June Compassion Offering:

Refugee Resettlement in Dane County

The June Compassion Offering is Refugee Resettlement and Immigrant Services at Jewish Social Services of Madison (JSS). JSS works to empower individuals and families across cultures and generations through compassionate, community-based support. Rooted in Jewish values and open to all, JSS provides critical services across Dane County—from senior and family support, immigrant assistance, spiritual care, programs addressing housing insecurity, and a weekly meal site. At the heart of this work is a deep commitment to caring for the vulnerable and welcoming the stranger.

The Refugee Resettlement and Immigrant Services Program, the largest at JSS, has been a cornerstone of the JSS mission since the aftermath of World War II. Since then, JSS has successfully settled newcomers from around the world. Recently, the federal government cut off funding for recently arrived refugees, promised them to build new lives here and to thrive as our neighbors. JSS remains steadfast in its commitment to these individuals and families—offering housing support, case management, and a compassionate welcome. Your support through the Compassion Offering helps bridge a critical funding gap and will honor our promise to those seeking safety and a new beginning in Madison.

Surprise “Lunch & Learn” Event!

Wednesday, June 18th

12 noon – 3 pm

in Friendship Hall



You’re invited to a free appetizer reception to celebrate our wonderful Hospitality Mission Team and to hear about upcoming plans for “Lunch & Learn.” If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Hospitality Mission Team or if you hope to attend our monthly “Lunch & Learn” programs in the fall, please come! Appetizers will be provided by the Hospitality Mission Team, but others are invited to bring an appetizer to share also.

Worship in the Park 

• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Orchard Ridge UCC 
• Western Hills Park- Thursday, June 19, 2025 
• Meal from the Holy COW Food Truck at 5:30pm
• Worship with Holy Communion at 6:00pm

Join Good Shepherd Lutheran Church & Pastor Dara and Orchard Ridge UCC & Pastor Julia for a joint worship service at Western Hills Park (on Whitney Way). We will be honoring Juneteenth with a worship of prayer and Holy Communion. A meal for the Holy COW Food Truck will be served at 5:30pm (Pay-what-you-can) with worship beginning at 6:00pm. Proceeds from the meal will go to cover the cost of food and any additional funds will go to Keeping Neighbors Connected- Meadowood rental assistance program and ministry partnership between Orchard Ridge UCC and Good Shepherd.  

MOSES Mission Team to meet on Friday, June 20th

The next meeting of the MOSES mission team will be 1:30 – 2:30 pm, Friday, June 20th on Zoom. You are invited to attend if you want to learn more. This group provides two-way connections between ORUCC and MOSES. MOSES (Madison Organizing in Strength, Equity, and Solidarity) is an advocacy group that is an affiliate of the statewide WISDOM network. Working groups within MOSES and the larger WISDOM network seek to promote racial equity while addressing a variety of policy issues including improved response to mental health emergencies, supporting public schools, increasing literacy and incorporating restorative justice in schools, reducing homelessness, reducing the number of people in jail and prison and treating incarcerated people humanely, and voting rights. ORUCC is a congregational member of MOSES. For more information see the MOSES website: https://www.mosesmadison.org/

Zoom information:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81650153506?pwd=c48GEXkXEp5pr0wN2svHBzR7VE5dAg.1

Meeting ID: 816 5015 3506

Passcode: 960218 

For more information contact [email protected] or [email protected]

June 22nd Sunday Morning Summer Solstice Outdoor Worship hosted by Flicker Wild Church

End of May greetings, Orchard Ridge UCC!

After a flurry of blossoming, here at the end of May it’s as if all of a sudden all the leaves on the trees are out, and the daisies and other wildflowers are welcoming back their summer friends, the hummingbirds and the butterflies. Amid the buzzing, bumptious energy of the season, it’s been a joy for us as a family to celebrate Kindred’s first birthday, and as I’ve been reflecting on the first year of her life, gratitude has been welling up for you all—for the love and kindness and generosity of spirit that ORUCC has wrapped her and our whole family up in. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a joyful, welcoming, progressive spiritual community, and for ORUCC to be the spiritual home for us and for our daughters. Thank you!

I appreciate how at ORUCC there’s an understanding that “all of the congregants are ministers,” as the weekly bulletin puts it. For me, my ministry efforts (in addition to vocations of family and writing), have been directed to planting a new church start – Flicker Wild Church. Flicker started gathering on the Fall Equinox of 2023 out of a sense of call to host outdoor, seasonal, and earth-honoring spiritual community. The seeds of it trace back to a “wild church” circle that the ORUCC Care of Creation team organized when they did a study of my book. From the start of Flicker, participation from ORUCC folks has been integral to our community. After almost two-years now, I’m excited to share that Flicker has continued to emerge, grow, and cohere into a vibrant spiritual community! With a few grants from the Wisconsin Conference and national setting of the UCC, I am stepping into a more formal role of “Convening Pastor.” We recently made a video introducing ourselves – hopefully you can feel some of the spirit here.If you’d like to experience Flicker our Solstice gathering will be June 20^th, 6pm at Holy Wisdom Monastery. 

On Sunday, June 22^nd we will be offering an ORUCC x Flicker Wild Church collaborative, outdoor worship experience at our 10am hour. We’ll gather outside on the church lawn, in a circle, around a fire, and we will link our day’s praise to the liturgy of the Solstice season and to the day. And then following worship, we’ll offer a chance to learn more about Flicker and the Wild Church Network during a Q&A conversation, which Rachel Bauman, Associate Conference Minister will be joining us for. I look forward to worshipping with you on the 22^nd, and to sharing a glimpse into “wild church” with our ORUCC community. 

Blessings,

Daniel Cooperrider (Pastor Julia Burkey’s spouse)

—

Daniel Cooperrider, Convening Pastor of Flicker Wild Church & author of Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You: A Field Guide to the Bible (Pilgrim Press), Gold Winner in the 2023 Nautilus Book Awards. danielcooperrider.com

Adult Faith Formation to Sponsor Book-Share on June 22nd after Worship

The Ministry of Adult Faith Formation is sponsoring a one-day book-share on Sunday, June 22nd. We invite ORUCC members and friends to bring books to exchange on that Sunday. We ask that the books help us live out our mission of being spiritually alive, joyfully inclusive, and committed to justice, books that you would highly recommend to a friend. Bring your books before or after worship and place them on the tables in Friendship Hall. Feel free to browse and take a book even if you don’t bring a book. Looking forward to seeing what great titles appear!

Direct questions to Bob Millholland at email: [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//

ORUCC Palestinian Justice Team–putting your faith into action!

The UCC leaders have clearly stated that if we are a JUST PEACE church, we must ACT in support of peace in Palestine! Our mission team has been working with our Madison Mennonite friends on this issue, joining their local & nationwide Mennonite Action vigils and letter writing campaigns.

ORUCC and other faith groups are invited to join Mennonite Action Madison, Madison Rafah Sister City Project, Jewish Voice for Peace, CODEPink, and Interfaith Peace Working Group at the “No Kings” march and rally in Madison on Saturday, June 14th. 

The goal is to show a large Palestinian solidarity contingent marching together and speaking out against

·        the continued destruction of Gaza,                                                            

·        the blockade on humanitarian aid

·        and the increased violence in the West Bank.

Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025           Meeting Time: 1:45 pm

Meeting Location: Base of Bascom Hill (or edges of the crowd, depending on size of crowd)

Schedule: Gather at 1:45 pm, march at 2 pm from Library Mall to the Capitol, rally at 3 pm

Bring: Signs & banners (including name of your faith/peace group), Palestinian flags, keffiyehs

Ideas for signs and banners:

·        Send Aid, Not Bombs

·        Send Food, Not Bombs

·        Stop the Genocide

·        God Loves Gaza

·        Ceasefire NOW!

PLEASE JOIN US!

Questions? Contact [email protected], [email protected]  or [email protected]

MOSES’ Racial Justice for All Children Task Force is seeking volunteers

MOSES’ Racial Justice for All Children Task Force is looking for people who are passionate about addressing disparities in literacy among our students, promoting wellness and restorative practices in our schools rather than exclusionary discipline, and ensuring that our young people are in safe, stable and affordable housing. For more information, please visit our page on the MOSES website: https://www.mosesmadison.org/rjac/ Or contact Shel Gross, [email protected] 608-250-4368. ORUCC members Barbie Jackson [email protected] and John Lemke  [email protected] participate in this task force and can give you more information as well. 

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 Welcomer, an Usher, 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 Welcomer

Click here to sign up as an Usher

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 Ken Pennings at [email protected] or 608-556-2371.

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!

Daily Reflections for June

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. Starting this month, we will be posting a full month (instead of week by week) of Daily Reflections. If you know someone who needs encouragement and would like the devotional mailed to them, please contact the church office.

Daily Reflections for June 2025

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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