SABBATH ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS

North Canton & Youngstown, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; Wheeling, WV Congregations

United Church of God, an International Association

 July 18, 2020

North Canton: 2:00 PM, at home 

Youngstown: 2:00 PM at Holiday Inn

Pittsburgh: 2:00 PM at Deer Creek Church

Wheeling: 2:00 PM, at home

 

2:00 p.m. local webcast -> https://www.ucg.org/congregations/north-canton-oh/webcast

 

NEXT WEEK

(may be subject to change)

Friday, July 24	Friday night Bible study webcast – 7:30 PM (EDT) – Mr. Randy Stiver https://www.ucg.org/congregations/north-canton-oh/webcast
Sabbath, July 25	North Canton: 2:00 PM – Gateway Event Center Youngstown: 2:00 PM – Holiday Inn Express, Youngstown W.

 

*For Pittsburgh and Wheeling times, please see updates from Mr. Keith Wilson

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Pastor’s contact information:  2206 Eastwood Ave. NE, Massillon, OH 44646. Home phone: 330-809-0566, Cell phone: 740-739-7248

Email addresses: randy_stiver@ucg.org  or rpstiver@gmail.com (both come to the same location). 

Scheduling: To my email for church events, visits or counseling, and please copy my wife Linda ldstiver@gmail.com. 

Announcements: Please send to my email and copy to Amanda Stiver at anstiver@gmail.com as she helps process them each week.

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PASTOR’S NOTE:

Dear brethren,

We are finally making real progress toward building a better-than-normal routine of keeping God’s Sabbath holy as part of the body of His true Church!

The Covid-19 coronavirus has been a grave challenge for nearly all the nations in the world—America very much included. As the British used to say, “It has been a spot of bother for us too!”

In fact, it is still with us, can be debilitating and even deadly so we must be careful. We have several cases recuperating right now in our four congregations.

You can personally serve your brethren with wisdom and love. Here’s how you can do it:

Wear a face mask or face shield during Church—and while visiting briefly indoors. I believe the shield is easier for those with respiratory problems. Children under 10 are exempted. Those with critical breathing issues are also exempted. But if you have the latter condition, you are encouraged to wait to attend Sabbath services when this pandemic is over. May it be soon!

Please realize that face masks do help slow or prevent the spread of this or other airborne disease. If the face coverings didn’t help at all, then why do doctors, nurses, dentists, ambulance drivers and other health professionals wear them routinely? When have you been to the dentist when he or she didn’t wear a facemask?

Our halls will be set up with widely spaced seating for “social distancing.” Please follow the directions of our ushers. When you have departed the hall, the face masks/shields can come down. As has been stated, we will not be singing hymns out loud. 

Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Youngstown are already meeting for Sabbath services. God willing, North Canton will begin meeting at the Global Gateway next Sabbath at 2:00 p.m.!

Please note that God expects each of us to do our duty for the good of the whole Body of Christ. In every one of our congregations we have a few or even many who have serious immune system issues. Following the simple regulations above shows love and concern for the spiritual family of God. Ignoring or flouting these temporary health rules—does not show love for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Some say this coronavirus is a plot against America by her enemies. Perhaps, or perhaps not, but either way it doesn’t change the fact that it is a serious threat to the health and lives of others—including our beloved brethren. Therefore, we must truly be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16) to care for our brethren in God’s true Church.

As your pastor I am counting on you to do your part to serve God’s people!

Thank you in Christ,

Randy Stiver

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1.       LOCAL PRAYER REQUESTS and UPDATES

(If you notice that your prayer request needs updating, please drop us an email or a call with an update. Thank you!)

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 – Please remember in your prayers for healing brethren, locally and around the world, in UCG and other Church of God groups who have come down with COVID-19. 
  • Please also keep Feast planning in UCG and the greater Church of God in your prayers. The complications of the coronavirus emergency levels, shut-downs, and partial shut-downs make it challenging for Feast coordinators and others planning Feast details.
• Linda Ritter (North Canton) – Linda would appreciate your continued prayers for overall health improvement. 
• Steve Richmond (Cambridge) – Steve continues to battle cancer, please keep him in your prayers.

2.      RE-OPENING SERVICES In North Canton – July 25th – Next Sabbath!

Our next attempt at live services for North Canton will be next Sabbath, July 25. Because Summit county (where the Gateway Event Center is located) is at a Level 3 Health Emergency masks (or face shields) will be mandatory for adults and children over 10. We will keep you posted with further details in a mid-week update.

The 2:00 PM webcast from the North Canton webcast page will carry on as usual at: https://www.ucg.org/congregations/north-canton-oh/webcast

3.      DEATH OF HERB VIERRA

Herb Vierra, former pastor, died this past Monday, July 13. Herb had experienced multiple health challenges over recent years and had been for some time in a care facility. His loving wife, Ann, was as close as she could be to Herb on that day with the current challenging COVID-19 guidelines.

Herb and Ann have been a part of the Southern California church community for nearly 50 years. They raised their four sons in the Pasadena area. Herb worked for the Worldwide Church of God for many years. He would ultimately be the operation manager for the Media Department. As the United Church of God came into being, he was always from the very beginning a dedicated General Conference of Elders member. After 1995, he went into business for himself as a carpenter. He truly was a master craftsman. 

He and Ann served as a ministerial couple in the United Church of God congregations of Los Angeles and Garden Grove. After the need arose in 2011, he and Ann served congregations in Northern California and Oregon as Herb became an associate pastor. The love they shared with others was returned many times over the years by the visits, phone calls and cards received from the membership that were truly of incredible encouragement to both of them. Herb remained active in assisting the Legacy Institute in Thailand. They would make many a visit a world away. He remained a board member with that institution up until this week. A memorial service is pending at this time.

Cards may be sent to: Mrs. Ann Vierra, 1455 Hilltop Dr, Azuza, CA 91702

-- Robin Webber, pastor

4.      UNITED YOUTH CAMPS – Teen Friday Night Bible Discussions

We are going to have more interactive talk among the teens beginning this Friday night during our live Bible Study program. Specific questions have been posted on the UYC site so please take a look at them before the study begins. The password remains the same but if you need it then ask your pastor. The Bible Study video and Zoom discussion begin at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central or 7 p.m. Pacific/8 p.m. Mountain (pick your time). Log onto uyc.ucg.org at one of these two times this Friday evening July 17.

--Teen Camp Directors

5.      HYMNS AT HOME!

Though temporarily we can’t enjoy singing hymns together at services there is no limit to our options for in-home hymn singing. To help make that possible, please investigate this link from the UCG.org website: https://www.ucg.org/members/hymnal

You can download the recordings of the hymn accompaniment (with or without the vocal ensemble included) and sing along from your personal hymnal. Or, if you are musical, play the hymns yourself and sing. Or simply sing praises to God in your heart (Ephesians 5:19). 

Let’s not allow this logistical bump in the road stop us from praising God in song!

6.      IF YOU’VE READ THIS FAR, QUESTION: What ways are you finding to enjoy the summer weather?

With the unusual circumstances this year, most of us are spending a lot of time at home, vacationing-in-place, as it were. At the Stiver house we’ve been enjoying the bird life around our feeder and cool mornings on our small deck and patio with our resident felines. 

What ways have you and/or your family been enjoying the beautiful summer weather lately?

Please email your responses to Mr. Stiver (randy_stiver@ucg.org or rpstiver@gmail.com) and copy Amanda Stiver (anstiver@gmail.com)! 

We hope to include some responses in a future Sabbath Announcements. 

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SPECIAL RESOURCES FOR DURING THE COVID-19 SITUATION

COVID-19 Links and Resources:

Ohio COVID-19 Risk Level Guidelines for the Public: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/OPHASM/COVID-19-Risk-Level-Guidelines-GP.pdf

National: https://www.coronavirus.gov/

Ohio: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/

Pennsylvania:https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx

West Virginia: https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/Pages/default.aspx

UCG Updates and Hymn links:

UCG home office: https://www.ucg.org/members/news/united-church-of-god-coronavirus-updates

UCG Hymnal recordings and other links: https://www.ucg.org/members/hymnal

PHONE HOOK-UP to Home Office Webcasts

If you need a phone hook-up to the webcast services from Cincinnati (2:30PM on Sabbaths) here are the directions:

Please call no earlier than 5 minutes before the service will begin. If the Home Office has not activated the meeting, the caller will be put on hold, and then asked to call again later.

Normal Calling Directions for Home Office Webcast:

For those who can pay for long distance calls or have an unlimited phone calling plan:

Call: 1-508-924-1634

No access code needed.

If you know someone who could use the phone hook-up number, but does not get the announcements by email, please call them and pass along the information! Thank you!

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