WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday Services
Sunday Worship Service: The Courage to Mend
October 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM
You can attend worship in person, or online through Zoom by clicking the blue button at the top of the web page that says “Watch our Sunday Worship Service on Zoom”. The Zoom stream starts shortly before 10 AM on Sunday.
From the Minister
October 16, 2026
Hello Congregation:
Last week’s sermon continued the theme of Unitarian Universalist history and drew heavily on the book The Prophetic Sisterhood by Cynthia Grant Tucker. She researched letters, journals, and diaries to document the experience of Unitarian and Universalist women ministers in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Several of you asked about the blessing I quoted in last week’s sermon, so here it is:
“Take courage friends.
The way is often hard, the path is never clear,
and the stakes are very high.
Take courage.
For deep down, there is another truth:
you are not alone.”~~~by Wayne B. Arnason
I quoted those words because they remind us of how to keep going when heartbreak feels all around — whether being heartbroken about an institution or another situation. Perhaps your mind is focused on the midterm elections; perhaps your heart is aching about the suffering in Israel and Gaza; perhaps you feel empty because of a personal loss.
Living with heartbreak can be exhausting.
Our hearts break because we loved, and because we hope and dream.
Both Kahlil Gibran and Leonard Cohen have poetic lines about how the broken places lead to new beginnings. Sometimes, once a person has lived through heartbreak and can look back at new insights, their lived wisdom gives buoyancy which eases the next heartbreak. May we take courage.
With you on the journey,
Rev. Alex
Settled Minister Search News
News straight from our Settled Minister Search Committee!
Settled Minister Search: Focus Groups
The Settled Minister Search Committee is hosting multiple focus groups! Read below to see what’s coming up.
We’d like to welcome anyone who identifies as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) to participate in a BIPOC centered Focus Group for our settled minister search process. This Focus Group is specifically aimed to amplify voices of those whose perspectives may not be as prevalent in this community. It’s also a unique opportunity to come together as BIPOC and gather! Shikha Ghosh Gottfried will be facilitating these discussions.
Please register at least 24 hours in advance so that we can plan accordingly: https://uufc.breezechms.com/form/search_bipoc
Tuesday 10/27 @ 7pm via Zoom
Sunday 11/1 @ 11:45am in UUFC Library
Focus Groups for folks in leadership roles – board members current and past, council leads and members, RE guides, affinity group leadership – are happening October 22 and 29 at 1:45 PM. To register, contact Molly Curry and Gary Barnes.
A Focus Group for RE parents is happening November 1 at 11:45 AM. To register, contact to Rachel Houtman.
A Focus Group for Care and Support is happening October 27 at 6:30 PM.
Congregational Survey Due 10/11; B4 Survey Due 10/19
Submit your surveys! Here’s a helpful tip: make sure you answer ALL of the questions in the format described or you might get stuck in a loop. If the question asks for a one or two word answer, only submit one or two words. If you use more than one blank space, your answer will not go through. On the B4 survey, there’s a question that asks about restrooms (question #10) which is Not Applicable for congregations that don’t have their own campus. The first part of the question asks if it is Not Applicable. For us, the answer is NO (a double negative – Yes, we own our restrooms!). Don’t skip the question. Please Persevere! Including your unique answers is important for us to get accurate demographic information to report to prospective ministers. Thank you for your efforts!
Congregational Survey is here: https://forms.gle/cRfurPUXLKyXq4vE7
B4 Survey is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UUCorvallis
Register for the B4 Workshop here: https://uufc.breezechms.com/form/search_b4_26
Ministerial Search cottage meeting, 10/18
The Ministerial Search Committee will be hosting several small “Cottage Meetings” of 8-12 people each. We want you to have the opportunity to tell us in person how you view the congregation currently and what qualities you would like in our next minister. This important input from YOU will inform the Congregational Profile we publish to UUA ministers and help us find our best match. Each meeting will last an hour and be facilitated by two Search Committee members. Meetings will be offered at these times:
Sunday, 10/4 at 11:45 am in the Sanctuary
Wednesday, 10/7 at 10:00 am in Room 7
Sunday, 10/11 at 11:45 am in the Sanctuary
Sunday, 10/18 at 11:45 am in the SanctuaryIt is necessary to sign up for the Zoom meeting in advance with your email so that we can send you the Zoom link. To do that, please RSVP with this link: https://uufc.breezechms.com/form/search_cottage_26.
Settled Minister Search: Break Barriers, Build Beliefs Workshop (B4), 10/24
The deadline to register for the B4 workshop and submit a B4 survey is Oct. 19!
The Search Committee wants to know your perceptions of what “a minister” might be, and we need help to explore any congregational bias – conscious or unconscious. What if the best minister for our future comes in a surprising package? Will we be ready and open to possibilities that are unlike anything we’ve encountered before?
To address this, the UUA has developed an important diagnostic and educational tool for us called Break Barriers, Build Beliefs (B4). We’ll be hosting a B4 workshop on Saturday, October 24 from 9:00am – 2:30pm at the Fellowship. All are invited to attend in person. We promise to feed you! Rev. Eric Kaminetzky of the UUA will be facilitating the workshop and preaching the following day. Please fill out our congregation’s B4 survey and register to attend by Oct. 19. Here’s the survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UUCorvallis. This survey will not be shared outside the Search Committee. And here’s the registration link: uufc.breezechms.com/form/search_b4_26.
There’s a future for the UUFC, and we’re about to step into it and make history! Come in person to the workshop to engage with the vision. Fill out the B4 survey to help us prepare for the engagement. Thank you!
Announcements
This Week at UUFC
Online Joys & Sorrows
Location: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5412313219
Join us on Zoom for a weekly checking-in which includes sharing of joys and sorrows, plus the Metta Prayer.
Contact:Â Mary Craven.
Dance Planet
Location: Sanctuary
Dance Planet is a movement meditation to a joyous blend of world music, with live music for the first 30 minutes and a DJ’d set for about an hour following. All are invited to move in their own way. George Beekman, contact and DJ.
Neurodiverse and Mental Health Support Group
Location: Room 7
First and third Sundays of each month at 8:30am in Room 7.
This group for mutual support in the realm of living with neurodivergence or mental health challenges is facilitated by Anthony Acquilano and Joyce Marvel-Benoist.
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 place to share experience, feel heard, learn from the experiences of others, and share resources.
Please register here to receive an email or text reminder.
Inquirers Series: Care & Support
Location: Room 7
This is a session in our Inquirers Series of classes, which you can read more about on our Path to Membership page.
Learn how to ask for help from our Care and Support team, as well as how to build your own circle of support by connecting with a Chalice Circle.
Mindful Awareness
Location:
I’m Patti White, a UU member since 2012. I’m a Mindfulness Coach in a system called Unified Mindfulness and since 2019 I have been leading a meditation practice group associated with the UUFC. We are on Zoom now. Come check us out. Our practice is suitable for you whether you are a beginner and curious about mindfulness meditation or whether you are have had a long experience with the practice.
We meet each Wednesday from 7 PM to 7:50 PM. The group currently meets on Zoom. The room opens at 6:40 PM for casual socializing.
To be added to the group list, please fill out this form.
Online Joys & Sorrows
Location: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5412313219
Join us on Zoom for a weekly checking-in which includes sharing of joys and sorrows, plus the Metta Prayer.
Contact:Â Mary Craven.
International Flavors
Location: Social Hall Porch & Patio
The event is a partnership between the UUFC and Corvallis for Refugees. Two new-neighbor families will prepare and offer for sale (typically $15) meals from their home countries, for eat-in or carry-out. Meals will be purchased from the families; this is NOT a UUFC fundraiser.
Community Kirtan
Location: Room 7
Community Kirtan is a gathering featuring talented local musicians who will lead us in kirtan chanting. It’s a peaceful way to end your week. All are welcome!
More information at NewWorldKirtan.com and JohannaSings.com.
Contact: Kitzie Stern
Plan Ahead
Power, Visibility, and Belonging
Location: Social Hall
Registration is required HEREÂ by October 27th, 2026.
This four-session series for congregational leaders takes an honest look at the gap between the community we aspire to be (or believe we already are) and the one some people actually experience. This is an invitation to see more clearly, and to lead differently as a result.
Those who took the Harvest the Power Leadership workshop last year are highly encouraged to attend, as a deepening of that work AND anyone interested in exploring community dynamics around power and belonging are very welcome.
Meetings will be on November 3rd, 10th, December 1st, and 8th – all Tuesdays – at 6 PM in the Social Hall.
PLEASE NOTE: The group will not meet on November 17th or November 24th.
All-Fellowship Evacuation Drill
Location: Parking Lot
At conclusion of worship service on Sunday, November 8, the fire alarm will sound and everyone will evacuate to the primary and secondary meeting areas outside. Normal activities will resume after the Safety Team announces the end of the drill.
Holiday Fair
Location: Sanctuary
Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Our annual well-loved Holiday Fair welcomes members and the community at large. This joyous event features creative vendors, baked goods, swags, live trees, live music, activities for children, recycled gifts, and a delicious lunch. Join the fun!
Vistas & Vineyards Art Reception
Location: Sanctuary
Friday, January 8, 2027 at 6:00 PM
This art reception honors the artists of the Vistas & Vineyards artist group whose work will be displayed in out sanctuary until February 28th. Come meet the artists and show your appreciation for their fine work.
This event needs help! We need two people to greet people at the Fellowship doors before and during the event. If you’re interested in helping, contact Brian Egan.