August Compassion Offering:

GSAFE (the Gay/Straight Alliance for Safe Schools)

For nearly three decades, Wisconsin’s queer and trans youth have been at the center of our mission. Two of our most longstanding programs provide direct support for LGBTQ+ youth, including our Leadership Training Institute– a four-day summer intensive for high school students– and our Middle School GSA Leadership Summit, which brings together GSAs statewide to enhance competency and advocacy around inclusive best practices in schools.

Additionally, we know that LGBTQ+ identified youth thrive with secure, healthy networks of support. Within the last decade, we’ve built connections with Wisconsin’s educators through programs like our annual Safe Schools, Safe Communities conference, where educators, counselors, and other adult allies across Wisconsin connect and share tools to create safer environments for queer and trans youth. Most recently, we’ve begun collaborating with Rainbowland Action Initiative to provide monthly in-person support groups for families of queer and trans youth across Dane and Milwaukee counties.



For more information, click here to see the YouTube video on GSAFE.

Women’s Book Group to meet this afternoon!

The Women’s Book Group meets this afternoon, Thursday, August 14th at 1:30pm to discuss The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. Deanna Blanchard will lead this discussion. Join us at church in the Alfred Swan room or on Zoom. Next month’s selection is Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline.

SAVE THE DATE!

Welcome Back Picnic (Rain or Shine)

Sunday, September 7th,

immediately after worship

Come celebrate the launch of our program year with a delicious picnic lunch prepared and served by our Hospitality Mission Team! Free of charge! All are welcome! Invite your friends!

Can you help with setting up and/or tearing down the outdoor picnic (tents, tables, chairs? Or can you help with kitchen cleanup?

Click here to sign up

Save the dates for these fall programmatic events hosted by us at ORUCC!

Music Makes Community!

ORUCC is co-hosting a community building singing event with a wonderful organization who is coming to lead us in song. More information forthcoming. 

Save the dates:

Friday October 3rd: Evening community sing at Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church.

Saturday October 4th: Register for workshop at ORUCC

Wayfinding Retreat at Holy Wisdom Monastery

Wednesday, October 15th 10am-2pm (tentatively), including lunch. Regular Wayfinding program resumes monthly rhythm 3rd Wednesdays with a ZOOM option on the following Thursday. More details to follow.

Restorative Circle 

Sunday, October 12th after worship to learn about the process.

November 7th evening & 8th.

Magic Pride Festival is an event held by OutReach at Warner Park. The event runs from 1-6pm on Sunday, August 17th. ORUCC will have a table at this event to get our name out there and show our support for the queer community. We are looking for more volunteers to hang out with other ORUCC folks at the table to welcome people and share about our awesome community! If you would like to volunteer or have questions about the event, please contact Al Blanchard: [email protected]

Sunday, August 17th: Celebration of Life for Barbara Ann Zahn

A celebration of the life of Barbara Ann Zahn will be held Sunday, August 17th, at 1:00 pm at First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Bay Drive, Madison. Barbara Ann, who passed away on June 5th, had been a member of ORUCC for decades and served as our church secretary for many years. Everyone is welcome to attend the service.

“Parents Together” Online Support Group to meet August 18th

The “Parents Together” peer-led support group will meet online on August 18th at 7:30 p.m., facilitated by Claire Purkis. 

Parents Together is an opportunity to share the struggles and joys of parenting kids in today’s world. All are welcome! Please use this google meet link to join the meeting. You can also connect with Claire for more info at [email protected]. We will resume in-person meetings this fall, beginning September 7th at 9:00 a.m. 

Looking forward to seeing you virtually, or in person in September! 

Please text or email me with any questions or if you are having a hard time getting into the Google meet. 

Thanks! 

Claire 

Claire Purkis

[email protected]

773.259.3502

Service opportunity at

Orchard Ridge Elementary School August 23rd

We are invited to serve our neighbors at Orchard Ridge Elementary School along with folks from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Saturday, August 23. This is part of the “Love Dane” initiative coordinated by Collaboration Project, a local ecumenical nonprofit. Please sign up here (scroll down to find the “Orchard Ridge Elementary” sign up) to help spruce up the school for the start of the academic year!

Stay up to date on ORUCC Children and Youth happenings

Want to stay up to date on the latest with children and youth at ORUCC? Check out our weekly updates here:

https://orucc.org/keeping-current/children-and-youth-news//

MOSES Mission Team invites you to join Madison Friends for peacekeeper training

Sunday, September 14

1:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Madison Friends Meetinghouse

1704 Roberts Ct., Madison, WI

Workshop: 1:30-5:30 p.m.

Dinner and Peacekeeper Community Building: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Streetwise & Steady is an experiential training to explore how to navigate complex situations and maximize group safety. Learn how to help a protest remain nonviolent by remaining calm and making informed decisions in real-time. Trainer Eileen Flanagan is an award-winning Quaker author, public speaker, and leader of spiritually-grounded climate activism.

Find more details about Eileen and  register for the training by clicking here. REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 1!

There is no charge for this training, but donations are welcome to help cover the trainer’s expenses.

Questions? Eileen will be at A Room of One’s Own bookstore in Madison on Wednesday, September 10, at 6:00 p.m. to promote her book Common Ground.

MOSES’ Racial Justice for All Children Task Force is seeking volunteers

MOSES’ Racial Justice for All Children Task Force is looking for people who are passionate about addressing disparities in literacy among our students, promoting wellness and restorative practices in our schools rather than exclusionary discipline, and ensuring that our young people are in safe, stable and affordable housing. For more information, please visit our page on the MOSES website: https://www.mosesmadison.org/rjac/ Or contact Shel Gross, [email protected] 608-250-4368. ORUCC members Barbie Jackson [email protected] and John Lemke  [email protected] participate in this task force and can give you more information as well. 

Please Sign Up to Volunteer on Sunday Mornings!

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 Host, 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

Please note that the previous Welcomer and Usher signups have recently been combined into a new signup named “Host.” Please sign up to be trained into this new position:

Click here to sign up as a Host

Click here to sign up as a Lay Liturgist

Click here to assist with Holy Communion

• Page #1: Choose the date you are available to volunteer and select the box that says “SIGN UP“.  Then, at the bottom of the page select the box “SAVE & CONTINUE“.
• Page #2: Enter your first/last name and your email address. Then select the box at the bottom of the page “SIGN UP NOW“

Questions or problems signing up?

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

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!

Daily Reflections for August

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 month 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.

Daily Reflections for August 2025

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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