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. If UCN closes due to weather or building issues, the closing will be reflected on our website, on our office voice mail, and a special email will be sent out, if possible.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/93364454692?pwd=U29yanFGZTUvOXAvcWM0UWQ1UFU0QT09
Meeting ID: 933 6445 4692
Password: 13800

Services begin 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.

March 9: “Unitarian Universalism…99.9% Right!” Rev. Scott W. Alexander

Scott writes: Unitarian Universalists have long believed that the twin human spheres of science and religion should never be in conflict. I am delighted to report that recent discoveries in human genetics prove our faith tradition is right on the money when it comes to one key dimension of theology and morality.

March 16: “The Spirituality of Luck,” Rev. Scott W. Alexander

Scott writes: “The lives we live on this earth are filled with copious (and unpredictable) amounts of both good and bad luck…but seldom do we think about luck as having a spiritual dimension. I am persuaded that how we respond to the various shades of luck that enter our lives has everything to say about how successfully we will navigate our days on the earth.”

Here's the written version of Rev. Scott's sermon, "Jogging for Jesus," from March 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pnwAoCkxkIrh65uE_Sfdv0ndpGdAp1yT/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109072791973067277249&rtpof=true&sd=true

Do you like to sing? A new Adult Choir is forming at UCN, and all are welcome. Rehearsals will be held three times a month on Sundays at 8:45 am and will last approximately 45 minutes. The first rehearsal is Sunday, March 9th.

We will sing once a month during the service. Our first performance is Sunday, March 23rd. We will sing in April on Easter Sunday, April 20th. If you are interested, please see Cathy, the accompanist, after the service on Sunday.

RE Update for Sunday March 9th

Nursery: Constance & Liam

K-2nd: "Working Together to Make a Difference, with Leigh & Rosa

Session 15: Working Together to Make a Difference

3rd-6th: "Justice for All," with Betsy, Pete & Kas and Jessy

Session 13: Justice for All

OWL: Workshop 18: Consent Education, with Julie & Joy

4th Sunday Outdoor Hikes

March 23rd ~~ April 20th ~~ May 25th

June, July & August: All of our Summer RE classes are outdoors, with rainy day activities inside if needed.

Sept 28th ~~ Oct 26th ~~ Nov 23rd ~~ Dec 28th

Postcards for Progressive Ideals

The Fair Maps Coalition of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has created and shipped over 300 pre-addressed postcards to UCN. Essentially a non-partisan organization, their ideals closely reflect those many of us hold dear, and they ask that handwritten messages on the postcards mirror them. These include such things as “Vote your values!” “Research candidates before you vote!” “Vote so that elected officials reflect our communities, not corporate or out-of-state interests!”

This Sunday Alice Kieren of the Social Justice Committee will be handing out the postcard packets after the service. If you are interested in participating, determine which of the options provided on the packet insert motivate you the most, write the statement by hand on the left side of the postcard, attach a 56-cent stamp and mail it ASAP.

Welcoming Congregation Renewal

Thanks to work completed by Julie Konik and the Social Justice Committee, UCN has successfully renewed its Welcoming Congregation status with the UUA. Practices of Welcoming Renewal we followed included welcoming worship, welcoming days of observance, welcoming religious education, and support of a welcoming project. Renewals are required annually, so watch for more of these practices in the months ahead.

Event: What is Gender Affirming Care?

Join the Cedarburg Community for Acceptance for a panel discussion about Gender Affirming Care on Thursday, March 20th from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Cedarburg Cultural Center. Sign up for free tickets on Eventbrite at https://tinyurl.com/gaceventtickets Panelists will include healthcare professionals and community members.

At a time when rights of the LGBTQIA community are under attack, show up and advocate for gender affirming care by supporting our local community! For more information, contact Jenny Elsner-Miller @ simple2green@gmail.com

Help Defeat the Voter I.D. Amendment

This week we received postcards and a mailing list from the Wisconsin Unitarian Universalist State Action Network (WUUSAN), stating that voters should vote NO on the proposed voter I.D. amendment. The amendment is closely based on the restrictive voter photo I.D. law which ultimately lost court battles over several years and has been in effect since 2016.

“The debate over whether to enshrine a voter ID requirement in the state constitution has largely mirrored the debate over whether such a requirement should exist in the first place. Proponents argue that voter ID requirements improve election security and increase public confidence in elections. Opponents meanwhile point out that, even where photo ID is not required, verifiable incidents of voter fraud are extremely low, and other safeguards exist to ensure electoral integrity. As opponents see it, voter ID requirements can impair the right to vote and undermine the fairness of elections by imposing unnecessary barriers that disproportionately impact people of color, older voters, those with disabilities, low-income communities, rural voters, and others who have more difficulty obtaining an ID.” (statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu)

We are asking members and friends to take a packet (or more!) of 12-13 postcards, attach 56-cent stamps and the provided mailing labels, write a short note on each card about the amendment, and mail the cards by March 11, if possible. Absentee ballots will also be mailed out that day.

Alice Kieren will be passing out the postcards at First Sunday Lunch. Thank you.

Join the Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge!

Come join the 21-day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge through Food Solutions New England. This challenge is presented annually and this year is held April 7th – 27th. It is a self-guided, online learning opportunity that you can either do on your own at your own pace or with a group of friends, neighbors, colleagues, family, and community. Please visit Food Solutions New England at the following website: foodsolutionsne.org/21-day-racial-equity-habit-building-challenge/

“You commit to deepening your understanding of, and willingness to confront, racism for twenty-one consecutive days in April of each year and the Racial Equity Challenge will:

• Raise your awareness, change your understanding and shift the way you behave.
• Go beyond individual or interpersonal racism by helping to demystify structural and institutional racism and white supremacist patterns that are sometimes invisible to people.
• You will be inspired to act, on your own or with others in your organization, business, or group, to dismantle these systems, to make changes in your work and the world that can build true equity and justice for all.”

If you would like to come together periodically in April through a group to discuss learnings, please reach out to Social Justice Committee members, Jessica Osenbrügge at josenbrugge@gmail and Kristi Leach at kristi@kristileach.com. We would be happy to organize hybrid meetings for all of you to come together and discuss the learnings and ideas throughout the month of April.

Tuesdays in March

A Luncheon / Lecture Series - Sponsored by the Peace and International Issues Committee of the INTERFAITH CONFERENCE of GREATER MILWAUKEE

Where do We Go from Here? March 4, 11, 18, and 25, 11:45 am to 1:30 pm

REGISTER AT THIS LINK

Social Justice Reminders

• 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.

• UCN’s Share the Plate (STP) program supports organizations that help those in need in our community and across the world. You are welcome to nominate a recipient for a 2-month collection. The complete list of past STP recipients and their websites can be found at UCNorth.org, under Serve/Share the Plate/View Past Donations Spreadsheet.

Save the Date for our Blood Drive!

We are excited to announce our upcoming blood drive on Friday, March 14 from noon till 5:00 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for our church community to come together and make a difference in the lives of others. By donating blood, you have the power to save up to 3 lives and make a positive impact on someone's health. We encourage all eligible donors to sign up ahead of time. To sign up, please visit redcrossblood.org Contact Sheri Yelton-Mounts with questions: 262-707-1461. Thank you for your support!

In Invitation to UKE

Are you interested in learning to play the ukulele? We're going to start a beginner uke class at UCN. It's free & all you need is a ukulele - tenor uke preferred. Since anyone can learn, all ages are invited. We'll meet after the service, from 11:30-12:30 in the Quiet Room on March 16, 23, & 30 to begin. It's fun!

Please respond to Lsandersen@wi.rr.com.

Linda Sandersen

Grief Group

The Good Grief support group meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 10:00 am in the James Reeb Room, right inside the lower level entrance. If you’ve experienced a loss and are in need of informal support, this may be a good resource for you. All are welcome. Contact Judy DeLillo at 720-935-0851 or judelillo2@gmail.com with any questions.

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 Mary Schleif, in memory of Bob and Carol Broman.

Thank you!

Events at UCN

• "Qi Gong and Tai Chi" will be held on most Saturdays at 11 am in the Fellowship Hall. Call Diane at 307-763-0903 for dates and details. First class is free for UCN members.
• The next Wis. Singer Songwriter Concerts will be held March 8 and 22. Go to wsss.org for details.
• Al-Anon meetings, offering recovery for families and friends of alcoholics and drug addicts, are held every Tuesday morning at 8:30 am in the Fellowship Hall and online. During voting, meetings are held in the Sanctuary, upper level.
  

Thank you for supporting the groups that use our facilities.

Side With Love

Calendar through March 23

Meetings are held via Zoom, unless stated.

• Sunday, March 9, 2:00 am: Set your clocks forward by one hour
• Sunday, March 9, 8:45 am: Choir Rehearsal (Cathy Reich)
• Sunday, March 9, 10:00 am: OWL Class - Reeb (Jessy Knox)
• Sunday, March 9, 11:30 am: Social Justice - Library (Leigh Hoftiezer)
• Monday, March 10, 7:00 pm: RE Committee (Katie Egan-Bruhy)
• Wednesday, March 12, 10:00 am: Good Grief Group - Reeb (Judy DeLillo)
• Thursday, March 13, 6-8 pm: Parents' Night - Fellowship Hall (Carissa Mooren)
• Thursday, March 13, 6:30 pm: Sunday Services (Julie Konik)
• Friday, March 14, noon-5 pm: Blood Drive - Fellowship Hall (Sheri Mounts)
• Sunday, March 16, 10:00 am: OWL Class - Reeb (Jessy Knox)
• Sunday, March 16, 11:30 am: Ukulele Lessons - Quiet Room (Linda Sandersen)
• Tuesday, March 18, 7:00 pm: Finance Committee (Sherryl Andrus)
• Thursday, March 20, 11:30 am: UU Ladies' Lunch - Crave Restaurant (Brenda Berg)
• Sunday, March 23: The choir will perform at the 10 am service
• Sunday, March 23, 11:30 am: Ukulele Lessons - Quiet Room (Linda Sandersen)

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.

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: The Sunday Services Committee encourages individuals and committees to make announcements via the attached form (below). Giving this form to the Sunday Service Assistant before the service can streamline our announcements and make the service more engaging. If you have any questions, please contact Sunday Service Committee Chair, Julie Konik, at Julie.Konik@gmail.com or 920-750-4385.

• UU Women's Connection offers retreats, newsletters and resources for women: https://www.uuwomensconnection.org/. Click this link for info about retreats:

  https://www.uuwomensconnection.org/retreats

• You are encouraged to subscribe to MidAmerica Region's newsletter, News page. More information at uua.org/midamerica .
• GA is June 18-22 in Baltimore. Register at https://www.uua.org/ga/registration .
• The UU 2024-25 Common Read is Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families (Skinner House, 2023). The Common Read builds community in our congregations and our movement by giving diverse people a shared platform for reflection and a shared focus for action. Authentic Selves invites us to explore the nature of living authentically and the ways connections among us help us thrive. Visit uua.org/read for more information.

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).

• Rev. Scott will never ask you to buy a gift card for him. Please don't fall for these scams. And if someone asks you for a copy of the member directory, please refer them to info@ucnorth.org, as they might not be who they claim to be.

• Our photo directory of members and pledging friends is sent out a few times each year. If you would prefer a printed color copy, we can print them for $5. Just tell Lyn if you want one.
  If you would like a printed black and white copy of the directory or the Leadership List, just ask Lyn in the office.

• You can find copies of the Annual Report and Annual Financial Report in the library.

• 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. Narcan (Naloxone) nasal spray, to reverse an opioid overdose, is also available there. If you have any questions, please contact Brian Bunzel, Building Committee Chair, at (262) 573-0045 or brianbuzel@yahoo.com.

• Are you or someone you know in need of help with basic food supplies? The Family Sharing food pantry is here when you need us. Our Mobile Pantry travels to locations in northern and southern Ozaukee. We also offer in-person shopping and deliver groceries to senior living complexes. Call us for more information. 262-377-0634 x125.

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 alicejkieren@gmail.com .

• 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.
  

• Update: UU Ladies' Lunch meets on the third Thursday of every month at 11:30 at Crave Restaurant, on Port Washington Road in Mequon.
  

Fundraising and Donations

• UCN is now able to accept donations via PayPal.

• Food Barrels: Don’t forget to grab a food item out of your pantry for the food barrel as you leave for church. Donations go to the Ozaukee Food Alliance. We are also accepting donations for pet food and small containers of litter. These donations go to the Humane Society of Ozaukee County's Pet Pantry, serving individuals who need help feeding their pets.
  

• 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. To sign up, use the code for UCN: 1F3EE5A9248LL. And use the QR code above for easy enrollment. Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q3rZ3dXo96XBGI9we5yhWzCZGS3na22O/view?usp=sharing

• If you order from Quill.com and tell them UCN recommended them, UCN will earn a $50 gift card.

Please submit articles for the Northliner to info@ucnorth.org. To keep the Northliner from becoming cumbersome, 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 Todd Zumach (zumacht@gmail.com) or Carissa Mooren (live4him56@gmail.com) to submit articles for our website.

Minister, Rev. Scott Alexander: cell phone (preferred): 772-359-0602. Office phone: 262-375-4748. 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.

Jessy Knox, RE Coordinator

Jessy can be contacted at refpc@ucnorth.org or at 414-840-5377.

Wednesdays 10 am-3 pm: Office hours

Saturdays 10 am-1 pm: RE Prep (some of this time will be remote)

Sundays 8:30 am-12:30 pm: RE Sunday Time

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

For more information about UCN, see our website www.ucnorth.org or call the office at

262-375-3890.

Email: info@ucnorth.org
Website: www.ucnorth.org
Location: 13800 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon, WI, 53097
Phone: 262-375-3890
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/UnitarianChurchNorthMequonWI/