The Board of Directors has formed a task force to inform the congregation about Rev. Jill McAllister’s nomination for Minister Emerita in preparation for a vote at the UUFC Annual Meeting on May 17. This task force is conducting a number of listening sessions in which to discuss this process and answer any potential questions. They will also set up a table in the Social Hall or Foyer after worship services to answer questions and share information.
Here are the currently-scheduled listening sessions:
Sunday, March 22 7 – 8:30 PM Listening Session in the Sanctuary Thursday, March 26 7 – 8:30 PM Listening Session in Room 3 Sunday, April 12 11:45 AM Listening Session Location TBD
The task force has written a list of frequently-asked questions about Ministers Emerit, which you can read here.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
Prepare for the upcoming No Kings III protest by taking this Know Your Rights training on March 23!
From the organizers:
In this ACLU-led training, participants will learn about the Constitutional right to peacefully protest and about best practices for reducing risks when attending protests like the upcoming No Kings mobilization on March 28.
Monday, March 23, 6 – 7 PM. Register here. This training is offered virtually, so you don’t even need to get off your couch or put on pants!
Justice Theatre presents: 12 Angry Jurors—Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 at 7:30pm at the Fellowship.
Once per year, the Justice Theatre Team transforms the Sanctuary into a theatre for two exciting days! This year’s show explores our country’s troubled relationship with its justice system. Twelve strangers on a jury are tasked with the burden of determining a young man’s guilt when the death penalty is on the line. Eleven of them take the testimonies and evidence at face value; one, however, does not. This dissenting opinion sets off a fierce and hotly debated standoff, which raises some terribly timely questions: why do we believe in what we are told? Can we truly trust the justice system when we allow our own biases, doubts, and fears to influence our judgment? What is the value of one human life compared to any other? All proceeds from this pay-what-you-can production will go to support legal aid through The Lawyers Campaign for Equal Justice. You can reserve tickets and donate online at buytickets.at/uufc or just come to a show and donate at the door! We hope to see you there!
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
Beginning this Sunday, Mach 8th, the 3rd session of the Inquirers Series, formerly the Liturgical Year session, will be a session focused on interim ministry and our upcoming search for a settled minister. Sheryl Stuart and Robin Lancaster, members of our transitions team, will be on hand to share some of the basics and answer your questions about this unique time congregational life. If you have already taken session three, you are still most welcome to come and have your questions answered. These sessions are open to all interested participants!
The Democracy Action Team seeks to help fill Corvallis streets with the largest crowd ever at No Kings III, March 28th.
Indivisible’s plan for March 28th, is compelling and it urgently requests that citizens partner with them to build what is needed from OSU to Central Park and the Courthouse. So our request is that our Democracy Team join in by each of us signing up for the tasks we can do. Some work can be done at home.
No Kings III will be a peaceful demonstration, starting at OSU at noon with speeches and songs, then marching along Madison Ave. to Central City Park, and ending at the Courthouse. At Central Park, there will be art and activities for the kids, as well as music at the gazebo. And at the Courthouse, back by popular demand, another Dance of Defiance. Of course, 4th St. will be filled with people waving signs the entire time.
Remember, every protest is a food drive!
To pull this off, the organizers will need 100 safety/peacekeeping volunteers, plus dozens of people to set up tables, art, and sound equipment; staff information and first aid tables; and clean and pack up afterwards. To volunteer for the day of the event, please email indivisible.bc.or@gmail.com with the subject “No Kings volunteer” and indicate which of the above you are willing to do.
The organizers also need help with a variety of tasks ahead of time, To be added to the “Put me to work” email list, email indivisible.bc.or@gmail.com with the subject “No Kings Worker Bee”. Once or twice a week, you’ll get a list of possible tasks you can volunteer for. Or ask to join the Signal group for more frequent requests (and the opportunity to select the best ones before others take them)!
This Sunday, March 15, please join us at our daytme Meeting, 11:45 am in the Library. We will discuss the most urgent messages sent out by Ezra and Leah of Indivisible National, the most up-to-date folks I know to listen to, and we’ll look at getting signed up to Volunteer.
We have two more Democracy Team gatherings in March, before the Protest.
TUESDAY March 17th 5 pm in the Social Hall: Sign Making Event
TUESDAY March 24th 5 pm in the Social Hall: De-Escalation training. Very Important for everyone.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
Did you know OSU offers a Peace Studies Certificate and that there is a Peace Literacy Institute with coordinators in Corvallis? Friendship Force of Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley and the UUFC are cosponsoring an event at which we can all learn more. The meeting will be on Saturday March 21, 10 am to noon in the Sanctuary of the UUFC. OSU’s Dr. Linda Richards will tell us about the OSU Peace Studies Program and Certificate. OSU’s Dr. Shari Clough will tell us about the Peace Literacy Institute. Following these background presentations, we will explore ideas for how interested local people can engage and support these programs. All are invited to this exploratory meeting. Bring your own beverage and a snack to share if able to do so.
Childcare is available!
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
