Sunday Services
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This Week:
“Between Us” 7/6/2025
In the end, all the elements of a religious and spiritual life – the practices and beliefs, the things we learn, the ways in which we change, what we yearn for and need, and more – lead into how we exist in relation to ourselves, others and Life. What we do, think and feel, affect what occurs between us. For thirteen years this has been my framework, shared in writing and preaching. This morning let’s think about interdependence, and I’ll aim to summarize what I’ve learned with you and from you.
We’ll also take time to reflect on the huge project of renovation of our classroom wing, now almost finished. We’ll extend our thanks and appreciation to the volunteers who made it possible, and invite all to have a tour of the renewed spaces after the service.
With Rev. Jill McAllister
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Services This Month
July 6 – “Between Us” Rev. Jill McAllister
July 13 – Celebration of Shared Ministry Rev. Jill McAllister
July 20 – “Change Happens” Rev. Leslie Chartier
July 27 “Not Soap Box Sunday” Susan Sanford and others
From the Minister
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Another huge blow to the health and well-being of Americans – and others, and the Earth — this week. With the approval in Congress of this terrible bill – called ‘Beautiful’ as an indicator of cultural insanity — an era of cruelty, greed, exclusion, vengeance, inequity and injustice is re-affirmed. These are clearly the values of those who dominate the power structure of our country right now. But dominant values are not the only values, and never have been. We must take some time to feel the pain and the fear, we must take time to grieve and lament, and then we must find our footing again and return to love.
To return to love is to be ever more clear about our values of justice and compassion, inclusion and generosity, reason and wisdom and peace. To examine our own lives ever more closely and deeply to discover our own contradictions, our own edges for growth. To take risks for our values, to join voices with others for our values, to practice and teach and embody our values without ceasing.
As a good next step, tomorrow, Monday July 7, you’re invited to join in a workshop on Creative Lament – a form of medicine for these times – offered by our Religious Exploration (RE) department. Registration is required. See This Week At UUFC for more information.
This Week at UUFC
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Meeting on the Landscape Planning Process, 7/6
We are people with ideas. In a congregation-wide series of meetings held last August and September, many of us shared our ideas about what our landscape should look like, the elements it should contain, the purposes it should support and the values it should uphold. A small group (Joyce Federiuk, Mona Hotchkiss and Ginger Chatfield) has taken the group input and put it into a form that we can more easily consider and prioritize.
Jill is convening a group meeting on Sunday, July 6 at 4pm at the UUFC to complete this process. Our goal is to identify our most important priorities so that ultimately, they can be shared with a professional landscape architect to use in creating a master plan for the property. This will be done in tandem with any building expansion that we may undertake.
Please plan to attend this meeting if you had interest and input in the prior meetings. The intention is to vote on the priorities previously identified – rather than add in new elements or lobby for favorite items. Hope to see you there!
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Creative Lament Workshop, 7/7
“Welcoming our sorrow eases the hardened places within us, allowing them to open and freeing us to once more feel our kinship with the living presence around us. This is deep activism, soul activism that actually encourages us to connect with the tears of the world. Grief keeps the heart flexible, fluid, and open to others… Our activism is directly connected to our heart’s ability to respond to the world. A congested heart, one burdened with unexpressed sorrow, cannot stay open to the world, and consequently, cannot be fully available for the healing work so needed at this time.” – Frances Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow:
WHEN: July 7th @ 6:00-8:00
WHERE: Social Hall
WHAT: Workshop offered by Skyla to explore lamentation — the ancient practice of passionately expressing sorrow through language and art. Participants will engage with a formal structure for writing a personal lament and artistically express their grief in the format of a small zine. No artistic skills are needed, and all supplies will be provided.
This workshop was generously provided to religious professionals around the nation by Rev. JaKaren Bell and the UU College of Social Justice, with the invitation to teach this practice in our home congregations. It is our hope that this spiritual practice will provide spiritual sustenance to fuel your justice work.
All youth and adults are welcome.
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Plans for Rev. Jill’s Last Weekend, 7/11–13
Rev. Jill’s official last weekend with the UUFC will be Friday, July 11 through Sunday, July 13, 2025.
At 7 PM on Friday July 11, in the sanctuary, we will have music from a variety of our favorite UUFC musicians, and a light ‘roast’ of Jill.
At 5 PM on Saturday July 12, we will have a congregational picnic outside on our north lawn.
At 10 AM on Sunday July 13, we will celebrate with Jill as she leads her last service with us.
If you have questions about these events, contact Mark Aron or other members of the Committee on Ministry.
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Men’s Retreat, 10/3-5
Two things are brand new for the annual Men’s Retreat this fall – 1) it’s in a new location – Camp Harlow, just north of Eugene (barely an hour’s drive!); and 2) it’s earlier than in past years – OCTOBER 3-5. So mark your calendar now!
Our theme this year is “Sharing the Story of Your Life Journey.” Your story shapes you through your challenges, successes, regrets, and lessons learned. It affects how you look at yourself in the mirror, prepare for the day ahead, and engage in your community. Your story connects you with your deepest self and with others. It gives you meaning, purpose, and direction. At this year’s Men’s Retreat we will explore our stories, listen to one another, and consider what our stories teach us about ourselves, our life journeys, and our connections to the wider community.
Registration information will be available in August. For more information, contact one of the Retreat Planning Team: Alan Kirk, Jeff Martin, Nick Houtman, John Swanson, Mike Jager.
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Movie night: “Milk”, the story of Harvey Milk, 7/13
Queerly Beloved July meet up
Sunday July 13, 2025 4:00-7:30 PM, UUFCJoin the Sexuality and Gender Diversity Team for a viewing of the inspiring movie “Milk” starring Sean Penn, telling the story of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk in the 1970s.
Movie will start at 4:00 PM, followed by pizza and a discussion, so plan to stay late! Pizza is provided; if you can bring a drink or snack to share, we welcome it.
This movie is rated R. If you need childcare for small children, please contact the Grandfolks Squad.
All are WELCOME – you don’t have to be gay to enjoy this movie! 🙂
Questions: contact Anya Ballinger
Announcements
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Women’s Retreat Workshop Proposals
The Women’s Retreat Planning Team is looking for women who would volunteer to lead a 50-minute workshop on a practice that brings them peace. Workshops will be offered at the UUFC on Saturday, October 18 at 11 am, 3pm, or 4pm. We hope to be able to offer a variety of different things, such as:
- Spiritual practices – e.g. ritual, music, meditation
- Body practices – e.g. breathwork, yoga, walking
- Creativity practices – e.g. arts, words, crafts
- Climate practices – e.g. sustainability in home & consumer habits, gardening & land work
- Economic practices – e.g. data and dollar practices that support agency and peace
- Relationship practices – e.g. healthy boundaries, generosity, interaction games
If you’ve got a proposal to offer our retreat community, please submit it before Sept. 21 by clicking the button below and filling out the form.
You can contact the Women’s Retreat Team at womensretreat@uucorvallis.org.
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Greeter Team is Ready!
It’s summer time and the Greeter Team is ready for action! If you would like to join this up-beat team, please contact anyone at the Greeter desk, or contact the team lead via the button below. We can all use a helping hand.
Beyond the mechanics of opening the door or preparing a name tag, greeters provide a friendly face, a warm handshake, and a welcoming greeting. We may offer guidance to the sanctuary, distribute bulletins, answer questions, and help with any immediate needs.
See you Sunday!
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Outreach Offerings for July
Our Sunday Outreach offerings in July support DRUUMM – Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries – which is a Unitarian Universalist People of Color Ministry and anti-racist collective. As an all-volunteer ministry, DRUUMM continues to lead efforts to fulfill the aims of becoming an anti-racist, anti oppressive, multicultural UUA, creating space for youth, young adult and our families of color to heal and work collectively, and steward an effective organization that develops new leadership and manages consistent communication with members. DRUUMM is a collective of people who identify as People of Color. Allies are welcome and organized as Allies for Racial Equity. Together we are open to all people. At the Fellowship, our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Justice Team works in partnership with DRUUMM.
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Classroom Wing July update
We did it! The volunteer work of painting the interior of the classroom wing is complete!
A HUGE THANK YOU to the ~50 volunteers who helped paint the Classroom Wing – some multiple times! It looks great and you saved the UUFC a huge amount of money! Another thank you to those who lent equipment and materials for this work. Please pick up the items you lent from the counter in Room 6C. If something is broken or missing, contact Wolfgang.
Here’s the plan for upcoming activities:
Professional painters the week of July 7 – 11 to paint the black fire-sprinkler pipes and external siding.Deep cleaning every room July 12 – 18
Some cleaning by Felicia Torres, our custodian
Other cleaning by volunteers (look for signup forms in July!)July 19 Move stored items from rental space and Wolfgang’s shed to UUFC
July 20 Move stored items from private homes to UUFC
July 21-30 Restore blinds, bulletin boards, shelf units, cover plates
The preschool will move back into the classroom wing some time in August. Exact dates to be determined.
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Best Practices with Service Animals
Part of being a safe and welcoming community for everyone who chooses to be in covenant with us is learning about how to be awesome with service animals when they are present. Curious about best practice when you encounter a service animal out and about? We’ve got you covered!
- Notice when an animal is in a service vest, signaling that it is not a pet, but a working companion.
- Ask the human how the service dog helps them and get permission before interacting with the service dog.
- Speak directly to the human, not the service dog.
- Give extra personal space to the service dog and its person.
- Always assume the service dog is busy working, not off duty.
More information is available from Guide Dogs of America to deepen your understanding and skills. Thanks for helping us live our values of inclusivity!
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Time to Set Up your ’25-’26 Pledge Fulfillment
Thank you to all who pledged to support the UUFC in 2025-26. That support enables our Fellowship to pursue its mission: Explore. Love. Act. We gather as an inclusive religious community to search for meaning, build deep connections, and inspire action toward a better world for all.
Fiscal Year 2025-26 begins on July 1st, and it is now time for Step 2 in the stewardship process: updating your contribution payment method and assigning it to Pledge ‘25-’26. If you authorized us -– the UUFC treasurer or business manager – to update your pledge payment in Breeze, that is being done.
If you chose to do the update yourself, please do so by July 1, but wait until after your final pledge payment for ’24-’25 has completed. Instructions on how to do the update can be viewed by clicking the button below, but if you need additional help, email <treasurer@uucorvallis.org> or <businessmgr@uucorvallis.org>.
A final ask: please email <treasurer@uucorvallis.org> once you have updated your pledge, saying that you have done so.
Thank you.
Michael Hughes <treasurer@uucorvallis.org> -
RE Summer Newsletter
Greetings, Families!
We made it through another fabulous Fellowship year! 🙌 With some of your favorite RE activities on summer hiatus, you might be wondering what other opportunities are coming for children, youth, and families. Well, wonder no more!
Grab your calendars and get ready for summer goodness you won’t want to miss!
SUMMER EVENTS for FAMILIES
6/8 Family Hike at Lewisburg Saddle, 1-2PM, register here
6/23-27 Play to Your Values summer camp, 8:30 to 11:30 on the Fellowship Lawn
6/29 Corvallis Knights Game, 5-8ish at Goss Stadium, register here
7/6 Sunday Morning Kids’ Lemonade Stand, during and after the service
7/13 Family Hike at Fitton Green, 1-2PM, register here
8/3 Sunday Morning Sidewalk Chalk Values, during the service for kids
8/10 Family Hike and Splash at Mary’s River Natural Area, 1-3PM register here
8/16 Outdoor movie night and camping on the lawn, 9PM register here
8/24 Ice Cream Social, 7PM on Fellowship Lawn, register here
SUMMER EVENT for YOUTH
8/24 Youth kickoff river float, noon to whenever, register here
More information about our events can be found below, and info for all events can be found at uucorvallis.org by clicking “News” in the menu bar and then selecting “RE Council” from the drop down menu.
The second Sunday of each month, June through August, we’ll be hosting a family hike. We ask that families preregister so that we know who to wait for at the trailhead, and hikes with fewer than 2 registered families will be canceled via text.
We’ll be starting with Lewisburg Saddle and a little visit to the spot my family calls Salamander Heaven because there are tons of salamanders to see. Then we’ll hit Fitton Green in July. We’ll wrap up the summer with a short walk followed by a splash in a bend in the river that has shallows for little humans and a deeper pool for our confident swimmers on the back side of Mary’s River Natural Area.
Exciting news! The youth will have a dedicated youth room in September and they’ve chosen a wild accent wall to paint themselves. We will begin painting this Sunday and continue on Sundays until the job is done. Please have youth arrive in clothes that can get paint on them.
On the first Sunday of each month, we will have a multiage activity for the kids. In July, we’ll prepare a lemonade stand again to raise money for the charitable organization that the children vote to give to. In August, we’ll spend some time on the playground talking about our shared values and what they mean to us, and then sidewalk chalk the heck out of firwood entrance with 6 word statements about our values.
If you’re nervous about having the kids in the sanctuary again, know that you’ll have relief on the first Sunday of each month!
In addition to hikes and during-service activities, we have a couple of night time activities that are open to the entire congregation, and geared specifically toward families.
On June 29th, we’ll have a ballpark night with the Knights. Buy a ticket and join us in section 2 so we can sing and cheer and eat junk together. Register for that event HERE.
And on August 16th, we’re going to show the classic My Girl on an outdoor movie screen and you’re invited to camp on the lawn and show up to the service in your jammies the next day. Registration for the movie night with camping is HERE. You do not have to camp to come enjoy the movie!
It’s been so much fun getting to know your children over the course of this last year. They are delightful in all the ways and it’s the biggest honor to get to spend time with them week after week and get to know their quirks and gifts.
Thank you for raising such amazing humans and for being committed to doing it in community!
Before you go, some parents have requested to be contacted about RE happenings via text. Our church management software allows for that, but only once you’ve opted in. If you are interested in receiving things like this newsletter via text, please use this form to opt into that service. And please communicate with me about how it’s going if you opt in. Breeze can be a bit fussy, so this will be a new experiment. I’ll be counting on your feedback!
And as always, if you’d like to stop receiving updates about Fellowship RE activities, email me and let me know.
Happy June, Y’all!
Plan Ahead
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Men’s Retreat, 10/3-5
Two things are brand new for the annual Men’s Retreat this fall – 1) it’s in a new location – Camp Harlow, just north of Eugene (barely an hour’s drive!); and 2) it’s earlier than in past years – OCTOBER 3-5. So mark your calendar now!
Our theme this year is “Sharing the Story of Your Life Journey.” Your story shapes you through your challenges, successes, regrets, and lessons learned. It affects how you look at yourself in the mirror, prepare for the day ahead, and engage in your community. Your story connects you with your deepest self and with others. It gives you meaning, purpose, and direction. At this year’s Men’s Retreat we will explore our stories, listen to one another, and consider what our stories teach us about ourselves, our life journeys, and our connections to the wider community.
Registration information will be available in August. For more information, contact one of the Retreat Planning Team: Alan Kirk, Jeff Martin, Nick Houtman, John Swanson, Mike Jager.
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Movie night: “Milk”, the story of Harvey Milk, 7/13
Queerly Beloved July meet up
Sunday July 13, 2025 4:00-7:30 PM, UUFCJoin the Sexuality and Gender Diversity Team for a viewing of the inspiring movie “Milk” starring Sean Penn, telling the story of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk in the 1970s.
Movie will start at 4:00 PM, followed by pizza and a discussion, so plan to stay late! Pizza is provided; if you can bring a drink or snack to share, we welcome it.
This movie is rated R. If you need childcare for small children, please contact the Grandfolks Squad.
All are WELCOME – you don’t have to be gay to enjoy this movie! 🙂
Questions: contact Anya Ballinger