First Unitarian's community outreach partner for September and October is Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. Erin Davison-Rippey, State Executive Director-Iowa, will discuss proposed changes to the Federal Title X-Family Planning Program that will defund Planned Parenthood in Iowa and across the U.S., and also the impact of the Supreme Court nominee on reproductive health.

UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray delivered a powerful Sunday sermon at this year’s General Assembly in June. The title of the sermon is, "No Time for a Casual Faith.” Those of us who attended are excited to share the sermon with you and have a chance to talk about what meaning it might hold for us as a congregation and as a denomination. We invite you to join us.

Childcare will be provided upon request .

Congregational Survey

One part of the search committee’s process in selecting a new minister is to conduct a congregational survey. The survey is an instrument to find out who we are as a congregation. Participation in the survey is vital in two ways. First, it will help the congregation in the process of determining who we are, what we value, and what we need in a minister. The survey results will be used to facilitate and inform cottage meetings with congregation later this fall. Second, the survey results will be part of the digital packet available to candidates for the senior minister position. Thus, it is important that every member of the congregation take the survey.

Below you will find a link to the survey so that you may take the survey online. Members of the search team will have laptops available during coffee time between services over the next weeks so that members may take the survey on site. We will have paper copies for those who prefer a more traditional technology, too. Finally, we are happy to be readers or aid members in completing the survey as required. Again, this survey captures an important picture of the congregation. The more members who take the survey, the more accurate and complete the results will be for both the conversations we will have and for our future minister.

The survey is now open and will close on Friday, September 28th.

First Unitarian Church has an opening for a Communications Coordinator. This position has a number of responsibilities, including:

This position is 15 hours per week. First Unitarian Church is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

If interested in the position, please email your resume to Charles Lewis, Director of Finance & Administration, at [email protected].

Unity Circle invites you to join church members and friends as we gather each month to share a meal and hear speakers on a wide variety of topics throughout the year ranging from birding to architecture to water quality issues in Iowa. We meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month beginning at 12:00 PM. Bring your own table service and have a potluck meal followed by a speaker. We look forward to having you join us for an afternoon with food for mind and body.

Thursday, September 20 - Denny Thompson from Des Moines Audubon will give a presentation on getting started with watching and identifying birds. He’ll give an overview of optics and field guides, as well as seven things to consider when trying to identify a bird. We’ll also talk about bird feeding.

For more information, see ucdsm.org/unitycircle or call Joyce at 515.334.9077

Members of First Unitarian's Energy and Justice for All have been talking to a developer that would enable First Unitarian to install solar panels on our roof for free. Because of expiring tax breaks for investors, we would need to act on this plan before the end of the year. Please attend the forum to hear complete details and to ask questions.

Are you a resident of Des Moines? Do you want to see the priorities of our members and the member of other AMOS institutions become more of the priorities for our city?

This summer we engaged hundreds of people in Des Moines around questions of what they wanted to see funded in our city. Over 100 members of First Unitarian participated in that conversation.

Now it's time to turn those ideas into action as we engage in a conversation with Des Moines City Manager Scott Sanders, and move our interests forward.

Let's show the City that AMOS can turn up the heat, turn out voters and energy!

Larry Bredeson and his daughter, Chelsea Hayes, are members of First Unitarian. During the month of September, their artwork is displayed on the art wall in Channing Hall as yet another example of the breadth of creativity within our own congregation.

Larry's postcard images began as full page doodles he made while working at RDG Dahlquist Art Studio. The images are then scanned, photo-shopped and printed. Since it's inception nine years ago, Larry has created over 3,000 images.

Chelsea considers herself a generalist and enjoys working in a variety of art mediums to express her ideas. Her family, friends and memories are her biggest inspirations, and her work is often influences through her career as an art teacher.

Discuss the art work with the artists during the Meet the Artist time (between services) on Sunday, September 30.

Participating in Sunday morning hospitality is one of the ways we grow in community together and generously share our time, talent, and treasure—aspirations for how we will be in relationship. Each member is assigned to a Hospitality Team; the Team Leader reminds us of when our team is on duty.

I tried to take the easy route.

I really did.

This spring when I heard about the migrant caravan, displaced people traveling from Central America to seek asylum in the U.S., I couldn’t imagine the desperation and fear, nor the courage, it would take to leave everything you had ever known; family, friends, culture, language.

But the migrants were greeted at our border with National Guard troops, many not allowed to legally request asylum; it was heartbreaking.

So when national SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) and the UUSC decided to work together to help the compas (“friends” in Spanish) I was relieved.

Someone was helping. Whew.

I quickly signed up for all the “easy” ways to help: letter-writing to members of the caravan in detention, sharing the story and ways to help on social media, connecting to local faith communities (via this Intercom). And for a while, I felt I had done enough.

But throughout the summer, government persecution of immigrants intensified; homeland security tore children from their parents, the anti-immigrant law SF 481 took effect in Iowa, and I witnessed the impact of ICE raids and deportations on members of my community.

And so Michael and I agreed; to do less than we truly are able in this challenging time would do more harm to our own humanity than to embrace the unknown in service to justice.

I contacted SURJ and asked them to amend our paperwork: we will open our home to an asylum-seeker.

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

First Unitarian's Immigration Justice and Sanctuary Team is seeking volunteers to help at the Iowa Sanctuary Movement booth at the Iowa Latino Heritage Festival, Sept. 22 & 23, at the Western Gateway Park in Des Moines. If you are interested in helping, please sign up at http://signup.com/go/aScJqrE

We have a variety of Faith Formation groups for adults this Fall, and some are starting up soon! If you have any interest in the following classes, please sign up today!

Many more groups are open this fall - find something that interests you at: www.ucdsm.org/adult-faith-formation

Considered a ‘songwriter’s songwriter’, David Wilcox's songs have been covered by artists such as k.d. lang and many others. In addition to his writing prowess, his skills as a performer and storyteller are unmatched. He holds audiences rapt with nothing more than a single guitar, thoroughly written songs, a fearless ability to mine the depths of human emotions of joy, sorrow and everything in between, and all tempered by a quick and wry wit. In live performance, David loves making up a spontaneous song for an audience member in need.  Anyone who has seen Wilcox perform more than once or twice has seen him concoct one of his “Musical Medicine” songs on the spot, full of lyrical artistry and musical inventiveness, like some kind of uncanny parlor trick. Wilcox is now 20 records into a career marked by personal revelation and wildly loyal fans. His lyrical insight is matched by a smooth baritone voice, virtuosic guitar chops, and creative open tunings, giving him a range and tenderness rare in folk music.

Learn more at www.ucdsm.org/david-wilcox

Listen to "We Make the Way by Walking" by David Wilcox

Purchase individual advance tickets for $20, or save money with a 4-show season package for $70, or all 6 shows for $105 (a $45 savings!). Tickets can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/54589