~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Weekly E-News December 13, 2013
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear youth and parents,
I was certainly disappointed that we had to cancel our feast on Sunday evening due to the icy conditions, and I know many of you are as well. It's been one of the highlights of the year for me in the youth ministry, and I will look forward to resuming the tradition next November. In the meantime, there is plenty of holiday fun in store this weekend as our 6th graders gather for a lock-in at the church tonight and all middle and high schoolers are invited to the Christmas parties on Sunday evening. Read below for details on these and several other important events coming up!
Grace and Peace,
Russ |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click on  next to any headline to vist the related Facebook event. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
6th Grade Christmas Lock-In is tonight!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
From Alison Nicoll, Assistant Minister for Middle School:
Tonight (Friday, December 13) we will be having a Sixth Grade Lock-In! This is an event for all UCC Sixth Graders to gather together and get to know one another better. At this Christmas-themed event we will be playing Christmas games, watching Christmas movies, and decorating and eating Christmas cookies! The UCC high school youth participating as mentors in the Roots program will also be helping lead this event. The lock-in will start at 7 p.m. and end at 8:30 a.m. after a wonderful pancake breakfast prepared by Bob and Carol Stewart. Bring $5 to help cover food and supplies, wear some Christmas-themed attire, and be sure you have everything you need to spend the night at the church (sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries, PJ's).
We are really excited about this event and look forward to seeing you at the UCC Sixth Grade Christmas Lock-In!
|
|
Youth Christmas parties in host homes this Sunday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Our middle and high school youth will each have Christmas parties this Sunday night, December 15. Both parties will include a "re-gift" exchange - meaning that you wrap or bag a never-used item from your home to exchange (like a present you received and never used, or something you bought that's been sitting around ever since). Here are the other details for each party:
CYF Christmas Party (grades 9-12)
Hosted by the Lanter Family (2624 Boyd Ave.)
Main course and drinks provided
Bring your favorite holiday treat to share (dessert, appetizer, or side)
Prizes for the most festive holiday attire
Meet at the UCC reception desk at 5:55 p.m. to go caroling at the homes of several church members before heading to the Lanters. Party ends at 8 p.m.
Chi Rho Christmas Party (grades 6-8)
Hosted by the Cox Family (3313 Chaparral Ln.)
Main course and drinks provided
Bring your favorite holiday treat to share (dessert, appetizer, or side)
Party begins at 6:15 and ends at 8:00
|
|
Latte with the Ladies at Agape Coffee Haus this Saturday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Latte With The Ladies, a monthly intergenerational gathering for women at a local coffee shop, will be this Saturday, December 14. Ladies of all ages are invited to gather at Agape Coffee Haus in Aledo (108 Jearl St.) between 9 and 11 a.m. for tasty beverages and informal conversation, followed by shopping around Aledo for those who would like to stick around. Invite a friend and drop in this Saturday morning!
|
|
Disciples Class registration deadline is this Sunday!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Youth in grades 6-12 interested in learning more about baptism/confirmation and church membership are encouraged to participate in this year's Disciples Class. The 12-week course provides a helpful introduction to what it means to confess your faith, join the church, be baptized or confirmed, take communion, share your gifts, and more! This year's class will take place on Sunday evenings at 6:30 p.m. beginning with an orientation on January 12. Click here for more information on the class, or click here to register online. The registration deadline for this year's class is this Sunday, December 15.
|
|
Register today for new sexuality education courses
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
UCC's children's ministry and youth ministry are excited to offer "Just Say Know" courses this winter, providing comprehensive sexuality education for grades 4-12. The schedule for the classes is as follows:
High school course (grades 9-12)
Sundays, January 12 - March 2, 12:15-2:30 p.m.
Capstone lock-in on Friday night, March 21
Cost: $40 per participant
Click here for course topics
Middle school workshops (grades 6-8 with a parent)
Sundays, February 16 & 23, 12:15-3:30 p.m.
Cost: $20 per youth participant
Click here for course topics
Elementary school workshops (grades 4-5 with a parent)
Sunday, February 9, 12:15-3:15 p.m.
Separate workshops for boys and girls
Cost: $20 per child participant
Click here for course topics
Registration cost includes lunch, course materials, and a copy of Kate Ott's new book Sex+Faith: Talking with Youth Child from Birth to Adolescence. $10 discount for each additional child registered per family (since each family only needs one book). Scholarships for all courses will be available upon request.
Click here to register online, and be sure to spread the word to friends and neighbors so they can take advantage of this important program!
|
|
Youth events and key dates on the horizon...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 13 - 6th Grade Christmas Lock-In - 7 p.m.
December 15 - Disciples Class registration deadline
December 15 - Youth Christmas parties hosted by Cox/Lanter families
December 27-31 - CYF Ski Retreat to Crested Butte, Colorado
January 12 - "Just Say Know" high school course begins
Jan 31 - Feb 2 - Chi Rho (grades 6-8) Midwinter Retreat at Disciples Crossing
February 9 - "Just Say Know" elementary school workshops
February 16 & 23 - "Just Say Know" middle school workshops
February 21-23 - CYF (grades 9-12) Midwinter 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
|
|
|
|
|
