The Northliner

Sunday Services

Except on Christmas Eve this year, 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 Christmas Eve service begins promptly at 5 pm. If you'd like to join in conversation or listen to our pianist play holiday music before the service, you may join the Zoom meeting at 4:45 and wrap up your conversations shortly before 5.

Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Intergenerational Candlelight Service, Rev. Scott Alexander

5:00 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!

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The following 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.

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

On the first Sunday in January, at our regular 10 am service, we will welcome in the New Year with our annual All Soul's Cafe talent show. There's still room for more acts, so if you would like to sing, play an instrument, dance, read a poem, or whatever you do, please let me know by Dec. 24 by email to: lsandersen@wi.rr.com. Let me know if you would like Brittney to provide accompaniment.

See more details below.

If you accidentally left an envelope at UCN last Sunday, please notify Lyn at 262-375-3890 or info@ucnorth.org.

In Memoriam

We are sad to announce that our friend and long-time member, Diane Raddatz, passed away last week. Diane's family was grateful to be with her at the time of her passing. The family is in the process of planning a family memorial gathering. We send our sincere condolences.

Here are the stories from Rev. Scott's sermon on Dec.17,
Ring in the Season of Joy

• The Parson's Christmas Tree: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-14_FmvVcgEjyxdSvTRoIo2MhbpldPAm/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109072791973067277249&rtpof=true&sd=true
• Panetonne: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13uiWUcOMO7hcoyk-oXkNpli0S3_yeZYe/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109072791973067277249&rtpof=true&sd=true
• The Rabbi's Wife: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1phsbeDYARthvDEfXXsCc06q1unnmFDW5/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109072791973067277249&rtpof=true&sd=true
• Baboushka: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WU_e-Dfw3-v9jFd9DRHr51sn5MoKbvKU/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109072791973067277249&rtpof=true&sd=true
• A Cautionary Christmas Tale: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mlVHMFqo7HHsv2sWlWjTgy9ersSLp37g/view?usp=sharing

This week's service at 5:00 PM on December 24 is a family-oriented service for Christmas Eve. All children and youth are invited to stay in the sanctuary with their families for the whole service .

There will not be nursery attendants this week. Parents are welcome to supervise their children in the quiet room or on the lower level, if they need a break from being in the service.

The New Year will bring the UCN annual All Soul's Cafe' to you on Sunday January 7 at 10 am. We have some great acts again this year & we hope to have some great brunch food, too.

Please bring cookies, coffeecakes, cheese trays, etc., to make a festive brunch for all to share. Brunch will be in the west lobby, with Dan Lusk making wonderful coffee.

If you can help set up on Saturday morning, Jan. 6 at 10 am, please come to set up card tables & chairs.

Thank you all!

Linda Sandersen (Lsandersen@wi.rr.com)

Amazing Faiths Luncheon

This month we are having an Amazing Faiths Lunch Dialogue at noon on Wednesday, December 27 at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church located at 4419 S. Howell Avenue, Milwaukee.

Click here or the image for more information & to register.

Calling all Social Justice Nominators!

Are you a UCN member who is familiar with an organization in the Greater Milwaukee Area that is involved in social justice work that benefits the community? Would you like to see them receive hundreds of dollars from our church to support their mission? Now is the time to fill out a nomination form for the UCN Fund for Social Justice. The deadline is January 15. Guidelines for making a nomination for the annual distribution can be obtained by emailing Lyn Gust at the UCN office, info@ucnorth.org, or by picking up a nomination form in the main lobby.

Nominations must be received in the UCN office no later than January 15th.

Also, please consider donating to the Fund by making your check out to Unitarian Church North. Write "Fund for Social Justice" on the memo line and place it in the safe in the church office.

Visitors

The following people visited our church recently:

• Steve and Diane Vepraskas, Cedarburg

Thanks for visiting us. We hope that you come back soon!

Christmas or Xmas?

The 'X' comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Christós (Greek: Χριστός, translit. Khristós, lit. "anointed, covered in oil"), which became Christ in English. The suffix
-mas is from the Latin-derived Old English word for Mass.

Solstice Celebration

Here is a recording of the 2023 Solstice Service from UU Ministry for Earth: click on this link

Help Wanted!

The Finance Committee is asking for your help. We considered ideas for a Spring Fundraiser in addition to Britney’s much anticipated April concert and thought that hosting a speaker on a topic of general interest would be a great way to host our members and folks in the wider community in our beautiful space. Rev Scott did this at his Vero Beach, Florida, church with great success. By way of example, Scott suggested a topic like ship wrecks in the Great Lakes might have broad appeal. Please let Julie Zumach or Pete Blain know if you have suggestions for a dynamic speaker (or speakers on a panel) on an interesting topic which would appeal to wide audience. We greatly appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.

Good Grief Group

Our group meetings have been paused until the new year. New dates and times will be announced soon. Please contact Judy DeLillo at 720-935-0851 with any questions.

Morning Meditations

Group Meditations will be postponed for 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

• "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. 31 at UCN. 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 am in the Clara Barton room and online.

Thank you for supporting the groups that use our facilities.

Calendar through January 7

Meetings are held via Zoom, unless stated.

• Sunday, Dec. 24, 5:00 pm: Christmas Eve Service. No service at 10 am.
• Tuesday, Dec. 26: Office closed for the holiday. Limited hours all week.
• Wednesday, Jan. 3: UUs Out to Lunch (Brenda Berg)
• Thursday, Jan. 4, 6:00 pm: Membership (Dan Lusk)
• Saturday, Jan. 6, 10:00 am: All Souls' Cafe Setup - west lobby
• Sunday, Jan. 7, noon: OWL Planning - Emerson

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: 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/
• You are encouraged to subscribe to MidAmerica Region's newsletter, News page. More information at uua.org/midamerica .
  
• Join us June 20 - 23 for an all-virtual General Assembly 2024. For information, go to https://www.uua.org/ga/registration.

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.
  

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.

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

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 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon, WI, 53097 USA
Phone: 262-375-3890
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnitarianChurchNorth/