Cameron

Join the Choir, Wednesdays at 7 PM

by

Embroider your life with song! The UUFC Choir meets every Wednesday at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary and is open to anyone – whether you have musical experience or not. There is no audition.

We sing a variety of pieces – each with unique style, instrumentation, and cultural significance – which allows for diverse musical exploration and personal expression.

The Choir is a great way to be of service to our Fellowship community… and have FUN! Contact Director Steven Evans-Renteria for more information at this link.

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, 4/8

by

Come lend your voices to table talk about justice in our society. You might share song titles the choir and band could include in its repertoire. The potluck is Wednesday April 8 at 6:30 PM. Come early if you can help set up tables.

Bring a dish to share (please identify all ingredients), serving utensil (if needed), and your own plate, fork, and water. The kitchen will not be used. 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.

Sacred Chanting with Shantala and Friends, 4/11

by

Shantala, the kirtan duo of Benjy and Heather Wertheimer, has over two decades of experience leading kirtan (sacred chanting), and have captivated audiences worldwide. Their music is a beautiful tapestry of exquisite vocals, Indian instrumentation, and Western influences, creating a loving and reverent atmosphere.

Saturday, April 11 at 7 PM in the Sanctuary.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Get tickets here.

Childcare is available!

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

Share Your Voice: Timeline for UUFC Elections and Annual Meeting 2026

by

The UUFC Annual Meeting is coming up on Sunday, May 17, 2026 after worship service. Many things happen at our annual meeting, including voting on who will fill various leadership roles. For exact details, please read the UUFC Bylaws, shown at the bottom of this page.

Here is the timeline of events leading up to this year’s annual meeting.

  • Friday, January 16, 2026: The date of the Annual Meeting was announced
  • Friday, April 17, 2026: Slate of candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee is published
  • Saturday, May 2, 2026: Deadline for any candidates to be nominated by petition (see Bylaws Article III Section 1)
  • Saturday, May 9, 2026: Finalized slate of all nominated candidates is published
  • Sunday, May 17, 2026: Annual Meeting!

Matters Up For Vote

Elected Fellowship Lay Leaders

The Nominating Committee will present a slate of candidates to fill the following roles:

  • Members of the Board of Directors
  • Members of the Nominating Committee
  • Chair of the Personnel Committee
  • Chair of the Financial Oversight Council

Note that the Chair of the Committee on Ministry would normally also be elected at the Annual Meeting, but the work of the Committee on Ministry is paused during our time of Interim Ministry.

Ministerial Search Committee

The Board of Directors will present a slate of candidates to serve as the Ministerial Search Committee, which will be tasked with conducting a search for our next settled minister.

Ways of Voting

Motions are passed by majority vote of those present, which is determined through a verbal Yea/Nay vote.

Becoming a Voting Member

Voting at the Annual Meeting is only open to people who are signed, active members of the Fellowship. In other words, those who have signed the membership book and maintained active membership. See Bylaws Article II.

There is still time for new members to join before the Annual Meeting! Prospective members are required to attend three of the Inquirers Series sessions before signing the book: #1 Our Shared Values, #2 Transitions Q&A, #8 Membership 101 (or #9 UU Roots). These sessions will be offered before the Annual Meeting, on these dates:

  • Transitions Q&A: April 19 (swapped dates with Care & Support, which is now on May 10)
  • Membership 101: April 26
  • Our Shared Values: May 3

If you have already completed any of these sessions, you only need to attend the others. You do not need to repeat a session you’ve already attended, though you are welcome to!

The membership book will be available for signing after the Inquirers Series on May 10, for those who have completed the prerequisites. This will be the last opportunity to sign the membership book before the Annual Meeting. To learn more about membership at the UUFC, see our Path to Membership page.

UUFC Bylaws

April 5, 2026 – Easter: The Story of an Ancient Teacher through Our Current Values

by

Easter comes from the Christian tradition, which is part of the UU heritage. The story of the famous teacher, Jesus, contains all the elements of our shared JETPIG values, if we know where to look. This All Ages service, designed by our Director of Religious Exploration, will engage us in surprising ways. Easter Egg hunt after the Service!

Led by DRE Skyla King-Christison and others

Jack’s advice on getting to No Kings III

by

The NO KINGS demonstration rally is TOMORROW, March 28, noon to 3 pm.  We obviously have a national crisis and this is our chance as regular citizens to do something about it.  How many people from UUFC will be there?  Let’s help make Corvallis contribute in a big way to making the nationwide attendance far exceed the 7 million that were at the previous NO KINGS in October.

As for transportation to the demonstration, which begins at noon, I recommend taking the bus to avoid hunting for parking near the courthouse.  If you just go to the rally at the courthouse, all the bus routes end at the transit station just a block away from there.  If you want to join the march, which starts at noon at 11th and Monroe, several of the bus routes go right by that intersection.  Check the route maps on the Corvallis Transit System website to find the route that applies to you.  

The march will include songs of resistance, other music, and speeches, not only at the beginning but also at a second half-hour stop at Central Park.  It is scheduled to arrive at the 4th-street rally at 2 pm, just 1 hour before the rally ends.  Personally, I think the rally is the most important part, so I intend to skip the march, or at least part of it, and spend most of my time on 4th Street.  Either way, I strongly encourage everyone one to participate.

Jack Elder

March 27, 2026, by Rev. Alex McGee

by

Dear UUFC:

This coming Tuesday, March 31, is International Transgender Day of Visibility.  Here at UU Fellowship of Corvallis, what can that mean?  To begin to explore an answer, I offer these words from Nat Esparza, who serves on the staff of the Unitarian Universalist Association in the Southern Region:

If our communities are acts of creation—who are we imagining into them? 
And who are we leaving out?

If that question makes you uncomfortable—good. Discomfort is where change begins.

Whatever you do next, let it be real. 
Let it be rooted in love. 
Let it be imperfect, human, and ongoing.

Because that’s what true community care looks like. 
That’s what liberation demands.

We’ve been visible. Now it’s time to be heard, to be trusted, and to shape what comes next.

In the end, we all want the same thing— 
To feel less alone. 
To be seen. 
To know that our stories, our lives, and our futures truly matter.

I encourage you to read Nat’s whole article here.

And let’s keep seeing, listening, feeling, living…together.

In peace,
Rev. Alex

Memorial Service for Susan Straight, 5/3

by

This event will be a celebration of Susan’s life. All UUFC members and friends who knew Susan or would like to know more about this extraordinary woman are invited. RSVPs are appreciated for planning purposes.

Sunday, May 3 at 3 PM in the Fellowship’s Sanctuary.

As part of our celebration, all attendees are cordially invited to reception in my home following the service. Transportation will be provided, as needed, from the UUFC parking lot and back again.

RSVP by contacting Elona Meyer.

Lessons Learned Thus Far in our 2026-27 Stewardship Drive

by

Thanks to you all for pondering your commitment to the UUFC as part of our 2026-27 Stewardship Drive and to those who have already completed your stewardship forms. You are appreciated!
As with any activity like this, we are learning new things and reinforcing old lessons as we go. These are some of our discoveries thus far:

  • We all have stories about how the UUFC and its members have had sometimes profound impacts on our lives. We have heard some of these stories as part of our town halls. The next time you have a chance, ask another UUFC member or friend about their favorite Fellowship memories. Community building is part of who we are.
  • We are in the transition time between settled ministers. This is a time to remember the past, explore the present and ponder the future. How have you been, how are you now, and how will you be a UUFC member or friend?
  • Personal information is a concern in today’s world. Your UUFC leadership and staff are aware of the need to keep personal information secure and have instituted new policies and procedures to aid in such.
  • If you want to just have your current year pledge and pledge payment method “rolled” into the coming year, this can be done for you, but you need to give specific permission to have this happen. Talk with Michael Hughes (our treasurer), Scott Bruslind (our Financial Oversight Council Chair) or Stephanie Haines (our operations and business manager) about such.
  • Yes, you can make a pledge by simply writing a check today and including it along with a note that it is your 2026-27 pledge in an envelope that is put in the donation basket on Sunday, in the donation box outside the fellowship hall or mailed to the UUFC. We can deal with prepaid pledges.
  • There is great joy in being part of the UUFC as we face our ever-worrisome world together with those of similar mind. Together we can accomplish great things that none of us can accomplish alone.

If you have any questions at all, please reach out to me or Michael Hughes and we will answer your question or pass you on to someone else on the Stewardship Team.
Scott Bruslind, FOC Chair

An “Opening to Opportunity” Update

by

UUFC members and friends,
As you likely know, our 2026-27 stewardship drive has formally launched. Our thanks to the many who have already responded.

Some reminders on how to complete a pledge form or have someone set up a pledge for you:

  • The stewardship form can be directly accessed at https://uufc.breezechms.com/form/a8cc2728459812
  • Paper copies of the form are available on Sundays during services. Stewardship team members will also be present to answer your questions.
  • You can email office@uucorvallis.org or call 541-752-5218 and provide your name, the dollar amount of your pledge, how you plan to pay and contact information. Fellowship staff will enter your pledge for you into the form.
  • Our drive will be in full swing through mid-April. We will have a “soft” close on Sunday April 19. After that date stewardship team members will reach out to those from whom we have not heard for follow-up.

If you have questions and are comfortable in working in the electronic world, click here and you’ll find Rev Alex’s stewardship “sermon” (~17 minutes long), a FAQs listing, and at the very bottom of the FAQs, a link to the Power Point that was used in our town hall meetings.

Any other questions – send an email to finance@uucorvallis.org.
Thanks for your financial and volunteer time support of the UUFC!