GOAL SETTING & LIFESTYLE CONSIDERATIONS FOR RETIREMENT
“Enriching our retirement with thoughtful planning” Thursday, Sept. 10 @ 3:00 – 4:30pm in the Sanctuary With people living longer and in better health than our predecessors, we may have several active years in this phase of our lives. Whether you are already retired or thinking ahead, let’s give this some thought together as we face the openness and freedom that retirement can offer. It can be time to pursue interests that have been put off for years even if we don’t have so much spring in our step! A panel of fellow UUFC retirees will share their thoughts and experiences as they began this era of their lives. Open discussion to follow.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.” – Rumi
The children and youth will be hosting their annual lemonade stand, once again benefitting the Heartland Humane Society!
WHEN? THIS Sunday August 2nd, directly after the service WHERE? At the sheltered bench between the parking lot and the sanctuary WHY? Because finding ways to support the orgs that support our town is important and fun! HOW MUCH? However much you would like to contribute to the cause. No one will go home thirsty due to lack of funds. HOW?Cash is preferred, though we hope to have the ability to receive donations by card this year. 🤞
Service learning is a valuable part of our RE program, and we appreciate your support! During our Easter egg hunt in the spring, participants voted on this year’s lemonade stand beneficiary, and the Humane Society was, unsurprisingly, chosen for a third year in a row. Our youth group has served there in-person many times, cleaning cages, feeding animals, sorting donations, and socializing the animals who call Heartland home. Our connection to their mission is strong and clear. We love to support those who support our fluffy neighbors!
Join the Justice Council and RE Council for a group exploration of this year’s UUA Common Read. The book this year is Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection by Deepa Iyer (Skinner House). This book provides tools for Unitarian Universalists to grow more authentic, connected, and effective as individuals and communities as we pursue transformative justice together.
The Inquirers Series class this week (June 21, 2026) will be Membership 101. The Care & Support class will now be on June 28. This swap is temporary; the regular class sequence will continue after June 28.
Membership 101 is one of the three classes required before signing the membership book. If you’re interested in becoming a signed member of the Fellowship, you can read more on our Path to Membership page.
This week we are cancelling NeuroDivergence and Mental Health Support Group due to the Fellowship’s annual membership meeting. Groups will continue, going forward, on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month at 8:30 AM.
“May, queen of blossoms, and fulfilling flowers! What pretty music shall we charm the hours?” – Lord Edward Thurlow
Greetings, Families!
Please grab your calendars and read carefully all that is below. This month’s newsletter is ripe with date changes, summer event previews, and more!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
5/3 Family Breakfast @ 8:45 (register HERE and bring a dish if you are able)
5/14 Parent Connection Dinner @ 6:30 (register HERE one time, to get reminders) BRING YOUR OWN DISHES!
5/17 Annual Meeting (childcare is provided!) @ noon
5/24 Parent Q&A with Skyla on Playground deck @ 11:45
PLAN AHEAD
6/7 River of Life RE Service
More information about our events can be found below, and info for all events can be found at uucorvallis.org by clicking “News” in the menu bar and then selecting “RE Council” from the drop-down menu.
If you love Family Breakfast — and we know you do — take special note: May’s breakfast is happening one week early so we don’t overlap with Mother’s Day.
If the mother in your household dreams of nothing more than sleeping in on her special day but simply cannot bear the thought of missing monthly breakfast, please consider this our humble gift to you.
May Family Breakfast will be Sunday, May 4. We hope to see you there!
Summer Sundays are made for lingering. A post-service hike, a splash in the river, a snack shared with friends while the kids run ahead.
While Parent Connection Dinner and Family Breakfast take their annual break from June through September, we’ll be leaning into a few casual, low-prep ways to stay connected this summer:
June 28 – Fitton Green Hike & Snack July 26 – Marys River Natural Area Splash & Chat August 29 – Family BBQ & RE Orientation (this one is a Saturday!)
Each month’s RE newsletter will include registration details and gathering information. If we need to cancel due to extreme heat or low registration, I’ll contact registered families by text.
I’m especially excited for the August BBQ, because it will serve as our joyful on-ramp into the new church year. We are planning to lean hard into family fun, stronger connections, and fuller attendance in the year ahead, and this gathering will be our first step.
We’ll eat together, play lawn games, and welcome both new and returning families. Children who register early will receive their RE t-shirts as we unveil this year’s theme. Then, as the kids head off with their guides and advisors to play games and create their group covenants, parents and I will spend some time talking about our shared hopes for Religious Exploration, and about how we can partner with you to make Fellowship Sundays a place your child is genuinely excited to be.
Please get these dates on your calendar now, and let me know if any of them land squarely on family vacation plans. If a large portion of families are excluded and there’s a better option available, I am more than willing to shuffle things around. The earlier we compare calendars, the easier it is to make summer work for everyone.
Speaking of communicating your needs with me, I’m delighted to invite you to our annual Parents’ Chat with the DRE.
This is a casual chance to share your questions, your calendar conflicts, your hopes, your frustrations, and your wildest ideas for how we can get you and your children genuinely engaged in UU faith formation. If there’s something you’ve been wanting me to know, this is a great space for it.
Join me on May 24 at 11:45 a.m. on the RE deck. I’ll have pitchers of lemonade, the kids can play on the playground, and we can chat in the sunshine.
What you share in this conversation really does shape the plans we make over the summer as we prepare for fall, so I hope you’ll come help me dream a little.
Thank you to everyone who came out for the JETPIG Easter Egg Hunt last month! The feedback was fabulous. Our big kids were wonderfully caring with the littles, and our volunteers kept their cool under some very real crowd pressure at the slime and candy tables.
I especially want to share one story that came out of our volunteer debrief.
When I asked one volunteer how the event had gone, they told me they had spent part of the night before studying the value assigned to their station so they would be ready to talk about it from every angle and ready to help children think a little more deeply instead of simply grabbing the prize and sprinting off to the next table.
They were positively beaming as they said, “I learned so much just preparing for this, and then it really paid off. I had the best conversations with some of the kids.”
As they shared a few of those exchanges with me, I realized I could hardly track the details because I was too busy feeling so stinking proud to serve alongside adults who take the faith formation of our children this seriously.
Y’all, we are beyond lucky to have the volunteer team we do. Your children are in excellent hands with these remarkable leaders who prepare on their own time so they can engage more meaningfully, and who genuinely delight in watching children light up with excitement about what they are learning. Gah! What could be better than that?
Thank you, as always, for entrusting your children to the care of the Religious Exploration team. It is such a joy and an honor to watch them grow, to see their personalities branch out in all directions, becoming more fully themselves year by year. What a gift it is to be humans in community together.
I’m wishing you blossoming love, deeper connection, and a few good pockets of springtime ease this month. And as always, if you need to chat, I am only an email or phone call away.
Please join Elders Thriving in Community for our last event this program year: Wednesday May 13 3-4:30 pm UUFC Social Hall 🐝🐦
The birds are chirping and bees are buzzing! Please come to celebrate Spring and the sweet goodness of our lived experiences. To share those moments, please bring a favorite item or token (no pets please) that reminds you of a cherished moment in your life – ancient history or near and dear, large or small! We will spend time around tables noshing and sharing these short memories and the reason it still warms your heart.
Bring your feedback about the past year’s events and ideas for next year. And think about what activities you might want to host this summer!
Snacks and sweets will be provided along with coffee, tea and juice.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
If you’ve been thinking about becoming a member, now is the time.
Our Annual Meeting is coming up soon on May 17th, and signing the membership book allows you to vote on important decisions that shape the life of this congregation. There’s still time to complete the required Inquirers Series sessions:
April 19 – Transitions Q&A (formerly Care & Support; that session is now May 10)
April 26 – Membership 101
May 3 – Our Shared Values 📍 All sessions meet in Room 7 at 11:45 AM
We would love to welcome you into membership before the meeting. If that’s been on your heart, this is your moment.
Please contact Skyla King-Christison (dre@uucorvallis.org) for questions about the Inquirer Series and Joyce Standing (membership@uucorvallis.org) for questions about signing the Membership Book.
We highly encourage all newcomers who are interested in membership to attend all sessions of the Inquirers Series, a series of classes offered every Sunday after worship in a 9-week rotation. The sessions are not just for newcomers and do not need to be completed in a specific order. Sessions begin at 11:45 AM on Sundays in Room 7.
Attending Our Shared Values, Transitions Q&A, and Membership 101 (or UU Roots) are required before requesting to become a member of the Fellowship.
Our Shared Values
Transitions Q&A
Building & Grounds Tour
Lifespan Faith Formation
Chalice Circles
Care and Support
Justice and Community Action
Membership 101
Our UU Roots and Q&A
We introduce and welcome new members to the Fellowship during a Sunday morning service. New members will be offered the opportunity to participate but are not required to do so. A short biography to introduce each new member along with a headshot photo for the directory may be requested. More information will be shared during the Membership 101 class.
Final steps to membership
After attending the Inquirers Series, you become a member by signing the Membership Book. This signifies that you choose to align yourself with our mission and values, undertaking the rights and responsibilities of membership.
The Membership Welcome ceremony is offered each quarter; new members are invited to sign the Membership Book and be introduced to the congregation. You may also arrange to sign the Membership Book in private with the Minister.
New members are invited and encouraged to make a pledge of financial and volunteer support to the Fellowship. This is what stewardship means. Detailed stewardship information is available on the UUFC website under the Donate button.
Seeking highly committed members
Generations of highly committed members have worked to create what you experience at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis today: a dynamic, liberal community of faith devoted to religious learning and growth and to justice, compassion, and peace.
Carefully consider the responsibilities of membership before you make the commitment. Members readily and generously give their time, talents, and financial resources to support the life and mission of the Fellowship. This spirit of generosity and commitment develops over time and is the result of active participation in our programs.
Membership represents a deeper connection to your faith community. Are you prepared to make this kind of commitment by becoming a member?
Why does membership matter?
Membership means taking your religious life seriously, participating in the life of the Fellowship, and supporting the Fellowship with time, talent, and resources according to your means.
Membership means being present and participating in this vital, dynamic congregation, joining hundreds of others as we work for justice, nurture freedom of thought and religious expression, advocate for the worth and dignity of every person, and dedicate ourselves to environmental stewardship.
Membership is required to participate in the governance of the Fellowship: electing and serving on the Board of Directors, who oversee policies and finances. Membership is also required to be eligible to vote at official congregational meetings. In addition, you’ll receive UUWorld, which is the journal of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Our Mission
Explore. Love. Act.
We gather as an inclusive religious community to search for meaning, build deep connections, and inspire action toward a better world for all.
We know many egg hunts are all about gathering as many eggs as you can, as fast as you can. Ours is a little different, and that difference really matters for your child’s experience. Please take a moment to look over the plan so you can help them understand what to expect: a cooperative, shared activity where every child gets one of each color and leaves with a full set of meaningful treasures. When children know ahead of time that this isn’t about collecting as many eggs as possible, they are much more likely to relax, enjoy the process, and feel proud of what they’ve gathered. Your guidance helps make the experience joyful and fair for everyone.
🌈 The Plan
This is a cooperative hunt, not a race. Everyone helps make sure all children can collect one egg of each of the 7 colors. Each color corresponds with a value, and each value has a station at one of the tables.
🥚 How It Works
Find one egg of a new color
Only take an egg if you haven’t already had that color.
If you accidentally get one twice. It’s okay. Just put it back in the grass.
Trade it in right away
Bring the one egg to the table that matches its color/value.
Trade the egg for a prize that helps you remember that value.
Leave the egg behind
Eggs stay at the tables. Only prizes go home.
Repeat
Go find a different color and trade it in, until you have visited all 7 value stations.
If you’ve found all you need, look around and see who needs help!
🎯 Important Guidelines
✔️ One egg per color per child
✔️ Trade each egg before finding another
✔️ Collect one prize from each station (7 total)
✔️ Most tables have two values, one has one value
✔️ Things run more smoothly if everyone doesn’t go to the same table at the same time, so no need to go in order.
🚧 Safety & Boundaries
Stay inside the cones at all times
Parents, Guardians, and Grown-ups who brought participants are responsible for supervising their children
Volunteers are here to staff tables and answer questions, but their focus is not on monitoring safety boundaries
💛 Remember
We are sharing, helping, and making sure everyone gets what they need.
Take your time. Help each other. Have lots of fun!
