Spiritually Alive, Joyfully Inclusive, Committed to Justice
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Week at a Glance 09/22/2022
Sunday, September 25, 2022
10:00 am Worship
in-person & live-streamed
Rev. Dr. Julia Burkey preaching
Lay liturgist: Lee Johnsen
Special Music: John Leonard
Men’s Group
Monday, Sept 26
7:15 pm – 8:30 pm
John Lemke
Immigration Justice Team
Tuesday, September 27
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Ruthanne Landsness
Zoom
Over 55
Wednesday, September 28
11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Steve Sheets
Friendship Hall
Meditation Group
Friday, September 30
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Sue Dixon
Zoom
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Discussion of Abortion Rights
September 25 at 9am Fellowship Hall
Mike Murray, VP of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI), and Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Chair of the Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice WI-RCRC), will present on the current status of abortion access in Wisconsin. The presentation from PPWI will include a discussion of the current legal and legislative landscape, information on medical and surgical abortions and how PPWI is currently serving its patients to fill the needs. WI-RCRC will discuss the history of faith support for reproductive justice, the current status of organizing taking place, and plans currently in process for meeting patient needs through the faith community. Opportunities for volunteering and engagement will be explored. There will be opportunity for questions and discussion. Click HERE for more information and bios of presenters.
Sharing Our Stories: Appreciative Inquiry Visioning
9:00am Oct. 9, Nov. 13 & Dec. 4
We want to hear your voice!
Are you interested in the future of ORUCC? Come join these visioning sessions! It’s okay if you missed the first one in September, there is still a chance to have input and share. Everyone’s voice matters, so please make a point to join for these 9am sessions on Sunday morning. Here is a look at the themes and questions and the dates to mark in you calendar.
October 9th: What do you value about yourself, about ORUCC, about UCC?
November 13th: What do you think are our core values? When have you felt our core values expressed best?
December 4th: If you woke up from a deep slumber and came to ORUCC in 5 years and everything you dreamed and imagined and visioned came true, what would it be like? What would you see, feel, hear, smell? How would people be meeting? Who would be there?
If you can’t be there for one of the Sundays, we still want to hear from you. We are still working on a virtual option for this process and ways of including voices who cannot make it on Sunday morning for any of these.
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A Service of Celebration for the Life of
Stanley Maurice Heffernan
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Sept. 29, 1923 – May 19, 2022
Service at Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ
Madison, Wisconsin
Saturday October 8, 2022
1 p.m.
Click here for obituary
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Spiritual
Nourishment
for you!
For the week of Sept 22 – Sept 28
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.
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September Compassion Offering
Just Dane
JustDane (formerly Madison-area Urban Ministry, is a non-profit organization that offers an array of direct supportive initiatives for people being released from incarceration through our reentry programs, employment training for people with barriers to employment through Just Bakery, children and families impacted by the justice system, justice involved youth, as well as recuperative medical respite for families experiencing homelessness. Recognizing that, in the words of Rev. William Sloane Coffin “compassion and justice are companions, not choices,” JustDane also engages in the community advocating for State and local justice system reforms, fair and affordable housing, and end to homelessness and racial and economic justice.
If you’d like to know more about our work, there are two members of ORUCC on JustDane’s Board, Julie Horst and Phil Haslanger and they would be happy to share more about JustDane’s work in our community.
Thank you in advance for your contribution.
VIDEO
You can make a donation by check, on the memo line, please write “compassion” and mail to ORUCC, 1501 Gilbert Road, Madison, WI 53711, or donate online at orucc.org. Click the brown button “Contribute” in the upper right of the home page.
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Time to Review Our Web Site for Updates
As we return to in-person church and have staff transitions, it is time to review our website at https://orucc.org/ . We are in the process of making changes to reflect the retirement of Tammy Martens. But we need to review and update the information in all parts of the site, especially the “life at ORUCC” small groups section. Please check the web site to see if it is current and correct for any group you coordinate. Ministries and mission teams may also want new material added to the site.
The primary purpose of the web site is to welcome and provide information to new visitors to ORUCC, but we also want the site to be useful to members. All church emails except the prayer list are automatically posted to the web site in the Keeping Current section, which means that if you misplaced an email such as Worship Resources, Java and Jesus, Weekly Announcements, or past news from the justice mission teams, you can find it on the web site. The church calendar is on the site as well.
To make suggestions about or corrections to the web site, you can fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qL6Vqayx6fpZXnQm7 or you can send email to [email protected]
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This Week in Children’s Programming:
PreK-2nd grade students will enjoy music at 9:00 and then hear another story about the time when Jesus was at the Sea of Galilee. Jill Westberg and Josie Gilbert will share that Jesus modeled kindness towards children and the poor. His way of teaching through example was seen as revolutionary and inspired others to spread the word. Children under the age of 5 are invited to stay as long as they are able and then transfer to the nursery to play with Antonia Wuschner and Amalia Sherrill.
3rd-5th Grade will continue their Peacemaker exploration. Last week, they talked about listening with our whole bodies and trying to really pay attention to someone when they are talking. This week, they will talk about another important piece of becoming a peacemaker - what we do when we get angry. Through a variety of active stations, they will learn how to share their angry feelings with God. Paul Vash and Jadyn Gilbert will guide them through the process.
Music Connections: This week, children in grades 2nd-5th + (middle schoolers and high schoolers are welcome to attend as a participant or helper) are invited to play xylophones with Julie Mazer after the children’s moment. Additionally, we will continue our rhythmic and spoken exploration of the scripture, “Be Still and Know that God is Peace.” Save the date for Sunday, October 23. That day, we’ll share music that we’ve developed on that passage during worship.
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Safe Sanctuary Training for Youth Volunteers
Sunday, October 2, 9AM
At Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ, we believe that our church should be a safe sanctuary for all those who come in good faith. Most importantly, it should be a safe sanctuary for the children and youth who are entrusted to us.
Toward this goal, our congregation has adopted a Safe Sanctuary policy: a set of policies, procedures, and educational programs to reduce the possibility of child sexual or physical abuse, or any type of sexual misconduct or harassment from occurring in our congregation. These policies express our keen interest in protecting our children and youth, while maintaining the trusting atmosphere of our congregation for the entire congregation, adults and children alike.
On Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9:00 AM, we will conduct our annual Safe Sanctuary training program. Every volunteer who works with kids and youth will need to receive the training (which involves reviewing and discussing the policy) before helping out in the kids’ programming. It should take approximately 30 minutes. Thank you to our volunteers for helping to make ORUCC a welcoming and safe space for our youth!
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Save the Date! ORUCC Treinen Farm Corn Maze & Bonfire in Lodi, WI, Friday October 21st 6:30-9:30
We have reserved our own bonfire area with benches and picnic tables on October 21 from 6:30-9:30. Feel free to bring your own food if you wish and we will provide s’mores! This area will serve as our home base while you enjoy and explore the farm, pumpkin patch, animals and maze.
To join us, purchase your own ticket at this website and upon arrival ask for the Orchard Ridge UCC Bonfire area.
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Interested in Books?
As we all roll into our fall activities and church programming the ORUCC Women’s Book Group would like to extend a cordial invitation to anyone who has an interest in books to join us this fall! We meet the first Thursday of each month from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. on Zoom. You can come every month or drop in once in a while. There is no requirement to read or finish reading the book, although we may discuss spoilers if you haven’t finished! Members suggest the books and we vote on the year’s choices in February. Although you are not required to lead a discussion, most people enjoy leading if their book suggestion is chosen. Deanna Blanchard coordinates this group and will be happy to add your name to the email list if you send a message to [email protected]. The books we will be reading and discussing this fall are:
- October 6 The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin, led by Judy Winkel
- November 3 The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray led by Ruth Ann Berkholtz
- December 1 The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, led by Ginny Kruse
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Wayfinding: The Soul-tasks of Aging,
toward a Theology of the Elder Years
ZOOM gathering
Thursday September 22nd
4:00-5:15pm.
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Over 55 is coming on Wednesday, September 28th
Grab your Badger gear and come to Over 55 in Bucky Red. Show your “Badger spirit!” Josette Jaucian, the UW Spirit Squad Director, will be our featured speaker. Buckle up for a very informative program. The 56-member University of Wisconsin Spirit Squad is a highly visible, enthusiastic, and talented group of student-athletes with a primary purpose to support Intercollegiate Athletics and serve as ambassadors for the University of Wisconsin. The Spirit Squad is comprised of the Cheerleading Squad, the Dance Team, and the Bucky Badger Mascots. We are sure to learn how Josette manages the auditions and directs the training and conditioning.
We will gather at 11:30, dine at 11:45 and begin our program about 12:15. All are welcome regardless of age! Mark your calendar: Wednesday, September 28th, 11:30 a.m. Cost is $8.
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Voter Canvassing-September 2022
Thanks to you who have responded to the call for canvassers! To those who are still considering this participation in the WIVEC Canvassing project leading up to the Midterm Election on Nov 8— Please use this link to sign in (even if you canvassed this summer) at: https://forms.gle/YjgiqggAN6U7sS9x7.
Rhonda Lindner, WIVEC organizer and Barb Feeney, DC League of Women Voters ask that all canvassers sign in on the link and attend one of the training sessions below. A link to a recording of the training will be available to those unable to attend the online tutorial.
Wed & TH, SEPT 21 & 22—required Training Session from 7-9pm (same class repeated). If you sign in, you will receive links to the training.
CANVASS DATE # 1 — TH SEPT 29 from 4-7pm
CANVASS DATE # 2 — SUN OCT 9 from 1:30-4:30
MEETING PLACE: Lake Edge UCC
Contact Ruth Ann B with questions or feedback—608-334-8761, if text, please ID yourself. Canvassers are still needed!
To see/hear July canvassers from ORUCC & other congregations–watch this video link here . You’ll recognize a few people!–experience their reflections
and feel the excitement of the day. If you’re at all interested, contact me for
further info!
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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, a Welcomer, or to assist with
Holy Communion?
It has been easy finding Lay Liturgists, but much more challenging finding Coffee-Makers and Welcomers!
We need volunteers as soon as
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2.
Feel free to sign up as an individual, a couple, or a family!
Click here to sign up as a Coffee Maker
Click here to sign up as a Welcomer
Click here to assist with Holy Communion
After selecting one or more dates, 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.
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Office Manager Julie Wombacher
available Mon.-Thurs. 8:30am -12:30 pm
608-271-7212 or EMAIL
Senior Pastor Julia Burkey available
Tues.- Fri. & Sun. 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
by appointment
518-542-6915 EMAIL
Associate Pastor Ken Pennings: available
Tues.-Thurs. 10:00 am -5:00 pm
by appointment
608-556-2371 EMAIL
All pastors (try to) take Monday & Saturday as Sabbath days.
Friday is observed as a writing day for the preaching pastor.
In case of a pastoral emergency, please call any of the pastors, as all pastors are available by phone, text and we will always have a pastor on call who we can turn to.
LIKE or FOLLOW the Orchard Ridge FaceBook Page
JOIN our Private FB Group:
“Members & Friends of Orchard Ridge UCC“
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Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ
1501 Gilbert Road
Madison, WI 53711
608-271-7212
Office Hours: M-Th 8:30-12:30
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