Weeklies – Text Only

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS – text only

Sunday Services

  • This Week:

    March 22, 2026 – Justice and Songs

    What is your earliest memory of singing in a group? When was a time when you felt more power and peace because of singing with others? Today’s service will explore justice songs from our UU hymnal, and we will learn two songs chosen by local Corvallis churches to learn together for those attending the March 28 march.

    Led by Claudia Hall (member lay leader) and David Servias (Music Director)

Services This Month

  • March 22, 2026 – Justice and Songs

    What is your earliest memory of singing in a group? When was a time when you felt more power and peace because of singing with others? Today’s service will explore justice songs from our UU hymnal, and we will learn two songs chosen by local Corvallis churches to learn together for those attending the March 28 march.

    Led by Claudia Hall (member lay leader) and David Servias (Music Director)

    March 29, 2026 – Gifts from Our Past

    Did you know that the roads around UUFC weren’t paved yet when the buildings were brought here? Did you know that a school in Corvallis is named after a board president? Did you know that we used to have two services so that we had enough space to run RE classes for all the kids? Come learn more about our past so we can plan our future together well. Plan to stay after service for a slide show and timeline.

    Rev. Alex McGee will preach

From the Minister

  • Our fellow spiritual communities in Corvallis are inviting us to join them …

    Rev. Alex is grateful to pass along this invitation from Rev. Gordon at the First Christian Church here in Corvallis. Getting together with our neighbors in such a time as this strengthens us as neighbors for the future. Rev. Alex looks forward to seeing you there at 11 AM on Saturday, March 28 to share in Fellowship.

    No Kings: Faith Communities Gather the Day Before Palm Sunday

    On the day before Palm Sunday, Corvallis faith communities are walking together to make the network of beloved community strong — connected, rooted, and unafraid. Join us for the No Kings rally as we march as one ecumenical body to the courthouse.

    Signs & Songs Prep — Sunday, March 22, 2:00–3:00 PM
    Join us at the First Christian Church dining room to make signs and learn the songs we’ll carry together on the march. All sign-making supplies will be provided.

    The March — Saturday, March 28
    11:00 AM — Gather at First Christian Church for music practice and sign-making. Coffee and light refreshments provided.
    11:50 AM — Walk together as an ecumenical group to the Courthouse. Gathering spot: in front of the Arts Center.

    First Christian Church will be open from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM as a rest station with coffee refills and restrooms available.

    Our Songs
    “Everybody Ought To Know” — Listen & Learn
    “It’s okay to change your mind / And you can join us / Join us here anytime.” — Listen & Learn

    We walk because we belong to each other. Come add your voice.

This Week at UUFC

  • Sheltering Our Unhoused, 3/18

    The Secure Housing and Food for All team invites you to attend a talk about current efforts to address homelessness in Benton County.

    Wednesday, March 18, 6:30-8:00 PM at the Corvallis-Benton County Library (645 NW Monroe Ave).

  • Kirtan with Kavita Kat Macmillan and Friends, 3/13

    We are thrilled to welcome Kavita Kat Macmillan back to Corvallis to share a night of Kirtan and Sacred Chant!

    This gathering offers a chance to arrive, ground, and release what no longer serves, while welcoming what is new and emerging through sound, breath, and voice. Through call-and-response and unison chanting, you’ll experience the healing vibration of mantra, the warmth of your own voice rising among others, and the steady presence of community around you.

    Kirtan is a uniquely powerful way to sing in community — it lifts the collective vibration, opens the heart, and creates a palpable field of resonance and coherence among everyone present.

    Friday, March 13 at 7 PM in the Sanctuary. Purchase tickets ahead of time at https://ticketstripe.com/corvallismarch2026.

    Childcare is available!

    Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.

  • Microshelter Tours at the Corvallis Museum, 3/20

    The Secure Housing and Food for All team invites you to visit the Corvallis Museum to hear an in-depth talk and ask questions about how Unity Shelter is meeting the needs of unhoused people in Benton County.

    Join staff from Unity Shelter for a gallery talk inside the microshelter on display at the Corvallis Museum! Learn more about this local program, and how they are helping people here in our community.

    Three dates:
    Friday, February 27th, 2026
    Friday, March 6th, 2026
    Friday, March 20th, 2026

    Drop by between 2 – 3 pm for a 15 minute tour and talk by a Unity Shelter staff member.

    Gallery talks are limited to 10 people and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The tours will repeat through the hour.

    The Secure Housing and Food for All team would also like you to know that the South Corvallis Food Bank is still in need of food. Food that is easy to heat up and/or comes in pop-open cans is highly desired. The Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center also needs donations of warm clothing.

  • An Introduction to Peace Studies and Literacy at OSU and in the Corvallis Area, 3/21

    Did you know OSU offers a Peace Studies Certificate and that there is a Peace Literacy Institute with coordinators in Corvallis? Friendship Force of Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley and the UUFC are cosponsoring an event at which we can all learn more. The meeting will be on Saturday March 21, 10 am to noon in the Sanctuary of the UUFC. OSU’s Dr. Linda Richards will tell us about the OSU Peace Studies Program and Certificate. OSU’s Dr. Shari Clough will tell us about the Peace Literacy Institute. Following these background presentations, we will explore ideas for how interested local people can engage and support these programs. All are invited to this exploratory meeting. Bring your own beverage and a snack to share if able to do so.

    Childcare is available!

    Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.

Announcements

  • UUFC Auction Donations Needed

    Our annual Services and Silent Auction is Saturday, May 16 and the theme this year is a garden party. Please join in our largest fundraiser by offering a fun service, event, or item. Do you have access to a getaway at the beach, in the mountains, or other vacation spot? These prized offerings always earn lots for our Fellowship.

    Services are a wonderful and fun way to meet other UUFC members and build community. Do you have a skill, interest, or hobby that you would like to share with others? Some possibilities: bird watching; dance lessons; singing lessons; music performances; guitar or ukulele lessons; drawing or painting opportunities; clay crafting; knitting lessons; rafting on the river; dinner for 4-12; computer help; house or window cleaning; clutter reduction; woodlands hike; homemade dinners delivered; homemade artisan breads or preserves; custom scarf or journal; gift basket; wine tasting on your patio; camping; yard work; cooking classes; gardening help; trip to the beach; anything you love. 

    Did you downsize or maybe clean out your closets this year and have some special items that you no longer want or need, such as jewelry, furniture, or artwork that you would be willing to donate?  Bonus points if your donation coordinates with this year’s theme!

    The Services and Silent Auction is a fun party. You’ll definitely want to attend. Everything you donate and everything that’s purchased goes to help support the UUFC.  Submit information about your donation(s) here, and the Fundraising Team will reach out.  Thank you!

  • Opening to Opportunity – Stewardship Drive is Off and Running

    As announced in the March UUFC journal, our 2026 Stewardship Drive has begun. All Sundays in March will provide opportunities to learn about the many contributions of both time and money that make the UUFC the resoundingly successful organization that it is and that will be needed to carry us into the future. March 8 will be “Opportunity Awaits” – an opportunity to celebrate and learn more about the many involvements of time available at the UUFC. March 15 will be a soft-launch of the pledge drive – information shared with member and friends encouraged to consider how they will be involved in Fellowship life in the coming year. March 22 will be the formal launch with the stewardship website “live” as well as in-person assistance for those desiring such. March 29 will be a history lesson on the UUFC – learn more about our past so we can plan our future together. Click here to view the stewardship drive announcement letter that contains more detail. Click here to sign up for one of the town halls on March 15, 16 or 22. Childcare is available for those making a request at least a week in advance. Opportunities await. Open yourself to them!

  • Outreach Offerings for March

    Our March Justice Outreach offering will support our Partner Congregations in Bozod Korispatak, Transylvania, which is in Romania and our Partner Congregation in Burundi, Africa.  Our partnerships are 30 and 10 years old, respectively. In that time, we primarily supported the educational pursuits of students in both locations. The UUFC has inherited a commitment to global faith partners.   As we consider the uneven local, national and worldwide terrain, it is incumbent upon us to evolve, to engage in collaborations of affection, respect, and trust with others, and to learn, support where asked, and innovate for our sake and for our children.  The Global Partners Team is the group through which the UUFC can advance our UU principles of love and justice in the world.

    Information about the Monthly Outreach Offering, as well as about UUFC Justice Teams, is posted on the bulletin board at the northeast corner of the Social Hall. Learn more about our Global Partners Team there.

    How to donate to the monthly Outreach Offering

    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:

    1. Give to the Sunday collection basket
    2. Donate online
    3. Donate to the refreshments during the social hour

    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!

Plan Ahead

  • UUFC History Town Hall, 3/29

    One of the five tasks of interim ministry is reviewing the history of the congregation. Rev. Alex and the Transitions Team have worked hard to learn our history an create this event to share it with us. They invite all members and friends to this amazing opportunity to hear about what has shaped UUFC over the decades. Come learn about the Fellowship’s history so that we can build a future together with clearer understanding of the past.

    Sunday, March 29 at 12 PM in the Sanctuary and Social Hall.

    Childcare is available!

    Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.

  • Help with the No Kings III protest, 3/28

    The Democracy Action Team seeks to help fill Corvallis streets with the largest crowd ever at No Kings III, March 28th.

    Indivisible’s plan for March 28th, is compelling and it urgently requests that citizens partner with them to build what is needed from OSU to Central Park and the Courthouse. So our request is that our Democracy Team join in by each of us signing up for the tasks we can do. Some work can be done at home.

    No Kings III will be a peaceful demonstration, starting at OSU at noon with speeches and songs, then marching along Madison Ave. to Central City Park, and ending at the Courthouse. At Central Park, there will be art and activities for the kids, as well as music at the gazebo. And at the Courthouse, back by popular demand, another Dance of Defiance. Of course, 4th St. will be filled with people waving signs the entire time.

    Remember, every protest is a food drive!

    To pull this off, the organizers will need 100 safety/peacekeeping volunteers, plus dozens of people to set up tables, art, and sound equipment; staff information and first aid tables; and clean and pack up afterwards. To volunteer for the day of the event, please email indivisible.bc.or@gmail.com with the subject “No Kings volunteer” and indicate which of the above you are willing to do.

    The organizers also need help with a variety of tasks ahead of time, To be added to the “Put me to work” email list, email indivisible.bc.or@gmail.com with the subject “No Kings Worker Bee”. Once or twice a week, you’ll get a list of possible tasks you can volunteer for. Or ask to join the Signal group for more frequent requests (and the opportunity to select the best ones before others take them)!

    Read more about the updated tasks for volunteering for No Kings III here: https://indivisiblebc.org/no-kings-iii-volunteers/.

    This Sunday, March 15, please join us at our daytme Meeting, 11:45 am in the Library.  We will discuss the most urgent messages sent out by Ezra and Leah of Indivisible National, the most up-to-date folks I know to listen to, and we’ll look at getting signed up to Volunteer.

    We have two more Democracy Team gatherings in March, before the Protest.

    • TUESDAY March 17th 5 pm in the Social Hall:  Sign Making Event 
    • TUESDAY March 24th 5 pm in the Social Hall: De-Escalation training.  Very Important for everyone.

    Childcare is available!

    Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.

  • 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.

Connect Up/Affinity Groups this Week