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Local Church Updates
Nearly 2,100 Enjoy Winter Family Weekend in LouisvilleWith numerous inspirational seminars, new activity venues and a record crowd of nearly 2,100 people, the 2007 Louisville Winter Family Weekend proved to be quite memorable. The theme for this year, "Building Godly Relationships," prompted many studies throughout Dec. 21 to 25 for all ages. The weekend opened with a Friday night Bible study titled "We Are the Keepers" led by Todd Carey, the pastor of the Williamsburg, Virginia, and Delmar, Delaware, congregations. A dessert reception and fellowship followed. Saturday study started early for everyone with Sabbath school classes for children and 18 different seminars. The sermon "Matters of the Heart" was given by Jim Franks, which included a fantastic story encouraging everyone to "have the heart" like his underdog high school baseball team. The total attendance at the Sabbath service was 1,700 people. Fellowship lasted well into Saturday night with the Ambassador/ABC Reunion and semiformal dances. The city atmosphere was brought into the themes this year with "City Nights" for the teens and "Black, White and Bling" for the young adults. After a late night of dancing, some competitors rose early to participate in volleyball, basketball, speedaway and rock climbing. Although the new basketball facility, Hoops, spread the fellowship to new locations, the quality of the facility impressed basketball fanatics. If athletics weren't the pastime of choice, American Sign Language classes, World News and Prophecy seminars and "Singles in the Middle" fellowship were also available. The Novelty Olympics on Sunday night allowed the young (and the young at heart) to compete in bizarre and unusual competitions leading to hours of fun. Preteens, children ages 4 to 11, participated in organized games ranging from fun relays to basketball, and from kickball to an afternoon of bowling at the new Kingpin Lanes. Monday night brought out the younger side of everyone with the Family Fun Fair. Obstacle courses, miniature golf and a mechanical bull, among many other activities, provided hours of enjoyment and entertainment for those who participated, as well as those who preferred to watch. Throughout the evening there were jam sessions providing bluegrass music, as well as some country and rock-n-roll. "Children at Play" and "J Macadu Band" closed the night with sets performed before an overflowing crowd. The enjoyment heightened as the audience witnessed a marriage proposal during the music set by Garett Pennington, a member of "Children at Play." The final day continued the busy schedule with athletics starting in the early morning hours and the completion of ABC Continuing Education classes taught by Dave Johnson, Ralph Levy and Clyde Kilough. The fellowship continued through the '80s-themed Family Dance, complete with a fashion show of costumed participants. The 2007 Winter Family Weekend built and strengthened relationships through a fast-paced and fully-loaded schedule that ensured everyone will be looking forward to '08. — Whitney Smith [ back to top ] Kansas Seniors Treated to "A Picnic at the Beach”On Nov. 4, 2007, the Wichita, Kansas, congregation hosted a seniors' luncheon for all of those 60 and older in the three congregations in the circuit (Liberal, Salina and Wichita, Kansas). The theme for the lunch was "A Picnic at the Beach." It was a dreary, cloudy, cold day outside, but our "beach" was a bright, happy, indoor spot, complete with everything from sunscreen and beach umbrellas to seashells, sand and a real lifeguard. A delicious picnic lunch, with brisket as the main dish, was prepared and served by local members and teens. After lunch, seniors enjoyed a program that included our children's choir, a couple of violin solos performed by Jerry Hawkins, several poem readings and two piano solos by entertainment organizer Kristy Foraker. Seniors mentioned that they enjoyed having a less formal theme and luncheon this year. Many thanks go to luncheon organizer Mary Logan for all of her hard work. Mary Clark [ back to top ] Houston Area Holds Fall CampoutThe Houston, Texas, area annual fall campout was held Nov. 9 to 11, 2007, at Lake Livingston State Park about 75 miles north of Houston. The weather had been quite chilly up until the weekend when unseasonably warm weather hit. This did not stop these die-hard campers! The welcome dinner of fried chicken and hot dogs (thanks to Leo Ryan and David Buchanan), and potato salad, coleslaw and desserts supplied by campers, was enjoyed by approximately 275 campers who came together to welcome the end of the week and enjoy God's Sabbath and creation. Despite the warm weather, time spent around the campfire enjoying being with friends was a highlight of the weekend. And, of course, no camp site would be complete without the final touch of lights outlining each camp site! Morning brought fog, but it didn't put a damper on our spirits! There was a Sabbath sing-along (led by Chris Rochelle and accompanied on the keyboard by Connie Nickerson) and Bible study brought to us by Bill Jahns. Over 300 campers and about 100 canine campers sat overlooking the lake and enjoyed clear blue skies. The only negative of the weekend was the unusual amount of injuries this year with trips to the emergency room: one with a gash on his forehead requiring stitches (or glue in this case) and another with a broken ankle. We all look forward to next year's fall campout when we can put aside the stress of the outside world and enjoy a millennial setting for a couple of days. — Laurie Curry [ back to top ] Member Earns MastersTeresa L. Anderson, of the Paducah, Kentucky, congregation, received a master of science in agriculture degree from Murray State University, in Murray, Kentucky. Her research at Murray State University included a comparative analysis of taste, yield and mineral analysis of foods grown organically and conventionally. Her future plans may include teaching, research and organic farming. She is a single parent with five children, two still at home—Luke, 17, and Teela, 8. [ back to top ] Member to Receive Doctorate From MITMark Hampton, son of UCG pastor Arnold and Ann Hampton, is being awarded a doctorate from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The committee reviewing his doctoral thesis has accepted his argument and he will take his final walk in June 2008. His thesis subject—"Reducing Exception Management Overhead With Software Restart Markers"—flies over the head of the average person. Being able to integrate high-performance processor designs into the software and hardware technology for the average consumer is an oversimplified description of his expertise and field. His field focuses between the hardware and software aspects of computer science, somewhat like a bridge. Dr. Hampton's post-doctorate objective is to turn his thesis into an actual product. His vision for his future most likely lies in a startup or newly formed company versus a large established corporation. He is very involved in serving the Church and gives sermons on a regular basis. Hampton, who is a member of themusical Hampton family, has other talents and goals in his personal life. He hopes to get back to playing chess and "get to master rank at least. I would like to travel; there are some places I still want to visit. Looking back, I am somewhat wistful for the experiences I had like being on stage acting and singing as I did in high school… I have interest in a lot of different things." For aspiring high school and college students who are looking to successfully attain their goals, Hampton has this advice: "Have a clear vision of who you are, what your priorities are and stick to them. Develop a support network, particularly in grad school, because you are isolated. I had a group, ACME— Academy of Courageous Minority Engineers; we actually had a paper published as a group. It's important to have others with whom you can identify and understand the challenges you face." E. Joyce Moore[ back to top ] Abraham Meets Isaac in KansasIt was a modern-day biblical moment when Abraham met Isaac—Abraham Lincoln and Isaac Clark, that is. Members of the Liberal, Kansas, congregation got a chuckle this summer when our most senior member, Abraham Lincoln, 92, met our newest member Isaac Clark, 0. Even though Mr. Lincoln is a few years younger than the biblical Abraham was when he "met" the original Isaac, he said he didn't think he was interested in having a baby to take care of at his age. Mrs. Lincoln indicated she was sure she was not interested. — Mary Clark [ back to top ] High School Newspaper Prints Article About the FeastHigh school senior Whitney Smith had the following article printed in her high school newspaper under the headline "Alaskan Getaway: Perfect Retreat Expands Understanding." Whitney said: "The reaction I received from school was quite suprising. I am the editor in chief of the newspaper, so I was very keen on getting my staff's response. I was approached with many general questions, such as what denomination this church was and what other practices were involved. The overall reaction from my school wasn't very strong, but I didn't intend for it to be… Overall, the reaction I gained from my staff was the same that I received from my soccer team: lots of questions, but they were generally interested in hearing about it." I switch my camera off and mockingly laugh at my younger brother, brusquely pulling on his shoes and shivering from the cold as he quickly jumps out of the river created by the runoff from the melting glacier. Alaska is known for its reputation for adventure and discovery; throughout my stay there I was able to live this firsthand. The scenery was breathtaking; it was everything that the brochures and media portrayed it to be. Although the sightseeing and shopping was incredible, my trip had another purpose. Every morning, I would prepare myself and my younger cousin for the church service that would later follow. This was what it was like being a part of my new religion. It sounds great, doesn't it? The ability to miss two weeks of school, fly to Alaska, and write it off as a church event? Even though this was what it originally looked like, it slowly came to mean a lot more to me. My family and I recently returned to the church my parents had been a part of growing up. In the first few months I resented it, quite fervently, because in the world's eyes it is considered very strict. This new religion meant observing a Saturday Sabbath. To me, this meant missing numerous games during my senior year soccer season, having to explain myself to my friends and team, and saying goodbye to anything on Friday night. It's difficult to explain the immediate transition to people you have known for years. All of a sudden, there's a specific reason why you are different from everyone else. It became frustrating to explain to everyone else what I was practicing because at the same time I was trying to understand it also. Along with the Saturday Sabbath came a series of Holy Days that are observed throughout the year. This is where the trip to Alaska comes into play. The Feast of Tabernacles consists of congregating with people of the same faith in "the perfect setting," which in my case was the picturesque state of Alaska. I came to terms with the practices of my faith and actually began understanding their meaning; I was able to appreciate the differences that I now possessed. I experienced a once-in-a-lifetime trip, while gaining more insight into my faith. I started out in the church with the assumption that very few would ever accept this way of life. During my time in Alaska, I was able to realize that thousands of people around the world not only held the same beliefs, but firmly stood strongly in them. This is a comforting feeling for somebody who had spent the past few months attempting to explain why I was suddenly so different. Alaska also provided a chance for me to see my brother as more of an adult instead of the little kid I had always associated with him. As my brother and I boarded our first flight out of Louisville, a sense of independence burst inside of us. Who could imagine a trip to Alaska alone, only to meet our grandfather once we arrived? Walking in downtown Anchorage late at night was intimidating to say the least. Homeless men filled sections of town, begging for money. Signs were posted in shop windows encouraging tourists to avoid giving out money, and announcements were made in church about which streets to avoid. Whenever we ventured downtown, my brother would walk alongside me, telling me to slow down or speed up according to what he felt was safe. No longer did I feel like the oldest with him constantly watching out for my safety, which made me realize how much he had grown up in the past years. I gained a new respect for him; I was able to see him outside of my parents' watch. Even though he sometimes acted like an idiot, jumping into freezing rivers and posing on the top of a snowy mountain in only gym shorts, he had matured without even noticing it. This experience opened up my mind. The brief removal from school, stress, and homework (even if I was technically supposed to be doing it) allowed for a chance to just think. As stress begins to mount for us as seniors, and for underclassmen as they prepare for the end of the semester, I would advise taking some time to think. Finding exactly what we believe in will allow us to become stronger teenagers and eventually stronger adults. In a world where everything is dictated towards us and individual opinions become lost, it's vital that we don't lose sight of ourselves. Alaska proved to be an unforgettable experience: seeing a moose with giant antlers for the first time, climbing to the top of Flat Top Mountain, and panning for gold in a less than mediocre tourist attraction. But it's the insight into my faith and the respect I gained for my brother that stand out in my mind, proving to me that Alaska truly is a place of discovery. —Whitney Smith [ back to top ] Local Church Updates: If your congregation's news and events are rarely covered in United News, why not check with your pastor and write something for him to send in? We're looking for 100-to 300-word articles and photographs with captions. Please include a self-addressed envelope if you would like photos returned. Include the author's and photographer's names and your phone number. Please double-check the spelling of names. Please e-mail (preferred) or give the material to your local pastor to forward to United News. If you have questions, contact: webmaster@ucg.org |
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