June-2
June Theme: Community
Join us each Sunday to hear a sermon on our monthly theme.
Sunday Services
9:30 a.m. Service
10:45 a.m. Coffee and treats
11:15 a.m. Forum (starts 30 minutes after service ends)
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.
Upcoming Service
Radical Hospitality with David Yurdin, Urban Bicycle Food Ministry
The Urban Bicycle Food Ministry motto is “Provide radical hospitality one burrito at a time.” Every Thursday, all year long, members prepare and deliver hundreds of food and personal items by bike and car to people on the streets in metro Des Moines. They might be living under a bridge, in a tent next to the river or railroad tracks, in a hole dug in the side of a hill, or in temporary housing. Most importantly, the UBFM builds personal relationships with those who are overlooked and marginalized.
Join the live service on Zoom!
Zoom Passcode: Safford
(Please mute your mic before the service begins!)
Click here for the Order of Service (updates every Friday afternoon)
Forum- Urban Bicycle Ministry
The Urban Bicycle Food Ministry motto is “Provide radical hospitality one burrito at a time.” Every Thursday, all year long, members prepare and deliver hundreds of food and personal items by bike and car to people on the streets in metro Des Moines.
June 3
June Theme: Community
Join us each Sunday to hear a sermon on our monthly theme.
Sunday Services
9:30 a.m. Service
10:45 a.m. Coffee and treats
11:15 a.m. Forum (starts 30 minutes after service ends)
Church Calendar
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Morning Zen with Meredith (Zoom)
June 17, 2025 6:00 am - 7:00 am
Zoom OnlyMorning Zen with Rev. Meredith Garmon is now offered on Zoom every Tuesday through Saturday morning at 6:00 am.
Detailed information can be found on One Earth Zen. For the chants and sutras, it will be helpful to have the booklet: "One Earth Zen: Sutras, Chants, and Songs." You may also pick up a copy in the church office.
Format:
Opening Chants
25 minutes zazen (silent seated meditation)
6 mins kinhin (walking meditation)
9 min Sutra service (recitations)
10 min dharma discussion
Closing chant
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Connection Circle
June 17, 2025 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Room 114Led by Faithyna Leonard
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Soul Matters Writer's Group
June 17, 2025 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Peace Conference RoomPeace Conference Room
UU Writers explores the monthly Soul Matters themes and engages in spiritual discernment through the art of creative writing
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Morning Zen with Meredith (Zoom)
June 18, 2025 6:00 am - 7:00 am
Zoom OnlyMorning Zen with Rev. Meredith Garmon is now offered on Zoom every Tuesday through Saturday morning at 6:00 am.
Detailed information can be found on One Earth Zen. For the chants and sutras, it will be helpful to have the booklet: "One Earth Zen: Sutras, Chants, and Songs." You may also pick up a copy in the church office.
Format:
Opening Chants
25 minutes zazen (silent seated meditation)
6 mins kinhin (walking meditation)
9 min Sutra service (recitations)
10 min dharma discussion
Closing chant
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Unity Circle (Off-Site)
June 18, 2025 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Flora, restaurant at the Des Moines Botanical Gardens
I’m New Here
Ready to explore Unitarian Universalism and our church? We’re ready for you!
- Start by joining us for our Sunday service at 9:30 a.m. CT in-person or via Zoom (passcode: Safford). You can also click here for directions to our building!
- In the front lobby of our church, you’ll be welcomed by a Congregational Life Committee member, who will direct you to visitor information and UU information.
- Join us after the service for coffee hour! Enjoy a generous spread of delicious food and take the opportunity to connect, mingle, and meet new people in a welcoming atmosphere.
- Check out our Affinity Groups for adults. We also have programs for children, youth, and adults.
- 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.