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

515-244-8603

Courage

with Rev. Meredith Garmon

We are built, it seems, to be creatures of both aspiration and fear.

Join the live service on Zoom!

Zoom Passcode: Safford

(Please mute your mic before

the service begins!)



Zoom may not be available.

Join the Board of Trustees in a discussion of the proposed budget for 2024-2025. We will learn what budget the board is proposing for the annual meeting and have a final chance to help structure what the board expects to propose.

The Des Moines Women's Half-Marathon will be taking place the morning of Sunday, May 5th and will go down Fleur, Bell, & Thomas Beck. The race should be off of Thomas Beck by 8:30am, but be prepared in case the race runs late. Click the route maps if you would like more information.

Just a reminder that if you have set up your giving to be automatically paid to the church through PushPay (or your bank) and you are changing your pledge amount, you will need to go back into PushPay (or your bank) and change the amount to be pulled from your account. The pledge you send in just notifies us how much you are pledging. We cannot change your automatic payment for you - You will need to do that. Feel free to contact Tracy Aukes at admin@ucdsm.org if you have any questions.

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.

Barb Glass 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.

Adult Programming

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

• Bird Walks
• Circle Suppers
• Connection Circles
• Metaphysical Awakening Book Study
• UU Wellspring Sacred Earth
• Tai Chi



CONGREGATIONAL LIFE

EVENTS THIS WEEK

So you missed it? Over 70 households raised $9300 at the sale last weekend. Help us reach $10,000 and check out the 11 events with a total of 78 openings. See the updated list and purchase instructions by clicking the button below. Paper copies available in the church gathering area.

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

Volunteer Sustainability Training:

Stop Recruiting, Start Retaining

Saturday, May 4th from 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Large Activity Room

We will meet Saturday mornings: 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.

Grief Support Circle

Thursday, May 9th at 6:30 p.m.

The Grief Support Circle meets monthly on the 2nd Thursday of the month, 6:30 p.m. in the Minister's Office. Our next meeting is Thursday, May 9. This month we'll use as a conversation starter the "Myths, Platitudes, and Uncomfortable Truths about Grief."

Our society is not great at confronting grief. As a result, there is an abundance of unhelpful advice, platitudes, and reactions out there. Perhaps even more unsettling, though, are the things we can’t talk about. What if you feel relief after someone dies? What if losing them also means losing a way of life for you? Let’s lay it all out on the table in a safe, judgement-free zone. Beyond losing a person, what else are you dealing with? What do you wish people would ask you? What do you wish they’d stop saying? We’ll extend ourselves – and others – a hefty dose of grace as we talk through this sticky topic.

Talent Limited/A Monthly Reading Group

Sunday, May 12th at 5:00 p.m.

at The Towers Club

Our small group of would-be thespians has been meeting since June 2023 on the 2nd Sunday of each month. We invite you to join us on Sunday, May 12th, for a play chosen, directed and read by our members. We gather at 5:00 p.m. for a potluck so bring your beverage of choice and something to share. The reading begins at 6:00 and we are usually finished by 7:00 p.m. The event is held in the party room at The Towers Club, 3663 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312. All are welcome!

UU Women's Lunch Bunch

Tuesday, May 14th from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

at Little Brother Restaurant

Please join our monthly women's luncheon held the second Tuesday every month at 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Little Brother, 6587 University Ave, Windsor Heights, IA 50324. It's a great place for lively conversation and connection. RESERVATIONS are required. Please contact admin@ucdsm.orgif you plan to attend.

Unity Circle

Thursday, May 16th at 12:00 p.m.

We will be meeting at noon on Thursday, May 16th, 2024, for lunch and a program. Our speaker will be Josh Mandelbaum - Des Moines City Council Member. Please bring a dish to share, and your own table service and a cup for your beverage. Looking forward to seeing you there!

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 May 5th, when we will be discussing chapters 41 and 42 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.

**2024 Secular Summit

Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 22. The annual Secular Summitt will be held that day at the Stine Barn, starting at 1:00 PM. Join us for an afternoon of discussion with community leaders about the importance of human rights, separation of church and stare, and education. More details and tickets are available here.

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

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

Helps Us Spread the Word!

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

One evening, in a discussion of her personal problems, Raven asked Brown Bear, "What is the role of character in the practice?"

Brown Bear said, "I try to keep my promises."

Raven said, "I try to keep my promises, too, but I'm easily distracted."

Brown Bear said, "The cold wind reminds me."

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.