Adults

After several months working as the Young Adults and Worship Pastor, I’ve realized that young adults have a desperate need to be connected to the body of Christ. They need to have friends who will point them to Jesus day by day. They need to have a place to study the Bible and apply it to their lives. They need opportunities to reach out to the community and share the love of Christ with their neighbors. They need to have fun and laugh with like-minded believers. They need a chance to be known and loved by people who understand what is going on in their lives. In short, they need a community who will love them, challenge them, invest in them, serve alongside them, and help them on their journey of faith in Jesus Christ.

However, young adults don’t need the body of Christ more than other people do, since every Christian is commanded to be in fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:25). Conversely, the church doesn’t need young adults more than any other age group, because each part of the body of Christ is equally as important (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). The point is that young adults need the body of Christ and the body of Christ needs young adults. In fact, I would argue that we cannot consider a local church truly healthy unless it includes every age demographic, including young adults. This doesn’t mean that each age group will be equally represented in a church, but it does mean that the church should seek to integrate and value brothers and sisters from every age category.

Now, it’s one thing to say that every age group should be an integral part of the local church body, and quite another thing to figure out exactly how to go about making this integration happen. Some churches try to accomplish this through eliminating age-specific programming entirely in an attempt to bring people of all ages into fellowship with one another. Other churches choose to break the entire church into age-specific programs, sometimes even having age-specific church services. At Ustick, I would say we have chosen to take a hybrid approach. We do have age-specific ministries (children, youth, 50+, etc.) but we also strongly encourage cross-generational interaction, which is perhaps best demonstrated during
our Sunday morning gatherings.

The challenge for me, then, is to work with the young adults to connect them not only to each other but also to the broader body of Christ here at Ustick. Just like every other ministry, it is difficult to discern how best to meet this twin goal of connecting people of similar age to each other and also to the rest of the church body. But I believe that both must be accomplished if we are to truly be effective in the Young Adult ministry. As Christians, we cannot expect to become fully formed disciples of Christ without the help of other brothers and sisters along the way. Young adults are no exception. I am so excited about what God is accomplishing here at Ustick, and I look forward to partnering with you all as we seek to follow after our Savior.

In Christ,
Daniel

National Date Night Challenge to be hosted at Ustick Baptist Church – February 11.

Marriage Week is February 7 to 14 every year — which is a collaborative effort to encourage many to strengthen individual marriages, reduce the divorce rate, and build stronger marriages! Research shows that dating at least once a month significantly improves relationships. The Date Night Challenge is a two-hour event featuring comedian Jeff Allen, singer/songwriter Michael O’Brien and bestselling authors Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley via webcast. During the event, the Smalleys will explain the power of dating your mate and encourage couples to take the “Date Night Challenge”: go on three dates in three weeks. This is part of a national “date night movement” where the goal is for 5 million dates to take place across the country during the month of February. This event is the first date of the challenge! Focus on the Family will then provide free, downloadable materials and content for their next two dates. Then, each month for the next year, couples can download a new, free date night guide that provides content and ideas for their dates. Join us for this world-class evening of fun, laughter and entertainment via webcast! Watch for more details coming soon to a bulletin near you! Please contact Scott Dykstra at 871-1133 or Pastor Mike at 938-2121 with any questions.

Family Life Conferences – “A Weekend to Remember” (April 20-22, Boise)

These conferences are not a large counseling session and you will not be asked to participate in small groups. Rather, you will receive marriage-changing principles that you can take home and apply to your daily lives that will strengthen your marriage.

For any more details or questions call Mike Veit at 860-4990 or check out this web site at http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.3204559/k.CA50/Events.htm

“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart”
Luke 18:1

For the past week I have had a condensed version of the above verse on my desk at church. My version simply reads, “Pray and don’t lose heart”. I have had it there to daily remind me of a great truth taught by our Lord Jesus and addressing something that we are all tempted to do in our Christian lives which is to “lose heart”. This is true not only in the area of prayer but also in serving the Lord in various ways and “doing good” (cf. Galatians 6:9). [click to continue…]

New Name: “Coram Deo”
The Men’s Ministry has selected a new name that will hopefully capture our ministry mandate! “Coram Deo” was referred to in a recent sermon by Pastor Greg. The term is Latin meaning “Before The Face Of GOD.” It carries with it the idea of integrity in every aspect of our lives. We need to see ourselves as always under the loving, protective gaze of our Heavenly Father… and live our lives accordingly. For more information about the name and its meaning, please visit: http://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-does-coram-deo-mean/

October 1st, 2011 – 8:00AM – October Skies Breakfast – Church Activity Center & Kuna Launch Site
October 5th, 2011 – 7:00PM – “FCM” Fellowship of Christian Men starts (8-week experiment) – Church Library
November 5th, 2011 – 7:30AM – Men’s Breakfast – Church Activity Center
December 3rd, 2011 – 7:30AM –  Men’s Breakfast – Church Activity Center
February 24-26th, 2012 – Men’s Winter Retreat – Camp Pinewood – McCall, ID
September  7-9, 2012 – Men’s Roundup – Camp Tadmor – Lebanon, OR

This is the “official” time of year to express our love and appreciation for our pastors at UBC. Please be thinking of fun and creative ways to bless those that are such a blessing to us. Some ideas include cards, emails, homemade cookies, etc.
The sign-up folders are on the Information Center counter in the foyer. You do not need to sign-up to participate, and more than one person may sign-up on the same day. The calendars are a way to ensure that, hopefully, our pastors are remembered each day of the month of October.

Thank you for joining with us, the Women’s Ministry Team, and taking this opportunity to show our gratitude for the men who serve the Lord and our church family so lovingly and faithfully.

{ 1 comment }

The Cross by John Stott
Wednesday mornings, 9:15-10:30 AM in the Fireside Room at UBC
Leader: Lorna Barrows

Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage by Mark Gungor
Monday evenings, 7-9 PM (Call Patsy Porter for directions 887-8504)
Starts September 26
Leader: Trish Edwards

Jonah by Priscilla Shirer
Wednesday evenings, 7-9 PM in Room 115 at UBC
Starts October 5
Leader: Karen Hickman

The Women’s Ministry Team welcomes our two newest team members, Susan Carter and Sharee McMahon!!

We are so very excited that Susan will be stepping in as the head of the Celebration Team. This is the group that hosts the annual Ladies Luncheon in the spring, craft workshops, cooking classes, and other events that allow the women at UBC to gather together for fun and fellowship. The team currently consists of Patti Crouch, Cynthia Goldgrabe, and Angela Rash, but they are looking for more ladies that would like to join them as they serve and minister to the women at Ustick.

Sharee McMahon has graciously volunteered to take on the ministry of sending wedding and baby gift cards. The WM acknowledges weddings and babies (first born or first born since attending UBC) with a gift card to Bed, Bath and Beyond, or to Babies R Us.

We praise God for His faithfulness to send workers for the harvest!!