Local Announcements: 

Sabbath Services for March 23rd, 2023: This week's Sabbath will be held at the Freedom Hall  (349 W Birchwood St, Morton, IL 61550) @ 1:30pm. The services 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. Glenn Radebaugh
          Sermonette: - none -
          Sermon: Mr. Nathan Ekama
          Bible Study: Mr. Nathan Ekama

Upcoming Events:
          Mar 23rd: Passover Prep Meeting (after services)
          Mar 29th-31st: Milwaukee Teen Prom & Family Weekend
          Apr 6th: Sabbath Services @ Comfort Inn
          Apr 21st: Passover Service, 7:45pm @ Freedom Hall
          Apr 23rd: 1st Day of Unleavened Bread Service, 1:30pm @ Freedom Hall
          Apr 29th: 7th Day of Unleavened Bread Service, 10:30am & 2:30pm @ Freedom Hall

Choir Practice: For those participating in the choir, practices will be before services on the fourth Sabbath of each month at 12:30pm.

Central Illinois Bible Study: Our next monthly Bible Study will be on this Sabbath, March 23rd. We will continue our study of the Book of Amos (chapter 7) 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

Excused Absences: If you need an Excused Absence form for the upcoming Spring Holy Days for work or school, please let me know how many and whether you would like a digital or physical copy.

Household Consumable Items: Those who expressed need, there are many items to choose from. These items will be available in the kitchen for those who may find any of them helpful. After this Sabbath, the remainder will be taken to Safe Harbor in Bloomington.

Passover Prep Meeting: The Passover is only four weeks away. We will have our preparation meeting after services today. If you are a baptized member who has helped in the past, or would like to help this year, please join the meeting in the back room.

Springfield Bible Study: The next monthly Bible Study in the Springfield area will be on the Sabbath of April 13th at the Curran Township building (6220 Moffet Street, Curran, IL 62670) at 10:00am.

Sabbath School: Our next Sabbath School is scheduled for the Sabbath of April 13th. It will take place about 10 minutes after services in the back room.

Health & Safety Protocols: We ask that any who exhibit symptoms of illness practice the biblical principle of quarantine.

Regional Announcements:

Milwaukee Family Weekend 2024: It is with deep regret that we announce the cancellation of the Milwaukee Teen Prom “Under the Sea” scheduled for March 30. Unfortunately, due to insufficient interest, we are unable to proceed with the event. Refunds will be issued to those who have already made payments. We appreciate your understanding.
Now, on to some uplifting news! The Milwaukee Family Weekend event is still on for the same weekend! While the teen prom won’t be happening, we will be having an evening filled with dancing for everyone to enjoy. Family dances promise fun for all ages, from the little ones to the elderly, ensuring a delightful and joyous time for everyone involved!
We’re continuing with many of the events that were originally scheduled. For instance, Devin Schulz (and his family) will be joining us for the weekend as a guest speaker. The morning seminar led by Dan Dowd remains on the agenda. Plans for the teen Bible study and Sabbath school are currently underway. And, of course, a fantastic potluck dinner for everyone to enjoy is still part of the plan. We are still planning to lace up our skates and have some fun on wheels at the roller-skating activity on Sunday, March 31.
There will be ample opportunities for fellowship, forging new friendships, nurturing existing ones, and relishing time spent together as members of God’s family. – Dan Dowd

Home Office Announcements:

Camp Registration: Online registration for all UYC teen and preteen camps begins March 7. Campers and staff may apply at uyc.ucg.org. Parents and campers, camper scholarships are available for those who need financial assistance. See your pastor about applying for a scholarship. National funds are definitely available, so please apply if needed. – Len Martin, UYC Coordinator

Feast of Tabernacles, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: This year, registration for the Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Feast site will open Sunday, March 24, at 11 a.m. EDT. It will once again be at the all-inclusive Friendly Vallarta Hotel where services are also held.
Please visit feast.ucg.org and select Puerto Vallarta for more information and for the link to register.

Feast of Tabernacles, Mossel Bay, South Africa: Registration is open for the Feast site in South Africa. Last year, 157 were in attendance, including 28 youngsters and 22 international visitors. Our international visitors add a wonderful flavor to a Feast experience—already drawing from a country with 12 official languages!
Registration is open at ucg.org/members/feast/sites/2024/mossel-bay-south-africa

Feast of Tabernacles, Tuscany, Italy: This year, registration for the Tuscany, Italy, Feast site will open Sunday, March 24. The registration link will be available from the feast.ucg.org page at that time.

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 accepting job applications for a number of positions. 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.