Want a chance to talk about it?  First UCC invites young adults (college students and recent grads) to our new program, Leadership 21. 

Starting in the fall, this group will meet weekly for a variety of activities (prayerful and playful) that will help you explore your gifts and think about the ways you can use them in service to others.  That might be ordained ministry, or then again it might not.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Fund for Theological Education, we can offer small stipends (equal to 4 hours of work-study) to participants.

Here’s more information and an application sheet — hope to hear from you soon!

LEADERSHIP 21 at First UCC Northfield

What is it? Leadership-21 is an invitation to you and other college students and recent graduates to consider in depth the vocation of ordained ministry.

What happens in the program? Participants meet once a week with Pastor Sandy Johnson at First United Church of Christ in Northfield. These 90 minutes sessions will use a variety of activities to invite prayerful (and sometimes playful) consideration of your gifts and how you might use them in service to others. One week you might meet with a poet, another with a yoga instructor, still another with a representative from a near-by seminary.

Anything else? Yes, you will also choose one or two major projects to conduct at the church during the school year. A church staff member or lay leader will work with you to develop your ideas and bring them to life. You might choose to plan a retreat or special event, collaborate with our music staff, or work with our Service and Social Responsibility Committee.

How do I make time for all of that? Thanks to a generous grant from The Fund for Theological Education (FTE), we are able to offer you a stipend approximately equal to four hours of work-study time per week.

Do I have to belong to a UCC church already? No, the Leadership-21 program not limited to UCC members. We do expect the projects to be done in our congregation – but if you have a really good idea for something else, we’ll be glad to talk about that with you.

Do I have to already know that I have a “call”? No – this program is really designed for young adults who are asking questions and trying to discern if they are called to ordained ministry.

Will there be a lot of pressure to go to seminary if I am in this program? No again! We are not trying to push people into any particular vocation; we are hoping to provide experiences that will deepen and enrich the process of discernment.

So who is eligible for the program? Any college student or recent graduate with an interest in ordained ministry is eligible – and encouraged – to apply. You don’t need to have had a lot of experience in church leadership, or be a religion major – just someone who wants to be part of a group where important questions can be asked and explored.

How do I apply for Leadership-21? You’ll need to fill out an application form (available soon on our website: www.firstucc.org), and submit it to the church. Pastor Sandy Johnson will contact you for an interview. We hope to have participants selected before students scatter for the summer.

And if I have more questions? Call Pastor Sandy at the church (507-645-7532) or email her at sandyjohnson@firstucc.org.

APPLICATION for 2008-2009 Program

Name

Year of Graduation Major Church Membership

Home Address

Phone

Campus Address (spring 2008)

Campus Address (fall 2008)

email

Best way to contact you this spring:    phone    email    other

Best way to contact you this summer:    phone    email    other

Best way to contact you in the fall:    phone    email    other

Check all that apply:

· I am quite sure I have a call to ordained ministry

· I think I might have a call to ordained ministry

· I wonder if I might have a call to ordained ministry

· I don’t think I have a call, but I sometimes think I do

· I am pretty sure I don’t have a call, but this program sounds interesting

Please attach a separate sheet and tell us (in two or three paragraphs) what intrigues you about the L-21 program, and why you think you would be a good contributor to the group:

Do you have any ideas of what kind of projects you might like to do?

Anything else you would like us to know?

Please return to

First UCC, 300 Union Street, Northfield, MN 55057

or email to: sandyjohnson@firstucc.org