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

Upcoming Events: 
     May 10th: Springfield Bible Study @ 10:00am
     May 10th: Sabbath School in Central Illinois
     May 17th: Youth Speech Club in Terre Haute  |  Central Illinois @ Comfort Inn
     May 30th: Church-wide Fast
     June 1st: No local services in Terre Haute, Pentecost Service @ Freedom Hall (1:30pm)
     June 7th: Youth Speech Club in Terre Haute 
     June 15th-18th: Preteen Camp Colorado 
     June 15th-22nd: Teen Camp Cotubic 

Crisis in Haiti: It is with great joy and gratitude that I can report to you that God’s people in Haiti have prevailed—everyone is now safe in the secure city of Cap-Haïtien! In fact, the brethren arrived one day earlier than expected. We now have secured housing and food for all, thanks in large part to deacon Joseph Jean, who led the rescue effort and is planning a special Sabbath service before returning to his home in the United States. As 1 Corinthians 15:57 reminds us, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 
This has been an incredible turn of events since prayers were requested during the General Conference of Elders. The very night after asking all those present at the GCE to join in prayer for the safe deliverance of our brethren, the first truckload of people arrived—unscathed and unharmed. 
We thank everyone who lifted up prayers and gave generously to help make this possible. We serve a God who hears and answers, especially when we cry out to Him in faith. Thanks be to the Father and to our Savior, and thanks to our brothers and sisters who acted so quickly and faithfully. God does it again! 
—Chuck Smith, Senior Pastor, Caribbean

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

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

Alternate Location: On the Sabbath of May 17th, the Central Illinois congregation will be meeting at our alternate location, the Comfort Inn (201 E. Ashland Street, Morton, IL 61550) at our normal service time of  1:30pm.

Central Illinois Bible Study: Our next monthly Bible Study will be on the Sabbath of May 24th. 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 

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.