RE Events

February RE Newsletter

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Greetings, Families!

There is so much positive energy in RE these days. Can you feel it? Read on so that you don’t miss any of the good stuff!

UPCOMING EVENTS for FAMILIES

2/9   Family Breakfast, 8:45-9:45 

2/20  Parent Peer Support Group, 6:30-8PM 

3/16 Seeds of Generosity pitches from children, youth, and Families, noon

6/1 River of Life Sunday with children’s performance and rituals

UPCOMING EVENTS for YOUTH

2/2, 2/16   OWL regular workshops

2/15-16    Eugene youth overnight and Non-romantic Ball

3/14-16    Coast Retreat

More information about our events can be found below, and info for all RE events  can be found at uucorvallis.org by clicking “News” in the menu bar and then selecting “RE Council” from the drop down menu. 

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Our friends in Eugene have invited us to an overnight at their place. Come check out how other UUs “do church” and have fun helping with the non-romantic Valentine Ball. There will be food, opportunities for service, dancing, and midnight worship. Register directly with Eugene HERE by February 5th and don’t forget to email me and let me know you’re registered so that I can arrange for sufficient transportation. 
 

Due to the joyful increase in attendance at the monthly RE Family Breakfast, (last month saw 30 participants!) our gracious hosts, the Polinders, kindly request that parents fill out THIS registration form each month a few days before the breakfast. If you forget, please do come anyway. All are always welcome! Registering simply allows us to be better stewards of the RE budget by helping us prepare adequate amounts of food without over-purchasing. We are grateful for your support as this warm gathering continues to grow!
 

Thanks to a generous endowment from the Bob Ozretich Memorial Fund and the creative minds on the UUFC Endowment team, we will soon launch a year-long program to cultivate a spirit of generosity in our children and youth. 

The Seeds of Generosity program will involve 3 rounds of guest speakers sharing during Sunday morning RE about their experiences with generosity, and a pitch party at which families will enjoy food and drinks while children and youth make pitches for how they would spend $100 to make a difference in our community. Attendees of the pitch party will vote on who gets that round’s $100, and everyone who pitches goes into a drawing to win $50 to spend generously toward community betterment. 

More details about the program will come home from RE with your child in late February, but for now, mark your calendars for our first Seeds of Generosity Pitch Party, after the service on March 16th and plan to be there to help us develop a culture of generosity!

I know it’s a long way off, but a LOT of preparation goes into our River of Life Sunday at the end of each church year. In order to pull off something meaningful for our children and youth, we need your help.

First, this year, we’re aiming to have the Spirit Play children offer a very short performance of the JETPIG song we’ve been using to learn the UU shared values. It would be so helpful if parents went ahead and made a plan to be in attendance on June 1st AND listened to the JETPIG song at home or in the car once in a while to help the children gain confidence with the words and motions. 

Second, each year we honor children who are transitioning between classrooms with a stepping stone ritual on River of Life Sunday. If your child will falls into any of the following groups, please email me!

1. A new walker — meaning they’ll be planning to be join Chalice Children in the nursery in September.

2. Going into 3rd grade in September. We *may* have the capacity to split into 2 different elementary spaces when the classroom reopens, and if we do, we’ll be stepping the older kids into their own space! 🤞

3. Going into 6th grade AND planning to step into youth group. Because there is a wide range of development in 6th grade, we invite families to decide whether their 6th graders attend youth group (middle and high schoolers) or remain in the upper elementary group. 

The Fellowship depends on community members like Russ Anderson and Brian Egan, who arrived with their tools and smiles bright and early just about every day for weeks last month so that our building would be ready in time for official construction to begin. We’re lucky to have their knowledge and skill so freely given! If you see them in the social hall, don’t forget to thank them for their service. They are two of the many volunteers who keep this place moving forward!

If you have any questions about what’s happening in RE, send them my way. And if you’re someone who enjoys being out of the loop, and you want to be removed from the monthly RE Newsletter list, let me know. Wishing you a love-filled February!

Cluster Overnight for Youth! RSVP by 2/5 for Event on 2/15

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WHO? All registered 6-12th graders

WHAT and WHERE? Youth overnight event at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Eugene

WHEN? REGISTER directly with Eugene and notify Skyla via email by 2/5 for event taking place on 2/15. Cars will depart from UUFC parking lot at 4PM on Saturday and return around 12:30 on Sunday afternoon.

DETAILS: Youth will share dinner and games, help set up and participate in the Sweetheart Aromantic Ball, have midnight worship, and attend services in Eugene before returning to UUFC on Sunday afternoon around 12:30. Don’t forget to email Skyla once you register so that we can plan for adequate transportation. The Fellowship will cover the requested fee for youth and advisors.

RE Volunteer Cafe 1/26

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All Volunteers who serve in RE in any capacity — whether you lead a Sunday morning class, facilitate one of our family gatherings, or attend the RE Council meetings — are invited to pop by the library on Sunday morning between 8:45 and 9:45 for a warm drink, connection with fellow volunteers, and a chance to tell Skyla anything you want her to know about how things are going in RE.

Cappuccinos, lattes, hot chocolate, and tea, as well some some baked goodies will be available during that time as long as supplies last. Volunteers with dietary restrictions are encouraged to contact Skyla in advance so that your needs can be provided for.

We look forward to seeing you there!

January in RE!

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Religious Exploration Newsletter
Religious Exploration Newsletter Here's what's new in January...
What's happening here? Shows photos about what's going on in the RE rooms.

It’s finally happening! The classroom wing is really, truly, actually closing this time. The doors are off most of the rooms, and Brian Egan has transformed the RE office into command central for the construction project. We are a go, people. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill.

Parents, we ask that you keep a close eye on your children while areas that feel familiar and welcoming to them are no longer safe for entry. 

Starting Now Our Younglings are Going to New Spaces!

If you’re the parent of preschool or elementary aged kiddos, I encourage you to arrive early on Sunday to help your littles get familiar with the new setup. 

STARTING THIS SUNDAY:

~Infants, toddlers, and preschool children will remain in the sanctuary. Additional toys have been added to the gallery, and I and several volunteers are more than happy to walk/distract willing wee ones during the service if you indicate an openness to that variety of support. We’re all in this together! Please communicate your needs!

 ~Grades K-5 will meet in the back of the social hall, behind the accordion doors.

~Middle and high school students will meet in the library.

Construction can’t keep us down! We have lots of great reasons to gather in the coming months, so pull out your phones and mark your calendars.

JANUARY EVENTS for FAMILIES

1/12   Family Breakfast, 8:45-9:45 

1/16   Parent Peer Support Group, 6:30-8PM  

UPCOMING EVENTS for YOUTH

1/18 -19   OWL kickoff overnight

2/15-16    Eugene Aromantic Ball and overnight

3/14-16    Coast Retreat

More information for all family events can be found at uucorvallis.org by clicking “News” in the menu bar and then selecting “RE Council” from the drop down menu. Registration and event details for youth gatherings will arrive in parent inboxes 2-4 weeks prior to the event. 

With the Our Whole Lives program (OWL) for middle schoolers returning for the first time since 2019, many Fellowship parents are seriously reflecting on how best to discuss matters of sex, sexuality, body changes, and identity with their kids. 

Even if your child is not old enough for the OWL program, we have plenty of resources to offer you!

  • Free copies of It’s Perfectly Normal are available to any Fellowship family that requests one by emailing dre@uucorvallis.org.
  • A limited supply of smaller resources like the Askable Parent pamphlet will be available in the library.
  • Beyond reading materials, now you are able to check out a set of anatomically correct dolls that are complete with pubic hair, working wombs, and more.

We want our parents to feel well supported, not just with peer groups and pastoral care, but with concrete resources that you can access as the need arises. If you have questions about the check out process, or ideas about other supportive resources we should add to our library, email me or find me on a Sunday morning so we can chat.

Thank you, Wolfgang, for your tireless efforts on the classroom wing!

I cannot remember the last time I ventured into the classroom wing and did not find Wolfgang hard at work hauling, boxing, or building custom storage shelves to fit our exact needs. Talk about love in action! If you see him around, give that man a big thank you! 

YOU CAN HELP!

Once the construction company is done, there will be some finishing touches to make as a community before we can move back in. This means opportunities to bring the whole family to help revitalize our newly secured building. How exciting is it that you’ll have a chance to leave your fingerprints on this piece of Fellowship history? From painting and trim work to unboxing, I’m sure the needs will be great. Please let me or Wolfgang know if you have hidden talents to share, a desire to build new skills, or just a strong back and energy to give. Moving this project across the finish line will surely take the whole village! 

As always, if you have any needs or big ideas to share, I’m here for you. Just send an email, text, or carrier pigeon. And if you’re not interested in receiving updates for children and families conveniently in your inbox, say the word and I’ll remove you from our mailing list.

Thanks for being one of the many reasons this community is so fabulous!

Parent Peer Support Group

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Come find support and understanding in the context of a discussion topic and a light dinner with other parents.

WHEN:6:30 on the 3rd Thursday of each month.

WHERE: Parents meet in the gallery of the sanctuary, with free childcare provided in the social hall.

To help our facilitators with meal plans and to receive a reminder email, we ask that you consider registering HERE.

Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation Workshop for Parents, 1/2

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Catherine Whiting has been a pediatric occupational therapist for 41 years and specializes in sensory processing and self regulation at home and in schools. She is offering a workshop geared towards parents (grandparents also welcome) about how to identify the sensory needs of a child and to help them by modifying the environment for self regulation. Dynamics of family members having different needs will also be explored.

January 2nd at 7PM in the UUFC social hall.

Please help us plan by registering here by December 30th.

Child Dedications, 12/22

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The members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis ceremonially welcome babies and older children into this world, and into the community which holds them, offering our lifelong commitment to the nurture of each child. This dedication is a joyful ritual which affirms that each young soul is a gift, and which celebrates the covenant of family and community. Each child will receive a decorative certificate as a record of their formal welcome into this circle of care.

While we are happy to provide a child dedication any time a family requests one, it is our custom at UUFC to perform this communal ceremony on our near Christmas Eve.

This year’s child dedication will be offered during the service on Sunday, December 22nd. If you would like to have your child dedicated in this ritual, please contact Skyla (dre@uucorvallis.org) no later than December 18th.

Post-Holiday Break for Parents, 12/27

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This time of year can be a lot for parents as we try to maintain all the rituals, magic, and meaning of the season. To honor all you do, we’d like to offer you a break! Drop off school-aged (k-8) children in the social hall from 1-4 on December 27th. We’ll have a thank you card writing workshop (with helpers for those who haven’t mastered the pen yet), eat snacks, and settle in for a movie while you take a few hours to recover from the holiday hustle. To make the most of the thank you card workshop, please send your child with a list of specific people & gifts for which to offer thanks. 

Thanks to a generous grant from the Benton County Foundation, this event is free and open to the public, so invite your friends and family to take advantage of this opportunity!

Registration is required for this event, and will close on 12/20. Space is limited.

Adult OWL, Comprehensive Sexuality Education for 18+, 1/5-3/9

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Using values, communication skills, and spirituality as starting points, this program explores sexuality issues for adults of all ages. OWL(Our Whole Lives) builds an understanding of healthy sexual relationships, affirms diversity, and helps participants accept and affirm their own sexuality throughout their lives.

It’s not too late to experience the healing and healthy sex ed you wish you’d had back then!

This series is facilitated by trained guides. Dawn Dirks is trained for all ages of OWL, and Skyla King-Christison is trained for adult OWL with an emphasis on older adults.

Join us on Sundays 1/5- 3/9 from 2:30 to 4 in the social hall.

Pre-registration is required for this series, and space is limited.

Contact Skyla at dre@uucorvallis with questions.

Stoic Art Journaling for the New Year, 12/27

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We are living in strange times, and strange times call for more art and more dedication to doing our part to keep that arc of the moral universe bending toward justice!

Join Skyla on December 27th from 6-8 PM in the social hall, where we will cast our vision across 2025 through a Stoic lens known for its capacity to galvanize hope. Then, each participant will create a mini art journal to document concrete actions they can take to foster peace, justice, and self-care in the year ahead. No art skills needed!

Preregistration HERE is requested for this event!

Bring a snack to share, and I’ll put the kettle on for tea.

All supplies will be provided, but you are more than welcome to bring your favorite scrapbook paper, pens, markers, stencils, etc.

Below are two examples of the style of pocket-sized art journal you will create. They are perfect for exploring bite-sized concepts, so you may find yourself making more once you know how. Yours will be completely unique and on a different topic from the ones pictured.