This week’s announcements

Weekly announcements are usually updated on Thursday. Archive of old announcements.

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ORUCC Weekly Announcements for Aug 4

by Orchard Ridge UCC

August 4, 2022

Spiritually Alive, Joyfully Inclusive, Committed to Justice

Week at a Glance 08/04/2022

Sunday, August 7, 2022

10:00 am Worship

in-person & live-streamed

Tammy Martens preaching

“Born in the Wind”

Lay Liturgist: Mary Bucknell

Liturgy of Farewell for Tammy Martens

No Kids in the Garden this Sunday.

No 9:00 am Java & Jesus for the month of August

Men’s Group

Monday, August 8

7:15 pm – 8:30 pm

Jon Lemk

Zoom

Resources Meeting

Wednesday, August 10

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Jon Blanchard

Zoom

Racial Justice Mission Team

Thursday, August 11

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Pam Oliver

Zoom

Meditation Group

Friday, August 12

9:30 am – 10:30 am

Sue Dixon

Zoom

Technology Fundraiser

The church is moving ahead with technology improvements, and we are welcoming contributions to help pay for them. Hybrid meetings in the Alfred Swan Room are already happening; these permit people present in the room to share the event with those connected from home via Zoom. Next up we will be adding technology to make it possible to hold larger hybrid meetings and enhanced educational events in Friendship Hall. To learn more please read this post from the ORUCC Website Link .

You can make a donation by check, on the memo line, please write “AV” and mail to ORUCC, 1501 Gilbert Road, Madison, WI 53711, or donate online at LINK tech fund.

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!

For the week of Aug 4 – August 10

Read this week’s reflections as a way to dive deeper into your spiritual practice or to get some nourishment and inspiration

for your day.

Click here for reflections

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 Julie Wombacher in the church office.

August Compassion Offering

Community Immigration Law Center (CILC)

Saludos members of Orchard Ridge,

I am Aissa Olivarez, the Managing Attorney at the Community Immigration Law Center (or CILC) coming to you from our offices at Christ Presbyterian Church. I want to start by thanking you for choosing us for your compassion offering in August 2022. Partners like you are the reason we are able to keep our services completely pro bono for our immigrant community seeking legal advice and legal services. We serve individuals from over 161 different countries through both our virtual Friday legal clinic and direct legal representation. We have some exciting updates to share with you.

We are now a staff of 2.5 attorneys and one paralegal: We most recently hired a paralegal, Diana Benitez, who will help us increase our capacity to continue to meet the need we see in our local community. We also hired Natalia Lucak, who is seasoned in serving asylum seekers, to start a brand new program: the pro se clinic, an offering that will provide the asylum seeker community the opportunity to get know your rights information, screening, and assistance with filling out relevant applications.

The reason we have identified the clinic as the best next step in our community is because of the growing level of asylum seekers seeking refuge in our community. Since Jan 1 we have received over 95 referrals from the Immigrant affairs office of Dane County to provide asylum orientations to individuals at risk of deportation and needing to report to ICE in Milwaukee.

Our asylum orientations ensure that individuals have access to the information needed to navigate the system. Our new pro se clinic will take it a step further and help to prepare actual applications for asylum seekers so that they can continue down the road of pursuing their fear based claim.

There are many barriers to the process of seeking asylum in the United States:

1) all correspondence between the respondent and the government is in English (including hearing notices);

2) the asylum application is only in English and must be filled out in English;

3) there are multiple legal standards applied when a decision on granting asylum is made, including arguing whether there is a nexus between the harm you suffered and a protected ground under the law.

I could go on and on about the barrier, but the benefit of a pro se clinic will be that people are able to gain knowledge about the process in their native language, receive assistance filling out required forms, and receive support navigating the immigration court system. Funds collected by your organization will go toward

supporting the pro se clinic which will be launched on September 2, 2022.

Thank you again for choosing CILC as your partner and supporting access to justice for the local immigrant community. We ask for your continued prayers as we remain on the frontlines of immigrant justice.

Thank you in advance for your contribution.

VIDEO

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 at orucc.org. Click the brown button “Contribute” in the upper right of the home page.

İAtención! İAtención!

It’s August 2022 – Time for the Casa Alitas Clothing Drive!

It’s time to go through those closets and boxes and provide others

with those clothes that you are no longer wearing or no longer use.

Drop them off on any Sunday in August in Friendship Hall.

We’ll transport them to Casa Alitas in Tucson, AZ.

Bus leaves Monday, August 29, 2022!

Click on the LINK for a list of the most needed items.

Thank you in advance for your contribution!

The ORUCC – MMC Immigration Justice Team

Camping at Governor Dodge State Park

Our camping trip to Governor Dodge State Park is coming up soon: August 12-14. Whether you come for the entire weekend or just on Saturday I (Jill Westberg) hope to see you. Remember there are 2 lakes for swimming and paddling, and lots of hiking paths. On Saturday evening we’ll get together for a potluck supper. Bring your own meat and a dish to share. Jim and I will be in Cox Hollow Campground at site #65. If you don’t see us there, give me a call: 630-254-0825. Until then email any questions to me at [email protected].

Handbell Exploratory Workshop

If you have ever been interested in handbell choir, but feel intimidated just jumping in, then this is the event for you! Come and spend some time with handbell choir director, Bethany Schultz to learn about how handbell choir works and try bells out for yourself. No prior handbell experience is necessary. Just the ability to read music, and a willingness to try something new. Kids 12 and up are also welcome! The workshop will take place on Sunday, August 28th at 11:30 am. If you are interested, but unable to attend on the given date, Bethany would be happy to set up a separate time for you! Please fill out this form to indicate your interest in attending! Thanks!

Primary Election Coming Up!

Election Day Voting:

● Primary Election Day is August 9.

● Make sure you bring a valid form of photo ID.

● Don’t forget to double-check your polling place location.

● Find your polling location Link

● Because of new rules, voters are only permitted to drop off their own absentee ballot to the clerk’s office or an early voting site or their polling location. Voters can put their absentee ballots in the US mail. BUT–ballots must be received at the clerk’s office by August 9. So mail early to ensure delivery!

● Federal civil-rights protections guarantee that voters with disabilities are entitled to ballot return assistance and are entitled to reasonable accommodations to cast their ballots.If you need a disability-related accommodation, contact your clerk Link

● Have general voting questions? Call the Voter Helpline for assistance in English or Spanish: 608-285-2141

● For disability-related voting questions, call the Disability Rights Wisconsin Voter Hotline: 1-844-347-8683

For info on all candidates in all political parties: VOTE411.org

Autism Support Positions available on Madison’s near west-side,

just a few miles from ORUCC

Guide a young woman who is a member of ORUCC and who has autism to enjoy time in her home and community, as she builds new skills. All you need are the qualities of being reliable, fun-loving, and open to new learning. This opportunity brings many rewards, including the joy of knowing you’re making a positive difference in her life, $16 per hour, mileage reimbursement, and benefits if working 30 or more hrs./wk.

Current available hours include Monday- Friday

· Morning Fitness Coach – you may also workout while mentoring her;

· Afternoon Meal-Planning & Cooking – share your skills and love for cooking.

Driving is part of both positions, so you must have a reliable car and car insurance. Applicants will show proof of COVID vaccination and agree to use a mask when in public. To learning more, email [email protected]

or call Laurine at 608-333-3101.

BUILDING ACCESS

As many of you know, we’ve kept a key to the church “hidden” outside the building for many years. We want to be more secure about our building, at this time. We are placing a key in a combination lock box near the same place as the “hidden key”. If you need access to the code, please contact any of the pastors, the moderators, or Jon Blanchard.

Moderators and Ministry chairs should already have a key to use the building as needed for meetings, but if you are a leader of a group who uses the building often, please get in touch with Julie W in the office to arrange for a key. Thanks for keeping our building safe!

News for Covid Response Team

The COVID Response Team met Sunday, June 5th, and decided not to change anything, but to hold steady where we are. Positive test rates in Dane County are up currently, which we are watching.

We continue to recommend that masks be required during worship, in order to extend the broadest welcome to all. For small groups that use the church outside of the worship service, they may continue to work with the pastors to make the best determination for their group.

We are starting to digest the new COVID metrics that have become publicly available, and to consider how they might guide our decision-making in the future.

While the recommendations continue to evolve, we reiterate that by wearing even a non-fitted N95 mask – freely available outside Worship Hall – the wearer essentially ensures that nobody can be considered a “close contact” during worship. (It would take hours of continuous exposure to an unmasked individual for this to be the case!) This frees us from the need to be concerned with “contact tracing,” etc. if any of our friends test positive for COVID — although we do appreciate being able to pray for them during Joys & Concerns. Please keep telling us when you test positive for COVID after being in worship or at a church function.

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, an Assistant to the AV Technician,

a Welcomer, a Lay Liturgist, to assist with

Holy Communion or to host summer “Lawn Lemonade”?

Feel free to sign up as an individual, a couple, or a family!

Click here to serve as an Assistant to the AV Technician

Click here to sign up as a Welcomer

Click here to sign up as a Lay Liturgist

Click here to sign up to assist with Holy Communion

After selecting a date, 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.