Town Halls for Stewardship and Annual Meeting Prep

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All members and contributing friends are invited, welcome and needed at our Town Halls to kick-off the Stewardship season at the Fellowship. Four different Town Halls are scheduled. Please sign up for at least one of them, using the links provided. The Fellowship is all of us, and our work together needs all of us!

Monday, April 1: The first Town Hall is designed primarily for the newest members of the Fellowship (since 2021), though all others are invited as well. We’ll meet in the Social Hall at 7 PM for wine, cheese, charcuterie and other refreshments, and conversation about Stewardship and upcoming bylaws changes.

April 1st Town Hall Sign Up

Tuesday, April 2: Zoom Town Hall – 7 PM You’ll have to bring your own refreshments – but we’ll be glad to see you on Zoom for conversation about the stewardship pledge drive and upcoming bylaws changes on the Annual Meeting agenda.

April 2nd Town Hall Sign Up

Thursday, April 4: Town Hall Supper with Indian Buffet – 6 PM in the Social Hall. Join us for a buffet supper with Indian specialties, and good conversation about the stewardship pledge drive and upcoming bylaws changes on the Annual Meeting agenda. (Space limited by the capacity of the Social Hall….)

April 4th Town Hall Sign Up

Sunday, April 7: Our stewardship pledge drive begins this day – Online pledging will be available beginning on Sunday afternoon. The Sunday service will include both light-hearted looks at stewardship and pledging in the context of our Covenant, plus information about pledges and the Fellowship budget in general. The Town Hall begins at 11:30 AM immediately after the service; enjoy a Brownie Sundae as we join for conversation.

April 7th Town Hall Sign Up

Daily Practice – A Weekly Reminder, 3/17/2024

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This is the week – Spring has definitely arrived. Daffodils and jonquils have been holding on thru cold rainy days – and now they are standing proudly! The long line of ornamental plum trees around the corner are purple pink today. When the crescent moon appeared last night, with Jupiter shining close by, frogs and owls began to provide music – this morning owls and robins. Spring has arrived. Once more the gifts are given.

It has been four years (!) since the Spring of March 2020, when we shut down and entered into pandemic living. The human world began to feel more calamitous and fractious — and in many ways it still does. Nothing has simply reverted to the way it was before. Perhaps by now we realize that there are only constant opportunities to start over, to begin anew in a changed world, as always.

From time to time we consider the ‘art of embracing’, as a practice of turning toward and moving toward — moving in the direction of with arms opened wide. The question is “What are you willing and able to move toward for the good of all?” Everything we have been practicing will continue to help us – inner nobility and steadiness, naming our fears and counting our blessings at the same time, and the core strengths of courage and trust. Beginning today, every day, the way stretches out before us, and we can only take one step at a time. There are blessings that live in the very acts of reaching out, of moving toward, of opening our arms in anticipation.

Every day may we breathe in deeply and feel the calming power of an exhale, as we open our arms and begin again. Sending love to you all — Jill

Reception for Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt – Join Us, 3/24

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All are invited to a reception for Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, President of Starr King School for the Ministry, a UU seminary. Come for refreshments and conversation, to learn about what’s happening in theological education for UU minister, and to help us welcome and thank her for joining us.

2 PM Sunday, March 24

Ostara, 3/17/2024

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As we look toward Ostara, a fleeting moment of balance in the Wheel of the Year, we pause to reflect on what it means to embrace the seasonality and impermanence of all things on the Earth and within ourselves. This Sunday we’ll share a moment of transition between the Wheel of the Year services we’ve come to know and love and the inevitable “what’s next” with an experimental worship service for all ages offered by Director of Religious Exploration, Skyla King-Christison.

Justice Council Newsletter

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On February 2nd, 2024, the Justice Council gathered for a summit to present their current work and goals. This PDF newsletter contains updates about each team’s accomplishments and vision for the year ahead. Your pledges directly support the work of the Justice Council, allowing us to live out our mission of “inspiring action toward a better world for all.” Check it out, and consider how you can get involved!

Justice Council News PDF

 Whole Foods Plant-Based Potluck, 3/24

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Join at 5:30pm in the Social Hall for a plant based potluck every 4th Sunday. No food shaming, please! – we are all exploring ways to support the health of each other, and our planet. For details see https://uucorvallis.org/connect-up/ for more info.

Love Mercy, Do Justice, Buy Coffee

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Café Justo is the coop in Mexico where we buy the coffee that we serve in the Social Hall. It is also for sale after Sunday services. Not only do the growers get a fair price for their beans, but they own the roasting facility which enables them to have health insurance and a retirement program.


FRONTERA DE CRISTO AND CAFÉ JUSTO created the “Love Mercy, Do Justice” (Amar Misericordia, Hacer Justicia) initiative to provide coffee for migrant shelters across the southern border. Thousands of women and men each week are greeted with a cup of coffee, a meal, and vital medical attention when they are repatriated into Mexico. You can help support this effort with a donation to Love Mercy, Do Justice.

2,170 pounds of Café Justo were provided to migrant shelters through Love Mercy, Do Justice in 2023 and 2024.

Easter in Spirit Play! It’s Complicated.

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It’s that time of year again when we wrestle with what to do with the kids for Easter. As Unitarian Universalist, this can be a most complicated occasion.

For the new to UU, here’s an overview of the scene.

First, as a pluralistic congregation, we’re not universally aligned with the Christian Easter narrative, so it doesn’t always feel like our holiday to celebrate. We’re certainly a religion of Christian lineage and we’re by no means anti-Easter. It’s just…delicate. And yet, parents and children alike have expressed a desire for an Easter egg hunt every year that I’ve been on staff, and by golly, we like to give our families what they desire when we can!

We aim to be good stewards of the Earth, so there’s also the question of how to host the desired egg hunt in a way that aligns with our larger values, so without contributing more plastic eggs to the landfill. Add to that the amazing education Rachel Kohler provided around fair trade chocolate, and suddenly, even if we do have an egg hunt, what would we put in the eggs? Have I mentioned that it’s tricky? We want to live our values and host a joyous occasion at the same time!

So where have we landed? I’m so glad you asked!

We’ll be sharing the story of Ostara and the Hare in Spirit Play on Easter Sunday, and exploring some of the theories around how the Pagan and Christian cultures mingled in such a way that in modern America, we associate multicolored eggs with the Jesus story.

Then, we’ll have an egg hunt on the playground during what is usually our “work time.” We’ve found colorful wooden eggs that we can use year after year. The children can keep what’s inside, and leave the eggs for next year, as a practice in reusing to lessen our environmental impact.

It’s worth mentioning that there will be some plastic trinkets involved. Why? Because I’m not pulled toward the kind of performative environmentalism that might motivate us to send the perfectly usable trinkets we’ve inherited from previous generations to the landfill simply to look like we’re living our values. We have a fair amount of spring-related plastic items that our children will delight in, so we’re passing them out! We’re not planning on purchasing more when these are gone, but let’s give what we already own a full life before the landfill, shall we? We’ve also purchased some earth-friendly treasures to go in the eggs instead of chocolate.

TL;DR We will learn about the Pagan and Christian origins of the occasion and enjoy an informed egg hunt that aligns with our larger UU values by decentering plastics, using up what we already have, and opting out of the chocolate.

Hooray!

If you’re the parent of a Spirit Play kiddo, you are most welcome to send them to RE with their Easter baskets for the activity, and paper sacks will be provided for those who arrive basket-free. 

Register for Camp Blue Boat!

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Camp Blue Boat registration is open!

NEW WEEK: June 30-July 5

NEW LOCATION: Get ready for an unforgettable summer experience at Camp Blue Boat at Camp N-Side-Sen in Harrison, Idaho!

This year, registration includes a bus from Seattle, so no need for a second registration. Don’t forget to look for the discount if you’re not taking the bus. And the Sibling and Early Bird (by 3/15) Discounts return.

This summer camp is perfect for youth from rising 6th-grade to 12th-grade graduates. It offers age-specific housing and programming, where campers, counselors, and staff will explore being in relationship with oneself, others, and the wider world. The camp is based on four basic pillars, including community, spirituality, justice, and equality. After attending, youth will be able to articulate beliefs grounded in UU theology and values, develop spiritual discipline, engage in social change, and build personal and religious resilience. There are plenty of fun activities such as field games, crafts, hikes, swimming, bonfires, and more. Come join us

Why are we moving?  Because our old site wants to use their camp for their campers, so we get to go back to N-Sid-Sen, where Camp Blue Boat started.

Grandfolks Squad (Free UUFC Childcare)

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As part of our mission to ensure that people of all ages have the opportunity to plug into Fellowship life, we formed the Grandfolks Squad, a team of volunteers who provide no-cost childcare for Fellowship families during UUFC sponsored events.

Per our safe congregation policy, all volunteers who work with children are background checked and work in teams of two unrelated adults so that children are never alone, one on one, with any nonfamily adult. The squad is composed largely of grandparents who have a heart for nurturing young children.

Only children who are registered in either the nursery or Spirit Play are eligible for care from the Granfolks Squad. This ensures that we have adequate emergency information on file. You may find registration links for each age group under the learning tab.

Please note that because the Grandfolks Squad is completely volunteer-operated, there may be times when a request cannot be accommodated. 

To request a team of Grandfolks to care for your children during an event, we ask that you fill out this request form 2-3 weeks prior to the event date. Once a team has been found, you will be notified via email. Please arrive 5 – 10 minutes before your event and meet the Grandfolks in Room 4. Offer them any information that might help them provide a great experience for your cherished little one, and then head to your gathering.

If you have questions about the Grandfolks Squad, or are interested in volunteering, contact Skyla King-Christison at dre@uucorvallis.org