Fellowship leaders and staff are carefully watching the weather, like everyone else, given the forecast for a winter storm tomorrow. Our Emergency Closure Policy gives clear guidance that if “Local or state government declares a weather, health, or seismic emergency and asks people to not drive or to stay home,“ (or if we think too many Fellowship folks will be affected by the conditions) we’ll cancel activities at the Fellowship. IF that becomes necessary, a UUAnnounce email will be sent as soon as a decision is made. Meanwhile, take care!
david
Inquirer’s Series 1/14 – Building & Grounds with John Bailey
This week: Building & Grounds with John Bailey. Inquirer’s Series is a series of 9 hour-long sessions designed especially for newcomers seeking more information about UUism and the Fellowship AND open to all others who are interested. Sessions take place every Sunday at 11:45 AM Room 8.
Upcoming session dates:
2024
- Jan 14 Building & Grounds with John Bailey
- Jan 21 Minister’s Q&A* with Jill McAllister
- Jan 28 Lifespan Faith Development with Dawn Dirks
- Feb 4 Worship & Liturgical Year with Jill McAllister
- Feb 11 Social Justice, Community Action & Connect Up with Karen Josephson
- Feb 18 Care and Support & Chalice Circles with Sandy Piper
- Feb 25 Membership 101* with Bobbi Bailey
- Mar 3 Roots with Skyla King-Christison
Men’s Group Meeting, 1/14 CANCELLED
Due to possible winter weather, the usual second Sunday meeting of the Men’s Group is canceled for Jan. 14. We meet again on the fourth Sunday – Jan. 28.
Watching the Weather
Fellowship leaders and staff are carefully watching the weather, like everyone else, given the forecast for a winter storm tomorrow. Our Emergency Closure Policy gives clear guidance that if “Local or state government declares a weather, health, or seismic emergency and asks people to not drive or to stay home,“ (or if we think too many Fellowship folks will be affected by the conditions) we’ll cancel activities at the Fellowship. IF that becomes necessary, a UUAnnounce email will be sent as soon as a decision is made. Meanwhile, take care!
Faith-based climate action this week, 1/7/2024
Climate Action Opportunities: We track (row 25) the number of clicks on the respond link for each suggested climate-action opportunity. The climate-action opportunity tracking results (an average of 3.4 clicks/opportunity) suggest this has not been an effective way to engage members/friends in climate action. Please consider committing the approx. 2 minutes per week needed and/or suggest ways to encourage and boost participation in this, our influence project.
Corvallis Sustainability Coalition: UUFC is a proud listed as one of the engaged partners of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, with Laura Craig as our representative. There are multiple ways to get involved in the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition to help promote an ecologically, socially, and economically healthy city and county. The Coalition’s annual meeting is this Wed, Jan 10, 4:30 – 6:00 PM, at the Corvallis Community Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave.
Tree Planting: We still need volunteers to help plant ten (up from our originally planned eight) trees in the islands in the Crystal Lake Playing Fields/Willamette Park parking lot, 10:00 AM to Noon, Sat 20 Jan. This is our third year of collaborative tree planting with the City’s Urban Forestry Program. Questions and/or to volunteer, email Michael Hughes with Subject Tree Planting.
Carpooling to Sunday Service: You’re invited to join the UUFC carpool group at Gomates. Questions: email Scott Bruslind
Cheers, Michael
The one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere.
Greta Thunberg
Sunday Services in January
January 7 – Rev. Jill McAllister – “To Build This Network of Trust”
January 14– Cancelled Due to Weather and Ice
January 21– Skyla King-Christisen and all – “Intergenerational Friendships”
January 28 – Rev. Jill McAllister – “The Endless Conversation”
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Fellowship members Blaise Ntakarutimana and Gisele Akima, living now in Portland, on the birth of baby Miley Anaya Shimineza in December. Everyone is doing well, and siblings Shanti and Josh are very excited!
Between Us 1/7/2023
Much of the following I have said before – maybe you’ve heard me say it or maybe not. I come back to these ideas often, and so want to share them again with you:
“Remember that every day is a new beginning. Make time to reflect upon your choice of this path, and upon your commitment … and give yourselves the chance to choose it again and again.”
I use these words most frequently in wedding ceremonies, but they are appropriate for any new beginning, including the new year before us. In terms of ethical living, it is clear that the choices we make day after day are where ethics and right relations become real, or not. As we enter a new year, in these continually tumultuous times, we are called to strengthen our commitments to the religious life, which means to living in right relations as much and as often as we can.
The call of liberal religion – the highest aim, especially of a liberal religious congregation such as ours, is not theology or dogma or charisma or tradition, but covenant—the agreement to walk together and work together, in service to the highest ideals of justice, equity, compassion, and wisdom. The call is to a commitment, and a way of life.
Living in covenant means living in active engagement with each other. In marriage, this is obvious, though not always easy. In a religious community it is an ideal, but often without shared understanding of the practices and skills it requires. All relations of mutuality and respect require both commitment and practice. I think of a few friends, for whom I am especially grateful, each of whom I have come to trust for their willingness to be generous and honest with me. We do not agree on everything—in fact two of us disagree on a great deal—but we have come to appreciate greatly how much we need and depend on the loving offering of different perspectives, to challenge and to nurture one another. We have ventured out on limbs of trust together, and because of that we have each changed and grown. The gift of this trust is priceless. It is the currency needed in the search for truth.
If you’re new to the Fellowship, or if you’ve been with us for years, I want to say to you that this is what the Fellowship can mean to you. It is a community where you can find others who are equally committed to the search for wisdom and truth. It can be a place to find trustworthy companions to respectfully nurture the best in you, if you will do the same for them.
As the new year begins, I invite you to come as often as you can. Come to help build this network of trust, which the world desperately needs.
See you Sunday — Jill
To Build This Network of Trust, 1/7/2024
Our ideals and commitments as religious people call us to live in right relations with ourselves, others and Life. We know this at some level, yet we still have much to learn about what right relations requires of us, including skills and practices which foster right relations. If you come for “community” these are the skills and practices that create and sustain it. Let’s begin the new year with renewed intentions.
with Rev. Jill McAllister
Celebration of Life for Darius Adams, 1/28 at 2 PM
Fellowship member Darius Adams died on December 7, 2023. A celebration of his life will be held at the Fellowship on Sunday, January 28, at 2 PM.