Sunday, November 23, 2025

Awetheism Part 3
with JD Stillwater

Join returning guest speaker, JD Stillwater, for Part 3 of this exploration into the science of Awe! JD will join us remotely over Zoom.

JD Stillwater (he/him/his) is a Science Ambassador on a mission to promote science as an interfaith source of profound inspiration and cultural shift. After classroom teaching for 25 years, JD shares his awe and wonder of nature with global audiences, and the spiritual depth available from a science-based worldview.

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Seasonal Music and Child Dedication
with Jane VanHatten

Stay tuned for more information about this fun and festive service!

(Past)

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Making Democracy Work in Fargo
with Arlette Preston

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Listen to a Recording of this Service HERE

Democracy does not work if citizens are not engaged. We are currently discovering that. The foundation for citizen engagement is in their neighborhoods, their communities, their cities. It’s also the place that is easiest to become engaged – however, structural obstacles exist which make it more difficult to be engaged.

An effort is underway for the City of Fargo governance structure to change from the current Commission form with at-large election of Commissioners to a Council form with ward representation. Arlette will present how that impacts citizen engagement and how the process of changing it works.

Arlette Preston holds a Master’s in Community Health Nursing from Texas Woman’s University, Dallas. She worked for a health system in Fargo for 21 years before starting her own business providing services for seniors in their homes. Arlette served on the Fargo City Commission from 1992-2000. She again served on the Fargo City Commission 2020-2024.

She and her husband are retired and live with their two dogs in Fargo. Their daughter lives in San Antonio, TX.

(Past)

Sunday, November 9, 2025

Goodness, Humanity, And All That
with Leah DeHaan

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Listen to a Recording of this Service HERE

On Sunday, November 9th, we will be joined by NDSU History student and FMUU Board of Directors member, Leah DeHaan.

From Leah:

When I was 18 and in my last semester of high school, I wrote a paper. This paper was an argumentative one based around the idea of innate good and innate evil. I believed that humans were good. I wrote it at my kitchen table, and every day my dad would ask me if I had changed my mind yet. Three years later and he's still asking me. The question has changed somewhat. It's no longer "have you changed your mind?" Now, it's "after everything how do you still believe this?" That is the question I seek to answer today. 

Sunday, November 16, 2025

(Past)

Foster Care in North Dakota

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With Social Workers Jenny Smith and Renee Grussing

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Listen to a Recording of this Service HERE

Have you ever considered making a difference in a child's life by becoming a foster parent? 

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On Sunday, November 16th, we will be joined by social workers, Jenny Smyth and Renee Grussing, to learn more about the need for foster families in North Dakota and what becoming licensed to foster entails.

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Jenny Smyth is a social worker, wife, and a mom. She is a licensing specialist for the Children and Family Services Foster Care Licensing Unit at the Department of Health and Human Services.  Jenny works with prospective families who are wanting to become licensed foster care providers, and provides ongoing support once a home is licensed for foster care.  She has licensed foster care homes in North Dakota for 8 years. She loves the work that she does because she gets to meet with people in the community who want to make a difference!

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Renee Grussing's social work career has offered her the opportunity to work with children and families within a variety of different settings. She is currently the Licensing Coordinator Supervisor with the Children and Family Services Licensing Unit. She began as a Licensing Coordinator with this unit when it was created in April 2022. Currently, she makes connections with those persons who have a desire to learn more about becoming a foster care provider and getting them started with the process. She also assists partnering agencies with their licensing process. She truly enjoys the variety of people She talks with and learning what has led them to this place of wanting to provide foster care.