


The Northliner
September 8, 2023
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.
September 10: UCN Autumn Ingathering Service, “The Saving Message of Unitarian Universalism,” Rev. Scott W. Alexander and Rev. Tony Larsen
On this “first Sunday” of the new church year -- the Sunday after Labor Day when we Unitarian Universalists across the continent return to their Autumn schedules – Revs Alexander and Larsen will together reflect on the saving message of our UU tradition. Do be with us to celebrate the start of the 2023-2024 congregational year.
Sept. 17: “Mindfulness,” Sermon I in the Year-Long Series
“12 Gates to the City: How to Enter the Holy City of Your Own Life,”
Rev. Scott Alexander
Scott writes: On this Sunday when I begin my 2023-24 year-long (12 installment...about once-a-month) sermon series, I want to explore perhaps one the most important spiritual possession anyone can have...mindfulness in one's daily life. Without this quiet/spiritual commodity we risk missing much of what makes life on this planet so precious. Do be with us as I begin the series.
Notes from the Minister
Warning
Just a reminder that Rev. Scott, Rev. Tony, and our other speakers will never ask you to buy gift cards. They won't send texts or emails asking for favors.
Our Water is Clean Again!
We are happy to report that water samples taken by the Environmental Health Department of Washington/Ozaukee County came back clean this week, so you may safely drink it and wash up as normal. Annual testing will be resumed. Thank you for your patience as the issue was handled.
Quilting Bee
Sunday, September 10
The squares for our Name Quilt have been made, the names have been added, and now it’s time to put things together with a quilting bee!
- Do you enjoy sewing?
- Do you have a sewing machine we can use?
- Do you want to participate in this part of UCN history?
- Do you like combining squares into grids?
If the answer to any of these is yes, please join us after the service for this fun event. Also please let Ed Ahrenhoerster know by emailing ed.ahrenhoerster@nwsdigital.com. Ed promises to tell jokes that will keep you in stitches! (He will also provide food and beverages.)
Good Grief Group
“Death ends a life, not a relationship. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on — in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.” - Morrie Schwartz (Tuesdays with Morrie)
Losing someone you love is life changing and grief can be difficult. Sometimes it’s helpful to share with others who have also experienced a deep loss – the sadness, the challenges, the next steps and the joys that may follow. You’re not alone.
Note* Though this was initially announced as a widow/widowers group, the feedback that I’ve received has led the LPCT to reconsider the focus and want to make this group available to all who have experienced a loss and would like the support of a group around them.
Judy DeLillo, a new member of the Lay Pastoral Care Team, will help facilitate conversation and support in a new group offering at UCN.
The first group meeting is scheduled for September 13 and will gather every other Wednesday from 9:30-11:00 am in Emerson (the large room off the north lobby, upper level). Please contact Judy at 720-935-0851 with any questions.
* RE News
Soil to Sanctuary Harvest Festival
The Soil to Sanctuary Harvest Festival will be held on Sunday, October 1st from 11am until 2pm. The festival will be held rain or shine. UCN members, friends and our surrounding community are invited to attend and can be vendors at the event.
Vendors
Vendors can choose to have a space inside or outdoors. The deadline to register is September 20th and the vendor fee is just $15. Vendors keep all the money they make and do not need to pay any additional fees or percentages to the church. Click here to register: https://forms.gle/AFVqWqQGet79jctu7.
Currently, we have vendors selling art, clothing, fruits and vegetables, hair and spa products, maple syrup, music and ready to eat foods. Julie Zumach will host a UCN booth serving pulled pork sandwiches with homemade barbeque sauce and hotdogs. Proceeds from this booth will be donated to the RE program.
Entertainment
If you would like to sing or perform at the festival, please contact LaToya at DRE@UCNorth.org. UCN has many talented artists. We look forward to a good show!
Purpose
Soil to Sanctuary is an effort to bring a variety of fresh and health foods to congregations. The effort supports farmers and growers while helping churches raise funds and increase access to whole foods. Last year, the RE Committee started conversations to plan a harvest fair. Our Soil to Sanctuary Harvest Festival is a combination of these two great things and is a fundraising opportunity, also aimed at building community. We hope to see old friends and new faces at the event. Please contact DRE@UCNorth.org with any questions.
Blessings,
LaToya
Survival Camp
Saturday, September 23, 9am until 3pm
Adults and kids ages seven and up are invited to our free Survival Camp on Saturday, September 23rd from 9-3pm. Under the instruction of camp leaders, campers will build a shelter, start a fire, and find fresh water. With camp set-up, they will have a scavenger hunt to find the materials they need to survive overnight in the woods. Campers will then build an emergency kit and learn how to stay safe if they are lost or are in a dangerous situation. Each will take home a family planning and emergency preparedness kit that will include a first aid kit, water purification tool, fire starting equipment and a carrying bag.
Younger campers will have additional crafts and games. They will talk about stranger danger, fire and bike safety and dangerous household materials to avoid. While the younger campers won’t set up a shelter or build a fire, they will learn the basic elements of survival and situational awareness in both a rural and urban setting. Something our kiddos really need.
Campers will be provided with a bag lunch with a sandwich, fruit, a drink, and dessert. Campers can make their own campfire grilled cheese to enjoy outside. Of course, there will be smores!
Camp Leaders
Survival camp leaders are Todd Zumach, Brian Bunzel, and Jim Delillo. They each have specialized training and are sharing their knowledge with UCN. Next year, with their leadership, we hope to offer an overnight camp offsite. This will give campers the opportunity to put what they learn to work.
Registration
We have a good group of kids and adults registered. Due to the holiday weekend, the deadline to register for Survival Camp has been extended until Tuesday, September 5th. Click here to register https://forms.gle/8QeVaYJbShJ3EweF9 . Contact LaToya at DRE@UCNorth.org with any questions. You don’t want to miss this!
Blessings,
LaToya
* Social and Racial Justice
Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues take place the last Wednesday of every month.
The next one will be 6pm on Sept. 27 at Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, 3726 N. Booth St., Milwaukee
You are Invited to join the dialogue. Change your life. Change the world.
Invite friends or better yet, future friends.
Click this link or the flyer for more information & to register* Announcements
Office Staff
Lyn will be on vacation Sept. 7-15. Please be patient with Leigh and Dan while they cover the office.
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. Donations welcome for UCN.
Anna Rychner, facilitator and meditation teacher of the Himalayan tradition.
Events at UCN
- The first WSSS concert of the season will be held on Sept. 22. Go to wsss.org for details.
- Qi Gong 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.
Thank you for supporting the groups that use our facilities.
* Calendar
Calendar through September 24
Meetings are held via Zoom, unless stated.
- Through Sept. 15: Lyn's vacation
- Saturday, Sept. 9, 9am-3pm: Building Work Day (Brian Bunzel)
- Sunday, Sept. 10, 11:30 am: Quilting Bee - Fellowship Hall (Ed Ahrenhoerster)
- Monday, Sept. 11, 7:00 pm: RE Committee (Betsy Muellenbach)
- Tuesday, Sept. 12, 9:30 am: Meditation (Anna Rychner)
- Wednesday, Sept. 13, 10:00 am: Good Grief Group (Judy DeLillo)
- Thursday, Sept. 14, 6:30 pm: Sunday Services Committee (Julie Konik)
- Monday, September 18, noon: Ladies Lunch - Mequon Fiddleheads (Brenda Berg)
- Monday, Sept. 18, 7:45 pm; Comm Tech Committee (Sarah Cesar)
- Tuesday, Sept. 19, 9:30 am: Meditation (Anna Rychner)
- Tuesday, Sept. 19, 7:00 pm; Finance (Pete Blain)
- Saturday, Sept. 23, 9:00 am; RE Survival Camp (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.
* 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 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. More information at uua.org/midamerica .
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. 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, 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
- 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.
* Submitting Content for our Publications
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.
* Contact Information and Links
Minister, Rev. Scott Alexander: office phone: 262-375-4748; cell phone: 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 every month.
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. 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
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.
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.
Unitarian Church North
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/