Weekly Announcements (Printable)
Sunday Services
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This Week:
2025-07-27 “Navigating These Waters”
As we near the end of a year filled with threshold moments, cultural upheaval, and deep transformation, we gather to reflect on the journeys we’ve taken. Through brief stories offered by members of our community, we’ll explore what has challenged us, what has grounded us, and what has brought joy amid uncertainty. Together, we’ll honor the resilience, practices, and wisdom that have helped us navigate these shifting tides.
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Services This Month:
July 6 – “Between Us” Rev. Jill McAllister
July 13 – Celebration of Shared Ministry Rev. Jill McAllister
July 20 – “Change Happens” Rev. Leslie Chartier
July 27 – “Navigating These Waters” Chaplain Jesse Ford, Susan Sanford and others
From the Minister
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Between Us (December 2023)
December arrives, with its unique forms of busy-ness and expectations, and I invite you to give yourself time to contemplate this season from as many perspectives as you can. To contemplate means to observe deeply, with focused attention. Perhaps what I’m suggesting is something different – not merely to think about in order to categorize, but to feel – to know by feeling. Maybe ponder is a better word than contemplate. What is this season, for you? What makes a difference? Winter, darkness, lights, Christmas, Solstice, rain or snow, fog, solitude, celebrations, rest?
It is a season of holidays / holy days – each with particular insights to offer – Hannukah, Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Divali, and others. It is a season on this particular part of the earth – of rain and fog, sometimes of cold and ice, of geese and owls, of bare trees and mud, of creeks full and running fast. It is sadly, still, a season of struggle and strife, here and in so many other places. Of all these insights and occurrences, what nurtures you? What is hard for you? What helps you remember what you are part of?
There’s lots of talk about giving, of course – especially from those who depend on this season to make as much money as they can. “Give our things” they say, and we too easily believe that consumerism is a source of happiness. We know the limits of that habit. What if we could make this a season of generosity more than just of “giving”?
Events and Activities
News and Announcements
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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. The loss of resources has been devastating, but the need has not gone away. In this difficult moment, volunteers have become more essential than ever. If you’re able to give your time, even a little, your support can help keep dignity, warmth, and safety within reach for our neighbors in need.
For more information on how you can help, you can visit the following web pages or contact the Secure Housing and Food for All Justice Team, Roberta Smith (https://uufc.breezechms.com/people/view/27347382).
Volunteering / Supporting Unity Shelter
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Inquirers Series Start Time Changing
The Inquirers Series sessions held every Sunday will now be starting 15 minutes after the end of the worship service. This change is to prevent a long wait after service on those days when the worship service ends before 11:30.
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Queerly Beloved on hiatus in August
There will be no Queerly Beloved meetup in August. We are taking a break and will resume in September.
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Classroom Wing move-in complete, but help still needed!
Many thanks to these Fellowship members who spent a day returning our stored UUFC possessions into the building: John, Bobbi, Gabe, Brian, Steve, Tay, Ginny, Jema, and Wolfgang.
Additional help is still needed with installation and organization. If you’re interested in helping, please contact Wolfgang through Breeze.
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Provide Welcome Info for Rev. Alex
Greetings, UU Fellowship of Corvallis! I have been preparing to move across the country and thinking ahead about settling in there. When I join you in August to begin the interim ministry time, we will have many activities and opportunities for getting to know each other — some more serious, some more fun. I welcome your wisdom about the local area. To gather some of your insights, I’ve made a list of questions, such as your recommendation for a local mechanic, an easy day trip from Corvallis, and your favorite event in the annual life of the congregation. If it would be fun for you, please use the survey form linked below to answer my questions. I look forward to learning more about you and Corvallis!
Rev. Alex McGee
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Outreach Offerings for July
Our Sunday Outreach offerings in July support DRUUMM – Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries – which is a Unitarian Universalist People of Color Ministry and anti-racist collective. As an all-volunteer ministry, DRUUMM continues to lead efforts to fulfill the aims of becoming an anti-racist, anti oppressive, multicultural UUA, creating space for youth, young adult and our families of color to heal and work collectively, and steward an effective organization that develops new leadership and manages consistent communication with members. DRUUMM is a collective of people who identify as People of Color. Allies are welcome and organized as Allies for Racial Equity. Together we are open to all people. At the Fellowship, our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Justice Team works in partnership with DRUUMM.
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Time to Set Up your ’25-’26 Pledge Fulfillment
Thank you to all who pledged to support the UUFC in 2025-26. That support enables our Fellowship to pursue its mission: Explore. Love. Act. We gather as an inclusive religious community to search for meaning, build deep connections, and inspire action toward a better world for all.
Fiscal Year 2025-26 begins on July 1st, and it is now time for Step 2 in the stewardship process: updating your contribution payment method and assigning it to Pledge ‘25-’26. If you authorized us -– the UUFC treasurer or business manager – to update your pledge payment in Breeze, that is being done.
If you chose to do the update yourself, please do so by July 1, but wait until after your final pledge payment for ’24-’25 has completed. Instructions on how to do the update can be viewed by clicking the button below, but if you need additional help, email <treasurer@uucorvallis.org> or <businessmgr@uucorvallis.org>.
A final ask: please email <treasurer@uucorvallis.org> once you have updated your pledge, saying that you have done so.
Thank you.
Michael Hughes <treasurer@uucorvallis.org> -
RE Summer Newsletter
Greetings, Families!
We made it through another fabulous Fellowship year! 🙌 With some of your favorite RE activities on summer hiatus, you might be wondering what other opportunities are coming for children, youth, and families. Well, wonder no more!
Grab your calendars and get ready for summer goodness you won’t want to miss!
SUMMER EVENTS for FAMILIES
6/8 Family Hike at Lewisburg Saddle, 1-2PM, register here
6/23-27 Play to Your Values summer camp, 8:30 to 11:30 on the Fellowship Lawn
6/29 Corvallis Knights Game, 5-8ish at Goss Stadium, register here
7/6 Sunday Morning Kids’ Lemonade Stand, during and after the service
7/13 Family Hike at Fitton Green, 1-2PM, register here
8/3 Sunday Morning Sidewalk Chalk Values, during the service for kids
8/10 Family Hike and Splash at Mary’s River Natural Area, 1-3PM register here
8/16 Outdoor movie night and camping on the lawn, 9PM register here
8/24 Ice Cream Social, 7PM on Fellowship Lawn, register here
SUMMER EVENT for YOUTH
8/24 Youth kickoff river float, noon to whenever, register here
More information about our events can be found below, and info for all events can be found at uucorvallis.org by clicking “News” in the menu bar and then selecting “RE Council” from the drop down menu.
The second Sunday of each month, June through August, we’ll be hosting a family hike. We ask that families preregister so that we know who to wait for at the trailhead, and hikes with fewer than 2 registered families will be canceled via text.
We’ll be starting with Lewisburg Saddle and a little visit to the spot my family calls Salamander Heaven because there are tons of salamanders to see. Then we’ll hit Fitton Green in July. We’ll wrap up the summer with a short walk followed by a splash in a bend in the river that has shallows for little humans and a deeper pool for our confident swimmers on the back side of Mary’s River Natural Area.
Exciting news! The youth will have a dedicated youth room in September and they’ve chosen a wild accent wall to paint themselves. We will begin painting this Sunday and continue on Sundays until the job is done. Please have youth arrive in clothes that can get paint on them.
On the first Sunday of each month, we will have a multiage activity for the kids. In July, we’ll prepare a lemonade stand again to raise money for the charitable organization that the children vote to give to. In August, we’ll spend some time on the playground talking about our shared values and what they mean to us, and then sidewalk chalk the heck out of firwood entrance with 6 word statements about our values.
If you’re nervous about having the kids in the sanctuary again, know that you’ll have relief on the first Sunday of each month!
In addition to hikes and during-service activities, we have a couple of night time activities that are open to the entire congregation, and geared specifically toward families.
On June 29th, we’ll have a ballpark night with the Knights. Buy a ticket and join us in section 2 so we can sing and cheer and eat junk together. Register for that event HERE.
And on August 16th, we’re going to show the classic My Girl on an outdoor movie screen and you’re invited to camp on the lawn and show up to the service in your jammies the next day. Registration for the movie night with camping is HERE. You do not have to camp to come enjoy the movie!
It’s been so much fun getting to know your children over the course of this last year. They are delightful in all the ways and it’s the biggest honor to get to spend time with them week after week and get to know their quirks and gifts.
Thank you for raising such amazing humans and for being committed to doing it in community!
Before you go, some parents have requested to be contacted about RE happenings via text. Our church management software allows for that, but only once you’ve opted in. If you are interested in receiving things like this newsletter via text, please use this form to opt into that service. And please communicate with me about how it’s going if you opt in. Breeze can be a bit fussy, so this will be a new experiment. I’ll be counting on your feedback!
And as always, if you’d like to stop receiving updates about Fellowship RE activities, email me and let me know.
Happy June, Y’all!
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