Come celebrate Pat Hale’s 100th birthday after Sunday’s worship!

Please join us in Friendship Hall after Sunday’s worship for birthday cake and punch to celebrate the 100th birthday of our own Pat Hale!

May Compassion Offering:

Madison Arcatao Sister City Project (MASCP)

The May Compassion Offering is for the Madison Arcatao Sister City Project (MASCP). Arcatao, El Salvador, is one of Madison’s ten sister cities. Since 1986, Madison and Arcatao have worked together to learn from each other in solidarity across international boundaries. As part of the U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities (USESSC) network, MASCP works for social change by building and defending sustainable communities and economies. They communicate regularly with the community in Arcatao and lead delegations to learn what’s happening there and to share what’s happening here. The delegations then share what they’ve learned with the wider Madison community. 

Your donations will support college scholarships for students from Arcatao and projects in the Arcatao community and surrounding rural areas. Specific priorities are set locally by the community board, with community members or local businesspeople providing the labor. Recent efforts have included building a wall to protect against flooding and repairing two wells to filter out dangerous heavy metals. The wells will provide safe drinking water for over 500 families for the next 25 years. See the well project.

Buy Fair Trade Embroidery from El Salvador this Sunday, May 11th

Madison Arcatao Sister City Project supports the women’s embroidery cooperative in Arcatao by purchasing items to sell in Madison. Shop at the MASCP pop-up shop at church before and after worship this Sunday, May 11th. T-shirts, cards, bags, and napkins are just some of the unique treasures you’ll find.

Learn more about the Madison Arcatao Sister City Project before worship on Sunday, May 18th

Perhaps you’ve read in the news about the United States’ current political relationship with El Salvador. During the 9 am hour on Sunday, May 18th, MASCP invites you to a presentation about Madison’s history with our sister city, news from the 2025 delegation, and plans for continued advocacy.  

“Godly Living in Ungodly Times” class continues this morning, Thursday, May 8th

The Godly Living in Ungodly Times class will meet again today, 10-11:30 am, in person in the Swan Room and via Zoom, and 7-8:30 pm Zoom only.

The Zoom link for this morning’s class is:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81642534898?pwd=QJHI0cbOOca9pmYLNSxPvPilDqjZ

The Zoom link for this evening’s class is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83262009425?pwd=XiAuwXZGhQWxzUAxTAaiMkL07b1z

Classes will be held for three sessions after Easter. Contact David Anderman at [email protected] if you have questions.

Plastic recycling campaign was a 1,000-pound success!

We did it! Together we collected 1,000 pounds of plastic in six months, keeping it out of the landfill and recycling it into this fabulous bench that now graces the landscape of ORUCC. 

If you’d like to continue to recycle your plastics, take them to your local grocery store. Hy-Vee and MetroMart participate in the NetTrex program that provided our beautiful bench. They recycle bags into plastic wood products. 

Recyclable items include plastic bags, bubble wrap, toilet paper wrapping, cereal bags, etc. Look for the recycling symbol ♻️, most are number 4. Items that are not allowed 🚫 include hard plastics (milk bottles, yogurt containers), dog food bags, frozen food bags, and anything that says it is not recyclable! Blue Amazon mailers are okay, orange ones are not!

ORUCC Car Donation Team processes its 15th car donation!

Here’s the new owner, a single working mom, poised to drive off in her 2006 Toyota Prius, donated by Jill Westberg — the 15th such donation processed by the Orchard Ridge Car Donation Mission Team.

The program began a few years ago when church members active in the South West Partnership became aware of the huge obstacle caused by lack of reliable inexpensive transportation for our neighbors. It seemed logical that older cars, owned by church members willing to donate them, could be fixed up a little bit and delivered to folks in need.

The Car Donation program depends on the generosity of church members — some who donate cars and some who contribute money so that this work will continue. So please contact the Mission Team — Baxter Richardson (chair), Jon Blanchard, Paul Eggerling-Boeck to learn more.

David Allen performs at Oakwood on Monday, May 12th

On Monday, May 12th at 7pm, David Allen is pleased to return to Oakwood for a solo piano performance. Original improvisations of classical, pop, and jazz tunes will feature composers Frank Ocean, Bill Evans, Elton John, Bix Beiderbecke, Jerome Kern, Mozart, and JS Bach. Donations will once again benefit the ORUCC Youth program. 

Lunch & Learn: Wednesday, May 14^th at 11:30 am

Rev. Kate Mackey will present our program on “Generations: Understanding Who We Are”

Have you ever looked at anyone older or younger than you, and wondered, “How can we be so different?” Experts say that there are now at least five distinct generations living together in our country, and the Church is one of the few places left where people of all generations have an opportunity to cross paths. This generational mixing is a gift of the congregational church, and also a challenge. Without developing a compassionate understanding of generational differences, misunderstandings can arise. We will dive into the excellent resource Generations by Jean M. Twenge to learn about the different generations alive today (Silents, Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, plus the upcoming “Polars”), and what each generation’s distinct experiences could mean for us as a community of faith. 

Rev. Kate Mackey is the Associate Pastor for Children, Youth and Families at Orchard Ridge UCC. In addition to her work in congregational ministry, she has served as a chaplain in several hospital settings and at Mendota Mental Health Institute. Kate completed her M.Div at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, and she is endlessly curious about how humans relate to one another and to the Divine.

Our meal will be a “generational picnic”. The meal donation is $10.  Please email Steve Sheets with your RSVP.  We need the count for the Hospitality Team!   [email protected]

How UCC Mission Partners bring hope to the Holy Land

Rescheduled to Sunday, June 29th,

at 9:00 am,

in Friendship Hall

During the past 16 years, ORUCC members Diane Dulin and Tom Beilman have traveled multiple times to the Holy Land. They’ve seen firsthand how UCC Mission Partners (partner organizations) bring hope and friendship to oppressed peoples, amidst the constant stress of military occupation. Come and hear inspiring, informative stories about the vital work of these Mission Partners.

Six Page College Scholarship winners at ORUCC announced!

Congratulations to the ORUCC winners of 2025 UCC Frank E. Page College Scholarships: Lila and Rex Eggerling-Boeck, Josie Gilbert, Joseph and Madeline Miller, and Gavin Muckian. There were 16 award winners from Dane Co-area UCC churches, six of whom were from ORUCC.

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//

Volunteer Opportunity at Camp Awesum

Camp Awesum Family Camp is a weeklong summer camp at Moon Beach for families with kids on the autism spectrum. Volunteers are needed! Volunteers supervise activities for the kids, giving parents respite during the first half of the day; in most afternoons, volunteers get to enjoy Moon Beach! You don’t need to be an autism expert; just bring your caring, patient self. We need volunteers for weeks in June and August. If you’re interested or want more information, please reach out to Hal Evensen – volunteer since 2017 – or one of the pastors. Thank you for your consideration! Additionally, you can click here for more information: https://bit.ly/ORUCC-Awesum

May 23-25 Brat Fest Fundraiser for Youth Service Trip

One of the biggest fundraisers for the Youth Service Trip is coming up! All youth attending the Service Trip are expected to sign up to participate in the Brat Fest fundraiser. But did you know that anyone who would like to volunteer under our group’s name (Orchard Ridge UCC) will also have their hours counted toward our fundraiser? It’s true!

Please sign up here if you would like to participate.

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 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 Coffee Maker

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: May 8 – 14

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. If you know someone who needs encouragement and would like the devotional mailed to them, please contact the church office.

Daily Reflections: May 8 – 14

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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