gray logoApril 8, 2010
E-Communique
Iowa Conference of the United Church of Christ
Apostle Paul
Apostle PaulA pastoral letter from Nicole Havelka ...
 
I don't know about you, but I really appreciated the Easter celebration this year and the spring weather that accompanied it.
 
I'm sure I don't have to remind you much about how hard this winter was. I normally don't cope well with snow and cold. This winter was perhaps one of the hardest I've ever lived through. Many times I fantasized about moving to a warmer climate.
 
But, if I lived in a warmer climate, I wouldn't appreciate as much the spring weather that finally melted the enormous piles of snow and blew warm breezes through my newly opened windows. I think it was because of this harder winter that I really appreciated the joy of the Easter celebration. I sang this past Sunday, sometimes choking back tears, "Christ the Lord has Risen Today!" I was relieved and overjoyed to finally get past the cold of death to the joy and life of the resurrection.
 
Celebrate with me the miraculous resurrection -- the triumph of warmth over cold, life over death. Christ is risen indeed!
 
 
Rev. Nicole Havelka
Associate Conference Minister for Youth and Young Adult Ministries
Iowa Conference UCC
Why are you receiving this e-mail? 
Back in the day of paper and stamps, the Communique used to go to pastors and moderators.  Now that it costs no more to send it to all church members, we have decided to do so, to enable more people to hear more about what's going on in the Conference.

What is up with Central City?
Our Central City church was hit by lightning on April 6 . . . for the third time! So far the damage includes the bell tower, elevator, copy machine, computer, internet equipment, two light fixture ballasts, some light bulbs, and the gas company's regulator on the outside of the building. One hardly knows what to pray for . . . but let's pray for them!

Benefit concert for Foods Resource Bank Sunday, April 18
Michael CardConcert BCLUW High School Gym 610 E Center St, Conrad, Iowa

The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the doors will open at 6:00 p.m. 

Tickets for the concert are $12.00 (no reserved seats). Ivester Church of the Brethren is handling ticket sales; checks should be made payable to: Ivester Church (with "Card Tickets" in the Memo line).

To purchase tickets or get more information, contact Chuck Kruse at 641-366-2006 or Bob and Monica Kruse at 641-366-2402.

All net proceeds from the evening will go to Foods Resource Bank (FRB), a Christian response to world hunger.
  
Prior to the concert, a freewill offering beefburger meal will be served in the BCLUW Commons from 4:30-6 p.m.

Earth Day April 22
Great Earth Day resources from Interfaith Power and Light right here.

Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage 1 will be held May 14 & 15 and Pilgrimage 2 will be held May 14, 15, 16, both at Pilgrim Heights. Register by May 1.  Contact Dianne Prichard for details. 
 
It's not too soon to apply to CENTER/LEARN/SEARCH for 2010-2011.  Contact Dianne Prichardfor details. 

YOUTH IN MINISTRY GATHERING June 10-12
Part of the Iowa Conference Annual meeting, this gathering will help young people tap into their God-given talents and use them in service of the local and wider church. Plus, you get to hang out with young people and other youth leaders from throughout the Iowa Conference! Check out our websitefor more information.
 
June 10-12, 2010
Youth in Ministry Gathering
Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
Cost: $125 until May 1, then $135.
 
Online registration here. Registration deadline is May 25.

Register for the Annual Meeting!
Online registration here. Annual Meeting web page here.

Regional Youth Event RYE
14 weeks and counting! The time to register is now. May 1 is the official deadline. The central planning committee needs to know who and how many youth will be attending RYE in order to complete planning this remarkable event. A few years ago a young man from northwest Iowa attended a large UCC event in Minneapolis and was so surprised to find so many youth from all over the country. "Wow! Where did all these people come from?" he asked. It was his first personal experience with the wider UCC church. It changed his life. Help strengthen the lives and faith of the youth of your church. Go to the Iowa conference website, youth page, to find registration forms. Support the adult chaperone that will travel with the youth. Contact Nicole Havelka at 515-277-6369. Regular registration forms for youth and adults must be completed by May 1. Late registrations for youth will be accepted with an additional $25 charge from May 2 until July 1, on a first-come, first-serve basis subject to availability of space. All adult advisors must be 23 years of age, complete a background check and three, 40-minute sessions of online "safe church" training sessions to complete their registration. If you'd like to get ahead and complete the online training, contact Rev. Dan Lozierand give him your name, email and date of birth and he can give you a user ID and password to access the training. Refunds will NOT be issued after June 1, 2010.
 
For participants aged 16 years or older, sign up for the optional ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) July 12 & 13. Fill out this additional registration form and send it and the ASIST registration fee to the MMS Conference with your regular RYE registration materials.
 
Questions about RYE registration? Call Karin Oelzen, R.Y.E. planning team, at 314-521-7324.

Youth-Adult Teams Needed to Lead Family Groups at RYE
Planning to attend RYE this summer? We'd like you and a young person from your church to lead daily family groups. These groups are made up of about 20 young people from different conferences and will be geared toward helping participants listen more deeply to how God' speaks to us in diverse settings.
 
So, find a young person who shows some leadership potential and ask them to lead these groups with you! Curriculum for these groups will be provided in advance. Contact Nicole Havelkaif you're interested.

Discern God's Purpose for your Youth Ministry with Workshops in your Church!
Although we often think of large wider church events as integral to a young person's faith development, there is no replacement for a strong youth ministry that empowers young people to be active, involved members of their local church.
 
Invite Nicole Havelka to lead a workshop in your own church to help develop your youth ministry. All workshops are designed for leadership teams comprised of about 5-8 youth and adults and can be modified to fit a variety of needs. Here are the workshops currently available:
 
Discerning the WHY of your Youth Ministry: Explore God's call for your youth ministry and create a statement of purpose and a practical plan for living out that purpose. This workshop takes about 8 hours can can be broken into three parts or offered over the course of two days.
 
Connecting your Youth Ministry to your Local Community:Take a look around you and make your youth ministry serve the needs of the youth in your community. This is a 6-hour, one-day workshop.
 
Our Dream for the Church:Begin to dream about what your youth ministry could be by telling stories of your best past experiences of youth ministry. This workshop fits easily into a regular Sunday School class or into a short workshop after worship on Sunday morning.
 
Here are some other workshops in development:
 
Creating a Welcoming Ministry: Meeting the Needs of At-Risk Children, Youth and Familes:Using an ethic of peacemaking, create a ministry that offers enough structure and kindness for at-risk youth and their families.
 
Workplanning:Making your purpose a reality: Do you have a vision for your youth ministry, but struggle to make all the pieces come together? Learn more about the practice of workplanning as a tool for implementing your purpose and vision.
 
Don't see what you need? Call Nicole and work something out!

Emotional Intelligence and Human Relations Training
June 14-18, 2010 - General Theological Seminary, New York City. Full description on our website. Tuition is $775 (cost of the EQ assessment of $174 is included.) Lodging: Tutu Center, next to the seminary, $219 per night. Leo House, within walking distance $100-$120 depending upon private bath or shared bath. Hotel Chelsea, within walking distance $132 -$200 depending upon room with bath or shared bath. Seafarers House, requiring one to take a subway to the seminary, $85-$135 depending upon room with bath or shared bath. Meals are taken on your own at a variety of restaurants near the seminary.

Please register by May 10 by contacting Robin Danner or calling 336 716 9722. Scholarship possibility:  If you would really like to attend, but cannot afford it, it may be possible for you to receive a $600 scholarship. Contact Juliato find out more.
 
Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church, June 21-25, Washington Island WI, is a four and a half day experience of study, worship, community, and fun off the tip of Door County, Wisconsin, designed for clergy, church youth workers, and lay persons.  Click the link on our Youth page to find out more. Or go to www.wichurches.org, or phone 608-837-3108. A $100 deposit assures a place in the 2010 Forum. You may make a $100 deposit or pay the full $225 registration fee ($250 after May 1, 2010). Full payment is due June 1, 2010 and a full refund will be made if you notify us by June 1, 2010. You must make separate lodging and meal arrangements, other than the opening picnic and daily refreshments.
 




 
Contact Information
Julia Rendon
515-277-6369