Check here regularly for announcements of events at our church and in the community. You can also check for events on our online calendar

ANNUAL MEETING
At our annual meeting last Sunday, the congregation elected Jon Boldebuck, Joanna Beilman-Dulin, Chris Hammer and Mike Klawitter to two-year terms on the Council and approved our 2012 budget. At the meeting, one member raised a question about what is happening in the wider United Church of Christ, so Pastor Phil wrote an update that you can find here. He also extended an invitation for folks to consider becoming part of the work of the wider church or being a delegate to either the Southwest Association or Wisconsin Conference annual meetings later this spring.

THIS WEEK IN WORSHIP
The Gospel story is from Mark 1:29-39, a story of both action and reflection in Jesus' life. Pastor Phil will be reflecting on that story. We will also hear parts of Psalm 147. The choir is back and will be singing at the 10 am. service. Since it is the first Sunday of the month, we will be sharing communion at both services.

ADULT ED: BATTLE AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
This Sunday, one of our young people, Kirsten Scheller-Suitor, will talk about her trip last summer to the Philippines where she became part of a project - the Red Thread Movement - to help free girls from sex trafficking. Kirsten will be doing our adult ed time from 9:10 to 9:50 a.m. this Sunday in the library and she will also be talking with our current confirmation students later in the morning.

FUTURE ADULT ED SESSIONS SET
Our Adult Ed committee now has a schedule of events set through the next few months. You can find the details here on our web site.

RENEWAL FOCUSES ON HOSPITALITY NEXT WEDNESDAY
Memorial's Church Renewal team will begin next Wednesday with the first in a series of meetings here to look at the “Five Practices of Faithful Congregations.” (You can read more about the process here.) The first session will focus on Radical Hospitality. Our team of a dozen people will meet with our facilitator, Laura Crow, director of Faith Formation at Middleton Community United Church of Christ. We have invited those on our Membership Committee to join in for that evening, but any members or friends of Memorial are welcome. The session will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. A light dinner will be served at 5:45, so it would help if you would This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like dinner and if you plan to be at the session so we can get you materials in advance.

FUTURE SESSIONS FOR CHURCH RENEWAL:
Wednesday, Feb. 29 – 6:30 to 9 – Intentional Faith Growth
Saturday, March 10 – 9:30 to noon – Risk-taking Mission and Service
Wednesday, March 21 – 6:30 to 9 – Extravagant Generosity
Wednesday, April 11 – 6:30 to 9 – Passionate Worship

OUR SEARCH FOR GOD'S CALL
We will be offering another segment of the Companions in Christ series this year during Lent. The segment is called “The Way of Discernment” and helps participants explore how to figure out God’s way in their lives. It will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 29, and run through five Wednesday evenings, ending on March 28. The sessions will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex niche, a place to sign up on The Green Sheet or you can contact Ellen Reuter, who is leading the sessions, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 222-4094.

SEEKING NOMINEES FOR FAITH & SERVICE AWARD
Every year, Memorial United Church of Christ honors one or more folks with the Faith and Service Award in recognition of exceptional use of time, talent and treasure in the work and witness of our congregation. There is a form attached to this newsletter that you can use to make nominations. (Past recipients are listed here on our web site.) All nominations are due by Sunday, March 4. The Stewardship Committee will review the nomination and select a recipient or recipients. The award will be presented on Sunday, March 18.

FELLOWSHIP SIGN UP
We have a sign-up sheet in the narthex niche for fellowship hosts through the end of May. Please look for a time that would be convenient for you to take a turn as this part of our hospitality.

FRUIT SALE ENDS SUNDAY
This Sunday is the last chance to sign up for boxes of fruit through the ARC-Dane County's annual fruit sale. ARC works to make sure that all children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families have the same opportunities, choices, rights and respect due all people. Boxes of oranges, grapefruit or a mix are available. They will be available for pick-up at Memorial on Sunday, March 4.

LEARN WHAT'S LIKE TO BE A RETURNING PRISONER
On Saturday, March 24th, from 8:45 a.m. to noon, Madison-area Urban Ministry (MUM) will be presenting a Returning Prisoner Simulation at Memorial UCC. MUM’s Returning Prisoner Simulation is an interactive workshop designed to educate participants about what it feels like for a newly-released prisoner to return to the community. Participants “take a walk in the shoes of a just-released prisoner” and then share their reactions. Even professionals who have worked many years in correctional fields report that the simulation is an eye-opener. There is more information linked off the home page of our web site at www.memorialucc.org. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex niche.

SHARED REFLECTION ON FEB. 12
As part of our preparation for the Returning Prisoner Simulation at the end of March, John Miller from the Madison-area Urban Ministry's Phoenix Initiative will join Pastor Phil in the reflection time at our worship services on Feb. 12. John is himself someone who had to re-enter the community after many years in prison. His story and his work are inspiring.

A UNIQUE WORSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Rev. Jerry Hancock, who directs the Prison Ministry Project, extends this invitation: "As part of our commitment to welcome everyone to worship with us no matter where they are on life’s journey, First Congregational would like to invite the Madison community to attend to a worship service for adults in our Chapel on Thursday evening, February 23 at 7 p.m. We recognize that for a variety of reasons some people would prefer or should only attend a worship service when children are not present. This service is being offed to meet those needs. Children will not be present in the service on in the church building. This will be a full service of Christian worship and all are welcome to attend. Additional services will be held on the following Thursday evenings at 7 on March 8 and 22, April 5 and 19, May 3, 17 and 31. For more information please contact Rev. Jerry Hancock at 608-658-6630 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

TICKETS FOR BILLY ELLIOT
We have a block of tickets for “Billy Elliot The Musical" for the 7:30 p.m. show on Wednesday, July 11, at the Overture Center in Row D of the mezzanine. The cost is $45.50 per ticket. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex niche. For more information, contact Pastor Phil.

UCC RESOURCES FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The national United Church of Christ has put together a wonderful collection of resources linking our faith tradition to the observances of Black History Month during February. You can find them here.

AROUND THE COMMUNITY:
* The Nehemiah Project will be hosting a Community Unity Celebration this Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. at Fountain of Life Church, 633 W. Badger Rd.
* The Fitchburg Lions Club will be hosting a chili dinner on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Rd.

WHEN IT SNOWS ... A LOT
You are getting this email on the day of the first significant snowfall of this winter. It's a good time for a reminder of what to do on a Sunday if very bad weather hits. If we decide to call off Sunday services because the weather is too treacherous, we will send out an all-church email, post it on our web site, have the news on our phone message and notify TV and radio stations. But ultimately, be sure to err on the side of caution if you are concerned about getting to church in bad weather.

SAFETY ASSESSMENTS FOR ELDERLY
Do you have a parent, grandparent, friend or neighbor that you feel may need help staying safe in their home? Home Health United’s new program, S.A.F.E. at Home – Safety Assessments for the Elderly, is currently looking for participants to receive a free in-home safety assessment. The complimentary program, which includes the assessment, recommendations, and safety aids including pill boxes and night lights, is available to any Dane County resident age 65 and older. Volunteers are also needed to perform the assessments. If you would like more information, or know of someone in need of the program, please call 608-223-7970.

LOOKING FARTHER AHEAD
Ash Wednesday - Feb. 22
Winter Farmer's Market - Mar. 11
Easter - April 8
Garage Sale - April 28
Summer Confirmation Retreat - June 17-23
Vacation Bible School - July 29-Aug. 3
Next Back Bay trip - Sept. 16-22

You can check out events on our online calendar at any time.
You can find our worship team lists for this month and next here.
You can "like" Memorial United Church of Christ on Facebook by going to this page.