Women’s Fellowship is a friendly gathering of women who support each other’s spiritual growth and decide as a group each Fall what topics we want to address for the coming year. This includes authors, speakers, social justice, craft projects, prayer practices, book sharing and more.
We meet on the SECOND Sunday of the month, 6:30-8:00 p.m. usually in the Wheeler Room.
Please note that we are switching to the second Sunday of each month for our meetings so they don’t conflict with the Interfaith Stronger Together dinners which are on the third Sunday.
June 14: Book sharing
The Women’s Fellowship June meeting is always a lively and fun favorite. On Sunday, June 14, we will gather at 6:30 p.m. in the Wheeler Room to share favorite books from the past year. Whether a new release or old gem, bring your top one or two recommendations. If you have books to loan or give away, bring those too! After the June meeting, Women’s Fellowship will be on summer recess.
All women are invited. Let us know if you need childcare or a ride. Questions? Contact Barb Aalund, Brenda Kame’enui, Babs Sullivan or email: womensfellowship@fcceugene.org.
April 12: Grave Housing Needs and Serious Housing Provider -St. Vincent de Paul
On April 12, Women’s Fellowship enjoyed an evening with Kathy Isaksen and Kristen Karle, St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County employees in property management and property acquisition and development. As the largest service provider in Lane County, SVdP has a big job, and Isaksen and Karle are a big part of it.
Kristen Karle works on the acquisition end of housing for SVdP: land, buildings, contractors, loans. She referred to the cut in housing and shelter funds SVdP experienced in 2025. Kathy Isaksen works on property management and reported that the residents who live in FCC’s Parkside homes on 24th Street are indeed benefitting from the stability offered there. SVdP owns the homes and collects the rent, while FCC provides the property.
Since 1988, St. Vincent de Paul has developed multi-family housing for low income families, seniors and people with disabilities. They have developed more than 1,600 units so far and operate almost 1,500 of those. SVdP’s Property Management team oversees rental properties from the housing waitlists through leasing phases, manage their own properties, and provide an innovative approach to housing stability through a Resident Services department. They also maintain properties to ensure they are in decent, safe, and sanitary conditions and comply with all required local, state, and federal regulations.
Marty Wilde, a Eugene resident, frequent volunteer at the Egan Warming Centers, and former Oregon Legislator, writes a monthly newsletter. A recent issue illuminates the state agency snaffoo that cut Lane County’s state allocation for homeless shelters in half for fiscal year 2026. Wilde’s well-documented explanation is worth a read: https://martywilde.substack.com/p/the-spreadsheet-that-ate-60-shelter
March 8: Crafting Easter Cards for homebound
We will be making irisfolded Easter cards to deliver to church members who are unable to attend church. It is a fool-proof craft technique, so no prior experience is needed. We hope you will join us in this outreach ministry. We will gather on March 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the Wheeler Room.
We welcome new and old friends. Please let us know if you need childcare or a ride. Questions? Contact Barb Aalund, Brenda Kame’enui, Babs Sullivan or email: womensfellowship@fcceugene.org.
February 8: Liberty Walks
All women of FCC—members and friends, are invited to the February 8 Women’s Fellowship, 6:30 pm in the Wheeler Room. We are privileged to host Esther Freinkel Tishman to share her remarkable experience, Grief and Faith: Lessons from the Open Road.
Esther recently completed a 2847-mile pilgrimage across America, supported by fellow walkers and wonderful volunteers, including FCC member Joan Rawlings-Boyd, who arranged overnight accommodations for the extraordinary journey. What Esther learned may surprise, inspire, and even challenge us to undertake the deep spiritual work required at this crucial moment in our nation’s life and history.
January 11: Then and Now poetry
All women, members and friends, familiar to the church or new, are invited to our first Women’s Fellowship of the new year, Sunday, January 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Wheeler Room. We will reflect upon the past and ponder the future in a poetry exercise: Then and Now. Brenda Johnson Kame’enui will offer prompts and how-to ideas. We will write, read, listen, and share as we wish, with no requirements to remembering or revealing. We will find surprise and fun along the way! Please join us.
December 14: Gratitude, Giving and Game playing
All women are invited to the December Women’s Fellowship on Sunday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. for a time of gratitude, giving, and game playing. We will celebrate with a gratitude ritual and then break into 2 teams for a fun-filled seasonal game. And of course, there will be treats!
Last month the executive director of Sponsors shared with us the amazing work Sponsors does in helping incarcerated people transition back into society. This month we’d like to support Sponsors’ winter drive. Please bring as your gift a gently used or new warm winter item, for example: coat, scarf, gloves, or hat. Sponsors clientele is 75% male.
We welcome new and old friends. Please let us know if you need childcare or a ride. Questions? Contact Barb Aalund, Babs Sullivan, or Brenda Kame’enui.
Please note that we are switching to the second Sunday of each month for our meetings so they don’t conflict with the Interfaith Stronger Together dinners which are on the third Sunday.
The 2026 Coast Retreat
The annual FCC Women’s Retreat brought together 21 women who enjoyed laughter, conversation, games, hiking, walks, crafts and cooking at a unique house in Bandon, Oregon. All women members and friends are encouraged to save the date for our next Women’s Retreat: February 26–28, 2027 in Bandon, Oregon.
This was a great time to relax and get to know other women at FCC. Activities included hanging out, beach combing (the beach is a 12-minute drive), hiking, games, shopping, crafts, and fabulous meal creations created by us.
We stayed in a large home (7,000 square feet!) on a 15-acre property with a river running through it.
