The Justice Outreach Fund (JOF) created in 2015 supports our Unitarian Universalist Values with an emphasis on creating a just and diverse multicultural Beloved Community where all thrive. To do this, the Fund awards small and large grants up to $10,000 to projects that are aimed at seeding and/or achieving social, economic, racial, and environmental justice.
The JOF Team is looking for projects that support one or more of the following three outcomes:
Changing how people are thinking and talking about an issue.
Engaging people and communities in civic action.
Developing or changing public or corporate policy.
For more information, the JOF Team encourages you to visit our table in the Social Hall on the first Sunday of each month, visit our newly revised webpage, or email us at jofund@uucorvallis.org for more information.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
The Annual Meeting on May 17 is also online. If you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting in person, it will be available on Zoom using the same link as the Sunday Service, included below. You will also be able to vote using Zoom. The meeting will start after the service at approximately 11:30 am.
Come vote on many key items and celebrate our search for meaning, deep connections, and actions toward a better world for all, The meeting will be held shortly after the service on Sunday, May 17. We require a quorum of at least one-quarter of the membership. Sign-in sheets will be available before the service. Snacks will be available in the Social Hall. The meeting will be carried on Zoom and on-line voting will be available. The agenda includes several important items:
Gathering, Chalice Lighting, and Confirmation of Quorum
Voting
Search Team (requires a vote of ¾ of members present)
Emerita Status Resolution (requires a vote of ¾ of members present)
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 has presented a slate of candidates to serve as the Ministerial Search Committee, which will be tasked with conducting a search for our next settled minister.
Motions are passed by majority vote of those present, which is determined through a verbal Yea/Nay vote. Attendees on Zoom will vote using Zoom’s polling function.
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 Member Voting FAQ
This list of Frequently Asked Questions was prepared to help inform people about the votes that will occur at the Fellowship’s Annual Meeting. Please read these questions, and share this page with anyone who has questions about voting. If you have a voting question that isn’t answered here, please email it comms@uucorvallis.org.
Do I have to be a member to vote? Yes, per the Fellowship’s Bylaws.
Does pledging make me a member? No. But it is greatly appreciated!
How do I know if I’m a member? Check the list of members that is currently available at the Board table in the Social Hall after Sunday worship service. You can also ask by emailing comms@uucorvallis.org.
How does the Fellowship keep track of who the current members are? Fellowship staff maintain a member database using Breeze Church Management Software.
Can I vote proxy? No.
Can I vote with an absentee ballot? No.
Can I vote on Zoom? Yes.
Can I vote by phone? No.
Can my friend / roommate / spouse / cat vote for me? No.
How many of the Inquirers series do I have to take before I can become a member? Three; specifically Sessions 1, 2, and 8 (or 9). For more information see Our path to Membership page.
Can I sign the book the morning of the congregational meeting? The day before? The week before? Our Membership Coordinator is willing to meet with people to sign through May 13, but after that, the list of members will be in process to be prepared for the Annual Meeting.
If I was a member elsewhere, can the minister make an exception for me? No.
I didn’t know I had to be a member. Can I vote anyway? No.
I have been coming to the UUFC for a long time. Doesn’t that count? Not for the purposes of voting on congregational matters, no.
I think I signed the book 20 years ago, but you all don’t have proof. Can I vote? No. But ask about your membership status anyway, so existing records can still be checked.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
