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Sunday Worship, March 3rd, 2024
at 10:30 am
Learning to Surf
Rev. Mike Morran
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Join us on
Sunday, March 3rd at 10:30 am
for a dharma-style talk on the wisdom of learning to surf without getting wet.
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Whole SoUUl Studio – Sunday, March 3rd at 12:00 pm
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(Thanks to
R
ev. Mike Morran
for the post)
(What’s Do We Do About Racism?)
Whole SoUUl Studio is a monthly, faithful, educational, communal gathering with a focus on religion and community. We will gather in the sanctuary at 12:00 on the first Sunday of each month, after Sunday service, to learn, explore, share, and grow together for about 45 minutes. Facilitated by Rev. Mike and occasionally others, Whole SoUUl Studio is intended to be connective and nourishing for all our members and friends! This week our topic will be following up on a sermon from a few weeks ago: What Do We Do About Racism?
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Giving in Action – Karis Community
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(Thanks to
L
ynn Garman
for the post)
Karis Community
offers a community-oriented residential program for adults managing serious and persistent mental illness as well as co-occurring substance use disorders. The Empowerment Program prepares people to re-engage in the larger community, reduce hospitalizations, and live independently. Karis serves over 100 adults (21 years or older) each year, including current Community Members, residents at the Stepping Stone Cottage, applicants on the waiting list needing immediate support, applicants who may not be ready for the Program but require resources, and the Alumni Group. Our Program staff ensures that no one is left behind. The Program’s effects are strong and life-changing for the participants, their families and friends, as well as the broader community. Karis is one of few organizations nationwide offering a community of belonging, including affordable housing as well as program and peer support. We face an ongoing increase in demand for support. Therefore, Karis Community is critical in the broader continuum of treatment providers. Our mission is to provide a community where people heal together.
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To Donate, select the button above, from the drop down on the screen, select ‘Donate to Giving in Action’, in the memo line type Karis Community
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Featured at Miriam’s Book Table…
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(Thanks to
Nan Wigington
for the post)
How to be an Anti-Racist Baby by National Book Award-winning Ibram X. Kendi.
Kendi admits he struggled with ways to teach his two-year-old about racism. He created this book to help himself and other parents. Its language is fresh and complicated, made to start a conversation. What does it mean to say racism is bred, not born? What’s a policy, a cultural block? How do we all overcome?
Kendi gives his readers nine steps to take. Take them with your own child or grandchild or with the kid next door. It’s a gorgeous book, a gift.
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Endowment Application Open!
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(Thanks to
Nellie Stagg
for the post)
The endowment grant application is now open! Please consider projects and apply
before Monday, April 15th
. The goal of the endowment is to enhance the permanent facilities and capabilities of First Unitarian Society of Denver. Projects will be selected that are visible to the congregation, will impact the work of the church for more than one year, will further the mission of our congregation and cannot be funded through our normal operating budget. To receive the application or ask any questions, please email the committee at
endowment@fusden.org
.
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The 2024 Auction Needs Your Donations
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(Thanks to
Helen Berkman
for the post)
Our 2024 Auction , “Joining Hands for Justice”, will be
Saturday, April 27, 2024
. Mark your calendar for an uplifting and entertaining evening with a Dinner, Live Auction, and all new awards ceremony with a community champion award in keeping with our theme.
BUT, right now we need your donations! Help fill our catalog with exciting items, experiences, events, and services. Online bidding will begin in April, so please stop by the auction table on Sunday for more info, or access the donation form right here.
https://firstunitariandenver.breezechms.com/form/d4541263
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New Congregational Projects and Initiatives
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(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!
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(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
.
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First Unitarian Events Coming Soon
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Community Is A Spiritual Practice – A deep dive into the longing for belonging.
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(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
.
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Finding Yourself At First Unitarian
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(Thanks to
Rev. Mike Morran
for the post)
A time for seekers, the curious, and those wishing to connect with the 1st Unitarian Denver community, this participatory class of three hours will provide an introduction to Unitarian Universalism and First Unitarian Church. Facilitated by Rev. Mike Morran, we will meet on
Saturday, March 16th
, from
9:00 a.m. to noon
. All are welcome, but you must pre-register with Rev. Mike (
revmorran@gmail.com
).
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A Movie Series for Grownups: Let’s Talk About Sex (and its consequences), Baby!
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(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.”
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Justice in Israel and Palestine: An Introductory Course
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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 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.
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Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom Ballot Initiative
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(Thanks to
T
yler Watlington
for the post)
A coalition of Reproductive Justice nonprofit organizations have drafted language for a ballot initiative that would put to vote a constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot that would protect abortion from government interference in Colorado. FUSD Reproductive Justice Committee has endorsed the ballot initiative and is working diligently to gather enough signatures to get it on the ballot. You can help protect the Right to Abortion in Colorado by joining us.
Learn more here: https://coloradansforreproductivefreedom.com/
If you would like to be trained to get petition signatures for the initiative, you can attend an upcoming training – sign up at this link.
To donate directly to the initiative, please click here: Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom — Donate via ActBlue.
Please contact Tyler Watlington (
atwatlington@comcast.net
) if you have questions or need additional assistance AND if you do decide to get trained as a signature gatherer, please let Tyler know as well.
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Social Justice Film Series Presents – “Boy Erased”
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(Thanks to Holly Fulton from First Universalist for the post)
Social Justice Film Series presents “Boy Erased”,
Friday, March 1st, 2024
First Plymouth Congregational Church, Room 212
3501 S. Colorado Blvd. Englewood, CO
S
nacks and visit at 6:30, film beings at 7 pm
At a time when hard-won rights of the LBGTQ community are threatened, the Social Justice Film Series invites you to watch Boy Erased. Based on the true story, Boy Erased follows Jared, the son of a small-town Baptist pastor, who must overcome the fallout after being outed as gay to his parents. Fearing a loss of family, friends and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self. Starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, and Russel Crowe. See the trailer
here
.
The Social Justice film series is co-partnered by First Plymouth and our neighbors, First Universalist Church.
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Registration Open for Pacific Western Regional Assembly – April 19th and 20th
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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
.
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2024 General Assembly Registration is Now Open!
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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.
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Pacific Western Region – February Newsletter
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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.
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First Unitarian Information
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First Unitarian – Calendaring and Room Reservations
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(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:
- 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’
- 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!
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First Unitarian – Communication Methods How To’s
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(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!
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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.
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