A Unitarian Universalist Church | 1800 Bell Ave. Des Moines, IA 50315

P: 515-244-8603

We Are Each Other's Magnitude & Bond

with Rev. Victoria Safford

Celebrant: Elliott Nassif

Pianist: Bruce Martin

Musicians: Bell Ave. Ringers

Song Leader: Barbara Martin

A/V volunteer: Bill Paxson

Pastoral Care: Laura Berardi

Hospitality Coord: Terry Meek  

Join the live service on Zoom!

Zoom Passcode: Safford

(Please mute your mic before the service begins!)

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

Click on the Caring Community webpage for the following options:

• Caring Ministry – for temporary assistance, such as meals or rides, or to volunteer 
• Please note: the Caring Ministry phone number is now
• 515-244-8603 ext. 108
• Pastoral Care – for support through a difficult time 

Laura Berardi is the Pastoral Care Associate available for this service time. Please email pastoralcareteam@ucdsm.org for assistance during the week.

NEWS THIS WEEK

This section holds events happening this week, as well as articles submitted in the past 7 days. Be sure to continue scrolling to read about other upcoming events, church news, and social justice efforts!g

Intercom March 31

Thanks to coordination from Victoria and Alice, Staff has been able to plan an Intercom publication for Friday, March 31! Please plan to send Intercom publication items for the March 31 Intercom to communications@ucdsm.org a week early – Wednesday, March 22, at noon. Submissions received after this date are not guaranteed a place in the March 31 Intercom, but can be published the following week.

Thank you!

Emily Petty - Communications Coordinator and Alice Stewart, DFA

Pledge Payments

Thank you all for your ongoing support of First Unitarian Church of Des Moines. Our beloved community relies on your continued and consistent financial support.

Last year's 12-month pledge experiment has all of us on different pledge and payment schedules. As we head into this final quarter of the church's fiscal year, please remember to continue making payments on your outstanding pledge.

Our fiscal year ends June 30, 2023. Please help us end the year strong! If you've completed your pledge and are in a position to make an additional gift this year, your church community will be grateful.

We know this is a bit confusing, so please reach out if we can help in any way.

With gratitude,



Alice Stewart, Director of Finance and Administration director@ucdsm.org

Victoria Safford, Minister vsafford@ucdsm.org

Memorial Service Volunteer

from Rev. Victoria Safford

I'm seeking a volunteer to help stream an upcoming memorial service on Zoom (Saturday 22 April at 2 p.m.). This will allow out-of-town family members to attend the service remotely. Minimal Zoom skill required - I'll have the computer set up for you, ready to go. If you can help on this date, or would be willing to help with future services, please let me know!

Rev. Victoria Safford - vsafford@ucdsm.org

Humanist Update

Book Group

The Humanist book group meets at noon on the first and third Sunday of each month, both in person at the church (right after the forum) and via Zoom. The next meeting will be on April 2, when we will discuss chapters 5 and 6 of Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution.

Watch Party

The Watch Party format will resume on Sunday, April 23. Join us at 1:00 p.m. at the Stine Barn in West Des Moines to watch and discuss the Bill Maher 2008 documentary film Religulous. Email info@humanistsocietyofiowa.org if you have any questions or suggestions for future programs.

Secular Student Alliance Program

Passover is a celebration of the Jews’ deliverance from slavery, but you don’t need a god to celebrate that kind of human liberation. You can Join the Secular Student Alliance and the Society for Humanistic Judaism’s HuJews on Campus for a Webinar at 6:00 PM on Monday, April 3. The Webinar will discuss seder without a god and demonstrate how the Passover seder can be a universal call for human rights and dignity. Click here to find more information or to register for the webinar.

More Pieces of

the Kitchen Project Finished!

New Under Cabinet Lights

Our kitchen crew will love these under-cabinet work lights over the counter tops! Plus, what cool ambient lighting they will provide when events are happening in Griffin Hall. Our design team has done a terrific job, stop by and check this out.

Kitchen Shelving Assembled

Our thanks to Ron Heideman for assembling the new shelving in the kitchen storage nook.

Fire Suppression System Passes Testing

There are many steps to insuring all the equipment in our new kitchen is ready for use. This week the City Inspector and our vendor for the stove top hood fire suppression system pronounced it “ready to go!”

Griffin Hall Tables for Sale (going fast)!

(insert photo from Ann Mowery of old table with “for sale” sign)

New dining tables are on order for Griffin Hall, so it is time to re-home our current tables. They are white plastic topped round folding tables, 60" in diameter and weigh 50#. These would be perfect for craft projects, puzzles or picnics. We are asking for a free will offering, with a minimum of $10 each, and the buyer will need to transport them. If interested, contact Marilyn Lantz (she reports six have already sold). Please note: these are being offered for personal use by church members so, no reselling. Tables not purchased will be donated to community non-profit organizations.

See more images from this update on the Kitchen Project page!

Join the Kitchen Care Team!

It Takes A Village

Our kitchen construction will be complete before you know it. Then what? Then the Kitchen Care Team steps up to the challenge of keeping it Clean, Lean, and Green! We’ll be there to support everyone who needs to:

· operate and care for our new equipment

· keep things simple and eliminate clutter

· protect the environment through green practices

· ensure our food is safe to consume

First Unitarians can be proud of our new kitchen. We hope you also embrace the spirit of clean, lean and green.

· Wash our hands, wash our hands, and do it again.

· If you bring it….take it home.

· Paper? We don’t need paper, unless we can compost it.

We don’t promise to be perfect, but we can promise to do our best. Want to join the Kitchen Care Team? We need a few more good caretakers. Contact Kay Scott or leave your contact information with Hannah Notch.

Transgender Day of Visibility

Friday, March 31, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

The City of Des Moines Civil & Human Rights Commission's LGBTQ Advisory Council and community members are organizing a rally to celebrate and uplift transgender and gender non-conforming individuals who have come out to live as their authentic selves. Hear from speakers as they share their stories and learn what you can do to make Des Moines safe for all. More info here.

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.

Want to publicize your church event? We have a form for that!

Visit our "Our Events" page to fill out the form.

Email communications@ucdsm.org with any questions.

Women's Wednesdays

Wednesday, March 29, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Topics chosen by women, about women, discussed by women.

Meets the last Wednesday of every month from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. in the Peace Library.

You can find this group and its events on Realm!

1:30-2 p.m: General meet and greet, catch-up

2 p.m. – 3 p.m: Discussion

This month's topic: "Isms" – choose an "ism" (communism, feminism, etc.) and come discuss it with other women!

The third annual Central Iowa Trans Lives Festival will occur on April 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1800 Bell Ave. in Des Moines.

It is hosted by First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, an LGBTQ+ Welcoming Congregation, and supported by the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Endowment Committee. In honor of the International Transgender Day of Visibility, the all-ages festival showcases the creative work of transgender, genderqueer, and non-binary adults and youth from around Iowa.

Work includes visual art and crafts for sale, food trucks and booths, live music, poetry, literature, and dance, drag, and comedy performances. Local nonprofit and community organizations providing support and resources to the trans community will also be on hand.

This event is open to everyone, and admission and parking are free. Security will also be provided so that everyone can experience a safe and fun event.

Ordination Service at Cedar Falls

We are warmly invited by the Cedar Valley Unitarian Universalist in Cedar Falls, IA to attend the Ordination of their minister, Emma Peterson, to Unitarian Universalist ministry on Sunday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m. Rev. Victoria Safford will give the sermon.

Transforming Hearts Workshop Series

Tuesdays, April 4 – May 9, 7 – 8:30 p.m. in Griffin Hall

The UU movement has come a long way in LGBTQ+ inclusion, but there’s still a long way to go. Meanwhile, trans and non-binary people are under attack in our country in wildly escalating ways.

We need to dig deeper. This program goes beyond “trans 101”— it’s a six-session course that explores the theological grounding of radical welcome; your own gender journey; trans identity, experiences, and spirituality; the role of culture in inclusion; and how to engage in culture shift.

Join us! Please email tag@ucdsm.org to sign up by March 31.

What to expect: Each week we will watch a 45- to 55-minute lecture by Rev. Mykal Slack and Zr. Alex Kapitan, two trans/non-binary UU leaders, and discuss the content together. In between sessions there are supplemental resources we can engage with on our own.

Fellowship, Food, & FUNds #23 Alert!

Mark your calendars for FFF #23, April 29 & 30, and start thinking about what you might like to offer! Never heard of it? For more info on our biggest fundraiser of the year and community-building series of events, see this link.

To participate, please fill out this form.

Your help is needed! Particularly needed are individuals who enjoy making clever announcements and cover table displays after church during the month of March to promote participation, as coordinator Elaine Imlau, will be out of state most of the month. Please contact her via email at foodfair@ucdsm.org or directly via text or call.

Trans Lives Fest Call for Volunteers

Help us celebrate and host transgender creatives and their artistry on April 1! The Trans Lives Festival was a huge success last year, and we expect it to grow this year.

So, we need your help!

Various volunteer positions and shifts are available, including setup help, entrance greeters, cashiers, runners/helpers, and tear-down/clean-up help. Thank you for your consideration!

Sign up here!

Email tag@ucdsm.org with any questions

Griffin Gallery Artist March

Tanya Lichinsky

Tanya Lichinsky received her education in painting, life drawing, still life, sculpture, and art history from Repin's School of Fine Art in Moldova. Oppressive political conditions in the former Soviet Union pushed her to make the decision to look for a stable life in the United States. She has been drawing and painting since early childhood and has developed unprecedented taste and vision through years of industry and freelance experience. Creation has become a necessity where any medium, be it watercolors, acrylic, oil, or pencil, is utilized. Her muse can be exotic, but it can also be anything from everyday life or even something out of a negative space that looks interesting.

This piece was inspired by Barbados, 40x40 acrylic on canvas.

Let's Talk Update

from Ellen Taylor

We got word on Thursday, March 8, that our contract with DMPS is renewed! So after 2 1/2 months of being out of the schools while the district put out an application, worked through all the applications they received, and figured out how they would be paying mediators in the schools — we’ll be back at it on March 22, the Wednesday after Spring Break! 

The unfortunate news is they have 2 schools who apparently don’t have an ok way to pay the mediators - so we will not be back in those schools, and one school decided not to use us at this point. 

We’re just glad to be available to the students again, as it is clear that when they are stressed they are glad to be able to sit down with us!

Our current partnerships run from September 2022 through August 2023. They were selected by our members at our June 2022 annual meeting. The organizations are:

Hawthorn Hill

Our Champion is Sally Boeckholt

Let's Talk

Our Champion is Ellen Taylor

Rev. Victoria Safford, Transitional Contract Minister

vsafford@ucdsm.org

Office phone: 515-244-8603 ext. 102

Cell: 612- 405-3318

Alice J. Stewart, Director of Finance and Administration

director@ucdsm.org

515-244-8603 ext. 101

Mondays: by appointment

Tuesdays – Thursdays: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fridays: by appointment

Zoom meetings available upon request

Birch Spick, Faith Formation Coordinator

& Congregational Life Coordinator

FFOffice@ucdsm.org

CLOffice@ucdsm.org

515-244-8603 ext. 106

Off Mondays

Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Emily Petty, Communications Coordinator

communications@ucdsm.org

515-244-8603 ext. 103

Off Mondays

Tuesday-Friday: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

To submit an item for the Intercom, email communications@ucdsm.org by Wednesday at noon.

Hannah Notch, Social Media and Executive Support Specialist

hnotch@ucdsm.org

Tuesday - Friday: 1:00 - 5:00 pm

To have an event or meeting added to the church calendar, email Hannah at calendar@ucdsm.org