ORUCC Children and Youth

Faith Formation Update

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Dear Families,

We look forward to seeing you this week. Of special note, this Sunday we will have a new peer-led group experience, “Parents Together” at 9:00 a.m. Read on below for details about this opportunity and other things happening this Sunday. At the bottom of the email, you will find some important dates for some fun events and photos of recent events.

~Pastor Kate and Julie M.

Supported Childcare Abby will be available in the Crossroads 8:30-11:30. This service allows parents to socialize and engage in the service, but encourages parents to stay nearby to assist their child, as well. 

Children and Youth Faith Formation is at 9 am. 

ALL PreK-High School Children and Youth (Ruby Bridges Room): This week, children and youth of all ages will gather for an outdoor nature scavenger hunt led by Rachael, Alice and Jill who are members of our Care of Creation Team. In mixed-age teams, everyone will have an opportunity to discover the variety of plants surrounding the church. The children will also participate in a hands-on project creating bee homes for our gardens.

After the scavenger hunt, Music Connections children will rehearse music to share in service in the Anne Frank Room. Once our rehearsal is complete, we’ll arrive at the service together.

All children will stay in worship this week as we continue a celebration of God’s creation with the whole congregation!

Music Opportunities for Children and Youth

Music Connections will not meet this week. Instead, the children will share their music during worship.

TRU Function: Practice from 10-noon in the Haynes Music Room.

Upcoming Events

• May 2, 6:00-8:00 p.m.Family Game Night: Join with other families from ORUCC for this informal monthly gathering of merriment and fun! Bring a dish to pass and a game to share.
• May 4, 9:00 a.m. “Parents Together” Support Group: Raising kids is hard work, full of joy and challenge. Need some community support? Parents are invited to come together for a peer-led parents’ support group in the Oscar Romero room, facilitated by Claire Purkis and Joanna Beilman-Dulin. This will be the soft-launch of a group that will likely meet regularly in the fall.
• May 23-25 Brat Fest Fundraiser for Youth Service Trip: All youth attending the Service Trip are expected to sign up to participate in the Brat Fest fundraiser. Anyone else from the congregation who would like to volunteer under our group’s name (Orchard Ridge UCC) will also have their hours counted toward our fundraiser! Please sign up here if you would like to participate.
• May 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Mandatory Service Trip Meeting: for any youth and chaperones attending this year’s service trip. We will go over important information as we share fellowship together.

At Orchard Ridge, we are Spiritually Alive!

Immigration Justice Sunday, April 27

Last week, along with churches all over the state of Wisconsin, our congregation had a special service focused on Immigration Justice. Music was led by TRU Function. Ruthanne, who led the ORUCC group trip to the border in January, gave a special Children’s Message focused on “Welcome”. She included images from the “Welcome Quilt” that the children helped to created in Faith Formation a few weeks before. Ruthanne also taught the children how to say “Hello!” in the different languages of people who utilized the Welcome Center in Arizona that our ORUCC group visited this winter.