Gender Identity is an often contentious topic in our country today. Come and explore the expanding ideas of what gender is and how it is lived in the world. Let's spend some time today talking about gender, gender presentation, and lived experience. This service will include a question and answer time.

9:15 am

Pre-K - Grade 3: Room 111

Grades 4 - 6: Room 108

11:00 am

Pre-K - Grade 5: Room 111

Grades 6 and up are invited to

enjoy the service with the adults.

If you have not done so already, please  click here to register.

Also this Sunday:

9:30 - 10:15 am: Humanism Book Discussion @ Room 103

10:30 - 11:00 am: Drop-In Meditation @ Room 108

11:00 am - 12:00 noon: Self-Esteem as Psychological-Spiritual Dev @ Room 114

Joys & Concerns for Sunday should be submitted by noon on Friday.

You may also submit a hand-written joy or concern on Sunday morning.

Joys & Concerns from 10/27/19 & 11/3/19

If you are in need of temporary assistance, such as meals, rides, or hospital visits, OR if you would like to help please visit the Caring Ministry webpage .

Please make plans to attend the Annual Church Planning Workshop on December 8 ^th from 12:30 to 2:30.

Your input will help us make the most of the coming year. We need to hear from each other and coordinate our efforts! Light lunch will be served. Childcare is available if requested. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Liz Bredeson ( [email protected] or 515-287-3143).

Join us Thursday, November 28th for a Friendsgiving dinner at 3PM. Come strengthen connections new and old while dining with your First Unitarian community. Bring yourself, your family, or maybe a friend who could use some company on this holiday. Sign up for meal options and remember to bring your favorite recipe and board game to share. 

 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B48ADAB28A57-friendsgiving

Photos credits:

Bio:

I’m a West Des Moines native who has been exploring my surroundings with my camera since 2010. Primarily, I enjoy showcasing the beauty of the Midwest outdoors. But interesting images can be found anywhere and I frequently think about how the things and places around me would look through my camera. That's why my exhibit includes indoors, outdoors, color, and black and white images; and spans landscapes to single subjects. I like to think there's something for everyone.

Unity Circle will meet on November 21st in Channing Hall at noon. Bring a dish (home or store made) for the potluck and stay for the company and the programming.

Iowa Supreme Court Justice Brent Appel will be our speaker so it will be another interesting program.

Questions? Contact Theresa Miller at 720-2614.

#15 - Doctor Who Watch Party.  No matter which Doctor is your favorite, join us for a light dinner and an evening of celebrating our love of Doctor Who. We'll watch a few of our favorite episodes and enjoy each other's company and love of this amazing show. HOST(S): Andrew Curl, Louise Alcorn. Sun,   1/5/2020. 6:00 PM. 7 seats left. $20

 

#11 - Celebrate the Chinese New Year!.  Join us to welcome the Chinese New Year on Thursday, January 23, 2020 with a delicious dinner at Shanghai Restaurant in Waukee. We'll begin with a cash bar at 6:00 and sit down to Chef Bill's delectable appetizers & entrees at 6:30. We believe you'll agree that an evening in Shanghai will help warm your January. Adults only. HOST(S): Margaret Karbeling & Bob Belosky. Thu, 1/23/2020. 6:00 PM. 2 seats left. $60

 

#40 - Readers Theater.  Buy a role in a group reading of Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. No audience, just us. Scripts will be provided in advance. Each participant will have several roles, to be assigned by the sponsor using random drawings modified by an effort to average out the readers' number of lines. Advance preparation is required: Participants must mark up their own scripts ahead of time and adopt a distinctive voice for each character they portray. Light refreshments, non-alcoholic drinks. 3 steps into house. HOST: Dave Witke.   Sun, 2/2/2020. 1:30 PM. 2 seats left. $25

 

#32 - Our Religious Journeys.  On 03/31/19 in the service, Dave Witke shared 2 of 3 key points in his "religious journey" to Humanism. On 03/14/20, Dave will share his 3rd point. Two other Humanists will also share their journeys. All participants will have an opportunity to examine, share & discuss their own journeys. Before the presentations & discussion, we'll break bread & pop a cork or cap. Menu TBD - we ask for your trust that we'll have an array of wholesome & tasty morsels. Note: This is a work in progress, conceived 13 1/2 hours before the FF submission deadline! Ages 12 & up. HOST(S): Gene McCracken & Judy Davis, Al Powers, Dave Witke. Sat,   3/14/2020. 6:00 PM. 10 seats left. $30

  

To purchase a ticket to any event, contact Barb Royal ( [email protected] )

Send pictures of people having fabulously fun times at events to:

Elaine Imlau ([email protected])

P.S.  Over 500 people are participating in events and auction exchanges, and have contributed over $16,900 to the church!

Originally from South Carolina, Kyshona has been resident in Nashville since 2014. Her songwriting skills and powerful, emotional voice are taken to new heights on her latest two albums, Go and The Ride. The buzz that followed her latest tours in the U.S.A. and U.K. can certainly be understood when listening to her songs and voice.(Click here for more information: www.kyshona.com)

Click here for tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/54589

Come celebrate Winter Solstice in a light-hearted Wheel of the Year ceremony hosted by First Unitarians's Sacred Bridges CUUPs on Sunday, Dec. 22, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. in Channing Hall. Bring a drum or rattle to join the drumming circle and warm up your vocal cords as there will also be Yule Caroling following the ceremony.

 

This ceremony is open to all people from 8 to 108 years old and everyone can join in the singing! Childcare is available, so please fill out the child care request form on the Church's web page, under the Connect heading. Remember... as we have longer nights: Here Comes the Sun!

Hey parents, looking for a chance to take a break on Black Friday?

 

From 3:00 -6:00 pm on Friday, November 29 , the First Unitarian childcare squad will offering a variety of activities for your children. We’ll have movies, popcorn, an ice cream sundae bar, and lots of fun.

 

We are asking for a suggested donation of $5 for one child and $3 for each additional child to help cover the cost of supplies, and to help fund a new diaper changing table for the childcare room. No child will be turned away if you’re unable to pay this time, and of course, we won’t say no to extra generous donations!

 

Take advantage of this short break before the next holiday is here! Please rsvp to Julie Morocho, Childcare Coordinator, at [email protected] or on the clipboard on the nursery door.

If you'd like to set up a regular (weekly or monthly) contribution to our social justice activities, click here and enter the dollar amount for "Social Justice Outreach." 

LSI is one of Iowa’s largest nonprofit human services agencies. Their heart beats for the people they serve. They empower families and communities by recognizing and honoring the strengths and gifts of every individual.  

As a part of LSI, the Refugee Career Pathways (RCP) program supports refugees and immigrants, their attainment of self-sufficiency, and meaningful work with career growth opportunities. Volunteers will join the RCP team by celebrating and networking with RCP’s participants during an alumni event and degree evaluation session.

Save the date for three volunteer opportunities with LSI: Saturday, December 7

1.)  Food tasting for Healthcare workers , 11:00 to 12:30 pm

An opportunity to provide a variety of foods and beverages for those in the healthcare fields. Volunteers can choose to…

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0844aaa92ba6fb6-food

 

2.) Alumni celebration/ Networking   From 1 to 3 pm

LSI’s Career Pathways program has graduated more than 150 students over the course of two years. We have two goals:

Volunteers can either/or:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0844aaa92ba6fb6-alumni

 

3.) Degree Evaluation  11:00 to 3:00 pm 

Goal: To provide degree evaluations. LSI’s Career Pathways has had requests for degree evaluations from a small group of students.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0844aaa92ba6fb6-degree

Faith in Action has been a part of our church fabric. Over the last five years, we have provided an opportunity to get to know some wonderful 501 c3 Organizations that one might otherwise not be aware of. We have some members who have developed and deepened their relationship with those organizations such as Iowa Justice for our Neighbors and Al Exito. We have assisted in providing early structure and opportunities with and for Family Promise, which is now a strong part of our church life.  On average we as a congregation have donated $2,500 to $3,000 to each partnership. Now, is an opportunity for you to be part of this proud tradition.

 

Currently, the three members of Faith of Action after serving those 5 years are looking to step away after this partnership year which ends on August 31, 2020. The question remains if Faith in Action will continue. That is up to you!

 

Our next meeting is Monday November 28 ^th , 2019 at 6:30 pm in the Stonewall Conference Room. We won’t be meeting in December. Please feel free to sit in and get a sense of what we do and processes that have been created to decide if this speaks to you. It is important that we have a new team in the wings before the February 2020 meeting so these folks can be a part of the application process that begins in March and ends in May. If that doesn’t occur, we won’t be opening the application process for 2020-2021.

 

Please give it some thought. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Katie Allen, 515-402-2245 or [email protected]. I would be happy to answer your questions and talk with you with no obligation.

First Unitarian Church of Des Moines has a rich tradition of Public Witness and Action; organizing the first women’s suffrage march, integrating a segregated lunch counter, performing the first same-gender marriage in Iowa, or voting overwhelmingly to become a sanctuary congregation to name a few. In the face of inhumane policies and actions that detain folks in cages or block their entry into this country forcing them to live on city streets when they request asylum, we will be taking a stand.

During the second Christmas Eve service (7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, December 24 ^th ) our Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw will deliver a liturgy that will skillfully combine the familiar Christmas story in Luke with a modern twist. This service will include a public outdoor display and live Facebook streaming. 

 

There will be two conversations and information sharing hosted by the Social Justice Ministry Leadership Team. These are open to all church members, especially UU Christian members, to hear more about this Public Witness, how they can engage in making this event a success and get their questions answered.  Join us on 11/17/2019 at 10:15 and get ready to be part of our Social Justice History!

Please join us for an evening of conversation!   

West Des Moines Community Equity Conversation

Thursday, November 21st, 2019, 7:00 - 9:00 pm  

Location  - Clive Learning Academy, 1600 73rd Street, Windsor Heights, 50324 

This year we will be discussing excerpts from the book: 

 

“Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” And Other Conversations About Race. - By Beverly Daniel Tatum, PH.D. (2003 rev.ed., Basic Books).

We will focus on Chapter 1 at the November meeting if you are interested in reading along. 

 

This program is free and open to the public. Please contact  [email protected] if you have any questions.

We are starting up the Children's music program again! Meg Notch and Nancy Bratt are working together to start up the Children’s Music Ministry program on Wednesday nights. They will prepare to sing in our holiday service and other times throughout the year.

 

Children’s Music will meet in Room 105 November 20, December 4,11 and 18th and start back up after the Winter Break.

 

Preschool- 3rd Grade 6:00 – 6:20 pm 

Grade 4th-6th grade 6:40-7:00 pm. 

 

Children need not be attending other Wednesday evening classes to attend Children’s Music class!!

 

Parents should plan to stay on site during class. 

Registration for Youth CON 2019 is live!

CON-struction Youth conference

A gathering of YRUU youth from around the

MidAmerica Region of the UUA

December 6-8, 2019

at First Unitarian Church of Des Moines

 

To pay fees on-line, go to our  Give page  from our web site OR mail your check to  First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, 1800 Bell Ave, Des Moines, IA 50315 Please make checks payable to First Unitarian Church and write  CON-struction in the memo line . Thank you!

If you wish to schedule a meeting or event,

please contact Jane White: [email protected] or 515-244-8603 ext. 107

We do not list rentals, closed groups and committee meetings in this email.

For a FULL list of upcoming meetings and events, click on:

For Sunday, November 17 events please see top section of this email. Events from the Announcements section above are NOT repeated below.

Nov 18 | Awakening Heart Sangha @ Channing Hall, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Nov 18 | Grief Support Group @ Room 114, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Nov 19 | Come Dance With Us @ Channing Hall, 2:00 - 3:00 pm

Nov 19 | Immigration Justice and Sanctuary @ Channing Hall, 4:30 - 8:30 pm

Nov 20 | Wednesday Night Dinner @ Channing Hall, 5:30 - 6:15 pm

Nov 20 | Bell Ave Ringers @ Auditorium, 5:45 - 6:45 pm



Nov 20 | UU Singers @ Channing Hall, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Nov 21 | Unity Circle @ Channing Hall, 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm

Nov 21 | Board of Trustees @ Auditorium, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

MORE LINKS

WWW.UCDSM.ORG |  Board of Trustees Business |  Caring Ministry

Wednesday Programming | Staff Contact Information