Youth Groups - 2004

National Youth Event in Knoxville TN in July 2004 or Bust!

Members of the Junior/Senior High School Youth groups are heading to Knoxville TN in July to attend the United Church of Christ National Youth Event. Before we can leave, we must to raise $2400. We are half way to our goal as of Easter Sunday! Fund raisers have included babysitting on a Saturday before Christmas, selling subs and sandwiches, and selling Easter Sweet Rolls.

We would like to thank everyone who supported our Pancake Lunch! Everyone there enjoyed scrumptious food and marvelous fellowship in our first-ever Pancake-Sausage lunch. Over $400 was raised, which will fund another youth group member to attend the National Youth Event. Many at the lunch told us that they would love to see this as an annual event at CUCC!

As of early May, 14 youth have signed up to attend the National Youth Event... a first for our youth and congregation.

Garage Sale Saturday, June 19

Please start collecting things now for a garage sale sponsored by our youth group and the "Stuff" group! The date will be Saturday, June 19 . You may take them to the home of Ellen Kordik and Tom watembach but please phone them first to make arrangements about drop offs. Proceeds go towards the funding youth to attend the National Youth Event.

Update - $1200 was collected from the garage sale - thanks to everyone who bought and/or helped!

The Community UCC Youth Groups are sponsoring an Illinois Conference-wide 'car' race around our church on a Saturday afternoon in Saturday June 26, 2004 at 1 pm. Youth from other churches will be participating - sending their 'nascar' team to compete with their cardboard race car made of a wardrobe box and driven by various youth group members who will wear it on straps across their shoulders. During their laps around the church, cars will have to stop periodically to change drivers, wash windshields (clean their glasses), and change their tires (or tennis shoes).

Churches will pay a small entry fee to participate, and the winner
will get to take the pot and put it toward their trip to the National Youth event and they will also get to host next year's event.

Starting May 9, we will be asking YOU to pledge toward our youth group's car. For every $300 dollars in pledges, we will be able to knock one lap off of our required race. All of your pledges will go toward out trip as our last major fund raiser. Plan to help support our car with your pledges and then plan to come and cheer us on during the race. It should be an entertaining competition!

Unfortunately, there were not enough other church youth groups participating so the car race fundraiser had to be canceled but we'll try again next year.

Participants in the National Youth Event

Thanks to the congregation's support, all the registrations have been paid for. 3500 to 4000 youth from UCC churches are expected to attend the National Youth Event in Knoxville TN. See the July 7 Communigram.

The following 9 youth and 4 chaperones from Community UCC will be "commissioned" during the worship service on July 18:

• Jessica Bush
• Karen Bush
• Evan Cropek
• Carl Duffield
• Travis Duffield
• Jacob Mulberry
• Mike Mulberry
• Beth Offenbecher
• Jeffrey Offenbecher
• Nathan Smith
• Emily Ward
• Jeanne Ward
• Tom Ward

Have a great trip! We look forward to lots of tales and photos.