weekly announcements

We’ve recently released a new set of website updates based on the feedback that we’ve gathered and many meetings and conversations we’ve had over the past several months. There was a significant overhaul of the website that was released in February of 2023. This is more of an update than an overhaul, but you will notice some changes. 

Some things are located in different places than they were previously, but with a little exploration and
practice with navigating the upgraded website, we hope you will find the updated locations to be more intuitive.

Here are a few of the changes that you may notice:

1. Redesigned homepage. The homepage is going to be the first introduction many people have to the Fellowship. People will visit the homepage to find out who we are and what we are about. People should quickly get a feel for the kind of community we are trying to build at UUFC. It should be easy for visitors to get an overview of UUFC’s mission and values, which is why the mission statement “Explore. Love. Act. ” is prominently displayed with links to more information about how we live out the different parts of the mission. Visitors shouldn’t be overwhelmed by too much information, but the hope is that they can find where to go to learn more about what interests them. 

2. New Content: according to feedback, visitors as well as long-time members want more information about how to get involved in different parts of the community. Some new pages have been added like a Get Involved page that lists all the groups and teams, and other ways to participate, and updated descriptions of the councils. 

3. Members Area: All the way at the bottom right corner there is an area called “Members Area.” Here is where you see the Room Use calendar, forms to request a room reservation or add something to the Weekly Announcements, and the archive files.  

4. Top menu reorganized: since finding things easily is a top priority, the top menu has been reorganized to make it easier to find what you need. However, it’s a lot like when your favorite grocery store reorganizes the aisles, and suddenly you don’t know where things are any more. After a few shopping trips, you get used to where your favorite items are and pretty soon you don’t even remember how it used to be. If you can’t find what you need, try the search function.

5. Search Function: Because we all have different brains that tend to organize things differently, it is not possible to organize the menu in a way that perfectly matches the way everyone thinks. So we have a search bar. Type in a keyword or two just like you’re doing a google search, and you should see some pages and blog posts come up. 

6. Calendars: One of the top-menu items is called “calendars.” There are two main calendars: the first is Programs and Events Calendar which shows the events that anyone can show up to and participate in. The other calendar, called the Room Use Calendar shows everything happening at the building, including outside rentals, and internal meetings, chalice group meetings, and other closed meetings not for casual drop-ins.

7. Vertical Tabs: On the left column of most of the content pages you will see a stack of vertical tabs showing a group of related pages. These allow you to see at a glance content related to the page you are currently on, which will make it easier for you to find what you need. Click on these tabs to see more content, or use the top menu to get to another group of related pages.

8. Quick Links: On the right hand column of all the content pages, you will find a list of links to each of the weekly announcements posts. For a more detailed and prettier version of the weekly announcements, go to the menu item called “news.”

Weekly Announcements

Weekly Announcements used to be published as a pdf that was emailed out every week. Several months ago we started posting the Weekly Announcements on the website as well, which took many hours to coordinate the two formats. Starting in January of this year we transitioned to only posting them on the website. Although we still send out a weekly email, the email always directs you to the same place where the weekly announcements live: uucorvallis.org/news. If for some reason you don’t get the email, you can still find the latest weekly announcements in the same place, updated at the end of each week.

If you’re having trouble finding something, or if anything looks broken, please let me know, and I will try to help or fix it. 

David Servias

April will be Stewardship Season at the Fellowship. “Stewardship” is a word for the shared effort of nurturing and sustaining this amazing and needed UU congregation. It’s the time of year when we review our commitments and make new pledges of support – in terms of time, talent and treasure – for the next year. It’s a time for conversation, for sharing what the Fellowship means in our lives, for working together to improve the ways we work together! Several Town Halls are planned, with refreshments or supper and childcare provided: March 25 (for newest members), April 4 and April 11. Please plan now to attend at least one of these gatherings. The Pledge Drive will begin with a special Sunday service on April 7. The town halls will also include discussions of proposed bylaw changes (from the Board) at the Annual Meeting in May. All Fellowship members are responsible for helping to make those changes.

The world changes. Unitarian Universalism changes. The Fellowship changes. If you are interested in being part of a review of worship at the Fellowship – what it is for us, what we need from it, how we accomplish it, and more – plan now to join in a series of workshops and conversations beginning in May. Not merely a survey or collecting of opinions, this project will include conversations, practice, and training in the arts of worship. Let Rev. Jill McAllister know if you are interested, and stay tuned for dates to be announced soon.

We’re looking forward to a visit on March 24 from the Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, a long-time UU minister who serves as the President of one of our two main theological schools – Starr King School for the Ministry. Before she entered the UU ministry, Rev. McNatt was a writer /editor for the New York Times Book Review. Before going to Starr King she served as Senior Minister of the Fourth Universalist Society of the City of New York. Rev. McNatt has been voice of reason, challenge, wisdom and leadership within UUism for decades. Plan now to join us! For all who are interested in her work as President of Starr King, and in the new frontiers in theological education, a reception will be held at 2:30 PM on March 24. Let Rev. Jill McA know if you’d like to attend.

Thank you so much for your interest in participating in the Chalice Circle Sampler Series. Unfortunately there were not enough people who signed up for this offering in March, so we will need to cancel. That said, we’d like to offer you a few options:

1) Shikha is willing to meet with you after this Sunday’s service and help you find an existing chalice circle to join. There are several in person as well as Zoom chalice groups that would welcome new members, all offered at different days and times. She’s also open to answering any questions you may have about chalice circles in general or these in particular. IF you’d like to meet, please send her an email (shikha@alumni.stanford.edu) so she knows to expect you. Please plan on gathering in the back of the Sanctuary after service.

2) The Sampler Series will be offered this Fall, sometime between September-November. Please look for more info in the Weekly Announcements starting in August! And… get others to join in the fun! We usually offer multiple days and times to choose from. If you have preferences for certain days or times, feel free to influence our choices. 🙂

3) We’d be happy to facilitate a Sampler Series at another time if you can find enough people to participate. Everyone must be willing to commit to 4 sessions that meet weekly or bi-weekly and at a time that one of us is available to facilitate.

Sorry this won’t work out this Spring. It’s difficult to get enough people to commit to being able to add this to their schedules. We hope that you persist in this endeavor- it’s well worth it!

Kindly,

Shikha Ghosh Gottfried and Nancy Sowdon

The Corvallis “Dial-a-Bus” service — part of Benton County Area Transit — provides transportation at little or no cost for local residents who, for whatever reason, are unable to drive themselves. These include some UUFC members. Many of the drivers are volunteers and more drivers are always needed. Jack Elder has been a driver for over a year. Anyone who is interested in serving as a DaB volunteer driver may want to talk to Jack, or visit https://www.dialabus.org/volunteer or call 541-752-2615 for more information.