SABBATH ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS 

 

United Church of God, an International Association

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

 

SABBATH, NOVEMBER 30, 2019

 

Youngstown – 2 p.m.                       Wheeling – 10:00 a.m.

North Canton – 2 p.m.                     Pittsburgh – 2:30 p.m.

Greetings brethren, 

We hope that you all enjoyed a very bountiful and thoughtful Thanksgiving Day! Ours was a quieter day with the three of us plus the two cats (Winston and Clementine)—who were eager to help clean up any and all turkey scraps. 

We checked in with Linda’s family in Montana, and Amanda texted and shared pictures with her cousins on the Stiver side in South Dakota. It’s constantly amazing how 20th and 21st century technology, if used wisely, allows family to stay close even when physically far away.

Remember that the 20th century technology of radio—which eventually bridged to and still runs concurrently with television—was the communication vehicle that Christ led Herbert Armstrong to use to preach the true gospel of the Kingdom of God starting in 1934 to ever-increasing, mass audiences. He employed it very well too. In short order Mr. Armstrong mastered the art of the energetic and enthusiastic public speaking to the invisible radio audience. He mastered radio better than virtually all radio broadcasters in the world, with perhaps the exception of Paul Harvey.

Mr. Armstrong preached the truth of God, constantly proving it from Scripture, in such an engaging and commanding way that it motivated people to open their Bibles to read and think. Thinking lead to study, study to prayer, prayer to repentance…which led many of you alive today into the true Church of God!

Now we have the internet with home computers and cell phones to tap into that vast collection of information—a great deal of which is spiritually dangerous information. And yet it can be employed to search for and find Christ’s true gospel too. Some have come to the knowledge of the truth and are church members today because of this 21st century technology. 

The key lesson here is that we learn and think about the modern history of God’s Church. If Christ had not specially called us or our family, we’d still be as spiritually blind as the world around us. We need to value our modern heroes of God’s truth, the list of which in our case includes Herbert and Loma Armstrong.

All the eras of the Church had such heroes who found ways to give voice to the gospel of God’s Kingdom. We know the original 12 plus the Apostle Paul from Scripture, but the intervening centuries each have lists of those who also labored in the true Word of God. Thank our great God for them all! And then let us also…

Keep the true faith—and spread it,
Randy Stiver, Pastor 

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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  or rpstiver@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.

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1. CHURCH CIRCUIT SCHEDULE (may be subject to change)

November 30	Sabbath Services	Youngstown-2 PM; North Canton-2 PM; Pittsburgh-2:30 PM; Wheeling-11AM
December 7	Sabbath Services	Youngstown-1 PM; North Canton-1 PM*; Pittsburgh-2:30 PM; Wheeling-10AM   *Note: Memorial service for Ruth Wine, following services in North Canton, at 3:15 PM
December 14	Sabbath Services	Youngstown-11 AM; North Canton-2 PM; Pittsburgh-2:30 PM; Wheeling-11 AM
December 21	Sabbath Services	Webcast - Winter Family Weekend in Cincinnati – all congregations – 2:30PM
December 27	Bible Study Webcast	Will begin at 7:30 p.m. at https://www.ucg.org/congregations/north-canton-oh/webcast
December 28	Sabbath Services	Youngstown-11 AM; North Canton-2 PM; Pittsburgh-2:30 PM; Wheeling-11 AM

 

2. LOCAL PRAYER REQUESTS: 

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

• James Guy (Youngtown) – Following his severe E-coli infection James is still fighting a Clostridium difficile infection (C. diff), a UTI, and the discouragement of this ongoing health trial. Your continued prayers for his healing and for stress relief for his parents are appreciated.

• Marlene Ware (North Canton) – She would appreciate your continued prayers for healing of an infected sore on her leg.
• Jenny Luchitz (North Canton) – Recuperating from a severe throat infection from earlier this year. 
• Steve Richmond (Cambridge) –Continuing to fight liver and colon cancer. 
• Todd Bickel (North Canton) –Continued challenges with high blood pressure. 

3.    VACATE HALL BY 5:00 PM EACH SABBATH

Please remember that we need to vacate the Global Gateway facility by 5 PM each Sabbath through the end of the year (unless otherwise announced). The facility staff are scheduled according to our contractual hours and wait for us to vacate to close and lock the building. Thanks so much.

4.    SABBATH DRESS REMINDER

Though we gather for spiritual meaning each Sabbath we also physically come before the presence of God, and the Holy Angels gathered at His throne, and in so doing please remember to assess your attire, bearing in mind the principle of the wedding garments from scripture.

Let’s step beyond casual and dress up in what we call “Sabbath-appropriate” or “dressy-business” attire. For ladies dresses are preferred, but nice dress pants are acceptable for those with restricted movement and in the cold winter months, but please no leggings or tightly fitted trousers. Gentlemen, as you are able, please wear suits or slacks and sport coats. Also remember to check for modesty from front and back views, tightness of garments, and sheerness. Thank you for your kind thoughtfulness toward your fellow brethren and, mostly especially, toward our Almighty, Eternal God.

5.    MEMORIAL FOR RUTH WINE – Sabbath, December 7, 2019

We will hold a memorial service for Ruth Wine at 3:15 PM. In order to do so, services will be moved up to 1:00 PM for that Sabbath, December 7. We will also have the hall available to us until 6 PM that day, for extra fellowship time.

6.    KITCHEN SERVICE VOLUNTEERS

If any additional volunteers would like to serve on the rotating kitchen schedule, we are updating the listing for the coming months. Working together on a rotating basis keeps the work light on the Sabbath and from overwhelming any one individual. It is a service that is greatly appreciated. Please check with Debbie Kuhns if you would like to volunteer.

7.    WOMEN’S ENRICHMENT WEEKEND – CLEVELAND – April 24-26, 2020

The ladies of the Cleveland UCG congregation will be hosting a women’s enrichment weekend this coming spring, April 24-26, 2020. 

The theme for the weekend is “The Secret Garden, Stepping Stones to Spiritual Growth”.

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ,” 2 Peter 3:18.

The growth of God’s family began in the garden and it will come to full fruition in a garden. Let’s explore how we can best play our part in this garden to garden work.

To register (deadline is March 7th), and for additional information, please visit: http://women.ucg.org/enrichment-weekends/cleveland-ohio-2020

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