Activities

Fellowship Circles
Meeting Times: varying.
Contact: Fellowship Office 292-5960
Fellowship Circles are a program that started in Fall 2003. Groups of 8-12 members, led by a facilitator, meet once or twice per month for conversation and mutual support.

First Friday Fellowship Family Fun
Meeting Times: First Friday (surprise, surprise), 6pm
Contact: Brenda Witherspoon
Monthly get-together for families and individuals for food, games, companionship, and fun. Call Brenda if you plan to attend, so she can order enough pizza. Bring games and $4 per person for pizza.

Potluck Dinners
Meeting Times: Second Weekend
Contact: Rosemary Bulman
Small potluck dinners at individual members' homes. Contact Rosemary to get on the list. If you're already on the list, you needn't sign again. However, if you know you will not be available for an upcoming month, it will save phone calls if you let her know.

WOW! (Women of Wisdom)
Meeting Times: Third Monday, 7pm
Contact: Lynn Avant
Women Of Wisdom is a group for UU women age 55+. We meet monthly for refreshment of mind, soul, and body (there's always wine and food to share).

Historical Jesus Study Group
Meeting Times: Third Sunday, 7 pm
Contact: Marty Helland
The Historical Jesus book group has been studying the development of religious thought from pre-Christian times to the present. Our common interest is understanding the historical, social, philosophical, political and cultural contexts that influenced the life of Jesus and the movement that evolved after his death. We encourage anyone interested in this subject to join us. It is a fascinating topic and makes for lively discussions, or just listen if you choose.
The book for 2006/2007 will be Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman.

Women's Book Group
Meeting Times: First Monday, 7 pm
Contact: Barbi Greenlaw
This is an open group, and new members are welcome at any time.

All our selections are in paperback and available in local bookstores. Please come join us, we always welcome new members!

The reading list for 2007/2008 is

• Oct. 1: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
• Nov. 5: A Woman in Berlin by anonymous, translated by Philip Boehm
• Dec. 3: The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner
• Jan. 7: A Wrinkle in Time or another by Madeleine L'Engle
• Feb. 4: Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
• Mar. 3: March by Geraldine Brooks
• Apr. 7: The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
• May 5: The Mask Of Motherhood by Susan Maushart
• June 2: TThe Omnivore's Dilemma by by Michael Pollan or
  A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

To check out a fun web page, go to mostlyweeat.org. This book group has a nice list and newsletter, and the links page has many resources for book lovers.

UUISU - Iowa State University UUs
Meeting Times: Sundays, 4-6pm.
Contact: UUFA office (uufa@uufames.org)
This is our group for college students and other young adults.

New UU Classes
Meeting Times: Several times a year, either on three consecutive Sundays or in a one-day Saturday format. Check the Event Calendar for details.
Contact: Cindy Scholten
For those interested in membership in the Fellowship. Information seekers are also welcome.

Kinetic Spirits
Meeting Times: Mondays, 11am - noon
Contact: Deb Kline
This is a non-directed movement group that focuses on the spiritual and emotional aspects of creative movement. Contact Deb Kline for more information.

Fellowship Voices (Adult Choir)
Meeting Times: Sundays, between services
Contact:Cynthia Marten
Fellowship Voices welcome all who love to sing to get together each Wednesday at the Fellowship. From time to time the group sings on Sundays. Do not be worried if your schedule does not include all choir times or times. Do not be worried if you are teaching. We sing together because we enjoy music. We sing on Sundays because we enjoy adding to the musical component of the program.
Please call or e-mail Cynthia Marten, Sam Wormley, Kitty Fisher, or Duffie Lorr if you have questions. Or better yet, just come to a practice and find out how much you enjoy singing with the Voices.

Free Spirits (Children's Choir)
Meeting Times: Sundays 10:15am (between services)
Contact:Anne Kimber
This group meets for several weeks before special performances, not year-round.

Recorder Consort
Meeting Times: Tuesdays, 1:15pm
Contact: Ginny Molgaard
This ensemble meets weekly to learn and polish Renaissance and Baroque repertoire for performance in Sunday programs. Intermediate proficiency on instruments needed for level of music presented.

UU Orffans (Children's Orchestra)
Meeting Times: contact Cynthia Marten
Contact: Cynthia Marten
If you are a 5th-8th grader and like to play in ensembles and would like to play on our new Orff instruments.....this is the musical group for you.
This group meets for several weeks before special performances, not year-round.

AMOS (A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy)
Contact: Tammi Martin
AMOS is a congregational-based community organization. It originated in Des Moines in 1996, and is now spreading through other towns in Central Iowa.

Emergency Residence Project Suppers
Contact: Joanne Barnes and Chris White
UUFA members have been serving dinner at the Emergency Residence Project (homeless shelter) every Tuesday for many years. Other churches have taken on other days of the week. Sign up between services on Sundays.

IRIS (Iowa Resource for International Service)
IRIS is a non-profit, non-religious group headed by Fellowship members Bob and Judy Anderson. Bob is former Lieutenant Governor of Iowa and former executive director of the Iowa Peace Institute. IRIS is frequently looking for members willing to host professional visitors from foreign countries for a few weeks.

Social Responsibility and Action Committee
Meeting Times: contact Erv Klaas
Contact: Erv Klaas
This committee keeps members informed about issues and opportunities to bring the UU principle of social activism into the community. They work to raise awareness of members about ways they can impact social issues. They motivate members to work toward the goal of our Fellowship's being a visible and active presence for justice in the community.

Green Sanctuary
Meeting Times: contact Erv Klaas
Contact: Erv Klaas
The Green Sanctuary program is sponsored by the UUFA Social Action & Responsibility committee. This program, which is promoted by a national group of UUs, aims to increase environmental awareness and responsibility in member congregations. We officially became a certified Green Sanctuary fellowship in May 2003.
Many of the archived newsletters contain a "Green Column".

Partner Church Program
Meeting Times: Second Friday, 3:30 p.m.
Contact: Brenda Witherspoon
The UUFA supports a partner church in Tordátfalva, Romania, a village in the Hungarian-speaking region of Transsylvania. In August 2004, several Fellowship members traveled to Romania to visit. Another visit is planned for Summer 2007.