OUUC Weekly Update

Lutheran theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, wrote the now famous Serenity Prayer. The short-form of the prayer is widely used on posters and in meetings, and has been adopted by some Twelve Step programs as a mantra: “…[G]rant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, / Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” In this sermon, we will use the whole prayer as a starting point to discuss approaches to less-than-serene events in recent weeks, in this, our new post-election America.

After-Service Forum (12:15 pm): "Know Your Rights" Training with SWIFT (Siding With Immigrant Families Together)

Click here for more details on the new Sunday schedule.

OUUC Worship Service

Join Zoom Meeting here.

Meeting ID: 873 210 124
Passcode: 2306

Dial: +1 253 205 0468

Worship Service

"Visible and Invisible" with Rev. Mary Gear

Watch the service here and find the Order of Service here.

After-Service Forum

"Supporting Transgender Individuals and Communities" with Rev. Mary, Rev. Sara, & Rev. Nancy

Watch the recording here. Support resources discussed in the forum have been compiled here.

As our Stewardship Drive comes to a close, we urge you to support our church for all that it offers to so many people seeking a place to belong. At OUUC, we welcome families and individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Our church buzzes with activity all week long. For example, Thursday evening dinners offer a chance to slow down, share a home-cooked meal, and find connection amid the busyness of life. At OUUC there is something for everyone. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, you belong here.

This month, OUUC Member Ann Gustafson shared with us why OUUC is important to her. She told us: “My mom raised me in this religious tradition, and I want my 10-year-old son to experience the same—being part of a community that supports him, nurtures his spiritual questions, and helps him shape his own sense of purpose, ethics, and morality.”

Your pledge of financial support ensures that OUUC continues to be a place of growth, reflection, and community. A stronger commitment means a stronger OUUC. Help us continue to serve, inspire, and grow. All pledges, no matter the amount, are welcome and gratefully received. Make your pledge today!

Buy your tickets NOW to attend the community dinner and live auction on May 3, 5-8 PM at ASHHO. Tickets are $10 to $100 per person—pay what you can; everyone is welcome! Why the sliding scale? We want to make the event accessible to everyone. All able and generously willing to pay more will allow others to participate. Note that childcare will be provided on site this year! Purchase your tickets and register for childcare at this site.

Online auction: April 26 through May 4, 2025

Check out the 2025 Silent Auction Catalog: many wonderful items, events, and activities are rolling in! What will you offer this year? Do you have a passion or hobby? Share it! Do you have a special getaway cottage or cabin? Offer it! Do you love to play games or prepare dinners? Host it! Fill out the donation form on the auction website here. Please submit your donations by April 20.

Together is how we fuel the fire of our commitment and Let OUUC’s Light Shine!

Because there was a vacancy in the nine-member OUUC Board of Trustees, the Board recently appointed Jenée Jenkins-Wolfram to fill an unexpired term that lasts through June 2026.

Jenée is a former HR Director, turned stay at home parent/full time volunteer, now End of Life Doula and hospice volunteer. Jenée joined OUUC after moving to Washington in 2021 from the Chicago area. She grew up in the Catholic church and was thrilled to discover her home in the UU community as an adult. At OUUC Jenée has been a part of the Auction, Books Brownies & Beans, Community Dinners, Adult Faith Development, Behavioral Covenant Writing, Soul Matters, SWIFT, and more. She also facilitates OUUC’s Death Cafe each month. She enjoys live music, board games, camping adventures, being among the trees, and getting in the water every chance she gets.

When you see Jenée, please thank her for stepping up to this new responsibility!

In this week's Tiny Little News, learn about the OUUC annual picnic and this week's upcoming events.

UPLIFT Trans/Non-Binary Gathering Space

4th Tuesdays, 5 pm
Join the UPLIFT monthly gatherings for trans, nonbinary, and other not-entirely-or-at-all-cis UUs. Join us to connect with other trans/nonbinary+ UUs and co-create support and community across our faith. All you need to bring is yourself! These gatherings focus on getting to know each other and on sharing community and connection across all ages.

UPLIFT Pastoral Care Group Space
2nd Fridays, 5 pm
You are invited to our monthly drop-in small group for trans/nonbinary+ UUs for fellowship, grounding, pastoral care, and connection. We know that things are tough right now, for so many reasons. We see you and are glad you are here; you are not alone!

This year’s program is for adults ages 18 and older.

Click here for more information and to register.

Wednesday, April 9, 4 pm

Led by Rev. JeKaren Bell, participants will explore the practice of lamentation and the ways it could provide support in times of grief and sorrow. Participants are invited to craft their own personalized laments through the power of words and art. This workshop will be recorded—register to receive it after the event. Click here to register.

If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Sally Alhadeff, you’ll know she’s a thoughtful person, a wholehearted curious person, a person good at getting things done. She’s also someone who believes that home is more than a place. She and three of her four siblings live just down the road from her family’s ranch in south Thurston County, a place her mom still calls home. Sally feels fortunate to live close, to help her mom with chores, tend her garden, and stay connected as a family.

Sally also feels fortunate to call OUUC home. “My late husband Bob Sundstrom and I joined OUUC in 2016. We were looking for community. I had retired and needed a place to call home. It was my first time in a church in decades, and I didn’t cringe,” Sally shared with a smile. “I’d been raised and involved in other religions, but at OUUC I witnessed something precious – acceptance. And I was offered ways to make a difference in my own community.”

On the day we spoke, Sally was organizing this year’s garden for Tenino’s community food bank; this is her 11th year serving as its garden manager. At OUUC she serves as Vice-President of the Board of Trustees, and is a member of the Legacy Giving Committee. She credits her 98-year-old mom for inspiring her to get involved, give back, and help others. After all, her mom always gave to her own church and served as its organist for more than 50 years.

“I appreciate that there are different ways to give, at different times of life. For me, it’s always been important to have conversations with those dear to me about what matters, and take steps from there. I’m of the age that QCDs or Qualified Charitable Distributions are a tax-efficient way to donate to a charity directly from an IRA. And for people aged 73 and older, QCDs can count toward the Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), which fulfills IRS requirements. It’s an easy and beneficial way for me to support OUUC now.”

“For the future, I am leaving a legacy gift to support OUUC’s endowment. I want OUUC to be there for everyone now and into the future. As we hear each week “you are welcome here just as you are, whatever beliefs sustain you, whomever you love, however you understand and express your identity.” What OUUC offers is unique and precious, and we must support and protect it now, and for people who come after us. Legacy gifts do that, and all it takes is picking up the phone to make an appointment with an attorney or if you choose to create or update a will yourself, visit this site. And in doing so, you’ll help create a garden - and a home - for the future.”

- Pam Toal

This article is part of OUUC’s “Make a Legacy” series to raise awareness about how we can all make a legacy gift, no matter what size, to help sustain OUUC projects and operations, aligning with its mission of advancing social justice and community well-being. For more information, please contact Pam Toal, Chair, OUUC’s Legacy Giving Committee.

Saturday, May 17, 2025

Workshop at 10 am and Concert at 7 pm. Tickets available here.

Carrie will also be with us for the Worship Services on Sunday, May 18.

Sunday, September 13, 12 pm

Save the date for the OUUC annual picnic at the Rose Garden!

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.

Click the preview image below to download a flyer with a list of OUUC events for March. Great for posting on your refrigerator! Looking for more upcoming events? Go to the OUUC Calendar.

Rebuilding the Anti-Nuclear Weapons Movement Together is hosting a two-day conference April 11-12 and field trip to Ground Zero on April 13. Find the descriptions of the events, registration info, and flyers here.

The Earth That Sustains Us: An Interfaith Earth Day Celebration, Sunday, April 27, 12-2 pm at Lincoln Elementary School Garden. Join us for a day of hands-on service and interfaith sharing over a meal, hosted by Green Faith Alliance of Olympia and Interfaith Works. Bring gardening gloves, water bottle, comfortable clothes for working outside, and (optional) picnic blanket! RSVP here.

The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice invites you to show your support for Palestine each Friday from 4:30-6 pm at the Fellowship of Reconciliation Vigil for Peace
Percival Landing in Downtown Olympia, 4th & Water Street.

Staff Contacts

Rev. Mary Gear, Minister

Rev. Sara Lewis, Director of Community and Faith Development

Troy Fisher, Music Director

Isaac Ezra Jennings, Business Manager

Rosie Koppelman, Office and Communications Specialist

Teresa Madsen, Tech Coordinator

Marie Arensmeyer, Facilities Manager

Anissa Bentlemsani, Religious Education Assistant

Carbon Marshall, Tech Specialist

Office Hours

Tuesday and Thursday, 12-4 pm

Sunday, during services

360-634-2005