Weekly Announcements

Java & Jesus (Hybrid)

In-Person in the Alfred Swan Room at the Church, or by Zoom

        No J&J on July 3 (resumes July 10)

Click here to join J&J by Zoom

Contact  Ken Pennings to be added to the Java & Jesus email list, or if you’re having trouble accessing the Zoom meeting. The Zoom Link will also be included in the Saturday Worship Email.  

BUILDING ACCESS

As many of you know, we’ve kept a key to the church “hidden” outside the building for many years. We want to be more secure about our building, at this time. We are placing a key in a combination lock box near the same place as the “hidden key”. If you need access to the code, please contact any of the pastors, the moderators, or Jon Blanchard.

Moderators and Ministry chairs should already have a key to use the building as needed for meetings, but if you are a leader of a group who uses the building often, please get in touch with Julie W in the office to arrange for a key. Thanks for keeping our building safe!

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!

For the week of June 30 – July 6

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.

Friday Breakfast Group July 1

Join us for Friday Breakfast Group July 1 at 8:30 am at Denny’s, 433 S. Gammon Road. The group meets on the first Friday of the month and is open to all, both men and women. It is informal and a chance to connect and converse on many topics. Contact Louise Jeanne, Link for more information.

Women’s Book Group

July 7, 1:30-3:00

ORUCC Women’s Book Group will meet Thursday, July 7 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm to discuss The Phone Booth at the End of the World by Laura Imai Messina. Ginny Kruse will facilitate. From Kirkus review: Two bereft people find themselves seeking a garden at the top of a hill in Ōtsuchi, Japan, where a disconnected phone allows the grief-stricken to send their voices into the wind as they talk to those they have lost. This wonderful, gentle, hopeful story leads the reader through the beginning of Yui and Takeshi’s 30 years together. Through their sorrow and grief, they learn how to let happiness, hope, joy, and laughter reside side by side with their memories of loss.

A Zoom link will be sent. If you would like to be added to the book group list please email Deanna at [email protected].

Would you consider providing temporary housing for an asylum-seeker, refugee,

or undocumented immigrant?

Please complete the form below if you would consider hosting a guest for a temporary home stay. Completing the form does not commit you to host anyone at any time. However, every time the need arises, which is happening more frequently, a Dane Sanctuary Coalition representative will inquire as to whether this is a time you could help. You will always have the opportunity to agree or decline. Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity.

Sign up to offer assistance

          Volunteer Opportunity

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, a collaborate partner in Keeping Neighbors Connected (KNC) has provided a Thursday food pantry for neighbors in our Southwest neighborhood for more than 20 years. It is supported by the Second Harvest Food Bank. Rick Thomas, the food pantry manager, recently reported a shortage of volunteers to help on Thursdays. Is this a volunteer opportunity for you?   

Thursday Food Pantry shifts include:

• 8:30-10am stocking shifts
• Host shifts (the most critical shortage) are 9:45-12 noon or 5:15-7pm.
• Most volunteers work 1 shift per month
• Most volunteers wear masks, but it’s not mandatory

If you are interested in this collaborative volunteer opportunity, email Rick at [email protected] for further questions and to complete required paperwork.

Thank you,

Jane Glaze, [email protected]                                                       

Keeping Neighbors Connected (KNC), SMAC (housing) and CWS member.  

From the Immigration Justice Team

Plan ahead for the Casa Alitas Clothing Drive!

Summer and Fall clothing

Think young families

Kid’s clothes, men’s and women’s small sizes, tennies



We’ll begin receiving donations August 8!

Thank you in advance for your donation.

News for Covid Response Team

The COVID Response Team met Sunday, June 5th, and decided not to change anything, but to hold steady where we are. Positive test rates in Dane County are up currently, which we are watching.

We continue to recommend that masks be required during worship, in order to extend the broadest welcome to all. For small groups that use the church outside of the worship service, they may continue to work with the pastors to make the best determination for their group.

We are starting to digest the new COVID metrics that have become publicly available, and to consider how they might guide our decision-making in the future. 

While the recommendations continue to evolve, we reiterate that by wearing even a non-fitted N95 mask – freely available outside Worship Hall – the wearer essentially ensures that nobody can be considered a “close contact” during worship. (It would take hours of continuous exposure to an unmasked individual for this to be the case!) This frees us from the need to be concerned with “contact tracing,” etc. if any of our friends test positive for COVID — although we do appreciate being able to pray for them during Joys & Concerns. Please keep telling us when you test positive for COVID after being in worship or at a church function.

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, an Assistant to the AV Technician,

a Welcomer, a Lay Liturgist, to assist with

Holy Communion or to host summer “Lawn Lemonade”?

Feel free to sign up as an individual, a couple, or a family!

Click here to serve as a Coffee Maker

Click here to serve as an Assistant to the AV Technician

Click here to sign up as a Welcomer

Click here to sign up as a Lay Liturgist

Click here to sign up to assist with Holy Communion

Click here to host “Lawn Lemonade” after worship

After selecting a date, 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.

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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