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Sunday Worship,
December 14th, 2025
at 10:30 am
Lifesaving Love
Michael DeSantis, Ministerial Resident
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Join us on December 14th at 10:30 am. Our UU faith puts love at the center and it’s not a stretch to say that love—genuine, other-focused love—can, in some cases, save lives. Where is that kind of lifesaving love needed in our world today?
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Children’s Religious Exploration Programming
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(Thanks to Leslie Harvey for the post)
Youth group will meet in the teen space in the basement during the service on December 14th, so please send your middle and high schoolers our way!
Winter Solstice Eve will be held on Saturday December 20th from 4:00-7:00 this year. We will have a face painter, an all-ages coloring poster, and *new* a family friendly spiral lighting ceremony before the traditional spiral lighting. More details and link to RSVP coming soon.
Please join us for a festive Christmas pageant during our All Ages service on December 21st! This year’s interactive, no-rehearsal show invites everyone to relax, participate, and enjoy the fun. To make things extra comfy and cozy, we encourage everyone to come to church in your pajamas!
Think UU Know The Christmas Story? Experience the birth of Jesus as you’ve never seen it before—through the imaginative lens of UU storytelling. Come for a joyful, light-hearted, and participatory Christmas pageant filled with music, laughter, and plenty of audience cues. If you’re ready for a spirited service with a wink, join us on December 21st!
RE Food and Hygiene Drive! Let’s live our UU SHARED VALUE OF GENEROSITY and help local families by donating food and hygiene products to Metro Caring. Please bring your donations to the wagon near the front door.
No RE Classes will be held on Sunday December 28th.
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UU Children Singing Service Project
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(Thanks to Charlotte Braud-Kern for the post)
Your child is invited to lift their voice with other singers from the First Unitarian Society of Denver, Jefferson Unitarian and First Universalist to sing in a special performance of holiday music for the residents of Sunrise Senior Living in Denver!
Let’s share the joy of the season through song and community!
When: Saturday, December 13
● Rehearsal & Pizza Lunch: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 Lafayette St., Denver
● Performance: 1:30 PM
Sunrise Senior Living, 251 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80246
What to Bring: A snack and a water bottle
What to Wear: Festive holiday clothes—or anything that makes you feel cheerful and comfortable!
Parent Notes: Singers can be dropped off at FUSD at 11:00 AM. Parents are asked to accompany their children to the performance or help arrange a carpool for the 1:00 PM departure at performance at Sunrise.
Let’s make this a joyful afternoon of music, friendship, and community spirit!
Please RSVP with Charlotte Braud-Kern at charlottebraudkern@gmail.com
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First Unitarian Events Coming Soon
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Lunch Bunch – Friday, December 12th at Noon
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Everyone is invited to our monthly potluck, Lunch Bunch, on the second Friday of the month. This month we meet on Friday December 12th We gather at First Unitarian Society of Denver around 11:45 a.m. to set up, and we generally ring the lunch bell at noon. If you don’t have more than an hour, just come at noon and join us. The food is always delicious, and the company is stimulating.
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(Thanks to Rev. Lia Davis for the post)
Gather with the First Unitarian Denver community on Saturday, December 20th from 4 – 7 pm for Solstice Eve! Everyone is warmly invited to this free community event, which includes face painting, an all-ages coloring poster, and warm drinks in the community room at 4 pm; lively carol singing with a jazz band at 4:30 in the sanctuary; a potluck dinner at 5:15 (EVERYONE is welcome, even if unable to bring an item to the potluck); and a family-friendly light spiral ritual in the upstairs chapel at 5:45, followed by a traditional light spiral at 6:15. Please RSVP by December 16. We hope to see you there! and consider signing up for a short volunteer slot to help the evening run smoothly.
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Annual Pageant – Think UU Know The Christmas Story?
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Experience the birth of Jesus as you’ve never seen it before—through the imaginative lens of UU storytelling. Come for a joyful, light-hearted, and participatory Christmas pageant filled with music, laughter, and plenty of audience cues. If you’re ready for a spirited service with a wink, join us on December 21st!
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Join us on December 24th for our traditional, candle-it Christmas Eve services at 5 PM and 7 PM as we reflect on Drawing Near to Humanity. (Details ➡️ click here)
🎁 This year’s Giving in Action collection supports Metro Caring.
🍪 Do you love the sweets that arrive in your home at Christmas but really don’t want too many hanging around after Christmas? Bring any extras or your favorite cookie or treat to the Christmas Eve services at First Unitarian. If you would like to bring fruit or something savory instead of sweet, all manner of edibles are welcome. Just drop them off in the kitchen before the service. We will eat and be merry after each service
📺 Our 5pm service will also have a livestream option via YouTube HERE (the 7pm service is in-person only).
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(Thanks to Colleen Bryan for the post)
Let’s Talk Homesharing… and Share a Lunch! Sunday, January 4, 2026 11:45 am-2:00 pm at First Unitarian. Sign up here or email caring@fusden.org that you’re attending so we bring enough lunch..
We tend to think of homelessness as a remote problem facing other people. But affordable sustainable housing challenges stability for our own families, neighbors, and friends. Meanwhile, millions of bedrooms sit empty every night. And loneliness is an epidemic across age spectra and social classes throughout our increasingly segmented society.
On January 4 the Caring Committee is hosting Stephanie Firestone, an urban planner who worked extensively with the American Association of Retired Persons in Washington, D.C. Stephanie will tell us about innovative home-sharing ideas that work around the world. She will also gather our ideas about what might work in our Denver community. This can be a nitty-gritty discussion about barriers that exist and incentives or investments that can make home-sharing viable. She will report those ideas to the Denver Regional Council of Governments as input to their efforts to create affordable housing options. We’ll provide lunch and the speaker; you bring the lively conversation. Calendar this as one of your first efforts in the new year to strengthen the foundations of community for all of us!
For more information, click here.
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Souulful Potluck Hosts for January 31rst
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(Thanks to Susan Riederer for the post)
Our next Souulful Potluck date is Saturday, January 31st. If you are able and interested in hosting a small group (5-7) in your home, please contact Susan Riederer at sjriederer@comcast.net. The potlucks are held throughout the day depending on the wish of the host.
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Auditions Sign Up Open for SoUUl Stage!
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Get ready—the next big musical adventure is about to begin, and we want YOU to be part of it! “Anthem: Where the Light Gets In” – A musical about a group of ordinary people who stumble into an extraordinary awakening—one that reveals the light we carry, and the parts of ourselves we forgot.
Whether you love to perform, work behind the scenes, or just try something new, there’s a place for you on (or behind) the stage. Not into performing? Mark your calendars and come enjoy the show!
Everyone’s welcome—young or young-at-heart, families, first-timers, and theater veterans alike. Join us as we create something unforgettable together!
Learn about the show, sign up for an audition or join the crew now on our Souul Stage Webpage.
Make memories, friends, and magic with SoUUl Stage.
Important Dates
Auditions: January 11 (everyone gets a part)
Rehearsals: Start February 17, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (not all participants attend every rehearsal)
Show: April 17–18, 2026 at First Unitarian Society of Denver
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Looking for a Sofa and a Queen Bed Frame
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(Thanks to Julie Meyers for the post)
One of the Venezuelan families we’ve been helping recently moved to a new apartment. They are looking for a few particular items – a sofa and a queen size bed frame and possibly a box spring. They have a mattress. If you have any of these items and you’re able to part with them, please send me a photo and their measurements. Thanks!
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(Thanks to the Connections Committee for the post)
If you would like to receive a weekly newsletter which is sent by email, please fill out this information for our records. The newsletter gives you information about the upcoming service and other events and activities at our church. Click here.
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(Thanks to the Leslie Harvey for the post)
Looking for a way to give back that doesn’t involve committees, spreadsheets, or public speaking? Click here to volunteer to keep our coffee hour up and running! You will sign up with a team of 2-4 others when it works with your schedule- you can serve once a month, once a quarter, or whatever you can.
It’s an easy, meaningful way to nourish community — and maybe sneak the first cookie!
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Immigration Committee Meeting and Training
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(Thanks to Elisabeth Arenales for the post)
Please join us at noon on December 14 in the Chapel for our monthly Immigration Committee meeting and a training. Linda Nabours and Dana Miller will train us on what to do if you see ICE.
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Social Justice Popup Table: Make Your Holiday Dollars Make a Difference!
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(Thanks to Karen Derrick-Davis for the post)
This Sunday, stop by the Social Justice Popup Table to learn about shopBIPOC.com!
As you shop this holiday season, invest in our local BIPOC community! ShopBIPOC.com (shopbipoc.com) offers a list of over 700 vendors of goods and services in the Denver area. From soaps to sweets, there is so much to find. Search by zip code or item. I can personally vouch for SweetSweetz (sweetsweetz.com) for pies and treats! Check out Soap Charmers (soapcharmers.com) for handmade soaps, bath salts and more.
Come by the Social Justice Popup Table to learn more!
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Volunteer at a Firearms Safe Disposal Event
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(Thanks to Julie Meyers for the post)
Be a part of reducing the number of firearms in the greater Denver area! This is a well run event by two organizations – Guns to Gardens and Raw Tools. The firearms are surrendered and sawed into pieces on site, then later melted down to make garden tools. Details – Saturday, Dec 13th from 10-2:00 (volunteers arrive earlier to review roles) at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch. Sign up at mailto:https://www.givepulse.com/event/700329
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(Thanks to Randle Loeb for the post)
Each December, the Denver community comes together on the longest night of the year to honor those neighbors who passed away in the preceding year while experiencing homelessness. For 36 years, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has hosted this event in honor of those who have died. For many, this will be the only service to mark their death.
Please join us from 4:00 – 5:30 PM on Sunday, December 21st outside the Denver & City County building located at 1437 Bannock Street with the vigil program beginning at 4:30 PM, as the sun goes down. In addition to the program, luminary memorials will be placed outside the City & County building, each with the name of an unhoused neighbor who passed. Light refreshments will be provided.
For the 2025 Vigil, the Coalition is also proud to partner with the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project, which is both an art installation and an opportunity for generous blanket makers to knit, crochet, and quilt a gift of warmth for neighbors far and wide who are experiencing homelessness. This year, hundreds of handmade blankets will be displayed near the Denver Vigil to raise awareness about homelessness. After the event, the blankets will be immediately distributed to people in need. Learn more about this partnership and how you can donate blankets here. Beginning at 1PM on Bannock Street near the City & County Building, visitors can come view the display of blankets representing acts of kindness and generosity from across the country.
RSVP your attendance here.
Sunday, December 21, 2025,
In front of the City & County Building of Denver,
4:00 PM – 5:30PM
4:30 PM Program
Blanket display beginning at 1:00 PM
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Climate Justice Book Talk
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(Thanks to Peggy Ulrich-Nims for the post)
The First Unitarian Denver Climate Justice Project is excited to announce a Sunday January 18, 2026 noon hour book discussion of Zak Podmore’s 2025 book LIFE AFTER DEAD POOL about the Colorado River and the declining water level in Lake Powell. We will likely schedule a duplicate evening zoom meeting, also in January.
Books will be available in the FUSD Community Room on Sundays in early December. Please obtain a copy of the book and begin your reading journey.
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Freedom of Speech – Community Art Project
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(Thanks to Nina Nadeau for the post)
Presented by the Democracy Action Team
Artist: Nina Nadeau
The canvas has returned to Nina’s studio. Here is this week’s progress.
Once finished, the painting will be displayed at the church and auctioned to support legal organizations defending Freedom of Speech. For more information, contact Nina Nadeau at ninanadeau01@gmail.com or visit www.galdarastudio.com.
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Support Social Justice when Ordering Foods for Events!
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The Larger Unitarian Universalist Community
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