2022 at UC

Jan–Mar

Generation to Generation

A call to remember usually preempts the people of God on the cusp of experiencing God’s faithfulness. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses encourages Israel to remember God’s faithfulness in the exodus, and wilderness, as they relocate to the promised land. In the gospels, Jesus invites his disciples to remember him as they break bread during the Last Supper in the Upper Room. And in a letter to his friend, the Apostle Paul equips Timothy with a truth—to remember the “risen Jesus”—as he closes out his letter (and his ministry).

From generation to generation, the faithfulness of God can be woven throughout God’s story … and we’re experiencing it today at University Carillon. From a preschooler praying for his friend to an adult senior leading a middle schooler in Confirmation class, we’re witnessing a microcosm of what it looks like to be part of God’s generational story.

While God’s faithfulness remains steadfast, our acknowledgement of it sometimes lacks consistency. As we’re heading into the rest of 2022, we want to discipline ourselves to remember what God has done, to help us imagine what God will do.

We believe that this church is on the cusp of something good because we’re relying on something great—the Holy Spirit to work and guide us in our next steps. Check out what that’s looked like so far this year …

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Preschool

UC Early Learning Center serves as the earliest discipleship opportunity for kids ages two to five years old. Currently in its 27th year, UCELC continues to provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and spiritual development of young children, allowing them to grow and develop just as Jesus did.

UCELC is currently 65% full for the next school year (spaces still available in 2s, 3s, and VPK programs). As an effort to connect with families, the school hosts many events throughout the year that involve the parents:
• Valentine’s Town (students explored love and friendship through a town-based theme)
• World Cultures week (in which families came in to share stories, food, dress, songs and games from their country of heritage)

“In the year and a half since I have come on board as the Director of the Early Learning Center, I have had numerous experiences in which the church has proven to me that we are truly a connected family worshiping a wonderful God. We are not in competition for time, money, resources, space or people! And because of that spirit we can serve our community in a way that reaches deeper than it would if we were all vying for space.”

—Jamie Deger, UC Early Learning Center Director

Kids Ministry

At the beginning of the year, the Kids Ministry team set out to find ways to engage the whole family in connecting with each other, with Jesus and with the church. In pursuit of this goal, the team planned “Family Nights”—Movie Night, Silly Olympics, Park Hopping and Science Night—that have reached over 55 families (146 kids). These events have helped bridge the gaps between Upward, UCELC, church attenders, and community members who’ve never stepped foot on our campus.

Wednesday Nights have begun flourishing this semester. The presence of the Parenting class (led by Jesse Bachman and Pastor Craig) brought more kids into the Wednesday Night programming since the beginning of the pandemic. The Kids Ministry team developed some exciting series: “The Pillars of the Faith,” “Favorites” (the staff’s favorite scriptures) and we recently began a “Worship” series—breaking down the worship songs often done in Kids Ministry areas. In addition to the series, twice a semester is “panel night.” Students are given the opportunity to write down any questions they have about faith to be explored by the staff.

“Our students in general have loved volunteering to pray. We’ve had 4-year-old kids being the first to raise their hands to pray, and do an amazing job.

One of my favorite prayer moments recently was when a young girl (who had never prayed for us before) volunteered to pray for the group. At the end of her prayer, she looked up, smiled, and said ‘I learned how to pray like that at [Upward] soccer!’”

—Megan McKeel, Kids Ministry Associate Director

Upward Soccer

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The first few months of 2022: getting back to some semblance of normal in everyday life. Upward soccer has seen great growth since last season. While we see growth in numbers, we’re also seeing families move off the field and into other ministries of the church (services, Wednesday Nights, EPIC Youth).

Upward Basketball

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“Seeing a groundswell of families getting plugged into different ministries of the church is so exciting,” said Recreation Director Jesse Bachman. The Upward Basketball league has grown 50% since last season … and bringing in more kids to Wednesday Nights.

EPIC Youth

Ministry Highlights

• Spring Retreat High school students headed to Camp Joy, about an hour away, for a weekend of worshiping, exploring the springs and outdoors, resting and diving into the truth that: Jesus as our king, prophet and priest.

• Middle School Retreat Middle school students broke into groups with “team colors,” and some amazing high school leaders helped lead those groups and pour into middle school students through the weekend, as we explored how to hear God’s whisper amidst the noise of the world.

• HS Leadership (SLACC, STUDs) A big part of EPIC Youth’s heart is helping students lead as they serve Jesus. We love doing that through SLACC and STUDs, two avenues for high schoolers to grow in leadership.

• Bible Studies Students continued to meet weekly for Guys & Girls Bible Study hangouts, spending time in community at the beginning, and then in scripture and prayer. We also meet weekly for Freestyle and Venture, EPIC’s in-service Bible Studies.

• Confirmation For 11 weeks, a group of students is meeting weekly to walk through the foundations of following Jesus … and this year, they’re walking through it paired with an adult “mentor”! Mentors are adults from the church who we trust love Jesus and commit to loving on, meeting with, and guiding one student for the Confirmation journey.

• Fun Events EPIC-Tines, March Madness Bracket Challenges, Winter Olympic Games (February), National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, Spring Break Laser Tag, Super Bowl Party

“On Ash Wednesday, our middle schoolers and SLACC (high school leaders) came over to join the church wide service. During worship at the end, I stood in the back of the sanctuary giving ashes. The last person to walk up to me was one of our middle school girls. I started putting ashes on her forehead, and she began to cry.

I was worried she might be uncomfortable, so we went into the hallway to talk. She told me that why it took her so long to come up was that during worship, she felt an experience almost like electricity running through her body—‘like a shock but without the pain’—and felt it again when she received ashes. She’d never experienced that before and thought maybe this was God becoming real to her for the first time.

One of the coolest parts about this might be later: we celebrated this with SLACC high school leaders, and one leader shared that earlier that night, in the parking lot before EPIC began, she had prayed that God would become real to one of the middle schoolers in the service that night.

Getting to the full-circle of the power of prayer—and the beauty of that happening not just between leaders and students, but between students and students—was so encouraging. God is so good to meet us where we are and surprise us there!”

—Holly Fohr, EPIC Youth Pastor

Prodigal College Ministry

Welcome Home

Prodigal College Ministries, formally known as College Nights, started as a Bible Study meetup to offer college students, who were plugged into the Vessel community, a place to connect and grow together. Since then, the Lord has shown His desire to cultivate a flourishing community that we now know as Prodigal College Ministries.

The group exists to help people find Hope in Jesus, Home in the local church, and have a Hand in someone’s story. The name Prodigal is derived from the Parable of the Prodigal Son (in Luke 15:11-32) and communicates a simple truth: no matter what we’ve done or where we are at in our journey, we always have a Father who is pursuing us and lovingly calling us home.

“We have a student that works in the social working field and helps our friends from the homeless population find hope and direction. She testified as to how the work can bring an incredible emotional load on one’s heart and shoulders. While feeling that weight, she felt called to pray for peace that only Jesus can offer … offloading the anxieties onto the Lord because he cares for us. She sensed a peace that surpasses all understanding then proceeded to see the Lord open opportunities for some of the people she’s helping that she specifically prayed over.”

—Kris Holguin, Next Generations Director

Young Adults

For the last three months, the Young Adults group paused weekly Bible study (one of the main components of the Young Adults group) to be present in the Canyons series and in the Canyon Communities. Attendees of the Young Adults group were present and active across the three Canyon Communities, jumping into the opportunity to hear and learn from people across all generations and walks of life.

A Heart for the Community This semester, the Young Adults group partnered with Commission 127—a ministry that helps foster and adoptive families. Many C127 Family gatherings are more focused on families and kids, leaving a huge need for events specifically geared towards teens. The Young Adults group saw that need and filled the gap by planning an Easter-themed fun night for C127 teens. The night consisted of Easter-themed “minute to win it” games, tie dye egg decorating, and a Glow in the Dark Easter egg hunt.

Adults

• Adult Discipleship on Wednesday nights Spring 2022 has seen a good response through many new opportunities on Wednesday nights. In addition to Bible study, options included: going deeper in the “Canyon” sermon series, explore what Emotional Healthy Spirituality looks like, and dive into a “Parenting Together”—reaching many Upward families.

• Membership at UC Exploring what it means to be a family member at University Carillon, 37 people (including some current members) attended our first post-pandemic “Membership at UC” class. Come Easter, over 20 new members will join the church.

“I have been encouraged by conversations I have had with those in the Membership at UC class. In particular a couple families with young kids, where the kids have been drivers in the families to keep coming back. That kids know UC is a place that they have fun, are known, and learn about Jesus. Also, the spread of ages and stories in the class is a important reminder that we are surrounded by people looking for a faith community, a place where they can connect and experience the grace of Jesus!”

—Craig Blocher, Discipleship Pastor

Canyon

We just wrapped up a 13-week sermon series called “Canyon”—a journey of teaching practical ways for people to be with and become like Jesus (following Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline). Canyon booklets were created to help people engage through service, a small group, and on their own (815 total printed).

In an emphasis on the importance of meeting in small groups, Vessel started three small groups that have met weekly throughout this series: a men’s group, a women’s group, and a co-ed group. Each one has been unique, but the stories of growth and transformation coming out of each one has been powerful.

“This small group has been one of the best I have ever been a part of. I read the book [Celebration of Discipline] twice before, but never with community. Practicing the disciplines with others provided the encouragement and accountability we needed for the highs and lows of the process.

I agreed with Foster when he said, “This is worthy of your best effort” … but it was not easy and took a lot of time, commitment and wrestling. However, from the first day [of the small group] everyone in the group was honest and vulnerable regarding their experiences. That knit us together quickly and gave us the motivation we needed.

This [Canyon series] is not a series to move on from, these rhythms with God are for the rest of our lives. Plus, it takes about 13 weeks on each [discipline] to really start settling into it.”

—Kristi Marsh, Co-ed Canyon Group Leader

A note from Pastor Taylor Fohr (Vessel)

“Nearly every week, I had someone from the [Canyon] group share a testimony with me of God at work: things finally “clicking” for them through a discipline, God speaking to them through someone else in the group, how helpful it was to have practical things to do in following Jesus, how refreshing it was to feel freed from the pressure to do those things perfectly, and how powerful it was to wrestle through it all alongside others doing the same. These are people who previously shared a room together on Sunday mornings now beginning to form the kind of family we pray for and talk about at Vessel: a diverse group of people becoming family who don’t just passively attend church but actively pursue Jesus and one another.”

Serving

If you’re familiar with Luke 15, you can recognize why we are so driven to serve. In pursuit of Jesus, we find the one. To serve the one, we gather the many. And because of the many, we bring the church wherever we serve. Our mission field: wherever our feet are.

The church has served in many capacities in the past few months: serve days, volunteering at weekend gatherings, mentoring Confirmation students, sorting food at a Food Pantry, leading worship, hosting community events, serving food to college students, collecting non-perishable items for Community Pantry … and more.

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Giving

Tithes and offerings in the first financial quarter has started slow, causing us to dip into our reserves to continue the amazing ministry happening here. But the church that calls University Carillon home is bursting at the seams in its pursuit to share the Gospel. Lives are being transformed. The church is growing. The lost are being found.

We invite you to prayerfully, and practically, continue supporting the mission and ministry happening through the church as we head into the rest of 2022.

or by check (drop off at the church offices)

When the whole people of God give generously, the church is equipped with everything it needs to live fully into the unique calling of God upon them. We want to be a church of good news—running on all cylinders, relying deeply and daily upon the Holy Spirit; being fully equipped through the generous faithfulness of its people.

Ready, set...

God’s faithfulness remains steadfast … and so does our anticipation of what He might do next. Since the beginning, University Carillon has been investing in the future of the church—our next steps to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Goals for this next season …

• Preschool (UCELC) Reach 100% capacity for the upcoming 2022-23 school year by the beginning of September. Recruiting classroom prayer partners for the upcoming school year.

• Kids Ministry Develop a volunteer system by the end of the semester to increase volunteers in weekend gatherings, family events and summer camps.

• Upward Sports Continued family connections from Upward to church ministries. Strength and endurance for the coaches and athletes.

• EPIC Youth Ministry Creatively and intentionally help incoming 6^th graders, incoming 9^th graders and graduating seniors transition well into their next season.

• Prodigal College Ministry As the community continues to grow in depth and number, the Lord is stirring up ideas of gatherings outside of the regular Tuesday night gathering (on campus presence, work with UCF Knights Pantry, prayer nights).

• Young Adults Growth in personal faith and fellowship with each other … through regular one-on-one check-ins, Bible Study and prayer.

• Adult Discipleship God is ready to do a new thing. The seeds of revival lie just beneath the surface, waiting for an outpouring of prayer and trust to bloom.

• Vessel Working to reimagine and grow the hospitality team with a shared vision for Christ-like generosity. Also planning to host a corporate prayer night.

Go

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” —John 15:4-5 Prayer prompts our posture. Before anything, we submit our dreams and goals for this community to God’s will—and we do that through prayer. Please join us in prayer as we set out on these adventures together.

Pray for …

• Preschool (UCELC) … the teachers and staff to be guided and filled by the Holy Spirit as they prepare and lead classes. Also, that families feel poured into and blessed by the outreach of this ministry.

• Kids Ministry … the staff, volunteers and families as summer camp preparation is underway; that these camps would be lifegiving and point kids to Jesus. Also, for families of the church, preschool, upward and community would connect with each other and Christ.

• Upward Sports … the families coming to the field and court, that they would come to know Jesus and choose to grow here. Also, that those who are the most vulnerable/struggling/in need of hope find the right people to pour into and show Jesus to them.

• EPIC Youth Ministry … new students to step into deeper discipleship and greater leadership. Also, for summer camps … that

God would begin stirring in students an availability, excitement and hunger for all He wants to do.

• Prodigal College Ministry … the heart of the Father to be revealed, the presence of Jesus be seen and the friendship of the Holy Spirit to be felt.

• Young Adults … continued intergenerational connections within the church and for more opportunities to serve the community.

• Adult Discipleship … the ministries of UC that you participate in, and how the Holy Spirit would use you to invite new people and grow in relationship with those already present in your groups.

• Vessel … wisdom to discern between the “good things” and “God things” that God wants this community to pursue this season. Also, for diversity of age, culture, language, personality and spiritual gifting.

In Jesus name—amen.