(Streaming and phone connections typically go live about 15-minutes prior to the start of services.)

Upcoming Events: 
     Feb 22nd: Speakers’ Meeting @ Freedom Hall 
     Feb 23rd: Funnel for Gerald Knochel @ East Lawn Funeral Home
     Mar 1st: Youth Speech Club @ Terre Haute
     Mar 8th: Potluck & Game Night @ Freedom Hall  
     Mar 19th: Volunteer @ Midwest Food Bank 
     Mar 22nd: Passover Prep Meeting @ Freedom Hall

Choir Practice: For those participating in the Central Illinois Choir Ensemble, we will have practice before services beginning at 12:30pm this Sabbath.

Central Illinois Bible Study: Our next monthly Bible Study will be on the Sabbath of February 22nd. We will start 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 

Speakers’ & Song Leaders' Meeting: After the Bible Study this Sabbath there will be a short meeting in the side room for all speakers and song leaders to discuss some of the feedback from the members as well as discuss a vision for the coming year.

Gerald Knochel: The funeral for our friend and long-time elder, Mr. Gerald Knochel has been set for Sunday, February 23rd, 2025 at East Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens (1102 Airport Road, Bloomington, IL 61704). There will be visitation from 10:00-11:00am followed by the funeral service beginning at 11:00am. Following the service, all are welcome to join the family for lunch at the same location.

COE Meetings & Letter from the Chairman: The Council of Elders meetings will be held February 24–27, 2025. Here is a link to a video presentation by the Chairman, Tim Pebworth.

Secret Pals: If you are participating in the Secret Pal exchange, Janet Keisel is setting everything up and it will go from March 1st-22nd.

Springfield Bible Study: The next monthly Bible Study in the Springfield area will be on the Sabbath of March 8th at the Curran Township building (6220 Moffet Street, Curran, IL 62670) at 10:00am.

Potluck & Game Night: Our next potluck and game night is scheduled for the Sabbath of March 8th. Please bring a dish to share, along with your favorite games for the evening.

Outreach opportunities: Coming up in mid-March, we will have an opportunity to assist in some local outreach. If you would like to help prepare some donated food to get to those who could use it, we need around 15 volunteers (adults & kids) on the evening of March 19th to help out at the Midwest Food Bank (2031 Warehouse Road, Normal, IL 61761). Please get in touch with Dan Apartian if you are interested.

Congregational Directory: If you have not yet signed onto the online congregational directory, created your account, or would like some help with getting your contact information and/or picture uploaded, please feel free to reach out and ask Nathan Ekama or Dan Apartian for a hand. 

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

Home Office Announcements: 
Articles and Writers Needed for Compass Check: Do you have an idea for an article for our teen magazine, Compass Check? Or, maybe you’re willing to write, but need an idea? Regardless of your age or writing experience, we would love to see what you have to offer. The process of writing for Compass Check is easy and fun. Plus, if you’re a student, you might be able to use it to get some extra credit! If you have an idea or would like to learn more about writing for Compass Check, please contact us at compasscheck@ucg.org. 

Teen Instagram Account: We are 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: Details about any 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.