Weeklies – Text Only

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS – text only

Sunday Services

  • This Week:

    November 23, 2025 – Spiritual Tools for Centering and Compassion

    There has never been a better time for us to dig into our spiritual toolbox to center our souls, engage in a practice of self love and self compassion, and connect to our souls so that we can engage with each other from a space of love and joy. Dr. Bird will talk about storytelling as an act of persistence and how we can walk the good road to support our community.

    Dr. Melissa Bird will preach

Services This Month

  • December 7: Mental Health During the Holidays

    Guest speaker Hilary Hughes brings the wisdom from her Masters of Divinity and compassion from her Masters of Social Work to serve help us reflect on mental health during the holidays.

    Rev. Hilary Hughes will preach

    December 14: Presence

    “Being present” has many layers. What does it mean for us during these winter days?

    Rev. Alex McGee will preach

    December 21: Solstice Pageant (all ages)

    In this all-ages Sunday service, the gifts of children and youth in our congregation will shine as we reflect on Solstice together. Be ready for deep reflection and getting to know your neighbor a little better.

    Skyla King-Christison – Director of Religious Exploration and Rev. Alex McGee will preach

    December 24: Christmas Eve (7 PM)

    Invite friends and family to this gentle, reflective service in which we honor the gifts in the age-old message of people travelling with hope. We will enjoy the lighting of candles, with appropriate candle options for all ages!

    Rev. Alex McGee will preach

    December 28: Beginnings and Endings – Through the Lens of Poetry

    Come enjoy inspiration from poetry as we acknowledge the end of a calendar year and anticipate the beginning of a new year.

    Thea Hart and Rev. Alex McGee will preach

From the Minister

  • Grief and the Holidays

    Dear congregation:

    We are approaching holidays. This means different things to different people. But what it likely means for all of us is memories of years gone past.

    The memories may take a very sensory form: the scents of special foods, the sights of special lights, the sounds of special songs.

    But sometimes the holidays can be tender if things have changed in painful ways.

    It likely means memories with people who may not be here anymore. That could be family members. Friends. A beloved clergy person.

    Part of our spiritual life is to honor our grief. In the midst of holiday festivities, I hope you can find time for quiet moments, for tears, for talking about the people you are missing right now.

    Surely this Fellowship itself will have a different tenor because the minister of 11 years is not here. People are finding new ways to do things and stepping into new roles. It will look different, feel different, sound different. This is all a natural part of a grief and change process. I honor that.

    May all of us find wholeness as we live into the fullness of all our emotions in all the chapters of our lives.

    In peace
    Alex

    Rev. Alex McGee is serving this Fellowship as Interim Minister and is available to be contacted at rev.alex.mcgee@uucorvallis.org.

This Week at UUFC

  • Connect Up: Rich hosting Thanksgiving Dinner/Potluck, 11/27

    Thanksgiving will be here in two weeks; why not celebrate it with one hundred and more  others at UUFC?   Members, friends, family, and out-of –town guests are welcome.  Instead of staying home and doing all the work and cooking, come here and do just a little work [if you are willing and able], a little cooking, and at little expense.  Each family brings a dish (salad, bread, dessert, veggie side dish, vegetarian/vegan main dish, cranberries, potatoes/yams, stuffing, etc) or cooks one of the 4 turkeys (cost reimbursed); and helps with some task, (set-up or clean-up, or kitchen, or social hour).  The suggested cost is $5.00/person to cover the turkey, beverages, appetizers, decorations, etc., but no one is turned away for lack of funds.  Any surplus money will go to South Corvallis Food Bank.

    We need to know how many tables and chairs to set up for dinner, so sign up after Sunday service (starting at 10 AM) on 11/9, 11/16, or 11/23, or call Rich, or sign up on Breeze, by Wednesday night, November 26, and also tell him what food you will probably bring, and if you are able to volunteer for a job.

    Schedule on Thanksgiving:

    10:30 a.m.  Set up at UUFC.
    4:30 p.m.  Social hour at UUFC.
    5:30 p.m.  Turkey dinner with vegetarian/vegan alternatives.  $5.00 suggested.  Please RSVP.
    7:30 p.m.  Conversation, table games, and clean up.  Please stay and mellow out, visit, or bring a favorite board game.   Is anyone interested in doing charades?

    HELP! As of the deadline for announcements, we still need a point person/leader/coordinator for two activities:  Social Hour (preferably 2 or more people); and After-Dinner Activities. We also need 8-10 people to help Virgil and Rich set up Thursday morning (mostly moving tables and chairs), and put everything back in order after dinner.

    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

  • Holiday Tree change

    Update on the holiday trees for sale! SevenOaks Nursery said the 3-gallon Willamette Valley Ponderosa pine are disappointing as Holiday Trees, while the 3-gallon Douglas firs and 5-gallon Ponderosa pine look good. So… The 3-gallon Ponderosa pine option is replaced with the 5-gallon Ponderosa pine. The cost for the 3-gallon Douglas fir is $25, for the 5-gallon Ponderosa pine $30. Trees can be reserved using this form: https://forms.gle/E964qxccpYpRQzJw8 and they will be available on a first-come, first served basis at the Fellowship starting on Sunday, Nov. 30.

  • Pledge Statements

    Recently statements were sent out to everyone who has pledged and donated to that pledge in the first quarter of our fiscal year (July 1st – September 30th). If you did not receive an email but think you should have, please email Stephanie Haines, our business manager, at businessmgr@uucorvallis.org.

  • Poems and Readers needed for Worship – Register by 11/30

    Calling for poetry recommendations, submissions of original poetry, and readers for a poetry-centered Sunday worship service at the UU Fellowship of Corvallis. Readers will be reading aloud in front of the congregation during service. You can read your poem or someone else’s. We welcome all ages and voices that we don’t usually hear from. We anticipate a final selection of 10-12 poems. 

    Rehearsal on Saturday 12/27
    Service on Sunday 12/28

    Theme: Endings & Beginnings

    Deadline to submit: Sunday 11/30

    Submission Form

  • Microshelter at the museum

    The Corvallis Museum is hosting an exhibit on homelessness. Step inside our Microshelter Exhibit for a rare opportunity to see what life is like in a tiny, transitional home. In partnership with Unity Shelter, this exhibit shows that while a roof and four walls provide safety and shelter, it’s far from luxurious. The exhibit offers a firsthand look at the challenges and realities faced by those experiencing homelessness. Explore the shelter and connect with the everyday realities of those without permanent homes.
    On exhibit at the Corvallis museum, during museum hours, until early spring.
    Learn about Unity Shelter and support their efforts!
    https://bentoncountymuseums.org/exhibits/microshelters/

  • Queerly Beloved new meeting time

    Queerly Beloved is meeting at a new time – the first Sunday of each month, 11:45 AM – 1:45 PM, in room 6B. Please come for discussion and connection during the holiday season. Bring a craft to work on, if you like, as we talk, and a snack to share, if you are willing and able.

    Queerly Beloved is a LGBTQIA+ connection group. Come share, listen, connect, create community. Allies, family members, and children are welcome!

    Childcare is available!

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

  • Opportunity for Work Cleaning Church Building

    Call for Bids for Cleaning Contract at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis

    2945 NW Circle Blvd, Corvallis
    Posted November 10, 2025 – open until filled
    Contact – office@uucorvallis.org

    We are inviting proposals for price and schedule to clean our church building.  The building includes a vinyl-floored sanctuary with free-standing chairs (~2500 sq ft), kitchen (vinyl), social hall (wood), lobby (masonry), six single bathrooms, and 15 other office, library or meeting rooms with carpet, wood or vinyl flooring. We need the building cleaned at the end of the week before our Sunday service and then again early in the week after Sunday service.

  • UU Advent Daily Email Series: Register by 11/27

    Rev. Ralph Roberts created a UU version of an Advent calendar, with little factoids about the influence that Unitarians and Universalists in history had on the winter holidays. We will once again be converting these tidbits into a daily Advent email series to land in your inbox every morning from December 1st through the 24th. You can register to be on that limited-run mailing list HERE by November 27th. Please note that, due to technological limitations, we will not be able to add any recipients to the list after the 27th.

    Worship Web offers the following disclaimer about the Advent series: “Due to its temporal nature, many of the historic milestones in this Advent calendar aren’t necessarily recognized on the precise day that they’re celebrated (for example, Kwanzaa is recognized here on December 2nd instead of December 26th, and the December 12 image recognizes Clara Barton’s birthday (December 25, 1821). More than perfect historic accuracy, then, this Advent calendar is offered in the spirit of holding up and delighting in the ways that our Unitarian and Universalist ancestors had a foundational role in many of the winter holidays and the innumerable ways they’re celebrated by people everywhere.”

  • Help The UU Provide Turkey For The Tables Of Families In Need

    South Corvallis Food Bank is running a Special Thanksgiving Food Drive called “Turkey For The Table”. With an unprecedented number of families loosing access to Food assistance this November, let’s step up and make their Thanksgiving special.

    Donate $30 or a Frozen Turkey to the South Corvallis Food Bank and say you are donating as part of the UU “Flock”. This enters the UU in a raffle to win a prize, which we will proudly display…somewhere.

    Join us in this bleak season to give in kindness to our neighbors and occasion some thanks worth giving.

    — UUFC Secure Food and Housing For All and Democracy Action Teams

  • Volunteer for Holiday Fair, 12/6

    The Holiday Fair team is looking for volunteers to help prepare for and run the event. We need help with various tasks leading up to the event, including baking goodies to donate to the event, posting flyers in Corvallis and nearby communities, organizing donated items for the recycled gifts room where children can shop for inexpensive items for themselves or gifts for family and friends, and making fresh greenery swags for people to hang on their doors. We also need a baked goods coordinator to accept and package/price baked goods on Friday and organize running the table on Saturday. And on the day of the event, we need volunteers to act as greeters, cashiers, musicians, and helpers to restore the sanctuary when the Holiday Fair is over.

    The UUFC Holiday Fair is open to the public and is a great place to purchase unique handmade crafts as gifts for friends and family and yourself. The craft vendors retain most of the purchase price of their crafts, and a portion goes to the UUFC as one of our annual fund-raising events. If you are able to help, you’ll enjoy being part of a team that is working to support local craftspeople as well as the UUFC.

    Sign up to help at one of the links below.
    Volunteering Before the Holiday Fair
    Volunteering During the Event
    A document describing the different volunteering positions can be found here. Please reach out to holiday.fair@uucorvallis.org with questions.

    Do you have small holiday decorations that we can add to the greenery swags? Bring them with you when you next come to UUFC and place them in the red holiday swag box in the foyer.

    Do you have inexpensive gift items that a child could purchase for no more than $2 to give to a friend, sibling, or other relative? Bring them to a Sunday service at UUFC and give them to Judy Westlake, Rachel McGrath, or Bonnie Morihara.

    Childcare is available!

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

  • Outreach Offerings for November

    Our November Justice Outreach offering will support the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center (CDDC). CDDC is a community-based non-profit resource hub providing information, referral, and direct services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Benton County and beyond.

    To learn more about their work, visit the CDDC website.

    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 Social Concerns team donate 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 end 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!

  • Donations Requested for Winter Care Kits by 11/30

    The children and youth in RE will be making winter care kits for unhoused neighbors during the November 30th Children’s Chapel.

    We need donations of gloves, hats, socks, and HotHands for our kits before November 30th. Please consider donating new or gently used physical items or cash to help us purchase these items for our kits. Donations can be placed in the marked box under the table outside of the RE office in Room 2.

    Our goal is for every one of our 40 registered children and youth in RE to have a kit in their car ready to be handed to someone in need. Your generous donations will help us learn about and engage in community care.

    Thank you in advance for supporting our RE programs!

Plan Ahead

  • ETC Winter Get Together, 12/10

    Elders Thriving in Community is hosting a finger-food potluck, book / puzzle exchange, and time for getting to know your peers. Wednesday, December 10, 3-4:30 PM in the Social Hall. Please bring cookies, fruit or other easy snacks to share, and 1-3 books, puzzles, or games to trade.

    Childcare is available!

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

  • Post-Holiday Break for Parents on 1/2, register by 12/20

    This time of year can be a lot for parents as we try to maintain all the rituals, magic, and meaning of the season. To honor all you do, we’d like to offer you a break! Drop off school-aged (k-8) children in the social hall from 1-4 on January 2nd. We’ll have a thank you card writing workshop (with helpers for those who haven’t mastered the pen yet), eat snacks, and settle in for a movie while you take a few hours to recover from the holiday hustle. To make the most of the thank you card workshop, please send your child with a list of specific people & gifts for which to offer thanks. Know a non-UU parent who could use a break? Feel free to share!

    Registration is required for this event, and will close on 12/20.

  • Fail Fest 2025 is coming on 12/29, register by 12/20

    WHAT: A celebration of the human urge to keep trying, and all the necessary failure along the way.

    WHEN: December 29th from 5:30 to 8:30 (maybe earlier, but who knows?)

    WHERE: The Social Hall

    WHO: Any adults who needs to process the things that didn’t work out last year before moving on to plan with hope for the year ahead.

    REGISTRATION REQUIRED: HERE by 12/20

    There is no progress without failure. Yet, in our culture that is focused on sharing highlight reels, it’s easy to forget that there are no real overnight successes. The road to “what’s next” is littered with beautiful “almosts” and “not quites.” Before you start thinking about New Year’s resolutions, come share in a celebration of this past year’s failures that got you to where you are now. 

    The evening will begin with a comfort food potluck to ease into togetherness and connection. When we’re feeling full and ready, we’ll reflect on a year’s worth of things that didn’t quite go our way, grieve the dreams that maybe we’re giving up on, and celebrate the new vision that is forming as a result of our failures. 

    At this event, you can expect some tears, some laughs, and some dancing under disco lights. Best of all, you can expect to walk away with a deeper sense of community because vulnerable sharing and mutual support are an exceptional foundation for new friendships.

    Don’t miss it! Come, let us celebrate you and your awesome, brave failures!

  • UUFC Giving Tuesday, 12/2

    UUFC’s Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for us celebrate and put into practice our UU values of Generosity and Justice. For 2025, our contributions will benefit the South Corvallis Food Bank, where the need is greater than ever. Video: <https://kval.com/newsletter-daily/need-for-food-reaches-all-time-high-in-corvallis-food-bank-says>

    You can contribute

    1. via Breeze by selecting Giving Tuesday from the Give To drop-down menu
    2. via check payable to UUFC with memo “Giving Tuesday”
    3. via cash in an envelope marked with your name and “Giving Tuesday”

    Thank you.

    Questions: treasurer@uucorvallis.org

Connect Up/Affinity Groups this Week