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Solstice Eve THIS Friday Evening!
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(Thanks to Lia Davis for the post)
Gather with the First Unitarian Denver community on Friday December 20th for Solstice Eve! Everyone is warmly invited to this free community event, which includes a potluck dinner, face painting, and crafts at 5:30 pm. EVERYONE is welcome even if unable to bring a potluck item. The dinner hour will feature live music by SPECTRUM String Ensemble musicians, the advanced ensemble of the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra. At 6:30 pm, we’ll enjoy lively carol singing in the sanctuary, accompanied by Lia Davis on piano, bassist Domi Edson and drummer Bobby Weins. At 7:15 pm, we’ll head upstairs to the chapel for a delightful spiral ritual illuminated by soft lights and accompanied by live music, led by Leslie Harvey. You are welcome to join us for any portion of the evening, or all of it! Although not required, your RSVP will help us know how many to expect. We hope to see you there!
Please consider signing up to volunteer at this event.
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Please join us for our traditional, candle-lit Christmas Eve services in person at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.
Our 5:00 pm service streams to Youtube HERE.
The Giving in Action collection will be to 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 FUSD. 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.
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December 25th Potluck Gathering
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(Thanks to Karen Ray for the post)
Get ready for some Christmas magic! Join us on December 25th at First Unitarian for a festive gathering filled with good cheer, delicious food, and tons of fun.
We’re kicking things off at 11:00 am when the doors swing open, and the potluck buffet extravaganza begins at 11:30 am. We’ll be indulging in the holiday spirit until around 2:00 pm. Can’t wait to celebrate the joy of the season with you!
Contacts for this event are Karen Ray and Lynn Palma.
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Save the Date – 1/12/25 – Congregational Meeting
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(Thanks to Coral Cosway for the post)
Ordination of Lia Davis as Minister of Music!
First Unitarian will hold a special congregational meeting on Sunday, January 12, 2025 at noon in the Sanctuary. At this meeting, our congregation will vote on whether to ordain Lia Davis as our Minister of Music.
In the Unitarian Universalist tradition, the right of ordination, that is, the authority to ordain someone to the ministry, is reserved exclusively for local congregations. The Board of Trustees has authorized a special meeting to consider Lia’s ordination.
Lia has been doing extraordinary music ministry with us for nearly seventeen and a half years. Her musical gifts are obvious and deeply appreciated. She has also demonstrated personal gifts of presence and service far beyond the music she plans and performs. Lia has visited members who were homebound or in nursing homes to play for them. She has nurtured many relationships in the congregation. Also, during the pandemic she broadcast weekly musical improvisational meditations. The congregation has grown to love and trust her for the extraordinary ministry that her presence and music provides.
If the congregation votes to approve Lia’s ordination, it would be a powerful affirmation of her work with our church, changing her job title from Director of Music to Minister of Music. Her ordination would take place in the Spring.
Please plan to attend this special meeting on January 12. Similar to our annual meetings, we need a quorum of First Unitarian members at the meeting in order to vote. This meeting will be streamed with a Zoom link available so that those who wish to vote remotely will be able to do so.
Questions about the special meeting and the proposal to ordain Lia can be directed to Coral Cosway at President@fusden.org or 720-413-6298.
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Lost – Black Zippered Eyeglass Case
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(Thanks to Michael Carr for the post)
Lost on Sunday, December 15th, a black eyeglass case with a zipper on the side. They could be on the sidewalk or in the parking lot that the church uses. If you find them please call Michael Carr at 303-830-2511.
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Hiring – Maintenance/Custodian
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First Unitarian Society of Denver is seeking a part-time Building Custodian (15 hours per week) to join our team starting in January 2025. Please click here to view the full job description.
To apply, submit cover letter and your resume to Rhonda Williamson at office@fusden.org.
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Hiring – Interim Choir Director/Song Leader
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(Thanks to Rev. Mike Morran for the post)
First Unitarian Society of Denver, an urban congregation of over 300 members, is looking to hire a part-time Interim Choir Director/Song Leader for the period of January through May, 2025. Our choir of 20-25 members rehearses weekly, and performs twice each month at Sunday morning services. Experience conducting choirs, and the ability to work collaboratively with a small staff team is essential. This position is approximately 14 hours per week and includes Sunday mornings. Applicants are encouraged to respond as soon as possible. Please send a resume and brief cover letter to Revmorran@gmail.com. A full job description is available HERE
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Shared Housing Opportunity Near First Unitarian and Botanic Gardens
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(Thanks to Marty Dawley for the post)
Would you like to live near First Unitarian and the Botanic Gardens but just can’t afford it? An older member of our congregation has a great apartment with a guest room and adjoining bedroom that he’d like to rent out for a modest rate in exchange for cooking dinner and eating with him most nights and occasional help with laundry, grocery shopping, and getting to church. If you know someone—a retiree, a student, a young professional, or maybe even you who might enjoy a shared housing situation, contact Marty Dawley at martydawley@yahoo.com to discuss the details.
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FUSE Task Force Wants to Hear From You!
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(Thanks to Leslie Harvey for the post)
The First Unitarian Seeking Engagement (FUSE) Task Force is working towards creating a more engaging culture for welcoming new members and visitors to FUSD. We are reaching out to all congregants for your feedback and ideas. If you have suggestions, please click on this form. You do not need to answer all of the questions; simply choose a few that resonate with you. Thank you!
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Leadership Development – Committee Training
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(Thanks to Patrick Whorton and Tess Dieringer for the post)
At the Interconnected Committee meeting last October, we surveyed participants about their interest in leadership development training, and we’re excited to share the next steps!
Church Google Drive Training
Many committees have already been working individually with Rhonda to organize and migrate documents to the church drive, set up access, and understand the basics. This one-on-one approach has proven to be the most effective.
If your committee is interested in learning more, please contact Rhonda directly at office@fusden.org to schedule a convenient session. Ideally, one to three people from your committee should attend. Plan for about one hour, and bring a laptop if possible.
Breeze Training
Rhonda will record and publish two targeted training courses:
- For members at large
- For leadership and committee members
The member-focused training will be ready first, with committee training following in the new year. We’ll keep you updated on publication dates. Huge thanks to Rhonda for her invaluable support!
Upcoming Leadership Training Sessions
The other top interests identified were:
- Running an Effective Meeting
- Managing Conflict
- Team Building
We’ve partnered with Rich Hogeboom, who was introduced at the ICC meeting, to lead these trainings in two interactive sessions:
- Sunday, January 26
- Sunday, February 9
- Both sessions will be held in the Rose Chapel from noon to 2:00–2:30 PM, with light refreshments provided.
Please note: These sessions are interactive and designed for in-person participation, so they won’t be recorded or available virtually.
We hope this advance notice helps all interested committee members attend. Calendar invites will be sent soon, where you can RSVP with the number of attendees from your committee to help us plan accordingly.
Looking Ahead
The Leadership Development Committee is working hard to provide meaningful training and support. We hope these efforts will build committee confidence, foster participation, and support our shared ministry philosophy.
Thank you for your dedication to this community and for being part of this journey with us!
In the spirit of shared ministry,
Patrick and Tess
Co-Chairs, Leadership Development Committee
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Labyrinth
(Thanks to Coral Cosway for the post)
Dennis Grogan and Tina Proctor have generously donated their large labyrinth to our community. Members, friends and visitors of FUSD have experienced walking the labyrinth, as well as expert guidance from Dennis and Tina, during many services and events. We are honored to give this beautiful labyrinth a new home. If you are interested in using it for your event at FUSD, please contact Rhonda Williamson at office@fusden.org. Thank you Dennis and Tina! [photo attached – this is in the sanctuary prior to the renovation]
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FirstAnnounce Can Be Accessed from the Website
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(Thanks to Rhonda Williamson for the post)
If you have missed a FirstAnnounce email or are trying to locate an old one, you can access the archive from our website www.fusden.org. Scroll to the bottom of any page and you will see a heading in yellow titled ‘Useful links’. The fourth option down is ‘FirstAnnounce Archive. It you click on that link a display will appear listing each of the FirstAnnounce issues by month. You can click on the one you would like to view and see the entire newsletter!
Any questions, email office@fusden.org.
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The following cherished individuals will be greatly missed:
- Jane Wasson, a beloved member of First Unitary passed away on November 28. Jane’s husband Ed, passed away in February this year. There will be a joint memorial for Jane and Ed on Saturday, January 25th at 1:00 pm here at First Unitarian of Denver.
- A First Unitarian member since 1989, Beverly Bridges, 94, beloved mother of Susan Robertson, passed away on November 17, 2024. Please hold Beverly’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
- George James, 81, a member of First Unitarian since 2015, died on November 19, 2024. Please hold George’s family and his wife Jayne James close in your hearts. Condolences can be sent to Jayne at 5530 E 17th Ave Parkway, Denver, CO 80220.
- November 22, 2024, saw the passing of our staff custodian and member Rich Stephen. Rich is survived by sons Andre Stephen from Colorado (along with Andre’s mother Barbara Stephen) and Benjamin Stephen from Germany; grandchildren Arthur, Tooma and Robin, and his cherished service dog, Heidi. Condolences can be sent to Andre Stephen, 2694 S Xanadu Way, Unit D, Aurora, CO 80014. There will be a service at a later date.
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The Larger Unitarian Universalist Community
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Unitarian Universalist Holiday Message
The Unitarian Unitarian Association December Newsletter click here.
We Gather With Love: A Holiday Message From UUA President Sofía Betancourt
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Pacific Western Region – Happy Holidays
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The Pacific Western Region of the Unitarian Universalists, Holiday Blog.
The Pacific Western Region staff wish you, your family, and communities a very Happy Holidays! Your presence in our world is a blessing! May the season be a blessing to you!
The UUA will be closed December 20th-January 5th- we will be back at work on January 6th. If there is an emergency, please send an email to your primary contact which will give you who to contact during the holiday or complete our Partnership Activation Request form.
If you would like to start thinking about 2025 consider checking out our Community Resilience Hub. It has great resources, tools, and general support for your congregation and community.
We will bring more opportunities for connection and support in the new year with our spring program: Responding to Now: A PWR Series which will have one session each month on a topic responding to the challenges of our current times.
May you find love and connection this holiday season!
Sunshine, Hara, Melanie, Mylo, Melissa, Sam, Sarah, Summer, and Tania
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UUCW Trip to NYC
(Thanks to Kathy Glatz for the post)
UN Spring Seminar During Commission on Status of Women (CSW). March 15-16, 2025 in NYC
Led by International Convocation of UU Women (ICUUW) deadline registration:1/15/25.
Zoom session on Friday, Dec 6, 10 am EST which will give you more information and offer a chance to ask questions about the seminar, CSW, and registration.
Email questions to springseminar2025@icuuw.
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