A Unitarian Universalist Church | 1800 Bell Ave., Des Moines, IA 50315 | P: 515-244-8603
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This Sunday: September 15, 2019
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Waiting on the World to Change
9:15 & 11 am
with Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw
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John Mayer writes “Now we see everything that's going wrong With the world and those who lead it We just feel like we don't have the means To rise above and beat it So we keep waiting (waiting) Waiting on the world to change.” What is our responsibility? When do we stop waiting for the world to change and start making the change happen?
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Faith Formation Classes for Pre-K - 8th grade
9:15 & 11 am
See the "Faith Formation" section below in this email for information on this week's classes.
Child care will be available for infants and toddlers (up to age 4) in Room 112
If you have not done so already,
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Also this Sunday:
9:30 10:45 am:
Humanism Book Discussion @ Room 103
10:30 - 11:00 am:
Drop In Meditation @ Room 108
11:00 am - 12:00 noon:
YRUU @ Room 107
12:15 - 1:45 pm:
Grounds Council Meeting @ Peace Conference Room
12:15 - 2:00 pm:
Trans 101 and Pronoun Etiquette @ Room 105
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Tom Rider Memorial Service
Friday, September 20 @ 4 pm; First Unitarian Church
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A memorial celebration of
Tom Rider's life will be held for his family and friends on his birthday,
Friday September 20, 2019. We will gather in Channing hall from 4 -7pm with some memories shared around 5pm. The rest of the time will be a jam session of Dixieland jazz.
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Joys & Concerns for Sunday should be submitted by noon on Friday.
You may also submit a hand-written joy or concern on Sunday morning.
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Welcome Lyra Halsten
New Membership Coordinator at First Unitarian
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Welcome to Lyra Halsten who has joined the First Unitarian staff team as our new Membership Coordinator! In addition to picking up the mantle left by Laura Berardi, Lyra will also be helping Devon McClurken, who has new responsibilities. A grateful thank you to Devon, who has agreed to serve as our interim full-time DRE on a short-term contract while we organize and engage in a search for a replacement for outgoing Director of Faith Formation Tracy Beck.
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A Farewell from Tracy Beck, Director of Faith Formation
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Dear Members of First Unitarian Church of Des Moines,
With an array of emotion, I wish to announce that Friday, September 13 will be my last working day in the office and September 15 will be my last Sunday serving as Director of Faith Formation. I have accepted a position as the Manager of the Ray Society at Drake University to begin September 16. I am elated to have this amazing opportunity to continue cultivating lifelong learning and community building, work at Drake University and also have more time with my family.
My ten+ years serving as your Director of Faith Formation have been filled with so much joy and gratitude. I am so proud of our Faith Formation program and I am grateful for the ministry we have shared with one another. The deep relationships I have had with so many of you and your children are my most cherished memories and know that you have made my life all the more rich. I look forward to watching what is about to transpire under the leadership of Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw, and know it is going to be so transformational for the church, the community and our world.
I am a Unitarian Universalist and plan to stay connected to our wider faith movement, although I will need to take some time away from the congregation per collegial standards.
I know that the church and the Faith Formation program will be loved and well taken care of. I trust all of you with this task and know that it will be well.
Sincerely,
Tracy Beck
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Dear Members and Friends of First Unitarian,
It is has been a hard couple weeks for our church.
As a community we grieve the losses of staff members whom we have come to love and respect. Time will help us heal and begin anew.
The Board of Trustees thanks Rev. Erin for her years of dedicated work to further the mission and vision of First Unitarian. Her ability to support our community in times of need was a wonderful strength. We wish the best for Rev. Erin and her family in their future endeavors.
We thank Laura Berardi for being the face of First Unitarian for visitors and new members. It was always great to see Laura’s friendly face at church on Sunday morning, making us all feel welcome and important. We will miss you.
We also thank Tracy Beck for her more than 10 years of dedicated service developing great educational programs for both children and adults. We thank you, Tracy, for all that you have given First Unitarian and we wish you the best in your new position at the Ray Center.
The Board of Trustees wants to be more engaged with members and friends of this church. We know that the members past, present, and future are the moral owners of this church, and the Board wants to represent you with greater clarity. To do this, we need to know what you are thinking, dreaming, or wishing for our church this year.
Please join us for a one hour work session after services (10:30 or 12:25) on Sunday, September 29, or Wednesday, Oct 2nd at 6:00 p.m. to share with the Board your dreams, wishes, and ideas.
For more than 140 years First Unitarian Church of Des Moines has been a home for liberal religion in Des Moines. We will continue to be the beacon for those seeking out a liberal religious community that welcomes all.
Board of Trustees,
Sue Huber, Patty Notch, Bill Brauch, Gene McCracken, Sara Jensen, Katherine Vance, Patty Notch, Mike Lauer, Heidi Mannetter, Scott Clair
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September Artist of the Month: Florence Frette
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Many of my paintings follow “painting from the intuitive” – an innovative, experimental, and creative process where I paint from feelings and emotions allowing the inner self to establish mood and drama. This is accomplished by “letting go” in relationship to the oneness and harmony of universal power while maintaining a sense of fun and wonderment. The art can then remain non-objective and expand to any degree of realism.
Born on Valentine’s Day in 1923, I have been interested in art since childhood. When I lived on a farm near Indianola during the depression, paintings then were of “Old Bess” and flowers on small plates for mother.
I majored in Art at Drake University where I studied with Florence Kawa and M. Kirchenbaum, among others. Also, I attended art classes at the Des Moines Art Center for many years.
In 1982 I moved to Carmel by the Sea, California, where I painted and studied art for twenty-three years. In Carmel I had many solo and collaborative art shows including the Monterey Peninsula Art Foundation Gallery on Steinbeck’s Cannery Row.
In 2005 I returned to Des Moines. For the past three years, I have exhibited my work at the Scottish Rite Art Room.
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John MacDonald for his cheerful, awesome service to this congregation through being a member of the Faith in Action Coordinating Committee. Through life’s ups and downs he was there to help make our monthly partnership happen! We miss you and are grateful for your service!
Ginny Malcomson and Gene McCracken have stood by and served Faith in Action for 5 years (and counting…?) I can’t express my admiration for their steadfastness, hard work and humor.
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Unity Circle will meet at noon on
September 19th in Channing Hall. Potluck at noon, program at 1 pm. The guest speaker is Siobhan Spain, Director of Mainframe Studios, a new nonprofit model for providing permanent, affordable workspaces to artists of all disciplines.
Everyone is invited!
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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."
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Look for the
Write Here! Write Now!
table in the gathering space on September 15. We’ll be writing to our senators, asking them to show leadership to help avert the climate crisis. Each letter helps us build on the recent passage of a UU Action of Immediate Witness to build a movement towards a Green New Deal. A UU conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from September 15-17 on advocating for “Economic and Climate Justice as a Moral Issue: Mobilizing for a Green New Deal.” On September 17 our letters will be hand-delivered by the UUSJ Advocacy Corp to Senators Ernst and Grassley. Contact Barb Klubal if you would like to receive a copy of the talking points in advance.
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September/October Outreach Partner:
Iowa Interfaith Power & Light
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One of the ways we bring our gifts of love and service to the altar of humanity is through our Faith in Action Outreach partnerships. In September and October, we are partnering with the Iowa Interfaith Power & Light. The mission of
Iowa Interfaith Power & Light
is to inspire and equip people of faith to become leaders finding solutions to climate change.
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Changing the Immigration Narrative:
America First The Legacy of an Immigration Raid
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Friday, September 13, 2019 at 7 PM – 9 PM
Plymouth Congregational Church 4126 Ingersoll Ave Des Moines
DSM SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) and Plymouth Welcoming Migrants Committee invite you to deepen your understanding of immigration through film and discussion. Help us change the narrative about immigrants in the US.
We are raising funds to support local immigrants with a goal of raising $1,000 to benefit Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON)
$10 suggested donation at door, cash or check! Help us reach this goal and support immigrants in Iowa.
Free childcare available on site. Discussion will follow the film.
About the film: It’s been a decade since Postville, a small town in Iowa, suffered the largest immigration raid at a worksite in U.S. history: 389 immigrants were arrested in the biggest kosher meatpacking plant in the country. As Donald Trump revives some aspects of George W. Bush’s immigration enforcement policies, the Postville experience sheds light on the impact, efficiency and repercussions of massive worksite raids.
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THIS WEEK in Faith Formation
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Adult Faith Formation Classes
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Registration is now open for Adult Faith Formation Classes. Whether you're interested in exploring spirituality, social justice issues, or learning practical advice for people as they grow older, there is a class for you.
Classes begin next week, and some classes have a limited capacity, so sign up today!
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Children & Youth Fall 2019 Classes
Starting Sunday, Sept 15
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More Upcoming Meetings & Events
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If you wish to schedule a meeting or event,
We do not list rentals, closed groups and committee meetings in this email.
For a FULL list of upcoming meetings and events, click on:
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For Sunday, September 15 events please see top section of this email. Events from the Announcements section above are NOT repeated below.
Sept 13 | UU Game Night @ Channing Hall 6:00 - 10:00 pm
Sept 14 | PlayUU @ RE Gathering Space 9:00 - 11:00 am
Sept 14 | Food Fair Event @ Channing Hall 5:30 - 10:00 pm
Sept 16 | Small Group Ministry @ Offsite 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Sept 16 | Pagan Crafting Class @ Auditorium/Mary Safford 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Sept 16 | Concert Committee @ Tracy's Office 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Sept 16 | Awakening Heart Sangha @ Channing Hall 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Sept 17 | Circle Group - Shen @ Room 114 9:30 - 11:30 am
Sept 17 | Council on Congregation Ministry @ Tracy's Office 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Sept 18 | Anti-Racism Book Study @ Room 114 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm
Sept 18 | Bell Ave. Ringers @ Auditorium/Mary Safford 5:45 - 6:45 pm
Sept 18 | Circle Group - Allen @ Room 114 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Sept 18 | UU Singers @ Channing Hall 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Sept 19 | Board of Trustees Meeting @ Auditorium/Mary Safford 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Sept 20 | Circle Group - Hegstrom @ Room 114 9:00 - 11:00 am
Sept 20 | Celebration of Life: Tom Rider @ Channing Hall 4:00 - 7:00 pm
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When you buy from amazon.com, use
this link
and a % of the sale is donated to First Unitarian.
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