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.

Sunday, Dec. 29: "Living in the Interim," Rev. Sarah Oelberg

There are times when we are caught in between things, having to let go of the past but not yet sure of the future. Times when we are transitioning from one reality to another.
This is what the new year is all about. It is also a description of the time we are in. A look at how we deal with this uncertainty.

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.

Jan. 5: All Soul's Cafe

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 5, 2025, taking the place of the regular service at 10:00 am. Watch our singers, dancers, poets, mimes and more. And enjoy snacks and beverages during the show.

Here's the link for Rev. Scott's sermon, "How the UUs Saved Christmas," from Dec. 22: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gkBTEGABJkkaMRWbUFq55qUioVGN-Az6/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109072791973067277249&rtpof=true&sd=true

Come welcome the new year at the All Soul's Cafe' on Sunday on January 5 at 10 am. Instead of the regular First Sunday Lunch, we'll have finger foods like cookies, coffeecake, cheese & crackers, etc., which we hope you will all contribute. Food will be served in the West lobby.

Set-up will be on Saturday morning, January 4, at 10 am. The sanctuary will be transformed into a cafe' with card tables. If you could lend us one, that would help, too! Please let me know if you can help set up. Linda Sandersen, Lsandersen@wi.rr.com

We have a great lineup of entertainment for you!

Share your Talents

Everyone is invited to participate in this community event on January 5, 2025, 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 22 to be included in the show!

Get in touch with Linda Sandersen at Lsandersen@wi.rr.com with any questions or to sign up.

RE update

On Sunday 12/29, during our RE time, we will have our RE NEW YEAR'S EVE Party. Wear comfy, cozy PJ's (if you want to). What New Year's resolutions are you considering? What are your hopes for the New Year? We will discuss and celebrate with festive holiday hats, horns, music, games and a ball drop, of course! We will also have a few more treats than usual during snack time and perhaps a sparkling beverage.

On Sunday, 1/5/2025, we have our annual All Soul's Cafe for UCN members, friends, and children of all ages to share their talents with the congregation. We are hoping to perform NSYNC's Bye Bye Bye song with the RE kids as a group! More details to come during RE time the next couple of weeks. Group performances, duets, solos, are all welcomed and encouraged! Do you have a song you've learned to perform? Do you play the piano? Or another instrument? Would you be willing to share your skills with us? We'd love it! This is a great opportunity to practice public speaking and performing in a safe and supportive space. To schedule a spot, please reach out to Linda Sanderson at lsanderson@wi.rr.com by this Sunday, Dec. 22.

On Sunday, 1/12/2025, we will resume our regular RE classes in our classrooms. We hope to make the transition from five weeks of festivities back to our regular routine as smooth as possible. Our K-2nd grade class will be led by Katie Egan-Bruhy and Ruth Scalf, exploring Session 11: Kindness in Nature. The 3rd-6th grade class will be led by Julie Zumach with assistance from Peter & Kas Blain, exploring Generosity The OWL class will be meeting for session 12 "Healthy Relationships" with Emily Bunzel and Julie Konik.

Just a Note

It’s wonderful to see the camaraderie that has developed among our RE children. They enjoy the time after class and service to be together in a less structured way. The RE Committee wants to remind families that following the Sunday Service adults are responsible for their children once they get downstairs to the Fellowship Hall. Sunday Services can end any time between 11:10-11:20pm. We are typically at the snack table at this time in the Fellowship Hall but we could also be in our classrooms or in the outdoor playspace. Thank you for finding us in one of these places after the service. Our Nursery staff is paid until 11:30 and some time is needed for cleaning up. Jessy needs the time after service to connect with families and teachers. The playground is a popular place but requires adult supervision. Our goal is to have two adults (between RE teachers, assistants and parents helping) outside with the children. We are in the process of creating an indoor activity space for RE children to be more active in. There are also board games available, we ask that families supervise or play with them. We appreciate your help making this after service time work for everyone.

The UCN Fund for Social Justice Deadline Approaches!

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 firm deadline is January 15. A link to the nomination form is included with this article. You can also find it on the UCN website under Serve/Social Justice/Our Social Justice Efforts/UCN Fund for Social Justice. You can also pick up a nomination form in the west lobby.

Disbursements will be made in areas of human services and will be consistent with UCN's vision and mission, and the mission of the UUSC, as outlined in the “Structure and Responsibilities of the Social Justice Committee.”

Disbursements, generally, will be made to 501c3 charitable organizations in the Greater Milwaukee Area, although the Social Justice Committee may wish to support efforts that may not be organized as a 501c3.The Social Justice Committee may seek guidance from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation on the integrity of potential recipients.

Contact Leigh Hoftiezer should you have any questions.

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.

Winter Coat

If you accidentally went home with a size large, black winter coat, please tell Lyn in the office. The brand might be 32 Degrees. Thanks!

Office Hours

The office will be closed for the holiday on Jan. 1.

Save the Date

A Barn Banter will be held January 19, after the service. We will discuss the hiring of the new minister.

Ministerial Search Committee

The Leadership Board has moved swiftly to address Rev Scott's upcoming retirement. It has approved a search committee which has already met and begun the search process. Its members are Callie Thurow, Joy Schroeder, Judy DeLillo, Laura Smith, Leigh Hoftiezer, Sherryl Andrus, and Gerry Schmitz. Please feel free to forward any comments or concerns to any of the members.

Office Help

We are looking for one more person to help out in the office when Lyn is unavailable. If you are comfortable on the computer, we'd love you to join our current volunteers, Dan Lusk and Leigh Hoftiezer. Thank you!

Grief Group

The Good Grief support group meets every other week on 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. The next date is January 8. Contact Judy DeLillo at 720-935-0851 or judelillo2@gmail.com with any questions.

Events at UCN

• "Qi Gong and Tai Chi" will resume 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 Concert will be held February 8. 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.

Calendar through January 12

Meetings are held via Zoom, unless stated.

• Wednesday, Jan. 1: Office Closed for the Holiday
• Saturday, Jan. 4, 10 am: All Soul's setup in the Sanctuary and West Lobby
• Sunday, Jan. 5: All Soul's Cafe at the 10:00 service
• Tuesday, Jan. 7, 7:00 pm: Membership (Dan Lusk)
• Wednesday, Jan. 8, 10:00 am: Good Grief Group - Emerson (Judy DeLillo)
• Wednesday, Jan. 8: UUs Out to Lunch (Brenda Berg)
• Thursday, Jan. 9, evening: Parent's Night - Fellowship Hall (Jessy Knox)
• Thursday, Jan. 9, 6:30 pm: Sunday Services (Julie Konik)
• Sunday, Jan. 12, 10:00 am: OWL Class - Reeb (Jessy Knox)
• Sunday, Jan. 12, 11:30 am: Social Justice - Library (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.

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.

• 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/. Fall retreat: October 18-20 at a new location near West Bend.
• 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. See the schedule at https://www.uua.org/ga/program/schedule
• 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.

• 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.

• You can find copies of the Leadership List, Member Directory, Annual Report and Annual Financial Report in the library.

• Adopt A Room is still looking for people to get involved. See the display board in the north lobby to sign up, or contact Judy DeLillo at judelillo2@gmail.com for more information. We are requesting that members submit photo files for consideration to be printed on photo paper and included in our display in the west lobby. Please, send photo files with good exposure and focus to photos@ucnorth.org with identification of the event and people/children depicted.

• 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 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.
  

• 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/