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Sunday Worship
August 30, 2026
at 10:30 am
The Cost of Silence
Rev. Mike Morran
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Join us on August 30th at 10:30 am. In this age of (arguably fading) #MeToo, we’ll consider the personal and social cost of not speaking out.
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We warmly invite you to join us in person, or if you prefer, you can also participate online. We look forward to seeing you there!
Our service streams at 10:30 am to Youtube and Zoom (meeting ID is 466-677-668 and the password is 454623).
Join us for coffee in the Community Room after the service.
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Children’s Religious Exploration Programming
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Religious Exploration News
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(Thanks to Leslie Harvey, for the post)
Mark your calendars and RSVP for our start of the school year activities at First Unitarian:
*September 12th (4:00-700PM): ReUUnion- a fun, free, fabulous, all-ages community celebration. We’ll gather in the community room at 4 pm for drinks, snacks, face painting, and more. We’ll move to the sanctuary for PrevUU – a song-based preview of our FUSD 2026 – 2027 church year. Dinner will be provided! Around 6 PM, we’ll enjoy a taco bar with options for various dietary needs, followed by ice cream sundaes! Please RSVP
*September 13th: Intergenerational Service Ingathering/Water Ceremony. We will be back to two services at 9:15 and 11:00. All congregants are invited to bring water to add to the communal water jars.
*September 20th: RE classes resume during first service at 9:15 (Preschool-5th)– Please enroll your children here. Backpack Blessing: your child can bring their school backpack for a special UU tradition.
*September 20th: OWL Classes start for 2nd/3rd graders 10:45-12:00: You must enroll your child before Aug. 28 using this link.
Interested in serving on the RE Sunday Morning Team? Sign up here! We are looking for more volunteers to get involved in the following ways:
- greeter at the Family Sign-in table before the service
- teacher’s helper in Preschool, Primary, or Intermediate classroom
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First Unitarian Events Coming Soon
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Revised and Amended First Unitarian Church Bylaws
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(Thanks to Laura Mueller for the post)
The congregation will be voting on the revised by-laws on October 11th, 2026. In preparation for that meeting, educational forums will be held on August 30th, and September 27th of this year after the second church service. At least one member of the by-laws task force and of the board of trustees will be present for each of these sessions. Please review the attached revised bylaws, and bring any questions.
Proposed amended bylaws
Decision Rationale (Blue Book).
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Resonance: Contemplative Evening Service & Potluck Dinner
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(Thanks to Lia Davis)
Our next Resonance service is Wednesday, September 2nd. Resonance is a monthly contemplative worship service at First Unitarian Denver led by Rev. Lia Davis. Held on the first Wednesday of the month (September through May) at 6:00 pm, Resonance offers quiet music, guided meditation, readings, poems, and time for shared silent reflection. Please bring a dish to share for a potluck supper following the service at 6:30 in the community room – all are welcome! If you are interested in helping set up or clean up, please contact Lia Davis.
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Join us for ReUUnion 2026!
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(Thanks to Lia Davis)
Let’s kick off First Unitarian Denver’s Ingathering weekend with a party on September 12th! Join us for ReUUnion – a fun, free, fabulous, all-ages community celebration at First Unitarian Denver. We’ll gather in the community room at 4 pm for drinks, snacks, face painting, and games. Around 5:00, we’ll move to the sanctuary for PrevUU – a song-based preview of our FUSD 2026 – 2027 church year, featuring our amazing FUSD musicians. Dinner will be provided! Around 6 PM, we’ll enjoy a taco bar with options for various dietary needs, followed by ice cream sundaes.
Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 8th, so we have a head count for dinner.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you! RSVP today:
Want to help out? Become a volunteer! Sign up here
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SoUUlful Living at First Unitarian Denver!
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(Thanks to Mike Morran for the post)
How does one live a spiritual life as a Unitarian Universalist? This class in four sessions will explore and answer that question. Facilitated by Rev. Mike Morran, we will explore the core propositions of UU theology, and introduce/practice the spiritual disciplines of our tradition both individually and as a group. Class will meet Wednesday evenings, September 23rd through October 14th, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Seekers, members, the curious, and the skeptical are ALL welcome!
Participation is free, but you must pre-register with Rev. Mike; revmorran@gmail.com.
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Seeking Hosts for our next SoUUful Potlucks
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(Thanks to Leslie Harvey, for the post)
Interested in hosting a potluck in your home on October 24th? You choose the meal- BrUUnch, LUUnch, or SUUper- coordinate the plan with your assigned 4-6 guests, open up your home to others looking for connection over a shared meal, and let the magic unfold.
Sign up with this form by Sept 12th. We’ll reach out with details about logistics a few weeks before the October 24th date.
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OWL Offered to 2nd and 3rd Graders September to November
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Our Whole Lives (OWL) Program to be offered in the fall of 2026 for 2nd and 3rd graders. This program offers comprehensive, age-appropriate, and values-based sexuality education in a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment.
OWL is guided by the following two principles: parents and caregivers have primary responsibility for their children’s sexuality education and sexuality education happens through open and honest communication among adults and their children.
Please complete this form to reserve your child’s spot. Enrollment is limited to ensure a high-quality experience, with a minimum of 8 students and a maximum of 12 students per class. Early registration is encouraged, as classes will only be held if minimum enrollment is met.
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DON’T PANIC! It was time to clean up the name tag wall, as it was bursting at the seams. It looks very different and it might take you a minute to find your name tag on Sunday morning.
Blue name tags, based on the current list of members, are on the wall in alphabetical order. White name tags, visitors and friends, were removed so that we can ascertain who is still attending regularly. All white name tags will be alphabetized on tables near the name tag wall. After the service, you can add your white name tag to the alphabetized name tag wall.
If you cannot find your name tag, we apologize in advance! Please email Leslie at msleslie@fusden.org and she will help you find it or will create a new name tag for you. Additionally, if you would like to update your name tag, you can reach out to Leslie for assistance.
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(Thanks to Cindy Robertson, for the post)
CALLING ALL COOKS! Many of the cooks who have made the food items for ReUUion in the past will not be in town for ReUUion this year. If you can make a crock pot of beans, pulled chicken or pork for ReUUion this year on September 12, please contact Cindy Robertson. Recipes will be provided.
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(Thanks to Wyatt Smith, for the post)
Chalice Singers is back for the 2026-27 season! We welcome all singers, no experience required! Chalice Singers meets every Wednesday evening in the Chapel from 7-8:45 p.m. If you would like to drop by and check it out, come join us! Rehearsals are open to all community members and singing on Sunday is not required, though we would love to have you join us!
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August is Make-A-Will Month
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(Thanks to Nancy Crow, for the post)
August is Make-a-Will Month, a time to think about the importance of estate planning and leaving a lasting legacy for the people and organizations you love. Plan now to
-Protect your loved ones by naming guardians for children or pets
-Document your wishes for property and personal belongings.
-Establish healthcare directives and powers of attorney.
-Coordinate beneficiary designations for retirement accounts and life insurance policies.
When you name our beloved church community in your estate plan, you become a member of the First Unitarian Legacy Society. If you’ve provided for First Unitarian in your estate plan but haven’t yet notified us, please contact our Stewardship Coordinator, Ellory Boyd, stewardship@fusden.org. For more information about legacy giving, see this FAQ sheet.
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Sunday Stewards : Love In Action. Small acts. Big Impact!
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(Thanks to Leslie Harvey, for the post)
Looking for a way to get involved, support this beloved community, and make some new friends? We’ve made it easier than ever! Instead of multiple sign-up genius links, you’ll now find one Sunday Stewards sign-up where you can explore all the ways to share your time, talents, and heart on any given Sunday morning.
Join the Sunday Morning UU Crew! Because church isn’t something we attend—it’s something we create together. Every smile at the door, every cup of coffee, every lesson, every note of music—it all adds up. It takes countless volunteers every Sunday to create two meaningful services. And serving alongside someone is one of the easiest ways to make a new friend.
Whether you can greet someone with a smile at the Welcome Table, help set up coffee hour, or lend a hand at the Visitor’s Kiosk, every contribution helps build the welcoming, vibrant community we all cherish at FUSD. You don’t have to do everything—just one thing, once a quarter.
Take a look at our new streamlined Sunday Stewards signup genius, find something that sparks your interest, and join us in putting our shared values into action!
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Pastoral Prayer Request Form
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First Unitarian is a church built on love and communal care. Each Sunday, we share aloud the joys and sorrows of our lives.
If you would like a joy or sorrow included in the pastoral prayer during our Sunday morning worship services, please submit this form.
By submitting this form, you give your permission to have your prayer request(s) read aloud by one of our worship leaders. Submitting this form also gives our worship leaders permission to lightly edit submissions or summarize items, if needed.
Note: All First Unitarian worship services are streamed and available for later viewing via YouTube. Do not submit any requests that contain compromising information!
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Last Chance for ‘Second Chance’ Auction Events!
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(Thanks to Helen Berkman for the post)
Three House Concerts and a Board Meet & Greet are still available, but not for long. Contact Helen Berkman to sign up through “Second Chance Auction”! We can’t keep public bidding open because we have closed the books, and the fiscal year, and we no longer check the website once the auction is over. But just ask Helen at h.berkman1@gmail.com and she will sign you up.
Featured Event:
Saturday August 29. Meet the Board – a Wine and Hors d’oeuvres Gathering. The Board wants to meet you socialize, and get your feedback! Only $20 (or $10 if you are a new member of less than two years). 4:00 to 6:00 pm. at Laura Mueller’s home, in Central Park.
House Concerts:
–Sunday, August 30 at 4:00 pm, Backyard Concert with “Lafayette”. Enjoy great music and delicious eats in Lila Laux’ beautiful backyard.
–Saturday, Sept 19 at 5:00 pm, Highline Crossing at Tess and Ed’s. A spirited night of music, remembrance, and shared purpose as we gather for an evening of classic music from the 60s and 70s.
–Saturday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. at the Hahn residence in Central Park. Power Ballads Unplugged! Powerhouse singers Erica Trisler, Nichole Srott, Alisha Bashaw, and Lacey Hochman will deliver power and emotion as they sing some of the best power ballads from the past fifty years.
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(Thanks to Middle East Justice Project for the post)
Join the First Unitarian Denver Middle East Justice Project on Sunday, September 6 from 12-1pm in the Chapel following Sunday service for an interactive teach-in to learn more about what is happening on the ground as well as the shifts in American politics when it comes to Palestine.
Our teach-in facilitators:
Michael Kengmana is a special education teacher, born and raised in New York City where he has spent most of his life. He has taught in public schools in New York City, non-profit programs supporting adults to learn English and improve their literacy skills, summer programs for high schoolers in Palestine, and he is currently teaching as a special education learning specialist at a high school here in Denver. Michael was also recently ordained as a Rabbi in December 2024 and is continuing to learn more about the meaning of spirituality in these times we live in. He hopes to weave his experiences teaching and learning into the work of creating a Judaism beyond Zionism as part of the larger human work of building a more caring and compassionate world that remembers to include everyone.
Karim Mattar is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Colorado at Boulder. A descendant of survivors of the Palestinian Nakba of 1948, he works at the intersection of Palestine studies, the humanities, and higher education. He is currently at work on Writing the Catastrophe: Trauma and Responsibility Across Generations, a book which interweaves personal experience, family history, cultural critique, and political analysis to tell a multigenerational, transcontinental story of responsibility to Palestine, with a special emphasis on American higher education during the genocide. Also a dedicated community organizer, Karim works at the local, state, and national levels to enhance public awareness and understanding of Palestinian literature, history, and politics and to advocate for the liberation of Palestine.
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High Holidays – Denver/Boulder Jewish Voice for Peace
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(Thanks to Michael Kengmana for the post)
Denver/Boulder Jewish Voice for Peace is holding its annual anti-Zionist and non-Zionist friendly services in Denver for High Holidays 5787/2026. We are celebrating and grieving another year of struggle passed, as a community, in community. The High Holy Days call on us to do the work of Teshuvah, which often is interpreted as “Repentance,” but also comes from the root meaning “Return.” In these difficult times, it can be hard to think about what we are supposed to “return” to. This High Holy Days we gather to return to the possibility of tomorrow and the creation of the liberated world of our dreams.
In the spirit of building Judaism beyond Zionism and furthering the process of Teshuva, we invite you all to join us on the following dates
Rosh Hashanah Saturday, September 12th from 10:00am – 12:00pm
Evening of Yom Kippur Sunday, September 20th from 6:00pm – 8:30pm
Both of these dates will be hosted at First Unitarian Denver.
We welcome everyone regardless of faith, identity, background, or familiarity with the High Holidays and Judaism. The High Holidays are a time of moral accounting, a measurement of both progress and error. We invite you to join the Erev Rav, the mixed multitudes, in tikkun olam, the repair of the world.
Please RSVP with the link to come. If you have any questions feel free to contact Michael Kengmana at kengmanam@gmail.com
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FUSD Immigration Project Meeting
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(Thanks to Julie Meyers for the post)
Join us on September 13th after the 2nd Service, 12:15-1:45, in the upstairs chapel to learn about some of the pressing Immigration issues in our community. If you’re interested in becoming more informed or you’d like to find ways to engaged, this meeting is for you. No prior meetings/knowledge needed. There will be some light snacks. Come check us out!
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City Wide Abolish ICE event
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(Thanks to Linda Nabours for the post)
Denver IPT and IDA, with the FUSD Immigrant Project’s endorsement, are asking community and church members to simply step outside their doors on September 3 @ 6PM! Declare “Abolish ICE!” , make signs, perhaps do some sidewalk art and choose from other suggested actions noted on the flyer. We would love if members wanted to distribute flyers before the event and a color quarter-sized 2-sided flyer is available if you email Linda. Remember colored copies are free at Denver Public Libraries.
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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
This week, the baby is going through a transformation. The baby’s hand and legs have been modified to give more presence. The curvature of the baby’s bottom gives the suggestion of a diaper and the flow of the back. The woman’s scrubs have been tailored in as well.
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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Local Unitarian Universalist Churches and Community
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The Larger Unitarian Universalist Community
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Pacific Western Region UUA – Newsletter – August 2026
View the August newsletter here.
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