EDMOND—The festival and information technology departments launched a festival website this afternoon, officially opening the registration process for the 2014 Feast of Tabernacles to Philadelphia Church of God members.

At the same time, the mail department sent out hard copies of the 2014 Feast Planner from the Mail Processing Center to all U.S. homes via first-class mail. Festival department manager Jason Cocomise said that the Canadian regional office will receive the Planner in a shipment from the MPC and will then mail it to Canadian members. All other regional offices will receive a limited amount of copies that will be available upon request, he said. The department expects the Feast Planner to hit U.S. mailboxes by the end of the month.

Cocomise and department head Andrew Locher invited members to consider registering online at fot.pcog.org rather than mailing in their registrations. The site affords a downloadable copy of the Feast Planner and also provides the ability for members to register for their assigned sites or to apply for transfers (the transfer deadline is Monday, March 31). The festival department will forward members’ transfer requests to their local ministers in advance of the deadline, not necessarily the day they are completed online. Mr. Locher said that as long as a member’s transfer application is received before the March 31 deadline, it will receive the same preference as all other on-time applications, in terms of date received. Local ministers provide recommendations on transfer requests, but the final approval is made from headquarters, based on a variety of factors including Feast site capacities, transfer history, finances and manpower, Mr. Locher also said.

What It Takes to Get the Feast Planner Into Your Hands

November 4

Festival department begins compiling content and designing layout for the 2014 Feast Planner

December 20

Deadline for information from regional offices regarding international transfer sites

December 23

Festival department begins compiling infographics

January 10

Feast site spreads sent to regional offices and host hotels for final approval

January 16

Editing process begins

January 20

Publishing department receives quotes from printers

February 3

Editorial department begins prepress production on Planner

February 10

Planner sent to Missouri printer

February 14

Planner printing completed, shipped to MPC

February 17

Planner arrives at MPC for packing and mailing

February 18

Planner bulk-shipped to regional offices

February 19

Planner packed at MPC

February 20

Planner shipped 1st class to US homes, fot.pcog.org launches