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.

September 20: “Celebrating Harvest,” Rev. Selena Fox

Explore some ancient and contemporary ways celebrating the abundance of Nature at Autumn Equinox time. Learn about ways of incorporating Harvest symbols and customs in personal and community life. Examine therapeutic dimensions of Gratitude Attitude at Harvest time and throughout the year.

Rev. Selena Fox is Senior Minister of Circle Sanctuary, a rural church near Barneveld, Wisconsin serving Nature Spirituality practitioners worldwide since 1974. Selena has been guest minister at a variety of UU churches across the USA as well as spoken at General Assembly and other UUA conferences. Selena, who has a M.S. in Counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, speaks about Nature Connectedness and Ecopsychology on her monthly podcast, Circle of Nature. She is among the contributors to the anthology, Pagan and Earth-centered Voices in Unitarian Universalism.

September 27: “New Beginnings,” Rev. Erik David Carlson

Rev. Erik David Carlson will lead service dedicated to the transitions of this time of year and the new path that UCN is taking towards its next revitalization.

This Sunday's Order of Service:

At this summer's new Board retreat, we discussed the overlap of many UCN committees and the pull that can place on our small membership and active volunteers. One of the outcomes is for us to be more purposeful in reaching out/reaching across to share our time/gifts/skills with related church efforts. Below, please find a brief survey for members to complete and return. Printed copies will be available at the Sunday service.

Please return to:

Julie - juliezumach@gmail.com

Katie - egan.bruhy@gmail.com

Judy - judelillo2@gmail.com

Ask the Minister - Responses VI

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.

Question: What are your main goals for your time with us, and why did you say it was only going to be two years?

Response: Unitarian Church North is a congregation in transition. Having relied primarily on part-time ministers and guest service leaders over the past decade, UCN is clearly a congregation which has both the opportunity and aptitude to grow both its membership and influence in the surrounding community. But there remain some barriers to that growth that are just coming to light as I enter my third month serving as your minister.

● While there is great involvement and commitment from our volunteer leadership at every level, communication continues to be complicated, and decision-making processes are not as clearly defined as they could be. Is this a Board decision or is this something that a committee has the authority to determine on its own? How are committees accountable to the Board, and how does the Board reflect their own commitment to the congregation at large?

● Likewise, the constant carousel of incorporating regular guest preachers, each with their own perspectives and opinions about music, liturgy and worship has become a burden on our Sunday services coordinator, team and staff. How might we streamline this process and create a more consistent, reliable worship experience for both leaders and participants?

● Finally, how do our budgeting process and fundraising efforts align with and reflect our congregational values and goals, and what resources are we designating to which programs, and which might be left behind?

All of these are issues I hope to help address during my tenure at UCN, with the ultimate goal of preparing our next ministry to be successful. I look forward to working with the leadership to establish cleaner lines of both communication and accountability, focusing on systems that allow us to correct mistakes and replicate successes, rather than simply resorting to what “we’ve always done before.”

Additionally, by slowly shifting to planning worship services around monthly themes and examining why we do things on Sunday mornings, we are seeking to establish a more consistent culture around our services and provide an ever-more cohesive worship experience for everyone, including our RE students and families.

A final goal I will lift up here is engaging with the church’s finances in a way we can determine not only how we steward the capital we already have, but how we might raise additional money to invest in the things important to UCN going forward. These potentially involve capital projects such as solar panels as well as operational expenses to expand the responsibility and compensation of our staff, including the minister.

I am currently compensated for half-time ministry at the industry-standard rate but we budget an additional $18,000 or so for guest speakers to lead the two Sundays a month for which I am not contracted. Moving this money towards the minister’s compensation would get us amazingly close to being able to afford a full-time minister, which will in turn drastically increase the quality and quantity of ministerial applicants going forward.

My contract calls for me to remain at UCN through June of 2028, and as of now I have no idea what will come next for me or the church, though it is unlikely I’ll be able to afford to stay in any position that is merely half-time. But I am confident we will be able to have the conversations necessary between now and then to figure out our next transition and continue to build the congregation we dream about by utilizing all the incredible resources to which we have access in this wonderful, growing Unitarian Church North.

Yours in Faith,

Rev. Erik David Carlson

Sunday, September 20th: Our 2026-2027 UCN RE School Year begins 📝📚🔬

• Nursery: Constance, Gideon & Sophia
• Message for All Ages: Selena Fox
• Kindergarten-2nd grade: “The Gift of Love” with Terry, Brian, Kas & Peter
  https://www.uua.org/lifespan/curricula/welcome

• 3rd-5th grade: “Love will Guide Us” with Katie, Jessy & Trish
  https://www.uua.org/lifespan/curricula/shared-values/uu-values-challenge

• 6th-9th grade: “The Big Question” with Paul, Betsy & Laura
  https://www.uua.org/lifespan/curricula/riddle

A Reminder

Jessy will not ask you for a directory, gift cards, 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.

WUWM was chosen by our Coming of Age Program Youth as our July and August recipient of Share the Plate. The station does powerful work to support the greater Milwaukee area in staying informed and entertained. During this current social climate, its unbiased reporting is truly essential.

WUWM received a check in the amount of $1,347.87 to continue providing quality programming for the greater Milwaukee area.

Upcoming Election

In just a few short weeks voters in Wisconsin can start submitting their ballots for the upcoming midterm election, November 3. Early voting using absentee ballots begins October 14. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 29; the request for one can be made through myvote.wi.gov. Register to vote AND confirm that you are registered to vote. Myvote.wi.gov is the legitimate and very useful website provided by the government to aid in the election process for voters. There are other "voter registration" sites that are not legitimate and are used to acquire private data on individual voters. Be careful.

In the past several years the Social Justice Committee and our ministers have strongly encouraged all of us to vote for those candidates and issues that support our values. Now is the time for each of us to begin our due diligence, researching the positions candidates hold and exploring the repercussions of proposed legislation, both statewide and locally as applicable to your area.

Statewide, there are three proposed constitutional amendments to consider. The Wisconsin Legislature already voted in favor of these amendments in 2 sessions, making the November 3 ballot the final step to approve or deny the adoption of the amendments. These amendments are disturbingly contrary to UU values and advances that have benefited many people in our state. The links below explain the consequences of the amendments that are not apparent in the original wording. There are many more that can be found with a simple search online.

Shall section 27 article 1 of the constitution be created to prohibit governmental entities in the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education,public contracting, or public administration?”

League of Women Voters (LWV) explanation, in part: So, what does this amendment intend to accomplish? It prohibits the state from granting
“preferential treatment” to marginalized people. If this amendment passes, it will eliminate the equity-based gains Wisconsin has made over the last 60 years

Shall section 18 of article I of the constitution, which deals with religious liberty, be amended to prohibit the state or a political subdivision of the state from ordering the closure of, or forbidding gatherings in, places of worship in response to a state of emergency, including a public health emergency?”

Shall section 10 (1) (c) of article V of the constitution be amended to prohibit the governor, in exercising his or her partial veto authority, from creating or increasing or authorizing the creation or increase of any tax or fee?”

https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/constitutional-corner

https://chat.google.com/room/AAAAMyflQEQ/ZMa5Aj07OtA/ZMa5Aj07OtA

Thank you for reading and for voting your values.

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.

Just a Reminder

Northliner articles should ideally be turned in by Thursday at noon so they can be proofed and edited. Articles submitted by 9 am on Friday will still be included, although not proofed.

New to UU Classes

Have you been visiting UCN North for a while and find yourself wanting to learn more about Unitarian Universalism, are curious about how to become a member, or learn about ways to get more involved in the church? If so, please plan on attending our New to UU meetings, a two-part series on October the 4th and October the 18th at 11:30 am in the Emerson room. A sign-up sheet can be found just outside the sanctuary on the table in the main (north) lobby.

Ukulele Lessons

This autumn I'm once again offering free ukulele instructional classes to UCN members only.

The dates are: 10/18, 10/25, 11/15, 11/22, 12/20. We'll meet in the sanctuary at 11:30 am.

Please respond to me at: Lindasandersen60@gmail.com if you'd like to join us this year.

Please also let me know if you would like that Ukulele Cheat Sheet ($5) and I'll order them.

Let me know by October 1, please, so I can get copies made.

Linda Sandersen

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. The next drive is scheduled for October 2, 2026. You can also search for blood drives near you anytime at redcrossblood.org or versiti.org.

Riding to Fight Kids' Cancer

For the 7th year, I am participating in the Great Cycle Challenge to fund Children's Cancer Research. Please sponsor my ride via my page: https://greatcyclechallenge.com/riders/lyngust. I need a donation of $5 to reach my goal.

Thanks so much!

Lyn Gust

Events at UCN

• Chair Yoga is held Tuesdays at 10 am, in the Clara Barton Room. Contact Anna Rychner at Shaktiwaves@ameritech.net for more details.

• The next Wisconsin Singer Songwriter Series concerts will be held Saturday, Sept. 19. UCN members are offered $15 tickets at the door for all concerts, with identification. 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.

Community Events

Peter Mayer Concert in Germantown: Saturday, September 26 at Lutheran Church of the Living Christ, W156N10660 Pilgrim Road, Germantown, WI. Doors open at 6:00, with refreshments available. Concert begins at 6:30. Tickets: $25.

**You are also invited to bring a donation of diapers, wipes, or feminine hygiene products for our partnership with Casa Guadalupe

Click this link to purchase tickets ahead of time: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/peter-mayer-concert-3

Calendar through October 4

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

• Monday, Sept. 21, 7:00 pm: RE Committee (Katie Egan-Bruhy)

• Friday, Oct. 2, 12-5 pm: Blood Drive - Fellowship Hall (Sheri Mounts)

• Saturday, Oct. 3, 9:00 am: FSL Setup - Fellowship Hall

• Sunday, Oct. 4, 11:30 am: First Sunday Lunch - Fellowship Hall

• Sunday, Oct. 4, 11:30 am: New to UU Class - Emerson (Cecile Duhnke, Tannie Bemis-Wiegert)

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 there when you need them. Their Mobile Pantry travels throughout Ozaukee County. They also offer in-person shopping and deliver groceries to senior living complexes. Call 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 Brenda Berg 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: Thursdays 10 am-2 pm.

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.

Note: 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/