For the Youth - Bible Trivia:

1. What happened to the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego into the fiery furnace?
*Hint: Daniel 3

2. What did Judas Iscariot do with the money (Thirty Pieces of Silver) he got for betraying Jesus?
*Hint: Matthew 26:14-16, 27:1-8

3. How many brothers did King David have?
*Hint: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Announcements:

1. North Canton Service Times:

• March 23rd - 2:00 PM - (Potluck to follow services)
• March 30th - 2:00 PM

2. Youngstown Service Times:

• March 23rd – 11:00 AM
• March 30th - 2:00 PM

3. Women's Lunch & Bible Study: The next meeting will take place on May 19th. We hope you can join us for an afternoon Bible study and charcuterie lunch followed by our first paint and sip. Our location will again be at The Stark District Library - North Branch 189 25th St NW Canton, 44709.
4. Sabbath School: The next Sabbath School will take place tomorrow in North Canton.
5. Spring Holy Days: Passover (service): Sunday evening April 21st – (For baptized members only) Location: North Canton @ Gateway Conference Center & Youngstown @ Holiday Inn Express (Austintown) Service time: 8:15pm

Night To be Much Observed: Monday evening, April 22nd (Please make sure you have plans and if you need help, let us know asap). North Canton - For those who are interested - We’re planning a splendid evening here at the Gateway in North Canton for the Night to Be Observed for the whole congregation. The main meal will be catered. There’ll be no charge for the meal. There is a menu and signup sheet on the table. We invite you to sign up at your earliest convenience. Please see Susan Miller or Debbie Kuhns for more information or if you have any ideas on how to make the evening special. Youngstown - Nora will be hosting at her home once again. More details coming soon.

First Day of Unleavened Bread: Tuesday, April 23rd, (North Canton/Youngstown combined-TBD) (Offering will be collected) - Location: Gateway Conference Center - 5441 Global Gateway North Canton, OH 44320. Service Time: 2:00pm

Last Day of Unleavened Bread: Monday, April 29th Combined with North Canton/Youngstown, Cleveland. (Offering will be collected) Location: Shay Hollow Country Club – 4865 Wales Ave NW Massillon, OH 44646. Service Times: 10:30am & 2:00pm. Catered Meal between services (More information coming)

6. Sight & Sound Production of "The Story of Ruth": For those who are interested, the Sight and Sound Productions Theater is bringing the “Story of Ruth” to the Ohio Star Theatre in Sugarcreek, Ohio. The date will be - Wednesday evening, June 12th at 7:00PM. We have reserved a number of seats and need to get a count as soon as possible for those who are interested in attending. The cost will be $46.00 per person (including children). This price is for the production only, no meal is included. If you are interested, please sign the list that will be placed at the information table. Cut off for tickets and payment is May 25th. All checks should be made to UCG N. CANTON. There are envelopes for mailing on the info table already made out. If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Kuhns.
7. Garage Sale / Fundraiser: We need your extras!  Susan Miller is planning a garage sale at their house during the Sugarcreek Garage Sales, May 9 & 10th. The idea is to sell our stuff as a fundraiser for our N. Canton Building Fund. We need your donations! We also need help on the sale days.  Please see Susan about contributions and drop off times.
8. Food Assistance for Nigeria: From the Senior Pastor for English-speaking West Africa, Paul Moody: In the face of an ongoing economic crisis, Nigerians are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for their families. The Nigerian currency, the Naira, recently hit an all-time record low against the U.S. Dollar, losing nearly seventy percent (70%) of its value since June 2023. Fuel prices have tripled over the last year, adding to the increased cost of goods across the board. Overall annual inflation is up close to 30%, the highest figure in almost 30 years. Food costs have risen well above that percentage, with the cost for certain basic household staples, such as rice, more than doubling from this time a year ago. Milk, eggs and beef are now considered a luxury as many families forgo such extras or cut out meal portions all together to get by.

     In response to this economic hardship, the Good Works program has stepped in to help provide food assistance to our brethren in Nigeria. Funds have been sent over to purchase food staples which will be distributed to approximately 157 members of the United Church of God in that region. Rice, beans, semo and vegetable oil are being purchased in bulk for equitable distribution to the brethren. While this assistance doesn’t solve the economic crisis these individuals and families are facing, it is intended to help ease some of the strain in the short-term by providing basic meal related commodities for consumption. Your generous contributions to this and other Good Works projects around the world are greatly appreciated! Donations can be made to this project at: ucg.org/members/service-projects/relief-funds-for-nigeria.

9. Lehigh Valley Sabbath, Dinner/Dance: The UCG, Lehigh Valley, PA congregation is planning a special Sabbath, Dinner/Dance and we'd love to have you join us, the details are below. In addition to the dinner/dance, we are working to provide a day of various sports activities on Sunday March 31st, but as of right now that is not confirmed. If we can make this happen, we will forward that information along to you.

Sabbath Services and Dinner Dance

Date: March 30, 2024

Location: Northampton Banquet & Event Center - 1601 Laubach Ave Northampton, PA 18067

Time:  The doors will open at 3:00 PM and Sabbath services will begin at 4:00 PM. Dinner will be served around 6:15 PM and the dance will begin around 7:30 PM (sunset), the dance will conclude around 10:15 PM.

Meal: The meal will include the following:  Salad, Dinner Rolls, Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Buttered Noodles, Yellow and Green Beans, Carrot Medley and Ziti with Red Sauce.

We will have an open bar featuring soda, juice, beer, wine and a Shirley Temple fountain.

Cost: (A = $30- 21 & Older), (B = $25- 13-20), (C= $20- Ages 5-12), (D= Free- Ages 4 & Under)

When paying, please indicate which age bracket and how many in that age bracket you are paying for. We need to give this count to the venue. You can use the letters or the prices as shown in the example - (Example: A-2, B-1, C-1, D-2) or (Ex: $30-2, $25-1, $20-1, Free-2)

Payment: Payment must be received by March 15th There are 2 payment options:

(1.) Make a check out to “UCG Bethlehem” Mail to: Rachel Massie 528 N. Kemp St Kutztown, PA 19530 (2.)Venmo your payment to: @Rachel-Massie-10

Accommodations: We've reserved a block of rooms at the nearby Holiday Inn Express for Friday night and Saturday night. You don’t need to stay both nights to get the reduced rate. When making your reservations, just tell them you are with “United Church of God”, and they will give you the special rate of $129 (not including tax) for 2 Queen beds.

Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites - 3375 High Point Boulevard Bethlehem, PA 18017

610-882-2255

Hotel Link:  https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/bethlehem/blmrt/hoteldetail

            There are other hotels in the area if you would prefer to stay somewhere other than the HIE.

SUNDAY ACTVITY: We have been able to reserve a gym for our sporting activities on Sunday March 31st. The facility is a local YMCA, and it is located at 430 E. Broad St. Bethlehem, PA 18018. The YMCA is approximately 11 minutes from the Holiday Inn Express that was referenced in our first announcement. We will have use of the gyms from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The facility has a basketball gym and a gym for volleyball. Unfortunately, the gyms are small and they have very little, if any, seating in the gyms, to watch the games. There is a common area where we will be able to sit and fellowship, and we will offer some activities for our younger children, during the day as well. Snacks and drinks will be available throughout the day, and we are also planning to offer pizza from Domino's around lunch time.

All are welcome to join us and we hope you will. Please keep the deadline in mind for registration and payment, which is March 15th. The weekend is sure to be filled with fun and fellowship!

If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email or call:

rachlmassie@gmail.com / Call or Text:  484-350-4501

10. ABC Sampler: Mark your calendars, on the Sabbath of July 27th, we will be hosting an ABC Sampler in North Canton. For all those who would like to attend, there will be sessions presented by ABC instructors before and after services. We are still in the planning stage at this time and more information will be coming.

If I’ve overlooked anything, Please let me know ASAP.