Local Announcements: 

Sabbath Services for May 20th, 2023: Tomorrow's Sabbath service will be held at the Freedom Hall (349 W Birchwood St, Morton, IL 61550) @ 1:30pm. The service will also be webcast on our local congregational website​ (link for local webcast) as well as offered via audio only for those who would like to call in (701.791.9819). These connections typically go live about 15-minutes prior to the start of services.
          Song Leader: Mr. David Archer
          Sermonette: Mr. Keith Oberlander
          Sermon: Mr. Nathan Ekama

Upcoming Holy Days/Events:
          Pentecost: May 28th, @ 1:30pm, Freedom Hall
          Potluck & Bible Trivia: June 10th after services

Springfield Bible Study: The next Bible Study in the Springfield area will be on the Sabbath of May 20th at the Curran Township building (6220 Moffet Street, Curran, IL 62670) at 10:00am. Services in Morton will remain as is currently scheduled.

Sabbath School: Our next Sabbath School is scheduled for May 20th. It will take place about ten minutes after services in the side room.

Choir Practice: There will be a practice after services this Sabbath in the side room. See Glenn Radebaugh if you are interested in singing or have any questions.

Central Illinois Bible Study: Our next monthly Bible Study will be on the Sabbath of May 27th. We will continue in the book of Joel about 15-minutes after services. If you are not able to join us in person, here are a few ways that you can join our Bible Study:
          - Here is the link to access our Bible Study via our local webcast.
          - Here is the phone number to call for an audio-only connection: 701.791.9819

Pentecost Potluck: For those who would like lubricate some extra fellowship after the service on the Feast of Pentecost, please bring some robust snacks to share for after our 1:30 service.

Health & Safety Protocols: We ask that any who exhibit symptoms of illness practice the biblical concept of quarantine. Face coverings are not required during our services; however, if you are more comfortable wearing a face covering when congregating, please do not hesitate to do so.

Home Office Announcements:

United Youth Camps Announcement: The United Youth Camps program will once again host five teen summer camps, seven pre-teen summer camps, one teen winter camp as well as the young adult boundary waters adventure. The details for each camp can be found at uyc.ucg.org. If funds are a concern, scholarships are available, so please speak to your pastor if you need one.

Feast Announcements:
Festival Planning Brochure Posted Online: Most members have already received their 2023 Feast Planning Brochure in the mail. If not, it can be found at ucg.org/members/feast. Instructions can be found there as well for registering for the Feast of Tabernacles. If you need help, with your housing reservation you may send an email to USFestival@ucg.org or call (970) 484-5878.
Feast Registration: Please be sure to register for the Feast of tabernacles. If you need assistance with the registration process, please see Don Hummel, Patrick Kurtas, or Nathan Ekama
         Panama City Beach, FL – If you register to attend the Feast in PCB but your plans change, the registration fee(s) will be refunded on cancellations up to Sunday, September 24th, 2023.
         Galveston, TX – Both the Baymont Inn and Super 8 are not honoring the contracted and published rates in the Festival Planning Brochure. They are charging $10 more per night if anyone wants to stay there.
         St. George, UT: A contract is not yet in place, but we still expect that will be finalized soon. Therefore, be cautious about making any non-refundable deposits. As soon as the contract is finalized and announcement will be made, plus a direct email will be sent to all registrants.
         Lake Geneva, WI – This site is full, but a wait list is available.

Teen Instagram Account: Due to popular demand, the home office media team is working on creating Instagram content specifically for our teens. We will be using the existing Compass Check account to share encouraging and fun spiritually uplifting content, including Q&A’s, updates on local events and special sneak peeks of ongoing projects. We would also encourage feedback of content you would like to see. This project is specifically for our youth, and we want to hear from you! Make sure to follow us at compasscheck on Instagram (instagram.com/compasscheck) and DM us for any more info, suggestions and questions.

Light of Hope Helpline: The United Church of God is providing a new service available to its ministry and members. Light of Hope is a helpline supported by Church members who are licensed social workers, counselors and other clinical professionals.
They will provide mental health and addiction resources to those in need including individual, couple, family and teen consultation. These specialists will also assist in connecting people in need with appropriate resources in their communities while keeping all information confidential.
The Light of Hope helpline is available at any time. When you call, it will initially record your message so that one of our professionals can respond within 24 hours. This service is also provided in several different languages including Spanish, French and German.
Light of Hope also plans to develop online materials on a variety of topics such as depression, anxiety, stress management, suicidal thoughts, communication skills, problem solving strategies, teen issues, parenting issues, etc.
The helpline number is (888) 241-6211.

Prayer Updates: The home office has created a web page where church members may access recent church-wide prayer requests at any time. The address is register.ucg.org/intranet/PrayerRequests and the password for the page may be obtained from your pastor.

Job Opportunities: The United Church of God is continuing to accept job applications for a French Communications Analyst, a Systems Administrator/Programmer and a Web Developer. Details about all of the current job postings for the Church may be reviewed at ucg.org/members/news/current-job-openings.

Beyond Today: Beyond Today airs locally in Illinois (Springfield/Decatur/Champaign) on WICD 15 ABC, Sundays at 10:00 a.m..
          **BT content is also available via our YouTube channel and via Roku and other smart devices.**

Online UCG Radio from Australia for the whole world: The online radio station for United Church of God is now streaming 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. You can listen to booklet and magazine readings, Bible readings, Bible Q&As, sermons, Bible class lectures, podcasts, the BT Daily series, music and more! A radio schedule in PDF can be downloaded which will show you upcoming programs. You can reach it easily on your computer at https://www.ucg.org.au/radio or from the UCG Streaming Radio app that allows you to listen on your mobile device. Simply search your app store for "UCG Radio" to install the free app.