The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis
If you have scheduled recurring events, many of them will expire at the end of June, so please double check and extend them if you need to.
Occasionally we find events on the calendar that have been recurring for a long time, but aren’t actually happening anymore. We are working to clean these off of the calendar.
To schedule new events, please visit the “Members Area” by scrolling to the bottom of any page on the website.
Here’s what it looks like:
Our outreach offerings for the month of June are supporting Flaming Chalice International, the non-profit organization founded by Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana to support both Burundian Unitarian refugees and Unitarians within Burundi. Our contributions help support job training, scholarships, housing and food for refugees, social justice projects focused on women’s health and dignity, and maintaining clean water supplies in remote villages. The Fellowship has been part of this international partnership for more than ten years. Our support makes a difference in lives of many Burundians and in the health and growth of global UUism.
PS – Rev. Fulgence has changed his name, to better reflect his Burundian identity instead of the colonial Catholicism he was raised with. His new name is Mwibutsawineza F. Ndagijimanayburundi. He goes by Mwibutsa.
The process of undertaking a building renovation and expansion project has taken us quite a few years, and a long and winding road. But we are getting close to starting the work! Phase One is the renovation of the classroom wing for safety and stability – to meet fire and earthquake codes – and to update/upgrade some of the windows, floors and walls. The estimated / hoped for start date is now September (still some questions to answer and city permit to be acquired). Our prep work is starting now. In order for renovations to be done on that wing, we have to EMPTY the building. (Move everything out. Everything.) That will be a big job.
Our first need is to find out who among us has and would be willing to lend storage space for 3-4 months – a rooms worth, perhaps, or some boxes. We’re looking for as much donated storage space as possible; then we’ll rent space only if needed. Do you have basement /garage / shed, or other space to share? Please contact Wolfgang Dengler, wolfdengler1@gmail.com.
And, get ready to sign up to help with moving, room by room, probably starting in July.
What does PEACE mean to you? no war? Good relations with your neighbors? a life with enough for everyone? Would you like to be part of a Sunday service on July 14 to talk about what peace means to us now? The objective is to explore what might a world at peace look like in 2050? Whatever you think, your opinion is welcome to the conversation. Please let Rev. Jill McA know.
And an invitation to action: The prime minister of Israel, “an obstacle to peace”*, will speak to the US Congress on Wednesday July 24. As a sanction against that honor, a UU peace group invites you to join in continuing the discussion “IMAGINE PEACE” at the same time as the speech to Congress. UUFC member Bill Glassmire has more information.
*Win Without War says that Senator Chuck Schumer has called Benjamin Netanyahu “an obstacle to peace”.
5:30 pm. in the Social Hall
Whole Food Plant Based Potluck (4th Sundays)
Join us for a potluck exploring how to eat more Whole Foods Plant Based meals. It’s new! It’s confusing! It’s good for our health and our planet. No experience needed, and No Food Shaming!
Whether you are a long-time plant-based eater, or have never heard of this before, you are welcome here. Let’s eat, laugh, and learn together. Children welcome.
Bring a dish to share, in which all ingredients are plants: Plants: Grains, Beans, Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts & Seeds, Herbs & Spices. Not Plants: Animal flesh, fluids, and unborn young.
Need ideas for recipes?
https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/ Hosted by Ann Marchant.
Many of us know a little about the UU congregation of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, because of our connections there through Nora Cohen and Donn Zellet, who are members of that congregation as well as the UUFC. The San Miguel congregation supports a Social Justice Foundation which is involved in a wide variety of justice projects in and around San Miguel. Would you like to know more about this work? Donn Zellet will present a video about it on Sunday, June 23, after the Sunday service, with time for questions and discussion. All are welcome.
Parenting is hard, no matter your stage in life. It can be made needlessly harder if you’re doing it without a village. In an effort to create a scaffolding of support for families of every age, we would like to gauge interest in two distinct support spaces:
If there is sufficient interest in either of these groups, we will start with a 3 month initial commitment. At the end of that time, we can assess whether the group would like to continue through the church year or consider making this a regular summer support group. These groups are intended to help parents in all phases of life strengthen their web of mutual support, not as a substitute for qualified mental health care.
If you are interested in a parent support group, or a group for parents with adult children, please fill out one of the following surveys.
Fill out a Parent Support Group Interest Survey
Fill out a Parents With Adult Children Group Interest Survey
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Skyla King-Christison if you have any questions!
5:00 PM at Goss Stadium (on OSU Campus)
Bring the whole family to the ballpark on July 28th and sit with your UU friends! This is a fun, laid-back place to get to know the other families in our community while your kids scream-sing along with Journey at the top of their lungs. If you’re not a family, but you want to get to know our families, come sit with us! All are welcome!
The game starts at 5 at Goss Stadium (on OSU campus). Purchase your General Admission tickets in advance or at the ticket booth, and we will meet inside in section 2. PLEASE REGISTER to let us know how much space we should save and to receive a text if our seating location necessarily changes at the last minute. If fewer than 3 families register, we will cancel this event via text.
If you have children or youth who would like to attend, but the cost is an obstacle, please contact Skyla (dre@uucorvallis.org) and we’ll get you taken care of.
The 63rd UUA General Assembly will take place virtually this week, from Thursday June 20 to Sunday June 24. GA is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association in which participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. It is also an opportunity to explore the theological underpinnings of our faith, and lean into our mission and principles. Anyone may register to attend; all certified congregations also send delegates to vote on Association business.
Representing UUFC as delegates this year are: Susan Christie, Karishma Gottfried, Diane Conrad, John Bailey, Mary Craven and Priscilla Galasso, plus Skyla King-Christison and Rev. Jill McAllister. As voting delegates, we will attend the General Sessions (the business sessions) and we’ll “spread out” virtually to attend a wide variety of workshops, presentations, discussions and worship services along with several thousand other UUs from congregations across the country.
I attended my first General Assembly as a young member of this Fellowship almost forty years ago (!) – when it was held on a college campus. I took my 9 month old baby, and shared a room (in a dormitory) with a beloved elder from the congregation, who helped me navigate the meetings and the parenting. The feeling of being part of a huge community of religious liberals while being supported by my own congregation was a new and exhilarating experience, and was a big part of the inspiration I gathered as I began to consider the UU ministry. Looking back now over the more than thirty GA’s I’ve attended, I am so grateful for this living, changing tradition and for the several generations of UUs who have continually inspired me.
For anyone interested, the General Sessions and the Sunday Worship will be live-streamed publicly. Find out more at uua.org / General Assembly.
2:00 PM at the Fellowship
All are invited as we gather to remember and celebrate the life of Louise Ferrell on Sunday, August 11 at 2 PM, at the Fellowship.