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Spiritually Alive, Joyfully Inclusive, Committed to Justice
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Week at a Glance 12/22/2022
NO YOGA TONIGHT 12/22 DUE TO WEATHER
Saturday, December 24, 2022
4pm Children’s Service(See Below)
7pm Christmas Eve Service with Madison Mennonite Church and the ORUCC Choir(See Below)
Sunday, December 25, 2022
10:00 am Worship
in-person (see below)
NO Sunday School/Nursery or Music Connections
Yoga
Thursday, November December 29
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Leslie Linser
Crossroads
Meditation Group
Friday, December 30
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Sue Dixon
Zoom
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Come Celebrate Christmas with Orchard Ridge UCC!
Join us for one of our Candle Light Christmas Eve Services December 24th: from the birth of the cosmos to the birth of the Christ child, our Advent will come full and wondrous circle as we mark our Christmas Eve gatherings on this holy night.
4pm Children’s Service: A Celebration of Peace with children leading us with music they have prepared. This service will be mask optional
7pm Christmas Eve Service with Madison Mennonite Church and the ORUCC Choir. For this service we will require masks KN95 or the like, as we do with all other regular ORUCC services and events.
Sunday Christmas Day December 25 10am: Julia Burkey leads service with David Anderman playing Christmas hymns on the piano. We will reflect on present day Bethlehem and enjoy being together on Christmas Day! Our 10am service will not be live-streamed, so our wonderful tech folks can enjoy being with their families.
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Spiritual
Nourishment
for you!
For the week of Dec 22 – Dec 25
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
The Daily Reflections will take a Christmas break from December 25, 2022 until January 5, 2023. May you remember all the gifts your life brings…courage, love, gratitude, strength, hope, compassion and the knowledge that your light lights up the world. Merry Christmas!
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.
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December Compassion Offering
National UCC Christmas Fund
United Church of Christ retired clergy, servants of the church, have spent lifetimes baptizing and blessing, teaching and preaching, marrying and burying, and comforting and empowering God’s people. The UCC Christmas Fund for Veterans of the Cross gives us the opportunity to sustain and empower them. Gifts to the fund help retired clergy, church staff, and their families supplement pension benefits, pay bills, maintain health insurance, supplement health benefits, and meet emergency needs. In 2021, gifts to the Christmas Fund enabled pension supplementation for 231 retired clergy and lay employees, health benefit supplementation for 87 retired clergy and lay employees, emergency grants for 53 individuals and families, and Christmas “thank you” gift checks to 509 retired clergy and lay employees. Gifts to the Christmas fund in 2022 will make a real difference in the lives of retired clergy church staff, and their families, easing the anxiety of constant financial worries.
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 from our website. The link is https://orucc.org/contribute/support/
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Thanksgiving Year-Round
Helping neighbors around the holidays
When school is in recess during these holidays, many neighborhood families struggle to find the dollars to buy groceries.
The ORUCC Thanksgiving Year-Round Fund provides food assistance year-round to these families, but especially so at this time of the year. Our social work partners distribute to Southwest Madison neighbors food and gas gift cards – purchased via donations to our Fund.
You can make donations at the table, or at any time by going to https://orucc.org/contribute/support/ and clicking on the link-box “Contribute to the Thanksgiving Year-Round Fund” Thank you!
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ALL CHURCH ANNUAL RETREAT
Registration closes January 2
Our All Church Annual Retreat is returning January 13-15, 2023 at Daycholah Center (Green Lake, WI)–It is For All Ages! Come enjoy and connect with nature and just relax and take a break from the rhythms of life.
Wonderful lodging, food, outdoor fun, crafts, music, conversations/sharing around the fireplace, and so much more is being planned for this weekend, with the hope that our friendships and faith will be deepened and encouraged. Improvisation with Jeff Pom on Saturday night and Speak With The Earth workshop with Pastor Julia and her spouse Daniel Cooperrider on Saturday morning. There will be guided activities for all age groups on Saturday morning. We begin the retreat on Friday evening and finish around 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Housing options for the retreat: Daycholah with a capacity of 80 people.
Cost to stay at Daycholah–$155 (12 years and older), $125 (4 to 11 years), toddlers free. This includes two nights lodging and four meals. Enormous bargain!! Go to www.orucc.org to make payment.
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Women’s Book Group
Our ORUCC Women’s Book Group will meet Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 1:30 to 3:00p.m. on Zoom.
This meeting will be devoted to choosing our books for the rest of 2023. Please email your suggestion to Deanna before December 30 and she will send out a list with the Zoom link prior to the meeting so we can all take notes on our choices. If you suggest a book, please consider being the facilitator the month it is used. While that is not mandatory, it is helpful and usually quite enjoyable!
We welcome new members at any time! Deanna’s email is [email protected]
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A Message of Gratitude
To our church family: Thank you for your individual expressions of sympathy for the loss of my husband Jack. Each one has comforted me in a unique way and made me grateful to be a part of this remarkable community of love and care. With gratitude, Jan Christian
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NO YOGA this evening 12/22
YOGA will resume 12/29
Thursdays 5:30 Friendship Hall
Instructor Leslie Linser
A slow flow class with a spiritual intention. Bring a yoga mat.
For questions email Leslie at [email protected]
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Greeting Card Ministry returns to ORUCC!!
Original Designs greeting cards feature original artwork by Peg Kneuve and nature photography by LuAnn Greiner. These seasonal and special occasion cards are always on display and available for purchase in the Crossroads. Proceeds from the sale of these cards supports housing stability for individuals and families in Dane County. Cards can be purchased by cash, check or Venmo (@LuAnn-Greiner). Pick up a few after worship or any time you are stopping by ORUCC!
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COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
Members of ORUCC are invited to apply for 2023-2024 college scholarships of $1,000 to $2,000 from the Frank E. Page Scholarship Fund. Applicants should be planning to begin or continue education at any accredited 2- or 4-year college or university, and should have a record of academic achievement, service to church and community, and demonstrated financial need. The application deadline is February 15, 2023; contact [email protected] for an electronic application. Questions? Contact [email protected] .
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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 Welcomer, a Lay Liturgist or
to assist with Holy Communion?
It has been fairly easy finding Lay Liturgists and Communion Assistants, but much more challenging finding
Coffee-Makers and Welcomers!
Feel free to sign up as an individual, a couple, or a family!
Click here to sign up as a Coffee Maker
Click here to sign up as a Welcomer
Click here to sign up as a Lay Liturgist
Click here to Assist with Holy Communion
After selecting one or more dates, 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.
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Office Manager Julie Wombacher
available Mon.-Thurs. 8:30am -12:30 pm
608-271-7212 or EMAIL
Office will be closed 12/24/2022 – 1/1/2023
Senior Pastor Julia Burkey available
Tues.- Fri. & Sun. 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
by appointment
518-542-6915 EMAIL
Associate Pastor Ken Pennings: available
Tues.-Thurs. 10:00 am -5:00 pm
by appointment
608-556-2371 EMAIL
Both pastors (try to) take Monday & Saturday as Sabbath days.
Friday is observed as a writing day for the preaching pastor.
In case of a pastoral emergency, please call any of the pastors, as all pastors are available by phone, text and we will always have a pastor on call who we can turn to.
LIKE or FOLLOW the Orchard Ridge FaceBook Page
JOIN our Private FB Group:
“Members & Friends of Orchard Ridge UCC“
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Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ
1501 Gilbert Road
Madison, WI 53711
608-271-7212
Office Hours: M-Th 8:30-12:30
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