SEPTEMBER

COMPASSION OFFERING

Yahara House

Yahara House (YH), located in Madison Wisconsin, is an evidence-based community mental health program that focuses on recovery through social connection, meaningful activity, and reintroduction to community employment. YH’s mission is to transform the lives of people living with mental illness by replacing despair, stigma, and isolation with hope, dignity and community.  YH is made up of community members who are working together to achieve some common goals, including:

   - completing educational and employment goals

   - developing self-esteem, confidence, and coping strategies

   - finding and securing resources – such as affordable housing, primary care services; and

   - living a life of respect and independence within the members’ larger community

Open and accessible to program members 40 hours a week, plus holidays and monthly evening and weekend social activities, YH offers a place for adults with mental illness to belong in a stigma-free environment. Yahara House was founded in 1976 and is an official member of Clubhouse International. You can find more information at Work and Community | Yahara House | Madison.

Thank you in advance for your donation to benefit Yahara House as our September Compassion Offering recipient. This video shares more info.

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/

Faith Formation for Children and Youth

Sunday Mornings

Nursery care opens for children up to age 5 beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays. We have two new nursery care workers: Najma and Abby. Both are nursing students at UW-Madison. Stop by to say hi!

Children and Youth Faith Formation for all ages is at 9:00 a.m. We are making the switch from using the language “Sunday School” to “Faith Formation” to more accurately reflect our hopes for this hour of time together on Sunday mornings.

For children Pre-K to 6th grade: Spring 2024, the children brainstormed a name to better represent our 9 am faith formation hour. The name they created is, “Peace Circle.” Most of our curriculum has a “Peace” element. Peace for the world, for each other, and for ourselves. “Circle” reflects that we are gathering together, usually in the shape of a circle. This fall’s Peace Circle guides are: Joanna Beilman-Dulin, Josie Gasser, Julie Horton, Karen Jaehnig, Kristin Schumacher, Maddie Miller, and Jill Westberg.

For Youth (7th grade-High School): This fall we will have an exploration of five major faith traditions. We hope to learn about the beauty and value of other faiths, while also learning more about our own faith tradition of Christianity in interfaith dialogue. Our guides this year are Kristian Muckian, Susan Jane Watson, and Al Blanchard.

Music Opportunities continue to be a highlight of our Sunday programming. Music Connections for children 2nd-6th grade begins this week (September 15) during the 10:00 worship hour after children’s time. TRU Function, our youth band, will begin their rehearsals this week with the intent to lead congregational worship monthly. Julie Mazer leads Music Connections, and Rob Martens directs TRU Function.

It is going to be another great year in Children and Youth ministries! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Pastor Kate ([email protected]) or Julie Mazer ([email protected]) at any time.

 Flicker Wild Church

Join Pastor Julia & her spouse Rev. Daniel Cooperrider for a sacred circle and wild wander and potluck with Flicker Wild Church, to celebrate the Fall Equinox 2024, Sunday September 22, 5pm at Pop’s Knoll in Donald County Park in the unglaciated driftless hills west of Madison. We have rented Delma’s Shelter, and so we will celebrate our one-year mark of gathering as a wild church community with a potluck fellowship meal after.  Bring something you love to share!  

Save the Date—looking ahead our next two gatherings will be held at and in collaboration with the Farley Center for Peace, Justice & Sustainability. We will gather under the mother oak at the entrance to their Natural Path Sanctuary, as our “Wild Wander” moment will involve the trails that wind through their innovative, inspiring, and deeply earth-honoring green/natural burial grounds. We will meet there on Samhain, November 1, and on the Winter Solstice, December 21, likely at 4pm. 

New Growth—we’ve been working on a new website this summer! We are also excited to share that we have received fiscal sponsorship/ 501(c)3 status through Mission.Earth—tax deductible donations are live now, but stay tuned for emerging plans for a fun fundraising event. We are also in conversation and discernment with the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ as a new church start! Our dream is one in which Wild Churches like Flicker are as completely legitimate, self-organizing/self-sustaining, and ultimately impactful in holding space for transformative encounter as any “indoor church” or traditional spiritual community. I remain more convinced than ever that the Earth (ecosystems, climate, biodiversity) is calling out for more nature-honoring human spiritualities to pop up like mushrooms and flourish, and so we’d love to invite you all to continue with us in this journey of dreaming big for a vibrant year and years ahead for Flicker Wild Church!

Yours wildly,

Daniel, Julia, Reverie & Kindred 

Come sing with us–join our Choir!

All singers are welcome to join our Choir! Rehearsals are Wednesday

evenings from 7:00 to 8:30pm. We sing in worship the first and third

Sundays of the month, gathering for rehearsal 9am those Sunday mornings.

Please share your voice with a group of music-loving friendly people! For more information, email Bruce Gladstone at [email protected].

Spiritual

Nourishment

for you!



For September 12 – 18

Now that summer is nearly over, we are returning to our regular format of providing Daily Reflections on a weekly basis.

Daily Reflections: September 12 – 18

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.

Wayfinding 2024-2025

”Wayfinding: The Soul Tasks of Aging: Toward a Theology of the Elder Years” will continue the next program year with brand new themes and programming, beginning October 16, 2024 from 9:30 to 11 am in Friendship Hall, and meeting every 3rd Wednesday of the month then on ZOOM the following Thursday.

Two books to focus on:

We will begin with Parker Palmer’s book, “On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Old” for the first 4 sessions and then the remaining 4 in the Spring will be themed around Connie Zweig’s book, “The Inner Work of Aging: Shifting from Role to Soul.”

Sign Up to Volunteer on Sunday Mornings Now Through the End of

September 2024!

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

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