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

P: 515-244-8603

Ora et Labora

with Birch Spick

Lay-Leader Bio:

Birch Spick (they/them) has been a part of First Unitarian's community since 2016, and a member of its staff since 2022. They are also pursuing a Masters of Divinity degree at Meadville Lombard Theological School with a focus on congregational ministry. When not in church or school, they enjoy sewing, cooking, rock-climbing, and (most importantly) spending time with their partner Dylan and dog Daisy.

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

Barb Glass 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

New Year, New Committee Members

Calling all committees and teams... It's a new year and we have new members on our committees and teams. Please let the DFA know who is on your committee or team and whom you would like to be included on your email distribution list. Thank you!

You are Invited to a RAGBRAI Team Hosting Party

Wednesday, July 26

Help Elaine Imlau show our best Iowa hospitality to Team Moore-On. The leader is from Florida, and other members are from Minnesota and California.

We’ll offer shelter, showers, an all church potluck, entertainment, and coffee the next morning to send them on their way. 

Potluck items in the Sign Up Genius are not limited to only five of each. If filled, bring whatever! Potluck will be free will offering. If you can’t contribute food please throw in cash. Cash will go to the church. 

To avoid bike traffic on the way to church:

• From west of East 14th take 63rd to Park to SW14th 
• From east of East 14th take the freeway to SE 14th to MLK to SW7th to Thomas Beck Rd.

For more information contact Elaine at dmragbrai@ucdsm.org. Signup here.

Humanist Update

** Book Group -July Schedule **

The Humanist book group has moved to 11:00 AM for the summer, right after coffee time. Our next meeting will be on July 23rd. You can join in person at the church or via Zoom here. We will continue with chapters 6 and 7 of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself by Sean Carroll.

** Watch Party **

Our watch party series will continue on Saturday, July 29th; starting at 2:00 p.m. at the Stine Barn in West Des Moines. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. We are watching and discussing episodes of James Burke's Connections series - a look at how various discoveries, scientific achievements, and world events are tied together. Send a note to bookclub@humanistsocietyofiowa.org for more information.

UU Coffeehouse

Music, Poetry, Storytelling: July 29

Join us on Saturday, July 29 from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. in Griffin Hall. Learn more here. Feel free to bring a snack to share.

Do you like to sing, give a reading, lead a meditation, dance, play an instrument? Drop in and share your talent with us on this open-mic night, and enjoy the wall of art on display in Griffin Hall.  

No advanced sign-up is required. A stage and microphone will be provided.

Summer Pride Social

July 29 @ 2:00 p.m.

Summer Pride Social

Saturday, July 29 at 2:00 p.m.

Church Patio

Come beat the heat with LGBTQ+ UU's of all ages, and straight/cis allies! We will offer a variety of frozen and non-frozen treats, including vegan and gluten-free options, delightful summery beverages, and lawn games for your enjoyment. Please contact the Queer/Trans Action Group at tag@ucdsm.org with questions.

Sacred Bridges CUUPS - Lammas Baking

Saturday, August 5

Join Sacred Bridges CUUPS on Saturday, August 5th at 2:00 p.m. as we observe Lammas by rolling up our sleeves and baking together as a community!

Ritualist Gwen Hope will be leading everyone in baking her special sabbat/ritual bread in the newly-renovated kitchen space at First Unitarian Church of Des Moines. Bringing an apron or baking clothes is recommended!

Supplies to bring: large mixing bowl, small mixing bowl, large spatula (mixing kind, not a pancake turner), whisk, apron (optional), disposable food service gloves (optional, dough is sticky).

Baking supplies will be provided for everyone to participate so please contact us by August 3rd if you want to make the gluten-free or vegan recipe. The main recipe does contain wheat, eggs, and dairy. If you are willing to donate any baking supplies, please let us know.

Fall Classes Coming Up!

Don't forget to sign up for the classes offered by our Adult Programming Council this autumn!

The Wi$dom Path: Money, Spirit, & Life

Comprises twelve 90-minute workshops, arranged around three themes: Money and Self; Money and Society; and Money, Spirit, and Life. Participants build awareness of their own “money story” and explore their own attitudes and experiences with money.

This free course meets in-person at First Unitarian Church each Tuesday,

7:00 – 8:45 p.m. Starts September 12, ending December 12, 2023.

Read more

Led by Heidi Lackmann and Amanda Kruse.

Register here.

________________________________

Hindsight, Humor, & Hope: Who, Me, an Elder?

This free workshop series is designed to help participants plan their later years through reflection, discernment, soul stretching, and exploration of new life possibilities. The gift of extended years finds many people becoming elders with deep personal questions such as, Who am I now? and What will I do that is meaningful? We will think about What is ‘old?’ and What is an ‘elder?’

DATES: Tuesdays, August 22 through September 26 (6 sessions)

TIMES: 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: First Unitarian Church (in person only)

FACILITATORS: Barbara Royal and Dagny Fidler

Max of 12 participants.

Sign up here!

Sheraton Blood Drive

Shared by our own Ingrid Alg:

August 18th, 10 am - 3 pm at the Sheraton Hotel, 1800 50th St., West Des Moines, IA 50266.

Donate blood or volunteer to help run the Sheraton Blood Drive! One donation can save 3 lives. 

You are eligible to donate if you are:

• 17 or older
• Over 110 lbs
• In good health and have NOT donated blood in the last eight weeks

See all requirements and information here. 

If you would like to donate, please sign up here by clicking on the Sheraton event. For questions or other inquiries, please e-mail. 

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.

A Letter from Rev. Garmon

Dear First Unitarian Church of Des Moines,

Grow spiritually and ethically. Serve justly. Love radically. That’s our mission here at First Unitarian Church of Des Moines. It’s also our covenant because Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal tradition (meaning that the members of our congregations are bound together by covenant rather than by a shared creed or canonical set of scriptures), and our covenant with each other includes mutual support of the congregation’s mission. Here at First Unitarian of Des Moines, then, we are in covenant to grow spiritually and ethically; serve justly; and love radically.  

This is not merely a promise that we will each individually grow, serve, and love. You could make such a promise – if only to yourself – without being in a congregation. For a congregation to adopt a mission implies also the promise that its members will help each other realize that mission, the promise to carry out that mission jointly, as a congregation, rather than merely as independent individuals. 

Grow spiritually and ethically. How are we doing at that? How have you grown spiritually in, say, the last couple years? How have you grown ethically? How have we collectively, the members of this congregation, grown spiritually? Ethically? It’s our purpose, i.e., our mission -- and our promise, i.e., our covenant -- that we do so. It behooves us, then, to vigorously apply ourselves to that task. 

Many years ago, when I was still new to the preaching life, it began to dawn on me, to my disappointment, that merely listening to my sermons week after week was not, after all, sufficient to cause very much in the way of a congregation’s transformation toward greater and deeper wisdom, compassion, or peace. I continue to hope that Sunday worship services can assist in growth and transformation – but it’s clear that all by themselves they won’t do all that might be hoped for. Something more is required. 

If we are to apply ourselves seriously to the task of growing spiritually and ethically, we need to show up for each other to reflect on the central issues of life. We need to do that on Sunday mornings because that’s when the largest number of us is all together – but we also need to do that in small groups designed to explore together. In small groups you can engage with life cognitively and emotionally – you can think your way through and feel your way through: not to any final answers, but to a greater wisdom, a deeper understanding. 

Having talked this over with your Adult Programming Committee, we have decided to launch a major initiative this year with the aim that every member be in a small group that meets monthly to explore the Theme of the Month. Themes of the month this year will include: Covenant, Justice, Interdependence, Transformation, Pluralism, Equity, Generosity, Love, Courage, and Hope. Every member? Well, shouldn’t it be every member? After all, every member of this congregation promises to grow spiritually and ethically. Deepening our understanding of this year’s themes – as well as deepening our understanding of how other members think and feel about this year’s themes – is the best way we know of for doing that. 

Yours in the faith we share,

Meredith

Pastoral Care & Memorial Services

This Summer

Between the end of Victoria’s time with us on June 15 and the start of Rev. Meredith Garmon’s ministry in August, we will be without a minister. Rev. Garmon’s contract with us begins on August 1. He will be on vacation (on a previously scheduled trip to Australia) and begin his full-time presence with us on August 23rd. With requests for Pastoral Care during the interval, please reach out to Ann Mowery, Pastoral Care Chair. (Ann will be away June 11-June 24; during that time, please contact Barb Glass using the same email address linked above).

Victoria has arranged for on-call officiants to be available for members’ memorial services between her departure date and Rev. Garmon’s contract date; memorial services may be arranged by calling the church office: 515.244.8603.

Griffin Gallery Artist June

Sean Abramowitz

Making Tree Soul Portraits is my way of saying, “I see you. I see all the jagged, incongruent, weird, uncategorizable parts. I see the parts that you don’t feel like you are allowed to show. I see the parts you find ugly and embarrassing. I see the parts you have forgotten.

Trees are a powerful symbol for me because they don’t have any consciousness around the directions they are growing. They don’t try to be this way or that way or fit themselves into some kind of a box or role. They just respond to their environment and grow in the most effective ways to survive. And they always turn out beautiful.

-Sean Abramowitz

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

Our Interim Minister, Rev. Garmon, will begin in August 2023. Contact information will be available soon.

Alice J. Stewart, Director of Finance & 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.

Hannah Notch, Office Manager & Childcare Coordinator

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