Update-- September 4

New Web Address
We are moving this blog to the following site: http://upcyouth.wordpress.com/. This new site offers more pages for you to get a glimpse of our youth ministry. You can find the weekly update links on the left hand side of the start page!

Journey & Confirmation-- Sunday, September 9- 9:45am-10:45am
We will be meeting in room 11&12 to worship together as a group. From there, we will split by age group (Sr. High students & Confirmation students) for teaching and small groups. If you are in Jr. High or Sr. High, then this weekly program is for you! Each week we talk about our lives, we learn about our faith, and we have fun together. Our current series: Remembering the Future: Connecting with the Faith Story of the Past to Imagine a New Way of Life.

Sunday Night Youth Group Returns-- Sunday, September 9- 6:00pm-8:00pm
Starting this Sunday, we are meeting in room 11 for our weekly Sunday evening youth group program called Sacred Space. Each Sunday evening, we will be worshipping together in music, word, and fellowship. Our general program will begin with music and teaching, then move to small groups, and then finally end the evening with games, food, or just hanging out. Please put this on your calendars. This week is it is from 6pm-8pm. After this week it will be just 1 hour from 6pm-7pm. Our current series: Vocate-- Discovering Self & Connecting with God

Disneyland Trip-- Friday & Saturday, September 28-29
We will leave for Anaheim on Friday evening and return to Fresno on Saturday night. We will be staying at a church near Disneyland on Friday evening. The cost of the event is $100 (ticket, four meals, and transportation. RSVP no later than September 16. This is a firm deadline! We are also in need of chaperones and drivers (drivers must be 25+).

Update-- August 21

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, August 26- 10:45-11:45
We will be meeting in room 11 for bible study, games, and bagels. If you are in Jr. High or Sr. High, then this weekly program is for you! Each week we talk about our lives, we learn about our faith, we have fun together, and we generally hang out.

Back to School BBQ-- Sunday, August 26
The whole family is invited to our back to school barbeque at Woodward Park from 5pm to 8:30pm in the Gazebo. This year we are partnering together with the Childrens Ministry. Bring your entire family. We will have dinner together, play games, and learn about the upcoming program details for the Fall. Don't miss it. Be sure and bring $3 to get into the park and the Gazebo is located approximately 1/2 way around the loop. Last names A-L please bring a side dish. Last names M-Z please bring a dessert. If you cannot bring a dish, please come anyways.

Sunday Night Youth Group Returns-- Sunday, September 9 (5pm to 7pm)
Starting in a few weeks, we are returning to our regularly scheduled program. Each Sunday evening, we will be worshipping together in music, word, and fellowship. Our general program will begin with music and teaching, then move to small groups, and then finally end the evening with games, food, or just hanging out. Please put this on your calendars-- WEEKLY!

Update-- August 13

Journey & Passage-- Not Meeting This Sunday
With the Childrens Ministry practicing the gift of Sabbath this month, we decided to take a week off ourselves. Spend time with your family-- worshipping God, spending time in prayer as a family, and eating family meals.

Back to School BBQ-- Sunday, August 26
The whole family is invited to our back to school barbeque at Woodward Park from 5pm to 8:30pm in the Gazebo. This year we are partnering together with the Childrens Ministry. Bring your entire family. We will have dinner together, play games, and learn about the upcoming program details for the Fall. Don't miss it.

Sunday Night Youth Group Returns-- Sunday, September 9 (5pm to 7pm)
Starting in a few weeks, we are returning to our regularly scheduled program. Each Sunday evening from 5pm - 7pm, we will be worshipping together in music, word, and fellowship. Our general program will begin with music and teaching, then move to small groups, and then finally end the evening with games, food, or just hanging out. Please put this on your calendars-- WEEKLY!

Update-- August 7

Beach Trip-- Wednesday, August 8
We are headed to the beach. The cost is $20 for the day. Meet at UPC at 8:30am. Pick-up at UPC at 9:00pm. Bring a permission slip (click here for a copy), swimsuit, towel, and any beach games/gear.

Journey & Passage-- August 12 @ 10:30am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will be hanging out and playing games.

Back to School BBQ-- Sunday, August 26
The whole family is invited to our back to school barbeque at Woodward Park from 5pm to 8:30pm. We will have dinner together, play games, and learn about the upcoming program details for the Fall. Don't miss it.

Update-- July 31

Pool Party @ Erdmans-- Friday, August 3 @ 6:00pm to 8:30pm
All Jr. High and Sr. High students are invited to come out for dinner and swimming at the Erdmans House. Bring some friends. Dinner will be provided. Bring a towel and a swimsuit!

Journey & Passage-- August 5 @ 10:30am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Beach Trip-- Wednesday, August 8
We are headed to the beach. The cost is $20 for the day. We will leave around 8am and return around 9pm. Sign up by August 5th!

Back to School BBQ-- Sunday, August 26
The whole family is invited to our back to school barbeque at Woodward Park from 5pm to 8:30pm. We will have dinner together, play games, and learn about the upcoming program details for the Fall. Don't miss it.

Update-- July 24

Movie Night-- Wednesday, July 25 @ 6:00pm to 8:30pm
All Jr. High and Sr. High students are invited to come out for dinner and a movie at Majesty Theatre. Bring your friends for a relaxing evening. Pizza dinner is $5. We are watching Dead Poets Society.

Kid Mentors-- Sunday, July 29 @ 11:30am
This Sunday is our final Kid Mentor time for the summer. The kids really enjoyed it and our teens really showed their servant leadership skills working with the kids.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, July 29 @ 10:30am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Pool Party @ Erdmans-- Friday, August 3 @ 6:00pm to 8:30pm
All Jr. High and Sr. High students are invited to come out for dinner and swimming at the Erdmans House. Bring some friends. Dinner will be provided. Bring a towel and a swimsuit!

Beach Trip-- Wednesday, August 8
We are headed to the beach. The cost is $20 for the day. We will leave around 8am and return around 9pm. Sign up by August 5th!

Update-- July 16

Game Night-- Wednesday, July 18 @ 6:00pm to 8:30pm
All Jr. High and Sr. High students are invited to come out and play board games. Bring your friends for a relaxing evening. Dinner is provided for free. We will meet at UPC.

Kid Mentors-- Sunday, July 22 @ 11:30am
We are still needing students to be consistent each week with serving as a mentor. Please let Justin know if you are going to be there on Sunday or not.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, July 22 @ 10:30am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Dinner and A Movie-- Wednesday, July 25 @ 6:00pm to 8:30pm
All Jr. High and Sr. High students are invited to come out and watch a movie in Majesty Theatre. Please bring $5 for dinner. Location: UPC

Update-- July 11

Pool Party @ Rossi's House-- Thursday, July 12 @ 6pm to 8:30pm
All students are invited to come out for dinner and swimming at the Rossi's. Bring some friends and bring $5 for dinner.

Kid Mentors-- Sunday, July 15 @ 11:30am
We are still needing students to be consistent each week with serving as a mentor. Please let Justin know if you are going to be there on Sunday or not.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, July 15 @ 10:30am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Game Night-- Wednesday, July 18 @ 6:00pm to 8:30pm
All Jr. High and Sr. High students are invited to come out and play board games. Bring your friends for a relaxing evening. Dinner is provided. Location: UPC

Dinner and A Movie-- Wednesday, July 25 @ 6:00pm to 8:30pm
All Jr. High and Sr. High students are invited to come out and watch a movie in Majesty Theatre. Please bring $5 for dinner. Location: UPC

Update-- July 2

4th of July All Church Celebration
The youth ministry is doing games and face painting for smaller kids. So we need help from our youth in planning and running these. Please let Justin know if you are interested.

Kid Mentors-- Sunday, July 8 @ 11:30am
We are still needing students to be consistent each week with serving as a mentor. Please let Justin know if you are going to be there on Sunday or not.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, July 8 @ 10:30am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Pool Party @ Rossi's House-- Thursday, July 12 @ 6pm to 8:30pm
All students are invited to come out for dinner and swimming at the Rossi's. Bring some friends and bring $5 for dinner.

Yosemite Trip-- Monday, July 9
We are doing an all day trip to Yosemite-- leave at 8:30am and return around 8:30pm. The cost is $20. This is a small group event, so sign up early because space is limited to 6 people. Please RSVP with Justin by Sunday, July 8.

Update--June 25

Kid Mentors-- Sunday, July 1 @ 11:30am
We are still needing students to be consistent each week with serving as a mentor. Please let Justin know if you are going to be there on Sunday or not.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, July 1 @ 10:30am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Jr. High Parents Lunch-- Sunday, July 1 @ 12:00pm
This lunch is for all parents of current Jr. High students, parents of those coming into Jr. High, and parents of those leaving Jr. High. We will discuss information regarding the summer, transitions into Jr. High/out of Jr. High, plans for the Fall Semester, etc. Please let me know if you are able or unable to attend.



4th of July All Church Celebration

The youth ministry is doing games and face painting for smaller kids. So we need help from our youth in planning and running these. Please let Justin know if you are interested.



Yosemite Trip-- Thursday, July 12

We are doing an all day trip to Yosemite-- leave at 8:30am and return around 8:30pm. The cost is $20. Please RSVP with Justin by Sunday, July 8.

Update- June 19

Dinner & Movie-- Wednesday, June 20 from 6pm to 9pm
We will meet at Rubios in Riverpark for dinner ($8), and then proceed to Edward's theatre to watch the new Fantastic Four movie ($10). Pick-up students at the drop-off area near Jamba Juice.

Kid Mentors-- Sunday, June 24th @ 11:25am
Please arrive on time and ready to help!

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, June 24th @ 10:30am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Rock Climbing & Lunch @ Yosemite Fitness-- Tuesday, June 26 @ 11:00am - 1:00pm
We will meet at the Wendy's at Shaw & Cedar for lunch and then proceed to Yosemite Fitness. Pick up at Yosemite Fitness.

Jr. High Parents Lunch-- Sunday, July 1 @ 12:00pm
This lunch is for all parents of current Jr. High students, parents of those coming into Jr. High, and parents of those leaving Jr. High. We will discuss information regarding the summer, transitions into Jr. High/out of Jr. High, plans for the Fall Semester, etc. Please let me know if you are able or unable to attend.

Update-- June 5

Kid Mentors-- Sunday, June 10th @ 11:25am
Last week, 5 of our teens began Kid Mentors with children in our Children's Ministry leading the children in a 15 minute prayer and/or scripture exercise in order to focus on spiritual disciplines and foster intergenerational involvement. We are still in need of female teens to help!

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, June 10 @ 10:30am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Graduate Celebration & All Night Extravaganza-- Thursday, June 13
From 8:00pm till 8:00am, the youth group will be celebrating the graduation of our Seniors through our All-Night Extravaganza. All of our youth ministry students are invited to celebrate our graduates. We plan on staying up all night, but rooms are provided for those who need to get a few hours of sleep. Please bring a snack to share, a 2-liter of soda, some friends, board games, and appropriate movies. We will have activities all night long!

Jr. High Parents Lunch-- Sunday, June 17 @ 12:00pm
This lunch is for all parents of current Jr. High students, parents of those coming into Jr. High, and parents of those leaving Jr. High. We will discuss information regarding the summer, transitions into Jr. High/out of Jr. High, plans for the Fall Semester, etc. Please let me know if you are able or unable to attend.

Kick-off BBQ for SNAP (Summer Neighborhood Activities Program)
In order to kick off our Summer Evening Camp on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all summer long for the neighborhood kids, we are hosting a BBQ for the apartment communities around the church. We are need of volunteers to set-up/clean-up, serve food, supervise activity stations, etc. If you are interested, please contact Justin.

Summer Calendars
The calendar is now available. You can pick up a hard copy from Justin.

Weekly Update-- May 25

Pentecost Graduate Ceremony-- Sunday, May 27
All graduating seniors are invited to participate in a sending ceremony (the one we do annually) in both worship services. See Justin for more details.

Kid Mentors-- Sunday, June 3rd @ 9:45am
We are inviting any interested Sr. High youth and college students to participate in Kid Mentors with the Children's Ministry this summer. Every Sunday during the Summer, our students will lead the children in a 10 minute prayer or bible reading exercise in order to focus on spiritual disciplines and foster intergenerational involvement. If you are interested, plan on attending this training meeting.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, May 28 @ 9:45am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Poverello Operation Brown Bag-- June 3
All youth and their families are invited to participate in this annual service project. We will leave immediately after Sunday School. Check out the Weekly Press under congregational care for more details.

Graduate Celebration & All Night Extravaganza-- Thursday, June 13
The youth group will be celebrating the graduation of our Seniors through our All-Night Extravaganza. All of our youth ministry students are invited to celebrate our graduates.

Summer Camp Changes
As some of you already know, we have officially switched Sr. High camp from week 4 to week 9 which is from August 12-18. If you would still like to go to camp, please contact Justin-- we have plenty of openings!

SNAP (Summer Neighborhood Activities Program)
We have been doing an afterschool program on Thursdays the past few months, and now we are going to be doing a Summer Evening Camp on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all summer long for the neighborhood kids. We are need of volunteers to cook meals, plan crafts and art activities, and generally be mentors for kids. If you are interested, please contact Justin.

Summer Calendars
The calendar is now available. You can pick up a hard copy from Justin on Sunday.

Weekly Update-- May 15

Grizzlies Game Canceled
No one seemed that interested... so no baseball.

Kid Mentors-- Sunday, May 20 @ 11:00am (Majesty Theatre)
We are inviting all of our Sr. High youth and college students to participate in Kid Mentors with the Children's Ministry this summer. Every Sunday during the Summer, our students will lead the children in a 10 minute prayer or bible reading exercise in order to focus on spiritual disciplines and foster intergenerational involvement. If you are interested, plan on attending this training meeting this Sunday.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, May 20 @ 9:45am (Room 11)
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Pentecost Graduate Ceremony-- Sunday, May 27
All graduating seniors are invited to participate in a sending ceremony (the one we do annually) in both worship services. See Justin for more details.

Poverello Operation Brown Bag-- June 3
All youth and their families are invited to participate in this annual service project. It will be at 11:30am on Sunday, June 3rd. Check out the Weekly Press under congregational care for more details.

Graduate Celebration-- Sunday, June 10
The youth group will be celebrating the graduation of our Seniors on Sunday, June 10th at 6pm. Plan on attending to celebrate our graduates.

Summer Camp Changes
As some of you already know, we have officially switched Sr. High camp from week 4 to week 9 which is from August 12-18. If you would still like to go to camp, please contact Justin-- we have plenty of openings!

SNAP (Summer Neighborhood Activities Program)
We have been doing an afterschool program on Thursdays the past few months, and now we are going to be doing a Summer Evening Camp on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all summer long for the neighborhood kids. We have 4 paid counselor positions open for anyone graduating or graduated (15 hours per week @ $7.50 per hour). If you are interested, please contact Justin for an application. We will be doing our hiring over the next 3 weeks.

Summer Calendars
They will be available next week after Youth Committee reviews the calendar. I will be emailing them to you and also you can pick up paper copies starting Sunday, May 27.

Mission Trip Presentations!!!
I still need this. If you typed something out for the mission trip presentation a few weeks ago, can you send/give that to me ASAP. We are going to take clips of them and create a newsletter article from them. Thanks for your help!

Weekly Update-- May 1

Mission Trip Presentations
If you typed something out for the mission trip presentation a few weeks ago, can you send/give that to me ASAP. We are going to take clips of them and create a newsletter article from them. Thanks for your help!

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, May 6
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am.

Mission Trip Thank-You's-- Sunday, May 6 @ 11:00am
To all students from the Chicago trip, we need to meet this Sunday to write our thank-you notes.

Grizzlies Game-- Friday, May 18th @ 7:00p
All Jr. and Sr. High students and their families are invited to go out to the ball park. Please see Justin or Ken if you are interested. We are partnering together with Children's Ministry and will continue to develop our Kid Mentors program through this events. This Sunday, we will be partnering willing Sr. High students with 2-3 kids.

Update--April 24,2007

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, April 29
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will be working on thank-you notes for the mission trip.

Mission Trip Update
After all of the contributions came in for the trip, we are still in need of approximately $1300 to cover all of the expenses. Please consider contributing towards this goal.

Student Leadership Team
The next meeting will be this Sunday, April 29 from 11:00a to 12:45p.

Grizzlies Game-- Friday, May 18th @ 7:00p
All Jr. and Sr. High students and their families are invited to go out to the ball park. Please see Justin or Ken if you are interested. We are partnering together with Children's Ministry and will continue to develop our Kid Mentors program through this events.

Weekly Update-- April 17

Mission Trip Presentation-- Sunday, April 22 (both worship services)
This Sunday, the Chicago team will "preach" their experiences to the congregation during both morning worship services. All students from the mission trip are participating. They will need to arrive by 8:10am for coordination. Please contact Justin if you have any questions.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, April 22
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will continue of Survey of the Bible series. Please join us for a learning conversation as we read scripture and our world.

Invisible Children Update
Many of have asked for more information about the Invisible Children and/or have asked to see the video. We have two copies of the video that are checked out. If you would like to see the video, please email Justin to get on the waiting list. You can also purchase a copy of the video and find much more information at the Invisible Children website (invisiblechildren.com)

Student Leadership Team
The next meeting will be on Sunday, April 29 from 11:00a to 12:45p.

Grizzlies Game-- Friday, May 18th @ 7:00p
All Jr. and Sr. High students and their families are invited to go out to the ball park. Please see Justin or Ken if you are interested. We are partnering together with Children's Ministry and will continue to develop our Kid Mentors program through this event.

Chicago-- Thursday and Friday

Wow! The past two days have been amazing. After finishing up at Casa Central on Thursday, our students took a small break in the afternoon before heading out in teams on Urban Immersions-- treks through the city by foot and public transportation to ask people about the good and bad of Chicago, understand how to travel around the city, and see the sites and hear the sounds of various neighborhoods. Each of our teams spent almost 4 hours trekking through the city on different routes. We had a variety of conversations with very interesting people-- some who love everything about Chicago to people who hate the mayor, the public transportation system, and the level of segregation and racism in the city. We talked with people of various ethnic and economic backgrounds. It was a very eye opening experience. On Friday morning, we surprised Jeremy Erdman (it was his birthday) with banners and balloons. The reaction on his face was priceless. After this we headed back to Cornerstone Community Kitchen where they also have a thrift store. We sorted mounds of clothes. After sorting clothes we headed into the neighborhood of Uptown (one time artzy area of Chicago- think Charlie Chaplain-- that is now one of the poorest areas of the city) to give gloves and socks as well as lunches to homeless on the street.

Next, we went to Lou Milnati's Pizzeria to have tons (I really do mean tons) of Chicago style pizzas. Most of our students had never experienced Chicago style pizza-- they absolutely loved it. Then we had a nice break in the afternoon where most of us took our first nap of the week-- it was well deserved. In the evening our whole group traveled to St. Thomas of Canterbury Soup Kitchen. We served 250 homeless people-- literally served them their food. It was the best soup kitchen experience I have ever had. All of the homeless came in and were seated. Salad and bread was on the table and our 25 member team went around giving them soup, coffee, and milk. Because we were amongst the homeless waiting on them, each of our students were able to have fantastic conversations with these homeless-- realizing that they are not very different from us. Finally, we returned to our housing site where we had ice cream and cake for Jeremy's birthday. A very fabulous two days! PS. Josh Dill Nathan Jeremy and John are super cool cats.

Chicago-- Wednesday Evening & Thursday Morning

Wednesday Evening

After a short break in the afternoon, our group split into two teams. The first team traveled to the Englewood neighborhood in south Chicago, once known as one of the top five most violent neighborhoods in the United States, to a place called the Peace Community Center that works with kids to keep them out of gangs, drugs, and teach them about conflict resolution and having a purpose and plan in life. They are an afterschool program that also serves dinner each night to any kid or teen who drops in. Our students had a blast hanging with the kids and the leaders there. Ms. Dominick, the administrator of the center, bonded with our students and had them doing "exercises," otherwise known as the Electric Slide. Watching our students dance with the kids and leaders of the afterschool program. Then the team traveled to the Red Apple, a Polish buffet, to have a huge meal. Our students loved the food and kept returning for more-- particulary the potato pancakes.

The second team went to Cornerstone Community, where one of the teams had been the previous evening. Cornerstone is truly a unique organization in Chicago, not like other soup kitchens in other cities. I was really glad that both of our teams got to go there because it gives them a glimpse into the poverty and violence that is particular to Chicago, especially with the amount of segregation and gang violence that exists. Our students were able to see teens of 16 to 18 years old with their 3 and 4 year old kids and the lack of basic education and formation that allows families to function. After Cornerstone, this team went to a local Mexican restaurant to have burritos-- always a good meal!

Thursday Morning

We returned to our final day at Casa Central. The students organized an Easter egg hunt for each of the classrooms as well as play many, many games with the kids. We also bought Casa Central some jump rope to play Double Dutch and an electric pencil sharpner for the classroom. The kids were highly excited about the double dutch tournaments. Our students are very disappointed that they have to leave today-- they've really enjoyed getting to know the kids and staff at Casa.

Chicago Trip: Tuesday Evening & Wednesday Morning

Tuesday Evening

After a short break on Tuesday afternoon, our students headed to two different soup kitchens (Cornerstone & Good News) to serve meals, clean dishes, and play with kids. Cornerstone is an organization started and adminstered by Jesus People USA. They are one of only three organizations in the city of Chicago that provide housing for whole families instead of separate housing for men and women. Good News is the one of the first soup kitchens started in Chicago. After leaving the soup kitchens, our team reunited for a dinner feast-- Vietmenese style-- where we had delicious noodle soup. Our students tried new things and had a fantastic time. After dinner, we took a prayer tour of Chicago. One of the most impactful parts of the tour was visiting the area formerly known as Cabrini Green, formerly one of the most impoverished areas of the United States housing 17,000 people in government housing. As of today, only a small section is left due to gentrification. Currently, new condo and housing developments are in the works creating $1,000,000 homes in this former neighborhood. Many of the ministry sites we are working with this week are dealing with the fall out of having 17,000 impoverished people displaced and looking for affordable housing.

Wednesday Morning

Our group returned to Casa Central today. We spent time on Tuesday planning some organized games and craft activities for the kids-- everything from decorating Easter eggs to Steal the Bacon (a competive relay game). It was great to have our teens spend time with the same kids they ministered to yesterday and see the relationships that were formed. The kids here at Casa bond instantly to our teens.

Tuesday, April 3

Today, we went to Casa Central, the largest Hispanic social agency in Chicago. Casa Central provides many, many services to the Hispanic community here. Our group worked exclusively with children today- 13 of our students worked with early elementary kids and 12 of our students worked with upper elementary and middle school kids. Here are some of pictures of our morning and afternoon:

Chicago-- Monday, April 2

We made it to Chicago! The students had a great time on the plane ride (for many it was their first). After arriving at our destination and a quick bite to eat, we settled into our old brick house to sleep. Pictures tomorrow.

Update-- March 27

Mission Trip Money
If you have not turned in your last mission trip payments, please do so ASAP. Also, we have secured almost all of our funding for the trip. At last count, we were only down by $943.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, April 1
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will continue our short survey of the bible continuing with the books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (the lesson we could not get to last week after setting up tables). Please join us for a time of learning through reading scripture, discussion, and sharing about our weeks.

Mentor Groups
The next mentor group sessions will be the week after the mission trip.

Update-- March 20

Invisible Children
Thank-you for your participation in the Invisible Children presentations. So many from the congregation were moved and wanted me to express their appreciation to you.

Mission Trip Money
The next payment of $100 is this due Sunday, March 25. Many of you still owe us the last $100 payment. Please see Shawn Simas on Sunday morning to find out what you still owe.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, March 25
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. First, we will set up tables for the Lao luncheon. Then we will continue our short survey of the bible continuing with the books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Please join us for a time of learning through reading scripture, discussion, and sharing about our weeks.

Chicago Training Session #6-- Sunday, March 25 @ 11:00am
The final mandatory meeting for students going to Chicago will be in Majesty Theatre this Sunday from 11:00am till 11:45am. We will be discussing activity planning assignments for Chicago that have come to our attention this past week. Also, your student will be receiving a detailed list of things to pack and to be done for the mission trip. I will also send this out by email early next week as well.

Mentor Groups
Mentor groups should be meeting this weekend. Your students' mentor should be in communication with you sometime this week.

Mission Trip Needs
We need help transporting our team to and from San Jose on Monday, April 2 (meet at UPC at 8:30am and arrive in San Jose by 11:30am) and Sunday, April 8 (pick up at San Jose airport at 11:30am). Please let Justin know ASAP if you are able to transport on one of those days. We need 4-5 vehicles and drivers for Monday 2nd and for Sunday 8th.

Weekly Update-- March 13

Invisible Children Worship Service-- Sunday, March 18
Many of our students are participating in the worship services this Sunday. They will be presenting the Invisible Children film and helping our congregation understand the impact that it has had on our group. Participating students should arrive no later than 8:10am. They will be participating in both the traditional and contemporary services.

Mission Trip Money
The next payment of $100 is due Sunday, March 25.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, March 18
We will be hanging out together in room 11 this Sunday relaxing and having fun between the two presentations of the Invisible Children film in both worship services.

Chicago Training Session #6-- Sunday, March 25 @ 11:00am
The next mandatory meeting for students going to Chicago will be in Majesty Theatre two Sundays from now.

Weekly Update-- March 5

Invisible Children Meeting-- Wednesday, March 7 (6:00p-8:00p)
The 10 students who have speaking roles for the Invisible Children service will be meeting with Jessica to work on their parts. Dinner will be served as well. Please bring the research you were assigned and $5 for food.

Family Event-- Fresno Zoo
The whole family is invited to come to a personalized tour of the zoo hosted by our own Pamela Caldwell. We will be going on Saturday, March 10 from 10:00a to 1:00p. Tickets are $7 and you will need $7 for food as well. We are partnering with children's ministry on this and some of our high school students will be paired with children for the event for our Kid Mentors program. Drop off and pick up are at the zoo.

Mission Trip Money
Some of you have not turned in the latest payment of $100. Please put this in my box in the church office ASAP.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, March 9
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will be working on the Invisible Children presentation.

Chicago Training Session #6-- Sunday, March 9 @ 11:00am
This mandatory meeting for students going to Chicago will be 1 hour. Meet in Majesty Theatre.

Mentor Groups
Please let Justin know if you are not receiving regular communication from your mentor so that we can be sure that your mentor has your right information.

Update--February 27

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, March 4
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. Wendy Warnes, our youth ministry elder, will be teaching the class. Please join us for a time of worship, learning through reading scripture and discussion, and sharing about our weeks.

No Chicago Training Session This Sunday

Mentor Groups
Please let Justin know if you are not receiving regular communication from your mentor so that we can be sure that your mentor has your right information.

Family Event-- Fresno Zoo
The whole family is invited to come to a personalized tour of the zoo hosted by our own Pamela Caldwell. We will be going on Saturday, March 10 from 10:00a to 1:00p. Tickets are $7 and you will need $7 for food as well. We are partnering with children's ministry on this and some of our high school students will be paired with children for the event for our Kid Mentors program.

Invisible Children Meeting-- Wednesday, March 7 (6:30p-8:00p)
The 10 students who have speaking roles for the Invisible Children service will be meeting with Jessica to work on their parts. Dinner will be served as well.

Mission Trip Money
Some of you have not turned in the latest payment of $100. Please put this in my box in the church office ASAP.

Update-- February 20

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, February 25
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will be working on the Invisible Children presention coming up in late March.

Chicago Training Session #4-- Sunday, February 25
We will meet in Majesty Theatre from 11:00am - 12:00pm.

Mentor Groups
Please let Justin know if you are not receiving regular communication from your mentor so that we can be sure that your mentor has your right information.

Senior Training Day-- Sunday, February 25 @ 12:15p
All of our high school seniors are invited to have lunch and discuss their upcoming transition to college life with a few college students. It will be a great event for you to begin preparing yourself for your upcoming life!

Update-- February 13

Sacred Space Tonight!!!-- Tuesday, February 13 from 7pm - 8:15pm
All Jr. and Sr. High students are invited to participate in a bible study/prayer experience of sorts where we explore Scripture, theology, tradition, and the sacred space of life.

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, February 18
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will continue the series Just Eating where we look at how food intersects with our faith. Please join us for a time of worship, learning through reading scripture and discussion, and sharing about our weeks.

Chicago Training Session #4-- Sunday, February 18
We will be attending the movie Freedomwriters to learn about inner-city life. Students will go to Edwards Theatre at Riverpark at 11:00am. We will eat lunch and watch the movie. Students can be picked up at 3pm. This is a very intense and powerful film; however, you do need to be aware that it does have some language and violent content. It is a very important film for understanding urban life and I believe that our students will really connect with it. Please contact Justin if you have any questions or concerns you would like to discuss.

Mentor Groups
Please let Justin know if you are not receiving regular communication from your mentor so that we can be sure that your mentor has your right information.

Senior Training Day-- Sunday, February 25 @ 12:15p
All of our high school seniors are invited to have lunch and discuss their upcoming transition to college life with a few college students. It will be a great event for you to begin preparing yourself for your upcoming life!

Update--February 6

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, February 11
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will continue the series Just Eating where we look at how food intersects with our faith. Please join us for a time of worship, learning through reading scripture and discussion, and sharing about our weeks.

Chicago Training Session #3-- Sunday, February 11
All students going to Chicago need to attend the next mandatory training session on Sunday, February 11 in Majesty Theatre at 11:00am. (On February 18, we will be attending the movie Freedomwriters to learn about inner-city life. This is a very intense and powerful film; however, you do need to be aware that it does have some language and violent content. It is a very important film for understanding urban life and I believe that our students will really connect with it. Please contact Justin if you have any questions or concerns you would like to discuss.)

Student Leadership Team Lunch-- Sunday, February 11
Student leaders will have lunch with Justin from 12pm to 1:30pm to discuss upcoming youth ministry plans.

Mentor Groups
Some of the mentor groups will be meeting this coming weekend because they could not get together last weekend. If your group did not meet, you should be receiving a call from your mentor. Please let Justin know if you are not receiving regular communication from your mentor so that we can be sure that your mentor has your right information.

Sacred Space-- Tuesday, February 13 @ 7:00p
All Jr. and Sr. High students are invited to participate in a bible study of sorts where we explore Scripture, theology, tradition, and the sacred space of life.

Senior Training Day-- Sunday, February 25 @ 12:15p
All of our high school seniors are invited to have lunch and discuss their upcoming transition to college life with a few college students. It will be a great event for you to begin preparing yourself for your upcoming life!

Update-- January 30

Journey & Passage-- Sunday, February 4
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will continue the series Just Eating where we look at how food intersects with our faith. Please join us for a time of worship, learning through reading scripture and discussion, and sharing about our weeks.

Souper Bowl of Caring-- Sunday, February 4
Next Sunday, our students will stand in the narthex and outside the sanctuary with soup bowls to collect money for Poverello House. Churches around the nation will be doing the same and giving their donations to a local soup kitchen. We need Jr. and Sr. High students to participate in this.

Volunteer Lunch-- Sunday, February 4
Mentor/group leaders will have lunch with Justin at 12:20pm to discuss upcoming mentor group activities and plans.

Chicago Training Session #2-- Sunday, February 4
All students going to Chicago need to attend the next mandatory training session on Sunday, February 4 in room 11 at 11:00am. Please contact Justin if you have any questions.

Mentor Groups
Mentor groups will meet during this coming weekend of February 2-4. Leaders will be contacting students to let them know about specific time and place. If your student is not in a mentor group, please contact Justin for group placement and information.

Sacred Space-- Tuesday, February 13 @ 7:00p
All Jr. and Sr. High students are invited to participate in a bible study of sorts where we explore how Scripture, theology, tradition, and the sacred space of life.

Student Leadership Team
The next meeting will be a lunch on Sunday, February 11 from 12:20p to 1:45p.

Update-- January 23

Journey & Passage Cancelled—Sunday, January 28
There will be no Journey or Passage this Sunday because of Winter Retreat. We will continue the series Just Eating on February 4.

Winter Retreat Details
A caravan will be leaving UPC @ 5:45pm on Friday. Students need to arrive between 6:30pm and 8:30pm on Friday. Studetns need to picked up at Calvin Crest by 11:00am on Sunday. Also, please eat dinner before you arrive at Calvin Crest on Friday. (Important: Transportation is not provided to Calvin Crest. Please make arrangements among yourselves for transportation to and from Calvin Crest.)
What to bring: Warm clothes, extra shoes, notebook & pen, Bible, camera, flashlight, sleeping bag & pillow, spending money for the store, towel & bathroom stuff.
Do not bring: electronic devices (including mp3 players and cell phones), weapons (or anything that can be construed as a weapon)
Chaperones: Justin & Sarah Spurlock, Shawn Simas, and Jessica Wood
Questions or emergencies: Justin @ 448-6451 (my cell phone works at Calvin Crest)

Volunteer Lunch-- Sunday, February 4
Mentor/group leaders will have lunch with Justin at 12:20pm to discuss upcoming mentor group activities and plans.

Chicago Training Session #2-- Sunday, February 4
All students going to Chicago need to attend the next mandatory training session on Sunday, February 4 in room 11 at 11:00am.

Souper Bowl Sunday-- Sunday, February 4
That's right sOUper! Each Super Bowl Sunday, we collect money for a local soup kitchen in the area. We will need students to collect money after both Sunday worship services.

Mentor Groups
Mentor groups will meet during the weekend of February 2-4. Leaders will be contacting students to let them know about time and place. If your student is not in a mentor group, please contact Justin for group placement and information.

Update-- January 16

Journey & Passage—Sunday, January 21
Journey (our Sr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) and Passage (our Jr. High Sunday morning worship & bible study program) will meet together in room 11 at 9:45am. We will continue the series Just Eating where we look at how food intersects with our faith. Please join us for a time of worship, learning through reading scripture and discussion, and sharing about our weeks.

Winter Retreat Final Payments Due!!!
The $44 final payment for the Sr. High winter retreat is due. Please give me this payment ASAP. Sr. High retreat is January 26-28 at Calvin Crest. If you did not sign up and would still like to go, please call Justin at 448-6451. Information regarding what to bring, drop-off & pick-up information, etc. will be in next Tuesday's Weekly Update. Important: Transportation is not provided to Calvin Crest. Please make arrangements among yourselves for transportation to and from Calvin Crest.

Parent Meeting
If you did not make the meeting this past Sunday, please see Justin for information given out at the meeting. We had a very productive meeting this past Sunday. I appreciated everyone's feedback and comments. Thanks for participating!

Chicago Training Session #1-- Sunday, January 21 @ 11am
All students going to Chicago need to attend the mandatory training session this Sunday, January 21 in room 11 at 11:00am. We will writing support letters for the trip.

Mentor Groups
Both Shawn and Eric's group will be meeting this Sunday, January 21 @ 3:30pm to play games, share about what's going on, learn Scripture together, and have dinner. Please bring $5 for pizza.

If your student is not in a mentor group, please contact Justin for group placement and information.