Sunday Services
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This Week:
“And Also, Joy” 12/8/2024
“We were made for joy and woe, and when this we rightly know, through the world we safely go” wrote William Blake. Join with the Fellowship Committee on Ministry this Sunday to consider this truth – that joy and sorrow together are part of every human life.
with Mark Aron, Virgil Agnew, Gary Barnes and Alice Lyman
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Services This Month
Dec. 1 “Be Not Afraid” Rev. Jill McAllister
Dec. 8 “Yes, Joy” Committee on Ministry
Dec. 15 “Wintering” UUFC Choir and Readers
Dec. 16 Blue Holiday Vespers Susan Sanford and Rev. Leslie Chartier
Dec. 20 Winter Solstice Service Rev. Jill McAllister
Dec. 22 “Stories of Christmas” Rev. Jill McAllister
Dec. 24 Christmas Eve -two services Rev. Jill McAllister
Dec. 29 Holiday Brunch and Sharing Rev. Jill McAllister and all
From the Minister
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Between Us
As the world turns (wasn’t that the name of a soap opera many years ago?) we still live day by day, and work on the things that are right in front of us most of the time. At the Fellowship, this weekend we are enjoying our annual December Holiday Fair, and planning many ways to gather this month to observe and celebrate holidays, holy days and the turning of the year.
Meanwhile, the classroom wing is filled with boxes and comings and goings as we get ready to empty that part of the building so that it can be repaired, renovated and renewed. This will be a big effort, as you can imagine, and will need many hands. If you haven’t already, please see the Announcement titled ‘Classroom Wing Renovation Begins in January,’ and sign-up to help in one of the listed ways. Or, talk to a member of the Building Expansion Project team in person this Sunday about how you can help.
All activities which regularly meet in the classroom wing will move to other locations in the building (or offsite) beginning after Christmas, and the classroom wing will be closed by January 1. If you have questions about where your group will meet, please ask me or office volunteer Priscilla Galasso.
This Week at UUFC
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Dance Planet! 12/7
This Saturday, December 7, Dance Planet will once again happen from 7:00 to 8:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, 2945 NW Circle Blvd. We’ll open with a live set by two amazing percussionists, Dave Chiller and Dave Storrs. They’ll do a unique mix of melodic and rhythmic percussion to warm us all up before DJ Beeara plays an hour-long set of music from around the world and across the decades. Admission to this family-friendly event is a suggested donation of $5—15. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to local environmental organizations.
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Live Holiday Trees Sale, 11/24 to 12/9
After-service sale of live Holiday Trees and runs from Sun 24 Nov through Sun 9 Dec. Trees will also be available during the Holiday Fair on Sat 7 Dec. Trees are $20 each, and we’re offering Grand Fir, Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine, Doug Fir, and Sitka Spruce, all in #2 pots. i.e. Table-top size. After the holidays, you can plant your tree yourself, or return it for us to plant. We’ll accept returns on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings in January.
You can reserve a tree by clicking the button below:
Drop-in purchases also welcome.
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“Tea, Cookies, and More,” 12/11
Join “Aging Successfully in Community” team members & friends to enjoy tea, coffee, cookies & snacks in the social hall 2-4 pm, 12/11.
Bring a plate of cookies or other snacks to share, if you like.
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Blue Holidays Vesper Service, 12/16
Are you feeling the tender ache of absence as the winter holidays approach? Or perhaps feeling lonely, anxious or depressed? Join us for an online Blue Holidays Vesper Service, followed by an optional time of sharing, at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16. Rev. Leslie Chartier and Susan Sanford will facilitate. Please register in advance so we can send you the zoom link and suggestions for preparing your space for our time together. Contact Susan for more information.
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Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation Workshop for Parents, 1/2
Catherine Whiting has been a pediatric occupational therapist for 41 years and specializes in sensory processing and self regulation at home and in schools. She is offering a workshop geared towards parents (grandparents also welcome) about how to identify the sensory needs of a child and to help them by modifying the environment for self regulation. Dynamics of family members having different needs will also be explored.
January 2nd at 7PM in the UUFC social hall.
Please help us plan by registering here by December 30th.
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Child Dedications, 12/22
The members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis ceremonially welcome babies and older children into this world, and into the community which holds them, offering our lifelong commitment to the nurture of each child. This dedication is a joyful ritual which affirms that each young soul is a gift, and which celebrates the covenant of family and community. Each child will receive a decorative certificate as a record of their formal welcome into this circle of care.
While we are happy to provide a child dedication any time a family requests one, it is our custom at UUFC to perform this communal ceremony on our near Christmas Eve.
This year’s child dedication will be offered during the service on Sunday, December 22nd. If you would like to have your child dedicated in this ritual, please contact Skyla (dre@uucorvallis.org) no later than December 18th.
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Post-Holiday Break for Parents, 12/27
This time of year can be a lot for parents as we try to maintain all the rituals, magic, and meaning of the season. To honor all you do, we’d like to offer you a break! Drop off school-aged children in the social hall from 1-4 on December 27th. We’ll have a thank you card writing workshop (with helpers for those who haven’t mastered the pen yet), eat snacks, and settle in for a movie while you take a few hours to recover from the holiday hustle. To make the most of the thank you card workshop, please send your child with a list of specific people & gifts for which to offer thanks.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Benton County Foundation, this event is free and open to the public, so invite your friends and family to take advantage of this opportunity!
Registration is required for this event, and will close on 12/20. Space is limited.
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Classroom Wing Renovation Begins in January!
Our builders are scheduled to begin their work the third week of January. Between now and then we have LOTS to do – including packing and moving everything out of that part of the building, and doing some removal and demolition.
You can help! Here’s how:
SPACE — Do you have unused, dry, rodent-free attic space, garage space, shed space with easy access to store boxes for 5-7 months?
PACKING MATERIALS needed (donations) — Medium-sized cardboard boxes, Medium-sized plastic tubs with sealing lids, large-size bubble wrap HELP MOVE – Can you loan the use of a pickup truck or open trailer? ~Move boxes and load vehicles in parking lot Saturdays January 4th and January 11th ~Move furniture and load vehicles in parking lot : end of December, Saturdays January 4th and January 11 ~Transport boxes and furniture from parking lot to private and commercial storage locations
VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP SHEETS will be in the foyer under the bulletin board, or click the button below to sign up online:
Stay tuned for more information about this big project.
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Adult OWL, Comprehensive Sexuality Education for 18+, 1/5-3/9
Using values, communication skills, and spirituality as starting points, this program explores sexuality issues for adults of all ages. OWL(Our Whole Lives) builds an understanding of healthy sexual relationships, affirms diversity, and helps participants accept and affirm their own sexuality throughout their lives.
It’s not too late to experience the healing and healthy sex ed you wish you’d had back then!
This series is facilitated by trained guides. Dawn Dirks is trained for all ages of OWL, and Skyla King-Christison is trained for adult OWL with an emphasis on older adults.
Join us on Sundays 1/5- 3/9 from 2:30 to 4 in the social hall.
Pre-registration is required for this series, and space is limited.
Contact Skyla at dre@uucorvallis with questions.
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Stoic Art Journaling for the New Year, 12/27
We are living in strange times, and strange times call for more art and more dedication to doing our part to keep that arc of the moral universe bending toward justice!
Join Skyla on December 27th from 6-8 PM in the social hall, where we will cast our vision across 2025 through a Stoic lens known for its capacity to galvanize hope. Then, each participant will create a mini art journal to document concrete actions they can take to foster peace, justice, and self-care in the year ahead. No art skills needed!
Preregistration HERE is requested for this event!
Bring a snack to share, and I’ll put the kettle on for tea.
All supplies will be provided, but you are more than welcome to bring your favorite scrapbook paper, pens, markers, stencils, etc.
Below are two examples of the style of pocket-sized art journal you will create. They are perfect for exploring bite-sized concepts, so you may find yourself making more once you know how. Yours will be completely unique and on a different topic from the ones pictured.
-
Travel/Pilgrimage Opportunity, 2025 (August/September)
Our neighbors at the UU Congregation of Salem (UUCS) have invited members of our congregation to join them in a Pilgrimage Tour of Transylvania in 2025. The itinerary, arranged through the Transylvanian/Hungarian Unitarian Church, would include a guided visit to all the major Unitarian historical sites and several days in our partner village, for a total of 10 days. Cost would be in the range of $2,500 to $3,000 depending on the number of participants, plus your airfare. The committed group of travelers is leaning toward August/September but dates are not yet set. If you would be at all interested in joining the group, now is your chance to have a say in the timing.
Please contact Patricia Parcells.
Announcements
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Green to White
There are many reasons to like the color green: often a symbol of safety, the color of nature, a mark of good luck, among others. At the UUFC, the GREEN name tag is a sign that you are new! We look for you and want to encourage your exploration of our Fellowship.
If you have been coming regularly for a month or so, then it’s time to sign up to get a WHITE name tag. This name tag is an outward sign that you are here, that you have decided to join us regularly, and that you want to continue your religious journey with us!
We’re SO glad you have decided to take this step. Please stop by the Welcome Desk to request your new name tag!
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Are You Thinking About Year-End Gifts to Organizations You Appreciate?
At this time of year, many people are planning for the upcoming holidays, looking back at the year that has passed (and what a year it has been), and pondering how they can have a positive impact on our community and world in the year(s) to come. And yes, the holiday season is coming as well. If you are thinking about making year-end gifts to the organizations you appreciate and the UUFC is among those, thank you!
Year-end gifts to the UUFC can be made in many ways:
- Send a check to UUFC, 2945 NW Circle Blvd, Corvallis OR 97330. Indicate “year-end gift” on the memo line.
- Go to uucorvallis.org/donate and donate using a debit, credit or ACH bank transfer. Go to the middle of the donation page and select year-end 2024 in the first drop down menu.
- if you have appreciated stock that is burning a hole in your holiday stocking, transfer stock to the UUFC Schwab account (82873024) using DTC # 0164 Code 40 (you can use these numbers in an online transfer or your broker will know what these are used for)
- If you are of an age where you need to make required minimum distributions from your retirement accounts, you can have a check written to the UUFC or send a message to office@uucorvallis.org and ask for the flyer on how to make such transfers. If you make these distributions directly to the UUFC, they won’t count as income for tax purposes
- Unlike NPR, OPB or an assortment of other non-profits, we have not yet accepted vehicle donations, but if this is of interest to you, send an email to finance@uucorvallis.org and your finance team will see if we can figure out how to make this happen
We thank you for your efforts to make our Fellowship and world a better place for all. May you and yours have a joyous holiday season.
Your UUFC Finance Council
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You Can Help Our Families Engage!
You’ve probably noticed that there are more and more families in our midst each week. Hooray! We love seeing faces of all ages in our sanctuary. With this uptick in family participation, we are experiencing a higher demand for childcare. At the same time, our list of able Grandfolks is dwindling due to illness and factors such as night driving.
A parent’s ability to engage in small group ministry and special events plays a large role in determining whether the family unit as a whole can continue to participate in the life of the Fellowship. If you are an adult of any age who has been with the Fellowship for more than 6 months, please take a moment to consider whether you would be able to give even one hour a month to care for children so that parents can have that time to commit to their own spiritual enrichment.
All Grandfolks will be interviewed, trained, and complete a background check before service.
If you want to help families stay engaged, please contact Skyla at dre@uucorvallis.org for more information.
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December Holiday Services and Events
December is a busy month, with a wide variety of services and gatherings. You can begin to plan ahead now – more details will come soon.
Annual Holiday Fair – Saturday Dec. 7, 9 am – 3 PM
Sunday Services: Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – 10 AM
Blue Holidays Vespers – Monday, Dec. 16, 6 PM
Winter Solstice Service Dec. 20 – 7 PM
Christmas Eve Services – Tuesday, Dec. 24 5:30 PM Family Centered Service
9 PM Meditative Service
Fail Fest 2024 – Friday, Dec. 27 6 PM
Christmas Sing-a-Long – date TBD
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What’s New In Inquirers Series?
We’ve got an addition to the Inquirers Series! The Chalice Circle team will now offer an entire session on their special format for small group ministry as the fifth session in the series. That means, if you’ve attended the whole series, you’ve got something fresh to check out!
If you’re one of our participants who has your eye on completing the series and getting your very own home chalice, don’t fret! The old sessions count toward your progress. We hope that you’ll consider attending this new offering as you are able because chalice circles are a distinctly UU way to build deep connections here at the Fellowship, and we want everyone to know how to get plugged in.
If you are interested in checking out the new session, their first offering is scheduled for December 1st at 11:45 in room 8.
The Inquirers Series is an ongoing series of sessions that you may attend in any order, as you are available. Whenever there is a 5th Sunday in a month, Skyla King-Christison will offer UU Roots, which is a deeper dive into UU History.
- “Our Shared Values” with Skyla King-Christison
- “Worship and the Liturgical Year” with Rev. Jill McAllilster
- “Building and Grounds Tour” with John Bailey
- “Overview of Lifespan Faith Development” with Dawn Dirks
- “Chalice Circles” with the Chalice Team
- “Overview of Justice Teams” with Karen Josephson
- “Care and Support” with Sandy Piper
- “Membership 101” with the Membership Team
The updated rotation flyer has been posted beside the welcome desk, but here’s a preview!
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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.
Plan Ahead
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Blue Holidays Vesper Service, 12/16
Are you feeling the tender ache of absence as the winter holidays approach? Or perhaps feeling lonely, anxious or depressed? Join us for an online Blue Holidays Vesper Service, followed by an optional time of sharing, at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16. Rev. Leslie Chartier and Susan Sanford will facilitate. Please register in advance so we can send you the zoom link and suggestions for preparing your space for our time together. Contact Susan for more information.
-
Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation Workshop for Parents, 1/2
Catherine Whiting has been a pediatric occupational therapist for 41 years and specializes in sensory processing and self regulation at home and in schools. She is offering a workshop geared towards parents (grandparents also welcome) about how to identify the sensory needs of a child and to help them by modifying the environment for self regulation. Dynamics of family members having different needs will also be explored.
January 2nd at 7PM in the UUFC social hall.
Please help us plan by registering here by December 30th.
-
Child Dedications, 12/22
The members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis ceremonially welcome babies and older children into this world, and into the community which holds them, offering our lifelong commitment to the nurture of each child. This dedication is a joyful ritual which affirms that each young soul is a gift, and which celebrates the covenant of family and community. Each child will receive a decorative certificate as a record of their formal welcome into this circle of care.
While we are happy to provide a child dedication any time a family requests one, it is our custom at UUFC to perform this communal ceremony on our near Christmas Eve.
This year’s child dedication will be offered during the service on Sunday, December 22nd. If you would like to have your child dedicated in this ritual, please contact Skyla (dre@uucorvallis.org) no later than December 18th.
-
Post-Holiday Break for Parents, 12/27
This time of year can be a lot for parents as we try to maintain all the rituals, magic, and meaning of the season. To honor all you do, we’d like to offer you a break! Drop off school-aged children in the social hall from 1-4 on December 27th. We’ll have a thank you card writing workshop (with helpers for those who haven’t mastered the pen yet), eat snacks, and settle in for a movie while you take a few hours to recover from the holiday hustle. To make the most of the thank you card workshop, please send your child with a list of specific people & gifts for which to offer thanks.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Benton County Foundation, this event is free and open to the public, so invite your friends and family to take advantage of this opportunity!
Registration is required for this event, and will close on 12/20. Space is limited.
-
Classroom Wing Renovation Begins in January!
Our builders are scheduled to begin their work the third week of January. Between now and then we have LOTS to do – including packing and moving everything out of that part of the building, and doing some removal and demolition.
You can help! Here’s how:
SPACE — Do you have unused, dry, rodent-free attic space, garage space, shed space with easy access to store boxes for 5-7 months?
PACKING MATERIALS needed (donations) — Medium-sized cardboard boxes, Medium-sized plastic tubs with sealing lids, large-size bubble wrap HELP MOVE – Can you loan the use of a pickup truck or open trailer? ~Move boxes and load vehicles in parking lot Saturdays January 4th and January 11th ~Move furniture and load vehicles in parking lot : end of December, Saturdays January 4th and January 11 ~Transport boxes and furniture from parking lot to private and commercial storage locations
VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP SHEETS will be in the foyer under the bulletin board, or click the button below to sign up online:
Stay tuned for more information about this big project.
-
Adult OWL, Comprehensive Sexuality Education for 18+, 1/5-3/9
Using values, communication skills, and spirituality as starting points, this program explores sexuality issues for adults of all ages. OWL(Our Whole Lives) builds an understanding of healthy sexual relationships, affirms diversity, and helps participants accept and affirm their own sexuality throughout their lives.
It’s not too late to experience the healing and healthy sex ed you wish you’d had back then!
This series is facilitated by trained guides. Dawn Dirks is trained for all ages of OWL, and Skyla King-Christison is trained for adult OWL with an emphasis on older adults.
Join us on Sundays 1/5- 3/9 from 2:30 to 4 in the social hall.
Pre-registration is required for this series, and space is limited.
Contact Skyla at dre@uucorvallis with questions.
-
Stoic Art Journaling for the New Year, 12/27
We are living in strange times, and strange times call for more art and more dedication to doing our part to keep that arc of the moral universe bending toward justice!
Join Skyla on December 27th from 6-8 PM in the social hall, where we will cast our vision across 2025 through a Stoic lens known for its capacity to galvanize hope. Then, each participant will create a mini art journal to document concrete actions they can take to foster peace, justice, and self-care in the year ahead. No art skills needed!
Preregistration HERE is requested for this event!
Bring a snack to share, and I’ll put the kettle on for tea.
All supplies will be provided, but you are more than welcome to bring your favorite scrapbook paper, pens, markers, stencils, etc.
Below are two examples of the style of pocket-sized art journal you will create. They are perfect for exploring bite-sized concepts, so you may find yourself making more once you know how. Yours will be completely unique and on a different topic from the ones pictured.
-
Travel/Pilgrimage Opportunity, 2025 (August/September)
Our neighbors at the UU Congregation of Salem (UUCS) have invited members of our congregation to join them in a Pilgrimage Tour of Transylvania in 2025. The itinerary, arranged through the Transylvanian/Hungarian Unitarian Church, would include a guided visit to all the major Unitarian historical sites and several days in our partner village, for a total of 10 days. Cost would be in the range of $2,500 to $3,000 depending on the number of participants, plus your airfare. The committed group of travelers is leaning toward August/September but dates are not yet set. If you would be at all interested in joining the group, now is your chance to have a say in the timing.
Please contact Patricia Parcells.