1996 Annual Business Report
by Gail Bedell

The 1996 Zerubbabel Annual Business Meeting was held in Boone, North Carolina the weekend of March 22-24. Forty-six adults and thirty-three children attended, including both familiar and new faces. While the adults met to discuss the application of God’s Total Truth to their lives, Kari Mace, Robyn Resset, and Scott Prewitt led youth meetings (see the accompanying article, Youth Business).

The "business" of Zerubbabel can best be described using the wheel illustration published last issue in the March-April Editor’s Notes. The center of our outreach–the hub of the wheel–is our head-quarters in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, the Alpen Acres Motel. Here rooms are available for people coming in for conferences, for visits, or to stay for a longer period of time to receive help rebuilding their lives. While staying with us, people have the opportunity to learn in community what it means to live from the Total Truth. The daily interaction with more mature Christians provides the feedback, modeling, and correction they were able to get nowhere else.

This year saw many changes in our headquarters. All of the Alpen Acres rooms were completely repainted and redecorated inside, and the outside was totally repainted by families at our summer camp in July. Those of us at camp noticed how quickly strangers became partners as we worked in teams to accomplish that feat! And this project provided practical experience in living out among others the truth we had come together to share.

But a more significant event occurred at headquarters this year–several people came for an extended time to recover from sin-ravaged lives and to learn to apply the truth of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" in their daily lives. This is the fulfillment of the original purpose for the Zerubbabel Conference Center envisioned over ten years ago when the first word of faith for a conference center was spoken.

This also was a year of dramatic growth and changes in each of the Zerubbabel outreach ministries. As originally planned, the Zerubbabel Book Ministry has been moved to headquarters, and we look forward to revising and expanding the offerings listed in The Bookshelf. Thanks to a donation ear-marked for that purpose, we have acquired an audio mixer and other electronic equipment to improve the quality of the audiotapes offered through the Zerubbabel Tape Ministry. We look forward in the next year to some new teaching and testimonies to be offered through the book and tape ministries.

The Intercessor magazine and its youth counter-part, ZNews, have continued their vital outreach this year, with a mailing list of over 3,000 subscribers world-wide. The July/August issue of The Intercessor marks the twentieth issue published from our headquarters here. This year we added the column "On-Line" and look forward to continuing to include columns and articles that encourage a deeper under-standing and application of Biblical truth. Over the past year, the number of people contributing to the costs of publishing these magazines has markedly increased, and we are encouraged by the continued interest and support for this ministry.

Regional conferences have always been a primary source of sharing the Total Truth of Colossians 1:27 through fellowship and teaching. This year we held conferences in New York, Kentucky, Alabama, Minnesota, England (two), and our first Ireland Conference. Our first men’s conference also took place this year in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. In addition, we had several informal gatherings at our headquarters, including a weekend "Walk Through the Bible." This year, as usual, people have come to conferences desperately seeking an answer to sin in their lives. Most have returned home armed with a deeper understanding of what it means to be "Not I, but Christ," and linked with people like themselves who have found His life sufficient in all circumstances.

The youth ministries continued to reach out to children and young adults this year. The youth ministry is responsible for reaching youth through ZNews magazine, personal correspondence, and through youth programs run simultaneously with the adult pro-grams at conferences and summer camp. Over the years former "youth" have moved out to become youth leaders themselves, as they have recognized Christ’s desire through them to take responsibility for this program. At six conferences this year our youth ministry provided programs of whole-some fun and solid Biblical teaching with practical application to problems unique to their own age group.

Of course, the high point of the year for many people was summer camp, held July 28 through August 4 at the Blowing Rock Assembly Grounds, located near our headquarters. Over fifty families and individuals gathered for Bible study, work projects, singing, sharing, and just hanging out. The camp project–painting and renovating the Alpen Acres–proved an excellent opportunity to experience the teamwork, cooperation, and singleness of mind that results from Jesus Christ living His life corporately. We are thankful for the several families and individuals who were able to attend camp because of scholarships provided for them by caring individuals.

The capstone of the year was acquiring the publishing rights to five of Norman Grubb’s books, which are now out of print. Over the next few years we will be re-publishing the following books: The Law of Faith, Who Am I?, Once Caught, No Escape, God Unlimited, and Yes, I Am. These books will be made available to bookstores, as well as through our book ministry, so that Norman’s invaluable insights into Biblical truth can once again be available to the Christian community.

In conclusion, the Zerubbabel Conference Center envisioned many years ago is more fully operational than ever before. The truth of Jesus Christ as our only life is spreading and our commission, "to present every man perfect in Jesus Christ," is being fulfilled.