New entry way will be much larger and more open

Temporary walls into our new welcome space have been removed.

Our new HVAC system is now fully functional.

Soffets and walls are being finished in education wing.

Mennonite Office has been enclosed.

Trim work in Education Wing is being installed.

For the time being, the only rooms available for us are the welcome space, basement and worship hall.

On Sundays the nursery, rooms 11 and 13 and the Friendship Hall are available.  We appreciate your patience!

The Amani Children’s Foundation works to care for children in Kenya, particularly the most vulnerable of those children–the abandoned infants.

Through a partner organization in Kenya, New Life Home Trust, Amani helps to care for homeless and HIV-positive babies in six homes across the country. The babies arrive at the home tiny, frail and often very sick–and, by the time of their 2nd birthday, most of them have left with new adoptive Kenyan families.

For more information about the Amani Children’s Foundation, visit their website www.amanichildren.org.

We discussed a website that is having millions of hits; it is thestoryofstuff.com. It is an excellent 21-minute overview of how the materials economy impacts our planet. Although it is not framed in a religious context, we wonder whether it might be useful in a church program.

Excitement builds as the opening of the Farmers’ Market in our parking lot approaches. It starts Wednesday, June 24, and will be open from 3 – 7 p.m. Here’s the sort of shopping CWS can encourage!

Our Laikos ministry is evolving and gaining focus. For the time being, Laikos be an every other week gathering (on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.) to focus on personal discernment and shared spiritual practices. Practices we might explore include silent meditation, music led mediation, lectio divina, yoga, walking a labyrinth, etc. Each session will begin with 20 minutes of shared practice and then included group discussion on a theme related to personal spiritual growth. Even if you have not come to a previous gathering, you are welcome to these gatherings. It is hoped that participants will commit to coming as often as possible.

May 2nd – Green Our Church, Greening our Lives

Join a small group for a day-long program May 2, co-led by Interim Pastor Ree Hale and ORUCC member Helene Nelson.

We’ll travel to Monroe, Wisconsin where we’ll gather with other UCC churches from Southwest Association to hear U.W. scientist, Christian, and environmentalist Cal DeWitt speak on “Care of the Creation,” and Ryan Schryver, from Clean Wisconsin present “Wisconsin’s Inconvenient Truth,” a Wisconsin-specific version of Al Gore’s global warming presentation that focuses on impacts and options for action in our state.

After brief presentations by congregations on their environmental activities and lunch together, ORUCC participants will have the chance to join Helene for a walk and talk in the New Glarus Woods State Park, or stay with Pastor Ree in Monroe for a Southwest UCC Association business meeting, news exchange and worship. Participants will be home in Madison by supper time.

Are you interested? Let Helene know by April 26th (email helenenel@aol.com or phone 469-2440) or sign up on the bulletin board in the entry way of the church.