July 21, 2024 – FirstAnnounce

Sunday Worship,

July 28th, 2024

at 10:30 am

Unplugging from the Matrix

Theo Wilson

Join us on Sunday, July 28th at 10:30 am.
We will explore how disconnecting from toxic media fulfills your spiritual duty to protect humanity. Poet, activist, author, actor Theo Wilson is one of our most popular and request guest speakers. All are welcome to join us!

The New Member Welcome will also be part of the service.

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. 

New Schimmel Grand Piano Acquired

(Thanks to the
Lia Davis for the post)

We have found and purchased our replacement piano! It’s a Schimmel 6-foot grand, purchased new in 1999 from Chris Finger Pianos in Niwot. This piano was built in Germany with a Bavarian spruce soundboard, excellent Renner piano action, and Abel hammers. The piano belonged to a Jeffco music teacher and musician, and it lived in Rollinsville, CO, its whole life until a couple of months ago when it was moved to Arvada. The instrument is in immaculate condition with tight pins, little wear on the hammers, a perfect soundboard, and an unblemished case (save for one minor scratch on the underside of the lid). The piano action will need to be fully regulated (adjusted), which is expected for an instrument of this age. Unfortunately, Joe Woods won’t be able to complete this work until October, so we will all need to be patient while the piano waits at Joe’s shop! Thank you to everyone who contributed toward the purchase of our new piano!

Miriam’s Book Table is Proud to Feature…

(Thanks to the
Nan Wigington for the post)

two young adult books of astonishing poignance. Both are written by George M. Johnson, a queer man of color. All Boys Aren’t Blue, a collection of essays, follows the author through a brutal childhood beating to the trials and triumphs of his adolescence and adulthood. Johnson talks about it all – gender identity, toxic masculinity, consent, and family structure. We Are Not Broken, a memoir, blows apart the myth of the mother-father-nuclear family. It is a story of a “broken home”, of four brothers raised by their indomitable grandmother. Brotherhood, vulnerability, and sacrifice run like a river through this book’s pages.

Take a look at the books during coffee hour. Mention that you saw this blurb, and we’ll let you buy the books at a deep discount.

First Unitarian Events Coming Soon

New Member Sunday – July 28th

Sunday, July 28th, will include a New Member Welcome as part of the morning worship service. If you or someone you know is ready to take this step with First Unitarian Society of Denver, please let Rev. Mike know by sending an email to Revmorran@gmail.com. 

Prepare and Deliver Lunches for CHUM

(Thanks to the Karen Ray
for the post)

Capitol Hill United Ministries organizes lunches for various local organizations serving our unhoused brothers and sisters every day of the week. We are currently scheduled to provide 50 lunches for the Denver Public Library on one day, August 5, and 25 lunches for Urban Peak on Wednesday, August 7. Prep is typically done on the preceding day. If you would like to participate, please reach out to Karen Ray.

Let’s Talk About Sex (and reproductive justice), Baby!

(Thanks to the
Jane Ashley for the post)

The next movie in the Reproductive Justice film series will be “Call Jane,” being shown Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 6:30 – 9:30 pm, t the home of Jane Ashley. These movies are springboards for lively conversations afterward. And this is an easy way to be involved in the cause for women’s health and bodily autonomy. Men are welcome, too! Jane will reply with her new address when you RSVP. RSVP to Jane.ashley52@gmail.com, or (703) 328-5891

Palestine Summer Cultural Series

The Palestine Summer Cultural Series events that remain for the summer are:

  • Thursday, August 8, 6-8pm
    Palestinian Arts & Culture Panel
  • Thursday, August 15, 6-8pm –
    Write Down:I am an Arab screening

Stay tuned for our Fall community course: Justice in Israel & Palestine

These events are at First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 N Lafayette St, and are free and open to the public. All are welcome!

Friday Night At The Movies – A Civil Rights Journey

(Thanks to the
Colleen Bryan for the post)

See the flyer for info, and bring your friends!

Announcements

Second Chance Auction Update

The Second Chance auction is now closed for online bidding. We will offer unsold seats at House Concerts during coffee hour on
July 28 and September 24. Check the catalog and look for us at coffee hour! Click here for the catalog.

Artwork Available to First Unitarian Congregation

(Thanks to the
Nancy Crow for the post)

Nancy Crow and Mark Skrotzki have downsized from a 10 room house with lots of walls to a 3 room condo with lots of windows. We find ourselves with more artwork than we can accommodate! There are probably 100 paintings and posters of varying themes and sizes. Some of the art came from FUSD auctions or has ties to church history, such as the first Building Bridges for Peace program in 1994. It seems only fitting that it find new homes among church members. We would like to give our beloved church community the opportunity to choose pieces to their liking. We encourage folks to make a contribution to the church in return.
The art will be on display in the large classroom at the bottom of the basement stairs and the Community Room. Come down and make a selection, first come, first served, perhaps after a Sunday service, or give Mark a call at 303.903.0417.

Community

Scholarship – Jefferson Humanists

(Thanks to
Kathy Glatz for the post)

Jefferson Humanists is proud to support the Secular Student Association’s annual scholarship for a secular/non-religious student. The scholarships are available to full-time students enrolled in high school or college in the United States and are designed to support students who in addition to pursuing excellence in their academic studies are also activists for secular values on their campus and/or in their community.

The application deadline is July 31, 2024. More information and an application form is available at:https://secularstudents.org/scholarships/

The Larger Unitarian Universalist Community

Pacific Western Region – July 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 July newsletter. Additionally, you can visit the Unitarian Universalist Association website athttps://www.uua.org/ for information at the association level.

First Unitarian Information

First Unitarian – Hearing Assistance in Sanctuary

Our Sanctuary has a hearing loop. This allows us to better serve the people in our community who have trouble hearing. If you are hearing impaired, you will be able to hear what is said at the worship services and other events with better clarity.

What is a hearing loop and how does it work?
Hearing Loops allow people who wear hearing aids to directly receive the sound from the PA system to their own hearing aids, much like Wi-Fi for laptops. To hear better, you will no longer have to pick up a separate listening device!

Do my hearing aids work in a loop?
If you wear hearing instruments you will need to find out if they have this wireless receiver, called a T-coil or Telecoil, built in to benefit from the hearing loop. The T-coil program is accessed by pushing a button on your hearing aid. This T-coil setting has to be activated before use. Please consult your audiologist if you have a push button on your hearing aids. If your hearing aid is not equipped with a T-coil, or you do not have a hearing aid: we have listening devices available, simply ask a member of our staff.

For more information: www.hearingloop.org. For questions about your hearing aids, please visit your audiologist. For questions about our hearing loop system, please email: Assist2Hear. Inc at:
info@assist2hear.com.

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!

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 – Rev. Mike Morran
-revmorran@gmail.com

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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