Announcement deadline: Monday Evening | | | | |
Sunday, January 18, 2026:
“One Foot in Front of Another” with Troy Fisher and the OUUC Choir
This “music service” is a call for connection in troubled times. It is about persistence, community and moving ahead. “One foot in front of the other” is a metaphor for determination and forward motion. We think of love warriors like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Ghandhi, Dolores Huerta. All of them started their movements out of the love of their people not out of the hatred of someone else.
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After-Service Forum: Flood Control Dam on the Chehalis River.
On Sunday January 18, during the After Service Forum at 12:15 pm in the OUUC Sanctuary all are welcome to join Lee First, Twin Harbors Waterkeeper, to learn about the proposed flood control dam on the Chehalis River and how you can voice your opinion on it. Lee has been tracking this project for many years and works in collaboration with an alliance of non-profit groups. Find out what she has learned about why a flood control dam on the Chehalis will destroy habitat without delivering the proposed benefit of flood control. With the public comment period closing on February 4, 2026, this is your chance to get educated, form an informed opinion, and make your voice heard before the deadline.
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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.
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The OUUC pilgrims who traveled to Transylvania share their personal experience of the people and places where unitarian beliefs emerged, offering the opportunity for us to reflect on our own UU pluralistic path.
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Remembrance for Rev. Arthur Vaeni | | Rev. Arthur Vaeni April 8, 1950 — October 24, 2025 | |
On Friday, January 16, 2025, OUUC will host a remembrance for Rev. Arthur Vaeni at 10:00 am, both onsite in the OUUC Sanctuary and on Zoom (Zoom Link Here). A reception will follow for those onsite.
On Sunday, January 18, 2025, there will be a memorial service for Rev. Arthur Vaeni at 11:00 am Pacific (2:00 pm Eastern), both at the Starr King UU Fellowship in Plymouth, New Hampshire and on Zoom. The Zoom link will be posted on Starrkingfellowship.org.
Read his full obituary at: https://obits.csnh.com/arthur-vaeni
| | | Send in Your Remembrances of Rev. Arthur Veini | |
We will be compiling a notebook of stories and memories to share with Arthur’s family from those who remember his ministry at OUUC from Fall 2001 through Spring 2014.
If you have a memory of Arthur in writing or in a photo that you would like to share, please send an email or attachment to Rev. Mary at minister@ouuc.org. You can also put your sharing in the box on Rev. Mary’s OUUC office door.
There will also be paper to write something at the gathering on Friday, January 16 or in the chat if you join online. We will accept remembrances through January 18.
Thank you.
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Important Community Updates | | |
Member Engagement Specialist Chloe Meyer is out of the office and not checking email from January 15 - January 18.
The office will be closed Monday, January 19, 2026 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
| | | Return Guest at Your Table Boxes Now | If you took a box to collect donations for Guest at Your Table in December, please return your boxes to Rev. Sara now. Thank you to everyone who supported the UUSC with a donation! It's not too late, to donate now click here! | | | Nominations Invited for Board and LDC | |
We know there are congregation members who would be great candidates to move into leadership positions, eager for the opportunity to work with others who are committed to guiding OUUC into the future.
The Leadership Development Committee (LDC) is looking for candidates to replace Board and LDC members whose terms will expire in June 2026; the Board of Trustees and the LDC each have 3 positions to fill. Candidates must be over 18 years of age and have been a member of OUUC for at least one year.
If you are intrigued by this form of service to our church home, or know someone who might be interested, please contact LDC members: Nancy Curtiss, Des McGahern, Martha Nicoloff, Josie Solseng, or Cheryl Tafejian.
Nominations should be submitted by January 16th, 2026.
| | | 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! | | | 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! | | | 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. | | | | | |
In this week's Tiny Little News hear about cottage meetings and upcoming events | | | | |
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Cottage Meetings
Fri, Jan 16, 6:30pm at the Goltz/Welsh's
& more at various homes
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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 still many sessions to choose from, with different dates, times, and locations. 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.
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Love at the Center Discussion Group
Wed, Jan 14, 7:00pm
OUUC
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It's not too late to join the Love at the Center Reflection Group! We will be discussing essays 13-15 in January.
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. Please register with the button above.
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Community Dinner: Spectacular Soup
Thurs, Jan 15, 5:30pm
OUUC
| This week's community dinner menu will be spectacular soup (and bread!). If you are a bread baker and would like to bring some bread, please do! 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! | | | | |
All Ages Game Night
Thurs, Jan 15, 6:30pm
OUUC
| All ages are invited for our monthly game night following the community dinner on Thursday. We will have some games and cards--bring any games you'd like to share as well. | | | |
Growing Anti-Racist Kids: for ages 5-10
Thurs, Jan 15, 6:30pm
OUUC & Online
| 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. | | | | |
Generation XYZ Lunch
Sun, Jan 18, 12:15pm
OUUC
| All between the ages of 18-50ish are welcome for the monthly lunch at 12:30pm in one of the classrooms. Look for Kedo Baye with any questions. | | | | |
New UU Class: Who are Unitarian Universalists?
Sun, Jan 18, 2:00pm
Online Only
| Curious about OUUC or Unitarian Universalism? Thinking about becoming a member? Join us for our New UU class series starting January 11th! Over nine Sundays from January through March, Rev. Mary Gear and Rev. Sara Lewis will guide you through topics including UU history and values, how we worship, how we care for each other, and how we put our faith into action. You're encouraged to attend as many sessions as possible, though you don't need to attend every one. The class on 1/18 will be "Who are Unitarian Universalists?" with Rev. Mary. | | | | |
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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 | | | | |
Drop In Soul Matters Group
Thurs, Jan 22, 6:30pm
OUUC
| All ages are invited for our monthly game night following the community dinner on Thursday. We will have some games and cards--bring any games you'd like to share as well. | | | |
Drama Workshop
Sat Jan 24, 1:00pm
OUUC
| 6 weeks of theater games, acting lessons, play reading (aloud), character study, and scene study. No experience necessary. For ages 6 - 100. Led by Janet Spencer, who studied acting in New York, at Barnard College and the Michael Howard Studio, and appeared in a few off-Broadway productions in her early 20’s. Hunger drove her into theatrical management, a career she followed for 40 years. Janet has returned to acting, appearing in three Harlequin productions since moving to Olympia. | | | | |
Tao of Gender Discussion
Mon, Jan 26, 6:30pm
Online Only
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This class affirms the shared values of pluralism and interdependence, centered on love. Through participatory reading and mutual exploration, we will use Taryn M. Witten’s The Tao of Gender to help us apply Taoist concepts like yin and yang to gender theories. Everyone is welcome. We’ll reflect on personal experiences of gender and explore how these ideas intersect with Unitarian Universalist shared values. The overarching questions for this class are, ‘What is the Tao of gender?’ and ‘What are the ways of understanding gender through Taoism?’ This class is led by Schyler, a nonbinary educator and lifelong learner with experience facilitating dialogue-based classes. They have a personal interest in Taoism and gender expansiveness and bring a spirit of curiosity and care to spaces of shared exploration. Schyler’s approach centers inclusive conversation, deep listening, and spiritual reflection. Interested in purchasing the book Notify Schyler after registration.
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Resistance Lab: Strengthening Democracy Together
Mon, Feb 2, 6:00pm
OUUC
| Are you concerned about the direction our country is going and ready to take action? The newly formed Resistance Group invites you to join us as we turn concern into concrete resistance strategies. Building on what we learned from Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal's Resistance Lab, we're now focused on taking action to strengthen democracy and resist growing authoritarianism. Join Environmental Action Team and Faith in Action Team members and other OUUC members committed to protecting democracy. All are welcome. | | | | |
The Darkness Divine Book Group
Tues, Feb 3, 1:00pm
OUUC & Online
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A discussion group led By Aurora Winters on the book The Darkness Divine by UU minister and poet Rev. Dr. Kristen Harper. She is the minister at the Unitarian Church of Barnstable Universalist on Cape Cod. The book has 10 chapters, with discussion questions and exercises after each chapter. It is available through the UUA Bookstore for $14. Here is the blurb on the UUA site:
Too often in U.S. culture—and notably in faith communities—a culture of white supremacy is reinforced in damaging but unexamined ways. In The Darkness Divine, minister and poet Kristen L. Harper confronts and unpacks the language, imagery, buzzwords, and cultural touchstones that demean and dehumanize Black people but are so commonplace they can easily escape notice.
More importantly, in a brilliant arrangement of essays and poems in the vein of Claudia Rankine, Harper lifts up the strength, beauty, and resilience of Black people and outlines a path forward. She invites readers to explore what they have learned and assimilated so they might de-center whiteness and stretch their understanding and imagination to radically transform perceptions of blackness.
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Adult Our Whole Lives
Sat, Feb 7, 10:00am
OUUC & Online
| Join us for the next session in our Adult OWL series! The Our Whole Lives program offers comprehensive, values-based sexuality education and is a beloved program in UU congregations. This workshop will explore attitudes about aging, sexual scripts, and keeping our bodies healthy as we age. All adults are welcome! Register now using the button above. | | | | |
Faith in Action Opportunities & Resources | | This week’s opportunity is the Member Engagement Team! | |
This week’s opportunity is the Member Engagement team. A vital team with OUUC, the member engagement team meets monthly to talk about the best way to engage with members and the congregation as a whole. Most recently, they wrote congratulations
cards to those celebrating certain anniversaries of being a member at OUUC. If you would like to join the team, please see Rev. Sara or Chloe.
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January Faith in Action Digest
This month's trainings, resources, and action opportunities--everything you need to show up for our community.
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Faith in Action:
Week of Jan 11, 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.
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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.
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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!
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2026 Legislative Session Has Begun
Winter 2026
Washington State Capitol
| The Washington State Legislative session began on Monday, January 12. 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! | | | |
Advocacy 101 Training from Faith Action Network
Wed, Jan 14, 6:00pm
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Online training on how to advocate during the Washington state legislative session.
Join us for this virtual training with other advocates across the state to learn how to advocate during the legislative session. Both new advocates and returning ones seeking to refresh their knowledge are welcome. FAN staff will present some of the tools we use throughout the session, with a chance for Q&A. FAN’s legislative agenda and policies will not be discussed in depth, though we will share with you how to find more information. Please bring your questions!
Once you register, a Zoom link will be sent to you. For additional information and registration, click the button above.
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Olympia Peace Vigil
Fri, Jan 16, 4:30pm
Fourth & Water Street, Downtown Olympia
Please join Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) 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.
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Love At The Center:
Reimagining the World As It Could Be
30 Days of Love
Jan 19, 2026 - Feb 16, 2026
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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!
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Point in Time Count
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. | | | |
Civic Engagement Training
Fri, Jan 23, 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. Session dates will be Jan 9, Jan 23, Feb 13, Feb 25, with a special "Sine Die" celebration on March 13. | | | | |
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Sunday Worship:
9:00am (in-person only)
10:45am (in-person and online)
Office Hours:
Mondays 10:00am - 2:00pm
Tuesdays 10:00am - 2:00pm
Wednesdays 10:00am - 2:00pm
Sundays 8:00am - 2:00pm
Phone: (360) 634-2005
Address:
2306 East End St NW
Olympia, WA 98502
Find us on the web:
Website: OUUC.org
Facebook: @OlyUUC
Instagram: @OlyUUC
YouTube: @OlyUUC
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Rev. Mary Gear,
Minister
minister@ouuc.org | ext. 101
Rev. Sara Lewis,
Director of Community
and Faith Development
DCFD@ouuc.org | ext. 102
Troy Fisher,
Music Director
musicdirector@ouuc.org
Ian Stephan,
Office and Facilities Manager
OfficeManager@ouuc.org | ext. 103
Victoria Ridgway,
Office Assistant
Office@ouuc.org | ext. 100
Chloe Meyer,
Member Engagement Specialist
MemberEngagement@ouuc.org | ext.104
Marie Arensmeyer,
Sexton
Sexton@ouuc.org | ext. 105
Anissa Bentlemsani,
Religious Education Assistant
REassistant@ouuc.org
Teresa Madsen,
Tech Coordinator
TechCoordinator@ouuc.org | ext. 106
Carbon Marshall,
Tech Specialist
TechSpecialist@ouuc.org
Isaac Ezra Jennings,
Finance Manager
FinanceManager@ouuc.org
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