The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis
Weeklies – Text Only
WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS – text only
Sunday Services
This Week:
February 15, 2026 – Love
What do we need to talk about in our Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on the day after Valentine’s Day? Come find out!
Rev. Alex McGee will preach
Services This Month
February 15: Love
What do we need to talk about in our Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on the day after Valentine’s Day? Come find out!
Rev. Alex McGee will preach
February 22: Shelter and Community Care
For several decades, Corvallis has grappled with challenges of what it means to have safe housing for all and shelter accessible to those in need. This UU Fellowship has played a role in many ways. Come reflect on the history of the congregation’s collaboration with Unity Shelter, current local issues, and what might be possible in the future.
Shawn Collins, Executive Director of Unity Shelter, will be our guest speaker. Shawn got his first look at the realities of homelessness and poverty in the Willamette Valley through his volunteer experiences at the South Corvallis Food Bank. After leaving HP in 2016, Shawn worked at United Way of Benton & Lincoln Counties, as the Program Manager for the Housing Opportunities Action Council (HOAC) through 2019. He was instrumental in securing the site that would become the Corvallis Men’s Shelter in 2017.
March 1: Inspiration from our Partner Church in Transylvania
Last Fall, several members of UUFC went to visit our Partner Church in Transylvania. Today they will share information, illumination, and inspiration: history of partner churches at UUFC; how they observed resilience in action; how Unitarianism there reflects Christian roots; and rituals that were transformative.
Janet Throop, Linda Bruslind, Scott Bruslind, and Patricia Parcells will speak.
From the Minister
Feb 7, 2026, from Rev. Alex McGee
Making up after a fight, repairing a relationship after rupture — these can be some of the toughest learning curves for humans.
I will preach on Reconciliation on Sunday. One tool I will use is a seven-step model from Dr. Hizkias Assefa, who is a Professor in the Conflict Transformation Programme, at Eastern Mennonite University. He works from his base in Nairobi as a mediator and facilitator in civil war situations in many parts of Africa.
But, I believe his seven steps can apply to situations right in your home, your family, this congregation, and this town.
Here are the seven steps that he has found necessary:
Honest acknowledgment of the harm/injury each party has inflicted on the other;
Sincere regrets and remorse for the injury done:
Readiness to apologize for one’s role in inflicting the injury;
Readiness of the conflicting parties to ‘let go’ of the anger and bitterness caused by the conflict and the injury;
Commitment by the offender not to repeat the injury;
Sincere effort to redress past grievances that caused the conflict and compensate the damage caused to the extent possible;
Entering into a new mutually enriching relationship.
(Source: The Meaning of Reconciliation by Hizkias Assefa. Published inPeople Building Peace- 35 Inspiring Stories from Around the World (by European Centre for Conflict Prevention, 1999)
I look forward to hearing from you about how these work for you. Feel free to make an appointment to talk. My email is rev.alex.mcgee@uucorvallis.org.
With care, Rev. Alex
Alex is serving UUFC in the role of Interim Minister and began in August 2025.
This Week at UUFC
Digital Literacy & Safety, 2/11
3 PM on Wednesday, February 11 in the Sanctuary.
This workshop will focus on digital literacy and keeping yourself safe online. With the advances of technology in social media and AI, the scams being used have advanced with them and are more effective than ever. We’ll spend time talking about websites asking you to “agree” to things (and why you don’t actually need to), dealing with a variety of phone call scam tactics, and keeping your accounts and identity safe online. Feel free to bring your phones, laptops, and tablets if you’d like.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
Global Partners Team meeting, 2/8
The next meeting of the Global Partners Team is on Sunday, February 8 at 11:45 AM in Room 3.
The Global Partners Team (previously known as the Partner Church Team) commits to sustaining long-term relationships with Unitarian and UU communities worldwide. Cultivating authentic personal relationships deepens our understanding of faith. Exchanging ideas and experiences makes human rights and religious freedom real and relevant.
Come join us as we build and strengthen our many relationships. Contact Team lead Heather E for more information.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
Legato Potluck, 2/11
Let’s create and nurture sustainable relations by enjoying a meal together. Join the choir and band for the potluck on Wednesday, February 11 at 6:30 PM in the Social Hall. Come early if you can help set up tables.
Bring a dish to share (please identify all ingredients), a serving utensil (if needed) AND YOUR OWN PLACE SETTING & WATER BOTTLE – this is a low impact meal.
This is a Connect Up Event with the purpose of building community within the UUFC congregation.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
Eliot Summer Camp Information Session, 2/8
The UUFC Endowment team is offering scholarships to help individuals and families attend an Eliot Institute summer camp this year. Attend this information session in the Sanctuary at 11:45 AM. There will be a short video, Q&A with camp attendees, and scholarship forms available. See the Eliot website https://www.eliotinstitute.org for more information, or contact Linda Hardison. The UUFC scholarship form is available to download below; deadline for submitting your application is Monday, March 9.
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
Birdseed Winter Wreath Fundraiser, 2/8 & 2/15
Elaine K. is making beautiful Birdseed Winter Wreaths as a fundraiser to buy stamps for the Democracy Action Team’s 2026 letter writing project. This project will educate voters who have fallen into disinformation and will get out the vote for this year’s primary and general election. Wreaths will be available in the Social Hall after Sunday Service, costing $15 for a small wreath and $30 for a large one; cash or check only.
In the 2024 election 53 writers at the Fellowship wrote a total of 25,530 letters and postcards. Rigorous studies have shown handwritten letters to be an effective way to increase voting. We started writing educational postcards in early January. Eventually we will write by Zoom, in person, and on our own, and have fun doing it! Stop by the Democracy Action Table if you want packets of postcards for writing.
Red Cross Blood Drive, 2/13
The UUFC is hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive in the afternoon of Friday, February 13 from Noon to 5 PM in the Social Hall. Sign up to donate at https://www.redcrossblood.org/ – search by ZIP code 97330 and date of February 13. For questions or to volunteer as a welcomer, email Tricia B.
Announcements
Annual Giving Statements have been sent
Giving Statements for 2025 have been sent to all donors whose information is in Breeze. Anonymous donations are not captured in giving statements, which includes cash placed in the offering baskets during Sunday Worship. If you gave money to the Fellowship in 2025 you should have received a giving statement. Please check the email account you have listed in Breeze for an email from businessmgr@uucorvallis.org with the subject “2025 Giving Statement from UUFC”. Be sure to check your spam folder as well. If you cannot find a giving statement in your email, and you are certain you should get one, contact Stephanie Haines at businessmgr@uucorvallis.org.
Join a Chalice Circle
A new Chalice Circle is forming beginning in March. They will meet 2 Saturdays a month at 3 PM. Anyone interested in joining this circle please contact chalicecircles@uucorvallis.org.
RE Newsletter for February
“Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.” ― Henry David
Thoreau Greetings, Families! The shortest month with the longest shadows has arrived, and our hearts are tender from all we’ve been holding. Let us re-center love this month, not in the glittery, greeting-card way, but in the steady, courageous way that shows up when the world needs us most. And because everything is easier as a village, I invite you to pull out your calendars and make note of these opportunities to gather in love and learning!
UPCOMING EVENTS: 2/8 Family Breakfast @ 8:45 (register HERE and bring a dish if you are able) 2/8 Eliot Family Camp Q&A session after RE pickup in the sanctuary 2/12 Parent Connection Dinner @ 6:30 (register HERE, one time only, to get reminders)
PLAN AHEAD4/17-19 Youth Coast Retreat (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.
Big news! Our Endowment team has money to give as scholarships to get families to Eliot Institute’s Family Camp! We’re excited to use these funds in service of getting more families to this formative and inspiring gathering, so please don’t hesitate to apply! To help you decide if Eliot would be right for you (spoiler, it would be!), Linda Hardison will be showing an informational video and answering all your burning Eliot questions after you pickup your children from RE on February 8th. Please consider attending if you’re at all curious about family camping opportunities in a UUI context!
The annual Youth Coast Retreat is around the corner, and you don’t want to miss the fun! Your early registration will give us time get a rental van reservation if we need one again this year, so please check your calendars and register promptly if you are able. Youth will be staying at our usual place in Waldport, with a back door that opens right onto the beach. This is a relaxed, 2-night bonding weekend, where the youth will play collaborative games, cook together, spend time in nature, and co-create their own worship experience before coming home. I have it on Edna’s good authority that it’s the best thing they do all year. More details are in the registration link!
These are tricky times for everyone, but perhaps especially for parents who are navigating how much to shield and/or engage with our children about the things that are going on in the world. For that reason, I’ve added a page to our Family Faith Formation Toolkit with resources for parents during these challenging times. I hope you find some useful ideas there. If you have found resources useful that you’d like me to add to the list, please let me know! We’re all in this together!
In January, we spent time exploring ways we feel safe and loved, and ways to help others feel cared for. Our Spirit Play kiddos each got their own box to sit inside of, with a light and a welcome mat, and they decorated the insides with things that make them feel safe and loved, and were invited to take them home as a place to hang out whenever they want to be surrounded by things that give them the warm-fuzzies. Both our Spirit Play and Seeker Space groups built a “community of care” using our giant tinker toys. They had to come up with things that help people feel seen and cared for, and label each of the supports with one of those attributes to build a home for their community of care. If they needed more support, they had to come up with more attributes of a caring community. I read things like love, time, money, and family, among many other things that go into creating a community of care. The Seeker Space structure is still intact on the mezzanine, so pop upstairs, climb inside, and see what kind of things our kids decided are necessary for a welcoming community. It’s sure to give you a case of the heart-swells!
Occasionally, I become aware that there is a young person who really wants to attend a thing and it got scheduled for a date that they already have an obligation, or a weekend that they’re at their other parent’s house, and it really stinks! Some parents have offered me copies of their kids’ sports schedules, performance dates, and custody rhythms, and I refer to them every single time I plan an event like a service project or a retreat. It’s also great to have because we want to show up for our kids and cheer them on when they have a special event! So consider this an invitation to share, only to the extent that feels right for your family, any blackout dates on your child’s calendar (We’ve already paid for camp that week!) or events that they’d enjoy some extra support for (They would love some more fans at the basketball tournament!) and I’ll share them with the adults who directly support them in their RE spaces and refer to them before selecting dates for major events. I can’t always accommodate everyone’s schedule, but I use what I’m given to choose dates that work for as many kids as possible.
The family that serves together… builds beloved community! The Curry-Grant household is loaded with cheerful volunteers! Both Kevin and Molly serve on separate weeks in our Seeker Space. They bring calm, kind, and steadying energy to a group that can be more than a little boisterous! And Edna? She’s quick to volunteer in formal roles, when asked, but what stands out to me is the way I can always count on her to make new kids feel like they really belong. On more than one occasion, I’ve said, “Hey, Edna! We’re going to have a new kid today,” and she’s on it! I’ll see her giving a building tour, showing new kids where the snacks are, and introducing them to the other youth. Edna has the spiritual gift of hospitality! Big thanks to this family that oozes with volunteerism! We are so grateful for all you bring to our community!
There’s been so much goodness in RE in the last month, it’s hard to capture it all in pictures! One thing I want to make sure you notice, though, is that second picture. This is Pheobe, and she’s our newest childcare staff member, filling in primarily in Spirit Play when Niana is away at volleyball tournaments, but she’ll also be in the Rainbow Room from time to time when we need a sub. Phoebe has completed the child development class at the high school and is first aid and CPR certified. Most importantly, she’s got a heart for working with children! We’re lucky to have her on the team! While we’re talking about our amazing childcare providers, I want to remind all parents that we can often provide free childcare for UUFC events, given enough notice. Parents can fill out THIS FORM any time you need to request childcare for a Fellowship gathering, and I’ll do my best to assemble a care team from our fabulous pool of background-checked volunteers and youth childcare staff! I’m wishing you hope and love this month! And as always, if you need to chat, I’m just an email or a phone call away.
Outreach Offerings for February
Our February Justice Outreach Offering will support the Linn Benton NAACP. The NAACP works to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
Each month, the Fellowship gathers donations for a certain charitable cause. These are our Outreach Offerings. You can contribute to this month’s offering in a few ways:
The Kitchen team donates an assortment of sweet and savory refreshments, including gluten-free and vegan choices, for our enjoyment at the social hour following Sunday worship. These items are purchased and prepared by the team to encourage donations to the Outreach Offering. Collection baskets are always found at the ends of the refreshments table. The next time you’re eyeing something tasty on the table, consider putting a donation in the basket first to show how much you appreciate having that treat ready and waiting for you!
The UUFC Board wants YOU!
Interested in serving on the Board of Directors for the UUFC? The Board works as a group to manage the affairs, property, policies, and financial health of the Fellowship, maintaining the mission and vision over time. As a board member, your efforts and leadership can help to sustain and grow our community. We are looking for members who are excited about being part of the future of the UUFC and are inspired by Principles and Congregational Covenant of Right Relations. For more information talk to one of the members of the Nominating Committee – John Bailey, Kris Egan, Jim Good, Steve Strauss, Heather Thomas – or visit the Board information table in the Social Hall after the Sunday service.
Social Hall & Kitchen Improvement Questionnaire
The Building Enhancement team asks that everyone fill out their questionnaire about the Social Hall & Kitchen Improvement project. The questionnaire asks about a variety of uses and perceptions of the Social Hall and Kitchen, now and in the future. Your answers will help the team understand the range of thoughts and feelings the congregation holds about this project.
The questionnaire is available as a Google form accessed by clicking the button below.
This is the same questionnaire that was available on paper after worship service on Sunday, January 16.
Side with Love!
Side with Love is the Organizing Strategy Team of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
30 Days of Love is their annual celebration that runs approximately from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January through Valentine’s Day in February with weekly offerings of spiritual nourishment, political grounding, and shared practices of faith and justice, including child and family activities.
Invitation to Ordination of Karishma Gottfried, 5/16
Fellowship member Karishma Gottfried invites you to attend her ordination to Unitarian Universalist ministry on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 2 PM (Eastern time) in New York City! Those willing to travel are welcome to attend in person. The service will also be streamed online. See more details and RSVP at this link: https://partiful.com/e/r8mVpRCktdr0daerWzIU?.
Karishma Neva Gottfried grew up in the Fellowship with her sister, Malika, and her parents, Shikha and Herky Gottfried, and was active throughout high school in religious exploration classes, district youth conferences, and denominational service. Although she moved away from Corvallis to Boston in 2019 to attend Wellesley College, and then to New York to study at Union Theological Seminary, she still considers UUFC her home congregation and visits whenever she is home.
Congratulations to the Cast of 12 Angry Jurors, 3/27-3/28
A big THANK YOU for everyone who came out for Justice Theatre auditions last week. It was the biggest turnout in years, and the director has selected a great cast with lots of familiar faces.
Come see all of their hard work pay off and support free legal aid in Oregon by coming out for the show at the end of March! You can reserve pay-what-you-can tickets right here: https://buytickets.at/uufc.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
UUFC Grounds Team Meeting, 2/22
The UUFC Grounds Team is meeting on Sunday, February 22 at 11:45 AM in Room 3.
The Grounds Team will meet to discuss the big picture for 2026. What is most needed now? What is our action plan? Discussion will include a) pollinator garden installation and care, b) care of the big trees on the property, and c) improvements to our public face on Circle Blvd.
Whether your interest is in the doing or the planning, please make every effort to attend. Working together builds community as we care for our beautiful grounds!
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
