(In The Life Of The Church)
Ordinary Time
Well, hello and happy Tuesday team!
For those of you who may not have met me before, my name is Kieran and I’m the Youth Pastor here at UBC. I wanted to take just a short amount of time to talk about Youth formation here at UBC; the ways in which we’ve fostered it over the years, and how we’re approaching it this semester to keep learning new and exciting for all the kids in the youth group.
Traditionally, back when the youth group first started, we began by taking one book of the bible per semester - typically an Old Testament book in the spring, and a New Testament book in the autumn. This worked really well, and allowed us to dive in deep each week to a specific part of whatever text we were studying - say, for example, the Gospel of Luke.
Now, taking a slow approach like this did bring its problems. For all our good intentions and theological training, at the end of the day, the youth group is still comprised of teenagers - brilliant, thoughtful, intelligent teenagers, but they’re always going to get bored easily when they feel like they’re doing school on a Wednesday night after having done school all week already. It’s tricky to keep engagement up, and therefore tricky to actually keep comprehension and engagement up. This was especially true during the first year or so of the pandemic - they would sit on Zoom all day doing school, and the idea of doing the same thing for youth group was, understandably, galling.
So, I endeavored to change things up a bit. Last year we tried a process of teaching thematically - we would go through a series of topics, let’s say Prayer, Reading the Bible, Love, and so on, and each evening I’d pull from a range of Biblical sources to provide context for those themes throughout the Bible. This, alongside changing up how discussion groups were organised (we went from a purely-based-on-age model to more of an “interest-level” model - those more interested in how the topic applied to daily life would form one group, whilst those seeking to dive deeper into the theology and philosophy of the topic would form another group, for example), led to a much better level of engagement.
It also had another factor - we have seen dramatic change and growth in our kids as they’ve been able to engage in the material in the way they find most edifying. This is natural as they grow up, and it’s a huge part of it, but I got lots of feedback that taking a sense of ownership in some small way helped them feel more involved, and they were more likely to engage in discussions, ask questions, and overall really come out of their shells.
That leads us to this semester - building on top of the foundations we set last year and the feedback that ownership was a really motivating factor, we’ve moved into that space even more. In the youth room there is a Halloween Yoda’s head with pens and paper in it, and each week at various youth group events, I remind and encourage the kids to write down any questions they have - about Christianity, the Bible, theology, what it means to live as a Christian, etc. Then, at the end of our weekly youth group sessions, I have someone come up and pick a topic randomly from the hat (Yoda’s head) - and that’s the topic of next week’s session!
So far I think this approach has been working wonderfully. Each week prompts new questions, and the kids feel like they’re actually getting to learn about the things they actually have questions about, rather than just me making informed, but ultimately arbitrary, decision about what I think they might have questions about.
UBC youth group is first and foremost a place of formation and discovery. We build on the phenomenal curriculum in our kids’ ministry, a curriculum used nationwide with robust and easy-to-learn lessons, and take time to strengthen those foundational tenets of Christianity whilst also exploring more advanced topics.
This age is such a pivotal one, as we all remember in our own lives. The kids are figuring out for the first time, what it means to have a faith or belief in something that is their own, and comes from them, rather than simply being inherited from their parents. It’s a time of growth, and sometimes stretching pains, but it is deeply humbling and rewarding to create a safe space for them to ask those questions and make those discoveries.
With all my warmest,
Kieran
P.S. Want to get our weekly Youth Email? Sign up by checking the box next to Youth at this link (or email kieran@ubcwaco.org).
UBC Pastoral Search Survey
This is the last week to share your feedback by completing the Pastoral Search Survey or scheduling an in-person listening session (link here). This survey will close after Sunday, October 2nd. If you have questions, please email pastoralsearch@ubcwaco.org.
Leadership & Finance Team Nominations
We continue to seek Leadership Team and Finance Team nominations. These positions are incredibly important for our community and an important way to serve! Thanks for considering carefully if you are interested or if you know someone who might do a good job.
If you have questions about serving on either the Leadership or Finance Team and want to learn about what is involved, please feel free to read our bylaws or email LeadershipTeam@UBCWaco.org. Nominations can be sent to our email address or to any of our staff members.
This Week at UBC
Youth - Wednesday, 6:00 pm at UBC
5th/6th Graders - Wednesday, 6:00 pm at UBC
Pints w/ Toph - Wednesday, 6:00 pm at UBC
Women’s Group: The Light in the Piazza - Thursday, 7:30pm at
Waco Civic Theatre
Backside - Friday, 7 pm at UBC
UBC Tailgate at Baylor - Saturday, 11am at Baylor: Join us in revelry and anticipation at the Ubc Tailgate. There will be free beer and hotdogs, as well as free memories and laughs. It's going to be a real touchdown of a time. Stay tuned for specific time and location. Contact jamie@ubcwaco.org with questions.
Youth Coffee w/ Kieran - Saturday, 1pm at Pinewood Coffee
Youth Sunday - Sunday, October 2nd
First Sunday Meal (Foster Care Focus) - Sunday, October 2nd: We will be hosting two different ministries/non-profits who work in foster care, Arrow Child and Family Ministries, and CASA, to share about their work and ways you might support children in foster care. Each have a brief opportunity to share at the end of the service and we will be having a luncheon after church to hear more about their work. Sign-up here or contact toph@ubcwaco.org with any questions.
Needs of the Church
Children’s Ministry: We looking for one last very special person to volunteer in our Bloom (2/3-year olds) classroom once a month.
We’re also looking for dedicated subs who can step in when scheduled volunteers are ill or have scheduling conflicts. This is a great option if you want to serve with our kids but can’t say yes to a once/month commitment!
If you’re willing to serve or would like to learn more, please email brooke@ubcwaco.org.
Youth Ministry: If you’d like to get involved with the Youth Group but can’t volunteer on Wednesday nights you can sign-up to provide youth dinner (cooked, bought, or otherwise!) instead. Sign up for that here and Kieran will reach out to you at the beginning of the week you sign up for to arrange details.
Giving: Click here to give online.
Upcoming Events
St. Francis Day Liturgy - Tuesday, October 4th at 5:30pm: Join us at 5:30PM on Tuesday, October 4th, as we celebrate the life of St. Francis of Assisi. We'll be using the story of his life as a lens to worship God, and also as a tool of our own formation. If you'd like to submit a photo of a beloved animal in your life, email jamie@ubcwaco.org
Out on the Brazos- Saturday, October 8th, 11am-6pm: We are having our first table at Out on the Brazos this year, and we need a few folks to come out and share about UBC. The festival is from 11am-6pm, and we are looking for people to come out and help us with our booth. If you would like to volunteer, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org
Youth Games Afternoon - Saturday, October 8th at 1pm
Nübcers Lunch - Sunday, October 9th after church: If you are new to UBC within the last 6 months, and would like to learn more about our community and ways you can get involved, please consider staying after church on October 16th. We will provide lunch and drinks, and will be done by 1:30pm at the latest. You can sign-up on Sunday morning, or email toph@ubcwaco.org
Young Adult Retreat - Friday, October 14th-Sunday, October 16th: If you are in your mid 20’s-mid 30’s, we would love for you to join us for the retreat in a few weeks. We will leave on Friday afternoon from UBC, and return in time for church on Sunday morning. We are headed to a lake house on Cedar Creek Lake, and the cost is $40 for all meals and lodging. Email toph@ubcwaco.org to sign-up, or if you have questions.
Women’s Group-Costume Party - October 28th at 7pm
UBC Families Meetup-Waco Zoo - October 29th at 9am
Neighborhood Parties - Friday, November 4th at 6pm
Women's Group-Hangout - Friday, November 11th at 7pm
Thanksgiving Lovefeast - Sunday, November 13th at 5:30pm
UBC Families Meetup-Mini Golf - Monday, November 14th, 5-7pm
Post-Thanksgiving Evening Service - Sunday, November 27th at 6pm
Find more details and our full calendar of events on our website. This calendar is updated frequently, so check back often!
Parishioner of the Week
Our parishioner of the week is Sarah Miller for hosting last week’s LGBTQIA+ meetup.
Preaching Schedule
10/2: Youth Sunday
10/9: Patrick
10/16: Kerri
10/23: Craig
10/30: Kieran
