UPWARD and First Congregational UCC Movie Night February 25th and Doors open at 6pm
Join us for a free movie showing of RIO and Courageous in the Life Center Gym. Bring your family and friends
and enjoy a double feature in the Gym with your Upward teammates! Don’t
forget to bring your chairs, blankets and pillows! Concession stand will
be open and selling all your favorites!
RIO at 6:30 - Rate G -- When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town
Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an
adventure to Rio de Janeiro with this bird of his dreams.
Courageous at 8:30 - Rated PG -- When a tragedy strikes close to home, four police officers struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers; together they make a decision that will change all of their lives.
UPWARD Basketball and Cheerleading
Purpose Statement
The purpose of UPWARD is to recognize that "Every Child Is a Winner" by promoting:
Salvation
To share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone involved in the Upward Ministry.
Character
To help every child grow as Jesus did--spiritually, physically, mentally and socially.
Self-Esteem
To help every child grow in their understanding and enjoyment of sports.
Upward Basketball players are divided according to ability and height, as well as practice availability and coaches' schedules, to create teams of similar talent. We do our best to take into consideration all given constraints of your schedules as families, each player's skill level, and the availability of our volunteer coaching staff to create balanced teams in the best interest of player development.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2012
Registration is closed for 2012 season
Games
Started Jan 21st, 2012 and end middle March 2012.
Our church is very excited to be taking part once again in the Upward Basketball and Cheerleading program for our 5th year. Our UPWARD season began January 2012 and will conclude in the middle of March. This nationwide sports ministry is specifically designed for kindergarten through sixth grade boys and girls of all denominations or un-churched individuals. This unique ministry/program believes every child plays equally, every child learns and every child is a winner. Opportunities to participate will include praying for the program, coaching a team, refereeing, sharing devotions or simply being a greeter.
Email questions to Mike Sly at msly33@sbcglobal.net For more information or contact the Church Office at 810-695-0550.
Parents, please see link for more detail on Upward Sports http://upward.org/parents/kidsbasketball
Upward Volunteers needed
The team is now coordinating various stages to get 2011-12 season on its way. One vital component we still could use help with is volunteers. Need volunteers to coach, referee, handle concessions, greeters, and other positions. This is a great outreach opportunity to see how sports and faith become one. It's because of You thousands of kids/adults have been introduced to Jesus Christ! Please contact Mike Sly 810-444-1927 msly33@sbcglobal.net to get started.
Game Day and Practice Stars
Regardless of the score at the end of the game, Upward Basketball players should always leave the gym feeling excited and affirmed for their efforts on game day. End-of-game awards motivate children to strive to be Christ-like and also refocus the child’s and coach’s attention on sportsmanship and good attitudes instead of on winning.
Distributing the multi-colored stars at the end of a game affirms a child’s effort, encourages him or her to keep playing, and helps reinforce a love of learning over a love of winning. This can be a very special time for the children, as family members sit in on the presentation and cheer as the stars are awarded.
Blue represents Best Effort
Gold represents Best Sportsmanship/Spirit
Gray represnts Best Offense/Cheer
Red represents Best Defense/Leadership
White represents Christ-likeness
Green represents Scripture Verses at Practices
To learn more about the Upward Sports ministry go to www.upward.org
Grand Blanc View newspaper article about UPWARD food drive:
At FCUCC, one way our players and coaches do God's work in our community is through Upward basketball & Cheerleading. This year's initiative was the collaboration of team effort's helping the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. Click here for article