

The Northliner
November 22, 2023
Sunday Services
Sunday services are held at 10:00 am. Currently our services are held live at UCN and also streamed on Zoom. Coffee hour follows the service.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/93364454692?pwd=U29yanFGZTUvOXAvcWM0UWQ1UFU0QT09
Meeting ID: 933 6445 4692
Password: 13800
The service begins promptly at 10 am. If you'd like to join in conversation before the service, you may join the Zoom meeting at 9:50 and wrap up your conversations shortly before 10.
Nov. 26: "Religious Pluralism, Then and Now,” Rev. Sarah Oelberg
Sarah Oelberg has been a special education teacher, has written special ed. curriculum for our U.S. Office of Education, was a faculty member at Yeshiva University in New York and at NYU, and trained special ed. teachers in Iowa. She followed her heart as the first in her six-generation Unitarian family to become a UU minister. After serving churches in Nebraska and Minnesota, she retired in 2001. She and husband Gerald raised four children and have six grand- and four great-grandchildren.
Dec. 3: “Do UUs Believe in Sin?" Rev. Tony Larsen
Many UUs don't have the word "sin" in their vocabulary--at least partly because "sin" has been used for so long to label activities that we don't believe are wrong. Our guest minister, Tony Larsen, will be back at UCN this Sunday to explore some of the term's meanings in the Hebrew scriptures, with an eye to finding a possible meaning for UUs today.
From Rev. Scott
You are invited to join in a Zoom conversation
"Navigating the Holidays with Enjoyment, Purpose and Calm"
Saturday, December 9 at 10 AM
Scott writes: Every December many of us are challenged -- in many different ways and for many different reasons -- by the holiday season and its many expectations, routines, memories and traditions. In addition, this year in particular events our nation and world seem hell-bent on adding stress and worry in this special time of the year.
On Saturday morning, Dec. 9, I want to provide a calm and thoughtful opportunity for us -- as members and friends of UCN -- to come together over zoom to reflect together on how we can (both individually and collectively) make this season one of enjoyment, purpose and calm. I want us to share with one another practical ways to make this season more meaningful and satisfying...and I want to share several "spiritual practices" which I believe might help. Do join us (with a hot cup of coffee or tea) if your schedule permits.
Written Sermon from Nov. 19
Here is the link for the printed version of "Gratitude," sermon III in the series, “12 Gates to the Holy City of Your Own life,”
And the story, "5 Kernels of Corn" https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aqvsfvZ0QLEJJAygzaYrC1V2HFmM7Jck/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109072791973067277249&rtpof=true&sd=true
Time to Get Your Elf On!
We are hosting our holiday store for the children on December 3rd this year. We will be offering an opportunity for children to "purchase" gifts for their family with a food pantry donation.
Please bring “gifts” you are no longer using that the children may want to give their family members. Items such as coffee table books, jewelry, candles, stuffed animals, games, puzzles, and knick-knacks would be gratefully accepted. A “gift box” will be in the north lobby for donations.
Elves will be needed on December 3rd to help the children find that perfect gift and to wrap.
Please contact Rosa at rosam1977@att.net with questions. Thanks for your help!
Holiday Service Schedule
Dec. 17: “Ring in the Season of Joy!” Our festive Intergenerational service of story and song the Sunday before Christmas, Rev. Scott W. Alexander
This Sunday, as an intergenerational community, we will celebrate the many songs and stories – moods and meanings – of this special time of year. We will sing some of the favorite carols of the season, and share some wonderful holiday stories. This serviced is designed to delight folks of all ages and backgrounds…do be with us.
Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Intergenerational Candlelight Service, Rev. Scott Alexander
5 PM
This December 24th, we will gather, just after dark (at 5 PM) in our sanctuary for our Intergenerational Christmas Eve Candlelight service. Together we will listen to and sing some of the favorite music and carols of the season, and share in some of the beautiful stories and meanings of this most precious of seasons. Do be with us this Christmas Eve for this very special service, and feel free to bring family or friends with you!
Dec. 31: "Y R U A UU?" ("Why Are You a UU?")
Dan Lusk will lead a totally participatory service for those who wish to take part. We will share our religious journeys to become a UU today. Were you a former Catholic, Lutheran, or some other faith? Are you a lifelong UU? Join us for some interesting revelations from our members and curious visitors. Participation may be limited depending on attendees in order to keep the service to an hour or so.
Jan. 7: All Souls’ Cafe
Welcome the new year with our all-church talent show, at our regular 10 am service. See details below.
Let’s Decorate for the Holidays!
Please join us Saturday, December 2nd, at 10:00 am to decorate the sanctuary for the holidays. Helpers of all ages are welcome as we trim the tree and put up the lights and other holiday décor. Cookies and cider will be served. Please let Julie Konik or Julie Zumach know by November 26th if you can help bring some holiday beauty and spirit to the sanctuary.
Share your talents at the All Soul's Cafe, 2024
One of the many great traditions we enjoy at UCN is the welcoming of the new year with an all-church talent show. Everyone is invited to participate in this community event on January 7, 2024, taking the place of the regular service at 10:00 am.
We need singers, dancers, poets, mimes, or whatever you're inspired to do within a 5-minute or less performance. All ages are welcome, but you have to sign up by Sunday, December 24 to be included in the show!
Help will also be needed to set up the sanctuary sometime in the week before the event, and it would be great to have a couple of people responsible for the snacks/drinks tables in the west lobby. Donations of finger foods, cookies, coffee cake, bars, apple cider & milk would be much appreciated.
Get in touch with Linda Sandersen at lsandersen@wi.rr.com with any questions or to sign up in any capacity.
Chalice Chat Reminder
We're still conducting interviews through the end of November. A Board member should contact you soon if you haven't been contacted already.
Please be thinking about how you feel and what you think about the Board, the congregation, and the church as a whole. If you have questions or comments, please contact Dan Lusk (dlusk09@gmail.com or 414-234-9406) or Bernie Booth (berniebooth@hotmail.com or 262-333-5705).
Have a great weekend!
* Social and Racial Justice
Interfaith Annual Luncheon
The Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee will hold its 53rd Annual Luncheon at noon on Monday, December 4, at Marquette University's Alumni Memorial Union. Tickets are $53 per person and the registration deadline is Nov. 24.
Our keynote speaker will be Venice Williams of The Table and Alice's Garden Urban Farm.
Join us also to celebrate the following award winners: Rev. Herbert Huebschmann Urban Ministry Award Franciscan Peacemakers, Frank Zeidler Award James Santelle, Mark Rohlfing Memorial Award Rabbi Levi Stein, Emerging Leader Award Nicole Gorelik.To sponsor a table or for help registering, please call 414-276-9050 Ext 2 or email JCMitchell@interfaithconference.org
Table Sponsorships (Each table seats ten people):
Gold $750, Silver $650, Bronze $550
* Announcements
Visitors
The following people visited our church recently:
- Zachary Vincent and his children, from Sheboygan Falls
- Donna Mogge, Brown Deer
- Lisa Millard, Mequon
Thanks for visiting us. We hope that you come back soon!
Leadership Board Meeting
The next leadership board meeting will be held on Nov. 30 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. The meetings are open to all members, and members are encouraged to share their thoughts or issues at the Open Forum portion of each meeting. Contact the president for the zoom link.
Good Grief Group
Losing someone you love is life changing, and grief can be difficult. Sometimes it’s helpful to share with others who have also experienced a deep loss – the sadness, the challenges, the next steps and the joys that may follow. You’re not alone.
Our group meetings are held every other Wednesday from 9:30-11:00 am in Emerson (the large room off the north lobby, upper level). Judy DeLillo, a new member of the Lay Pastoral Care Team, will help facilitate conversation and support in this new group at UCN. Please contact Judy at 720-935-0851 with any questions.
Morning Meditations
Group Meditations will be postponed for the rest of November and the month of December; to be resumed in 2024. Please join us in January.
Anna Rychner, facilitator and meditation teacher of the Himalayan tradition.
Events at UCN
- The next WSSS concert will be held on Dec. 2. UCN members are offered a discount on tickets. Go to wsss.org for details.
- "Qi Gong and Tai Chi" is held most Saturdays at 11 am in the Fellowship Hall. Call Diane at
307-763-0903 for details. First class is free for UCN members. - A Kirtan will be held Dec. 9. Go to kaitakirtan.com for details.
- Al-Anon meetings, offering recovery for families and friends of alcoholics and drug addicts, are held every Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. in the Clara Barton room and online.
Thank you for supporting the groups that use our facilities.
* Calendar
Calendar through December 10
Meetings are held via Zoom, unless stated.
- Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23 and 24: Office closed for the holiday
- Thursday, Nov. 30, 6:30 pm: Leadership Board (Ed Ahrenhoerster)
- Saturday, Dec. 2, 9:00 am: Building Work Day (Brian Bunzel)
- Saturday, Dec. 2, 10:00 am: FSL Setup - Fellowship Hall (Linda Sandersen)
- Saturday, Dec. 2, 10:00 am: Sanctuary Decorating (Julie Zumach)
- Sunday, Dec. 3: RE Holiday Sale (Rosa Gomez)
- Sunday, Dec. 3, 11:30 am: First Sunday Lunch
- Wednesday, Dec. 6, 9:30 am: Good Grief Group (Judy DeLillo)
- Wednesday, Dec. 6: UUs Out to Lunch (Brenda Berg)
- Saturday, Dec. 9, 10:00 am: Conversation with the Minister
- Sunday, Dec. 10, 11:30 am: Social Justice - Emerson (Leigh Hoftiezer)
The monthly calendar for UCN events, not including rentals, can be seen on our website at: https://ucnorth.org/calendar/
Please remember to contact Lyn, info@ucnorth.org, to reserve rooms for your meetings, rehearsals, ceremonies, etc. To hold an event or ceremony at UCN, contact Lyn for date availability, facilities use forms, and answers to your questions.
All church committee meetings are open; visitors are welcome. Contact the committee chair (listed on the calendar above) for details or to receive the zoom info for a meeting. For information on classes and groups that meet at UCN, as well as future meeting and event dates, please see the website, www.ucnorth.org, or call the office, 262-375-3890.
* Reminders
Service and UUA Information
Service Assistants are needed for Sunday Services. Please contact Julie Konik (julie.konik@gmail.com) if you can help.
The Sunday Services Zoom Team is looking "for a few good zoom hosts." Please contact Gerry Schmitz or Dan Lusk if interested.
Sunday Announcements: If you would like to have an announcement read at the service, please prepare it using the Spoken Announcement Guidelines, and send it to Joy Schroeder (peacenow@charter.net) or Julie Konik (julie.konik@gmail.com) or that Sunday's Service Assistant by the FRIDAY BEFORE the service, and they will relay it to the worship assistant.
- Reserving the Projector: If you will need the projector for a given date, please remember to sign the “Projector Reservation Signup List” on the clipboard on the table outside the office in the north lobby.
- UU Women's Connection offers retreats, newsletters and resources for women: https://www.uuwomensconnection.org/
- The Common Read for 2023-24 is On Repentance and Repair, by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. Go to UUA.org/read for more information.
- You are encouraged to subscribe to MidAmerica Region's newsletter, News page. More information at uua.org/midamerica .
- Watch videos from General Assembly at uua.org/GA
General Information
Becoming a Member of UCN is very easy. Simply make a pledge of record, sign our Membership Book, and provide contact information for our records. We also provide New to UU and UCN Classes in the Spring and Fall. It is not necessary to attend the classes, however they are very informative, providing information about Unitarian Universalism and our church (its history and how it operates). For more information, you can contact Dan Lusk (262-234-9406).
- Caring Circle: a group of people who may be willing to bring meals, help with transportation, make visits, pick up groceries, etc. for members and friends of UCN in temporary need. Sign up at church or virtually: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A44ACA82BA75-caring
First Aid Kits are located near the elevators on each level. Each kit is in a white box and mounted on the wall. AED Machines are near the first aid kits. If you have any questions, please contact Brian Bunzel, Building Committee Chair, at (262) 573-0045 or brianbuzel@yahoo.com.
UCN is now able to accept donations via PayPal.
Food Barrel: Don’t forget to grab a food item out of your pantry for the food barrel as you leave for church.
Scrip Fundraiser: Scrip Cards are still a great way to support UCN. Use cards for carryout or online purchase with ScripNow!. There are 3 ways to buy or reload your cards: ScripNow! (Pay online, use online or in person), PrestoPay (buy or reload cards) or at UCN. If you have a special request or questions about Scrip, contact Mark Muellenbach.
If you order from Quill.com and tell them UCN recommended them, UCN will earn a $50 gift card.
Support Black-Owned businesses: "MKE Black" offers a list of Black-owned businesses you can reference: https://mkeblack.org/
If you would like to donate directly to Family Promise, the only shelter for homeless people in Ozaukee County, please send your donation to them, with “UCN Member” written in the memo line. This will give UCN credit for the donation. Their address is: Family Promise of Ozaukee County, 136 W. Grand Ave., Port Washington, WI 53074.
The Social Justice Committee has an OPT-IN email list for anyone who would like to be notified on short notice to provide a physical presence at social justice activities. Please contact Sherryl Andrus, sherryla70@gmail.com, to be added to the list.
Monthly Fellowship Gatherings
UUsOutToLunch meets on the first Wednesday of every month at noon, and sometimes at suppertime during daylight savings time. Couples, singles, men & women are all welcome, long-term commitment or not. Each month, a different member of the group takes the responsibility of choosing a restaurant at which to meet and eat, and emails the rest of the group with the particulars as to what and where, requesting yay or nay from the emailed recipient, so that reservations can be made if required. Join us! Email brendaberg@spectrum.net
First Sunday Lunch: Join us after the service in the Fellowship Hall for lunch and fellowship on the first Sunday of the month, November through June.
* Submitting Content for our Publications
Please submit articles for the Northliner to info@ucnorth.org. To keep the Northliner from becoming cumbersome to read, you are encouraged to keep these articles short, and to run them only twice. The deadline for submitting articles is every Thursday at noon. Items submitted later might not be proofed for errors or published.
Please contact Adam Schodron (webmaster1@ucnorth.org) to submit articles for our website.
* Contact Information and Links
Minister, Rev. Scott Alexander: office phone: 262-375-4748; cell phone (preferred): 772-359-0602. Email: UURevScott@gmail.com . Rev. Scott will generally be in the pulpit the first three Sundays of the month and in his office the first two weeks of the month.
UCN Office Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 9 am to 2:30 pm. Contact Lyn at 262-375-3890 or info@ucnorth.org. The office is closed for holidays and bad weather. Please do not reply to the Northliner; we do not receive messages sent to lyngust@mailgun.smore.com, but if you are having trouble receiving the Northliner, please add that address to your contact list.
Links
Information on our Share the Plate Recipient
Minutes from current Leadership Board meetings
- Our pulpit schedule contains a wide range of topics that cover spiritual exploration, various theologies, holidays, social justice, and more. Read descriptions of the upcoming sermons and bios of the speakers.
For more information about UCN, see our website www.ucnorth.org or call the office at
262-375-3890.
Please check channel 4, 6, 12 or 58, or our website, www.ucnorth.org, for weather closings.
Unitarian Church North
Email: info@ucnorth.org
Website: www.ucnorth.org
Location: 13800 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon, WI, 53097 USA
Phone: 262-375-3890
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnitarianChurchNorth/