Announcement submission deadline: Mondays at Noon

Sunday Worship

Sunday, February 8, 2026:

“The Transformative Power of Grief ” with Linnea Gullikson & Rev. Mary Gear

We all carry grief and our culture encourages us to just move on, ignoring or denying what we are mourning. Today we explore the power of transformation and resilience that grief can offer.

9:00am Onsite Only

10:45am Onsite & Online

After-Service Forum:
Faith In Action with Rev. Nancy Reid McKee

Come to learn about some of the current Faith in Action work that UU's are taking part in around the state and beyond.

12:15pm Onsite & Online

Join Us Online!

Worship at 10:45am & After-Service Forum at 12:15pm

Join on Zoom

Interact with the community and access live captions.
Meeting ID 873 210 124 | Passcode 2306

Watch on Youtube

View the live stream or watch anytime after.

Join by Phone
Dial +1 (253) 205-0468 to listen to the service audio-only.

Last Week's Worship

Sunday, February 1, 2026:

“Moving on from Walden Pond” with Rev. Sara Lewis

Many of us have found inspiration from the teachings of Henry David Thoreau and other Transcendentalists, but how does this sort of individualism answer the needs of today? How can we move on from Walden Pond and toward a radical mutuality that still retains what was good at Walden Pond?

Watch Service Here

Order of Service

After-Service Forum:

SkillBuilder- How to respond to hard things with Rev. Mary Gear & Rev. Sara Lewis

Hard things happen in the world and in our lives. How can we respond in ways that are helpful and not adding to the harm? Join Rev Mary and Rev Sara for this skillbuilder which will explore ways we can care for ourselves and do the healing work we need to do in order to become helpers and healers ourselves.

Watch Forum Here

Forum Slides

Important Community Updates

Food Drive for Immigrant Families

For the rest of February, OUUC SWIFT will collect food for immigrant families who fear being detained if they go the store. This is a repeat of the food drive we did in November. We will deliver our collections to a local church which maintains a food pantry for immigrant families. Please put your donations in the collection boxes in the OUUC Commons.

FOODS NEEDED: Masa (10 lb bag), Oil (1 qt or less), Canned fruit (14 oz.), Canned beans (14 oz), Canned corn (14 oz), Angel Hair pasta, Shelf-stable tortillas, Tostadas, Top Ramen, onions, potatoes.

We also need help transporting the food to a local church. If you're available one or more times in February, please contact Steve Tilley, OUUC SWIFT (Siding With Immigrant Families Together)

Winter Weather Building Closure Procedures

Here's what to expect for building closures in the event of winter weather this season. On weekdays, if Olympia School District closes, we close too. We may also close when overnight freezing is forecasted, even if schools stay open. Please let church staff know if you notice severe weather developing in your area or in the forecast. For Sunday services, we check the forecast on Saturday and decide. If we close due to weather, we'll hold one online-only service at 10:45 AM via Zoom. Check your email, our website, and social media for closure announcements, and stay safe!

Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed

Our coffee hours are only possible through the help of volunteers who make the coffee, set everything up, and wash the dishes after. Please sign up to help by clicking here!

Bags to Benches: Plastics Challenge

Turn your plastic waste into a NexTrex bench! OUUC is participating in the NexTrex Challenge to divert plastic film from landfills and transform it into NexTrex composite decking, and win a NexTrex park bench. Drop your clean plastic bags (grocery, bread, dry cleaning, ice, cereal, ziplock and produce), bubble wrap, plastic shipping envelopes, overwraps from paper towels, and newspaper sleeves in the large collection box in the back hallway. Our volunteers will transport collected plastic to become durable Trex decking. Every bag you bring helps keep plastic out of our water ways!

Beware of Scams Via Email And Text

Beware of periodic scammers via email and text. You may be contacted by scammers impersonating Rev. Mary or other church staff. Scammers also try to reach people via text. Often, they will ask for you to contact them right away, and they may ask for financial assistance/information or contact information of others at the church. Always double check and make sure the email or text was sent from a source you recognize. Scammers will create new addresses that appear like a known email address. When in doubt, check in with the person in your life who appears to be trying to contact you, using a known contact method.

OUUC Book Nook – Shop to Feed Families!

Thank you for shopping at Book Nook (https://books-ouuc.com/) – OUUC’s new online used bookstore, now open 24/7 on an ongoing basis for Olympia-area shoppers. Our June purchases raised $1,900 that OUUC have been lovingly passed on to the Thurston County Food Bank. You can shop and pay securely online, then pick up your purchases at Susan Dodson’s home or OUUC. Please let your local friends and book groups know about this fun new way to support our local Food Bank. Questions? You’ll find lots of answers here on the Book Nook FAQ page (https://books-ouuc.com/faq/) – or you can email Susan Dodson at books.ouuc@gmail.com to let her know you’d like a ‘tour of the store’.

The Parking Lot is Getting Full!

We have had rising attendance at our Sunday worship services and so we're facing a new challenge with having enough parking spots. It's a good challenge to have! If you are able, please help us remain welcoming with available parking. Carpool, ride the #41 bus, bike, or walk to church if you can! Click here to see more about transit to OUUC.

Tiny Little News Show

There will be no Tiny Little News this week as Rev Sara is out sick.

This Week's Gatherings

Sit and Stitch

Tues, Feb 3, 6:30pm

OUUC

All are welcome to join members of the sewing ministry for a sewing circle on the first Tuesday of each month. Bring your knitting, sewing, embroidery, or other hand work and join us for time to sit, stitch (and chat) together.

Cottage Meetings

Thurs, Feb 5, 2:00pm
Fri, Feb 13, 1:30pm

The Stewardship Team invites members and friends of OUUC to share stories, build connections, and celebrate our community together at Cottage Meetings this month and next. We'll gather mostly in the homes of fellow congregation members, with some meetings at OUUC, for refreshments and meaningful conversations about what OUUC means to each of us and the future we envision for our beloved congregation.

There are two more meetings to choose from, Feb 5 and 13. Each will last approximately 1.5 hours. We would love to see you!

Use the "Sign Up Here" button above to find a cottage meeting that works for you. You can also contact Sharon Love for help signing up.

Community Dinner: The Comfort of Casseroles

Thurs, Feb 5, 5:30pm

OUUC

This week's community dinner menu will be casseroles. All are welcome for food and fellowship at 5:30pm at our weekly Thursday community dinners. We need volunteers to help cook starting at 3:30pm, set up tables at 4:30pm, or clean up at 6:30pm. We are getting a bit more formal with a Sign-up Genius so we know who is going to be able to help with dinners. If you can help, please sign up!

Parent Group

Thurs, Feb 5, 6:30pm

OUUC

All who are parenting (in any way) are welcome to join the OUUC Parent Group this Thursday at 6:30pm. We meet in person and on zoom. Email Rev Sara at dcfd@ouuc.org to get the zoom link

Growing Anti-Racist Kids: for ages 5-10

Thurs, Feb 5, 6:30pm

OUUC

Learn More & Register Here

The important goal of the curriculum is for children to respect and value difference in skin shades while recognizing the need to promote love and justice for all. The first lessons proceed from self-awareness, family differences, friendships at school and in neighborhoods, church beliefs around respect and diversity, recognition of one’s community, and of the world. Each lesson connects to UU values, in a language for children’s understanding. Ultimately, we aim to help children to recognize that persons have far more qualities than their appearances, that the possibilities of truly knowing, or knowing about them, far exceeds looking at them or at their pictures.

Open All Ages Art Studio

Thurs, Feb 5, 6:30pm

OUUC

Explore the theme of Embodying Resilience through art, at our monthly all ages open art studio. We will provide clay for crafting.

Reflection Group

Every Sunday, 10:00am

OUUC Youth Room

We have restarted the post Sunday service conversations of sermon reflection and fellowship. Following first service pick up your beverage and join us in the Youth Room for our small group follow up. We hope you will join us!

Questions? Check with Curt Hill, Lee Doyle, Nancy Curtiss or Chloe Meyer

New UU: How We Learn Together

Sun, Feb 8, 2:00pm

Online Only

Learn More & Register Here

This winter our New UU class (the requirement for membership at OUUC) will be on Zoom Sundays 2-3:30pm. The class on 2/8 will be about our Faith Development programs for all ages at OUUC, with Rev Sara.

Love at the Center Discussion Group

Mon, Feb 11, 7:00pm

Online

It's not too late to join the Love at the Center Reflection Group! We will be discussing essays 16-18 in February.

In these pages, you’ll find personal testimony to love’s power, reminders of the centrality of love throughout the long histories of Universalism and Unitarianism, and theologies of love drawn from many different expressions of Unitarian Universalism—from the natural world to the justice rally, to a loved one’s deathbed, to the quiet moment before a worship service begins. May Love at the Center serve as an invitation to deepen your own understanding and practices of love.

Our group will meet monthly to discuss three essays from the book each month.

Upcoming Gatherings

Nia Dance

Every Tuesday at 9:00am

OUUC

Love to dance? Interested in feeling better through fitness based in joy? Join us every Tuesday from 9-10 a.m. this winter in classrooms 3 & 4 for Nia dance. Nia is a blend of the healing arts, dance arts, and martial arts. With choreography based in the anatomy and a strong FreeDance component, it’s a unique mix of science and spirit. Most of all, it’s just fun! Wear comfortable workout clothing, bring a water bottle, and optional yoga mat. You can dance in shoes or barefoot. Cost: Donation. Contact instructor for more at kristy.woodford@proton.me or 360.508.2800

OUUC Book Group

Thurs, Feb 12, 6:30pm

OUUC

All are welcome at the monthly OUUC Book Group. The book for our February 12th meeting is The House at Riverton by Kate Morton.

Combining Our Book Discussion Groups: Hope & Chaos

Thurs, Feb 12, 6:30pm

OUUC

We're combining our Active Hope and Chaotic Climate book groups into one onsite book group called Hope & Chaos! Join Rev. Mary Gear and Rev. Sara Lewis in-person on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30pm as we reflect on the Work that Reconnects (Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone) and the 10 Steps of Good Grief (How to Live in a Chaotic Climate by LaUra Schmidt). All are welcome.

We Are Growing - Now What? Part 3

Sun, Feb 15, 12:15pm

OUUC

The topic for the third in a series of Board-sponsored forums about growth focuses on fundraising at OUUC. Come to the February 15 forum to talk about these questions:

How does growth affect our fundraising? Do our fundraising events fit with our vision and goals? How do we figure that out? Is there an official fundraising policy? What are the steps to have an event approved?

Volunteer resources for each of fundraising events is in demand and valuable - how do we determine priorities? Come to the February 15 Forum to help contribute answers to these questions and become a part of OUUC’s ongoing and future fundraising plans.

4th Annual Chili Cookoff

Thurs, Feb 26, 5:30pm

OUUC

Dust off your recipes! Our 4th Annual competitive Chili Cookoff will be on Thurs 2/26. We will have voting and prizes for two categories: vegetarian and meat. Let Rev Sara know if you plan to bring a pot of chili.

UU Common Read: Social Change Now Workshop

Sat, March 14, 10:00am

OUUC

Join Rev. Sara for a one day workshop (with lunch provided) to explore the ecosystem of social change makers model and how it can inform our work to change the world.

The UU Common Read for Deepa Iyer’s Social Change Now! offers Unitarian Universalists a path to growing more authentic, connected, and effective as individuals and communities pursuing the social justice missions we share.

Whatever the social justice priorities of your particular congregation, at its core, Unitarian Universalism embodies transformation. All of us who covenant to be together are engaged with making the world a better place. As humanists, we take responsibility as agents of transformation to make it so. This Common Read guides us to apply the teachings and practices of Social Change Now to activate, re-invigorate, and support social justice projects throughout our movement and all our common work for change.

Copies of the book are available at OUUC or you can order one from the UUA bookstore.

Tao of Gender

Thurs, March 26, 6:30pm**

OUUC

**Rescheduled! Now in person & on Thursday nights... We’ll use today’s language of gender to explore Taoist ideas, not as fixed truths, but as symbols that spark reflection in our hearts and minds. While the 2002 book The Tao of Gender serves as an anchor, we recognize it as one Western perspective. To honor the tradition and de-center whiteness, we invite this text into conversation with scholars and practitioners from China and Thailand. There is no homework.

Class instructor: Schyler P. Raad, is a nonbinary educator and lifelong learner with experience facilitating dialogue-based classes. Learn more about the Tao of Gender class by clicking here.

Save the date for OUUC’s Annual Auction!

Sat, May 16, 2026

ASHHO Cultural Community Center

All are invited to participate in our annual in-person and on-line auction! The auction is a terrific way to make meaningful connections, strengthen our community resources, and have fun.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 16, 2026 and plan to attend the live auction and dinner. We are thrilled to return to the ASHHO Cultural Community Center in Tumwater for the live auction again this year! The online auction will be the week of the live event.

Want to help with the auction this year? All sorts of roles are needed in the planning process and event—communications, procurement, tech assistance with the auction system, and more. Contact Alicia at aliciasm@gmail.com.

Faith in Action Opportunities & Resources

January Faith in Action Digest

This month's trainings, resources, and action opportunities; everything you need to show up for our community!

View February Digest

Faith in Action:

Week of Feb 1, 2026

Quick ways to make a difference: petitions to sign, calls to make, comments to submit. Do one or do them all, every action counts.

This Week's Actions

OUUC Side with Love Shirt

Get ready to represent OUUC and Side with Love at gatherings and justice events by ordering your yellow T-Shirt ahead of time!

Order Your Shirt

Community Connections

Olympia Peace Vigil

Every Friday, 4:30pm

Fourth & Water Street, Downtown Olympia

Please join Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) every Friday in a friendly Peace Vigil for whatever length of time you can. Olympia FOR’s Friday Vigils have been occurring for decades and are now joined by other groups including The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice and peaceful individuals who continue to advocate and stand together for peace, a permanent ceasefire, an arms embargo, and justice for Palestine. Peace signs are provided.

Trees As Climate Solutions

Thurs, Feb 5, 6:30pm

1515 Harrison Ave NW, Olympia

On Feb 5th at 6:30 pm Restoring Earth Connection will be giving the last of their Climate Challenge talks. The talk Trees As Climate Solutions will go over interesting things about the benefits of trees and move into information about Olympia and Tumwater redoing their tree ordinances this year – what the opportunities and dangers are there and with the County. We will also talk about the cutting of legacy Forests in Capitol Forest that continue under Commissioner Upthegrove. This will be followed by an opportunity Saturday morning the 7th at 10 am to help Tumwater plant about a 100 trees! Contact Lynn@fitz-hugh.org for more info on joining the tree planting.

Tumwater Tree Planting

Sat, Feb 7, 10:00am

Tumwater

Tumwater and Friends of Trees are partnering to plant a 100 Western White Pines. Saturday Feb 7th at 10:00 am planting trees! Come for a period of time you designate (like 1 hour) or come till we are done (which will depend upon how many people come.) Register with the button above. Contact Lynn@fitz-hugh.org for more info on joining the tree planting.

Walk in Their Shoes with Our Ark

Feb 7, 8, 14, & 15, 12:00pm

Capitol Lake

Our Ark, a nonprofit providing supportive services, housing, and hope for homeless youth and young adults, is facing a funding freeze that could leave hundreds of young people without access to case management, peer mentoring, and other vital resources.

Join Our Ark for their Walk A Night In Their Shoes fundraising event to raise awareness and critical funds. The walk starts at approximately 12:00pm from the parking lot on the right side of Capitol Lake, circles the lake, and continues up to the top of the trail.

February Gathering by Side With Love

Mon, Feb 9, 5:00pm PST

Online

Join The Gathering, a monthly virtual event from Side With Love offering spiritual grounding, political analysis, and collective action—organize with others to block anti-democratic forces and build a just and loving world. Register here for February 9.

One year into this administration, we will lift up stories of resistance and resilience - your own, and those of SF Bay Area court watch vigils and UU presence at Chicago's Broadview Detention Center. Songs for Liberation will grace us with the music they share outside Broadview and at so many other actions.

Interested in the Gathering but haven't attended one yet? Click the "Register Here" button above to see all the dates, a promotion kit, recordings, crisis resources, and links.

Monthly Conversations on Abolition: "Using Restorative Justice with Children and Youth"

Tues, Feb 10, 5:00pm

Online

Join Church of the Larger Fellowship for “Using Restorative Justice with Children and Youth”, the next conversation in our Monthly Conversations on Abolition series. We will talk about how to use restorative practices with children and youth, including in school systems as an alternative to the suspension-to-prison pipeline. All are welcome to attend. Please feel free to share this event with your friends, family, and congregation.

Alison (she/her) is a restorative justice/ restorative conflict facilitator for a non-profit in San Diego, CA. She has been a UU religious educator for 17 years and has served in a variety of roles within LREDA and the UUA.

UU Day at the Legislature!

Thurs, Feb 12, 8:30am

110 11th Ave SE, Olympia

Each year the Faith Action Network (FAN) gathers at the Capital to remind political leaders that there are faith communities leading the work for justice and fairness in the world. This year the JUUstice Washington UU State Action Network is working with FAN, urging UUs from across the state to come to demonstrate our commitment to our values.

There will be issue-related information sessions offered via zoom the weeks prior to Feb. 12th, then time together in the morning before we divide up to talk to our district representatives. During your time with your rep. you can talk about the issues you see as most imperative, driven by the work you are doing in your congregation.

We will have a UU table where you can come to meet UUs from around the state over coffee or lunch.

2026 Legislative Session

Jan - Mar

Washington State Capitol

The Washington State Legislative session began on Monday, January 12. It is a short session, lasting up to 60-days, with an expected end date of Thursday March 12, 2026. Now is the time to speak up! Call your state legislators and congressional representatives about what matters most to you and your family. Where to start? Visit leg.wa.gov today!

Civic Engagement Training

Fri, Feb 13, 4:00pm

Olympia Timberland Library

What social, political, or environmental issues do you care deeply about? Do you know how our state government is addressing these issues in the 2026 Legislative Session, and how you can add your voice to the conversation? Join the Office of the Secretary of State for Civic Engagement Office Hours, a nonpartisan initiative to support civic participation and demystify the legislative process in WA state. Drop in to the Library every 2nd and 4th Friday during the legislative session to visit with staff who can connect your interests to civic engagement opportunities this session. Learn how to use the state’s numerous digital tools to track the bills being introduced and participate in the public debate on these bills. Upcoming session dates are Feb 13 & Feb 25, with a special "Sine Die" celebration on March 13.

Point in Time Count

Throughout Jan and early Feb

Thurston County

The Point in Time Count is an essential annual effort to survey the unhoused population in Thurston County to better plan for needs and services. United Way of Thurston County is leading this year's count on January 29, with volunteer opportunities throughout January and early February. Ways to volunteer include survey assistance (volunteer training required), hygiene kit assembly, and clothing drive sorting. Find more information by clicking here.

Love At The Center:

Reimagining the World As It Could Be

30 Days of Love

Jan 19, 2026 - Feb 16, 2026

Online

At a time when fear, violence, and extraction dominate our politics and our planet, we practice another way. We believe love is not fragile; it is fierce. It grounds our organizing, fuels our imagination, and sustains our communities.

Over five weeks, we will move through a journey from imagination to action, rooting our freedom dreams in faith and bringing them to life in our world. Each week, we will have a written reflection from Side With Love staff; a conversation with a UU theologian; a multi-generational family activity; reflection questions for journaling; a meditative body practice; and a coloring sheet connected to the weekly theme. Our weekly themes will be Reimagining Thriving, Grounding in Context, Mobilizing Action, Nurturing Community, and Exploring Possibilities. Use the button above to receive an email and/or a text when 30 Days of Love 2026 weekly content is available!