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

P: 515-244-8603

Don't Go Back To Sleep

with Rev. Victoria Safford

Celebrant: Kent Newman

Choir Director: Karen Kraemer

Pianist: Bruce Martin

Musicians: U.U. Singers

Song Leader: Anne Rozeboom

A/V volunteer: Bill Allen

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

Board of Trustees Nominations

from Fern Stewart

Are you ready to be part of the future of our church? Are you ready to meet and work with some truly amazing people? Now is the time to express your interest and fill out the Board of Trustees application!

I can say that it has truly helped me meet more members of our fine congregation, understand how our church works, and make a difference. We have a wonderful church community that thrives on volunteers and dedicated staff. We can't do the work, make necessary decisions, and continue to be the face of Unitarian Universalism in Des Moines without you! Each member of the Board brings various talents and knowledge that ensures we become all we can.

Please take a minute to reflect on just how important our church is in your life and what talents you can offer on the Board of Trustees. We will be available after Sunday service to answer any questions you may have.

One Room SchUUlhouse is Growing!

The One Room SchUUlhouse program we have piloted for Kindergarten-5^th Graders has been a great success – so much so that we’re expanding it. With more children in upper elementary grades attending the One Room SchUUlhouse, and 5^th-6^th Grade OWL running until early April, we are creating a separate group for 5^th-8^th Grade children not registered in other classes, open to families of visitors & members alike.

But we need your help! We are looking for 4-5 volunteers to facilitate this group on a rotating basis. Staff and the Child & Youth Faith Formation Council will provide weekly lesson plans & materials based on the Soul Matters curriculum. Please contact Birch Spick at bspick@ucdsm.org to help launch this program.

Trusting Change: a Conversation Series with Rev. Victoria Safford

I invite you to join me this spring for a 5-session conversation on the challenges and possibilities we experience in transition, whether personal, global, or here in the life of the church. We'll read selections from Trusting Change, a new book by UU Minister Karen Hering, engaging in reflection, journaling (if you wish) and discussion about transformations large and small. To gather a cohesive group, I ask that participants commit to attending at least 4 or the 5 sessions, to be held on Zoom on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30 p.m. April 19 and 26, May 17, 24 and 31. You may purchase the book here. Used copies and e-editions are available online. 

To register, send me an email!

Joe Jencks in Concert

Saturday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $22 Advance /$27 Door

Ticket Link: www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/54589

Tickets also for sale in the gathering area after Sunday services.

Joe Jencks returns to our stage for a solo performance after previously appearing here with the trio, Brother Sun. He is an international touring musician, award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist known for his performances of musical beauty, social consciousness and spiritual exploration. A 25-year veteran of the international folk circuit, Jencks has released 17 CDs in that time. Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel.

A limited number of complimentary tickets for the Joe Jencks concert are available for those otherwise unable to afford to attend. Please speak confidentially with our minister, Victoria Safford, to obtain them.

Trans Lives Festival Planning Meeting

Sunday, March 5, 7 p.m. via Zoom

Interested in a short-term project contributing to the last month of planning for the Trans Lives Festival? Join our next meeting this Sunday and share your thoughts! The festival is Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. but you don’t have to be available that day in order to help plan it.

Meeting passcode: TAG

Email tag@ucdsm.org for more information.

Unity Circle March 16

Unity Circle meets at noon on the 16th of March with a potluck and program. All are welcome. The program is by Iowa Bird Rehabilitation, which is located in Des Moines. With migration and nesting season coming up, we should enjoy an interesting program.

Braille Signs

from the Accessibility Committee

Our Accessibility Team assisted the Lift Project with some beautiful new signs. You will be seeing them soon!

Signs of Progress in the Kitchen

We are at that stage of the Kitchen Renovation where most of the “behind the scenes” work has been completed and much of the current work is installing the major interior infrastructure that will support appliances and workspaces. Be sure and take a peek on Sunday!

Counter Top Frames Installed

Last week the fabricated aluminum frames for the new quartz countertops were installed in the dishwashing area. Open space beneath is for garbage and recycle containers. Thanks to Karen Kramer for capturing these photos.

New Flooring Being Laid

This week the crew began installing our new flooring! This is a reminder that samples of the various design elements of the project are on view in the Gathering area.

Our Grand Opening is May 7

Fingers crossed that we have survived the major supply chain issues and that our first meal to be served from the new kitchen on Sunday, May 7th, after the 9:30 am service. Reverend Victoria will dedicate our new space with a short program honoring the project donors after which volunteers will serve a delicious brunch. All are invited and encouraged to share in the celebration of this milestone in our church’s building facilities. Brunch will be free but RSVPs will be necessary; watch for future notices.

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.

Humanist Update

Book Club

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) or via Zoom.  We will be starting a new book this Sunday, March 5, so this is a perfect time to join. We think you will enjoy reading the first two chapters of Finding Darwin's God: a Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution by Kenneth R. Miller. You can read an excerpt from this book here.  You can also download the complete text here. 

Secular Student Alliance Program

The Secular Student Alliance is offering a webinar that promises to be interesting and informative. The Struggle for Abortion Rights will be presented on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:00 p.m. This will feature a panel discussion with leading proponents for reproductive rights. The panel will discuss the state of abortion rights in the US and the road forward to win back federal protections and ensure access to safe and legal abortion in all 50 states. Click here to find more information or to register for the webinar.

mUUvie Night

Saturday, March 11, 7–9 p.m.

Join us to watch and discuss the film Supernova (2020): A couple (Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci) embark on a road trip as dementia starts to take hold of one of them. He decides to take control of his final days.

We're trying something new! We will watch this as a group in a private home and discuss afterward. 



Contact muuvie@ucdsm.org for more information and to RSVP.

Easter Event

from Sacred Bridges CUUPS

Come have fun with Sacred Bridges CUUPs on March 18 at 2 p.m. banishing the chocolate rabbit, dying eggs the natural way, and maybe even finding some eggs!

This is an ALL-ages event, and we encourage you to bring the whole family! We will be meeting in the Mary Stafford room to start.

We hope to see you there!

Trans Lives Festival

Food Fair #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.

Service Dog on Site

Do not be surprised if you see Checkers, a 7-month-old service dog in training for the Puppy Jake Foundation, at church with Lisa Houchins. Lisa and her family have been volunteering with Puppy Jake to help train service dogs to be placed with a military veteran with a disability eventually. Service dogs in training need to experience life in public, just as they will someday with a veteran. Currently, Checkers doesn't wear a vest because he is a young puppy, but he is still working when in public. He wears a service dog bandana and uses a service dog leash. If you see him, it would be helpful to treat him like any other service animal. That includes:

• Not petting, feeding, talking to, or otherwise distracting a service dog without permission from the handler. It's helpful for his training just to ignore him.
• Respecting that many handlers don't like to talk about their service dog or the reason they have a service dog due to medical privacy. (However, Lisa is happy to answer questions about Checkers and the Puppy Jake Foundation.)

For more information, feel free to ask Lisa Houchins or visit this site.

Chairs – Free to a Good Home!

Click here to view a list of chairs available for free! Al Powers found them in the furnace room, and had the great idea to find them new homes.

Each list item features multiple matching chairs perfect for retro decor, classrooms, and DIY! A chair from each set is available to view in the East-West Entryway.

Please note that "Chair 4" is no longer available.

Tech Help Available!

from First Unitarian Staff

Do you have questions about your laptop, tablet, or phone? Would you like help setting up your Realm account? Sign up to schedule an appointment with First Unitarian Staff to discuss questions you have regarding your devices!

After you sign up, a Staff member will reach out to you via email to confirm your appointment time. Meetings are also available via Zoom (if issue can be resolved remotely).

Griffin Gallery Artist February

Phil Roeder

Phil Roeder came to photography late in life and "thanks to a combination of good fortune and dumb luck", his work has been exhibited around the country and published around the world. He is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography from Arizona State University. By day, he is director of communications for the Des Moines Public Schools. This is from Phil's Grant Wood Eastern Iowa series.

Let's Talk Update

from Ellen Taylor

Since January, we have been on hiatus from Des Moines Schools while they fix a problem with their payment method. They had to open up the application process as a result of this problem, so we sent in our application in later January. We are currently waiting to hear when the new phase will begin.

DSMPD & 21CP Community Poll

You know that the people closest to the issues are closest to the solutions, and any venture aimed at improving the city must be community-centered. Therefore, we would like to hear from you in the poll linked below regarding your availability to discuss issues facing the community and the police department. 21CP will keep confidential information you share and will not attribute anything in our final report to you or any other individual stakeholder. Once we hear from a majority of the people from our initial round of outreach, we will confirm a date and time with you. These meetings will be held in a focus group-type setting via Zoom.

Participate in the community poll here.

Contact ganesha.martin@21CPsolutions.com with any questions.

Go from Powerless to Powerful

from AMOS

Ever wonder how the Skate Park got built? The libraries reopened? The 911 line staffed with therapists, not just police? Money "appeared" for training minority social workers?

AMOS did it (and our church members were heavily involved)! How? With regular people, just like you and me. People with no special skills. Normally powerless. Coming together and building power in the city, the county and the state. AND we're winning! Today we are pushing for a unique affordable housing plan and building alliances to fight for public schools.

There are several opportunities to learn here. Join us if you are curious or passionate--or both. AMOS is moving political mountains. Join the fun! Contact amosevents@ucdsm.org.

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