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Sunday Worship –
December 4th 10:00 am
The All In The One
by Rev. Mike Morran
One of the sources of Unitarian Universalist spirituality is: “Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life.” This Sunday we will explore the tension between Universality and particularity.
We have coffee hour after the service and would love for you to bring snacks (healthy and otherwise) to go with our coffee!
Multiplatform Worship at First Unitarian Denver
Join us on Sunday at 10:00 am, in person or online. At this time, masks are optional but highly encouraged for those who might have been exposed, might be at higher risk for severe illness, or have weakened immune systems. Our service streams to Youtube and Zoom (meeting ID is 466-677-668 and the password is 454623).
Join us for virtual coffee hour on Zoom after the service. The meeting ID is 912-1732-1324. Come see familiar faces and meet new people.
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Giving in Action – Teller Backpack Friends
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The Teller Backpack Friends Program was created 10 years ago to ensure no Teller Elementary (1150 Garfield St) student faces issues of hunger.
The Teller Backpack Friends Program helps families feed themselves and their children. By providing food and supplies for students/parents in need, the students can concentrate on what being in elementary school is all about, learning and having fun. Teller Elementary has had families who have spent nights in cars, live in motels, been evicted in the middle of the night, show up as a family at school needing immediate food assistance.
The Teller Backpack Friends program is designed to provide 2 large bags of groceries each Fri and on holidays for 50 people (25 families) They are an all volunteers group who shops at the FoodBank of the Rockies using monetary donations from the community. Teller families often have no food other than what is provided by the reduced lunch program. They make every attempt to reduce need and maintain the dignity and confidentiality of each student and family. In addition, they also provided snacks and additional boxes of food whenever possible.
You can give online by clicking here and selecting Giving in Action from the drop down menu. Make sure and indicate Teller Backpack Friends in the memo line.
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(thanks to Erin Kenworthy, DRE for the post)
Please click here for the November Family Newsletter!
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(thanks to Charlotte Braud-Kern for the post)
The FUSD Children’s Choir will be singing at the annual Carol Sing on December 17th as well as during the pageant on December 18th. We will meet in the upstairs chapel after the service on December 4th and 11th for fun singing, games and a snack. Rehearsals last 30 minutes. If your child is age 4+ and interested in singing in the choir, please contact Charlotte Braud-Kern, or just show up!
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Christmas at 1st Unitarian
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(thanks to Rev. Mike Morran, for the post)
There will be two Christmas Eve services at 1st Unitarian, one at 3:00 (family oriented) and one at 5:00 (traditional). There will be no Sunday morning service on Christmas Day.
However, in years past (pre-Covid), we would hold Christmas Day pot-luck meals for people who are single, far away from family, or anyone who might like some cheerful company on Christmas Day. If you would be interested in helping to organize such a Christmas Day gathering this year, please reach out to Rev. Mike at Revmorran@gmail.com.
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Lunch Bunch Returns – Friday, December 9th
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(thanks to Marty Dawley for the post)
Everyone is invited for the return of our monthly potluck, Lunch Bunch, on a new day, the second Friday of the month. Our next get-together will be on Friday, December 9th in the FUSD Community Room. We gather around 11:00 a.m. to set up, and we generally ring the lunch bell at noon. If you don’t have more than an hour, just come at noon and join us. The food is always delicious, and the company is stimulating.
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Our Whole Lives (OWL) Info Session Night for Families & Youth – Friday, December 9th!
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(thanks to Lena McCain, Youth Programs Coordinator, for the post)
It’s happening! Join us for an evening info session on the Our Whole Lives (OWL) programming that we will be offering beginning in January 2023 for middle school and high school youth. Together, we’ll go over what OWL is, scheduling, and registration.
Event Info:
Friday, December 9, 2022
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
4101 E Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80222 (First Universalist Church of Denver)
Youth are encouraged to attend this info session as well. We will provide separate, interactive programming for youth while the adults go over scheduling and registration.
This event and programming is brought to you by First Universalist Church of Denver, First Unitarian Society of Denver, Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, and Park Hill United Methodist Church.
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Miriam’s Book Table – Grand Opening!
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(thanks to Nan Wigington for the post)
Miriam’s Book Table will open for coffee hour on December 11th. Stop by to peruse our BOGO sale, pick up a pamphlet, and browse the UUA’s InSpirit catalog. Bring your cash and checks. And, yes, you can bring your card.
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(thanks to David Keller, Treasurer, for the post)
It’s November, almost halfway our church calendar and, on behalf of the folks who watch our congregational financial status, I wanted to share an update, especially as we approach the end of the year.
- Overall, the state of our finances is good. We’ve roughly 3.5 months “cash on hand”- meaning we could run the church for three and a half months’ with the money we currently have. Our solar panels are now half paid for and are generating enough power to take the edge off of the electric bills, but heating promises to be expensive this winter. Thus far, the inflationary economy has not resulted in a falloff of financial support for the church.
- The Endowment Grants approved by the congregation are almost done- the new video screens are wonderful, the new sound system is ready to rock and roll and the choir’s new folders should be here soon (supply chain issues). Thanks again to the congregation for approval.
- The building (or as I sometimes think of it, This Old House), is in good shape, especially with the recent work that has been done to seal the windows. This effort has somewhat depleted the Property Reserve, which will need to be replenished in next year’s budget.
- Our intrepid office staff is nicely rounded out with the addition of Jason Marsden as Stewardship Coordinator, so that Rhonda can focus her energy on her role as Church Administrator. And the noise at coffee hour is returning to pre-pandemic levels.
- Our endowments have taken a hit in the last few months, as stock prices have fallen. Fortunately, we are not relying on them for operations. We will need to leave them be for a while as the markets recover.
While we are financially stable at present, we should start thinking about our future state. For those of our members and friends who pledged during the annual campaign, now is an excellent time to take a few minutes and check on how you are meeting your obligation. As outlined above, FUSD depends on the regular arrival of pledged donations to stay in operation. Should you be planning on making your donation in stock, we must receive the gift prior to the end of the year for it to qualify as a contribution on your 2022 taxes. Next year, we would like to offer raises for our staff, as we cover the increasing costs of operations and maintenance and building maintenance. We will need a broad and unified
commitment by all of us as we move into Spring and Stewardship Council moves into our annual pledge campaign. Happy to talk details anytime. Thank you all for your generosity this year. See you at church!
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(thanks to Lena McCain for the post)
Lena here again, coming to you with some exciting new updates to our website! We want to continue to invite you to keep checking out our website as things get moved around and changed, and learn where you can find all the new info.
We’ve added a few new updates to the website for you to check out this week:
Our home page has been simplified for ease of finding information and sharing with new visitors. You can also help people join the FirstAnnounce email list by navigating to the end of the homepage and filling out the form.
The giving page has gotten a brand new makeover, making it more functional and informative than ever before! If you would like to learn how to give a donation, access your Breeze log-in account, learn more about The Black Reparations Fund, or find more information on becoming a member, this is the page to visit.
- And finally, if you need a quick access to your Breeze account, you can always find the log-in link at the bottom of each website page in the Footer under Useful links.
We’ll continue to let you know as pages are rolled out and hope you will be just as excited as we are to have more simple and up-to-date pages available for our community!
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Men’s Group Starting! – SoUUlful Men at FUSD
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(thanks to Rev. Mike Morran for the post)
Facilitated by Rev. Mike, SoUUlful Men will explore a mature, liberal religious masculinity: male-positive, pro-feminist, gay-affirming, culturally and racially inclusive, open to all who identify primarily as male. Our primary objective will be to support personal and spiritual growth among ourselves and our communities. Discussions will include relationships, spiritual growth, toxic vs. healthy masculinity, and current challenges such as health, employment, and family matters, but any subject of concern is appropriate.
We will meet on five consecutive evenings beginning in January, then determine together whether we will remain weekly, or shift to bi-weekly or monthly. Interested SoUUlful Men should send an email to Rev. Mike at: revmorran@gmail.com.
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FUSD Black Reparations Fund
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(thanks to Steve Brainerd, Patrick Whorton and the FUSD Racial Justice Project)
FUSD is now more than a full month into a second round of congregational dialogue about the development of a reparations fund for the benefit of the Denver Black community. The Racial Justice Project (“RJP”) has compiled information and ideas from a variety of sources, including:
- The independent research, study, and discussion of RJP members.
- The input of a Steering Committee comprised of Rev. Mike Morran and representatives from the Board of Trustees, Finance Council, Stewardship Council, Faith in Action Council, and RJP.
- Individual and group discussions with many members of the congregation.
Based on all of this, RJP proposes to conduct a two-month campaign, beginning in late November, to solicit pledges from FUSD members for a “FUSD Black Reparations Fund.” Whatever contributions are received by January 15, 2023 will be set aside in a temporary account of the Church, under the supervision of the Board and Finance Council.
Funds raised by FUSD will then be delivered to the Denver Black Reparations Council (“DBRC”) – a Black-run 501(c)(3) organization created to oversee grants issued by the Denver Foundation’s “Reparations Circle Denver” Reparations Fund. Apart from its alliance with the Denver Foundation, the DBRC is able to receive donations and make its own grants to a broad spectrum of reparative ventures and organizations. RJP and the Steering Committee have found the DBRC to be a committed and estimable group that understands the Denver Black community and is well designed to put FUSD’s donations to appropriate use. (The DBRC also has constructed education programs that they will make available to FUSD to further the congregation’s work in racial repair.)
In giving thought as to whether and how you might contribute to this fund, please consider:
- Reviewing the reference materials here that were sent to all members of the congregation in June and September;
- Visiting the FUSD Reparations table in the community room, where you will find a listing of self-study resources and additional literature, including an FAQ sheet — linked here — that offers answers to several common questions;
- Signing up (at the FUSD Reparations table) for a group or one-on-one conversation about racial repair.
- Joining discussion sessions that will be held after certain Sunday services in November and December.
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Family Promise Holiday Extravaganza
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(thanks to Hillary Barrett Osborne for the post)
If you or someone you know would like to help with gifts for Family Promise families (to be shared December 10-11), this link is how they can get started:
https://www.tfaforms.com/5012917
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CO Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence – Lawn Signs
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(thanks to Julie Meyers for the post)
It’s hard to believe that December marks the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting. FUSD has been involved with CO Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence (CFCU) and CO Ceasefire for many years. We participate with them in contacting state legislators when firearm bills (good and bad) are introduced at the State House. If you’re interested in learning more about that, contact me at julie.meyers.md@gmail.com.
In December, to heighten awareness about the growing threat to community safety posed by gun violence, congregations active with CFCU and Ceasefire, including FUSD, will be displaying lawn signs that say “Protect Children, Not Guns”. So when you see the signs outside our building, you’ll understand that FUSD is part of this effort.
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Did you know that First Unitarian is a National Park? (Well, sort of.)
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(thanks to Karl Jonietz for the post)
Because our building is on the National Register, it is featured in the National Park Service’s listing of historic places. The entry highlights our role in supporting the LGBTQ community including the fact that the first same sex wedding to be celebrated in Colorado took place at the church in 1975. Read the full entry at: www.nps.gpv/places/first-unitarian-church-of-denver.htm.
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Racial Justice Film Series – “This Is (Not) Who We Are”
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(thanks to Erica Stetson, First Universalist, for the post)
“This is [Not] Who We Are” is a documentary film exploring the gap between Boulder, Colorado’s progressive self-image and the lived experiences of its small but resilient Black community. Its throughline is the story of Zayd Atkinson, a university student who was performing his work study job cleaning up the grounds of his dorm when he was threatened by a police officer and, soon, by eight officers with guns drawn. He lived to tell the story many Black men don’t survive to tell.
It took a three-year collaboration of two Boulder-based filmmakers, Beret E Strong and Katrina Miller, to fully illuminate how that incident fits into the panorama of Boulder’s racial history and compels you to reflect on us and who we are. The film explores the gap between Boulder’s progressive self-image and lived experience.
This is an in-person event. At the conclusion of the film, Co-director Katrina Miller, will comment and answer questions along with the film’s protagonist, Zayd Atkinson.
Friday, December 9th at First Universalist of Denver
4101 E. Hampden Ave, Denver, 80222
Film starts at 6:30
Doors open at 6:00 for light refreshments
Suggested donation $10.00
RSVP tickets at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/this-is-not-who-we-are-documentary-screening-tickets-460836834377
Trailer at https://youtu.be/o7Nv4CbS6Rk
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