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WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Sunday Service

  • This Week:

    December 14, 2025 – Presence

    “Being present” has many layers. What does it mean for us during these winter days?

    Rev. Alex McGee will preach

Upcoming Services

  • December 14: Presence

    “Being present” has many layers. What does it mean for us during these winter days?

    Rev. Alex McGee will preach

    December 21: Solstice Pageant (all ages)

    In this all-ages Sunday service, the gifts of children and youth in our congregation will shine as we reflect on Solstice together. Be ready for deep reflection and getting to know your neighbor a little better.

    Skyla King-Christison, Director of Religious Exploration, has designed this service and will lead along with children, youth, and Rev. Alex McGee

    December 24: Christmas Eve (Wednesday, 7 PM)

    Invite friends and family to this gentle, reflective service in which we honor the gifts in the age-old message of people travelling with hope. We will enjoy the lighting of candles, with appropriate candle options for all ages!

    Rev. Alex McGee will preach

    December 28: Beginnings and Endings – Through the Lens of Poetry

    Come enjoy inspiration from poetry as we acknowledge the end of a calendar year and anticipate the beginning of a new year.

    Thea Hart is coordinating this service and many members and friends will be readers. Rev. Alex McGee will help lead.

From the Minister

  • Budgeting From the Heart

    Dear congregation:

    Since arriving here in August, I have been impressed with the steady care that goes in to the finances of this Fellowship.  I already knew, from studying the congregation before I came, that it was fiscally sound.  But now, I have met the leaders and staff who daily are tending to the details, the long range, and the values that guide us.

    Please know that this congregation works on a fiscal year running from July through June.  That means it is off-set from the U.S. tax year and many other non-profits.  So, as you plan your annual giving and budget for the year, please anticipate that UUFC pledge drive will occur in the Spring.  At that time, a budget will be made based in part on the pledges we receive from you.  This shared planning helps us all be stewards together.

    Respectfully,

    Rev. Alex
    Interim Minister

This Week at UUFC

Announcements

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Text-Only Version

See past weekly announcements.

R.E. COUNCIL NEWS

Current Events

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Faith Formation Toolkit

Maybe you’ve got an awesome minister (If you’re at UUFC, you do! ☑️), and a caring Religious Exploration team (Lucky you! You’ve got that too!☑️), and excellent friends and family support (I sure hope you do! ?). Did you know that even with all that, parents and grandparents are still a child’s first and most influential spiritual guides? Yes, YOU! You’re the biggest factor in your child’s spiritual growth and development. How cool (and maybe scary) is that?

In an effort to support families as they raise faithful and spiritually grounded children, we offer you the Family Faith Formation Toolkit with you! On the 4th Sunday of each month, I’ll be adding a new tool to our toolkit below. Each tool will come with resources and practical ideas for how to explore matters of the spirit with your family, and grow in confidence as a spiritual leader. As always, if you have immediate needs relating to your family’s faith formation, I’m available to chat. Just reach out to dre@uucorvallis.org to set up a time.

  1. Discussing the G-word (answering questions about God when you’re not sure yourself)
  2. Prayer as a Family Practice
  3. Meditation with the Kiddos
  4. Service with the Family
  5. Gratitude with the Kiddos
  6. Building a Family Lectionary
  7. A Family Sabbath Plan
  8. UP NEXT: Retreat

From the DRE

  • Invitation to Visit the Ancestor Tree through October

    In this tender season of remembrance, we are approaching our traditional Ancestor Tree with gentle intention and a small change. In an effort to care well for our grounds and to make this ritual more accessible to all, we’ve reimagined where and how we gather the names of those we carry in our hearts.

    You are invited to visit the table in the classroom wing, just outside the RE office, where you will find an altar box, paper leaves, and pencils. On a leaf, write the name of someone or something that has meant something and has died. A mentor, a teacher, a beloved pet, a family member, a forest, a river, a place that held you. Let this be a moment to name what matters. Add your leaf to the trees placed on either side of the altar box—our new Ancestor Trees.

    There, you will also find a basket of blessings for what was real and lost. You are welcome to take one. Read it there in a quiet moment, or tuck it into your pocket for a day when you need to remember that you are not alone. That love persists. That absence, though real, is never the full story.

    Please linger to read the names others have offered. Let yourself be moved by the web of connections among us—the invisible threads of people and places that have shaped the ones we now hold in Beloved Community. These names are echoes of resilience, tenderness, and transformation. They remind us that we are always standing on sacred ground.

    And as you reflect, consider this: What does it mean to become an ancestor? To live in such a way that one day, someone might speak your name with love and longing?

    This is not just a ritual of memory. It’s a quiet invitation to live with greater intention, greater courage, and greater tenderness, for those who came before, those who walk beside us now, and those who will follow.

    With you in the mystery,

    Skyla

More from the DRE

JUSTICE COUNCIL NEWS

  • Justice Theater – 12 Angry Jurors

    The Justice Theatre Team is gearing up for its 8th annual production! This year’s show will take place on Friday and Saturday, March 27th and 28th, and the team will be staging 12 Angry Jurors,… full post

    Justice Theater – 12 Angry Jurors

  • Community Readiness Training (ICE / Migra Watch and Know Your Rights), 12/14

    Join the Democracy Action Team on Sunday, December 14 from  12 – 2 p.m. in the UUFC Sanctuary for a practical ICE‑Watch/Human‑Rights Observer training led by local attorney Lorena  Reynolds. The session will equip you with clear, actionable steps for responding if… full post

    Community Readiness Training (ICE / Migra Watch and Know Your Rights), 12/14

  • Fifth Annual Street-Tree Planting, 1/10

    On the morning of Sat. 10 Jan., UUFC, through the Climate Action Team, will do our fifth annual collaboration with the City of Corvallis to plant street trees. In the past, we have twice planted… full post

    Fifth Annual Street-Tree Planting, 1/10

  • Microshelter at the museum

    The Corvallis Museum is hosting an exhibit on homelessness. Step inside our Microshelter Exhibit for a rare opportunity to see what life is like in a tiny, transitional home. In partnership with Unity Shelter, this… full post

    Microshelter at the museum

  • UUFC observing Transgender Remembrance Day

    UUFC joins our Unitarian Universalist Association in honoring Transgender Remembrance Day on November 20, and a reading will be included in our service this Sunday. May we continue to do the work for safety and… full post

    UUFC observing Transgender Remembrance Day

  • Rescheduling Street-Tree Planting

    Due to the conflict with the Holiday Fair, we are rescheduling the Fifth Annual Tree Planting with the City to a Saturday in January. Look for more info to come. full post

    Rescheduling Street-Tree Planting

  • Partner Church team meeting, 11/9

    Change Your Perspective with the Partner Church Team. We are a standing committee of the UUFC Justice Council and our mission is to enhance and deepen the relationship between our congregation and our partner churches.… full post

    Partner Church team meeting, 11/9

  • 🐦Trick-or-Treat CAT Prize Winners🐦

    Those who visited the Climate Action Team table at the UUFC Trick-or-Treat last Sunday and answered a bird question received a chance to win a bird suet feeder + 2 suet cakes.The winning ticket number… full post

    🐦Trick-or-Treat CAT Prize Winners🐦

  • Help The UU Provide Turkey For The Tables Of Families In Need

    South Corvallis Food Bank is running a Special Thanksgiving Food Drive called “Turkey For The Table”. With an unprecedented number of families loosing access to Food assistance this November, let’s step up and make their… full post

    Help The UU Provide Turkey For The Tables Of Families In Need

  • Join the Visibility Brigade, 11/8 and 11/11

    Saturday, Nov. 8: Bannering on the East side of the Highway 34 bridge to catch people coming into town for the OSU home football game, from 3:30 – 5:00 PM. RSVP to visibilitybrigadebc@gmail.com for a… full post

    Join the Visibility Brigade, 11/8 and 11/11

  • Fifth Annual Street-Tree Planting, 12/6

    On the morning of Sat. 6 Dec., UUFC, through the Climate Action Team, will do our fifth annual collaboration with the City of Corvallis to plant street trees. In the past, we have twice planted… full post

    Fifth Annual Street-Tree Planting, 12/6

  • Democracy Action Team, Tuesdays & Thursdays

    The DAT is proud to announce that letter writing is officially back! Join us in person on Tuesdays (in the UUFC library) and on Zoom (link HERE) on Thursdays – both at 5:30 pm. We’ll write to voters in Pennsylvania asking them to retain State Supreme… full post

    Democracy Action Team, Tuesdays & Thursdays

  • Join Rep. Val Hoyle’s Town Hall by Zoom, 10/7

    The Democracy Action Team will be watching the town hall with Rep. Hoyle at 5:30 PM on Tuesday, October 7 in the UUFC Library. The town hall will be followed by the regularly-scheduled Speaking of… full post

    Join Rep. Val Hoyle’s Town Hall by Zoom, 10/7

  • No Kings Protest, 10/18

    Join us on Saturday, October 18 at 12 PM at the Benton County Courthouse for the No Kings protest! A little worried about recent developments? What we know is that the only way out of… full post

    No Kings Protest, 10/18

  • Join the Signs of Solidarity team

    Members of the Democracy Action Team are collaborating with Benton County Indivisible and Standing Up for Racial Justice to place signs of solidarity supporting immigrants around Corvallis. If you would like to join this effort,… full post

    Join the Signs of Solidarity team

  • Speaking of Democracy Online Discussion Series (Sept 16 – Oct 21)

    The Statewide UU Advocacy organization, Oregon UU Voices for Justice is sponsoring weekly online gatherings for UUs to meet to share and learn about actions that each of us can take to save our Democracy.… full post

    Speaking of Democracy Online Discussion Series (Sept 16 – Oct 21)

  • Secure Housing and Food for All meeting, 9/21

    The Secure Housing and Food for All team meets on September 21 in Room 7 @ 11:30 AM. We’ll discuss what is happening for unhoused folks. Join us to share what you know, ask questions and… full post

    Secure Housing and Food for All meeting, 9/21

  • Join the Freeway Banner Brigade!

    A small group of highly motivated UUs, spawned from the Democracy Action Team, are organizing to create the Freeway Banner Brigade. We will make large banners to display on I-5 overpasses in the Albany area,… full post

    Join the Freeway Banner Brigade!

  • Shuttle to the “Workers Over Billionaires” Rally, 9/1

    Consider attending the “Workers Over Billionaires” protest rally on 4th street, taking place from noon to 3 PM on September 1. Just before our Tuna Roast! Traveling to and from the protest (and parking nearby)… full post

    Shuttle to the “Workers Over Billionaires” Rally, 9/1

  • Watch Party: One Million Rising Trainings, 8/13

    During the justice renewal earlier this year and the Democracy Action team meeting in June, many voices were raised in support of more opportunities for training. Created by the organizers of the “No Kings” protests,… full post

    Watch Party: One Million Rising Trainings, 8/13

Justice Outreach Offering

  • Our December Justice Outreach offering will support unity Shelter. Unity Shelter was founded in January 2020 as an umbrella organization for Room at the Inn, SafePlace, and Corvallis Men’s Shelter. They continue to grow programs and operations to meet the growing demand for shelter, respite, resource navigation, and community.

    To learn more about their work, visit the Unity Shelter website.

    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:

    1. Give to the Sunday collection basket
    2. Donate online
    3. Donate to the refreshments during the social hour

    The Social Concerns team donate 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

Donations can be made in person on Sundays, or through the online collection basket.

WORSHIP COUNCIL NEWS

  • December 14, 2025 – Presence

    “Being present” has many layers. What does it mean for us during these winter days? Rev. Alex McGee will preach full post

  • December 7, 2025 – Mental Health During the Holidays

    Guest speaker Hilary Hughes brings the wisdom from her Masters of Divinity and compassion from her Masters of Social Work to help us reflect on mental health during the holidays. Rev. Hilary Hughes will preach full post

  • November 30, 2025 – The Many Meanings of Home and Food

    Gathering around the hearth and table this time of year may be in the picture books, and may be real for some of us. But what else is true about the how people in our… full post

  • Poems and Readers needed for Worship – Register by 11/30

    Calling for poetry recommendations, submissions of original poetry, and readers for a poetry-centered Sunday worship service at the UU Fellowship of Corvallis. Readers will be reading aloud in front of the congregation during service. You… full post

    Poems and Readers needed for Worship – Register by 11/30

  • December 14: Presence “Being present” has many layers. What does it mean for us during these winter days? Rev. Alex McGee will preach December 21: Solstice Pageant (all ages) In this all-ages Sunday service, the… full post

  • November 23, 2025 – Spiritual Tools for Centering and Compassion

    There has never been a better time for us to dig into our spiritual toolbox to center our souls, engage in a practice of self love and self compassion, and connect to our souls so… full post

  • November 16, 2025 – Desire in the Spiritual Life

    Throughout history, humans have expressed a sensual desire for the divine in such texts as Song of Solomon and the Bhagavad Gita. And, many spiritual autobiographies record longings of the heart. How can we be… full post

  • Kirtan with Bhakti Heart, 11/14

    What happens when two inspiring, award-winning singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists join together to share their love of devotional music? The answer is the uplifting, joy-inducing duo Bhakti Heart, a collaboration between Laura Kemp and Len Seligman.… full post

    Kirtan with Bhakti Heart, 11/14

  • November 9, 2025 – Why It Matters to Come Together

    While Unitarian Universalism welcomes many ways of believing, we have agreements about membership in this congregation. The sermon will explore how commitment to a religious community can be rewarding and what mutual relationship looks like.… full post

  • November 2, 2025 – Wheel of the Year:  Samhain/Halloween

    Remember! November 2 is the end of Daylight Savings; set your clocks back one hour on Saturday night so you’ll make it to service on time! Because of the power outage on Oct 26, we… full post

  • October 26, 2025 – Wheel of the Year:  Samhain/Halloween

    Samhain shares the ancient spiritual practice of remembering and paying respects to the ancestors who have died. This Samhain observance will focus on Remembering and Honoring our Ancestors, and on Communicating with Spirits. Everyone is… full post

  • October 19, 2025 – Compassion as an Open Door

    Anger and indignation may well up for us as we read the news.  But spiritual teachers such as Howard Thurman have convincing arguments for why love is better for us and for everyone.  Can we… full post

  • October 12, 2025 – Joy as an Improbable Friend

    In these political times, joy may seem an impossible thing.  But world religions throughout time have named joy as a human experience that wells up again and again.  Let us explore how to honor it.… full post

  • Kirtan with Gina Sala and Friends, 10/10

    Featuring Jeanette Kangas (tabla), Johanna Beekman (vox), David Campbell (trumpet) & friends. Come feel your mind, body and heart relax and reconnect Friday, October 10, 7-8:30 PM in the UUFC’s Sanctuary as we immerse in… full post

    Kirtan with Gina Sala and Friends, 10/10

  • Mantra/Raga/Voice Workshop with Gina Sala, 10/11

    Come rest in loving vibrations and learn useful tools in voice, chant, refined mantra, raga and breath that will leave us feeling refreshed, renewed, grateful and filled within. We’ll be meeting in Room 7, 10… full post

    Mantra/Raga/Voice Workshop with Gina Sala, 10/11

  • Information Session on Being a Sunday Service Reader, 10/11

    Have you ever felt a calling to serve as a reader during Sunday Service? Please come learn more about this opportunity, October 11, Saturday, at 9:30 – 11 AM in the Sanctuary! You will have… full post

    Information Session on Being a Sunday Service Reader, 10/11

  • October 5, 2025 – Learning to be a Neighbor in the Land of the People of the River

    Dave Eckert of the Canoe Family Project and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition will speak about his experience building relationships with landcestral cultures, and how that has helped him to better understand and act in ways… full post

  • September 28, 2025 – Balance and Loving Embrace of Imbalance

    As the days and nights are nearly equal in length this week, we have a chance to reflect on the many meanings of balance. Rev. Alex will preach and the band will play. full post

  • Celebrating the Wonders of Faith, 10/5

    The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Corvallis Interfaith Network and the Interfaith Kirtan Band are hosting the event “Celebrating the Wonders of Faith” on Sunday, October 5 at 3 PM in the Sanctuary and Social Hall.… full post

    Celebrating the Wonders of Faith, 10/5

  • September 21, 2025 – Jackson Street’s Continuum of Care for Homeless Youth

    Our guest speaker is Ben Martens, who serves as Community Engagement Coordinator at Jackson Street Youth Services, which offers youth a safe place to live and resources to work through crises and towards a brighter,… full post

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