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  • This Week:

    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 alert to the role of desire in our spiritual lives?

    Rev. Alex McGee will preach

Services This Month

  • 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 that we can engage with each other from a space of love and joy. Dr. Bird will talk about storytelling as an act of persistence and how we can walk the good road to support our community.

    Dr. Melissa Bird will preach

From the Minister

  • Grief and the Holidays

    Dear congregation:

    We are approaching holidays. This means different things to different people. But what it likely means for all of us is memories of years gone past.

    The memories may take a very sensory form: the scents of special foods, the sights of special lights, the sounds of special songs.

    But sometimes the holidays can be tender if things have changed in painful ways.

    It likely means memories with people who may not be here anymore. That could be family members. Friends. A beloved clergy person.

    Part of our spiritual life is to honor our grief. In the midst of holiday festivities, I hope you can find time for quiet moments, for tears, for talking about the people you are missing right now.

    Surely this Fellowship itself will have a different tenor because the minister of 11 years is not here. People are finding new ways to do things and stepping into new roles. It will look different, feel different, sound different. This is all a natural part of a grief and change process. I honor that.

    May all of us find wholeness as we live into the fullness of all our emotions in all the chapters of our lives.

    In peace
    Alex

    Rev. Alex McGee is serving this Fellowship as Interim Minister and is available to be contacted at rev.alex.mcgee@uucorvallis.org.

This Week at UUFC

Announcements

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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

  • 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

  • Update on Needs in our Community – Secure Housing and Food For All Justice Team

    The passage of the Big Beautiful Bill has had a profound—and deeply challenging—impact on local Corvallis shelters. With funding significantly reduced, these vital organizations are struggling to meet the basic needs of those they serve.… full post

    Update on Needs in our Community – Secure Housing and Food For All Justice Team

  • Tie-dye T-Shirts for Democracy, 8/3 & 8/10

    Handmade tie-dye t-shirts made by Elaine Kahn will be available to purchase in the parking lot on August 3rd and 10th to raise funds for the Democracy Action Team’s work of letter and postcard writing… full post

    Tie-dye T-Shirts for Democracy, 8/3 & 8/10

  • Movie night: “Milk”, the story of Harvey Milk, 7/13

    Queerly Beloved July meet upSunday July 13, 2025 4:00-7:30 PM, UUFC Join the Sexuality and Gender Diversity Team for a viewing of the inspiring movie “Milk” starring Sean Penn, telling the story of gay rights… full post

    Movie night: “Milk”, the story of Harvey Milk, 7/13

  • Know Your Rights Trainings, 4/28 and 5/6

    More than ever it’s important to know what your rights are and how to keep yourself, your friends, family and neighbors safe. Join us at Westminster House, 101 NW 23rd St, on April 28 and… full post

    Know Your Rights Trainings, 4/28 and 5/6

Justice Outreach Offering

  • Our November Justice Outreach offering will support the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center (CDDC). CDDC is a community-based non-profit resource hub providing information, referral, and direct services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Benton County and beyond.

    To learn more about their work, visit the CDDC 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 Offering. Collection baskets are always found at the end 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!

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

WORSHIP COUNCIL NEWS

  • 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

  • November 2: Wheel of the Year:  Samhain/Halloween Because of the power outage on Oct 26, we were unable to have Sunday Service.  So, on Nov 2, we will do the Samhain/Halloween service honoring ancestors.  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: 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… full post

  • 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

  • September 14, 2025 – What’s Wrong and Is It Me?

    This sermon will be an exploration of times in life we are trying to fix something…but the best change will come from looking at a bigger picture.  Special reflections on the exciting new Mosaic curriculum… full post

  • Dance Planet, 9/20

    Dance Planet is back! Move in your own way to a rhythmic flow of music from around the world and across the decades. We’ll start with live warmup music from harpist Laura Zaerr and cellist… full post

    Dance Planet, 9/20

  • September 7, 2025 – Gathering the Waters and Beginning a New Congregational Year

    Bring water to pour into the common bowl as you name the qualities and commitments you bring for the year ahead. We will commission the board and Interim Minister. We will offer blessings to the… full post

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