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

515-244-8603

Earth Day

with Rev. Meredith Garmon

Every day is Earth day, of course. But we don't always talk about it in our Sunday service. This Sunday, let's talk about it!

Join the live service on Zoom!

Zoom Passcode: Safford

(Please mute your mic before

the service begins!)



Zoom may not be available.

In acknowledging Earth Day on April 21st, members and friends of First Unitarian will gather in Griffin Hall at 11:15 a.m. to join the storytelling Climate Ribbon Project. Participants will be asked to answer, “What do you love and hope to never lose to Climate Chaos?” followed by sharing what they are doing to mitigate the chaos and how others may join them. To learn more about the Climate Ribbon Project, click here.

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.

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

FAITH FORMATION

Children & Youth Programming

Children and Youth programs happen on Sundays!

• Elementary-aged (Kindergarten-4th Grade) children of visitors, friends, and members are welcome to go to the One Room SchUUlhouse during services after the Story for All Ages.
• Middle-school aged youth of visitors, friends, and members are welcome to join their own group after service on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month.
• High-school aged youth of visitors, friends, and members are welcome to join our youth group after service every Sunday morning.

April Youth Service Day

Attention youth and families: our service day this month will be on Sunday 04/28, 11:30 AM-1:30 PM. We will be helping the Green Sanctuary prepare the plot of their mini-forest project at Brookview Park in West Des Moines. We will supply water and a limited number of gloves; please bring work-gloves and a brown-bag lunch.

Adult Programming

Our Adult Programs webpage has our exciting Spring courses and groups. Be sure to register now!

• Bird Walks - 4/28
• Circle Suppers
• Connection Circles
• Metaphysical Awakening Book Study
• UU Wellspring Sacred Earth
• Seeing is Not Believing: How to Grow Compassion into Your Observations - 4/27
• Tai Chi



CONGREGATIONAL LIFE

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Sacred Bridges CUUPs: Olympian Gods: An Introduction with William

Friday, April 19th from 7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Prepare to embark on a captivating journey through the realms of Greco-Roman mythology with Sacred Bridges CUUPS! During this unique event, William will serve as our guide, leading us through the basics of Greco-Roman mythology while offering fascinating insights and recounting spellbinding tales of the Olympian gods. Spread the word, invite your friends, and get ready for an enchanting experience that will leave you captivated! RSVP HERE.

Join Zoom Meeting (Meeting ID: 864 8468 3715 Passcode: ZEUS101)

Building Better Relationships with the Wider UU World

April 19-20th

Upcoming opportunities to learn about resources available to us from the Wider UU World.

2024 Multi-Platform MidAmerica Regional Assembly

Friday, April 19, 2024, 6:00 pm - Saturday, April 20, 2024, 5:00 pm EDT

Click here for more information.

Volunteer Sustainability Training:

Stop Recruiting, Start Retaining

Saturday, April 20th from 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Griffin Hall

We will meet Saturday mornings: April 20, May 4 (Large Activity room), May 18, June 1, and June 15. Everyone is welcome and leaders are particularly encouraged to attend. We will use the UUA curriculum "Stop Recruiting, Start Retaining" in the form of webinars. If you're part of a group, but not a leader, you'll come away with a better understanding of healthy group dynamics. If you can't commit to all six sessions, you can catch up by watching the webinars on your own.

mUUvie Discussion Group

Saturday, April 20th from 7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Please join us to watch and discuss the 2022 film, "Aftersun." Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't.

Popcorn will be provided. Bring your own drink.

RSVP to mUUvie@ucdsm.org to let us know you're coming, and to ask any questions.

Click here to watch the trailer.

"Less Mow May" Des Moines Initiative is Part of Bringing Back Pollinators from the Brink

Enroll April 21st or April 28th after service

The 2023 "No Mow May" Initiative, which was supported last year by a Reach Grant is now "Less Mow May." Enroll in Less Mow May after service at 10:30 am on April 21 or April 28. You will receive:

• A Less Mow May yard sign
• Native garden design plans for Des Moines area urban landscapes
• A native plant seedling and some seeds to go with the native garden design
• A list of resources for buying, planting and maintaining natives in your landscape.

Women's Wednesdays

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

Please remember to write your book jacket autobiography to share with the group!

Fellowship, Food and FUNds (FFF 24)

Saturday, April 27th-28th

The final list of ticketed events and food items for auction is now available! You can find it online here. Paper copies will be available at church. Please note—paper copies include provider contact info, online version does not.

Mark your calendar for the Sale Kickoff and Potluck Dinner Saturday, April 27, 5-7pm. Sale continues Sunday, April 28, 10:45-12. Going to be out of town? Find someone now who can shop for you. In person bidding and buying only.

Seeing is Not Believing:

How to Grow Compassion into Your Observations

Saturday, April 27th from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

In March we had a workshop that delved into two of the four steps in Nonviolent Communication: Feelings and Needs. On April 27 we will work with the step: Observations. By observing with as little as judgement as possible we can increase our chances to deepen our relationships, experience successful outcomes in meeting the needs not just of ourselves, but of others, and grow compassion. Register here.

Sacred Bridges CUUPs Presents

Sage Advice with Dr. Susan

Saturday, April 27th from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Sage Advice: Exploring Techniques for Magickal Cleaning and Purification

Discover alternative methods for cleansing your magickal tools and spaces, going beyond traditional herbs like sage and palo santo. Explore the reasons behind their use and learn about culturally respectful and sustainable alternatives. Join us for a workshop where you’ll explore various herbs for smoke cleansing, along with other techniques for energetic clearing. Plus, create personalized tools for your practice. Suggested class fee: $10.00, but all are welcome regardless of funds. RSVP HERE.

Introduction to Mindful Birding

Sunday, April 28th from 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

We will meet in the lower parking lot off of Druid Hills.

Please join us to see the amazing number of bird species on the land we care for, and learn how to use observing birds to grow our connection to nature, as well as justice and compassion.

UUA Bylaw Amendments

Potluck and Discussion

Wednesday, May 1st from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Please join the Adult Programming Team for a potluck and discussion about the proposed revisions to Article II of the UUA's bylaws on Wednesday, May 1st. We will begin with a potluck at 5:30PM, followed by a discussion at 6:30PM about Article II, the proposed revisions which delegates will vote on at General Assembly, and more. First Unitarian can send eight voting delegates to the UUA's virtual General Assembly June 20-23, 2024. If you are a member interested in the proposed Article II amendments of the UUA bylaws and/or if you are interested in being a delegate, please plan on attending.

Please sign up to bring food or drinks here.

For more information about Article II, please see our website.

We will be sharing additional links and documents for you in preparation for the discussion. Thanks for your interest in this topic!

Make a Drum with Wayne Manthey!

Saturday, May 4th at 10:30 a.m.

We are absolutely thrilled to announce our special guest for the Pagan Jubilee: Wayne Manthey Drum Maker! Wayne is a gifted artisan with a deep connection to the ancient rhythms of nature. ​

At 10:30am, he will lead a workshop that will allow you to create your very own deer skin drum. Imagine crafting an instrument that will resonate with the heartbeat of the Earth itself, a tool for your spiritual journey unlike any other. This is your chance to do just that. ​

13 inch deer skin drum: $155

16 inch deer skin drum: $180 ​

Tickets are non-refundable. If you decide you can not make the event you may transfer/sell your ticket to another individual. Please contact us to let us know who will be receiving your ticket. For more information and ticket info click here.

Spring Grounds Cleanup and Work Day

Saturday, May 11th from 9 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

(weather permitting)

Please join us to work on getting the church grounds ready for summer. Coffee and breakfast treats will be provided. We'll be concentrating on several main projects:

• Removing invasive honeysuckle from the woods.
• Clearing winter debris from landscaped areas around the church building and from the pollinator garden at the south end of the church property.
• Pruning trees and shrubs in identified areas.
• Mulching flower beds around the building and the trail in the woods (wheelbarrows needed).
• Picking up litter and trash all around the church property.

What to bring: Loppers, hand saws, hand clippers/pruners, leaf blowers, wheelbarrows

Wear: Work clothes including work gloves and sturdy boots or shoes.

Note: If the weather is not conducive, we will post an announcement on the church Facebook group that morning about cancelling the event.

Questions: Email grounds@ucdsm.org

First Unitarian Humanist Update

** Book Group

The Humanist book group meets on the first and third Sunday of each month at 12:00 noon in the south conference room. You can join in person or via Zoom.  The next meeting date will be April 21, when we will be discussing chapters 39 and 40 of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself by Sean Carroll.  You can also help select our next book by visiting the book club website.

** Watch Party

Our watch party series will continue on Saturday, April 27th; starting at 2:00 PM at the Stine Barn in West Des Moines. We will be watching two more episodes of James Burke’s Connections series. Send a note to info@humanistsocietyofiowa.org for more information or with your ideas for future Watch Party programs.

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

Thanks for your support of Faith in Action!

Our partners this church year were FreeStore and Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund. Thanks to your efforts, we provided meaningful support to both organizations. Now it’s time to choose the coming year’s partners.

Faith in Action is seeking nominations for the 2024-25 church year. Two organizations will be selected by the congregation at the annual meeting in June.. The nomination form is available on the church website . The deadline for nominations is Friday 5/3/24 @ 11:59 p.m.

Questions? Contact faithinaction@ucdsm.org

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

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.

Here it is...Your Moment of Zen

Relaxing with Brown Bear under the night sky, Raven asked, "What is the unborn?"

Brown Bear said, "Awesome."

Raven asked, "Is it the same thing as the void?"

Brown Bear asked, "Where does all this come from?"

See the full post HERE.

Who Do I Contact for...?

Please refer to the corresponding email based on your request or inquiry.

Financial Requests: admin@ucdsm.org

Pledge Requests: admin@ucdsm.org

Administrative Requests: admin@ucdsm.org

Communication Requests: communications@ucdsm.org

Building Use Requests: hnotch@ucdsm.org

All Other Inquiries: mgarmon@ucdsm.org

Intercom Weekly Submissions

Deadline: Wednesday @ 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!

Helpful Hints:

• 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

• 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. Please contact the office for more information.