Come join us as we hand out Popsicle’s on “The Free Speech Lawn” by the UCF Library from 10-2.

Stop by and say, “Hello” or hand out a few icy treats with us to our UCF community.

Tuesday, August 26th:

We are having our third annual Fall Kick-off BBQ at Lake Claire at 6PM. There will be vegetarian options if you do not want pork sandwich’s. There will be lots of games also; corn-hole and bocci ball!

Thursday, 28th:

If you love to pretend you are a Beach Volleyball Olympian come and play beach volleyball at 7PM at the sand v-ball courts by the leisure pool on campus. (The courts are right by the Rec Center)

Friday, 29th:

Who doesn’t love free food? Especially ice cream!

Come and eat lots of ice cream with a load of toppings on it! The Ice Cream Social will be at Ande Johnson’s home (the Campus Minister) at 7:30PM. There will be fun games to play!

Directions to Ande’s house from campus:

Go south on Alafaya (towards Waterford Town Center).

Turn right on Colonial Blvd a.k.a. 50. 

Left on O’Berry Hoover (the road right after Big Lots)

Their house is on the right #1222

If you have any questions about this first week call Ande at 321.231.5734

Need help moving in? We would live to try and help you move in if you are a new student or if it is your son or daughter coming to UCF and you need help.

Things to put on your calendar for the first few weeks of school
- Back to School BBQ: Tuesday August 26th at the Lake Claire Pavilion from 6pm to 9pm. We will be hanging out, playing cornhole, eating, and playing bocce. This is for EVERYONE. new students, old students, and friends of both. We will be having real BBQ! If you would like to help with any aspect of this please let us know.

Ice-Cream Social: Date yet to be finalized but either Thursday or Friday night we will have an Ice-Cream social at the Johnson’s house. More info to be updated in the next week.

Large Group This Fall:We will be studying, The Stories Jesus Told, The Parables of Luke. This semester on Tuesday nights @ 8pm starting September 2nd we will be meeting in the Student Union, room 218 C. Possibly going back to the dungeon after the first few weeks but we will let you know. This is for all people no matter where you are in life, faith, or practice. Come and learn with us!

New Student Dinners: This is for those of you who are new to UCF or to RUF and would like to get to know people, The Johnson’s (the RUF campus minister, his wife, and their new baby), get free food, or just learn what RUF is all about. This will last for 3 weeks and will include fellowship and FREE food.

Bible Studies and Small Groups: If you are interested in either leading a bible study or being in one please let us know asap. We will have a bible study leader training session the first weekend of school and will require you being there if you are interested in leading an RUF small group. We want to equip you and serve you so and we want to make our small group leaders better equipped and our small groups in general better. We need your help!

Freshman bible studies will start the second and third week of schools and we will be looking at “Worldview: The way we see the world” If you are interested in this contact Ande @ ajohnson@ruf.org.

Other bible studies: we are going to have a few other bible studies but dates, times, studies, have not yet been finalized. So check back the first week of school for more info.

If you have bible study questions in general contact Sid @ siddruen@yahoo.com

Fall Conference: Put it on your calendar now… October 17-19th we will be joining the other Florida RUFers for our annual fall conference. Cost is going to be around $55 for the weekend (lowest it will ever be) and you do not want to miss this.

Facebook: Join our Facebook Group: RUF @ UCF for more events and updates as school starts.

After we hang out we will be going out to get IceCream, go to a Sports Bar, or something like that and we would love to have you join us.

If you have any questions or if you would like to help out this summer contact Fitz @ soccerstar1586@yahoo.com

If you would like to help with socials, pr, or any other way with RUF this summer please let Ande or Sid know. There will be more info coming next week but the first week we will have a cookout and spend some time studying the Bible. Invite your friends and if you are new to UCF we would love to have you.

A few dollars and several gold spray-paint cans later, those neon frogs were transformed into (insert fanfare) The Golden Frogs! At the inaugural event, they handed out the Golden Frogs as funny superlative awards. And, of course, they made a video which involved (among other things) a fake pull-over by a UCF cop, Jason swimming across the reflection pond, and a “leap” from the parking garage (actually, Jason’s clothes wrapped around a watermelon). Everyone had such a blast that the next year the Golden Frogs had to return.

Over time, the event morphed into what it is today. The dress code evolved into formal attire. Instead of humorous joke awards, the Golden Frogs became a time to commemorate seniors and celebrate what God has done and is doing through the year. The quality of the trophies themselves developed, as well. In case you didn’t notice, this year featured the best line of tropies yet: high quality gold spray paint and REAL GLASS bottles (we’re going green, you know… less plastic). Also, only in the past couple of years did we push the tables back and boogy on the dance floor. However, despite all of these little changes, the legacy of The Golden Frogs lives on and judging from the success of this year’s event, I’d say the tradition will be around for awhile.

And though only seniors got up and shared, our Savior is on the move in all the unlikely and unoticed places, too. The Golden Frogs are all about the glamor and glitz, but Jesus got his hands dirty and he continues to do so. So, as the semester winds down, and you all turn in those final papers, take those last tests, pack up dorm rooms, or gear up for summer classes, what would it be like to take a few minutes to ponder the ways God has been faithful in your life? In the little ways, even when it doesn’t seem like it. I’m so quick to forget that God is on the move at UCF. I so often am too busy to slow down and remember that Christ is amidst the mess and that He is creating beauty from ashes.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him; sing praises to him; tell of his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Israel his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
1 Chronicles 16:8-13

If you’re in town this summer, stay posted because we will be meeting on Wednesday nights for a relaxed, Bible Study and hang-out time.

Disclaimer: This history was pieced together based on one conversation and some of the details may be slight fabrications… for example, I’m not sure if there actually were slinkies on the dollar store shelves. For a 100% trustworthy version of the story, talk to Ande or Kelly, both of whom were actually present at that very first Golden Frog Award Night!

Here are a few announcements:
• Golden Frogs…This is coming up this Saturday! It’s going to be at University Presbyterian Church from 8pm-Midnight…We have had some great memories from the past year and we would love to celebrate those with everyone. This is a RUF formal event which means come dressed up…but make sure to wear your flip flops.
* Matthew Smith Concert (a former RUF student from Belmont)…. Sunday night @ 6pm.. Info click here
this is a great way to get out of the house before finals and worship with us. It will definately be worth your $5. If you could help set up please contact Ande @ ajohnson@ruf.org
* Summer Conference: May 12-17th… early sign up ends on April 18th (Friday after that price will go up). Will all that is sad come untrue? For more info and signing up click here.
• Summer RUF…We are going to be meeting during the summer, check back here for details on when this is going to be starting up.

I hope that I’ll see you all tomorrow night!

Announcement update:

Universal Knights: We are meeting at University Presbyterian Church at 3 p.m. to carpool over to Univeral. There will also be a later carpool around 6 p.m. Contact Brandon Lutz with any questions regarding this event. Hope everyone has their tickets!

Golden Frogs: This event is to celebrate the end of the year and the graduating seniors. It will be held at University Presbyterian Church in the Commons from 8 p.m. to midnight. Come dressed to the nines…but make sure you wear your flip flops! There will be games, funny videos, and dancing! Girls bring desserts…boys bring drinks! Contact me…Ashley Shore with any questions about this event!

We’re nearing the end of the semester, but for me it is picking up momentum rather than slowing down. I feel as though each week becomes more stressful and more busy. Between schoolwork and worries about family and loved ones, I think that every person has got more than enough on their minds. It is in these times, however, that we must take time for God.

I’d like to encourage us all to take a study break this week, even if only for half an hour. Pick a friend and just take a little while to breathe with them. Seriously though, go fly a kite. Have lunch with someone. If you’re feeling more adventurous than simple lunch, have a picnic. Go out to ice cream. One night this week, go window-shopping on Park Ave with friends. Go to a play or a concert. Simply invite someone to go grocery shopping with you. Play Frisbee or kick around a soccer ball. Go to the pet store and hold a puppy or kitten. Play a board game. Wake up earlier than normal and make yourself waffles or pancakes. Play video games for an hour with that friend you don’t see as much as you used to. Get some coffee, find a park and swing with a friend while you drink it. Take a walk together. These things might seem frivolous or even lame, but it is in these times of simple fellowship that you will find God.

If these ideas don’t work for you, you can always try a more formal RUF event: 

• Large Group Worship will meet this week in The Dungeon(MAP 260), Tuesday at 8pm 
• Honest Answers to Hard Questions meets on Mondays at 5:30 on Memory Mall
• Girls Lunch with Ande: Wednesday from 12-2, Student Union
• Guys Lunch with Ande: Thursday from 12-2, Student Union
• Thursday Morning Prayer Breakfast at Ande’s house
• Knights for the Arts, this Friday night 7-10pm, Visual Arts Building

We need these times of fellowship to strengthen our relationship with God. Please, at least once this week: laugh with someone, cry with some one, and pray with someone. It is in these times when we least expect it that we find God. We can see Him in each other, and when we weep together He will hold us.

Remember: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them” – Matthew 20:18

Only five more weeks of school… we are almost done! Large group tonight at 8pm in the Dungeon, MAP 260.

 Be thinking about attending Summer Conference. Its going to be a lot of fun! Talk to Ande if you want more information.

Don’t forget about girls lunch, Wednesdays at 12 and guys lunch, Thursdays at 12 in the Student Union. Honest Answers to Hard Questions is going on every Monday night at 5:30 on Memory Mall.