The Religious Exploration Council is made up of the team leads from each RE Council team. We gather twice a year (usually in September and February) to coordinate the ongoing, behind-the-scenes work that keeps our programs running smoothly. Our meetings are open to anyone curious about the inner workings of the RE Council.
And because even administrative work deserves a little joy, we’ve embraced the unicorn as our council mascot. We show up in sparkly horns, committed to bringing a bit of magic into the life of the Fellowship. After all, a group of unicorns is called a blessing, and that feels just about right.
Got a spark? A dream to try?
A question deep, a wondering why?
A way to help our spirits grow,
Or seeds of faith you’d love to sow?Come join us—bring your hopeful schemes,
We’re here to help you grow your dreams.
With hearts (and maybe unicorn flair),
We’ll build something meaningful together there.
College Ministry
This newly forming group aims to serve college students from around Linn and Benton counties with food, fellowship, and spiritual community rooted in UU values. Our regular meeting time is still being sorted out. If you’re keen to join, you can weigh in HERE. Team contact information coming soon. For now, reach out to the Director of Religious Exploration and OSU Spiritual Life liaison, Skyla, at dre@uucorvallis.org for the latest information.
Inquirers Series
This is a 9-session learning series offered at 11:45 AM every Sunday in Room 7, for the purpose of helping visitors and newcomers feel oriented and answer the most common questions people have while they are deciding whether UUFC is right for them. This series is offered in partnership with the Membership Team and is facilitated by a variety of leaders from a cross-section of Fellowship life. Sessions can be taken in any order, and sessions 1 (or 9), 2, and 8 are encouraged before signing the membership book. Bring your questions and your coffee and join us!
Family Breakfast
Our monthly breakfast gathering for families with children is on the second Sunday of each month at 8:50 AM, one hour before the 10:00 AM service in the social hall. We —a family of 4—cook a hot breakfast (yes—there’s bacon!), and serve coffee and pancakes. Families may bring a dish to share or simply come as they are. While adults enjoy conversation, kids can spend time together getting to know one another in a welcoming environment. All families with children are warmly welcome! Registration is appreciated HERE.
ETC!
Elders Thriving in Community provides resources, information, and social connections to help us thrive as we get older and our needs and abilities are likely to change. We bring in speakers from our congregation and the community to present topics such as home safety, brain health, local senior services, and internet scams, and coordinate social events to bring older people together. Team leads are Alison Meyers and Gerri Buckles.
Neurodiversity Support Group
The Neurodivergence and Mental Health Support Group is a safe, welcoming space for discussions regarding neurodivergence. It discusses topics such as mental health, connection, and sensitivity to name a few. The group meets every second and fourth Sunday of the month at 8:30 AM in room nine upstairs at the Fellowship. For more information, contact neurodiv@uucorvallis.org.
Parent Connection Dinner
The Parent Connection Monthly Dinner is held on the 2nd Thursday of each month @ 6:30-8:00 PM. Parents meet in room 3 of the classroom wing, and free childcare is provided in room 4 or 6C.
All families are welcome to join us for a free light dinner with facilitated conversation and mutual support among the parents, and a child-friendly movie night and play time with background-checked childcare providers for the kids in a nearby space. Please bring your own place settings, as we do not have a dishwashing team for this gathering.
Registering HERE one time will place you on the reminder list, and clicking the RSVP button in the reminder will help us determine how much food to prepare.
Library
The Rita McDonald Library is a treasure trove of books and resources that you can’t find anywhere else. And some you can, but how convenient is it that they’re already right here? This project has been kept alive for decades by a series of dedicated volunteers, the most recent of whom have been Holley and Eric Lantz, with support from RE staff. We need more team members to keep this project alive. If your flavor of volunteering involves quiet, solo work and tending in a peaceful space that smells like old paper and is bathed in slanted sunlight, this is the role for you! Join the team by emailing Skyla at dre@uucorvallis.org.
RE Safe Congregation Support Team
We bolster the safety of all who engage in Religious Exploration environments by supporting uniform policy and procedure implementation and creating consistent processes to invite registered families, RE lay leaders, and RE staff back into covenant when Safe Congregation policies are violated within RE spaces.