Sunday Worship at 10:15 a.m.
âïž All-Church Picnic at Peninsula Park at 12:30 p.m. đ„Ș
Care for nursery & toddlers is available during worship. Ages 3 through 6-ish are invited to play games and do crafts. Older children welcome in the service.
Social Hour:Â Fuller Hall after the service.
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Other People's Journey
Rev. Mitra Rahnema, Guest Minister
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Each passerby is living a life as complex as our own. We may not recognize it, but we constantly influence the journey of others. Let us be attentive to how we affect another as we care for the intertwined life.
Rev. Mitra Rahnema is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist and has served congregations in Missouri, Michigan, and California. Rev. Mitra is the editor of Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity, and Power in Ministry (2017), a UUA Common Read that explores the complexities of identity and power within Unitarian Universalist ministry. Most recently, she completed a successful two-year interim ministry in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She is committed to nurturing vibrant, engaged, and counter-oppressive communities. Outside of ministry, Mitra enjoys cooking, gardening, and makes her home in Portland, Oregon.
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| Come to our All-Church Picnic this Sunday! đ„Ș
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| Click below to watch Jerry H.'s invitation to our All-Church Picnic at Peninsula Park this Sunday, August 17, from 12:30 - 3 p.m.
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NEXT SUNDAY â Annual Q&A Sermon is Coming Up...
Sunday, August 24, 10:15 a.m.
Location: Main Sanctuary
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Sunday, August 24 is the annual Question Box Service. This is a time for members, friends, and visitors to ask questions of Rev. Alison about faith in general, Unitarian Universalism in particular, our congregation, or any question that is in your heart or on your mind. Learn more in Rev. Alison's column here.
Please drop your question(s) in the Question Box outside of the sanctuary or email them to QandA@firstunitarianportland.org by Thursday, August 21. Volunteers will go through them, make selections, and send the questions for Sunday morning.  (The ones that aren't selected will offer fodder over the year for future columns and sermons.)
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Sign Up for Summer Yoga on August 17
Sunday, August 17, 9 - 10 a.m.
Location: Room A108
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Join us for Summer Yoga on August 17 to start your morning off right! Class is limited to 15 folks and all levels are welcome to attend. Wear clothing appropriate for yoga (comfortable, stretchy) and then join the congregation for Sunday service at 10:15 a.m.
For more information and to reserve your spot for the first session, register here. Hope to see you there!
Each session requires separate registration.
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All-Church Picnic
Sunday, August 17, 12:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: Peninsula Park (N Portland)
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Join us for a day in the park with our church community.
Fun for all agesâgames and activities for kids and adults!
Bring a folding chair, your own lunch, and a dessert to share.
Sponsored by First Unitarianâs Good Times Committee.
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Summer Community Choir
Sundays through August 31, 8:45 a.m.
Location: Main Sanctuary
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Our summer choir is âcome one, come all!â
If youâd like to sing, show up in the Main Sanctuary at 8:45 a.m. before the service on the Sunday/s of your choice to learn that dayâs music.
No commitment required! Sing once, or every week, or anything in between â whatever fits for you.
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Share Your Garden Bounty
Sundays through August 31, during social hour
Location: Fuller Hall
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Do you have a flourishing garden brimming with fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers? Share your gardenâs bounty with our community on any Sunday from now until the end of August by bringing it to the First Share table in Fuller Hall during social hour. All are welcome to enjoy the offeringsâlet's celebrate the season's abundance together.
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Community Circles (also known as Chalice Circles) are small, supportive groups where participants gather in a safe space to share, reflect, and build deeper connections. Circles provide a welcoming environment for meaningful conversation and spiritual growth, helping foster connection and a sense of belonging.
If you enjoy organizing groups and supporting othersâ growth, we would love to hear from you! Facilitators play a vital role in maintaining a safe, inclusive atmosphere where participants can truly connect.
Are you interested in being a facilitator for Community Circles at First U PDX? Please email Jen Thomas and help strengthen our community, one circle at a time!
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Speaking of Democracy Series
Tuesdays through August 26, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom
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Meet with other UUs via Zoom to discuss actions we can take to defend democracy. Each session will offer space to share experiences and dive into a timely topic:
- Aug 19: Media Literacy
- Aug 26: Advocacy
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Around the Church
Enjoyed coming to gatherings at First Unitarian Portland? Consider contributing to sustaining our community. Your support goes a long way in fostering meaningful connections. Thank you!
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Shower Project Open House
Sunday, August 24, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Buchan Reception Hall
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Curious about our 13 Salmon Shower Project that our congregation runs weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the lower level of the Buchan Building? Come to the Open House after church on Sunday, August 24, from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Meet us in the Buchan Reception Hall for snacks and a brief movie about the Shower Project. Weâll then head downstairs to tour our shower, day room, and clothing closet and experience the welcome our unhoused guests receive. The Open House is open to all - with stickers for the kids! The space is ADA accessible.
If youâd like to contribute items to the Shower Project, feel free to bring NEW menâs or womenâs underwear (size M boxer briefs, sports bras, etc.) or USED clothes, shoes, and belts for the clothing closet.Â
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NEW! â Grief Group
2nd Wednesdays of September - December, 2 - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Channing Room (A101)
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If you are experiencing grief due to the loss of a loved one, you are invited to join a new Grief Group this fall. This is a peer support group led by Lay Ministers Karen Shawcross, Dave Kovich, and Ed Ferguson. Grief is so often misunderstood and little supported and is a hard journey to travel alone. Find comfort, support, and resources in monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of the month from September through December. Meetings will be from 2 - 3:30 p.m. in the Channing Room (A101).
Dates:
- Wednesday, September 10
- Wednesday, October 8
- Wednesday, November 12
- Wednesday, December 10
To join, RSVP here. Pre-registration is required and the group is limited to 8. After 8 registrants, all others will be added to a waiting list. If you can no longer attend, please email Karen Shawcross. Registrants are expected to attend all 4 sessions.
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UPDATED â Your Beacon Bookstore is a Welcoming Place
Location: Fuller Hall
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Brown books, blue books,
Old books, new books,
Odd books, wood books,
Hard books, good books,
Kids books, history books, Poem books, mystery books!
We have them all!
Come visit!
Back corner of Fuller Hall during Social Hour!
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MONTHLY UPDATES â August Newsletter
Rev. Leah Ongiri, Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Formation and Family Ministries
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Our Learning Community Newsletter is published monthly in June, July, and August.
Dear Learning Community,
Forgive me for rudely busting into your summer but did you know it will soon be fall?!
Donât let me rush you but please mosey on over to our website and check out our newly available program year information, including a general welcome, program descriptions, and registration. We kick everything off on September 7, so be sure to save that date.
In the meantime, relax. Fall is still just barely on the horizon. I hope youâll join us for a picnic celebration of all things summer on August 17. Details on the picnic, upcoming year, summer RE, and more can be found below. Come September, this email will be weekly...MORE
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SAVE THE DATE â Labor Day Caravan to NW Detention Center in Tacoma
Monday, September 1
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IJAG (Immigrant Justice Action Group) will coordinate with other organizations to caravan to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA to protest the policies of abduction and detention. We will need to carpool. If you are interested, email us to join the IJAG mailing list and receive more information. The Caravan is at the conclusion of the International Migrants Alliance Political Conference, for which registration is open here.
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NEW! â A Big Thank You!
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THANK YOU, FIRST U!
Your generous donations enabled a delivery of 34 backpacks to Western Farmworkers on Sunday for their school supply drive on August 16âand we have the promise of two more backpacks!
These are good, sturdy backpacks that should last students for several years. IJAG and Western Farmworkers are most grateful to you all.
Weâve been able to identify all our donors except one! If you were the person who brought a celestially-patterned JanSport backpack, would you let us know? Weâd like to thank you personally! Email Laurie L. here.
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Hunger Isn't On Vacation... Join Our Summer Food Drive!
Location: Fuller Hall
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The cost of housing, food and other living expenses continue to rise in the Portland area. Some people are forced to choose between paying rent and buying food. So they skimp on meals and go hungry, but at least have a place to live.
How can we help? By continuing to shop for them as well as for ourselves when we're at the grocery store. Please purchase whole grain pasta; brown rice; low-sodium broths, veggies and sauces; canned tuna, salmon or meat; nut butters, and/or shelf-stable milks. Then drop off the items in the COHHO bins located in Fuller Hall by the kitchen. Every two weeks we will gather your donations and deliver them to Lift UPâs warehouse. Or, you can make a financial donation directly to Lift UP. Your thoughtfulness is much appreciated. đ
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Do you have a birth in the family, a graduation, an anniversary, a memorial, or other milestones to share?
You can acknowledge it to the entire congregation by sponsoring a floral bouquet. As we connect with friends, say it with flowers on the Chancel.
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July/August Church Member Art Wall Exhibition
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Leslie P.K. is showing etchings, Sam M. is showing photographs, and Connie C. is showing watercolors this month. Come down to Fuller Hall and see what the committee members have been working on this year.
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Recurring Workshops, Classes & Gatherings
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| During the summer, some groups and activities have paused, returning when the new church program year begins in September. Check out our Summer Program Guide on our website to learn more.
For information about which groups are meeting over the summer, please visit our Community Groups & Activities page and contact the specific group in which you are interested.
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Got something for Front Steps? Send in your church-related submission for our weekly publication. Use "Front Steps" as the subject line and email us here.
Deadline: Tuesdays at 5 p.m.
If your submission is urgent and couldnât be sent before the deadline, please include âURGENTâ in the subject line.
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| This Week's 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 are always looking for more volunteers to make this possible. 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.Â
Your donations make a big difference in the lives of those we serve. We are in special need of the following items:
- Men's jeans/pants/sweats (32 - 36)
- Hoodies, sweatshirts
- Boxer briefs - NEW (M, L)
- Women's underwear - NEW (S, M)
- Flashlights
- Camping gear
- Backpacks
- Direct monetary donations
Drop off your items in the marked cabinet in Fuller Hall during church hours or during Shower Project hours (Wednesdays and Thursdays between noon and 4 p.m.)
Thank you for your support!
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| August 17's
Shared Plate
This week, we share our plate with Transgender Religious Professional UUs Together (TRUUsT). TRUUsT is an organization of trans Unitarian Universalists who are living out a call to ministry within Unitarian Universalism. Its mission is to advocate for trans religious professionals' gifts, safety, liberation, and leadership in Unitarian Universalist ministries and institutions. We encompass many genders, races, ethnicities, abilities, classes, ages, and sexualities. We are diverse in terms of spiritual belief, practice, and ministry, and we understand our work for liberation as intimately tied to all efforts to dismantle oppression within Unitarian Universalism and our wider world.
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| Want to know what this church has to offer? Visit our Calendar by clicking above to see our list of events/classes/socials!
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