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.

Welcome Back Sunday is September 7^th!

After a summer of traveling, fun in the sun, and rest and relaxation, we look forward to regathering together at ORUCC this fall. We kick off our programming year with some fun events for the whole congregation:

• Faith Formation at 9:00 a.m. for Children and Youth (Pre-K to H.S.)
• Nursery Care from 8:30-11:30 a.m. resumes for our youngest children
• “Blessing of the Backpacks” during 10:00 a.m. worship: anyone starting off the school year (kids, teachers, school and college workers) are invited to bring their “school bags” to receive a special blessing during worship
• Music Connections for kids in grades 2-6 will begin during the 10:00 hour on 9/7; TRU Function, our youth band, will resume practice on 9/14.
• Supply Drive for Neighborhood Schools: we are collecting boxes of tissues, sanitizing wipes, and individually packaged shelf-stable snacks for Orchard Ridge Elementary and Anana Elementary. Please consider adding a few extra to your back-to-school shopping cart and bring these offerings along on September 7^th 
• All-Church Picnic, immediately following worship (outdoors, weather permitting). This meal is sponsored by the Ministry of Congregational Life and our Hospitality Mission Team, and is free of charge for all. Please consider signing up to volunteer with set up, tear down, and clean up here.

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.

Our Generosity at Work: Compassion Offering for July

We are delighted to report that July’s Compassion Offering for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s Food Pantry amounted to $4,556.00. This weekly food pantry serves up to 75 eligible individuals and families every Thursday. Donations from the July Compassion Offering will go toward purchase of food items and essentials that best meet the needs of food pantry clients. And thanks to an additional generous donation we received earlier this month, the total for our June Compassion Offering for Refugee Resettlement and Immigrant Services at Jewish Social Services of Madison (JSS) has risen to $5,584.55!

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.

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’ 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