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 Weekly E-news
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Dear youth and parents,
On April 14 we completed our second week of Disciples Class baptisms and confirmations with youth marking this significant milestone in all three worship services. A lot has changed about this process over the last few years, and I'm very pleased with the way we now approach this important component of Christian formation at UCC. To summarize a few of the shifts:
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- All youth in grades 6-12 are eligible to participate in Disciples Class, a 12-week course that explores the meaning of choosing to be a disciple of Jesus and a member of the church. Class sessions are led by UCC's ministers, and participants are clustered into age-based small groups of 3-4 youth that are guided by an adult mentor who builds relationships with the group members over the course of the class.
- Disciples Class rotates between Sunday mornings and evenings each year. In odd years it takes place during the Sunday school hour, while in even years it runs parallel to youth group meetings so that families can choose from two different options.
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Confirmation at
The Search.
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- At the end of the class, youth may choose to make their confession of faith in worship and formally join the church. If they have never been baptized, they are baptized in one of our three worship services. If they were baptized in another congregation as an infant, they are confirmed in one of our worship services to signify their choice to live into the
baptism that's part of their faith journey.
I'm incredibly thankful for the Youth Ministry Committee, ministerial staff, parents, and volunteers who have all played important roles in developing a faith formation process that is practical, theologically sound, and firmly rooted in our identity as Disciples of Christ. It's a great example of how years of faithful praying, planning, and working can develop a system of nurture that impacts the lives of our youth in powerful ways.
Read on for information about the Senior Banquet, a retreat for college students and young adults at Disciples Crossing, volunteering with Vacation Bible School this summer, registering for summer camps, and more!
Grace and Peace,
Russ
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RSVP today to honor our graduates at the Senior Banquet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  University Christian Church invites you to come honor our 2013 high school graduates at the Senior Banquet this Wednesday, May 1 at 6 p.m in Fellowship Hall. During the evening we'll share a dinner catered by Pulido's, take time to meet each of the graduates, see photos and memorabilia from their journeys, and send them off with a gift and the blessing of their church family. RSVP's for dinner are needed by 5 p.m.today, so be sure to e-mail me at russ@uccftw.com to let me know the number in your party. The cost is $10 per person. |
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College & young adult retreat at Disciples Crossing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Did you know there's a retreat for college students and young adults (26 and younger) held each year at Disciples Crossing, our church camp in Athens? It's true! Camps and retreats don't end when you graduate from high school! The next retreat will be May 16-19 (Thursday-Sunday) with the option to arrive late (and pay less) if you need to. We would love to have a great group from UCC at this event, so we appreciate your help in spreading this info to any college students or young adults you know who would be interested.
For a copy of the registration flyer, click here.
To visit the Facebook event for the retreat, click here.
If cost is prohibitive, please don't hesitate to contact me at russ@uccftw.com for scholarship assistance. Thanks, and spread the word about this great opportunity for college students and young adults to grow closer to God and one another on holy ground!
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Youth volunteers needed for Vacation Bible School
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Registration continues for Disciples Crossing summer camps
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Remember that UCC is covering $100 of the registration cost for those who register early for 6th-12th grade camps (already reflected in the documents above), and additional full or half scholarships are available to cover the early-bird price if needed. The registration deadline is May 12, so be sure to complete your form, turn it in to Sharyn Peterson in the youth office, and have a great time at camp this summer!
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Sign up now for mission trips to Memphis and Houston
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  ~ Registration flyers for our summer youth mission trips are now available! Here's the skinny on both trips:
The Chi Rho Mission Trip to Houston for grades 6-8 will take place June 9-12. The group will be working at the Houston Food Bank for several days and cooling off at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Galveston at the end of the trip. Cost is $175 per person and full or half scholarships are available upon request. Full details are available on the registration flyer.
The CYF Mission Trip to Memphis for grades 9-12 will take place June 30 - July 6. The group will be working at several inner city agencies, touring Rhodes College, and visiting several cultural attractions in the area (including the National Civil Rights Museum at the former Lorraine Motel). Cost is $350 per person and full or half scholarships are available upon request. Full details are available on the registration flyer.
If you're ready to sign up, simply turn in your registration flyer and $50 deposit to Sharyn Peterson in the youth office and we'll see you in the trip!
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Buy a Disciples Crossing shirt and support a great cause
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From Lindsay Puckett, UCC junior and TBA Youth Ministry Council member:
Disciples Cros sing, our church camp in Athens, has provided hospitality for camping and retreat ministries for 65 years. The Future Is Now Capital Campaign will shift Disciples Crossing into a new vision for the future by building a Gathering Center that will seat 300 and a Spiritual Renewal Center that provides hotel-style accommodations that suit even more groups and events.
You can support this capital campaign by purchasing a Disciples Crossing t-shirt (back view pictured to the left). All proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to the Future Is Now Capital Campaign to help reach the goal.
Click here for an order form to get your t-shirt(s), or visit the Disciples Crossing website for capital campaign photos, details, and an online donation link.
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Youth events and key dates on the horizon...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 1 - Senior Banquet - 6 p.m. in Fellowship Hall May 4 - Youth Sunday rehearsal - 1 p.m. in the sanctuary
May 5 - Youth Sunday in morning worship services May 12 - Jessica Vacketta's ordination - 3 p.m. in the sanctuary
May 12 - Summer camp registration deadline
June 9-12 - Chi Rho Mission Trip to Houston
June 30 - July 6 - CYF Mission Trip to Memphis
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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
Alison Nicoll, Assistant Minister for Middle School - E-mail Alison
Jessica Vacketta, Assistant Minister for High School - E-mail Jessica
Sharyn Peterson, Ministry Assistant - E-mail Sharyn
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d children from Pre-K through 12th grade have the opportunity to grow closer to God and one another this summer at 
