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.

 

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