A Unitarian Universalist Church | 1800 Bell Ave. Des Moines, IA 50315 | P: 515-244-8603 |
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This Sunday, July 24, 2022
9:30 a.m. in the Auditorium & via Zoom
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A People Called Elaine
with Elaine Imlau
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In 2021, congregant Elaine Imlau met another Elaine, in an unlikely place and with an unlikely history. Since her detour through Elaine, AR she has grown to better know the people there and the story they have to tell. Join us as we hear her reflect on this journey, the wisdom we can learn from this little town and how we can help them proceed in the future.
Zoom Passcode: Safford
(Please mute your mic before the service begins!)
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No Forum
Forums are over for the 2021-2022 church year. Please join us this autumn when we resume our regularly scheduled programming!
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Joys & Concerns for Sunday should be submitted by noon on Friday.
- Caring Ministry – for temporary assistance, such as meals or rides, or to volunteer
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Please note: the Caring Ministry phone number is now
- 515-244-8603 ext. 108
- Pastoral Care – for support through a difficult time
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Pastoral Care: July 24 – 30 |
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Ellen Taylor is the Pastoral Care Associate available for the week beginning at
10:30 a.m. this Sunday. Email pastoralcareteam@ucdsm.org for assistance or call the Associate's telephone number in the church directory.
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Thank You to Our Church
Cleaning Volunteers!
from First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Staff
Thank you to our gracious volunteers, Kathy Meitl (and kids), Lisa Houchins, Anne Rozeboom, and John Morrow, who stepped up to clean the church this week!
Each cleaning slot is time-estimated with one person doing the cleaning, but more than one person is welcome to tackle each section! Please comment with the date and time you plan to clean for each slot so that church Staff can plan to let you into the building and lock up afterward.
Dates are shown as Wednesday of each week, but you can schedule yourself to clean on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of that week between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
A list of cleanup details and instructions will be posted in the church office on the bulletin board on the front counter across from the mailboxes.
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General Contractor Bids Under Review
from the Kitchen Project Committee
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The good news is we received three General Contractor bids for our Kitchen project! Architect Doug Wells and Construction Oversight Chair Al Powers are doing their due diligence to insure all specifications are covered in these proposals. The two lowest bids were very close and both agreed they could start work before Sept 1. Holcombe, the lowest bidder, was recommended by Doug and accepted by the Construction Oversight and the Kitchen Committee. The Board accepted this decision on July 16 and will be looking for a contract to be drawn up for their review. Al will then take the contract to the Board for approval. Given that the Board has returned to meeting only monthly, we anticipate being on their August 18th agenda. Another step before actual work can begin is to receive the necessary building permits from the city. Therefore, we now anticipate actual work to being after Labor Day.
Grease Interceptor Prep
As we reported earlier, installation of the kitchen’s grease “trap” will mean the sidewalk area outside the west doors will need to be torn out. This will include the plantings in this space so expect to see those removed in the near future. We anticipate the concrete tank to be delivered the last week of July. When this work begins, we will not be able to use the west doors; so watch for notices.
Watch This Space
Below are photos of our now deconstructed and empty kitchen. We will post progress photos in future updates.
Donor Recognition Plans
The Aesthetics Committee has been working on design plans to recognize all Kitchen Project donors. There are two pieces to this: an artful piece will be hung above the hallway side of the serving counter opening which will include all donor names and a special commemorative token is being designed to be given to each donor family. This means all donors need to be certain they have returned the donation card designating exactly how they want their name to appear. Don’t know if you have done that? Reach out to Ann Mowery to confirm your name is on the list!
Griffin Hall Use Reminder
As we near the start of construction work in the kitchen be prepared to see part of Griffin Hall being used to stockpile materials. The new dishwasher will be delivered next week! This should not take up much space but will mean we have less room for events & programs. For the time being, Griffin Hall will only be available for church functions. No outside rentals will be allowed until it is deemed safe to do so.
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Hiroshima-Nagasaki:
A Remembrance & Committment
from Linda Lemons
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Monday, August 8, 7:00 p.m.
In music, poetry, and words of recommitment, we will recall and grieve the unfolding of the nuclear age, the horrendous costs to the people of Japan, and the
continuing costs and threats to people all over the globe.
We will renew, to our children and future generations, our commitment of "Never Again."
Rain Location:
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Submissions to the Intercom Weekly are due on Wednesday at 12 noon. Submissions after the deadline cannot be guaranteed a spot in that week's newsletter.
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For a full list of upcoming meetings and events, please visit our church calendar. |
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Sacred Bridges CUUPS, CUUPS Kids
July Events
from Sacred Bridges CUUPS
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Grilling With Pagans/CUUPS Kids with Sacred Bridges CUUPS
July 23 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
We're heading out to Greenbelt Park Porter Shelter to fire up the grill and enjoy a potluck social with Sacred Bridges Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans. We will have activities for children at this event, with our CUUPS KIDS coordinators, and there is a playground at this park. Please bring a dish to share and bring what you would like to have grilled for your family or group and we will take care of the rest. We will provide Lemonade, Fruit Punch, plates, utensils, and cups.
1 p.m. Start grilling, eating, and hanging out
2:30 p.m. Storytime for the kiddos!
3 p.m. Lammas Ritual for all ages!
If you would like to bring a harvest item for the alter, please do!
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Mark Your Calendar Now For the Next mUUvie Night!
from the mUUvie Crew
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Sunday, August 14, at 7:30pm
First Unitarian Church - Griffin Hall/Gathering Space
RSVP to muuvie@ucdsm.org so we can gauge the number of attendees and send you a reminder message!
August 14 - Hunt for the Wilderpeople - This award-winning New Zealand comedy features Ricky, a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together.
These are films that include public performance rights on Kanopy (not all films do), so we can gather and watch them together at Church without infringing on copyright laws.
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First Unitarian Humanist Update
from the First Unitarian Humanists
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Book Group
The Humanist book group will meet on July 24 at 11:00 a.m. at the church and will return to our normal schedule of the first and third Sunday in August. We are continuing to read Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, covering chapters 14 and 15 on July 24. Everyone is invited, either in person or via Zoom.
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If you wish to add your meeting or event to our calendar, please contact: calendar@ucdsm.org
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Final Food Fair 2022 Stats
from Elaine Imlau
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Our total raised this year is $12,396 after paying the Bidding Owl bill of $202! Thanks to all who were involved including 47 donors of 41 events and 34 auction items, 72 buyers (half of whom were also donors), and the 25 volunteers who ran the sale and put on the dinner. Event tickets are still available and someone always cancels on events that are sold out. To purchase a ticket or signup for the waitlist email Elaine Imlau at foodfair@ucdsm.org or check the food fair page on the church website.
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Circle Suppers
from the Circle Suppers Team
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The circles are made of 4-5 households who come together once a month for as many months as there are members for a potluck dinner. The purpose is for church members to get to know one another better in an informal setting with the bigger goal of building a caring church community. The first round closed June 25th but interested people can register here for the next round of suppers starting soon. Organized by Susan Seitz and JoAnn Fitz.
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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 "Donation."
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Food Pantry Donations Needed |
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Let's drag the red barrel out of the coat closet and do some good! Non-perishable food items go a long way in our community, especially with kids out of school for the summer. Bring canned and dry goods to church with you on Sunday and deposit them in the red barrel in the main entry hallway.
Donations will be distributed to food pantries in the Des Moines metro area. Contact feds@ucdsm.org for more information and for volunteer opportunities.
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Let's Talk – Gearing Up for the
2022-23 School Year
from Faith In Action partner Let's Talk
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We are looking for additional community volunteers to join our program this fall. If you are interested, we are offering a Circle Training class on July 29, and a Mediation Training on August 1 and 2. These classes will run from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will cover the processes Let's Talk has developed to help and advocate for middle school youth in the Des Moines area.
This is not an 'ordinary' volunteer opportunity – these volunteer positions are currently paid hourly, and volunteers are placed on teams to divide the weekly work on a flexible schedule. Volunteers can expect to work 2-3 days per week, 3-6 hours per day, which allows them to reach the kids during school hours as needed.
Please share this information with anyone you know who might be interested. All adult age groups and demographics are welcome. Contact LetsTalk@ucdsm.org for the electronic application, as well as for training location details
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Family Promise of Greater Des Moines
Summer Celebration and Silent Auction!
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Please join us to celebrate the perseverance and success of families experiencing homelessness served by volunteers from our congregation and Family Promise of Greater Des Moines. Enjoy food, live music, and a silent auction as well as hearing from one of the families who succeeded in securing housing and stability while in our program.
Friday, July 22, 2022
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Giovannetti Shelter 9000 Douglas Avenue, Urbandale
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Faith in Action Partners
Knock and Drop | Just Voices
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Our current partnerships run from September 2021 through August 2022. They were selected by our members at our June 2021 annual meeting. The organizations are: |
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Our Champion is Gene McCracken
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Our Champion is Harvey Harrison
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Staff Office Hours & Contact Info |
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Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw, Senior Minister
Alice J. Stewart, Director of Finance and Administration
515-244-8603 ext. 101
Mondays: by appointment
Tuesdays – Thursdays: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Fridays: by appointment
Zoom meetings available on request
Emily Petty, Communications Coordinator
515-244-8603 ext. 103
Off Mondays
Tuesday-Friday, Sunday: by appointment
Hannah Notch, Social Media and Executive Support Specialist
Tuesday - Friday: 1:00 - 5:00 pm
To have an event or meeting added to the church calendar, email Hannah at calendar@ucdsm.org
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Intercom Weekly Submissions
Deadline: Wednesday @ 12 noon
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In the body of an email, please include a title, relevant dates and times, contact information, and a brief description of your event or announcement.
- Please proofread your article before submitting (or ask a trusted friend to proofread if you need help!) We try to check every article, but we still miss things.
- An image can help make your article stand out! Please feel free to attach an image to your email. (JPG or PNG files are preferred.) Note: images that violate copyright laws will be rejected.
- The Intercom Weekly is sent out to our mailing list on Friday at 12:00 p.m.
- We run announcements for no more than three consecutive weeks, so please plan accordingly.
- Per church policy, we do not share private email addresses or phone numbers in our communications. We will set up an @ucdsm.org email address for you as the contact person for your group which will automatically forward to your private email, so you won't have to do anything special to view it. (Please allow a few extra days for us to set up the email when you submit your announcement.)
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Text "UCDSM APP" to 77977 or toll free (833) 816-9022
to download our app
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