September 2021 UCM Ministry Connections

United Campus Ministry Connections ~ September 2021 Welcome back to campus! Students are back in person! The campus is alive with energy! The beginning of the fall semester is an exciting time. While COVID precautions are still in place, the vibe is very different than fall of 2020.Your investment in and support of this ministry is what enables UCM to create a vibrant faith community for students at the University of Arkansas. In the last three weeks UCM has participated in two campus-wide welcome events and hosted our own welcome event. Students are eager to make connections and looking for places to belong. We gathered more signups for UCM information than ever before. We’ve had several new students visit us already for Monday Lunch, Refuel, and Chicken Finger Friday. Students are beginning to be settled into their new schedules and programming is beginning to ramp up. The ministry is off to a great start! We have a lot planned, and students are coming up with events for themselves as well. We have high hopes for on-ramping a great group of freshmen and sophomores. (We are hearing from sophomores that this is their first semester on campus, due to the disruption of COVID last year.) We look forward to sharing our progress with you as the semester continues.    At United Campus Ministry our mission is to engage, equip, and empower leaders for the church and the world. At the beginning of each semester, we work very hard to engage with the campus and students who have indicated interest in joining us. And we cannot do it without your faithful involvement. Thank you again for all of your support and contributions! Your support is vital to our ministry with students. Support UCM Today

Advertisement

UCM Ministry Connections – September 2020

United Campus Ministry Connections – September 2020 ~United Campus Ministry Connections ~ September 2020 Alumni Spotlight Katie Hilburn (2020) and Julianna Whitson (2018) have carried their UCM connection into the next stage of life. As Katie begins her career as an RN and Julianna enters her final year at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, by doing Clinical Pastoral Education, the two have reconnected at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Katie moved to Atlanta this summer to begin her job at Emory. Katie reflected on finding Juliana at work: “It was so nice to see a familiar face, even though I hadn’t seen Julianna in so long. I’m new to Atlanta and hardly know anyone.  It was like a breath of fresh air.  We made sure we were both ok to hug each other and then we did.  I love that the UCM community is following me even in my new adult life.” Katie and Julianna overlapped for two years at UCM and were Lilly Interns together for one of those.  Julianna had been following Katie’s plans to move to Atlanta through Facebook. Julianna was scheduled to complete her CPE program over the summer and was excited to possibly see Katie. Then due to COVID, the summer program was cancelled, and Julianna thought it might get too complicated to connect with Katie this fall. With only two weeks notice, a position opened for the fall for Julianna to complete her CPE program at Emory and that is when they began their plan to see each other. Julianna describes the day she finally found Katie. After a failed attempt where Katie was not working, Julianna had the opportunity to go back to Katie’s floor and look for her. Julianna’s reaction was very similar to Katie’s: “It was so nice to see a familiar face and hug someone and it made me feel connected back to the community I had in college.”  Connections made in a time of distance are truly a blessing. Julianna is discerning next steps as someone completing seminary during a pandemic and Katie is adjusting to meeting the needs of patients in a time of greater concern; seeing each other was just what they needed. Katie and Julianna plan to continue to connect this year as they each care for the needs of the patients at Emory, perfectly embodying the outcome of the UCM mission—being Leaders for the Church and the World!  Ministry Update We are one month into the semester and it is readily apparent, this is not just another fall at the University of Arkansas or United Campus Ministry.  This year is differetn- in every way. Students are attending classes online, in person, or both. Some students are on campus, some are in town but not on campus, and some are at home with their families. Our ministry context is varied. The building is open to welcome students who come to campus. Several students rely on the quiet environment and stable internet to take their online classes. But the gathering of groups is limited. Delivery of programming began with a hybrid approach offering programs online and in person. We moved all programming online when the University temporarily limited non-academic gatherings. And we are carefully re-entering the hybrid model at the end of September. It is a year of flexibility and pivoting, of planning and going with Plan B, a year of triumphs, and failures, and learning along the way. The community of students at United Campus Ministry is strong and flourishing as it rides wave after wave of uncertainty and change.  This fall is just different, but our mission stands unchanged: Engage, equip, and empower leaders for the church and the world. We are very grateful for your continued support that makes this all possible. Support UCM <!– <!–

United Campus Ministry Connections – June 2019

United Campus Ministry Connections  June 2019 UCM has Added Seven New Sustaining Supporters so Far in 2019 We are grateful for each and every one of the TWENTY-FOUR alumni and friends of the ministry who have now made UCM part of their monthly giving.  Our campaign to increase our sustaining support has made a huge difference in our preparation to hire a new campus minister. We are also excited and grateful to have 100% support from our UCM Board Members! The current monthly sustained giving total is $1115/ month. You are invited to join us as we REACH our goal of $3000/month in giving by the end of July 2019. A New Seminarian Sarah Grace Hall, a 2018 U of A Graduate, has just finished a Young Adult Volunteer Year in Washington D.C. and will begin studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA, in the fall. UCM Students’ Summer Adventures Katie (R)- On a hike while on medical mission in Bali. Allie (C)- With young people in Dangriga, Belize. Chloe (R)- After first day of the Pedal the Pacific ride to raise awareness about sex trafficking. Seminary Graduates Congratulations to Our Recent Seminary Graduates: Max Hill, Princeton Theological Seminary Andy Spaulding, Union Presbyterian Seminary Jordan Akin (friend of UCM), Louisville Theological Seminary Max Hill is a 2015 U of A graduate and a 2019 MDiv graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary. Max is beginning a call as Campus Minister for UKirk St. Louis in July, where he will be working with students from both Washington University and Saint Louis University.  We know that the students with whom he will interact will be blessed! Andy Spaulding (center) is a 2014 U of A graduate and a 2019 Dual Degree (MDiv and MACE) graduate of Union Presbyterian Seminary. We are excited for Andy as he enters the next steps of his journey. Seminarian Updates Update from Julianna Whitson: “I just finished up my first year at Columbia Theological Seminary and it was quite the adventure! It was definitely challenging in every possible way, but I’ve grown in every possible way, too! My favorite courses were Introduction to Worship and Pastoral Care. Because of these classes, I find joy in creating worship services and using liturgy that speak to the whole community—Columbia even sent me to a worship symposium (Teila was there!!) and I had a wonderful experience. This summer I am working as Ferncliff’s on-site Summer Chaplain! I am doing my Advanced Supervised Ministry here where I’ll focus on intentional worship and pastoral care. I’m excited to see what this summer and next year brings!” At the June 2019 meeting of the Presbytery of Arkansas, Julianna was accepted as a Candidate for Ministry. Julianna (L) and Teila (R) Update from Teila Creekmore: “I am halfway done with my Masters of Art in Mission and Discipleship degree! This past year I had the opportunity of being the Food Pantry Developmental Coordinator where each month we fed approximately 1,000 students on campus. I also taught an Undergraduate class to Freshmen, which I will be doing again in the fall! Additionally, I have been really involved with the campus ministry located at the University of Dubuque and have had the privilege of leading small groups at retreats and being apart of worship! However, my favorite part of the year has been getting involved with local non-profits, Riverview Center and Waypoint, who are helping those who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. This is where my passion lies and I am just so excited to be able to intern/volunteer with these organizations!” Elizabeth Schierschmidt finished her first year well with the distance learning program through University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, balancing life in Northwest Arkansas with three young boys.

 

United Campus Ministry Connections – May 2019

Congratulations to our Seniors: Hunt, Preston, Luke, Taylor and Mishann United Campus Ministry Connections May 2019 UCM Student Participation Has Increased 41%! The building during finals weeks can attest to the fact that UCM has more students than ever participating. There were students in every part of the building during the week before and the week of finals. There was food & fellowship, some corners for studying or sleeping and lots of de-stressing fun happening. In the 2018-2019 school year, we tracked a forty-one percent increase in students participating in weekly programming over the previous school year. This does not take into account the students who regularly study here or spend time here talking to students and staff. We also track unique students served and this academic year there was a total of 1429 visits to scheduled programming. The Third Annual UCM Bike-a-thon  It was a very nice and also very windy day on April 27, for our third bike-a-thon. We are so grateful for the largest student participation yet and for the community members who rode and supported our ride. We had parents who came into the town to ride and help with the luncheon. Thank you Dan & Mary Yarbrough and Amy & Chris Wycoff. We had four pastors ride: Becky Purcell from First Presbyterian, Prairie Grove; Phil Butin from First United Presbyterian, Fayetteville; and Dennis Ritchie and Ronnie Prevost from Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista.  Our student leader, Chloe, involved many students as both riders and food station helpers. We are grateful for support from many of our NWA churches, as well as friends and family of our students. Our students really raised the bar with the amount of support they received. The money raised is helping UCM with our matching portion of the Lilly Sustainability Grant, which continues the Leadership Initiative Intern program.  The Leadership Initiative is one of the primary reasons for the growth of the ministry. Students having the opportunity to grow in leadership has truly enriched and extended the ministry to other students. Lilly Leadership Initiative Intern Spotlight This month we feature Jack Gordon, one of our Lilly Leadership Initiative Interns. Jack has just finished his first year at the U of A and his first semester as a Lilly Intern. He is a marketing major from Rockwall, Texas. Welcoming the Opportunity: After meeting and talking with Jack, we were excited for him to be able to continue his Presbyterian connections in college. UCM has a great community feel and we were happy for Jack to build relationships as a Freshman that will likely carry him throughout his college career. Jack shared with us: “I wanted to find a good group of friends while getting more involved in college ministry.” Highlights: Jack’s first semester as an intern has been very active and he has played a critical role in a number of initiatives. He has represented UCM on recruiting trips to the Grace Presbytery Senior High Youth Connection and Senior High Youthquake in the Presbytery of Arkansas, helped lead worship at First United Presbyterian Church, and has spearheaded the UCM attendance analytics project first spotting our growth trajectory. Jack has invested deeply in the intern experience this semester fully embracing all of the opportunities offered and building strong relationships with the other interns that extend outside of scheduled programming. Jack shared: “I really enjoyed recruiting incoming freshman to join UCM at events like SHYC and Senior High Youthquake.” Looking Forward: We, at UCM, are looking forward to seeing Jack continue to grow and develop his leadership gifts as an officer of the UCM Registered Student Organization and a Lilly Intern. Looking ahead to next fall, Jack said: “I am excited for all of the new events we have planned for next semester like the new Wednesday night Bible Study and Parent’s Weekend.” You can become a partner in our Year of Growth!

 

UCM Ministry Connections-April 2019

 

United Campus Ministry Connections – April 2019 When We Claimed this as a Year of Growth…Little Did We Know! When we kicked off our fundraising campaign for 2019 during the November Giving Tuesday, we named it the UCM Year of Growth Campaign. The name established our goal for financial support growth in 2019. What we did not expect is the Year of Growth in our Programming.  When you set a goal, it can blossom in unexpected ways! YEAR OF GROWTH: Since kicking of our financial campaign at the end of November, we have: added fourteen new sustaining monthly donors for a total of twenty-two monthly donors have 100% Board Members Giving seen congregations and their members increase their giving in wonderful ways We have also: seen a 30% increase in student participation in our regular programming, without dramatically increasing our expenses. added new programming to answer student requests for more opportunities for engagement met new students every single week, who keep coming back observed our students inviting and engaging students in incredible ways received excited and engaged feedback from more incoming freshman than ever before.  They are ready to find us the first week on campus! You are invited to join us in this Year of Growth!  This is a thriving ministry filled with students who are engaging, equipping and empowering each other for many years of growth ahead! Jack and Allie attended SHYQ to share about UCM with Arkansas Presbytery Youth Two of our Lilly Leadership Interns traveled with Kristi to Senior High Youthquake at Ferncliff on March 30 to share with the students about UCM and campus ministry. April 1 Was a Busy Day at UCM! We started April with a day full of visitors. Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center came to share about staff opportunities, several pastors and youth leaders from the area joined us and Phil Butin and Jane Webb joined Monday Lunch and our board meeting to connect with us as our Committee on Ministry liaisons to our search. Stop by for Monday lunch and experience the energy and fun, too! 11:30am to 1:00pm is best! UCM GAME NIGHT Leslie and Ted Belden hosted UCM students for dinner and game night on April 5. It was a fabulous night of food, fellowship and a huge and very competitive game of Name That Person. We had a lot of fun and welcomed some new friends as well as got to know each other better. Bike-a-Thon 2019 is April 27 Join us for our third annual ride between 9am and Noon on the 27th! We will have a 14-mile ride from Lake Springdale and a 7-mile ride from Veteran’s Park at Lake Fayetteville, ending with a Taco Bar Party at UCM! Support a student rider. Support your pastor: Dennis Ritchie, Ronnie Prevost, Becky Purcell and Phil Butin are riding so far! Encourage others to ride. Let us know you are joining us! Allie with members of First Presbyterian Church, Prairie Grove, during a work-day clean-up. Lilly Intern Spotlight – Allie Allie is a first year student from Frisco, Texas. She learned about UCM by attending the annual senior high retreat for Grace Presbytery, SHYC. Luke and Katie traveled there last year to share about the opportunity.  This year Allie and another first year student from Grace Presbytery, Jack, returned with Luke and Katie to share about UCM. This connection helped Allie make her college choice to attend the U of A and she walked on campus ready to get connected to UCM as soon as possible. By the end of her first semester, she applied for a Lilly Leadership Initiative internship, jumping in with both feet! Welcoming the Opportunity: Allie was excited for this internship because she was ready to get involved with a church family in NWA! She trusted that God was at work and would send her exactly where she needed to be. Allie’s mentor in the internship is Becky Purcell, the pastor of First Presbyterian, Prairie Grove.  Becky has expressed her excitement for the opportunity to work with Allie because mentoring a college student in following Christ, especially in a small church, feels like essential ministry to Becky.  She says: “In our life’s journey, we literally cannot follow Jesus unless we are in some way part of the body–in some way part of a community of faith.” Highlights: So far, Allie has enjoyed getting the opportunity to interact with a new group of people. This internship provides her with the chance to get to know the congregation of First Presbyterian, Prairie Grove, in so many different ways- from meeting with members individually, to going out to Sunday afternoon lunches, all the way to doing yard work with the Wednesday night Bible study group. Becky shared that having Allie present in worship, fellowship and service activities have all been highlights. In these, she shared her confidence and her perseverance (finding a rural cabin despite faulty GPS directions!) and her natural curiosity to learn about others. Looking Forward: Moving forward, Allie looks forward to getting to know members better, and for more one-on-one pastoral care meetings with some of them. Becky shared that for Presbyterians today the most concrete and common expression of this community is the small church. Becky said: “And small church ministry is so FUN.  And like family!  I hope to help students like Allie realize that ministry in a small church whether as a deacon or a mission facilitator or an educator or a pastor is joyful work.” Do you Shop on Amazon? There is a really simple way to leverage your Amazon purchases for UCM. Just by going in through AmazonSmile Foundation(a charity side of Amazon), UCM can get .5% of your purchase. Connect your account to AmazonSmile!!! https://smile.amazon.com/ch/71-0707657  It will say we are “Arkansas Presbyterian and Disciples Ministry Board” and it says we are based in Hot Springs.  This is all due to where and how our tax exempt status is filed.  This is us! We received our first dividend check in March for $20.  Every little bit adds up!  Bike-a-thon 2018

UCM Ministry Connections- March 2019

UCM Ministry Connections- March 2019 UCM Students are Leading Worship   Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista- March 10, 2019 First United Presbyterian, Fayetteville, February 17, 2019 We have been excited to share with local congregations about the growth of UCM during this interim time. The students have really stepped up in their leadership, have taken ownership of the ministry and are inviting others to join us at Monday Lunch and Thursday Dinner and Discussion.  Students have also increased the amount of time they come to the building just to hang out, grab a snack and study. Supporting UCM The time is now to join in our Year of Growth Campaign  as we pave the path to hiring a new campus minister this year! Rev. Susan Rose grew the ministry dramatically in her 9 years from involving 10 students the first year to involving 100 students in our programming in 2018. At the end of December 2019, Susan moved on to live in Florida and pursue doctoral work. We are so very grateful to her for the devotion to the ministry and all the things she did to make it stronger for the students. Over the last few years 18 students have served as interns. This has had significant impact on the growth of the ministry. The interns have been able to engage their friends and other students in programming of UCM. We are growing, even in this time of transition. As we are now a few months into the interim period of seeking to hire a new campus minister, what we know for sure is that this ministry needs full-time leadership, funded with full time pay and benefits. To thrive and grow this well-established ministry, it needs to continue to have someone at the campus center most weekdays, evenings and many weekends, to help engage students where they are in their academic, emotional and spiritual lives and to connect them with loving congregations where they can find a church home. In her time here, Susan wrote several grants and worked very hard to provide the resources and funding to increase the outreach and programming for students while herself taking only a part-time salary. We are grateful and those efforts have gotten us to the place where we are thriving today. However, it is time to take the investment in United Campus Ministry to the next level.  We are asking congregations and individuals throughout Arkansas and Texas to consider begin monthly sustaining pledges to the ministry for the next five years. Sustaining gifts make planning for the future very clear. While we know that no one congregation or individual can fund this full-time position and the growing ministry of United Campus Ministry alone, we do know that many combined gifts will make the difference. Our mission at UCM is to engage, equip, and empower leaders for the church and the world and we think that this is something many people in Presbyterian congregations will be excited to support. We are inviting people to think outside the box and to consider that everyone is the perfect person to begin a monthly donation of any size. Of UCM’s sustaining givers, only a handful are alums, and only one is the parent of a current student. The impact of this ministry goes beyond the four years a student it here. Our students are being equipped to be leaders in the church and the world. We believe that investing in ministry which connects students to their faith during these critical college years is exactly the kind of growth-oriented ministry you want to be part of. Make a Difference Today UCM is Participating in NWA Gives on April 4 SAVE THE DATE! Save the Date and Contribute to UCM’s Student Food Table and Pantry so that all students have access to food, no questions asked. Giving Link Lilly Intern Spotlight Chloe is one of three new Leadership Initiative interns for the spring of 2019. Chloe is a sophomore from Austin, TX.  She is a twin and her twin sister is a student at Mississippi State.  They also have a younger sister who is twelve. She is in the Kappa Delta sorority and is on the KD standards board. She is also on the sexual assault prevention committee for the Greek Life Facilitators. Chloe began coming to UCM with two friends during her freshman year, one a friend of her freshman year roommate and another who is part of her sorority.  She came some in the first semester of her freshman year and became much more active in the spring. Welcoming the Lilly Internship Opportunity: She wanted to be an intern because she wanted to be more involved in UCM.  She loves the people and it gives her a chance to do more.  It also allows her to combine her cycling training with her connection to UCM. Through her internship position, she is planning the Student Bike-a-thon Fundraisier. Chloe is also training for Pedal the Pacific for this summer.  This program raises money and awareness to fight child trafficking. She will bike 1700 miles from Seattle to San Diego beginning June 8th.  Highlights of the Internship:   “Leadership training has been great!”  The students meet together monthly and learn about themselves as leaders, how they function in groups and their results of personality inventories. She really likes this and what she is learning about herself through them. Identifying her values and how they fit into parts of her life has been a particular highlight.  Chloe has been able to preach twice.  She really appreciates having that opportunity and going through the process of preparing for and writing a sermon.  It gave her a new way to dive deeper into scripture. Looking Forward: Chloe is very excited for Bike-a-thon, which takes place on Saturday, April 27.  Last year she was a non-biking volunteer at the check-in rest station.  This year, she is the student coordinator of the event.  She acknowledges that going from not being willing to bike last year to preparing for a 1700 mile ride this summer, shows that God has a sense of humor.  The 12 to 20 mile bike-a-thon ride is now very short compared to what she is preparing to do!  She really loves UCM and is looking forward to the rest of the year.     Our Third Annual Student Led Bike-a-thon will be the morning of Saturday, April 27

 

United Campus Ministry Connections: December 2018

UCM MINISTRY CONNECTIONS – DECEMBER 2018 UCM Leadership Transitions On Monday December 3rd, the United Campus Ministry Board voted to approve the Pastor Nominating Committee’s recommendation to hire Kristi Button and Carol Essen as the co-interim directors of UCM for the spring semester.  Kristi will be the contact person for all Presbyterian connections on campus, within Cluster 1 and the Presbytery.  Carol will continue working with administrative duties and programming.  Hiring Kristi and Carol in this shared position allows for the continuity of UCM programming during the school year as well as the continuation of the Lilly grant programming.  Please find their contact information below. The board is excited about the future of the ministry.  This interim leadership arrangement allows the PNC to continue searching for a full time permanent campus minister, expected to be in place by Fall 2019. Kristi Button 479-409-4804 ucmkristi@gmail.com Carol Essen 479-799-1108 c.a.e.essen@gmail.com Note from Susan Rose On Friday, December 14th, I conclude my service as UCM’s campus minister.  It have been an honor and privilege to serve in this capacity.  I look forward to seeing all the amazing things UCM will be doing in the future! Blessings, Susan THANK YOU!!! Giving Tuesday 2018 Thank you so much for your generosity!! The UCM Year of Growth Campaign Has Been Kicked Off! We are grateful for your gifts! $3280 was given in one-time gifts, which includes a matching gift of $1000 and $285 in combined giving by current students! $250/ month in sustained giving was added for a total of $3000 in new giving for the coming year! Our total Giving Tuesday impact is $6,280!   UCM has kicked off our Year of Growth Campaign with Giving Tuesday, with our increased focus on monthly sustaining gifts. We are very excited about the year ahead and with each gift from generous supporters like you, we are closer to meeting our goals for this year. Our fundraising this spring will be directly related to increasing the campus minister salary to full-time. The Year of Growth has Just Begun:  You can set up a recurring donation or make a one-time gift anytime.

 

November 2018: UCM Ministry Connections

 

UCM MINISTRY CONNECTIONS:  November 2018   UCM Will Participate in Giving Tuesday for the 3rd Year We are excited to launch an expansion of our online giving program with Giving Tuesday, 2018.  Giving Tuesday is a nationwide day of giving which falls the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We plan to increase our monthly sustaining gifts by $3000/ month in the next three months and Giving Tuesday is the perfect day to kick-off this effort. This is a Year of Growth for UCM as we seek to make the Campus Minister position a fully funded full-time position.    It is very important to fully fund this position so that the next Campus Minister can take the fruits of nine years of building and expanding the ministry at UCM and grow them exponentially more. On Giving Tuesday we will be encouraging pledges of monthly gifts, as well as gratefully accepting one-time gifts from those for whom this works best. We have generous donors who have stepped up to match a portion of the giving of both annual and sustaining monthly donors. The official kick-off of the Year of Growth Campaign is November 27, yet sustaining gifts and one-time gifts can be set-up NOW. Lilly Leadership Initiative Interns are an Important Part of Our Success With the renewed funding support of a Sustainability Matching Grant from the Lilly Endowment, UCM is excited to continue identifying and training young-adult leaders for service through Leadership Initiative Internships. Internships are comprised of a 5 hour-a-week ministry job, one-to-one mentoring and group leadership training. This semester we have four interns Hartley Allen, Katie Hilburn, Zane Lovell, and Luke Sexton. Each intern has chosen to work in an area of ministry that fits their interests, skills and gifts. Our major leadership training activity this semester was an off-site experience at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. While there, we focused on learning about and fostering the creative side of leadership with a private tour of selected art works, a discussion over lunch, and a master class with artist Yatika Fields. Month of Gratitude Each Thursday Dinner and Discussion in November centers around the theme of gratitude. Becky Purcell, pastor of First Presbyterian, Prairie Grove, with Brianne Christiansen, Director of Youth and Young Adults at First United Presbyterian, Fayetteville, are leading the discussions. As UCM gears up for our third Giving Tuesday, the students are engaging in the spiritual practice of being grateful. In connection with NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, and their charitable initiative to contribute to the Full Circle Food Pantry on the U of A campus, the students are participating in a food drive during the month of November.  This food pantry is available for all students, faculty and staff of the U of A to meet them in their time of need. Friend-raising Open House UCM welcomed friends into the building on October 21 for our Second Annual Friendraising Open House.  It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and a good group of friends joined us for an afternoon of meeting students, seeing the building, enjoying refreshments and hearing from students, alumni, board members and ministry leaders about the exciting future ahead for UCM.  The focus of the talks were on the opportunities ahead with the Lilly Leadership Initiative Grant being sustained and with the anticipation of a new Campus Minister, as well as the challenges and good work ahead of the Board in meeting the funding needs required to fill a fully funded Campus Minister position. UCM Hosted their 8th Annual Early Thanksgiving Dinner for Area Youth Groups UCM enjoys welcoming area youth each fall for a worship service and early Thanksgiving Dinner.  This is a great way to show future generations of U of A students the UCM community that is available to them on the U of A campus, as well as a glimpse at campus ministry, should they attend a different school.

 

United Campus Ministry Connections – September 2018

United Campus Ministry Connections – September 2018 Save the date: Second Annual Friend-raising event. Sunday, October 21 2pm – 4pm 902 W Maple This is a time to meet new students, enjoy fellowship with others, and hear about the exciting things going on at United Campus Ministry. This is a drop-in event with a presentation at 3pm. This is a pivotal year in the life of UCM at the U of A! We received a Lilly Sustainability Grant to further the work of our Leadership Initiative Internship Program. We have welcomed an already engaged group of new students. And very importantly, we are working hard to make our Campus Minister position the fully funded, full-time position, it really needs to be. The way that the ministry grew in the spring, with new students joining us every week and students finding us even in their final semester of college, we are expecting a big year. That is where you come in. Would YOU consider becoming a monthly sustaining supporter of the ministry? You are coming to know and love this ministry. This ministry is ready to welcome students coming from your congregation. Monthly giving at any level will be a huge help in reaching our goals and living out our dreams for this ministry. Use this link to begin your monthly giving today. http://www.ucmuofa.org/support-ucm.html The Fall Semester is Off to a Great Start! We are very excited about the start to this semester.  Our students have been bringing friends. We have a freshman student tell us: “I was picking between two schools and I chose the U of A because UCM is here.” We were able to show support to Potential New Members and current members of sororities by giving “Rush Survival Kits” to our UCM students, their friends and new students with whom we have been in contact. This was very appreciated during that busy week. We had an AMAZING first Dinner and Discussion where area pastors and young adult leaders joined us.  Each pastor joined in a playfully competitive time of sharing about what their congregation might have to offer and it was a great time of fellowship. On the second Thursday, three students shared about their summer experiences in Ghana, Romania and on a Bike-and-build ride across a central route of the entire USA.   We see new faces at every Monday lunch. We have celebrated summer birthdays at our first Birthday Monday. Students are bringing friends and some have been anxiously awaiting getting involved since they found out about us in High School. UCM becomes a “home away from home” for our students and we are very excited about the year ahead. Do you know of a student to whom we should extend an invitation?  Email us and we will reach out.   A moment of joy from our first Scone Tuesday of the Semester.

 

United Campus Ministry Connections- August 2018

 

UCM Ministry Connections- August 2018 Welcome Weeks Schedule Friday, August 17:  Ice Cream Social in conjunction with Presbytery Youth and Young Adult Team from 8-9pm Monday, August 20:  Hillfest and First Monday Lunch between 11am and 2pm Thursday, August 23:  Cook-out kick-off for Dinner and Discussion.  Local pastors are invited!!! 5:30-7:00pm Monday, August 27:  Monday Lunch and First Birthday Monday of the year. Thursday, August 30:  Dinner and Discussion We are so grateful for the dedication of the Sisters in Service group from First Christian Church in Rogers for organizing our pantry before the beginning of the new semester. New Ways to Support UCM Like our Facebook page. Then, you can keep up with what is going on at the Ministry. Our Facebook page has a new donate tab. Share the page and the donate tab option with your friends. You can choose UCM as your Amazon Smile recipient.  Use this link to choose UCM as your organization. Two notes: Amazon Smile only works on your computer.  It is not active on the Amazon app on your phone. Our registered tax exempt name is “Arkansas Presbyterian and Disciples Campus Ministry Board”. (This is the legal name under which we have our tax exempt status and you may see us listed in Hot Springs due to the way it was established). You can make a HUGE impact for the ministry by starting a monthly sustaining gift.  As we prepare for a transition in the spring to a new Campus Minister for UCM, sustained giving will pave the way to fully supporting the full-time campus ministry position we need to match the vibrant ministry we have established here. We Have Received a Sustainability Grant from the Lilly Endowment United Campus Ministry (UCM) is excited to announce our continued partnership with the Lilly Endowment’s Campus Ministry Theological Exploration of Vocation (CMTEV) Leadership Initiative program.  Lilly invited us to apply for a grant to sustain the wonderful seeds sown through our first grant.  The new grant runs through December 2021 in the form of a $49,950 Sustainability Grant. This grant makes possible the continuation of the Community Engagement position as well as the student internship program. We cannot overstate the impact of these programs to the vibrant and growing ministry at UCM. In 2017-18 we reached over 100 unique students and over 1000 participants in regular programming. We appreciate the generosity of the Lilly Endowment in helping us to continue our work in these important areas. The Sustainability Grant is a matching grant and we are tasked with raising $49,950 over the next three years. We have begun our fundraising and have already received $2500 toward our goal. We have great plans for how this money will be raised in the coming years and invite you to participate in supporting our on-going partnership with Lilly. We invite you to celebrate along with UCM by contributing matching funds to this initiative, allowing us to continue to grow our impact on the students at the University of Arkansas.