Higher Education/Campus Ministry Work Area Minutes

Monday August 21, 2006. 7 p.m. Tennant Chapel
(Front Sanctuary door by pulpit)

1. Devotion.
Monty read from "Our Endangered Values" by Jimmy Carter.

2. Our response to the Financial plight of our (and all Michigan) Wesley Foundations.
The following suggestions were made:
1. Encourage UUMC members to pledge to Wesley.
2. Have UUMC set up matching grants for members pledging to Wesley.
3. Include Wesley in UUMC's Financial Campaign.
4. Write letters of support to the study group looking at the Wesley Foundation problems.
5. Write letters to the Michigan Christian Advocate in support of the Wesley Foundation concept.
6. Invite Tim and Rick to our next meeting to discuss strategies, approaches and problems.
3. Review, Reports and discussion of our HiEd program.

A. Africa U. Support (Don)
Don Meaders and Bary Darling delivered 507 books, 5 boxes of school supplies, 1 box of medical supplies and 1 box of empty prescription bottles to the Tabers for delivery to Zimbabwe.
To continue to support Africa U. we propose the following:
1. Ask the conference to have the Africa U. Choir sing in our Sanctuary on their 2007 tour. This needs to be done soon (September).
2. Have the Tabers bring the Zimbabwe krafts to sell and give a talk on Africa U. this Fall. Make this a church wide program to raise awareness.

B. Budget - Peer Minister Support Fall payment to Wesley &
new budget proposal 06 & 07- (Monty)
Raise the Peer Minister budget request next year from $1900 to $2000. Do the paper work immediately to initiate this Fall's payment. We need to know when our budget proposals are due and will they once more be required in a narrative format.

C. College/University Student-UUMC Roster (Jessica & Christi)
Keeping in touch with our UUMC college/university students. Ask Tina if she is keeping the list of UUMC college students. Ask for $150 in our budget proposal to send gift certificates at exam time.

D. Goody Bag Sunday, Dec. 10 (Martha & Toni)
Plea from the pulpit is most effective way to get goody bags donated.

E. Have-A-Heart Brunch- February 4 (Monty)
Monty will ask Linda Mikols if she will be willing to do the brunch again. Proceeds will again support the Spring Wesley work trip.

F. Host Family/Friend project (John)
Implementing John's plan this Fall. Ask John Gore is he is willing to shepherd the plan with the Wesley students and if Tim is willing to support this effort. When a student requests a host friend/family, we will find a congregation member/family willing to be the host.

G. Merit Scholarships, (Monty & J.J.)
We will again ask for five scholarships in our next budget proposal.

H. Methodist Universities and College information &
Student Recognition Sunday. (Don & Ian)
We will again ask to have the Student Recognition Sunday set for the Goody Bag Sunday on April 29, 2007. Our analysis was that this was very successful, but we lack information on how much was actually received in the student offering envelopes.

I. Seminary Student Support Project. ( )
We are unaware of any church supported Seminary Students.

J. Student e-mails. ( J.J.)
The activity is useful because it welcomes students to the church and gives us an opportunity to familiarize them with our total program.

K. Van Project.- Parking, Purdue Game,11-04-'06 (Monty)
We will do this with the Wesley students. Monty will be the coordinator. We will put our share in the van account.

L. Web Page, Kiosk, Blog(?) (Ian)
Blogs are tricky and we probably ought to stay away form them for now. The Kiosk was a bust for us last year. Our display face was usually turned to the wall! Our web page is out of date. We wonder about its effectiveness. Do we have information on the number of hits? Monty will inquire.

4. Member comments or concerns.
We need to involve the college students in the church program. This is a general thrust that goes beyond the HiEd program and should involve the Council on Ministries.

5. Next Meeting Sept.19.
Submitted MDE, 08-22-'06
 

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