Members and friends who celebrated November birthdays or will celebrate ones in December are invited and encouraged to make “your age” contributions (ex: $76 for a 76th birthday) to the UUFC Birthday Club. Contributions can be made via check payable to the UUFC with memo “Birthday Club” or the Birthday Club button within Breeze. Donations are allocated 50% Operations, 20% Endowment, 20% Reserves, and 10% Justice Outreach. Thank you! Questions: Michael Hughes treasurer@uucorvallis.org
Are You Thinking About Year-End Gifts to Organizations You Appreciate?
At this time of year, many people are planning for the upcoming holidays, looking back at the year that has passed (and what a year it has been), and pondering how they can have a positive impact on our community and world in the year(s) to come. And yes, the holiday season is coming as well. If you are thinking about making year-end gifts to the organizations you appreciate and the UUFC is among those, thank you!
Year-end gifts to the UUFC can be made in many ways:
- Send a check to UUFC, 2945 NW Circle Blvd, Corvallis OR 97330. Indicate “year-end gift” on the memo line.
- Go to uucorvallis.org/donate and donate using a debit, credit or ACH bank transfer. Go to the middle of the donation page and select year-end 2024 in the first drop down menu.
- if you have appreciated stock that is burning a hole in your holiday stocking, transfer stock to the UUFC Schwab account (82873024) using DTC # 0164 Code 40 (you can use these numbers in an online transfer or your broker will know what these are used for)
- If you are of an age where you need to make required minimum distributions from your retirement accounts, you can have a check written to the UUFC or send a message to office@uucorvallis.org and ask for the flyer on how to make such transfers. If you make these distributions directly to the UUFC, they won’t count as income for tax purposes
- Unlike NPR, OPB or an assortment of other non-profits, we have not yet accepted vehicle donations, but if this is of interest to you, send an email to finance@uucorvallis.org and your finance team will see if we can figure out how to make this happen
We thank you for your efforts to make our Fellowship and world a better place for all. May you and yours have a joyous holiday season.
Your UUFC Finance Council
Every Sunday we go back out into the world with a renewed intention to stay aware of the way things truly are. To cultivate this awareness, within us and around us, is a path of learning to feel how things are happening in many directions at one time. Life, a day, a moment, is not merely either /or. In every moment there is yes and no, good and evil, pain and joy, past and future. From a Taoist perspective this is recognition of polarities. In yoga, this is learning to feel energy moving in opposite directions at the same time. Not to choose one side, one view, one position, one direction, but instead to feel where the sides, views, positions, directions meet and how they are related to each other. It’s not easy. Sometimes it is a luxury. Often it seems impossible. In a hurricane, it may be improbable or feel impossible to move to the center, the calm eye of the storm, and yet the calm center exists as much as the storm does. From the safety of the calm center, one cannot deny the destructive power of the storm all around.
Yes and no, good and evil, pain and joy, past and future. Whether we know it or not, see it or not, this is always where we begin when we pause to become aware of our breath. The breath itself is a guide. It can never go in only one direction – a whole breath is always made of in and out. Once again, may we allow ourselves to settle into the motion of our breath, the motion of Life as it lives through us, the stillness of resting within the motion. May we become aware enough of this motion, of its necessity, that the only thing we can do is give thanks. May we begin the day in gratitude – in calm awareness, in rest, and with thanks.
Sending love to you all – Jill
Classroom Wing Renovation Begins in January!
Our builders are scheduled to begin their work the third week of January. Between now and then we have LOTS to do – including packing and moving everything out of that part of the building, and doing some removal and demolition.
You can help! Here’s how:
SPACE — Do you have unused, dry, rodent-free attic space, garage space, shed space with easy access to store boxes for 5-7 months?
PACKING MATERIALS needed (donations) — Medium-sized cardboard boxes, Medium-sized plastic tubs with sealing lids, large-size bubble wrap HELP MOVE – Can you loan the use of a pickup truck or open trailer? ~Move boxes and load vehicles in parking lot Saturdays January 4th and January 11th ~Move furniture and load vehicles in parking lot : end of December, Saturdays January 4th and January 11 ~Transport boxes and furniture from parking lot to private and commercial storage locations
VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP SHEETS will be in the foyer under the bulletin board, or click the button below to sign up online:
Stay tuned for more information about this big project.
Services in December
Dec. 1 “Be Not Afraid” Rev. Jill McAllister
Dec. 8 “Yes, Joy” Committee on Ministry
Dec. 15 “Wintering” UUFC Choir and Readers
Dec. 16 Blue Holiday Vespers Susan Sanford and Rev. Leslie Chartier
Dec. 20 Winter Solstice Service Rev. Jill McAllister
Dec. 22 “Stories of Christmas” Rev. Jill McAllister
Dec. 24 Christmas Eve -two services Rev. Jill McAllister
Dec. 29 Holiday Brunch and Sharing Rev. Jill McAllister and all
“Be Not Afraid” 12/1/24
We enter into the traditional “Christmas Season” in the Christian tradition, with the first Sunday in Advent, Dec. 1. Part of that story, of Mary the mother of Jesus, is a common teaching that is mostly overlooked – the encouragement to “be not afraid.” It’s an old encouragement, part of many other stories, archetypal in many ways, given how much we humans tend to be afraid, and what we tend to do with that fear. So let’s start there this season, and see what we can learn.
With Rev. Jill McAllister Special music from Tim Hardin.
You Can Help Our Families Engage!
You’ve probably noticed that there are more and more families in our midst each week. Hooray! We love seeing faces of all ages in our sanctuary. With this uptick in family participation, we are experiencing a higher demand for childcare. At the same time, our list of able Grandfolks is dwindling due to illness and factors such as night driving.
A parent’s ability to engage in small group ministry and special events plays a large role in determining whether the family unit as a whole can continue to participate in the life of the Fellowship. If you are an adult of any age who has been with the Fellowship for more than 6 months, please take a moment to consider whether you would be able to give even one hour a month to care for children so that parents can have that time to commit to their own spiritual enrichment.
All Grandfolks will be interviewed, trained, and complete a background check before service.
If you want to help families stay engaged, please contact Skyla at dre@uucorvallis.org for more information.
Adult OWL, Comprehensive Sexuality Education for 18+, 1/5-3/9
Using values, communication skills, and spirituality as starting points, this program explores sexuality issues for adults of all ages. OWL(Our Whole Lives) builds an understanding of healthy sexual relationships, affirms diversity, and helps participants accept and affirm their own sexuality throughout their lives.
It’s not too late to experience the healing and healthy sex ed you wish you’d had back then!
This series is facilitated by trained guides. Dawn Dirks is trained for all ages of OWL, and Skyla King-Christison is trained for adult OWL with an emphasis on older adults.
Join us on Sundays 1/5- 3/9 from 2:30 to 4 in the social hall.
Pre-registration is required for this series, and space is limited.
Contact Skyla at dre@uucorvallis with questions.
Stoic Art Journaling for the New Year, 12/27
We are living in strange times, and strange times call for more art and more dedication to doing our part to keep that arc of the moral universe bending toward justice!
Join Skyla on December 27th from 6-8 PM in the social hall, where we will cast our vision across 2025 through a Stoic lens known for its capacity to galvanize hope. Then, each participant will create a mini art journal to document concrete actions they can take to foster peace, justice, and self-care in the year ahead. No art skills needed!
Preregistration HERE is requested for this event!
Bring a snack to share, and I’ll put the kettle on for tea.
All supplies will be provided, but you are more than welcome to bring your favorite scrapbook paper, pens, markers, stencils, etc.
Below are two examples of the style of pocket-sized art journal you will create. They are perfect for exploring bite-sized concepts, so you may find yourself making more once you know how. Yours will be completely unique and on a different topic from the ones pictured.
