The Northliner

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.

Aug 13: "Is Guilt Ever Good?" Rev. Tony Larsen

About his sermon, Tony says: "We UUs often pride ourselves on being a church that doesn't foster guilt feelings. But is that a sustainable position in the long run--or does being 'guilt-free' end up creating sociopaths?"

Aug. 20: “Blessing of the Animals: Perspectives from Different World Religions,” Julie Konik

This service will include the annual blessing of the animals, sponsored by the UCN Animal Ministry. We will also look at how different world religions view non-human animal spirituality.

Dr. Julie Konik is currently working towards her Masters in Divinity with Starr King School for the Ministry. She has a special interest in feminist, LGBTQ, and non-human animal theologies. She founded the UU Animal Ministry chapter at UCN this past year. She also is the incoming Chair of UCN’s Sunday Service Committee and a member of the UCN Social Justice Committee. She earned a PhD in Psychology and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan in 2005. Julie has taught psychology and related disciplines at a variety of schools, and she currently is at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, WI.

I want to be a "fully present" minister...albeit on a half-time contractual basis

Dear members and Friends of UCN,

Even though I begin my ministry amongst you on a “half-time” basis, I want you to know that I seek to do so in as “fully present” way as possible.

This will be – to be sure -- a new challenge for me in ministry, as over the last 50 years I have always been a ‘full-time” and “year round” minister to the six different UU congregations I have served.
So I’m not exactly sure, as I begin my work here at UCN, exactly how I will manage to be the kind of actively engaged and available minister I want to be within the constraints of a half-time professional format. I guess that together we will “feel our way” into an effective and satisfying pattern that makes sense, and works for both me as a minister, and you as a congregation.

Perhaps it is enough for me at the outset to express my intention to be readily available to you personally. I will be keeping regular weekday office hours in our wonderful church home on Port Washington Road, so please feel free to drop in on me in my office or make an appointment…and I am also generally available through my cell phone number 772-359-0602 and my email account uurevscott@gmail.com And during those times I am away (which we anticipate will usually be for 8 or 9 days at the end of the month) I will generally be available by phone or email for important church business or personal needs and concerns.

As we move forward, The Board of Trustees and I will monitor (and perhaps adjust) how we best make this half-time ministry accomplish what needs to get done for the health, growth and well-being of the congregation and its members. But in the meantime, please know that I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you personally, and being the best minister I can be to this wonderful congregation.

See you some Sunday soon!

Soil to Sanctuary Harvest Festival

Join us on Sunday, October 1st at 11 am for our Soil to Sanctuary Harvest Festival. Shop local venders and artists as we fall into autumn and prepare for the holiday season. Choose from crafts, trinkets, homemade treats and farm fresh produce and foods. This will be a fun event for all featuring live entertainment and activities for the kids.

Are you a farmer or a crafter? Do you grow fruits and veggies at home? Have a favorite recipe that everyone loves? Become a vender. Click here for our vender application. The deadline to apply is September 20th.

A New Date for Survival Camp

Camp will be on Saturday, September 23rd. Our own Todd Zumach and Brian Bunzel will be our leaders, sharing their skills and training. Crafts, games, and other activities will be led by our RE teachers and volunteers.

Have you ever watched the tv show Survivor and wondered if you could make it? Here’s your chance to find out. Explore the trails, find out what plants are safe to eat and how to build a shelter. Develop situational awareness, build a fire, and learn to navigate the outdoors. Participants will make a survival kit that includes a compass, water filtration device and other items to explore the outdoors and stay safe. The camp is for kids and families. Click here to register.

RE Reminders

• RE classes will resume this fall. Please join us on Sunday, August 27th at 11am for the RE Open House. Learn about changes and new programs offered.
• Our Whole Lives, OWL, is launching this fall. Before a child can be registered to attend OWL, at least one parent must attend a mandatory OWL Parent Session. This session will be held at noon on Sunday, August 27th as part of the RE Open House. Please click here to register. Contact Emily Bunzel, OWL Subcommittee Chair, or DRE@UCNorth.org with any questions.

A Letter from David Liners, Exec. Dir. of WISDOM:

We are organizing a five-week training series that will begin August 29 as a way of preparation for the work that lies ahead of us this fall and in 2024. In our sessions, you will learn the basics of relational organizing and the principles to build relationships within your community. Our session is based on the popular workshop we held in 2021 and 2022, which attracted hundreds of participants.

Registration is now open for this FREE workshop! The link below will register you for all the sessions and we recommend you attend all because each session will build off one another!

Blood Drive at UCN--Critical Need!!

Currently there is CRITICAL need for blood products! So, we need donors at the Blood Drive we are hosting on Tuesday, August 22 from 1:00 to 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall in conjunction with the American Red Cross. You may sign up to donate using the American Red Cross APP, or online at the link below, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). If you prefer, contact Sheri Yelton-Mounts, a UCN Social Justice Committee Member, who is leading the Blood Drive and is happy to schedule an appointment for you. Please call or text Sheri at 262-707-1461 to help with scheduling and with any questions or concerns you may have.

Blood donations really do save lives every day--babies through the elderly--so please join this effort to make someone feel better. Please spread the word to friends and family and invite them to help fill the schedule and make this a success!! Thank you!!

Schedule a Blood, Platelet or Plasma Donation | American Red Cross

Water Update

Our well will be chlorinated today, so watch for signs on Sunday regarding water usage. For now, please continue to drink bottled water.

Endowment Fund
Our Endowment Fund provides for long-term support of UCN programs and facilities. You are encouraged to think of the Endowment Fund when you consider making a gift in honor or memory of an individual, celebration of a graduation, wedding, anniversary, or special birthday. This is a great way to support the church while recognizing a significant event in someone’s life. Endowment gifts are acknowledged with a note sent to the person/group in whose name the gift was made. Brochures with more information on the endowment fund, along with envelopes, can be found in the lobby pamphlet rack.

• Recently a donation was made by David and Mary Schleif, in memory of Karen Robison.

Thank you!

Morning Meditations

Tuesday Morning Group Meditations continue at 9:30 am in the Sanctuary. No experience necessary. Tap into the wisdom of the ancients as well as current-day teachers. Learn about the mind and breath’s connections as we sit quietly and share our inner worlds.

Anna Rychner, facilitator.

Events at UCN

• Need a break? Power Qi Gong will be held on Fridays at noon in August. 45-minute classes are held in the Fellowship Hall. Call Diane at 307-763-0903 for details. First class free.
• Qi Gong is held most Saturdays at 11 am in the Fellowship Hall. Call Diane at
  307-763-0903 for details. First class free.

Thank you for supporting the groups that use our facilities.

Community Events

Ozaukee County Dept. of Human Services needs volunteers to deliver noontime meals once a month. Contact Kari at 262-284-8120 if you are interested.

Calendar through August 27

Meetings are held via Zoom, unless stated.

• Saturday, Aug. 12, 9:00 am: Building Site Review (Sarah Cesar)
• Monday, Aug. 14, 7:00 pm: RE Committee (Betsy Muellenbach)
• Tuesday, Aug. 15, 9:30 am: Meditation (Anna Rychner)
• Monday, Aug. 21, noon: Ladies' Lunch - Mequon Fiddleheads (Brenda Berg)
• Monday, Aug. 21, 7:45 pm: Comm Tech Committee (Sarah Cesar)
• Tuesday, Aug. 22, 9:30 am: Meditation (Anna Rychner)
• Tuesday, Aug. 22, 1-6 pm: Blood Drive - Fellowship Hall (Sheri Yelton-Mounts)
• Thursday, Aug. 24, 7:00 pm: Sunday Services Committee (Julie Konik)
• Sunday, Aug. 27, 11:00 am: OWL and RE Open House - Fellowship Hall (LaToya Bates)

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.

Worship 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 or Dan 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.
  

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.

• Masks are Optional at UCN. Masks are available in the church lobby. Questions regarding mask policy can be directed to Ed Ahrenhoerster, President, or Leigh Hoftiezer and Jean Woodmansee, re-opening Subcommittee co-chairs. Building questions should be directed to Brian Bunzel, Building Committee chair.

• UCN is now able to accept donations via PayPal. Please use the QR code above, or see our website (Donate) for more details, or or click here: give.ucnorth.org/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, 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

• Ladies’ Lunch and Levity group: Join us the third Monday of the month at the back room of Mequon Fiddleheads at noon. Come when you are able; everyone is welcome. Contact brendaberg@spectrum.net for info.

• UUsOutToLunch meets at noon, and sometimes at suppertime during daylight savings time, on the first Wednesday of every month. 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, October through June.
  

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.

Director of Religious Education, LaToya Bates:

262-385-3408; dre@ucnorth.com

UCN Office Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 9 am to 2:30 pm. Contact Lyn at 262-375-3890 or info@ucnorth.org. Office is closed for holidays and bad weather. Please do not reply to the Northliner; the newsletter is sent from lyngust@mailgun.smore.com, but we do not receive messages sent to that email address.

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.

• Mid-America Region offers webinars and other important information: uua.org/midamerica .
  
  

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.

Email: info@ucnorth.org
Website: www.ucnorth.org
Location: 13800 North Port Washington Road, Mequon, WI, USA
Phone: 262-375-3890
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnitarianChurchNorth/