Events & Announcements 

Boundary Waters Group 2019

Out of Office
Jen will be on vacation Aug 9-24.

COH Young Adult Gathering
Mon, Aug 26, 6:30 pm, Pastor Sonja’s home, dinner included. Bring yourselves (and friends if you’d like) & a game to share, and spend some time getting to know each other and having fun! If you haven’t already RSVP’d, please be in touch with Pastor Sonja so she has an idea about how much food to plan.


Perspire Breakfast
Younger guys and others with hunger are invited to join in breakfast at the Original Pancake House on University Ave. Tuesday morning (and every 3rd Tuesday) at 6:30. The next Perspire event, also open to others, is a tour of Epic on Thursday, Sept. 5, 6:00-8:00.

Beer & Bible
Tuesdays at 6:00 pm Thru September 3
There are three weeks remaining to gather for a chance to discuss the upcoming readings in worship during this Psummer of Psalms. Each Tuesday at 6pm, a group is meeting at the Hilldale Great Dane. You’re welcome to enjoy a beverage, perhaps a meal, and certainly thoughtful far-ranging conversation.

School Kits for Lutheran World Relief
This year, the shipment dates for quilts and school kits is in early September so we are doing something different. Instead of having an evening at the MCC to sew the bags, for those who would like to sew, kits have been assembled for you to take home to complete and bring back by September 8. They are available in the donation center and after church on Sundays..If you would like to contribute toward the purchase of supplies, you may donate cash (checks payable to the MCC). In 2018 a majority of the kits went to children in Nicaragua, Peru & Senegal. If you have any questions, please contact Jan Robertson @ 833-6312. Check out the link to learn more about the program and find instructions for if you'd like to make your own bags: https://lwr.org/schoolkits

Sunday Adult Discussion
3rd Sunday of the Month at 9:00 am
All are welcome to attend Adult Discussion (formerly “Parent Hour”) the third Sunday of the month in the downstairs area. 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!

Kids in the Garden Wrap Up
Kids in the Garden will be wrapping up shortly. Becky Hustad, the director, gave a snippet of what fun they've had so far and what is left to do. The perennial favorites: a goat and donkey visit, digging garlic, sifting compost and picking raspberries resulted in smiles all around. Campers from Lussier Community Education Center increased this summer to 42 (up from 30). To accommodate more kids and keep the adult to camper ratio small required additional volunteers....read the entire article by clicking here

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

Friends of Tree Lane Family Apartments
Tree Lane Neighbors Wish List has been updated -click here to view. We are highlighting swimsuits through July. Swim season is here! New suits are awesome if you can, but also does your family have any outgrown but in good condition swimsuits to pass along? We are also looking for a few things specifically to welcome a couple of new families moving into the apartments. Other items noted as ongoing needs will be on the list every month. Bring to the Donation Center at the MCC to be delivered to Tree Lane by Jean & Ann.

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.

Epiphany Choir Concert 2018 Directed by Jen Striet

Community of Hope UCC

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
2019 Holy Land Trip

If you are hoping to join the journey to Palestine and Israel with Pastor Nick November 8-18, the final registration date is July 5. Please let Nick know if you’re considering it so we can try to hold space. After that date, we will hold a couple of info sessions. The price of $3349 includes airfare, lodging, tours, and most meals. View the tour description (and share with friends!) at gtd.org/post/pdfbrochure/191108.pdf and register for the trip online using this link.
Click for Pictures from 2016 Trip
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In the Wider Church . . .

Denominational Resources and Efforts

• Here is a note from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton related to recent abortion news (and the ELCA social statement).

• For ELCA Disaster Response to recent tornadoes (and other extreme events), visit this page

• The UCC page for responding and donating to domestic disasters is found here.

• Here is a second piece from Bishop Eaton addressing the well-being of children in detention centers.

• After the deportation this week of student Pastor Betty Rendon, here is a statement by the chair of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS).
  

ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Milwaukee, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton was re-elected to another six-year term on the first ballot—the first time that’s happened in ELCA history! Also, on Wednesday more than 700 people (and a few MCC folks) marched from the assembly to post 9.5 Theses on the ICE office and later in the day the assembly voted to make the ELCA a sanctuary denomination, a first for a North American church body.
Download the ELCA Annual Report – 2018 in Review video.

Interfaith Blood Drive
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, Christ Presbyterian Church, Muslim Women of Madison, and the Lussier Community Education Center are co-sponsoring our third interfaith blood drive on Monday, August 19, 1:00 to 6:00 at the Lussier Center, 55 S Gammon Road, Madison.Click here to make an appointment: or to sign up to volunteer click here

Global Climate Strike
This September 20th, millions of us will walk out of our workplaces, schools, and homes to join youth climate strikers on the streets and demand an end to the age of fossil fuels. Our house is one fire -- let’s act like it. We demand climate justice for everyone. In the words of Greta Thunberg, "We must now do the impossible". Madison strikers are demanding that Governor Evers, our county, and our city government declare a climate emergency. Our private sector demands to MG&E are that it divest and transition completely to 100% renewable energy by 2030 by closing the Columbia & Elm Road Coal Plants still in use. Come strike with us on September 20th at noon on the Capitol steps at State Street, then march with us to MG&E at 1 p.m. Let’s make this the turning point towards a rosier future for our youth.If you want to get involved, call Nancy Vedder-Shults (231-3362). For more information, go to the Facebook Event page.

Racial Justice in Action Opportunities in the Wider Church and Community
Parent's Night Out
Friday, September 27, 5:30-9 PM, First Unitarian Society, University Bay Drive. This event is sponsored by Families for Justice and First Unitarian Equity Team. 100% of all proceeds will go to Urban Triage, a grassroots initiative led by Brandi Grayson that fosters black families' self-sufficieny, community leadership, advocacy, and student success through parent engagement and cultural heritage. Pay a donation, drop off your kid(s), and enjoy a night away while your children have a fun night of pizza, games, art, and movies. Registration is now open for our next Parents' Night Out event. More info on our website and Facebook event page.
Other ways you can help with this event include: being a cash sponsor, helping to find matching funds, or sharing your childcare experience by being part of staffing the event. If any of these interest you, contact ffjdane@gmail.com.

Intrinsic Hope: Living Courageously in Troubled Times
Friday, Oct 4, 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM, at Kettlewood Retreats at Cedar Valley
Expanding social inequality. Unprecedented climate disruption. Powerlessness, grief, despair. We are living in a time of uncertainty in which we fear for our children and grandchildren and for the future of humankind and for our planet. Now more than ever, maintaining hope is an emotional and spiritual necessity. This retreat will focus on the insights of Kate Davies, author of the book Intrinsic Hope, offering practical tools for discovering and cultivating an abiding hope in troubled times. Retreat Leader: Rev. Bob Ullman, retired UCC pastor. Cost $50, includes lunch. To register, send check to Rev. Holly Whitcomb and send it to: 2095 Elm Tree Ct., Elm Grove, WI 53122. Include your name, address, e-mail, and phone number(s).

2019 ELCA Advocacy
ELCA Advocacy goals and tasks for engaging government this year. Read about this work for housing and homelessness, child nutrition, criminal justice reform, caring for creation, foreign assistance, and more, visit this blog post.