The Northliner

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, if possible, through a special email.

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.

March 1: "Unobtrusive Miracles," Rev. Tony Larsen

About his sermon, Tony says: "A miracle is usually supposed to be something that 'wows' you. If it's unobtrusive, it doesn't have that wow factor. And yet sometimes aren't the best miracles the ones we don't notice at first--the ones that come in under the radar?"

Tony Larsen was our minister here at Unitarian Church North for 4 years (2019-2023), having served before that at Olympia Brown UU in Racine for 40+ years. He was raised Catholic, and studied to be a Catholic priest for 10 years before being ordained to the Unitarian Universalist ministry. He received his B.A. in philosophy from Maryknoll College in 1971, his M.A. in theology from Maryknoll School of Theology in 1973, and his D.Min from Meadville/Lombard Theological School in 1975.

March 8: "A Different Kind of President," Rev. Sarah Oelberg

We hear all the time people saying that Trump is a different kind of president, which is certainly true. But I don 't want to talk about him. I will talk about another president, who was quite different than Trump, and who had great meaning for UUs.

Sarah Oelberg has been a special education teacher, has written special ed. curriculum for our U.S. Office of Education, was a faculty member at Yeshiva University in New York and at NYU, and trained special ed. teachers in Iowa. She followed her heart as the first in her six-generation Unitarian family to become a UU minister. After serving churches in Nebraska and Minnesota, she retired in 2001 and now she frequently speaks at UCN. She and husband Gerald raised four children and have six grand- and four great-grandchildren.

This Sunday's Order of Service:

The upcoming lunch on March 1 has been cancelled. The 1st Sunday Lunch committee had a discussion and made the unfortunate decision to cancel. Despite several attempts made to selected members, not enough food was contributed.

The next Sunday Lunch is scheduled for April 12.

~1st Sunday Lunch Committee

Here is Rev. Scott's written sermon, The Trauma of Being Alive, from Feb. 22: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UNzhfTJGtNrdqe94fUZjmQU-njjQ4fSH/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109072791973067277249&rtpof=true&sd=true

Islamic Society Trip

Anyone interested in joining the 15+ people attending the "Break the Ramadan Fast" dinner on Saturday evening, March 7, from 5 to 7 PM at the Islamic Society of Sheboygan, please email Rev. Scott at uurevscott@gmail.com so he can add you to the list.

UCN welcomes Callie Thurow, our new Music Coordinator! Music, whether live, pre-recorded, experienced as a performer or as a listener is an integral and necessary part of worship. It augments the message of a Sunday service, and moves and connects with spirit in a way that other elements of service may not touch.

Our congregation is full of gifts and there are many ways that those gifts can be received and given within our community. Our call to action is that if you play music, sing, want to collaborate with another musician, have a song in mind that you would just love to hear integrated into our Sunday experience, please share your ideas with Callie. She may even be able to match you with another musical person to collaborate with on a project and deepen your offering.

You can email her at music@ucnorth.org or catch her during her office hours on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30.

Sunday, March 1st

• Nursery: Constance and Tiffany
• K4-2nd: Leigh, Kas and Pete
  Lego 11: Transformation: We work together to transform our world into a better place for everyone. Focusing on our 7th Principle and looking at community gardens as a way to make the world a better place.
• 3rd-6th: Betsy and Jessy
  Session 10: Speak Out
  https://www.uua.org/lifespan/curricula/journeys/session10
• OWL: Julie K and Paul L
• COA: Peggy

A Reminder

Jessy will not ask you for a directory, or bank information, or people's contact info. Scammers are trying to get our information. If you get a request, please forward it to info@ucnorth.org.

Many thanks to 67% of our members and pledging friends who have already shown their support of Unitarian Church North by sending in their stewardship campaign pledge forms. In order to complete the budget building process, which will begin soon, we really need those intending to pledge their support for UCN in the new fiscal year, which begins July 1st, to get their pledge form in as soon as possible. It's important to know what we can count on as we work hard to fund salaries and committee requests. If you have misplaced the stewardship campaign documents, there are copies of each of the papers attached. If you need new paperwork but are unable to print the attachments, please email me at treasurer@ucnorth.org. I will happily send you copies.

Remember, this is your opportunity to be "standing on the side of love" as a Unitarian Church North member or friend by continuing your financial backing of our physical structure, our ministerial care, and our community and social justice outreach. Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

UCN Finance Committee

Peter Blain, Chair

Julie Zumach, Treasurer

Pat Kotecki, Financial Secretary

Sherryl Andrus, Katie Egan-Bruhy, Dean Johnson, Dan Lusk, Andrew Spinelli

This is the theme of our church fundraiser for the 2026 UCN Goods and Services Auction, when the sanctuary will be transformed on Saturday, May 2, into a 1950's diner complete with juke box music, poodle skirts, white socks, diner deliciousness, and so much more! There will be both a silent and live auction at the event, and for this we need your help.

Many of you have enjoyed supporting UCN through the fun of bidding on donations in the past year. Those donations are only possible through the generosity, time and talents of our members and friends. That means that we need donations in order to have a successful auction. Please consider donating your time, talent, and/or treasure to create a fun and profitable evening for UCN.

There is a wide range of services and events that could be offered. Please, no donations of furniture or used items. Below are some examples of past donations:

Pet Sitting * Babysitting * Yard Work * Woodturning *Carpentry * Painting * Photography sessions * Murder Mystery Dinners * Dessert of the Month * Cookies of the Month * Game Night

*Bread Baking Lesson * Vacation Getaways * Long Term Storage * Italian Dinner * Greek Dinner * Backyard Barbecue * Themed Baskets * Concert Tickets * Kayak Lessons * Reiki Sessions.

The possibilities are endless!

A letter is attached with more wonderful ideas. Let your imaginations run wild! Donation forms are due by Sunday, March 15th. Attached is more information about the event on the 2nd, the donation form, and an ideas letter. Please contact Julie Zumach (treasurer@ucnorth.org) or Judy DeLillo (Judelillo2@gmail.com), auction co-chairs, if you have questions.

Please help to keep the light of religious freedom burning brightly in Ozaukee County by donating to the auction!

The 2026 Goods and Services Auction Committee

Know Your Rights

UCN's Social Justice Committee would like to invite you to our "Know Your Rights" program that we are co-sponsoring with Forward with Hope. The event will be from noon-1:30 at UCN on Saturday, March 7. What are your rights as a citizen? What are your rights as an immigrant? A presenter from Voces de la Frontera will be addressing these issues.

You MUST be registered for this event. No walk-ins will be allowed.
The number of attendees is being capped at 150.

REGISTER AT: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/know-your-rights-for-citizens-and-immigrants-tickets-1982395223478?aff=oddtdtcreator

Share the Plate Update

Friends of MADACC has been selected as the next Share the Plate recipient!

Did you know that the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) works to support and rehome over 12,000 animals each year? Friends of MADACC (FoM) is a volunteer-based nonprofit dedicated to filling critical gaps faced by MADACC. The mission of FoM is to work collaboratively with MADACC and pet-owners to identify and implement strategies that support the well-being of companion animals in our community, and to improve the lives of shelter pets and help them find loving homes. Every donation goes directly towards providing medical care, enrichment, and second chances for animals in need.

Since public funding for MADACC is very limited, MADACC heavily relies on private donations to meet the needs of the animals and Milwaukee County residents the shelter serves each year. In many ways, FoM serves as the non-profit fundraising arm of MADACC. FoM volunteers also run Paws In Thrift (located at 16040 W National Ave in New Berlin, WI) where shoppers can browse FoM merchandise, new and gently used pet items and household items.

Half of the donations for March and April, cash or check, will go to Friends of MADACC. On our website www.ucnorth.org you can donate using PayPal or Breeze. Checks should include “STP” on the memo line. Lots of little critters greatly appreciate your generosity!

Community Food Resources
See below for a list of local resources.

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.
• UCN’s Share the Plate (STP) program supports organizations that help those in need in our community and across the world. You are welcome to nominate a recipient for a 2-month collection. The complete list of past STP recipients and their websites can be found at UCNorth.org, under Serve/Share the Plate/View Past Donations Spreadsheet.

New to UU Classes

Have you been visiting the church for a while and find yourself wanting to learn more about Unitarian Universalism, are curious about how to become a member, or want to learn about different ways to get involved in the church? If so, please plan on attending our New to UU meetings, a 2-part series on March 1st and March 8th at 11:30 am in the Emerson room. A sign up sheet can be found on the visitor's table in the north lobby.

Visitors

The following people visited our church recently:

• Terry and Leslie Cooley, Mequon
• Coleen McCann, Grafton
• Andrea Herkowski, Cedarburg

Thanks for visiting us. We hope that you come back soon!

Blood Drives

A reminder to all to please consider donating blood in our community if you are able. UCN hosts blood drives regularly in coordination with the American Red Cross. These drives will be listed on the American Red Cross website and announced in the Northliner. The next drive is scheduled for March 13, in the Fellowship Hall. You can also search for blood drives near you anytime at redcrossblood.org or versiti.org.

Events at UCN

• The next Wisconsin Singer Songwriter Series concert will be held on March 28.
  UCN members are offered a discount on tickets. 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. On voting days, meetings are held in the Sanctuary, upper level.
  

Thank you for supporting the groups that use our facilities.

Calendar through March 15

Meetings are held via Zoom, unless stated.

• Sunday, March 1, 11:30 am: First Sunday Lunch - CANCELLED!

• Sunday, March 1, 11:30 am: New to UU Class - Emerson

• Wednesday, March 4: UUs Out to Lunch - Ann Buchel

• Thursday, March 5, 10-2: Knitting Resistance Group - Reeb (Dana Lusk)

• Saturday, March 7, noon: "Know Your Rights" Presentation - Sanctuary (Julie Konik)

• Saturday, March 7, midnight: Daylight Savings Time Starts (set your clocks one hour ahead)

• Sunday, March 8, 11:30 am: Social Justice - Barton (Julie Konik)

• Sunday, March 8, 11:30 am: New to UU class - Emerson (Cecile Duhnke, Tannie Bemis)

• Monday, March 9, 7 pm: RE Committee (Katie Egan-Bruhy)

• Tuesday, March 10, 7 pm: Sunday Services (Dana Lusk, CJ Winter)

• Thursday, March 12, 10 am: Knitting Resistance Group - Reeb (Dana Lusk)

• Thursday, March 12, 6 pm: Parent's Night - Emerson and Fellowship Hall (Carissa Mooren)

• Friday, March 13, noon - 6 pm: Blood Drive - Fellowship Hall (Sheri Mounts)

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.

Use this convenient QR code to donate!

The link to the giving page, for the less tech savvy, is: https://ucnorth.breezechms.com/give/online

With the ongoing government shutdown and discontinuation of SNAP benefits, we’re more aware than ever of the potential for food scarcity. UCN can respond by actively supporting some of our local resources listed below. Please consider donating to these well-organized organizations who are best situated to respond to our community needs. Any inquiries that we receive related to this need will be referred to these programs with their flexible methods of resource delivery.

Family Sharing
https://www.familysharingozaukee.org
1002 Overland Ct, Grafton WI 53024
Phone: 262-377-0634

You can donate food at the Family Sharing site by placing items in the hamper under the overhang in the parking lot. Their website has a listing of most needed items. Additionally, there is opportunity to donate financially on directly on their website. They offer a breakdown of how much an amount of dollars provides to individuals/families in need.

The Food Pantry is open for shopping during the following hours (appointment required):

• Tuesdays 10AM-1PM
• Wednesdays 2-4PM
• 2nd Saturday of each month 9-11AM

Additionally, they have Mobile delivery, Senior’s delivery and a Children’s Backpack program for those who qualify. Registration and an appointment are required. Call 262-377-0634, option 2.

Ozaukee Food Alliance
https://ozaukeefoodalliance.org
100 E. Green Bay Avenue, Saukville, WI 53080

Phone: 262-689-8591

If you would like to donate food to help stock the shelves, you can drop off your donation at our food barrels located around Ozaukee County. Look for the yellow collection bucket.

Saukville - Oscar Grady Public Library and Fox Bros Piggly Wiggly
Port Washington - Lincoln Village

Mequon - Wild Birds Unlimited

Thiensville - Restore Spine

The “regular pantry” is open on Thursdays and Saturdays. The “mini pantry” is open on Tuesdays and Fridays. While the regular days offer a full shop once per month, mini days focus is more on fresh bakery, fruits and veggies and frozen proteins over the remaining three weeks of the month. Community meal is offered on Saturdays after the shopping is done. Appointment is required.

LGBT Community Center
https://www.mkelgbt.org
315 West Court St, Milwaukee WI 53212
Phone: 414-271-2656

You can donate food by taking directly to the front desk where they’ll be happily accepted.

The Food Pantry is open to all LGBTQ+ individuals and allies in need, working in partnership with Feeding America. No proof of income is required. Limit use to once per week.

General Hours are Monday and Friday 12:00pm – 5:00 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:00am – 6:00 pm

Service and UUA Information

• Service Assistants are needed for Sunday Services. Please contact Sunday Service Committee Chairs, Dana Lusk (danalusk04@gmail.com) or CJ Winter (cjwinter01@outlook.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 Chairs, Dana Lusk (danalusk04@gmail.com) or CJ Winter (cjwinter01@outlook.com).

• UU Women's Connection offers retreats, newsletters and resources for women: https://www.uuwomensconnection.org/. Click this link for info about retreats:

  https://www.uuwomensconnection.org/retreats. The October retreat will be at Cedar Valley Retreat Center near West Bend, Wisconsin.

• You are encouraged to subscribe to MidAmerica Region's newsletter, News page. More information at uua.org/midamerica .
• GA 2026 will be held June 14-21. You can join from home or attend a satellite session or the in-person event. Full schedule: https://www.uua.org/ga/program/schedule

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 Cecile Duhnke at cecileduhnke@gmail.com or Tannie Bemis at bemis.tannie@gmail.com.

• Rev. Scott will never ask you to buy a gift card for him. Please don't fall for these scams. And if someone asks you for a copy of the member directory, please refer them to info@ucnorth.org, as they might not be who they claim to be.

• 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.
  If you would like a printed black and white copy of the directory or the Leadership List, Lyn has them available in the office.

• You can find copies of the Annual Report and Annual Financial Report in the library.

• 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 send a message to care@ucnorth.org.

• 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 at (262) 573-0045 or brianbuzel@yahoo.com or Jim DeLillo at jimdelillo2@gmail.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

• UU’s Out to Lunch: Did you know that there is a UU’s Out to Lunch group? We go out to lunch on the first Wednesday of each month. Everyone takes a turn choosing the time and place for lunch. Great food – Great conversation! If you are interested in joining us, contact Ann Buchel at awbuchel@gmail.com or 262-470-6355.

• 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.
  

• Update: UU Ladies' Lunch meets on the third Thursday of every month at 11:30 at Crave Restaurant, on Port Washington Road in Mequon. Contact brendaberg@spectrum.net with questions.
  

Fundraising and Donations

• UCN is able to accept donations via PayPal.

• Food Barrels for pets and people: Don’t forget to grab a food item out of your pantry for the food bin as you leave for church. Donations go to the Ozaukee Food Alliance. We are also accepting donations of pet food and small containers of cat litter, for people needing help caring for their pets. The pet food donations should be placed in the separate bin marked “pet food.” Beginning in November, the pet food donations will be going to the Ozaukee Food Alliance.

• RaiseRight Fundraiser (formerly known as Scrip): Gift Cards are a great way to support UCN. For tutorials on using RaiseRight click the link: https://www.raiseright.com/resources/participant/. There are 3 ways to purchase and reload gift cards: (eGift, Reload and Physical). eGift and Reload options are available for use in seconds. For physical cards, select the “ship to home" option; shipping fees will be incurred by the purchaser. If you have questions about RaiseRight please view https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q3rZ3dXo96XBGI9we5yhWzCZGS3na22O/view? or contact Mark Muellenbach. To help set up the RaiseRight app on your phone, watch this video How to Earn Faster with Online Payment Setup (Mobile App) | RaiseRight

• If you order from Quill.com and tell them UCN recommended them, UCN will earn a $50 gift card.

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 submit articles for our website to webdesigner@ucnorth.org.

Rev. Scott Alexander, Minister

Cell phone: 772-359-0602. Email: UURevScott@gmail.com .

Rev. Alexander will generally preach two times per month and will maintain regular but sporadic office hours. Please call his cell phone to arrange in-person or zoom meetings with him.

Jessy Knox, Religious Exploration and Family Programming Coordinator

Jessy can be contacted at refpc@ucnorth.org or 414-840-5377.

Office Hours: Wednesdays 10 am-3 pm.

Saturdays 10 am-1 pm: RE Prep (some of this time will be remote)

Sundays 8:30 am-12:30 pm: RE Sunday Time

Callie Thurow, Music Coordinator

Callie's email is music@ucnorth.org.

Callie will use the Library as her office. Her office hours are Wednesdays, 9:30-11:30 am.

Lyn Gust, Office Administrator

Contact Lyn at 262-375-3890 or info@ucnorth.org.

Office Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 9 am to 2 pm. The office is closed for holidays and bad weather.

Please do not reply to the Northliner, as we do not receive messages sent to lyngust@mailgun.smore.com, only to info@ucnorth.org . But, if you are having trouble receiving the Northliner, please add this address to your contact list: lyngust@mailgun.smore.com .

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.

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/