FirstAnnounce – February 25, 2024

Sunday Worship, February 25th, 2024

at 10:30 am

Growing Together, Giving Together

Rev. Mike Morran

Join us on
Sunday, February 25th at 10:30 am.
A exploration of the highs, lows, and transcendent purpose of liberal religious community in 2024. Stewardship Sunday.

We extend a warm invitation to you to join
us in person, or if you prefer, you can also participate online.

Our service streams 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.

Middle East Justice Group

(Thanks to
Arnie Carter
for the post)

The Middle East Justice group meets every
Sunday 9:30 am
in the Chapel. Everyone welcome and wanted.

Please read this article from the Unitarian Universalist web site regarding the UUA call for a Ceasefire in Gaza, click
here
.

Announcements

 

First Unitarian Stewardship Campaign Needs You!

It’s that time of the year again – our annual stewardship campaign is getting underway. This year’s theme is “Growing Together, Giving Together.” This theme expresses what we are all about.

After several years of dealing with the many challenges that occurred due to the COVID pandemic, our church community has come back together stronger and more prepared for our future. Church programs are up and running, and the sanctuary chairs are filling up each Sunday. This is the perfect time for all of us to renew our commitment to this shared community, through our willingness to contribute time and financial resources so it can thrive.

The annual stewardship campaign is the primary funding source that supports our amazing staff, building, programming and everything else that happens at First Unitarian. It’s what enables us to carry out our congregational vision – for our Church community and the critical justice work we do to support the greater Denver community.

Stewardship Sunday is scheduled for
February 25th
. I am asking you to think about what your volunteer and financial commitment to First Unitarian will look like for the coming year before that date. When your stewardship ambassador reaches out in late February, please connect with them. They not only want to help you through the stewardship process, they also want your feedback about First Unitarian and how we can make this community an even better source of connection, spirituality and belonging.

Let’s create a future the way our congregation always has – growing together and giving together.

If you have questions about this year’s stewardship campaign, feel free to ask your stewardship ambassador or reach out to the Stewardship Council at
stewardship@fusden.org
.

Miriam’s Book Table is Proud to Feature…

(Thanks to
Nan Wigington
for the post)

“Grief” by Ingrid Porter. As the Studio Vagabondia website states, “The story begins with a single tear. More tears fall, pool, and eventually fill the frame. A (purposefully) too-long period of full-dark pages follow. Just when the dark seems overwhelming, a single star appears that shifts the viewer’s perception of the darkness as an ocean-of-tears to a gentler dark of night-sky. Slowly, stars return. Clouds come, but then dissipate. A long-awaited dawn finally brings the promise of light.” Find this necessary book and more at Miriam’s Coffee Hour Book Table.

New Congregational Projects and Initiatives

(Thanks to
J
ohn Vivian for the post)

Your Faith In Action Council members are available to discuss ideas for Projects to be considered and potentially be officially proposed for a vote at First Unitarian Congregational Meeting
Sunday June 2nd
. The other possibility is an Initiative which still is a worthy endeavor, however does not have the same process or level of benefits of a Project. Please reach out to us via
fiac@fusden.org
. We look forward to answering your questions, hearing about your ideas and exploring the possibilities!

Giving in Action

(Thanks to
Arnie Carter
for the post)

The Giving in Action Committee is looking for some folks to help us out. This is a joyful committee to work on as it’s fulfilling to see and work the groups and people doing good work in our community. We meet by zoom five or six times a year and share the load. Contact Arnie Carter at
merrill_a_c@msn.com
if ya want to give us a try.

The Little Black Book

(Thanks to
Patrick Whorton
for the post)

If you’re interested in supporting the Black community in Denver, check out the Little Black Book. This handy guide lists businesses of all types, including services and restaurants, owned and operated by people in Denver’s black community. Click
here
.

First Unitarian Events Coming Soon

Join Us this SATURDAY for Rajdulari!

(Thanks to
Lia Davis
for the post)

Join us this
Saturday evening, February 24th at 7pm
, as vocalist Rajdulari (original contemporary jazz) performs in our sanctuary with Peter Stoltzman (piano), Bijoux Barbosa (bass), and Josh Beyers (drums).
Online tickets are available through Friday evening
; tickets will also be available in person before the show. If you are unable to attend in person, you can
watch the livestream
. A portion of the proceeds from this concert will benefit
The Kaleidoscope Project
; this organization assists forward thinking organizations by training and dispatching people of color who represent underserved populations to go back into their communities to do advocacy work on behalf of those organizations. Support The Kaleidoscope Project by donating cookies, fruits, or snacks (homemade or store-bought) which will be served at the concert intermission alongside donation baskets. All donations collected will benefit The Kaleidoscope Project. If you would like to donate a refreshment,
please sign up here
.

Justice in Israel and Palestine: An Introductory Course

This community course aims to give participants an introduction to Palestine, Israel, and the current crisis in Gaza. Our sessions will include small group discussions, critical examination of text and media, short lectures, and creative ways to reflect and internalize our learnings. Through learning together, we aim to build a community capable of deep conversations and informed decision making around the current crisis in Gaza.

Class will be held at First Unitarian, Denver (1400 Lafayette St, Denver, CO 80218) on
Monday nights from 7-9pm on Feb 26th, March 4th, and March 11th
. Please expect an additional hour of reading, watching, and reflection to prepare for each session.

Register for the class at:
https://forms.gle/emxEts5wyYZ6SuD37

Instructors include professors of Middle East Studies, activists, and community members.

Contact Eric Kollwitz at
kollwitz.professional.solutions@gmail.com
for more information.

Racial Justice Project – Spring Read

(Thanks to
Patrick Whorton
for the post)

It’s not too late to join the discussion of the Racial Justice Project’s spring book read, Black on Black, written by Daniel Black, an author and professor of African American studies at Clark Atlanta University. This book, in fourteen short chapters, offers a queer, intersectional perspective on racial justice issues; each chapter examines a different issue. The discussion will be organized around three readings, once a month: Intro-page 88 on
February 28
; pages 89-158 on
March 27
; pages 159-end
April 24
. All discussions will be via zoom from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Participants must register to participate by emailing Patrick Whorton at
pwhorton@gmail.com
who will then send you a zoom link and some discussion guidelines. You may join one, two or all three of the discussions.

Community Is A Spiritual Practice – A deep dive into the longing for belonging.

(Thanks to
Rev. Mike Morran
for the post)

Wednesday evenings,
March 6, 13, 20, and 27, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m
.

This class of four sessions will explore the need, the joy, the frustrations, and the skills of human community. Facilitated by Rev. Mike Morran, we will learn, laugh, and grow together, engaging the spiritual, emotional, and experiential truths of sustaining relationships with diverse people. All are welcome, but you must pre-register by emailing
Revmorran@gmail.com
by
Tuesday, March 5th
.

A Movie Series for Grownups: Let’s Talk About Sex (and its consequences), Baby!

(Thanks to
Jane Ashley
for the post)

Join us for a movie, and the deep dive into a thoughtful discussion. We’ve been moved to tears and lots of laughter at our first two screenings, especially in the conversation after the movie, when we have shared some of our own stories. The film “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” (winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival) will be shown as the third offering in the RJ Initiative’s film series. Not Rated, Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%. It will be shown at the home of Jane Ashley in Denver. There’s room for 12 people in her TV room, with a large screen for viewing. It will be shown on
Tuesday, March 12, at 6 pm
. Please RSVP to Jane at
jane.ashley52@gmail.com
. She’ll send you her address.

The fourth movie in the series will be shown on
Tuesday, April 2
: “Lingui.”

Community

Sunday Funday with Soul 2 Soul Sisters

Get ready for Sunday Funday with Soul 2 Soul Sisters the whole month of April! This Spring, we’re planting seeds of liberation with four inspiring sessions of Facing Racism.
Register today

Facing Racism is led by the Soul 2 Soul Sisters Leadership Team, Rev. Dr. Tawana Angela Davis, Courtney Anika and Ash Ferguson. We’ll join together virtually for four juicy sessions filled with poetry, music, articles, books and videos.

Virtual Session Dates:
April 7th, April 14th, April 21st, April 28th

Session Times: 4:00 – 7:00 PM (MST)

Registration Fee: $599

Link to Register

Deadline to Register is March 31st

 Partial scholarships and payment plans available for all registrants. Please contact info@soul2soulsisters.org for more information.

Thank you for your consideration and investment. We hope that you will invest in our collective liberation, by registering today.

In Divine Peace, Love, & Power, Your Facing Racism Facilitators,

Courtney Anika, Associate Director of Organizational Wellness

Rev. Tawana Angela Davis, PhD, Co-Founder & Executive Director

Ash Ferguson, Associate Director of Programs & Community Wellness

Registration Open for Pacific Western Regional Assembly – April 19th and 20th

t’s time to get together!

Registration is open for our Pacific Western Regional Assembly this
April 19th and 20th!  

People can attend either in person, at
First Universalist in Denver
, or remotely. We are planning a family friendly event and children are welcome. This is a great chance to connect with our larger faith and connect with new and old friends.

Stay up to date on all the PWR RA Plans
here
.

2024 General Assembly Registration is Now Open!

Represent us at the UUA General Assembly!
 The Unitarian Universalist Association’s (UUA) national meeting of UU congregations is an all-virtual event this year. You can participate from the comfort of your own couch from
June 20-23, 2024
.

 As a member congregation of the UUA, First Unitarian Society of Denver (FUSD) sends “delegates” to this event, which includes worship, workshops, lectures and the annual UUA business meeting. FUSD delegates will participate in the business meeting and vote on items that impact all member congregations.

If you are interested in serving as an FUSD delegate at the 2024 General Assembly, please reach out to Coral Cosway at

President@fusden.org
.

 Adult registration is $280 and includes access to the live sessions, on-demand programming, featured speakers and major worships. There is also an option to register for only the annual business meeting portion of the event for free (or a donation amount of your choice). You can review the 
program and schedule
 and visit the UUA’s 
General Assembly webpage
 for more information.

Pacific Western Region – February Newsletter

The Pacific Western Region of the Unitarian Universalists, publish a newsletter every one to two months. This newsletter will keep you up to date on all things UU that are happening in our region.

Click
here
to view the February newsletter.

Additionally, you can visit the Unitarian Universalist Association web site at
https://www.uua.org/
for information at the association level.

First Unitarian Information

First Unitarian – Calendaring and Room Reservations

(Thanks to
Rhonda Williamson
, Congregational Administrator, for the post)

To Request
an event addition to the First Unitarian calendar and to request a room reservation:

  • To add a meeting or event to the Church Calendar and reserve a room:
  1. Check the church calendar on the website to see if there are any conflicts. There is a link on each page of the website in the black area at the bottom, under ‘Useful links’
  2. Complete the following form to request that your event be added to the calendar and to request a room reservation.
    https://firstunitariandenver.breezechms.com/form/45698258

Click
here
to access the First Unitarian Committee Handbook.

Feel free to dive in and let us know if you have any questions or thoughts!

First Unitarian – Communication Methods How To’s

(Thanks to
Rhonda Williamson
, Congregational Administrator, for the post)

First Announce
: A weekly church newsletter sent out by blast email Thursday evenings. (Also found on the website.) Deadline for entries is Tuesday end of day.

Order of Service
: The handout given at each Sunday service – giving service details, and upcoming church events Request deadline is Thursday at 8:00 am.

Please complete the form at the link below to submit announcements for either or both First Announce and Order of Service
– select both options on the form.
https://firstunitariandenver.breezechms.com/form/e50206

Click
here
to access the First Unitarian Committee Handbook.

Feel free to dive in and let us know if you have any questions or thoughts!

Parking

Finding a place to park when you come to visit our urban sanctuary can be a bit of a challenge! We recommend the following tactics/locations:

  • Sundays 6a-1p:
    3 blocks of the north side of 14th Avenue (Marion St. to just before Franklin St. – please abide by the street parking signs)
  • Sundays 6a-1p:
    The Center at Colfax and Lafayette
  • Sundays 6a-1p: (42 parking spaces)
    The Alta Court lot, across Lafayette from the church. Cars with a First Unitarian Church (FUSD) hangtag or paper parking pass on the dashboard, may park in the spaces farthest away from Colfax.
  • Monday through Friday, 6 pm to 8 am
    : (22 parking spaces) The Alta Court lot, across Lafayette from the church. Cars with a First Unitarian Church (FUSD) hangtag or paper parking pass on the dashboard, may park in the spaces farthest away from Colfax.
  • Friday 6 pm to Monday 8 am
    (22 parking spaces, except Sunday morning, see above. The Alta Court lot, across Lafayette from the church. Cars with a First Unitarian Church (FUSD) hangtag or paper parking pass on the dashboard, may park in the spaces farthest away from Colfax.
  • If you have any questions or need a parking pass, contact Rhonda at office@fusden.org.
    Parking passes can also be obtained from the Greeters on Sunday morning.

QuickDirectory

Questions About Pledging? Jason Marsden –
stewardship@fusden.org

Candles of Community – 
candles@fusden.org

Caring Committee – 
caring@fusden.org

Volunteer Greeters – 
greeters@fusden.org

Connections Ministry – 
connectionsministry@fusden.org

Office/FirstAnnounce/Rhonda Williamson – 
office@fusden.org

Religious Exploration – Erin Kenworthy
– erin@fusden.org

Giving in Action – 
givinginaction@fusden.org

Mental Well-being – 
wellbeing@fusden.org

Car Donations
 – 
877-999-8322

FirstAnnounce is a compilation of news items sent to us from many different sources. Items printed in FirstAnnounce are for your information only and do not necessarily represent the views of First Unitarian Society of Denver or its members.
Publication deadline is 5:00pm on Tuesday.

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