Verona Salem United Church of Christ

06/12/2026

Join us at 9:00 Sunday for worship in person or online.

From Pastor Phil:
And They’re Off!
This morning, our SALT Trip participants loaded up a pickup truck and a van and headed west. (SALT stands for Service and Learning Together.) Parents of participants, other church members and I were there to pray for them and see them off.

We prayed for their travels and their safety, for the healthy return and sharing all that they will have learned and done.

One church member was there, even though he did not have a family member going on the trip, because he remembers that years ago, when he went on one such SALT Trip, another church member had showed up, and he really appreciated the feeling of support that he got from that.

And maybe that is one of the big things that the SALT Trip, and church, are about: showing up and supporting people, because we too have had people show up and support us. Kind of like loving one another because Christ first loved us.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Phil

Vacation Bible School is Coming!
Join us July 7–9 from 5:30–7:30 PM for Digging In and Growing Deep, an inclusive curriculum from Reconciling Ministries, co-hosted by Salem UCC and Sugar River UMC. Dinner will be provided each evening.
July 7 - Hosted by Salem UCC
July 8 - Hosted by Sugar River UMC
July 9 - Hosted by Salem UCC (cookout potluck)

Together we’ll plant a food garden of our very own, explore the mystery and wonder of nature, and reflect on themes of sharing, belonging, and community. This VBS is truly for ALL ages with adults, youth, and children all invited to participate! Each evening will include intergenerational activities, along with time for deeper discussion or outdoor fun and games (games obviously for the adults, and serious, deep discussion for the youth and children — ha!).

Sign-up deadline: Sunday, June 22 - though limited day-of registration will be available. Email Emily Bass at [email protected] to sign up.

Pride Opportunities
Join us tomorrow, Saturday, June 13 from 1-6pm, downtown Middleton for our first ever Salem UCC booth at this year’s Middleton Pride festival. Join us for some or all of the afternoon. If you are interested in joining the Salem booth or have questions please contact Sarah Pundt, John Bass, or Pastor Phil.

June 24 @ 6pm, Mount Horeb PFLAG Pride Walk. Anyone interested should meet at Foster Park (211 W Main St in Mt Horeb) and then participate in an "upbeat and festive walk along Mount Horeb's Main Street". Please contact Cari Bass with any questions.

June 28 is UCC ONA Sunday. We will offer a lay led service using UCC ONA resources and a guest lay preacher. Please contact Cari Bass to join this lay worship team.

Upcoming Events at Salem
Saturday, June 13 - Funeral for Fred Wenger, Jr. at 11 am
(Visitation at 9:30)
Middleton PrideFest 1-6 pm
Sunday, June 14 - Worship at 9 am
Monday, June 15 - Deadline for Newsletter

06/08/2026

06/05/2026

Join us for worship at 9:00am in person or online.

From Pastor Phil
A Time of Blessings
This Sunday, we will bless our graduates, giving thanks for their journeys and accomplishments. We will also bless our SALT Trip participants, praying for their safety and their learning.

We are having a number of funerals in or related to our congregation right now. Blessings for people in grief are often reminders that they are not alone in their grief, and that God’s love is with us whatever we face, in this life or the next.

If we are doing church correctly, maybe blessing is our job description. To bless God is one of the biblical phrases meaning to give thanks and to worship. To bless one another is to share that love of God.

So, I do hereby declare that this is a season of blessings. When we lift up one another. When we build one another up in love. When we hear for ourselves that God’s love is greater than what we face. For God’s love is not limited by our successes or our failures, our jubilations or our griefs.

Be blessed.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Phil

Vacation Bible School is Coming!
Join us July 7–9 from 5:30–7:30 PM for Digging In and Growing Deep, an inclusive curriculum from Reconciling Ministries, co-hosted by Salem UCC and Sugar River UMC. Dinner will be provided each evening.

July 7 - Hosted by Salem UCC
July 8 - Hosted by Sugar River UMC
July 9 - Hosted by Salem UCC (cookout potluck)

Together we’ll plant a food garden of our very own, explore the mystery and wonder of nature, and reflect on themes of sharing, belonging, and community. This VBS is truly for ALL ages with adults, youth, and children all invited to participate!

Each evening will include intergenerational activities, along with time for deeper discussion or outdoor fun and games (games obviously for the adults, and serious, deep discussion for the youth and children — ha!).

Sign-up deadline: Sunday, June 22 - though limited day-of registration will be available. Email Emily Bass at [email protected] to sign up.

Pride Month at Salem UCC
Salem voted affirmatively on our Open and Affirming covenant statement in January of 2017.

Our covenant closes with this promise: We commit ourselves to the ongoing work of being an Open and Affirming (ONA) congregation, striving to demonstrate in all ways that no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome at Salem United Church of Christ.

Pride month is a celebration of inclusivity and belonging. It is also a celebration of the history and people who have valiantly fought for their basic civil rights as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Now more than ever, we need to make a bold statement proclaiming our commitment to love and welcome everyone without exception.

The newly formed Justice Ministries Team has committed to leaning more fully into our ONA covenant. We have planned ways to celebrate Pride month and show our extravagant welcome as a Christian community throughout June. We are honored to be a faith community where strangers and friends can enter our midst without fear of judgment, retribution, or alienation, knowing that they will be loved (not simply tolerated) exactly as they are.

Pronoun stickers will be available near the name tags for those who wish to add them to their Salem name tags. We will also provide information as to why pronouns matter.
Straight ally pins will also be available to add to your name tag or to take with you to wear every day.
A new banner with our ONA Covenant Statement will grace our entryway so that our commitment to extravagant welcome is obvious to anyone who comes into our building. Special thanks to John Bass and Park Printing for the banner.
Rainbow fabric will drape over the altar.

Each week during worship we will offer something special to honor Pride Month.
June 13 @ 1-6pm, Middleton Pridefest. You are invited to join our first ever Salem UCC booth at this year’s festival. Join us for some or all of the afternoon. If you are interested in joining the Salem booth or have questions please contact Sarah Pundt, John Bass, or Pastor Phil.
June 24 @ 6pm, Mount Horeb PFLAG Pride Walk. Anyone interested should meet at Foster Park (211 W Main St in Mt Horeb) and then participate in an "upbeat and festive walk along Mount Horeb's Main Street". Please contact Cari Bass with any questions.
June 28 is UCC ONA Sunday. We will offer a lay led service using UCC ONA resources and a guest lay preacher. Please contact Cari Bass to join this lay worship team.

Our next Justice Ministries Team meeting will be June 22 @ 6:30pm via zoom. Please contact Cari Bass to receive the Zoom link and join us.

Please Use the Barbara Street Entrance to the Parking Lot
With concrete work on the Mark Drive entrance to the parking lot curing, please use the Barbara Street entrance this weekend.

Upcoming Events at Salem
Sunday, June 7 - Graduation Sunday & SALT Trip Blessing during worship, 9 am
Tuesday, June 9 - Covenant Conversation, 6 pm
Council, 7 pm
Friday, June 12 - SALT Trip departure
Saturday, June 13 - Funeral from Fred Wenger, Jr. at 11 am
(Visitation at 9:30)

05/29/2026

This Sunday we begin our summer worship hours. Join us at 9 am for worship through the summer months.
(Worship will conclude in time for you to make it to the Hometown Days Parade!)


SALT Trip Pasta Dinner and Movie Night
Tomorrow night is our SALT Trip pasta dinner and movie night. Come support out SALT Trip, eat some yummy food, and then join us for the movie Lakota Nation Vs. The United States.

Our youth will be helping to serve and clean up the dinner and will also be leading part of the discussion of the film.

Please note: the film is not rated and includes some strong language as well as mature themes related to colonization, injustice, and historical trauma.

If you plan to attend dinner, email Emily at [email protected].
All are welcome!

In addition, the Mission Committee is supporting the youth in their efforts to improve the quality of life for those who call the reservation home by accepting donations. The Pine Ridge
Reservation is one of the largest and most impoverished reservations in the United States. There is widespread poverty, high unemployment, and a third of the homes lack electricity, water, and sewage systems.
Approximate costs for some of the projects our
youth will be working on are:
Bunk bed $200
Outhouse $250
Entry stairs $300
Wheelchair ramp $1,400+
Trailer skirting $1,500+
Salem will be accepting donations until June 7.
Monetary donations will go toward the purchase of materials needed for our youth to build these items. (Make checks out to Salem and note Pine Ridge on the memo.)
Funds to build these items is our priority, but we
will also be accepting small personal care items
that the youth can take with them. These items
include toothpaste, especially toddler toothpaste, toothbrushes (including small youth sizes), deodorant, and bar soap without
a strong scent.

Blood Drive Results
On Tuesday, the Red Cross collected 30 products, meeting our goal. A third of the donors who came were Salem members. Our faithful volunteers were there as always.

Sandi Rost made wonderful oatmeal cookies but delivered them to the Smiths’ house in an unlocked container. Doug confesses, “Most … well many … okay, several made it to the church.”

Thank you to everyone who participated.

Our next blood drive will be August 19th.

New and Returning Members - May 31 following worship
People who are interested in becoming members of Salem UCC, as well as people returning to church, please gather in the Conference Room after worship on May 31.

Salem UCC will be at Middleton Pride Fest from 1-6 on Saturday, June 13.

Let Pastor Phil know if you want to help out, be at our table, hand out fun goodies and talk with people.

This Week at Salem
Saturday, May 30 - SALT Trip Pasta Dinner and Movie Night, 5-9PM Sunday, Sunday, May 31 - WORSHIP AT 9 AM begins for the
summer
New and Returning Members after worship
Wednesday, June 3 - Caring Community at noon

05/26/2026

Summer Worship time starts this Sunday, May 31. Join us in person or on-line at 9 am.

05/23/2026

"Each and every thing we do to extend compassion, to blaze a path toward justice, to stem hatred and make blessedly real our love of neighbor is a crucial building block of peacemaking in our time."

-Rev. Shari Prestemon
Associate General Minister, Love of Neighbor & Co-Executive of Global Ministries

👉🏾 Read the full Witness for Justice message: https://ow.ly/2jif50Z3f3K

05/23/2026

Join us for faith formation at 9:00am and worship in person or online at 10:15am.

From Pastor Phil:

Memorial Day
Memorial Day began in many different locations at different times. Two early examples were formerly enslaved people who marched in honor of the Union soldiers who had died in Charleston, SC and the dedication of the cemetery in Gettysburg, PA. From these and other ways of honoring those who had died in service to our nation, a single national commemoration and then a national holiday were declared.

In my family, for many years, this was also be a time when we would go and decorate the graves of our forebears, whether they had died in the service or not.

When I look back at the family members who have died, I see a grandfather who was a Methodist minister and District Superintendent and a great-grandfather who was a Presbyterian evangelist. My grandfather got extra gasoline rations during World War 2, so that he could drive to several churches each Sunday, as well as make visits during the week. My great-grandfather founded churches in Texas, traveling on horseback.

I sometimes wonder what they would think about doing pastoral care via cellphone, text, or email, and using Zoom for church meetings. Or having air conditioning in the sanctuary in the summer. Or writing sermons on a computer, and nearly every church broadcasting worship out to computers and TV all around the world.

What we are able to do is not simply a product of the technology of our day. We stand upon the shoulders of those who came before us. We learn from their example, sometimes what to do, sometimes what not to do.

But mostly we give thanks for those whose lives made possible our lives, and whose calling paved the way for our own.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Phil

All-Church Dinner and Movie Night - Saturday, May 30 from 5-9PM
Join us for an All-Church Dinner & Movie Night on Saturday, May 30 from 5:00–9:00 PM, hosted by Salem Youth, the Justice Ministry Team, and the Mission Committee. Our youth will provide a spaghetti dinner and clean up afterward while the congregation gathers in the sanctuary to watch Lakota Nation vs. The United States.

Following the film, Salem Youth and the Justice Ministry Team will help facilitate a conversation about the film, its connection to the SALT Trip, and what it means for Salem’s own journey of faith and justice. Please join us to support our youth and engage an important and challenging part of our shared history that continues to shape lives today.

Please note: the film is not rated and includes some strong language as well as mature themes related to colonization, injustice, and historical trauma.

If you plan to attend dinner, please email Emily at [email protected] or sign up on one of the clipboards in Fellowship Hall so we can prepare enough food.

All are welcome!

New and Returning Members - May 31 following worship
People who are interested in becoming members of Salem UCC, as well as people returning to church, are invited to gather after worship on May 31.

If you missed the first meeting, you are absolutely still welcome to come. We will continue with introductions and then talk about how we do stuff at Salem and how you can be a part of it.

We want to have both new and returning members together so that connections can be made, names put to faces, and we can discuss where the church is now.

Volunteer Opportunities at Middleton Pride Fest
Middleton Pride Fest is on Saturday, June 13, and they are asking for help from volunteers for 1-2 hour shifts throughout the day to help check in vendors, welcome/count attendees, and host the selfie station.

Volunteer sign up can be found here: https://www.middletonwipride.org/volunteer

Upcoming Events at Salem
Friday, May 22 - Contemplative Community is on hiatus

Sunday, May 24 - Last Faith Formation Hour of the season, 9 am
Worship, 10:15 am

Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 26 - Scouts 6 pm
Faith Formation Meeting (BOCE) via Zoom, 6:30

Wednesday, May 27 - Bible Study, 2 pm
BRC rehearsal, 6:15 pm

Saturday, May 30- All-Church Dinner and Movie Night, 5-9PM

Sunday, May 31 - WORSHIP AT 9 AM begins for the summer
New and Returning Members after worship

05/15/2026

Faith Formation hour begins at 9:00am. Music Sunday worship begins at 10:15 in person or online. Join us!

From Pastor Phil:

Music
Music does stuff nothing else can.

Many years ago, the church I was serving went in December and carolled at several care facilities. At a memory care unit one woman listened to us sing with no visible response or even acknowledgment that we were there. And then we sang Silent Night. I looked over and she was quietly singing along. Except she wasn’t singing Silent Night. She was singing Stille Nacht.

The area we were in had a large, mostly older population of immigrants from Germany. Chances were good that she had learned this song as a child.

Music is tied to different parts of the brain than simple speech. It is linked to memory in different ways, too.

Singing together, whether with a trained voice or just making a joyful noise, means we are all breathing together as well.

Every Sunday, we use music to help us worship God. This Sunday, we will let music offer the message, lift our praise, be our prayer, and draw us again close to God.

Please join us.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Phil

Congregational Meeting
To the Congregation Members of Salem:

Today, Salem has an endowment fund. It is a mutual fund investment account held by the United Church Foundation. This endowment was created in the early 2000s to receive gifts and bequeaths, to house the funds for future initiatives of Salem, and to distribute proceeds to various projects and needs deemed important by Salem. Today, the current assets of the endowment fund consist of funds received as special gifts and bequests designated to the endowment fund. Its current balance is $198,887.33 as of February 28, 2026.

The Finance Committee reviewed the account and its performance, and concluded there are potential better investment choices for this money. The committee has recommended to the Church Council that the endowment fund be transferred to a new investment account. It will be managed under more local control by Salem. This will allow the congregation improved performance and easier access to the funds. This endowment account will be kept separate from the current investment accounts. It will still have guidelines for its use and its annual distributions.

Existing endowment guidelines announcing the intention to make adjustments to the endowment account require that the proposed changes be made known to the congregation over a period of two months. The announcement process commenced in March at the Council level. Guidelines also require a vote by the congregation to make these changes.

The Council is in agreement with this recommendation, and will bring the proposal to the congregation for a vote on May 17, immediately following worship.

Recitals
The piano and voice students of our choir director Kelly Garrow will be performing their spring recitals tomorrow and Sunday.

Everyone is invited on Saturday at 2 and 6 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm.

Spring Church Clean-Up Thank Yous
Thank you to everyone who showed up and helped spruce up the church last Saturday. Church members and Scouts did yeoman’s duty and we appreciate it.

Men’s Group
You are invited to join us this coming Thursday at 6 pm at Frank Westphal’s house.
Y’all come!

New and Returning Members - May 31 following worship
People who are interested in becoming members of Salem UCC, as well as people returning to church, are invited to gather after worship on May 31.

If you missed the first meeting, you are absolutely still welcome to come. We will continue with introductions and then talk about how we do stuff at Salem and how you can be a part of it.

We want to have both new and returning members together so that connections can be made, names put to faces, and we can discuss where the church is now.

Always There Fair Thank You
Amelia McConnell, one of the coordinators of the Always There Fair, sent Salem a thank you for being a part of this first ever event in Verona.

She writes that highlights of the event include being able to help:
-share 40 tables' worth of resources and supportive systems in our schools and community
-people of all ages, newborn through 80 years old, reach resources, new friends and free swag
-meet our community members, staff and students, our mayor and our favorite Queens
-150 people enjoy a free event with their family, in a safe and loving space
-50 people dance for two hours with Zumba instructors from across the state
-raise $1,000: $500 for the Verona Area High School GSA and $500 for PFLAG Madison

Upcoming Events at Salem
Friday, May 15 - Contemplative Community is on hiatus
Saturday, May 16 - Jayana Pankonin Recitals, 9:30 am
Kelly Garrow Recitals, 2 pm and 6 pm
Sunday, May 17 - Faith Formation Hour, 9 am
Choral Warmups, 9:30 am
Music Sunday, 10:15 am
Congregational Meeting after worship
Kelly Garrow Recital, 2 pm
Monday, May 18 - Scouts 6:30 & 7
Tuesday, May 19 - Protecting Places of Worship, 8 am-12:15 pm
Scouts 6 & 6:30
Music Committee Meeting via Zoom, 6:30
Wednesday, May 20 - Bible Study, 2 pm
BRC rehearsal, 6:15 pm
Friday, May 22 - Newsletter Deadline
Sunday, May 24 - Faith Formation Hour, 9 am
Pentecost Sunday Worship, 10:15 am

05/09/2026

Join us for faith formation at 9:00am and worship in person or online at 10:15am.

From Pastor Phil:
Confirmation Sunday
This Sunday is Confirmation Sunday. All six of our confirmands were baptized as infants. At that time, their parents and godparents made vows on their behalf. This Sunday will be their opportunity to say for themselves how they want to be a part of this community of faith.

I never went through confirmation. We had an investiture class at my church. Like confirmation, we studied, we learned, we asked questions, and we were invested with discipleship in Christ. But even with the name difference, the idea was the same. We come to a point in our lives when we can begin to answer for ourselves. We can start to say for ourselves who we are and what we believe.

Somewhere along the way, Confirmation got confused with graduation. As though once you are confirmed, you have graduated from Sunday School, and perhaps church in general.

I think a much better way of thinking about Confirmation is like an old school black belt in the Japanese martial arts. In recent years, and especially in the US, a black belt has often been seen as the end goal. But in old school martial arts, the black belt was literally the first level. Meaning, you now have the basics down, so now you are ready to begin to really learn.

Confirmation is not an end goal. It is a mark of progress, a deepening of understanding, a readiness to do more learning and growing.

Because none of us are done with our faith. There are no credentials one can earn that end the journey of learning to better walk with Jesus.

Confirmation is a recommitment of baptism. As such, it is something we can do again at any point in our lives.

So let us join this Sunday with our Confirmands, their families, and their sponsors, as we celebrate this step in their journey of faith.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Phil

Music Sunday - May 17
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.”

Music is such a highlight and an integral part of worship at Salem.

Join us next Sunday when our church will once again resonate with the music of our bells and voices as we worship God with music and song.

New and Returning Members - May 31 following worship
Salem UCC will be hosting another meeting for people who may want to join our congregation as members, as well as for members who have come back to Salem recently. When we welcome new members, we’d like to pair each with a mentor who can be a go-to person (in addition to everyone you might already know!) within Salem to help build connections. If you would like to be a mentor, please contact Pastor Phil.

If you happened to miss the first meeting, no worries- you are still quite welcome! This next meeting will be spent talking about how we do stuff here at Salem, and how you might find meaningful ways of being a part of the community. We want to have both new and returning members together so that connections can be made, names put to faces, and we can discuss where the church is now.

Upcoming Events at Salem
Friday, May 8 - Scouts, 6 pm
Contemplative Community, 6:30 pm
Saturday, May 9 - Spring Church Clean-Up, 9 to noon
Always There Fair, 9 to noon
Sunday, May 10 - Faith Formation Hour, 9 am
BRC, 9:30 am
CONFIRMATION SUNDAY with Holy Communion, 10:15 am
Monday, May 11 - Scouts 6:30 & 7
Tuesday, May 12 - Scouts 6
Finance Committee, 6 pm
Council, 7 pm
Wednesday, May 13 - Bible Study, 2 pm
BRC rehearsal, 6:15 pm
Handbell Choir, 6:30
Chancel Choir, 7 pm
Thursday, May 14 - ` Scouts, 5 pm
Friday, May 15 - Contemplative Community, 6:30 pm
Saturday, May 16 - Pankonin Piano Recitals, 9:30 am
Kelly Garrow Recitals, 2 pm and 6 pm
Sunday, May 17 - Faith Formation Hour, 9 am
MUSIC SUNDAY, 10:15 am

05/09/2026

Having an amazing morning at the Always There Fair. Thank you Verona for being an inclusive place.