United Church of God

Announcement Bulletin for June 1, 2019

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A Congregation of the United Church of God

Announcement Bulletin for June 1, 2019

SABBATH ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS

United Church of God, an International Association

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

 

SABBATH, JUNE 1, 2019

 

Youngstown –1 p.m.                        Pittsburgh – 2:30 p.m.

North Canton – 2 p.m.                     Wheeling – 10 a.m.

 

Greetings brethren,

 

We’ll be keeping the Feast of Pentecost in just over a week—on Sunday, June 9. Our local, Bible Reading Program covering the books of Luke and Acts has provided a systematic overview of the holyday by covering the life of Christ as God inspired Luke to write it—followed by the book of The Acts of the Apostles (also by Luke).

The first Pentecost in the New Testament era is recorded in Acts 2. That was the launch or beginning of God’s true Church in history followed by the dedicated—and sometimes dangerous times faced by the 12 Apostles and Paul, the apostle “born out of due time” (1 Cor. 15:8).

God’s Word contains two biblical eras. The Old Testament is at times referred to as “The Prophets” and the New Testament is “The Apostles.” Peter referenced these two great epochs: “that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior; …” (2 Pet. 3:2).

Unfortunately, the world’s Christianity heavily discounts the Old Testament as the era of “the law!”—with law being referred to in negative sense. But rejecting God’s law makes it impossible to fully understand the New Testament. The evidence of that lack of understanding is the list of wrong doctrines espoused by traditional Christianity:  keeping Sunday and rejecting the Sabbath, replacing God’s annual holydays with pagan holidays, the immortality of the soul, going to Heaven or to an ever-burning Hell at death, the Trinity (which shows no concept of the Family of God) etc.

There are of course many dedicated, traditional Christians. But unbeknownst to them for now, they simply don’t comprehend God’s teaching in the Old Testament, nor therefore, His teaching in the New. We understand God’s Word precisely because we, or our parents or grandparents before us were called by the Father to real repentance and spiritual conversion through the ceremony of baptism and the laying on of hands at which time He imparted His Holy Spirit into our minds!

God’s holyday of Pentecost proclaims that very outpouring of God’s Spirit. The last chapter of Luke records a telling statement by Jesus Christ: “…Thus it was written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,…” (Luke 24:46). This accounts for Christ’s sacrificial death on the Day of Passover.

The remainder of the sentence requires a time jump, “…and that repentance of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” This action has a “beginning,” thus it was to be fulfilled going forward in time.

The active preaching of the knowledge of God’s law, with the call to repent of one’s sins is then pictured by Pentecost—the very next of God’s holydays after Passover and Unleavened Bread. The final link to Pentecost is that Jesus personal preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom would—after His death and resurrection—go forward from Jerusalem via the efforts of His apostles. This was demonstrated by Peter’s sermon and the resultant baptisms that began to populate God’s Church starting on that very first Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection (Acts 2).

There is much more to say about the “50-count” (the literal translation of “Pentecost”) on the upcoming holyday. This commentary is just to “wet our whistles” about the incredible story of Pentecost or Feast of Weeks (as in Leviticus 23). Prime yourself for God’s holyday on June 9 this year! Think about how God called you and your brethren to the incredible knowledge of His truth!

Keep the true faith—and spread it,

Randy Stiver, Pastor

 

Pastor’s contact information:  PO Box 1474, Massillon, OH  44648.  Home phone: 330-809-0566, cell phone: 740-739-7248. Email addresses: randy_stiver@ucg.org  orrpstiver@gmail.com (both come to the same location). For emails regarding scheduling (church events, visits or counseling), please copy my wife Linda ldstiver@gmail.com. Announcements should be sent to my email and copied to our daughter Amanda at anstiver@gmail.com as she helps process them each week.

 

1.    Church Circuit Calendar :  (please note three Youngstown time changes underlined)

 

June 1

Sabbath service

Wheeling – 10:00; Pittsburgh – 2:30; North Canton – 2:00; Youngstown – 1:00;

June 7

Bible Study

7:30 p.m. EST  –  Title to be announced  https://www.ucg.org/congregations/north-canton-oh/webcast

June 8

Sabbath Service

Youngstown – 11:00; North Canton – 2:00; Wheeling – 11:00; Pittsburgh – 2:30

June 9

Pentecost

North Canton-Youngstown combine with Cleveland at Fairlawn; Pittsburgh-Wheeling combined at the Ramada Inn in Washington

June 15

Sabbath Service

Youngstown – 1 p.m.; North Canton – 2 p.m.; Pittsburgh – 10 a.m.; Wheeling – 2:30 p.m.

June 21

Bible Study webcast

7:30 p.m. EST  –  Title to be announced  https://www.ucg.org/congregations/north-canton-oh/webcast

June 22

Sabbath Service

Youngstown – 11 a.m.; North Canton – 2 p.m.; Wheeling – 11 a.m.; Pittsburgh – 2:30 p.m.

June 29

Sabbath Service

Youngstown – 1 p.m.; North Canton – 2 p.m.; Wheeling – 11 a.m.; Pittsburgh – 2:30 p.m.

 

LOCAL PRAYER REQUESTS: (*new or updated)

·         Jim Kocher – (Wheeling elder): Had detached retina eye surgery this week, please pray for a complete recovery.

·         Dick Walters – (North Canton):  Recuperating at home, gradually regaining his strength.

·         Elizabeth Dezso – (North Canton) recuperating at home double pneumonia and other ailments.

·         Neal Warner – (North Canton) Dealing with intense leg pain.

·         Roland Armann (Wheeling) – At age 89, living in Powhatten Point, OH and recovering from a stroke.

·         *Dale Harman – (North Canton):  At Rockynol, a convalescent center in Akron. Still in considerable discomfort. Please pray for comfort, pain reduction and healing.

·         Jenny Luchitz – (North Canton):  A severe, open-sore bruise on her leg.

·         Ian Healy (grandson of Louis & Carol Petit in North Canton) – In the process of receiving a kidney transplant.

·         Greyson Parkhill – the 11 year old grandson of Jim Parkhill in New Mexico (who tunes in to all our Bible Study webcasts). Greyson has a congenital and now life-threating digestive condition. Please add him to your prayer list. Jim called me today (Friday) to update the prayer request.

·         *Linda Szalankiewicz – (Pittsburgh area): Advanced liver cancer condition, urgently in need of God’s healing.

2.    SPOKESMAN CLUB – Next club meeting on Sunday, July 21st

Be sure to read the end piece which shows the enthusiasm for Club in South Africa.

3.    CHURCH GARAGE SALE – NORTH CANTON – Sunday June 2nd          

Mark and Amanda Miller will be holding a garage sale this Sunday.

Contact information for Mark and Amanda Miller (address in the member listing is out of date): Phone: 234-244-7491   Address: 4790 Amherst Ave NW, Massillon, OH 44646   Amanda’s email: amandamiller52216@gmail.com

4.    CATERED MEAL FOR PENTECOST – JUNE 9 – NORTH CANTON AND YOUNGSTOWN

 As a result of our agreement with the Holiday Inn, we need as many who are able to purchase the provided lunch meal. Cost is $17.70 for adults and $12.00 for children (age 3 and up). Menu and sign-up list will be at the front table. If you sign up, please follow through on payment. We need an accurate count by June 2nd. Those who are able to contribute additional funds are very welcome to do so. Checks to be made out to “UCG Canton” and mailed to Debbie Kuhns, PO Box 115, Paris, OH 44669. Thank you for your cooperation and help.

5.    LOCAL BIBLE READING PROGRAM:  PENTECOST—ANTICIPATION & AFTERMATH

The two books of the Bible that provide a logical lead-up to Pentecost are the books of Luke and Acts (technically, The Acts of the Apostles). The project is voluntary, but it will provide points of very interesting and beneficial fellowship discussion on the Sabbath.

Luke, a gentile physician, traveled extensively with the apostle Paul. God used him to record one of the four gospel accounts of Christ’s life, ministry and death for our sins. He also inspired Luke to write the Book of Acts.  This makes the two books of Scripture a logical study of the life and ministry of our Lord and Savior that led to the beginning of God’s Church on Pentecost, followed by the growth of God’s Church in the first century. Here is the schedule:

Luke 1 to 8          April 28 to May 4              Acts 1 to 10        May 19 – 25

Luke 9 to 17       May 5 – 11                         Acts 11 to 19      May 26 to June 1

Luke 18 to 24     May 12 – 18                       Acts 20 to 28      June 2 – 8 (reading for the coming week)

  

GAUTENG SPOKESMAN CLUB

 From May 2019 issue of The News from South Africa sent out by our UCG South African office:

A report by UCG elder Arthur Fisher

[Note: Gauteng is the most populous province in South Africa with almost 15 million people. Nearly all the major cities of the country are located there with the exception of Cape Town.  Also note: this report shows the value of the Spokesman-Graduate Club program for God’s Church.]

Once a month a group of about 12 men (with some ladies observing) get together to develop their speaking ability or leadership. These interesting, idea stimulating and mind challenging get-togethers also contribute to their personality development.

The format of these get-togethers is based on the Ambassador Clubs of the Church’s Ambassador Colleges of the early years. The Club is not a training ground for future elders or speakers in the Church. However, it does create opportunities for the Church to use those in the Club who reach the standard required for speaking opportunities during Church services.

Each Club member has the opportunity of being a Topicsmaster, a Toastmaster, an evaluator and the presenter of 12 speeches as he works through the manual we use.

 The Tabletopics section presided over by the Topicsmaster allows the members to think on their feet as they pose questions on a variety of topics.

 The Toastmaster’s purpose is to introduce the speakers and then ask an evaluator to comment on the effectiveness of the speeches.

 Each member is required to complete 12 speeches. The lessons to be covered are: Speak with Purpose, Be Crystal Clear, Add Colour, Get the Facts, Stir to Action, A Complete Speech, Attack, Instruct, Inspire, Impromptu, and Heart to Heart.

 Certain requirements of each speech are to be covered to ensure the speaker is ready to move on to the next one. If these are not achieved, the speaker is asked to repeat the speech.

 It has been very encouraging to see the improvement the men in the Club have made as the months have gone by. Because of the good attendance, the dedication of the members, their enthusiasm, their open-mindedness and humility required to take correction regularly, the men have, maybe without even realising it, developed toward strengthening their character.

 After the members have completed all assignments, the next step is the Graduate Club. The format is similar to the Spokesman Club, but an additional level of training is offered. It is not an easy programme as a higher standard is expected.

 The following assignments are to be covered: One Point Speech, Persuade, Difficult Scripture, Prophecy, Human Interest, World News Analysis, Trivia, Open Assignment, Book Review, Director’s Assignment, and Lesson from the Bible.

 Judging by the fruits of the Spokesman Club over many months, I am sure the members will continue to find the joy of accomplishment and achievement as they continue trying to give of their best.  – end