~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Weekly E-News January 24, 2014
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear youth and parents,
Our church was truly blessed last night by the Chapman University Singers, who provided a moving concert that blended classical and folk music pieces from around the world, presented in engaging ways that captivated even those of us who are not veterans of chorale concerts. Rev. Nancy Brink, Chapman's Director of Church Relations, was very complimentary about the hospitality the group received at UCC, and she recalled fondly her days singing in the UCC choir when she was an undergraduate at TCU. A number of Chapman parents and alumni from our church and the community were present for the concert, and several of our youth had the chance to visit with Nancy and the students in the choir about admission, scholarships, and student life at Chapman. Our church has been blessed with a stellar summer intern from Chapman for the last three summers in a row (Aly Gideon, Vanessa Gorski, and Amanda Tatlock), and I'm thankful for the connection we have continued to strengthen with yet another wonderful Disciple school.
Read on for more information on the CYF midwinter retreat at Disciples Crossing, donations to feed hungry Stock Show workers, snack supper volunteer slots , and more.
Grace and Peace,
Russ |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click on  next to any headline to vist the related Facebook event. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Catch a great movie at the film festival tonight and tomorrow
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
UCC is excited to host Reel Religion 11: 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!
|
|
Register for the CYF Midwinter Retreat at Disciples Crossing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Our youth have the opportunity to join others from Disciple churches around the area for two upcoming winter retreats at Disciples Crossing, our church camp in Athens. The Chi Rho Midwinter Retreat for grades 6-8 will be January 31 - February 2, and the CYF Midwinter Retreat for grades 9-12 is February 21-23. 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 $45 and full scholarships are available upon request. Registration forms for the CYF retreat are due to the Youth Office by Sunday, February 2. You can download a form by clicking here
.
|
|
Donate to help provide sack lunches for hungry workers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
From Jessica Vacketta, Associate Minister:
The Fort Worth Stock Show is underway and I know many of you can't wait for the rodeo, the smell of fresh cow pies, and YES the 3rd Annual TACC Sack Lunch Chuck Wagon. The Chuck Wagon provides 300 sack lunches per day to the men and women who work the event, many whom are homeless day laborers. Because of your generosity two years ago, UCC has been able to provide lunches for workers in 2012 & 2013; however, it's time to raise funds so that we can do so again this year.
Over the next two weeks, we invite you to bring donations to your Sunday school class or youth group this Sunday or next Sunday to help fund this important ministry. Pick up some loose change around your house, donate part of your allowance - maybe even bring the dollar amount you normally spend on lunch at school for one day. With your help, we will be able to provide lunches to hungry workers again this year!
|
|
CYF Lock-In for grades 9-12 is coming up on January 31
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
From Michael Yandell, Assistant Minister for High School:
Youth in grades 9-12 are invited to spend a night at UCC that will include an outing to Main Event (with dinner), midnight worship, movies and more. We'll leave each others' company after breakfast Saturday, renewed and full of life. We will meet at UCC at 6:15 p.m. on Friday evening and leave at 8 a.m. after a delicious pancake breakfast on Saturday, February 1. For more information, e-mail me at michael.yandell@uccftw.com.
|
|
Snack supper volunteers needed for several upcoming dates
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Pam Miller, Snack Supper Coordinator:
Youth parents! See the youth up close, personal and appreciative by serving Snack Supper on Sunday night. Snack supper is a great way to see and get to know the youth, and it's fun!
The commitment is for one Sunday evening, from about 5-7 p.m., plus cooking or shopping time - you decide how much time you want to spend on preparation. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. in the third floor kitchen for 25-35 youth and college students. All the paper goods, cutlery, drink supplies, and most condiments are there for you. You provide the food, fix lemonade (provided), serve everything and clean up. You can choose to donate the meal, or you can be reimbursed up to $100 if you provide receipts. If you need suggestions on meal planning, you can contact me at pam@kepmiller.com . You will receive a reminder e-mail the week before your snack supper that includes additional useful tips.
The third floor kitchen can be used anytime between morning services and the time to serve the meal. (Sandwiches are just as popular as anything else, so cooking isn't required if that's not your thing.) If you prefer to purchase all or part of the food already prepared, that's great too. There's also a fridge and freezer you can stash things in.
Ready to volunteer? Pick one of the available dates listed below and sign up on our SignUp Genius page:
February 9, 16
April 6, 13, 27
|
|
Sign up for the spring break mission pilgrimage to El Paso
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Families, youth and adults will once again travel to El Paso and work in partnership with Rippling Hope over spring break. This year, the group will work to renovate and repair homes with some of the residents living just north of the border in El Paso's colonias and learn about the chronic poverty that affects residents there. Our group will stay at Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey (one of our past work sites) and will be joined by a group from Midway Hills Christian Church in Dallas.
The trip is scheduled for March 9-15, and the cost is $300 for ages 13 and up, and $175 for ages 12 and under. A $50 deposit to secure your spot was due by January 22, but space is still available on the trip. For more information, contact Rev. Cyndy Twedell at cyndy@uccftw.com.
|
|
Register for elementary and middle school "Just Say Know"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
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 upcoming classes is as follows:
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 Your 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!
|
|
Check out two stewardship videos produced by our youth!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note: Some people reported technical issues when trying to view one or both videos. It appears that YouTube has fixed the encoding issue, so try watching again this week.
Our 9th/10th grade Sunday school class recently produced two hilarious stewardship videos, and they're available online for you to view and share. Use the links below to take a look!
 | | Avoid Mayhem - Give Online |
 | | Stewardship - It's Not Complicated |
|
|
Youth events and key dates on the horizon...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 31 - CYF Lock-In (grades 9-12) - 6 p.m. - 8 a.m.
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
March 9-15 - Spring Break Mission Pilgrimage to El Paso (3rd grade - adult)
|
|
|
|
| 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
|
|
|
|
|
