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

P: 515-244-8603

Seeing Race

with Reverend Garmon

On Martin Luther King day, as every day, we confront the reality that, biologically, race isn't real. Socially and culturally, there is little in American life that is more real. How can we best recognize and honor the various identities among us while also eliminating discrimination?

Join the live service on Zoom!

Zoom Passcode: Safford

(Please mute your mic before the service begins!)



Zoom may not be available.

Joys & Sorrows for Sunday should be submitted by noon on Wednesday.

Visit the Caring Community Webpage for the following options:

• Caring Ministry – for temporary assistance, such as meals or rides, or to volunteer (515-244-8603 ext. 108)
• Pastoral care - for support through a difficult time

Check the news feed in Realm if you missed last Sunday's Joys & Sorrows.

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

Children & Youth Programming

Please Note:

Due to inclement weather this weekend, there may be disruptions in our usual children and youth programming this Sunday. Please watch for an update this afternoon from our Faith Formation Coordinator, Birch Spick. You may contact them with questions at ffoffice@ucdsm.org.

NEWS THIS WEEK

First Unitarian Humanist Update

** Book Group

The Humanist book group meets on the first and third Sunday of each month at 12:00 noon right after the forum. You can join in person at the church or via Zoom at https://humanistsocietyofiowa.org/bookclubzoom/. We will be discussing chapters 28 and 29 of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself by Sean Carroll on Sunday, Jan. 21st.

**Watch Party

Our watch party series will continue on Saturday, Jan. 13th; starting at 2:00 PM at the Stine Barn in West Des Moines. We will watch and discuss two more episodes of the James Burke’s Connections series – a look at how various discoveries, scientific achievements, and world events are tied together. Send a note to info@humanistsocietyofiowa.org for more information.

Earth-Centered Co-Learning with Shelley Buffalo

(supported by First Unitarian Green Sanctuary)

Saturday, January 13th from 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Join Shelley for "Exploring Tokenism" in this first webinar in the Earth-Centered Co-Learning series with Shelley Buffalo.

Saturday January 13, 2024, 10-11:30

Click link here to register for this webinar.

In this time of climate catastrophe it can be easy to feel helpless. Join Decolonial Pathfinder and Meskwaki native, Shelley Buffalo, in a webinar to learn Indigenous and Meskwaki ways to build meaningful relationships of hope and resilience. Shelley speaks about food sovereignty, rematriation, and restorative justice.

To sponsor this webinar send funds to:

Decorah Unitarian Universalists

PO Box 382

Decorah, Iowa 52101

Note ‘Shelley Buffalo’ on your check or online contribution contact

Or you can give at DecorahUU.org or contact decorahuu.contact@gmail.com

Note ‘Shelley Buffalo’ on your check or online contribution

UU Monthly Potluck & Theatre

Sunday, January 14th from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

If you love theatre, please join other UU's and community members for our monthly potluck followed by a play reading on Sunday, January 14th, 5:00-7:00 p.m. The location has been changed from the church to West Grand Towers party room, 3663 Grand Avenue. Bring food to share and your own beverage. Contact Barb Glass if you need details or directions. Hope to see all thespians there!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Office Closed

Tuesday, January 16th

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day recognizes the birth of the civil rights leader who led marches and boycotts for equal rights in the Southern United States. His inspiring words and actions remind Americans everywhere to work for racial, economic, and international justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a national holiday enacted by Congress in 1983. In 1994, Congress named it as a day of service to the community in recognition of Dr. King’s service to the world community.

The First Unitarian Church Office will be closed on Tuesday, January 16th, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Submissions to the Intercom Weekly are due on Wednesday at 12 noon.

Two ways to get your message across: 

1. Submit your Intercom Weekly article to communications@ucdsm.org.
2. Want more of a "boost?" Select from an entire menu of communications using Our Events form! Staff LOVES to receive these forms!

Last to Use the Church? Lock Up!

The building has been left unlocked and the alarm left off several times over the last two months. When you leave the building, make sure there is no one left, then lock and set the alarm. If you need instruction, or to brush up your knowledge, please contact the staff at OfficeStaff@ucdsm.org.

Together we can keep our beautiful building and its contents safe and secure.

Thank you!

BON VOYAGE ALICE!

You will be greatly missed!

Our Director of Finance & Administration, Alice J Stewart, will be pursuing other leadership challenges beginning January 31, 2024. We wish Alice well in her career and thank her for all her leadership here at First Unitarian.

KUDOS!

Thanks to those who helped with holiday decorations and clean up - Carmen Dow, Brad Leu, Megan Klee, Alan Kniep, Doug Aupperle, Elaine Imlau, and Barb Martin.

Zoom Help Needed

We are looking for 3-4 people to co-host Sunday services via Zoom. It would be best to have computer skills and a laptop with HDMI.

Please contact Bill Paxson if you have an interest in getting trained.

AVTeam@ucdsm.org

A BIG Giving Tree THANK YOU!!!

Thanks to everyone that contributed to the Giving Tree. We were able to provide gifts for 10 families that included 13 adults and 27 children. 

Our gift givers were: Ann and Al Mowery, Elaine Imlau, Gene McCracken, Judy Davis, Dave Witke, Judith Linden, Berardi family, Guenther family, Linda Goff, Sarah Chang family, Amanda and Alan Kruse, Barb Martin, Mary Hays, Lori and Scott Emison Clair, Ellen Taylor, Sally Boeckholt, Anne Rozeboom, Barb Glass, Kerry and Lynn George, Sandy Simmons, Diane Ford and Chris Rinner, Walter Pearson and Katherine Lyon, Kevin Boeckholt, Janice Hawkins, LeeAnn Back, Carmen Dow, Theresa Miller, Michael and Kara Andreski, Kay Hertz, Karen Kramer, Keri Kinnaird.

THANK YOU!!!

From the Pastoral Care Team

The Pastoral Care Team would like to extend our deep gratitude to everyone who helped pull together the Longest Night Service held Dec. 21. We heard from multiple people that it was a needed, meaningful service for them.

Thank you to:

Service coordinators and leaders: Rev. Meredith Garmon, Elliott Nassif, Heidi Levine, and Elizabeth Williams. Music: Bruce Martin, Karen Kraemer, Sarah Chang, and Deidre Fudge. A/V support from Bill Paxson. Altar and Kitchen Support from Kara Andreski. Soup supper organizers: Eileen Jackson and Barb Glass. Additional food provided by Suzanne Popson, Jane Swanson, Barb Martin, Laura Berardi and Elliott Nassif. A special acknowledgement to Debra Rodgers for letting us share her reflection, and to Suzanne Popson and Sally Boeckholt (and any others in those earlier years) for starting the Blue Christmas/Longest Night service tradition at First Unitarian.

REACH grant applications available for 2024

A program of the Endowment Committee

It’s almost a new year and a new opportunity to share your ideas for Radical Engagements And Creative Happenings!

REACH Grant Applications for 2024 are now available.

REACH grants can be awarded to church members or groups for ideas related to community outreach, educational opportunities for members. This is your chance to plan or improve a program or event beyond our usual budget limitations. We have $ 13,079 available for grants this year, with each individual grant capped at $2,500. So, what would you like to do?

The REACH grant application form is available on the church website, here.

If you have questions or would like to discuss your project prior to completing the application, please e-mail the Endowment Committee at Endowment@UCDSM.org.

Welcoming Congregation Save the Date

Sunday, January 21st at 11:15 a.m.

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)

Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining"!

mUUvie Discussion Group

Sunday, January 21st from 7:00-9:30 p.m.

Room 107

Please join us to watch and discuss "Breaking Away," 1979's sleeper hit and feel-good movie. A working class Indiana teen obsessed with the Italian cycling team vies for the affections of a college girl while searching for life goals with his friends. Popcorn will be provided. Bring your own drink. RSVP to mUUvie@ucdsm.org

The "Codebreaker"

Wednesday, January 24th at 11:00 a.m.

Join us in Stonewall Conference Room on January 24th at 11am to watch "The Codebreaker" before the Woman's Wednesday group!

The CodeBreaker

Wife. Mother. Secret American Hero.

ELIZABETH SMITH FRIEDMAN

Cryptologist

Secret through WW1 and WW2.

BYOL....BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH.

Women's Wednesdays

Wednesday, January 24th from 12:30-3:00 p.m.

Topics chosen by women, about women, discussed by women. Join us on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 12:30 – 3:00 p.m. in the Stonewall Conference Room.

• 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. General meet and greet, catch-up.
• 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Discussion

Our next meeting will be January 24th.

 For a full list of upcoming meetings and events, please visit our church calendar.

Building Team Activities

Several people helped with Building Team projects on Saturday.

Thanks to Sherwin Back for cutting up the tree that had fallen across the creek!

Members of the building team constructed new shelves for the paint storage room in the basement (and promptly filled them). Many thanks to Tom Thurtell, Sandy Simmons, Walter Pearson, and Sherwin Back!

2024 Annual Survey for Adult Programming - OUT NOW!

Good afternoon! The 2024 annual survey for adult programs at First Unitarian is now available here.

We have proposed book discussion groups, topic discussions, and practice groups. These are all in addition to the many affinity groups available at First Unitarian here.

Please share your interests in the programs we might offer over the coming year!

Stacie Gieseke

Art Gallery Exhibit

Ever since Stacie was little and picked up her first scribbling utensil, nothing has made more sense to her then creating something that was not there before.

Stacie enjoys exploring different mediums such as acrylics, markers, or clay. She also enjoys mixing mediums. It brings her joy to bring more textures and colors into her art.

She shares that is still on the journey to find her "niche" and that she is no rush to do so. She believes there is beauty in the journey, the struggle, and the process.

Our Faith In Action partners are Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund and The Freestore. If you would like to donate to Faith in Action partners, please donate directly to them through the links provided.

If you would like to donate to the Freestore, click here.

If you would like to donate to the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund, click here. 

In addition to providing monetary donations for our Faith in Action partners, one of the goals of this committee is to improve relationships through volunteer events that support the organizations. We will announce events that church members can be involved with in the coming months.

Freestore

Our Champion is Mike Smith

Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund

Our Champion is Doug Aupperle

Rev. Meredith Garmon, Interim Minister

mgarmon@ucdsm.org

515-244-8603 ext. 102

cell: 352-682-8492

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. 103

Off Mondays

Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Hannah Notch, Office Manager & Childcare Coordinator

hnotch@ucdsm.org

515-244-8603 ext. 107

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

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

Faithyna Leonard, Communications & Rental Coordinator

fleonard@ucdsm.org

515-244-8603 ext. 106

Available by appointment only

Dylan Delagardelle, Audio-Visual Technician

dyland@ucdsm.org

Intercom Weekly Submissions

Deadline: Wednesday @ 12 noon

• 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.)

Please email communications@ucdsm.org to submit your information.