June COMPASSION OFFERING-Lussier Community Education Center LCEC

Lussier Community Education Center (LCEC), celebrates over 50 years of quality programming and community organizing through the strength of community partnerships, the commitment of volunteers, and the kindness of neighbors. Its roots go back to the mid-70s, when the Wexford Ridge Community Association organized community services. In the 1990s, these services operated out of apartments in the Wexford Ridge complex off of Gammon Road. In the early 2000’s,the establishment of a partnership agreement and lease with the Madison Metropolitan School District along with capital funding support from the City of Madison paved the way to the construction of the Lussier Community Education Center. In October 2007, LCEC opened its doors at 55 South Gammon Road, on school-owned land adjacent to Jefferson Middle School and Vel Phillips Memorial High School. 

LCEC has always been a place for people from different walks of life to come together, share gifts, and build community. LCEC offers comprehensive programs for children and youth of all ages. From ‘play & learn’ sessions for kids under three, to after-school programming through high school, and even free eight-week summer camps loaded with enriching activities to keep this community’s youth learning and engaged. LCEC’s offerings are guided by a justice and equity-focused LCEC Framework, details of which can be found on our website, lcecmadison.org/about.

Your generous donation will directly fund our summer youth camps. These camps will host over 80 kids who will participate in various enriching activities – from cooking and science clubs to art projects, dance workshops, and outdoor adventures. At LCEC, children and youth are encouraged to grow, explore, and learn how to use their collective power for societal good in a nurturing and inclusive environment.

VIDEO

July COMPASSION OFFERING-Casa Alitas

Casa Alitas is a non-profit, immigrant welcome center near the border in Tucson, Arizona. The compassion offering for Casa Alitas from our congregation will help people at the border find a safer, more secure life.

Casa Alitas provides a warm welcome, food, clothing, and shelter for a few days for legal asylum seekers who have crossed the border. It also makes travel arrangements for people to reach the homes of their sponsors in the United States. Casa Alitas provides services to 500 to 1,000 guests every day.

ORUCC has a hands-on history with Casa Alitas, particularly through our annual clothing drive, such as the drive ongoing now. In addition, a number of us have had the opportunity to volunteer at Casa Alitas.

Funds from the compassion offering will provide direct services to immigrant families. Funds will

• buy items for play bags for children,
• pay for transportation to reunite families who have been separated at the border,
• buy plane tickets for people to reach the homes of their sponsors in the United States, and
• pay for the food, medical services, and shelter provided by Casa Alitas. 

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 from our website. The link is https://orucc.org/contribute/support/

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!

For the week of June 29 – July 5

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.

Mark Your Calendars for this Upcoming Event!

“Declaration for a Just Peace Between Palestine and Israel”

A Study of the 2021 UCC Resolution

Led by Rev. Diane Dulin & Tom Beilman

9:00 am – 9:50 am, Sundays

July 16, 23, 30th

Friday Breakfast Group

Friday, July 7, 8:30

The next Friday Breakfast is set for July 7 at 8:30 am at Denny’s, 433 S. Gammon Road. All are welcome! The group meets on the first Friday of the month and includes both men and women. Join us for this informal chance to connect and converse on many topics. Contact Louise Jeanne, Link for more information.

Women’s Book Group

Thursday, July 6, 1:30

Join the ORUCC Women’s Book Group on Thursday, July 6 from 1:30 to 3pm to discuss Hanging Mary by Susan Higginbotham. Leslie Rebhorn will lead our discussion. A Zoom link will be sent. If you are interested in joining our group, please email Deanna Blanchard at [email protected].

Youth Newsletter

Looking for the Youth Newsletter on the website? Click on the

LINK

We will try to get a more obvious link to it posted on the website soon!

Moderator’s June Update

from Hal Evensen, ORUCC Moderator

Hello! 

I wanted to update the congregation on what the Leadership Team (lay leadership) has been up to. Here are some highlights:



•  We approved the recommendation by the Care of Creation team for non-disposable name tags for our congregation! Many thanks to Jill Westberg and the CC team – they will be putting information out on this, soon!

• We agreed to join an effort led by the Dane County Emergency Management (DCEM) Office and Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice to create a database of congregations who may be able to provide support for short-term (<24 hours) emergency shelter. The need, as outlined by DCEM, could include severe weather events, large power outages, an active shooter situation or other crisis situations. Unlike our congregation’s previous (recent) experience with providing shelter, this would be to meet short term needs, with the American Red Cross (ARC) and DCEM taking the lead on logistics (food, clothing, transportation, etc.). Further, the Dane County Executive, Joe Parisi, has allotted $10,000 per year for this program to cover costs that may incur (such as cleaning). We are assembling a team to collaborate on completing the form, which will populate a database that ARC and DCEM will use to help coordinate their emergency response. There is also a need for volunteers – staffing phones, running errands, childcare – that could arise even if our building isn’t needed. If interested, see the form at this link (scroll down) – and let us know if you are willing to be listed as a volunteer! https://forms.gle/jSfiMBs5pmygJi1dA

•  With the support of Leadership Team, Pastor Julia is working with Charles Tubbs, Director of Dane County Emergency Management, to create an opportunity this fall for emergency preparedness training in our church. We will be reaching out to other congregations who have done this, to gather best practices ahead of our implementation.

• We considered an invitation to join Awaken Dane’s 2023 cohort [https://awakendane.org]. This is an opportunity for a team from our congregation to deepen spiritual practice and to help grow discernment tools. We felt that this was a valuable opportunity but that the timeline was too short to find a team of interested individuals. The project will be around for at least a couple more years, and we have penciled in the 2024 cohort… if interested, please reach out!

We are working to help ORUCC live into its vision statement to be Spiritually Alive, Joyfully Inclusive, and Committed to Justice and invite everyone to please feel free to reach out to any of the moderators ([email protected]) or leadership team member (see the color poster on the bulletin board) with any questions, comments, suggestions, or offerings of support!  

Casa Alitas Clothing Drive June-July 2023

Yes, it’s time to bag up those clothes that you haven’t worn for a while, let go of them, and let us transport them to the border to people who so desperately need them.

The Immigration Justice Team will collect clothing the last week of June (beginning June 25) and the first two weeks of July. Drop off clothes on Sundays in Friendship Hall or in the Anne Frank Room of the Education Wing.



What to bring?

General Guidelines

o  All clothing needs to be washed.

o  Casual summer and non-bulky winter clothing

o  No sox or underwear

o  Shoes are a big yes, esp. flip flops, sandals or tennies

S, M, L (not XL) men’s clothing

o  Jeans, jeans and more jeans

• Waist 28” to 34”; Length 27” to 32”

o  Shirts (love sports-themed shirts)

o  Belts (small)

o  Caps; jackets; sweaters

S, M, L (not XL) women’s clothing

o  Jeans, pants and leggings (“lycra”)

o  Tops and jackets; sweaters

o  No blouses

Children’s clothing

o  Toddler through 16

Consider joining us as we box up the clothing. If interested, please contact Ruthanne Landsness, [email protected]; 608/234-2882. We have a great time. Thank you!

On the table in the Crossroads!

Updated Masking Policy

In response to recent declines in COVID infection numbers and a steady low level of local community spread, the ORUCC COVID Response Team has updated the masking policy:

• Masking is optional throughout the building
• Those with symptoms of illness should refrain from entering the building
• Individual decisions to mask or not mask are to be respected
• This policy may be revised with changes in infection number or levels of community spread 

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, a Lay Liturgist or

to assist with Holy Communion?

It has been fairly easy finding Lay Liturgists and Communion Assistants, but much more challenging finding

Coffee-Makers and Welcomers!

For outdoor worship on July 16th, we need volunteers to set-up and tear-down chairs and tents.

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 sign up as a Lay Liturgist

Click here to assist with Holy Communion

Click here to set-up and/or tear-down for Outdoor Worship

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.

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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