UCG Announcements for 3/26 - 3/28/21
Hi Friends,
This evening, we keep the first of God’s Feasts: The Passover. To confirm the location of our local Atlanta/Buford Passover Service, we are meeting at Unity Atlanta for the Passover, the Sabbath, and the First Day of Unleavened Bread. To reiterate what I sent you in a separate announcement, please see below:
The Passover Service begins this evening at 7:55 PM. You are asked to be seated by 7:35 PM. Here is a web link to the Passover Service.
The web link for tomorrow's Sabbath Service is offered next. Remember, our local service on Sabbath begins at 3 PM.
The web link for the First Day of Unleavened Bread Service on Sunday is offered last. Again, our service on Sunday begins at 3 PM at Unity Atlanta.
Along with these important services, here are our other announcements this week.
1. Upcoming F2F Service Reminders. We will meet this evening, tomorrow, and on Sunday at Unity Atlanta for services. The address is 3597 Parkway Lane NW, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092. See above for the time of each service.
We will have a Mask-Required Room for those who prefer it.
Social distancing guidelines are offered at the end of this update.
- NTBMO. 3/27 at Unity Atlanta, in homes, or nice restaurants at 7:30/8 PM
- LDUB Service. 4/3 at Unity Atlanta at 1:30 PM (due to SE Regional Formal later that evening)—SE Regional events in Fellowship Hall that evening (see below)
- Sabbath Service. 4/10 at Unity Atlanta at 2:30 PM (w/ Sabbath School & Teen Bible Study)
2. New Church Hall for Buford Congregation. Recently, we were able to secure a nice, new meeting hall for the Buford congregation. The new location for meeting for Sabbath Services is at the La Quinta, Braselton. We have worked with the hotel’s manager to contract the following dates to determine if the location meets our needs: 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/22, 5/29, 6/5, and 6/19. La Quinta, Braselton is located at 200 Kaival Ln, Braselton, GA 30517. La Quinta, Braselton is north of 85 at Exit 129. We will return to a morning service for Buford at 10:30 AM on 4/17.
3. 2021 SE Formal Weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. The Atlanta and Buford, Georgia congregations will host the 2021 UCG Southeast Formal Weekend this year on April 3 and 4. (April 3 is the Last Day of Unleavened Bread [LDUB].) The theme for the formal is Vintage Hollywood. This theme revisits the golden age of cinema, particularly between the 1930s and 40s, when movie actors were gentlemen and actresses were glamorous. The SE Regional Formal is specifically for those ages 12-25. Family members, though, are encouraged to attend the following events over the weekend: The LDUB/Sabbath Service, Senior Recognitions, and the Bowling and Video Game Activity on Sunday. (See below for a detailed agenda noting the audience for each event.)
Cost for the formal is $35 per person for the dance (ages 12-25; this year’s formal does not include dinner) or $46 per person if you want to participate in the Sunday morning activity: Bowling and video arcade at Stars and Strikes in Stone Mountain.
Dress for the evening is time-period inspired Formal, Semi-Formal, or Sabbath attire.
Schedule of Events
Saturday, April 3
1:30 pm - Sabbath Services at Unity Atlanta in Sanctuary (all are welcome)
3:45 – 5:45 PM – Dinner with Friends and Family at a nearby restaurant (see Recommended Fine Dining options below page)
6:00 – 7:00 pm – Change into evening wear at your hotel
7:10 pm – Senior Recognitions in the Sanctuary (all ages welcome)
8:05 pm – Promenade (all ages welcome)
8:30 pm – Formal Dance in the Fellowship Hall (ages 12-25)
10:00 pm – Senior (Unleavened Bread) Cupcake Tribute (ages 12-25)
11:30 pm – Formal Dance concludes (ages 12-25)
Sunday, April 4
Hotel check-out – Hotel specific
10:00 am - 12 pm – Bowling and Video Games at Stars and Strikes in Stone Mountain, Georgia (all ages welcome)
Registration and Payment. Registration and payment for this year's 2021 SE Regional Weekend may be made two ways: by PayPal or via check by mail. Here is the link to PayPal for electronic payment: https://paypal.me/UCGSoutheastFormal) Download and follow the instructions on the accompanying form to register and make payment to attend this year's activities (Note - the forms are provided in the "Downloads" section to the right of this announcement). Registration remains open until March 22.
Special Note: We need everyone registering for the weekend activities to submit the 2021 SE Regional Registration Form either by mail or via email. (You may obtain this form at https://www.ucg.org/congregations/atlanta-ga/posts).
If you choose to email this form for registration, send it to ucgsoutheastformal@gmail.com.
If you choose to mail the form for registration, please send it to:
Charles Graby
6925 Buckingham Circle
Cumming, GA 30040
Recommended Nearby Hotels
Hampton Inn, Peachtree Corners • Free breakfast included with stay
440 Technology Pkwy NW, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 • (770) 729-0015
We have negotiated a rate of $82 a room per night at the Hampton Inn, Peachtree Corners. This newly renovated hotel is 1/2 mile from LDUB and Saturday evening activities. The room block expires on March 26. If you call for reservations, be sure to use the group name United SE Formal to get the negotiated rate.
Atlanta Marriott Peachtree Corners • No breakfast included with stay
475 Technology Pkwy NW, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 • (770) 263-8558
Recommended Fine Dining Restaurants for Saturday Dinner
Taqueria Tsunami, 5160 Town Center Blvd #510, Peachtree Corners, GA, 30092, 678-310-1079 $$
The Crossing Steak House, 40 S Peachtree St, Peachtree Corners, GA, 30092, 678-280-9081 $$
Lazy Dog Restaurant, 5224 Peachtree Pkwy, Peachtree Corners, GA, 30092, 470-735-4501 $$
Ted’s Montana Grill, 5165 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 205, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092, 678-405-0305, $$
Invitation to Teens outside the Southeastern U.S.: We welcome those in other parts of the U.S. who may not have a formal this year. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is the busiest airport in the world. For this reason, it is often an affordable destination by air. This year, we extend a special invitation to you.
Note concerning COVID-19: Face coverings for this year’s SE Formal are optional. Some may choose to wear masks that match their outfit. If so, that is fine. In an effort to minimize the transmission of coronavirus, we ask that you refrain from attending this event if you experience symptoms associated with COVID-19 (e.g., fever, chills, headache, fatigue, cough, etc.) or if you've been in contact with someone during the 10 days prior to the event who've had COVID. Thank you for honoring this request.
4. 2021 Feast of Tabernacles. UCG’s Feast of Tabernacles website is currently being populated with information about sites in the U.S. and abroad. You may go to www.feast.ucg.org for details about the registration for each site and housing reservations as they become available.
Our Feast Advisors are ready to help with any questions and/or registration. Contact Steve Holladay in Buford and Bob McCurdy in Atlanta for assistance. If you need Festival Assistance this year, please contact your local Festival Advisor by phone. He will be able to help you manually complete the form.
2021 Feast site details are offered at https://www.ucg.org/members/feast/sites/2021
5. Teen and Preteen Camp Registration--Now Open. Campers and staff may not apply to camp at http://uyc.ucg.org. Sincere there were no camps last summer, 19-year-olds may apply as campers at all teen camps this summer.
Parents and campers, camper scholarships are available for those who need financial assistance. Ask your pastor to see if a local scholarship is available or ask about applying for a national scholarship. National funds are definitely available, so please apply if needed.
6. Sabbath Coffee-Bar Guidelines. As most of you have discovered, we have a new coffee/drink bar in the lobby at services. To ensure things are properly cared for, here are some guidelines to follow:
a. Please, out of care for others, use hand sanitizer before touching the coffee items.
b. Drinks are NOT allowed in the Sanctuary.
c. Tea and hot chocolate are available for non-coffee drinkers.
d. Parents please supervise your children in the Lobby and at the Coffee Bar. No running in the Lobby or in the Coffee Area. The children tend to use too much cream and sugar and overfill cups - the Keurig does not bring the water to boiling temperature, but it’s still very hot and needs to be treated with care.
e. Please put your trash in the trash can.
f. If you are not familiar with using a Keurig (the coffee machine), feel free to ask Kristine Talbott or Sarah Aust for help.
If you would like to support the Coffee Bar, there will be a donation jar available. If you would like to bring items to contribute (e.g., half- &-half or your favorite flavored creamer), please feel free to do so.
That’s all I have for this Friday afternoon. I will see you shortly for this year’s Passover Service. Drive safely.
Happy Feast,
Philip
United Church of God, Pastor
Atlanta & Buford, Georgia
Memory Verse(s)
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (Man of Sin Revealed)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COVID-19 Guidelines for Sabbath Services
Sanitizing Surfaces: Tables, chairs, and door handles will be cleaned before services. You are encouraged to bring and use hand sanitizer.
Washing Hands: Brethren are advised to wash their hands before services and as often as needed. Restrooms are located near our meeting room.
Masks: Masks are recommended but not required at services. If you desire to wear a mask, please do so for yourself and out of concern for others.
Personal Contact: Please strive to keep a distance of 6’ from others not in your family.
Social Distancing: To maximize the use of our hall, we ask that family members sit together.
Please strive to keep a distance of 6’ (a 2-seat distance) from others not in your family.
Seating: Please find seats for you and your family.
Children: Children should remain with a responsible adult or teen at services.
Coughing, Sneezing: If you need to cough or sneeze at services, please do so into the crook of your elbow.
Song Books: We will not have hymnals for services. We will be projecting the lyrics to hymns during services. Please bring a personal hymnal of your own for the song service. You may also download UCG’s Hymnal App on your phone.