|
Madison Christian Community
Weekly E-Letter
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. You can subscribe to
this free e-letter!
Click here.
Art Wall
Community of Hope member Elizabeth Inglis' beautiful oil paintings
now adorn our Art Wall in the Shalom Room. Beth says, " My pleasure with oil
painting continues, even as the painting process gets more challenging." You
can learn more in her artist statement in the Shalom Room or on either of
her websites
huesandvalues.com and
valuesandhues.org, where she posts paintings and drawings and writes
about art.
Tree Lane Wish List
The west side friends of Tree Lane have put together a January "needs" list
for Tree Lane families.
Click here to access the list or the
signupgenius link to directly sign up. Items can be dropped off in the
MCC donation center, and Jean and Ann will deliver them to Tree Lane.
Porchlight Needs
Blankets & Breakfast
Blankets
With this cold weather numbers are increasing at the shelter. They are in
need of more blankets. The blankets need to be big enough to cover an adult
and be washable - not a “throw” or comforter or something knit or crocheted.
Contact
Karla Thenneswith questions.
Breakfasts
For the past 40 years, members of MCC have provided breakfasts to Porchlight
guests six Friday's a year. Our small crews could use some new blood. If you
are interested in preparing and/or serving, please contact Ken Streit.
Men's Retreat 2020
February 7-9, 2020 at Mt. Morris Camp &
Conference Center
http://www.mt-morris.org/
Join us for a laid back weekend set on 200 acres of woodland and prairie.
Activities include disc golf in the snow, conversations by the fireplace,
hiking (or bring your cross country skis), games, or even catching up on
sleep and reading. Everyone is encouraged to choose what they want their
weekend to be. We gather together at mealtimes. John Szalkowski (772-5491 orjszalkowski2@gmail.com)
2020 Bible Reading
Pastor Nick has published a guide to read the whole Bible in this year. Hard
copies will be available at church, or
click here.
Racial Justice in Action at the MCC
Opportunities to participate with Jesus
in creating a racially just world.
Volunteer with Dane Sanctuary Coalition
to Support the Aguilar Family
The Aguilar Aguirre family is settling in well at Orchard Ridge UCC. The
congregation, Dane Sanctuary Coalition's Community Resource Team (CRT),
Sanctuary volunteers, and Dane County Immigration Affairs Specialist Fabiola
Hamdan and her assistant have been meeting the needs related to their
housing and connecting the family with the schools, medical services,
employment services, and legal help. As the situation has evolved, it has
become clear that additional assistance is needed from all of our Coalition
partners in two areas:
1. Volunteers to sign up for a variety of tasks. Volunteers must have
attended a Know Your Rights training and clear a background check.
2. Technical Assistance: Training will be provided. Contact Dorit
Bergen if interested.
Administrator for the volunteer scheduling program in conjunction with two
others. This is similar to our MSP program, and Emily Wixson is also on that
team.
Shift Coordinator to ensure that volunteer shifts are covered using the
volunteer scheduling software and that volunteers have what they need for
their tasks. There will be a two-hour training for all technical assistance
roles.
3. Funding: The family needs an estimated $800/month to help with
basic needs such as food, laundry, phone. If you wish to make an individual,
tax-deductible contribution, send a check for Dane Sanctuary Coalition to
Orchard Ridge UCC, c/o Pastor Laura Crow, 1501 Gilbert Rd, Madison 53711.
Food Drive for Lussier Food Pantry
First Sunday of the Month
Please remember to make a special effort to bring food for the pantry.
Suggested items include canned goods (fruit, vegetables, tuna, beef stew,
fruit juice, etc.), also peanut butter, jelly, and cereal. We also need
large paper grocery bags. Please do not put pet food in with donations for
the Lussier Food Pantry. We do not have facilities to handle fresh produce.
For those who prefer to donate money, checks can be made out to the Lussier
Community Education Center, designated for the pantry. Dobbin McNatt,
Coordinator
 Two
Minute Bible
MCC member Don Falkos has been working on a new
Bible storytelling project to offer Bible stories in two minute
episodes. That’s why it’s called “Two Minute Bible” and is found at
http://twominutebible.com. Two new stories are posted each week.
Java For Justice
First Sunday of the Month
Coffee can be purchased in 12 oz. ($10) or 4 lb. ($45) bags; regular or decaf; bean, drip or perk. Make your checks payable to Mt.
Meru Coffee Project and place them in the envelope by the sign-up sheet in
the Shalom Room on the Coffee Table. Your support remains the sustaining
force in the lives of many coffee-farming families in Tanzania.
Thanks for your continued support.
Faith Formation & Affinity Groups
Fellowship
groups, Bible study groups prayer groups and shared interest groups are all
found on our Faith Formations & Affinity Groups page.
Click here.
Free Weekly Devotional Message; Mondays
Augsburg Fortress sends a devotional message and selection of
artwork based on a Bible reading. Interested,
click here to sign up.
|
Boundary Waters Group 2019
Annual Meetings January 26
The Leadership Team would like to announce that the annual meetings for the
MCC and for Community of Hope UCC and Advent Lutheran will take place
after worship services on Sunday, January 26.
In preparation for the Annual Meeting, we invite you to review the reports
that not only focus on logistics of the congregation, but celebrate with a
glimpse of the amazing amounts of ministry and good work that have taken
place in and through our congregation in 2019. Because there is so much to
share—more than 70 pages altogether!—we will invite you to do most of your
reading through a digital version.
Click here for the Annual Report.
Annual
Meeting Volunteers Needed
We plan to share sandwiches, fruit, and cookies together between meetings.
We hope you can help with the following tasks:
- Setting up tables (tablecloths, moving plates, chairs, etc.)
- Sandwich making
- Cookies/bars preparation (make ahead)
- Children's food prep
- Clean-up
- Tablecloth laundry
If you can help, please email Lois Komai (lois.komai@gmail.com)
or call her at: 608-692-3630
Souper Bowl! Souper Bowl!
Mark your calendars. Souper Bowl Sunday is coming to the MCC. 5 soups will
be there. Sunday, February 2nd. After worship. Free will donation. Proceeds
will benefit M.O.M. through MCC's participation in Canstruction.
https://canstructionmadison.org/event/ Soups
will be handmade by MCC High Schoolers with set up and serving by MCC Middle
Schoolers. NEW Silent Auction. Bring a can of food to help decorate
the center of tables.
Adult Education
Jan 26 – Marie Stolzenburg,
daughter of Tom and Director of Mobilization for Nehemiah, will share about
upcoming racial justice opportunities
Feb 2
- Both a follow-up to January 26th's local racial justice work and at the
start of African American history month, Don Tubesing will lead a reflection
on “The Cross and the Lynching Tree” (and no you don’t need to have read or
know about the book to engage the hour!)
Feb 9
- Watch next week’s email for upcoming adult sessions, because the
organizing group is working hard on spring planning right now (and if you’d
like to be part of structuring the semester, you can also join us next
Thursday at 6:30 or offer input beforehand to pastors, Annie Engebretsen,
Lisa Hofmeister, Tina Hogle, Jed Miller, or Ken Streit).
Confirmation Shopping Trip Stats
The Confirmation shopping trip for Lussier Community Education Center food
pantry was a great success! Stats: 4 groups with $84 each. Nearest was
$81.32. 251 pounds of food. 199 items Including safe catch salmon, a bag of
potatoes, low sodium green beans, chocolate chips, whole grain mac & cheese,
buy 5 save $5 Cheerios, salad mix, and one team focused on 48 canned goods
Sunday Adult Discussion
3rd Sunday of the Month at 9:00 am
All are welcome to attend Adult Discussion (formerly “Parent Hour”) the
3rd Sunday of the month, downstairs. Anyone with interest in
sharing the challenges and occasional triumphs of parenting is invited. The
group is accepting, and always has a robust discussion. Anyone with a
commitment to our youth, regardless of parental status, is encouraged to
join us!
Majestic Meaty Matthew
Join Pastor Nick for a Bible study on the Gospel we’ll be hearing for the
year to help you know what Jesus is up to. We’ll meet Wednesdays 3:30-4:30
from Through February 19. Come for any or all.
Off the Square Club Donations
You might remember supporting showers for the homeless and others with
mental challenges through Lutheran Social Services.
Here is a recent article celebrating the work of the Off the Square
Club. This past year OTSC lost a generous donor who supplied thousands of
dollars’ worth of donated items, which has left a void in how the club can
assist members, particularly the over 100 members who are homeless. Here is
a list of all needed items:
• reusable coffee cups
• 2 ride bus passes
• Large 3in1 shampoo/conditioner/body wash
• Deodorant
• Men’s underwear sm/lg/xl
• Travel size lotion/body wash
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper
• Razors
• Cleaning products: bleach, bleach spray, Ajax, windex, toilet bowl
cleaner, fabreeze, disinfectant wipes,
• Clothing adult sizes, men and women
If you’d like to donate, you can bring items to church and Pastor Nick will
help get them down to OTSC at St. John’s Lutheran.
Be an Accessibility Buddy
You might know James from his tie-dyed shirts or his Packer/Badger lap
blanket. You might know him from his bright smile that greets you at the
main door, or as the one who’s not afraid to say “Amen” during worship. If
not by these, you undoubtedly would have noticed him in his wheelchair with
an MCC member at his side to wheel him into the sanctuary and assist him
during worship. These MCC members are called “James’s Buddies.” They take
turns making sure that James is able to participate in worship each week, a
connection that is a joy and life-line for James. He worships with Hope and
comes to our individual services as well as shared MCC services. We’re in
need of additional folks to rotate into the Buddy schedule. If you’re
interested in finding out more about this, contact Pastor Sonja or talk with
Julie James.
2019
Boundary Waters
Registration for the high school trip to canoe in the northern Minnesota
wilderness June 15-21 is now open! Contact Pastor Nick, Marily Crews, Karen
Kuhn, Jill McLeod, or Dean Ryerson.
Holden Village
If you’re interested in joining a group from the MCC to the Washington-state
mountain retreat of Holden Village August 9-14, there was still a bit of
registration availability this week. $500 for adults for the 6 days and
nights in the village. http://www.holdenvillage.org/visit/guest-rates/ Train
reservations will be booked soon, if that interests you.
|
Epiphany Choir Concert 2018 Directed by Jen
Striet
Community of Hope
UCC
Save the Date!
Community of Hope Members are encouraged to participate in an upcoming,
two-part workshop sponsored by the Steering Committee and facilitated by the
Wisconsin Conference Conflict Transformation Team. These guided
conversations will help us listen to all voices relative to who we are, what
we value, and how we communicate. The workshop will take place over two
Sundays, Feb 23, 3:30-5:30 pm and Mar 1, 12:30-2:30 pm, with the hope that
members will commit to attending both. Look for a letter with more
information in the mail. Questions can be directed to the Steering Committee
or Pastor Sonja.
RSVP here.
Wisconsin Conference Trip to Germany
November 5-16, 2020.
Since 1981, the Wisconsin Conference has had a partnership with the
Evangelical Church of Berlin, Brandenburg, and Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO).
Over the years our partnership has been enhanced by cultural exchanges and
intentional theological discussions. A trip is currently coming together to
visit our brothers and sisters in the EKBO to explore how our sister
churches in Germany identify their mission fields and how they make faithful
responses to them. The majority of the trip will be spent in and around
Berlin. If you would like more information, please contact David Gaeth at
revdavidgaeth@att.net. It is anticipated that the cost of the trip will be
in the $1200-1400 range.
Community of Hope: Let’s Dream Together!
In September, the Steering Committee introduced a
document called “Desired Future Conditions” to articulate our congregational
aspirations as we look ahead to the coming years.
You can find a copy of that here.
SWA Shalom
Community of Hope, we encourage all of our members to keep up with the
goings on of the closer-in wider church by subscribing to the e-newsletter
for our Southwest Wisconsin Association. Click
here to
send an email to sign up.
Grow in Faith with the UCC Lay Academy
Lay Academy is a ministry of transformation and
faith formation offered by the Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of
Christ. Participants dive into scripture, explore theology, consider God’s
presence in their lives and discover fresh ways to speak about and live out
their faith in their day-to-day lives. Classes are held throughout the year. For more detailed information, go to
www.wcucc.org/layacademy or talk to Pastor Sonja.
Advent Lutheran
Church
Bishop Election
A “nomination caucus”, part of the new Bishop Election Process, will be hosted by Advent on February 23.
Find out more about the process
https://scsw-elca.org/2020bishopelection/.
Blessing Room Baptismal Font
A new addition to our baptismal font is a bowl by potter George Lowe, a
Luther College professor and brother-in-law of Kris and Paul Wilkie. The
bowl was given in honor of the baptism of their granddaughter Charlotte.
________________________________
In the Wider Church . . .
Denominational
Messages on Iran Conflict
Click to read the recent messages from presiding
Bishop Eaton or UCC officers.
ELCA statement on Iran conflict
UCC calls for prayer fasting for peace during Epiphany
Racial Justice in Action Opportunities in
the Wider Church and Community
Social Justice Saturday: De-Centering
Whiteness in Our Schools
Saturday, February 8, 2020, 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM, at Linden Co-housing on
Winnebago Street (107 Sutherland Court). This event sponsored by Families
for Justice will focus on ways we can help de-center whiteness in such areas
as the Safe Schools Coalition, PTOs, the superintendent search, and upcoming
school board elections. Childcare and snack provided. More information
here.
“Black
Lives Matter at School” Week
Feb 3-7. The Black Lives Matter at School
Week of Action is a great opportunity to learn, take action, and engage with
local schools and teachers to center social justice and anti-racism.
Click here to read more about it and get a Mini Toolkit of action steps
and resources, including “How to Talk to Young Children about the Black
Lives Matter Guiding Principles.”
African American History Course
This popular and well-received course sponsored by Justified Anger and the
Nehemiah Center is filled. If interested, you’ll need to watch for it again
in the future. To hear more about it, you can attend our Adult Ed Forum on
Jan 26, when Marie Stolzenburg will be our guest to speak about Nehemiah and
their programs.
MOSES Monthly Meeting
Sunday, February 2, 2020, 2:00 fellowship, 2:30-4:30. Meeting location to be
announced.
How to Educate Yourself & Get Involved
Check out this link from Nehemiah to find resources related to racism
and becoming a white ally. There are suggestions for educating yourself and
information about how to get involved in Nehemiah’s initiatives.
Witnessing Whiteness Series
Mondays from
6:00-8:30pm at the Sequoya Library, 4340 Tokay Boulevard in Madison.
Remaining date: 1/27/2020. You can register
here.
Faith & Freedom Tour: Birmingham,
Montgomery & Selma
This Wisconsin Council of Churches event to pilgrimage through American
slavery and the Black American Civil Rights in Alabama comes up
March 13-20 or 20-27, 2020.
Cost is $1075 per person, double occupancy, which includes bus
transportation from Milwaukee, lodging, tour guide and entrance fees.
Register at
www.raceandfaith.org. For more information:
rhonda@raceandfaith.org (414) 736-0523.
|