The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis
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
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
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
A celebration of Susan’s life will be held at the home of Elona Meyer & (previously) Susan Straight. Details provided to all who RSVP. Transportation available from the UUFC parking lot, as needed. Limited street parking. You are welcome to join us.
RSVP by contacting Elona Meyer.
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:
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
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:
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!
Elders Thriving in Community (ETC) will present suggested exercises that support mobility, balance and flexibility as we age. Plan to practice activities that can be done both sitting on or holding onto a chair, as well as options for standing or floor activities. Wear comfortable clothing & suitable shoes. Join us in the Sanctuary on Wednesday, April 8, 3-4:30 PM.
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
The Religious Exploration Council is made up of the team leads from each RE Council team. We gather twice a year (usually in September and February) to coordinate the ongoing, behind-the-scenes work that keeps our programs running smoothly. Our meetings are open to anyone curious about the inner workings of the RE Council.
And because even administrative work deserves a little joy, we’ve embraced the unicorn as our council mascot. We show up in sparkly horns, committed to bringing a bit of magic into the life of the Fellowship. After all, a group of unicorns is called a blessing, and that feels just about right.
Got a spark? A dream to try?
A question deep, a wondering why?
A way to help our spirits grow,
Or seeds of faith you’d love to sow?Come join us—bring your hopeful schemes,
We’re here to help you grow your dreams.
With hearts (and maybe unicorn flair),
We’ll build something meaningful together there.
This newly forming group aims to serve college students from around Linn and Benton counties with food, fellowship, and spiritual community rooted in UU values. Our regular meeting time is still being sorted out. If you’re keen to join, you can weigh in HERE. Team contact information coming soon. For now, reach out to the Director of Religious Exploration and OSU Spiritual Life liaison, Skyla, at dre@uucorvallis.org for the latest information.
This is a 9-session learning series offered at 11:45 AM every Sunday in Room 7, for the purpose of helping visitors and newcomers feel oriented and answer the most common questions people have while they are deciding whether UUFC is right for them. This series is offered in partnership with the Membership Team and is facilitated by a variety of leaders from a cross-section of Fellowship life. Sessions can be taken in any order, and sessions 1 (or 9), 2, and 8 are encouraged before signing the membership book. Bring your questions and your coffee and join us!
Our monthly breakfast gathering for families with children is on the second Sunday of each month at 8:50 AM, one hour before the 10:00 AM service in the social hall. We —a family of 4—cook a hot breakfast (yes—there’s bacon!), and serve coffee and pancakes. Families may bring a dish to share or simply come as they are. While adults enjoy conversation, kids can spend time together getting to know one another in a welcoming environment. All families with children are warmly welcome! Registration is appreciated HERE.
Elders Thriving in Community provides resources, information, and social connections to help us thrive as we get older and our needs and abilities are likely to change. We bring in speakers from our congregation and the community to present topics such as home safety, brain health, local senior services, and internet scams, and coordinate social events to bring older people together. Team leads are Alison Meyers and Gerri Buckles.
The Neurodivergence and Mental Health Support Group is a safe, welcoming space for discussions regarding neurodivergence. It discusses topics such as mental health, connection, and sensitivity to name a few. The group meets every second and fourth Sunday of the month at 8:30 AM in room nine upstairs at the Fellowship. For more information, contact neurodiv@uucorvallis.org.
The Parent Connection Monthly Dinner is held on the 2nd Thursday of each month @ 6:30-8:00 PM. Parents meet in room 3 of the classroom wing, and free childcare is provided in room 4 or 6C.
All families are welcome to join us for a free light dinner with facilitated conversation and mutual support among the parents, and a child-friendly movie night and play time with background-checked childcare providers for the kids in a nearby space. Please bring your own place settings, as we do not have a dishwashing team for this gathering.
Registering HERE one time will place you on the reminder list, and clicking the RSVP button in the reminder will help us determine how much food to prepare.
The Rita McDonald Library is a treasure trove of books and resources that you can’t find anywhere else. And some you can, but how convenient is it that they’re already right here? This project has been kept alive for decades by a series of dedicated volunteers, the most recent of whom have been Holley and Eric Lantz, with support from RE staff. We need more team members to keep this project alive. If your flavor of volunteering involves quiet, solo work and tending in a peaceful space that smells like old paper and is bathed in slanted sunlight, this is the role for you! Join the team by emailing Skyla at dre@uucorvallis.org.
We bolster the safety of all who engage in Religious Exploration environments by supporting uniform policy and procedure implementation and creating consistent processes to invite registered families, RE lay leaders, and RE staff back into covenant when Safe Congregation policies are violated within RE spaces.
This newly forming group aims to serve college students from around Linn and Benton counties with food, fellowship, and spiritual community rooted in UU values. Our regular meeting time is still being sorted out. If you’re keen to join, you can weigh in HERE. Team contact information coming soon. For now, reach out to the Director of Religious Exploration and OSU Spiritual Life liaison, Skyla, at dre@uucorvallis.org for the latest information.
Many things we create serve us well for a time. But how do we know when their time has come to an end? What are the spiritual cues for making space for new life-giving creativity? Transformation can be scary and exhilarating.
The originally planned UUFC history slide show and timeline after service have been postponed.
Rev. Alex McGee will preach