Hi friends,

My prayer is that this update finds you well this week and enjoying God’s Sabbath, even as much of society relishes one of the world’s holidays: Halloween. Although many view Halloween as harmless, we know it’s not! God makes clear in scripture that His people are to have nothing to do with Satan (Revelation 12:9), the demons, or anything linked to them (see 1 John 5:19, Leviticus 19:31, Deuteronomy 18:10-12). God commands this for good reason. By dismissing or minimizing Satan, humanity discounts a fundamental truth that impacts us all—Satan is out to destroy humanity by any means possible (Ephesians 6:12, John 8:44). If he can do so, in part, by making Halloween enjoyable, he’s made it easier to influence humans in other ways (e.g., Genesis 3:1). Even while we begin the Sabbath, let us not forget Halloween’s origin and its bearing on those who keep it. (See https://www.ucg.org/learn/bible-study-tools/bible-study-aids/holidays-or-holy-days-does-it-matter-which-days-we-observe/halloween-celebration-evil.) This Sabbath, let’s keep God at the forefront of our thinking even as we resist the devil and the evil he pedals as fun (James 4:7-8, Ephesians 6:10-18).

Here are this week’s announcements.

1. Sabbath Services in Buford and Atlanta. Tomorrow, in the morning the Buford congregation will meet at the Holiday Inn Express, Bethlehem (Georgia) at 10:30 AM for services. In the afternoon, the Atlanta congregation will meet at Unity Atlanta at 2:30 PM.

2. Under the weather? Tune into our UCG Atlanta Webcast. If you are sick this week, plan to watch the Atlanta webcast online tomorrow. 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 Atlanta Bible Study: 11/4. Our next UCG Atlanta Bible Study takes place this Tuesday evening, November 4 at 7 PM. Mr. Jerold Aust will move into Philippians 3 this week. Below is the 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

4. The Atlanta congregation needs Stage Crew Volunteers. The duties of the Stage Crew will be the setup and takedown of the curtain as well as decorations for the stage such as flowers and special occasion decorations for Holy Days and events. Other duties will be to dress symbols and various displays that Unity will have for their holidays so that it does not interfere with our services.

Note: This is a traditional "Stage Dressing" role. (This is NOT to be confused with Sound Crew Volunteers.)  The Stage Crew will be LAST to set up and the FIRST to take down. If you volunteer you will only need to be about 30 maybe 40 minutes early. Takedown is immediately at the close of services. If you are interested in helping, see John or Eric Bryant tomorrow at services.

5. 2025 UCG Buford/Atlanta Thanksgiving Covered Dish Meal. We will be holding our annual Thanksgiving Covered Dish Meal on Sabbath, November 15, 2025. We hope you can join us after church for fellowship and food!Please take note of the following:

1. Volunteers Needed (Men & Women):
   We need help with setup and cleanup.
   → Go to https://tinyurl.com/3zndduuz and, about halfway down the page, mark that you are willing to assist.
2. Tell Us What You’re Bringing:
   Please indicate what dish(es) you plan to contribute so we can ensure variety and avoid duplicates.
   → Use the same link: https://tinyurl.com/3zndduuz.
3. Label Your Items:
   Label all serving dishes and serving utensils with your name.
   • If you purchased an item (e.g., cookies in packaging), please transfer your item to your own labeled serving dish and bring a labeled utensil (such as tongs or a serving spoon).
   •  
4. Take Everything With You After the Meal:
   Please take home all dishes, utensils, and any leftovers when you leave.
   • Do not leave containers—disposable or otherwise—on the tables. Cleanup volunteers cannot determine who items belong to or whether leftovers should be saved or discarded.

Thank you for your help in making this a smooth and enjoyable meal for everyone! Scott and Crystal Thomas

6. All aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway! 11/16. Please join us for Fun, Fellowship, and Fall Foliage. Our departure date is 11/16/2025. Tickets are $54.56 for adults and $34.55 for kids 3-12. Two and under is free.

Please arrive by 9:15 am for our departure time of 10:00 am. The total trip time is 4 hours. We will disembark in Copperhill / McCaysville for a two-hour layover, where you can shop and eat lunch.

The address for the railway is 241 Depot St, Blue Ridge, GA 30513. Parking is free in the downtown area and certain other areas close to the Railway. There is paid parking that ranges from $5.00 to $11.00.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10ExvDKC2QP3pp9gzTb-cTQgIZK6ByqblqdY9BDcoCYE/edit?usp=drivesdk

Please see Sandy Usry, if you have any questions.

7. Upcoming Sabbath School and Teen Bible Study Classes. Our Sabbath School and Teen Bible Study classes begin again next Sabbath. Here are the dates for our classes this year: 11/8, 12/13, 1/10, 2/14, 3/14, 4/11, and 5/9.

Finally this week, after taking time to do work behind the scenes on how to enhance our congregations going forward, I will be handing out a survey tomorrow in Atlanta—and the week after in Buford—aimed at helping our local congregations grow through greater member participation. The survey will first ask for your basic contact information. Then you will be offered a series of areas in which to serve. This information will be used to build an organizational chart that includes everyone from teenagers older in the function of our congregations. I will explain more along these lines in announcements. In the meantime, please be thinking about where you would like to serve locally. As a growing area, your involvement is needed and appreciated. 

That’s it for this evening. Have a wonderful Sabbath.

In love,

Philip Aust

United Church of God, Pastor

Atlanta & Buford, Georgia

Psalm 51:1-3 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. ² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. ³ For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. (Forgiveness)

BTW - The time change takes place this weekend. Specifically, we fall back, so be sure to set your clocks back one hour when you go to bed on Saturday night and enjoy the rest.