Membership Orientation Series: UU History
2025-02-16 12:15 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | OR
Journey into the past with our assistant minister, Danielle Garrett, and Jen Thomas as we discuss:

The history of Unitarian Universalism
Our church’s history as a UU congregation

Come with us to explore our past and how it connects to our present.

Sign-ups through Front Steps are requested but not mandatory. Drop-ins are welcome.
Keep an eye out for announcements in the Front Steps E-news and on our website.

Loving Kindness Meditation
2025-02-17 20:00 - 20:30, 2025-02-24 20:00 - 20:30, 2025-03-03 20:00 - 20:30, 2025-03-10 20:00 - 20:30, 2025-03-17 20:00 - 20:30, 2025-03-24 20:00 - 20:30 | Virtual
The teachings of Loving Kindness, or Metta, are about finding a path with heart. Jack Kornfield says, “It’s about undertaking a path that transforms and touches us in the center of our being. To do so is to find a way of practice that allows us to live in the world wholly and fully from our heart.”
With this Spiritual Practice, one can cultivate feelings of happiness, dispel loneliness, let go of fear and anxiety. If you are feeling stuck, this practice can help you enjoy a more compassionate life for yourself and others.
Join us on Zoom on Monday evenings to extend Loving-Kindness to yourself, to those around you and to the world.
No previous meditation practice is necessary, and new participants are always welcome. Join on an ongoing basis, or drop in as you’re able.
May we be at peace and keep our hearts open.
Contact Katie R. for more information.
Click here to join.

Connect & Reflect
2025-02-18 17:30 - 18:15, 2025-02-25 17:30 - 18:15, 2025-03-04 17:30 - 18:15, 2025-03-11 17:30 - 18:15, 2025-03-18 17:30 - 18:15 | Virtual
Join Rev. Alison Miller and Jen Thomas on the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of most months through June from 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. on Zoom. Come share in conversation centered on the topic of the most recent sermon. Look for the discussion question during preservice slides and order of service.

Good Times Book Group: Origin, a Genetic History of the Americas by Jennifer Raff
2025-02-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual
We meet by Zoom from 7 – 8:30 pm. Please contact Sue L. to get on the email list for Zoom links.

Contemplative Practices Group
2025-02-20 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-03-20 13:00 - 14:30 | OR
First Thursdays in Channing (A101)
Third Thursdays in Classroom A108

The Contemplative Practices Group is returning! Join with us on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to sit together in silence. Connect to your inner self as well as something bigger than yourself. Bring more peace and joy into your life, increase mindfulness and develop more perspective.
“Contemplative spirituality is about slowing down and relaxing our action, our striving, and all of our ‘doings.’ In order to ‘wake up’ to the Reality in which we are already immersed, we must slow down and gently transition ‘from doing to being.’ “ – Keith Kristich
This is a drop-in group. Any silent sitting practice is welcomed and no prior meditation experience is needed. If you would like to learn a contemplative practice for use during the group, let the facilitators know and they will meet with you half an hour before the group sit begins.
Each group meeting consists of a 20-minute meditation, a check-in on a spiritually oriented topic, and deep discussion of a poem or short reading. Facilitators are Patty and Ron. They look forward to being with you!
—
Patty has been a UU since childhood and has attended First Church for 20 years. She has taught spiritual practice classes and been involved with Wellspring, the Labyrinth and other church programs. She learned meditation in college and has had a daily meditation practice since joining First Church. She has been an active Spiritual Director since 2012.
Ron is a spiritual director and has been a lay minister, Wellspring facilitator and taught in the learning community at First Church. He has maintained a centering prayer and lectio divina practice for over twenty years.

Vespers
2025-02-21 17:00 - 17:40, 2025-02-28 17:00 - 17:40, 2025-03-07 17:00 - 17:40, 2025-03-14 17:00 - 17:40, 2025-03-21 17:00 - 17:40 | Virtual
Our Lay Ministers will offer inspirational readings, guided meditation, and quiet music in a contemplative program at week’s end.
Congregants and visitors are invited to bring their prayer requests to be held during the service. They are received in real-time through the Zoom chat box, seen, and read aloud anonymously by the hosts. This is a time to join in prayer not only for our community but also for the world.
We look forward to sharing this time of quiet reflection with you when we are all holding so much in our hearts.
Details: Fridays, 5 – 5:40 p.m.
Join here (SAVE THIS LINK! It works every Friday.)
https://tinyurl.com/Vespers-1stU

🥞 Pancake Breakfast
2025-03-02 08:45 - 10:00 | Buchan Hall, 1226 SW Salmon St, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Join us for free, delicious pancakes in Buchan Reception Hall from 8:45 to 10 a.m. on the first Sunday of the month. We will have plain, blueberry, chocolate, and blueberry-chocolate pancakes fresh off the griddle. All are welcome!
Hosted by the UU Men’s Community.

🌀 Labyrinth
2025-03-02 09:30 - 12:00 | Fuller Hall, 1211 SW Main St, Portland, OR, 97205
This year, as we explore the church theme “Join the Journey,” we will have monthly opportunities to deepen our spiritual practices and focus on our inner journeys through the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth will be set up in Fuller Hall on the first Sunday of most months from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
We’re always looking for more volunteers to help us set up our sacred space and plan other labyrinth related activities throughout the year. If you’d like to volunteer, reach out to Teri.

Considering Membership
2025-03-02 11:45 - 13:00 | Channing, A101
Are you ready to deepen your connection with our faith community? Are you interested in making a deeper commitment to First Unitarian Church? Then please join Rev. Alison Miller and Jen Thomas, Member Engagement Coordinator, at our “Considering Membership” class on March 2! This class is designed for anyone considering taking the next step towards membership. It’s a wonderful opportunity to:

Ask questions about membership and stewardship
Receive necessary paperwork
Learn more about the membership process and if ready, you can sign the membership record book!

The decision to become a member is a very individual one, and we want to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed choice.
We would love to have you join our journey in membership! For more information, please contact Jen Thomas.

Contemplative Practices Group
2025-03-06 13:00 - 14:30 | Channing, A101
First Thursdays in Channing (A101)
Third Thursdays in Eliot Chapel

The Contemplative Practices Group is returning! Join with us on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to sit together in silence. Connect to your inner self as well as something bigger than yourself. Bring more peace and joy into your life, increase mindfulness and develop more perspective.
“Contemplative spirituality is about slowing down and relaxing our action, our striving, and all of our ‘doings.’ In order to ‘wake up’ to the Reality in which we are already immersed, we must slow down and gently transition ‘from doing to being.’ “ – Keith Kristich
This is a drop-in group. Any silent sitting practice is welcomed and no prior meditation experience is needed. If you would like to learn a contemplative practice for use during the group, let the facilitators know and they will meet with you half an hour before the group sit begins.
Each group meeting consists of a 20-minute meditation, a check-in on a spiritually oriented topic, and deep discussion of a poem or short reading. Facilitators are Patty C. and Ron W. They look forward to being with you!
—
Patty has been a UU since childhood and has attended First Unitarian for 20 years. She has taught spiritual practice classes and been involved with Wellspring, the Labyrinth and other church programs. She learned meditation in college and has had a daily meditation practice since joining First Unitarian. She has been an active Spiritual Director since 2012.
Ron is a spiritual director and has been a lay minister, Wellspring facilitator and taught in the learning community at First Unitarian. He has maintained a centering prayer and lectio divina practice for over twenty years.

*Registration Required* Good Grief: Navigating Personal Loss
2025-03-09 11:45 - 13:15, 2025-03-16 11:45 - 13:15, 2025-03-23 11:45 - 13:15 | First Unitarian Portland
This four-session group is for folks who have experienced bereavement due to loss of a partner or close family member. We will offer a safe space for your emotions and stories. Each participant will be invited to share their grief story. We’ll discuss how grief is a sign of your love for the person who has died, provide resources, and offer a ritual of remembrance. Our approach is that grief is not something neat and tidy to ‘get over,’ but a feral thing and likely a life-long condition. Still, we’ve found that our lives have expanded to include our grief in a healthy way.
Preregistration required. Register here. Minimum enrollment six, maximum ten.
The Rev. Duane Fickeisen is a retired UU minister and grieves the loss of his wife. He facilitates a support group for retired UU clergy and partners who are grieving. Dr. Bill Yasnoff is a retired physician and grieves the loss of his first wife. He has also facilitated bereavement support groups. Both are members of First Unitarian Church.

Drop-In Community & Parenting Circle
2025-03-09 11:45 - 14:00 | Daisy Bingham Room, 1011 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR, 97205
Drop in for discussion on the month’s theme.
All are welcome to join for discussion and engagement! Great opportunity to meet folks and enjoy time together. You are welcome to bring your Souper Sunday soup or other lunch. Childcare is provided.

Good Times Book Group: The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Martin Molan
2025-03-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual

Matins for Lent
2025-03-24 08:30 - 09:00 | Virtual
Lent is a season for self-reflection and renewal. We invite you to Matins for Lent, a series of four quiet Zoom services to inspire you with a uniquely Unitarian perspective on the season.
Offered on Monday mornings from 8:30 to 9 a.m. on March 24 and 31, and April 7 and 14.
Through music, poetry, reflection and prayer, we will explore the metaphors of the scriptural stories as they speak to our own inner lives. Join on Zoom here.
For more information, contact Karen S.
