January Compassion Offering:

The Sewing Machine Project

The Sewing Machine Project (SMP) is a grassroots nonprofit based in Madison, Wisconsin. Since its founding in 2005, SMP has collected and distributed nearly 5,000 sewing machines to individuals and organizations locally, nationally, and internationally. In Madison, SMP partners with community centers to provide sewing machines and instruction and collaborates with local libraries to offer free mending services. Beyond Wisconsin, SMP supports nonprofits that use sewing as a practical path toward stability and self-reliance. By sharing tools, skills, and time, The Sewing Machine Project helps build connection, dignity, and community—one stitch at a time.

For more information on SMP, please view this video.

Please Pick up Your Cards!

There are still a number of holiday cards awaiting their pickup in the ORUCC “post office,” which raised funds for the youth service trip. Please double check under your name to see if there are any cards waiting for you so we do not have to mail them out!

Parents Together Support Group – Rescheduled to this Sunday, January 11th at 9:00 am

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 group is normally held on the first Sunday of the month, but will meet on the second Sunday in January to allow families to attend Intergenerational Faith Formation together on 1/4.

Traveling art exhibit: “Children of Palestine”

The Palestine Justice Mission Team is pleased to announce that ORUCC has been offered the opportunity to display a traveling art exhibit “Children of Bethlehem”. It includes photographs of life in Bethlehem and artwork by Palestinian youth. It will be installed in Friendship Hall for the month of January.

First “Building Blocks for Faithful Living” class postponed to Sunday, January 18th

 A seven-week class at 9 am on Sunday mornings in the Swan Room from January 18 through March 1, 2026, led by David Anderman.

We will take an introductory look at a variety of spiritual experiences, both individual and in community, at theological reflections that grow out of them, and at how these experiences and ideas can guide us in faithful living in community and in our world (i.e. the justice implications). And since spiritual experiences, theological reflections, and faithful living are mutually interactive and feed on each other, we will look at how faith is dynamic and changing over time and place.

Since this class is introductory, preparation will be minimal. Bring yourself, your experiences, and your insights and questions. David will write a one or two page non-technical document to help focus each session. At the end of the class, you will have explored some basic building blocks for faithful living, and will have a beginning sense of how they may fit together.

Session 1 – Jan. 18

           Where and how do we become aware of a sacred or greater dimension in our world?

A handout with more details for each session is available at church in the Crossroads. Please email David at [email protected] if you are interested or wish further information.

Heart Room Update and Plan presentation: Sunday, January 18th at 11:15 am

The Heart Room Mission Team invites Heart Room donors and interested others to a Heart Room presentation on January 18th after service. The Heart Room Mission team will provide an update on Heart Room experience and a plan to help 3 more families with young children achieve their goals for thriving in stable housing. We are delighted to report that we can serve added children and families in this difficult time, using already-available ORUCC funds from past donations for Heart Room purposes.

Begun in 2018 as a pilot project, Heart Room is a collaborative approach to helping families with young children find and keep stable housing and work on family-chosen goals to help them thrive. ORUCC donors contributed more than $250,000 for rent-support, while professional partners have provided housing case management and social services in response to individual family goals. Heart Room’s early demonstrated success attracted individual, congregational, and institutional donations. This has allowed Heart Room to grow, as we will report.

Two three-year pilot periods have been completed and evaluated. The Heart Room Mission Team will provide an update on Heart Room experience and a proposal from Heart Room partner Joining Forces for Families to use ORUCC’s Heart Room fund balance consistent with Heart Room’s guiding principles: generous and flexible rent support and collaborative agency support to help families achieve their unique goals for thriving.

The Heart Room Mission Team hopes to see you there!



Jen Walker and Bruce Olsen, co-chairs

Helene Nelson and Megan Piper, members

Lunch and Learn for Wednesday, January 14^th featuring our own Pam Oliver on Black Protests in the 1990s and 2000s

This month we are pleased to announce that Pam Oliver, from our congregation, will be delivering a talk titled: “Between Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter: Black Protests in the 1990s and 2000s”. Drawing on her research using mainstream newswires and Black newspapers, Pam will talk briefly about myths of the Civil Rights movement, about how movements continue even when they are out of the spotlight, about the importance of different sources of information, and will focus her discussion on the various issues Black people protested about in the 1990s and 2000s and how perceptions of Black protests vary depending on the sources used.

Pam is an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her areas of study are social and protest movements and racial disparities in criminal justice systems.

Please join us next Wednesday for this thought-provoking talk.

• Time: 11:30 AM (Lunch), followed by the talk
• Location: Friendship Hall
• Meal Donation: $10 (No RSVP required)

All are welcome!



Questions? Contact Bob Millholland at [email protected]

Early Bird Registration by January 3rd:

Women and Water Indigenous International Clean Water Summit September 24-27, 2026

Pastor Julia’s Holy Water themed sabbatical over the late spring/summer of 2026, will include programming around water, and YOU are invited into this journey. One of the programming opportunities occurs when Pastor Julia returns, and includes learning from Indigenous Women who say “water is life.” Pastor Julia wants to open this opportunity up for anyone who feels called to join in community with Native American Women on the La Corte Oreille Reservation in Hayward, WI. Early registration for this summit goes until January 3rd. After this you may still register but the cost of the summit doubles. All are invited to register, and reach out to Pastor Julia once you have! Learn more and register here: https://www.spiritofthewater.org/

UCCI Summer Camps Online Registration January 12th and 19th

A sparkling lake, loving community, tie-dye, loons, spirituality and towering trees: Many of us look forward to camp at Moon Beach and Daycholah Center during the summertime!

Mark your calendars: online registration for summer 2026 is in January. Registration opens for Family Camp at Moon Beach and weeklong camps for children/youth at Daycholah on a first-come basis on January 12th. Camp AweSum (at Moon Beach) registration opens on a first-come basis on January 19th.

Historically, Family Camp fills up very quickly. From now until January 11, there is an option this year to pre-fill your family’s forms in order to expedite the process. If you are a new camper, you will need to create a profile to begin the process (use your family’s previous profile if you have attended in the past).

Many from ORUCC will choose to attend Family Camp together the week of June 29th. New this year, our very own Pastor Kate will be coordinating this week of Family Camp! The Boyds have passed the baton after many years of incredible leadership. We are grateful for their faithful ministry, and we look forward to continuing the beloved community of camp for years to come.

College scholarships available

Members of Orchard Ridge UCC are invited to apply for 2026-2027 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, 2026. Please contact [email protected] for an electronic application. 

Questions? Contact Ann Evensen at [email protected] 

Stay up to date on ORUCC Children and Youth happenings

Want to stay up to date on the latest with children and youth at ORUCC? Check out our weekly updates here:

https://orucc.org/keeping-current/children-and-youth-news//

Please Sign Up to Volunteer on Sunday Mornings!

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 Host, 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 Host

Please note that the previous Welcomer and Usher signups have been combined into a signup named “Host.”

Please sign up to be trained into this new position.

Click here to sign up as a Lay Liturgist

Click here to assist with Holy Communion

• Page #1: Choose the date you are available to volunteer and select the box that says “SIGN UP“.  Then, at the bottom of the page select the box “SAVE & CONTINUE“.
• Page #2: Enter your first/last name and your email address. Then select the box at the bottom of the page “SIGN UP NOW“

Questions or problems signing up?

Contact George Decker at office@orucc.org or 608-271-7212.

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!

Inspirational Thoughts for January

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 month for our devotional practice at Orchard Ridge UCC. If you know someone who needs encouragement and would like the devotional mailed to them, please contact the church office.



Inspirational Thoughts for January 2026

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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