Java & Jesus (Hybrid)

In-Person in the Alfred Swan Room at the Church, or by Zoom

June 26, 9 am – Dick Rossmiller facilitating

Click here to join J&J by Zoom

Contact  Ken Pennings to be added to the Java & Jesus email list, or if you’re having trouble accessing the Zoom meeting. The Zoom Link will also be included in the Saturday Worship Email.  

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!

For the week of June 16 – June 22

Read this week’s reflections as a way to dive deeper into your spiritual practice or to get some nourishment and inspiration

for your day.

Click here for reflections

We are grateful for the ministry of Jeanne Moberly who is a member of Adult Faith Formation, as she puts together a set of fresh readings every week for our devotional practice at Orchard Ridge UCC. You will see these posted daily if you are part of the “Members & Friends” Facebook group. If you know someone who needs encouragement and would like the devotional mailed to them, please contact Julie Wombacher in the church office.

Attend canvassing training and 

help get out the vote!

Join other congregations for training in voter registration and vote canvassing. We still need volunteers! Dates for canvassing training is June 29. Canvassing blitz will occur the week of July 10th. Canvassing training is sponsored by the League of Women Voters.  

For questions and signup, contact Ruth Ann Berkholtz at [email protected], 608/334-8761. Thank you!

Would you consider providing temporary housing for an asylum-seeker, refugee, or undocumented immigrant?

Please complete the form below if you would consider hosting a guest for a temporary home stay. Completing the form does not commit you to host anyone at any time. However, every time the need arises, which is happening more frequently, a Dane Sanctuary Coalition representative will inquire as to whether this is a time you could help. You will always have the opportunity to agree or decline. Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity.

Sign up to offer assistance

          Volunteer Opportunity

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, a collaborate partner in Keeping Neighbors Connected (KNC) has provided a Thursday food pantry for neighbors in our Southwest neighborhood for more than 20 years. It is supported by the Second Harvest Food Bank. Rick Thomas, the food pantry manager, recently reported a shortage of volunteers to help on Thursdays. Is this a volunteer opportunity for you?   

Thursday Food Pantry shifts include:

• 8:30-10am stocking shifts
• Host shifts (the most critical shortage) are 9:45-12 noon or 5:15-7pm.
• Most volunteers work 1 shift per month
• Most volunteers wear masks, but it’s not mandatory

If you are interested in this collaborative volunteer opportunity, email Rick at [email protected] for further questions and to complete required paperwork.

Thank you,

Jane Glaze, [email protected]                                                       

Keeping Neighbors Connected (KNC), SMAC (housing) and CWS member.  

Yoga at ORUCC with Leslie Linser

I have been practicing yoga for the last 8 years and recently completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training. I am very excited to offer yoga classes at ORUCC.  My goal is to offer a yoga class grounded in spirituality.  This means there will be space for prayer and meditation while moving with the breath.

What is Yoga?

For people who are not familiar with yoga, it is a practice that involves different movements and postures that are coordinated with the breath.  The original practice of yoga involved the challenge of stilling the mind by focusing on the breath with very little or no movement.  It has evolved to include postures, called asanas, and movement.  Indeed, there are many types of yoga, but the primary purpose continues to be a mental exercise as well as a physical one.

Is This Right For Me?

The style of yoga being offered is best described as a gentle, slow flow.  And while this will be slow and gentle it will require the ability to get on and off a mat (the floor).  If one is able to get on and off the mat then most poses can be modified to fit your abilities.  It is important that you know your own abilities and limitations and consult your physician if you are unsure if this is right for you. Whether you are a beginner or experienced in yoga practice, this class is intended to support you in engaging in gentle movements and in entering into a space of quiet and meditation that all can experience.  And if you are an experienced practitioner there will be space and opportunities for more challenging poses.

When, Where and What

• The class will be offered every Sunday in June beginning at 8:45am and lasting about 50 minutes 
• We will use the outdoor space north of the worship hall, on the concrete slab, now called the patio. An alternative indoor option will be provided in the case of inclement weather
• You will need to bring a mat and a firm blanket to provide extra padding if you wish.
• There is no cost to participate in this ORUCC-sponsored activity. However, donations will be accepted 
• After the June classes I will evaluate the degree of interest and determine whether to continue to offer a class throughout the year.

If you have questions please email me at [email protected]

From the Immigration Justice Team

Plan ahead for the Casa Alitas Clothing Drive!

Summer and Fall clothing

Think young families

Kid’s clothes, men’s and women’s small sizes, tennies



We’ll begin receiving donations August 8!

Thank you in advance for your donation.

News for Covid Response Team

The COVID Response Team met Sunday, June 5th, and decided not to change anything, but to hold steady where we are. Positive test rates in Dane County are up currently, which we are watching.

We continue to recommend that masks be required during worship, in order to extend the broadest welcome to all. For small groups that use the church outside of the worship service, they may continue to work with the pastors to make the best determination for their group.

We are starting to digest the new COVID metrics that have become publicly available, and to consider how they might guide our decision-making in the future. 

While the recommendations continue to evolve, we reiterate that by wearing even a non-fitted N95 mask – freely available outside Worship Hall – the wearer essentially ensures that nobody can be considered a “close contact” during worship. (It would take hours of continuous exposure to an unmasked individual for this to be the case!) This frees us from the need to be concerned with “contact tracing,” etc. if any of our friends test positive for COVID — although we do appreciate being able to pray for them during Joys & Concerns. Please keep telling us when you test positive for COVID after being in worship or at a church function.

AT ORUCC, the Members are the Ministers!

We are seeking volunteers to serve on Sunday mornings for in-person worship. You need not be a member,

simply a person who loves ORUCC and is eager

to find a place to serve!

Young people are welcome to sign up too!

Would you consider serving one or more times as

a Coffee Maker, an Assistant to the AV Technician,

a Welcomer, a Lay Liturgist, to assist with

Holy Communion or to host summer “Lawn Lemonade”?

We need people NOW.

Feel free to sign up as an individual, a couple, or a family!

Click here to serve as a Coffee Maker

Click here to serve as an Assistant to the AV Technician

Click here to sign up as a Welcomer

Click here to sign up as a Lay Liturgist

Click here to sign up to assist with Holy Communion

Click here to host “Lawn Lemonade” after worship

After selecting a date, you will need to click “Submit and Sign Up” at the bottom of the page, then enter your name & email address, then click “Sign Up Now.”

Questions or problems signing up?

Contact Ken Pennings at [email protected] or 608-556-2371.

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

Office Hours: M-Th 8:30-12:30