Why We Do What We Do
(by Kieran)
Hello team! For those of you who may not have met me before, I’m Kieran, and I’m the Youth Pastor here at UBC. I wanted to use this space today to talk briefly about my philosophy in approaching Youth Ministry, and why we structure things at UBC Youth the way that we do.
Some background - I did not grow up as a Christian, nor were my parents Christian or involved in any faith practise. I became a Christian as a teenager in a Youth Group in my hometown, and it changed my life - not just because of my spiritual growth, but the ways I felt challenged and affirmed as a person at that stage in my life. Youth Group offered me the chance to figure out who I was apart from my parents, to find and develop friendships I still have to this day, and to learn what it was like to ask difficult questions and to be taken seriously as a young person.
My time in youth group and my reflection on my teenage years is really what fuels my passion for Youth Ministry. Youth Ministry is often treated as the first “stepping stone” on your way to becoming a Lead Pastor, but I would never want to do any other ministry job besides working with Youth. I feel like between the ages of 13-18, so much growth happens, so much development, so much searching and finding and questioning happens. You begin to colour outside the lines for the first time, you test limits and define boundaries, you really begin to ask the question for the first time: “Who am I?”; and that’s often followed by the question, “Who do I want to become?”.
To say that these years are formative feels like a gross understatement, to say the least. This is identity-discovering, existence-defining work that our teens are engaging in.
And so what is the role of Youth Group in all of that? The way I see it, it’s mainly 3 things. The first is to provide as safe a space as possible for teenagers to ask themselves and each other those questions. If they’re metaphorically throwing themselves from metaphorical horses to see how they metaphorically bounce, then a large part of my job is to lay metaphorical mats down for them to fall on to, and offer a very real hand and heart to help them back up when they need it.
The second thing is to answer questions they have, to the best of my ability. It’s at this age that I feel like you really begin to think about some of life’s most difficult questions - why do bad things happen? What does it mean to believe, or not, in God, or a god at all? Part of that is also being honest about the answers I don’t have - to be honest about where I struggle to find a way forward, to be honest about the questions I’m still asking. I find that often times people think that being honest with teenagers will frighten them - it has been my overwhelming experience that they tend to find solidarity in our doubts, that they find great comfort in knowing they’re not alone in how they’re feeling.
The third part of that is to facilitate community building for all of this to happen in; that’s really the most important thing to me. Despite how much I adored and grew so much from my own time in Youth Group, I don’t think I could recall any specific lessons from our Youth Evenings. What I do remember was the way I felt - I felt loved, accepted, I felt like this was a place I belonged, and that Church with a capital C was fundamentally a place that I could be safe, and it was a place I could bring my questions and my hurt. That’s not to say I don’t take teaching in Youth Group seriously - we tackle big topics on a regular basis, and I bring every ounce of theological training I’ve received over the years to bear on those lessons. But I’m also aware that I’m not really the one doing anything when it comes to the formation of our Youth - it’s Jesus working through me. What needs to stick, will stick; what isn’t all that important, will fade away. My top priority is loving each of our Youth in the way I know that Christ loves them, and how he loves me. I believe fully that God works through me to teach and minister to these kids, and that he is doing far more than I ever could on my own.
Which is really why I find space-making and community-building to be my top priorities. The lessons and knowledge are important, sure. But if these kids are anything like me, or anything like the countless other people I’ve talked to about their time in Youth Group as teenagers; if they’re anything like us, what they’ll remember is the friends they made, the love they felt, and the acceptance they knew,. They’ll remember that all of that came through people loving them for exactly who they are, because that’s exactly who God made them to be.
Leadership Team Nominations
We are so grateful to Jose Zuniga for serving on LT these last several year, and he will be rotating off in December. We are asking for nominations to replace his spot on LT. 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 the Leadership 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.
Update Your Mailing Address
We’re asking everyone to please share their current address so we can send you things like your annual giving statement, information about our fundraising efforts, and other important information from UBC. You can update your address at this link: https://ubcwaco.churchcenter.com/people/forms/450248
Youth - Wednesday, 6:00 pm at UBC
5th & 6th Graders - Wednesday, 6:00 pm at UBC
Pints w/ Toph - Wednesday, 6:00 pm at Pinewood
Youth Games Afternoon - Saturday, 1:00 pm at UBC
UBC Families Meetup-Mini Golf - Monday, 5:00 pm at Top Golf
What a better way to kick off the week, and shed some of the Monday blues, than hanging out with other UBC Families. Join us at Top Golf on Monday evening for a time of fun and fellowship. There will be free mini-golf, corn hole, and large table top games like Jenga and Connect Four. Bonus, if you need to feed your folks, Top Golf has some excellent food and beverages. No need to rsvp, but if you have questions, contact toph@ubcwaco.org
We are so encouraged by and grateful for the increased giving in October and November that will help us begin to offset the current budget shortfall. And yet, we still have significant financial need to cover before the end of the year if UBC is going to continue along in the same way as we have been. As always, we hope UBC is a place you care about and benefit from and we value your presence, whether you are able to give or not. If you value UBC and want to see our presence in this community sustained, please consider giving as you are able. You can set up one-time or recurring online giving here.
Youth Volunteers
Volunteers are a critical part of UBC’s Youth Group - it’s no exaggeration to say that it literally would not run without them. We’re in need of volunteers to engage with the kids, particularly at our Wednesday night meetings, and to make sure everyone is safe. There is also plenty of room to use specific skills or experience you might have - whether that’s leading lessons, running games, or something else entirely! For more information click this link and/or email kieran@ubcwaco.org.
Youth Dinner
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.
Post-Thanksgiving Evening Service - Sunday, November 27th at 6pm
We hope everyone is gearing up for the Thanksgiving Holiday. We loved seeing many of you at Lovefeast this past week, and we look forward to bringing back another tradition this year: Sunday evening service the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It was a long UBC tradition that we would not have church on Sunday morning after Thanksgiving so we could give folks who were traveling time to come back for the service that evening. So, we are resurrecting the idea. On November 27th, there will be no morning service or SS at UBC. We will have our worship time that evening, at 5pm. Please join us for special UBC night service. If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org.
Youth Games Afternoon - Saturday, December 3rd at 1pm
Cocktails, Carols, and Cookies - Sunday, December 4th at 5:30pm
Please join us for this festive inaugural event at UBC. We are excited to hear different Christmas carols song by several different UBC’ers, and participate in the merriment with our angelic voices! UBC will be making some cocktails, and mocktails, for everyone to enjoy. What we ask of you: please make some cookies to share with the crowd. We will have some bags so you can take home different cookies people bring. This will be a wonderful way to help kick off the Christmas season at UBC. If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org.
Youth + 5th & 6th Grade Christmas Party - Wednesday, December 14th at 6pm
Mothers of God Liturgy - Thursday, December 15th at 7pm
Christmas Eve Service - Saturday, December 24th at 5pm
Brunch Church - Sunday, January 1st at 10:45am
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
The parishioners of the week are Jess Smith and Roy Carney for stepping up as last-minute subs in our kids classrooms on Sunday.
📖 Preaching Schedule
11/20: Christ the King Sunday
11/27: Kirk
12/4: Kirk
12/11: Ryan Miller
12/18: Patrick Broaddus
12/25: Special Christmas Stream (Online Only)
1/1: Brunch Church!
💭 Share Your Feedback
You’re invited to share your feedback (good, bad, or in-between) about the goings-on at UBC! All comments will be shared directly with the UBC Human Resources team who will then share it with Leadership Team, Finance Team, or Pastoral Staff as needed. Share your feedback here: https://forms.gle/1ovkBXSx1Lu3CR448
Leadership Team
Ben Raley (benjaminraley@gmail.com)
Jose Zuniga (jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com)
Katie Valenzuela (katarinaevalenzuela@gmail.com)
Andy Clark (andyclarkmusic@gmail.com)
Aleigh Ascherl (aleighascherl@gmail.com)
Marcus Franklin (M_Franklin@baylor.edu)
Shelly Taylor (Shellytaylor76@gmail.com)
Katie Robinson (katiekrobinson@yahoo.com)
Margo Shanks (Margo_Shanks@baylor.edu)
HR Team
Erin Hill (erin.albin1@gmail.com)
Patrick Broaddus (patrickjbroaddus@gmail.com)
Craig Nash (craig_nash@baylor.edu)
Kristen Howerton (khowerton94@gmail.com)
Abbey Mackey (abbeyadizdar@gmail.com)
Jess Smith (jess_smith1@baylor.edu)
Finance Team
Colton Towns (cctowns@gmail.com)
Julie Sievers (juliehsievers@gmail.com)
Evan Kidd (evan.kidd1@outlook.com)
Ethan Cohen (ethancohen002@gmail.com)