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 Weekly E-News October 17, 2014
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Dear youth and parents,
There are a lot of exciting events just around the corner, with the Interfaith Trialogue kicking off, youth leading games and activities for kids at our annual Trunk-or-Treat event, and fall retreats coming up at Disciples Crossing. If you're looking for an easy way to get back in the swing of things after being out of the loop for a while, all of these provide excellent opportunities to plug in and reconnect. If you ever have questions about an event or program beyond what you see in the e-news, please don't hesitate to contact me, Michael, or Alison. We will be happy to get you up to speed and help you connect.
Read on for info on all of the events I mentioned, as well as our next football parking fundraiser, the Disciples Class, CROP Walk, and more.
Grace and Peace,
Russ |
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Parking fundraiser tomorrow - volunteers needed 12-2 p.m.
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 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.
The next TCU home game is tomorrow, October 18 against Oklahoma State. Kickoff is at 3:00 p.m., and we will need volunteers in shifts from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. to control access to our season parking lots and direct cars/take money for the daily parking lots. At this point, our greatest volunteer need is for the shifts between 12:00 and 2:00. To see which slots are available and reserve your shift (up to 3 hours), click the button below:
All volunteers are required to sign up online in advance of the fundraiser. If you are having trouble with the SignUpGenius page, please contact me at russ@uccftw.com and I will schedule your shift for you.
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Youth groups plan/build Trunk-or-Treat games this Sunday
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UCC's annual Trunk-or-Treat event welcomes hundreds of local children to our church for a night of fun activities, kid-friendly food, and creatively decorated trunks. Our youth play a big part in the event, setting up and running games and activities for the younger kids around our parking lot. This Sunday evening, the Chi Rho and CYF youth groups will be planning and building those games and activities so they are prepared for set up on October 26.
Come ready to help out at 5:00, and stay for a yummy $3 snack supper at 6:15 if you're hungry!
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Youth Interfaith Trialogue begins on Sunday, October 26
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 UCC's 8th-12th grade youth will join with Jewish and Muslim youth for an "interfaith trialogue" spread over four upcoming Sundays. Our youth participated in a similar event in 2009, and many of them list it as one of the highlights of their time at UCC. This year's event promises to be just as interesting, educational, and meaningful. Here is the schedule for the four Sundays:
October 26: Meet in reception area at 9:30 a.m. to carpool to Beth-El Congregation to learn about Judaism. Program lasts from 10:00-12:00 and features a tour, presentation, and time in small groups to learn how Jewish youth live out their faith. Return to church by 12:30. 8th-12th grade Sunday school classes will not meet.
November 2: Meet in reception area at 11:45 a.m. to carpool to Museum of Science and History for IMAX movie Jerusalem with Jewish and Muslim youth. $5 per person, return by 2 p.m. Sunday school classes meet as usual.
November 9: Meet in reception area at 9:30 a.m. to carpool to Islamic Association to learn about Islam. Program lasts from 10:00-12:00 and features a tour, presentation, and time in small groups to learn how Muslim youth live out their faith. Return to church by 12:30. 8th-12th grade Sunday school classes will not meet.
November 16: Meet in Fellowship Hall at 9:30 a.m. to prepare to welcome Muslim and Jewish youth to UCC for a program on Christianity. We will provide a tour of the sanctuary, a presentation of Christian and Disciple beliefs and practices, and small group time that allows our youth to answer questions and share how they live out their faith. Program wraps up at noon. 8th-12th grade Sunday school classes will not meet.
Parents: If you would like to participate in any of these events and help out as a driver and chaperone, please contact me and let me know. The adults who participated in 2009 had a great time, learned a lot, and made friends with the Jewish and Muslim chaperones!
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Register online for fall youth retreats at Disciples Crossing
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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 7-9, and the CYF Fall Retreat for grades 9-12 is November 15-16. 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 Friday for the Chi Rho retreat and 7:45 a.m. on Saturday for the CYF retreat to share a charter bus to camp, and will return around 12:30 p.m. the following Sunday. The cost for Chi Rho is $45 and CYF is $35 (UCC covers half of the $90 and $70 registrations). Additional scholarships are available upon request. Online registration must be completed by October 27 for both retreats.
Please note: Disciples Crossing has switched over to online registrations, which should make the process much simpler. You will create an account on their secure website, select your event, make your payment, and complete a health form online. Afterward, that camper information is saved for future camps and retreats - all you have to do is validate or update the existing health form for the participant. Click here to create your account and register for the retreats.
On the payment screen, be sure to use the discount code HALFSCHOLARSHIP since UCC will be covering half of your registration cost. You will pay the remainder by debit or credit card. If you plan to use your football parking account to pay the remainder, use the discount code FULLSCHOLARSHIP and we will follow up with you to debit your parking account.
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.
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Help raise money for hunger relief at the CROP Walk
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Would you like to raise money for hunger relief while getting some exercise on a (hopefully) nice fall day? Sign up for the CROP Walk, coming up on Sunday, October 26. The 3.1 mile walk around the TCU campus raises money for the Tarrant Area Food Bank, and there are trophies and prizes for the churches that bring the most youth, biggest overall group, oldest & youngest walkers, and more.
Use this link to sign up and start raising money. Just click "Join UCC's Team" and follow the instructions - and be sure to share the link with others to gather donations for our team!
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Disciples Class prepares youth for baptism or confirmation
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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 mornings at 10 a.m. beginning on December 7, and there is an orientation for all parents and participants on the evening of November 16. Click here for more information on the class, or click here to register online. The registration deadline for this year's class is November 10.
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Check out the high school youth stewardship video for 2015
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From Drew Ruiz, 9th-10th grade Sunday school teacher:
Our high school youth have completed their 4th Annual CYF Stewardship Video and it is truly a music video. The stewardship theme this year is "Who We Are: God's Hands and Feet" and the video aligns perfectly. The video highlights UCC ministries across the entire church as you dance along to the song "Thank You" by 33 Miles. Please check out the video and post it on your Facebook page. The youth and teachers worked hard on the video and we want to see how many YouTube views we can get on the video this year!
 | | CYF Stewardship Video 2015 |
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Make your 2015 stewardship pledge online & support UCC!
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UCC's stewardshi p campaign for 2015 is underway, and this year's theme is "Who We Are: God's Hands and Feet." Please prayerfully consider your pledge commitment for the coming year and respond by turning in your pledge card or pledge online here by October 31.
Youth: Do you have an allowance? A part-time job? Income from babysitting or mowing lawns? Consider making a pledge to support your church! Just click here and take a minute to make your own stewardship pledge.
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Youth events and key dates on the horizon...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ October 18 - TCU vs. Oklahoma St. football parking fundraiser - 3 p.m. kickoff
October 26 - Interfaith Trialogue for grades 8-12 - meet at 9:30 a.m.
October 26 - Trunk-or-Treat - Volunteers needed at 5:30 p.m.
November 7-9 - Chi Rho Fall Retreat (grades 6-8) at Disciples Crossing
November 14-16 - CYF Fall Retreat (grades 9-12) at Disciples Crossing
November 16 - Disciples Class orientation - 5 p.m.
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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
Michael Yandell, Assistant Minister for High School - E-mail Michael
Susan Henry, Ministry Assistant - E-mail Susan
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