Welcome to the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines! We’re glad you’ve found us and hope you find a church home with us.
At First Unitarian, we’re brave, curious, and compassionate thinkers and doers. We’re people of many beliefs and backgrounds – people with a religious background and people with none; people who believe in a God and people who don’t, and people who simply let the mystery be. And while we represent a diversity of faith, ethnicity, history and spirituality, we agree that we want to do good work in the world.
So we welcome you – your whole self, with all your truths and your doubts, your worries and your hopes. Let us support you on your faith journey.
The focus of this service will be Labor Day. We’ll explore the origins of America’s Labor Day celebration and the uniquely American view of the value and meaning of work. We’ll also enjoy music honoring those who labor.
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How do our Unitarian Universalist commitments support us in this season of beginnings? Bring water to share in our annual Water Communion ritual, bring energy and curiosity to find something new to begin at the Community Faire after the service!
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As we come to the Autumn Equinox, the earth reminds us that the end of summer is the beginning of autumn, that every beginning is also an end. What must we end in order to begin something new in our lives?
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There is great hope and trust needed to begin something truly great. The caterpiller has to trust the molting process to become a butterfly. What spiritual and ethical practices do we need, personally and communally, to begin something special?
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Courage means taking on risk of failure or foolishness, of becoming vulnerable. And, courage asks us to confront what is easier to avoid, to say what needs to be said. How do we find courage in the midst of fear and avoidance?
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The word courage reminds us to honor the practice of heart-wisdom and love. The opposite of anxiety isn’t calm, it’s trust. Can we foster our capacity to be courageous by centering compassion and love? How might we treat a friend taking on something scary? Can we extend that love to ourselves?
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No one is an island unto themselves; we embrace our interconnectedness and social nature. Often it is the inspiration of others that gives us courage, and the awareness that others, too, experience fear and yet find a way to act in courage. Given the cost of staying comfortably avoidant in harmful situations, how do we best nurture courage in our community?
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What does it mean to heal? Why is healing often so difficult or scary? Join us for a courageous look into the practice of healing. We will honor those we have lost in our annual ritual of ribbons of remembrance.
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Healing is rarely linear. One day we’re improving, the next day it feels worse than before. And one person’s healing journey rarely looks like another’s. Join us for a service to explore the complex journey of healing.
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Healing often implies a ‘return to normal’. Who determines what is ‘normal’, and who is left out in those conversations? Join us for a courageous conversation on disability justice and the problem of the normal/abnormal binary.
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We live in community, not isolation. How can a community best support one another in our ongoing journeys of healing?
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The healing professions offer support and intervention for healing, but the journey is the care-seeker’s to take. How can we claim our part in our stories? Join us for a celebrant-led service on the courage to heal.
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Event Turnover
September 5, 2026 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Griffin Hall. Childcare Room, Kitchen
DS
Food Fair Event
September 5, 2026 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Griffin Hall. Childcare Room, Kitchen
DS
Libretti Writing Time will be a fun writing workshop combined with an hour of free writing time. Childcare, coffee/tea, and Filipino snacks (eggrolls!) included. Optional karaoke and writing shares at the end. Libre = "free" in Spanish and Tagalog/Filipino Fetti = as in confetti and fun 5 writers with an estimate of 2 kids/per writer 1 childcare provider 3-4 Writing workshop with Katy Swalwell and Dianne Siasoco 4-5 Free Writing Time 5-5:30 Sharing (optional) and Eating time - Eat eggrolls, share writing and/or sing a karaoke song
Faith Formation Team Meeting
September 5, 2026 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
ZOOM ONLY
UCDSM Communications is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Faith Formation Team
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83997946293?pwd=KyoEQCg4EXyrrNvNN9A6raiCSXGNpC.1
Meeting ID: 839 9794 6293
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