The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis
We have a big stash of cardboard piling up at the UU and time permitting, we can begin to cardboard and woodchip the Elmwood and Firwood areas near the street. This area of scraggly grass which is not a lawn is a drag to have to mow. Wood chips will reap big improvements both in aesthetics and ease of maintenance. Our mowing team volunteers will thank us!
Thank you for your attention and desire to help. We need many hands to make this effort sustainable! We hope to see you soon.
End the summer with a party! Specifically, a Tuna Roast on Labor Day from 4 – 7 PM at the Lions Shelter in Avery Park.
Since 1997; always on Labor Day, always at Avery Park, Lions Kitchen; a party for all UUFC members and friends, old and new. This event marks the beginning of the new church year and a welcome to our new interim minister Alex. It is a good place to bring kids as it is next to the swings, the old train, and the dinosaur bones. Teens can “hang out” or help with the barbecue. To cover costs we ask for a donation of $7.00 per adult and whatever you think is appropriate for your kids. Sliding scale because we want everyone to come, so no one will be turned away for lack of funds. This is about being in community, not a fund raiser. If there is any leftover money, Rev. Alex can direct it to an appropriate place.
We provide barbecued tuna, sweet corn on the cob, lemonade and sheet cakes. For vegetarians there will be veggie burgers and barbecued eggplant and zucchini. For picky kids there will be hot dogs. We ask you to bring your own plates and silverware and $$$.
A folding chair might be helpful. Especially, bring a potluck dish such as dessert, salad, bread, chips, dips, veggies, fruit, pickles, and lots more desserts.
This is a community event and it takes a community to run it, especially if you are able bodied and not herding little kids. We always need help setting up at 3:00 PM and cleaning up around 7:00 PM. We’re hoping that many people will take turns barbecuing. For these things just show up and jump in.
We do need someone to obtain the corn from WINCO, early arrivals can shuck the corn, and a couple of quiet people can cook it. We need a drink master, to make the lemonade and keep the jugs refilled. We need 2-3 people to help me prep the tuna on Monday morning. Finally we need someone to pick up seven rented tables at Special Occasions on Friday, and return them on Tuesday. If you have a truck with a bed long enough for 8-foot tables, that would be excellent. Otherwise we can borrow Lee Holt’s truck, but a driver is needed. Special occasions does all the loading and unloading so you don’t need to be muscular.
Contact Rich if you can help on these several jobs.
A task force has been formed to address the impact of unhoused people living on the Fellowship’s grounds. This Unhoused Persons task force will be meeting after service on the first and third Sundays of each month. The next meeting will be in the Sanctuary on Sunday, August 17 at 11:40 AM.
The task force’s goal is to provide the Board of Directors with:
Do you have stuff you no longer need and want to get rid of? Are you willing to donate all the proceeds to UUFC? We’ll be holding our annual Parking Lot Garage Sale on Saturday, September 20 from 10 AM – 2 PM.
Here’s the procedure:
Girish, an accomplished musician of many genres, former monk infused in spiritual practice, loving wordsmith linking lyrics and rhythm in a blissful musical event, sings traditional Sanskrit mantras with a modern, funky, yet deeply devotional twist. Accompanied by his amazing band, Girish invites his audience at his kirtan concert to participate by singing along, call and response chanting, and dancing. Girish has been recommended and featured in “O, The Oprah Magazine”, “Yoga Journal”, “Spirituality and Health Magazine”, “LA Yoga Magazine”, “Common Ground” and “Yogi Times.” Girish’s original music catalog of seven albums is popular in yoga studios and music festivals all over the world, and his “Music and Mantras” book was published in 2016.
Rev. Alex McGee began on August 1, 2025 serving as Interim Minister as our Fellowship enters our interim time, following the retirement of Rev. Jill McAllister.
Greetings UUFC!
What a joy and honor it has been to spend the first week with you. Thank you for your thoughtful welcomes in so many ways. I see warmth and enthusiasm here. Just in a few days I have observed the lovely shared worship leadership on Aug 3; the thoughtful caring of the Coordinating Council; the many hands painting, fixing, carrying, and beautifying the renovated wing. I have met with the staff and am learning their talents.
As I look ahead, I am excited to undertake the five tasks of interim ministry with you. These five areas are a professional standard nationwide, across faith groups, for congregations during a transition time. They are:
You will be seeing these show up in many opportunities throughout the life of the Fellowship.
What is moving in me in my daily prayer as I journey with you at this moment are three themes from our Universalist heritage: Faith, Hope and Love. These enhearten me as I honor the unknowns of this new-to-me place, the heartache of the national and international news, and the stories that each of you are holding. Faith is something I understand from both my Christian and Yoga experience, as something that comes from beyond us to help us trust there is a wider meaning we cannot yet see. Hope is something we choose so we can step forward. And Love is a current that flows through us connecting us to others with compassion and joy. I look forward to hearing from you all what is moving in you spiritually at this time.
—Namaste, Rev. Alex McGee
August 7, 2025
With the support of individuals, the City of Corvallis, the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, Seeds for the Sol has helped over 450 households experiencing low income to reduce their power bills and upgrade the value of their homes. Learn about what you can do, in these times, to make your own home more efficient and to continue to help others in your community! Energy efficiency as a subversive act! We firmly believe that energy efficiency is an important path toward a livable planet.
Julie Williams, Seeds for the Sol
Registration is requested HERE
WHAT: Free ice cream, games, and quiet tables
WHEN: Sunday, August 24th at 7PM
WHERE: Fellowship lawn
WHY: Because it’s connecting to spend time playing together!
All ages are invited to join us for a cold treat and meet ‘n’ greet on the Fellowship lawn on Sunday, August 24th at 7 PM, hosted by the RE Council and teams!
Have a casual chance to welcome Rev. Alex, find out what’s coming up in RE for adults, families, children, and youth in the year ahead. Discuss your brilliant ideas with members of the RE Council and special teams. Catch up with old friends and maybe even meet your new Fellowship bestie over a sundae bar!
We’ll have gluten-free and vegan options available, as well as board games to share.
It would be super helpful in our planning if you would REGISTER HERE, but if you forget, please do come anyway!
See you there!
Due to a combination of circumstances, the scheduled playground reopening and sidewalk chalk values gathering during the August 3rd service has been cancelled. We are all eager to get the kids back to the playground, so we will be watching for the opportunity to safely reschedule and will make an announcement here if such an opportunity arises prior to the scheduled start of Fall RE.
