averaging $141.00 per letter. Our young people are to be congratulated on their generosity and dedication to God's Work.
The rumor is still circulating in some areas that the youth tithing system was stopped. It is just a rumor to be disregarded along with most rumors. The youth should use their special envelopes and continue to indicate their age on all contributions. Green envelopes should still be used on Holy Days, and all contributions should be addressed to the Worldwide Church of God rather than to the Y.O.U. Office.
The system has proven very helpful in tabulation, record keeping, making income projections, and building unity and morale among the young people.
Please thank them for us and encourage them to keep up the good work. Their contribution to the Work is substantial. It is because of this generosity that the-church-is-able to provide them the activities of Y.O.U.
Activities: The exciting National Talent Contest is just around the corner. Sunday evening, November 26, in the Ambassador Auditorium, the national finalists from Canada and Mexico will perform with the ten regional winners from the United States.
Talent and proficiency in the performing arts continues to improve each year among our youth. We hope the national contest is partly responsible for motivating the young people in the Church to develop their talents to the maximum.
Volleyball nationals will be held in Pasadena on December 17 and 18. This event is for girls exclusively. Competing are the four top teams in the nation decided by tri-regional competition — a first this year.
Youth Conference: The International Youth Leadership Conference arrangements are corning along, but travel arrangements are tricky because of heavy travel around Christmas and New Years. Any of you who don't have travel arranged for your representatives, please call the Y.O.U. office. We can help with the leverage of Wilshire Travel in getting the representatives on a flight.
In the next Pastor's Report we hope to have some word on the guest speakers and their topics. Again we plan to tape the featured speakers and make cassettes available to each Church.
As always, Y.O.U. is grateful for your support and all your constructive suggestions as well.