Tammy Martens

Mission Trip Food Drive

Tammy Martens on July 7, 2022

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

Spiritually Alive, Joyfully Inclusive, Committed to Justice

Youth Mission Trip Mini Food Drive

To assist with Christian Service Mission in Birmingham, Alabama (the non-profit we are serving on our Mission trip), we are collecting food donations

to help support their Thanksgiving Food Drive.

Every year at Thanksgiving, they run short of two items—Boxed Stuffing mixes and Mac and Cheese. If you would like to donate to this food drive, please bring Stuffing mixes and boxes of Mac and Cheese to the church by Friday, July 22. You can place your donations

under the oval table in the Crossroads

(the room between Friendship Hall and the sanctuary).

Thank you so much!

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

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

Update from Tammy Martens

Tammy Martens on June 24, 2022

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

Spiritually Alive, Joyfully Inclusive, Committed to Justice

Update from Tammy Martens

June and July Happenings

We wrapped up our Sunday morning programming for children and youth on the weekend of June 3^rd with lots of joy, laughter, and gratitude. The Pizza and Improv night was a huge success and we witnessed so many of our kids, youth, and adults who have incredible improv talent! I laughed and smiled so hard and often that my cheeks and tummy were sore.

On Sunday, June 5^th we celebrated high school seniors, said thanks to our teachers and leaders, celebrated Pentecost, and enjoyed Tru Function High School seniors who sang their last song for us. Then I was surprised and blessed with a song by Tru Function and you all gifting me one-by-one with a flower. I was overwhelmed and humbled by your words, hugs, and tenderness.

I am now finishing up the details for our Service-Mission trip to Birmingham, Alabama July 23-30. We have 23 youth and 5 chaperones participating. We have a full week of activities that include worshipping at First Congregational Church in Memphis, TN and then touring the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel. From there we will drive to Birmingham, Alabama where we will stay for the week and serve with the organization Christian Service Mission, a non-profit in Birmingham. During the week we will visit the 16^th Street Baptist Church in downtown Birmingham and tour the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery.

Pastoral Transition

At this point we have not been able to fill the position of Associate Pastor for Children, Youth and Families. I am happy to share, however, that we have been able secure leadership to carry on the work of children and youth programming. Julie Mazer, our Children’s Music Director, will begin as Interim Education Coordinator starting in July. She will coordinate and oversee the Sunday morning programming for children and youth. This includes supporting Sunday School teachers, preparing Sunday School classrooms, reviewing curricula, making curricula decisions, and communicating with parents and the wider church. She will continue as the Children’s Music Director.

I am thrilled that Julie has wholeheartedly agreed to take on this role. She is incredibly gifted and because she has been with us for over 10 years, Julie has a very good understanding of what we do on Sunday mornings. She also has a very keen interest in the spiritual formation and Christian education of our children and youth and she has positive and supportive relationships with parents.

Second, Kristin Muckian, member of ORUCC has enthusiastically agreed to be the point person/leader for the Youth Mission trip (2023). Kristin has been a chaperone on the youth mission trips for the last six years and will go again this year. She also has been a Sunday School teacher, Youth Faith Formation team member and chair, and OWL (Our Whole Lives) teacher. Kristin is extremely capable to lead this effort. She is an absolute joy to be with, has wonderful relationships with our youth and families, and has a deep commitment to our Youth Mission trip program.

What to watch for next month

In my July update, Julia and I will share the specifics of my future relationship with ORUCC after I complete my time as your Associate Pastor. Also, in early July I will send out an invitation for gatherings “Chit Chats with Tammy” as a way for me to hear from you—ideas, longings, hopes you have for the Christian Education/Spiritual Formation programming for children and youth, and any other things you have on your mind/heart. So, watch for the dates/times of these gatherings in an all church email to go out the week of July 5^th.

Summer Blessings!

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

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

Update from Tammy Martens

Tammy Martens on May 10, 2022

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

Spiritually Alive, Joyfully Inclusive, Committed to Justice

Update from Tammy Martens

We are finishing up our 9:00 Sunday programming for children and youth. June 5 will be our last gathering until we reconvene next fall.

Susan Watson and I teach the middle school youth and for the past few months we have been working through our Coexist curriculum. We have studied Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Sikhism. And as we have studied these major religions, we have learned more about our own Christian tradition.

It was an absolute delight to visit the AHA Shava Vishnu Temple in Fitchburg. Mr. Subbu Ravi, leader of Educational Initiatives for the community, was our host. After his presentation we spent time in their temple as people were gathering for prayer and worship.

For our study of Judaism, Ellen Baum (Tammy’s neighbor) came to our Sunday School class to lead us through a Seder meal. First, we heard the story of Passover and then we tried some of the foods that are part of the Passover meal. I found it deeply meaningful that we were experiencing a Passover meal during our Holy Week and close to the date of Jewish celebration of Passover. It’s extremely satisfying to help youth see the connections between Judaism and Christianity.

We will celebrate the end of our programming year with an Improv night and dinner on Friday, June 3 starting at 6:00 p.m. We will have pizza and vegetables, fruit, and dessert plates. Monkey Business Institute of Madison will be leading us in improv. If you can provide a side dish and/or help with set-up and clean-up, please go to this link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0844a5ad22abf49-improv

On Sunday, June 5 in worship we will celebrate Pentecost. In addition, we will honor Sunday School teachers and youth leaders, recognize High School seniors, enjoy the music of Tru Function and end with and Ice Cream Social.

I continue to work out details for our Civil Rights/Service Trip to Birmingham, Alabama July 23-30. We will stop in Memphis on our way down to tour the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel and worship at First Congregational Church. In Birmingham we will be working with a non-profit called Christian Mission Service. They will have projects for us to do all week. On Wednesday of that week, we will travel to Montgomery to tour the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. We have 24 youth and 5 chaperones going on the trip.

I am happy to share with you that after I transition away from ORUCC, I will begin working with Lombard Mennonite Peace Center. No, I don’t need to move to Lombard, IL thankfully. I will be writing curriculum and teaching in their Clergy Clinics in Family Emotional Process and assisting with church mediation. I will begin in mid-September.

I shared in an earlier email that Rob Martens will continue as the Tru Function leader. He is so gifted in this position and does so much to support and encourage youth in their musical abilities. Any youth who is going into seventh grade can try out for Tru Function. Spring is recruitment time, and he has scheduled a couple of try outs with some of our rising seventh graders.

Finally, I want to share with you my commitment to the ongoing work and ministry here at ORUCC. I see myself as an ally to the person who will be hired as the next Associate Pastor. I will do all I can to support this person and make this transition as smooth as possible.

Thank you for all your support as we move through this time of transition.

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

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

Middle School Huddle- Reviewing Fall 2021

Tammy Martens on January 24, 2022

Note: This letter was sent to families with middle school youth. We are sharing it here so the rest of the church knows what has been happening.
It was so incredibly life-giving to gather again with our middle school youth this past fall and begin some good Bible workouts together. Our game plan was successful! We scored a victory when we finished our study of The Story of the Bible: Covenant’s Love with God’sPeople. This particular study is one playbook of many that we could use to study the Bible, but I think it is one of the best and every time we use it, we are guaranteed a victory.

Youth to Deep Roots

Tammy Martens on October 30, 2021

It was a tremendous joy to be with ORUCC youth on our Service/Mission trip August 7014, 2021 as we worked and served at Deep Roots in Earlville, Maryland. There were so many meaningful moments and I was continuously filled with joy with the youth’s determination, positive spirit, good humor, and deep love for the work we were doing.

Before landing in Earlville, we stopped in Philadelphia on Sunday and spent time at Reading Terminal Market (Food Market), took pictures under the “LOVE” statue, visited the Liberty Bell Visitor Center, and toured Independence Hall.

We got back on the bus and drove to Earlville, Maryland and arrived at Deep Roots around 4:30 p.m. We unloaded the bus and unpacked, ate dinner, showered and were ready for a good night’s sleep.

We worked and completed many projects at Deep Roots and it was very gratifying to see the progress we were making. Our projects included: cleaning out their vegetable garden, removing branches and logs from two fallen trees, clearing their walking path to their campfire/firepit, cleaning out their office space, cleaning out and organizing their supply shed that stored paint and supplies, cleaning and organizing their tool shed, painting and organizing their food pantry, cleaning and painting in their dining hall, painting two murals, painting their pavilion, helping with lunch and dinner prep, helping with breakfast/lunch/dinner clean-up. We also got to meet and play with some of the children who were living there. Despite the extremely high heat and humidity, we found joy in working together and completing many projects.

Wednesday was our day off and we spent time at Ocean City, Maryland. We swam in the ocean, explored the Boardwalk, and were refreshed by the cool ocean breeze.

If anyone might be worried, all of us on the trip were vaccinated. We always were masks whenever we were indoors. At Deep Roots we ate all our meals outside and when we were with children we were always outside and keeping some distance as we played.

We got back on the bus Friday late afternoon, enjoyed a celebratory supper at Luna’s Pizzeria in Middletown, Delaware before traveling back to Wisconsin. On early Saturday morning, we rolled off the bus and hiked around the Indiana Sand Dunes to wake us up and get the kinks out. We arrived back in Madison early Saturday afternoon.

A big shout out to our wonderful chaperones: Maya Kaspar, Chuck Kaspar, Kristin Muckian, and Greg Louden. And our Team Leaders—Lila Eggerling-Boeck, Rebekah Hoard, and Lily Martens.

It was also rewarding to have four of our 2020 graduates join the trip–Rachel Hoard, Maddie Miller, Charlotte Ravenscroft, and Gabe Martens. They were wonderful role models for our younger youth and made great connections with them.

Thanks to all of you who provided donations. It was wonderful to unload all of the supplies and also provide a financial gift to Deep Roots.