Weekly E-News
Each week, MCC sends an email newsletter with details about worship; congregational events, activities and opportunities; information about happenings in the community and wider church; and more. Email us at info@themcc.net to subscribe to this free e-letter!

Summer Worship Schedule 9:30 am
Join us for worship during the summer months on Sundays at 9:30 am.

Shared Indoor Worship is Back!
Many MCC members miss shared worship and consider it to be an essential ingredient of our ecumenical partnership. Since COVID numbers in Dane County have started to come down since April, the Regathering Task Force Steering Group is responding by raising the attendance cap in the Blessing room to 100 attendees - this will make indoor shared worship possible on all but a handful of Sundays during the year. We are also making masks optional for outdoor shared worship, but we continue to strongly encourage masking outdoors.

There are also a few other minor changes in the MCC COVID Mitigations, including putting the chairs back in rows in both sanctuaries, while asking people to maintain 6 feet of social distance by leaving some chairs empty. If you would like to see all of the current mitigations, click on this link. We’ve highlighted in red some mitigations that we want to remind people about. As always, feel free to contact Lynn Breedlove or Ann Ward (Co-Chairs) with questions or reactions.

Kids in the Garden 2022 Wrap Up
By Becky Hustad, Program Coordinator
We’ve wrapped up Kids in the Garden for the summer. Yes, the kids ate raspberries, kale, beans and cucumbers. They harvested for others and their efforts weighed in at 92 pounds. Potatoes and garlic were dug and kale seedlings were started. Bouquets were assembled, weeds pulled and potato bugs were drowned. Excellent questions led to teachable moments!
It was a privilege to once again work as your program coordinator for Kids in the Garden. The kids and staff from Lussier were the best ever. And, I’m sure you know it, but the MCC garden volunteers are fabulous beyond words.
Click here to read more about the special highlights and thank yous!

Help the MCC Prairie This Summer
Saturdays at 9:00 am & Mondays at 6:30 pm
Lois Komai will be on the church prairie at 9:00am on Saturdays, 6:30 on Monday evenings, and 9:00am on Thursdays. We'll weed yellow rocket mustard on the bird berms prairie as part of the Tending Soul and Soil. Click here to learn about this tenacious plant's affect on our prairie.

Tending Soil and Soul
Land Use Committee members invite you to water and weed Sunday after worship services. Gloves, tools, prayers, peace rocks and mantras will be provided. Meet outside the front entrance. Connect to God's creation for 15-30 minutes.

Can You Help Water?
The MCC Land Use Umbrella Group (LUUG) is inviting you to help water the flower beds this summer. It is pretty easy; just turn on the water and aim. Training will be provided. If interested, please let Nancy Greenwald or Jean Einerson know.

Bee Update
Life in the hive has been buzzing! This week, the bees swarmed, which beekeeper Rich Hogle says is an indicator of hive health and that there were enough for the hive to split and some to follow the queen to find a new home. There was approximately 5lbs - that's almost 20,000 bees! A new queen should emerge in the hive boxes.

Adjustments in MCC COVID Mitigations
Dane County remains in the Medium Risk category although COVID case numbers have decreased slightly over the past couple of weeks. The Regathering Task Force Steering Group is trying to balance the risks of COVID against hearing difficulties. Accordingly, we have decided to make one adjustment in our indoor worship guidelines: pastors can unmask during the sermon when behind the lectern and at least 15 ft. from the congregation. We are asking all other worship leaders, cantors, and members to wear high quality masks (i.e., N95 or KN95) at all times during indoor worship. Limited singing and safe communion will continue. Mitigations for outdoor worship remain the same: parishioners are asked to wear high quality masks with social distancing between pods. Speakers and musicians can unmask while speaking or performing with the proviso that they maintain a safe distance from parishioners. We continue to have concerns for older MCC members and members who are immune compromised. Click here for more details on the current situation.

Advent Benevolence Focus: Faith in Place
Faith in Place is a new collaborative relationship between Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois. This past week, Pastor Nick joined Peter Bakken as the Wisconsin representatives with Faith in Place at the Interfaith Power & Light national conference in Washington, DC, and will continue talking to our Wisconsin congressional delegation next week about climate change legislation. Click here to learn more Faith in Place, which is being supported with $200 in Advent benevolences as part of our commitment to creation care.