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

P: 515-244-8603

They. You. I.

An Alternate Look at Pronouns

with Nancy Harris

Lay-Leader Bio:

Nancy Harris is a new member of the UU community. She found her way to the UU church in 2019 when attending her sister’s marriage at the UU church in Port Angeles, Washington. After retiring as an elementary school principal, she fills her time with friends, family, reading and Meals on Wheels. She steps in to complete other volunteer work as needed and called upon.

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 

Jim Carty 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

In Memoriam

Our beloved Florence Frette died on June 6 at 100 years old. A memorial service for Florence will be held at First Unitarian Church on Saturday, July 8, at 11:00 a.m. 

Florence's daughter, Linda Kenworthy, is accepting cards on behalf of the family. Please contact the Church Office or Pastoral Care for her address.

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!

Announcement:

Comm. Coordinator Resignation

It is with a mix of gratitude and sadness that we announce the resignation of our Communications Coordinator, Emily Petty, effective July 7. In order to respect Emily's wish for a quiet departure and to ensure that the transition is smooth for the congregation, Emily has been working with Staff, Rev. Garmon, and the Board of Trustees to organize Communication coverage for the future. Please continue to send news and updates to communications@ucdsm.org as usual.

Emily is immensely grateful for the opportunity to have worked at First Unitarian, where she encountered incredible individuals and learned valuable lessons. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Emily for her contributions, and we wish her the very best in her future endeavors.

mUUvie Group Cancelled

Saturday, July 8

Please note that the mUUvie Group has been cancelled for this month. Watch the Intercom and website for future meeting announcements!

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!

Humanist Update

The Humanist book group has moved to 11:00 AM for the summer, right after coffee time. Our July meetings will be on the 9th and 23rd. You can join in person at the church or via Zoom here.

Women's Monthly Lunch

Tuesday, July 11, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

All UU (and UU-interested) women are welcome to join the monthly gathering of the UU Women’s Lunch Bunch (2nd Tuesday of every month at 11:30). 

There’s always good food and lively conversation. 

Please be sure to RSVP by the Saturday morning before the luncheon if you plan to attend: womenslunch@ucdsm.org

When: Tuesday, July 11, 2023: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Where: A Dong, 1511 High St, Des Moines

UU Board Game Night

Friday, July 14m 6–10 p.m. in the Gathering Area

Whether you like casual games such as Scrabble or prefer complex strategy games, please join fellow UU friends in the Gathering Area for a night of tasty snacks, good food, and fun games. Bring your favorite game as well as any beverages or snacks you might want to share.

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,

LoraKim and I are excited about coming to Des Moines. We haven't been there yet, but we've signed a lease on a house into which we expect to move in July. I'm so looking forward to meeting you all in person!

LoraKim and I are headed to Australia and New Zealand from Jul 24 to Aug 22– our first time venturing together outside the Americas. We are fans of women's soccer, and the Women's World Cup will be going on. We have tickets to five of the games -- and are also looking forward to seeing the parrots, penguins, and other sights. It's a trip we've been planning and looking forward to for a long time.

So our plans are:

- Drive with moving truck into Des Moines, about July 14 or so (that's Bastille Day, but I'm hoping we won't have to storm anything). For the week thereafter, I'll be unpacking and also available for church meetings.

- Fly to Australia on Jul 22.

- Arrive back in Des Moines on Aug 23.

While away in Aus-NZ, I'll have some limited availability to respond to emails, but probably not much. So, as Rev. Victoria's last day was Thu Jun 15, I'd like to get started today, Fri Jun 16, on hearing from UCDSM folks and planning for the year ahead. From here in NY, I can have Zoom meetings with people, and I invite any UCDSM member to email me with thoughts and questions. (Just be sure to identify yourself as connected with UCDSM.)

If you'd like to schedule a video meeting with me, please text me at 352-862-8492 to schedule that. Otherwise, email me at mgarmon@uuma.org.

Let the fun begin!

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

Next Family Promise Hosting Week

July 9 – 16

Help us feed, entertain, transport, and house 3 families on-site in our church for one week as they work their way back into their own homes: July 9-16. A variety of positions are available, including providing meals, evening host, overnight host, van driver, setup, takedown, and laundry. First-time hosts and drivers must complete a background check process.

Sign up here! (New link 6/23)

Contact Elaine Imlau at familypromise@ucdsm.org.

Thank you for your consideration!

Faithify Fundraising – LGBTQ+ Rights

To add moxie to the challenge of restoring LGBTQ rights in Iowa, the Iowa UU Witness Advocacy Network starts a Faithify funding campaign on Monday, June 5^th.  This campaign will enable IUUWAN to provide outreach and support to the Iowa LGBTQ+ community and allies through training, shared resources, and networking strategies.  Fighting for justice now is crucial!  All contributions will make a difference.  A UU funding source will match donations!  Go to the fundraising website, Faithify.org, and look for the pink flamingo from now to July 5.

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 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