Worship This Sunday

God's Work, Our Hands Worship at 10:15am

Join us for this shared worship service, which will be held outdoors at the Memorial Garden while we wait for remediation to continue in the Blessing Room. As we think about the work our hands do, we'll also contemplate our beliefs and what mixture of beliefs and works best represents our embodiment of faith and faithfulness. Please bring a chair, if possible!

We will be blessing backpacks on Sunday, so bring those backpacks along! Backpacks and work bags of all ages welcome!

Bulletin

 

God's Work, Our Hands Projects at 9:00am

Please gather at 9am in the Shalom Room for a brief opening before we set off for projects inside and out.

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Pick Up Choir This Sunday

A pick up choir will rehearse "Welcome" from "Welcome, Prayer, and Blessing" this Sunday at 9:00am in the Covenant Room. (We sang "Blessing" to close out the program year.) The text "Come, gather together again" has a catchy tune that will be a lovely way to welcome everyone into the new program year (and send everyone with an ear worm)!

 

Program Year & Worship Time Change Begins Next Sunday

Next Sunday, Sept. 15, we kick off the program year with Faith Formation and Adult Ed at 9am and worship services at 10:15am.

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Adult Ed in September

Meet in the Covenant Room at 9:00am
Sept. 15 - Review of Sabatical and Jen's Family Leave period
Sept. 22 - Speaker from Oakwood
Sept. 29 - Early warning signs of Dementia

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Faith Formation

See Children & Family Ministry announcement below!

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Children and Family Ministry News

This fall is an exciting time at MCC with engaging and fun programing for ALL ages, including new (and returning) events based on family feedback from this spring. A mailing with our MCC Children and Youth calendar through December will arrive in the next week. Please put those dates on your calendar, so you don't miss out!

• Sept 8 - God’s Work Our Hands Service Projects 9-10am/Backpack blessing during worship

• All are invited to bring your backpack or work bag to receive a blessing and a reminder tag for the new school/work/program year.

• Sept 14 - MCC Canoe Paddle - 10:30am-2pm(ish) from Olbrich Park Boat Lauch

• Sept 15 - Faith Formation begins 9-10 am (K-6th grade).

Our weekly faith Formation provides a uniquely engaging, experiential way to learn more about God, the bible, and how to live out our faith. We play games, sing, create, pray, tell stories, and snack together in a welcoming learning community. Registration info coming soon! Please email Andrea@themcc.net with questions.

• Sept 21 - MCC Outdoor Movie Night - Inside Out 2

• Bring a sleeping bag (or comfy chair and blanket) and enjoy a movie under the stars at MCC with popcorn and snacks. Friends and family encouraged at this fun event! Sign up here! High school youth see Lisa's note below for a service opportunity.

• Sept 28 - MCC Family Apple Orchard Visit

• Let’s check out Sutter Ridge Apple Orchard for delicious apple picking and treats, fun games on the hill, cute animals, and a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch or corn maze. A family favorite! Sign up for fall fun here!

• Oct 6 - MS Progressive Lunch (6th-8th grade): After worship we'll walk down State Street finding some favorites to enjoy together. What's your favorite place to eat? Do you like tacos, pizza, fries, gyros, or ice cream? Sign up to help us decide here!

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Spotlight on September High School Youth Events

Sunday, September 15, 9:00am - High School Youth at Panera on Junction Road with Pr. Jen and a Youth leader: Breakfast is on us! Come ease back into the program year. (Please note: youth should not drive other non-relative youth for events.)
Future Panera with Pastor(s) events: 11/10 and 12/8

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Sept 15 is also the deadline for registering for the Oct. 4-6 "Called to be Advocates" Retreat at Pine Lake Camp in Waupaca, WI: Explore your interests in social justice and get to know other high school youth from Wisconsin and Michigan who want to make a difference. How is faith connected to seeking justice? Focuses will include Environmental Justice, Gun Violence, Women’s Rights, and LGBTQ+ Rights. Come to be inspired, build advocacy skills, and have opportunities to take action together! Learn more here (https://www.loppw.org/events/). Scholarships available (contact Pr. Jen).

 

September 21: Outdoor Movie Night isn't just for kids! And in addition to enjoying the movie, Inside Out 2, there's an opportunity for a community service hour: if you want, come at 6:30pm to help with set-up and making popcorn (POPCORN MACHINE!) before the 7pm start time; then help with clean-up afterward.

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Don't forget you can always enjoy God's Work Our Hands/backpack blessing (9/8); the canoe paddle (9/14); and the trip to an apple farm (9/28).

And save the date! Sunday, October 20, to talk about Women in the Bible - So Demure, So Mindful (props to Jools Lebron!) - over waffles after worship that day.

 

Judith Morning Bible

Judith Morning Bible study will meet on Tue, Sept 10 at 9:30 in the Covenant Room. We will discuss the second Bible study in the July/Aug issue of Gather magazine, starting on p. 30, After Certainty - Compassion. Please join us for stimulating conversation and fellowship. All are welcome! If you have questions, contact Joyce Anderson.

 

MCC Fall Paddle

Fourth annual MCC paddle! Join an inter-generational group September 14th, 10:30 am - 2pm (ish) canoeing or kayaking from Olbrich Park through the Tenney locks.

Meet at Olbrich Boat Launch at 10:30am. We'll paddle through the locks and eat lunch at a park on the other side (bring your own food & bev). Then we'll paddle back and, if anyone wants to, have a drink at the Olbrich Beer Garden. Please sign up so we know how many to expect.

 

 

Help Prepare or Serve a Meal on Monday, September 16

MCC gathers whoever is willing and able to provide a community meal for the Triangle Community MinistriesMonday Meal Program about four times a year. Your next opportunity to assist is Monday, September 16. There are a several ways you can help:

1. Help prepare one of the items we will serve (example, baked beans, potato salad, fruit desserts. etc.). Pending confirmation from Triangle Ministry staff we are proposing a tailgate themed menu.

2. Be present to help set up, serve, and clean up. This option includes enjoying the meal with the folks we’re serving. Ideally we will have 10-12 individuals, 5-6 arriving at 4:00 pm to help set up and others coming to serve at 4:30. Dinner is served at 755 Braxton Place.

3. Help cover the cost by making a check out to MCC with the memo (Triangle Ministries Dinner).

4. Please email Lori DeMeuse if you'd like additional information or to let her know what you are able to do, and Lori will get you specific instructions.

 

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MCC’s Prairie: Saving Native Insects

An article by Kathy Henning

What’s the point of MCC’s 3 acres of prairie?

The deep roots of prairie plants can sequester tons of carbon per acre. And prairies give space to native plants, including the endangered wild hyacinth that graces our berms in the spring.

But the insects! MCC’s prairies provide sacred habitat for countless native insects. Just since this May, my camera has discovered the following there:

• 12 kinds of butterfly

• 6 species of dragonfly, plus many damselflies

• 9 types of fly

• 9 insects called “bugs”

• 7 insects called “beetles”

• many native bees and wasps (the 2-spotted longhorn bee, the furrow bee, various bumblebees , etc., etc.) including, last week, a rare cuckoo bee​

Why care?

• Because of the 45-percent decline in insects over that last 40 years.

• Because one third of insect species are now endangered.

• Because insects are going extinct eight times faster than mammals, birds, or reptiles.

• Insects pollinate plants; recycle nutrients; control pests; and feed fish, amphibians, mammals, and birds. (A single brood of baby chickadees requires 6,000-9,000 caterpillars—insect larvae—to reach maturity.) Insects are basic to life on earth.

I am thankful for the insect oasis provided by MCC’s prairie.

Are you able to help? WORKERS are needed, mostly to control invasive plants. A small group volunteers gathers by the chicken house most Saturday mornings (9 a.m.) for an hour of snipping, digging, and laughter. Contact Lois Komai if you’d like to help.

 

Update from Nick

Thank you for two months of sabbatical! It's been mostly another quiet week of reading. My knee is feeling quite a bit better with the rest. I'm still hoping to get back to the trail for the remaining 300 miles, but don't know yet exactly what that means.

Thank you for donations!

So far there have been 51 donors to my fundraiser for Lutherans Restoring Creation, including a number from the MCC. My original goal was $10/mile for the length of the trail. It would be great to make it at least to $8,460 for the distance I've accomplished. . Please visit https://bit.ly/PrNickWalks and donate generously.

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Photo Exhibit at The Overture

If you happen to be at the Overture Center for a play or concert take some time to check out the photo exhibit outside the Playhouse Theater. Kathy Henning has a couple photos hanging there until November 17. They are part of a juried exhibition from PhotoMidwest (Madison photography club). (By the way, Kathy was a little shy about publicizing this. Larry had no such qualms.)

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MCC Prayer Resources

Please remember the MCC is full of special places to rest, walk, and pray.

• Walk the outdoor labyrinth

• Walk the prayer path

• Sit at the memorial garden

• Come inside and sit in the Covenant Room or Blessing Room

• Use the quiet prayer room near the downstairs entrance

All are welcome. Peace.

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