First Unitarian Church of Dallas

All Generations | Christmas Eve | 5 pm
2023-12-24 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Bring your family and friends and celebrate Christmas Eve with us. All are welcome for this multi-generational service!
In-person worship only, no livestream.
View the complete holiday schedule here.

Candlelight & Communion | Christmas Eve | 7 pm
2023-12-24 19:00 - 20:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Bring your family and friends and celebrate Christmas Eve!
In-person worship only, no livestream.
View the complete holiday schedule here.

Lessons & Carols | Christmas Eve | 9 pm
2023-12-24 21:00 - 22:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States

Christmas Morning | Online Only | 10 am
2023-12-25 10:00 - 11:00 | TX
Tune in for a re-broadcast of the 9 pm Christmas Eve service.
Livestream only: https://dallasuu.org/live/
View the complete holiday schedule here.

Ash Wednesday
2024-02-14 18:30 - 19:30 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
We invite you to begin the season of Lent with us at our contemplative Ash Wednesday service, in which we reflect on our mortality from a Unitarian Universalist perspective. All are welcome to join us in the Sanctuary at 6:30 pm.

Worth and Dignity Engagements presents "Reclaiming Kumbaya" with Pamela Bailey
2024-02-17 18:00 - 20:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Saturday, February 17, 2024, 6 pm, First Unitarian Church of Dallas, Sanctuary
4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX 75205
First Unitarian Church of Dallas presents the next installment of our Worth and Dignity Engagements on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 6 pm with Pamela Bailey, nationally published author and speaker and creator of the Antebellum Diaspora Project.
The lyceum, entitled “Reclaiming Kumbaya,” will feature music and stories from the African American experience followed by a question-and-answer session. All are welcome to join us for this special evening designed to open the conversation around forced migrations and the reconnection of emancipation descendants.
Worth And Dignity Engagements (WADE) at First Unitarian Church of Dallas help us go deep, encourage understanding, and transform lives in the pursuit of worth and dignity for all.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER IN REALM

About Pamela Bailey
Pamela Bailey is a nationally published author, educator, speaker, and podcaster. She is the founder of Blue Rose Media Group, LLC., a multimedia company that promotes racial healing, equity, and social justice through truthful and powerful storytelling across media.
She is a public scholar with an interest in preserving the folkways and humanities of American-born enslaved and emancipated people and their descendants through the arts. The importance of her own family’s history was inculcated into her upbringing by her parents, who shared ancestral stories and music that had been passed down for generations in their respective families.
Pamela has a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina, and an undergraduate degree in Business Marketing from South Carolina State University, an HBCU in Orangeburg, South Carolina. She worked for several years as an adjunct professor at a 4-year private university in Dallas, Texas. While teaching world literature to her students, Pamela was inspired to create a lyceum to share the music and history of the African American experience that her students felt had been largely absent from their formal educational experiences. She is currently a member of Southern Methodist University’s Oral History Cluster.
As a public scholar and the creator of the Antebellum Diaspora Project and a podcast with the same name, Pamela is afforded many opportunities to collaborate with scholars in the US and internationally on the subject of forced migration of American-born enslaved people and the lasting effects of forced family separations on their descendants today.

Jeff Sharlet, NYT Bestselling Author of "The Undertow" presented by The Tom & Charley Crow Lecture
2024-03-07 18:30 - 20:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Thursday, March 7th, 2024 at 6:30 pm
Sanctuary, First Unitarian Church 4015 Normandy Ave, Dallas, TX, 75205
Click here to register for this free event.

A conversation about the rise of Christian nationalism in politics and religion with New York Times best-selling author Jeff Sharlet. Join us for a lecture and Q&A at 6:30 pm followed by a book signing at 7:30 pm.

First Unitarian Church of Dallas presents The Tom and Charley Crow Lecture with Jeff Sharlet, the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books, including The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War and The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, adapted into a Netflix documentary series. His reporting on LGBTIQ+ rights around the world has received the National Magazine Award, the Molly Ivins Prize, and Outright International’s Outspoken Award. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper’s Magazine; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He is the Frederick Sessions Beebe ’35 Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College, where he lives in the woods with many animals.
In The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, veteran journalist Jeff Sharlet reckons with the tumultuous changes of the last ten years, a decade that will likely be remembered as one of the new century’s most significant. An unmatched guide to the religious dimensions of American politics, Sharlet journeys into corners of our national psyche where others fear to tread. The Undertow is both inquiry and meditation, an attempt to understand how, over the last decade, reaction has morphed into delusion, social division into distrust, distrust into paranoia, and hatred into fantasies—sometimes realities—of violence.
The Tom and Charley Crow Lecture is presented in honor of the Crow Brothers and their quest of truth as a sacrament and of knowledge in freedom. These lectures focus on rational dialogue, boldly exploring the most important core topics facing our nation, stressing logical, philosophical and sociological bases of positions, while both avoiding and exposing fallacies of fact and argument without rancor.

Maundy Thursday
2024-03-28 19:30 - 20:30 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Pause for a reflective, moving service. Communion will be followed by a candlelight Tenebrae reading of the story of Jesus’ betrayal. Music provided by the Sanctuary Choir and string quartet.

Easter Sunday
2024-03-31 09:30 - 12:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
A celebration of love, hope, and renewal! Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join us for worship and our annual Egg Scramble.

Egg Scramble between services at 10:40am
Bring a basket and don’t be late!
Children 4 years and younger meet on the Preston playground.
Children Kinder – 3rd grade meet on the playground patio
Children 4th grade and over meet on the patio between the playground and Memorial Garden.

Multi-Generational Worship at 9:30am and 11am
Rev. Daniel Kanter is preaching and music will be provided by the Sanctuary Choir.

Livestream at 9:30am, 11am and 7pm.

Retirement Celebration for Donald Krehbiel
2024-04-14 18:00 - 20:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
All are welcome to join us on Sunday, April 14th at 6 pm in the Sanctuary to celebrate Don Krehbiel’s 33 years of service to the congregation at an hour-long program of music and recognition followed by a reception.
This is a special opportunity for our community to demonstrate our gratitude and admiration for our esteemed Director of Music. Let’s honor his contribution to the growth and impact of First Unitarian through his excellence and leadership of our musical programs in the church.
Special guest musicians will include present and former members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
Quartet:
Maria Schleunig – Violin
Désirée Elsevier – Viola
Willa Henigman – Oboe
Gayane Manasjan Fullford – Cello
Piano:
Erik Barnes
Click here to register in Realm.

Music for Humanity featuring the Dallas Middle Eastern Ensemble
2024-05-11 16:00 - 18:30 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
4:00 PM – ART SHOW & RECEPTION
5 – 6:30 PM – MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Generations of musicians in Arabic and Middle Eastern traditions have crafted songs that uplift our universal experiences of love, longing, hope, loss, and dignity. This music is a rich source of comfort and healing for a world badly in need of both.
First Unitarian Church of Dallas and the First Unitarian chapter of UUs for Justice in the Middle East invite you to a multigenerational, multicultural event that welcomes all into an experience of beauty and joy through traditional Arabic music and art.
We are honored to present the Dallas Middle Eastern Ensemble as they share their musical gifts and cultural insight with us.
CLICK TO REGISTER IN REALM

Parish Meeting
2024-06-02 12:30 - 14:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
The Board of First Unitarian Church of Dallas invites you to join them on Sunday, June 2nd at 12:30pm in Channing Hall or online for the Parish Meeting. (🍕There will be pizza!)
Rev. Kanter will share updates about the work of the church and our Board President, Ike Irozuru will talk about the board priorities for the coming year. We will invite you to help us imagine the future of our church
Bring your thoughts and reflections about the role of the church in your life. You will have an opportunity to share with a small group at your table.
All are welcome – youth, adults, new members, friends of the church, people who have never been to a Parish meeting, and those who have attended for years. We hope to see you there.

Piano & Organ Recital with Grant Wareham, our new Director of Music
2024-06-06 18:00 - 19:30 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Join us for a short piano & organ recital in the Sanctuary with Grant Wareham, our new Director of Music, followed by a meet-and-greet reception in Channing Social Hall.

Playground Dedication & Celebration
2024-06-16 12:30 - 13:30 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Join us in the courtyard after the 11am service for refreshments, music, and an opportunity to express our sincere thanks to the dedicated committee and generous donors who made our new playgrounds possible.
A special moment of appreciation goes out to the Halperin family, long-time church members who have been instrumental in bringing this dream to life. The central courtyard playground will be named “Mikey’s Playground – A Place for All to Play” in memory of Mikey Halperin (1995-2023), whose zest for life is captured in this new space where children and people of all ages can build community and play.
And what better way to celebrate this space of laughter and play than by having the children break through a crepe paper “ribbon” to bless the playground with their joyful, playful energy! All are invited. We’ll see you there!

Judgment or Joy Book Event with Patty Bates-Ballard
2024-06-23 12:30 - 14:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Sunday, June 23rd
12:30pm, Don Krehbiel Music Center
Adult Ministries welcomes author and First Church member Patty Bates-Ballard to the Don Krehbiel Music Center to discuss her book Judgement or Joy? followed by a book signing in the Library.
Based on the lessons she learned from her son Kory, Patty’s book Judgment or Joy? offers a series of digestible daily readings accompanied by thought-provoking questions that connect the dots between releasing self-judgments, building connections, and embracing vibrant joy in life.
You can purchase copies of Judgement or Joy? at the event with Zelle, PayPal, cash or check or order ahead of time here.
About Patty
Patty Bates-Ballard is CEO of WordSmooth, author of the books Judgment or Joy, ACE-ing Conflict, and Navigating Diversity, and developer of the Harvest Respect program. As a speaker, writer, educator, and mediator, Patty has championed effective communication across differences for three decades. She is the mother of two sons, Kory and Kaden, who inspire her daily.
At a young age, Patty’s faith ignited in her a passion for fairness and justice and a deep respect for the earth and its people. Her Harvest Respect program helps school districts, police departments, corporations, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations communicate effectively across differences so they can better fulfill their missions. A volunteer for the African American Museum of Dallas and CORE, a member of National Association for Community Mediation, and a member of First Unitarian Church of Dallas, Patty received BA degrees in Psychology and Philosophy/Religion from Austin College.
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Connection Sunday
2024-09-22 10:00 - 14:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
With the start of a new church year, now is the perfect time to find your special place within our church community! Join us for an opportunity to connect with groups and service opportunities in the church. Grab some coffee and visit with group leaders in Channing Hall after each service. There will be extra fun for kids of all ages in the courtyard playground area.
Make sure to bring your mobile device with the Realm Connect app to make connecting with groups even easier!

Front Porch Conversation with Dr. Curtis Boyd, M.D. and Dr. Glenna Halvorson-Boyd, PhD, RN
2024-09-22 12:15 - 14:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Sunday, September 22nd
12:15 pm, Sanctuary
Click to register
Join Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter for a conversation with Dr. Curtis Boyd, M.D. and Dr. Glenna Halvorson-Boyd, PhD, RN about their new book We Choose To: A Memoir of Providing Abortion Care Before, During, and After Roe
Abortion care has been the work of Dr. Curtis Boyd and Dr. Glenna Halvorson-Boyd’s lives, something between a cause and a calling that demanded of them empathy, innovation, and courage, all guided by a deep belief in women’s equal place in society.
Their new book We Choose To, which the Boyds began writing long before the Supreme Court decision that deprived Americans of the constitutional right to abortion, covers a fifty-year span of abortion care.
We Choose To is not about politics, public opinion, or even history, although it offers rare insight into all three. Instead, it is about abortion providers themselves, those who work alongside them, and the patients who shape and are shaped by their service.
Curtis Boyd, MD, is nationally known for developing abortion procedures and standards of care. He is also recognized for his expertise in pain management and minimizing surgery risk. Furthermore, Dr. Boyd was involved in establishing the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and is a founding member of the Federation’s Board of Directors. NAF serves as a forum for abortion providers and others committed to providing quality abortion services so that they remain accessible to all women.
Glenna Halvorson-Boyd, PhD, RN, served on National Abortion Federation’s Board of directors and as NAF’s president for two years (1984-1986). She is an accomplished counselor, trainer, and consultant with a national reputation for her training of professionals in this field. Dr. Halvorson-Boyd has a PhD in Human and Organizational Development. Her previous publications include the book Dancing in Limbo: Making Sense of Life after Cancer.
First Unitarian Church of Dallas has a deep commitment to upholding reproductive dignity and a long history of abortion advocacy, with ties to the movement pre-dating the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. The church recently established the Truth Pregnancy Resource Center, which provides fact-based care and counseling to pregnant persons in need of accessible prenatal care, safe and legal abortion, or inclusive and equitable adoption services.
The conversation will be followed by a book signing.
Click to register.

125th Anniversary Evening Gala
2024-10-05 18:00 - 20:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Saturday October 5, 2024, 6-8 p.m.
Please join us for a gala evening event as members and friends of First Unitarian Church of Dallas recognize and rejoice in our 125th year of service.
A short service of celebration and reflection in the Sanctuary will be followed by live music, food, and dancing in Channing Social Hall.
Festive attire suggested. Please register in Realm so that we can plan for food and beverages.
Click to register in Realm.

125th Anniversary Church Picnic
2024-10-06 12:00 - 14:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Sunday October 6, 2024, immediately following the 11 am service.
Bring the whole family to celebrate at our 125th Anniversary Picnic.
Food, fun and fellowship for all ages. Please register in Realm so that we can plan for food and beverages.
Click to register in Realm.

Financial Safety & Security As We Age: Elder Frauds, Scams and Financial Exploitation
2024-10-13 12:30 - 14:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
As part of our “Aging Well” series, this workshop will focus on recognizing and preventing financial fraud and scams that target older adults.
Presented by Steve Benton, Financial Counselor at the Elder Financial Safety Center, this session will equip you with the tools to protect yourself and your loved ones from becoming victims. Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to enhance your financial safety!
Registration is required. We hope to see you there!

Freedom to Read Day of Action: Communities Unite Against Book Bans
2024-10-19 14:00 - 16:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Saturday, October 19th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Crow Library at First Unitarian Church of Dallas
Join First Unitarian Church of Dallas and Wholly Informed Sex-Ed (WISE) as we celebrate the freedom to read! We will set aside phones and enjoy a good book in the Crow Library. Browse the collection or bring your own.

In 2023, book banning and censorship reached an all-time high, with a record 4,240 unique book titles targeted for removal, a 65% increase over the 2,571 unique titles targeted in 2022 and a staggering 128% increase over 2021 numbers. 47% of the books targeted for censorship were titles representing the voices and lived experiences of people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ+. Coordinated censorship attempts continue to happen at an alarming rate, impacting schools and public libraries nationwide and threatening the First Amendment rights of all Americans.
Public and school libraries should be safe havens of knowledge and community, offering access to diverse viewpoints and empowering students and the public to engage with the issues of our time. The Freedom to Read Community Day of Action will unite libraries and elevate the voices of readers nationwide. Stand with us against book bans on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

Behind the Chalice: Understanding How Your Church Works
2024-10-20 12:30 - 13:30 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Learn about your Church! From history to governance to staff to budgets this overview will give you a fascinating peek at the church you thought you knew. Presented by Martha Norton, Director of Finance and Stewardship.
Register in Realm.

Holiday Homecoming
2024-12-07 14:00 - 16:30 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Exclusively for church members 70 and better, a festive afternoon of great food, socializing and holiday caroling. Watch for the invite in your inboxes!
To Volunteer to help at the celebration: If you can bake cookies, assemble cookie tins, drive attendees, decorate, host, set up, clean up, photograph the event, and/or deliver cookie tins click here to sign up.

Hanging of the Greens
2024-12-07 18:00 - 20:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Get ready to deck the halls and jingle all the way to our annual “Hanging of the Greens” extravaganza! The Hanging of the Greens isn’t really about sprucing up our space for the season; it’s about bringing our vibrant community together to take part in a joyful tradition. Bring your holiday spirit and let’s make merry memories together!
The evening will include skits from our ministers, a performance from the Children’s Choir, special music, games, interactive elements for the kids, and cookies & punch from the Women’s Alliances. Don’t miss it!
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We will also be collecting blankets for the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center’s Holiday of Hope Program
The holidays can be a difficult time, especially for children living in the aftermath of criminal child abuse. Each year, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) brings a smile to thousands of our client’s faces when we provide them with gifts and toys through our annual Holiday of Hope program.
This year, we’re asking the kids of First Unitarian Church of Dallas to help their peers by contributing a fuzzy blanket for Dallas Children’s Advocacy’s Center’s Holiday of Hope toy drive. There will be a table in the foyer before and after Hanging of the Greens where you can drop-off blankets. For more information please visit https://dcac.org/getinvolved/holiday-of-hope/

Parish Meeting
2024-12-15 12:30 - 14:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Voting members are invited to enjoy pizza, hear updates from church leaders, vote on the 2025 budget, and celebrate the 2025 elected leaders.
Childcare is available for this event. Click here to register.

Candlelight & Communion | Christmas Eve | 7 pm
2024-12-24 19:00 - 20:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
A quiet, reflective service. All are invited to receive communion.
In-person worship only, no livestream.
View the complete holiday schedule here.

Lessons & Carols | Christmas Eve | 9 pm
2024-12-24 21:00 - 22:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
The “big” Christmas service – featuring a brass quintet, the Sanctuary choir, and carol singing by candlelight.
In-person worship only, no livestream.
View the complete holiday schedule here.

All Generations | Christmas Eve | 5 pm
2024-12-25 17:00 - 18:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
Bring your family and friends and celebrate Christmas Eve with us. All are welcome for this multi-generational service!
In-person and livestream at 5 pm CST.
View the complete holiday schedule here.

Front Porch Conversation with David Marquis, Author and Naturalist
2025-01-05 12:30 - 14:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
The Climate Action Team and The Ned Fritz Legacy will host this Front Porch event with David Marquis, author of The River of Goodness. David will read from his work and then discuss First Unitarian’s long tradition of advocacy and engagement with Rev. T. J. FitzGerald. Bring your questions for David, too! Deep Vellum, David’s publisher, will be onsite with copies of David’s book and he will sign copies.
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About The River of Goodness
Every day, posits Marquis, every single human has to make a choice: accept the world the way it is or work to make it better. Each of us can pursue the work of goodness in many ways. The River of Goodness, the second volume in Marquis’s River Trilogy, provides real-world examples of people who have taken on the work of goodness, whether through thankless tasks or in dangerous and challenging circumstances.
This follow-up to Marquis’s beloved first volume, The River Always Wins, argues that making the world better is rooted in the hard daily work of creating change that lasts.
About David Marquis
David Marquis is a long-time committed activist for environmental and social change in the Dallas area. He is the author of I Am A Teacher (Simon & Schuster), which became a series of widely performed plays. He founded the Oak Cliff Nature Preserve in Dallas and has consulted with the Texas Conservation Alliance since 2011. The first book in this series, The River Always Wins, was published by Deep Vellum in 2020.

The History and Future of Dallas Civil Rights Panel
2025-01-11 17:30 - 20:00 | First Unitarian Church of Dallas, 4015 Normandy Ave., Dallas, TX, 75205, United States
The Racial Equity Task Force is proud to welcome Rev. Peter Johnson – former Southern Christian Leadership Conference member and decades-long Dallas civil rights activist and renowned historian Michael Phillips the author of White Metropolis, about the history of race in Dallas, to present on the history, present, and future of civil rights in Dallas. Amber Sims, noted author, activist, trainer, and visionary leader, will moderate a discussion with the panelists and the audience. Dinner and discussion to follow. Please register in REALM to attend.
