Weekly Announcements

Orchard Ridge UCC on February 17, 2022

Spiritually Alive, Joyfully Inclusive, Committed to Justice

Our Week at a Glance 2/17/22:

Sunday Feb 20th Worship 10:00 am

In-person & Live-streamed

Preaching: Julia Burkey

Lay Liturgist: Diane Jungblut

Details in Saturday’s Worship Resources

9:00 am Sunday School

For children & youth through 8th grade.

10:00 am Music Connections & Crafts/Play time

Children and youth are invited to 10:00 worship & after the Children’s moment will be invited to Music Connections (for 2nd graders and older)

or Craft/Play time (preschool–first grade).

11:30 Java & Jesus

Sunday, Feb 20

11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Dan Rossmiller & Baxter Richardson

Zoom

Immigration Justice

Tuesday, Feb 22

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Ruthanne Landsness

Meditation Group

Friday, Feb 25

9:00 – 10:00 am

Sue Dixon

Zoom

COVID Response Team Update

Our COVID Response Team has given us the confidence to gather again for in-person worship and children’s programming. We understand and affirm that many will want to worship remotely so we will continue to strive for an inclusive virtual experience. We are over the peak of omicron in Dane County, yet the numbers are still high. We trust the numbers will continue to trend downward.

When you join in us for any ORUCC activity, we ask that you wear a surgical mask or KN95 or stronger. We provide these at the door for your convenience. We ask that adults sit spaced every other chair in the Worship Hall. Your kids may sit on your laps and in pods with families when in worship, and Friendship Hall and Crossroads will be open for more spacious seating for family units. We welcome you to sing softly behind your masks if you are fully vaccinated and boosted if eligible. Thank you for your cooperation as we aim to keep each other healthy and safe.

If you are experiencing any symptoms of being under the weather we kindly ask you to join us virtually. If you do test positive for COVID after being with us, please share with us as soon as you can.

Here is the LINK for details and protocols for Back-to-Church.

Might you be interested in a New Members / Seekers Series with the Pastors and Leadership Team of ORUCC? Or perhaps you joined the church in the last couple of years, but were not afforded the opportunity to participate in New Member Classes. Here’s your chance!

Please attend at least three of the four informational classes at the church:

Sunday, April 10th, 9:00-9:50 a.m.

Sunday, April 24th, 9:00-9:50 a.m.

Sunday, May 8th, 9:00-9:50 a.m.

Sunday, May 22nd, 9:00-9:50 a.m.

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

At the Informational Classes, you’ll learn more about Orchard Ridge and the United Church of Christ (UCC). We’ll discuss our history as a local church, the leadership structure of the church, ministries within the congregation and the wider community, and some of the church’s views on important issues of faith.

You may participate in the New Member Classes even if you decide not to join the church at this time.

Associate Pastoral Search

The ORUCC Associate Pastor Search Committee has met for the first time, accomplishing organizational tasks and hearing from the State Conference Associate Minister. The committee, consisting of Nancy Wettersten (chair), Susan Watson, Suzanne Olajos, Kristin Muckian, Jerry Hagen, Josie Gasser and Josie Gilbert, have begun the task of updating the Church Profile. Once the profile is completed and approved by the State Conference, the position will be posted and we will begin to receive candidate profiles for review.

The Search Committee will keep you posted as we progress in our search. If you have questions about the process or our progress, please feel free to reach out to any member of the committee. As you will recall from the process which led us to Julia, the committee has to keep information about potential candidates confidential. However, we want to keep the process as transparent as possible. We are honored and humbled by the awesome responsibility the Leadership Team has given us, and pledge to do our best to find the best possible successor (not replacement!) to our beloved Tammy.

Spiritual Nourishment for you!

for the week of Feb 17-Feb 23

Read this weeks devotional as a way to dive deeper into your spiritual practice or to get some nourishment and inspiration for your day.

DEVOTIONAL

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 office.

February Compassion Offering

UW Odyssey Project

“Odyssey has changed my life, the way I see the world, the way I think, and the future of my family,” wrote a Latina mother.

“Odyssey has given me hope. I look forward to a never-ending journey of education to better myself as a man and father,” wrote an incarcerated father.

“Odyssey was that catalyst that said, ‘Hey, you can go out into this world and be successful,” said a Black alumna. “My mind is opened, and there’s no stopping me now. Turns out I AM college material.”

“Odyssey is the major reason I succeeded,” said a Black single mother who went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees. “It was my foundation, my steppingstone, to overcoming so many obstacles.”

Those and other student comments testify to the transformative power of the UW Odyssey Project, which takes a whole family approach to breaking the cycle of generational poverty by providing free access to education, giving adult and youth learners a voice, and increasing confidence through reading, writing, and speaking. Now in its 19th year, Odyssey offers a jumpstart to college for students facing adversity and barriers to higher education through a free yearlong humanities course in South Madison. Odyssey has empowered over 550 low-income adults to find their voice, develop a new sense of hope, and transform their lives. Graduates have gone from homelessness to UW master’s degrees, from incarceration to meaningful careers as counselors, teachers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and nurses. They report life-changing effects not only for themselves but for their children: “My four-year-old daughter will follow after me and go to college someday.”

VIDEO

All donations you make to Odyssey through the compassion offering will be used for grocery and gas cards, WIFI access, childcare help, and other basic needs for our Odyssey families struggling to keep going in school despite the higher cost of living, lost wages, and closed schools and daycare facilities due to COVID. Thank you for supporting the UW Odyssey Project this month!

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 at orucc.org. Click the brown button “Contribute” in the upper right of the home page.

Java & Jesus (by Zoom)

11:30 Baxter Richardson & Dan Rossmiller

Click here to join Java & Jesus

Don’t miss out! Contact Ken Pennings to be added to the Java & Jesus email list.

Save the date!

Celebration of Tammy Martens’ Ministry

August 6, 2022

Stay tuned for more details and times.

If you have questions or suggestions please contact

Ann Evensen [email protected] cell 608 628 4280

Barbara Stretchberry [email protected] cell 608-239-6669

Kellie Miller [email protected] cell 608 852-7578

AT ORUCC, the Members are the Ministers!

We are seeking a whole new team of volunteers to serve in 2022 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!

Would you consider serving one or more times as a Lay Liturgist, a Welcomer, or for Holy Communion?

We need people as soon as THIS SUNDAY, February 20th.

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 a Lay Liturgist

Click here to assist with Holy Communion

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

Friday Breakfast Group-Date Change

Friday Breakfast Group hopes to return to monthly gatherings March 4, 2022, 8:30 a.m. at Denny’s, 433 S. Gammon Road. Although originally for women, the group has for many years included a popular men’s table as well. Open to all, it is informal and a chance to connect and converse on many topics. Please join us. Contact Louise Jeanne, [email protected], for more information.

Pictorial Directory

Thanks to all those who helped with the pictorial directory. Here is a print version. Photo Directory Print Version