Hello friends,

My hope is this update finds you well and looking forward to God’s Sabbath. Let me run a few items by you so you are in-the-know this Friday evening. 

• We are scheduled for a combined Sabbath Service this Saturday at Unity Atlanta. Our service begins at 2:30 PM.
• With the passing of James Felts, we are also hosting a memorial service for James tomorrow (May 10, 2025), at 1 PM at Unity Atlanta. The service is scheduled to last an hour. Your presence is welcome and encouraged to honor James.
• A large number of members from the Felts’ family will attend the memorial service. Thank you for being gracious hosts. Know they may possibly stay for our Sabbath Service. After the memorial service, we will break for 30 minutes before Sabbath Services at 2:30 PM.
• The break between the memorial service and our Sabbath Service will not be a long, but it will include refreshments (e.g., finger-food sandwiches). They will be offered in the lobby for those attending the memorial.

As you can see, there’s a lot going on. Here are several additional announcements you need to know of this weekend.

1. Sabbath School and Teen Bible Study Classes: 5/10. Our last Sabbath School Lesson and Teen Bible Study of the 2024-25 academic year takes place tomorrow. The young people need to have a Bible for these classes.

2. Under the weather this week? Tune into the Atlanta Webcast. If you are sick this Sabbath, 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 UCG Atlanta Bible Study on 5/13. Our next study takes place this Tuesday evening on 5/13. Mr. Jerold Aust will continue going through the Book of Ruth then. Below is the information to attend that study online.

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

Meeting ID: 838 7167 7401
Passcode: 857315

4. Sign up for the Gibbs Garden Tour! 5/18/25. The Atlanta and Buford congregations are invited to join the social committee for an afternoon of exploring Gibbs Gardens on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Gibbs Gardens is located about an hour north of Atlanta in Ball Ground, GA. We will plan to meet as a group at 12:30 PM at the front entrance, but walking tours are self-guided and groups can explore at their leisure. It is recommended to reserve 3.5 to 4 hours to tour the gardens. For more information about the garden, visit  https://www.gibbsgardens.com/. 

Discounted adult group tickets are available for $19.00 total (regularly $25.00). Seniors (65+) are $18, Children (3-17) are $10, and children 3 and under are free.

If you would like to join, please sign up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-qemtJ8zGIcj2x91W6jfrst2rFlml8ZEp1L1tLPxs9E/edit?usp=sharing. Sign-ups are due by Tuesday, May 13. All payments are due to Michelle Harvey upon sign-up. Payment can be made via Zelle, Venmo, cash, or check. Please use Michelle's phone number (678 541-3065) for Zelle or Venmo.

Date: Sunday, May 18 (sign-ups due by Tuesday, May 13)

Time: Meet at 12:30 PM

Location: Gibbs Gardens - 1987 Gibbs Drive, Ball Ground, Georgia 30107

Things to note:

• It is recommended to plan to have lunch beforehand as no outside food/drink is permitted except water. The garden has a limited menu of sandwiches, snacks, and drinks at its walk-up cafe (https://www.gibbsgardens.com/visit/arbor-cafe-menu/) if preferred. 
• Gibbs Gardens suggests visitors dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes
• Cell phone service in the gardens isn’t always consistent
• Tickets are not date-specific and are valid for use any day the gardens are open. If it is scheduled to rain on the day of our visit, we can reschedule or distribute your tickets to return at a later date. 

If you have additional questions, please email Michelle Harvey (mdhlaw96@gmail.com). We look forward to seeing you there.

5. Need help with Feast registration? Our local Feast Advisors are here to help with questions and registration. Contact Steve Holladay in Buford and Bob McCurdy in Atlanta for this help. If you need Feast Assistance, contact them in person or by phone.

Many of you know that Brent Reynolds fell this past Sunday and broke his hip. Thankfully, his hip surgery went well. Please keep Brent in your prayers so that his hip heals properly and his physical therapy is successful. 

Several others in our area are dealing with hardships or loss of loved ones. At times like these, we have the ability to pull together as a spiritual family and pray earnestly for each other and support those who are hurting (1 Corinthians 12:26, James 5:16). It’s the silver lining of difficult trials. Thank you, in advance, for doing this.

Tomorrow during announcements, I will share an update from this year’s 30^th Anniversary of the United Church of God and what came out of the General Conference of Elder meetings. In the meantime, I encourage you to see this week’s Home Office Weekly Update.

That’s it for now. Until tomorrow, rest well.

In love,

Philip Aust

United Church of God, Pastor

Atlanta & Buford, Georgia

Memory Verse

Leviticus 25:10-12 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. ¹¹ That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. ¹² For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field. (Jubilee Year)