Weekly Announcements (Printable)
Sunday Services
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This Week:
No Sunday Service, 9/1
There will be no Sunday morning service this week, September 1, 2024. We take this small pause between summer and autumn, a chance to rest before starting a new church year.
There are two other chances to join with Fellowship folks this weekend: the Pop-Up Parking Lot Rummage Sale on Saturday August 31, 10 am – 1 PM, and the annual Tuna Roast and Potluck Picnic at Lions Shelter in Avery Park, with gathering beginning at 4 PM, tuna and the big buffet starting a 5 PM. A few volunteers are still welcome. See you there!
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Services This Month:
August 4 – Wheel of the Year – Lughnasadh / First Harvest
August 11 – “Making the Invisible Visible” EDI team with ARC of Benton County
August 18 – “A Larger View” Rev. Jill McAllister
August 25 – “Can We Be Prepared?” Rev. Jill McAllister
September 2 – No Sunday Service
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
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Envisioning the New Year with Dream Board Making
Saturday, January 6, 2024
9:00 am to 12:30 pm in the UUFC Fellowship Hall
A fun, creative morning in a supportive environment!
Led by Joyce Marvel-Benoist
Dream Board Making Registration and Information
If you have any extra magazines to donate, please drop them on the front bench by the parking lot double doors with Joyce’s name on them. Thanks!
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Inquirer’s Series – Every Sunday
This week: Roots with Skyla King-Christison. Inquirer’s Series is a series of 9 hour-long sessions designed especially for newcomers seeking more information about UUism and the Fellowship AND open to all others who are interested. Sessions take place every Sunday at 11:45 AM Room 8.
Upcoming session dates:
2024
Jan 7 Principles & Sources* with Skyla King-Christison
Jan 14 Building & Grounds with John Bailey
Jan 21 Minister’s Q&A* with Jill McAllister
Jan 28 Lifespan Faith Development with Dawn Dirks
Feb 4 Worship & Liturgical Year with Jill McAllister
Feb 11 Social Justice, Community Action & Connect Up with Karen Josephson
Feb 18 Care and Support & Chalice Circles with Sandy Piper
Feb 25 Membership 101* with Bobbi Bailey
Mar 3 Roots with Skyla King-Christison
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Free Mental Health Film Screening 1/18 @6:30
The Religious Exploration Staff is aware that our children, youth, and young adults are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis and we acknowledge the lack of mental health resources available to families in our community. As such, we are elevating our commitment to educating ourselves and expanding our program’s capacity to hold space for children, parents, and caregivers to connect with one another in mutual support.
One of the first offerings we present in this a screening of What I Wish My Parents Knew, a film by Tell My Story, designed as a mental wellness tool to help parents better understand how to support the mental health of their children.
The event will be a two-part, 90-minute experience with a group viewing followed by a discussion facilitated by a licensed mental health professional. Pre-registration is requested.
This film is not available for general public streaming, but this event is open to the public. We ask that viewers be over 18. On-site childcare will be provided free of charge by a team of experienced and background-checked adults.
If you plan to attend, we recommend watching this talk by the creator of the film to prepare. PLEASE NOTE: themes of self-harm and suicide are present in both the talk and the film.Direct questions to DRE@dreuucorvallis-org
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Monthly Hikes
Last Saturdays of the month, meet with Jim Wagner and other Unitarian friends for a casual hike in the Corvallis area. These are suitable for all ages. The intensity and difficulty of the hike will vary depending on interest. Meeting time will vary. Contact us to sign up and join the group! Connect@uucorvallis.org
March 2024 Hike Info:
March Connect Up will be the northern leg of Section 36 Loop in McDonald Forest. This is mature forest along the upper part of Calloway Creek. Early spring wild flowers can often be seen along this trail. Walk is about 4 miles and gains about 600′. About 1/4 of the distance is on trail and the rest on forest road. So, keep Saturday, March 30 (day before Easter) open! More info will be sent to the email list.
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Brilliant Minds Workshop 1/20
The Brilliant Minds Workshop on January 20th, will invite participants to explore and share their personal experiences with neurodivergence and psydivergence. Please consider taking this very brief survey to assist the planning team in their efforts to meet the most immediate needs of our community.
News and Announcements
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Justice Outreach Offerings for September – Corvallis School District Family Support
More than 380 Corvallis School District students are identified as homeless and many more experience food insecurity and financial hardship. This Program connects families with critical resources so that students can arrive at school ready to learn. By donating to the Program, you can help provide access to essential community resources like housing, healthcare, emergency financial assistance, food pantries, employment opportunities, DHS benefits, and other forms of support.
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Neurodivergence & Mental Health Support Group
This group for mutual support in the realm of living with neurodivergence or mental health challenges is facilitated by Anthony Acquilano.
This group is not intended to be a substitute for professional care, and participants are discouraged from attempting to provide solutions to other members’ challenges. Instead, this is a space to share experiences, feel heard, learn from the experiences of others, and share resources.
Please register here to receive an email reminder on Thursday before each gathering.
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Oregon Clean Power Cooperative Offers OSU College of Forestry Investment Opportunity
The UUFC itself and UUFC members have invested in Oregon Clean Power Cooperative (OCPC) projects in the past. OCPC has a new offering for solar work OSU’s College of Forestry. Loans will be two-year with rate varying from 1-4%. The UUFC will soon be repaid for a loan we made to OCPC for a project at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The Fellowship may reinvest in other OCPC projects once we have had an opportunity to explore other investment options. The UUFC invests ~4% of its reserve funds in “alternative” investments. These are investments that may not be quite at market rate but offer some return and benefit our local community.
Russ Karow, Chair UUFC Financial Oversight Council
See the OCPC Website for more information.
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Bread Bag Exchange
We’ve been running an experimental exchange of bread bags to be used as dog poop bags. The supply side has been a huge success, with lots of bags contributed. However, the demand has been low, with few takers. We plan to give it another couple of weeks, but if bread bags are not an attractive option for after-dog clean up, we’ll discontinue the experiment.
Questions/suggestions: Contact Michael Hughes
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UUFC Birthday Club
Celebrate your birthday! Give the amount of your age to help sustain the UUFC and its work. Donate by check payable to UUFC, with memo Birthday Club. Donations are allocated 50% Operations, 20% Endowment, 20% Reserves, and 10% Justice Outreach. Questions: email Michael Hughes at treasurer@uucorvallis.org.
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UUFC Merch Store
Check out the UUFC Merch Store for tee-shirts, hats, coffee cups, backpacks, umbrellas, and more! Support our Fellowship with great gifts for yourself and your loved ones. Find it under the “about” tab on the UUFC website.
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Share Your Produce
Too much zuchinni? Apples to share? Gardeners and gathers are welcome to bring and share produce with others at the Fellowship each Sunday morning. The exchange usually happens on and around the bench just outside the Firwood entry doors.
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Pema Chodron Study Group
Welcoming the Unwelcome Study Group
Monday evenings from 7:15 to 8:30 September 23rd – December 2nd
Facilitated by Joyce Federiuk
Please register HERE.
Try, once again, to let everything you do be done in love.
I am inspired by these words Rev. Jill uses to close our Sunday service. What would it be like to
live this way? Sometimes I speak or act out of love, and that feels like happiness. But not
everything I do or say comes from love, and when an alternative motivation (like ego, obligation,
guilt, anger, etc etc) takes over, the results are often not so good.How can we move closer to this lovely ideal? Buddhist nun and teacher Pema Chodron has a masterful way of explaining Buddhist wisdom in an accessible and compelling way. After reading “When Things Fall Apart” I was intrigued by the idea that in our incessant quest to avoid suffering, we often make a mess of things and cause a lot of suffering for ourselves and others. When I attended a weekend retreat with Pema and learned to meditate, I learned that it is possible to train in loving kindness. Meditation allowed me to take these ideas to heart and start to apply them to actual situations. I then gained a new level of appreciation of the power of
Buddhist wisdom.I’m planning a study group to read and discuss “Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World”. Here’s a blurb from the cover:
In her first new book of spiritual teachings in over seven years, Pema Chodron offers fresh wisdom, heartfelt reflections and the signature humor and insight that have made her a beloved guide in turbulent times. In an increasingly polarized world, Pema offers us tools to find common ground, even when we disagree, so we can build a stronger and broader sense of community. Sharing never-before-told personal stories from her remarkable life, simple and powerful everyday practices, and directly relatable advice, Pema leads the way in showing us how to become triumphant bodhisattvas- compassionate beings- in even the most difficult of circumstances.Well, reading and understanding is one thing. But taking the advice to heart and trying it out in our everyday encounters is what I’m hoping to achieve in this Adult RE offering. We will read, we will discuss, we will do guided meditations, and we will try out these ideas in real life.
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Consider Becoming a Grandfolk!
The Grandfolks Squad is a group of (mostly) older adults who are willing to provide occasional childcare on an as-needed basis so that young parents can attend Fellowship functions without incurring a cost for childcare. This is a great way to get to know younger families and connect deeply with the next generation of Unitarian Universalists. In your free time, you can provide the loving care that we wish for every child and parent in our midst.
If you have extra love to give and time to share, please consider becoming a Grandfolks Squad member.
To join the squad, email Skyla (dre@uucorvallis.org) to set up a meeting. Grandfolks are interviewed and background checked before service, and receive a snazzy button to show the world that they’re proud Grandfolks!
We’re looking forward to having you on he squad!
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Chalice Circle Sampler Series This September
Registration is now open for the Fall Chalice Circle Sampler Series, starting this September. For details and dates and to sign up, please see the Chalice Circle Sampler Series Sign-Up Form.
Chalice Circles are an opportunity to deepen your ties to others in this community. We do this by meeting on a regular basis with the same small group of people to share how we each navigate the journey of being human. This is done via thoughtfully designed “topics” that offer ideas and questions for reflection. Through authentic sharing and listening, we learn how to voice what deeply matters to us.
Never been in a chalice group? “Test the waters” by signing up for the sampler series which will meet 4 times (once a week for the first 3 weeks plus a final session 2 weeks later). You’re under NO obligation to come to more than these sessions but our hope is that if this experience is something you find of value, you’ll continue with a longer term group that will meet twice monthly for the year.
Any questions? Read our FAQ.
Contact us at chalicecircles@uucorvallis.org, via phone or in person after a Sunday service.
Shikha Ghosh Gottfried and Nancy Sowdon
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UUFC Men’s Retreat, 10/25-27
The 20th Annual UUFC Men’s Retreat will be held this year from Friday, October 25 (5 PM) through Sunday, October 27 (1 PM). Details and registration will be available soon. The Men’s Retreat is an opportunity for those who identify as men to get to know other men at UUFC, give yourself a respite from the daily routines, and enjoy time for personal reflection. We’ll be at the Menucha Retreat Center overlooking the Columbia Gorge in Corbett (https://menucha.org). Through large and small groups, singing, time in nature, and play time in the evening, we’ll connect with one another in deep and meaningful ways.
Our theme this year is: Building Authentic ConnectionsReleasing shame and self-criticism.
Being more emotionally present with others.
Exercises in integrity and relationship.
Enjoying one another and being courageously playful.Mark your calendar now. Registration will be open soon! Questions? Contact Alan Kirk (alan.r.kirk@gmail.com), Nick Houtman (houtman58@gmail.com), Jeff Martin (jeff.labrador@comcast.net), JF Benoist (jfb@jfbenoist.com).
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