The Northliner
November 8, 2024
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. 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.
November 10: “So…Where Do We Go from Here?” a Post-Election Sermon,
Rev. Scott W. Alexander
Scott writes: With the American people so bitterly divided (between “Right” and “Left”…“Liberal” and “Conservative”) all indications are that this election will be narrowly decided, leaving almost half of the population wildly unhappy with the outcome. Regardless of which side “wins” the election, we Americans have cause to be concerned about how the nation will move forward as a civil and functioning democracy. Do be with us as (this Sunday after the election) we discuss our role as Unitarian Universalists in the future of our nation.
November 17: “Give,” Sermon III in the Year-Long series “The five Smooth Stones of Religious Liberalism,” Rev. Scott W. Alexander
Scott writes: On this Sunday I will offer the third installment of your 2024 Autumn sermon series based on the work of the great 20th Century Unitarian Universalist Theologian the Rev. Dr. James Luther Adams. In this installment we will explore the duty we have as Unitarian Universalists to work tirelessly for justice in our society and world.
Connections
We are sad to report the death of Sandra Lynn Alexander. Rev. Alexander’s sister-in-law, wife of his brother George, and active friend of our congregation – died peacefully on Sunday November 3, surrounded by her loving family. Expressions of condolence can be sent to George Alexander at W8799 High Ridge Drive, Glenbeulah, WI, 53023. There will be a memorial service in her honor at UCN on Friday, November 15, 2024, at 2 PM. Here is the zoom link for the service:
https://zoom.us/j/99301015220
Meeting ID: 993 0101 5220
From Rev. Scott
Here's the link for Rev. Scott's sermon from Nov. 3, The Election Sermon: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jyUuqaF_-mPN0HBsiERysLzcN4xvnjcE/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109072791973067277249&rtpof=true&sd=true
Dear Members and Friends of UCN,
After much consideration, and no small measure of mixed feelings, I have decided to retire from my position as your minister effective at the end of the 2024-25 church year, on June 30, 2025 – eight months from now. I have loved serving this congregation, and have so enjoyed getting to serve and know so many of you.
When I became your minister in the summer of 2023, I promised the Board and Search Committee that I would serve for at least two years, so I will have accomplished this professional goal. The decision to officially “retire” is based primarily on family health issues, and Collins’ and my desire to primarily “winter” at our home in Florida, “summer” largely in upstate New York, and spend much of the spring and autumn here in Wisconsin.
I certainly hope to maintain an active and caring relationship with this congregation…and (if it seems beneficial to all) would possibly be available to occasionally visit your pulpit -- as other retired and favorite ministers from the area now do.
I want to take this opportunity thank all of you for the many considerations and kindnesses I have received over the last 18 months of my service here, and look forward to keeping in touch with you as this congregation moves forward into its good, secure, and growing future.
Sincerely,
Rev. Scott W. Alexander
Religious Education
This week the K - 2nd grade group will continue to focus on our role in the interdependent web of life. The focus will be on plants, their diversity, abundance and importance in our lives and those of all living things.
The 3rd to 6th graders will continue to consider the importance of forgiveness, by learning that in order to forgive ourselves or others, we need to remember that we all make mistakes and that we needn't be perfect to be deserving of love.
The Our Whole Lives (OWL) teen group will be discussing gender identity.
Enrollment in the K - 2nd and 3rd - 6th grade classes remains open, while enrollment in the OWL program is closed.
For questions about our Religious Education programming and upcoming events, please contact Jessy Knox, Religious Education and Family Programming Coordinator. Jessy can be contacted at refpc@ucnorth.org or at 414-840-5377. She has office hours Wednesdays 10 am-3 pm, is preparing for classes Saturdays 10 am-1 pm (some of this time will be remote), and is present on Sundays from 8:30 am-12:30 pm.
Social and Racial Justice
Discussion Nov. 14
The Committee on Interfaith Understanding invites you to an evening discussion about Religion and Spirituality. Join us for an evening of meaningful conversations about our faith journeys. We will hear from people of all faiths and/or spiritualties including yourself, as to promote better understanding of others and our own Spirituality or Religion.
Join the conversation on Thursday, November 14 at 6:30 PM, at First Congregational of Wauwatosa, 1511 Church Street, Wauwatosa, WI 53213.
Tour America’s Black Holocaust Museum with UCN
America’s Black Holocaust Museum is a one-of-a-kind historical and memorial museum about the Black Holocaust in America. History museums study, exhibit, and interpret history. Memorial museums explain and commemorate past events of mass suffering.
Adults and middle school (and older) students are invited to join the Social Justice Committee on a guided tour of America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 401 W North Ave., Milwaukee, on Saturday, November 23. We have scheduled a museum docent (griot) to conduct a guided tour of the museum, and if needed we will request an additional docent. The cost is $10 per person. If you would like to carpool, meet at UCN by 10:15 a.m. The museum opens at 10:00 but our tour will begin at 11:00 a.m. and last 45 minutes to an hour. Please sign up at UCN or by contacting Leigh Hoftiezer, Social Justice Chairperson. The SIGN-UP DEADLINE is November 16.
If students attend without a parent or legal guardian, a signed permission slip will be required.
More information about the museum may be found here: https://www.abhmuseum.org/
Replacement Shoelaces Needed
Jean Woodmansee asks UCN members and friends to bring new or used shoelaces to UCN help migrants asking for asylum in Arizona. The Border Patrol agents require migrants to remove shoelaces and belts when they are picked up in the desert and returned to Mexico. Migrants have no other source of replacement shoelaces for boots or shoes except through the efforts of the nearby UU church and other volunteers.
Collecting shoelaces is one easy way for us to participate in helping the migrants. A collection box is in the west lobby near the food and pet food collections through November. Thanks!
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.
* Announcements
Leadership Board Meeting
The next leadership board meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 21 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.
Share your Talents in the 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. 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!
Get in touch with Linda Sandersen at Lsandersen@wi.rr.com with any questions or to sign up.
Message from the Security Committee
Please be aware that there will be a partial fire drill on Sunday November 24, 2024, right after Sunday services. The fire alarm will be pulled but there will be no need to exit the church at that time. After an announcement, and the sounding of the alarm, everyone is invited downstairs for coffee, goodies, and good conversation.
Poul Sandersen, Security Committee chair
SCRIP Presentation
If you missed the zoom presentation about SCRIP, you can watch it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q3rZ3dXo96XBGI9we5yhWzCZGS3na22O/view?usp=sharing
And here is the printed presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cqepjwzsulkcGfp0cR6flyDO1eX1XWBX/view?usp=sharing
Please Note
If you are discarding furniture to the dumpster area, please do not put it in the dumpster. Please place the furniture either inside the fenced area or on the east side of the fence on the concrete pad. When the dumpster becomes full of furniture, there is no place for regular trash to be stored and must be left outside the dumpster itself. This gives those four-legged critters an invitation to rip open the plastic bags and spread trash everywhere. Thank you for your support.
Game Night
Well, Game Afternoon, really. Save the date: Nov 16 at 2:00 pm!
Fun and free for all ages. More details to come.
Grief Group
The Good Grief support group meets every other week on Wednesday at 10:00 am in the Emerson Room. If you’ve experienced a loss and are in need of informal support, this may be a good resource for you. All are welcome. Upcoming dates are November 6 and 20, and December 4 and 18. 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 November 9. 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
Calendar through November 24
Meetings are held via Zoom, unless stated.
- Sunday, Nov. 10, 10:00 am: OWL Class - Reeb
- Sunday, Nov. 10, 11:30 am: Social Justice - Library (Leigh Hoftiezer)
- Sunday, Nov. 10, 11:30 am: New to UU Class - Emerson (Dan Lusk/Liam Q.)
- Monday, Nov. 11, 1-6 pm: Blood Drive - Fellowship Hall
- Monday, Nov. 11, 7:00 pm: RE Committee (Katie Egan-Bruhy)
- Thursday, Nov. 14, 6:30 pm: Sunday Services Committee (Julie Konik)
- Saturday, Nov. 16, 2:00 pm: Game Night (Bernie Booth)
- Sunday, Nov. 17, 10:00 am: OWL Class - James Reeb (Jessy Knox)
- Tuesday, Nov. 19, 7:00 pm: Finance (Sherryl Andrus)
- Wednesday, Nov. 20, 10:00 am: Good Grief Group - Emerson (Judy DeLillo)
- Thursday, Nov. 21, 11:30 am: UU Ladies' Lunch - Crave Restaurant
- Thursday, Nov. 21, 6:30 pm: Leadership Board (Bernie Booth)
- Sunday, Nov. 24, 10:00 am: OWL Class - James Reeb (Jessy Knox)
- Sunday, Nov. 24, during the service: Fire Drill
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: 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 .
- 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.
If you order from Quill.com and tell them UCN recommended them, UCN will earn a $50 gift card.
* Submitting Content for our Publications
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.
* Contact Information and Links
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.
Unitarian Church North
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/