First U Think

Send us Fan Mail In order to build a sense of belonging, we need covenants to keep ourselves safe in community. Hear the stories of Jonah, Jonah, and Karl as we explore the limits of belonging. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail It’s Great to Meet You , Episode 2: Wes Mullins, Executive Director, Capitol City Pride  Links from the Show:    Capitol City Pride: Home - Capital City Pride    Pride Storyteller Event, Nov. 13: Apply to Be a Pride Storyteller - Capital City Pride    Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund fundraiser: Give Now   Support the show

Send us Fan Mail What does a college writing class, Doug, and the Platinum Rule have to say about building belonging? Join us this Sunday at 9:30 as we explore the commitments we make to one another to create a community of belonging. And then find your places of belonging at our Community Faire after the service! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail It's Great to Meet You, Ep. 1 - Connie Ryan, Executive Director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa . Rev. Steve Sieck has a new podcast! Welcome to "It's Great to Meet You!" where he gets to know the good people of Des Moines doing the good work in our city.  Enjoy Episode #1 today! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail with Rev. Steve Sieck The Water Ritual, a tradition we share with UUs around the world, was created by leaders in the UU feminist movement more than four decades ago to help us all remember how deeply we are each connected to one another, and to all life.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Highly selective account of the music in our church from its founding until today. What may it have been like, what have been its purposes, and who were the musicians? Support the show

Send us Fan Mail with Rev. Steve Sieck and Company What is your vision for First Unitarian Church of Des Moines for 2040? In that future, what do you see? Who do you see? What is familiar, and what has changed? Join us as we look into the future together. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail It is good to ask questions! Unitarian Universalism believes that wonder is an important spiritual practice, and so we continually support one another in learning and growing.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Why do church services have so much music? Why do people in spiritual communities sing? Join us for this summer service, led by Rev. Steve Sieck, where we explore the intersections of creating community and singing together. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Connie Ryan, executive director of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, highlights "who is our neighbor" in contrast with the message of Christian Nationalism. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail with Louise Alcorn and friends When you think of church potlucks, does your mouth water? Member Louise Alcorn and many hungry friends will explore food and community, reminisce about potlucks we have known, and discuss how food has been inextricably linked to community here and forever. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail with Al Powers and Theresa Miller A look at our church home and garden through the lens of history. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail with Faithyna Leonard In a world marked by division and unconscious bias, how can we show up with courage, compassion, and love? This Sunday, join us for a powerful reflection on bystander intervention, the ongoing work of justice, and the transformative act of centering love—especially in moments of harm and healing. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail  Member Elijah Evans will comment upon the intersection of mental health and spirituality with a service describing how we can nurture the internal communities of which we are all composed.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail  David Yurnan and 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 railroa...

Send us Fan Mail Rev. Meredith Garmon's last words in the pulpit at First Unitarian Church of Des Moines.   Transition: it's not the same as change. Change is always happening. But sometimes we change (externally, superficially) in order to not change (truly grow) – we make changes so we can avoid changing. To transition, rather than merely change, is to bring a bit of intentionality to...

Send us Fan Mail  with Meredith Garmon What is yours to do? What is your calling — in life? Now? George Kaufman and Moss Hart won't answer that question, but their 1936 play does help frame the question.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail with Rev. Meredith Garmon ft. Church Choir  Community is the gift always there — the challenge is to make ourselves able and ready to receive it.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail ⚠️ Volume Warning:  The volume increases significantly around the 12 minute mark.  with Rev. Meredith Garmon War has been a significant part of human history — as conflicted as we may feel about that fact. It has shaped us into who we are. Perhaps we can build a world without war, though I'd like to hope we could still have a warrior's virtues (courage, determination, sa...

Send us Fan Mail This Sunday, our Coming of Age students (7th/8th Grade) share their statements of faith and values with the congregation. Join us to learn about our students’ journeys of understanding themselves and their place in the world.  Youth Faith Statements: Greta Hayes, Penny Guenther, Oliver Stamper, Simon Forman  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail with Rev Meredith Garmon Vesak is the Buddhist holiday commemorating Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death, as legend has it that Siddhartha Gautama — the Buddha — was born, became enlightened, and died all on the full moon of the lunar month Vesakha. We'll be observing this Buddhist holiday while also having our annual Flower Communion. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail  The work of building the Beloved Community always seems impossible... until it isn't. Join us for a service that affirms our call to Love.   Support the show

Send us Fan Mail  What's the natural response, and what's the effective response? Why do we gather together as a church? How do we stay grounded in our values in these difficult times? Join us to explore the power of counterintuitive joy.   Support the show

Send us Fan Mail with Rev. Meredith Garmon We pride ourselves on diversity of viewpoints — and that means we're going to see things differently, in ways that sometimes conflict. Through conflict we learn and grow, and, if handled well, bond more deeply. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail with Rev. LoraKim Joyner Experiencing nature can do wonders for ourselves, our relationships, our communities, other beings and the planet. With a dash of intentionality and practice we can grow our wonder, our resilience, and our impact in the world. Join us today to share joyous wonder and to practice connecting to all of life. Support the show