Hello!

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.

Learn More

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1st Unitarian Church of DSM
1stUCDSM1st Unitarian Church of DSM@1stUCDSM·
26 Jan

The Trans Lives Festival at 1stUCDSM will be on 3/26/2022 11am to 4pm Join us for visual art, crafts, live music, readings, and more, as well as food for sale to showcase and benefit the LGBTQIA community.
https://t.co/qA6upw1TVE

#transgender #genderqueer #nonbianary #LGBTQIA

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1stUCDSM1st Unitarian Church of DSM@1stUCDSM·
22 Jan

Join us this Sunday, January 23, at 11:30am
or on Thursday, Jan. 27, at 6pm
to talk about our yearly budgetary issues in an open discussion. All members are welcome!
https://t.co/SJAmOL3jlE
#1stUCDSM #discussion #roundtable #budget #UU

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1stUCDSM1st Unitarian Church of DSM@1stUCDSM·
22 Jan

Living with struggle is difficult. Today we gather to support one another in community

Join us on Sunday at 9:30am CST! ZOOM ONLY

Service- Below the Line
Zoom: https://t.co/kfdLN3XcQm

Budget Round Tables at 11:30am
Zoom: https://t.co/SJAmOKLHX4

#1ucdsm #service #sunday

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1stUCDSM1st Unitarian Church of DSM@1stUCDSM·
21 Jan

Are you more interested in online community? Check out https://t.co/Mtkg65yCsK to connect with Unitarian Univeralists all over the world!
#UU #1stUCDSM #FeatureFriday #community #fellowship #find #worldwide

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1stUCDSM1st Unitarian Church of DSM@1stUCDSM·
21 Jan

We are excited and blessed to
continue to offer our services online via Zoom, keeping
our members and staff safe!
See our latest service on Youtube, or listen on your podcast medium of choice.
https://t.co/FYASLEWMgX
https://t.co/dEXnAaldbE
#1stucdsm #service #MLKDay #activism

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You are welcome to join many regular events via Zoom:

Sunday Service: Sundays @ 9:30 a.m. CT
Sunday Forum:  Sundays @ 11:00 a.m. CT
Board of Trustees Meetings (FIRST Thursday of the Month): First Thursday of the Month @ 6:00 p.m. CT
Board of Trustees Meetings (THIRD Thursday of the Month): Third Thursday of the Month @ 6:00 p.m. CT
Awakening Heart Sangha: Mondays @ 7:00 p.m. CT
Monday Night Pagan Social: Every Monday @ 7:00 p.m. CT
Bent Needles: First Wednesdays @ 6:30 p.m. CT
Around the World in 11 Religions: Fridays @ 6:00 p.m. CT

Upcoming Service

Upcoming Services Previous Services

1stunitariandesmoines

1UCDSM
First Unitarian Church of Des Moines
1800 Bell Ave, Des Moines IA.
A place to GROW, SERVE, and LOVE
www.ucdsm.org

First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa

22 hours ago

First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa
This week finds us very near our goal of meeting the generous $40,000 match offered for the Kitchen Project. Many new donors have stepped up to help. Are you one of them? We now have $35,383 in pledges and donations, which means we only need $4,617 more to meet this match.Visit our website for more information!www.ucdsm.org/kitchen-project/ ... See MoreSee Less

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First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa is in Des Moines, Iowa.

2 days ago

First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa
The Trans Lives Festival at First Unitarian Church of Des Moines will be on March 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It showcases the creative work of transgender, genderqueer, and non-binary Iowans and includes visual art, crafts, live music, readings, and more, as well as food for sale. If you or someone you know would like to participate, registration is free, and the deadline is February 18, 2022! Just send an email to tag@ucdsm.org, with your name, contact info, and type of work, along with a sample of your work, if possible (photos, docs, links, etc.). Participants may offer their work for sale. ... See MoreSee Less

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First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa

4 days ago

First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa
We have an app!The First Unitarian of Des Moines app is free to download on Android and iOS. You can opt into timely notifications, join online services, and see community announcements, events, and updates all in one place.Download here:iOS (Apple): l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Ffirst-unitarian-des-moines%2Fid1... Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.pushpay.firstunitarianchurchdesmoines ... See MoreSee Less
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First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa is attending a meeting.

6 days ago

First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa
Join us this Sunday, January 23, at 11:30amor on Thursday, Jan. 27, at 6pmto talk about our yearly budgetary issues in an open discussion. All members are welcome!tinyurl.com/UCDSMForum#1stucdsm #discussion #roundtable #budget #uu ... See MoreSee Less

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First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa is in Des Moines, Iowa.

6 days ago

First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Iowa
Living with struggle is difficult. Today we gather to support one another in communityJoin us on Sunday at 9:30am CST! ZOOM ONLYService- Below the LineZoom: tinyurl.com/UCDSMServiceBudget Round Tables at 11:30am Zoom: tinyurl.com/UCDSMForum#1ucdsm #firstunitarianchurchdesmoines #Forum #service #sunday ... See MoreSee Less

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Church Calendar

  • Around the World in 11 Faiths: A Comparative Religion Overview

    January 28, 2022  6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

    Who: All

    Leader: Amy Petrie Shaw

    Meets: Fridays beginning September 10, 2021; 6:00 p.m. CT

    Where: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84835170541?pwd=M1NqMnNJaXhOYjNxek9MUDhxTmZIZz09

    This class will review a group of religious beliefs and practices possibly less familiar to Unitarian Universalists: Mormonism, Baha’i, Sikhism, Jainism, Rastafari, Santeria/Vu du, Modern Church of Satan, Christian Science, Zoroastrianism, Shinto, and the Unification Church.

    Come and join Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw and have fun learning about some areas of religion you may never have explored. A book list will be provided for those who want to do more reading on any given faith.

    See more details

  • Sunday Service In Person! ( Zoom also available )

    January 30, 2022  9:30 am - 10:30 am

    See more details

  • Sunday Forum

    January 30, 2022  11:00 am - 12:00 pm

    Auditorium 
    Zoom

    See more details

  • Sunday Evening High School Youth Group

    January 30, 2022  6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

    Who: Grades 9-12

    When:  Sundays at 6:00 p.m CT, September – May

    Where: Room 107

    Leaders: DFF and Youth advisors

    Our Young Religious Unitarian Universalist (YRUU) group allows teens to bond through exploration of personal and spiritual rituals, participation in engaging activities and empowering social action projects. Youth will plan events and projects, check in with each other, play games and enjoy some snacks.

    See more details

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Announcements

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I’m New Here

Ready to explore Unitarian Universalism and our church? We’re ready for you, even during the pandemic!

  1. Start by joining us for our Sunday service at 9:30 a.m. CT via Zoom. Our minister or members of our Membership Committee will remain after the service if you have questions. Please stay in the main room, and don’t go into a breakout room, if you have questions or want to speak to our minister or Membership Committee members.
  2. The “Join Us on Sundays” tab at the top of this page has information about what else we’re doing virtually on Sundays right now while our building is closed. The Welcome page includes a video from our minister, Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw (they/them/theirs), and some basic information about our congregation.
  3. Even though we aren’t seeing each other in person right now, there are still activities for adults and children to engage in. Check out our Affinity Groups for adults. All groups that are meeting virtually are open to new participants. New programs will be announced for children, youth and adults in the fall.
  4. And finally, explore our website! There’s a lot to see and we encourage you to reach out to the contact people listed throughout the site if you have questions or want to get involved.