~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Weekly E-News September 20, 2013
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear youth and parents,
Now that we're a few weeks into the program year and our weekly programs are all up and running, I'm excited to start sharing some of the exciting events and trips coming up this semester. Several of them are highlighted in this issue, and you'll notice that they provide varied ways to connect with others and with God: an intergenerational movie night, a mentoring outing for 6th graders and high schoolers, retreats at Disciples Crossing, a ski retreat to Colorado, and a special Sunday night series at Chi Rho youth group. Read on for details, and find a place to plug in and get involved that sounds like a good fit for you!
Grace and Peace,
Russ |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click on  next to any headline to vist the related Facebook event. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Dinner and a movie featuring the film Mud this Saturday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  ~~~~
Youth are invited to a movie night sponsored by UCC's Men's Ministry this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Room 207 featuring a chicken dinner ($5). The film Mud is a coming-of-age story about two boys who find a boat suspended in the trees above the river near their home and develop a relationship with the mysterious man who lives there. The film stars Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, and is rated PG-13. (For a parent guide detailing elements/scenes in the movie that contribute to the rating, click here.) Following the movie, Dr. Daniel Terry will lead a film discussion focused on the themes of friendship, forgiveness, and redemption.
|
|
Roots event: Sweet Frog frozen yogurt on September 23
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
The Roots mentoring program that pairs new 6th graders with high school youth will be holding its second event this Monday, September 23 at 6:30 p.m. We will be meeting in the church's main reception area and walking as a group to Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt, just a few blocks down University Drive. This will be a great time for mentors and mentees to check-in with one another about the new school year and the transition into our youth ministry. Bring $3 to cover the cost of your dessert, and we'll see you on September 23 for some great fellowship and fro-yo!
|
|
Chi Rho Sunday night series: Faith and The Hunger Games
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
From Alison Nicoll, Assistant Minister for Middle School:
This fall our Chi Rho youth group (grades 6-8) will be talking about some of the important issues and themes raised in the popular book series The Hunger Games. The series kicks off by viewing the film over two Sunday evenings, followed by several discussion nights to unpack different topics in both large and small group settings. Here's the schedule:
Sep. 29 - Movie night in Parable Pictures: We will start the movie right at 6:15, so be sure to grab your snack supper right at 6:00!
Oct. 6 - Movie Night: Same as above. We will use any remaining time to start to unpack the themes in the movie.
Oct. 13 - "Hunger is not a Game"
Oct. 20 - "Finding Common Ground"
*We will be take a break for Trunk or Treat and planning Youth Sunday at The Search
Nov. 10 - "Desensitizing Violence"
Nov. 17 - "How True Power Works"
Parents: For more information on both the study and the movie (rated PG-13), click here for a letter from Alison.
I'm really excited to start this new series on Sunday nights! Hope to see you there, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
|
|
Next TCU football parking fundraiser on September28
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Football season is here again, and youth and parents have the opportunity to raise money by parking cars in the church lots for TCU football games. Part of the money raised goes into youth and youth handbell choir reserve funds, and part goes into the individual accounts of those who work each game to use for camps, retreats, trips, and other church events. This year, each hour is worth $50 per family member who works. For a good introduction to how our parking operation is organized, click here for details on the setup we used last season.
The next TCU home game is Saturday, September 28 against SMU with an 11 a.m. kickoff. We will need volunteers in 1-2 hour shifts to control access to our season parking lots and direct cars/take money for the daily parking lots. Specifically, we will need about 10 people there at 7 a.m., another 8-10 between 8 and 9 a.m., and 3-4 people (at least 2 adults) who will get there at 9:30 or 10 and commit to stay until 30 minutes after kickoff. If you have additional questions about this fundraiser, please email Mike Morton at m_morton@sbcglobal.net.
|
|
2013 CYF Ski Retreat info meeting - Sunday, October 6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
High school youth have the opportunity to explore the beauty of God's creation together on the CYF Ski Retreat to Crested Butte, Colorado. The trip will take place December 27-31, and includes transportation by charter bus, hotel lodging in nearby Gunnison, and three days of skiing, snowboarding, or sipping hot cocoa and enjoying the view. Projected cost is $650 for skiers/snowboarders and $450 for non-skiers. There will be a pre-trip informational meeting for interested participants and parents on Sunday, October 6 at 12:15 p.m. in Room 207.
|
|
Register now for Chi Rho Fall Retreat at Disciples Crossing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Our youth have the opportunity to join others from Disciple churches around the area for two upcoming fall retreats at Disciples Crossing, our church camp in Athens. The Chi Rho Fall Retreat for grades 6-8 will be November 1-3, and the CYF Fall Retreat for grades 9-12 is November 22-24. These annual retreats offer youth the opportunity to grow closer to God and one another through worship, recreation, prayer, small groups, and interest groups that include options like sports, dance, art, service, photography, and more.
Participants will meet at UCC at 5:30 p.m. on the Friday each retreat begins to share a charter bus to camp, and will return around 12:30 p.m. the following Sunday. The cost for each retreat is $90 and full or half scholarships are available upon request. Registration forms are due to the Youth Office by October 6 for Chi Rho and October 27 for CYF. You can download a form by clicking here .
Parents: We will need adult chaperones to attend these retreats as well. If you're interested in serving as an adult sponsor, contact Alison Nicoll at alison.nicoll@uccftw.com for the Chi Rho Retreat or Michael Yandell at michael.yandell@uccftw.com for the CYF Retreat .
|
|
Youth events and key dates on the horizon...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 21 - Men's Movie Night: Mud - 6:30 p.m in Room 207
September 23 - Roots outing to Sweet Frog - 6:30 p.m.
September 28 - Football parking fundraiser - TCU vs. SMU
October 27 - Trunk-or Treat Event - Youth volunteers needed
November 1-3 - Chi Rho Fall Retreat at Disciples Crossing
November 10 - Youth Sunday at The Search
November 22-24 - CYF Fall Retreat at Disciples Crossing
|
|
|
|
| Staff Links
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Russ Boyd, Associate Minister for Youth - E-mail Russ
Alison Nicoll, Assistant Minister for Middle School - E-mail Alison
Michael Yandell, Assistant Minister for High School - E-mail Michael
Sharyn Peterson, Ministry Assistant - E-mail Sharyn
|
|
|
|
|
