YOUTH – Middle School

30-hour Famine, March 3-4

Join us for an ecumenical 30-hour Famine Lock-in, March 3-4, 2017

Click Links Below for More Information:

  • REGISTRATION – we’d like to know approximately how many youth are attending.

  • How to get your youth involved (see information below)

  • What to bring if participating

  • Our WISH LIST – including LARGE refrigerator boxes

  • Where to find us / Our Schedule of EVENTS – coming soon

On Friday, March 3rd starting at 4:00pm through the evening of Saturday, March 4th, ending at about 7:00pm, 8th grade and high school youth will unite together to bring awareness to our global and local famine crisis, by participating in a 30-hour famine.

Youth throughout Whitewater will begin fasting on Friday, March 3rd at noon through 6:00pm Saturday, with a meal to follow. For 30 hours youth will be participating in a lock-in, sleeping in cardboard boxes and participating in community service events to help unite our community in battling against hunger.

Students will be in cardboard box houses on Saturday, March 4th from 9:00 – 11:00am in front of the Living Word Fellowship Church located at 212 W. Main Street, downtown Whitewater. They will be taking monetary donations and non-perishable food donations for the Whitewater Pantry. 100% of all funds raised and donated will be given to the local Food Pantry and to Bethel House in Whitewater.

What is it like to not have anything to eat or to live in a cardboard box?
This experience will give our local youth a taste of what so many deal with every single day.  All donations appreciated!

This year, the 30-hour Famine starts and ends at the Congregational United Church of Christ, 133 S. Franklin St., Whitewater, WI 53190. Questions? (262) 473-4101

All 8th grade and high school students are welcome to join us! An ecumenical opportunity for all youth in our community. Three youth groups are involved already, with room for more. YG leaders can contact the Congregational United Church of Christ.

The 2016 30-Hour Famine was hosted by the First United Methodist Church 2016 Youth Groups Included: Congregational United Church of Christ, St. Patrick Catholic Church, and WARM (Whitewater Area Regional Ministry) United Methodist Ministry. Food donations were given to the Local Food Pantry and monetary donations went to the 2016 Do Something MobilePack that took place at the High School on April 2, 2016.

Besides having lots and lots of fun…. here are some of the service projects we did in 2016:

 

Packing List For Participants:

  • water bottle
  • overnight items
  • sleeping bag and pillow
  • change of clothes
  • duct tape for your box home

WISH LIST :

Large Refrigerator or dishwasher boxes
Duct tape

Fleece to make blankets:
1.5 yard pieces of fleece fabric

For Twin Oaks:

General Cleaning Supplies

  • Bathroom cleaners
  • Laundry Detergent
  • Multi-purpose cleaner
  • Sponges
  • Paper Towel

General Personal Hygiene Supplies

  • Soap
  • Shampoo or no-rinse shampoo
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrushes
  • Dental Floss
  • Feminine Hygiene Products
  • Deodorant
  • Shaving Supplies
  • Baby Wipes
  • Toilet paper
  • Lotion/Lip Balm
  • Razors

Youth Fundraiser Pancake Breakfast – June 18

Pancakes-Dairy-freeOn Saturday June 18th from 7-11am the youth of Whitewater Congregational UCC church (133 S. Franklin St.) are hosting a community wide pancake breakfast.

This event supports the youth attending the National Youth Event 2016 and other service events in future years.

Tickets purchased prior are $5 for adults and children over 5 years old. Children 0-4 are free. At the door tickets will be $6. We will be serving pancakes (plain, blueberry, and chocolate chip), fruit, and 2 pieces of sausage or bacon (additional may be purchased).

We look forward to seeing you all there!

30-Hour Famine, Feb 26-27, 2016, #SEEhunger

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On Friday, February 26th starting at 4:30pm through the evening of Saturday, February 27th at 6:00pm, 8th grade and high school youth will unite together to bring awareness to our global and local famine crisis. Youth throughout Whitewater will begin fasting on February 26th at noon through 6:00pm Saturday. Prime Time groupFor 30 hours youth will be participating in a lock-in, sleeping in cardboard boxes and participating in community events to help unite our community in battling against hunger. Students will be in a cardboard box house on Saturday, February 27th from 10:30am to 12:30pm in front of the Living Word Fellowship Church located at 212 W. Main Street in downtown Whitewater. Students will be taking monetary donations and non-perishable food donations for the Whitewater Pantry. 100% of all funds raised/donated will be given to the upcoming Do Something MobilePack coming to Whitewater on April 2, 2016.

What is it like to live in a cardboard box? It’s not any fun, it’s cold and long cold days probably feel like weeks. Join us on Feb 27th, 212 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI, from 10:30am-12:30pm.

Attention 8th Grade and High School Students:

Prime Time James DedrickCome one, come all and bring a friend! A FAMINE LOCK-IN EVENT set for February 26th through February 27th.  Your food consumption will stop at noon on February 26th, then we will refresh our souls with a fellowship dinner at 6:00pm February 28th.   This year we will be uniting with several Whitewater Churches to help bring awareness about Famine, support our local food pantry and to help garner financial support for the upcoming “Do Something Mobile Pack.”  Youth will need to bring warm winter clothes and cold weather gear (coats, gloves, hats, etc; we’ll be outside several times throughout the event) sleeping bag, pillow, overnight attire, necessities and a roll of duck tape.  They can also bring financial donations to support the Do Something MobilePack and/or a food donation for the food pantry and most importantly a friend.   We have many fun events planned ~ come one, come all!

Church or Community Donations Appreciated (to use during a few service projects): fleece for prayer blankets, items for Blessing Bags (to give to Homeless) – small candles, small pop-top pork and bean cans, small rain coats, socks, small towels/t-shirts, water bottles and granola bars. Bring donations to the church office of either: First United Methodist Church, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Congregational UCC Church or First English Lutheran Church, up until February 26th.

30 HOUR FAMINE & LOCK-IN

Global & Local Famine Awareness

When: February 26th-27th

Where:  (starts and ends) First United Methodist Church, 145 S Prairie St, Whitewater, WI 53190

Starts: 4:30 p.m., Fasting begins after lunch on Friday (at school)

Ends: With a meal at FUMC (Methodist Church) that begins at 6:00 p.m.

What to bring: warm coats, gloves, hats (several outside events), sleeping bag, pillow, overnight supplies, 1 roll duct tape

OPTIONAL: bring a friend or two, financial donations for MobilePack/food donations, and nonperishable food items for the food pantry.

Donations will benefit Whitewater Food Pantry & Do Something MobilePack, April 2 at Whitewater High School

Questions?: (262) 473-2131

(Photo Credit: Heather Ruenz/Southern Lakes Newspapers)

KIDS Earth Day Clean-up – April 22

Organized by 13-year-old, Morgan Radaj

earthdayCommunitycleanup3

Click here to learn more about EARTH DAY and ways that you, too, can help our planet. Reduce, recycle, reuse, repurpose, etc.

If you would like some KID-friendly ways to help take care of our planet, click here. You will find videos, stories and links to information about:

3R’s, How garbage hurts animals, Pollution Solutions, Repurpose Items For Your Kitchen, Garden watering tips, Planting trees for your tomorrow, Composting, Group activities & More.

Join us . . .
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015 @ 5:30
We LOVE our Earth & our Community. Join us on Earth Day for a fun scavenger hunt/garbage clean-up. Learn a little about what Earth Day is. Have fun with friends and/or fellow scout members. Help clean-up the community where you live.

2014_Earth_Day5BRING FRIENDS & you could WIN!!!
The child who brings the most friends – WINS an Earth Day PRIZE!!! Simple Earth Day trivia will used as a tiebreaker.

Attention Whitewater KIDS
Please join us on Wednesday, April 22nd beginning at 5:30.
Come and learn a little about Earth Day + help take action and clean up our community.2014042295184627-2
My name is Morgan and I am a Cadette Girl Scout. I am planning an EARTH DAY Themed Community Clean-up Scavenger Hunt.
Please meet us at Starin Park at about 5:20 p.m (so we can start at 5:30).
Also, please bring 6-10+ Sentry/Wal-Mart plastic bags. It is important that we separate garbage and recycling and dispose of it properly. We will be breaking into smaller groups and walking around town for approximately 45 minutes, so parent participation is needed. Bring a wagon if you can. It helps a LOT! Our plan is to ask some local residents to place their garbage and recycling containers out for us to use. Sorting garbage and recycling as you pick it up is the best way to do it. If you have a wagon, place your full bags in there.

I am inviting kids from Whitewater, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, our church youth group, plus anyone and everyone who would like to join us, so tell your friends. :)
If you’re a Scout: Wear your scout uniform. We’ll try to take a big group picture at the start. Would be fun to submit the picture to the newspaper.

2014_Earth_Day2Earth Day: It’s a great time to learn about our planet and how to take care of it. One hour of time will make a huge difference in our community.
Let’s hope for a nice day!!! We will meet rain or shine. Bring an umbrella :)

Thanks for your consideration.
Morgan

Parents: After we have a little group meeting and group photo, please feel free to walk around town with your small group for as long as you’d like. If we have a great turnout, we may ask if there is anyone who would be willing to drive and start from another location. Example: drive and start from LINCS or Washington schools. Reason = there are only so many roads that branch off from Starin Park. We can cover the city of Whitewater better if we start from a few different locations. It would take too long to walk across town.

ourplanet-1024x460

 

The duration of the scavenger hunt will be determined by the age of the children and their interest. Every little bit helps, but there is no set time that each group needs to walk around. You can leave when finished. Unfortunately, there is no recycling container at Starin Park. Please plan to sort out your garbage and recycling and dispose of it properly. FYI: there is a recycling container at LINCS and probably at Washington School, too.
Thanks

Teen Movie Night, Sat. Mar 14th 6-10pm

UCCteenThe middle school group, M.A.D. Monday Mission, is organizing a TEEN Movie night and are inviting middle and high school students from the community to come to the Congregational UCC church.

  • Date: Saturday, March 14, 2015
  • Time: 6-10pm
  • Location: Congregational UCC church, 133 S Franklin St, Whitewater, WI, 53190
  • Ages: Middle school and high school students are welcome to attend without their parents
  • Movie: Want to help us pick a movie or two to show? Vote on our facebook page.
  • Food: We will have some food and snacks available for purchase
  • Raffle: We will be raffling off a few items (donations appreciated)
  • Why Attend?: Food, FUN & BIG screen movies. PLUS, support an amazing service project at the same time.

Food Pantry Donations: Bring a can or two for the local food pantry, and receive a FREE game ticket.

Bring friends!

What movie(s) should we watch? Want to vote?
If you have any suggestions, visit our FACEBOOK page to VOTE.

The Cost? This is a free will donation fundraiser at the door and there will also be some snacks and food to purchase. All proceeds will go to support bringing “Do Something MobilePack 2016” to Whitewater in the Spring of 2016.

Children’s World Impact is Coming Nov 5th, 2014

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Maggie and Morgan Radaj were invited to join Children’s World Impact for their Annual Benefit Dinner on Aug 18th, 2014. (Pictured with Tyson Ray – founder of CWI, along with his wife Jenny in 2006)

The middle school and high school youth of our church are looking to connect with a local mission group that helps both locally and internationally… and I think we’ve found one 🙂 Children’s World Impact

You should see this too….

We are opening up this presentation to the surrounding community including:

• Service Clubs/Groups
• Student Councils/Junior Optimist Groups
• Youth Groups
• Scouts
• Surrounding churches

Are you interested in learning about a new opportunity?

Children’s World Impact is coming to Whitewater UCC Church this Wednesday, November fifth at about 6:20pm. We are inviting everyone to come and learn more about what this group does and how you too can help make a difference!

This group, which is close to home, focuses on helping children and widows who are in poverty. They also make a difference in Walworth County by helping children and parents in crisis. There are very easy ways to make an impact in this world. Please come join us on November fifth to see how anyone, even yourself, can help the world by reaching out!

Where: UCC Congregational United Church of Christ
Location: 133 S Franklin Street
Time: 6:20pm
Who: EVERYONE AND ANYONE!!!!

– From Natalie LaBreche, eighth grade student and member of the UCC youth group

Why 6:20? Once a month we share a meal together, starting at 5:30, and have the presentation following the meal. Join us on Nov 5th @ 5:30 for a potluck dinner and stay for the presentation, or come at about 6:15pm for the presentation only. Up to you. We’d love to have you. We are excited about this group and are looking forward to an opportunity for future service projects that involve the whole community.

Children’s World Impact will be coming to our Mid-week meal on Nov 5th to tell us and show us a little bit about what they do.

How did we learn about CWI?cwi2
CWI (Children’s World Impact). A few years ago Morgan Radaj, 8th grade student, learned about a group called: AVERYday Ministries and decided to fundraise for that organization during one of her annual Charity Run/Walks. She met Bridget McCarthy, Avery’s mom, and via all that Bridget does… we learned about Children’s World Impact. We’re very excited to get involved with this group and we hope you can make it on Nov 5th. Everyone is welcome.

Check out this amazing video that gives you a little bit more information about what this group in trying to accomplish in the world. How they are trying to help others and trying to break the cycle of poverty. Come, on Nov 5th, to see more about what they are doing in Walworth County, too.

We have already had a small taste of the great things that can be done together as a community... Pictured are members of youth groups, service clubs and Girl Scouts - working together at a similar event opportunity in Delavan a few weeks ago.

We have already had a small taste of the great things that can be done together as a community… Pictured are members of youth groups, service clubs and Girl Scouts – working together at a similar event opportunity in Delavan a few weeks ago. We packed individual food portions for: Feed my Starving Children. We hope to bring an event like this to Whitewater, too.

Here is some more information that you can find on the Children’s World Impact website:

Our Mission:

At Children’s World Impact we commit to looking after orphans and widows in their distress, and to make a significant impact on the lives of the neglected.

Our Vision:

Children’s World Impact seeks to break the cycle of poverty through care and community development aimed specifically at orphans and widows. Care projects for women and children include providing food, clothing, shelter, education, and income opportunities. Community development projects include building schools, housing, water purification systems, and medical facilities.

Our Work:

cwiCurrently Children’s World Impact has two on-going projects in Haiti and Ghana, Africa. Please check out our projects pages for specific information about what we are accomplishing in each of these needy areas and how you can become involved.

Our Promise:

Children’s World Impact has a board of directors and partners who underwrite all of the organization’s expenses.  Our commitment to our donors is that 100% of what is given goes to make a lasting impact on the lives of those we are serving.

Globally, orphaned children and widows are some of the most marginalized, overlooked, and abandoned members of society. Living in locations where there are no government or community-based support systems, survival is an on-going struggle.

At Children’s World Impact, we are doing something about it.

How will you make an impact?

Thanks Children’s World Impact for inspiring us with the song: Do Something by Matthew West…

I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now
Thought, how’d we ever get so far down
How’s it ever gonna turn around

So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?”
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty

Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”

He said, “I did, I created you”

Chorus:
If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

Verse 2:
I’m so tired of talking
About how we are God’s hands and feet
But it’s easier to say than to be
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves
It’s alright, “somebody else will do something”

Well, I don’t know about you
But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire
I don’t want a flame, I want a fire
I wanna be the one who stands up and says,
“I’m gonna do something”

Chorus:
If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something (yes, it is)
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

Bridge:
We are the salt of the earth
We are a city on a hill (shine shine, shine shine)
But we’re never gonna change the world
By standing still
No we won’t stand still (x3)

Chorus:
If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

Middle School HALLOWEEN Lock-in

Join us:

Saturday, Nov 1st, 2014 – Sunday, Nov 2nd, 2014

Where: Congregational UCC Church – 133 S. Franklin Street

When: 8pm Sat – 11am Sun

Who: Local Middle School Youth

Why: Just because… to have FUN in a safe place.

What to Bring: We ask that you bring a snack or treat to share & your overnight items. Costumes optional, but are encouraged.

RSVP Please so we know how much food to purchase for Breakfast  J

Thanks – maggieradaj@yahoo.com or 262-903-1404

* Please note, normally we choose to hold our lock-in the Saturday before Halloween… but we have a wedding in the church that day. We are just extending the Halloween Season 🙂

Youth Event – Helium Trampoline Park

HeliumSaturday, October 18, 2014.
Meet at the church by 9:45am so we can be at Helium by 11am.   We will have an hour to jump followed by lunch in New Berlin.
We will be gone from 9:45am– about 2pmish (we will contact parents when we are leaving New Berlin).
To attend a waiver must be filled out and signed by parents.
 
If you are interested please let Ashleigh Bruns know by Sunday, October 12th.

Upcoming FUN Events and Mission Opportunities

Sept 28, 2014UCCyouthmatter
Preschool/Elementary – Food Pantry Collection after church

October 5, 2014
Crop Walk – registration at Fairhaven 12:30

October 11, 2014
Fun event at Katchel Center – Animal Show 3pm

October 12, 2014
Board Games at Fairhaven
2:30-3:30

October 26, 2014
Preschool/Elementary Trick-or-Treat at Fairhaven – 2:30-3:30 pm
Parents, bring a bag of candy and your kids to Fairhaven and the residents of 2nd and 3rd floor will meet us in the cafeteria. We will be providing the candy.

November 1-2, 2014
Middle School Halloween Lock-in
Community Lock-in for Middle school students.

November 5th, 2014
Youth Appreciation Mid-Week Meal – “Youth Matter”
We are celebrating the youth in our church and all that they do for the community, country and world. Youth, 0-18, will help with food prep, serving, etc. Please plan to bring a dish, too.

Plus – we are lucky enough to have some guest speakers on Nov 5th, following our meal 🙂

  • Children’s World Impact is coming to talk about what they do in the county of Walworth and in the world: Countries like Haiti and Africa.

November 10, 2014
 KIDS Music Concert at Fairhaven, 6-7pm
Beginning Music students and up, are encouraged to share their musical talent with the residents of Fairhaven. Play a song or two out of your music book. It doesn’t matter what instrument you play, everyone is welcome. Piano provided.