October Compassion Offering:  

The ORUCC Thanksgiving Year-Round Fund

ORUCC has a long tradition of supporting our social services partners in their work with neighbors in need. Post pandemic and the end of federal CARES funds have left some of our neediest ORUCC neighbors struggling to keep up with inflationary food prices and skyrocketing rent increases.   

Established in 2020, the ORUCC Thanksgiving Year-Round Fund helps support our neighbors with Woodman’s gift cards distributed by staff from Joining Forces for Families (JFF), Commonwealth Development (CWD), and Early Childhood Development (ECD). There is now a need to replenish this fund to continue this vital support.  

ORUCC member Loretta Swanson and Community Social Worker, Eric Alvin are our lead social services team who distribute the gift cards to other neighborhood case workers. Loretta reports how a $20-$50 gift card can help a family through the holiday season and beyond:   

• To cover the cost of extra food needed while children are home during holiday breaks
• To help pay for gas to allow a parent to travel for a job or for an interview

These gift cards help in so many ways. Please consider a donation to the Thanksgiving Year-Round Fund to provide direct support to families and individuals in our neighborhood.

Thank you in advance for your donation to benefit the ORUCC Thanksgiving Year-Round Fund as our October Compassion Offering recipient. This video shares more info.

Your donation is truly appreciated, this 2024 holiday season and beyond. 

Wayfinding Zoom meetings begin this afternoon, Thursday, October 17th

”Wayfinding: The Soul Tasks of Aging: Toward a Theology of the Elder Years” is continuing this program year with brand new themes and programming every third Wednesday of the month. This year’s in-person Wayfinding meetings began yesterday. Wayfinding will meet again via ZOOM the following Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, starting this afternoon, Thursday, October 17th, 2024. The following is the login information for the Zoom meeting:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84845886041?pwd=4PhfBp176E1pCJZ7U1NAanhC9P8F3h.1

Meeting ID: 848 4588 6041

Passcode: 115289

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One tap mobile

+13052241968,,84845886041# US

+13092053325,,84845886041# US

Two books to focus on:

We will begin with Parker Palmer’s book, “On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Old” for the first 4 sessions and then the remaining 4 in the Spring will be themed around Connie Zweig’s book, “The Inner Work of Aging: Shifting from Role to Soul.”

Sign Up to Volunteer on Sunday Mornings now through the end of

October 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.

MOSES Mission Team to meet Friday, October 18th via Zoom

The newly formed MOSES mission team will meet Friday October 18 1:30-2:30 on Zoom. Interested people are invited to attend if you wish to learn more, or contact [email protected] or [email protected] . Zoom information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81650153506?pwd=c48GEXkXEp5pr0wN2svHBzR7VE5dAg.1 Meeting ID: 816 5015 3506 Passcode: 960218 

ORUCC is a member of MOSES which is an advocacy group that is part of the WISDOM network that addresses issues of criminal legal reform, racial disparities in our community, education, housing, support for public schools, and other issues. See this blog post https://orucc.org/keeping-current/justice-news/ for more information about MOSES and the mission team meeting and other events of interest including: 1) a book discussion about police reform Tuesday October 22 at 6pm at First Unitarian with Keither Ellison, who prosecuted officer Chauvin for killing George Floyd 2) a film viewing of Poverty and Power at First Unitarian at 6:30 pm on Friday November 1; 3) an inter-organization summit about homelessness on Tuesday November 12 9 am to 3 pm at Alliant Energy Center.

ORUCC Mission Trip to the Border

Vámonos a la frontera! Let’s go to the border!

Trip plans are taking shape! Join us via zoom on Tuesday, October 22nd, 5pm CDT (instead of Sunday after worship). We’ll discuss and share information on the registration process, and hotel and travel plans.

If you’re not able to join us, please contact Ruthanne Landsness, [email protected], 608/234-2882. You’ll find the zoom invitation below. Thank you!

Topic: Border Trip

Time: Oct 22, 2024 05:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85430813556?pwd=UJhRHD0oaYu9HHbRfWj0PTlfmXL6W0.1

Meeting ID: 854 3081 3556

Passcode: 240513

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One tap mobile

+13017158592,,85430813556# US (Washington DC)

+13052241968,,85430813556# US

Treinen Farms Bonfire and Corn Maze

All Ages Event! Friday, October 25, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Come join other friends and families from ORUCC in some fall fun up at Treinen Farm in Lodi. The church will have a bonfire pit reserved along with s’mores supplies for roasting marshmallows. Each family is responsible for purchasing their own tickets, which can be done online or at the door.

Hope to see you there! See Pastor Kate with questions.

First Nations Cultural Landscape Tour: Friday, October 25th

Madison Mennonite welcomes you to join us for a First Nations Cultural Landscape Tour at UW Madison on Friday, Oct. 25 from 3:30-5:30pm. The First Nations Cultural Landscape Tour is an award-winning, place-based, walking tour that welcomes guests to learn about the First Nations of Wisconsin. It provides an introduction to the 12,000+ years of human history along the shores of Lake Mendota. Please RSVP to Mark Wagler ([email protected]) if you are interested in joining.

 Flicker Wild Church

Save the Date—looking ahead our next two gatherings will be held at and in collaboration with the Farley Center for Peace, Justice & Sustainability. We will gather under the mother oak at the entrance to their Natural Path Sanctuary, as our “Wild Wander” moment will involve the trails that wind through their innovative, inspiring, and deeply earth-honoring green/natural burial grounds. We will meet there on Samhain, November 1, and on the Winter Solstice, December 21, likely at 4pm. 

New Growth—we’ve been working on a new website this summer! We are also excited to share that we have received fiscal sponsorship/ 501(c)3 status through Mission.Earth—tax deductible donations are live now, but stay tuned for emerging plans for a fun fundraising event. We are also in conversation and discernment with the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ as a new church start! Our dream is one in which Wild Churches like Flicker are as completely legitimate, self-organizing/self-sustaining, and ultimately impactful in holding space for transformative encounter as any “indoor church” or traditional spiritual community. I remain more convinced than ever that the Earth (ecosystems, climate, biodiversity) is calling out for more nature-honoring human spiritualities to pop up like mushrooms and flourish, and so we’d love to invite you all to continue with us in this journey of dreaming big for a vibrant year and years ahead for Flicker Wild Church!

Yours wildly,

Daniel, Julia, Reverie & Kindred 

Ushers needed through Christmas 2024

Please consider signing up to be an usher during our Sunday morning service. Ushers hand out bulletins, help people be seated, take the morning offering and count the money received.

We would like to see the days all filled up. On-the-job training will be provided, but it is very easy to complete the ushering duties.

Please visit the signup genius via the link below. If you have any questions, please contact the church office and they will put you in touch with the appropriate members.

Usher Signup Genius Link

Come sing with us–join our Choir!

All singers are welcome to join our Choir! Rehearsals are Wednesday

evenings from 7:00 to 8:30pm. We sing in worship the first and third

Sundays of the month, gathering for rehearsal 9am those Sunday mornings.

Please share your voice with a group of music-loving friendly people! For more information, email Bruce Gladstone at [email protected].

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!



For October 17 – 23

Daily Reflections: October 17- 23 

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. If you know someone who needs encouragement and would like the devotional mailed to them, please contact the church office.

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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