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

This link can also be found on our website: www.ucnorth.org.

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.

Aug 23: “Honoring Our Grandmothers Through Stories," Council of the UU Women’s Connection

Summer is ending soon, and the time of the harvest is in its fullest on the Wheel of the Year. We are nearing the season of the Crone. Let us honor the Crones and grandmothers among us and those who have passed, in song and stories.

The Unitarian Universalist Women’s Connection (UUWC) is a vibrant regional community across the Midwest (primarily Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan) that fosters deep personal renewal, creative expression, and lifelong friendships through inclusive, nature-inspired women’s retreats. Rooted in feminist theology, UUWC organizes popular spring, summer, and fall retreats that provide a rich tapestry of experiences designed to help participants rediscover joy, share their personal narratives, and find mutual support.

August 30: "Towers and Tongues," Rev. Tony Larsen

Learn the origin of the Tower of Babel story (and find out a few things Sunday School teachers never told you about God's fear of human beings). Learn a bit about linguistics too, from our linguistics-loving emeritus minister, Tony Larsen.

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.

This Sunday's Order of Service:

Remember not to reply to suspicious emails.

Rev. Erik's email address is RevErik@ucnorth.org.

He will never ask you to buy gift cards

Responses II

Because of time constraints, many of the excellent questions submitted during service on August 2nd were left unanswered. Over the next several months, I will be responding to those we didn’t get to in our newsletters and regular mailings.

If you have other questions you’d like me to consider, please write me at reverik@ucnorth.org.

Yours in Faith,

Rev. Erik David Carlson

Question: I’ve heard a UU clergy person say to a group that UUs do not believe in an afterlife. I do. How does one speak for all of us?

Response: I’m very sorry that a UU colleague would have made such a blanket statement, especially one as historically inaccurate as to say UUs don’t believe in an afterlife. Indeed, the whole of the Universalist theological movement was originally predicated on the Origen-articulated concept of apokatastasis, affirming the ultimate reunion of all creation with the Creator. For nearly two millenia, Universalists claimed that not only was there an afterlife, but we were all destined for Heaven (eventually). Alternatively, simply claiming there is no Hell (as the Universalists have traditionally done) does not necessitate there being no Heaven.

When speaking of this or any issue contained within the great mystery of life, death and the cosmos, I take pains to express beliefs as my own, or to couch personal opinions by acknowledging overarching Unitarian Universalist values.

For example, it is not correct to say that UUs don’t believe in an afterlife, however, it is correct to say that theologically and socially we are much more concerned with what we as individual human beings accomplish in this lifetime than any other that may precede or follow it. Likewise, it is not appropriate to claim that those who tout the existence of an afterlife are wrong but we can point out that people who say they actually know what happens after we die are not being honest with themselves, with us or both.

One of the greatest gifts our UU ancestors have bestowed upon our current spiritual community is the ability to disagree about these questions while remaining in dialogue with one another and ultimately choosing to do good in the here and now, regardless of what happens afterwards.

Question: In your opinion, how do you define a Christian?

Response: I believe that a person’s identity is up to that person to decide and define, so I hesitate to name my own criteria for what constitutes a “Christian” person. However, in our own context, I will say that the Christian moniker is used to help define a theological framework, namely the Trinitarian belief in a triumvirate deity consisting of the “Father, Son & Holy Spirit” as defined by numerous church (Catholic) councils dating back to 325 CE at Nicaea.

Convened by Roman Emperor Constantine, the first council of Nicaea famously resulted in the “Nicaean Creed,” and marked the first time in Christian history when groups of Christians were kicked out of the church for being the “wrong type” of Christian. The main group excised at Nicaea were our direct spiritual ancestors who rejected the Trinity and claimed the unity of God and the humanity of Jesus. Initially called “Arians” after the martyred bishop Arius who championed the perspective at Nicaea, this group eventually earned the name “Unitarians” and make up half of our historic religious lineage.

Today, there are any number of our UU siblings who identify as “Christian UUs,” meaning that their theology is aligned with trinitarian teachings but whose ultimate faith ends in Universalism, that all-encompassing belief that we are all sacred and we are all responsible to serve each other in the spirit of Love. Because of the exclusionist bent of traditional Christianity, this means someone might authentically claim to be a Christian Unitarian Universalist, but not a Unitarian Universalist Christian, as the former affirms the inclusion of all creation and the latter precludes it.

Finally, I believe this question might stem in part from issues pertaining to the “White Christian Nationalist” movement that is helping both support and promote an exclusivist, separatist and fascist government bent on eliminating dissent in particular and a pluralism of thought generally. Studying and working with many progressive Christian leaders I can wholeheartedly say that White Christian Nationalism and the conservative churches that promote it are not accepted even by other Christians, and are objectively very far away from many of the teachings contained in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, most of which focus on disadvantaged peoples’ struggles against power and empire.

All of this is to say that as a minister and a person I care very little about what someone says they believe: I care mostly about what that person does in the world.

Question: What do you recommend for a beginner acoustic guitar?

Response: I’ve been playing guitar for over 30 years and have amassed quite a few in that time and played even more. I’ve performed on $10,000 Martins and Gibsons and recorded on $300 Ovations and everything in between. My newest guitar is a mid-level Yamaha that I perform at church primarily because it has a great feel and superb electronics that allow me to adjust the tone and volume of the guitar through the sound system.

Depending on your budget, I would look to Yamaha models which are relatively inexpensive, especially without the added cost of plug-in electronics. It helps to go to a reputable music store (not Amazon or Walmart) simply to be able to handle the instrument in person and ask questions of someone who knows how different models compare. Additionally, a reputable shop will also help set up the instrument to your specifications, adjusting string height, neck angle, etc. which can be very helpful when first learning guitar.

Though the turnaround time was long, I can personally recommend Cream City Music in Brookfield as a good resource as they will be able to answer any questions and do an excellent job of set-up and maintenance.

Sun Aug 23: INTERGEN Service w/Dana Lusk of UUWC, Honoring Grandmothers 👵💞👵

• Nursery: Constance & Gideon
• Message for All Ages: You Lovable Old Things
• RE is INTERGEN Service: Intergenerational Service w/ Dana Lusk & UU Women's Connections, Honoring Grandmothers. Summer is ending soon and the time of the harvest is in its fullest on the Wheel of the Year. We are nearing the season of the Crone. Let us honor the Crones and grandmothers among us and those who have passed, in song, and stories. This is an intergenerational service and we would love to have some of the kids share brief stories about their grandmothers. Jessy will send out an email to RE families asking who would be interested in sharing with the congregation during this service.

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.

Now Hiring: Childcare & Nursery Assistant - Sunday Mornings

Unitarian Church North (UCN) • Mequon, Wisconsin

Unitarian Church North is looking for a caring and dependable Childcare & Nursery Assistant to help provide nurturing care for children during Sunday services and occasional special events.

What You’ll Do

• Care for children 3 months to 4 years old in our nursery.
• Create a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment for children during Sunday services and special activities.
• Enjoy age-appropriate play and activities with children while supervising their safety.
• Assist infants and toddlers with restroom use, hygiene, and diaper changes.
• Provide support in school-age children’s classes when needed.
  
  

We’re Looking For Someone Who Is:

• 21 years old or older and will clear a background check
• Dependable and responsible
• Warm, patient, and attentive with young children
• Comfortable caring for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
• Able to create a welcoming and inclusive environment
• Enthusiastic about play, conversation, and connecting with children
  
  

Schedule & Flexibility

The position is approximately 2.5 hours (9:30AM to 11:30AM/12:00PM) on Sunday mornings.

Scheduling can be arranged for weekly service or two (2) to three (3) Sundays per month, providing

flexibility for the right person. Additional hours may be requested for special events, with flexibility

afforded in scheduling.

Interested?

Please submit a letter of interest including a statement of qualifications and three references from

previous childcare positions to info@ucnorth.org.

Celebrating UUism on 9/18!

Hello Friends of Democracy!

I am writing to you with exciting news: between the Unitarian Universalist Church West (UUCW) and First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee (FUSM), we currently have 22 people attending Voces de la Frontera's Annual Fundraising Gala. It would be wonderful if we got 8 more people so that we could have 3 full tables! Included at our esteemed tables are: Rev. Jennifer, Rev. Kimberlee, Rev. Erik, and Rev. Chris.

The gala will be on Friday, September 18th at the Potawatomi Casino Hotel. The Keynote speaker will be journalist and author Paola Ramos. Each seat is $150 and each table has room for 10 seats. It will be a powerful display of solidarity if we are able to put together more than one table. My plan is to buy the tables on September 1st. You can reserve your spot by emailing me at michaelpointermace@gmail.com. Just let me know how many seats you would like. You can pay for your seat at the table one of two ways:

• You can USPS mail me, Michael Pointer Mace, a check by September 1 at 1629 E Pryor Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207. Please let me know it's on its way.
• You can pay me by Venmo. At the bottom of this article you will find the Venmo QR code and my user name. You can follow this link. If you want to use my Payname it is @masapadremke
  You can also specify the last four digits of my phone number: 8625.

Voces de la Frontera has been at the forefront of important, grass roots democracy work here in Milwaukee. Let's stand up for democracy and the immigrants in our community.

en solidaridad,

Michael

Constructive Conversations: Connecting across Religious Differences

Join us for a fun, interactive event to engage in conversation about religious perspectives at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin on Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 2-4pm!

Come explore the lived religious experiences of your fellow community members in structured, constructive conversation! In this fun, interactive workshop hosted by the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin and the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, Urban Rural Action will introduce the ABCs of Constructive Conversation and then facilitate paired discussions on different religious perspectives. You’re guaranteed to sharpen your active listening skills by learning something new about the rich religious backgrounds in your community. A vegetarian lunch will be prepared for all participants by volunteers from the Sikh community starting at 2:00pm. The workshop will begin at 2:30pm. REGISTER AT THIS LINK

Please note that upon entering the Temple you will need to remove your shoes and wear a head covering. You may bring your own head covering, or the Temple will provide you with one.

You will receive a calendar invitation after registering for the event.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Parry Singh at 414-554-6339.

We depend upon your generosity to sustain our programs. Please donate.

Part-time Job Opening

WISDOM is hiring a Part-Time Administrative Coordinator to support our payroll, personnel, billing, reconciliation, and administrative operations. Read the full job description here.

Interested candidates should submit a resume and brief cover letter describing their relevant experience to nikki@wisdomwisconsin.org by August 31, 2026.

Pet Walk Ozaukee, September 12, 2026

UCN’s Animal Ministry has set up a team for Pet Walk Ozaukee 2026, benefitting the Wisconsin Humane Society. Please join us on Saturday, September 12, at Rotary Park in Mequon. The “festival” opens at 9:00 am with a bunch of activities and ends at 11:00 am. Team members need to assemble at 9:50 am for the walk. Note: No animal companion is required.

As the WHS explains: “This walk is a way to honor and celebrate the animals who have impacted our lives while helping WHS serve more than 65,000 animals and people this year alone.”

Interested in witnessing to the UU tradition of supporting animal welfare while sharing the fun of walking together? Enter “Pet Walk Ozaukee 2026” into your favorite browser and follow the relevant links. Choose “Join a Team” and enter “Unitarian Church North Animal Ministry.” The donation for the Pet Walk is $30.00 for adults. If you are unable to make the walk, please consider a donation to the team. Contact Helena (h.pycior@gmail.com) or Julie (Julie.Konik@gmail.com).

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 Leigh Hoftiezer, leigh.hoftiezer@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.

Leadership Board Meeting

The next leadership board meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. The meetings are open to all members, and members are encouraged to share their thoughts or issues at the Open Forum portion of each meeting. Contact the president for the zoom link.

Events at UCN

• The next Wisconsin Singer Songwriter Series concert will be held Saturday, September 19. UCN members are offered a discount on tickets. Go to wsss.org for details.

• Chair Yoga is held Tuesdays at 10 am, often at UCN’s Clara Barton Room. Contact Anna at Shaktiwaves@ameritech.net for more 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 September 6

Meetings are held via Zoom, unless a room/location is noted.

• Wednesday, Sept. 2: UUs Out to Lunch (Ann Buchel)

• Thursday, Sept. 3: 6:30 pm: Leadership Board (Judy DeLillo)

• Saturday, Sept. 5, 9:00 am: Building Work Day (Brian Bunzel, Jim DeLillo)

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

Service and UUA Information

• Service Assistants are needed for Sunday Services. Please contact Sunday Service Committee Chair, CJ Winter (cjwinter01@outlook.com), or Dan Lusk (sundayservices@ucnorth.org) 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.

• Spoken Announcements: Since each Sunday service is limited to an hour, spoken announcements will ideally be few in number and concise. The minister or Service Assistant (SA) will usually deliver the announcements. The text of a spoken announcement should be sent by email to UCN’s Sunday Services Committee (sundayservices@ucnorth.org) no later than noon on the Thursday preceding the service. The final decision on all spoken announcements resides with the SA, who will consider the anticipated length of a service and may abbreviate some spoken announcements. Please see the website for more details on spoken announcements.

• 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 can subscribe to MidAmerica Region's newsletter at News page. More information at uua.org/midamerica .
• The UUA's Common Read for the 2026-2027 year is Love at the Center: Unitarian Universalist Theologies, a collection of essays published last year and edited by our Association's President, the Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt.
• UU Ministry for Earth's has chosen: Radically Reframing Climate Change: A Guide to Saving Ourselves, by Will Hackman, as their Community Read, starting in September.

General Information

• Our ministers and leaders will never ask you to buy a gift card for them. 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• The Lay Pastoral Care Team at Unitarian Church North is gathering potential volunteers for what we call Caring Circle: 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. We will be keeping a paper sign-up sheet at church, or you can sign up by emailing the care team at care@ucnorth.org. Putting your name on the list does not commit you to helping when asked. Thank you!

• 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. Erik David Carlson

Rev. Erik's email is RevErik@ucnorth.org

You can also reach him at his cell phone: 262-748-4302

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/