Ministerial Blog

A Tapestry of Generosity

Rev. Alison Miller, Senior Minister

An update about our Campaign for 2026

In a time when so many congregations are struggling, we are blessed to co-create a vibrant, multigenerational church made up of people who are growing in spirit, community, and impact. In large part, we are able to do all we do together because of the generous support of all of you – the individuals and families who give of yourselves, your time, your talents, and your financial treasure. Thank you to all of you who have supported our community for a long time, all of you who are newer supporters, and all of you who are hoping to join our efforts soon...MORE

Help Us Cross the Finish Line: Funding Our Church for 2026

We’re not starting something! We’re finishing something! This is an opportunity for all of us to come together and see this through. Each of us has a part to play in strengthening our church and sustaining the ministry we share. Some may be able to give again through a one-time gift now. Others may be ready to give for the first time.

To close this campaign and faithfully steward our 2026–2027 budget without major cuts, we need to raise an additional $60,000.

We invite you to join us in this shared effort of funding our church and supporting our programs and staff.

NEW! — Walk the Labyrinth this Sunday

Sunday, March 1, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Location: Fuller Hall

Our 7-circuit canvas labyrinth will be available in Fuller Hall for walking meditation from 9 a.m. until noon this Sunday, March 1.

A labyrinth is “a spiraled sanctuary where your old ways fade, the ego begins to molt, and outlived stories fall away. Like the caterpillar in chrysalis, you may feel undone, uncertain, unformed – suspended in the in-between. But trust this: something holy is happening in the hidden depths. Within the sacred space of this quiet cocoon, your calling ripens, your courage stretches new wings. The soul rearranges itself. You are not lost. You are becoming. Trust the dark. Trust the pause. The path will open again when it is time to emerge: revealed, radiant, resplendent.” To learn more about the modern labyrinth movement and its leader Lauren Artress, who penned this description of labyrinths, visit the Veriditas website.

Teri M. will answer questions and welcome volunteers to help set up or put away the labyrinth. Email her here.

LAST CHANCE — Considering Membership Class

Sunday, March 1, 11:45 a.m.

Location: Channing A101

Jen Thomas, Director of Congregational Life

Just a few spots remaining! Every community is like a tapestry—each person adding their own color and texture to the whole. If you’ve been attending First Unitarian Portland and are feeling ready to become a woven part of the fabric of this congregation, we invite you to our Considering Membership class.

In this one-session gathering, you’ll learn about the commitments and joys of membership, ask questions, and—if you’re ready—complete the necessary steps to officially join, including signing the membership book.

Please let us know you’re coming by filling out this RSVP form. Childcare will be available.

Whether you’re new to Unitarian Universalism or simply new to Portland, we’d be honored to help you find your place in the weave of our shared spiritual community.

NEW! — Two Ways to Support Immigrant Justice and Our Learning Community

1. Swing by our pancake breakfast this Sunday from 8:45 - 10 a.m. in Buchan Hall to write a note or draw a card to be included in supplies our RE students are assembling for local neighbors impacted by ICE detention.
2. Drop supplies off at the Buchan Welcome Desk now through March 15. We need dried beans, rice, canned goods, cooking oil, dish soap, and bar soap. 

Thanks for supporting our church’s partnership with Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ)!

The Water Factor: A Reading and Discussion

Sunday, March 1, 11:45 a.m.

Location: Classroom B304

Community for Earth (CFE)

Join members of Community for Earth for a reading from The Water Factor, a near-future eco-thriller set in the Oregon High Desert, and a discussion of what happens when something as sacred as water is treated as a commodity instead of a human right. Light refreshments provided. Grab a drink from coffee hour and join us for a lively conversation...MORE

All-Church Forum

Sunday, March 8, 12 - 1:30 p.m.

Location: Eliot Chapel

Join Rev. Alison and members of your Board of Trustees for an all-church forum on March 8. Rev. Alison, Board Moderator Roger Robinson, and Treasurer Bob Bonner will provide an update on the Annual Fund Drive and share key considerations shaping the 2026–2027 church budget. Childcare is provided.

The Alliance Presents "Stories of Lan Su"

Wednesday, March 4, 10:30 a.m.

Location: Eliot Chapel, or online

The Alliance

Weaving Together Portland Communities: Stories of Lan Su – Revealing the Untold Tales of Portland’s Chinese Garden

Join Venus Sun, Senior Director of Experience at Lan Su Chinese Garden, as she traces the roots of Portland’s one-of-a-kind classical Chinese garden with its profound identity as a living expression of art, philosophy, and tradition, and its cultural impact through diverse programs that invites community to connect with traditions both ancient and modern.

Bring your lunch and $5 to enjoy dessert & beverage after the program. RSVP by emailing here.

UPDATED! REGISTER NOW — 2026 Passover Seder

Sunday, March 29, 12:15 p.m.

Location: Buchan Hall

You are cordially invited to attend our First Unitarian Seder in celebration of Passover, the Jewish holiday that symbolizes the universal human quest for liberty. Our Seder celebration will be held on Sunday, March 29 at 12:15 p.m. This special ceremonial UU interfaith event, beautifully structured for all ages, is a remembrance of the Jews’ flight from slavery in Egypt long ago. Our community Passover Seder will be led by Rev. Alison Miller and her family, Bill Y., Rich S., and the Seder team. It is a worship service, a songfest, a banquet, and a blend of goodness, goodies, gravity, and joy. Children, Youth, Adults, Elders - All are welcome. We will provide a delicious lunch of traditional Seder foods.

Adults $30 each / Children $15 each

Come one and all to enjoy food, fellowship, candlelight, stories, music and more!

Please register now here. Register early as space is limited!

How to Get on the Ballot for the Board of Trustees or the Nominating Committee

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee annually identifies candidates for election on the annual church ballot to the Board of Trustees and the Nominating Committee by inviting referrals, conducting interviews, and supporting leadership development, so that the church will maintain leadership to provide diverse, relevant talents and capacities in support of our church mission and ends. A First Unitarian voting member may also be directly placed on the ballot for a Nominating Committee or Board of Trustees position by petition (self-nomination). Individuals who wish to self-nominate for the 2026 church ballot must submit a petition with their name and the signatures of 33 voting church members (5% of the current total number of certified voting members). Nominating Committee candidate recommendations, as well as self-nomination petitions, are voted on by Church members as part of the annual congregational vote in the spring of each year.

If you are interested in self-nominating for either the Board of Trustees or the Nominating Committee, a photo and short bio are due by April 3 and the petition is due no later than April 23.

You can find more information, including signature petition forms, on the Nominating Committee page on the church website. You can also send an email to the Nominating Committee if you have any questions. 

UPDATED — The Auction is Coming!

This year‘s auction, “Creating Connections: Many beliefs, Many roofs… Bid high. Keep dry!” is set to begin March 19 for donations online. The money this year is going to repair leaks in our many roofs, hence the name. Click here for donation ideas. 

NEW! — Week 4: Celebrating Black History Month

In celebration of Black History Month, the Advancing Racial Justice Action Group (ARJAG) has shared stories about the ways in which Black people have helped to shape our city, state, and nation, as well as our religious tradition.

In 2021, our congregation adopted the 8th Principle of Unitarian Universalism:

We covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse, multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.

This represents both individual and congregational commitment and accountability. One way we can begin to fulfill this covenant is to learn about, engage with, and support the Black organizations that serve, support, and advocate for individuals and communities in the metropolitan area and in Oregon...MORE

NEW! — Neighbor-to-Neighbor Interfaith Witness at ICE

Wednesday, March 4, 2 - 2:45 p.m.

Location: Next to the ICE building, at the intersection of SW Moody & SW Bancroft

Neighbor-to-Neighbor Interfaith Witness at ICE is an opportunity for faith communities to be in solidarity, declaring our moral outrage at the cruel practices of abducting community members, terrorizing communities, and separating families, in the name of an inhumane political agenda. We will be shoulder-to-shoulder to bear witness to our outrage, deepen our relationships, and build solidarity among our interfaith communities. 

Each of the bi-monthly witness rituals will be held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, sponsored by a neighborhood or geographic region. This series is supported by Together Lab, which has been organizing interfaith clergy to be a daily moral presence at the ICE facility on Macadam and at the Federal Courthouse downtown, as well as organizing neighbor-to-neighbor solidarity with teachers and families around Portland. We hope that in addition to attending on February 4, you will mark your calendars through March for this steady stream of neighbors showing up for neighbors. 

Please dress accordingly for the weather. We ask that you not bring signs. We will provide whatever is needed for the ritual.  

UUA General Assembly is Coming Up!

June 14 - 16 and June 19 - 21

Location: Virtual

Denomination Connections Committee

General Assembly (GA) this year will be virtual, and registration is now open. We are allowed 16 delegates, but anyone can attend. If you would like to represent First U Portland, email the Denomination Connections Committee here.

GA business meetings will be June 14-16 with free registration for delegates. Special programming will be June 19-21 for registered delegates ($350). More information is on the GA website.

The registration rate will increase to $450 on May 1, so start planning now.

You Are Invited! Help Wanted!

Community for Earth (CFE)

WEATHERIZATION TEAM

Do you have experience with weather stripping, air leakage sealing, or other basic weatherization practices? No need to be an expert! You are invited to be part of this team for month-to- month projects as we go room by room through our buildings. 

GRAPHICS COMMUNICATION TEAM

Do you have the mad skills for helping us to develop catchy visuals of the heating and cooling “guts” of our buildings? You are invited to help translate stodgy drawings into catchy colorful images for congregational display.

Please email CFE member Beth M. for more information about either team and write ‘weatherization’ in the subject line.

NEW! — Beacon Bookstore

We’ll be back at our usual Buchan Atrium Bookstand this coming Sunday (1st Sunday of the month) with a number of good books for children and youth in addition to featured adult books. Our Cashiers are always happy to try answering questions about our book offerings, to take your special orders, and your suggestions. Suggestions from children ages 10-14 are especially sought: What are you reading that you especially enjoy reading? What do you think a child just a little younger than you would enjoy? What are your favorite chapter books? Let us know at the Cashier table. Thank you!

If you’re looking for First Unitarian Portland t-shirts, come to the regular store in Fuller Hall next week. We have sizes XS through XXL. It’s time to gear up for the Spring Marching Season!!

CHECK WEEKLY — March 1 Newsletter

Rev. Leah Ongiri, Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Formation and Family Ministries

Two special events happening this coming Sunday:

The first involves pancakes and the opportunity to support immigrant justice. Swing by our pancake breakfast to write a note or draw a card to be included in supplies our Learning Community students are assembling for local neighbors impacted by ICE detention. Thanks for supporting our church’s work with Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice’s accompaniment program.

And, an invitation from Congregational Life Director Jen Thomas about the Considering Membership class on March 1. Click the MORE below to read it! Please let us know you’re coming by filling out this RSVP form. Childcare will be available.

We’d be honored to help you find your place in our shared spiritual community...MORE

NEW! — COHHO Monthly Meeting

Sunday, March 1, 12 p.m.

Location: Fireside Room

Committee on Hunger & Homelessness (COHHO)

You're invited to join us at our March meeting to share information, volunteer opportunities, and ways to advocate for the reduction of hunger and homelessness in the Portland area. All are welcome.

And, a gentle reminder, please continue to bring tuna cans, nut butter jars, and cartons of low-sodium soup and deposit them in the COHHO food bins located in Fuller Hall next to the kitchen. We will deliver them to Lift UP's warehouse for further distribution to those in need. Thank you. 💖

Shower Project Requests

Each week we offer unhoused neighbors a secure space to shower, enjoy a meal, get clean clothing, and experience refuge from conditions on the street. We have now expanded our hours to 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays!

We are always looking for more helping hands. Volunteers sign up for 2-hour shifts that work for their schedule - and enjoy meeting other congregants this way. If you're interested, please click here.

Your donations make a big difference in the lives of those we serve. We are in special need of the following items:

• Men's clothes, especially jeans/pants/sweats (30 - 36)
• Hoodies, sweatshirts, coats, and rain gear
• Boxer briefs - NEW (M, L)
• Women's underwear - NEW (S, M)
• Direct monetary donations

Drop off your items in the marked cabinet in Fuller Hall during Sunday church hours or during Shower Project hours (Wednesdays and Thursdays between noon and 4 p.m.).

For questions, email Casey C. Thank you!

CHECK WEEKLY — Art for Social Justice

Curated by Ethel G., Speaking of Justice Editorial Team

The Speaking of Justice Editorial Team offers weekly art to deepen our connection to the work for social justice and to build the Beloved Community.

On the eve of the 2020 United States presidential election, Tracy Chapman performed "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" on Late Night with Seth Meyers, encouraging people to vote.