Carmelo Anastasi at work in the new office of  the United Church of God-Italy in Bergamo.

In Bergamo Paul Kieffer, Angelo de Vita and  Carmelo Anastasi discuss editorial ideas.

The office in Bergamo also provides room for  Bible studies and leadership training seminars.

UCOG President Paul Kieffer visited Italy the last week of December 2004 to confer with UCG-Italy elders Carmelo Anastasi and Angelo de Vita about preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God in the German and Italian languages. Carmelo is the chairman and Angelo is a member of the UCG-Italy National Council. Like the German-language region, the Italian region is governed by its National Council.

UCG-Germany and UCG-Italy face similar challenges in sharing the true gospel of Jesus Christ in their respective regions. The "Gute Nachrichten" and "La Buona Notizia" magazines have to adapt material from their parent magazine, "The Good News", in such a way that does not make them appear merely like an extension of an American magazine. To achieve this goal, graphic layouts and article content often have to be modified for the local audience.

The hard work does bear fruit. At the end of 2004, the combined circulation of the German and Italian magazines in Europe totaled 6930 subscribers, about 40 percent more than the combined total for the English, French and Spanish editions of "The Good News". The three elders also discussed advertizing methods, including ideas for promoting their magazines via the Internet. One possibility is the use of banner ads on various Christian websites.

A highlight during the two days of meetings was a visit to the new editorial office in Bergamo of the "La Buona Notizia" magazine. The office provides a pleasant work environment for the editorial staff and also offers seating for Bible studies, small conferences and training seminars for future manpower needs. In a culture where suitable representation is an important consideration, the new office reflects exemplary planning and foresight on the part of UCG-Italy's National Council and will provide a positive image enhancing the credibility of UCG-Italy as the publisher of the magazine.

The representatives of the German and Italian National Councils also made use of the opportunity to discuss the organizational structure of the United Church of God internationally and cooperation with the Home Office of the United Church of God in Cincinnati, Ohio. The impact of decisions made in the United States on the international areas was also considered.