Announcement deadline: Monday | | | | |
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Sunday Worship November 2nd | | Don't forget: Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday! Set your clocks back one hour Saturday night so you arrive at the right time for worship. | |
“What Are We Missing When We Talk About Covenant?” with Rev. Jon Luopa
Since the late 1970s, UUs have been talking more and more about covenant. Things like ‘covenant groups’ and writing our own covenants we ground in behavioral guidelines and psycho-social paradigms. Have we forgotten the spiritual depth of the concept of covenant? Let’s explore that question.
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After-Service Forum: Generational Differences as OUUC Grows with the OUUC Board of Trustees
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Sunday Worship: “The Wild in Us” with Rev. Mary Gear
This Halloween season, we explore why we want to stay connected to the wild. What does it mean that we humans are part of the animal kingdom? How does that affect our being in the world and our spirituality?
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After-Service Forum: Geoff Willard from Wolf Haven
An interview with Rev. Mary
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Rosalie Raps Melnick's
Celebration of Life
Sat Nov 8, 10:00 am
OUUC
On Saturday, November 8, 2025, the family and friends of Rosalie Raps Melnick will be welcomed for a Celebration of Life service at 10:00 am, both onsite in the OUUC Sanctuary and on Zoom. A reception will follow for those onsite.
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Important Community Updates | | |
Rev. Mary Gear will be out of town for training on October 31st through November 2nd.
| | | Monthly Bulbs and Batteries Collection | | | |
It's the first Sunday of November. Hopefully you fell back, but not to bed! It's important to have working batteries and light bulbs as the evenings get darker earlier and the mornings slow to lighten. Bring in your dead batteries and fluorescent light bulbs and your OUUC Environmental Action Team will see that they are properly disposed of or recycled.
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Beginning November 1 OUUC is participating in the NexTrex Challenge. We will be collecting plastic film in the large box in the back hallway. Plastic films allowed are grocery, bread, dry cleaning, ice, cereal, ziplock and produce bags. Also included are bubble wrap, plastic shipping envelopes, overwraps from paper towels and newspaper sleeves. Volunteers will be transporting the plastic collected to the Food Bank Warehouse where they will be sorted and continue on to the Trex Company who will use them in their composite decking. Thank you for helping us get plastic out of the waste stream and turn it into useful products.
| | | Thank you to all who organized, volunteered and participated in the 22nd Books Brownies & Beans book sale! | | | |
OUUC's 2025 two-day used book sale was the most successful yet, raising an estimated $16,200, which will be shared equally between our three non-profit partners: Pink Haven, Community Youth Services, and the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability to help them build a more loving, just, and healthy world for all of us.
More than150 of pepole volunteered to plan the event, liaison with our partners, gather and sort many thousands of books, promote the sale far and wide in our region, wrangle tables and boxes of books, transform our building into a used book store and bistro and back again, entertain our shoppers with live music and poetry, count purchases and accept payments, cook, bake, manage the kitchen, sustain our volunteers, assist shoppers as needed, and so many other tasks that were lovingly fulfilled to bring this major effort to fruition.
About two-thirds of the books were sold or donated to local organizations that promote literacy. The rest were picked up by BookMongers, a Tacoma book rehoming business whose mission is to keep books out of landfills and in the hands of readers.
Many thanks to our volunteers and shoppers!
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Last week for Share the Plate Applications &
Committee Spots Open
The Share the Plate Application is now open until October 31st, and the Committee is looking for new members to join the team.
The Share the Plate (STP) application is now accepting applications online through October 31st for 2026. If you know a deserving non-profit serving Thurston, Mason, or Lewis Counties, encourage them to apply at https://www.ouuc.org/give/share-the-plate/. Organizations that haven't received major contributions from OUUC in the last three years are eligible, and we've kept the application simple.
The STP Committee is also looking for a few new members to help review applications during the first two weeks of November and work with recipients to record the two-minute videos you see during Sunday services. We are a "meeting light" committee, as most of our work is reviewing applications. If you'd like to help determine how we distribute a major portion of OUUC's benevolence giving, contact Bob Brennand at bobbrennand@gmail.com or any STP Committee member shown below.
Learn more about the history and process of Share the Plate on our new STP History page (under the "Give" tab).
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In this week's Tiny Little News learn about the Memorial Receptions Team and the events of this week. | | | | |
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Compassion Meditation Series
Tues Oct 28th, 7:15pm
OUUC
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Your are warmly invited to partake in Interfaith Works' Fall Meditation Series which will take place at OUUC the last Tuesdays of October and November. The Compassion Meditation practice is offered to members of Interfaith Works-affiliated faith communities and organizations; it was developed in response to the City of Olympia’s ceasefire statement in support of ending the violence in Palestine and Israel. While we continue to focus on compassion for the Middle East, we also recognize the many places in the world where there is hardship and adversity.
Compassion is a core human value around which we hold the struggles in the world. In this practice, we focus on receiving compassion for ourselves and extending compassion to all who suffer in the world —the oppressed and the oppressors, to all beings, and to our Mother Earth —as each participant is so moved, by sitting together in sacred silence.
The gatherings will occur at 7:15-8:30 on October 28th and November 25th, with meditation beginning at 7:30.
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Community Dinner: Orange Foods
Thurs Oct 30th, 5:30pm
OUUC
| This week's dinner theme will be "Orange Foods". All are welcome for food and fellowship at 5:30pm at our weekly community dinner on Thursdays. If you can volunteer to help cook starting at 3:30pm or set up tables at 4:30pm, or to clean up after 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! | | | |
Olympia Airport Expansion & What it Means for You
Thurs Oct 30th, 6:30pm
OUUC
| Local advocate Ronda Larson Kramer will present on the Port of Olympia's proposal to expand the Olympia Regional Airport. The presentation will outline what's included in the Airport Master Plan Update, potential effects on nearby neighborhoods, drinking water, and wildlife, and ways residents can stay informed and engaged in protecting our community's health and environment. | | | | |
PropagationNation Tree Sale
Sat Nov 1, 10:00 am
OUUC
| PropagationNation, a WA nonprofit, is holding a Redwood and Sequoia Potted Tree Sale at OUUC on Saturday, November 1, from 10 AM to 3 PM. The potted redwoods and sequoias can be pre-ordered on our website, use the Preoder Here button above. Potted redwoods and sequoias are perfect for folks who are interested in starting with small resilient trees that already have 2-4 feet of growth. This event is being sponsored by OUUC's Environmental Action Team. | | | | |
Adult Our Whole Lives
Sexuality Education Workshops
Sat Nov 1, 11:00 am
OUUC
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The Our Whole Lives program offers age appropriate, comprehensive, values-based sexuality education for all ages and is a beloved program in our UU congregations. We are offering a two day workshop of the Adult OWL this fall:
Our Whole Lives 101, November 1st 11am-4pm
Our Whole Lives 102, December 6th 11am-4pm
Register for just 101 or for both!
Any questions contact Rev. Sara at dcfd@ouuc.org
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Don't Forget: Daylight Saving Time Ends This Sunday!
Sun Nov 2, 2:00 am
| Set your clocks back one hour Saturday night! Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 2nd. Don't forget to "fall back" so you arrive at the right time for Sunday service. | | | |
Family Pancake Breakfast
Sun Nov 2, 9:00 am
OUUC
| All families and kids are invited to our first Sunday morning Family Pancake Breakfast. This is a chance to get to know other families at OUUC by gathering for pancakes at 9am (during the 1st service) and then we encourage you to stay and attend the 2nd service after. We will be hosting the breakfast on the 1st Sunday of each month. Any questions contact our RE Assistant, Anissa Bentlemsani | | | |
Food Bank Collection
Sun Nov 2, 9:00 am
OUUC
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For the whole month of November, members of OUUC will collect food, showing our commitment to our neighbors.
Many immigrant families have fear about leaving their homes, afraid they may be detained unexpectedly. In solidarity and support, we are working with local churches to collect food that we will then deliver to homes when the risk of grocery shopping feels too great. Here is what is needed:
Nov. 2- 30th please bring donations to the OUUC lobby where there will be collection boxes.
FOODS NEEDED: Maseca (Corn masa flour), Beans, Lentils, Rice, Oil, Stable vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and chilies, Canned vegetables, Pozole (hominy), Canned chili, Canned meat (especially chicken)
Questions? Talk with Steve Tilly, Nancy Reid-McKee, Naki Stevens, Jenee Wolfram, Leah Kosik
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New UU Class
Sun Nov 2, 2:00 pm
OUUC
| Are you wanting to know more about OUUC or UUism or interested in becoming a member of OUUC? Our New UU class will be offered on Sundays 2-3:30pm. This week's topic will be connections and communications. | | | |
Death Cafe
Mon Nov 3, 4:30 pm
OUUC
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Join Jenee Wolfram for a group-led, open conversation about all things death and dying in a safe, confidential, and judgment-free space. Come share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences around death. All are welcome. Death Cafes are intended to be discussion groups rather than grief support/counseling.
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Resistance Lab: Strengthening Democracy Together
Mon Nov 3, 6:15 pm
OUUC
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Are you concerned about the direction our country is going? And do you want to work together with other OUUC members to strengthen democracy and identify ways to resist the growing authoritarianism? All are welcome to join members of Environmental Action Team and Faith in Action as we learn from Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal's Resistance Lab—a three-session training on how non-violent movements have successfully resisted authoritarianism worldwide. We will meet on Mondays: Nov 3, Dec 8, Jan 5.
In these sessions, we'll understand how democracies fall and what makes resistance movements effective. We'll learn tools and tactics used globally to defend democratic principles, then turn anger and fear into concrete action by developing our own resistance strategies. Most importantly, we'll build community with others committed to protecting democracy.
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Navigating Misinformation with Wisdom
Mon Nov 3 6:30 pm
Online
| Led by Schyler Raad on Zoom, Mondays 6:30-8pm, this class affirms that wisdom and truth-seeking are interdependent and pluralistic, centered on love. Research supports the idea that wisdom is observed most often in older adults, usually emerging after 65 years of age. Meanwhile, truth-seeking is more difficult today with widespread misinformation, disinformation, and information overload. This threatens the development of wisdom in all ages over the following generations. Using guided exercises, we will practice critically examining sources, questioning claims, reflecting on our own biases, and applying discernment as both a cognitive and a spiritual practice. The class is for everyone, drawing on our lived experiences while introducing foundational concepts from research methodology and media literacy. Each session integrates personal reflection, small group conversation, and large group dialogue. | | | |
Faith in Action This Week (Oct 26th)
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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Worthy Now: A Harm Reduction program for UU Youth
Sun Nov 9, 1:30 pm
OUUC
| Youth will explore the concept of harm reduction as it relates to a variety of possible harms (substance use, mental health needs, violence prevention, and more) and increase their skills around harm reduction and decision making. | | | |
The Gathering: What's Next After No Kings
Mon Nov 10, 5:00 pm
OUUC
| Join Side with Love to build skills and strategies for strategic noncompliance, trace our radical UU lineage of history-making action, and recommit to the transformative love that fuels our struggle for democracy. | | | | |
Love at the Center Discussion Group
Wed Nov 13, 7:00 pm
OUUC
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It's not too late to join the Love at the Center Reflection Group! We will be discussing essays 7-9 in November
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 3 essays from the book each month.
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OUUC Book Group
Thurs Nov 13, 6:30 pm
OUUC
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The OUUC Book Group will be discussing Orson Scott Card's science fiction novel "Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus" at OUUC and online after Community Dinner on November 13th. The book centers around a group of futuristic researchers using futuristic technology to look back through time to understand Christopher Columbus's fascination with a sea route to Asia across the Atlantic. In the course of their studies, they discover an unexpected twist that leads them through a journey of time and space to try to save all of humanity.
For fans of alternate history, the novel offers a compelling "what if" scenario that reimagines one of the most pivotal moments in world history, creating a thought-provoking alternate timeline. Blending science fiction with historical fact, the novel presents a detailed and sympathetic portrayal of Christopher Columbus, inviting readers to reconsider a complex historical figure. It explores the events surrounding his voyages in depth while imagining different outcomes. At its core, the book is a meditation on redemption, morality, and whether humanity's destiny can be changed. It asks difficult questions about responsibility, fate, and the true meaning of "progress".
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The opportunity of the week is The Memorial Receptions Team! | Do you like to make deviled eggs or chocolate chip cookies? Do you like to work in the kitchen, or set up canopies, tables, and chairs? If so, you are a great candidate for the Memorial Receptions Team. Our team is responsible for handling the reception part of memorial services for our members and friends. We take care of the set-up, the refreshments, and the clean-up. More than that, our job is to hold the family in loving care, as we all grieve together. I believe that memorial services are one of the things that we do really well here at OUUC. Our team has about 20 members, but we also work with the Cookie Brigade and Caring Friends to have enough volunteers to cover the needs of receptions. If you are interested in learning more about our team, please contact me anytime. Melanie Ransom melransom@comcast.net. | | |
November 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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November Volunteer Newsletter
Monthly tips, resources, and updates to support you in your volunteer role.
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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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Olympia Peace Vigil
Fri Oct 31, 4:30 pm
4th & Water Street, Downtown Olympia
A fragile ceasefire has been agreed upon but Israel has continued to disregard it by continuing to fire at civilians and block aid. Join The Rachel Corrie Foundation at their weekly Olympia peace vigil on Friday from 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm at Percival Landing as they 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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Debunking the Yule Log Myth with Robert E. May
Sat Nov 1, 4:00 pm
Upstairs At Browsers Bookshop
| Browsers is pleased to welcome Olympia writer Robert E. May on Saturday, November 1 at 4:00 PM to speak about his new book, Debunking the Yule Log Myth: The Disturbing History of a Plantation Legend. Kirkus Reviews praises the book as "a thoughtful antidote to white Southern propaganda." | | | | |
The Woodlands: a virtual pastoral care program for trans people of all ages
Sun Nov 2
Online
| The Woodlands is a new monthly virtual pastoral care program for trans people and their families. Open to all ages, each gathering includes a shared grounding ritual, identity-affirming breakout rooms, and a closing reflection. With spaces for trans adults, youth, and caregivers, The Woodlands offers a sacred, supportive environment to process grief, share joy, and build resilient community. Sessions are chaplain-led and will take place on the first Sunday of each month through May 2026. | | | |
The Climate Challenge:
Divesting from Fossil Fuels
Thurs Nov 6, 6:30 pm
1601 North Street SE, Olympia & Online
| Did you know that banks, credit card companies, auto and home insurance and retirement accounts all commonly invest if fossil fuel extraction (coal mining, natural gas, oil and fracking, and gigantic pipelines, etc)? While there are a lot of climate change issues we do not have control over this is something we can do personally. Our presenter will walk us through a website that helps you easily and quickly identify if your financial institution, insurance, IRA, etc is invested in fossil fuels and then how to see alternatives in your community that you can switch to. After the presentation will be followed by support group time to figure out your own plan of attack. You can attend in person to Good Shepherd Church or online. | | | |
Become an Accompaniment Volunteer!
Sat Nov 8, 9:30 am
Downtown Olympia
| Accompaniment Group for Unity and Action (AGUA) invites you to join our next Accompaniment Team Training. Learn how to stand with immigrant community members by accompanying them to immigration court, ICE check-ins, and other appointments. In a time of fear and uncertainty, AGUA provides rides, resources, and steady support—because no one should face these experiences alone. We particularly need drivers to Tacoma/Seattle and Spanish speakers, but we welcome all who want to be present with someone on a stressful day. When we stand with our immigrant neighbors, we demonstrate that our community is mobilized against detention and deportation. | | | | |
Together We Rememebr: Honoring Trans Live Lost
Thurs Nov 20, 7:00 pm
1601 North Street SE, Olympia
| Join us at The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd in honoring the lives lost to violence against our transgender community members. Together, we can create resiliency, promote understanding by creating a safer world for all individuals, regardless of their gender identity. Look for Rev. Mary. Facilitated by Concerned Clergy of Olympia, The Olympia Free Clinic, Leauge of Women Voters of Thurston Country, and PFLAG Olympia. | | | | |
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Sunday Worship:
9:00 am (in-person only)
10:45 am (in-person and online)
Office Hours:
Mondays 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Tuesdays 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Wednesdays 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Thursdays 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Sundays 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
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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