UCG Announcements (2/1/25)
Hello everyone,
It’s good to be writing to you this Friday evening. I trust you are enjoying God’s Sabbath and doing well.
I often emphasize the importance of God’s Sabbath in these weekly announcements and do so for good reason: keeping the seventh day holy each week brings with it a wonderful set of benefits that scripture makes plain and, surprisingly for some, science supports. A quick Google search turns up these advantages:
- Improved physical and mental health: Detaching from work allows the observer to enjoy peace most never experience and heal physically and mentally.
- Improved spiritual health: In observing the Sabbath, a Sabbath keeper is able to renew his or her spiritual health, strengthen his or her relationship with the True God, and connect with God through prayer, study, and meditation.
- Stronger relationships: The Sabbath allows you to strengthen your relationships with your physical and spiritual family.
- Opportunity to edify others. The Sabbath is perfectly provided to help others and lift them up.
- Gain a Godly perspective: The Sabbath observer gains perspective when he or she is forced to stop and realize that God is in charge. He sees and oversees everything! This truth is critical to our spiritual growth.
These benefits make every Sabbath a good Sabbath, a happy Sabbath. Here’s hoping your Sabbath is just that. As we look forward to seeing one another at services tomorrow, here are the essential things you need to know this Sabbath evening.
1. Atlanta and Buford Sabbath Service Locations and Times: 2/1. Tomorrow, Buford will meet in Bethlehem for services at the Holiday Inn Express, Bethlehem. The address there is 775 Exchange Cir., Bethlehem, GA 30620. We’ve been asked to enter the hall from the back of the building. Services will begin at 10:30 AM.
The Atlanta congregation will meet at Unity Atlanta in Peachtree Corners. The address there is 3597 Parkway Ln, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092. The afternoon service begins at 2:30 PM.
2. Sick this week? Tune into the Atlanta Webcast. If you are sick this Sabbath, plan to watch the Atlanta webcast tomorrow 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/webcast
3. Next Atlanta UCG Bible Study: 2/4. We’ve now covered Revelation 16 in our Atlanta Bible Studies. Our next Zoom study takes place on Tuesday, February 4, at 7 PM. Mr. Jerold Aust will go through Revelation 17. Below is the information to attend this study online.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/83871677401?pwd=CSoupVrJ3qHxQQaq94jgeBnQZOajZ…
Meeting ID: 838 7167 7401
Passcode: 857315
For a list of other United Church of God Bible Studies taking place this week, be sure to check the calendar page of our local Atlanta and Buford websites.
4. Combined Atlanta and Buford Sabbath Service: 2/8. Next Sabbath, Atlanta and Buford will be combined at Unity Atlanta for Sabbath Services. In that it’s the second Sabbath of the month, we will have Sabbath School and Teen Bible Study classes that day too.
Additionally, after services, we will have a covered-dish meal. The theme of our meal is Elevated International Cuisine. Plan to bring a dish from some foreign land that would routinely be served at a nicer restaurant. I’ll leave it to you to interpret what this means. As usual, we ask that you bring enough food for your family, plus one person.
5. Want to sing or play special music? We need you! We are looking for those interested in playing (an instrument) or singing for special music. If you are interested, please reach out to Jonathan Beam so we can get you on the schedule. Thank you, in advance, for sharing your talent.
6. Wamatochick Weekend: 2/14-17, 2025. Young adults are invited to join their brothers and sisters for the fourth annual UYA Wamatochick Weekend, Feb. 14-17, 2025, for a winter weekend in the pines of Northern Arizona. This year's theme will be "Rooted in Him" (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV) and the presentations will invite and encourage us to be proactive in growing our relationship with God. The Sabbath will include church services and sessions in the afternoon on topics close to our hearts, all connecting back to the theme. Sunday will feature additional sessions as well as indoor and outdoor activities, including hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking, weather permitting. Everyone is welcome to stay an additional night to extend the weekend into Monday to enjoy an additional session as well as more fellowship and activity time.
Ages 18-32 and married and single are welcome. Cost is $165 per person, including sleeping arrangements and 7 meals. Camp is outside of Prescott, Arizona, and the Phoenix Airport is a 2-hour drive from camp. Rides from the airport can be arranged. Please plan to arrive no later than 2:00 pm on Friday the 14th and depart no earlier than 1:00 pm on Monday. Check in starts at 4:00 at Camp Wamatochick on Friday.
Please text or email Britton Graham | 480.290.5920 | brittmg43@gmail.com or Sienna Posegay | 602.214.3216 | cattlecountry1776, if you are interested in attending or for more information. Hope to see you there!
Camp Wamatochick: 5101 S. Senator Hwy. Prescott, AZ 86303
Link for registration: https://ucg.regfox.com/wamatochick-weekend-2025
7. Southeast Regional Formal Weekend: 3/1–3/2. We are now taking reservations for this year’s Southeast Regional Formal Weekend. The weekend includes Sabbath services, senior acknowledgment, a dinner and formal dance, and a Sunday morning bowling and arcade activity. Family members are encouraged to attend Sabbath services, the senior acknowledgment, and bowling and arcade activity. See below for an agenda and additional details. All details for the event are offered on our Atlanta web page. You can see them by clicking here:
8. Important Upcoming Dates
- Atlanta Bible Studies: Tuesday's Online @ 7 PM
- Home Office Bible Studies: Wednesday's Online @ 7 PM
- (3/1-3/2) SE Regional Formal Weekend in Atlanta, GA
- (4/11) - Passover
- (4/13 - 4/19) - Days of Unleavened Bread
- (6/1) - Feast of Pentecost
- (7/17 - 7/27) – Camp Woodland in Temple, GA
As I close, let me share a prayer request with you concerning Jon Gable. This week he was having GI issues and needed to visit a doctor. Thankfully, Jon was sent home. Still, the family asks for prayers so he heals and has no more problems going forward. Thank you for praying for Jon.
That’s it for this evening. Have a great Sabbath! See you tomorrow at services. Rest well. Travel safely.
In love,
Philip Aust
United Church of God, Pastor
Atlanta & Buford, Georgia
Memory Verse
Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Final note: To catch up on other announcements posted this week, be sure to go to our local UCG Atlanta and Buford websites. You may access each of them here:
