M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y U C C T h e C o m m u n i c a t o r … · 2017-07-27 · 10for...
12
From the Pastor 1 August Worship 2 Choir Ice Cream Kickoff Africa Show Food Sunday Staff Contact Info 3 MOM: Back to School School Supply List Road Home Daily Bible Readings 4 Christian Basics Vacation Bible School VBS Program 5 August Anniversaries Summer Small Groups Campfire Conversations Faith in Action 6 Summer Fellowship MCC Paddlers Cleaning Projects MOM Top 10 7 August Birthdays Surprising Gifts WI Conference Annual Meeting Recap 8 Coffee & Conversation Camp Balsams Sanctuary Arts 9 Mind, Body, Spirit Greeters Care Ministry Solar Update Coffee & Cookies 10 August Calendar 11 In This Issue: Middleton Community UCC The Communicator August 2017 This summer, my reading list has been quite varied. I’ve made my way through a number of interesting volumes. But three books have come together in a remarkable way. I’ve been leading a series of studies on the parables of Jesus we’ve called “Campfire Conversations.” This was meant to be the successor to last summer’s “Scripture on Tap,” led by Joy Colon- Berezin during her time as sabbatical interim pastor. Both studies were meant to be casual but intentional dives into passages of scripture and to deepen our understanding of them. It’s been fun—even though the weather hasn’t always allowed us to have campfires! One of the resources I’ve been using during my preparation for this summer’s study has been Short Stories by Jesus, by Amy-Jill Levine. She challenges her readers not to be satisfied with shallow, easy readings of Jesus’ parables and to dig deeper into their meaning and historical context. The introduction to this book is entitled “How We Domesticate Jesus’s Provocative Stories.” For example, we often read the parable of the Prodigal Son as an allegory of human sin and divine forgiveness and miss the messiness of the family relationship when the angry older brother is brought into the mix. We see the parable of the Good Samaritan as a call to help people around us, while missing its powerful reminder to look for righteousness in unlikely places. It’s here that another book, What’s So Amazing about Grace, comes in. I originally read this book a decade or more ago, but have been revisiting it as part of my sermon preparation. In it, author Philip Yancey celebrates the grace of God we receive through faith in Jesus Christ, but mourns the fact that the church is often graceless. The outsiders who were attracted to Jesus two thousand years ago—tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners—are repelled by the unforgiveness and judgmentalism of the church. Add to this the book by John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. This is also a re-read. I picked it up when it fell off the shelf while I was rearranging things in my office. The image of this book—walking on water— means for Ortberg “facing your fears and choosing not to let fear have the last word, . . . discovering and embracing the unique calling of God on your life, . . . experiencing the power of God in your life to do something you would not be capable of doing on your own.” These three books call upon us to think more deeply about our faith and to act more courageously as we seek to live out that faith. Jesus is calling us to step outside our comfort zones, to take risks, to share the love of God in word and deed with eve- ryone, even those we don’t like or who we’d prefer not to associate with. It means getting out of the boat, living grace-filled lives, and engaging in acts of love and jus- tice for the benefit of all. There are still a few more weeks of Campfire Conversations this summer, so join us for that. And be looking for fall opportunities to learn and grow in your Christian dis- cipleship. See you in church!
Transcript of M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y U C C T h e C o m m u n i c a t o r … · 2017-07-27 · 10for...
From the Pastor 1
August Worship 2
Choir Ice Cream Kickoff Africa Show
Food Sunday Staff Contact Info
3
MOM: Back to School School Supply List
Road Home Daily Bible Readings
4
Christian Basics Vacation Bible School
VBS Program 5
August Anniversaries Summer Small Groups
Campfire Conversations Faith in Action
6
Summer Fellowship MCC Paddlers
Cleaning Projects MOM Top 10
7
August Birthdays Surprising Gifts
WI Conference Annual Meeting Recap
8
Coffee & Conversation Camp Balsams Sanctuary Arts
9
Mind, Body, Spirit Greeters
Care Ministry Solar Update
Coffee & Cookies
10
August Calendar 11
In This Issue:
M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y U C C T h e C o m m u n i c a t o r A u g u s t 2 0 1 7
This summer, my reading list has been quite varied. I’ve made my way through a number of interesting volumes. But three books have come together in a remarkable way.
I’ve been leading a series of studies on the parables of Jesus we’ve called “Campfire Conversations.” This was meant to be the successor to last summer’s “Scripture on Tap,” led by Joy Colon-Berezin during her time as sabbatical interim pastor. Both studies were meant to be casual but intentional dives into passages of scripture and to deepen our understanding of them. It’s been fun—even though the weather hasn’t always allowed us to have campfires!
One of the resources I’ve been using during my preparation for this summer’s study has been Short Stories by Jesus, by Amy-Jill Levine. She challenges her readers not to be satisfied with shallow, easy readings of Jesus’ parables and to dig deeper into their meaning and historical context. The introduction to this book is entitled “How We Domesticate Jesus’s Provocative Stories.” For example, we often read the parable of the Prodigal Son as an allegory of human sin and divine forgiveness and miss the messiness of the family relationship when the angry older brother is brought into the mix. We see the parable of the Good Samaritan as a call to help people around us, while missing its powerful reminder to look for righteousness in unlikely places.
It’s here that another book, What’s So Amazing about Grace, comes in. I originally read this book a decade or more ago, but have been revisiting it as part of my sermon preparation. In it, author Philip Yancey celebrates the grace of God we receive through faith in Jesus Christ, but mourns the fact that the church is often graceless. The outsiders who were attracted to Jesus two thousand years ago—tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners—are repelled by the unforgiveness and judgmentalism of the church.
Add to this the book by John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. This is also a re-read. I picked it up when it fell off the shelf while I was rearranging things in my office. The image of this book—walking on water—means for Ortberg “facing your fears and choosing not to let fear have the last word, . . . discovering and embracing the unique calling of God on your life, . . . experiencing the power of God in your life to do something you would not be capable of doing on your own.”
These three books call upon us to think more deeply about our faith and to act more courageously as we seek to live out that faith. Jesus is calling us to step outside our comfort zones, to take risks, to share the love of God in word and deed with eve-ryone, even those we don’t like or who we’d prefer not to associate with. It means getting out of the boat, living grace-filled lives, and engaging in acts of love and jus-tice for the benefit of all.
There are still a few more weeks of Campfire Conversations this summer, so join us for that. And be looking for fall opportunities to learn and grow in your Christian dis-cipleship.
See you in church!
M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h P a g e 2
Sunday Worship 9:30 am
Refreshments and fellowship after worship
Office Hours
Office hours are 8:00 am to noon, Monday through Thursday.
The office is closed on
Fridays.
Be Our Friend!
MCC has a Facebook page! If you’re a Face-book user, add our site to your list of friends. Search for “Middleton Community United Church of Christ.” or go to facebook.com/MiddletonCommuni-tyChurch
Worship in August
August 6
9th Sunday after Pentecost Ephesians 2:11-22 “Brought Near” Pastor Jim continues his summer series on the Letter to the Ephesians. In this reading from the second chapter, the letter describes how God’s work in Jesus Christ has overcome the divisions among human beings and made “one new hu-manity in place of two.” How is this so? What are our opportunities to make that a reality. Holy Communion will be celebrated on this day.
August 13 10th Sunday after Pentecost In our final “I’ve Got Something to Share” presentation for the summer, Janet and Tim Coughlin will speak about how their Chris-tian faith compels them to be active in bring-ing about justice.
August 20 11th Sunday after Pentecost On this Sunday, when Pastor Jim is gone, we will have a “Mostly Music” Sunday, with plen-ty of scripture, hymns, and special music pro-vided by the Mirshak family.
August 27 12th Sunday after Pentecost Ephesians 4:1-6 “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” Continuing his series of messages based on the Letter to the Ephesians, Pastor Jim will focus on this short but rich passage from the fourth chapter and the “deep unity” it describes.
P a g e 3 M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h
Please use the follow-ing information to corre-spond with church staff.
Office: mccucc
@middletonucc.org (608)831-4694
Anne: (608)642-4016
Jim Iliff: mccpastor
@middletonucc.org (608)215-8924
Patrick Tenny: mccfaithformation
@middletonucc.org (704)651-4768
Katie Iliff: mccnursery
@middletonucc.org
Mindy Bergman: mccchoir
@middletonucc.org (608)225-1079
Janet Coughlin: mcckidsmusic
@middletonucc.org (608)333-8182
Barbara Brown: mccpianist
@middletonucc.org
MCC Staff Contact Information
DON’T FORGET FOOD SUNDAY! On the first Sunday of every month, please bring
non-perishable food and personal care items to help stock the shelves of Middleton Outreach Ministry’s Food Pantry.
Everyone is welcome... adults and teens and families (if you have chil-dren who are old enough to be interested in travel stories, or who are happy hanging out and watching).
Join us for photos, stories, and Kenyan food as Andy & Carol Phelps share their re-cent travels to Africa. Enjoy spectacular wildlife, meet colorful locals, and find out what it’s like to volunteer in Africa.
We'll be talking about several dif-ferent charitable organizations/projects we were involved with while we were in Kenya, and the
current humanitarian issues in that area.
Date: Sunday, August 6 Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m. Place: Cross Plains (Rosemary Garfoot) Library — 2107 Julius St, Cross Plains, in their Com-munity Meeting Room (enter by side door)
Please let us know if you can make it, so we can plan refreshments for everyone (you'll have a chance to sample some of the foods we were served in Kenya).
Carol & Andy Phelps [email protected]
“Africa Show” — August 6
There is MUSIC in the air…EVERYWHERE! Come and SING with us!
It is time to start warming up your voice and join the MCC Choir! All new voices are welcome.
Join us for an ice cream kick-off to Choir Wednesday August 30th from 6:00-8:00pm in the MCC fellowship Hall! Bring your favorite ice cream or topping to share! Meet and welcome new members, catch up with friends
and make some music! Regular rehearsals begin Wednes-
day September 6th, 6:30 – 8:00pm in the sanctuary. Let me know if child care is needed. We sing a lot of notes, some of which may be your favorite!
Please let me know if you will be participating in the choir this year so I can have your folder ready! Please call or text Mindy @ 608-225-1079 or email me at [email protected]
Choir: Ice Cream Kickoff!
M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h P a g e 4
Daily Bible Reading Guide
For August
To have these daily readings sent right to your email box, go
to www.americanbible.org, click on “Bible Resources,” then
“Daily Bible Reading.” Daily devotionals are also available
at www.ucc.org.
8/1 Philippians 1:1-30
8/2 Philippians 2:1-30
8/3 Philippians 3:1-21
8/4 Philippians 4:1-23
8/5 Colossians 1:1-23
8/6 Colossians 1:24—2:5
8/7 Colossians 2:6-19
8/8 Colossians 2:20—3:1
8/9 Colossians 4:2-18
8/10 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
8/11 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16
8/12 1 Thess. 2:17—3:13
8/13 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
8/14 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28
8/15 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
8/16 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
8/17 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18
8/18 1 Timothy 1:1-20
8/19 1 Timothy 2:1-15
8/20 1 Timothy 3:1-16
8/21 1 Timothy 4:1-16
8/22 1 Timothy 5:1-25
8/23 1 Timothy 6:3-21
8/24 2 Timothy 1:1-18
8/25 2 Timothy 2:1-26
8/26 2 Timothy 3:1-17
8/27 2 Timothy 4:1-22
8/28 Titus 1:1-16
8/29 Titus 2:1-15
8/30 Titus 3:1-15
8/31 Philemon 1-25
Middleton Outreach Ministry Back to School Program
It’s that time again, when one school year ends and thoughts of the next are upon us.
Middleton Outreach Min-istry (MOM) is gearing up already. The supply of “leftovers” has been count-ed, and the new list is out! (see below)
Again this year, I will bring exam-ples of the needed items. Not on our list are personal hygiene items for teen boys and girls which, of course, are needed too. Deodorant, sham-poo and conditioner, and toothpaste
and toothbrushes are on that list. We’re also including Undie Sunday with this effort, as it seems to serve the same need. Bring donated items to church by August 10, and they’ll be blessed at the VBS Program and then delivered to MOM on August 14.
We’ve done so well responding to all the needs at MOM, and I know in my heart we will do it again! Thank you!
Questions? Call Audrey at (608)204-9925.
Road Home (IHN) host week: Sept. 17-24, 2017
Our next Road Home host week begins on Sunday, September 17, 2017. Please consider volunteering to serve homeless families with chil-dren in the Madison area. We typi-cally host 3 to 5 families. The fami-lies are at church from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. each night.
Opportunities having direct con-tact with our guests include dinner
hosts, children’s hosts, overnight hosts, and breakfast hosts. Other roles include dinner cooks, supply shoppers, laundering our linens, and move-in and move-out help.
New volunteers are always wel-come. Please contact Ross Michaels ([email protected]) or June Meier ([email protected]) for more information.
MOM’s 2017 School Supply List
High School Backpacks 3 Ring Binders Wide and Thin Markers Crayola Crayons Colored Pencils Compasses Highlighters Pocket Folders (Plain Colors Only) College & Wide Ruled Loose Leaf
Paper
College & Wide Ruled Spiral Note-books
Graph Paper Composition Notebooks Dry Erase Markers Protractors Ruled Index Cards (3x5) Black Sharpies Pencil Boxes
P a g e 5 M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h
Change of Address, Phone
numbers, Emails?
If your address, phone number or email
address changes, please notify the office so we
can keep our mailing list accurate. Please know that it costs the church money when the post
office notifies us of your change of address.
Article Deadlines
Deadlines to get article in The Communicator are due by the 15th for the following month’s news-letter. It is best to submit
these via email.
To the Edge: Outer Space Explora-tion Vacation Bible School (ages 3-9) will be held at MCC: Monday-Thursday, August 7-10, 2017.
A full-day program (9am-3pm) is available for students in kindergarten through 3rd grade. ($50 per stu-dent)
A half-day program (9am-noon) is available for 3-4 year olds.
Registration materials can be
found online or in Fellowship Hall. Contact Patrick Tenny, MCC’s Direc-tor of Faith Formation for late regis-trations.
To the Edge: Outer Space Exploration VBS!
This fall, Middleton Community UCC will be offering a “Christian Ba-sics” class. We hope to help you find answers to questions like: Who is God? How is Jesus related to God? What is the Holy Spirit? What does salvation mean? What is the purpose of the
church? What kind of world does God
want? What does it mean to follow Je-
sus?
What do we believe about the Bible?
Is this something that interests you? Would you be willing to commit to a multi-week study of the basics of the Christian faith? What time would work best for you: Sunday morning after worship? Tuesday evening? Another day/time? Beginning on August 6, there will be a spot on the Pink Sheet to let us know of your interest and the day and time you would prefer. Contact Pastor Jim if you have questions.
Christian Basics This Fall!
VBS Program
Would you like to get a glimpse of what the children do in Vacation Bible School? Join us at 6pm on Aug 10 for a recap of the children’s learn-ing, activities and music. A reception will follow.
Bring your school supplies, person-al items and undies for MOM (see page 4 for their wishlist of supplies), and all of the donated supplies will be blessed before they’re delivered the following week.
M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h P a g e 6
Happy Anniversary!
Mark & Stacey Chandler
Tim & Janet Coughlin
James & Stephanie Iliff
Tom Kalinke & Ruth Munz-Kalinke
Reid & Carole Klopp
Bill & Gayle Love
Jim & Deb Neuman
Ronald & Judith Nichols
Lars-Oluf & Candice Nielsen
James & Kim Patullo
Bill & Joan Richner
Did we miss yours? Contact the church
office and let us know.
CAYA Summer Small Groups Study + Fellowship + Service
This summer, the Board of Christian Education is offering a variety of small groups to meet at various loca-tions and times that will build com-munity and allow us to enjoy all that summer in Madison has to offer! GO DEEPER—with a STUDY GROUP and ex-plore the intersection of faith and life. Perfect for people who are tired of our sound-byte culture and long for faith-filled conversa-tions! GROW CONNECTIONS—with adults and families by joining a FELLOW-SHIP GROUP. Perfect for people who
like to explore new restaurants or new places to take your children! GET ACTIVE—with acts of service and witness as part of a SERVICE
GROUP. Perfect for indi-viduals and families looking to make a differ-ence in their communi-ty! We encourage ALL peo-ple to find a place to connect during this summer season.
SIGN UP TODAY IN FELLOWSHIP HALL! Questions about any of these opportunities, please contact Lara Romine (886-6226 or [email protected]).
Injustices anywhere – in our city, state, country, and world – call us to take faithful action. This group seeks to answer that call – following Jesus’ teachings of love, justice, and com-passion, and is directed toward non-partisan action in support of our shared biblical values.
Actions will be determined by group consensus and may include writing e-mails and letters, participating in
demonstrations and marches, service projects, etc.
There are many worthy campaigns going on right now. We may not be able to change the world by our-selves, but we can together witness to the grace and love of God in solidarity with our neighbor.
These campaigns are uniformly based on loving, peaceful, respect-ful, nonviolence.
SERVICE: FAITH IN ACTION Times & Locations TBD by Group
This summer’s campfire conversa-tions are getting off to a great start! On Wednesday evenings, we’re meet-ing at people’s homes--around a campfire, if weather permits!
Join us for an evening of fel-lowship and a chance to delve deeper into some of Jesus' parables.
Check the church webs ite
(www.middletonucc.org) or the weekly e-newsletter for that week's location.
Contact Lara Romine (886-6226 or [email protected]) or Pastor Jim (831-4694 or [email protected]) for more
information
STUDY: CAMPFIRE CONVERSATIONS Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 pm, June 7th through August 9
Middleton Outreach Ministry’s
Food Pantry Top 10 List
Visit www.momhelps.org for more information.
1. Dried, Freeze Dried,
and Canned Fruit
2. Shelf Stable Dairy/Non
Dairy Beverages
3. Toilet Paper and Paper
Towels
4. Mayonnaise & Ketchup
5. Herbs, Spices, and Salt
6. Spaghetti and Pizza
Sauce
7. Whole Grains: Rice, Qui-
noa, Gluten Free Pastas
8. Quick Cook Prepared
Sides EX: Knorr's
(veggies/pasta), Zata-
rain's (beans/rice)
9. Heart Healthy Oil
10. Nut Butter, other than
peanut (allergies)
M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h P a g e 7
There is so much that Madison has to offer, and we have some amazing church members who are willing to share it with you! Join us for some fun activities going on this summer! Some of the events are listed below. Sign up for these and other activities in Fellowship Hall.
August 12 — “A View from the Bridge” at American Players Theater: hosted by Tom Kurtz
August 13 — Biking: after church, hosted by Randall Crow
August 27 — MCC Paddlers at Devil’s Lake (details below)
FELLOWSHIP: SUMMER MCC OUTINGS Times & Locations TBD by Group
Do you have 30-60 minutes to help beautify our kitchen areas? The Board of Membership and Fellowship has 12 small cleaning projects that need to be completed this summer. Great family project! The list of pro-jects is listed on a tripod outside of
the sanctuary. Find a project, sign your name and take the instruction sheet that outlines what needs to be done. If you have questions contact Traci Janikowski.
Thanks in advance, The BOMF
2017 Summer Cleaning Projects
MCUCC Paddling Friends, Summer is floating by and it is time
to set up another fun paddling date. The two possible dates that I am look-ing at are:
Sunday afternoon, Aug 27th ~1pm (1st choice)
Sunday afternoon, Sept 10th ~1pm (rain date)
Locations: Our first choice is Devil’s Lake State
Park’s North Shore launch/picnic area. If the North end is full, the South Shore launch/picnic area) The North and South Shores both have rental boats.
Alternative- If Devil’s Lake’s parking is full, Mirror
Lake State Park is our backup. Mirror Lake is west of Highway 12 north of Baraboo. Mirror Lake also has rental boats.
Lunch? Bring from home? Buy at the park concessions? (Eat at home or on the road?)
The “Sign-up Sheet” will be in the Fellowship area at church. Thanks and happy paddling.
Bill O’Neal Cell (608) 692-1056 Home (608) 233-4046 [email protected]
MCC Paddlers at Devil’s Lake
Happy Birthday!
Chris Acker
Greg Barrett Bruce Besadny Janet Besadny
Stacey Chandler Alex Elliott
Jennifer Fickling Debby Fredrickson
Eric Fredrickson Mark Fruth Doug Gall
Rhonda Gessler Piper Hefty
Ron Hellenbrand Nate Kaufman Linda Lauper
Paul Linde Shannon Linde
Emily Lockwood Matthew Lorfeld Katherine Lukacs
Kyle Metzloff Nicholas Miller
Skip Miller Henry Moritz
Chris Reed Joan Richner Emily Roach Stacie Roach Stan Scheel
Nathaniel Snell Joan Vilbrandt
Emmett Wallman Jacob Weber Patti Weber
Jennifer Wiens Judy Wilkins
Did we miss yours? Contact the church
office and let us know.
M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h P a g e 8
Surprising Gifts 2017
Since 2014, MCC’s annual budget for missions has included $1,000 des-ignated for Surprising Gifts. In the past, we have awarded ten $100 gifts to organizations that congrega-tion members nominated as in need of support, aligning with MCC’s vi-sion and, often, holding a special place in their heart. We’ve been in-troduced to many new and exciting mission opportunities through this program, including Just Bakery, with whom we have established a re-warding (and delicious) on-going relationship.
After surprising close to thirty dif-ferent organizations with gifts of $100 over the last three years, this year the program has been revised to award $200 to five nominees. We hope to make a bigger impact on each of our recipients, while still hav-ing the opportunity to support a vari-ety of interests.
Starting July 1, we will be seeking your nominations for our five recipi-ents of a Surprising Gift of $200 in 2017. Forms will be available on the Missions table in Fellowship Hall. Nominations should include a de-scription of the organization, the ad-dress and contact, and a brief expla-nation of how the organization aligns with the vision of Middleton Community Church. If you have a personal connection you’d like to share, please include that, too! Past nominees have been local, state, na-tional or global in scope; they have served children, teens, veterans, women, the elderly, the sick, animals, the environment, and more. Intro-duce us to something new, or nomi-nate an old favorite! Nominations will be accepted through September for review by the Board of Missions at their October meeting, with distri-bution of funds to follow soon after.
Delegates from UCC congregations around the State of Wisconsin met at Green Lake Conference Center June 9-11 for the Wisconsin Conference UCC Annual Meeting.
Sermons by John Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the UCC, Franz Rigert, Confer-ence Minister of the Wisconsin Conference, and Everett Mitchell, a Dane County Circuit Judge and pastor of Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church in Madison, were the highlights.
The delegates also approved an Immigrant Welcoming Resolution, one of the first to do so in the UCC.
New friendships were made and old friend-ships renewed. Reports from ministry partners, congregations, and local communities were made and celebrated.
Visit http://www.wcucc.org/about-wcucc/annual-meeting/ to find a copy of the resolution, read reports, and watch videos of the Annual Meeting speakers.
Wisconsin Conference Annual Meeting Recap
P a g e 9 M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h
There is always room for you on the Sanctu-ary Arts & Dec-orating Com-mittee. These folks are re-sponsible for the beautiful
and striking decorations in our sanctuary. If you would like to add your talents to this group, please contact Jacci See at [email protected]
Would You Like to Receive MCC’s
E-Newsletter? Every week, we send out a
newsletter by email. If you would like to
receive it, contact the church office:
Are you wishing you could still re-serve a cabin or two for a summer or fall retreat at Camp Balsams? Do you have relatives or friends that you would love to have join you at camp…..if only there was more room? Are you thinking that one week of fishing, hiking, and swim-ming just isn’t enough?
Check out the daily and weekly rentals that are still available through September; you may be pleasantly surprised! Members can call the church office at 831-4694 during office hours, Monday—Thursday, 8 am to noon.
Summer and Fall Retreats at Camp Balsams
Coffee & Conversation Reconvenes on Sept 6th!
C&C meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month Septem-ber through May at TnT’s Coffee and Cafe at 729 N. Highpoint Rd., Madison
We will be reading the book “Hillbilly Elegy” by Au-thor J.D. Vance. This book is a memoir about J. D, Vance, who is only 31 years old. He writes in the introduction that he ”has accomplished nothing great in his life that would justify a complete stranger paying money just to read about it. The coolest thing I’ve done at least on paper is graduate from Yale Law school, something 13 year old J.D. Vance would have thought ludicrous”.
The reviews of this book are very positive and it has been on the Ama-zon ten best list for a couple of months. I invite you to check out the reviews online and I will leave you
with this excerpt from a New York Times book review.
“Now, along comes Mr. Vance, offering a compas-sionate, discerning sociologi-cal analysis of the white un-derclass that has helped drive the politics of rebellion, par-ticularly the ascent of Donald J . Trump. Combining thoughtful inquiry with firsthand experience, Mr. Vance has inadvertently pro-vided a civilized reference
guide for an uncivilized election, and he’s done so in a vocabulary intelligi-ble to both Democrats and Republi-cans.”
The books will be available for pur-chase in the fellowship hall in mid August. I hope you will join us Sep-tember 6th at 8 a.m. at TnT coffee shop for lively discussion and fellow-ship.
Jim Neuman
M i d d l e t o n C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h P a g e 1 0
Coffee & Cookies Hosts!
Volunteer for this 9:30am fellowship ministry! Check the sign-up sheet on the coffee hour table for available dates.
MCC Care Ministry Visiting Team. . . regularly visiting members and friends
who are shut-in or in nursing homes. Card Team. . . regularly sending cards to members,
friends, and immediate family who are shut-in our on our church prayer list.
Meals Team. . . providing meals to church families in times of transition or following hospitalization.
Rides Team. . . building a team that will provide rides.
If you would like to be a part of our Care Ministry, please check the box on the Pink Sheet and place it in the basket at the rear of the sanctuary. If you would like to receive services or make a referral, contact Jim Neuman at 829-0710.
Solar Update
MCC had solar panels installed on the church
roof in June 2016.
Contact the office to see more data.
Sunday Morning Greeters Can you come to church at 9:00 am, say “Good Morning,” and offer a
handshake? Then we invite you to join our Greeters Team! We currently have families, couples, and individuals who volunteer for this ministry. We need you to help us grow this team! Indicate on the pink sheet in the Sun-day bulletin that you are willing to help. Contact Joan Richner (831-6710 or [email protected]) with questions.
Mind, Body, Spirit Brian Koenig will continue to lead mindfulness medita-
tion classes in August, from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Join us on Thursday, August 3 and Thursday, August 17.
Each class begins with a check-in, a brief TED Talk or speaker, and a practice meditation.
Everyone is welcome.
MIDDLETON COMMUNITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 645 Schewe Road Middleton WI 53562 PHONE: 608/831-4694 E-MAIL [email protected] WEBSITE: www.middletonucc.org Address Service Requested
Middleton Community Church Vision Statement
As a faithful church we will provide opportunities for growth in our witness to the grace and love of God
through hospitality, worship, faith development, mission and service, and generosity.
Middleton Community UCC 645 Schewe Road, Middleton, WI 53562
(2 miles west of the Beltline, at the corner of Old Sauk and Schewe Roads)
Worship Services: 9:30 am Childcare Available
Handicapped-Accessible
Staff
Pastor ............................................................................ James Iliff Director of Faith Formation ............................. Patrick Tenny Office Manager .................................................. Anne Tennies Director of Music ............................ Mindy Nelson-Bergman Director of Children’s Music ........................ Janet Coughlin Nursery Coordinator……………………………………….…….Katie Iliff Pianist................................................................. Barbara Brown Custodian ................................................................ Irvin Dennis
Office Hours: Monday—Thursday (closed Fridays) 8:00 a.m. to noon
