Local Announcements: 

Sabbath Services for April 20th, 2023: This week's Sabbath will be held at the Freedom Hall  (349 W Birchwood St, Morton, IL 61550) @ 1:30pm. The services will also be webcast on our local congregational website​ (link for local webcast) as well as offered via audio only for those who would like to call in (701.791.9819). These connections typically go live about 15-minutes prior to the start of services.
          Song Leader: Mr. Chris McClain
          Sermonette: Mr. Jack Radebaugh
          Sermon: Mr. Paul Moody [video]
          Ekamas in Terre Haute

Holy Day Services for April 23rd, 2023: The service for the First Day of Unleavened Bread will be held at the Freedom Hall  (349 W Birchwood St, Morton, IL 61550) @ 1:30pm. The services will also be webcast on our local congregational website​ (link for local webcast) as well as offered via audio only for those who would like to call in (701.791.9819). These connections typically go live about 15-minutes prior to the start of services.
          Song Leader: Mr. Don Hummel
          Split-sermon: Mr. Glenn Radebaugh
          Split-sermon: Mr. Nathan Ekama

Upcoming Events:
          Apr 21st: Passover Service, 7:45pm @ Freedom Hall
          Apr 23rd: 1st Day of Unleavened Bread Service, 1:30pm @ Freedom Hall
          Apr 29th: 7th Day of Unleavened Bread Service, 10:30am & 2:30pm @ Freedom Hall
          May 4th: GCE Webcast, 1:00pm @ Freedom Hall
          May 4-6th: General Conference of Elders
          May 21st: Second Passover

Passover Service: Our local Passover service will be on the evening of April 21st at the Freedom Hall. Please plan to arrive around 7:30pm. Doors will close and the service will begin at 7:45pm. If you are not a baptized member, but are interested in observing the service (not taking the symbols), please let Nathan or one of the other elders know.

Night to Be Much Remembered: This year we do not have a place to meet as a group for the Night to be Much Remembered. If you would like to meet with a smaller group in a home, but don’t yet have plans, please let Nathan Ekama know after services and we’ll make sure that all are able to be together for the evening.

Choir Practice: For those participating in the choir, there will be a practice before services at 12:30pm on Tuesday.

Excused Absences: If you need an Excused Absence form for the upcoming Spring Holy Days for work or school, please let me know how many and whether you would like a digital or physical copy.

Springfield Bible Study: The next monthly Bible Study in the Springfield area will be on the Sabbath of May 11th at the Curran Township building (6220 Moffet Street, Curran, IL 62670) at 10:00am.

Sabbath School: Our next Sabbath School is scheduled for the Sabbath of May 11th. It will take place about 10 minutes after services in the back room.

Central Illinois Bible Study: Our next monthly Bible Study will be on this Sabbath, May 25th. We will continue our study of the Book of Amos (chapter 7) 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

Health & Safety Protocols: We ask that any who exhibit symptoms of illness practice the biblical principle of quarantine.

Home Office Announcements:

Camp Pinecrest Staffing Needs:  Even though camp is a few months off, it is important we have essential personnel lined up for a successful camp. The regional camp for our teens, Camp Pinecrest, needs young adults to serve as counselors and assistant counselors (male & female) for this summer. We also need staff to serve as Dance Class instructors, lifeguards, and on our Nursing/First Aid team.
Camp Pinecrest is from June 29 – July 7, 2024. Please contact Mike Phelps at 513-256-7628 / mike_phelps@ucg.org if you are interested or would like more information. Or apply at uyc.ucg.org.

Camp Registration: Online registration for all UYC teen and preteen camps began March 7. Campers and staff may apply at uyc.ucg.org. Parents and campers, camper scholarships are available for those who need financial assistance. See your pastor about applying for a scholarship. National funds are definitely available, so please apply if needed. – Len Martin, UYC Coordinator

Teen Instagram Account: Due to popular demand, the home office media team is working on creating Instagram content specifically for our teens. We will be 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: The United Church of God is accepting job applications for a number of positions. Details about all 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.