OUUC Weekly Update
December 10, 2024
Community Dinner: Soup Night
Thursday, December 12, 5:30 pm
Our menu plan this week will celebrate the joy of Soup. All are welcome for food and fellowship at 5:30pm. If you can help cook, set up, or clean up please contact Rev. Sara.
Spiritual Practice Mini Retreat on the Practice of Presence
Saturday, December 14, 10 am
Join Rev. Mary at this month's spiritual practice mini retreat to explore a variety of practices and being present with ourselves and each other. Register here.
NEW OUUC Mass Deportation Team
Tuesday, December 10, 7 pm
Are you interested in joining OUUC members to help prepare for mass deportation if/when it comes to Thurston County?
Steve Tilley is starting a Faith in Action team with a focus on ensuring that our County and city governments have strong policies about not cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If you would like to work together on this or other issues related to mass deportation, please join us.
If you would like to attend the meeting or get on our mailing list to follow our activities, please contact Steve Tilley.
Creating with Grief
Monday, December 17, 10 am
Creating With Grief is a peaceful gathering space for us to be in community and externalize our grief through “creating” our own independent projects. Whether it’s through sewing, painting, sketching, stitching, coloring, or sculpting, the process is yours to explore.
Bring your grief and your art/craft/sewing supplies with you. If you don’t have a current project to bring along, you’re welcome to use the supplies and prompts provided.
Hosted by Jenée Jenkins-Wolfram, Certified End of Life Doula
Let It Be Quietus - End of Life Doula Services & Consulting
No registration necessary.
This is a drop in, no cost program.
It’s Time to Celebrate!
Ginny Taylor is turning 90 on December 13!
Please join us this week to help Ginny celebrate: Thursday, after the December 12 Community Dinner there will be time to share your favorite Ginny story, eat birthday cake, and write or deliver a card; Sunday, December 15, there will be a special after-service cookie fest in the Commons.
Hope to see you there!
(You can also send birthday wishes directly to Ginny. Find her in the directory or request contact information here.)
Youth Group and All Ages Game Night
Thursday, December 12 6:30 pm
All youth in middle and high school are welcome at our youth group meetings which meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. This month we only meet on the 12th, for our youth holiday party with white elephant gift exchange. Contact Rev. Sara or Anissa with any questions or for more details.
All Ages are invited to enjoy board and card games together in the commons. Bring a game you'd like to share.
Dances of Universal Peace
Thursday, December 12, 6:30 pm
Dances of Universal Peace is an embodied, transformative spiritual practice touching the essence of all traditions around the world. They include simple movements to live music. All are welcome, no experience necessary, dances are taught to the whole group each time. We hope you will come and lift your voice, your hands, and your spirit as we allow a variety of dances to work in our hearts as yeast works a loaf of bread. A cash donation will be collected for musicians
Social Justice Book Group
In December and January the social justice book group will be reading and discussing Bridges to Heal US: Stories and Strategies for Racial Healing by local author and educator Erin Jones.
We’ll be meeting to discuss this book on December 12th and Jan 16th after the Thursday night dinner.
If you are interested in joining the discussion, please register here, or reach out to Whitney Godby or Kirsten Hill for more information.
From Your OUUC Stewardship Team
You are cordially invited to attend a Gather, Grow & Guide Session in support of the OUUC. We will gather in the homes of fellow congregation members for light refreshments and meaningful conversations about what OUUC means to each of us. During these small group sessions, we’ll share stories, build connections, and deepen our sense of community. There will be several gatherings to choose from, with different dates, times and locations. Each will last approximately 1.5 hours and will be framed by three focal points:
Gather: Gather stories on ways we nurture and are nurtured by the OUUC.
Grow: Explore our path towards growth and the five ways to grow. Rev. Mary will offer a short, supporting video on this topic.
Guide: Collect guidance and advice on how OUUC can achieve the goals it set for 2025.
Please join us for meaningful conversation, fellowship, and the joy of being in community. Sign-up for a time and date that works best for you here, or contact Wendy Tanner and she will help you get signed up. Thank you so much for contributing to this important exercise to nurture our community and move toward the future with hope and success.
Cookie Brigade Raises $1464 for the General Fund
The Holiday Cookie Sale was a buttery and sugary success, raising $1464 for the General Fund.
Twenty-eight bakers and workers including Tom Best , Sally Brennand, Sam Captain, John Gear, Karen Jackson, Mo Lally, Maddy Martinelli, Doug McCrea, Carol McKinley, Claudia McNeill, Vanessa Nagel, Chris Parke, Holly Porter, Melanie Ransom, Julie Rosmond, Connie Ruhl, Karmel Shields, Josie Solseng, Susan Southwick, Curtis Tanner, Ginny Taylor, Mary Ann Thompson, Linda Whitcher, Mary Wildenhaus, Carol Williams, Gail Wrede, Fritz Wrede, and Zibby Zickuhr, baked approximately 3000 cookies to fill 100 boxes of cookies.
Many thanks to all who came together to create and enjoy this holiday fundraiser.
New Prayer Group with Jasper Llee
Saturday, December 21, 10:30 am
“The urge to pray is universal. We know of no cultures, past or present, in which prayer does not occur. People pray when they are happy and sad, during celebrations and tragedies, at births and deaths, during peace and war, in cathedrals and cars, in poverty and plenty. Prayer, it seems, is in our blood.” -Larry Dossey
“Prayer does not change things; prayer changes people, and people change things…. Prayer is not hearing voices, prayer is acquiring a voice.” -Reinhold Neibuhr
Prayer can be a powerful tool in your own, individual spiritual life and the power of that practice is multiplied when shared with others. Join us on the third Saturday of every month for a group prayer time. In the UU fashion, prayer may be spoken or silent and belief in god or any creed is not a requirement!
Childrens Class: World Blessings
Registration is open now for our next 8 week childrens class series offered on Thursdays 6:30-7:30.
An important tenet of Unitarian Universalism is an appreciation of our world and its many blessings. This curriculum seeks to introduce our world’s diverse countries, religions, and holidays through the shared activity of cooking. Register here.
Holiday Events Next Thursday after Dinner
Thursday, December 19, 6:30 pm
Winter Solstice Spiral and Fire
All are welcome to join us in celebrating the Winter Solstice with a Yule fire and a spiral walk meditation.
Holiday Song Sing Along
Join Allen and his ukulele for a fun holiday songs sing along. All are welcome!
Join the Newly Formed Gardening Crew!
We are still working out the details, but for now we are meeting Wednesday afternoons from 1pm to 4pm. Both experienced and inexperienced gardeners are welcome to join. We can discuss details (i.e. working in inclement weather) when we gather. See you tomorrow? For more information contact Lynne MacDonald.
