Hi friends,

Warm greetings! It’s nice to be back in the southeast again after dealing with the cold temperatures of Michigan the last few days. It’s amazing how warm the high 50s feels when you’ve been enduring snow, wind, and temperatures as low as 9 degrees. Needless to say, our family voiced a renewed appreciation for north Georgia weather last night upon our return. Given this evening’s forecast, this is a very welcome Sabbath in our household.

Here are this week’s announcements. 

1. Combined Sabbath Service in Atlanta: 1/3/26. Tomorrow, Atlanta and Buford will combine for Sabbath services in Atlanta. Sabbath services will begin at 2:30 PM.

2. Under the weather this Sabbath? Tune into our Atlanta Webcast. If you are sick this week, plan to watch the webcast online. To view the service, enter the password tree of life (with no spaces) in the channel password box. The URL location is: https://www.ucg.org/congregations/atlanta-ga

3. Next UCG Atlanta Bible Study: 1/6. Our next UCG Atlanta Bible Study takes place on Tuesday evening, January 6 at 7 PM. Mr. Jerold Aust will review Hebrews 3 and then go through Hebrews 4. Below is information to attend the study online:

Join the Zoom Meeting here:
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/83871677401?pwd=CSoupVrJ3qHxQQaq94jgeBnQZOajZ…

Meeting ID: 838 7167 7401
Passcode: 857315

See you there.

4. Sabbath School and Teen Bible Study Classes. Our next Sabbath School and Teen Bible Study classes take place next week. Students are expected to bring a Bible to class. Phones are not permitted. Here are the dates for our classes this year: 1/10, 2/14, 3/14, 4/11, and 5/9.

5. 2026 Atlanta Ski Trip: 1/31-2/1. The UCG Atlanta Ski Trip is scheduled this year for January 31-February 1, 2026. We will be in Knoxville, TN for Sabbath services on January 31 and in Gatlinburg for skiing and snowboarding on February 1 at Ober Mountain (Ober Mountain Ski Area in Gatlinburg / Smokies).

As a heads-up, Ober Mountain increased its skiing and snowboarding prices substantially this year, even for group rates. Details for this year’s trip, including payment details, are listed below.  Block off the first weekend in February on your calendar, reserve a hotel room (see the options below), and get ready for another year of fun, fellowship, and enjoyable activities on the slopes in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Costs - The cost for this year’s activity is below. These rates include equipment and lift ticket (and the added cost to the church for handling the payment via PayPal).

   [ ]  $144 for skiers and

   [ ]  $154 for snowboarders

   [ ] $87 for lift ticket only

Your Payment (IMPORTANT) - To participate in this year’s ski trip, you must do two things. 

First - Complete the Reservation Form - Download the form (it is located in the "Download" section in the upper right of this announcement).  Fill it out with the name and ski/snowboarding package for each individual.  Be sure to include contact information on the form.  The form should be submitted before you pay for the equipment rentals.  Then email the completed form to Bob McCurdy - ram19@bellsouth.net  

Second - Make Your Payment - Pay for the costs for skiing and snowboarding via PayPal (must be paid in advance). Be sure to take into account all your costs when paying for skiing or snowboarding using the prices shown above based on the type of equipment to be used (ski or snowboard).  Note - A small PayPal processing fee has been added to the ticket prices above.

Payments for this year’s ski trip will only be using PayPal.  The PayPal payment link is listed here (Note - You will need to have a PayPal account and log into your account when you use the link):

                 https://paypal.me/UCGSoutheastFormal

Payment Deadline - The deadline for payment is Thursday, January 22, 2026.

If you have additional questions about the Reservation Form or PayPal payments, you may email Bob McCurdy at ram19@bellsouth.net.

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2026 Atlanta Ski Trip: Recommended Hotels

1. The Hampton Inn

967 Parkway, Gatlinburg TN 37738

(865) 436-4878

2. The Hampton Inn – Gatlinburg Historic Nature Trail

520 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

(865) 436-4933

3. Hilton Garden Inn

635 River Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

(865) 436-0048

4. Holiday Inn Express in Gatlinburg

322 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

(865) 868-6200

5. The Quality Inn Creekside

125 Leconte Creek Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

(865) 436-4865

Note: Since the Atlanta Ski Trip is predicated on ample snow, please do not book a non-refundable hotel room in Gatlinburg at this time. In rare cases, we've had to cancel the ski trip because of lack of snow. You would not be able to get your money back if we were forced to cancel this year's trip.

 ----------------------------------------------------

Schedule of Events 

  Saturday, January 31, 2026

• Sabbath Service in Knoxville, TN at UCG Knoxville. See https://www.ucg.org/congregations/knoxville-tn
• Covered Dish Meal after services
• Travel to Ober Gatlinburg. Get together with fellow skiers/snowboarders at Ole Smoky Moonshine Store at 8 PM in Gatlinburg. Enjoy complimentary outdoor live music. Form a group and explore some of the sites that Gatlinburg offers.
• Get into bed at a decent hour for skiing and snowboarding the next morning.

  Sunday, February 1, 2026

• Hotel check-out – Based on the policies at your hotel.
• Skiers and snowboarders meet at the Ober Mountain Tramway Mall Office at 8 AM for processing. The address of the Ober Mountain Tramway Mall is 1001 Parkway #2, Gatlinburg, TN 37738.
• Enjoy the day skiing and snowboarding. Partner up with others and enjoy your ski and snowboard adventure with one or more friends.
• Stop for lunch and refuel with others (between 11:30-1:30 PM). The affordable dining spot? The Sidewalk Cafe and now Daddy's Dogs (used to be The Snack Bar).
• Most skiers and snowboarders head home around 3-4 PM.

6. REMINDER: Wamatochick Young Adult Weekend: 2/13-2/16/26. Young adults, you are invited to join your brothers and sisters for the fifth annual UYA Wamatochick Weekend, Feb. 13-16, 2026, in the picturesque pines of Northern Arizona! 

The theme is “A New Creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The presentations will invite and encourage us to be active and grow in our walk with God. The Sabbath will include interactive presentations and discussions. Sunday will feature additional presentations as well as indoor and outdoor activities, including hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and weather permitting. Everyone is welcome to stay an additional night to extend the weekend into Monday to enjoy further fellowship and activity time!

Ages are 18–32 and married and singles are welcome. Cost is $165 per person, including sleeping arrangements and seven meals. Camp is outside of Prescott, Arizona and the Phoenix airport is a two-hour drive from camp. Rides from the airport can be arranged. Please plan to arrive no later than 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13, and depart no earlier than 1 p.m. on Monday. Check-in starts at 4 p.m. on Friday at Camp Wamatochick.

Registration Deadline: Feb. 10, 2026. Please text or email Grant Fogelson (623-238-2044; grantfogelson@gmail.com) or Katarina Fogelson (469-858-1720; katarina14.reinoso@gmail.com) if you are interested in attending or for more information.

Registration site now available: https://ucg.regfox.com/wamatochick-weekend-2026

7. UNCANCELED: 2026 Southeast Regional Formal Weekend. The 2026 United Church of God Southeast Regional Formal Weekend will be in Columbus, Georgia on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The Columbus congregation is looking forward to hosting this year. We are immensely grateful for the wonderful job the Atlanta congregation has done for so many years and welcome the opportunity to step up and serve our youth in the Southeast Region. We welcome all teens age 13-19 to come and have a night of dancing. Registration will be opening soon. For questions, please contact Matthew Blackwood at (706) 668-0714 or matthew@unlockmath.com. 

Those are this Sabbath’s announcements. See you tomorrow at services in Atlanta. Be sure to give yourself enough time to travel safely.

Happy Sabbath,

Philip Aust

United Church of God, Pastor

Atlanta & Buford

Memory Verse

Isaiah 14:12 How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!