Weekly Announcements (Printable)
Sunday Services
-
This Week:
“On Ministry” 6/29/25
As we get closer to a ministerial transition – a major event in the life of the Fellowship – let’s consider what ministry is in the UU tradition, what roles a minister plays in congregational life, and what that means for the lives of members and friends of the Fellowship.
With Rev. Jill McAllister, and special music from Johanna Beekman
-
Services This Month:
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
From the Minister
-
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
-
Classroom Wing July update
We did it! The volunteer work of painting the interior of the classroom wing is complete!
A HUGE THANK YOU to the ~50 volunteers who helped paint the Classroom Wing – some multiple times! It looks great and you saved the UUFC a huge amount of money! Another thank you to those who lent equipment and materials for this work. Please pick up the items you lent from the counter in Room 6C. If something is broken or missing, contact Wolfgang.
Here’s the plan for upcoming activities:
Professional painters the week of July 7 – 11 to paint the black fire-sprinkler pipes and external siding.Deep cleaning every room July 12 – 18
Some cleaning by Felicia Torres, our custodian
Other cleaning by volunteers (look for signup forms in July!)July 19 Move stored items from rental space and Wolfgang’s shed to UUFC
July 20 Move stored items from private homes to UUFC
July 21-30 Restore blinds, bulletin boards, shelf units, cover plates
The preschool will move back into the classroom wing some time in August. Exact dates to be determined.
-
Best Practices with Service Animals
Part of being a safe and welcoming community for everyone who chooses to be in covenant with us is learning about how to be awesome with service animals when they are present. Curious about best practice when you encounter a service animal out and about? We’ve got you covered!
- Notice when an animal is in a service vest, signaling that it is not a pet, but a working companion.
- Ask the human how the service dog helps them and get permission before interacting with the service dog.
- Speak directly to the human, not the service dog.
- Give extra personal space to the service dog and its person.
- Always assume the service dog is busy working, not off duty.
More information is available from Guide Dogs of America to deepen your understanding and skills. Thanks for helping us live our values of inclusivity!
-
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! -
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.
-