Sunday Worship: Flower Communion! 💐
2025-06-08 10:15 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Main Sanctuary, 1211 SW Main St, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
In-person
Sanctuary
1211 SW Main St.
Portland, OR 97205

Join us on livestream here

Loving Kindness Meditation
2025-06-09 20:00 - 20:30, 2025-06-16 20:00 - 20:30, 2025-06-23 20:00 - 20:30, 2025-06-30 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.

*Registration Required* Journey to Articulating Your Faith
2025-06-12 19:00 - 21:00 | OR
A Spiritual Development Opportunity for People in Their 20s and 30s
Join Rev. Alison and Danielle Garrett for an 8-session course of theological exploration and discovery for young adults. Together, we will trace our spiritual paths, explore our understandings of the sacred, human nature, and religious practice, and develop our personal credos: an expression of our most sacred beliefs and fundamental values that guide our lives. We will also get a chance to learn a little more about Unitarian Universalist history and build community with one another! To register or for more information, contact Danielle.

Vespers
2025-06-13 17:00 - 17:40, 2025-06-20 17:00 - 17:40, 2025-07-18 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

Julie Wheeler Memorial
2025-06-14 14:00 - 18:00 | Eliot Chapel, 1011 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR, 97205
Julie Wheeler joined the church in 1971, along with her husband Andrew (who died in 2023). In her professional life, Julie was a teacher and a founder of Ceasefire Oregon. She died on February 12 at the age of 90. Read her obituary here.
Join us in Eliot Chapel at 2 p.m. to celebrate Julie’s life, followed by a reception in Buchan Reception Hall.

🕯️ Sunday Worship
2025-06-15 10:15 - 11:30, 2025-06-29 10:15 - 11:30, 2025-07-06 10:15 - 11:30, 2025-07-13 10:15 - 11:30 | Main Sanctuary, 1211 SW Main St, Portland, OR, 97205, United States

RE Summer Schedule
2025-06-15 10:15 - 11:30, 2025-06-29 10:15 - 11:30, 2025-07-13 10:15 - 11:30 | OR
This summer we have classes for children up to about six years of age during worship. They explore Unitarian Universalist values and themes like friendship, justice, ritual, world religions, self-expression, art, history, science, adventure, and more. Plus we have a lot of fun!

Nursery/toddlers: Play & explore with Milena and Rhionne.
3 to 6-ish years old: Games & crafts with Emma, Ayanna, and Ellen.

Children of any age are always welcome in the service!

Full programming through high school will resume in September.

Click here to view more information about our Learning Community.

Connect & Reflect
2025-06-17 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: Inheritance by Dani Shapiro
2025-06-17 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.

Office CLOSED
2025-06-19 | OR
The office will be closed on this date in observance of Juneteenth.

Contemplative Practices Group
2025-06-19 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-07-17 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.

Pete Guest Memorial
2025-06-21 13:00 - 17:00 | Eliot Chapel, 1011 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR, 97205
Member Pete Guest died peacefully on May 27 in the skilled nursing facility at Holladay Park Plaza, his retirement community. He was 84 years old. He was surrounded by his wife, Kristin, and his son, Andrew. Pete had declined over several years, was hospitalized in early April, and then moved to hospice at Holladay Park for 6 weeks. Pete was a UU since college and active in several UU congregations in other cities. Right after moving to Portland in 2013, he joined First Unitarian Portland.
Join us in Eliot Chapel at 1 p.m. to celebrate Pete’s life, followed by a reception in Buchan Reception Hall.

Online Service ONLY
2025-06-22 | OR
Click for the livestream

All UUs are invited to watch the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly’s online worship service from their homes on Sunday, June 22. Read more about this special worship event here on the UUA website.
Our building will be closed!

UUA General Assembly Broadcast
2025-06-22 10:15 - 11:30 | Virtual
Click for the livestream
=> => PLEASE NOTE! You MIGHT have to scroll backwards to the beginning of the service.
All UUs are invited to watch the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly’s online worship service from their homes on Sunday, June 22. Read more about this special worship event here on the UUA website.
No in-person service or other activities today. Our building will be closed.

Contemplative Practices Group
2025-07-03 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* Summer Yoga
2025-07-06 09:00 - 10:00 | Classroom A108
Join us for yoga with Ginny K. before the Sunday service from 9 – 10 a.m. We will meet in room A108.
Please bring your own yoga mat and water bottle. Wear clothing appropriate for yoga and then join the congregation for Sunday service at 10:15 a.m.
LIMIT of 15 participants. First come, first served. We will release the sign-up form for the next date after each class through our Front Steps e-news. There will be a total of four classes over the summer.

RE Holiday: No Classes
2025-07-06 10:15 - 11:30 | OR
In observance of the holiday, there will not be any classes for children this day. Nursery and toddler care will still be available during the service.

This summer we have classes for children up to about six years of age during worship. They explore Unitarian Universalist values and themes like friendship, justice, ritual, world religions, self-expression, art, history, science, adventure, and more. Plus we have a lot of fun!

Nursery/toddlers: Play & explore with Milena and Rhionne.
3 to 6-ish years old: Games & crafts with Emma, Ayanna, and Ellen.

Children of any age are always welcome in the service!

Full programming through high school will resume in September.

Click here to view more information about our Learning Community.

New to Portland Meet-up
2025-07-13 11:30 - 13:30 | Buchan Hall, 1226 SW Salmon St, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
New to town? Join Rev. Leah Ongiri and Jen Thomas at this meet-up for congregants new to Portland that want to meet others from the church community or ask questions about the Portland area. We will have some treats to share and play a game. Families are welcome. No RSVP required.

Good Times Book Group: The Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
2025-07-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual
