Women’s Book Group Meeting Changed to July 11

Due to the July 4 holiday, Women’s Book Group will be held July 11 from 1:30 to 3:00pm in the Alfred Swan room and also on Zoom. This worked so well last month that we decided to continue this combined way to participate for the rest of the year. July’s book is Still True by Maggie Ginsberg and Ann Rifenberg will lead the discussion. Also PLEASE NOTE: the August book has been changed to Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. Carol Prugh will be our discussion host in August. Please contact Deanna Blanchard with any questions [email protected]

Celebrating 15 Years of

Veggie Village

This coming Sunday, July 14^th, we are celebrating the 15^th Anniversary of the Veggie Village garden! 

Worship at 10:00 is a celebration of Eco-Spirituality.  It concludes with a procession and blessing of the Veggie Village followed by the sharing of a fresh-baked herbal treat prepared and served by Kids in the Garden. All are invited to wear GREEN or other Earth colors to enhance the celebration!

Our Generosity at Work: Compassion Offering for June

We are delighted to report that June’s Compassion Offering for Casa Alitas, a non-profit, immigrant welcome center near the border in Tucson, Arizona, amounted to $3,280. Casa Alitas provides a warm welcome, food, clothing, and shelter for a few days for legal asylum seekers who have crossed the border. Casa Alitas provides services to 1,000 to 1,500 guests every day.

Madison Mennonite Church seeks an Administrative Assistant

This is a part-time position at 6 hours/week (.15 FTE).

Madison Mennonite Church’s Administrative Assistant collaborates with the Pastor and lay leaders to equip the MMC community in its mission and vision. The Administrative Assistant provides organizational support to the congregation through financial bookkeeping, communication and information sharing, and record keeping. This is a primarily remote position with occasional in-person tasks and meetings in Madison, WI.

The complete job description may be viewed here.

“Kids in the Garden” this Sunday!

”Kids in the Garden” is our yearly summer enrichment program. During worship, children ages 6 and older (ages 5 and younger must be accompanied by a caregiver) will be invited to hear a nature-themed story, visit our Children’s Garden plot to collect herbs, and make a snack to serve after worship. This program will be offered four more times throughout the summer: this Sunday, 7/14; 8/4,11, & 25. While there is no staffed nursery care during the summer, children of all ages are always welcome to remain in service or to visit the “Crossroads” with a caregiver as well.   

There is no regularly scheduled 9:00 a.m. Sunday School for Children and Youth during the summer. Sunday School will resume on September 8th!

Ushers Needed!

Please consider helping on Sunday mornings by being an usher during our services.

Please sign up using the link below….or contact Jon with questions at [email protected]

Usher Signup Genius

JULY COMPASSION OFFERING

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Food Pantry: Helping at home in our church neighborhood

Did you know that Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (GSLC) offers a weekly (Thursday) food pantry? This pantry located at 5701 Raymond Road opened its doors in 2005 and currently serves up to 75 eligible individuals and families each week.   Rick Thomas, GSLC Outreach Director, reports that the pantry has experienced record high demand (up to 50% more attendance) since late winter 2024. He also reports that local pantries have seen fewer food products come from Second Harvest, the main supplier to Dane Co food pantries, due to high demand throughout the county. GSLC has had to rely heavily on an internal pantry fund to maintain an adequate supply of food items on the pantry shelves. Additional funds are much-needed at this time. Can we at ORUCC help?

We invite ORUCC members to make monetary donations to the GSLC food pantry fund through our July Compassion Offering. Your donations will go toward direct purchase of food items that best meet the needs of food pantry clients. Please consider a generous donation to keep the GSLC food pantry well-stocked for those in need.

Additional ways that you can help:

–         Food, paper goods or personal items are also accepted year-round at the GSLC Donation Room during weekday hours.

–         Volunteer at the GSLC Food Pantry: Assist with registration, act as a host or help with stocking the shelves. Thursdays, 9:30am-Noon or 5:30pm-7pm. Familiarity with languages is a bonus, such as Spanish, Middle Eastern dialects, others. Contact: Rick [email protected] or ORUCC contact Jane [email protected]



–         Volunteer your time in the ORUCC Veggie Village garden where we tend and harvest fresh vegetables for the GSLC food pantry. Contact: LuAnn Greiner [email protected]

VIDEO

Please give generously. Thank you.

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 Month of July

For the summer months our Daily Reflections will take on a new format, and a new name: Summer Seeds for a Growing Spirituality. There will be one set of Readings for each of the summer months.



Summer Seeds for a Growing Spirituality: July

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 the church office.

Youth Service Trip

to Nashville, TN

Before worship this Sunday, July 14th, 25 youth and 6 adults will head out to Nashville, TN for a week-long service trip with Service Learning Camps. This year we will also have youth joining us from Madison Mennonite Church, First Congregational Church UCC, and Middleton Community Church UCC. Follow along on social media (@orchardridgeucc on Instagram and Facebook) for periodic updates from Pastor Kate. We are looking forward to a great week. Please hold us in your prayers!

Sign Up to Volunteer on Sunday Mornings Now Through the End of

September 2024!

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, an Usher, a Lay Liturgist or

to assist with Holy Communion?

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 an Usher

Click here to sign up as a Lay Liturgist

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.

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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