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 Weekly E-news
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Dear youth and parents,
On Monday I was priveleged to sit in an ordination interview with Tiann Smith, who is currently attending Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC and preparing to serve as an Army Chaplain. Tiann grew up here at UCC (many of you know her mom, Patricia, who is a CYF sponsor) and we are serving as her sponsoring congregation for the ordination process. I am part of Tiann's Congregational Care Team, a group of UCC staff and members who are supporting her through the process, and as a member of the team I was able to sit with her as a subset of the Regional Committee on Ministry asked her questions about her life, calling, theology, seminary work, and more. They unanimously approved that she continue as a candidate for ordination, which means she'll come back for an intermediate interview with the committee in a year. (And why wouldn't they? Tiann has an incredible sense of her own story, her calling, and how she plans to continue to grow and mature as a minister.)
I share this story because I want you to know how this church has prepared people for Christian ministry and continues to do so today. Tiann is one of several people currently sponsored by UCC in the ordination process, and each of them has a different story about how this congregation has shaped and supported them on their faith journey. Each one can point to individuals from this church who have made a difference in their lives, contributing to their willingness to answer a call to ministry and commit to the path required to fulfill that calling. As I look at our young people from my perspective as a member of our youth ministry staff, I wonder which of them will be sitting in one of those interviews years from now. I wonder who they will cite as a person who contributed significantly to their spiritual growth and sense of calling.
Maybe that person is you.
Read on for information on the upcoming film festival, Super Bowling event, CYF retreat, and a class just for parents. Also, I wanted to share that this Sunday night at CYF (our high school youth group) Jessica has arranged for a "talkback with Russ" session - so high schoolers are invited to bring their burning questions about the Bible, theology, ministry, and other relevant topics they'd like to throw my way. I'm looking forward to it!
Grace and Peace,
Russ
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Reel Religion film festival tonight and tomorrow at UCC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  ~ UCC is pleased to host Reel Religion 9: A Festival of Films of Religious Significance this weekend. There are lots of great movies to choose from that suit different ages and interests, and it's all free! Showtimes are 6:45 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday.
For a full schedule that includes film descriptions, click here to download the brochure. And don't worry - there will be plenty of popcorn! |
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Register now for CYF Midwinter Retreat at Disciples Crossing
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Our youth in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to join high schoolers from Disciple churches around the area for the CYF Midwinter Retreat coming up February 24-26 at Disciples Crossing, our church camp in Athens. This annual retreat offers the opportunity to grow closer to God and one another through worship, recreation, prayer, small groups, Bible studies, and interest groups that include options like sports, dance, art, service, photography, and more.
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 $90 and full or half scholarships are available upon request. Registration forms are due to the Youth Office by Monday, February 7, and you can download one by clicking here.
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Super Bowling for youth and children on February 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  It's almost time 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 5 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. Hope to see you there! |
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Save the date for 2012 summer camps and mission trips!
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Registration forms for summer camps at Disciples Crossing and mission trips to Los Angeles and Oklahoma City will be released soon, but it's not too early to save those dates on your calendar. Click here for a full list of summer camps and mission trips with dates and corresponding ages, and be sure to pass them along to others who are interested. |
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New study for parents: Passing on a faith that sticks
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Parents often think that the person who most influences their kids' faith development must be a minister, Sunday school teacher, or youth worker. However, study after study shows that parents have the most influence. Because that's the case, it's important for parents to learn how they can pass on a faith that "sticks" when their child moves into young adulthood.
Starting on February 12, UCC will offer a Sunday evening study for parents based on the book Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids by Kara Powell and Chap Clark. Each of the five sessions uses a video and discussion questions to build on ideas presented in the book, helping parents to learn from one another as well as leading researchers. Class sessions will take place from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in Room 204 (parallel to our youth and children's programs). Copies of the book are available for $10 by contacting Sharyn Peterson at sharyn@uccftw.com. |
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Youth events and key dates on the horizon...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ January 27-28 - Reel Religion Film Festival at UCC
February 3-5 - Chi Rho Midwinter Retreat at Disciples Crossing
February 5 - Super Bowling for youth and children at Cityview Lanes - 2:15 p.m.
February 11 - Breakfast with the Guys - 8:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall
February 11 - Latte with the Ladies - 9 a.m. at Buon Giorno Coffee
February 12 - Sticky Faith class for parents begins - 6:30 p.m.
February 24-26 - CYF Midwinter Retreat at Disciples Crossing
March 11-17 - Intergenerational Mission Pilgrimage to El Paso
Summer 2012 - Camps and mission trips - Click here for the schedule |
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More ways to keep up...
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 | UCC Youth
Text Alerts |
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| Staff Links
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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 - E-mail Sharyn
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