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~To the many many people who helped plan (and who will help host it on Saturday) our first in-person Holiday Fair since 2019! Especially the steering team: JanElyse Witt, Bonnie Morihara, Judy Westlake, and Isabel Prusinski.

~As leaf clean up winds down, many thanks to Laura Craig and Lynn Evans for their efforts this fall.

12/2/2023

GA registration is now open! Adult registration $280, and includes access to General Assembly 2024 in the Whova event app, as well as on-demand programming, featured speakers, and major worships. Register through Feb. 29 with a down payment of $50 by selecting the Early Bird Payment Plan at checkout. Voting delegates who wish to participate only in General Sessions may also register with the business-only option – this option is no-cost, but a donation is suggested. Registration rates increase March 1.

Register For General Assembly.

You may have seen or heard the word ‘kirtan’ when investigating the worship options at the Fellowship and wondered what it was. Basically, kirtan is a very simple & powerful way to meditate. It’s effortless & joyful; the music does the work for you as you flow with the melody & rhythm. As you sing you experience a deep connection with the musicians, the other audience members and yourself. And when the music stops, your mind is quiet.

Because kirtan has roots in India, many of the chants are sung in Sanskrit. These ancient chants contain powerful renewing & transformative energy that helps us reconnect with the Divinity that resides within all of us. If you’ve ever chanted responses in Latin or Hebrew in your religious tradition, then you know how powerful singing in an ancient, holy language can be. You can be completely immersed in the sound, with no words to distract the mind — the magic of the chants can then carry you within. While singing along at a kirtan concert, you can experience your own voice becoming as beautiful as those performing—all voices merge together to become One Voice.

We have kirtan every Friday night at the Fellowship. The 1st and 3rd Fridays are a Community Kirtan in person in Room 7, other Friday nights we hold the kirtan on Zoom. We also host live events. If you’d like to learn more about this ancient tradition, please join us on Friday, December

Questions? Contact Kitzie Stern at kitstern@gmail.com. Let me know if you’d like to receive our weekly newsletter.

For the second year, the UUFC Climate Action Team offers living trees to enjoy through the holiday season. Plant on your own or return it in early January to the Fellowship atrium and we’ll find a home for it to be planted.

We have 3 gallon Doug- firs for $20 and 5 gallon Redcedars for $30.

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), perhaps the most common tree in Oregon, is the most important conifer in the state because of its ecological and economic significance.

The Western redcedar (Thuja plicata)is often referred to as “the cornerstone of northwest coastal Indian culture.” Among the names given this tree were “tree of life” and “life giver,” and some tribes called themselves “People of the Cedar.” Groves of ancient cedars were symbols of power, and gathering places for organization, ceremonies, retreat, and contemplation.

Thanks to all who contributed to the UUFC Emergency Aid Fund on Giving Tuesday and after. It is not too late! We’ll keep the portal open through the weekend. UUFC members contributed over $900 to this fund which is used to help other members who are in dire need of assistance to make it through housing, utility, medical, auto, transportation and other short-term crises. You have made a difference. If you are interested in contributing to this fund, can go to the online collection basket – then in the white box in the middle of that page use the top option button to select “Give to Giving Tuesday.” You then enter your donation amount, whether the gift is recurring or one-time, and then choose debit/credit or ACH payment. Alternatively, you can mail a check to the UUFC (2945 NW Circle Blvd, Corvallis OR 97330) or drop a check in the Sunday collection basket. Please write “Giving Tuesday” on the memo line of all checks. Your gift can make a real difference in the lives of other UUFC members. 

We’ll celebrate October, November, and December birthdays after the service on December 10. If you have a 4th quarter birthday and haven’t signed up yet, please sign the sheet by the “Happy Birthday” bag just outside the Sanctuary doors.

UUFC Birthday Club

We also invite you to celebrate the years you have lived by joining the Birthday Club. Write a check to UUFC for how old you are, put “Birthday Club” in the memo line, and drop it in the collection basket on Sunday or mail it to the Fellowship. This money will go into a special fund with a group of donors deciding later how to best use it.

In December everyone who made a contribution towards fulfilling their ‘23-’24 Pledge will be receiving a contribution statement via email from Breeze. This is a great opportunity to check that you’re on track to fulfill your pledge (our fiscal year ends June 30, 2024). Annual contribution statements for tax purposes will be sent in January.