FEBRUARY COMPASSION OFFERING

Porchlight, Inc – Safe Haven Program

Safe Haven is a Madison-based day shelter for adults with mental illness who are experiencing homelessness. Guests have access to meals, showers, laundry, bus tickets, mail, and phone services. Safe Haven also provides housing-focused case management and crisis stabilization services. Safe Haven staff specialize in building rapport with individuals who may not otherwise engage in mainstream services.   

Safe Haven provides invaluable support through its Crisis Stabilization Program, which focuses on developing and maintaining recovery plans for guests experiencing acute crises. All eligible guests have been diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness, and 43% are also struggling with a co-occurring substance use disorder. 

Safe Haven’s daily utilization has increased significantly over the past several years, more than doubling from 2018 (198 guests) to 2020 (467 guests). As one of the few community programs for this population that kept its doors open, utilization continued to increase throughout the pandemic. In 2023, Safe Haven served 602 guests during the day. Of those guests, 41% were unsheltered – sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation, and 55% were sleeping in an emergency shelter at night. 

With skyrocketing costs and increased guest usage at Safe Haven, Porchlight is in need of additional funding to support these services. Your generous contribution will go directly toward guest services at the day shelter as well as transitional housing support, specifically for individuals with mental illness. 

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 Thank you for giving generously

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/

Welcome to Lent at ORUCC! Our theme this year for Lent, inspired by one of the most popular and loved topic of Wayfinding: Soul Tasks of Aging, last year, is “‘Fear not!’ Becoming Death Doulas”

We begin by exploring on February 18th what it means to be a death doula, and why this is a call of our times.

Then on February 25th, with much of the service led by children and youth, we will explore cultivating deep peace- a spiritual technique that will serve us all our lives and especially as we approach times of death.

On March 3rd we will lift up times when death does not feel fair or natural, such as untimely deaths, tragedy or death by suicide, and following worship we will have a local chaplain come share time with us for a suicide prevention and awareness circle on March 3rd.

March 10th will lead us into the Biblical mantra of “fear not!” repeated by angels and psalmists and prophets throughout scripture.

On March 17th we will visit with the death doula women in the Bible who anointed the body of Jesus and think together about end of life rituals.

On March 24th we follow Jesus into Palm Sunday, with the triumphant waving of palm branches, and we will think about Jesus’ call to justice, and how death work can be justice work- and learn about green burials.

On Easter March 31st we will gather both at sunrise with brunch following and at 10am for a joyous celebration of the resurrection, the mystery at the heart of Christianity, that even in the face of death, God dreams and births new life. Perhaps the call of a death doula is to become midwives to the resurrection.

Women’s Book Group



The ORUCC Women’s Book Group meets on Zoom on the first Thursday of the month from 1:30-3:00pm. The group is open to women of all ages and we enjoy welcoming new members.   A member can participate as often or as little as desired and It is a great way to meet other church members!  Contact Deanna Blanchard at 608-712-0263 or at [email protected].

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!

For the week of Feb 15 – Feb 21

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.

Easter Flower Orders

We will be decorating the sanctuary with Easter lilies, tulips, daffodils and hyacinth from Felly’s again this year. We invite you to make a donation in Honor or in Memory of a Loved one. Plants will be $16 and forms will be in the crossroads. Orders will be due by Sunday, February 25. 

You are invited!

ISRAEL IN CONTEXT

Sunday, February 25th, 11:15 am

Friendship Hall

Micah 6:8 reads “….what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to have mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” We, as a community of faith, are therefore obligated to understand, with our limited capacities, the meaning of justice, mercy and humbleness even as the conflict in Gaza rages on.

To help us with this, Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Executive Director, Wisconsin Faith Voices For Justice and Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, Rabbi, Temple Beth El, will share with us their perspectives on this anguishing conflict. The following is their description of the presentation:

“We will cover a quick overview of 4000 years of Jewish history, explaining our historic ties to the land of Israel, our experiences in the Diaspora and 2000 years of longing to return to Israel, the impact of antisemitism on world Jewry, the founding of the state of Israel, and the history of the conflict between Israel and her Arab neighbors and Israel and the Palestinians. We hope people will come away with a better understanding of the deep connection Jews feel to the land of Israel, and of the roots and causes of the present conflict.“

Inquiries concerning the presentation can be directed to Baxter Richardson, [email protected] .

   QUILTS FOR GAZA — Quilters Invited

The war in Gaza has left thousands of people homeless, injured and critically ill. Many of these people are newborn infants, young children, teenagers.

Although at present very few shipments of humanitarian aid for Gaza are allowed entrance, in time it will become possible to send quilts to Gaza. An ad hoc group of quilters from Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ is preparing for this opportunity by quilting small (40 x 40 inches for babies and young children, slightly larger for teens) quilts for distribution to Gaza when feasible via our United Church of Christ Global Mission Partner, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.

Your help is invited! Join the effort by making quilts; sharing extra fabric/thread/lightweight batting you have on hand; donating funds to help with materials and shipping costs; praying for the people of Gaza; spreading the word to others who may wish to help.



Contact Diane Dulin for more information. We welcome your questions, ideas, and involvement.  [email protected]  503-779-9173

February 21st is our next Wayfinding in person

9:30-11:15

February 22nd virtually over ZOOM 4pm-5:15pm.

By Zoom on Thursdays: 04:00 PM Central Time

    Feb 22, 2024 04:00 PM

    Mar 21, 2024 04:00 PM

    Apr 18, 2024 04:00 PM

    May 16, 2024 04:00 PM

Click here to join Zoom meeting



us02web.zoom.us/j/87998025473?pwd=dEEzcFkvSnBNdzNUaE5BK2RxUDZqZz09

Meeting ID: 879 9802 5473

Passcode: 573548

Dial in

1 312 626 6799 US 

Sign Up Now Through the End of June 2024!

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?

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.

TODAY IS THE DEADLINE

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

Members of ORUCC are invited to apply for 2024-2025 college scholarships of $500 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, 2024.

Contact [email protected] for an electronic application. Questions? Contact Ann Evensen at [email protected]

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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