Adult Faith Development

Dances of Universal Peace, led by Marti Dimock

Thursdays 6:30pm-8:30pm September 12th, October 10th, and November 14th.

Registration is not required

(a donation will be accepted at the event)

Dances of Universal Peace is an embodied, transformative spiritual practice touching the essence of all traditions around the world.   They include simple movements to live music.  All are welcome, no experience necessary, dances are taught to the whole group each time.  We hope you will come and lift your voice, your hands, and your spirit as we allow a variety of dances to work in our hearts as yeast works a loaf of bread.   

  For information regarding Olympia Peace Dances see: https://olypeacedances.org/

Play Reading with a Purpose, led by Janet Spencer

Class Dates: 6 Saturdays Sept. 28. Oct 5,12,19, 26, Nov. 2nd 1-3pm

Plays are meant to  be spoken – or at least read aloud.  And you don’t have to be an actor to do so. This group will read – aloud – plays with literary and/or spiritual content.  For the present we’ll stick to plays by American writers, such as Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Neil Simon.  Even comedies can be meaningful.  Janet Spenser, retired actor, director and theater manager, will start with “The Sandbox”, a short play by Edward Albee; she has several copies.   Hopefully, the plays we read will stimulate discussion – intellectual and emotional.  The group is open to people who want to read, and to others who want to listen.  

Size up to 10

Life Without Notes: A Storytelling Workshop, led by Zoe Myers

Come and learn to tell the stories of your life. Have you ever been to an open mic storytelling event? Have you ever wished that it was you up there telling? Here is your chance to learn how. You’ll learn the fundamentals for telling a personal story in the style of “The Moth” (themoth.org). The rules are simple, it has to be a true story that happened to you and be told in 8 minutes or less.

We will meet for two three-hour sessions, and you’ll learn to choose the best topics for personal storytelling, and how to develop character, plot and add texture to your story. You will practice telling your stories in front of an audience of your classmates, without notes, because it’s your life, and you’re not going to forget it. Our course will culminate in a storytelling event presented for the OUUC community. All participants will have access to coaching in preparation for the show.

Meets: Saturday September 28th and Saturday October 5th from 1:00 – 4:00 at OUUC; Our storytelling event will be held on Saturday October 19th in the afternoon, also at OUUC.

Don’t Leave This World until You Have Cleaned Your Room, led by Gail Gosney Wrede

A class on the spiritual act of clearing your belongings before death”

Gail Gosney Wrede is an avid organizer and has worked with individuals to help them downsize their footprint in this world.  She now turns her attention to the question of what and what not to leave behind when death taps our shoulder.   This is a two session class.  The first session will deal with the emotional decisions of what to leave and to whom and what to divest and when.  Participants will be asked to journal their thoughts about these questions.   The second session will focus on the practical aspects of clearing our possessions before we die, knowing that we are still living.

Classes Tuesday October 8^th and October 15^th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Writing About Local History, led by Tim Ransom

Author of For the Good of the Order: The Braget Farm and Land Use in the Nisqually Valley Tim Ransom shares his answers to some of the questions that can arise when taking on a local history project. Why do it? Are there any rules to follow? Who can do it? What is local history? What is history, anyway?

Friday, September 27 2024   6:30-8:00

Learn How to Align Your Money With Your Values, led by members of the Environmental Action Team

The Environmental Action Team (EAT) is sponsoring this Study Group to help participants learn how to make responsible choices in individual finances. This includes banking, credit cards, insurance, and investments. Each session will include clips from webinars developed by Green Faith, group discussions, and hands on time to make all this happen. Barb Carey and Susan O’Connor, members of EAT Committee with experience in climate efforts, will facilitate. Please bring a laptop if you have one.
Five sessions will be offer on Monday evenings at OUUC from 6:30 – 8:00 PM
September 16. What is at stake, the divestment movement, and Banking
October 7. Credit cards and Insurance
October 21. Responsible Investing.
November 4 Optional session on individualized technical assistance
November 18 Ways that your church and other organizations can divest
Suggested donation is $10/session with no one turned away for lack of funds payable by check or on line.

Listening with Delight: Music Appreciation for Non-Musicians, led by Josie Solseng

September 30th, Oct 7th and Oct 14th 6:30-8pm

In this 3-session class, specifically designed for adults with little or no musical background, we will peek behind the curtain of Western music. Let’s demystify rhythm, melody, & harmony, learn how music is connected to math, get up close and personal with real instruments, and write our own tune. What makes songs sound happy or sad? Why do rounds work? Where’s the best place to clap along with a song? Why do orchestras tune to an oboe? What are some surprising things musicians never tell you? These secrets and more will be revealed; resources for further exploration will be provided.

Creating Your UU Elevator Speech, led by Rev Sara Lewis

Wednesdays Sept 25th, Oct 2nd, Oct 9th 6:30-8pm

UU Elevator Speech is a 3-session series offered as part of the Faith Forward CORE Path. It guides participants through developing a short speech about our Unitarian Universalist faith. It is called an “elevator speech” because, on an elevator ride when someone asks you “what is Unitarian Universalism?” you only have a short time to make a meaningful statement! This class helps participants feel confident about articulating Unitarian Universalism, empowering them and helping them feel ownership.

Transgender Inclusion in Congregations, led by Rev Sara Lewis and Tiffany Felch

Oct 16,23, and 30, Nov 13, 20, and 27 6:30-8:30pm

Over six sessions you will deeply explore the intersection of trans identity, spirituality, and faith community, and gain the grounding, context, and skills to transform yourself and your congregation.
Who should take this course?
This course is designed for people and groups within generally LGBTQ-welcoming congregations. It was developed with Unitarian Universalists in mind, but it is applicable to other faith communities and contexts as well.
This course is for everyone from novices on trans identity to those with decades of life experience. Rather than simply offering a “trans 101,” this class pushes participants to the next level of congregational welcome, relationship-building, and skills-building. It counters mainstream narratives about who trans people are; supports understanding of non-binary identities (such as genderqueer, agender, and Two-Spirit); and employs a deeply intersectional approach. Congregational teams are particularly encouraged to participate.

Moving Toward Wholeness: Addressing Religious Trauma and Toxicity, led by Rev Sara Lewis

December 4, 11, 18 6:30-8pm

On zoom

Our religious experiences and communities can be places of great healing and hope, and they can also be a source of toxicity and trauma. This class will be a place to reflect and process the experiences, beliefs, and teachings that have wounded and may still be toxic for us. We will move toward greater wholeness and understandings that are healing.

OUUC Book Group, led by Frances Tanaka

Join fellow book enthusiasts on the fourth Tuesday of each month for lively discussion.  No need to register; you have two options to attend that day—in-person at 10:30 AM and via Zoom at 6:30 PM.  Our September pick is The Women by Kristin Hannah about a young nurse’s experience in and after the war in Vietnam.  The full 24-25 booklist is available as a PDF on our website along with information on how to connect with group leader Frances Tanaka.

Writing Workshop: An introduction to a writerly life through journal writing, poetry, and short stories. Led by Christine Colyar

Tuesdays at 1:00 to 3:00 for 4 weeks – September 17, 24, October 1 and 8

Limited to 8 writers.

A writer of poetry and creative nonfiction short stories, Christine has been guiding others through the writerly life for more than four decades. Join her on a journey through personal writing of your own.

Social Justice Book Group, led by Kirsten Hill and Whitney Godby

Are you interested in learning more about social justice and how you can make a difference? Join Kirsten Hill and Whitney Godby for a social justice book study from September 2024 through May 2025. We’ll read and discuss books on the topics of economic justice, climate justice, racial justice, and building intentional community. The book group will meet onsite at OUUC every second Thursday evening of the month at 6:30 pm starting on September 12th. 

Books will be: 

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond

How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community by Mia Birdsong

Bridges to Heal Us: Stories and Strategies for Racial Healing by Erin Jones

Healing Grounds: Climate Justice and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming by Liz Carlisle

No reading needed for the first session.

MAKING DEMOCRACY COUNT: How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation

MAKING DEMOCRACY COUNT: How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation, by Ismar Volić, 2024, Princeton University Press, Presentation & Discussion with John Gear and The Thurston County League of Women Voters. Mondays, Oct 21 & 28 at 6 pm

more great classes coming soon!