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

P: 515-244-8603

Being a People of Covenant

with Rev. Garmon

We articulate our covenant in various ways -- but what ultimately holds us together is something more than words can say.





Zoom may not be available for this event. Please consider forming a volunteer Team.

Join the live service on Zoom!

Zoom Passcode: Safford

(Please mute your mic before the service begins!)

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

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

Go in Joy

K-4th Faith Formation

The One Room SchUUlehouse begins again this Sunday for Kindergarten through 4th Grade - during the service!

Your children can stay with you until the Time for All Ages, and then go to their classroom (Room 111 downstairs). Please go there to pick up your child after the service ends at 10:00 a.m.

NEWS THIS WEEK

Start-Up Weekend

September 15 - 16, 2023

Mark your calendar! Bring a dish! Celebrate!

Friday, September 15th - All Congregation

• 6:00 p.m.: Potluck
• 6:45 - 7:00 p.m.: Gathering and Centering
• 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Telling our Story

Saturday, September 16th - Leaders

• 9:15 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Gathering & Programming

To help a congregation and its new minister get off to a solid beginning together, our MidAmerica Region offers to facilitate a “Start-Up Weekend” program.

David Pyle (the Regional Lead and a Congregational Life Consultant with the MidAmerica Regional staff) will be with us on Friday evening, September 15th, and all day Saturday, September 16th. 

Friday evening, David will be leading an all-congregation workshop. All members and friends are cordially invited to come and participate. Please sign up to help set up, clean up, and bring something to share.

The Saturday events are intended to be more focused. There’s a morning workshop for all leaders  (“anyone who identifies themselves as a leader in the congregation,” as David put it), and an afternoon workshop is for just the board and minister. 

mUUvie Discussion Group

Saturday, September 16th at 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Please join the mUUvie discussion group for an outing on Saturday, September 16th! 

We will watch the movie "Cassandro" at the Varsity Theater, then meet at the Drake Diner afterward for food and discussion. "Casandro" follows the true story of the "exotico" character created by Saul Armendariz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso who rose to international stardom.  

The Varsity theater is at 1207 25th St., Des Moines. The Drake Diner is one block away at 1111 25th St. 

The movie time will be posted in the Intercom and First UU Facebook page when available. 

Contact muuvie@ucdsm.org to RSVP and to ask any questions. 

Mabon Potluck Picnic & Donation Drive

Sunday, September 17th at 1:00 p.m.

Embrace the spirit of Mabon with Sacred Bridges CUUPS!

Join our special gathering on September 17th from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., hosted on the serene patio of the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines.

It's not just a picnic, it's a potluck picnic! Bring your favorite autumn dishes to share as we celebrate the bountiful harvest season together. From delicious recipes to heartwarming conversations, this event promises an afternoon of joy and connection.

Let's also make a positive impact on our community by collecting donations for the local food bank. Your contributions, no matter how big or small, can make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Spread the word, invite your friends and family, and let's make this Mabon celebration an unforgettable one!

Event Link: https://fb.me/e/3jlozRjQF

Most Needed Items:

• Protein (peanut butter, canned meat, canned fish)
• Canned fruits
• Canned vegetables
• Canned soup
• Pasta Sauce
• Breakfast items (including cereal)
• 100% fruit juice
• Personal care and paper items (soap, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products etc.)

First Unitarian Humanist Update

** Book Group **

The Humanist book group will return to our fall schedule at 12:00 noon on Sept. 17th, 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 14 and 15 of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself by Sean Carroll.

** Game Day **

You're invited to the Humanist Society Game Day at 2:00 PM on Saturday Sept 23. Meet in the food court at Jordan Creek Town Center, near the fireplace. We will be playing several Science based board games, and you can snack from the food court. We will have a "round robin" where you can earn the title of "Best Player" and some free food! Games will include Nerd Words (Science), In the Footsteps of Darwin, and Labyrinth.

** Iowa City Humanist Group **

You can join the Iowa City UU Secular Humanists at 7:00 PM on Tuesday Sept. 19 via Zoom as they explore the "Humanism" of Secular Humanism. Discuss what it means to be "Humanist." A good Humanist? A good Secular Humanist? Join via Zoom.

Unity Circle

Thursday, September 21st at 12:00 p.m.

We will be meeting Thursday, September 21st, at noon for lunch.

Alice Stewart (Director of Finance & Administration) and Birch Spick (Faith Formation & Congregational Life Coordinator) will be personally guiding us through logging in and exploring a few of the most useful parts of Realm for Unity Circle.

• Bring your laptop, tablet, or other device.
• You will need to be able to access the internet and our email.
• We have free Wi-Fi.

Please bring a dish to share, and your own table service and a cup for your beverage.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

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.

Sacred Bridges CUUPS: Quarterly Bake Sale Fundraiser

Sunday, September 24th at 10:30 a.m.

Indulge in the goodness of our upcoming event! Join us for a quarterly bake sale fundraiser hosted by Sacred Bridges CUUPS.

Let's unite to gather funds for rituals, classes, and thrilling events. Mark your calendar: September 24th, 2023, at the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines. Catch us during the post-service coffee hour from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. To contribute a delectable baked item, simply complete the Google form. Your incredible support truly makes a difference!

Google Form: https://forms.gle/KjLXScWxdZTJ1pXE9

Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/aJ8npI1zh

Family Promise Hosting Fall '23

Help us feed, entertain, transport, and house 3 families on-site in our church for two weeks as they secure housing, September 24-October 8. 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 early if you are new and prefer either of those positions.

Sign up here!

Unable to volunteer, but want to support the program? Funds are always welcome to cover background check costs, purchase of special supplies and miscellaneous needs of the families. Use the Giving link on the website or send a check to the church designated for Family Promise. Thanks!

Also, I am happy to announce that Lori Emison Clair has joined me as a co-coordinator for Family Promise! Thanks, Lori!

Contact Elaine Imlau or Lori Emison Clair at familypromise@ucdsm.org.

Thank you for your consideration!

Ecochallenge

Sunday, October 1st - Tuesday, October 31st

Green Sanctuary is encouraging participation in Drawdown Ecochallenge. Presented by Ecochallenge.org, Drawdown Ecochallenge is a 31-day challenge to take action for a better shared future. It has a game-like format involving accumulating points for your environmental actions. Fun actions encourage new habits. Small steps lead to big change. Together, we build a sustainable world and a healthy planet. It starts October 1. Sally Hartman from Iowa City has created a team for all Iowa UUs which you can join now. The team is called Swine Republic UUs. You can start your own team individually, organize a team for First Unitarian, or join this one and get others to join too. We can go hog wild! Yeah team!

The challenge runs from Sunday, October 1st to Tuesday, October 31st. Let's make a difference!

Join me to see how 31 days of action add up to a lifetime of positive change for you, our community, and the planet.

REGISTER NOW

Coffee with the Board

Sunday, October 1 at 8:30 a.m.

Join the Board for a casual pre-service coffee and conversation.

Stonewall Conference Center

Sunday, September 3rd at 8:30 a.m.

Can't make it in? There's a Zoom for that! Connect here.

(Passcode = 517986, Meeting ID = 870 8033 6863)

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

From The Minister

There are two things to notice, to simultaneously bear in mind, about out mission. One is that we are doing it. We are carrying out this mission - we do grow and are growing, we do serve and are serving, we do love and are loving. The mission is simply descriptive of what we do here.

Yet simultaneously we notice that we haven't yet grown, served, and loved in all ways that we are coming to be able to. The mission calls us forward to ever newer heights. It is not merely descriptive but also prescriptive. We celebrate both what we are and what we yet may be - both our being and our becoming.

Read Full Article

How do I...?

How do I communicate my...?

By using these three methods, we ensure that your message gets to the right people at the right time... every time.

• Intercom = communications@ucdsm.org
• Intercom and More = https://www.ucdsm.org/our-events/
• When in doubt = officestaff@ucdsm.org 

Send your picture, paragraph, and where you want communications posted by noon on Wednesdays.

What happens when I miss a deadline?

Deadlines get missed. It's a fact of life. But when a deadline is missed our staff must work additional hours. Staff hours are VERY limited and we want to stay within budget.

Strike Rally

Sunday, September 17th 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

At last Sunday's forum based on wanting to create a Movement with UUs, Labor, Human and Environmental Rights, Charlie Wishman indicated that it would be helpful if UUs joined the picket line with workers in Newton on Sunday, September 17th at 1:00 p.m.

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.

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.