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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cheap forgiveness may be falsely labeled as reconciliation — but the risks are great. So, today, let us consider the many steps of accountability that are often necessary before true reconciliation is possible. Because around the world and in the home, true reconciliation allows fresh possibilities in life.
Dear Friends and Members of UU Fellowship of Corvallis:
I am sharing lyrics and a video with you, below. The phrases have nourished me all week, sliding in and out of my awareness, enveloping me like an occasional hug.
What I see in my mind’s eye with them is this memory from last Friday, January 23 in Minneapolis: the tall, slender, long-brown-haired woman who is a rabbi, standing at the pulpit of a Lutheran church, with Swedish words in the stained glass above her, and Spanish posters on the altar.
What I sense in that environment in my memory are coats, more coats, hats, mittens, and backpacks all around me on wooden pews as tired clergy colleagues sing together. The words sound muddy at first. But with repetition, and the rabbi’s patient smile and steady voice, we get clearer about the lyrics. The meaning begins to sink into my heart, and I feel relief and courage.
She taught us this song when we arrived at 9 am. Later, at 11:30 am, after hearing that someone had been abducted three blocks away, she leads us again. There is less space for horror to grab us when we sing this song together.
“We will not underestimate our power any longer— we know that together, we are strong. Like drops of water shape the rocks as they rush down the falls, we know that together, we are strong.”
https://youtu.be/97hICQ8mn6k
To give proper credit, I looked up the composer and share this background with you: Rena Branson is a Jewish composer, ritual leader, and educator who uplifts personal and collective healing through song. Rena founded A Queer Nigun Project (aqueernigunproject.org), which organizes community singing events for LGBTQIA+ folks and sends Jewish spiritual audio content to people who are incarcerated in NYC jails.
My wish for all of us at UUFC is that power of song continues to hold you in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
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 recent woes in Minnesota have taught many lessons and opened many eyes. Those who have learned and seen have wisdom to share, and we have the luxury of learning – and offering our support – from relative comfort. Here are some resources worth looking at, learning from, and sharing.
A directory of charitable efforts and works in Minnesota that need financial support. Itself a passion project, “just two ladies running this thing as volunteers”.
Resources for 3D-printing whistles, information on how to use them, and instructions on building whistle packets to spread the information. If you decide to carry and use a whistle, please be sure you understand the patterns being used in your area. Blowing alarms no one understands won’t help!
