Hello All:

Dinkytown is a flurry of activity as students arrive and move into their apartments and residence halls.  New students are in the midst of Welcome Week and are getting acquainted with the U and its surrounding neighborhoods.  While we have seen many students over the summer, this week marks the beginning of the new academic year.  We’re getting our last tastes of the State Fair before classes begin on Tuesday.
This weekend, you’ll have an opportunity to join me in welcoming our new seminary intern David Coleman.  He began his work here yesterday (September 1) and is getting accustomed to the neighborhood and the church.  He and I spent part of the afternoon meeting parents and students in a reception at Coffman Union where the Interfaith Campus Coalition (ICC) had a booth.
In order to welcome students, we have a couple of opportunities this weekend:
Saturday, September 4 from 10:30am-1:30pm, we’ll be making Church World Service Hygiene Kits at the Hillel Center on University between 15th and 16th Avenues.
Monday, September 6th from 10:30-3pm we’ll join other ICC members in running a cookout at the superblock.  In previous years, ICC has served more than 400 hot dogs.
At both events, participants will be wearing new UBC t-shirts, so we can identify ourselves easily to students.  We’ll meet at UBC on Saturday at 10:00 and Monday at 10:15am.  If you can attend either of these events, please let me or David Coleman know.  David’s email address is: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Of course, there’s always Sunday morning, too.  We have begun a new worship season with the theme: “Faith Stories: Building Lives of Substance”.   Each Sunday, we will hear a story of a Biblical character.  We’ll also hear a story from a UBC member.  They will tell a brief story of UBC.  Some of these stories will be new to many of us.  We want to be able to find ways throughout the year to remember, claim, articulate and celebrate our stories as people and as a faith community.  Think about the intersection with our faith stories and the Biblical stories.  Think about how these stories help us to build lives of substance.  Faye Kimmedahl has graciously agreed to tell a story about Student Interns.  It seems appropriate, since this is David Coleman’s first Sunday.  Did you know that Faye was a student intern at UBC over 60 years ago?  Think of all of the other interns that we have had at UBC.  What was their unique contribution?  We’ll also hear the story of Timothy.  You can read 2 Timothy 2:1-26.  My sermon is entitled “Setting Priorities”.   Mel Roy will be the worship leader and we will celebrate communion.
You are all invited to a cookout after church on Sunday at our home.  We live at 5210 OConnell Drive in Mounds View 55112.

This week:
Saturday: 10:30am- 1:30pm ICC service project at Hillel
Sunday: 10am Worship at UBC;
11am refreshments;
11:30-? Cookout at the Donley home.

We pray each week for the struggles and celebrations in our lives.  Accompanying our prayers of gratitude, also remember in prayer:
The Karen family we are helping as they settle in the Twin Cities;
Jim Moravek’s parents as they make transitions;
Nancy Myers and her family;
Shirley Roy’s mother;
Billy Cooper;
Catherine Follett and her family;
Spencer Parsons and Tai Shigaki;
Doris Dunn;
Myrla Seibold’s sister as she deals with cancer treatments;
Paul Carter’s sister Bria;
Jon Hartman’s grandmother;
Ken Saffold;
Vivian Hotchkiss;
Jon Smith;
Adele Fadden;
Those struggling to find work;
Our sister church in Leon Nicaragua;
Those dealing with depression;
Those dealing with chemical dependency and their families;
Those facing health challenges;
Those in the midst of war;
Those in relationship stress.

Grace and Peace,

Doug Donley