~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weekly E-News April 1, 2016
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Dear youth and parents,
Alison and I spent most of this week at the annual Disciples Youth Ministry Network (DYMN) event, which was held at Disciples Crossing in Athens this year (very convenient for us). During the week we connected with 25 youth workers from Disciple churches around the country, and enjoyed four sessions led by keynoter Andrew Zirschky. Andrew recently completed a PhD at Princeton, and is a professor Memphis Theological Seminary who also teaches at the Center for Youth Ministry Training in Nashville. His new book, Beyond the Screen: Ministry for the Connected but Alone Generation, explores the ways that technology allows teenagers to curate networks and maintain an intimate connection even when they are not physically present. His keynotes provided a lot of great insights that will be influencing some of the things we do at UCC, and I'll look forward to sharing more about that next week.
Read on for info about tonight's Chi Rho lock-in, volunteering with Prom Dreams, the high school Just Say Know retreat, mission trip and summer camp registration, and more.
Grace and peace, Russ
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Chi Rho April Fools Lock-In for grades 6-8 tonight!
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From Tyler Heston, Assistant Minister for Middle School:
Tonight (Friday, April 1) all 6th-8th grade youth are invited to an April Fools themed lock-in. We will play games, watch a movie, and do other fun activities. The lock-in will start at 7 p.m. and end at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. We will have snacks on Friday night, but youth should eat dinner before arriving.
Bring $5 to help cover snacks and supplies, and be sure you have everything you need to spend the night at the church (sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries, PJ's, and an optional change of clothes). If you have any questions, contact me at tyler.heston@uccftw.com or 901-335-1202.
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Volunteer with Prom Dreams on Saturday or Thursday
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Prom Dreams Boutique, a ministry of University Christian Church that provides free prom dresses to local girls who need them, opened for its sixth season on March 31. Over the last five years this ministry distributed dresses, shoes, and jewelry to over 500 girls - all of which is made possible by volunteers who sort donations, organize the boutique, and help each young woman select just the right dress.Volunteers are needed to help staff the boutique Thursdays from 5-7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. through May 7. For more information or to volunteer for an upcoming date, contact promdreams@uccftw.com. The boutique is located on the upper level of the duplex next door to the church (2618 University Drive).
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Just Say Know high school retreat April 22-24
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Our high school youth have an opportunity to learn more about the connection between sexuality and spirituality on the Just Say Know retreat, April 22-24 at Riverbend Retreat Center in Glen Rose. Over the course of the weekend, 9th-12th graders will work their way through a comprehensive sexuality education program that prepares them for challenges they will face in high school, college, and beyond. Jennifer Lanter is directing the retreat, and sessions will be led by UCC adults who have completed training to serve as Just Say Know instructors. Adult leaders are committed to creating an environment where youth can get accurate information and have frank, affirming and open discussions in a setting where they can enjoy the beauty of God's creation. The retreat cost is $50 per person, and scholarships are available upon request. For a schedule, list of topics covered, and packing list, click here. To register for the retreat, visit uccyouth.org/justsayknow.
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Time to register for mission trips to Houston and L.A.
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Registration flyers for our summer youth mission trips are available! Here are the details on both trips:
The Chi Rho Mission Trip to Houston for grades 6-8 will take place June 5-8. The group will be working at the Houston Food Bank before cooling off at Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark. Cost is $150 per person if registered by April 15 ($200 afterward) and full or half scholarships are available upon request. Full details are available on the registration flyer.
The CYF Mission Trip to Los Angeles for grades 9-12 will take place July 16-23. The group will be working at Loch Leven (a Disciple church camp in the San Bernardino Mountains) and All Peoples Community Center (a Disciple mission center in south LA). Outside of work time the group will also take a tour of Chapman University and spend a day at Disneyland. Cost is $375 per person if registered by April 15 ($475 afterward) and full or half scholarships are available upon request. Full details are available on the registration flyer .
You can register for the mission trips three different ways:
1. Sign up and pay the deposit online at uccyouth.org/missiontrips, or
2. Add mission trip registrations to your order when you sign up for summer camps, or
3. Submit a registration flyer (linked above) to the youth office with a deposit check
If you have questions about either trip, contact Russ at russ@uccftw.com.
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Register online for summer camps at Disciples Crossing
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Our church camp, Disciples Crossing in Athens, has a full slate of camps for children, youth, and families available this summer, and now is the time to sign up and take advantage of early bird pricing. As an additional discount, UCC automatically covers half of the cost for every participant from our church. That means that a week-long camp with a regular price of $370 is only $170 with the early bird discount and UCC supplement. For a promo flyer with dates and descriptions for all the camps, click here.
The UCC discount and any parking funds or scholarship monies can be selected on UCC's registration and payment page before proceeding to the camp website. Please be sure to complete the sign up process with UCC and Disciples Crossing by April 15 to ensure you are fully registered for camp and qualify for early bird pricing.
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Antarctica Mission Trip interest survey now available
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UCC's youth ministers have been coordinating with our global mission partners at the Evangelical Church of Antarctica (ECA) about a potential mission trip in the summer of 2017. The ECA primarily works with tour groups who come to Antarctica in the summer months, using the beautiful landscape and the loving relationships of emporer penguins to teach eco-tourists about God's love for us. To learn more about this opportunity, and to provide feedback on dates and costs, go to uccyouth.org/antarcticamission.
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Youth events and key dates on the horizon...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 1: Chi Rho Lock-In (grades 6-8) - 7 p.m.
April 22-24: Just Say Know high school retreat - Riverbend Retreat Center
May 1: Youth Sunday worship services
May 4: Senior Banquet
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More ways to keep up...
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| Staff Links
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Russ Boyd, Associate Minister for Youth - E-mail Russ
Tyler Heston, Assistant Minister for Middle School - E-mail Tyler
Alison Nicoll, Assistant Minister for High School - E-mail Alison
Susan Henry, Ministry Assistant - E-mail Susan
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