"I will put my teaching in their minds and write it on their hearts..."
Jeremiah 31:33
| | | Calendar of Upcoming MUCC Events | | |
Below are the weekly programs. Brief descriptions of these weekly programs are on our website.
Clickable links are in blue, underlined, and italicized.
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SUNDAY Choir Practice
Contact Tom Ludwig, if interested. Practice is 9-10am on Sundays before worship.
| | Below are the upcoming non-weekly events on the calendar happening at McFarland UCC for about the next month. All events are on the McFarland UCC calendar with Zoom links and additional information in the details/description area. Click the event on the McFarland UCC calendar to see the details. | | |
Sunday, November 30, 1st Sunday of Advent
Tuesday, December 2, Social Justice Collective Meeting(In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Wednesday, December 3, 6:00-7:30 pm, Outreach Funds Committee Quarterly Meeting(In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Sunday, December 7, Communion and Birthday Sunday, 2nd Sunday of Advent, After Worship: Decorate the Christmas Tree after worship, 1:00 pm: Caroling at Charter Assisted Living, 5601 Burke Rd, Madison and Drumlin Assisted Living, 139 E Reynolds St, Cottage Grove
Sunday, December 7, 4:00 - 7:00 pm, Teen Meeting, 4:00 pm: Meet at Target, 6321 McKee Rd, Fitchburg, 5:30 pm: Dinner, wrap, and fun at Memorial UCC, 5705 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg
Wednesday, December 10, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Contemplative Service with Prayers for Healing (In person & Online), Sanctuary
Thursday, December 11, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, SaLT Monthly Meeting (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Sunday, December 14, 3rd Sunday of Advent, Befrienders Commissioning
Sunday, December 21, 4th Sunday of Advent, The Christmas Fund Collection, No Practice Christmas Pageant
Wednesday, December 24, 5:00 pm, Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Rev. Susan Shands
Thursday, December 25, 11:00 am-1:00 pm, Community Christmas Meal, Merry Christmas!
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Thank you to this weekend's volunteers!
Greeters/Ushers: Kathy Paulson
Hospitality Hosts: Martha Olsen, Vickie Mueller
Worship Lead(s): Tari McGriff, Lisa Schweitzer
MUCC online calendar indicates Sunday worship leads.
| | Resolve to get involved at McFarland UCC! Volunteer on Sunday. Join a ministry such as Social Justice Collective, Creation Care, Befrienders Care Team, SaLT, Youth ministry, Building & Ground Team, or others. Find out more by clicking here. | | |
News at McFarland UCC
Note: Clickable links are blue, underlined, and italicized.
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Donation Request for Edgewood Pantry
Submitted by Social Justice Collective Ministry
Our MUCC Social Justice Collective team felt moved to respond to Edgewood University’s request for help to stock their pantry.
Between now and Dec 14 2025, consider bringing a non-perishable item or a financial gift to MUCC for Catherine’s Pantry at Edgewood University on Madison’s near west side. The current request places an emphasis on shelf stable protein, shelf stable milk such as Horizon boxed milk, and hygiene products: menstrual products, soap, shampoo and deodorant.
Holiday time can be especially challenging for many international, and other, students who remain on campus as they have no family in the area. And, with no access to routine formal financial support such as Second Harvest to stock their pantry, Edgewood relies on donations of both products and cash (staff use financial donations to purchase needed items to stock the shelves). There is a bin in the fellowship hall to collect items; please make sure financial donations are marked for Edgewood Univ pantry.
| | This Advent season, you are invited to join in the watching and waiting together with church friends and loved ones. We have many opportunities for worship, fellowship, and service throughout the weeks leading up to Christmas. Rev. Susan Shands will join us again for the final three Sundays of Advent plus our Christmas Eve candlelight service. Please make plans to celebrate the season with us! Read on for a preview of events. | |
Children's Activities Throughout Advent
Advent season is drawing near! Time to prepare our hearts as we await the arrival of Christ. There are many opportunities for children and families to participate in the joy and wonder of the season, and we would love to see many young faces at church throughout Advent!
Our first Sunday of Advent is on November 30th. We plan to start out by creating “Giving Mangers” as we talk about Hope. On December 7th, our advent theme will be Peace and we will once again be making Christingle (orange) candles to spread the light of love. We have a special song we’ll sing as we walk our candles into the sanctuary and we could use some child or teenage soloists if anyone is brave enough and loves to sing. Just let Sheryl know and she’ll get the music to you. Our first practice will be this Sunday morning at 9:00. The third week of Advent, we’ll focus on Joy. We will have many projects the kids can create in the Fellowship Hall during the service. Our final week, on Dec. 21st is all about Love. As usual, we’ll have our no-practice pageant that day — a time for all to share the birth of Jesus with laughs, love and joy.
Please join us for this festive and loving church season.
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Christmas Caroling
On December 7th at 1:00 we’ve been invited to do a Christmas Carol-a-long at Charter Assisted Living, 5601 Burke Rd, Madison and a repeat “performance” at Drumlin Assisted Living, 139 E. Reynolds St., Cottage Grove at 2:00. Loretta Martin lives at Drumlin and would be pleased to see everyone.
We'll carpool from church, leaving at 12:30 for those interested in doing so. We are hoping to have a nice group interested in going. Young or old are all welcome!
If you plan on going or have questions, please contact Jean Duchrow in person or via email.
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Holiday Season Shamanic Oasis Shamanic Practice, Community, Sacred Altars + Potluck
Sunday, November 30, 2025
3:30 PM 6:30 PM
Join us for a three-hour shamanic gathering with sacred altar creation, guided shamanic practice, intentional community conversation, and a nourishing potluck to support grounding, clarity, and connection throughout the holiday season.
About Jessica
Jessica Riphenburg, Shamanic Practitioner and founder of Be The Light Shamanic Healing, is passionate about serving her community through transformational ceremonies, classes, and one-on-one healing sessions. Rooted in both Core and Peruvian shamanic traditions, Jessica has been walking the shamanic path since 2011.
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Giving Tree 2025
Submitted by Maryanne Raese
Please remember that all Giving
Tree gift cards need to be dropped off at the McFarland Food Pantry by December 6. Thank you all so very much!
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Sound Bath
December 6, 1-2 pm
You are invited to attend a Sound Bath on Saturday, December 6 at 1:00 pm at McFarland UCC! Araceli Wehr and Trish Kalhagen are experimenting with intuitive sound baths and are hosting a small event this day. Their goal is to help those who are needing space to relax and find relief from stress. It should be approximately one hour and they welcome you to attend if this is something that you feel would be helpful for you. A portion of any donations collected will be donated back to the church.
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Next Youth Group Gathering
Sunday, December 7: in 2 parts!
4 pm - We will meet at the Target on McKee Road at 4 pm and be shopping for gifts for people in the community.
5:30-7 pm. Everyone is invited to be at Memorial UCC to help wrap the gift, enjoy dinner, and celebrate Christmas - a little early!
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Community Christmas Meal
The Befrienders Care Team is once again serving the Community Christmas Meal on Christmas Day 11 am-1 pm. It is one of the ways McFarland UCC builds community and shows it's "a church with heart."
Volunteers will once again be needed to prepare food, set up, clean up, and serve. If you are available, please consider how you could help this season. Questions? Contact Judy Taber, Lynn Belleau, or Jean Duchrow.
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Christmas Poinsettias
MUCC has purchased poinsettias through the McFarland Lioness Club fundraiser to decorate the sanctuary. Would you like to purchase one or more of our church’s poinsettias to honor or memorialize a loved one? The honored person(s) would be listed in the Pulse. Purchasing a poinsettia helps defray our church costs.
The suggested donation for the small (6 ½” pot) plant is $14 and $23 for a large plant (8” pot).
To contribute toward a poinsettia (which you may take home after the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service), sign up via SignUp Genius or contact Ginger (Administrative Assistant) or Colleen Krattiger.
There are two payment options:
Pay online into the General Fund with the memo “Christmas Flowers”
Pay by check – drop in the offering basket on Sunday or mail it to the church with the memo “Christmas Flowers.”
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Weekly Creation Care Topic
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
This week’s tip: In this first week of Advent, when the theme is Hope, how do we find hope in a troubled environment? The WI Conference UCC Kairos - November 2025 Newsletter suggests that Jane Goodall’s book may help guide us. “In a world that seems so troubled, how do we hold on to hope? Looking at the headlines—the worsening climate crisis, a global pandemic, loss of biodiversity, political upheaval—it can be hard to feel optimistic. And yet hope has never been more desperately needed. In this urgent book, Jane Goodall, one of the world's most famous naturalists, and Douglas Abrams, the internationally bestselling co-author of The Book of Joy, explore through intimate and thought-provoking dialogue one of the most sought-after and least understood elements of human nature: Hope. In The Book of Hope, Jane focuses on her "Four Reasons for Hope": The Amazing Human Intellect, The Resilience of Nature, The Power of Young People, and The Indomitable Human Spirit.”
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Save the Date!
McFarland UCC Annual Meeting
Sunday, February 8, 2026
After worship
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608-838-9322
5710 Anthony St.
McFarland WI 53558
Office Hours: Wednesdays & Thursdays 9am-1pm
Ginger Hummer, Office Administrator
gin...@mcfarlanducc.org
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For Pastoral Care, contact Jean Duchrow (608-335-3772, jeandu...@gmail.com) with the Befrienders Care Team.
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Servant and Leadership Team (SaLT): Moderator - Donna Grossman (do...@mcfarlanducc.org); Vice Moderator - Walt Jackson; Treasurer - Kathy Schwenn; Clerk - Diane Mikelbank; At-large members - Lynn Belleau, Colleen Krattiger, Lisa Schweitzer, Cody Dewayne Shingler, and Judy Taber
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