FirstAnnounce – February 4th, 2024







Sunday Worship, February 4th, 2024

at 10:30 am

Fascists Are Coming

Rev. Mike Morran

Please join us on
Sunday, February 4th at 10:30 am.
The word fascist is in the news a lot lately, used by both the left and the right to describe the other. We will take a hard look at fascism this morning, some history, some observations, some analysis, and some reflection on liberal values.

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.

Giving in Action – Women’s Bean Project

Two times a month First Unitarian dedicates our Sunday offering to organizations and causes happening outside of our sanctuary. This is our commitment to put our faith into action. This weeks recipient of our offering is
Women’s Bean Project
.

Women’s Bean Project is a nonprofit social enterprise. We have a food manufacturing business tied directly to our transitional employment program. One cannot exist without the other. We believe all women have the power to transform their lives through employment. So we hire women who are chronically unemployed and we teach them to work making nourishing products that we sell across the U.S. Through their work at Women’s Bean Project, women learn to stand tall, find their purpose and break the cycle of poverty. Because when you change a woman’s life, you change her family’s life.

Whole SoUUl Studio This Week – Being an Anti-Fascist

We will gather in the sanctuary at
12:00 on February 4th
to learn, explore, share, and grow together for about 45 minutes. Facilitated by Rev. Mike, this month we will contemplate Being an Anti-Fascist. Whole SoUUl Studio is intended to be connective for all our members and friends!

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.

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
.

First Unitarian Events Coming Soon





Climate Grief Workshop – Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 10am-3pm

(Thanks to Noelle Botti, for the post)

With the physical consequences of climate change becoming more readily apparent in our day-to-day lives, many of us are faced with feelings of grief, anxiety, or hopelessness. Once again, the First Unitarian Climate Justice Project is hosting a workshop that will be facilitated by Rin Overturf. It is informed by Joanna Macy’s “Work that Reconnects” and focuses on the emotional aspects of both the impacts of climate change and our efforts to save the world we love. The workshop will be held from
10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, February 3, 2024
in person at First Unitarian. To allow for full engagement, please plan to participate for the entire session. It will be limited to 20 participants to manage the dynamics of the group. Please
RSVP
to
climatejustice@fusden.org
by ​Monday, January 29th
. Lunch will be provided.





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

(Thanks to
Jane Ashley
for the post)

The film “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always” will be shown as the second offering in the Reproductive Justice Initiative’s film series. Rated PG13, Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%. 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, Feb. 6, at 6 pm
. Please RSVP to Jane at
jane.ashley52@gmail.com
. She’ll send you her address.

The third movie in the series, to be shown on
Tuesday, March 12
, will be “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.”





Climate Justice Project – Book Discussion – Save the Dates

(Thanks to Peggy for the post)

The FUSD Climate Justice Project is holding a book discussion opportunity in February. We will be reading
Where The Water Goes
by David Owen about the Colorado River from its northern Colorado origins to its end at the sea…where it is dry. The book is both informative and accessible and lays an important foundation for our understanding of the River that is the lifeblood for much of the West. Books will soon be available in the Community Room.

Please put the dates on your 2024 calendar. The dates are
Wednesday, February 7 at 7:00 pm via Zoom (contact

Peggy Ulrich-Nims

for Zoom info)
and
Sunday, February 11 at noon in the First Unitarian Library.





Justice in Israel and Palestine: An Introductory Course

This five-part 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 12th, 19th, 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)

The Racial Justice Project’s spring book read will be
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. We have organized the reading around three discussions, 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
. I will then send you a zoom link and some discussion guidelines.

Community

Learn About the Dialysis Profit Machine

(Thanks to
Chris Schwab
for the post)

Chris Schwab has been an activist for justice in the dialysis industry for twenty years. Stop by his table in the Community Room on
Feb 4th and 11th
to learn about this issue, watch a short video, and enter to win a copy of Tom Mueller’s recent book, ‘How to Make a Killing.’ Who knows, you may be inspired to write your Federal reps with the simple question: “Are there any reasons left the huge kidney dialysis company DaVita shouldn’t be broken up!”. This is more than about kidney dialysis, this is about monopoly power abuse. More info at the
dialysisethics2.org site
.

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
.

First Universalist Social Justice Film Series

The Social Justice film series is co-partnered by First Plymouth Church and our

neighbors, First Universalist Church.

When
:
Friday, February 2, 2024
Bring a snack to share, Snacks and visit at 6:30, film begins at 7:00

Where
: First Plymouth Congregational Church, 3501 S. Colorado Blvd.

It’s another election year and the right to vote has never been more profoundly

important. Celebrating Black History Month, the Social Justice Film series brings you “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power” (2022). In 1960, Lowndes County, AL–despite being 80% Black–had zero registered Black voters. This film chronicles the courageous men and women, famous and unknown, who put their lives on the line to secure the right to vote for everyone. A young
Stokely Carmichael
brings passion to the crusade, and we witness the evolution of the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) into a powerful force on the frontlines, fanning the cause outward throughout the South. Award winning documentarians
Sam Pollard
and
Geeta Gandbhir
expertly weave rarely seen archival footage and first-person testimony to create a solid sense of place and capture the high-stakes tension on the ground. Through their expert direction emerges an intimate, insightful snapshot of this seminal moment in the quest for Civil Rights, a film whose relation to the current assault on the right to vote makes it urgently relevant.

Helping Migrants in Denver

(Thanks to
Julie Meyers
for the post)

It’s hard to ignore the migrants who are newly arriving in Denver. Most have had arduous journeys, but, of course, their difficulties don’t magically disappear just because they have arrived in Denver, a Sanctuary City. They desperately want to work so they can provide for themselves and their families. They need housing, warm clothes, food, health care and much more.

Denverite had a helpful article on January 9th. The full article is here, but I’ve highlighted a few ideas.
https://denverite.com/2024/01/09/how-to-help-denver-migrants/

Monetary Donations:
“One of the best ways your average person can support the effort is by donating to the Newcomer’s Fund, which to date has already provided more than $1.6 million in funding toward housing, fees associated with applying for work authorization and more,” said Jon Ewing, a spokesperson for the Department of Human Services.
https://rcfdenver.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4267

Employ Migrants
. They desperately want to work! Groups like Centro de los Trabajadores are working to help migrants navigate work and offering other resources.
https://centrodelostrabajadores.org/
.
Chamba
is an app connecting migrants with people looking to hire, too.
https://www.lachamba.app/

Donate Clothing.
The City of Denver has identified some items migrants need and places to drop them off.
https://www.denvergov.org/Community/Assistance-Programs/Migrant-Support





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 – January 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 January 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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