Church of the Great God

Feast of Tabernacles 2020 Information

June 15, 2020

Dear Brethren,

We are excited to announce that the time has arrived for us to make our reservations for the 2020 Feast of Tabernacles! Our great God commands us to come together each year in a spirit of love and fellowship to worship Him, while appreciating the abundant blessings He has provided and will provide in our walk with Him and in His soon-coming Kingdom.

We are thankful that God has, once again, provided for us to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton - Myrtle Beach Oceanfront. The dates for this year’s Feast are Saturday, October 3, through Saturday, October 10, 2020. The first service will begin at 7:30 PM on Friday evening, October 2.

Despite the fading Covid-19 crisis and social unrest, the Double Tree Resort is already open for business, hosting guests, meetings, and conferences. Please see the enclosure regarding Hilton’s CleanStay program.

The Myrtle Beach area has 60 miles of pristine, sandy beaches and provides visitors with everything for an ideal retreat. It offers families a wide variety of entertainments, and golf courses are abundant.

Prepare for a peaceful respite as we reside and meet at the DoubleTree Resort, which features a gorgeous setting overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Set on 27 acres at the south end of historic Ocean Boulevard, and only three miles from Myrtle Beach International Airport, this resort showcases beautiful, private beaches. Family-friendly Myrtle Beach State Park—with its hiking trails, a boardwalk, picnic areas, playgrounds, and a fishing pier—lies just moments away.

The DoubleTree guest rooms all have ocean views and private balconies. Enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi, HDTV, mini-refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker. Connecting rooms and accessible rooms are available. Within the grounds, you will find beautiful landscapes and resort activities. The Palmetto Building contains a fitness center with free-weights and cardio equipment. The resort features outdoor pools, heated indoor pools, and two lazy rivers.

Making Reservations

Reservations may be made anytime by telephone or online. If booking by telephone, you will need the following information:

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton
Myrtle Beach Oceanfront
3200 S. Ocean Blvd.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Hilton Reservations: 1-843-315-7100

When making your reservation by phone, please state that you are with Church of the Great God and your group’s name is: “Feast of Tabernacles.” Be sure to confirm the $114.00 per night rate with the reservationist.

For online reservations, the 2020 Festival page contains a link to the DoubleTree Resort “Find A Room” page where you can book your room(s). The first two room choices have the special “Feast of Tabernacles” rates. Other rooms are listed for comparison, showing the resort’s normal rates.

Note: When using the online reservation system, if you try to book your room with an arrival date on or before Thursday, October 1, it may tell you there are no rooms available. In that case, just book from October 2, then email Martin Collins (mcollins@cgg.org) or call the CGG office (803-802-7075) so he can reserve an earlier arrival date for you.

As mentioned above, the DoubleTree Resort room rate is $114.00 plus taxes of 12% ($13.68), $1.00 destination fee and a $5.00 resort fee, bringing the total cost to approximately $133.68 per night. The room types available are one king bed, two queen beds, connecting, and accessible rooms.

No breakfast will be included or supplied this year due to dietary restrictions, inconsistent attendance, and the hotel’s challenges with catering. The resort’s restaurant is fully functional for breakfast, as are many of the restaurants throughout the area.

The required resort fee (included above) covers these resort amenities:

• Unlimited basic internet access in guest room and lobby
• Unlimited local, domestic long-distance and 800 access
• Two bottles of water per room per day
• Complimentary parking for one car per room
• Complimentary use of the miniature golf course and volleyball court
• Complimentary use of the pools and lazy rivers
• Complimentary use of the weight room

Please make your reservation(s) as soon as possible to aid us in festival planning. If you are unable to resolve any concern directly with the hotel, please contact Martin Collins by emailing him at mcollins@cgg.org or calling him at 803.802.7075.

Deadlines and Cancellations

All room requests must be booked by the cut-off date of August 31, 2020. At that time, the resort will release to the public any remaining rooms in our reserved block. You may cancel your reservation up to 72 hours prior to your arrival date without penalty.

Sharing a Room or Ride

If you would like to share a room or ride to and from the Feast site but are unable to arrange it on your own, or you have extra space in your room or vehicle, please let Joe Baity know at jbaity@cgg.org or 803.802.7075.

International Feast Sites

Unknown at this time.

Tithe of the Tithe

Along with the planning for the Feast of Tabernacles comes our opportunity to assist with festival expenses by sending in a tithe of your second tithe. This longtime church practice ensures that all the brethren can attend and enjoy the Feast. The church uses most of this fund to assist those who do not have enough second tithe of their own. Any remainder helps to defray our considerable church festival expenses.

Please clearly label your donation as “Tithe of the Tithe” so we may credit it to the proper account. The earlier we receive your donation, the sooner it will be available to be used for special festival needs.

Festival Assistance

Sometimes pride prevents us from asking for help, or perhaps we do not want to be a burden to others, but if you genuinely need financial assistance to attend the Feast, the church and your brethren want to help. If you have faithfully saved your second tithe and are still coming up short, make your need known to God in prayer and to your brethren, and God will provide what you need.

If it becomes evident that you will require festival assistance from the church, please make a proposed Feast budget and submit it to Martin Collins (mcollins@cgg.org or CGG, PO Box 471846, Charlotte, NC 28247-1846) as soon as possible. The church will then do its best to provide what you need in a timely fashion.

In previous years, many brethren who had little money for the Feast have experienced an outpouring of love and generosity from their brethren who had more. We should all want to help others enjoy the Feast as much as possible, so being generous with the festival tithe God gives helps us exhibit the loving family relationship that characterizes God’s people.

We all are looking forward to being together this year in Myrtle Beach, so work hard to be healthy, and we will see you in a few months.

Warmest regards,

John W. Ritenbaugh

Pastor