Hi friends,

Here’s hoping you are well this Sabbath and not suffering too badly from the high pollen count. Whereas it’s nice to go stretches without precipitation, Spring isn’t Spring without rain. Recall the many places in scripture where God highlights the importance of rain.

Leviticus 26:4 Then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Job 5:10 He gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields;

Psalm 147:8 He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills.

Jeremiah 5:24 Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and He will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field.

Thankfully, God gives us rain at exactly the right time to clean things up and provide much needed nutrients to the beautiful plant life (lawns, trees, and gardens) He designed, created, and sustains. For that, we can all be grateful, especially as we pause on the Sabbath to focus on Him.

Here are this week’s Sabbath announcements.

1. Sabbath Services in Atlanta and Buford: 4/25 Tomorrow, we are in our two local congregations. 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 for services.

2. Under the weather this Sabbath? Tune into our Atlanta Webcast. If you are sick this week, plan to watch the Atlanta 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 Atlanta Bible Study: 4/28. Our next UCG Atlanta Bible Study takes place on Tuesday evening, April 28 at 7 PM. Mr. Jerold Aust will guide the study. The next chapter we cover is 1 Peter 3. 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. Feast of Tabernacles: Registration Information.  To ensure that members from local congregations are approved appropriately, Feast registration will take place in two phases: early registration (Walnut Creek, OH only) and general registration.

Early Registration for Walnut Creek, OH

Sunday, April 19, 12 p.m. EDT – Friday, April 24, 8 p.m. EDT

A passcode is required to register early for Walnut Creek. This passcode is available through pastors of assigned congregations. If you are unsure whether your congregation is assigned to one of these three sites, please check with your pastor.

Important: Approval for Walnut Creek is only guaranteed for members of designated congregations who register during the early registration window.

Once registered during early registration, you may begin making housing reservations.

General Registration

Opens Sunday, April 26 at 12 p.m. EDT

All members may begin registering for the Feast at this time. All Feast sites are expected to have adequate capacity — except for the restricted site of Walnut Creek.

Housing Reservations

As a reminder, the annual Feast Planning Brochure was not printed this year. All information can be found at the Feast website - https://www.ucg.org/members/feast-of-tabernacles.  Except for Walnut Creek you may book housing now, as these sites are not expected to reach capacity. However, be sure to officially register on April 26.

Each individual Feast website displays a “Housing Info” link for discounted rates.

Questions can be emailed to Festival@ucg.org or call (970) 484-5878.

5. GCE Sabbath Webcast, 5/2. We will combine for services at Unity Atlanta on May 2 for the General Conference of Elders Webcast. 

6. Combined Sabbath Services, 5/9. We will also have a combined Sabbath service on May 9. On that day, we will also have our last Sabbath School and Teen Bible Study classes this academic year.

Whereas we will be in our individual congregations on 5/16 and 5/23, as a reminder the Feast of Pentecost takes place on 5/24. We will be combined that day for the Holy Day service, and afterward we will have a covered-dish meal.

7. UYC Camp registration is open! United summer camp registration is ongoing. To apply this year for one United’s preteen, teen, or Challenger camps, go here http://ucg.org/members/uyc. If a camper needs a scholarship, you can begin that process by talking to your local pastor. If you have questions or need help, please email: uyc@ucg.org. Aaron Creech, National Camp Coordinator

That’s it for this week’s announcements. Have an enjoyable Sabbath evening. See you tomorrow in Buford and Atlanta.

Happy Sabbath!

In love,

Philip Aust

United Church of God, Pastor

Atlanta & Buford, Georgia

Memory Verse

Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because thereis no light in them.