~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Weekly E-news
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
Dear youth and parents,
The Reel Religion Film Festival starts tonight, and there are lots of great movies to choose from during three different showtimes. I will be leading a discussion tonight for "In the Valley of Elah," a movie in which Tommy Lee Jones plays a father (and retired investigator) who is trying to figure out what happened to his son after a tour in Iraq. Read the article below for more information on the festival, then continue through the e-news for more special events coming up in the life of our church.
Grace and Peace,
Russ
|
|
Catch a flick at the Reel Religion Film Festival this weekend
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The 8th annual Reel Religion Film Festival takes place this weekend at UCC, showcasing 18 "films of religious significance" that are grouped into six themed tracks. There are options for all ages, including a family-friendly track entitled "What Our Creatures Teach Us." Showtimes are 6:45 p.m. tonight and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, and admission (and popcorn) are free! For a list of films with brief descriptions, times and discussion leaders, click here to download the festival guide.
|
|
Special panel discusses substance abuse at CYF this Sunday night
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 We'll have some special guests at CYF youth group this Sunday night when a panel of UCC members will be present to discuss alcohol and substance abuse issues. The members will guide our discussion on the topic by sharing real-life experiences and observations and focusing on the role of faith in their personal journeys. We'll be following our regular Sunday night schedule, with a $3 snack supper at 6 p.m. in the 3rd Floor Kitchen followed by youth groups from 6:30 - 7:45.
|
|
Super Bowling next Sunday afternoon at Cityview Lanes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 It's time once again for UCC's annual Super Bowling, where our middle and high school youth will take to the lanes alongside elementary children and parents for an afternoon of fun. This year's event will take place on Sunday, February 6 with check-in at 2:15 p.m. and bowling until 4:30 at Cityview Lanes (6601 Oakmont Blvd). $10 gets you unlimited games and shoe rental, and food and drinks will be available from the snack bar.
This is a great opportunity to invite friends, challenge parents, or include younger siblings, but remember - reservations are REQUIRED so that we have enough lanes for everyone. E-mail Sharyn Peterson at sharyn@uccftw.com by noon on Friday, February 4 to reserve spots for yourself and others.
|
|
Spots available on the Spring Break Mission Trip to New Orleans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 No plans for Spring Break? Why not spend it serving others as a family? For the third year in a row UCC will be making an intergenerational mission pilgrimage to the New Orleans area to help with continued hurricane recovery efforts. This year's trip will take place March 13-19 and the cost is $175 per person (scholarships for youth are available upon request). Register by contacting Lynn Cross, UCC's Mission and Outreach Coordinator, at 817.926.6631 ext. 139 or lynn@uccftw.com. A $50 deposit secures your spot on the trip and there will be a mandatory pre-trip meeting on Sunday, January 30 at 12:15 p.m.
|
|
Volunteers and stuff needed for UCC Garage Sale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 UCC's Garage Sale is back by popular demand, and this year's sale will take place on Saturday, March 5 (with a "preview sale" for volunteers on Friday night). Proceeds will fund scholarships for youth to attend camps and retreats, so your time and donations support a great cause. For more information on donating or volunteering (in advance and at the sale), here are the people to contact:
Questions? Contact Cyrena Allen at 817.692.2099 or cyrena@lawrence-allen.com.
Want to volunteer? Contact Robin Nelson at 817.637.3146 or rlbunz@yahoo.com. Need to arrange a pickup of large items? Contact Craig Allen at 817.692.8851. |
Register now for CYF Midwinter Retreat at Disciples Crossing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Our youth will meet at UCC at 5:30 p.m. that Friday to share a charter bus to camp, and will return around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The cost for the retreat is $80 and full or half scholarships are available upon request. Registration forms are due to the Youth Office by Sunday, February 6, and you can download one by clicking here. Parents: We will need adult chaperones to attend the retreat as well. If you're interested in attending the retreat as an adult sponsor, contact Jessica Vacketta at jessica@uccftw.com. |
|
Youth events on the horizon...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 28-29 - Reel Religion Film Festival
February 4-6 - Chi Rho Midwinter Retreat at Disciples Crossing (grades 6-8)
February 6 - Super Bowling event at Cityview Lanes - 2:15 p.m.
February 12 - Breakfast with the Guys - 8:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall
February 25-27 - CYF Midwinter Retreat at Disciples Crossing (grades 9-12)
March 5 - UCC Garage Sale to support youth scholarships
March 13-19 - Intergenerational Mission Trip to New Orleans
|
|
|
|
More ways to keep up...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
|
Staff Links~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Russ Boyd, Associate Minister for Youth - E-mail Russ
Herbert Murray, Assistant Minister for Chi Rho (grades 6-8) - E-mail Herb
Jessica Vacketta, Assistant Minister for CYF (grades 9-12) - E-mail Jessica
Sharyn Peterson, Ministry Assistant for Congregational Life - E-mail Sharyn
|
|
|
|
|
