How was the Community Music Circle last week? It was great!
We had about 25-30 people attending, several who brought instruments. We sang all of your favorite UU hymns–some that you haven’t heard in a while. You can read more about it in this month’s Monthly Journal.
The next Community Music Circle is scheduled for May the 4th. You are invited to bring a song from childhood to teach to the group! More details coming in the Weekly Announcements.
Open to all ages and all levels of musical ability! Bring voices and instruments if you have them.
Folk singer and songwriter David Roth will be offering a concert at the UU Congregation of Salem on April 15 at 7 PM. Rev. Monica has invited UUs from the region (like us!) to attend. Here’s the link to the announcement on the UU Salem website for a little more info and the option to purchase tickets: https://uusalem.org/2026/03/13/david-roth-at-uucs-april-15/.
Our April Justice Outreach offering will support the Community Services Consortium Weatherization Program. The program targets lower income housing for basic energy efficiency repairs and upgrades. These involve energy assessments, insulation, weather stripping, ducts, furnace safety, and more, in a planned, organized process by local workers. This is free for qualified residents of Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties. The program relies heavily on Federal funding which has become more difficult, while the waitlist for program services lengthens. Your donations will allow more local households to be served and help those with sub-marginal incomes to save on energy costs. For more information, visit https://communityservices.us/weatherization/.
How to donate to the monthly Outreach Offering
Each month, the Fellowship gathers donations for a certain charitable cause. These are our Outreach Offerings. You can contribute to this month’s offering in a few ways:
The Kitchen team donates an assortment of sweet and savory refreshments, including gluten-free and vegan choices, for our enjoyment at the social hour following Sunday worship. These items are purchased and prepared by the team to encourage donations to the Outreach Offering. Collection baskets are always found at the ends of the refreshments table. The next time you’re eyeing something tasty on the table, consider putting a donation in the basket first to show how much you appreciate having that treat ready and waiting for you!
Happy Spring! Time to get outdoors and get our grounds looking great. Joyce has scheduled 4 work parties for April, and will plan additional work parties weekly in May. Please come help out when you can – let Joyce know if you plan to attend.
April Work Parties Mondays: April 6 and April 20 3-5pm Saturdays: April 4 and April 18 3-5pm
If you can’t make those times and would prefer to come when you can, there are specific tasks you can work on individually or with a buddy (a potentially new friend?). Specific tasks include things like:
cardboarding and mulching the areas adjacent to Firwood and Elmwood to get rid of the scraggly grass and weeds that are unsightly and difficult to mow.
weeding a specific area (lots to choose from!)
repotting potted plants
Our group efforts will involve completing work on the pollinator garden, which will mean planting annuals, mulching, setting up a watering system and woodchipping the path. And other misc. pruning and wood chipping the paths.
We are having the large oak trees pruned on April 16th by Peak Tree Care. After their work, we should have some high quality wood chips to use for the paths.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
The Justice Outreach Fund (JOF) created in 2015 supports our Unitarian Universalist Values with an emphasis on creating a just and diverse multicultural Beloved Community where all thrive. To do this, the Fund awards small and large grants up to $10,000 to projects that are aimed at seeding and/or achieving social, economic, racial, and environmental justice.
The JOF Team is looking for projects that support one or more of the following three outcomes:
Changing how people are thinking and talking about an issue.
Engaging people and communities in civic action.
Developing or changing public or corporate policy.
For more information, the JOF Team encourages you to visit our table in the Social Hall on the first Sunday of each month, visit our newly revised webpage, or email us at jofund@uucorvallis.org for more information.
Embroider your life with song! The UUFC Choir meets every Wednesday at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary and is open to anyone – whether you have musical experience or not. There is no audition.
We sing a variety of pieces – each with unique style, instrumentation, and cultural significance – which allows for diverse musical exploration and personal expression.
The Choir is a great way to be of service to our Fellowship community… and have FUN! Contact Director Steven Evans-Renteria for more information at this link.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
Come lend your voices to table talk about justice in our society. You might share song titles the choir and band could include in its repertoire. The potluck is Wednesday April 8 at 6:30 PM. Come early if you can help set up tables.
Bring a dish to share (please identify all ingredients), serving utensil (if needed), and your own plate, fork, and water. The kitchen will not be used. This is a low-impact meal.
This is a Connect Up Event with the purpose of building community within the UUFC congregation.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
Shantala, the kirtan duo of Benjy and Heather Wertheimer, has over two decades of experience leading kirtan (sacred chanting), and have captivated audiences worldwide. Their music is a beautiful tapestry of exquisite vocals, Indian instrumentation, and Western influences, creating a loving and reverent atmosphere.
Want to make local change happen? Considering running for office? Interested in learning more about how local politics works?
Join our Foundations of Corvallis Politics course on April 4th at 12pm at the UUFC.
No experience necessary. We’ll teach you how power and influence moves in the city, and how you can participate. This workshop will set the foundation for several tracks – whether you’re an advocate, potential candidate, or campaign support, this class is for you.
The UUFC Annual Meeting is coming up on Sunday, May 17, 2026 after worship service. Many things happen at our annual meeting, including voting on who will fill various leadership roles. For exact details, please read the UUFC Bylaws, shown at the bottom of this page.
Here is the timeline of events leading up to this year’s annual meeting.
Friday, April 17, 2026: Slate of candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee is published
Saturday, May 2, 2026: Deadline for any candidates to be nominated by petition (see Bylaws Article III Section 1)
Saturday, May 9, 2026: Finalized slate of all nominated candidates is published
Sunday, May 17, 2026: Annual Meeting!
Matters Up For Vote
Elected Fellowship Lay Leaders
The Nominating Committee will present a slate of candidates to fill the following roles:
Members of the Board of Directors
Members of the Nominating Committee
Chair of the Personnel Committee
Chair of the Financial Oversight Council
Note that the Chair of the Committee on Ministry would normally also be elected at the Annual Meeting, but the work of the Committee on Ministry is paused during our time of Interim Ministry.
Ministerial Search Committee
The Board of Directors will present a slate of candidates to serve as the Ministerial Search Committee, which will be tasked with conducting a search for our next settled minister.
Ways of Voting
Motions are passed by majority vote of those present, which is determined through a verbal Yea/Nay vote.
Voting Members
Voting at the Annual Meeting is only open to people who are signed, active members of the Fellowship. In other words, those who have signed the membership book and maintained active membership. See Bylaws Article II.
There is still time for new members to join before the Annual Meeting! Prospective members are required to attend three of the Inquirers Series sessions before signing the book: #1 Our Shared Values, #2 Transitions Q&A, #8 Membership 101 (or #9 UU Roots). These sessions will be offered before the Annual Meeting, on these dates:
Membership 101: April 26
Our Shared Values: May 3
Transitions Q&A: May 10
If you have already completed any of these sessions, you only need to attend the others. You do not need to repeat a session you’ve already attended, though you are welcome to!
The membership book will be available for signing after the Inquirers Series on May 10, for those who have completed the prerequisites. This will be the last opportunity to sign the membership book before the Annual Meeting. To learn more about membership at the UUFC, see our Path to Membership page.
