CALENDAR of EVENTS
TUESDAY, MARCH 2
Children's Theater Dress Rehearsal
6:00 p.m., Auditorium
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3
*All evening programming begins at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted*
Wednesday Night Dinner
5:30 p.m., Channing Hall
$5 adults, $2 kids, maximum of $14 per family
Guest Chef: Michelle Heater
Menu: Breakfast for Dinner
Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, milk, orange juice & coffee
UU Children's Theater Dress Rehearsal
6:00 p.m., Auditorium
Children's Choir Rehearsal
6:00 to 6:45 p.m., Room 105
Wednesday night children's activities will follow choir practice, so all children can enjoy choir AND Wednesday Night programming! Chalice choir (2nd grade and up) practices from 6-6:45 p.m. and 5th Principle Singers (age 4 through 1st grade) join them to practice from 6:30 - 6:45p.m. Any questions?
Contact Karen Kraemer at kbkraemer@yahoo.com.
Adult Programming
Alliance for Climate Protection Presentation
Channing Hall
Would you like to...
Save some money, increase the value of your home, and help out our environment?
Come to the Repower@Home energy seminar in Channing Hall! Repower@Home is a pilot project in Iowa and Maryland that aims to educate and motivate homeowners to take a few steps in increasing home energy efficiency. This free seminar goes over some great tips, useful products, and local resources that will help you understand where your energy and money is being wasted, and how this can be fixed.
Nia with Jennifer Senne
Note: 7 p.m. starting time
Nia is a dynamic blend of dance arts, martial arts and healing arts all guided by the philosophy, Through Movement We Find Health. The class brings the body, mind, emotions and spirit to optimum health through music, movement and self-expression. Nia is designed for everybody and any body. Practiced barefoot to music, each person is invited to move at his or her own level of intensity by listening to the voice of the body. Most of all, Nia is exhilarating and fun! For additional information contact Jennifer Senne jsenne@waukee.k12.ia.us and phone 554-1394. Check out the link for a preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgfiwVaqNSs
Computer Training - Voice Recognition Programs
Interested in learning about one of the newest technological advances, voice recognition software? Do you have difficulty typing, or find the computer hard to physically manipulate? Rob Heater will give a demonstration of Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software. Users can turn voice into text with up to 99% accuracy more than three times faster than most people type. Dragon Naturally Speaking offers seamless compatibility with Microsoft Office, and users can dictate, edit and navigate menus in virtually any Windows-based application. For additional information please contact Rob Heater at 515-491-4934 or via e-mail ltsgvks@gmail.com.
Neighboring Faiths with Kelly Patton & Ricky Klein
Exploring world religions has been a hallmark of Unitarian Universalist Religious Education for over 100 years. Join Ricky Klein, Ministerial Intern and Kelly Patton as they share with you lessons from the Neighboring Faiths Curricula. This class will be open to drop-ins, but may be most enjoyable when done in a series.
Writers' Workshop
Bring something you wrote just for fun or for serious publishing! We like to hear poetry, stories, essays, memoirs, plays, and more. Come prepared to share and to listen! Extra copies help us to follow along; also please bring some blank paper for free writing. Join Us! Contact Donna Wallace at 401-4526.
Game Night
Game night for ages 12 and up! The host will bring one or two games and anyone who wants to join in is welcome. Contact Abby Chungath at achungath@yahoo.com if you would like to host a game night.
Iraqi Support Group
The Iraqi Support Group provides opportunities for members to meet with our Iraqi friends. Members can learn about another part of the world, how people adjust to a new life in the United States and about Islam. Most of all, it's an opportunity to get to know Iraqi families, an important part of our community.
Buddhist Meditation
6:30 p.m.
Please join Denise Daniels and Cynthia Lee on Welcome Home Wednesdays for Buddhist Meditation.
For a second year our group will explore meditation and provide support for (hopefully everyone's) journeys. No prior knowledge is required.
Yoga
Yoga is on Sabbatical and will return in the spring.
Wednesday Movies
Contacts are Mark Campbell and Volker Liebeseller.
Tonight's movie is Duck Soup (1933)
A Marx Brothers classic. The small state of Freedonia is in a financial mess, borrowing a huge sum of cash from wealthy widow, Mrs. Teasdale. She insists on replacing the current president with crazy Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) and mayhem erupts.
KIDS' PROGRAMMING:
6:45 - 8:00 p.m.
Kids F.A.C.E. - Kids For A Clean Environment will be meeting this month. We will discuss backyard habitats, seeds and trees, and Earth Day and Earth Hour. Please contact Linda Keairns at 250-9479 or lindakeairns@yahoo.com for more information.
THURSDAY, MARCH 4:
Children's Theater Dress Rehearsal
6:00 p.m., Auditorium
Choir Rehearsal
7:00 p.m., Channing Hall
FRIDAY, MARCH 5:
Children's Theater Performance
Trials: The LIfe of Joan of Arc by James Devita
7:00 p.m., Auditorium
Bridge
7:00 p.m., Channing Hall
Knowledge of the fundamentals of bridge is needed, but beyond that, skill levels range from novice to expert. Contact Adele Villemez at 267-1288, or villemezbrown@att.net
SATURDAY, MARCH 6:
"Houston, We Have a Problem..." with Rev. Mark Stringer
New Member Recognition
4:30 p.m., Auditorium
This sermon was developed out of conversations with member David Whitaker, who was the highest bidder for the opportunity to choose a service theme at this past Fall's auction. The springboard David provided from which we will leap: "Beginning with WWII (or possibly the Great Depression), through the late 1960s the American public largely had common causes to help define our public lives - defeating the Axis, defending the U.S. and Europe against Soviet tyranny, and sending a man to the Moon. Can the current polarization of our society and our inability to find common political ground and compromise, or to inspire the kind of leadership evidenced by people like Eisenhower, Kennedy, Dirksen, O'Neill, and the Warren Court, be ascribed in part to the lack of a common cause?"
Children's Theater Performance
Trials: The Life of Joan of Arc by James Devita
7:00 p.m., Auditorium
SUNDAY, MARCH 7:
"Houston, We Have a Problem..." with Rev. Mark Stringer
New Member Recognition
9:30 a.m., Auditorium
See Saturday's service above.
Children's RE
9:30 a.m., Lower Level
The Bible for Skeptics
9:30 a.m., Room 108
Understanding the Bible...an Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals
We will use the book Understanding the Bible by John A. Buehrens and the Bible for the course. The book may be purchased at the church bookstore. Mark Metz will facilitate.
Coming of Age Mentor Sunday
10:40 a.m., Large Activity Room, Room 103
"Houston, We have a Problem..." with Rev. Mark Stringer
New Member Recognition
11:00 a.m., Auditorium
See Saturday's service above.
Children's RE
11:00 a.m., Lower Level
Canvass Forum
11:00 a.m., Channing Hall
Church Youth
12:00 p.m., Room 107
Interweave Potluck
12:00 p.m., Channing Hall
Children's Theater Performance
Trials: The Life of Joan of Arc by James Devita
2:00 p.m., Auditorium
Windbreakers - Oscar Night
6:00 p.m., Channing Hall
It's time for our Fifth Annual Oscar Gala, and everyone is invited! Enjoy a potluck dinner in Channing Hall, followed by the Academy Awards shown in hi-def on the silver screen in the auditorium. One lucky UU will take home their own Oscar by successfully predicting the night's lucky winners. Our church men's potluck group, the Windbreakers, is sponsoring the event and extends a special invitation to the women and kids of the church.
Tuesday, March 9th
Women's Potluck
6:30 p.m., Off-Site
Els Teunissen will host at her home. She has space for 10 at her table, but others may sit in chairs with trays or on the floor. Please RSVP as soon as possible els@floralproductions.com or 285-8331.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
UU CHILDREN'S THEATER
Trials: The Life of Joan of Arc
March 5th & 6th @ 7 p.m.
March 7th @ 2 p.m.
Tickets available at the door. Suggested donation: $5
This production is funded through a REACH grant from The Endowment Development Committee of First Unitarian Church.
New Member Ceremony
March 6 and 7 during services
When you have decided you are ready to join, please complete the membership packet including the Intention to Join form and Giving Ministry form. These forms can be found on the visitor table or on the church website. Please return any completed forms to
Lori Emison Clair prior to
March 2.
WELCOME A NEW COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
We welcome Nancy Suits to our staff as the new Communications Coordinator. Nancy comes to us with a wonderful background in publications and graphic design. She will be responsible for our publications and the weekly email newsletter. Please welcome Nancy when you have an opportunity.
INTERCOM AVAILABLE ON-LINE
A reminder that the Intercom is available on-line to read.
NEW PHOTO DIRECTORY
Sign up to reserve your photo shoot for our new photo directory. Sign-up begins this Sunday, February 28 and continues through Sunday,March 21. You can also sign-up by clicking the link on our website: www.ucdsm.org.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
The nominating committee is responsible for considering, selecting, and recruiting members to be nominated for the Board of Trustees at the annual meeting on June 6th. If you would like the nominating committee to consider a fellow member to serve on the Board of Trustees, or if you yourself would like to be considered, please talk with, call, or e-mail Abby Chungath, achungath@yahoo.com, 262-8562.
SAVE THE DATE
Celebration Sunday
Sunday, March 28
Celebration Sunday will be held at Drake University's Olmsted Center. It is a time when we all get together for one service that lets us reflect together on what our Unitarian Universalist church means to us and why members and friends feel committed to supporting it with their time and money. Don't miss this chance to reflect on where we've been and dream about our shared hopes and visions for the future.
ONLINE CLASS
First Unitarian Church of
Des Moines has a new online class. Visitors to the site can learn about our church, Unitarian Universalism, our history, Religious Education programs, social justice initiatives, and opportunities to participate in the life of the church.Whether you're thinking about becoming a member or have been a member for a long time, contact Lori Emison Clair, dcl@ucdsm.org or 515-244-8603, ext. 103.
CARING MINISTRY
Remember the Caring Ministry is here for those in need of transportation, calls or visits, meals when recuperating, and more. If you are in need or know of someone who might be, or if you want to provide a service, please contact Mary Bourquin at 771-4484 or borkiniowa@yahoo.com or Barb Martin at 288-3427 or barbmartin_dm@yahoo.com.
Interested in receiving a weekly email from the RE Program? Email Tracy Beck to be added to the list.
QUICK LINKS
Visit our Web site
Church Calendar for February 2010
February Intercom