At the 2024 UUA General Assembly delegates passed an Action of Immediate Witness encouraging all UU congregations to engage in witness, education, organizing and advocacy in solidarity with Palestinians. In that spirit we will host a presentation from Corvallis Palestine Solidarity on Thursday, June 5, 5:30-7:30 PM in the Sanctuary. Join us for this report and presentation from a recent volunteer solidarity trip to the West Bank. Local retired OSU Professor and community member Joe McGuire will share his experiences and journey – intellectual, emotional and physical – from Corvallis to Bethlehem, Palestine.
Monthly Outreach Offerings for June
Our June outreach offerings will once again support Flaming Chalice International, the non-profit organization founded by Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana to support Unitarians in Burundi and Rwanda. This year our contributions will provide microloans for young entrepreneurs, supplies to make school attendance possible for young children, university scholarships, a community center for four villages, and more. The Fellowship has been part of this partnership for more than ten years. Our help makes a difference in lives of many Burundians and in the health and growth of global UUism.
Monthly Transition Talks, 6/1
The Committee on Ministry invites all to the monthly “Transitions Talk” this Sunday. The time of ministerial transition is getting closer, and this gathering is a great place to share questions and feelings about that change. What do you need to know or understand better? How do we say goodbye – both minister and congregation members – as well as we can? What will help us stay strong and vital in our ministries during the transition time?”
June 1, 2025 at 11:45 AM in the Sanctuary.
Democracy Action Team Gathering, 6/8
The Democracy Action team is gathering in the Sanctuary on Sunday, June 8 at 11:45 AM – to re-acquaint ourselves, share what we have been doing, plan some fun gatherings this summer (which will include live music) and share positive news (yes it’s out there)! Join us if you’re interested in taking action to support democracy!
After the service, get your snacks and coffee and meet us in the Sanctuary.
Kirtan with Shantala, 6/15
Please join us for an evening of sacred music with Portland’s Shantala on Sunday, June 15 at 7:00 PM. Benjy and Heather Wertheimer have been leading kirtan (sacred chanting) worldwide since 2001 as the duo Shantala. They are known for their special gift of bringing the audience into a vast and loving experience through their unique blend of exquisite voices with instruments of India and the West. Together they create music with beauty, passion, and reverence. Shantala has performed and recorded internationally with such sacred music luminaries as Krishna Das, Deva Premal & Miten, and Jai Uttal. Heather and Benjy have released five beautiful and well-loved albums of sacred chant music since 2003, including Living Waters, Jaya, LIVE in love, Sri, and The Love Window. They will be joined in this tour by bansuri virtuoso Steve Gorn.
On May 22 the Fellowship hosted a meeting of leaders of local religious congregations plus a few community service organizations. The invitation was issued at the request of our own justice teams: could we bring together other religious folks to begin to create networks for resource sharing and shared response to the effects of government cruelty we’re all seeing? More than 30 people attended the meeting, from seven or eight congregations and several agencies. All were grateful to be able to talk together, to tell each other what they are seeing and experiencing in their own groups. Folks losing livelihoods as government jobs are discontinued, immigrants and refugees in deepening fear for their safety, the effects of discontinued federal funding on shelters, schools, family support, healthcare and more basic needs.
What didn’t happen, and remains to be seen (and needed) is leadership. All necessary movements require someone(s) to take a step and articulate next steps, to invite and organize. Or, necessary movements need to emerge within already operating structures. Corvallis has many networks and agencies working for common goals and the common good. All of the religious organizations who attended the meeting have working structures and are part of wider networks. Possibilities for shared response certainly exist.
The next clear step to a broad religious network, to coordinating efforts for greater impact, did not emerge in this one meeting. That doesn’t mean that we haven’t begun. Out of the chaos of the immense changes that are happening, I’m convinced that what we need to be doing together is being formed, little by little. Here at the Fellowship, that means staying engaged in the work we are doing and step-by-step connecting our work with the work of others. If you have not yet found your place in the work of the Fellowship, you are most definitely needed and invited. Please, join in!
Jun 1 “River of Life” Skyla King-Christison and all
Jun 8 “Who We Choose To Become” Rev. Mwibutsawineza F. Ndagijimanayburundi
Jun 15 “Trans Ancestors, Queer Descendants and a Liberating Present” Rev. Lazarus Justice Jameson
Jun 22 “Return to Love” Rev. Jill McAllister
June 29 “On Ministry” Rev. Jill McAllister
“River of Life” 6/1/25
The ‘regular’ church year – or the church year as it corresponds to the school year – is drawing to a close. Once again it is time to reflect on and celebrate the gifts and responsibilities of being this beautiful multi-generational congregation.
We will honor and share blessings with children and youth who are moving into new areas of religious exploration. We’ll honor and share blessing with our bridging high school senior on her way to becoming a young adult. We’ll renew our commitments to support one another at every bend in the river of life. Please join us! With Skyla King-Christison and all.
Crossing Thresholds Group
Register for this year-long group HERE by September 8th.
One of the sacred tasks of being human is making meaning of our lives, our identities, and the ever-unfolding story we are part of. In these threshold moments—when something ends and something new begins— ritual, reflection, and community provide needed grounding.
As Unitarian Universalists, we are blessed with a tradition rich in honoring life’s passages, especially for our children and youth. Yet too often, adults must navigate profound change without the spiritual scaffolding of ritual or the comfort of shared witness.
If you are living through a major life transition—grief, retirement, gender transition, divorce, recovery, becoming a parent, or any other significant turning point—you are not alone.
We invite you to join “Crossing Thresholds,” a year-long spiritual journey beginning this September. Together, we will explore the depth and complexity of change through:
Monthly meditations in nature to reconnect with the rhythms of life
Personal altar-making, with sacred objects displayed in our community atrium
Quarterly circle conversations, offering space for deep listening and shared wisdom
Reflective practices to honor your unique story of transformation
Our time together will culminate in June’s River of Life service, where participants will be lovingly recognized by the congregation in their new place on the journey. This is an opportunity to be witnessed as you cross the threshold into what comes next with intention, spiritual grounding, and beloved community.
Group will meet from 6:30-8PM in Room 7 on the following dates:
September 11th: Meet and explore the process
September 15th: create altars
November 13th, January 8th, March 12th, and May 14th: Group reflection
*Monthly nature meditation times to be determined by group consensus. Individual atrium meditation time can be schedule with Skyla.
Deadline: Donate to UUFC Auction, 6/12
Donate NOW for the UUFC Auction. The deadline for donations is June 12, 2025. Please donate your service, getaway, or item. We need it all to earn money for the Fellowship in our largest FUNdraiser of the year.
Our 2025 Auction will be in two parts. Plan to bid online and come to the live auction if you can.
Online Auction: June 16 – 23
Live In-Person Auction with Silent Auction Tables: June 28
