The Pane: Celebrating Our Spiritual Formation and Sunday School Leaders
Have you ever looked back over a significant change or crisis in your life to figure out what sustained you throughout the experience?
I shared with you before the crisis year that was 2013 in which we decided to sell our house and build a new home, have the house go under contract only to have the buyer get fired from his job when he was supposed to be signing papers at the closing. What sustained us was the family and friends that helped us move everything back into our original home and then move it all back out when the house sold five months later.
When we look back at this pandemic experience as a faith community, many things sustained us, such as our flexibility, trust, commitment, and hope. Additionally, so many people stepped up to help lead in their way. I’d like to specifically highlight the leadership of our Spiritual Formation and Sunday School groups.
If you recall, on March 14 of 2020, we made a congregational decision to follow the recommended stay-at-home order, canceling our Sunday worship gathering. However, by the following Wednesday, we had organized a way for each of our Spiritual Formation and Sunday School groups to meet via Zoom, a word most of us had never used unless referring to working the camera lens.
It wasn’t easy. There were was a big learning curb. And yet, it was the leadership of our Spiritual Formation and Sunday School leads that transitioned our classes into the online realm.
Many of our groups have experienced high attendance, with many people rejoining their classes for the first time in years. For other groups, this was a time of growing, inviting new faces to their group.
These weekly group meetings hosted a space for frustration, anxiety, hope, encouragement, connection, and relationships. As a result of these extraordinary groups, we are striding out of this pandemic together with great anticipation of what God has in store for us.
Please join me in thanking all our Spiritual Formation and Sunday School leaders, including Trippe Hawthorn, David Patterson, Julia Sears, Dawn Ryan, Rosalie Bivins, Millicent Hopkins, Renee Rodi, Aaron Biggers, Dave Mixon, John Hightower, Bob Hawthorn, Chuck Goodwin, Vaugh Crombie, Ken Tipton, Deb McElgin, Eric Fulcher, Michal Skinner, Ladonna Williams, Chuck Rea, Herb Bennet, Ron Perritt, Wunmi Olanrewaju, and Martha Forbes.
Young Adults Night Out, July 23rd, 5:30 PM
Join our Young Adults Night Out on the third Friday, 5:30-8:00 pm. This month, we will meet on July 23rd.
The group will gather at a local restaurant for dining. Realizing not everyone can arrive by 5:30 pm, plan on joining the group as you are able. If you have kids, you can drop them off at the church, beginning at 5:15 pm, for dinner and activities for $10 for the first child and $5 for each additional child.
Please RSVP by Tuesday, July 13th here: https://form.jotform.com/211795585027160. The restaurant location will be texted to you.
Join us For Communion this Sunday
Soccer Academy Early-Bird Registration Opens July 6th
We are excited to announce the return of UBC's Soccer Academy for six one-hour sessions in September and October for children ages three to ten years old.
Early Bird Registration opens on July 6 with savings through August 2nd.
The six-week academy begins on Saturday, September 18. The academy dates are September 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, and 23.
Instead of trying to schedule your entire week around scattered soccer practices and games, especially if you have more than one kid playing, register your kid(s) for a series of 1-hour sessions on Saturdays for six weeks. Your child will learn the fundamentals of soccer through fun activities and a scrimmage at the end of each session, all in the comfort of one hour per Saturday for six weeks.
Welcome Tanya Parks by Signing Up for a Care Week
We want you to be a part of welcoming the Parks family to South Louisiana with hospitality and care. You are invited to sign up for one of ten care weeks. This is an opportunity to bring a meal or care package to the Parks family. You are encouraged to approach this with your unique personality and giftedness.
Each week has two spots available to allow more members to share hospitality. Sign up for a care week by clicking on this link or calling the office: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0e4da8a82aa5f85-care1.
FORMATION
Audacious Series Daily Prayer
This week’s prayer is one of: Confession
Prayer written by hymnist George Matheson.
Oh! You who have come to seek and to save lost things, buried things,
I lift my eyes to you.
Many have offered me a golden tomorrow;
you alone have offered to retrieve my yesterday.
Restore to me the waste places of my heart.
Reveal to me the meaning of my failures.
Show me that there was manna in my desert that even Canaan did not hold.
Then shall mine be a harvest joy,
a resurrection joy,
the joy of gathering the buried past.
Then shall my heart be satisfied that the travail of the soul was autumn’s gain.
In Jesus Christ name I pray. Amen.
Noon Summer Book Club, Next Meeting is July 22nd.
Join our Noon Summer Book Club for a bi-weekly conversation about Jemar Tisby’s new book, “How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice,” continues on July 22nd. Please read pages 141-180 before meeting.
The group will meet in-person and online in the Fellowship Hall on the Second and Fourth Thursday of June, July, and August.
Purchase the book on Amazon in digital, audio, and hardback editions.
For those joining via Zoom, use the Mtg ID: 314 698 8114.
Please contact Andy via email (andy@ubc-br.org) or phone (225.766.9474) if you plan to join.
Ecuador Mission Trip Exploratory Meeting
UBC is heading back to Ecuador in 2022 for a one-week mission immersion.
If you are interested in joining the team, please join the July 25th Exploratory Meeting in the Heritage Room after worship. We will discuss the trip details, the types of ministries involved, requirements for the trip, and costs.
If you cannot join in person, you can join via Zoom, using the Mtg ID: 314 698 8114.
Why Sunday School & Spiritual Formation Groups? A Weekly Dialogue
One of the successes we celebrate about UBC is the health of our Sunday School and Spiritual Formation Groups. We’d like to explore why.
Each week, we ask these groups to spend five minutes at the beginning of their meeting to discuss a provided question. Insight from the group’s discussion can be sent to Andy (andy@ubc-br.org) and Eric (eric@ubc-br.org).
July 18: One of the common strengths of our existing groups is relationships. Relationships consist of meaningful connections with others.
What are ways that relationships have started or deepened as a result of connection with this group? Why do you think this happens?
VOLUNTEERING
Help With Sunday Worship Stream Quality
Volunteers can help with many different aspects of the project including planning equipment, software, and workflow upgrades; equipment installation; running a camera; or just being part of a rotation that monitors the soundboard or keynote during worship on Sundays.
Prior experience in video production, live sound, or social media is welcome, but not required. We are willing to provide training, if needed. To volunteer, please contact Justin (justin@ubc-br.org).
We Need Your Help
As we step into this new normal, we need your help. Consider volunteering for one of the following:
Greet one Sunday per month before Sunday School or Worship: a 20-minute commitment once per month
Assist with children one Sunday per month: a 1.5-hour commitment once per month
Learn to run the worship cameras one Sunday per month: a 1-hour commitment once per month
Join the Care Team in creating a welcome environment on Sundays: a 1-hour commitment once per month
Help with childcare one Friday per month as we rebuild our young adult ministry: a 2.5-hour commitment once per month
Participate in an upcoming Gathering: a 2-hour commitment once per month
Teach toddlers or children once per month: a 1.5-hour commitment once per month
Invite a friend to join you for worship or at UBC event: a 10-minute commitment
Join the Retiree Team in creating opportunities for connections: a 1-hour commitment once per month
Join the Connect Group Team in creating like-interest opportunities: a 1-hour commitment once per month
To Get connected, please reach out to Andy at andy@ubc-br.org or 225-766-9474.
RELATIONSHIPS
Summer Gathering & Kids Club Follow Up
What a brilliant evening building relationships, intergenerational connections, and formation. Thank you to all those who were able to attend. We are especially grateful for those that lead the various opportunities. Our next Summer Gathering & Kids Club will be on August 8.
The Summer Gatherings are intended to be a time to build stronger connections within and through UBC. We hope you will not only participate but invite others to join you.
Musicians Ice Cream Social
Join Bob and Kay Hawthorne at their house on Saturday, July 24th at 3:00 p.m. for music and ice cream. No RSVP necessary.
Sunday Name Tag Project
Get to know new and unfamiliar faces on Sundays by picking up a name tag as you enter the worship space. The name tags will be in the Narthex center table. Write your name and answer each week’s conversation starter question.
HOPE Grief Support Groups
YOUTH
Youth Summer Event Schedule
For more information, contact Eric at eric@ubc-br.org or visit www.ubc-br.org/youth
KIDS
CHURCH OF THE NATIONS
Return to Chapel for Worship
We have returned to the chapel for in-person worship! We hope you will join us on Sunday morning at 10:30am!
This week’s topic: Humility -- It’s Not Just About You
Scripture: Luke 18:1-14
GENERAL UPDATES
Return of the Normal Sunday Schedule
At the beginning of the pandemic, the Sunday School and Spiritual Formation start time changed to 9:15 am to allow for less time for excessive contact before worship.
On Sunday, June 20th, we will return to a 9:00 am start time for our Spiritual Formation and Sunday School groups and bring back the 10:00 am Coffee & Community time in the Heritage Room.
Sunday participants are encouraged to pick up a coffee and treat while utilizing the Heritage Room, Narthex, Sanctuary, and Courtyard for conversations during Coffee & Community.
Save The Dates
New Mask Policy
On May 14, Governor Edwards announced that Louisiana would fully adopt the CDC mask guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. Those guidelines state that you are no longer required to wear a mask in indoor or outdoor public spaces if you have been vaccinated. If you have not been vaccinated, you are encouraged to continue to wear a mask to protect yourself and others.
Therefore, if you have been vaccinated, we would like to give you the option to choose whether you wear a mask when attending activities on UBC's campus.
For those working with children and for children under the age of eligibility for vaccinations, mask-wearing will be required.
We recognize that we are all in different places and will take a different timeline in removing masks in shared spaces. If you feel more comfortable continuing to wear a mask, please feel free to do so. We respect your choice.
How To Give
STAY CONNECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC
How to Live Stream Worship
To view Live Stream worship click on the links below:
YouTube: https://bit.ly/ubcbryt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ubcbr
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