Celebrate 5 years of Heart Room on

Sunday, October 15

Over the course of 5 years, ORUCC’s Heart Room ministry has raised more than $250,000 to help families with young children find and keep stable housing as a platform to thrive. 24 families and 70 children have benefited from ORUCC’s financial support and the wraparound services of our partnering agencies. All 9 families that have graduated from Heart Room have kept stable housing after graduation. Celebrate the vision and work of the original Heart Room Mission Team and the continuing commitment of our congregation to this faith-in-action ministry on October 15. Yes, there will be cake!

Mark Your Calendar for November 5th!

Worship & Work Sunday!

Wear your grubbies, and bring your

garden gloves, wheelbarrows

and garden tools to help spruce up the church grounds after worship! There may be a few indoor tasks to tackle also. There will be a free luncheon sponsored by the Ministry of Congregational Life. Please stay for lunch even if you’re unable to assist with the work projects.

An Evening with Kaitlin Curtice

Friday, October 20, 6:15 pm

Holy Wisdom Monastery

Our “BIg Read” this October is Kaitlin Curtice’s book, Native. We are excited to share that the author will be in town to speak and lead a writing workshop at Holy Wisdom Monastery October 21-22! These events are open to the public, and we highly recommend that anyone interested sign up soon. You can sign up for each event individually, or choose to attend both. Your book discussion small group might even consider going together! Please register at https://holywisdommonastery.org/kaitlin-curtice/

OCTOBER COMPASSION OFFERING

THE CROSSING

THE CROSSING spiritual roots are in progressive Christianity. Its mission is to provide an open, diverse, welcoming and faith-inclusive campus ministry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where students can deepen their relationship with God, each other and their sense of the world around them.

THE CROSSING encourages participants to interpret and apply the teachings of Jesus within a social justice framework, while incorporating their own personal spiritual reflections. This includes supporting the learning about justice from Christian and non-Christian traditions, as well as being invested in cultural diversity in our programming and worship gatherings.

THE CROSSING is committed to raising awareness about local and global human rights concerns, promotes a service, compassion-oriented approach to life, inspires courage to live as agents of peace, believes in environmental stewardship and justice, and affirms gender equality, identity, and individual preference in human sexuality.   

THE CROSSING welcomes all students and encourages them to collaborate on meaningful and impactful activities. Small group gatherings are central in our programming.

THE CROSSING programming is carried out in a casual and fun learning environment where students set the agenda, lead actions and activities.

THE CROSSING is jointly funded by the United Church of Christ, The United Methodist Church, and the American Baptist Churches, of Wisconsin.

Thank you in advance for your contribution.

VIDEO

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/

October Dinner for The Crossing Students

Twice per year, ORUCC volunteers provide dinner for students at The Crossing, our campus ministry. The students have a church service and a meal each week during the semester.

We welcome you to sign up at the link below to bring food to church on Sunday morning, October 22. Or bring a hot crock pot (or Instant pot) to The Crossing on Wednesday, October 25. Or volunteer to set up or clean up. Cash donations are also welcome!

High school youth and older are welcome to sign up individually. Ages 12 and over are welcome to sign up with a parent/guardian.

Sign-up Genius link: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4AADA82AA46-45018213-october#/

Name Tags are Coming

Beginning Sunday, October 8th, you have the option of ordering a permanent name tag: magnetic, lanyard, or pin. The cost is $7.50, but with the help of Orchard Ridge we are able to charge $5.00. We are asking that you pay what you are comfortable paying, whether that be more… or less. Any extra donations will go toward covering the cost of others and for future name tags.

—your Care of Creation Team

Sermon Talk Backs

Sundays at 11:15 am in the Alfred Swan Room

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!

For the week of Oct 12 – Oct 18

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.

Strengthen Your Faith!

Gain Spiritual Guidance & Enrichment!

The Ministry of Adult Faith Formation (AFF) would like your input to plan future adult faith formation opportunities. If interested, please click on the link below to recommend, suggest, or to give leadership to an opportunity that interests you. Thank you!

Click here to fill out the form (corrected link)

OCTOBER YOUTH EVENTS

October 22: Youth Service Celebration Sunday and 2024 Meeting

On October 22, we will celebrate the service trip our youth took to Duluth, MN, in July with a special worship service. After worship(11:15), please stay for a meeting about Service Trip 2024 for any youth (entering 8th grade-finishing 12th grade) who might be interested to attend.



October 27, 6:00-9:00 p.m.: Treinen Farms Bonfire and Corn Maze

An all-ages fellowship event! We have a bonfire ring reserved and will provide supplies for s’mores. Families are responsible for their own tickets for admission ($15.50 per person over 2 years of age, can be purchased online ahead of time or at the gate). Please RSVP to Pastor Kate ([email protected]) if you are planning to attend so that we can ballpark our s’mores supplies 

November 23: Thanksgiving Day Berbee Derby

Calling all ages of walkers, run/walkers, and runners! Join Rob and Lily Martens in the 5K or Julie Mazer in the 10K for the 20th Anniversary Berbee Derby! Sign-up with Team “The Fruit of the Spirit is not a Cranberry” by 10/29 to receive your team shirt. https://www.berbeederby.com/registration/ $40 per individual.

COVID Updates

The COVID response team is closely monitoring a recent increase in COVID cases that might warrant a change in masking policy. Thus far, neither the CDC, Dane County Public Health, UW Hospital and Clinics, nor other UCC churches have recommended any change in masking policy. For the present, therefore, we continue to endorse the CDC recommendations be up to date on vaccines, stay home if you are sick, wear a mask in enclosed areas if you are at higher risk or if you are concerned, and wash hands frequently. We will continue to keep the congregation informed about any new developments.

Wayfinding: The Soul Tasks of Aging, Toward a Theology of the Elder Years is coming BACK!!!



Every 3rd Wednesday morning 9:30am October 18, 2023- May 15, 2021. We begin our gathering for refreshments, 9:45am- 11:15am programming.

Please RSVP to Office manager Julie W if you plan to participate by replying to this email LINK. Please also reach out out if you’d like to see a virtual Wayfinding gathering as well.

New Meditation Group

Beginning November 2^nd, two meditation groups will be offered for you to expand your spiritual practice; Thursdays at 8:00 a.m. in-person at the church and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom. You are invited to join us at either or both times!

The current meditation group has grown and, is expanding to include an in-person option on Thursdays, from 8:00-9:00am, in the church meditation room.  It is very flexible and open to anyone to drop in any time! The hope is that this option will meet the needs of some new persons, and that some Friday folks may go to both, or move back and forth between groups.

Meditation is a time for stillness and being intentional about being in divine presence to grow in our relationship with our God/Source.  November is a good time to go inward and see what the Spirit has in store for you. There are many different methods for connecting with the divine and centering our hearts such as Centering Prayer, Breath Prayer, Walking meditation, Guided meditations, Loving kindness meditation, etc. The Thursday group will learn and practice various ways to create heart space and nurture this connection.



No need to register, just come! If you want to know more, contact Sue Dixon ([email protected]). She is the contact person for both the Friday and Thursday groups. The Thursday group will be co-facilitated by Susi Petta and Becky Baumbach.

Balance and Strength

Exercise Class

I am a retired Physical Therapist who worked mostly with older folks with multiple medical problems. I was especially interested in balance issues and falls prevention. I served on the Dane County Falls Prevention Task Force for several years and taught classes about preventing falls and injuries.

I am interested in sharing this information in an exercise class at ORUCC this autumn and winter. It would include balance activities, strengthening exercises and posture exercises for people at risk for osteoporosis (everyone). I propose having a class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10:00 or afternoons at 2:00.

All are welcome and activities can be adapted to individual abilities and aches and pains. There is no charge for the class but I ask for donations to causes supported by the church. Please let me know if you are interested and what your time preference is. Contact me at [email protected]. 

ORUCC Choir

The choir will rehearse every Wednesday night and sing in worship on the first and third Sundays of the month, with some exceptions.

ORUCC Handbell Choir Seeks New Members!



Come have fun and make music with us! We would love to add members to our ensemble. It is only necessary to know how to read music. Past experience with handbells is not required! If you played an instrument in high school or college and want to experience making music again, or you ARE in high school or college and think bells might be cool (they are) please join us! Contact handbell choir director, Bethany Schultz to learn that you could love handbells! [email protected]

Purchase Cards on the table

in the Crossroads each Sunday Morning!

In Case you Missed It!

Link to Sermons…..

From Vision Quests to Theft Protection-9/24/2023

Rev. Ken Pennings

Click here

The Treasure in Earthen Vessels-8/27/2023

Rev. Ken Pennings

Click here

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?

IFeel 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.

Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Road

Madison, WI 53711

608-271-7212

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